“Yes she is,” a second voice came from within the bunker. A woman also wearing body armor came out, without a helmet, her blue eyes appraising her rescuers. Thank you for coming to my aid. Are you with the fleet?”
“Yes, ma’am. We saw smoke coming from the capitol building and came right away to help.”
“God bless you,” she replied. “Do you know my husband, Captain Rigsby?”
Derek cleared his throat. “I met him, ma’am, after I extracted from Serpentis III. He debriefed me.”
“Do you know if he is still alive?”
“Last I heard, ma’am, but I can ask when we get out of here. The local shadow transmitter is down, so I can’t get a signal. But if you’ll follow us…” he extended his hand back the way he and his Marines had come.
The governor nodded. “Of course. Lead the way, Lieutenant.”
Derek and his squad led the way out of the sub-level and out of the capitol building. Outside, the war zone Herzig Square had turned into had become worse. Everywhere Derek looked, east, south or west, the lines of Marines or security forces were crumbling and the Krai’kesh were breaking through. He found the Dauntless where it had landed, with the Marines he left behind trying to hold back a tide of civilians to keep them from stampeding aboard the ship.
“There’s our ship,” he said to Captain Grimshaw and Governor Rigsby, pointing toward the distinct shape of the Dauntless. He and the rest of the Marines and Shadow Watch Guards made their way through the crowd, moving people out of their way where necessary, until they reached the perimeter around the Dauntless.
“Sir, are we glad to see you,” Sergeant Ramirez said as Derek and his guests passed through the perimeter.
“We’re glad to be here,” Derek said.
“Let us in! Let us in!” chants came from across the crowd.
“I’m sorry,” Derek shouted. “We aren’t evacuating anyone in this ship.”
Derek led his guests aboard the Dauntless and led Captain Grimshaw and Governor Rigsby to the cockpit. “John, we have visitors.”
John turned looked up from where he sat facing Ashley, holding a washcloth to her forehead. “Oh, hello there. Who are you?”
Derek cleared his throat. “This is Captain Grimshaw of the Shadow Watch Guard assigned to Governor Rigsby, and this is the governor.”
John nodded. “Oh, hello. Pleasure to meet you and all that. I hope you weren’t expecting to get off this rock, though, we’re here on a mission to support the fleet.”
“We are here,” Governor Rigsby said, “to assist my husband and the Federation in any way possible. What can I do?”
John pointed to the Governor. “You, get on the horn or whatever and get your civilians into the capitol building if it’s secure. The security forces and Marines can hold the perimeter that long and then retreat into the building. If people are in this Square when the railguns emerge…”
“I understand. I will contact Colonel Sherrin and broadcast an announcement. Where will the Dauntless be when the railguns emerge?”
“We’ll be hovering just above the ground.”
“Good.” The governor turn and left the cockpit, her entourage in tow.
“Any change in Ashley,” Derek asked. “I don’t mean to rush her recovery…”
John sighed. “No. She has a little more color in her cheeks, so that’s a good sign. I still don’t know how long, though.”
“All right. I’m going to…” Derek stopped as a roar unlike any he had heard before reverberated through the Dauntless, shaking the ship. “What the hell?”
John spun his chair around and looked at the sensor display. “Oh shit, that’s not good.” He pointed to the display as Derek came up behind him. “That is one big creature.” He triggered the comm to the fleet. “Uh, fleet command, this is the Dauntless, are you seeing what we’re seeing heading toward Herzig Square?”
“Dauntless, we are pre-occupied at the moment,” the voice of the tactical commander Zigana said over the channel. “But yes, our air group knows of the threat and attempting to neutralize it.”
“Well, it looks like they could use some help,” John muttered after he cut the link.
Derek exited the ship and looked to the east. He could see the creature, a monstrosity on four legs with giant claws and pincers, a massive version of the smaller skitterers. He activated his comm. “We have nothing that can touch that thing, John. Could you do some light magic or something?”
