There was a much longer pause this time before Lieutenant Higgins answered. His voice was slower and more considered.
"No closer than ten kilometres. Unlock your weapons and be ready. A single flyby and then return to base."
"Understood, Sir. Moving into position."
Nate didn't need to pass on the orders to Billy as both were receiving the audio. Nate took the lead, with Billy trailing behind and at a slightly raised position above him. They left the four unmarked Alliance ships and made for the station. According to the limited data previously gathered by the Alliance survey teams, this part of the Cluster was occupied only by a small group of research stations. There were at least five more similar locations, with many over a month’s travel away in any direction. Even the Spacebridge to the Tenth Quadrant was days away and protected by an unknown number of Byotai guards of dubious loyalties.
Take it slow and keep your eyes open.
In gaming scenarios, this was exactly the situation where an enemy would likely be hiding. The station was vast and protected by huge extrusions, some natural and even more being completely artificial. Long docking arms reached out into space, and curved rib sections bent out to clamp around any ships currently moored. It was very different to anything Nate had seen before, and clearly constructed a very long time ago by the Byotai. Only a small portion of it was visible; the rest presumably buried deep inside the larger asteroid.
"On approach. Ground penetrating scans confirm internal landing bays and substantial development below the surface. I'm having a hard time reaching below fifty metres."
A quick change on the sensors, and the onboard computer began a detailed assessment of the facility, but as before, the system was unable to penetrate past that one point, as if it was being protected. A smile formed across Nate's face when he noticed the unusual pattern.
No way!
It took a fraction of a second to connect through to Lieutenant Higgins.
"What do you have for me?"
"Sir. There's a shield unit blocking our scans. I think there are people deep inside the base."
"What makes you say that?"
"There are a number of life signs right at the periphery of the shielded area."
Even as he talked, the sensors detected fading signs before they also vanished.
"They are gone, Sir."
For a moment Nate thought he wouldn't be believed, but this was not the twentieth century, and Lieutenant Higgins could also see everything he saw. More important, every piece of information sent from the drone to Relentless was being stored and analysed.
"I saw it, and I think you're right, Crusader Three. They picked up your scans and have moved further back. There's something alive on that station. Drop a buoy and activate the holding pattern. I need to speak with you both."
"I've got something!"
Nate checked his overlay, but he already knew the voice was Rex.
"What is it?"
Rex was much further away from the buoy than Nate, and he could only surmise he must have been monitoring the scanner feed at the very moment the craft entered the system.
"Multiple contacts moving towards the inner debris field. Our perimeter buoys just picked them up. Two targets, both converging on the beacon."
Nate swallowed as he checked his mapping data. Rex and Jack were at least double the distance from the buoy as they continued their sweep. Lieutenant Higgins tagged Nate's fighter and then issued new waypoints.
"Move into position and observe the new group. Wait there and activate silent running."
"Understood, Sir."
Lieutenant Higgins then selected the two fighters commanded by Cassandra and Matilda.
"Same for you two. Move into position and observe."
Nate had already punched in the new data, and both he and Billy were moving away at high speed. Neither used the burners, for fear of creating a heat bloom that could be easily traced back to this region. He could see the other two pairs of fighters moving to their new positions, and it was quite clear Matilda and Cassandra would be too far away to be able to assist him if he ran into trouble.
"Sir, I recommend placing Relentless' defence systems on standby. We could be looking at a pincer movement, and our space defences are...well, just us, Sir."
"Already done. Crusaders One and Two will remain to provide CAP while you two pairs can scout for trouble."
"Yes, Sir."
Nate began the process of disabling systems to reduce his heat signature and electronic emissions.
"What are our rules of engagement? There's a possibility that Byotai ships could arrive, but do not attack us first."
It was a simple question, but one Nate had to ask. They couldn't just open fire, even if the new arrivals appeared to be enemy craft. They would have to be certain they were the enemy, and that they were a threat. The consequences for attacking, and possibly destroying harmless Byotai ships, could cast the Alliance into a massive war.
"Standard ROE, Crusader Three. Fire if fired upon, or if you find yourself in mortal danger."
Nate increased the boost of the engines and watched carefully as the inner rim of debris came ever closer. On the other side were the thick layers of rock and ice, as well as the remains of some battle from an unknown age. According to the scans, there were three craft, plus something a little larger heading their way.
"Sir."
"I'm bringing Crusaders One and Two back to Relentless. They can run CAP. Keep your eyes open while we continue replenishment operations. Estimated time to completion is thirty-three minutes."
The two fighters continued on their lazy arc towards their final destination. As they moved towards the last few kilometres, Nate activated the stealth operations panel. Though intrinsically stealthy spacecraft, there was one major issue with drones. For them to remain effective, they had to stay in direct contact with their control ship at all times, or revert to the risky autonomous operation.
"Billy, you ready?"
Nate's friend acknowledged almost immediately.
"I'm dropping the comms drone...now."
The small unit was the size of a missile, but this was no warhead. The unit drifted in space, in effect another piece of debris in the vastness of space.
