Offensive: Rise Of Mankind Book 9

by John Walker

  “I know that all but local communications are being jammed so if they want to get any help at all, they have to get to the edge and hope they’re far enough away.”

  “Don’t we want them to bring friends back?” Flight Lieutenant David Benning asked. “Seems like we’re trying to take them all out at once, let them come, right?”

  “Fair point.” Meagan conceded. She tapped into Giant Control. “Where do you need us? We’ve mopped up the last of the fighters in our sector and are available for redeploy.” They’d been left behind when The Behemoth performed a microjump. They operated around the station, fending off attackers from bothering the shuttles and bombers.

  “Get over to The Crystal Font and help guard their bombers,” Revente’s voice boomed through the cockpit. “Better hurry. Orion’s Light is throwing every fighter they’ve got at them.”

  “On our way.” Meagan adjusted course but had to suddenly pull up, narrowly avoiding a series of blasts that nearly sheered off her nose. “Whoa! Mick, did you see that?”

  “Two enemy fighters,” Mick reported. “Hot. I’m on the first one.”

  “I’ve got the second,” David added.

  Meagan flipped around to help with the engagement as the rest of Panther wing gave them some space. The two attackers appeared to be quite skilled, far better than their colleagues had proved to be so far. They flipped about as if they held the same advantage with improved inertial dampeners.

  Maybe they just don’t care about how it impacts them. Lord, those people can fly!

  Mick tried to get an advantage but his target evaded him, dropping low and rocketing backwards to get a good angle on Mick’s tail. Meagan jammed her throttle forward to assist, initiating her targeting computer before she got anywhere near the man. As she rocketed forward, the enemy fired.

  Mick pulled to the left but couldn’t escape the blast. A full barrage connected with his shields, tearing through them and blasting one of his engines. Red flame belched from the damage for a brief moment. “Mick! No!” He must’ve shut it off. “Eject! Get out of that thing!” Her scanners proved the order was not emotional—his ship was going to blow.

  “Initiating ejection,” Mick called out. “Sorry, Meagan. The rest is on you guys.”

  The front of his ship popped off as he rocketed away from the reactor and engines. They went up a moment later, the shockwave sending his escape pod some distance away. Meagan made her computer paint him to ensure they could locate Mick when they had a moment to breathe and she turned her attention to the fight at hand.

  The pilot who shot him down spun off and seemed to be leaving the area. What, you think you can take someone out and bounce? No, not today. “David, do you have your target?”

  “Panther six and eight are with me on this guy and we’ve got him,” David replied. “We’re good. Is Mick going to be okay?”

  “He’ll be fine,” Meagan said. She directed her course after the fleeing pilot. “Panthers Four and five, get my tail. The rest of you help David then get over to The Crystal Font to help defend those bombers. Report when you’re in position. I’ll meet you there soon.”

  “Ma’am, is that wise?” David asked. “Giant Control sent us to the escort.”

  “And I’ll be there but I’m not letting this guy fly around harassing our pilots. He’s a danger to the whole theater. You’ve got your orders. Go.”

  Meagan jammed the throttle forward and hit the after burners in an attempt to catch up to her target. Her computer indicated that full speed would give her a firing solution in less than two minutes. Lord, he really moved. Where the hell is he even going, anyway? Who’s operating near the station that he can take shots at?

  “Ma’am,” Lieutenant Paris Tullefson, Panther Five, spoke up, “we’re moving well outside the combat zone to chase him. Are you sure this is a good idea? We have no idea where he’s going and my scanners aren’t picking up any technology in that part of the sector.”

  “He has to have some purpose,” Meagan replied.

  “Maybe he just wants to get us out of the fight,” Flight Lieutenant Shelly Brown, Panther Four, answered. “Luring us away is a pretty good use of his time, especially considering who he attracted.”