“Do you want both me and Ashley out of commission?” John asked. “Because that’s what will happen if I go out there and use my magic too much.”
“If you don’t, that thing will crush hundreds or thousands of civilians and us.”
“Just have a little faith in your girlfriend, will ya?”
“Selene is not my girlfriend,” Derek protested.
“Thou doth protest too much,” John jested. “How’d you know I was talking about Selene?”
Derek’s cheeks grew warm.
Chapter 16 - Light of Dawn
“We’re detecting gravitic anomalies in the asteroid field, sir,” Zigana reported.
“Fire now,” Captain Martin Rigsby ordered.
“All batteries firing.”
Icons representing railgun shells inched across the sensor display in front of Martin toward the gap created by whatever manipulation the enemy was using.
“Enemy is firing,” Zigana reported.
The railgun projectiles entered the tunnel and continued their path. A couple blips disappeared, likely having hit stray asteroids that wandered into the path. The enemy projectiles inched toward the opening to the tunnel on the other side. It was a race to see if their railgun shells would come out before impacting with the Krai’kesh projectiles.
The first railgun projectile made it through to the other side and, with the angle of attack, flashed past one of the enemy projectiles and slammed into an enemy ship. Seismic waves showed a hit. Two more railgun shells hit home, but the fourth shell through the tunnel hit a Krai’kesh projectile, causing it to break apart and create a miniature asteroid field. The other railgun shells slammed into the pieces of the projectile and caused seismic waves that caused the Krai’kesh projectiles to go off course.
“Well, three hits are better than none,” Martin said. “Damage report on the enemy ship.”
“Based upon the point of impact and strength of the waves, sir, we are estimating seventy-five percent damage to their hull.”
“All right. Get ready for a second round. We’ll rinse and repeat all day if we have to, and hitting their projectiles could be a good defensive tactic.”
“I concur, sir.”
“Any word from my wi … I mean the governor?”
Zigana shook his head. “Nothing yet, sir. It is not indicative of anything, though, as much of the communication infrastructure on the planet is disabled.”
Martin looked at the planet below, beyond the asteroid field and blockading Krai’kesh fleet. “Be safe, my love,” he whispered.
***
“Raptor seven is hit, it’s got me in its…” the feed from Raptor Seven cut off as the monstrosity crushed the fighter between its pincers.
We’re losing too many fighters, she thought. The leg strikes had slowed it, but not enough to buy much time. She estimated ten minutes before it reached Herzig Square. They didn’t have the firepower. A thought came to her. They didn’t but what if…
“CAG, this is Raptor One. How many transports do we have aboard the Independence?”
“Three, and four more just arrived. Why?”
“I have a plan. Fill seven transports with explosives, whatever we have available, slave them together and set them on auto-pilot. Have them target the Krai’kesh monster.”
The line was silent as the CAG likely thought. “That may just work, Artois. I’ll give you six transports with explosives.”
“Deal.”
***
The refugees who had been protesting around the Dauntle
ss departed, heading now for the capitol building, where announcements from Colonel Sherrin were directing them to head for shelter. The governor herself was walking among the people, pointing toward the capitol and shouting with a megaphone she found somewhere to evacuate to the capitol building for safety.
The outer perimeter around the Square was continuing to crumble, despite another platoon of Marines arriving from the fleet minutes earlier.
Derek spotted one cause of the crumbling - a Krai’kesh commander was slashing its way through a group of soldiers. He withdrew his black blade, said “I’ll be right back,” and raced toward the fray.
Derek launched into a strike against the commander. He caught the enemy off guard with his ferocity.
Derek expected the strikes of the commanders and soon dispatched the creature with a strike to its heart. He kicked the enemy’s staff away and turned to the Marines. “One of you take that staff and use it if you see another of those monsters.”
“Yes, sir.”
