by Don Foxe
Nadia Cosoi had been busy since the attacks began. She worked non-stop with Star on Fell on a plan created by Daniel Cooper, but left to the two super-hackers to make real.
The Romanian computer genius turned to Elie in the command chair. “We had three possible options,” she said. “Whatever the Prophet tried, we had a response, but once we initiate, he’ll know what we are capable of doing. His people will react. This is most likely a one-trick pony.”
“Make it a good trick,” Elie replied.
Cosoi smiled and turned back to her console. “Star, you take cruiser number one and I’ll take number two. Col. Kebede, let me know when the wormhole gate begins to open.”
“You can call me Sindy, Nadia,” Kebede said, and added, “It’s opening now.”
Two-point-five-million-miles from the 109, and trillions of miles from Fell, two computer experts hacked into alien battlecruisers. Nadia set up a gateway through a computer system used to maintain temperature in a refrigeration unit, and Star came in via an entertainment kiosk in a common room. Within seconds they controlled both warships.
“We are targeting the gate,” Nadia called out. “All torpedoes and missiles are queued, armed, and sequence begins . . . now.”
Quiet ensued for five minutes before Cosoi added, “Missiles and torpedoes from both ships are entering the gate. Whoever is inside is about to get their morning coffee interrupted.”
“Confirmed,” Sindy said from Ops. “Multiple, as in dozens of explosions are occurring inside that wormhole. Analysis suggests strongly the size of the concussions indicate several objects within the channel are exploding.”
“Keep watching,” Nadia said without looking up.
Sindy reported. “The Mischene battlecruisers are firing all cannon . . . at each other. The two ships are destroy ing each other. Neither had force fields up.”
Ten-minutes later she said, “It’s over,” she said, sitting back. “Threats obliterated.”
“Nice trick, Nadia,” Elie said, smiling for the first time in hours.
“Not quite over,” the Romanian replied. “When we entered the gateways, I also initiated one other little worm. Thanks to Star, I set off every alarm, flashing light, noise generating speaker, and doodad I could get to on the two-hundred smaller ships following the destroyers.”
“Those ships have either come to a stop or flying erratic patterns,” Genna said from the science console. “I’m picking up hundreds of communications. I would say my analysis of the situation is the Zenge or Mischene on those ships are going fucking crazy.”
The analysis, coming from a freckled twenty-something avatar who looked as if she should be lounging in a sorority house, made everyone on the bridge giggle or laugh.
“But that’s it,” Cosoi said, popping a chocolate into her mouth. “The Prophet’s battlecruisers, his two and the six around AF3, as well as the four destroyers on our ass initiated blocking protocols. We won’t be pulling anything like that again.”
“Send our thanks and congratulations to Star and the people on Fell,” Elie directed her computer pro. “Then have Dr. Singh give you something to let you sleep for a couple of hours.”
“And possibly wake up dead?” Nadia replied. “Or miss something?” Said as if missing something would be a much bigger issue than dying.
“We have hours before we’re close enough to AF3 for anything else to happen,” Elie told her. “The destroyers behind us cannot catch up. We’re all going to take a break and grab rest. Coop has told me a hundred times that sleep is a weapon. We need to be sharp when we near AF3. Bridge crew is relieved, and minimal activity for the next eight hours.”
“All right,” Nadia answered, “but I know exactly how many chocolates I have and they all better still be here when I get back.”
The Prophet used the laser pistol he took from General Trewellan to shoot the computer-systems officer in the back of the head. He tossed the weapon back to the General.
“Replace him with someone capable,” he said as he exited the command bridge. “I know exactly how many ships I have out there and they all better be operational and headed for Aster Farum 3 when I get back.”
Sky ordered everyone in the command center to step down. They all needed showers, food, and rest.
“We have a few hours of peace, and all the plans are set,” she said.