  “Either way, if we ignore him and he comes back, he’ll be able to catch another squad unaware. I’m not letting him operate without response.” Meagan watched as the pilot dipped behind the asteroid. “Enough debate. Focus. If this is a trap, I want us aware and ready to get out of here if necessary.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  They climbed, trying to gain a better view of what they were getting into. The enemy fighter dropped off Meagan’s scanner, indicating he probably went cold. Bastard. I know you’re down there. You can’t hide. But the truth of the matter was he could easily evade them down there and strike when he gained the advantage.

  “Do either of you have anything on scans?”

  “Negative,” Shelly reported.

  “Nega—” Paris paused. “Wait…up your sensitivity by three. I’ve got something.”

  Meagan made the adjustment just as they cleared the asteroid. They burst over the rocks and found a capital ship waiting for them, a massive vessel that Meagan had seen before. The Final Star! That’s Krilan’s flagship! Holy shit… “Abort! Fall back immediately. Get out of range!”

  Meagan flipped her ship around and jammed the throttle again, this time to get back to the safety of the asteroid. Cannon fire from the vessel flew past them, twice the size of their ships. The intensity of the moment made Meagan’s heart race as she nudged her craft to the left and right, just enough to make targeting her difficult.

  Thank God we’re small or this would’ve been a real short trip!

  “We’re almost there!” Paris shouted. “We’re going to make it!”

  An explosion lit up space to Meagan’s left and she risked a glance, her jaw dropping. David’s ship took a direct hit on the bottom, annihilating him in an instant. No! No! No! The asteroid appeared beneath her, providing them safety from further attack. Shelly made it as well and neither of them slowed down as they returned to the theater of battle.

  He lured us toward their capital ship…is he down there, did he dock? Or was he just waiting for us to be taken out so he could get back to work? Damn it! I’m sorry, David! That was my fault! I’m…

  “What now, Ma’am?” Shelly asked.

  “Let’s get back to the others,” Meagan muttered, unable to speak much louder. “I’ll report in as we go. Come on.”

  ***

  Clea tapped away furiously at her tablet, desperately working to crack into the enemy’s com lines. They didn’t seem to have the best security she’d ever faced and as she nibbled at the edges of their firewalls, she finally located a vulnerability. Considering she’d been working on it since the first part of the engagement, she nearly cheered.

  Working her way through the administration portal of their communications allowed her access to the station as well as their ship to ship transmissions. She initiated a recorder to catch as much data as she could, pulling from all sources. Clea set out with two goals in mind: one, to give their ships an advantage in the fight and to find Trellan so they might pick him up.

  If we don’t locate him before everything goes down, then he’s got a poor chance of survival.

  Accessing the station’s cameras, Clea smirked and contacted Lieutenant Colonel Dupont. “I have something your men might find useful. I’m sending you access now.”

  “How’d you get this?”

  “I’ve been trying to crack their security since we got here,” Clea replied. “I just got in. The cameras were a bonus.”

  “Thank you,” Marshall said. “I sincerely appreciate it. This is huge. Marshall out.”

  Clea continued to smile as she started scanning the whole station with their own internal sensors. Somewhere in there, the intelligence officer was operating. If they hadn’t figured out that he was a mole yet, then he would be on the move. Perh
aps he even managed to pull of his duty and killed Krilan.

  One can only hope. It would be too convenient to think their leader died so quickly. After everything that man has done, I suspect he will be like a stubborn spot on a shirt collar. Getting rid of him will take a lot more effort.

  “Captain,” Clea said. “I’m connecting ship feeds to the various operational commanders now. We’ve got enemy coms.”

  “Great work, Clea!” Gray patted her on the arm. “Thank you. Anything of interest yet?”

  Clea paused to listen to the chatter, trying to cut through the interference of so many lines being open at once. The ships they were pursuing were in a full state of panic. The common message shared seemed to be a concern about where Krilan was and what he wanted them to do.

  “They’re looking for leadership.” Clea sent the feeds to Agatha. “Ensign White, I believe you’re more qualified than I am to clean those up. If you wouldn’t mind?”