Derek returned to the Marines guarding the Dauntless. He cast a worried glance toward the monstrous Krai’kesh still moving toward the Square. He activated his comm, attempting to distract himself. “John, any change in Ashley?”
“She just woke up,” John said, sounding excited. She’s changing into different attire, she says she’s sweaty, though I think she’s fine, and then she’ll be out.”
Derek sighed. Changing wardrobe in the middle of a crisis. “Understood,” he said.
A few minutes later Ashley emerged in a fresh jumpsuit which looked like the jumpsuit she slept in while recovering. Derek refrained from making a comment. “Ma’am, it’s good to see you awake. Are you feeling up to this?”
Ashley smirked. “Compared to what I did in space, this will be child’s play. Ask me another time about when I summoned a mountain from the ocean for Jason.”
“I will, ma’am.” He gestured toward the square. “Where do you need to work?”
Ashley surveyed the Herzig Square. It had emptied and now was devoid of civilians. “From the statue,” she said, pointing toward the statue of Sheldon Braham in the center of the Square. “John will get airborne above me.”
“We’ll follow you to protect you,” Derek said, ordering his Marines to fall in. “John, Ashley wants you to fly above the statue for air support.”
“I got it, bud. She and I share a link.”
“Oh, right, I forgot about that.”
“Leave one of your boys behind, will you? I need a co-pilot to watch the Dauntless when I go to fire the railguns.”
“Of course." He ordered Private Goyle to remain.
Ashley climbed up on the base of the statue. Derek and his Marines surrounded the base of it. The perimeter of the Square was falling apart.
All Federation forces in Herzig Square, retreat to the capitol entrance. I repeat, fall back.
“Get ready, men, we will catch the brunt of the Krai’kesh once the rest of our forces fall back.”
“Not for long, you won’t,” Ashley said.
Federation forces from the east, south and west retreated, with the group from the south racing past Derek and his squad.
The Krai’kesh did not follow, instead they mulled around, as if waiting for something. The monster, Derek thought. They were waiting for their backup.
The Dauntless rose from its position and came to hover above the statue. The coilguns atop it fired a few bursts toward the monstrous Krai’kesh, but they seemed to have little effect.
“Any time now, ma’am,” Derek prompted.
“Give me a minute. I have to find the damn things first,” she said, closing her eyes. “Now, please be quiet.”
Derek bit back a retort. The enemy monster approached.
The creature stopped at the edge of the Square and roared again. The air shook and Derek raised his hands to cover his ears before remembering he wore a helmet.
Before the creature could take another step, however, six transports flew from the south and slammed into it, one-by-one at different points. The resulting explosions threatened to overwhelm the energy dampeners in his suit.
The cascade of explosions had the desired effect, for the creature’s legs buckled and instead of a roar, it let out an agonizing scream before toppling over and making the ground shake throughout the Square.
The Krai’kesh which had been holding their position at the edge of the Square let out roars of their own and charged across the Square. Derek braced himself for a wave of enemies.
“There we go,” Ashley said, her eyes still closed. She raised her arms. The tiles covering the Herzig Square shook, throwing up little clouds of dust everywhere. Then they rose into the air, tripping up the Krai’kesh trying to cross the ground. Then the dirt rose like waves in the ocean and swept outward toward the edges of the Square, sweeping the Krai’kesh back the way they came.
Derek stood stunned in the center of what once was the Herzig Square. Around him lay a pit several hundred feet deep, interspersed with four metal doors behind which lay the railguns.
“There’s a building at the base of the ground on which this statue stands,” Ashley said. “John is going down to activate them.”
“Understood, ma’am,” Derek said as the Dauntless flew into the pit and land several hundred feet below them.
A flash erupted from the pit. John wielding a blade of light against what he presumed was the door to the railgun control center.
“I’m in,” came John’s voice over the comm channel. “All right, so these are some old controls. Do we even have power,” he muttered to himself. “Ok, big red button, where are you? Oh, there it is.”
