“There’s a major power drain going on.” Corridors began to go dark around them. “Looks to me like the Egesa are getting the hell out of here. Fast.”
“The facility is breaking down.” The realization hit Leila like a rock to the head. That was the only reason she could think of for them to be racing out of here as if their lives depended on it.
“Or the Egesa are getting ready to blow the place. Either way, it’s bad news. Make your way back out the way we came. I’ll find the others.”
Run away? Like a coward? Hardly. “I’m staying with you. I’m a warrior too and will not abandon our people here.”
“I’m ranking officer. Do as I say. Go!” Halah took off and disappeared among the guards.
“Halah!” Leila gave out a sigh of frustration. That woman had no concept of how to lead or work with others. She was a one-woman ticking time bomb.
Halah had probably headed toward the control section, but she’d seen a facility map and decided to make her way toward the artillery section. That’s where the weapons were. That’s where the special bullets to defeat the Egesa were being created and housed. That’s where Torque would go, eventually. She knew the man better than Halah. When the area looked clear, she took off and headed for the stairs. The lift would be too dangerous and could open up to a whole team of Egesa on the other side.
The staircase door creaked when she pulled the handle. She cringed. It probably sounded louder to her ears than it really was. She looked inside. Deserted. Good. She slipped past the door and let it fall closed behind her. Then she headed up. Her boots clanked on the metal steps. Damn human construction. She could take them off, but if she had to run, she could move faster with them on. Instead, she slowed her steps to cover the sound, stopping every few feet to listen. All remained quiet.
Suddenly her vid-cell crackled and a garbled voice spoke. She jumped and her heart about leapt out of her chest. She grabbed it from her jacket. “Torque?” She adjusted the volume.
“Leila?”
“Erik! Is that you?” A huge weight lifted from her shoulders. She hoped she wasn’t just hearing what she wanted to hear.
“Yes, it’s me. It’s so good to hear your voice, baby. Xylon’s grid is back online. We modified the signal, hoping we’d be able to pick one of you up. Are you all right? I thought the Egesa had you.”
“They did. I got away. I’m in an underground tracking facility but I don’t have the exact coordinates. Halah took off inside without me. Torque is here somewhere too. Brianna and Sam are outside the facility, but I don’t know where they are. Erik, the Egesa are rushing out of here in droves. Halah thinks Daegal is going to blow the place. Erik, can you hear me?” She shook the unit. “Erik? Damn it!”
She really hoped they were already orbiting Earth and in a position to help. She continued up the stairs. When she reached the floor where the artillery section was located, the door swung open and an Egesa soldier stepped out. They both froze and stood staring at each other. She could actually hear her own heart beating.
He made a guttural sound and reached toward the weapon on his belt. She reached inside her jacket and curled her fingers around the disruptor she’d stolen while aboard Daegal’s ship…
* * * * *
Deep Space
“Sting fighters are heading our way,” Braden told Erik.
“I’ve lost contact with Leila.”
“I need your attention with me right now, man.”
“Yeah.” Erik turned from the comm panel. “I’m with you.” He studied the tracking screen. “The Egesa are creating a blanket. They know we’re out here somewhere. I recognize this pattern. They’re going to try to force collisions. Do we evade or engage?”
Braden spoke into the comm channel. “Everyone de-cloak and engage. Don’t get too close to those fighters. They’re setting up for a bash-and-smash. Watch your weapons’ stores and fuel. That’s all you’ve got until our supply ships show up.”
“I’m reading another group of ships following the sting fighters,” Erik announced. “I don’t recognize the signature of the ships.”
Braden looked at the readout. “It’s Frost. She’s covering from the rear.”
“Covering us or them?”
Braden shook his head, not sure what to think. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” He spoke into the comm channel again. “Hold fire against any ship that isn’t a sting fighter unless fired upon. We’ve got other vessels out here and cannot absolutely confirm whether they’re friend or foe.”
