by John Walker
Her computer lit up, indicating she had range for beam weapons. Anna chose to close the distance some more so she could let them have both mass drivers as well. This would be a real coup de grace, one that he wouldn’t be ejecting from or escaping. It climbed and she followed, chasing it into the hulk of a burned out destroyer.
Anna focused, jogging the stick to avoid pipes and solid sections that would’ve ended her in an instant. The other pilot made it out, flying through the remains of the engine and she was right behind them, climbing just as they did. She got a lock, pulling the trigger. Blasts smacked the shields but they held.
Guns went next, making tiny flares across the hull but still, his defenses remained up. Okay, fine, you’ve doubled up the rear? Take this. Anna fired her final missile and it lurched ahead of her, closing on the target. He needed to divert power from the shields if he hoped to outrun it but if he did, she’d be able to shoot him.
He made the choice, pulling away from the missile. Anna fired immediately, cutting through one of his engines. He tried to veer to the right and the missile caught him in the center, obliterating him in an instant. I’m sorry he got you, Frank. The bastard paid for it. The victory felt empty but necessary.
I have to get back to the Gnosis. The fighting around her became more intense and her shields still hadn’t fully recovered. This was probably an ill-advised move. Anna pulled away from the fighting, climbing above it before changing course and heading back for the Gnosis as fast as she could.
She established a com link to the Gnosis. “Commander Bowman. Your bogeys are taken care of. You’re clear.”
“Thank you, Anna. Do you have a status?”
“We’re down two ships.” Anna swallowed hard as emotion threatened to grip her. She mastered herself and cleared her throat. “Flight Lieutenant Frank Maze is gone. Preston needs search and rescue.”
“Understood.” Bowman replied after a pause. “Thank you, Anna. I’m sorry … about Frank. You guys did a great job.”
Doesn’t feel like it right now, Anna thought. She’d flown with Frank for a long time. His end felt strange to her, unbelievable. And yet, Jonny saw it. She didn’t look forward to the moment that sank in. It would be a bad day indeed.
***
Desmond watched as the destroyer continued to draw closer. Zach hit it with everything they had, tearing through the initial defenses. They’re not going to ram us, he thought. They want our cargo too badly. They have to disable the ship if they hope to walk away with those Orbs however …
Something else dawned on him. If they couldn’t have the Orbs, then depriving their enemies of them might be the next best thing. The battle clearly wasn’t going in their favor and the Tol’An had given themselves a reputation for suicide. “Zach … We need to stay in motion. I’m not interested in these guys trying to dock with our faces.”
“I’m moving,” Zach replied, hitting them with the weapons again. “The fighters aren’t bothering us anymore, so that’s a plus. But this guy … He must have some serious shield generators. The last one we fought would’ve gone down by now. This is uncanny … and really strange.”
Vincent turned to Desmond. “Apparently, a couple scouts were trying to get away. The Stalwart chased them down and finished them off. They’re coming toward us now.”
“We’ve got some more backup coming as well,” Zach said. “A Pahxin destroyer. I’m coordinating with their weapon crews right now.”
“Good.” Desmond checked the scanner on his console, noting that no one else had arrived in the system, not yet at least. How long would it take for the Tol’An to muster reinforcements and get them there? He figured if anyone showed up, it would be too late. They’d arrive to salvage the hulks of their attack force.
“Captain Bradford.” Ulian’s voice came in through the speakers. “I see you’ve met one of the Tol’An’s latest technological experiments. They seem to have forsaken heavy weapons in exchange for additional defenses. It allows them the opportunity to ram smaller ships and survive. Or close on a larger vessel without being destroyed prior to their collision.”
“We’ve noticed,” Desmond replied. “They seem to have given up guns.”
“Because the only vessels left are their battleships and them,” Ulian said. “But I don’t think they’re going to sacrifice their larger resources today. Not when it’s obvious they’ve lost this conflict. We’re almost there. Stay away from that ship and you should be fine.”
