by John Walker
“Wing Commander Hale, this is Giant Control.” Revente’s voice made his stomach tingle. Chances were good the man didn’t have good news. “I’m reassigning you, effective immediately.”
“What’s that mean?” Rudy asked. “What’re we doing?”
“The hangar does not have the flagship, I repeat, the flagship is not present at your current location.”
“Lord…where is it?” Rudy looked around. “Has it left?”
“Not yet, but that’s where you come in. Panther One has confirmed the coordinates for the flagship and I’m deploying you, your escorts and some additional pilots to get you over there. Your mission is to hurry and take them out. Are we clear?”
“Yes, sir…but…if we’re to do this fast, we have to go through the battle.”
“Hence the extra escorts. Take care, Rudy. Make this count. You could practically win the entire fight for us if you pull your mission off.”
“Thank you, sir. We’re on it.” Rudy switched over to his wing and quickly briefed them on what happened and where they were going. “You guys ready to pull off some serious maneuvers? Because I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to fly like demons to avoid that mess.”
“Why not?” Flight Lieutenant Luke Broussard asked. “I’ll even take the lead. Fall out, everyone. This is going to be fun.”
“We’ll meet our additional escorts en route,” Rudy said. “Let the fighters lead the way, Luke. They’re equipped for the kind of action we’re about to see.” He kicked up his throttle and directed himself toward the new coordinates, drawing a deep breath before pushing the ship to full speed.
Bombers weren’t fighters. The escorts flew by Rudy like he was standing still but even so, his inertial dampeners had to kick in from the force. Something in the ship rattled, a piece of gear that hadn’t been properly stowed in the back. He ran a quick diagnostic to ensure it wasn’t an internal component, thankful when the report came back clear.
The last thing I need right now is to break down in the middle of a mad dash through this mess.
Each bomber spread out, giving them a safe distance in the tragic event one of them took a lucky shot and went down. Rudy received a message from the lead escort, Tiger One’s Wing Commander Curry Wendham. “I’ve plotted a course on the outskirts of the action. I’m sending it to all your pilots. If we stick close to it, we should avoid any trouble.”
“Affirmative,” Rudy replied, checking what he’d been sent. Curry directed them away from the action, closer to the base. “What about stationary defenses?”
“Intelligence suggests they are currently down,” Curry replied. “And the alternative would take too long according to mission parameters. We’d have to go the long way around.”
Rudy clenched his controls tighter for a moment. Turrets or missile emplacements could easily be their undoing. Even with the armor and shields they boasted, heavy ordinance could give them real trouble. However, there was something to be said for the chaos the various marines were putting the ground forces through.
I guess they’re all too busy fighting to take shots at us.
Three more fighters from Tiger wing formed up on them just as they neared the theater of battle. They called out that they were ready, falling in behind the group. Energy blasts crossed their paths, stray shots from the battle raging to their right. Rudy strengthened his starboard shields and sent the message to the others to do the same.
He turned out to be lucky as a pulse blast slammed into his side, making his shields flare brightly. Christ! Rudy resisted the instinct to change his course or try to dodge. It’s over and it wasn’t meant for me. Total lucky shot. Breaking formation might have to happen but they hadn’t even gotten into the thick of it yet.
“Here comes some company,” Curry called out. “Get yourselves ready.”
Rudy saw the fighters showing up on scans. There were quite a few of them but the escorts and bombers still outnumbered them. Two of the Tiger Wing ships broke formation and engaged, throwing a couple missiles into the mix. As the projectiles hurtled toward the incoming attackers, they broke formation as well, trying to avoid the explosives.
A proximity alert went off from Rudy’s computer and he noted that a fighter was coming straight for him. He’s going to ram me! He engaged his turret and dove, allowing it to send a cascade of pulse ordinance into the flyer’s path. The enemy took a direct hit to the nose and tried to pull up but it didn’t help.
