Showdown: Rise Of Mankind Book 10

by John Walker

  I do not believe they will do it. Mei’Gora voiced his concern in private to high command just after they assigned him to lead the invasion. He had fought enough battles to see no sense of mercy, quarter or requests for either. They were fighting true warriors and for whatever reason, they preferred death to defeat. Would we be the same?

  Mei’Gora didn’t like to think about it. If the enemy had ever reached their home world and performed the same action this invasion was about to, what would the kielans have done? Would they surrender or fight to the last? Would the military be decimated and the civilians forced to live under occupied rule?

  A nightmare, to be sure.

  “We’re jumping now, sir.” His pilot spoke up and he nodded once, bracing himself for what was to come.

  They arrived to instant chaos. The forward battle group had arrived and was already engaged in battle against a defensive platform and two enemy ships. One of the kielan vessels was already dark, listing and drifting away. Blasts were exchanged between the nine remaining ships and the three available targets.

  “Report on positions,” Mei’Gora demanded. “What’re we looking at?”

  The answer did not surprise him but he was hoping for better. Dozens of enemy ships were en route to attack them with more on the way from the far side of the system. Every satellite seemed to be armed and took shots at them even from extreme distance. Hostile fighters filled the area and their own pilots began launching immediately.

  Another battle group arrived some distance away and another. Twenty more ships to add to their nineteen. They began to close in on the enemy, flanking them as they moved. Soon, the entire area would become one of the biggest war zones to grace the history books. Mei’Gora ordered his people to fire at will, turning his attention to the battle at large.

  He needed to provide coordination for everyone so he quickly surmised which groups arrived already and queued up the others on his screen. Those destroying the emplacements were already there and one group to take on ships as well. The two would work together, one escorting the other.

  I need my entire force! The rest of the ships would arrive over the course of the next twenty minutes, which felt like a lifetime. However, with every battle group arriving, that gave them another advantage. One of the jumps included forty novalat ships and that would certainly turn the tide in their favor.

  Mei’Gora noted that the Behemoth and Crystal Font jumped in together on the far side of the battlefield. They would only be accessible to a microjump so if they got into trouble, they might be on their own for a time. If they completed their mission, the alliance forces would have a dramatic advantage. If they did not, they may become a liability when others would have to rescue them.

  I hope they’ve got this.

  Mei’Gora looked up at the screen, witnessing capital ships clashing in space like mighty titans in some ancient tale of giants. Shields flared, cannons lit up the sky and explosions from fighters competed with the stars. This is not all our enemy has to throw at us. Intelligence told them as much.

  They housed the majority of their fleet there with others moving about to attack new cultures and strip mine them. Any of those out there would suddenly find themselves cut off from communications. Every alliance ship that arrived was jamming signals leaving the area. What the enemy had to fight with was all they were going to get.

  No reinforcements for you today. Today, your terror ends.

  Mei’Gora sent a signal to several ships to shore up a weakness in their starboard flank, building a better defensive perimeter around the beachhead of his ship. Without the flagship, the alliance tactics would be much less precise. Unlike the enemy, they used people to coordinate their attacks, not a transmission bay to regulate their computers.

  I’m not even sure how it works and intel didn’t either. Are we talking about artificial intelligence? Do they have a team on that thing? How are they able to keep their ships so tightly aligned?

  He witnessed it just then. Two ships firing in perfect unison on one of theirs. The shields of the kielan ship flared and the entire thing went up as they knocked out the reactor. Mei’Gora scowled and sent six ships to deal with them. That is their advantage. This perfect timing nonsense. Hurry up, Atwell and Ru’Xin. We need you to get your work done. Now.

  “Keep up the pressure,” Mei’Gora spoke in his microphone, sending the message to every vessel that was already in system. “Do not give them any ground or relief. Hit as hard and consistently as you can. We must get to our objective and that means tearing down their military infrastructure one piece of equipment at a time. I’m counting on you.”

  We will be enough. Mei’Gora reassured himself. I know it. We are here for victory.

  ***

  Olly held his breath as the Behemoth initiated their jump. By the time he exhaled, they arrived and appeared right on target. Leonard and Redding deserved a pat on the back for their precision but he didn’t have time to compliment them. He immediately turned to his scans to determine how much trouble they were in.

  Scans showed their shields held through the jump and were already at full strength. Fighters began to launch and the shuttled were on their way as well. The alliance ships were practically on the far side of the primary inhabitable planet engaged in a massive battle. Most of the enemy resources seemed to be directed there.

  Which explains why we haven’t been attacked yet but the moment they realize what we’re up to, they’ll be coming over here with a quickness.

  The Crystal Font was nearby, deploying their own fighters. Olly caught defenders on his screen, a contingency of fighters and two capital ships which hung back near the transmission facility. They moved to intercept them, closing fast. He called out his findings and put them on the screen, a full tactical display.

  “Prepare to engage,” Gray said. “Adam, have we deployed all fighters, bombers and shuttles?”

  “Aye, sir. They are out there and ready to engage. Marines are en route to the target.”

  “Scramblers are hot,” Olly said. “I’ve run the simulation now that we’re close and made the necessary tweaks to the algorithms. They’ll get through, sir. No problem.”

