Showdown: Rise Of Mankind Book 10

by John Walker

  It suited Trellan. He preferred to meditate on the mission in his own way. The marines around him chatted idly but he sensed the tension in their voices, a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He doubted any of them were scared, they just wanted to get out there and do what they were trained for.

  All reports suggested these men had little experience fighting the Devarans face to face. When they invaded the Earth ship, a handful of marines fought them off but several lost their lives. They supposedly initiated additional training, techniques to help them survive and they would all see just how well that worked out soon.

  Trellan fought them before he became an intelligence agent. While he worked as a soldier for the alliance, he took them on at colonies and space stations. Forty-nine other men and women enlisted with him and of those, only twenty-two survived to the end of their tour. Even prepared, the Devarans proved to be scrappy fighters.

  Can’t wait to get aboard their station. Maybe I’m a total idiot. This whole mission could’ve been handled by the alliance and I wouldn’t have had to do a damn thing. Well…too late to lament it now. I’m going above and beyond the expectations. I’m sure Siva will appreciate that. No one else will know.

  The countdown went fast when it started and an unfamiliar jump sensation gripped Trellan’s guts. What was that? Wow, these guys have some rudimentary equipment! I hope that wasn’t upgraded. I feel like my insides just went for a trip to another sector.

  A moment later, a voice cried out in the hangar for fighters to launch. A thunderous roar of thrusters filled the area as they rocketed out of the bay into space. Trellan wondered how long they would have to wait. The marines became particularly agitated, fidgeting in their harnesses.

  Sander put on his helmet and turned to him. “Looks like we’re about ready for go time.”

  Trellan nodded.

  “Everyone ready?” Sander shouted.

  He received a resounding shout.

  Trellan wondered how the men felt about a relatively untested commander leading them. Yes, this young lieutenant took back an alliance cruiser but he wasn’t the veteran Captain Hoffner was. Even with that man staying behind to provide base side support, a lot weighed on Sander’s shoulders. If he succeeded, he’d be quite the hero.

  And if he doesn’t, this whole op is doomed. I hope he’s not too committed to following procedures or we’re done. We need quick thinkers, not policy devotees.

  Admittedly, Trellan didn’t believe in rules. He preferred to fly by the seat of his pants, to go in with a basic plan and let the situation guide him. He’d done it several times to take down Orion’s Light. It didn’t work a few times but he survived. Ultimately, Krilan died and the alliance destroyed his fleet so it must’ve had some merit.

  “Shuttles, you are cleared to launch.” Trellan drew a deep breath when he heard the news. “Proceed directly for the transmission station. Your escort is waiting for you.”

  Let’s hope those pilots are good. Trellan read as much as he could about The Behemoth before he boarded her. They had a short but illustrious career. Their successes resonated throughout the alliance. If not for them, Earth probably wouldn’t have a seat at the council yet. I wonder if they know it’s a junior position?

  Probably not. The ego of humanity might not be able to tolerate being put into such a position. Then again, he was dramatically underestimating them and that wasn’t entirely fair. Yes, they had to have their own fools in power just as the kielans did but something told him they carried a certain nobility of spirit.

  After all, their best and brightest just jumped into a war zone without any human backup. That spoke volumes of their character. They deserved his respect. Especially since they saved his life.

  Trellan turned to look out the window and saw several fighters join them the moment they left the hangar. Whatever inertial dampeners the shuttles used impressed him. He didn’t even feel them lift off. As they plunged on into space, action started quickly. Enemy ships closed in and the fighters did an excellent job of fending them off.

  The automated turrets remained quiet, held in reserve for if they were attacked directly. Extra, unnecessary fire simply presented the opportunity for friendly fire and no one had time for that. They sent eight ships to keep them safe, which should’ve been plenty. Any more and they would’ve been causing distractions for one another.

  When they kick on those shield disrupters, if they work, that’s going to stir up the enemy something fierce. I wish we could’ve outfitted some bombs with those. The fact was they didn’t have the chance to build many scramblers and the transmission facility had been too well protected by their shields to get any data about the make up of the hull.

  For all they knew, they might be able to handle a couple hits, even from pulse bombs.

  The devaran people are industrious enough to come up with something like that. No, taking it out internally is the only surefire option.

  A flash outside grabbed Trellan’s attention and he looked out the porthole as a missile was taken out. A moment later, an enemy fighter went up in a ball of orange and purple. According to his computer, they were rapidly approaching the target. In less than two minutes, they would know whether or not their technology worked.

  And if this mission held any meaning at all.

  “Initiating disruptors.” The pilot’s calm tone impressed Trellan. The man sounded positively sleepy. Whatever missions he routinely ran must’ve been pure hell if this didn’t work him up. Earth soldiers definitely carried themselves with professionalism and real tenacity. They must’ve fought plenty of battles before taking to the stars.

  “You hear that?” One of the marines yelled. “We’re about to put down some of these alien sons a bitches! Yeah!”

  I stand corrected about the professionalism. Though Trellan knew how such men operated. They psyched themselves up, they prepared for the worst with bravado or a show of overconfidence. He’d done the same as had his units in the past. Though it was not the most respectful way, it made sense.

