Commander Higgins appeared at the door, his uniform smartly pressed as though about to head to parade. He looked in the room; his eyes moving from person to person until he could confirm all of them were there. Fletcher was noticeable by his absence, but he said nothing to draw attention to the fact.
"Ironclads. We took it pretty hard back there. Casualties are in the early twenties, with three times that number injured."
He shook his head as he spoke.
"And the ship. Furiosa needs major repairs before she can leave this system."
Nate looked at him, but his expression was confused, possibly due to the drugs.
"Fletcher was a hero. Byotai engineers say if he hadn't kept that door sealed for another ten seconds, you'd have been killed in the flames as you put on your suits."
Matilda nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Sir, we know. Do we know how this happened?"
The Commander moved through the doorway an extra step so that he was no longer partially in the hallway.
"Two warheads breached the armour but failed to detonate. After the battle, the first moved and its detonator activated. The explosion tore a hole in the hull and caused an overload on Furiosa's damaged systems. Then the second detonated, with a micro-atomic starting massive fires and knocking out her systems."
He sighed as he tried to explain it all as simply as possible.
"The damage was minor, but for a while it knocked out the entire ship."
Nate blinked three times, doing his best to focus on the man.
"Sir. What happens now?"
Commander Higgins licked his lips, and then said the words they both wished for, and dreaded.
"Time for us to find a new home. Are you all good to go?"
One by one they dropped down from the beds, or straightened up if already there, looking at the Commander, curious to know what was about to happen. None of them was seriously hurt, and even Nate was there mainly so that the medical staff could maintain a watch over him.
"Lower deck, ten minutes. Your gear is already packed. I'll join you below. You're leaving."
The officer vanished, leaving the odd mix of young pilots to deal with the aftermath themselves. Most stayed completely still, until finally Matilda gave them a push.
"You heard the Commander. Let's go."
* * *
It didn't take them long to reach the lower deck, and as they arrived, dozens of eyes turned to watch them. They were all that remained of the ship's fighter squadrons, a sad reminder of a better time. Nate led them onto the deck, and then looked to the left where a line of Byotai soldiers waited. They wore heavy armour and remained motionless, like stone statues.
"I wondered where you'd got to."
Nate hadn't even noticed Lieutenant Commander Holder. She waited off to the left, looking as smart as ever in her uniform. Like the other pilots, she also lacked her PDS Naval gear, a sombre reminder that they had little left to offer as pilots.
"Looks like this is all over, then. I suspect we're about to be shipped out."
The entire group looked at her in stunned surprise. Billy spoke first.
"Leave Furiosa? But the fighting isn't over. Isn't General Makos assembling a large fleet to permanently secure this area?"
"He's correct," said Valdis, "There's still a lot we can do here."
Lieutenant Commander Holder nodded slowly.
"I know, but that's not our call. Furiosa is hurting, and we're not the people to help her."
The mood shifted instantly as she spoke, but without pausing she moved to a subject that interested them much more.
"The Victorious group will be heading back to Taxxu, via Helios. Without our fighters, we're just more mouths to feed out here."
Another group of six Byotai walked onto the deck, and behind them came a single officer in full military garb. Valdis lowered her head, and Lilija and Svana did the same. On they came until the old warrior was in front of them all. Commander Higgins was also there, but this time his attention remanded firmly on those more senior to him. Something was about to happen, and as Nate watched, he wondered what it could possibly be. The mood on the deck changed, and yet it still wasn't clear what was about to take place.
"Look," said Billy, "What's going on?"
A third and final squad of soldiers arrived. Though similar to the others already waiting, these were quite clearly an honour guard. They were equally heavily armoured and equipped soldiers, attired for ground combat, but their equipment was embellished in a hundred different places. Their armour gleamed, and the beautifully intricate colours and gilding gave the impression this was as much ceremonial as it was functional. At their shoulders they carried a devastating array of weapons, each equipped with a heavily customised version of the standard weapons used by front-line soldiers.
"Nice," said Billy, "very nice."
The unit of Byotai soldiers stopped and formed up in two long ranks facing away from the officers and towards the inside of the deck. Now there were three squads, all joined together to form a double line facing in towards the emptiness. Nate suddenly felt rather undressed. They'd been told to get there fast, but nobody had informed them of the formal nature of the proceedings. Even as they waited, a group of senior officers stepped out from behind the soldiers and made their way to the front.
Are they here for us?
Nate felt his body shudder, and for a brief moment contemplated a court martial or punishment. But for what? There were four senior Byotai, with General Honorius and Captain Krammer both there. The General extended a hand to Lieutenant Commander Holder, and then indicated for Valdis to approach. He spoke under his breath before she nodded and turned back to speak on his behalf. Nate listened intently, desperate to know what was happening to them.
"Lieutenant Commander Saffron Holder, your work, as always, has proven outstanding. On behalf of my Imperator, I thank you and your pilots, and give you our thoughts for your lost comrades. One day I hope we can repay the debt we owe to you, and the Alliance. I will be sorry to see you go, all of us will be."
The young officer nodded politely, but all Nate could do was feel the bitter disappointment. He didn't want to go, and they would have absolutely no say in it.
