“Jump system status?” Jon asked.
“Jump system is at one hundred percent. We are jump ready,” Yao said.
“Plot a jump directly behind the Kemmar ship.”
“Course plotted, Sir.”
“Tactical, load all missile tubes. Rail guns in offensive mode, and ready energy weapons.”
“Missile tubes loaded, Sir. All weapon systems are ready.”
“When we jump into the system, we will immediately fire all missiles at the Kemmar ship and engage them using attack pattern Sigma.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Navigation, once we conduct our sortie I want to jump out of the system. A light year should be good enough.”
“Yes, Sir. Coordinates are plotted.”
“Sound general quarters. Helm, initiate jump countdown.”
“Jump countdown initiated, Sir.”
The lighting on the bridge took on a red hue. The ship’s computer began counting down. Jon could smell the fear and anxiety in the air. So long as no one panicked, a little fear was fine. It kept everyone focused and motivated.
He looked over at Wolfe who refused to sit down and paced the bridge, keeping a watchful eye on the crew.
“Jump complete.”
The viewscreen instantly filled with the rear of the Kemmar ship. Jon couldn’t help but feel awed by the sheer size of it. Why would anyone need a ship that big? It couldn’t be practical.
Perhaps these giant ships were intended to merely intimidate. After all, who would be stupid enough to stand against anything that big?
As if on cue, eight missiles appeared on the viewscreen and streaked straight for the massive ship.
“Missiles away!”
The Hermes began its assault. It raced toward the top of the ship, blue energy bursts impacting the giant ship’s hull, rail guns pulverizing it with a barrage of uranium.
The Kemmar were taken completely by surprise and could not launch any countermeasures. The missiles found their mark. The battleship was rocked by jarring concussions. The behemoth hurt, but not defeated.
As per Jon’s orders the jump countdown began. Before the Hermes could take any return fire, the Kemmar battleship disappeared from the viewscreen. Sporadic cheers broke out throughout the bridge and the fear felt minutes before had been replaced by the euphoria of imminent victory.
“Focus people, the battle isn’t over yet,” Jon said. The bridge quieted, but the taste of victory still hung in the air. “They’re going to be ready for us the next time. Switch rail guns to point defense mode and load all missile tubes.”
“Missile tubes loaded, Sir. Rail guns in point defense mode,” Petrovic said.
“Navigation, can you put us directly underneath them?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good, enter the coordinates. Helm, when we jump in this time I want to attack their belly, attack pattern Beta.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“As before, prepare to jump right away to this location. Initiate jump countdown.”
The computer counted down again and the Hermes jumped in to attack the Kemmar battleship a second time.
The battleship appeared above them this time and as before the Hermes let loose a volley of missiles. The Kemmar were ready with counter measures allowing only one missile to find its mark. The Hermes proceeded to race underneath the ship laying down energy weapon fire as it went.
“The Kemmar ship has launched missiles!”
“Launch countermeasures.”
The Hermes decoys shot out in all directions luring several missiles away from their target. Some of the missiles weren’t fooled and raced after the attacking ship. The Hermes rail guns laid down a wall of point defense fire destroying the Kemmar missiles as they approached.
The Kemmar missiles were numerous and relentless, however, and several made it by the Hermes defenses.
Their impact imminent, the Hermes jumped away before taking any damage. As quick as it appeared, the Kemmar ship disappeared from the viewscreen again.
While not as successful as the first encounter, the Hermes had not taken any fire and the bridge mood was electric.
“Excellent work everyone. Prepare to jump back in. Load all missile tubes and ready all weapons and countermeasures. Get us in behind the battleship again, I want to go after her critical systems. Attack pattern Gamma.”
The crew prepared for the third strike. Everyone tried to remain composed, the excitement in the air palpable.
The battleship was so intimidating that the unexpected success of the first attacks was like a valve, at once releasing most of the tension the crew felt. Optimism replaced anxiety, and the mood turned to one of certain victory.
Commander Wolfe, however, was not celebrating. From the look on her face she didn’t approve of those who were.
Jon didn’t like it either. “Stay focused people,” he barked. “We haven’t won yet. Helm, initiate jump countdown. Tactical, prepare to fire.”
The computer counted down the jump sequence.
The ship jumped.
The viewscreen shifted.
The battleship was gone.
“Contacts! Reading six vessels all around us.”
Jon rose from his chair. “Launch counter measures!”
The incoming ordnance rocked the ship, almost throwing Jon to the floor.
“Reading multiple direct hits to our stern side,” Petrovic said.
“Jump system is offline,” Wolfe said.
“Helm, initiate evasive maneuvers. Tactical, return fire. Target the nearest ships. Fire at will,” Jon said.
The Hermes bounded left and right, up and down, trying in vain to avoid the attacking ships.
Flanked on all sides, it could not compensate for the onslaught. Suppressing fire from one ship, it took fire from another. Its newly repaired hull enduring a fresh pounding.
The ships individually were no match for the Hermes, but together represented an unbeatable combination.
Any advantage the Hermes had in maneuverability against the battleship was now lost as the smaller ships attacked from all angles.