“Like hell I’m going to be saved,” Zach said. He tapped away at his console, sending another massive barrage at the enemy destroyer. Missiles, beam weapons and cannons battered their hull, this time getting through the weaker shields on the starboard side. “Finally!” Tiny orange dots appeared across the metal, bits of flame bursting out.
“Did you do it?” Vincent asked.
“Hurt him,” Zach said, “but he’s still coming. Lord, these guys do not know when to stop!”
The Pahxin destroyer burst onto the scene, tearing into the rear flank of the Tol’An vessel. Zach fired again as well and they hit it from both sides. The attacking vessel continued its forward momentum, intent on connecting with the Gnosis. Zach hit the thrusters, dropping them down.
The Tol’An didn’t seem to be able to maneuver. Maybe they put all their efforts into the thrusters. Weapons fire tapped the top shields of the Gnosis, cutting through and hitting the hull. The whole ship trembled for a moment. Salina’s hands raced over her console. “Damage in hangar two and minor damage to networking on decks three and five.”
Zach spun them around, a quick enough maneuver that everyone on the bridge had to hold on. Just when it became uncomfortable, it stopped suddenly, causing another jostle. He fired their weapons, tearing through the engines of the Tol’An ship. Each of them went dark and the ship began to drift in a diagonal pattern.
The three ally ships hit it again, this time together. It only took one pass before the destroyer was turned into molten debris, pieces of the ship making a hazard for smaller ships.
Desmond leaned back in his chair. “Salina, what’re those battleships doing?”
“They appear to be bugging out. And they’re leaving their fighters behind!”
“Pays to be in their military,” Zach muttered.
“Seems to be about ten left,” Vincent said. “Mop up won’t take long. I think we’re good.”
“I’m glad that at least part of our preparations paid off.” Desmond stood up. “If the Pahxin hadn’t arrived here early, we would’ve hopped right into a trap. We have plenty to do, a lot to look into before we can go home and we need to do it fast. Vincent, are those enemy fighters engaged with our people?”
Vincent shook his head. “No, that’s all Pahxin conflict over there.”
“Okay, recall our fighters and get search and rescue out there for the downed pilots. I think we lost three, right?”
“Yes, sir. I’m on it.”
“Ulian’s on the line again, sir,” Salina said.
“Put it on screen.” Desmond waited until the man’s face appeared. “Thanks for the assist, Captain. I appreciate it.”
“Of course. We will finish off the fighters out there and secure the area. It appears you have some minor damage to tend to, but we should plan to be out of here within the next two hours. I would recommend plotting a course back right away. Consequently, how did you arrive so fast?”
“The traitor who gave the Tol’An these coordinates also upgraded our navigation program.”
“Interesting tactic.” Ulian scowled. “I would have Doctor Rindala look at that upgrade and ensure it was done properly.”
“We will, thank you.”
“I will contact you again later when things have calmed down. Ulian out.”
Desmond turned to Dulain as the screen went dark. “So … what did you discover?”
“Our traitor must’ve had a schematic of the ship. He understood exactly where to go and what cameras to clear to cover his tracks all the
way from the research lab to the computer he used to upgrade the navigation system. Consequently, that’s where he sent the message from as well.”
Vincent said, “I’m guessing he grabbed the information from Gamma Alpha during his brief visit. We’ll need to make sure he didn’t grab anything else while he was there.”
“The man’s still alive,” Dulain said. “Christina subdued him. We should be able to interrogate anything we need out of him. Maybe this will work to our advantage though … We’ll need to be quick about it. The Pahxin like to execute people like him from what I understand. They have a zero tolerance policy on treason.”
“I don’t really blame them,” Desmond said. He turned to Vincent who was practically an avatar of tension. He knew exactly why. “I’ll take over for you and oversee the return of our fighters. Go down and check on Cassie.”
“Are you sure?” Vincent asked. “I can wait …”
“I want to know how she is too.” Desmond gestured for the door. “Go.”
