Omega Force 7: Redemption

by Joshua Dalzelle

  "I don't see any obvious problems with the plan," Jason agreed. "It doesn't have to be airtight, just keep them in the area and confused long enough that they'll have to try and backtrack to pick our trail up again."

  "Even a short diversion will suit our purposes," Kage said. "There is no way that Crisstof is taking the risk of putting the Defiant in orbit over Vyrt."

  "True," Twingo said. "That's what he used us for. Those pirates would begin to get very brave with a bright, shiny battlecruiser hanging above them."

  "We're not hoping to get anyone killed," Jason reminded them, "just off our back long enough to see if our objective is on the surface."

  Chapter 13

  "We made it into the system undetected as far as I can tell," Kage said as he studied his displays. "I'm not seeing any movement from the planet and no active scans are being concentrated in this area."

  "Good," Jason said. "Let's go silent. Full countermeasures and passive sensors only. We'll creep in as close to the planet as possible while listening for the netjere's signal."

  "It may not be that easy," Kalette said. "The range of the device is very limited and if they have her in a well-shielded room it might not be detectable."

  "A bit of a short-sighted design," Kage said. "But don't worry. The passives are extremely sensitive and we're listening to a part of the band that nobody else is transmitting on. Even a bit of leakage on that carrier wave and we should get a good general location."

  "Does the existence of the signal mean that she's at least still alive?" Jason asked.

  "Yes," Kalette said. "The device is symbiotic in nature ... it will cease to function if the host dies."

  "We'll find her," Kage said confidently. "Assuming, of course, that she's still alive and that she's actually on this planet."

  Kalette began to softly cry, trying to hide it behind her hands. Jason pretended not to notice as he didn't want to embarrass her. Crusher had no such qualms.

  "You've made her cry, you inconsiderate bastard!" he charged loudly, standing up and pointing his finger. "Apologize for your behavior!"

  Kage looked completely baffled. "What?!"

  "You heard me!"

  "I don't know what you're talking about!" Kage said quickly in a high-pitched voice. He leaned up and over so he could see around Jason to the seat in front of a monitoring station where Kalette was now trying to hide her face with both hands. "Oh! Kalette, I'm sorry ... better?" He seemed to cast his question to both Crusher and Kalette. When she didn't answer, Jason climbed out of the pilot's seat and slid a hand under her upper arm to guide her off the bridge.

  "How about we head down the galley and grab a cup of tea," he said.

  She stood without protest and allowed herself to be led. "I am sorry," she said, her face still splotchy from crying. "I have been trying to hold it in, but to even consider the fact that the netjere might be dead ... I will have lost the closest person to me and failed at my sole purpose in life."

  "No need to apologize," Jason said. "This has to be an enormous burden on you."

  "What type of tea do you have aboard?" she asked, wanting to change the subject as she tried to regain her composure.

  "Well ... I may have lied about the tea," Jason admitted. "We have something called chroot that has a similar stimulant effect."

  "Does it taste similar to the tea you had at your house on S'tora?"

  "If you strained it through one of Crusher's dirty socks then yeah ... it's very similar," Jason said without a trace of humor. I really need to get this food synthesizer upgraded or replaced.

  The next thirty-two hours were nothing less than mind-numbing as the Phoenix silently glided into the system towards the second and only habitable planet in the system. The chaos of Vyrt was already reaching them as the com board lit up with near constant traffic and the optical sensors picked up the occasional random explosion in the upper atmosphere.

  "I'm starting to remember why we always avoided this place," Kage said.

  "Me too," Jason said, never taking his eyes off the tactical display. "I'm guessing that in another hour we're going to be visible to all the active sensor scans coming from the planet even with our countermeasures deployed. It looks like we have at least three factions duking it out in high orbit and I doubt they'll be courteous enough to allow us safe passage for a few leisurely orbits ourselves while listening for the netjere's implant ping."

  "If you could keep us in space I'd appreciate it," Kage said. "I've got the passive listening array fully deployed. If you rig for atmospheric flight I'll have to retract it flush with the hull or it'll be torn off in the slipstream."

  "No promises," Jason said. "Just do the best you can with what I give you. Even if the passive array is partially retracted we'll get an advantage being closer to the signal if we're flying low."

  "Not by much," Kage said before surrendering from the glare Jason gave him. "Fine, fine. I'll try to narrow the filter a little bit more and make do."

  "I think we've been spotted," Doc said. "We were hit with a concentrated tachyon burst and now two ships are breaking away and moving out this way, slow but steady."

  "I've got 'em," Jason said. "We'll let them commit a bit more before breaking for the planet. Twingo, stand by to bring all our tactical systems online and drop the countermeasures when I say."

  "Isn't that Kage's job?"

  "He's busy trying to find a needle in a needle stack," Jason said calmly. "Today it's your job."

  Twingo grumbled something about "having four arms for a reason," but still turned to reconfigure his station to control the ship's tactical systems as well as monitor engineering functions.

  The crew fell silent as they watched the approaching ships on their respective displays with the exception of Crusher, who apparently still had no interest in keeping track of what was happening outside of the ship. Jason adjusted his course a little to port to see if the contacts would turn in on him and to give him a better angle to reach the planet and avoid the main body of the conflict that seemed to be moving towards one of Vyrt's three moons.

