by John Walker
“A couple of days depending on the priority of our resources,” Desmond replied. “I also need some crew replacements. Another marine lieutenant would be nice. And we’ve got a couple commendations to hand out as well. All this can be done at the same time as cleaning things up and getting our systems back online.”
“Very well.” Reach nodded. “I’m going to get out of your hair and back to the Tribute. We’ll reconvene on Earth. Science teams will stick to their work with the data you’ve recovered and engineering will prep the ship for departure. I’d like to be ready for the jump no later than Sunday. Is that reasonable?”
“Absolutely,” Desmond said. “We’ll aim for a little sooner.”
“Fantastic.” Reach stood up and everyone followed suit. “Doctor Harper, would you like to remain on board and get a jump start on studying the information?”
Harper nodded. “Absolutely. I’d like to get some time with the Pahxin doctors as well.”
“It’s all yours.” Reach turned to Desmond. “I’ll show myself out, and thank you for this impromptu meeting. I’m confident in this meeting and your crew. Great work so far, Captain. To you and yours. See you all soon.”
Chapter 2
Gizan’s plan required some preparation and resources but the time crunch meant improvising. He could not pull their forces from the various assignments throughout the galaxy but he had an alternative. One of their largest ships was available and he needed it to carry fighters. The Pahxin were always quick to launch one-man vessels.
Besides that, he needed distractions, destroyers or scouts at the very least. Furthermore, he could not exhaust the defenses of the Tol’An base if the enemy happened to find them. No, he needed something unexpected that would work as a means to deal with the Pahxin and their new human pets.
This meant using his swift assault vessel to acquire the extra assistance. Gizan had no lack of manpower but places to put them … That was the challenge. He ordered the battleship and its destroyer escort to an adjacent system of the Gaelirans where he’d rendezvous with them later.
A transport vessel was loaded up with enough men to crew an additional two vessels. They were ordered to give Gizan six hours before following him to his destination: a small shipyard on the edge of Pahxin space. They’d picked the location for its proximity to a resource rich asteroid field.
It was an isolated system, well away from any civilized space. Gizan’s plan involved jamming their communications and commandeering two more ships. They would have to attack the station, disable the defensive ships then claim their prizes and get out. Reinforcements would be on their way as soon as contact was confirmed as lost.
This meant they would have less than a full day to pull off the operation and be on their way. It had the added benefit of being a rehearsal for their true purpose, a chance to try some strategies before they needed to implement them. He hand-picked ten of his finest fighters to board his assault craft to make the situation happen.
Precise calculations would put them at the facility within ten hours. The transport ship would arrive a few hours later and they needed to be prepared to receive them. A misstep or any failure would lead to many deaths. Gizan was willing to take the risk, mostly because he was convinced the Pahxin resistance would be minimal.
The station defenses were flawed for a variety of reasons. One, the Pahxin seemed to use the post as a punishment for those who did not follow the rules. They didn’t believe anyone would bother attacking it or they would have invested more in keeping it safe. Their Council of Defense didn’t consider the Tol’An a true threat nor had they declared war on the group.
Perhaps when we take their ships and abduct their ambassador, they will begin to take us seriously. The thought made Gizan smile. He wanted the Pahxin government to show the proper fear and respect for his master. Direct action would be the only way to bring such things about. The more we kill, the more they must take notice.
The worth of the Tol’An would certainly be measured again when they concluded their mission at the Gaeliran space station. But first, they must finish their raid.
They emerged from hyperspace and took stock of the situation. Two defensive ships, one a scout and the other a destroyer, patrolled some distance from the station. Six other vessels in various states of repair and construction, were docked about the facility. A quick scan indicated they were looking at just over one hundred workers and security.
Gizan gave the order for them to begin jamming the station’s communications. “Now that they are muted, charge the facility. Work on the door the moment we are in range. This will need to be quick.” He gestured to three of the men. “Do not forget to sound off on the timer for bombs.”
“By your will,” they said in unison, nodding their heads.
“They are hailing us, my lord.” The pilot announced the message without taking his eyes off the screen.
“Let them quiver in our silence. This is the most excitement these fools have had in months. Their last moments of life shall be invigorating as never before.” He turned to the others. “Remember to show no mercy. You will kill anything you encounter along the way. We are not to take any prisoners either.”
The message was unnecessary. This group of soldiers had worked with Gizan several times in the past and they understood his methods. Only when the grand master of the Tol’An gave orders to capture did Gizan allow a target to live. Efficiency meant cleaning every mess and that included anyone who might relate exactly what happened.
They will have to piece this story together from the destruction we leave behind and the appearance of their vessels at a different location. I may not be able to kill all the Gaelirans but they will be hard pressed to convey much about what we did.
Jamming only the station allowed them a little time before the two ships decided to investigate. First, they’d blame some sort of malfunction. Then, some kind of interference would be considered. Finally, they would head back to see what happened. If the Tol’An didn’t take the control center before that time, the mission would be jeopardized.
“The doors are unlocked,” the computer expert in the back announced. “I’ve unlocked several others as well so it should confuse them as to which we plan to enter through.”