  Besides, how respectful was it to hop into a battle and kill a person?

  The entire ship began to tremble when the disruptors engaged and Trellan clenched his jaw tight as his teeth began to rattle. It went straight to the bones, making him feel as if insects were crawling under his skin. He refrained from scratching but some of his companions could not and they worried at their arms and necks.

  It won’t do any good, Trellan thought. I’ve felt this kind of technology in action before. It jams communications well too when applied for that purpose. No, we’ll just have to take it until we’re through the defensive barrier.

  “Automated defenses are firing.” Again, the pilot maintained the cool distance he displayed earlier. Even with energy blasts coming right at them, he kept it together. “Alpha Two is down. I repeat, Alpha Two is down.”

  Trellan checked his computer and sure enough, they had lost one of the shuttles. It was torn out of the sky by one of the automated turrets and there was nothing a fighter escort could do about that. “I’m initiating evasive maneuvers. Get ready to blast our way into the hangar. You’ll want to engage magnetic boots when you dismount.”

  Trellan made sure his were engaged and prepared himself for the next part. This would be where they separated the soldiers from the tourists. The enemy would have that hangar well protected and though the blasting part might through them off for a moment, they’d have a contingency plan.

  Brawling was definitely their game.

  Heat filled the bay as the shuttle began firing a barrage of pulse blasts. Flashes of light outside made Trellan’s heart rate increase. He knew they were about to get in there and finally, after a lengthy idle time, they’d be hip deep in action. From sitting calmly to going toe to toe with an enemy he hadn’t seen in well over a year and a half.

  I guess I’ll remember fast.

  “Dismount in five…four…three…two…one…”

  Wow, I guess they got the damn hangar open! Trel
lan looked at Sander who stood up. “Get your asses moving!” The ramp in the back dropped before they were even over the deck and the shuttle swung wide, allowing momentum to take them in. The marines bolted from their seats and began to jump.

  Sander and Trellan were the last to disembark, landing amidst a wild volley of gunfire. Trellan took cover behind a large metal box with some other marines who fired back as they could. The enemy, at the other end of the hangar, fired past fighters which hadn’t launched yet. The obstacles were an advantage to both sides.

  Now we’re in it. Trellan moved to the edge and crouched low, allowing his computer to give him a tactical guide of what they were facing. It scanned twenty enemies and none of them seemed to be moving out of their defensive positions. He knew this tactic. They were evaluating the force against them, trying to decide just how dangerous they were.

  Once they decided, they would go back to their brash selves and charge them but until then, the marines had an advantage.

  Trellan picked a target and leaned out, firing a single shot that connected with the thing’s face. It stumbled backward into the wall and immediately began firing at them again. I forgot how well armored these jerks are! And he took that right in the mouth without so much as shaking his head! Tough bastards!

  Trellan went back into cover and had his computer scan for weaknesses. At the same time, the second shuttle screamed inside and deposited another set of men. They took cover and returned fire as well, buying them all some more time. The enemy needed to evaluate twice the forces and decide if they might have more reinforcements coming.

  The computer indicated they were weak in the knees, the elbows and the neck, connecting points of armor basically. Trellan remembered that as soon as the computer said it but he also recalled why he blocked it out. Scoring such hits tended to be sheer luck when they were running around or hiding behind cover.

  Still, he related the information to the marines so they could at least try to aim for the less protected areas.

  “You heard him,” Sander shouted. “Take careful aim! We have to secure this beachhead in the next couple of minutes or this mission will be pointless!”

  The shuttles landed nearby, firing their turrets toward the door. Their destructive power certainly would cut down the opposition but it also had the potential to cause a hull breach that might make the mission a lot harder. Trellan called out for them to cease fire but they seemed to defer only to Sander.

  “Lieutenant, those guys are going to open this place up like a can of rations if they don’t stop!”

  “Cease fire!” Sander shouted. “Raise shields and let us do the shooting.”

  The shuttles stopped but they had already done some pretty heavy damage to the walls and ceilings. Trellan saw exposed pipes and wires, sparks lighting up the area. As he contemplated the next step, marines began chucking grenades. The high explosives landed near the enemy fighters and when they went off, they did some pretty serious damage.

  One of the landing gears popped and the entire ship crashed into the deck, causing the whole place to shake. Screams erupted as at least two of the enemy winked off the targeting screen. The others decided they’d had enough and charged. Five of them, climbing the debris and rushing forward.

  “Fire at will! Fire at will!” Sander shouted and the marines opened up, a proper firing line. The sheer amount of firepower would’ve eliminated a unit twice the size of these aliens but these five nearly made it to their position before they began to fall. Overwhelming force finally knocked them down but considering how much ammo they spent, Trellan began to worry.

  “Good work,” Sander said. “Let’s secure the area and get some schematics.”

  “You’re going to want to really consider how you proceed,” Trellan said. “You’ll have tighter quarters in the hallways and their armor is nasty.”

  Sander nodded. “I agree. Thank you. Are you really going off on your own?”

  Trellan shrugged. “It’s what I do.”

