by C. G. Mosley
Jake nodded as he too rubbed at his eyes. Hightower looked in his direction and was pleased to find that his vision was slowly returning. He could see Jake reaching for the switches in front of him, headphones already planted firmly over his ears. Suddenly, the young man paused and slowly turned toward the commander.
“What’s wrong?” Hightower asked, seeing unmistakable concern etched on Jake’s face.
Jake squinted as he looked at the commander. He was obviously still trying to regain his eye sight. “It’s Captain Steiger, sir,” Jake replied.
“He wants to speak to me?” Hightower asked.
Jake shook his head. “No sir. He uh—he wants you to look out the window ahead of us.”
Hightower swallowed as his mouth suddenly felt dry. He turned back toward the massive viewport and again rubbed his eyes to make sure he’d be able to see.
“Oh my god,” Madigan said softly. He sounded nervous.
Captain Hightower removed his hands from over his eyes and was pleased to find that the white splotches he’d been seeing had finally disappeared. As he blinked his eyes, an unexpected sight came into focus in front of him.
Chapter 15
The familiar Kaloian ship, the Pinnacle, was the first object that Captain Hightower’s eyes seemed to focus on. A mere second later, the ominous shapes of the other four ships then began to materialize and Hightower heard an unmistakable gasp in the room.
“What’s this about?” Madigan asked in a voice just above a whisper.
The Pinnacle was flanked by two ships on either side. The other four ships had the similar almond shape as the Pinnacle, but were half its size. There appeared to be a large asteroid field spread across the empty space behind the Kaloian ships, serving as a fitting backdrop for such an unsettling moment. All five ships were facing toward the Titan and each of them had some sort of port holes that had opened on the front of each. There was a sinister blue light flickering beyond the open ports, and it reminded Hightower of a propane flame. In his mind there was only one thing those holes could be, and it now seemed that each one of them was on the verge of spewing some sort of hellacious death upon them.
“Get Steiger on the comm,” Hightower said through clenched teeth, his eyes fixated on the sinister ships in front of him.
Jake Crosby immediately went to work and within seconds the familiar voice of Captain Steiger boomed loudly through the bridge again. Only this time, the kindness seemed to have left his voice.
“Captain Harry Hightower, this is Captain Malcolm Steiger of the Supreme Regency’s Galactic Navy, you are ordered to surrender at once or risk being destroyed in a matter of seconds,” he said. His tone was not exactly evil, but very matter-of-fact and business like.
Hightower’s jaw tightened even more, and he turned his head slightly, his neck popping as he did so. Colonel Madigan and other officers on the bridge slowly turned to look at him. There was a long and awkward silence. Finally, he said through clenched teeth, “Steiger, what is the meaning of this?”
“Commander, I think that it’s quite obvious,” Malcolm replied smugly. “You surrender right this minute, or you all die. It’s your choice.”
Hightower sighed and shook his head. “You tell me why,” he demanded.
There was a moment of silence, and then, “Commander, I do not owe you an explanation, please understand that. Having said that, I do want you to know that as I’ve gotten to know you these previous weeks, I’ve discovered a genuine fondness for you and some of the other humans…especially Commander Stellick,” he said. “In case you haven’t figured it out yet, everything you’ve been told has been a ruse. The arm of the Supreme Regency reaches far and wide to every corner of the galaxy, and no planet is exempt from the rule of Potentate Romulus Shade.”
“Romulus Shade?” Hightower spat, disgusted. “I don’t know who Romulus Shade is, but I know who Malcolm Steiger is—or at least I thought I did! How dare you betray us?”
“This is not a betrayal,” Steiger quipped, and his tone for the first time flirted with anger. “This is an opportunity that I’m giving you for survival. We will take Earth with or without your help. The gateway to do so is now in place, and our ship’s cannons have currently taken aim at Earth’s mightiest vessel…the SC Titan.”