  As expected, the ships turned in to tighten their own approach and accelerated, blasting the gunship with active sensor scans. "Drop the countermeasures, Twingo," Jason said. "Give me full engine power and bring all the tactical systems up."

  "You've got engines," Twingo said. "Full combat mode in just a second."

  Jason smoothly slid the throttle forward and watched on the tactical display as the Phoenix raced ahead of the two raggedy "combat" shuttles that had been running as hard as they could to meet them. Jason effectively put the gunship behind them as he flew past their intercept vector and turned to starboard before they could react.

  "They won't be an issue," Doc said. "The sensors show that even if they'd opened up with everything they're carrying it wouldn't have even weakened the shields."

  "Just remember, they have overwhelming numbers on their side and a ship this modern is an even more enticing target than the Defiant would be," Jason said. "If they think they have a good chance of capturing her intact they may set aside their differences for the moment and come after us."

  "Atmospheric entry in thirty seconds," Kage called out. "Kalette, if there's anything you need to do to get her implant singing, now would be a good time."

  Jason could see the young female close her eyes and furrow her brow in concentration before all his attention was on dodging the bulk and trailing debris field of a derelict ship in a low, decaying orbit. After that it was smooth going as the Phoenix's shields slammed into the mesosphere and the canopy was temporarily obscured by the superheated plasma generated by their entry.

  "I'm executing pre-plotted course Bravo," Jason said to Kage. "I want to keep in the dark as much as possible and Alpha takes us across the terminator and into daylight."

  "Adjusting sensor profile," Kage said. "I'm feeding deviations to your nav panel now. There are a couple of cities that look more promising than others."

  "Making co
rrections now," Jason acknowledged. He and Kage had worked out four possible courses they could execute once down in the atmosphere, each flying a snaking route over the surface of Vyrt at an altitude of seventeen thousand meters. The passive sensor array in its retracted mode of operation should still be able to pick up the faint signal.

  "Anything, Kalette?"

  "Nothing yet," she said tensely.

  "Don't hesitate to call out if you pick something up and our sensors don't catch it," Jason told her.

  "I will tell you if I detect anything," she said. "Now please leave me be. This takes all my concentration."

  The statement brought another question to Jason's mind, but he let it go and concentrated on flying the ship. He gritted his teeth and reached out with his neural implant, trying to sync up to the Phoenix. This time, despite the horrific pain in the front of his head, the computer coupled up successfully and soon he was able to look down "through" the ship as the sensor feeds were piped into his visual cortex.

  "I can't believe this used to be a thriving planet of billions," he remarked as they overflew deserted cities dotted with the flashes of sporadic weapons fire, weak portable lights, and fires that seemed to mark encampments.

  "It is depressing," Kage agreed. "I see you managed to restore your connection. I'll populate your threat board for you." Immediately blue circles and green hexagons began popping up in Jason's field of view to mark points of interest or potential threats. A few red triangles flashed twice over certain things to mark an imminent threat.

  "I'm getting something," Kage said.

  "I think I have something," Kalette said a split second later.

  "I'm sending you a marker," Kage said. "The city to the south. I picked up a momentary blip in the right frequency range."

  "I have no way to pinpoint direction so precisely," Kalette said apologetically. "But I felt something that was consistent with the netjere's implant responding to my own."

  "Good work you two," Jason said. "That may have been the easy part, but at least we have strong evidence that the netjere is alive and here on Vyrt. Kage, refine your sweep and I'm going to give you a high speed, high altitude pass over the city. I want you to pinpoint a building or whatever that she may be held in."

  "Wouldn't low and slow be better?" Doc asked.

  "It sure would," Jason said. "But then we'd be assured that they would spot us and likely get a few shots off. Let's not kid ourselves, gentlemen ... these are not amateurs. They may be hiding out with the bush league but these are motivated and skilled professionals ... I think."

  "You think?" Crusher asked.

  "Look ... all I'm saying is that anybody with enough juice to steal a princess from a neighboring superpower is likely able to afford ground-based sensors and weaponry that would cause us a problem if we went bumbling in there," Jason said.

  "Then they also likely have an entire regiment down there guarding her," Crusher pointed out.

  "I'm hoping they're trying not to attract attention," Jason said. "Everything has a price on this planet, especially information. You roll in here with a professional army and half the sector will know about it within the week. Standby, we're going up to thirty thousand meters. Kage, this will be a small window for you to get a fix."

  "I'm ready," Kage said.

  "What the hell is a bush league?" Twingo whispered to Doc, who only shushed him and never looked up from his terminal.

  Jason pulled the nose up as he banked to the south and advanced the throttle all the way to the stop, sending the Phoenix screaming off into the night. The gunship quickly went hypersonic and within minutes was approaching the city that wasn't even visible to the naked eye, but the multi-spectral optics let Jason see the crumbling ruins in stark detail.

