by J. N. Chaney
Now was my chance.
I led the enemy toward that location, moving into the atmosphere, but not too far.
The others followed, firing at my back. The hull shook with every hit, and I wondered, briefly, whether they might actually succeed in killing me.
But then I saw the missiles.
I crossed through the path of the missiles just in time for them to hit behind me, colliding with several hundred of the enemy strike ships.
The holo showed a widespread chain of explosions as the entire sky lit up and debris began to fall from the newly created wreckage. The blast lasted for several seconds. Those who weren’t destroyed were either knocked off their flightpath or disabled and sent careening to the ground.
Several missiles managed to slip through, still, making their way to The Dawn in a second showing.
The bombs slammed into the shield, fracturing it. I raced through the clouds, re-entering space.
“Hot damn!” I barked, staring at the lights on my holo, each one representing a strike ship. Where there had been hundreds, now only a few dozen remained. The missile attack had decimated their numbers more than I ever could have dreamed. “Freddie, Abigail, time to take care of business!”
“On it, Captain!” responded Fred.
The Renegade Star decloaked in orbit, firing its quad cannons directly into a group of enemy vessels. A brief flash lit up the darkness, eviscerating three ships by the time the light settled.
The guns swiveled, unloading a spread of bullets on one vessel while the quad cannons targeted another.
With The Star picking up the stragglers, I set my sights on The Dawn.
As I brought my strike ship skyward, Brigham unleashed another bombardment on the base. “Janus, what’s your status?” I signaled.
“Shields are holding,” he responded. “Dr. Dressler successfully replaced a piece of faulty wiring, finally allowing me to activate the communications network.”
“When are you sending the transmission?” I asked.
“I already did,” he answered. “Thirty seconds ago. If Athena has an active receiver, she should detect the transmission shortly, even in slipspace.”
The Galactic Dawn was right before me, actively priming its cannons, preparing for another bombardment. “Guess that means we still need to stall for time,” I said, narrowing my eyes on the carrier ship. “Janus, you wouldn’t be holding anymore missiles in your back pocket, would you?”
“I’m afraid the arsenal has been depleted, Captain,” said Janus. “You’re on your own.”
“Not a bad run,” I said, taking out another set of quad cannons. There were only a few more left. With so many strike ships destroyed, along with the cannons, The Dawn would have no other choice but to stand down. We just had to keep whittling away at—
An alert blinked on my dash, informing me that a slip tunnel had just opened. It was the one The Dawn had followed us with, which could only mean one thing.
Several indicator lights popped up, each one representing both Union and Sarkonian vessels.
“Shit,” I muttered, watching the tear open and disappear as each new ship emerged.
In only a few minutes, three Union cruisers and eight Sarkonian fighters had arrived.
Things were about to get complicated.
“Freddie, form up on The Dawn!” I shouted. “Unload what you have before the others get here. Do as much damage as you can.”
“On it,” answered Freddie.
Our two ships converged on Brigham’s, quickly going after the last remaining quad cannons we could find. We might not be able to stop the others, but we could at least prevent the facility from getting bombed right away.
“Fleet arriving in two minutes,” informed Sigmond. “I advise a swift retreat, sir.”
“Not yet,” I muttered, taking the strike ship to the front of The Dawn. Brigham had made several repairs since the last encounter, but I wagered there was little chance he’d completely fixed the hull, especially the section I’d blown to bits. Sure enough, sensors showed the hull was thinner here, still showing signs of decay. The repair crews had managed to replace the outer section of the hull, but there wasn’t enough time to do the rest. If I could attack this point, maybe I could finally kill this bastard.
I ordered my ship to fire on that point, unleashing a blast of blue energy, only this time it was precise, like a surgeon’s scalpel. The hull began to split, slowly, giving way to the beam. It would take some time for me to breach it like this, but it was the best chance I had.
“Sir, sensors are detecting a new slip tunnel forming near the sixth planet,” said Sigmond.
“Say again, Siggy,” I said.
“Another tear, sir. I show another ship emerging.”
“Is it Union or Sarkonian?” I asked, bringing up the holo.
“Neither, sir. It appears to be…”
The holo lit up, showing a massive sphere emerging from the rift, pushing its way out. My eyes widened as I began to realize what I was looking at.
It was Titan, here at last.
Twenty-Two
I smacked the dash, briefly releasing control of the ship, overcome with relief. “There she is!” I snapped.
“Captain Hughes, this is Cognitive Athena of the colony seed ship Titan. Are you receiving?”
“I hear you,” I answered, still firing the beam into the carrier ship in front of me.
“Scans show enemy vessels approaching your position,” said Athena. “Shall I intervene?”
“Yes!” yelled Abigail. “For gods’ sakes, yes!”
“Very well,” said the Cognitive. “Setting course and deploying additional vessels to assist.”
“Additional vessels?” asked Freddie.
The holo zoomed in on the Moon, indicating three new lights as they emerged from Titan.
“Everyone doing okay?” asked a voice on the other end.
“Is that Alphonse?” asked Freddie.
“It is,” he answered. “But I’m not alone.”
“Octavia here,” said another voice.
“And Bolin,” said the third.