Suddenly, it began to make sense to the Commander. His shoulders slumped as he forced himself to relax into his chair. It was now quite clear that there were no alien creatures threatening the extinction of the Kaloian race. Instead, it now seemed that the threat to the entire galaxy was at the hands of the Kaloians. The entire story was a clever trick to not only earn Earth’s trust, but to also lure its most powerful spacecraft into a trap. With the Titan out of the way, and a gateway providing easy access, there would be little to stop the invasion and eventual takeover of Earth.
“I’m growing impatient, Captain Hightower,” Steiger said. “I need an answer.”
Hightower suddenly rose from his chair and marched over to Jake Crosby. He leaned over and whispered into the young man’s ear. Jake nodded and immediately flipped a switch in front of him.
“Okay, we can hear him, but he can’t hear us,” Jake said confidently.
Hightower nodded, and turned to Colonel Madigan. “Alright, we have to move fast, and we only have one chance at this. Merrill, I want you to command Stellick to get himself and every one of our pilots in the Comet fighters. They need to be ready to launch in a matter of minutes.” The colonel saluted and immediately snatched up the receiver that would provide a direct line to the launch bay. He then barked the orders to Commander Stellick.
Next, Hightower looked to Rowena Walker. “Ms. Walker, on my command I want you to head straight for that asteroid field behind those ships,” he said, pointing.
“You want me to fly straight toward the Kaloian ships sir?” she asked, unable to contain her worry.
“Yes, and make sure you fly over them. Their cannons look like they’ll have a harder time reaching us if we fly above, than they would if we flew under them—and you’ll have to move fast!”
“Yes sir,” she replied, and Rowena moved her hands over the controls in front of her.
“Commander, I want an answer!” Malcolm’s voice boomed suddenly.
Hightower made a gesture toward Jake and he in turn opened the microphone again. “Alright, Steiger,” the captain said, doing his best to sound defeated. “We will surrender, but I beg of you to give me a few minutes to alert my crew. I don’t want anything to happen that would endanger them…I need them to know what is happening.”
He could hear Malcolm take a deep breath as he pondered the request. “How long do you need?” he asked.
“Ten minutes,” Hightower replied.
There was a momentary pause, and then Malcom said, “I’ll give you seven minutes.”
“Thank you,” the captain answered, and he then looked to Jake, raking a finger across his throat so he’d kill the microphone again. Jake complied, and Hightower immediately began shouting orders.
“Ms. Walker, use the forward scanning sensors to plot the best possible course through that asteroid field, and as soon as we’re through keep it steady until every one of our fighters are back on board. Then, we switch to light speed. Is that understood?”
“Yes sir,” she replied, her hands still firmly on the controls.
“When I give the command, there can be no hesitation,” he said.
She waved a hand at him, but kept her eyes focused on the monitor in front of her as it plotted a course.
“Merrill, are we ready to go?” he asked, turning toward the Colonel.
Madigan gave a thumbs up as he held the receiver to his chest. “Every Comet is ready to go. Awaiting your order.”
“Good,” Hightower replied, and he stepped toward his old friend. “Tell them that as soon as I give the order, I want them to go destroy the gate.”
Madigan stared at him wide-eyed, his mouth falling open. Hightower stared right back at him, stone-faced
. Every crew member on the bridge had a look of surprise on their faces and there was an eerie silence. The colonel suddenly regained his composure and then returned the phone to his ear, so he could relay the instructions to Roger.
“But, how will we get back?” a voice called out. It was Jake Crosby.
“We’ll worry about that later, do not question the captain’s authority,” Madigan snapped.
Captain Hightower glanced at his watch. Only two and a half minutes had gone by. He then looked around at Lieutenant Hayden Carter.
“Carter, get to the weapons console and ready the laser turrets. When we move toward the asteroid field, I want both cannons unleashing a firestorm on those alien bastards. Our fighters will need plenty of cover if they’re going to get back.”
Lieutenant Carter moved to the controls for the left turret and instructed the other assigned crew member to man the right one. “We will give them all we’ve got, sir,” Carter replied with determination.
