by John Walker
Jenks felt unsure at first but he nodded once. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Walsh said. “Lord help us all. You know this is crazy though, right?”
Sander nodded. “Of course it is. Find us a path to the reactor that isn’t in these damn hallways. Command can bitch at me later for changing things up. I’ll be right back.”
Jenks leaned against the wall and brought up his computer, peering over the schematics they grabbed earlier. “Get the explosives,” he said to Walsh. “I’ll find all the ways to get there.”
“I’m on it.” Walsh paused. “Hey, you think we can do this? Seriously?”
Jenks shrugged. “We’ve done some crazy shit. Why not this?”
“Fair point…” Walsh headed off amongst the bodies, rooting around for their explosives. Jenks watched him for a moment before returning his attention to the task at hand. He refused to look at the bodies of the fallen. Any other mission it might’ve motivated him but at the moment, after what he’d seen, he needed to focus on anything but the slaughter.
Vengeance can’t be the motivation. Survive…finish the mission…do our jobs. That’s the ticket. That’s how we get through this.
***
Sander sent a secure com signal to Trellan, hoping the man would pick up. Thinking back to the battle, he couldn’t believe he survived. A marine slammed into him after being punched by a devaran and knocked him to the ground. He slid some distance away, well out of the fight.
When he dislodged himself from the body, Sander stood up to a nightmare. Everyone seemed to be down and it was a miracle when he saw Jenks and Walsh still fighting. The last two enemies continued to advance and that’s when Sander struck, moving up behind them and firing directly into the back of one of their heads.
As he went down, so too did the other and he finished him off with a coup de grace. Only then did the other men rise and discover what Sander already had to come to terms with: the fact they were alone. Three men behind enemy lines against some of the most dangerous creatures mankind ever encountered.
“This is Trellan. Go ahead.”
The man’s voice made Sander let out a sigh of relief. At least one part of this mission is working out so far. “We’ve got problems,” he said. “What’s your status?”
“Moving but I have to warn you about the rank and file. A technician merely tore my arm off. What happened with you?”
Sander gave him the bad news about the entire unit. His report was met with silence. “We’re recalculating our approach.”
“Why’d you have to do the frontal anyway?” Trellan asked. “I wasn’t about to criticize but it doesn’t seem like it was a good idea.”
I agree but now’s not really the time to criticize. “Command called it. That’s why we had three shuttles of guys, to take the place by force. We’re looking for a path to get to the power center. How close are you to your destination?”
“Won’t be long. I’m guessing ETA…five more minutes before I can make a move. What about you?”
“We were almost to an elevator but I don’t think we should go that way. We’re trying maintenance. Opinion?”
“Can’t hurt to try. Just make sure you have a way out. When you get in there, you’ll want to hurry. The maintenance corridors are like mazes so make sure you mark your path out as soon as you go in.”
“Affirmative. Good luck, Trellan. We’ll see you on the other side.”
“Possibly a bad choice of words, Lieutenant,” Trellan said. “But I understand the notion. Trellan out.”
Sander turned to the others and Jenks nodded. “I have a path forward, sir.”
“And I’ve got the explosives,” Walsh added.
“Then I guess we have no excuses. Let’s move out and salvage what we can of this mission.”
The sergeants took the lead and Sander cast his gaze over the bodies and allowed himself a brief moment of silence for them. Your sacrifices won’t be in vain. We’ll make this happen, guys. I promise. He took a deep breath and hurried after the others. The next ten minutes would determine the success of their mission…and the fate of their lives.
Chapter 8
Mei’Gora’s advance halted. The enemy massed into a deadly picket line and they were having a hard time getting above, around or through it. The fleets stood at a stalemate, hammering one another with heavy ordinance but neither side made any impact. They didn’t have time to play such games but at present, they didn’t have a lot of choice.
Kale needs to hurry. Mei’Gora checked the reports but didn’t see anything new from their ships behind enemy lines. Only two of them didn’t seem to warrant much response from the enemy, at least not yet. He sent a message to The Font and The Behemoth, hoping to get either of them on the com. A little update would go a long way.
While the connection attempted to establish, he looked over the battlefield and contemplated his next move. When they advanced, they wasted power on propulsion and their shields couldn’t take the continuous beating of the enemy. Stationary, they were able to stand firm, their defenses holding.
We’re sieging them but this isn’t like some ancient fortress. They can just jump out of here. If we let them escape, our war with them could go on for another several decades. I won’t let that happen. Not on my command.
Mei’Gora looked over his available resources, considering something daring. The automated defenses surrounding the planet seemed to be particularly dangerous. Scans indicated they were powerful enough to take down a scout in two passes. Considering there were over fifty of them, that prevented a jump which would allow them to get at the primary targets.
However, a battleship might be able to cause some pretty sizable harm if it was able to get through. Pulse bombs to the planet’s surface would go a long way toward winning the fight. Even a couple of them but would they get through? Anti-air defenses on the surface might make a venture like that a fool’s errand.
