by John Walker
Their objective was not directly below the major battle but it was close enough that the shuttles had to skirt the action. They were going for a facility built into the side of a mountain, not unlike Gamma Alpha. Intelligence indicated there were automated defenses as well as drones in the airspace.
Captain Darren Gabriel commanded the mission from the Gnosis but he sent Lieutenant Colby Topper to lead on the ground. At the briefing, they decided the unit needed more firepower and an officer present in case they lost connection with Gabriel. Not to mention they might make first contact with a reasonable species.
Heat wasn’t thrilled with the prospect. The lieutenant was a good man and knew his way around a fight but he was younger, lacking command lead experience. Before he came aboard the Gnosis, he served with Captain Gabriel and rumor had it they were close friends but beyond that, they didn’t know much about Colby.
I guess we’re about to learn a whole lot about the man. I hope it turns out to all be good.
What made it particularly strange was that Sergeant Major Jose Lopez was left aboard the ship. He was the better choice for leading a bigger mission. They didn’t ask Heat for his opinion though so he kept it to himself. Jose didn’t seem to mind but then again, he was a consummate professional and wouldn’t complain openly.
The shuttle hit orbit and Heat allowed himself to smile. That meant they didn’t get attacked while in space. Their power armor would allow them to perform a HALO jump but they had to be close enough for gravity to kick in. Until they reached the planet, the chances of a death they had no control over were high.
While the ship bucked around from the turbulence the others started pumping themselves up. Their weapons were at the ready and they stood in preparation of departing the ship. The two guys in the turrets, more security personnel than marines, would remain with the shuttle in a defensive capacity.
Heat checked his equipment one last time. His HUD showed all systems in the armor were operational and the tie-in to his weapon let him know the battery was fully charged and ready for action. As he focused again on the window, he saw beams burst from the turrets as the drones began their assault.
Patching in to one of the defensive consoles, Heat watched the fight take place from their perspective. The drones were fast as hell and the targeting computer wouldn’t even try to pick them up. As the man tried to lead them they danced about in the air, moving erratically. They seemed more like insects than devices created by sentient life.
However, as maneuverable as they were, they didn’t have the advantages in atmosphere they did in space. Wind resistance limited them but they still managed to peel off three full volleys on the shuttle. The thing tried to pull up but turbulence slowed it down for just a moment.
The turret tore into the drone’s hull and ripped it apart, sending the debris scattering off into the wind.
Another drone nearly rammed the shuttle, getting so close that Heat made an executive decision to bail out. He ordered the marines to line up and disembark immediately. The doors opened and they started jumping. With two left, Heat’s eyes widened as he saw a drone come around behind them.
He lifted his weapon and called for those in front of him to get down. Firing, he caught the drone right in the nose and he didn’t stop firing until it caught fire. Billowing flames erupted on it and the shuttle pilot moved just before it crashed into them. The drone clipped their side as it went by and Heat hit the deck.
One of the others pulled him to his feet.
“Damage report!” Heat shouted.“How bad is this ship?”
“We’ll be able to make it down,” the pilot replied.“Especially if the rest of you jump and lighten us up. We’re going to need some field repairs to get out of here though.”
“You heard the man!” Heat turned to the last two men aboard beside the guys on the turrets.“Bail out. Good luck, pilot. We’ll see you when this is over.”
Heat jumped out of the ship and noticed that the other shuttles had also deployed their troops. Eleven marines in all went on the mission, a little overkill in Heat’s opinion but the importance of the mission dictated the extreme action. As they plunged toward the ground, he noticed the drones were still flying after the shuttles, taking pot shots at them.
The turrets fought back but the shuttle Lieutenant Topper had been on took the full brunt of multiple attacks. The engines caught fire and the pilots ejected along with the turret men. A moment later the ship exploded. Now we’ve lost a ride and we’ve got men to pick up. This just became more complicated.
Their escorts seemed to be busy well above them, still holding off the drones that might’ve pursued them. They’d been negated quickly as helpful but perhaps they were keeping them alive long enough to get to the surface. Granted, there were fewer drones flying around the planet itself but the shuttles could’ve used the help.
Heat patched himself in to Lieutenant Topper.“Sir, did you see the shuttle?”
“I did. We were just on that boat a minute ago.” Topper paused.“Our escorts got waylaid. We are some ten thousand feet from landfall, Gunnery Sergeant. When we land, we’ll establish a perimeter and send out a search and rescue. Shouldn’t require more than two men. I’m not reading any activity on the surface. The only action is up here.”
Heat was about to respond but had to fire his weapon again, shooting at one of the drones. It flew close enough that the wake caused him to drift dozens of yards away. He caught his target on the side but didn’t do any appreciable damage. They weren’t attacking the marines anyway. They wanted the shuttles.
They must be programmed for vessels, not something so small as people. Heat checked his altimeter. Nine-thousand feet. For once, he wished he could fall faster. The odd thought made him smirk and he directed his attention down. Their situation may not have been expected but at least they would be able to continue the mission.