  “Good work, Olly but keep me informed either way,” Gray replied. “Redding, when the enemy is within range, you may fire at will. Adam, make sure the fighters clear our line of fire.”

  “Will do.”

  “Revente is out there, isn’t he?” Gray asked.

  “Yes,” Adam said. “There was no talking him out of it. He’s leading Tiger Wing.”

  “Okay. Well…he’s a good choice.”

  Olly brought up the application he’d been working on to temporarily disrupt the communications station and began running simulations with it. The signal was much stronger here and he was able to finally analyze it properly. He connected his terminal to Paul’s down in the tech center so they could both see what he was working on. Clea joined him.

  “You’ve got a good cancellation wave,” she said, “but you’re going to need to enhance the energy output or you won’t overwhelm it. In fact, the way you two are going right now, you’d be boosting their signal.”

  “I…oh, I get it. Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Don’t mention it. Please let me know when you’re ready to deploy. We’re holding that in reserve.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Olly’s heart slowed down a few beats when she stepped away. She knew considerably more about any of the technology he tampered with than he did and the Earth navy called him an expert. After serving with her since about half way through the retrofit of the Behemoth, he’d learned vastly more than he ever picked up at the academy.

  And now I get to apply it in order to save the universe. No recruitment center can promise so much.

  Paul sent him back some code corrections and he made them on the fly. The ship shook, drawing his attention back to the scans. The enemy battleships closed within range and started taking shots at them. Redding fired back. Shields l
it up on both sides as the enemy tried to close. The Behemoth’s engines kicked in, propelling them away.

  No, you don’t get to pull a core pop to kill us, ya bastard.

  The Crystal Font engaged the other massive ship, laying into them with a barrage of pulse cannons. They maneuvered away from The Behemoth, splitting the enemy vessels to avoid their famous synchronized attack patterns. The tactic must’ve been something they worked out in advance and outside the briefings Olly attended.

  “I’m ready to disrupt their signal,” Olly said, “on your command, Captain.”

  “Thank you, Olly. We’ll be holding that in reserve.” Gray paused. “Give me an update on the number of fighters we’re facing out there.”

  “The enemy has deployed twenty-four fighters from the two ships and an additional twelve from the transmission station,” Olly said. “They are engaging our forces and are currently even as far as numbers are concerned.”

  “If any come from the planet, I want to know right away,” Gray replied. “They might have a lot more on the surface that we don’t know about. In fact, do we have scans of the planet yet?”

  Olly sighed. “There seems to be some kind of interference. Perhaps they have jammers down there…but I’m not able to pick anything up.”

  “That doesn’t make sense,” Clea said. “We were able to scan the planet somewhat with our intelligence drones. They must’ve erected the jammers when the fleet arrived.”

  “To protect their installations,” Adam added. “That would make sense. If they have any hope for survival, it’s going to be if we cannot locate the primary targets.”

  “They’re already programmed in,” Redding said. “That won’t help them.”

  “We don’t have time for this speculation,” Gray interrupted. “Keep your attention on the battle. I want a link to the marines ASAP. They must be getting close to the shields. Who’s escorting them?”

  “Panther Wing,” Adam answered. “And they’re putting up quite the fight out there. The enemy must know what we’re up to.”

  Olly checked to see if any capital ships might’ve broken away from the main attack force but so far they were still engaged. He wasn’t surprised. Considering the sheer number of alliance ships out there, the bad guys would be too busy to adjust their tactics. They were fighting for their lives, cornered animals unable to flee.

  This will be intense. Olly checked the enemy ship they were brawling with, noting that their shields were at sixty percent and holding. Their power outputs are insane. Oh! He sent Paul a message, asking him to check over his Protocol Seven adjustments. They might be able to disrupt internal systems, even if they couldn’t bring down the shields.

  Might as well be thorough. This is the end game. Time to bring out all the tools.

  ***

  Meagan felt a familiar tingle in her stomach, the split second discomfort from a hyperspace jump. Adjustments to their technology made the sensation much more tolerable and brief but she doubted they’d make it unnoticeable. She couldn’t even count to three before Gretchen’s voice burst through the speakers.

  “Panther Wing, you are cleared for launch. Get out there. Go! Go! Go!”

  Meagan and Mick were to be the first two ships out of the hangar and she punched her throttle. The sudden force pressed her into the seat, but the inertial dampeners kicked in only a moment later. As she burst away from the ship and banked to get out of everyone’s way, she initiated a computer scan for targets.

  There were no immediate threats nearby but they were coming, closing fast from the transmission station and two different capital ships on their way to meet them. She pinged the rest of her wing, letting them know she was in position and where to form up. As they left the ship, they returned the signal and she saw them fall in around her.

  Another scan revealed Alma had taken the field as well, the kielan’s wing preparing to defend their ship against the incoming tide of enemies. They’d all have their hands full today, but Panther Wing in particularly had escort duty to look forward to. My least favorite assignment. Even with highly armed shuttles, this is going to be a pain.