“Well, this is a surprise,” said Abigail. “It appears we’ve all been a little busy since our last meet up.”
“Let’s exchange stories later,” I said. “Focus on the other ships. Alphonse, Octavia, and Bolin, protect the planet. That’s the priority.”
“Understood,” said Alphonse. “We’re on our way.”
“Why the planet?” asked Octavia.
“There are people down there,” said Abigail. “People like Lex.”
“Oh? Well, that’s interesting,” said Alphonse. “Captain, what’s the preferred attack pattern?”
“Take out the Sarkonians first,” I ordered. “They’re smaller, faster. We can let Athena worry about the cruisers.”
“Understood,” said Alphonse.
The three strike ships set their sights on the fleet and took off, firing three beams at once, cutting a swath through several of the ships.
I focused my attention on The Galactic Dawn. I wasn’t going to let Brigham lay another trap for me. Not today.
The Renegade Star joined the others, cloaking as it moved, and then uncloaking long enough to fire a cannon before disappearing again. Nothing like a little hide-and-seek to keep them guessing.
“Captain, I am transferring your vessel’s connection to Titan,” said Athena. “It appears the current source is becoming unstable.”
“Unstable?” I asked. “Come again?”
“Scans are showing instability in the facility’s Tritium Core unit, like due to the strain of the shield. Were you not aware?” she asked.
I called up Janus immediately. His face appeared on the holo, the same as before. “Is everything okay down there?” I quickly asked.
“Apologies, Captain,” he said. “We are experiencing some strain on the system. Karin is initiating emergency evacuation procedures.”
“Where is she taking everyone?” I
asked.
“To the third facility, using a path on the surface. The core is becoming unstable. Should we continue to take damage, a full collapse may occur.”
“What does that mean, a full collapse?” I asked.
He gave me knowing look. “The end of this facility, I’m afraid.”
“Shit,” I whispered. “What kind of blast radius would that be?”
“Unknown,” said the Cognitive.
“Captain, if I may,” inserted Athena, her disembodied voice coming from all around me. “Greetings, Janus. Please forgive the lack of pleasantries, but if I might make a suggestion.”
“Welcome to the neighborhood,” said Janus.
“Thank you,” said Athena. “If I can move Titan close enough, I may be able to send transport vessels to the ground.”
“I thought you couldn’t fly the ships without a pilot,” I said.
“Correct,” she said. “However, the ships can be directed automatically, using Titan’s energy beams. I’m afraid this will lower the strength of our shield, temporarily, but my calculations show it to be the optimal solution.”
“That works for me,” I said. “Janus?”
“Indeed,” he answered. “Athena, I’m transferring coordinates to you now for extraction. Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” she said.
According to the radar, the cruisers were nearly upon us, set to arrive shortly after Titan. If we didn’t hurry and handle the situation soon, a whole lot of people were going to wind up dead.
* * *
I broke through the outer hull of The Galactic Dawn, right as Titan arrived. My sensors informed me when I’d breached the first deck, which, from what I could tell, seemed to be the cargo hold.
Titan arrived and released a small fleet of ships to the surface of the planet. In response, The Galactic Dawn fired several point-defense turrets at the Moon’s shield. Without access to their quad cannons, however, there was little they could do.
At the same time, Titan’s energy seemed to be too focused on rescue and defense to retaliate properly, which meant it could only sit there and take the constant attack.
One of the Sarkonian ships broke through the others, hastily approaching my position. It fired a string of blasts, giving me only a few seconds to get out of there.
I commanded my ship to cut the beam and evade, but not before one of the projectiles struck my side, knocking me into a spin. As I righted myself, I caught sight of the other projectiles and quickly ordered my ship to dive.
I flew toward the surface, turning as I reached the stratosphere, using the atmospheric friction to carry me as I ignited my thrusters pushed away.
As the torpedoes neared, I ordered my ship to release its flak into space, catching the projectiles and immediately igniting them behind me.
Only the Sarkonian vessel remained. I raised myself away and cut my engines, turning my ship around to face it. With a simple command, I shot my beam cannon and sent a steady blast toward the ship, right as it came into view.
The bastard didn’t stand a chance.
Before I could celebrate, Janus’s face materialized on my holo. “Captain, all members of the colony have boarded and awaiting departure.”
“Athena?” I called. “You hearing this?”
“Understood,” she answered, immediately. “Thank you, Janus. Standby for extraction.”
“Janus, are you there with Karin?” I asked.
“Karin is on board one of the vessels, along with Lucia, Josef, and everyone else,” he said.
“But what about you?” I asked.
“I’m afraid I do not possess the ability to leave this station,” he explained.
I paused, surprised by the statement. “Are you…are you sure?”
“Quite,” he replied. “I apologize for the inconvenience, Captain, but it is simply unavoidable. My processes are tied directly to the system. I cannot be moved, barring—”
“Athena!” I snapped. “Do something!”
“I may be able to initiate a transfer override, given enough time,” she said.
“Janus, you hear that?” I asked. “Hold on a bit longer!”
“I’m afraid that won’t work, either,” he said. “The core will fail at any moment. Shutting it down would only create a meltdown, potentially destroying the ships before they have a chance to leave. I must maintain my position.”
