The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10

by Hudson, G. P.

  “The Vanguard,” Walsh whispered. “Save the Vanguard.”

  “What?”

  “The Juttari will destroy it. Destroy the program. They have jump ships.”

  The Juttari have jump ships? The words pressed against his resisting mind. How was any of this possible? Then things started to make sense. The attack on the station. The aide’s betrayal. Even the disappearance of the Hermes. The Juttari had infiltrated the Admiral’s office and had stolen the jump technology. That was how they bypassed the Sol System’s defenses, and got so close to Earth. Space Force used its home fleet to guard the jump gate, and patrol the system’s perimeter. An enemy force would have to get past the fleet before it could hope to get anywhere near Earth. None of that mattered if the enemy had jump ships.

  “Save the Vanguard,” Walsh said again, in the midst of a coughing fit. “Complete your mission. That’s an order.”

  “Yes, Sir, but where do I-”

  The Admiral looked away from Pierce, up to the ceiling. His eyes turned glassy, then vacant. His body slackened. The Admiral was dead.

  The floor shook again as the assault on the station continued. They were running out of time. He had to move. Had to get to the Vanguard. He jumped to his feet and ran out of the office.

  Racing through the corridor he accessed his comm, “Captain Pierce to Vanguard.”

  “This is Commander Hurley, Vanguard XO,” replied a strong male voice.

  Commander Hurley? He knew the name. Who didn’t? The guy was a legend. Shouldn’t he be retired by now?

  “What is your status, Commander?”

  “We’re taking a beating, Captain.”

  “Initiate evasive maneuvers.”

  “Negative, Sir. We’re still docked to the station.”

  “What? Why?”

  “The docking clamps are not releasing.”

  Shit. The Vanguard’s a sitting duck.

  “Weapons?”

  “Multiple batteries are still offline. Remaining weapon systems are returning fire. But the goddamn Juttari have us outnumbered, Sir.”

  Pierce approached the dock. “I’m almost there. Fire up the engines.”

  “But Sir, we’re still docked to the station.”

  “I know.”

  Chapter 2

  “Seal off this section,” yelled Pierce as he boarded the Vanguard. Technicians trying to repair the docking clamps looked up, surprised. “Everyone out. Now!” They dropped their tools and ran with Pierce for the adjoining compartment. The ordnance hitting the ship’s hull reverberated throughout the vessel like a war drum. How much more of this can she take?

  “Commander Hurley,” said Pierce over his comm, as the hatch closed behind him. “Fire thrusters. I want this ship unmoored, even if you have to take half the station with you to do it.”

  “Yes, Sir. Firing thrusters.”

  The ship thundered to life. Everything trembled and the hull groaned, straining to break free from its dock, but nothing happened. The scream of metal straining against metal became unbearable, as the thrusters fought violently against their restraints. Pierce sprinted down the halls, trying to put as much distance between himself and the dock, unsure of how much of the ship would be damaged when they broke free.

  “Keep running,” he yelled at the technicians, who struggled to keep up. The entire corridor shook like they were in the middle of an earthquake. Between the bombardment, and the attempt to break free of the dock, he feared he would be sucked out of a breached hull at any second. In truth, he had no idea what would happen. The maneuver could tear half the ship apart, for all he knew. Hell, it’s better than sitting still for Juttari target practice.

  A deafening crash sounded behind him. The Vanguard lurched forward with such force that it threw Pierce and the technicians to the floor. He fell awkwardly, and didn’t have time to get his hands up to protect his face. As Pierce’s head hit the unforgiving floor, he thought he would surely black out. Bright flashes of light danced behind his eyelids, and he struggled to stay conscious. Nausea swept over him. He fought off the urge to vomit. The taste of copper filled his mouth and he realized that it was blood streaming from his nose. Shit, I broke my nose again. Did I get another concussion?

  Hurley’s voice snapped him back to reality. “We’re free, Captain.”