Chapter 7
Nathaniel knew the Gnosis well and he understood what to expect from normal wear and tear. Simulations gave him a general idea of how systems would respond to combat damage but they didn’t do justice to the real thing. When the first shots slammed into their shields, there were electrical shorts they didn’t anticipate in places that shouldn’t have been impacted.
Lights in the recreation area all went down and they lost door control for crew quarters. Nonessential, but troubling that such things happened. He assigned one of the junior technicians to look into it while he focused on the shields. They might not be able to match the way the enemy shields worked but he could manually adjust them as needed.
The first couple hits from the enemy gave him some data to make alterations to the emission frequencies. Nathaniel could make alterations to the hardness of the field, which was intended to block mass drivers. This didn’t matter much against their current enemy who seemed to only use beam weapons.
While the hardened field definitely stopped the attacks, it drew more power from the reactors. Loosening up the frequencies from the emitters would prevent damage without taxing the defenses as hard. As he altered the system, he began to understand the liquid concept he and Cassie discussed before.
Reactive defenses meant more than simply automating alterations. It meant absorbing the attacks and responding to their strength. In order to respond quickly enough, the emitters would need to be altering their parameters on the fly. They’d need sensor equipment of their own and the AI to make the right choice.
They were nowhere near such an advancement but while doing the work himself, he began to understand how to make it happen. The next blast hit the ship and brought him sharply back to reality. Everything shook and he held tight to his console to avoid falling out of his chair. Damage report showed they caused minor hull damage from the concussive force of the attack.
Beam weapons shouldn’t have concussive damage. Not the way we understand them. The damaged section was a supply area and no one happened to be there when it was hit. Still, the automated repair systems were already ope
rational in that section but Nathaniel needed to understand what happened.
The fact they took that kind of damage defied his theory about altering the frequencies for energy weapons. Data from the attack showed that just as the beam weapon hit their shields, a secondary blast followed the path of the attack and battered the Gnosis. It seemed to only work if they were able to keep the beam in place for at least a few seconds.
Not much for the pilot to do about that but perhaps if we angled ourselves the moment they attacked, we could mitigate those.
Nathaniel sent his report up to the bridge and continued tweaking the shields. They threw him a curveball and luckily, it didn’t cost them too much. He needed to be more cautious going forward, especially with relatively unknown weapons. They might not be so lucky the next time.
***
Desmond nearly fell off his seat when a blast shook the ship. Salina reported minor hull damage and gave a rundown of how the attack worked. Nathaniel’s report supported her explanation and gave them all something new to worry about. The ships they fought near Earth did not use such weapons so there was no precedent.
“Zach, do you think you can angle the ship during attacks like that?”
Zach sighed.“I recommend everyone strap in at their stations. We’ll be pulling off some heavy maneuvers to do so.”
“Okay.” Desmond turned to Salina.“Send a ship wide communication that everyone who can should get secure. Those who can’t… let them know what to expect. Vincent, do we have a report from the marines or pilots?”
Vincent frowned.“I’m getting a report in now. One of the shuttles is lost and another took serious damage. There are drones down there. Raptor Squadron is engaged with them. They haven’t taken losses but Three and Four have reported damage. Mustang is in the thick of it with the alien flyers. They’re also contending with the drones so it’s tricky.”
“What about the marines themselves?” Desmond asked.“Did we lose anyone with the shuttle? Did the pilots make it?”
“All hands bailed out… but I haven’t heard if they all survived.” Vincent tapped at his screen.“They should all make landfall within the next minute.”
Desmond rubbed his chin.“Cassie, we need to know what’s controlling all those drones. Are these platforms solely responsible or could there be something on the surface? If we take out the rest of the platforms up here, do we free our people up from fighting the drones? Can you find out soon?”
“I’m nearly done with the satellite and probe venture,” Cassie replied.“I’ll start a scan now and compile the data.”
“Perfect.” Desmond turned back to the screen and narrowed his eyes. The other capital ships were turning their attention away from the platform and moving to engage the Gnosis. Scans indicated their opponents weren’t as maneuverable so they might be able to lead them away and keep some distance during the brawl.
We have to buy the marines time to deal with their problems on the surface but more than that, we need to make it safe for us to secure the package. That means all of these ships need to be disabled, destroyed or routed. We need to crank up the pressure and really hit these guys hard.
“Where are we at with the bombers?” Desmond asked.“Are they nearly in position?”
Vincent nodded.“They’ll begin their attack run shortly and are coordinating with Zach to ensure their attack syncs up with his. I expect them to deploy shortly.”
“We’re on it,” Zach added.“I’m on com with them now.”
Desmond leaned back in his seat.“Then take them out, Lieutenant Commander.”
***
Rhino Squadron took from some of the bravest pilots in the entire Earth military. These individuals flew heavy bombers, vehicles loaded with dangerous ordnance that lacked the maneuverability of their smaller fighter counterparts. They were deployed for the destruction of facilities in massive areas or in this case, capital ships with heavy defenses.