They needed to bombard them, hit the world with something so devastating they didn’t have a chance to repel it. For that, they needed to attain orbit.
“This is The Crystal Font.” A woman’s voice made Mei’Gora’s heart leap in his chest. “Standing by.”
“This is Mei’Gora, put me through to Anthar Ru’Xin right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
A moment later, Kale answered the com. “This is Anthar Ru’Xin.”
“What’s your status? How close are you to taking down that facility?”
“Our men are in position and are attempting to do their part. We know the shields are too powerful for us to break through from the outside. Meanwhile, we have several enemy ships preparing to attack us. We’re drawing them back to the facility. The Behemoth has a plan to hit the planet’s surface there.”
“Be careful of their orbital defenses,” Mei’Gora said. “According to research, they’ll pack a punch. Do you have a plan for them?”
“We’ll get rid of them,” Kale replied. “However, we’ve got enough enemy ships coming in on us that it might be tough.”
“I’ll send you some help. They should be there shortly. If you have a better angle for attack over there, then we need to redirect.”
“You don’t want to bring the entire fight this way, sir,” Kale warned. “We’ve got it mostly contained.”
“We’re at a standstill right now, Anthar,” Mei’Gora replied. “They’re doing a fine job of keeping us away from the planet over here. I don’t want to spread out too much but we need to adjust our tactics.”
“Yes, sir. Any assistance you send will be much appreciated. I’ll let The Behemoth know.”
“Thank you. Good luck over there and keep us informed of your progress.” Mei’Gora muted the line and looked at the battlefield again.
Several of his commanders attempted to get around the enemy fleet. Some microjumps got them close but somehow, the enemy was able to meet them quickly. It had to be their ability to instantaneously coordinate through all their defense systems and
their ships. They reacted far too quickly for the alliance fleet to use cunning.
Not entirely true. The Behemoth and Crystal Font are doing a good job. I have to give them some more support and maybe we’ll be able to push through.
Mei’Gora ordered several destroyers to jump over to the sector where the other ships operated on their own. He hoped they’d be able to tip the scales. Something had to at that point and if it wasn’t a few extra ships, then he didn’t know what would. After all, they were in the middle of a desperate situation. Victory meant an end to war.
Failure meant something far more desperate.
***
Kale squinted at the view screen as they finished their microjump. Athan confirmed their position while Deva marked the nearest defensive targets surrounding the planet. They were close enough to consider attacking them, close enough to be worried about their intervention when the next battle broke out.
The Behemoth managed to wink in nearby, less than a thousand kilometers off course. Well within range to hit whatever targets they decided on quickly. Meanwhile, the guests they had jumping in to meet them arrived to find they had no one to fight, not close enough to matter anyway. They’d have to initiate their own jump to move on the facility quickly.
Even exceptional recharge rates meant The Font and Behemoth had breathing room.
When Mei’Gora’s help arrived, they’d have a slight numeric advantage but it wasn’t something to get too confident in. The entire fleet couldn’t push through the defenders on the other side of the system. However, depending on what happened in the next half hour, they might lose their advantage.
And that didn’t take into account what they’d have to do if Kale and Gray were able to bomb the surface.
“Distance to station,” Kale asked.
“Less than ten-thousand kilometers,” Deva replied.
“We move in a little bit and I can take some shots,” Thaina added.
Kale hummed. “Give me an updated reading on their shields.”
A few moments passed and he considered what it must be like on board that thing. He’d seen a devaran up close but it was dead, a casualty after a major battle. None of his years of service involved ground combat. Flying bit him when he was a young man. However, that one encounter with a corpse gave him some perspective on what the soldiers might be dealing with.
The stories alone are horrifying. Kale knew that Devaran armor enhanced their natural strength. Three of them could shove a small ship aside and one of them might easily tear a man in half. Video footage of an attack showed them rip through a bulkhead to get at some holed up troops waiting for reinforcements.
Enhanced weapons might’ve made a huge difference but he still felt unsure of the chances of success. High command was very specific about sending in a force to assault the place in a straightforward manner. They didn’t think anyone would have time to be sneaky. Trellan’s part in the whole affair was off the books. Intelligence authorized it under the table.
I’m thinking we’re going to be grateful and yet, his success will likely hinge on the distraction of the soldiers.
“The shields are still up,” Deva announced, breaking his thoughts. “Now that we’re closer, I’m reading over twenty generators providing the power. That’s more than three times the average number. I don’t know how they’re keeping all those steady and functioning.”
“Will the soldiers be able to take that down?” Kale asked.
“Yes, because they’re all routed to the central power core. They can’t have more than one of those.”
“I say we bombard them anyway,” Thaina said. “Even a few hits will tax those generators. If even one of them is struggling, it’ll help knock something out. And what are they going to do about it while we do? We’ve got plenty of time to hit them.”
