Coming Home (Free Fleet Book 2)

by Michael Chatfield

“I had the feeling that you might want to. Commander Salchar made quite the impression on you.” Carsickle was about to retort when the governor lowered her snout, the equivalent of a human waving off the subject.

  “It is not a bad thing. Many were impressed by them, myself included. I do think that our deal with the Free Fleet is the best spending of resources we have possibly ever had.”

  Carsickle's brow rose. He didn't know the governor felt that way about the Free Fleet. At every meeting she'd kept to her Chaleelian roots and hammered out the best possible deal for the Chaleelian's. The governor was one hell of a negotiator.

  “I didn't know you felt that way.”

  Her ears moved as a sign of amusement.

  “Well, I can't very well give the game away to them, can I? That Salchar is a wily one. I had the feeling he knew I'd pay him twenty percent more than we agreed to the entire time.”

  Carsickle's ears similarly moved.

  “He is quite the creature.”

  “Why now though?”

  Carsickle looked over the governor who looked to be genuinely interested. He tightened his jaw, a shrug. “We have agreements with the Free Fleet and AIH for food in order for protection materials and possibly technology in the near future. We also have an agreement with AIH to build ships in concert. There are a number of Chaleelian's being trained by the Free Fleet, as well as Avarians. We have two newly refurbished corvette's under our divided command. The Free Fleet has shown their reliability. I don't think I'm needed here.”

  “You want to be out there defending your people, instead of sitting back here and twiddling your thumbs and going to meetings.” She pursed her lips in acceptance of that fact. “I am not going to stop you, General,” She finished, her ears moving.

  “What is so interesting?”

  “Wondering what Salchar has planned for you.”

  “I doubt anything.” Carsickle tightened his jaw as her ears went faster, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

  “That man has a lot of plans. He had a plan for you the minute he met you, I saw it. He probably has a plan for me too. It will be interesting to find out,” she said as it was Carsickle’s turn to move his head from side to side in contemplation.

  “Before you go you must try my husbands Baroui etre Calvun,” she said, turning her head to show her stubbornness.

  “Very well, Governor, it would be my pleasure,” he said. Being invited to the governors house was not something to be denied, especially for food.

  “Good, then you can sign up and go and see the galaxy with mine and Chaleel's blessing.”

  Carsickle raised his head in thanks.

  I wonder if she's right about Salchar having a plan for me. His plans are infamous. A shiver of excitement ran up his spine at the thought that in a few days he would sign up to join the Free Fleet.

  Chapter Taking Back What is Ours

  We were still a few million kilometres away from the station and the Syndicate fleet that was milling around it, but soon, with low emissions or not, they would see us.

  “We've got movement within the Syndicate fleet,” Sensors said after we passed an invisible threshold.

  “Sound battle stations and distribute Wake Up for those that need it,” I said, the comms officer relaying it to tight beam and to the rest of the fleet.

  A few minutes later Rick turned to me. “Everyone is up and ready.”

  I nodded to myself. “Comms, put me on with the fleet.”

  “You’re on, Commander.”

  “Initiate phase three. Bring all fusion power plants to full power, all weapons online and readied! Begin blasting information on all frequencies as well as surrender terms. Remember that the Kuruvians and Sarenmenti here are not our enemy, their masters are.”

  Ships came alive as the sketch pattern from passive sensors and input simulations initiated and hard objects as sensors went to full power. Resilient came alive. Power surged through the bridge and lights came up green as different sections reported their readiness.

  “Syndicate forces have seen us and are moving to intercept,” Sensors replied, much more relaxed than they had been when we entered the system.

  “Good. Tactical, execute fire plan Alpha. Let's give them something to worry about besides our Commandos.”

  Missiles were spat out from my ships, speeding across the relatively small distance between the station, it's scrambling forces, and my fleet.

  After a few minutes the missiles split into multi-warhead payloads, following paths between shuttles that were converging on the station, or would attack ships with their shields down if possible.