“Sir, these ships, they have the same signatures as the battleship,” Petrovic said.
“She separated,” Jon said, realization dawning on him. “The battleship was six ships in one.”
CHAPTER 27
Breeah and Anki watched the ongoing battle from the windows in their quarters. Breeah didn’t understand how the Hermes had simply appeared beside the Kemmar battleship, and after a brief attack reappeared in another location, only to do the same thing over again.
Based on her knowledge of the jump gate, she understood superficially what was happening, but did not comprehend any more than that. How were these people jumping without a gate? It baffled her.
She looked over at Anki whose face showed the same amazement that Breeah felt. Anki, despite her young age, had seen space battles before. Reiver children were not sheltered from such things. They had to understand Reiver strategy and tactics early on and the best way to learn was to see them in action.
But neither Breeah nor Anki had ever seen anything like this.
On the Reiver ships they witnessed raids, and usually the odds were in the Reivers’ favor. Breeah never expected to witness a battle of these proportions.
To engage a Kemmar battleship was unheard of. A Reiver ship would have turned tail and run.
First, it looked like the Earth ship would prevail, but things now turned against it. This third jump landed the Hermes in the middle of six Kemmar warships.
She had heard rumors about Kemmar battleships separating into multiple smaller ships, but didn’t believe it possible. She knew now that those rumors were true.
She chewed on an already gnawed fingernail and watched the Kemmar ships close in. A Kemmar ship dropped directly in front of her, so close that she could see some of their crew. Not as large as the Hermes, it still looked menacing.
It had a long, bulky, rectangular shape, with sev
eral protrusions sitting in odd locations. Weapon turrets spread out across its hull, and they all looked like they were pointed directly at her.
For a second she froze, and even stopped chewing her nail. Then it opened fire.
Energy beams burst forth and bathed her window in a horrific red light. At the same time, it peppered the Hermes with a rapid succession of projectiles.
The force of the impacts sent both Breeah and Anki to the floor screaming. Then the pounding started in earnest.
Powerful shockwaves rocked their quarters, toppling furniture and turning cups and dishes into lethal missiles.
The sound of explosions blared in her ears, and she clasped her hands over them, futilely trying to block out the uproar.
They had to be in the worst possible section of the ship. It would be only a matter of time until the hull gave way and they would be sucked out into the void. She couldn’t let that happen. She had to save Anki.
Where was Anki?
Breeah raised her head, trying to locate her little girl and spotted her several meters away. She had curled into a ball, her small arms wrapped tightly around her knees, face pressed hard against them. Her body convulsed in gasps and cries. She was panicking. Breeah had to reach her.
“Anki!” Breeah screamed as she began to crawl across the floor to her daughter. “Anki! I’m coming!”
The ship pitched again under the force of the Kemmar onslaught, each impact bouncing her off the ground.
She fought back the urge to vomit, her stomach lurching with each bounce.
She tried to hang on, tried to continue crawling, but forward movement was impossible.
The Hermes heaved and her face smashed into the floor. Her eyesight blurred and she fought back the blackness, desperate to stay conscious.
She tried to see, but couldn’t make anything out.
“Anki!” No response. “Anki!” Still nothing.
Mustering all her strength, she dragged herself forward. Something blocked her path. A chair. It had fallen on its side.
Gripping its frame, she used it as a crutch and lifted herself up. Her vision started to clear and when her head came up high enough, she finally got a view of the room.
“Anki?”
She wasn’t there anymore.
Breeah continued to scan the room, but couldn’t find her daughter. Dread climbed up her spine and she fought to keep her focus.
Anki had to be in the room. She had to be hiding somewhere. Terrified. But where?
Breeah got up to her feet, adrenalin surging through her. She ran throughout the room, oblivious now to the raging battle. But she couldn’t find her.
Anki was gone.
CHAPTER 28
Two Kemmar ships came up alongside the Hermes, hammering it broadside. A third Kemmar ship dropped in front, halting its advance.
“They’re trying to box us in,” Wolfe yelled.
“Concentrate fire on the lead ship,” Jon said. “All weapons. Erase that goddamn ship from my sky!”
The Hermes unleashed a torrent of missiles, blue lightning and depleted uranium on the forward Kemmar vessel.
Its position gave it few options for evasive maneuvers and the Hermes missiles plowed through its hull, detonating one by one. The Hermes continued to pound it with its energy weapons and rail guns until the ship blew apart.
The force of the explosion bounced the bridge crew around. Ensign Yao flew off her chair onto the floor, hitting her head. Commander Wolfe ran to her aid and the disoriented Ensign sat up. Yao shook her head and looked back at Wolfe.
“I’m ok,” Yao said.
Wolf nodded and helped her get up off the floor. She resumed her post. Wolfe stood behind Yao watching for a few more moments to ensure she was able to resume her duties.
Around the Hermes the battle raged relentlessly. The remaining Kemmar ships continued to hammer the Hermes broadside.
Sandwiched between the two, the Hermes had few options. At the same time, another ship strafed it from below.
“Resume evasive maneuvers,” Jon ordered.