“I want to use our time wisely,” Kale replied. “And that means finding the best target for our current situation.”
“You’re thinking about the planet,” Athan said.
“I am.” Kale rubbed his chin. “Deva, get me a reading on the orbital defenses. I want to know how many and their range if you can manage it. I’m sure The Behemoth’s on the same course of action but Wena, get them on the com and let’s coordinate our efforts. Also, try to get an update from the station. Maybe we need to send more people.”
“It’s unlikely to get through,” Deva said. “The shields have a lot of interference.”
“Leave that to me,” Wena replied. “I might have a few tricks to break through.”
“Sounds like a plan then,” Kale added. “I want an update in less than five.”
I hope to be attacking something in less than ten. Get ready, Gray. This might be the turning point.
***
Clea frowned as a report came in from Deva aboard The Crystal Font. The young woman had performed a full range of tests on the shields surrounding the transmission facility and the results weren’t good. Olly corroborated the findings but Clea still felt like there was something more they could do, something with the disruptors that Durant built.
They allowed three shuttles to get through. There must be something we can do with our basic sensors now that we’re close enough to probe those defenses.
The problem stemmed from all the power sources emitting the shields. Durant’s solution worked because he drummed up a way to make the shuttles appear to be friendly. In essence, they belonged but it took a lot of resources to build. Each unit was big and had to be mounted on something at least the size of a ship.
We should recall the shuttles now, fill them with explosives and have them ready. Just in case.
That was assuming they’d survive fleeing the external, automated defenses. One ship was taken out by them and they would certainly be ready for more. And even if they put some decent sized pulse bombs onboard the station, they couldn’t guarantee it would decisively take out the entire things. Chances were good, certainly but they needed absolute certainty.
Especially if we’re going to sacrifice the lives of any other men we’ve got on there.
Clea ran her own calculations along with a number of simulations in an attempt to find an easier way through the shields. Every test came back negative. Her understanding of the enemy’s technology was well above average and she still couldn’t find a way past this particular set of redundancies.
She sent the challenge to Durant but he immediately replied that he’d done all he could. The shuttles used his solution and there were no more options to get in there. The situation was up to the men inside the station. If they were able to take down the defenses, then The Behemoth could atomize it but until then, they were all stuck waiting.
Wena, the communications officer for The Crystal Font, contacted them and Clea intercepted. They worked out a way to break through the interference and get a com unit through to the men on the station. Finally, they’d be able to get an update and find out how close they were to completing their objective.
Agatha took over and patched them in to Lieutenant Vincent, who’s voice came through amidst ear piercing static.
“Captain, this is Lieutenant Vincent. We’ve tried to reach you for a while but we thought they were jamming us.”
“It’s just all the power for the shields,” Gray said. “What’s your status down there? How are things going?”
“Not good, sir. We’re down to three men…”
Clea’s heart sank. The Fates really have frowned on us this time. Three? That’s a lot of dead! “Please ask him about Trellan.”
Gray nodded at her and continued, “that’s a tragedy. Are you aborting?”
“Negative, sir. We’ve found another way and we’re going to take it.”
“What about the kielan agent?”
“Still alive and moving about the maintenance tunnels, same as us. Together, we should be able to find a way to get the job done.”
“Stay as safe as you can down there,” Gray said. He muted the com and looked at Adam. “What’r
e the chances of us getting them some help?”
“None, sir. We don’t have another disruptor for the shields.”
They debated the things Clea had already thought about. Having one of the ships return or piercing it with weapons. They ultimately settled on the hard truth that they were unable to help those people. The marines were on their own and if they couldn’t find a way, then the transmission station would stay in operation until the end of the battle.
Gray took the com off mute. “Let us know if you discover anything we can do for you, Sander. You’re in our thoughts. Good luck.”
“Thank you, sir! We’ll let you know when we get closer.”
Clea attempted to reach Trellan using the same technique but she didn’t get him on the line. He’s either dead or in a particularly dense field of interference. I hope Sander was right about him. After all he’s been through, he deserves to come home and retire. Siva will especially be cross if we lose him.
An idea struck Clea and she moved over to Olly, leaning in to keep her voice low. “If our communications can get through, however poorly, then we should be able to penetrate their shields.”
“Agatha and Wena went at that interference with a crazy algorithm. I looked at it and it allowed them to penetrate at a particular frequency, something strong with a low profile. It pierced through but as you heard, it wasn’t pretty.” Olly looked back at her. “If we did that with say…a pulse cannon, if it got through, the damage would be minimal.”
“But what about sending another ship through? Something like the disrupters that Durant made?”
Olly shook his head. “Can’t work. Any ship we send would be too big to ensure it got all the way through.”
Clea nodded and returned to her seat. Maybe the shuttles onboard can do some internal damage. There must be something more we can do!
“The defensive platforms are directly ahead,” Olly announced. “We’re almost in range for them to attack us.”