  The Syndicates forces PD was good, but because of the lack of resources the Kuruvians had that didn't mean much. Most of them were down, and a lot of the systems had been sold by ship captains wanting to make more money. The ships and the station fired wildly and without any sort of pattern in response to our concentrated barrage. The Pirates were still probably arguing over who was in charge.

  I didn't care what damage they did. I just wanted to distract them from my much more vulnerable shuttles heading towards their ships and stations.

  “Incoming missiles,” the sensor commander said in the same calm way they had gone through the initial emergence phase. Now just to see if that professionalism filters down, I thought to myself as the sensor commander kept up his report. “We have confirmed hits on the station. Two corvettes dead, destroyer limping and a battle cruiser with engine problems.” Something disappeared from the screen.

  “Battle cruiser destroyed.”

  “Thank you, Sensors. Comms, get me the shuttles and Commander Heston of the Eclipse freighters.”

  The comms commander opened a channel with our hidden forces.

  “Lone Riders and company, this is Battle Wagon, time to join the fight.”

  “Thank you, Commander!” I heard Heston say as someone whooped in the background.

  “Well, this is going to be a ride,” Henry said as I smirked.

  Shuttles came online with their accompanying fighters around the station, their engines firing on full burn as they braked, jinked, or whatever they felt they needed to do as their PDS went to work on the missiles between them and the station. Shuttles and fighters diverted power as they changed courses for the ships, spotting our non-existent shields.

  Fighters let lose with their close ranged missiles, which had less fuel and three times as many warheads as a normal missile. They could take out a cruisers shield in one go and could crack a ship without shields like an egg up to a battle cruiser.

  The fighters opened up the ships, their losses thankfully light as the shuttles descended and they peeled away to assist opening up other ships shields.

  The remaining fighters were clearing the station of weapons but holding back their missiles. There were possibly innocent people in the station, people that were like us. Thankfully everyone kept their head as waves of shuttles landed, or crashed, into the station.

  That part done, the battle between my ships and the Syndicate became wholly one sided. They fired on us as we diverted everything to shielding, hoping that we would be able to survive the onslaught of missiles and cannon fire.

  The incoming missiles were knocked out of existence by the hundreds, the station's missile capacity was terrifying. They launched hundreds. Thankfully, theirs and the Syndicates volleys were staggered, meaning that they came in erratic waves, the Eclipse freighters worth their weight in gold as their new PDS systems let loose.

  The Resilient took a beating. I was happy I made all of the bridge crew wear chair harnesses as we bucked and awed. Even at a few thousand kilometers, five hundred kiloton nukes were immensely powerful.

  I watched as a destroyer disappeared when a missile got within four hundred meters.

  “Rick?” I said as there was a lull in the missiles.

  “The Delliante's engines are out but she’s holding with formation using reactive thrusters. Her weapon systems are still online. Destroyer Carthridge
is gone. Corvettes Slip Stream and Blue Bird are dead in space, damaged. Resilient has taken a beating, and we’ve lost one engine. Destroyer Halbert is reporting port side gunnery is gone; they’re flipping to present their starboard.” I had no time to realize how Rick acted like a rock under fire, as before Rick was finished I was punching the button for Eddie's personal comm suite.

  “Eddie, I need that engine up!”

  “Yes, sir, we’re working on it!”

  “Label the unknown ships as fighters, access file Eclipse One.” Someone did so and the map became populated with the wings of fighters, identifying the wing commanders.

  “Secondary launch of missiles, two hundred and thirty incoming.” Times the twenty warheads they're carrying, I thought as I issued orders, my inner nervousness as it computed the numbers hidden behind my mask.

  “Alright, brace.”