  “I’m on it, Ma’am.”

  Clea went back to the cameras, flipping through different sections. She ran a homegrown application, facial recognition software, to locate Trellan and let it go throughout the ship. It took less than thirty seconds for a hit and she brought up what was labeled as ‘camera one-sixteen.

  There, she saw Trellan moving swiftly along a corridor with Krilan and two other men. Found you. At least you’re still alive. Now, can I talk to you without getting you killed? That’s the trick. Hm.

  Clea considered the situation for several moments before something hit her. She stepped into the captain’s office just off the bridge, sealing the door. Her plot required some privacy and a voice alteration app to be installed on her tablet. Orion’s Light didn’t have any women working for them so she needed to sound like a man.

  The installation happened quickly and she tested it, ensuring it would work flawlessly throughout a conversation. Drawing a deep breath, she initiated contact with Trellan’s party, including Krilan. Casting nerves aside, she spoke up.

  “Lord Ar’Vax. What is your current location? The fleet requires immediate assistance!”

  “We are less than three minutes out from the ship,” Krilan replied. “Who is this?”

  “Davion Va’Gerth.” Clea decided to gamble that Krilan didn’t know everyone under his command. Some leaders might’ve but this arrogant bastard likely didn’t bother. “The Crystal Font has devastated many of our ships. We need help!”

  “We’re almost there!” Krilan cursed. “Fight to the last!”

  “What about the marines on the station?” Clea asked. “Are you sure you are safe? Can we deploy more troops?”

  “Focus on your duties, soldier!” Krilan shouted. “I’ve got the rest.”

  Clea watched as Krilan picked up the pace, barking orders as he moved. The irritation on his face was not at all faked and he looked ready to chew steel. All the better. Since he became thoroughly distracted, she decided to take the next step in her plan by linking directly into Trellan’s com link.

  She disabled the voice manipulation software. “I was the one speaking with you and Krilan about the ETA to your ship. We’re here to extract you when you’ve finished your job. We’ll need to coordinate so you don’t get shot down. Use this frequency to reach out to us when you can. Good luck!”

  Switching to other cameras, Clea noted that Trellan did not acknowledge he heard her but she knew he got the message. Maybe I’ve given him some hope. Fates know how long he’s operated without it.

  She switched over to the marines and witnessed a massive firefight in one of the lower decks, Captain Hoffner’s men. They exchanged shots with a large contingency of conscripts in two hallways. Pinned down between them, the marines were grossly outnumbered. She returned to the bridge, taking her seat.

  They need some help. Clea brought up the map and found where the nearest friendlies were: a mere three rooms away! The kielan soldiers could clear the distance in no time and help out, saving a lot of lives in the process. She tapped into their coms and spoke to their leader, Lhar Xi’Reth.

  “Vinthari,” Clea said. “Can you disengage your current conflict and make your way to the designated coordinates I’ve just pinged on your map? You’ve got allies pinned down.”

  “We are not pinned,” Lhar replied. “We’re on our way.”

  Clea frowned at the camera as one man threw a grenade that lit up the room, nearly taking out the observation equipment. The soldiers poured out into the hallway and rushed toward the humans, weapons at the ready. As they approached, they came at the enemy from behind, firing into men’s backs and dropping them in an instant.

  “Captain Hoffner, this is The Behemoth, do you read?”

  “This is Hoffner, what is it?”

  “You’ve got support in the hallway to your starboard. Please refrain from firing in that direction. Friendlies in the path.”

  “Acknowledged. Thank you!”

  Clea sent the information to Marshall Dupont and went back to her observation of the station, trying to find other areas she could assist with. The group closest to the power center was pinned down near the elevator. They were so close, they must've felt like they could taste a successful mission. Unfortunately, none of the other units were close enough to quickly assist them but she sent down the information to Marshall.

  “Thank you, Miss An’Tufal,” Marshall said. “But I’ve got the feed now and have this operation under control.”

