“On your feet,” Butcher said, pointing his rifle at Jack. “Fix it. Now.”
Jack looked over at Torent. The squad leader avoided Jack’s eyes.
Laidlaw spat on the floor. “You kravin scroat, Torent. I’ll watch you swing for this.”
Torent stepped forward and delivered a punch to Laidlaw’s face.
“Easy, easy,” Jack said. “I can fix it. Ok?”
Torent stepped up to Jack. “You better fix it, Jacky, or I’ll fix you. About time I showed you who the real boss around here is.”
“You won’t ever be anything again, Torent,” Laidlaw said as the blood streamed out of his broken nose.
Butcher pointed the pulse rifle at Laidlaw. Jack watched the thug’s finger feel for the trigger. Torent put a hand on top of the pulse rifle.
“Easy, Butch. That suit has got value too. You don’t want to cut into your take on this job just because some soldier boy is getting mouthy.” Torent leaned down and punched Laidlaw again. “Keep it buttoned or you’ll get more.”
Jack looked down at Laidlaw. “Keep quiet, ok,” Jack said. Then he turned to face the Marines all sitting on the floor. “That goes for all of you. Keep quiet and let me fix this boat.” Jack turned to Butcher. “I need some help.”
Butcher rested the pulse rifle on his shoulder and looked at Jack through narrow eyes.
“Who?”
Jack pointed at the pilot and then at the prisoner Steph Canton.
“The government scroat? What d’you need him for?” Butcher looked over at Canton who was standing back with the rest of the prisoners.
“He has worked on Fleet vessels before. Isn’t that right, sir?”
Canton nodded. “That’s right. I held the rank of Fleet commander at Eras space dock before I went into office. I patched up a few of these old birds in my time.”
“Ok. Ok. Ok.” Butcher walked over the Canton and grabbed him by the arm. “Save us the war stories old man.” He pushed Canton toward Jack and then pointed at the landing craft with his stolen pulse rifle.
“And Laidlaw,” Jack said. “I need him too.”
“You confused about what you are doing,” Torent said stepping behind Jack. He gave Jack a hard shove toward the landing craft. “Get fixing, Jacky. Get it fixed quick and I might let you live.”
Jack stepped toward the landing craft. He saw Butcher give Torent a look and scowl. A slight shake of his head told Jack what he already knew. As soon as Jack fixed this landing craft Butcher would start executing Marines, starting, no doubt, with Jack.
16
“Captain,” the weapons commander called out. “Starboard battery coolant systems are failing. We’ll lose the battery in twenty eight seconds.”
“Hold fire on starboard battery. Roll the ship, one eighty degrees. Give them the port side battery.” Pretorius tapped the holoimage of the Leviathan and magnified it. The ship was taking damage but the rate of fire from the destroyers was failing. The two carriers maintained their heavy bombardment, the laser cannon delivering a freshly charged beam second by second.
Pretorius stood in awe of the Leviathan. It was taking a beating and seemed to soak up the punishment. The Chitin hull boiled away under the laser beam. Even though they were tough ships they could only take so much punishment.
A salvo of combat drones raced toward the Leviathan. It lashed out with its plasma arc, slicing through the drones, cutting them into space junk. But it couldn’t stop them all. Three from the salvo made it into detonation range. They erupted into an expanding mass of energy that slammed into the Chitin ship.
“Port side battery acquiring targets, captain,” the gunnery commander called out.
“Load high yield explosive rounds.”
Pretorius zoomed out his view on the holostage. He saw a plasma arc slash across the hull of the Monarch. The force of the Chitin weapon pushed the ship off its axis. The Monarch engines were spluttering and another node spluttered out of action. The remaining nodes struggled to compensate, struggled to keep the Monarch’s massive laser assembly on target.
“Port side cannon firing now.”
Pretorius watched the holostage. The support craft were diving in for another sortie. The high Ex rounds from the Scorpio raced in. A salvo of combat drones from the Overlord were being knocked out by the Leviathan’s plasma arc.