“Thank you.” Vincent nearly darted for the door and departed a moment later.
“He truly cares,” Dulain said. “I hadn’t expected that.”
“I doubt he did either.” Desmond sat down. “Salina, talk to Thayne about checking the navigation system and get me a repair estimate from Webber. Ulian’s timeline seemed reasonable but I want to get some concrete answers before we commit to it. Mister Dulain, I think you can go if you’d like.”
“I wouldn’t mind staying on to help, if it’s all the same to you. Once we’re ready to go, I’ll find my agents and get a debriefing but until then, you seem to be down a couple of people.”
“I won’t say no. Alright folks, stand down from battle stations and begin the recovery process.”
***
Dennis and his team received the order to return to the ship. Charger and Raptor went first and his team formed up. Half way back, his com started blinking, an incoming request from one of the Pahxin fighters. He switched the call to a private channel and established the connection.
“This is Arden, go ahead.”
“Good day.” Dennis smiled. He wondered when he’d hear from Dala Ahnshyr again. “I heard you were given an order to return to base.”
“Yes, apparently we’re done over here.” Dennis paused. “You guys are on mop up, aren’t you?”
“Indeed.” Dala paused. “Sorry, finished one off. I wondered if you would rather come join us for the final push.”
Dennis considered her offer. “I don’t know … I mean … I guess I could … if it was somewhat urgent. As in you felt like you needed the help? If you understand my meaning.”
“Yes, to get around your orders, of course.” Dala cleared her throat. “Please, Mister Arden. We require your aid. Can you break formation to assist?”
“I can’t turn down an ally’s request for help,” Dennis replied. “Be there in just a moment.” He switched to his public com. “Team, I’ve been requested by the Pahxin fighters to give them a little help. I’ll see you back on the ship. Shane, you’re in charge. Be sure everyone lands safely.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Shane switched to a private channel. “What the hell, buddy?”
“Sorry, man. Can’t turn them down.” Dennis smirked. “It won’t be long.”
“They’re mopping that shit up. What could they possibly need you for?”
“Shane …” Dennis sighed. “Just … get back to the ship, huh? Seriously, it’s all good.”
“Whatever. We’ll talk about it when you get back. If you do.” Shane killed the connection and Dennis broke formation, heading back toward the fray.
He kicked on his afterburners to close the distance, rushing toward the flashes of light and mild chaos going on out there. There must’ve been at least thirty Pahxin fighters tearing through the remainder of the Tol’An ships that had been stranded when their battleships departed the system.
Near the edge of the battle, his com lit up, a message from the Gnosis bridge. Dennis clicked it on, clearing his throat before answering. “This is Arden.”
“Hello,” Salina said. “I couldn’t help but notice you were not docking with the ship. Care to explain?”
“A request for aid from our Pahxin allies, ma’am. I had to answer the call.”
“I see. Interesting. I’m sure they didn’t need the help.” Salina hummed. “Good luck and do try to hurry back. Our goal is to leave the system as quickly as possible. There may be reinforcements incoming.”
“Totally understood. Arden out.” He clicked off the com, shaking his head. Everyone’s got opinions. Disengaging the afterburners, he dipped down to engage the closest enemy, a Tol’An fighter flying erratically.
It bounced around like an enraged bee, pulling maneuvers that should’ve knocked the pilot out. He wondered if the controls had been damaged, sending the ship into the wild motions. The pilot could’ve been dead but if he wasn’t, if he had managed to survive, he could still be a reasonable threat.
Targeting him proved to be a real pain. Every time the computer indicated tone, it moved in a seemingly random direction. Dennis finally fired without it, trying to lead the target. The first two tries missed but he scored on the third, cutting right through the side of it. No shields. That thing’s already taken a lot of damage.
Dala’s fighter flew in front of him, blasting his target into bits. “Firing at the left overs?” Dala asked. “Come on, Arden. Get into a real fight.”