Braden knew Frost well enough to know that she sided with whomever she thought could get her what she wanted. And right now, they both wanted Daegal dead. Or so he suspected that’s what she wanted. So he was bargaining that, at least temporarily, she wouldn’t shoot down any Xylon ships.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” Erik grabbed the weapon’s control and switched to manual. “Here they come!”
Braden switched more power to the front shields as he lead the squadron forward. The sting fighters were now close enough for visual confirmation and Erik fired first. Not standard procedure and Braden glanced over at him.
Erik shrugged. “Payback.”
“Works for me.” Braden flew straight at the damaged ship, which Erik took out before it could return fire.
Their ship shook as it took fire from both sides. Reports of sting fighters destroyed as well as damaged Xylon ships flooded in.
“We’ve got three on our tail,” Erik announced.
“I see them.” Braden took evasive maneuvers but he couldn’t shake them. They fired and the ship again shook violently. “We’ve got shield damage.”
“I can’t hit them! You’ve got to get me a better position.”
“Working on it!” A loud pop echoed in the back of the orbiter.
“Damn it. They’ve damaged our rear firing system.” Erik jumped up. “I can fix it.”
Braden switched weapons’ control to automatic. “I need rear coverage,” he shouted into the comm. The ship shook and flew wildly to port side as they took another hit.
Erik gave out a loud moan of pain, immediately drawing Braden’s attention. He turned to see that the man had been knocked into the engineering alcove. “Are you all right?” When he didn’t answer, Braden’s heart lurched. “Erik!” Three Xylon fighters were covering his ship, so he engaged the autopilot for evasive maneuvers, jumped out of the control seat and rushed to Erik’s side. “What happened?”
Erik jerked forward then slid to the ground at Braden’s feet. Braden stood stunned. He fell to his knees beside his friend. He glanced up to see blood dripping off a post. Erik had been impaled on a steel rod and had pulled himself free. “Shit.” If he’d been wearing his jacket, it never would have penetrated. Blood gushed from the wound on Erik’s lower left side. Braden scrambled to his feet and rushed to retrieve a medical kit. When he returned, he packed the injured area as best as he could.
Another blast hit the ship, almost knocking him off balance. “Damn it,” he muttered.
“It’s bad, Braden,” Erik forced out with a weak voice.
“You’re a warrior. You’ll heal.”
He shook his head. “Not in time. Not without help. I need Leila.”
“We’re not close enough to materialize her aboard.” The fighting had forced them farther out from the planet.
“Get close enough.”
Braden jumped up and returned to the control seat. “Clear a path for me,” he spoke into the comm. “I’m heading for Earth.” He switched channels. “Frost, I’m headed your way. Don’t try to stop me or my squadrons will destroy your ships. I need to get Leila aboard.”
The channel crackled and he heard Frost’s voice. “We’ll cover you, Braden. What’s wrong? I can materialize my own healer over to you, if needed.”
She almost sounded concerned, but he knew better. “Just move aside.” He diverted power from weapons control into the engine and shields. Their chip tracking programs still weren’t
functional, so he engaged the computer to key on Leila’s vid-cell. He’d locked in the code when Erik had briefly managed to raise her earlier.
As soon as he made orbit and had her location, he lowered the shields and hit the switch to materialize her aboard. He quickly reengaged the shields before turning toward her. As she stood in the middle of the orbiter, she looked disoriented and blinked several times. He jumped out of the control seat and headed toward her. “Leila—”
She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. “You’ve got great timing, Braden.” Then she spotted Erik on the floor. “Erik!”
They both kneeled beside him. “He was impaled. It’s bad.”
“I see that.” She looked at her wrist. “Damn it. I lost my sensor.” She pulled a small device from her jacket. “I need to stop the bleeding. Go handle things. You’ve done all you can here.”
He was reluctant to leave Erik’s side but he had a job to finish and others to save. He nodded and returned to the front of the ship. As he took the vessel off autopilot, he noticed a large energy surge coming from the planet. “What the hell?” The power caused unusual interference and he couldn’t lock down the exact location.