The Leviathan took the hits from the support craft. One combat drone burst only meters from the Leviathan. The Chitin beast fired a burst from its plasma cannon that raced toward the carrier, Monarch.
Pretorius watched the trajectory of the high ex rounds from his port side battery close in. They slammed into the Leviathan. It was the final hit that sent the network of cracks spreading rapidly across the Leviathan’s surface.
The fire in the cracks grew in intensity before streaming out from each fine crack, a fire erupting out into space, and then the Leviathan simply broke apart, a fire burning within.
The command deck erupted with shouts and cheers at the sight of the destroyed Leviathan, its fractured hull tumbling uselessly in space.
Pretorius tugged his cuffs. “I want battle prep on all systems,” Pretorius shouted. The cheering died down as quickly as it had begun. “Prep and arm all weapons. Ready ship for battle stations.”
Group Captain Li appeared on the holostage.
“Good work, everyone. There’s one more Leviathan out there. It is all alone and we are within striking distance. The Monarch is running at sixty percent engine capacity so that will give us one hour to intercept. Just means we have a bit more time to dust ourselves off and get ready to smash another Leviathan. I want status update from all ships in fifteen. Li out.”
Pretorius set his crews to work. The cooling system on the starboard battery needed immediate attention. Even if he could get just a few salvos away it could mean the difference in a battle with a Leviathan. Even with two carrier groups they would need every available cannon.
Pretorius zoomed the holostage image out to show the new target, a lone Leviathan. It was speeding in and looking to engage. Pretorius knew it could do terrible damage but it could not win. It would be destroyed and the Chitins would have lost another one of their Leviathan class ships. The Fleet had lost a destroyer, the Taurus, but it was worth the cost to have taken down three Leviathans, and there was the promise of another Leviathan kill.
Pretorius checked the position of the new target. It was above the ecliptic and toward the outer system. The group was being redirected to attack this tempting target. The group that was supposed to be retreating to the inner system, but now they were going the other way.
It was difficult for Pretorius to accept this supposedly good fortune. He contacted Li.
“What is it Alistair,” Group captain Li was preoccupied, her command officers bringing her files and reports. She read and signed as she listened to Pretorius.
“It is too good to be true, sir,” he said. “Another Leviathan, an easy kill for two carrier groups.”
“Easy,” Li said. “We have just lost a destroyer. It wasn’t easy but we’ve chalked up three Leviathans today, and we are going to chalk up another. I think fleet HQ will think we’ve worked hard today.”
“But we are being pulled out of position, sir. They are tempting us, luring us to the outer system. I am sure it’s a ploy, sir.”
Li stopped looking at files and documents and looked out of the holostage at Pretorius. She fixed him with a stare. Her expression softened after a moment’s thought.
“You might be right, they might be dangling a juicy bit of bait. But that Leviathan is too easy a target to ignore. There are no other Chits in sensor range. That new Leviathan is alone and vulnerable. It’s not the first mistake they’ve made today. We must attack and take it down.”
“It’s not our mission, sir,” Pretorius said. “And I fear we might get pulled too far from our home space.”
“We will support each other, Captain,” Li said, “and I consider that Leviathan as a target of
opportunity. We will engage and destroy it.” Li took a file from one of her commanders and quickly signed it. “How is the Scorpio holding up, Alistair?”
“We’ve got a few battle scars but we still got teeth, sir.”
“Ready to kill another Chit?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you for taking my call, sir.” Pretorius tugged his cuffs. He would be ready and there was no doubt that the Leviathan would be destroyed. That wasn’t his concern. He did wonder why they were presenting such a tempting target.
“Coolant systems on port side battery functioning, Captain,” a commander called from across the command deck. “But maintenance says it’ll only stand up for a few salvos.”
“Pack them with kinetic hail and have them ready to fire. We’ll tear a few chunks off their hull as an introduction.”
Pretorius was going into battle again and he was going to hit hard. If he went down today no one would say the Scorpio didn’t fight as hard as it could.