"Okay, switch to piggyback line of sight communications only."
Both activated the unit at the same time. It was a subtle change, but it would make the next part of their mission much safer. ANS Relentless would continue to communicate via direct laser targeting to the communications drone. The unit would then send microbursts to the two Avengers, using its own targeting matrix. Any lag or lost data would be overridden by the Avenger's built-in safety protocols to avoid collision, detection, and combat where necessary.
"I'm in silent running mode. Switching ship only communications," said Billy.
One unusual consequence of commanding the two drones was they could speak with each other just fine actually inside Relentless, without the need for risky audio communications in space.
They were now at the inner-rim of debris, and both pilots took full control of their Avenger fighter drones. The larger sections were relatively stable, but there were still large amounts of smaller junk flashing about, and any one of them could rip apart their fighter in a single strike. As Nate darted in and out, he noticed the odd piece of distortion on his display.
Signal quality is failing this far away.
It wasn't serious, not yet anyway. But the further they travelled from the communication drone, the worse it was going to get for them. Nate checked his mapping data and the projected route for the new arrivals.
"They'll be here in under a minute. Take cover..."
Nate led Billy away from the main route and towards one of the large ring-shaped asteroids. It was massive, at least a hundred kilometres in diameter, and surrounded by a thick cloud of smaller segments. Nate came in close so that his craft was hidden deep inside the layer of material. Billy followed shortly afterwards until they
were hidden from view.
"Now what?" Billy asked.
Nate turned his attention to the forward view. He couldn't see them yet, but he did have their electronic signatures showing up on his main display. The computer had already isolated a number of key patterns, one of which confirmed they were all running Byotai military issue powerplants.
"We wait. Keep your weapons on safe. The LT wants us to collect detailed intel, and that's exactly what we're gonna do."
The two fighters were almost impossible to spot where they waited. Nate spoke quietly, completely forgetting they were on board Relentless, and that it was impossible for anybody out there to hear them. His onboard navigation lights were off, and with all but the most basic systems now off-line, the drones would let off very little heat. It was another of the benefits of taking people out of the spacecraft.
"Look," said Billy.
Nate moved his eyes about, and it took a moment until he found the small formation. For a second it looked insignificant, but then he realised what he was looking at.
"I see them."
He tagged each of the craft and glanced down as the computer analysed their silhouettes. The Alliance database was detailed, but still contained gaps where Byotai military hardware was concerned.
"One small command and control corvette, plus three heavy escort fighters."
He shook his head.
"They are running a patrol around the ships. And if they find Relentless, they'll call for help."
"You're sure? What help? There's nothing out here?"
Nate might have laughed had he not been well aware of the dangers before them.
"Of course. This group is a short-range patrol. They must be operating from a base or mother ship nearby."
As he said the words, he realised how precarious their position had just become. Relentless had come here to meet with the fleet and to resupply. Now it looked as though they might have arrived right after a major assault, and in an area where the enemy was already strong. A flashing light filled the corner of his view with a gentle pulse. Nate deactivated the warning, but looked across to check on the issue.
"Targeting computer."
"Billy, they're scanning for targets. Do not move, not under any circumstances."
On went the group of Byotai spacecraft, and as the seconds ticked by, he had the perfect opportunity to examine the craft in more detail. They were much bigger than he'd expected. As the statistics came in, it was clear they were closer in size to an Alliance Mauler than the Avengers drones. Each was constructed in a bizarre three-segment shape, much like the body of an insect. It was bulbous, with only small pods extending on the flanks to house four retractable landing skids. Vanes reached out from the rear segment to create small wings. The lower nose section was taken up completely by a launch tube assembly.
"Nate, the computer says they're Komodos."
Nate had heard the name before, but he'd never seen one. He brought up a side scan of the passing ships and matched it to the database himself. A list of statistics popped up alongside the model, and he began to shake his head.
"These things are...insane."
"I know," replied Billy, "Seven crew, four engines, and enough guns to take on a small ship."
Nate kept nodding in agreement, as he ran through the numbers. Much of it was mere speculation, but he suspected there must be some truth to it all. According to his computer, the spacecraft were classed as heavy bombers, each carrying eight 12.7mm pulse cannons, a lightweight variant of the particle weapons used on capital ships. The single tube array under the nose was used to release a variety of ship killer weapons, a hypothesised high-speed missile with the explosive potential of a frigate-class torpedo.
"Crusader One, do you read?"
Rex's serious tone came right back at him.
"Here."
"I've got a single command corvette and three Komodos. They are all heading your way."
Nate checked the position of the four craft before continuing. The computer concluded that the small group was taking a direct route to the beacon, and presumably to the derelict spaceships. Another indicator activated, and it was followed by the sound of Matilda's voice.
"It's a ghost signature at our waypoint."
A diversion! Nate thought.
"We've changed course and are coming back to Relentless, ETA eleven minutes."
Nate looked at the mapping screen and quickly realised their predicament. A third of their fighters were now too far away to help, and this new force was getting closer by the second.