At the same time, explosions registered around the facility where Leila had been.
Several of his fighters were now orbiting Earth, while others still engaged Daegal’s sting fighters farther out. Drones were also firing on positions located at Earth’s poles. The computer indicated the technology was not Earth, Marid or Xylon based. Egesa ships began to converge.
It all clicked in his head at once. “A diversion,” he whispered to himself. “Yes.” Someone was helping them, drawing the Egesa ships in opposite directions. He spoke into the comm to his ships. “Drones are firing on the planet. Sting fighters are moving to destroy. Protect those drones.”
“Sir?” one of his commanders asked. “Verify command to allow firing from drones on the planet?”
“Yes. Engage the sting fighters only.” At that moment, a sting fighter hit them from behind. His ship shook violently. He had no rear firing capability and the shields were damaged. “I need more cover,” he spoke into his comm. He heard a small explosion and Leila let out a squeal.
“Braden! Fire!”
Braden looked behind him. “Shit.” The back panel had lit up and sparks flew. He hit the control to auto-extinguish. The flames immediately disappeared. “Leila, I’m going to materialize you and Erik over to another ship. You two need to get back to the Ice Moon.”
“You too, Braden. This ship has had it.”
“I’ll be all right. Moving to a better position so shields can be lowered.” He spoke into the comm. “Materializing two warriors to Squad Fighter I-78. Prepare for transfer.” And then they were gone and he was alone. The quiet among the chaos seemed almost eerie. He checked the computer and his status.
The orbiter was damaged but functional. His squadrons were overpowering the sting fighters. The computer also showed Egesa markings on the planet falling at a high rate. Frost’s ships were now surrounding Daegal’s main ship and shield ships. Her fire power wouldn’t be enough to take Daegal out though, only slow down his base ship.
Braden studied his fuel gauge. It still registered high. And now he was alone on the orbiter…
Intermittent power surges from the tracking facility caught his attention. He hit his comm button. “Torque? Can you hear me?”
A voice answered back. “Braden? It’s Brianna.”
* * * * *
Planet Earth, State of Colorado, U.S.A.
Underground Tracking Facility
Torque aimed the laser at the coordinates given him by Jaeda’s contacts. “Powered up. Ready to fire this bad boy!” The building shook from the surge in energy.
“Diversions are in play,” Jaeda shouted up at the platform where he stood.
Torque’s heart raced from the adrenaline rushing through his body. They had to get this right. After the first shot, Daegal would send everything he had to destroy the weapon. “Engaging!” The energy surge hit maximum and pulsed through the weapon and out into space.
When the weapon actually engaged and fired, the soldiers surrounding the platform cheered. “Yeah!”
Torque looked down at Jaeda. “Check with your people. Get a report.” He saw her speaking into her comm unit.
She shook her head and looked up at him. “You missed.”
“Fuck! Get me new coordinates.”
“Sir!” one of the soldiers shouted. “Tracking computer just came back online!”
“Kirk, I could kiss you,” Torque mumbled. “Feed the data into the weapon’s panel.”
“Torque!” Jaeda shouted. “Sting fighters are converging on the facility.”
“Are your ground-to-air weapons still functional?” Torque asked the soldier in charge.
“Yes, Sir, but penetrating their shields with those weapons is nearly impossible, as I said before.”
“We only need to hold them off for a few fucking minutes.”
“Sir!” another soldier called. “I see a woman on the monitor outside the artillery door. She’s wearing a jacket like yours and has the head of an Egesa soldier grasped in one hand. She looks really pissed.”
Torque let out a loud bark of laughter. “Halah. I knew that bitch was too fucking stubborn to die. If it’s clear, let her in.”
A moment later, Halah stepped inside. “It’s about time. Control was inaccessible. Too many Egesa. I took an educated guess and came here next. Most of the guards were headed out, except this guy.” She handed the disembodied head to a soldier who stared at it with his mouth gaping open. “Need any help?”