17
Access panels from the lower hull of the landing craft lay on the ground. Jack had his head inside the landing craft looking at the life support system. Laidlaw stood next to him.
“I don’t know why you need me, sir,” Laidlaw said.
“I need you to tell me what they are doing. I need you to watch them for me. I can’t do it while I’m fixing this.”
“But why are you fixing it for them?” Laidlaw asked.
“I’m not fixing it for them, Stuart. We need it. I was going to have to fix it anyway. I’m just doing what I was going to do anyway.”
“But we are their prisoners now,” Laidlaw said quietly and nervously.
“We are all in prison, but I know what I’m doing. That gives us the edge.”
Laidlaw nodded uncertainly.
“Are you watching them?” Jack asked.
Laidlaw nodded and started to observe the gang of prisoners with the weapons. “I can’t believe Sam Torent would turn his back on us so quickly,” Laidlaw said.
“No,” Jack agreed. He pulled a unit from the life support system and dropped it to the ground. “I don’t think he is.”
“It sure looks like it, sir,” Laidlaw said.
“It sure does,” Jack said and gave Laidlaw a brief smile. Then he ducked down out of the landing craft’s access panel and picked up the unit he’d dropped.
Butcher was standing nearby watching Jack. He leveled his stolen pulse rifle at Jack.
Jack held up the unit. “I need Canton there to take a look at this,” Jack said. “It’s burnt out. If he can strip it and,”
Butcher stepped forward. “Why don’t you do it?”
“I could,” Jack looked back at the landing craft. “I could strip this entire ship and clean every circuit myself, but I thought we were in a hurry.”
Butcher waved Jack toward Canton with the muzzle of his stolen pulse rifle.
Canton was sitting at the base of the rear landing strut looking at a holofile of all the landing craft’s systems that were need of repair. He looked up as Jack came near.
“Can you strip this?” Jack tossed the unit into Canton’s hands. “It’s burnt out. You can fix it, right?”
“It’ll need a power cell,” Canton said turning the unit over in his hands.
“But you can do it?” Jack asked.
“Sure. I can’t keep looking over the system error reports. They really let this thing fly down here?”
Jack could hear the concern and disbelief in Canton’s voice. The ship was in a poor state of repair but it was the best they had. The war was taking its toll on all the Fleet equipment.
Jack turned to Butcher. “I need a pulse pistol.”
Butcher laughed. “I bet you do,” he said. Then he stepped forward and pointed the pulse rifle in Jack’s face. “And why would I let you have a weapon?”
“The power cell from a pulse pistol will fit this unit,” Jack said.
Butcher looked down at Canton who nodded in agreement.
“Can you remove the power cell,” Butcher asked Canton.
Canton nodded. “Easily.”
Butcher called one of his cronies over. “Get me one of those pulse pistols.”
The weapons not currently being brandished by Butcher and his gang were heaped in an ugly pile on the far side of the landing bay. It was not the way to treat Fleet Marine equipment.
The crony picked up a pulse pistol and carrier it over. He handed it to Jack.
Butcher quickly snatched it away and then delivered a swift blow to the cronies head. “Not him, you scroat.” Butcher tossed the pistol to Canton sitting on the floor. “Get to work,” he said and then stepped back, rifle held at the hip. “And you,” he said to Jack. “Back to work.”
Jack ducked back under the landing craft and moved to the power systems. They were on the verge of burning out completely. Jack could remove some conduits from another non-vital system. The fire suppression system could be stripped out and re used in the environmental systems. He would just have to hope there wasn’t a fire.
Torent was standing at the end of the long tunnel from the landing bay to the central compound. He leaned against the wall, his rifle hanging at his side. He sensed someone was coming toward him from the landing craft behind. He turned.
“Oh, hey Butch,” Torent said and looked back along the tunnel.
Butcher stood next to Torent. “What you looking for, Sam?” Butch said. He fixed Torent with a suspicious and nasty gaze.
“Those Chits we fought off. They’ll be back, butch. They always come back.”