Rudy’s attack riddled his opponent’s underside, ripping open the hull straight through the shields. The ship exploded half a moment later and the shockwave made the bomber shake violently. Rudy fought the controls for a moment but stabilized and rejoined the others. That’s when they entered the real fray of battle.
Enemy fighters buzzed around them like insects, blasting away at kielan and earth ships alike. The conflict raged so wildly that it was impossible to keep track of. Rudy’s heart hammered in his chest as explosions erupted in every direction. He didn’t know who was winning or losing, who got taken out or who made it.
The bomber wing seemed to be doing okay. Only one of them had taken any real damage so far. Rudy figured that the only reason they hadn’t been targeted yet was because no one realized what they were up to. Their single minded path probably didn’t crop up on any scanners as strange and even if it did, the enemy was certainly preoccupied.
Someone nearly collided with Rudy, skimming his shields on the top before spiraling into the asteroid and detonating. He blinked several times, trying to decide if he needed to be more evasive or just press through. Another group of fighters tried to engage them but Tiger met them head on, blasting away with reckless abandon.
The sheer risk of their actions made Rudy’s mouth go dry. He didn’t want to be responsible for any losses. Those men and women were putting everything on the line to get them to their destination and as they tore through the opposition, they bought them another hundred kilometers.
“Half way through,” Curry’s calm voice came over the com and Rudy admired him. He didn’t feel like he lacked nerve. He’d been flying for a long time but he doubted he’d sound so casual. Especially considering the odds and what was at stake. Each of their ships cost a fortune. Losing one hurt.
But we can’t think like that. We have to fly like there’s no budget and push ourselves to the absolute limit or we’ll fail.
An enemy freighter started for them, a larger blip on the scanner. Rudy scowled, recognizing the escorts wouldn’t have a lot of luck against such a thing without a prolonged engagement. He made a quick decision. “Luke, would you mind introducing that guy to a bomb? Tiger One, we’re going to help out a little bit here.”
“No problem,” Curry said.
“I’m on it, sir.” Luke broke formation and hurried to meet the freighter. Rudy watched out of the corner of his eye. He worried about the action but kept it to himself. They had to deal with the threat and there was no better way for a larger ship like that to go down than with a pulse bomb.
Luke deployed his shot just as the freighter opened up. The bomber was not nimble enough to avoid the attack completely but he did manage to spin and head back toward the others. His shields lit up and smoke poured from the left side of his ship, followed by some bright sparks.
“You okay?” Rudy asked. Just as he finished the question, the bomb hit the freighter, detonating in a spectacular fashion. The shields didn’t have the power to defend the vessel. They turned white for a brief moment and the whole thing went up a second later, annihilated. That was overkill but better than playing around.
“My number two engine took some damage,” Luke said, “but I’ve got control. Shutting it down. I’ll just be a little slow.”
Rudy considered the situation. There was a good chance they might have to get out of there quickly and if so, then Luke might be at a serious disadvantage. The decision came down to making him sit the fight out or going back to true safety on one of the capital ships. Unfortunately, they
were both engaged in some serious fighting.
He’d be condemning him to running cold alone somewhere.
“Do you have maneuverability?” Rudy asked. “Speed?”
“I’ll be okay, sir. I’ve got this.”
Another explosion caught him by surprise, a collision with one of the bombers nearby. Rudy checked and his heart sank when he realized it was one of his bombers. Lieutenant Harlon Mitchel. A quick check indicated the man was unable to eject before the detonation. Luckily for the rest of them, the bombs didn’t detonate.
God damn it! Rudy drew a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. “I saw it,” he replied to all the messages from his people. “We have to focus for now. Let’s keep to the mission, folks. We can talk about that later.”
“We’re nearly through,” Curry said. “Less than five thousand kilometers to the asteroid then another ten to the target. We’ll have smooth sailing when we’re away from all this action. Just hold on for another few moments, guys.”