She gave her sister, Star, a hug. When the command and control personnel exited the control tower they were met by over 1,000 Fellen, humans, and a mix of aliens who opted to remain on Fell after the battles or among the first to reinitiate trade. They silently opened a corridor in the mass of bodies for the people exiting the OAT to walk through. The spontaneous applause rivaled the strongest thunder storms.
Sky and Storm both looked up at the same time. They could not see anything though the overcast skies, but they both looked for him anyway.
Cassie materialized long enough to place a thermal blanket over Coop. He slept sitting in the pilot’s seat with his feet in the co-pilot’s chair. Hiro and Mags slept in the bunks.
“I’ll bring him back,” she silently promised.
CHAPTER 36
RESA VORTEX
Genna knocked and entered Elie’s cabin when the door opened. Elie sat on her bed, crosswise, her sock-clad feet hanging over the edge. Without asking permission, Genna removed the boots Coop gave her, and climbed up next to the Captain.
“We’re four hours from firing range of the cruisers sitting off AF3,” she said. “The wave charts and real-time wave mapping from the buoys allowed us to make good time. We are actually surfing gravity swells. Captain Covane and Sindy have been in deep conversations for the past hour. I spoke with Tista on the Pegasus. She and her mother think they are taking up space and nothing more. Nadia is trying to find out who ate four of her chocolates, and the Marines are sick of our little space war and would appreciate some action.”
Elie set the personal data pad she consulted down and said, “Our little space war? They actually said that?”
“Yep.” She turned to face her commander and friend. “On a more serious note, the Major is concerned about the Marines and Rangers on the Fairchild. When Space Fleet Command ordered them along and forced us to place them wherever we could find room, they didn’t consider the lifeboats. There simply aren’t enough for everyone on Pegasus or Fairchild if it comes to a point where they must abandon ship.”
“Any news I might appreciate?’ Elie asked.
“I ate Nadia’s chocolates,” the avatar replied with a straight face.
Elie actually laughed out loud.
“You spent entirely too much time with Coop,” she said between hiccups. “His sense of humor rubbed off.”
“Funny, I don’t think I spent nearly enough time with him,” Genna answered.
“I’ve had thirty years with him, on and off, mostly off, and I don’t think I’ve had enough time with him either,” Elie replied. “He can be a pain in the ass with his determination to stay in front and shield others . . . “
“Stupid need to talk out loud about every detail of a plan (Genna) . . . “
“His opinion counts more than everyone’s else’s (Elie) . . . “
“Telling you what he is going to do when it’s too late to stop him (Genna) . . .”
“Deciding it’s always up to him to save the universe (Elie) . . .”
“It’s like Mags always says,” and Elie turned to Genna and together they said, imitating Mags, “Men are stupid.”
Both laughed until Genna said, “Kennedy estimates another twenty-hours before he could arrive in the system. Do you believe he thinks Hiro, Mags, and he can take on the Prophet?”
“He has no plans of taking on the Prophet, Genna,” Elie said, serious again. “Mags will care for the ship while he and Hiro ghost in, find Soren, kill him, and ghost out again. If they can get aboard the ship Soren is on, he’s dead.”
Aloud she said, “Kennedy, update, please. Keep it simple.”
; “Three-hours-fourteen-minutes until within weapons’ range of the battlecruisers at AF3 . . . their range. The CVBG’s tachyon cannons could engage two hours before that, but would be less likely to cause catastrophic damage. The Mischene destroyers are six hours behind. That will be as close as they can get until we stop. The two-hundred-thirteen mixed armada appears to have taken back control of their systems. They are ten to twelve-hours behind us. The Prophet and his escort have not moved. No additional wormhole activity anywhere in the system. Captain Covane would appreciate speaking with you when you return to the bridge, but said it was not urgent.”
“Thank you, Kennedy. As soon as Genna and I get our boots on, we will head to the bridge. Are the other ships in the CVBG holding up?”
“Repairs continue. No one any worse than before, and should be operational for the confrontation at AF3. Except the Fairchild, who will be more functional that operational, but Captain Tal promises the ship will be there to act, and not just for show.”