“Like you did?” Bucher said shoving Torent’s shoulder hard. “Back to the old life just like that.”
Torent sensed the edge in Bucher’s voice. Butcher was a dangerous man and Torent knew it.
“You think you’ve been a prisoner,” Torent said. “I’ve been trapped in that Marine squad every bit as much as you’ve been trapped in here. But here’s my chance to get out. If we get that landing craft fixed we can be away.”
Butcher wrapped an arm around Torent’s neck. He pulled Torent down roughly. “Why should I believe you want to leave your little soldier gang and run with me? I ain’t stupid, Sammy.”
Torent wrestled himself free and shoved Butcher away. “The war is lost, Butch. The Chits keep coming and we keep getting our ass kicked. I never asked to join the Marines. It was Marines or prison. I’ve been looking for my opportunity to get away. Who’d have thought I’d have to break into a prison to find my freedom.”
Butch looked back to the landing craft and the work going on to repair it. “If your friend can get that ship fixed you might just get away.”
“He’s no friend of mine,” Torent said.
Butcher slapped Torent on the back. “Keep watching out for those Chits and I’ll keep a close watch on the repairs.”
“Hey,” Jack called out from the landing craft. Sam, you need to hear this,” Jack pointed up the lander’s boarding ramp to the pilot who was standing there.
“Just came up on the scanners,” the pilot’s voice quivered. “More Chitins on their way. They’ll be landing any minute now.”
18
The Scorpio turned to present its port side battery to the oncoming Chitin Leviathan. Pretorius gave the order to fire and the high density kinetic shot cannons spat their vicious kinetic hail at the Chitin craft. It was an opening shot. The Leviathan would take much more punishment than a single broad side before breaking apart.
“Fire a full salvo of combat drones and reload port side cannon with high Ex.”
The holostage showed the traces of ordinance from all ships streaking away toward the Chitin Leviathan. And then the high energy lasers flashed as the beams lit up, slamming into the Leviathan’s hull.
The Leviathan’s plasma cannon blasted huge gouts of white fire at the Monarch, the gouts of plasma slamming into her nose and scattering over the hull. Then the plasma arc whipped out from the Leviathan, flicking back and fore until it connected with the Monarch, the com
posite hull on the nose section fracturing and flaking off into space.
The combat drones raced away from the Fleet ships, the hardest hitting ordnance racing toward the Leviathan. The Leviathan’s plasma arc weapon sliced away at the drones, cutting through their fragile casings, leaving them to tumble harmlessly away in space. But several combat drones got by the Chitins defense measures. The antimatter containment fields collapsing inside each drone as it reached effective range. The massive reaction creating short lived suns that expanded suddenly from a tiny point of antimatter, hitting the Leviathan with enormous violence and energy.
The Scorpio fired its high ex broadside. Then the cooling system failed.
“Roll the ship.” Pretorius said calmly. He knew he would lose the port side battery. He still had lot more fight in his ship. “Ready the starboard battery.”
“Contact, sir.” Pretorius’ scanner commander called out. “A new contact on grid Eight Eight Fourteen. It’s another Leviathan, sir.”
Pretorius zoomed out on his holostage. The carrier groups were closing in on the current target Leviathan, and away above the group a new Leviathan was closing in on them.
Li appeared on the holostage. “That Leviathan can’t get here in time to support our current target. We destroy this Chitin ship and then head for home space. Give it everything you’ve got. Li out.”
The support craft swept in close to the Leviathan in concert with another salvo of combat drones. The Leviathan slashed away at the drones with its plasma arc. It turned its plasma cannon on the incoming support ships and fired a seething gout of plasma fire that engulfed the lead frigate, incinerating the nose section and destroying the ship. The next frigate fired its forward cannon before being destroyed by another gout of Chitin plasma. Then a corvette, turning away from its attack, grazed a gout of plasma, the fire scorching and fracturing the hull. The corvette broke apart mid turn.
Forged in Battle (Jack Forge, Fleet Marine Book 5) Page 8