Trying, Curry, Rudy thought. We’re trying.
***
Trellan and Krilan arrived at the airlock and were met by a small contingency of guards. Damn it! Trellan cursed inwardly. He’d hoped they wouldn’t have more people there. Now he had to board the ship to take care of the man and it would be a lot harder to get out of there without any friendlies on board. There’s always a complication.
“Report,” Krilan said as he approached. “Are we prepared to go?”
“Yes, My Lord,” the man on the right spoke first. “Everything’s waiting. Engines are up and we’re prepared to enter the fray.”
“Good. Trellan?” Krilan turned to him. “You’re with me. I believe I’m going to need you on the bridge. You’re a capable pilot, are you not?”
Trellan nodded. “Indeed.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
The guards opened the airlock and they all filed across the bridge to the ship proper. Another two men waited there and opened up for them, granting them access. Trellan cursed under his breath at the number of troops Krilan kept on board. Still, the bridge couldn’t possibly have too many people to contend with.
As they started down a hallway toward the bridge, a younger officer joined them, walking quickly. “My Lord, we have a problem.”
Krilan sighed heavily and snapped, “speak.” He didn’t bother to look at the messenger.
“Three fighters sighted us running cold down here. We destroyed one but the others escaped.”
Krilan paused and glared at him. “How did they just happen to come over here?”
“Sindal led them here. He’s already gone back into the fight.”
“That arrogant, no good moron!” Krilan slapped the wall and continued moving. “He’s completely ruined our chance for surprise. I guarantee those two fighters have reported back their findings to the capital ships. They’ll be expecting us now. Sindal will pay dearly for this when we finish this battle.”
If you finish it, Trellan thought. You’re anticipating victory when you’re losing bad.
They burst onto the bridge and Krilan took his seat, gesturing to the empty pilot’s seat. “Trellan, if you would please, familiarize yourself with the controls. I believe you’ll find they’re fairly standard.”
Trellan sat down and looked over the panel, thankful that it was taken from a kielan cruiser. He’d learned to fly them when he was in the military so taking control only required a moment. Once this thing gets moving, I should be able to take action. He glanced at the navigator, a young man with a twitching, nervous expression.
“You ready?” Trellan asked.
The navigator nodded, swallowing hard.
“What’s your name?”
“Rivora.”
“Good to meet you. We’ve got this. Just relax. I’ll need you to keep your wits about you if we’re going to make it out of here alive.” Trellan felt bad because the chances of this kid surviving the next half hour were slim. “We’re ready.”
“Fire up the engines and get us underway,” Krilan called out. “Weapons hot.”
Trellan engaged the engines and ensured the weapons were ready. The one part of the console he was not familiar with came from the guns. He hadn’t seen half the stuff they installed on this beast. Most of them were tied directly into the reactor with no generators or relays between them. Any overload could immobilize the ship.
I guess you guys prefer to live on the ragged edge, huh?
“My Lord,” another voice came from the opposite side of the bridge, another younger officer. “I’m picking up a large group of ships heading our way.”
“What kind?” Krilan demanded.
“I think they’re bombers…Yes, I’m picking them up on scans now. They’ve got a large escort with them.”
“Launch our fighters!” Krilan shouted.
“We already have, sir,” came the reply. “They are engaged with the enemy near the main battle.”
Krilan slapped the arm of his chair. “Get our automated defenses online! Now! We need to repel these fiends or they’ll be our undoing. Can they break through our shields?”
Trellan took a look at the scan and began to feel nervous himself. “There are plenty of them to annihilate us if they have pulse bombs. Especially if they commit a payload per ship.”
“We should withdraw!” Rivora cried. “I can get us jump coordinates to a safe sector!”
“We are not fleeing!” Krilan shouted. “And the next officer to make such a suggestion will be shot by me right now! Move us into position so we can crush these bombers as they get close. We’ll make sure they understand attacking us was a poor decision. One they will not live to regret.”