"Thank you, General. It has been our pleasure. This has been quite an experience for my squadron."
The General smiled awkwardly, and then looked to the pair of Byotai pilots. They exchanged words for almost a minute, before finally the old warrior moved on to speak with yet more of the crew. Valdis looked to Nate, and he knew right away she'd just heard something she liked. Her eyes burned with a fiery passion that he found irresistible. The General was now nearly thirty metres away, and Nate saw the opportunity to ask his question.
"Sir, what's happening with us?"
Lieutenant Holder heard him, but instead of answering, she just shook her head. Although a short movement, Nate knew instantly she wanted him to be quiet.
What? What's going on?
Cassandra leaned in slowly to him and whispered in his ear.
"Does it matter? We'll go where they send us."
Though Nate was listening to her, his attention remained focused on the alluring Valdis. He worried that she was about to leave, or transfer on some death-defying mission while they ended up on a boring escort detail. She was, after all, a professional, unlike them.
"You're right," he said quietly, "It doesn't."
The sound of voices increased as the formal nature of the occasion faded. Nate was unsure why, but most of those present turned around and looked into the cavernous deck. With just three battered fighters, the place looked stark and empty. Four loud clunks brought silence to the deck, and then some of the senior officers began chatting. The mood in the open space shifted to something much more relaxed, as though they were waiting for a system demonstration or display. Lieutenant Commander Holder used the opportunity to move from the other officers and towards the small cadre of pilots. She walked ahead of them, like a drill serg
eant on the parade ground. Finally, she stopped between Nate and Cassandra.
"Very well, then. Your gear is already packed up and ready to go. Our ride should be..."
A large hexagonal shape on the ceiling groaned and started to lower itself to the ground. Normally, there would be a fighter on the platform, but this was something none of them had ever seen before. Every single one of them watched with interest, and even the Byotai crew stopped what they were doing to gaze upon the new arrival. Commander Higgins returned from his position at the elevator entrance and moved closer to the spacecraft.
Nate noticed there were now quite a number of senior officers in this one place, and all watching the craft with fascination. General Honorius in particular seemed positively enthralled by it.
"What...is that?" Billy asked.
A large grin formed across his face. It was a big craft, much bigger than any fighter, and yet not as bulky as the large Mauler landing craft they'd travelled aboard before. It looked like a long, heavily armoured box with a stubby nose. Each corner of its hull housed a massive engine, affixed to a short rotating mount that allowed the engines to point horizontally, vertically, or any point in between. On both flanks, and just ahead of the front engines, were a pair of circular turrets, each contained a pair of large looking guns. The rear of the spacecraft housed a partially retracted dual missile assembly that gave it an angry, fearsome look.
"That thing is a beast!" Billy said excitedly.
A few of the soldiers gave him a hard glance, and his laughter vanished in an instant. There was little, if anything they could do about the look on Billy's face, though. The young pilots shared a love of one thing, new spacecraft. Cassandra forced her elbow into his flank, but that just seemed to egg him on. He almost choked, and that one action wiped the smile from his face. He lowered his voice and whispered back. Cassandra tried to ignore him, but nothing would stop him now.
"I heard about these," he started.
Cassandra shook her head, but Billy just leaned in closer.
"They're armoured dropships for the IAB, and they kick some serious..."
This time Nate looked back at him, and his glance instantly told Billy to be quiet. The others might have looked confused, but not Matilda. She often spent hours pouring over the latest ship reports, sightings, and technical briefings, and now she was one of the few to know what was before them. She looked back at them, her face showing unusual excitement. Lieutenant Commander Holder moved closer to the craft, and the others soon followed, staying well away from the safety markings painted on the floor. She glanced back at them like a teacher on a school trip, and then indicated towards the deadly looking craft.
"This...is the Jackal Mark II, designed at Taxxu, and constructed by CTC Heavy Industries."
Billy nodded along, as though he already knew all of this.
"There are an unknown number of them in service, and you are now some of the few people to have seen them up close."
Some of the Byotai technicians and deck crew moved around the front of the spacecraft, and after a nod from General Honorious, they moved in to attach charging pipes to its inlet feeds. Interoperability between Alliance and Byotai units was not fully complete, but the ability to operate fighters and small craft from each other's ships had been a key requirement.
The Jackal was as interesting to the Byotai as it was to the pilots. Matilda moved closer to the craft. The engines were off-line, but there was still quite a high level of noise from the generator turbine that had yet to fully slow down. Some of the technicians raised their voices to talk, and Nate and his friends used the opportunity to move their attention to the spacecraft. Matilda in particular seemed keen to pass on her knowledge.
"The Jackals are the latest designs to come out of CTC. They are for use with small units, and right now are only used by the Interstellar Assault Brigade."
"That's true," said Lieutenant Commander Holder, "They are faster than anything else in service, heavily armoured, and equipped for combat."
She lifted up her wrist and tapped her Secpad bracelet. An outline of the Jackal popped up, though this one looked a little different to the actual craft in front of them. The pilots stared closely at the model, but Billy pointed out the obvious changes.
"That model is a swing-wing. Looks prettier to me."