"I see them. What's the plan?"
Nate felt that pang of nerves that seemed so commonplace today. He was not the official squadron leader, but out here with his eyes on the target, he knew best what was happening.
"The command ship will be in direct contact with the enemy commanders. We need to eliminate them, and fast. I doubt even our jammers could stop her sending a signal back in time."
"But what about the three bombers. Don't we need to destroy them before they can hit Relentless?"
Nate knew they could hit the corvette, and quickly, but so far the Byotai ships had done nothing particularly offensive. He had to speak with Lieutenant Higgins, but at that very moment, the warnings inside his fighter came on.
"Billy, we've got multi-band radar emissions. They've spotted Relentless!"
The formation began accelerating away, their engines pulsing with energy. All three heavy bombers were making their way to the target and the tiny escort waiting to stop them, while the corvette changed course to move back in the direction it had come from.
They are out of range. They must be. That's why they are turning back...to send a warning.
"Jam them!"
Billy's face grinned as he looked at his friend via the image overlay to the right.
"Already done."
"All fighters; break and attack!" Lieutenant Higgins ordered.
This time the officer's voice had lost some of its natural calm. With just a handful of drones in the area, there was relatively little to protect Relentless against such firepower.
"Affirmative, we're on the way."
Nate gave the signal, and both drone fighters detached from the asteroid and formed up in a tight formation above the Byotai corvette. The ship was little bigger than a Mauler and covered in antenna and dishes. There were only a small number of turret mounts fitted along its bulbous hull, and as the Alliance fighters closed in, they tracked about, each looking for signs of a hidden enemy.
"The bombers have acquired Relentless," said Rex, "Inceptor course laid in."
Nate saw the first missiles leave the bomber a fraction before the warning alarm sounded inside his fighter. It was the final signal they each needed to move from a stealthy course, to one of action.
"Weapons free!"
At the same time, he spotted the line of white and yellow flashes as Relentless activated her own defence grid. The computer would control the point-defence turrets in groups, and use them to create an overlapping field of fire towards the enemy. Their missiles streaked towards the corvette, buts its defence turrets were too quick and blasted the missiles apart in seconds.
"Switch to guns and shoot! Shoot now!"
The two Avengers bore down on the corvette and opened fire with their quadruple-barrelled cannons. At this range, their weapons had little chance of missing. Both emptied the initial box of armour-piercing, explosive slugs through the top plating of the ship. Explosions ripped through the ship, yet still its crew fought on. Sparks flashed from bow to stern, and an entire segment tore off and drifted away into space, trailing sparks.
"Don't stop. Keep hitting it!"
As they moved closer, they activated their burners and accelerated away in opposite directions while dumping three countermeasure units each. The turrets chased them, with each battery of guns firing a powerful volley of small-calibre projectiles. Several pierced the left wing of Nate's fighter as the corvette’s powerplant overloaded. The e
ntire ship ripped apart in a massive blue explosion, sending metal, ammunition, and equipment in all directions.
"Form up."
The two fighters moved close together and then raced around to chase after the three bombers. In the twenty-six seconds since the start of the fight, the bombers had covered a great deal of ground. Even with their burners on full, it was going to be difficult. Nate connected to Relentless.
"The corvette is gone. Just the bombers."
"Understood," replied Lieutenant Higgins, "Pursue and engage. Do not let them hit Relentless, no matter the cost."
Nate lined up on the bomber and let the computer do its work. In less than a second, it had performed a full and detailed analysis of the entire craft. It continued to wobble as it tried to avoid the stream of defensive fire from ANS Relentless. Several rounds struck the left hull and sent a shower of small sections behind it, along with a cloud of sparks.
Shoot it!
Nate depressed the trigger, and the forward guns opened up with a mighty roar. The drones shuddered violently, and the forward view might have been completely obscured, had it not been for the gyrostabilised camera mounts. Sparks ran along the craft's hull as Nate inched closer and closer. From here he had the perfect view of the bug-shaped bomber. The turrets were now facing him, and long bursts of fire struck near him.
Dodge, evade, and shoot.
Months, perhaps years of video gaming had instilled reactions in him that he barely knew existed. As he spotted the flashes of light, Nate hit the strafing controls that gave a boost to the lateral thrusters. With no pilot present, he used the maximum setting that quickly shunted the fighter nearly a hundred metres to the left. Gunfire whistled past him, and then he was back, the bomber in his sights, and the guns fired.
"Nate, I'm..."
Billy!
Nate glanced to his left, but the other bomber was much too far away to be visible. He activated the cameras, locked onto his position, and magnified the area. Both Billy's fighter and the bomber had disappeared, and around them, the explosive ordnance of ANS Relentless continued firing for several more seconds. Nate shook his head bitterly. Crusaders Five and Six were still heading back to ANS Relentless, but even at their speed would have little chance of intercepting the bomber, let alone any ordnance it released. Flak exploded around the Byotai craft but still it came on, ignoring the minor damage and even the fires now burning through its starboard engines.
Star Crusader: Hero of the Alliance Page 21