Trellan sighed and maneuvered the ship accordingly. His mind started racing for a method to save himself but to put the ship in jeopardy, something that would allow him to finish his mission and survive. He tapped his earpiece and attempted to connect with the woman who called him earlier. If he got her on the com, he might be able to make some arrangements.
But he had to hurry. When those bombers arrived, The Final Star would be destroyed and there would be no getting to an escape pod this time.
Chapter 9
It was a good plan when I came up with it. Jenks fired his rifle, catching an enemy in the face. The body flopped hard on the ground, blood joining a massing pool. He and his team had killed dozens of Orion’s Light soldiers but they seemed to have a never ending supply. And this is after we left behind a pretty massive party.
Grenades chewed up the unarmored fighters but nothing seemed to assuage their zeal to prevent the marines’ forward motion. Jenks and his team were stopped, locked down in the maintenance room that led to a larger elevator needed to access the power center. Their opposition came from various floors, joining the fight as fast as the lift could deposit them.
Walsh waved his hand at him, catching his attention. “What?” Jenks called back. “I’m a little busy!”
“I’ve got an idea.” Walsh gestured to one of the terminals behind him. It seemed to be off. “Maybe we can lock down that elevator and limit their reinforcements!”
“Can’t hurt.” Jenks slapped their tech private, Rodriguez, on the shoulder. “Get that terminal online ASAP!”
“Yes, sir.” Rodriguez took a couple extra shots then dashed across the room. A few rounds nearly caught him but he didn’t seem to notice or he didn’t care. One way or another, the young man had nerves of steel. He started tapping at the screen then looked behind it, messing with some wires.
Jenks nearly took a shot to his shoulder and ducked, taking a moment to fire back. He lost track of the Private’s actions until he heard a bunch of cursing. Glancing, he saw the screen flicker but it didn’t look promising. He used his com to ask what the hell happened and if there was anything he could do to help.
“The relay’s messed up,” Rodriguez replied. “I need to hop down the hall the way we came to take care of it.”
“Walsh, can you back him
up? I’ll hold the fort here with the others.”
“Let’s go,” Walsh said. “Shouldn’t be any opposition anyway.”
They rushed out and Jenks covered them when they arrived at the door, one of the easier to see spots from the enemy’s position outside. He caught another person in the chest and this time, one of them grazed his shoulder armor. The impact caused him to wince, jarring his entire arm.
Lucky asshole.
Another grenade went off and he risked a look, noting a pile of dismembered body parts littering the hallway. And that won’t do a damn thing to slow these maniacs down! “You can all surrender!” Jenks shouted. “We won’t hold it against you and you have my word you’ll be treated fairly!”
“Die, you Alliance dogs!” Someone cried back. “We never surrender and will not fail! Our Lord protects us!”
Does he mean a deity or his psychotic leader? Probably one in the same to that poor schlub. “Walsh,” Jenks spoke quieter so he didn’t blow out his partner’s ear. “How’re you guys doing? Are you in position? Has he started to work yet?”
“Yeah, he’s on it,” Walsh said. “I’m guarding the door but I’ve got some bad news. My scans show we’ve got some incoming.”
“Christ, where are the others?”
“I’m reaching out to them now but until we have some backup, I’ve jammed the door. That’ll buy us a few minutes at least.”
“Let me know if you need someone to come down there but we’re all a little tied up.”
Sounds of gunfire filled the hallway behind them as the enemy unloaded on the door Walsh locked down. Jenks leaned against the wall and checked to see if anyone was close enough to help them, finally reaching out to Captain Hoffner. The connection took a moment to settle in through interference but once it was established, the quality was decent.
“Captain, this is Jenks. We’re pinned down from both sides but we’ve got a plan. How close are you to our area?”
“We’re approaching from what’s probably your rear,” Hoffner replied. “Can you hold out for another two minutes?”