  Clea blushed. “Of course, sir. My apologies.”

  “What’re you up to over there?” Gray asked. “You’ve been face down on that tablet for a while.”

  “Um…a great deal.” Clea quickly filled him in on Krilan’s position and what she’d already accomplished.

  “Very good.” Gray hummed. “When he leaves that hangar, our bombers will be quite the surprise.”

  Clea looked up for the first time in a while. Her eyes widened as she saw the carnage going on. The Orion’s Light ships were scattering, trying to get away from The Behemoth as they were herded back toward the mainstay of their fleet. The Crystal Font was causing massive damage but they were nearly surrounded. This fight was escalating fast.

  “Sir,” Agatha called out loudly. “I’ve received a message from Panther One through Group Commander Revente. They state they’ve located The Final Star on the opposite end of the base from where we thought! It was just…sitting out there seemingly docked through a makeshift airlock. I’m sending the coordinates to Lieutenant Darnell’s post now.”

  “What?” Gray stood up and cursed. “I swore that bastard was hiding his ship in the hangar, not outside. What were those twenty ships doing over there anyway?”

  “Buying the coward a chance to escape,” Adam offered. “It makes sense.”

  “Yes, it does.” Gray scowled. “Do you know Krilan’s position in the base, Clea?”

  “Far from our marines, sir.” Clea brought up the station’s schematics and showed him where action was taking place. Krilan seemed to be traveling through the opposite side from them and moving quickly. They would not be able to break through the lines and get to him before he arrived at his destination. “But it shouldn’t matter soon.”

  “Why not?” Adam asked.

  “Because Agent Trellan is with him and I suspect he will strike when they’ve reached the airlock. It’ll be a perfect ambush point. They won’t have room to maneuver in a fight.”

  Gray nodded. “Which is why you didn’t say anything about the agent when I mentioned the bombers.”

  “Yes, sir.” Clea shrugged. “I’m just guessing he’d like to take care of him while he’s still in a place easy to maneuver around in, that’s all.”

  “I hope he gets the bastard, I really do.” Gray rubbed his chin. “We can’t break away again to get that ship right now but we can send some people to take care of him. Adam, have the bombers hurry their asses over there and start peppering that thing. Get them an additional escort. They’re going to have to go through a serious killing floor t
o get there.”

  ***

  Wing Commander Rudy Hale sat in his cockpit, waiting for his scanner to light up with the capital ship he’d been ordered to take out. His wing ran cold some distance from one of the large hangars attached to the station, near what intelligence believed was the location of the Orion’s Light flagship, which had yet to be fielded against them.

  Come on, already. What did you have to do? Take a crap? Get your ass moving.

  A massive battle raged not even eighty thousand kilometers away. Rudy glanced at the action and shook his head at all the carnage. Fighters, capital ships, freighters and bombers all mixed it up while he and his men waited for a coward to show his face. This is truly nuts. I hope this all turns out to be worth it.

  He knew his escorts were restless. They wanted to be out there taking down other fighters, padding their statistics in some cases. A few of the flyers he worked with held on to those morbid statistics, considering them vastly important. Rudy’s flight recorded kept a record of his hits and such but he didn’t bother to remember such things.

  I’m here to fight a war, not win a competition.

  “How long before they call this?” Flight Lieutenant Marcy Willand asked the question. She counted as as Rudy’s second. “Seriously, we could be a lot more useful out there taking down the bigger ships.”

  “We’re on an important assignment,” Rudy said. “Even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. Stay focused.” Unfortunately, he agreed with her. Leaving eight bombers floating in space with six fighters felt irresponsible. Then again, they were handling themselves pretty well out there against the numbers so maybe they were fine.

  I’d rather be useful than part of some contingency.

  Rudy knew that Revente put them out there because he trusted them to get the job done. They were one of the more successful units on the ship and this, if they got a shot at the flagship, would definitely be the biggest target of the entire campaign. I guess I can be flattered for drawing this duty then.