“Shut the fucking thing off!” I barked. “Janus, we can still save—”
The holo flickered, distorting Janus’s face for a brief moment before finally adjusting. He seemed to look right at me, straight into my eyes. “Look after them, Jace Hughes,” he said, and a gentle smiled warmed his face. “I leave the rest to you.”
“Janus!” I shouted, reaching for the holo right as it broke apart.
Suddenly, the surface of the planet filled with a flash of light, leaving the largest mushroom cloud I’d ever seen to spread across the sky.
* * *
The cruisers fired everything they had at Titan. Athena extended the range of her shield to safeguard the other ships as they arrived. This was going to take a few minutes, and I was certain that shield wouldn’t be able to last.
“Everyone, form up on me,” I ordered.
“What’s the plan, Captain?” asked Alphonse.
“Target the first cruiser. Between the four of us, we should be able to do some damage and buy Athena some time.”
“What about us?” asked Abigail.
“Use the cloak like you’ve been doing. Cover our backs and let us take most of the heat,” I said. “Look for any stray ships. I don’t need another surprise Sarkonian firing rockets up my ass again.”
“You can count on the two of us!” exclaimed Freddie.
“Three,” corrected Sigmond.
“Right!” said Fred.
The Renegade Star cloaked while the rest of us opened fire on the nearest cruiser. Four sharp beams cut through the front cannons and swept across the hull, making fast work of its armaments. The cruiser tried to retaliate, but they were having a tough time of it, firing blindly in every direction.
A second later, the docking bay opened and out poured a small squadron of fighters. Before they could make it very far, however, Alphonse and Octavia were there, blasting through them and into the bay itself.
Bolin followed from behind, ramming himself straight into the interior. His beam ignited everything in sight, creating a tide of blue fire along the deck and into the nearby corridors. Emergency systems activated the extinguishers, but it was too late. Half the bay had already been destroyed.
My sensors detected hundreds of dots—escape pods—leaving the cruiser. That was odd, since I was sure we hadn’t done enough damage to justify them abandoning ship.
The pods ignited their thrusters and flew toward the rear-most cruiser. “They’re running!” exclaimed Bolin.
“Keep your focus on this one,” I said. “We’ll move to the second as soon as we—”
A white light engulfed my vision as the cruiser exploded, breaking into pieces. The force threw me back into my seat, bringing my hand off the control.
I spun out of control, away from the debris and toward the planet.
Twenty-Three
I blacked out for only a few seconds, but it was long enough to forget where I was and what I’d been doing.
I could barely move as the ship spiraled out of control. How had I gotten here? What was this sick feeling in my stomach? Was I about to die?
My eyes darted around the ship, searching for a solution. I tried to speak, but the strain was too much on me. I could barely even move.
I raised my arm from the seat, slowly, pushing it with everything I had, trying to reach the dash. Trying…
I clenched my teeth, grasping at the air, bending my fingers. Almost there.
My hand graced the edge of the dash, a blue light forming beneath my fingertips. “Stop!” I finally managed to scream.
Thrusters activated, bring
ing me to a full stop in mid-air, the force of which hurt my ass, it was so strong.
Up, I thought. Go up!
The ship exploded forward, rising back into the sky, exchanging blue for black as I left the stratosphere.
The radar showed the cruiser had been completely destroyed, but I was still reading two others, along with the Galactic Dawn. More importantly, four more dots, each of them blue, showed that my crew was still alive, or at the very least, their ships were still transmitting. “Everyone! Report!”
“W-We’re okay,” said Freddie.
“I was far enough away to avoid it,” said Alphonse.
“I’m okay,” reported Octavia.
There was a short pause.
“Bolin?” I asked.
No response.
“Bolin! Answer me, godsdammit!” I snapped.
“C-Captain Hughes,” he said, his voice cracking.
I exhaled, relaxing in my chair.
“C-Can’t move the ship,” he muttered. “Engines are down.”
“Bolin, are you hurt?” asked Octavia.
“Yes,” he said in a low voice.
“Stay where you are,” she said. “Sigmond, can you pick him up?”
“Affirmative,” answered the A.I.
One of the cruisers was moving again, heading in front of the third, no doubt to block the escape pods as they loaded into the third ship’s landing bay. “Looks like we’ve got more problems,” I said. “Siggy, take care of Bolin. Everyone else, we’re not done yet.”
“Captain, this is Athena,” I heard her voice declare. “All colonists are safely aboard Titan. Please, retreat to the ship. Let me take it from here.”
“Not until we have Bolin on The Star!” I said. “Everyone, cover them. The second they have that ship, get out of here!”
“Understood!” said Alphonse.
“Athena, start moving to meet that cruiser! Get your glorious fat ass between us,” I said.
We moved quickly, flying to meet the cruiser before it reached Bolin’s position. It launched multiple quad cannon missiles, each one heading for its own target.
Octavia fired a beam, destroying two of them in the process, while Alphonse and I took the rest. Our three beams intersected, leaping from one bomb to the next as the cruiser continued to deliver what seemed like an endless stream of firepower.