“Damn good to see you for once, Halah.”
“Fuck you. Daegal’s ready to blow this facility.”
“No shit. Can you bring the shields of the sting fighters down, so we can destroy them with these weapons?” He cranked up the power on the laser weapon for his second attempt.
“No, but I can weaken their hold if we have computer access.”
“We’ve got it.” Torque jerked his head toward a panel of machines. “Let her in there, soldier,” he shouted to the man in front of the controls.
Halah stepped over to the computer and started inputting data. Torque addressed the man in charge. “Get your men ready on the weapons.”
“We’re on ’em. Everyone to the weapons’ stations!”
The building shook. “We’re taking fire!” Jaeda spoke into her comm device, getting up-to-date information from her people. “Torque, Xylon ships are in-coming.”
“Perfect! Halah,” Torque called out as he prepared to fire again. “Feed the Xylon data into the weapons’ stations. I don’t want them shooting down our fighters by mistake.”
“Already done. I’m bringing down the power on the sting fighters now as well as on Daegal’s ship. We’ll have to move fast before they discover and counter. Fire on my go, gentlemen!”
They all waited for Halah’s command. Torque watched the tracking system to make certain he remained on target. He wouldn’t miss this time because he could make any adjustments needed before firing. He could see Daegal’s ship, surrounded by his security vessels. But… Torque’s eyes narrowed. “I see other ships in area. Are those shifter vessels, Jaeda?”
“No. We’re clear.”
“Shifters are here too?” Halah asked. “I’ve sent a warning. They’ll move or be destroyed.”
“Who the hell are they, Halah? Can you identify?”
“It’s irrelevant. Ignore them and just do your damn job! They’re moving off. And so is Daegal.”
“Fucking bitch to the end,” he mumbled. Torque adjusted some settings. Luckily this weapon had the range needed. Daegal wouldn’t be able to get away fast enough. Besides he’d soon see that he was cut off by Xylon fighters, if he hadn’t discovered that already.
“Shields are powering down! Fire before they counter!” Halah ordered.
Noise exploded inside the room as the energy levels
peaked. Archaic construction, Torque thought, but the weapons were doing their job. He could see ships disappearing off the tracking screens. He fired the laser weapon. The beam hit Daegal’s ship dead center and it went up in a fireball. The relief he felt was more than he expected and he had to fight to keep his knees from buckling under him.
And then, as suddenly as it all started, it was over and the room fell into silence. The smell of death and destruction filled the air. The enormity of the attack seemed to have drained them all.
Finally a soldier asked, “Is that it, Sir? Did we do it?”
Torque nodded. “We did it. Good job, everyone.”
The relief in the room was palpable. Some soldiers cheered, some slapped hands in a gesture that he didn’t understand, some simply looked spent.
There would continue to be fighting on the surface and in the air. But without Daegal and most of their support ships, they’d won and the Egesa would soon realize that.
Torque jumped down from the platform and took Jaeda in his arms. “We’ll need a status report,” he whispered in her ear.
She nodded and pulled away to speak into her comm unit.
He walked over to Halah. “Good job. How’d you get off the ship? I heard it was destroyed.”
“Long story.” When he cocked an eyebrow at her, she shrugged. “I’m here. That’s what matters. We can discuss the details—”
“Torque.” Jaeda walked over to them. “I have your sister on the channel.”
He turned from Halah and took the unit. “Brianna? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. We’re fine. I’m with Sam. We’re in Earth’s orbit with Braden.”
He could sense something not right in her voice. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ll talk later when we debrief. Is Halah with you?”
“Yes, she’s fine. What about Leila? The Egesa took her.”
“Braden located her. She’s fine too. She’s on her way back to the Ice Moon on another ship with Erik. He got injured pretty badly but he’s going to make it.”
Depths Of Desire XW5 Page 23