  I couldn’t do anything as missiles bared down on my ships; this was the weak point of my plan. My ships would take a pounding, but hopefully my AMC would be able to get into the ships and station and disable them. PD flashed across the fleet as we took out all but seven which broke into a hundred and forty warheads. Close range PDS spat out small rounds and shotgun like batteries, attempting to catch most of the now dub missiles. Twenty seven survived. One of the missiles faulted, blowing up and taking five with it. Four were out of range to do much more than buffet my ships. Five hit the AMC transports, taking a chunk out of the front sections. I silently hoped that the crews of the transports had followed my advice and stayed in the rear of the ship. It seemed so as the engines corrected course, following behind us. I blinked as reports flooded in, I’d been focused on one part of the battle on my view screen, and they’d already gone through the reports of what I knew.

  “Captain Xing says Eclipse Two is losing atom. They’re sealing and diverting, but they’ve lost a quarter of their PDS.”

  That's going to hurt us, I thought as the Syndicate ships and my fleet came closer.

  "We've got the targets from CAMC and the locations of the AMC on the ships."

  "Lock in targets with gunner crews. I want them opened like cans for our people to get in," I said as we came into laser cannon range.

  “Hold on, plasma and mass drivers,” I said and Marleen nodded.

  “Alright, you gun bunnies, listen up! Laser cannons only, I want those ships open like a damned four year old went at them! Don't just slice them, give me gashes and openings!”

  It seemed to have the desired effect as the gunners began firing only lasers and the pirates fired everything they could a few minutes later.

  ***

  "This has got to be one of the most idiotic, crazy damned ideas I've ever heard of or been a part of," Henry said, shaking his head into his helmet as Yasu nodded.

  “Don't think his missions will ever be exactly sane,” Yasu said. He gave a gruff laugh. Yasu saw the ships were in weapons range. She was about to key the open channel as Henry's voice barked through it.

  "EVERYONE BRACE!"

  A few moments later the ships began pounding one another, more than a few Mechas had gone flying because of the massive forces exerted by the weapons on either side. It was over in a few minutes, but it seemed like an eternity .

  "You know the drill, ladies!" The commander of the AMC growled.

  Yasu rushed over the side, flipping herself down into the hole created by the Free Fleets weapons. Her boots clamped down as Commandos ran ahead of her, placing door breachers and popping the hatch as another group put in an airlock so the next hatch wouldn't seal. The entry team filed through then the next team and then it was her turn.

  She wished she was at the front, but rank and her protection detail wouldn't allow it. She was surprised at first at the lack of accusatory glances, but it seemed they understood. She was Commander Salchars wife. It must be a pain dealing with him sometimes and getting him to listen. Though some didn't agree with her methods, they understood, most of them where married and one or both of them would probably complain about the other being a stubborn woman or man once and a while.

  Though none of them agreed with Takahashi's part in it. He was a battalion commander, or was going to be. It wasn't his place to get involved with the commanders personal matters; he wasn't part of the Mecha Tail family. Even if he was on Yasu's side he had called for blood, not explanation.

  She shook her head as she continued clearing it of thoughts; she had a ship to clear.

  "I want this floor and that above it and below it sealed, get cutting." Plasmid blades where out already and they cut through the ceiling and floor. Yasu jumped up through a precut hole as she checked on Henry’s status in the station. The commander of the ship she was on kept talking, pushing more teams into the ship as they where encountering resistance already. Thankfully, they were Kuruvians and Sarenmenti not in Mechas and went down with a flurry of stun rounds.

  "You know the drill, get me some damned blue prints and move to key locations, now get moving Commandos!" He barked as Yasu saw Henry had landed on the Station and had more shuttles arriving by the minute.

  ***

  Henry was saying the same thing as the Commander on Yasu's ship to the four thousand troops under his command in the station that orbited Earth.

  "Get those fucking weapons offline, and I need a blueprint now! Commander Erkshaw! Take your platoon to the south factory ship. It should have blueprints if nothing else."

  "Yes CAMC!"

  "Bok Soo, report."

  "Heavy fighting to get to the training facility, we're blasting the info dumps into every Mecha and it seems that the humans that have just begun training are surrendering. Those that have been here longer are just berserk." We could've been them, Henry mentally noted as he flicked through information on his HUD.

  "Knock out who you can; we don't have time to deal with it. I need you to push for the weapons."