“Captain on the bridge,” Sindy Kebede called, rising from the command chair.
“As you were,” Elie said, taking the chair and looking around her command. The time surfing the gravity wave allowed shifts to re-settle. She now found Casey Adams on navigation, Michael Cuthbert on communications, Cosoi, looking fresh, at systems, Lesego Ndaba at pilot, Sindy on OPS/TAC, and Genna took her seat at the science station.
“Kennedy, please see if Captain Covane is available.”
“This is Captain Covane on AF3,” came a female voice over the open coms.
“Captain Casalobos, Captain Covane. First, let me give you my personal thanks for everything you and your people have done to help. Second, we are on an open com on my bridge. Is that okay or do we need privacy?”
“If you trust your bridge crew, we have no need for privacy,” The Mischene communications officer said. “It is a pleasure to speak with you, Captain Casalobos. When I was told the officer in charge of your group was female, I was surprised and pleased. Females do not reach that level of command in the Aster system.”
“Perhaps that will be one of many things that change when we complete this mission, Captain,” Elie replied. “Command doesn’t care about a person’s sex, religion, or race. Command only requires you are capable of getting the job done. Was there something specific you needed?”
“To tell you we have been broadcasting messages to the people on the battlecruisers you are about to face. Four of the six were commandeered by the Prophet and his people. The vast majority of Mischene aboard were forced into service. We hope that when the time comes, they will mutiny and re-take the ships. It would be a major request on our behalf, but we would appreciate it if you did not fire on the two outer ships on both sides of the line until they fire on you.”
“You want us to give them time to take control,” Elie said. “That could leave us open to a lot of damage if we give them the time to react, Captain.”
“And still I make the request,” came the response.
“I’ll talk it over with my officers and the other ships’ captains,” Elie replied. “I cannot make you that promise, but I will try to give a little leeway. You need to impress on potential mutineers the need to act quickly. Anything else?”
“Admiral Nan agrees with Captain Cooper’s plan of engagement. However, once the Prophet’s officers leading the Zenge on the surface realize what is happening, we will be in grave danger. Our forces are weakened.”
“As soon as possible, we will do what we can to assist,” Elie promised. “First we have to get through. Then we have to prepare for the destroyers on our tails. Otherwise there will not be anyone available to assist you.”
“Understood,” Covane responded. “When we receive the signal, we will do our part. That I do promise, Captain Casalobos. I am capable of getting the job done.”
“Good show, Captain. And good luck, the John F. Kennedy, out.”
Once Elie was sure the coms closed, she said to Kennedy, “Please inform the other ships, and ask they respect the request to not target those four ships until we know for sure they remain hostile.”
“I thought you were going to open it to discussion,” Cosoi said.
“I’m flag for this group, Dr. Cosoi. That’s all the discussion I need.”
Two hours and 200,000-miles from AF3, Spirit Team members 2, 3, 4, and 5 left the deck of the Fairchild to fly in formation with the PT-109. Tal remained attached to the deck and remained in command of the carrier from that position.
Paré brought the Pegasus alongside the injured Roosevelt. They would target the enemy cruiser center and starboard their position. The 109 and Spirit squad assigned the enemy ship at center to port. If one of the remaining outside cruisers made an offensive move, Tal and the Fairchild would react.
At 150,000 miles, sixteen tachyon small-beam cannon on the fighters, and four ship-mounted tachyon cannon fired. At the exact moment, five surface-based pulse cannon located at Mischene military bases on Aster Farum 3 also fired on the two Prophet-controlled vessels in the middle of the formation. The result: the atomization of the two ships. The outermost cruiser to the CVBG’s starboard released torpedoes and fired its plasma cannon at the on-coming ships.
The Fairchild’s operational tachyon cannon responded, as did the gun emplacements on AF3. The ship decimated by the tachyon weapon. Torpedoes from the PT-109 and the PT-99 met and destroyed the enemy torpedoes.