“Wow, you’re out of control.” Dennis adjusted to avoid running into her and formed up on her wing. She led them straight into the middle of a dogfight, dodging a series of beam attacks before coming up on the tail of one of the enemies. She started shooting, tearing at her enemy’s shields.
Dennis took a more pragmatic approach, pulling up before he entered the wild brawl. Spinning around, he targeted from the edge of the conflict and fired from the safer vantage point. One of the Pahxin ships exploded not even a hundred yards from him and another was severely damaged.
Jesus, our allies are insane! Dennis flipped around, avoiding some debris as he attempted to gain a good solution on a target. The Tol’An bolted for the edge of the fighting, dropping under a piece of one of the scout vessels and hitting his afterburners. Where exactly does he think he’s going?
Dennis followed, spinning to avoid a drifting bit of junk and increasing speed in an effort to catch up. Flashes behind him illuminated his cockpit, explosions of various ships. The Pahxin definitely were winning but they acted entirely too casually for his taste. Yes, it was a mop up but that didn’t mean go crazy.
The debris density increased and he had to concentrate, dodging to the left to avoid a chunk of engine then dove to fly through the burned out core of the thrusters. As he emerged, he looked around, spotting his target some distance off well away from the action. Adjusting course, he gave chase.
Proximity alerts went off and he spun to the right, narrowly avoiding a missile. Three more Tol’An converged on his position, moving in to get on his six. “Um … Holy crap.” He hit his afterburners and turned back toward the debris field, hoping that he might be able to even the odds. “Dala, I’ve got a bit of a problem.”
“You left the battlefield?” She asked. “What has happened?”
“Seems the Tol’An decided to keep some fighters in reserve out here. I chased one into a trap. There are four fighters out here … Four on one, basically. Any chance for some help?”
“Continue on your present course back toward us. We will come to you right now.” Dala cleared her throat. “I bet you wish you would have boarded your vessel. My apologies for dragging you into so much danger. The Tol’An deserve some credit for being far cleverer than they ever are.”
So glad I get to see them be unique first hand, Dennis thought. He continued dodging, moving as erratically as he dared while maintaining full speed. The Tol’An chipped away at his shields, glancing blows with beam weapons lowering their integrity a couple percent every few mom
ents.
At thirty-percent shields, he made it to the debris and flew in, immediately ducking behind the largest bit of rubbish he could find. Putting that between him and his pursuers bought him an ounce of breathing room but he knew it would be short lived. They’d be on him soon and they didn’t care about bumping into things.
Their shields can survive it. A missile struck a piece of metal nearby, casting bits in every direction. Dennis’s shields held but tiny fireflies of orange appeared across his right side. Another attack destroyed more of the ship parts around him, which put them into motion. He flipped the ship to the side, fitting through a narrow gap.
This shit is more of Alicia’s thing! Sweat covered his entire body as he dove into another section of the blown-out hulk and desperately looked for the way out. A small gap off to the left seemed large enough but he wasn’t sure. Heading in that direction, he fired his weapons, making the hole bigger. His top shields lit up as he burst back into open space.
Way too close! “Dala!” Dennis shouted. “Where are you guys?”
The Tol’An followed through the opening he made and they all started firing at once. The first two attacks missed but the third caught his shields, dropping them to twenty percent. His computer went crazy, lighting up every alarm it seemed to have. If you weren’t wasting energy warning me, maybe you could recharge them!
Seven Pahxin fighters appeared in front of him. “Fly straight,” Dala warned as they all opened up. Their attacks tore into the Tol’An, ripping them to pieces. Dennis slowed down, slumping in his seat and taking a deep, calming breath. “Do you feel alive now, Arden? You must admit this was worth it.”
“Must I?” Dennis asked. “You might be too high speed for me, Dala.”
“What does that mean?”
“Oh, we’ll talk about it when we’re not in fighters,” Dennis replied. “Are we done out here? Have we mopped up the fighters?”
“We just need to conduct a final sweep so search and rescue can do their part of things. Thank you for joining us. We’ll speak again on Earth.”