  "Understood," Bok Soo said grimly.

  One of Henry's aides came up to him.

  "Sir, the fleet is holding over Earth. The syndicate ships are still moving out of the system."

  "Shit, get me into contact with Santos or get some kind of report from each ship. I need to know if they need reinforcements before they're out of range." The aide didn't say anything as they went to work. Henry had been working with them endlessly in his time on Chaleel, and it had paid off. He and his command team were a well oiled machine as Salchar's was.

  "Commander Salchar is asking if we want the second wave brought up while holding the third in reserve."

  "Tell him to give me two thirds and have the rest ready to launch for the Syndicate ships. I'll only send them once we've taking out their weapons."

  ****

  Bok Soo looked at his arm pad as he yelled to the Commandos around him on the Close Area Frequency, or CAF. "Drive for the command centre, change to live rounds. Everyone from here on is trying to kill us, and I would prefer to take lot of them with me if I'm going to Valhalla this evening!" His Commandos roared with him as they changed ammunition.

  Bok Soo stood up to look over the cover he was hiding behind, getting a round in his shoulder for his trouble.

  "Fucking piece of shit!" he yelled as it deadlined his arm, not thinking about how close his shoulder was to his head. Instead, his Mecha-trained and battle hardened reflexes took over as he swung his rifle over the barricade he was using as cover. His sights linked into his HUD as he let a burst go into his attacker who hadn't ducked back behind cover.

  “Fucker,” He ground out. Now he had no mercy for those he killed as Salchar had not only sent the truth to everyone in the Syndicate fleet, but had also blocked the kill switch signal. Everyone who wasn't in their quarters was an enemy.

  "Uploading blueprints now. South factory ship secured," Commander Erkshaw said over the command channel.

  "Good man," Bok Soo said as he checked the map of his section. "Alright, boys, lets get some pay back. Amarr!"

  "Yes, BC," he said, coming over with a grace that
went against how the Avar made the decking shake like a Mecha entombed human would.

  "Get me a route through here." Bok Soo threw the path to Amarr which he'd outlined on the blueprints, from where he was through as many rooms as possible, circumventing the deadly corridors that made effective choke points for the Syndicate forces which were now being reinforced by crew serviced weapons.

  Amarr nodded as he got it, leading his mostly Avar squad easily through the walls with their mono blade swords, Bok Soo and his Commandos following them.

  "Sir, you should hold back and get tended to," one of Bok Soo's commanders said as he saw Bok Soo's limp arm.

  "There isn't anywhere to fall back and there ain't no way I'm letting you boys have all of the fun." This elicited grins and smirks as he kept moving.

  "Now, lets get to this damned control center."

  "Everyone get into cover; there are reports of internal weapon systems coming online," Henry said over the general channel.

  "You heard the CAMC! Everyone, hurry it up!" He watched as his people packed into rooms, mono blades opening walls as Commandos cleared the corridors. But there were too many of them as rail guns deployed.

  "Grenades!" Bok Soo yelled as he watched the rail guns activate and rounds cut through his people. Some got their grenades off, blowing the weapon systems and hallway to hell, but dozens of his people lay dead in the corridor already.

  "Ming! Get your docs on those people! Rosa, grab this room and emplace security around it. This will be our medical point. Clear out the room if you aren't needed!" Bok Soo yelled, and his people moved to obey as Amarr cut through another wall.

  Bok Soo planned three more routes, assigning commanders to continue on the fight going on throughout the floors above him and below him as well as to his left. James had given him a mission, and he was damned if he wasn't going to follow through with it.

  Chapter What the Hell Are the Crazy Aliens Up to Now?

  "Mr. President, it's confirmed that the two fleets are attacking one another. The Planetary Defense Force Fleet is turning but much more slowly than the attacking fleet, which is stationary over Earth. It seems that the orbital weapons have also been knocked offline as they've stopped firing on the new fleet," an analyst said from the armored bunker that the president was in, watching the ongoing battle above their heads.