  The altitude helped them stay on target for a bit longer, but it seemed as soon as the city came within range they were already over it and continuing south, hopefully sounding like a ship re-entering the atmosphere to any attentive observers on the ground. The heavy and chaotic traffic over the planet was a constant risk, but it seemed like it might actually work in their favor this time.

  "I've got it down to what appears to be two city blocks," Kage said, shaking his head in frustration. "Sorry, Captain ... that's the best I can do with such a weak signal at that speed and altitude."

  "That's good enough," Jason said. "That's much, much better than narrowing it down to just a planet or just a city."

  "So what's next?" Crusher asked, his knee bouncing in anticipation.

  "We're going to get dropped off outside the city and then we'll make our way in to see what's what," Jason said, pulling the throttle back and nosing them over into a spiraling dive that would get them away from the sensors of the space battle that seemed to still be in full swing overhead.

  "It would have been advantageous to have brought a ground vehicle," Lucky said. "We do not have much darkness left and it will be a long walk to the spot indicated by Kage."

  "We may have to find a spot to hole up during the day," Jason said. "Let's ration for at least a two-day trip with the expectation of being extracted on site by the ship. A vehicle will draw too much attention and roaming around through the gang-controlled areas in the daylight wouldn't be smart."

  "You're worried about some backwater thugs who can't even get a generator running to light up their block?" Crusher asked.

  "I'm worried about being delayed to our objective," Jason corrected. "This is a three-man incursion, in and out, and if we do it right they'll never know we were there until we're leaving. I have no desire to fight my way across this city for no reason."

  "I think you're being wildly optimistic," Crusher shrugged. "Air support?"

  "The Phoenix will be on hot standby near the city, but not in flight directly over it," Jason said, holding his hand up to ward off the argument he could already see brewing. "Think about it, Crusher ... this ship is loud and unique on a planet like this. By the third lap whoever is holding the netjere will be well aware that an attack is coming."

  "Sounds like a blast," Crusher said, forcing a smile. "I'll meet you in the armory."

  "What was that all about?" Twingo asked when Crusher and Lucky had left. Jason almost blurted out that he thought Crusher was nervous since it was his first mission since the De'Moltia debacle, but he stopped himself just as he opened his mouth.

  "I'm sure he's just excited to get going," he said instead. "It's been awhile since he's had any action and the last ass he kicked belonged to me."

  ****

  Jason watched as the Phoenix lifted off, raising the ramp and extinguishing her running lights as she climbed away into the night. Doc had dropped them off near the outskirts of the city, whose original name was long forgotten, and would be repositioning the ship in a lightly forested area fifteen kilometers away where he would leave the engines running and the weapons charged, waiting for word from the three-man strike team.

  "Just like old times," Crusher said as the sound of the gunship receded into the distance.

  "Let's hope we do a little better this time," Jason said as he checked the charge on his plasma rifle. In addition to the standard infantry weapon he had two sidearms, a large molecular-edge knife, and his trusty railgun secured to his armor's back. He also carried a light pack with medical supplies, water, and two days’ rations attached to anchor points on the armor. Crusher carried a similar, loadout while Lucky carried a pack of his own with more extensive medical equipment and some other specialized tech that would be of use if they actually found the Avarian princess and she was injured or otherwise unable to move. "Lucky, you have the best sense of direction and sensors so you take point. I'll bring up the rear. No unnecessary risks or contact with the locals. We'll move with the intention of bedding down before morning and resuming the next night. We'll reevaluate if we're making good time."

  "This way," Lucky said and walked off towards the dim orange glow of the fires reflecting off the rotting skeletons of the city's buildings.

>   The trio made quick progress by skirting up a few back alleys and avoiding the clusters of boisterous toughs that were hanging out in front of the main entrances to what were once beautiful buildings that reached the sky. There was also a lot more debris along their path than Jason would have thought. Much of their time was climbing over substantial chunks of building that had fallen down or had been blown off during one of the wars for control of the planet.

  They ran into a few independent contractors in the early part of their mission, single operators who weren't affiliated with any particular gang, feeling they were better off trying to steal from the few stragglers they would catch out at night. One look at a battlesynth, Galvetic warrior, and one other heavily armored biped, however, was all it took to convince them to wait for the next potential victim. While the interactions were almost humorous, Jason was concerned about the attention they were attracting. He knew they must stick out as not at all belonging to a local crew, and so must the group holding onto the netjere. It wouldn't take an especially intelligent being to figure out that the two groups were related somehow and try to sell information about one to the other.

  The first major obstacle came up only two kilometers into the city. They had heard the sounds of heavy, sustained fighting when ducking down a side street that paralleled a main road, but they were all surprised at the extent of the firefight. There were at least two hundred combatants dug in behind crude fortifications for at least the next four city blocks.

  "Son of a bitch," Jason swore as he crept up behind Lucky, who was peering around the edge of a collapsed entryway to the building next to them. "We'll have to backtrack all the way down to that first cross street and try to come up behind all these morons."

  "This is a full-fledged battle," Crusher said quietly as they watched energy weapon fire blaze back and forth. "They can't go on too much longer like this."

  "But how long are we willing to wait?" Jason asked, popping up his facemask. "Damn, this thing is a piece of shit compared to the last one I had."