Squadron Leader Nolan Caplan headed up the unit with Flight Lieutenant Micah Zane as his second. Charger Squadron, another fighter unit, provided cover for them but they maintained a loose escort. The drones and enemy ships flying around made the going somewhat difficult, even as the larger vessels made their way around the perimeter of the combat zone.
Nolan had been attached to the Gnosis since the project first began. Back then, the bombers were meant to take out debris and massive asteroids. The engineers described the destructive force of their bombs, each one carrying a more immediately destructive yield than the atomic ordnance of the past.
And they left a cleaner footprint so an area wasn’t forced to endure lingering radiation for generations.
Rhino had performed bombing runs in simulations hundreds of times. They even fought massive ships but they had never actually dropped a bomb on a live target. The weapons had been tested on debris only and proven quite effective. How would they react to the alien shields? Nolan had a few thoughts.
The worst case scenario involved them having no impact whatsoever and the bombs simply being absorbed by the defenses. This was highly unlikely considering the sheer power being inflicted upon the enemy. However, during the briefing he had been told about the enemy’s ability to absorb beam weapons.
It stood to reason they might be able to take even a heavy blow.
The bombs might overload their defense systems, knocking out the shields entirely and allowing the Gnosis to finish the job. Sheer, overwhelming burst damage may be more than they could take. As they tried to absorb too much at once, the feedback potential could annihilate their generators which led to the best case.
A full volley from Rhino Squadron may well take the ship out entirely.
Nolan didn’t dare hope for such an overwhelming success. As they rocketed forward, he kept a wary eye on his scanner, ensuring that none of the enemies out in the field decided to attack them. None of their enemies understood their silhouettes yet so they had an advantage. If the aliens knew what Nolan’s people represented, they’d redirect forces to intercept.
The bombers were armed with turrets for close protection. AI controlled them but they could be manually engaged from the cockpit. Training simulators saw every pilot work through running and gunning but it wasn’t an ideal situation. Evasion maneuvers suffered and sixty percent of the time, the bomber was lost when the pilot had to multitask.
That’s why Charger gave them a decent perimeter. Their commander, Squadron Leader Anna Jager, seemed like a reliable soldier. Nolan only met her two days before their maiden voyage but she came highly recommended to the crew. Ultimately, none of them were tested together, not in true combat.
Today, he’d find out if high command’s judgement proved sound.
Zach’s voice filled the cockpit,“Scans show you’re nearly in position.”
“Affirmative,” Nolan replied. They were going to coordinate their attack, ensuring that the bombs hit just moments after an energy attack from the Gnosis. Mass drivers would follow and another bomber would hit them again. Rhino formed up in a staggered line so they could fire without having to maneuver into a good position.
“Okay, I’ll count it off. Mass drivers firing.” There was no sound in space but the shells from the Gnosis slammed into the shields, causing blue electricity to dance upon the surface. The enemy shot back, their energy beam connecting on the starboard side of the bow. Zach did what he could to angle the ship but it didn’t happen fast enough.
The alien’s shot brightened, turning white for just a moment before going dark.“You okay, Gnosis? What the hell was that?”
“We’ll survive,” Zach replied.“I’m going for my next attack. Count thousandone and deploy your first payload.”
“Got it.”
Beams blazed in the darkness of space from the Gnosis, again connecting with the alien shields. A thousand one. Nolan muttered before pulling the trigger.“First bombs away. ETA fifteen seconds.” He watched as the ordnance rocketed away, their tails flickering purple and gold from thrust.
This could be it. His bombs connected with the enemy, flaring up in an explosive light so bright he winced and had to look away. Scans went offline temporarily.“Gnosis, I’m not getting a good damage read out. What do you have?”
As Nolan spoke, the Gnosis fired again and Micah called out his own deployment of bombs. The ship must’ve weathered the attack then. I guess none of my scenarios happened. They can’t take too much of this punishment. Again, a blinding light filled the combat zone and the enemy returned fire.
More of their ships directed their attention to the Gnosis. Nolan’s scanners came back online and showed fighters incoming. The bombs must’ve seriously grabbed their attention as they risked disengaging with the drones to come after them. Charger squadron rushed to meet them, obviously hoping to keep them occupied long enough to finish the bombing run.
“Damage report coming in,” Zach said.“We’re reading hull damage and engine issues. Fire two bombs each, all of you. I’m going to hit them with everything we’ve got before they take another shot. I’m—”
Com went dead as the enemy fired again, slamming into the same spot they’d hit earlier. Nolan risked a look, noting sparks dancing around a visible hole in the Gnosis hull. Damn it! That looks pretty bad!“You heard him,” Nolan called to Rhino.“Fire immediately.”
Twelve bombs rushed away from their ships, a dozen purple-gold lights challenging the stars in brightness. The first two were taken out by automated defenses, turrets turned to shoot at them. Ten made their mark and Nolan had the peace of mind to look away before they ignited.
The flash went on for a good five seconds before a different color filled the cockpit. Orange-red light erupted from the hull of the enemy capital ship, fiery bits flying away from the damaged port side. The Gnosis opened fire with a continuous barrage of mass driver ordnance. The shells tore through what was left of the alien craft, ripping it in half.