  We’re free. It worked. He shook his head to clear his vision and pushed himself up onto his knees. “Evasive maneuvers,” he commanded. He paused for a moment, still feeling unsteady, then forced himself up onto his feet. Glancing back at the technicians, he noted they were conscious and helping each other. With a deep breath, Pierce gave his head another shake, and started walking. The floor shook underneath him and he stumbled. He reached out to brace himself against the wall. Come on. Snap out of it!

  Moving again. Slowly at first, then picking up speed. His mind cleared some more, and he broke into a trot. Then a run. He hadn’t seen the ship’s schematics yet, but he had served on a battleship before, which meant that the bridge would be deep inside the ships bowels, on the lower decks. Battleships were built to withstand a prolonged engagement. The bridge’s location was intended to keep command personnel safe, and the ship fighting, even if much of it lay in ruin. He knew where to find it. Space Force wouldn’t change something that worked.

  “Hurley, what are we dealing with?”

  Hurley’s confident voice replied over his comm. “We’re facing four Juttari warships, Sir. Three heavy cruisers and a battleship.”

  “A battleship?”

  “Yes, Sir. A planet crusher.”

  Damn it. How did they build four jump ships so fast? And a battleship? As he ran through the ship’s corridors, he realized that he had another problem. They were empty.

  “Commander, where is the crew?”

  “Many haven’t boarded yet, Sir. They were expected over the next couple of days.”

  Shit. A skeleton crew. Most of the guns offline. How the hell are we supposed to fight off four Juttari warships?

  “How long until the rest of the fleet reaches us?”

  “That’ll be a while, Sir. They’re tied up with the rest of the invasion.”

  “What are you talking about, Commander? What invasion?”

  “Three Juttari battle groups came through the jump gate a few minutes ago.”

  Three battle groups? This is a full scale invasion. “How did they make it through the gate? It’s allied space on the other side,” said Pierce.

  “I don’t know, Sir, but they did.”

  They must have attacked the system on the other side of the gate first. It would be the only way. But why weren’t we notified? It dawned on him that they were dealing with the opening round of a galactic war. Another realization then sent an icy chill up his spine. If the Juttari controlled the jump gate, the Diakans wouldn’t be coming. Not until they dislodged the Juttari from the neighboring system. He swallowed hard. We’re on our own.

  His thoughts turned to Jessica, his wife back on Earth. They had just moved. She had no friends, or family nearby to help her if things got bad. He had to find a way to get word to her. To let her know what was happening.

  When he arrived on the bridge he cringed at how barren it was. They would even understaffed for a destroyer, but on a battleship? It was laughable. He noticed a few Diakans filling in to man some of the posts. At least they’re making themselves useful. Surveying the bridge, he could see that officers manned key positions. Helm. Tactical. Navigation. And so on. They were only short in the secondary roles. It wasn’t as bad as he’d first thought. Not ideal, but they could make it work. It did mean a lot more work for the officers present, however.

  He made his way to the command post. Hurley stood at his station in the center of the bridge like an old lion, shouting orders in between growls. Short gray stubble covered his head, accenting a wavy vein throbbing at his temple. Another thick vein that almost looked like a muscle ran down the side of his neck, disappearing beneath the collar of a perfectly pressed
black uniform. Thick broad shoulders filled out the uniform, betraying the aging Commander’s imposing physical strength.

  “Report,” said Pierce, striding to his own station.

  “They’re trying to box us in,” said Hurley.

  Pierce’s console displayed the formation. Admiral Walsh was right. They were no longer attacking the station, and weren’t interested in Earth. They wanted the Vanguard.

  “Point defense status?”

  “Ninety percent of the ship is covered. Rail guns are offline on the remaining ten percent. We’re working to get them online.”

  “How long until they’re back up?”

  “Thirty minutes.”

  “Not good enough.”

  “With all due respect, Sir, we don’t have the manpower.”

  Pierce shot Hurley an angry look, but the old veteran didn’t flinch. “Make it happen, Commander.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Tactical. Load missiles. Target the cruiser off our port bow.”