Hightower again peeked at his watch. He had another two minutes before he would be forced to show his hand. “Merrill, you’re sure we’re ready in the launch bay?”
Madigan nodded at him. “All forty fighters are ready. Stellick is awaiting orders in the cockpit as we speak.”
The captain nodded. “Tell him to be ready in another sixty seconds. I want them off the ship about thirty seconds before the seven minutes are up.”
Madigan nodded again and relayed the message to Roger.
Hightower again glanced at his watch, anxiety welling up in him. The seconds ticked by when finally…
“Launch the fighters!” he roared furiously.
***
Commander Roger Stellick heard the command in his ear at the very moment the light on his console illuminated green. He immediately throttled up the engine of his fighter and zipped out of the starboard launch bay as if he’d been fired from a cannon. Once in space and clear of the Titan, he glanced at the radar screen in front of him to see that the other four members of his squad were tight on his tail, just as they’d been trained.
The 40 Comet fighters made up eight squads that comprised of five ships per squad. Each squad was assigned a code name along with an experienced squad leader. Once out of the Titan, the squad leader had complete control over his or her squad until they all returned to the ship. Stellick was in command of Alpha squad and their sole objective was to destroy the H.T.G. before the Kaloians would be able to use it to return to Earth. The remaining squads were instructed to scatter high and low and inflict as much damage as possible to the four ships that flanked either side of the Pinnacle. Captain Steiger’s ship would receive its due attack courtesy of the SC Titan.
“Alright Alpha squad,” Roger said, addressing his team for the first time since they’d left the safety of the Titan. “Our objective is very simple. We lock onto the gate and destroy it. Once that is done, we make a mad dash back to the Titan…is that understood?”
There were multiple responses, all indicating that they did indeed understand. “Cowboy, I want you watching our six while we get this done. Let us know if any enemy aircraft begin an approach.”
“Roger that,” Gentry “Cowboy” McNevin replied confidently.
While Cowboy slowed his Comet significantly, Roger and the other three fighters continued onward and reached the gate within mere seconds. He took aim on the right side of the gate, along with Blackout while Subzero and Wrench opened fire on the left side. As he squeezed the trigger, Roger found himself wondering if he’d ever see Earth again. As far as he and anyone else knew, this was their only way back home. As soon as the missiles made contact, the gate exploded in a brilliant burst of white light. Pieces of shattered metal jettisoned in all directions and resembled a glass plate breaking.
“That was easy enough,” Roger said, sounding somewhat relieved. “Cowboy, how are we looking back there?”
“Nothing yet, sir,” he replied. “The other squads are on the attack but—wait, enemy ships are launching fighters!”
“This changes nothing,” Roger replied. “I want this entire squad back on the Titan right now!”
“They’ve launched just as many fighters as we’ve got sir,” Cowboy added. “Maybe even more.”
“Again, this changes nothing,” Roger snapped. “That’s thirty-five of our best pilots and they can handle it…we can’t afford an unnecessary risk that would jeopardize losing all of our fighters. Get back on the ship immediately.”
Roger’s squad all replied with compliance, though he could clearly hear the disappointment in their voices. As much as he too wanted to join the fight, he’d been given very strict instruction by Colonel Madigan to destroy the gate and return immediately. As he led Alpha Squad back toward the starboard launch bay, he looked on as the enemy fighters began to engage the incoming Comets. The tiny spacecrafts were shaped like diamonds, but the points on either side of the “diamond” jutted sharply outward to form wings. Just as he re-entered the Titan, he began to see streaks of purple emitting from the enemy fighters. They were obviously equipped with laser weapons. Roger thought of the limited supply of missiles and cannon ammunition on board the Comet fighters. He felt his heart sink as he realized that the odds were overwhelmingly not in their favor.
***
“Fighters have been launched, sir,” Tago Mari barked proudly over the intercom.
Captain Malcolm Steiger made a tight fist and pounded the arm of his chair hard. He’d looked on in genuine shock as five of the Titan’s fighters promptly destroyed the H.T.G. Potentate Shade would be furious when he learned of this failure and he knew there would be terrible consequences that he would have to face. The only thing he could do now was destroy the SC Titan along with every one of the Comet fighters. If he did so, hopefully it would soften the blow he’d sustain from Shade.