Covane announced the other three ships had been retaken by Mischene still loyal to the traditional military. To prove their intent, all offensive and defensive systems shut down. The three ships drifted in orbit, totally open to incoming fire.
Covane informed Elie Zenge forces on the planet mounted major offensive actions at the bases which fired on the Prophet’s space ships.
“Noa, it’s Elie. The path is clear. Can you and your engineers put the Fairchild on the ground?” she asked on the personal channel, not wanting the others to know the plan until Tal gave final approval.
“The ship wasn’t designed for atmospheric flight,” Tal said, knowing Elie knew. “We could use the force field as a heat shield, and enter the upper atmosphere at just the right angle. We’ll need a big landing field, and a lot of luck. What the hell. We’re not going home in this can. Might as well put it down where we can do some good.”
“Genna is sending your Master Chief the location and angle of descent,” Elie told her. “Captain Covane is sending the coordinates of a major agricultural farm located five-hundred-miles west of the capital and the military command center. You’ll need to disengage your fighter before you hit the atmosphere. You can follow the Fairchild down. I’ll meet you on the surface as soon as I’m sure we’re solid up here. Elie, out.”
“Major Duval, this is Captain Casalobos. Please inform your officers aboard the Fairchild when the carrier comes to rest on the surface be prepped for deployment. They need to protect the ship and crew while you hit the Zenge outside of the command center. Once we have that secure, we’ll start making plans for the rest of the planet.”
Duval responded, “They’ll be good to go. I’ll take my best shooters and the two shuttles on Pegasus and head directly for the capital. Once we take out the Mischene officers leading the Zenge it will make it easier to deal with them. Can you ask Spirit wing to strafe the forces outside command until we can get in and set up?”
“Will do,” she replied. “We have the game plan we used on Fell. We can use similar tactics on AF3. Biggest difference is the Mischene military is ready for payback and will be able to assist quicker than the Fell resistance. Use Captain Covane on the surface and Colonel Kebede in the air for communications and coordination. Elie, out.”
Over the next ninety-minutes everyone in space and those on the surface prepared for the arrival of the Fairchild. The battle carrier was designed to operate in space and use space platforms for refits and relief, not operate within a planet’s atmosphere. Once it made it through the upper atmosphere, it would be a se
mi-controlled fall to the ground. The computer systems were not designed for such an action. The Master Chief and a team of engineers would manually work engines, thrusters, hovers, and anything else they could think of to help guide the fall.
Noa released just before the ship began to heat up from re-entry. Her ship dove down and in front of the Fairchild to provide eyes for the engineers when they came through. Jon-Jon and Trinity soon joined her, while Flamer and Wild Bill headed for the capital and the military command center to begin strafing enemy fighters.
Major Duval and forty-nine Space Fleet Marines exited the Pegasus aboard one shuttle and another fifty aboard the second.
“The three remaining Mischene battlecruisers are providing unrestricted access,” Dr. Cosoi told Elie from the Systems console. “I’ve made sure they cannot maneuver and they cannot fire weapons. You won’t have to worry about fanatics re-taking control and stabbing us in the back.”
“Surface-mounted cannons are shut down as well,” Sindy reported. “The military bases under siege are doing all they can to repel attackers. We have access and control of cannons. You don’t have to worry about anyone taking a shot at us from the planet.”
“The Fairchild is on course . . . sort of,” Genna reported. “We can watch.”
She placed video on the SHD screen in front of everyone on the bridge. She accessed the 109’s optics, as well as cameras from the surface, and the three Spirit fighters escorting the big ship down.
“She looks like shit,” Cuthbert said. “She’s going to fly apart when she hits the ground.”
“They kept the sub-light engines on and maintain hi-revs to keep the sonic forcefield operating at highest yield,” Elie said calmly from the command chair. “They also have the EM force fields up. They are in for a rough landing, but if they don’t tumble, they should make it.”