The railgun silo doors were still shut. “John, I suggest you open the doors before you fire the railguns.”
“Oh, duh, almost forgot about that. Let’s see here … this is running an ancient operating system. Hell, my implant suite almost can’t interface with it. There we go, found it!” The doors to the railgun silos all slid open. Once open, the railguns rose until their platforms were even with the openings of the silos.
Krai’kesh skitterers were nowhere in sight, with mountains of dirt creating artificial walls around the Square. The Krai’kesh were buried in the dirt walls or on the other side trying to find a way across.
“Choosing targeting solutions,” John narrated. “Four shots, baby, let’s make this first strike count.”
“Can you slave the controls to the Dauntless,” Derek asked.
“Pfft, it’s not compatible, son. Nope, I have to trigger the firing mechanism by hand.”
“I am worried that the Krai’kesh will try to retaliate after your first barrage.”
“Don’t you worry about me, kid, I got this. All right, targets are locked. Here goes nothing!”
Four flashes of light precipitated boom, boom, boom, boom as the railguns fired. They reverberated louder than the roar of the Krai’kesh behemoth.
“Reloading,” John reported. “Two minutes until next round.”
***
Selene let out a cheer as four massive railguns launched a barrage of four gigantic shells into orbit and toward the Krai’kesh fleet.
“Attention Federation air group,” the CAG began, “head on home. You’ve earned a rest.”
“With pleasure,” Selene responded over the channel.
***
“Ground-based railguns are firing, sir,” Zigana reported.
Captain Martin Rigsby let out a huge sigh of relief. “How much damage did they do?”
“Significant. They fired four total shells, two per enemy vessel. The first enemy vessel struck has been torn in two, sir, and the other has had its entire front end destroyed.”
Praise God, he thought.
“Sir, the enemy are firing on the ground in return.”
***
“We’ve got incoming!” Private Goyle reported from the cockpit of the Dauntless. “Four projectiles inbound!”
“Shit,” Derek said. He looked to Ashley. “Is t
here anything…”
Ashley shook her head. “No.”
“John, we need you to fire now!”
“Hold your horses, kid. Firing in five … four … three … two … now!”
Again, the light and booms announced four railgun shells being propelled space-ward. The shells passed the Krai’kesh projectiles and soared upward, while the Krai’kesh projectiles slammed into the ground. Two projectiles struck the northeast railgun while the third hit the capitol building and the fourth hit the southwest railgun.
“One railgun is down, another took heavy damage. I can get two more reliable shots off.”
“Let’s pray that is enough.” Derek said.
***
“The capitol building is hit, sir, along with two railguns. Damage to the Krai’kesh vessels was significant. We have destroyed three more of them.”
“That leaves one,” Martin said. “Let’s hope they can get a shot off before that ship fires.”
“The enemy has launched a projectile.”
***
“One more projectile inbound,” Private Goyle reported over the comm channel.
“Thirty seconds till reload is complete,” John reported.
“Not enough time,” Derek said.
The enemy projectile slammed into the southeast railgun.
“Southeast railgun is down. I’m ready to fire, though. Here it goes!”
The final railgun fired its shell space-ward. “Goyle?” John asked.
“Enemy ship destroyed, sir!”
“Woohoo!” John whooped over the channel. Derek and his Marines clasped hands and hugged one another. Derek gave Ashley a hug in celebration. “We did it, ma’am. All thanks to you.”
Ashley looked at the capitol building with its dome destroyed by the Krai’kesh projectile and frowned. “No, thanks to everyone who lost their lives this day and all the days before today.”
Derek switched the frequency on his comm to local area and triggered it. “This is Lieutenant Derek Jamison calling Shadow Watch Guard captain Grimshaw and Governor Rigsby. Do you copy?”
The line was empty for a few moments before a voice answered. “This is Captain Grimshaw. The building has taken heavy damage but we are alive.”
Emergence: Book One of the Dark Tide Trilogy Page 13