Nate chuckled to himself.
"Yes, Billy. Making it pretty was the most important part."
It was strange being there when just hours earlier they'd been fighting for their lives. Now they waited and watched as a futuristic spacecraft landed inside the badly damaged battleship. Lieutenant Commander Holder altered the imagery, and it showed a number of the swing-wing Jackals sweeping down on a planet. They landed like Maulers, and scores of troopers fanned out around the landing ground.
"This is footage from Spascia. The IAB assaulted a renegade holdout using their Jackals. The footage was caught on ground cameras and brought the existence of the IAB to the public."
"I saw that on the news stream," explained Cassandra.
Billy looked to the young pilot and laughed.
"Nice for you."
He then looked back, but not before Cassandra shoved him.
"On your mark, and stay still."
The young pilot did as ordered, but his expression clearly showed he was not impressed with what had just happened. Billy pointed towards the nose of the Jackal and to the actual vessel waiting in front of them.
"They are incredible."
Valdis crossed her arms as she'd seen Cassandra do on many occasions before.
"The Interstellar what?"
Nate laughed and pointed to the markings on the flat side of the hull. They were written in tall black letters along the dull, light grey-coloured spacecraft. There were also standard Alliance markings, confirming this was part of the Alliance Navy.
"The IAB. They were formed a decade or so ago by veterans of the Biomech War. It's a rapid response unit and part of the Alliance military. They have their own units, and also use mercenaries and squads from many colonies."
Matilda's eyebrows tightened in frustration, but Cassandra spoke the loudest, much to their surprise.
"They're nothing special. I heard about them before we were shipped out from Spascia. They're all noise and fancy talk. Like they've ever done anything important."
"And?" Nate asked.
"It's just a political unit," continued Cassandra, as though that was enough to keep them quiet. Instead all of them just glared back, Valdis included. She was usually much less vocal than this, but for some reason there was something about this craft, or the military unit that really annoyed her.
"It's there just to make the other races feel included in the new Alliance. That's why they're based in that pit, beyond the Black Rift. They have different units and their own ships. Think of them as like...well, like a Foreign Legion. They have Byotai, Helion, and Khreenk squads, as well as machines, regular marines, and advanced weapons. Fancy toys for fancy people."
Billy then laughed, but Cassandra remained stern.
"We do better work than them, so we should see some of that tech."
Matilda was not amused by this and raised one eyebrow as she quizzed him.
"Are all young women from your world, loud mouthed braggarts?"
Cassandra looked confused, while the others laughed.
"Haven't I heard that before?"
Matilda grinned, something quite unusual for her.
"Look. They have all the best stuff and operate from Taxxu. Doesn't that seem a bit weird to you?"
Valdis' face appeared to shudder at the mere mention of that distant place. "I cannot believe you people created a military base there. It should have atomised after the war."
Nate shrugged.
"Maybe, but now it's our biggest base in the Orion Nebula. The place is top secret and off limits to all units, even most of the military."
"I see," said Valdis, "And these IAB people, why are they so special?"
The small side door hissed open towards the waiting cadets. They all expected to see Navy personnel exit the craft, but there were six robotic warriors. They stepped out and formed a line to the side of the Jackal. One machine made a noise, and they quickly split into two pairs, each angled towards the others to give the impression of an honour guard. The turbine units began to drop in volume, and the waiting pilots quickly lowered their voices. Then Valdis nodded towards the machines.
"Wait a minute. Are they the machines that have been fighting on Karnak?"
Matilda watched them with the fascination of a child seeing a big cat at a zoo for the first time.
"That is a Grunt. Didn't you see the footage of them in action on Spascia?"
None of the others seem to know what she was talking about. Billy started to talk again, but Lieutenant Commander Holder shook her left hand in a subtle signal for them to be quiet.
"Quiet," whispered Cassandra, even though she'd been one of those making the noise.
A shape emerged from inside the craft, paused at the entrance, and then stepped out onto the deck. He was a middle-aged man, perhaps in his fifties and wore a bizarre, close-fitting set of body armour. It looked similar to the gear worn by marines, but with a dull grey outer layer, and extra plating at the joints and neck. He wore no helmet, and his grizzled face looked every part the military commander. He sported a short, unkempt beard, and pale marks on his cheeks and forehead betrayed scars and surgery over the years.
"It can't be," whispered Nate.
Lieutenant Commander Higgins lifted her hand to a crisp salute, and at once the whole space filled with the usual acknowledgments of ranks and title. The marine moved from the Jackal and to where the General and the small cadre of officers waited. He moved confidently, but Nate could see that his body moved awkwardly. One leg carried more weight than the other, and he didn't seem to like twisting his hips too much.
He's been injured, maybe more than once.
Once the marine reached the line of officers, General Honorius surprised them all. Like a serpent striking its prey, he lurched forward and grasped the man around the upper body, pulling him close. One of the robotic looking soldiers shifted, and it looked like it might rush to Spartan's aid. Then it stopped and straightened up as though nothing had happened. Where before there had been hushed chatter at the arrival of the spacecraft, now there was silence.
Star Crusader: Battle Fleet Victorious Page 9