“I want every one of those fighters destroyed,” Malcolm said through clenched teeth. “I want the Pinnacle’s plasma cannons unleashed on the Titan at once.”
“Sir, it appears that the Titan is moving toward us at a high rate of speed!” Tago Mari announced suddenly.
“Well what are we waiting for?” Malcolm growled. “FIRE!”
***
Merissa “Banshee” Voight had been named leader of Echo squad soon after she’d boarded the SC Titan. The assignment was a mixture of surprise and pride as it was the first time she’d been assigned a leadership role. The decision had been made quickly and she wondered if General Porter Buchanon had been involved in the decision. He’d taken a liking to her, and she didn’t understand why. Although she herself felt inadequate for such a role, she accepted it proudly. Truthfully, she never dreamed that she’d be entering a combat scenario so soon. If she had, she’d have probably protested it. No sooner had the Titan entered the Ara Constellation, she and all the other pilots had been ordered to their respective fighters. Banshee embraced the moment as she never felt more at home than she did in the cockpit of a Comet. What did trouble her, however, was that now she felt very responsible for four other pilots in her squad—men that she had not even had an opportunity to get acquainted with.
The orders Echo squad were given were simple and to the point. She, along with Franklin “Bull” Fuller, Simon “Shadow” Richardson, August “Waldo” Johnson, and Steven “Hogie” Hunt, were directed to head straight for the two sinister looking port holes on the front of the Pinnacle and destroy them at all costs. As they made a beeline for the port holes that they believed to be cannons, Banshee noticed that Kaloian fighters swarmed out of the other ships flanking the Pinnacle. Without even counting, their numbers appeared to be greater than those of the Comets.
“What about those fighters?” Hogie shouted over the radio, a little more panicked sounding than he intended.
“Forget about them,” Banshee replied. “The other squads will deal with them. We must take out those cannons or we will not have a ship to go back to.”
“Roger that,” Hogie replied, this time sounding composed.<
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“What about the cannons on those other ships?” Waldo asked.
Banshee had to force herself not to scream over the radio. She reminded herself that things had happened extremely fast and that only the squad leaders were given specific instructions on what was to be done. The other 32 pilots were left in the dark and would be understandably curious as to what the plan would be to ensure the safety of the Titan.
“The other squads have assignments regarding the other ship cannons,” she answered firmly. “Our focus right now is to destroy the cannons on the Pinnacle. After we’ve done that, we’ll join the fight until we receive orders to return to the Titan.”
“Roger,” Waldo replied. “We’ll follow your lead sir.”
Banshee swallowed and allowed herself a slight smile. “Bull and Simon, take the portside cannon. Waldo and Hogie, you guys take out the starboard. Use your missiles and then fill them full of lead just to be sure. Fire at will.”
Echo squad launched their missiles in unison and they all reached their targets with precision. As the four fighters that flanked her on both sides unleashed a barrage of cannon fire to follow up the direct hits by the missiles, Banshee pulled back on the stick which in turn sent her Comet streaking in a slight upward trajectory. She had not used her missiles on the Pinnacle cannons, instead opting to save them for what she hoped would be the bridge of the ship. Banshee could not be sure since the Pinnacle was covered in a sleek metal skin that did an incredibly good job of camouflaging any viewport that would give an indication of the location of the ship’s bridge. Instead, she was forced to take a guess—something she was almost certain she’d be reprimanded for later.
As her Comet skimmed close to the front of the Pinnacle’s hull, Banshee released her missiles and they made direct contact, evidenced by the bright explosion and concussive vibration that reverberated through her cockpit. As she continued to climb, she keyed her mic and said, “Echo squad, I need you on my six at once.”
She glanced down at her radar screen and could see the blue dots that represented her team chasing after her as instructed. “Did we take out the cannons?” she asked.