  One of the heavy cruisers had positioned itself in front of the Vanguard while the other two tried to flank it. The battleship closed in on the Vanguard’s stern. They had to break out of this box, or they were done for.

  “Missiles loaded, Sir,” said the tactical officer.

  “Fire missiles. Target cruiser with all available offensive weapons.”

  “Missiles away. Reorienting energy weapons and pulse cannons.”

  “Don’t we have coil guns?”

  “The coil guns are offline, Sir.”

  Pierce looked up at the viewscreen. The energy weapons hit first, burning away at the cruiser’s armor, while the Vanguard cannons tried to punch their way through. The missiles followed close behind, streaking through the void toward their target. The Juttari cruiser deployed countermeasures, belching forth blazing drones in multiple directions, attempting to lure the missiles away from their target. Like most battleships the Vanguard had an imposing array of weaponry, which included the ability to fire a formidable amount of missiles at the enemy. Many of the missiles targeting the Juttari warship were fooled by the drones and gave pursuit, but their sheer number insured that some continued toward the cruiser. Pierce watched as each missile crashed into the cruiser’s point defense shield, hoping they would break through the fiery halo surrounding the enemy ship.

  He turned back to his console, calling up a damage report on the enemy cruiser. None of the missiles found their target. Only the energy weapons and pulse cannons hit, causing significant damage. Not enough to destroy her, but it was a start. How much more can she take? A few more rounds should break her apart.

  “Juttari battleship is firing missiles,” said the tactical officer. “As are the cruisers on our port and starboard flanks.”

  They’re moving in for the kill. “Deploy countermeasures. Reload missile tubes and continue firing on the lead cruiser.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  The Juttari battleship spewed forth a daunting array of missiles, while the cruisers launched their own salvos. The Vanguard fired off dozens of its own drones to distract the enemy rockets converging on it. The countermeasures raced off into a myriad of different directions, buying the Vanguard time as it ran the Juttari gauntlet. The incomplete point defense shield proved to be her Achilles heel, however. The point defense shield destroyed most of the Juttari missiles, but the rest found the gap. Several missiles followed each other through the opening and plowed into the Vanguard’s hull in successive waves.

  The first two missiles compromised the thick armor, leaving a major vulnerability for the third to exploit. The impact sent shockwaves throughout the massive battleship. Pierce gripped the sides of his console to brace himself as a fourth missile found its mark.

  “Reading multiple hull breaches,” shouted Hurley. “Deploying emergency containment fields.”

  Pierce watched as the Vanguard fired another round of missiles at the enemy cruiser blocking their way out. Come on. Get through. The cruiser deployed more decoys to distract the missiles, but again they couldn’t deceive all of them, and several Vanguard missiles continued toward their target. Pierce cringed as the cruiser’s point defense shield destroyed each and every one. That’s ok. I’m not done with you yet.

  “Retarget energy weapons and pulse cannons,” ordered Pierce. “Focus on the lead cruiser’s railguns. I want a hole in that point defense shield.”

  “Retargeting, Sir.”

  Come on, give me something to shoot at.

  “Battleship is firing more missiles,” said the tactician.

  “Deploy countermeasures. Keep firing on the lead cruiser.”

  “Captain,” came a voice from behind Pierce.

  He wheeled around to see a Diakan in a military uniform standing a few feet away. Pierce knew enough about the Diakan military to recognize the rank. In Diakan terms he was the equivalent of a major.

  “Captain,” said the Diakan again. “You have to jump away.”

  “What? Who are you?”

  “Major Ilthos. I am the leader of the Diakans on board this ship.”

  “With all due respect, Major, the Juttari are invading the Sol System. We’re not jumping anywhere.”

  “Captain, if you remain here you will be destroyed.”

  “Then we’ll go down fighting,” snarled Pierce. “If anything we can buy the fleet some time.”

  “Unacceptable.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You cannot allow the Vanguard to be destroyed.”

  Several more missiles got through the Vanguard’s defenses and penetrated its hull. The impact sending Pierce hopping sideways several steps before he regained his balance.