  “Then good luck. We won’t be able to help if you get into trouble but we’ll stay in radio contact. When we plant our ordinance, you won’t have long to get back to the hangar for an escape. With any luck, we’ll all be out of here in less than thirty minutes.”

  “I understand,” Trellan replied. “Something tells me your assessment is optimistic. But the Fates have done stranger things.”

  “We’re ready,” Sergeant Walsh shouted. “Looks like we’ve got a good path to the power center.”

  “Let’s move it, people!” Sander pointed at Trellan while backing away. “Hurry up, agent. I’d rather do it your way! It’s a lot safer.”

  Me too, Trellan thought as he headed in the opposite direction. Me too.

  Chapter 5

  Meagan took a direct hit from an enemy pulse blast but her shields held, albeit barely. She pulled the trigger and launched a missile at the same time in an attempt to force her opponent to break the attack. The shuttles were almost in position and the rest of her wing would be free to maneuver as needed soon.

  We just have to survive this last little stretch.

  As they drew closer to the station, the opposition intensified. Dozens of fighters came after them but Panther was able to fend them off. The shuttles cannons took care of any attacks coming from above them, taking some of the pressure off Meagan’s team. Once they reached the station’s shields, the shuttles would be on their own for the last twenty thousand feet.

  The distance didn’t seem far but when the shuttles were on their own, it might as well be ten thousand miles. Depending on how potent the station’s defenses were, they might be in for a real struggle. They were heavily armored with good shields though so they had a good chance at surviving a few direct hits.

  Just like I did, Meagan thought, banking to avoid a missile and returning fire. She caught her enemy on the side but his shields held and he flew off. Damn, I forgot how tough their ships can be!

  Panther Eight took some actual damage but was still combat effective, at least for the moment. When they were done with the escort duty, she intended to order Lieutenant Tara Galloway back to the ship. They might be able to conduct a quick field repair and get her back into the action but fighting this force without being close to one hundred percent could be suicide.

  Mick cried out over the com and laughed nervously. “That was flippin’ close!” An enemy nearly collided with him and he barely got out of the way in time. One of the shuttles blew his opponent out of the sky, the turrets locking on and never letting up until the shields burst and the hull exploded.

  Panther Six, Lieutenant Richard Martin, cursed into the radio. “I took a direct hit to the rear from a missile. I’m going to have to eject.”

  “Get away from the station,” Mick ordered. “You do not want to be floating around near this thing.”

  “Doing my best, sir…I’m using momentum to pull away.” Richard chuckled. “Don’t leave me out here too long, huh?”

  “Damn it,” Meagan muttered. “We’ll do our best, Richard. Be safe.”

  She looked over in time to see his pod burst from the ship seconds before it went up in a purple-blue ball. Wow, I hope he got far enough away from that! His homing beacon flashed once then went out. Undoubtedly, he turned it off to avoid being picked up by the enemy. Good call.

  Panther Four, Flight Lieutenant Shelly Brown, spoke up. “Should I call in search and rescue?”

  “Not yet,” Mick said. “They would end up needing rescue themselves. Richard’s going to have to float for a while. Not much we can do about it now.”

  Shuttle Alpha Zero chimed in, “initiating disruptors.” The shuttles slid through the enemy shields as easily as if they were diving into water. Impressive technology, Meagan thought. Great work, guys.

  “Okay, folks,” Meagan said, “let’s give them all some space. We can’t follow them anymore. Follow my lead. Panther Eight, I want you back at the ship for a field repair.”

  Alpha Zero spoke up again. “
Automated defenses are firing.” Turrets from the station began taking shots at the shuttles. One of them took a full barrage from multiple sources, tearing it apart. “Alpha Two is down, I repeat. Alpha Two is down. I’m initiating evasive maneuvers.”

  Good God! There were a lot of men on that ship! Meagan scowled, forcing her head back into the game. I hope two shuttle loads is enough…though I suppose they might’ve sent three just in case this happened.

  “Did you see that?” Paris shouted. “Did you see what happened?”

  “Everyone saw,” Mick replied. “Focus and form up.”

  “Giant Control, this is Panther One,” Meagan said. “We have escorted the shuttles to their destination. Two of the three boarded the facility. The other…the other’s gone.

  “Report on your wing’s status,” Gretchen replied.

  “We’re down one ship with another needing repairs. Please advise.”

  “Send in the damaged ship. We’ll get search and rescue in the field as soon as possible. Take your remaining ships to sector three and support the kielan fighters. They’re in some pretty heavy action over there and they definitely could use the help. Acknowledge.”

  “Acknowledged, Giant Control. We’re on our way.”

  I wonder if we’ll get to see more of those new gunships in that theater. “Panther Wing, you heard the order. Tara, get back to the ship. We’re free to maneuver as needed so this should be a very different fight.” And a lot more dangerous…but no one needs a reminder of that.

  ***

  Mei’Gora frowned at the fight raging on his computer screen. His own ship remained behind the lines of other alliance vessels, screening for him as he continued to coordinate their efforts. They’d already lost several ships. The enemy fought like cornered animals, lashing out with total reckless abandon.

  They sensed this fight could be the end of them and they reacted accordingly.