The vessel underneath made contact and a massive concussion rocked the Hermes. Mechanical arms shot out from the ship and sunk long, armor piercing claws into the Hermes’s belly.
The arms pulled the enemy ship close to the Hermes, until the two vessels were almost touching. A cylindrical apparatus emerged from the Kemmar ship and established a secure seal. Powerful blades went to work, cutting a hole through the Earth ship.
Wolfe had returned to her console. She gripped its sides in a struggle to maintain her balance. Her display told her she had bigger problems.
Tapping her console, she opened a comm link, “Security to Deck Lambda. Enemy infiltration underway. Prepare to repel enemy boarders.”
CHAPTER 29
Kevin raced down the corridors with his team, their combat suits enhancing their speed and agility.
The combat suits could run as fast as sixty kph and could jump as high as five meters, allowing the Marines to effortlessly jump through hatches and clear staircases with single leaps.
Kevin’s visor displayed the ship’s layout, giving him the precise location of the enemy infiltration. All the combat suits were tied into the ship’s systems providing all troopers with a real time display of each other’s and the enemy’s positions.
The Kemmar soldiers that entered the ship were marked in red, members of the crew in blue. There were already casualties among the crew.
Kevin’s display showed him the locations of all his team members, and monitored their vital signs in real time.
He could see any injuries and get an instant diagnosis from their combat suits. He could see their heart rates, as well as many other indicators letting him know how they were holding up, both physically and mentally.
He also had real time updates on the condition of their combat suits. He could see how much damage they received, their suit’s integrity, and the status of all the combat suit’s vital systems
Nearing the enemy, they slowed their pace. While Kevin’s team knew the Kemmar positions, the Kemmar wouldn’t have the same intel. No point in running in blind.
The visor showed four Kemmar approaching. Kevin’s men spread out along the corridor, energy weapons at the ready. Kevin backed them up with his monstrous Gatling gun.
When the Kemmar soldiers turned the corner the lead Marines opened fire. The Kemmar wore combat suits of their own and when the blue energy fire hit, it simply bounced off, splaying out in all directions.
The Kemmar stood their ground and returned fire. Vicious looking red bolts plowed into the human positions. Kevin’s visor showed his troopers’ suits taking heavy damage.
Worried about his men, Kevin lunged forward and fired his Gatling gun on the enemy. The enormous projectiles cut through the Kemmar combat suits like they were cardboard, killing the first two Kemmar and forcing the others to fall back.
“Their suits have some kind of reflective coating. Energy weapons are useless against them. Switch to railguns,” Kevin said through his suit’s comm link.
Most of his team preferred the power and versatility of their energy weapons, but all carried rail guns. They fired tiny bullets allowing each soldier to carry massive quantities of ammo with them. Each magazine held 500 rounds. While small in size they used depleted uranium which gave them very high density. That density and their speed made them especially effective against armored combat suits.
They held their position while each soldier swapped weapons. Then Kevin’s visor showed the Kemmar moving quickly in the opposite direction.
Kevin opened a comm link with Sergeant Henderson, “Enemy boarders are coming your way Sergeant. I need you to cut off their advance.”
“Yes, Sir,” Henderson said.
“Don’t use energy weapons, they have no effect on the enemy.”
“Acknowledged.”
Henderson led a second security team advancing from the opposite end of the infiltration. They were trying to f
lank the Kemmar, forcing them into a crossfire. Unfortunately, it looked like the entire boarding party was heading in Henderson’s direction. If his team couldn’t hold them off the Kemmar would have access to the rest of the ship.
Kevin had to act. Now was the time to advance.
“Let’s waste these fuckers! Move out!”
“OORAH!” the Marines yelled in unison, the sound almost deafening over the comm system.
The Marines surged forward. They turned a corner and faced a long straightaway. The infiltration point was visible in the middle of the corridor, a massive hole in the floor of the bulkhead. Around the hole a group of Kemmar stood guard and opened fire as the human soldiers approached.
“Hit the dirt!” Kevin ordered, dropping to the ground.
Red energy bolts sailed over his head as his troopers dropped and returned fire. The Kemmar took cover and seemed to sustain only minor damage.
The two groups fired at each other while Kevin’s team slowly advanced. Just then a nasty looking weapon popped out of the opening and started lobbing baseball sized ordnance at the humans.
They were explosives similar to grenades and they landed right in the middle of the lead Marines. Detonating with incredibly concentrated force, they ripped through Kevin’s men, killing them instantly.
“Fall back!” Kevin ordered as more grenades bounced into their ranks.
CHAPTER 30
Sergeant Henderson led his security team up the opposite side of the infiltration. He saw the advancing Kemmar on his visor. His team would engage them in seconds.
Just ahead of their position was a junction which branched off into several corridors. They had to get to that junction before the enemy. Rounding a corner he saw the junction, and the Kemmar.
“Open fire!” Henderson ordered.
His team opened up on the enemy and a hailstorm of bullets crashed into the Kemmar positions. The lead Kemmar took the worst of it and dropped almost instantly. The remaining force took cover and returned fire, halting the human advance.
The corridor lit up with an eerie crimson light show forcing Henderson and his men to seek cover.
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 12