  “More hull breaches,” yelled Hurley. “Attempting to contain.”

  “Captain, the jump technology is too important. It must be saved,” said Ilthos with as much emotion as a hunk of wood.

  “Jump technology? Are you joking? Earth must be saved. That’s what is important.” Pierce turned to the tactician. “Fire missiles.”

  “Belay that order,” commanded Ilthos. “Prepare to jump.”

  The bridge crew looked at Pierce and the Diakan, momentarily unsure of who to obey.

  “Diakan oversight on this mission is clear,” said Ilthos. “If the Vanguard is at risk, I am authorized to take action. Captain, you will comply, or you will be relieved of duty.”

  Pierce bristled, but Walsh had explained that the Diakans had oversight power. They could veto his order, maybe even take his command. He considered their situation again. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and understaffed. They didn’t have a hope in hell of winning this battle. This was the only human ship with a jump system. As much as he hated to admit it, the Diakan was right.

  Forgive me, Jessica.

  “Jump status?” said Pierce, still glaring at the Diakan.

  “Jump system is online. We are jump ready,” said the navigator.

  “Initiate jump.”

  Chapter 3

  “Jump complete,” announced the computer.

  Everyone stared at the viewscreen. Silence. No words. No enemy ordnance pounding the Vanguard’s hull. No alarms. Just the serenity of the surrounding stars impassively marking the passing of the eons.

  “Report,” said Pierce.

  “We have landed in the Glies system, fifty light years from Earth,” said the navigator.

  Fifty light years. Incredible. “Why did we jump here?”

  “This is the location of the first jumpspace beacon deployed by the Hermes. It was preprogrammed into our systems.”

  The Hermes. Our mission. Does it still matter? I have to get back to Earth. I have to save Jessica.

  “We need to keep jumping, Captain,” said Ilthos.

  “What are you talking about?” said Pierce, becoming increasingly agitated by Ilthos’s interference.

  “I’m talking about the mission, Captain. We have to complete the mission. I’m also talking about the Juttaari. They will follow. We have to stay ahead
of them.”

  “The Juttari are busy attacking the Sol System, which is exactly where we need to be.”

  “Captain, the Space Force is fully capable of defending the Sol System. The Juttari jump ships will try to destroy the Vanguard first. Only then will they turn their attention back to Earth.”

  Pierce glared at Ilthos. “Commander Hurley, how long will it take to repair those hull breaches?”

  “Despite being short staffed, we do have all our repair drones, but the damage is extensive. We’ll need at least three days to seal all the breaches.”

  “What about weapons? How long until all our weapon systems are online?”

  “At least two days.”

  “I thought you said thirty minutes?”

  “That was for the point defense rail guns. They only need minor work. To have all our weapon systems online will take a minimum of two days.”

  “That’s unacceptable,” snapped Pierce. “The Vanguard should have been ready for battle.”

  “With all due respect, Captain, we weren’t supposed to leave space dock for another couple of weeks.”

  I need to calm down. “Of course, Commander. I understand,” Pierce said in a conciliatory tone. “Dispatch repair teams-”

  “Contact!” announced the tactical officer. “Reading one… no… reading four Juttari warships off our starboard bow. They’re firing weapons.”

  The drumming began again in earnest.

  “Captain, you need to jump now,” said Ilthos.

  Pierce stared at the Juttari ships on his viewscreen and knew Ilthos was right. They had to jump. Farther from Earth. Farther from Jessica.

  “Initiate jump,” ordered Pierce.

  One second the Juttari warships were moving into formation, the next they were gone.

  “Report.”

  “We have landed in the Valen system, one hundred light years from Earth,” said the navigator.

  “Reading all clear. No contacts,” said the tactician.

  “Are we still following the Hermes beacons?” said Pierce.

  “Yes, Sir,” said the navigator.

  “Plot new coordinates for our next jump. I want to head in the same general direction as the Hermes, but I want to land a few light years away from the beacon.”