  Tiger Wing, led by Group Commander Revente, rocketed off to meet the enemy fighters. Bombers went off in another direction, gaining some distance from The Behemoth so they might find a firing solution against the incoming heavy vessels. When the shields went low enough, they’d deploy devastating payloads in hopes of finishing off the major threats.

  Most large scale battles ended with tricks. Everyone seemed too well armored and defended for a straightforward brawl but that might be different this time. The Alliance upgraded considerably and the enemy couldn’t possibly know about their advancements. This advantage might win the war though Meagan doubted it would be a swift victory.

  “Wing Commander,” a voice she wasn’t familiar with came over the line. “This is Lieutenant Swan in Shuttle Alpha Zero. Alpha One and Two are with me and we are deploying now. Are you ready to escort?”

  “Affirmative,” Meagan replied. “Panther Wing will fall in around you and provide cover. Let’s get this done, fellas.”

  “Roger,” Swan said. “Here we go.”

  Meagan looked over in time to see the three transport shuttles burst from The Behemoth, heading straight for the transmission station. She directed her ships to get around them and took Mick on ahead to provide screening. Any fighters that attempted to take them from the front would have two fighters to deal with.

  Not to mention the turrets from the shuttles .Some of them were equipped with AI but she found that a few of the marines had been practicing, honing their skills to take on fast moving targets. They’d proven themselves in the last operation and against some pretty wily opponents to boot.

  Orion’s Light might’ve been more maneuverable, but they weren’t quite as crazy…or disciplined. Any fight out here will be a much bigger challenge.

  “Contact,” Mick said. “Less than a thousand kilometers away. Do you see?”

  Meagan confirmed with her scan. “Yep, three of them. Let’s move to intercept. Panther Wing, stay with our charge. We’re going to sweep the swim lane. Keep an eye out for heavy ordinance. They might try to throw some bombs our way.”

  She performed a barrel roll and buried the throttle, speeding to meet the threat long before they could get shots off on the shuttles. The distance between them dropped swiftly, closing to firing range in a few seconds. Meagan depressed the trigger, launching a volley of pulse blasts before diving to avoid retaliation and a collision.

  The fighters flew by over her head. One took a direct hit, their shields flaring blue before popping. Mick finished him off before joining her dodging to the left and banking hard to acquire another firing solution. The two fighters remained on course, focusing solely on the shuttles. The Earth fighters closed in behind them and Meagan initiated her targeting computer.

  Her first pass on them was eye balled but with a prime angle, she wanted to ensure a direct hit on her enemy’s engines. Mick wasn’t as patient, climbing so he would fire down on them. This would ensure any stray shots didn’t go toward their own people but Meagan didn’t intend to miss with any of her blasts.

  Mick’s target took three of the six shots to its top, forcing it to disengage. As it broke course and pulled away, Mick gave chase, driving him off.

  Meagan’s target continued forward but she got tone just seconds before he made range for an attack. Holding the trigger down, she tore through its shields and ignited its engines. The ship exploded in an instant, debris flying in all directions.

  “Splash two,” Meagan muttered just as her computer sounded a proximity alert. She pushed the stick forward to dive, an instinctual move that might’ve saved her as a missile flew past her ship. “Watch that ordinance!” She called out.

  “I’ve got it,” Lieutenant Richard Martin, Panther Six, shouted out. Meagan saw the flash out of the corner of her eye a moment later. “Missile down.”

  “Great work. What the hell fired t
hat at me?”

  “I don’t know,” Mick said. “I haven’t seen a ship like that in the enemy’s fleet. Computer has no clue either.”

  Meagan looked at the silhouette on her screen and frowned. It was larger than a fighter but smaller than a bomber. Weapons bristled from it, including a turret. So we can’t just take it from behind like the others. It moved off, acquiring a better solution to attack from. We’re going to have to take him down or he’ll give the shuttles some real trouble.

  “Giant Control, this is Panther One. Sending back a scan.” Meagan climbed, dodging a blast from an enemy fighter. She banked hard right, firing a missile and letting it chase the enemy for a time while she finished her update. “Please check the battlefield for any other vessels like that. We’re going to take this one out now.”

  “Understood, Panther One,” Gretchen said. “Stay alert out there. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

  “He’s pulling away,” Mick said. “Looks like he’s going back to the facility.”

  “Fantastic.” Meagan sighed. “I guess we’ll get another chance soon enough.” An explosion caught her attention to the left. The missile she’d fired was taken out. Panther Five, Lieutenant Paris Tullefson, came screaming by, firing as he went. The enemy banked left, directly into the attack.

  As the fighter exploded, Paris pulled off, moving the opposite direction of the debris. “Splash another,” he said. “Next?”

  Meagan smirked. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves but nice job everyone. ETA to facility, less than two minutes. Looks like opposition’s about to get heavier too. It’s been little league so far but count on the next little bit to be rough, guys. Stay focused. The real fight hasn’t even begun.”

  ***

  Trellan and Sander ended up barely talking when they boarded the shuttle. After they settled in for the wait, the lieutenant ended up dealing with bureaucracy, reports about equipment allocation or some such nonsense. As a result, he buried his nose in his tablet until the loud countdown began.