“Wise decision.” Gizan appreciated the initiative, the fact that the man did what was right without being told. None of them carried names in his mind. They were simply titled after the tasks they were expected to perform. Getting personal didn’t help anyone. Pretending they had value as beings beyond the tasks they were assigned served no purpose.
“How long to dock?” Gizan asked.
“Two minutes,” the pilot replied. “Once we draw close, our magnetics will secure us but it will be bumpy. I recommend everyone strap in until we’re secured.”
“We don’t have the luxury of that,” Gizan said. “Hang on tight, ready your weapons and when the door opens, be prepared to shoot. I trust you’ve got an override on the airlock?”
“Yes, sir. We’ll open both simultaneously.”
Such a thing broke the protocol of every station in the galaxy save some of the seedy pirate ones. Gizan had seen it come in handy several times. They ejected entire groups through such tactics. Breaking the security to do such a thing proved particularly difficult but the Tol’An went out of their way to devise ways around such defenses.
The station was close enough to make out the individual windows but as they drew near, the ship spun to the side. The pilot allowed the momentum of the craft to carry them closer to their chosen door and when he hit the thrusters, they were jostled by a sudden tremble. They collided with their target hard enough to cause the entire ship to shake wildly.
Something hissed and the pilot nodded. “We’re lined up with the door and the magnetics have sealed! You are good to advance!”
The men held their weapons at the ready and Gizan tapped the button to open both doors. His people fired the second they had clear shots and one of them took a blo
w to the face from a returned shot. Screams erupted outside, men and women crying out in shock at the violence they were subjected to.
“Advance!” Gizan growled. “Move out into the hall or we will be pinned in!”
His people charged out, firing wildly. Gizan followed, taking his time for more precision shots. He counted six live targets and they were already falling back. Bodies littered the ground, the first responders who attempted to repel them. Others would be coming, the ones assigned to the doors the Tol’An didn’t go through.
We must finish these quickly. The defenders were in full-on panic and their shooting suffered. They continued to miss while his own people tore them apart. The last two dropped to their knees and raised their hands, shouting out their surrender. Gizan waited to see how his people would react.
His troops surrounded them, drew their blades and cut them down. Blood sprayed on the deck as the corpses dropped to their sides, twitching out the final moments of their lives. Good, they have taken my directive to heart.
“Break up,” Gizan said. “We have much to destroy and plenty of these fiends to kill. Keep your com channels open. Our coordination is key to success. Go. Be the blades of the Tol’An!”
They parted with Gizan leading four toward the control center. Once they were there, they would have unfettered access to the security systems. The slack nature of their opponents meant they were slow to initiate any sort of realistic defense. An alarm blared overhead but it didn’t accompany the expected resistance.
Summoning the elevator, Gizan turned to look back down the hall toward their ship. Their pilot would defend the vessel at all costs, waiting for their return. Chances were good no one would bother to attack it. Those in the station needed to focus on the invading force rampaging through the various departments.
The doors opened and an unarmed man in a fancy suit stared at them with wide eyes. Gizan lashed up, jabbing his throat with the tips of his fingers. The victim grabbed at his neck just a moment before one of the other soldiers shot him in the head. They tossed the body into the hallway before boarding and heading up.
Gizan’s com crackled in his ear and one of his men reported in. “We’ve encountered the enemy on our way to the engineering section. Six in total. We are engaging.”
“Let me know when you have arrived at the reactor.” Gizan had no doubt his people would win the engagement. He didn’t feel a need to remind them not to fail. Their zeal would carry them through and as he listened to screams in his earbud, he couldn’t help but smile at the carnage wrought by his crew.
When the elevator slowed, Gizan and his men leaned into the walls. The doors opened and someone outside opened fire. The blasts hit the empty wall and Gizan returned fire, just aiming his weapon outside. Someone cried out and they were driven back, giving the invaders a chance to charge into the open space.
Terminals lined the walls and a step up near the center created a work space for five people. All around the middle dais, computer equipment created a barrier which inadvertently protected the defenders. The man who tried to take them out by firing into the elevator stood alone but dashed back to the safety of the central consoles.
A wild firefight broke out, forcing Gizan’s people to take cover. One of them took a blow to the head and another was shot in the arm. They gave back twice what they received. Cries of agony echoed off the ceiling as the invading forces fired into the confined space. With nowhere to go and their position indefensible, the Pahxin forces were quickly defeated.
Gizan stepped out and motioned for his people to ensure their targets were dead. He approached the console, unmoved by the sound of blades sliding across flesh. Surely, their victims had died in the fight but he didn’t want to take any chances. They might be up there for over half an hour and if so, that would be plenty of time for someone to recover and take a shot.
Monitors lined the space in front of him, twelve in all and Gizan filled them with security footage from around the station. He watched as his men made steady work of the defenders in the engineering section. They were fighting in a long corridor, taking cover in small inlets used for maintenance.
Those they were fighting made bold but foolish moves, dashing out when they should’ve remained back. Only two remained after a few moments and they refused to show themselves, knowing they would be killed.
Gizan tapped into the coms of his people. “You have two targets left and they are hiding at the end of your corridor. Their cover is sound so it would not be advisable to charge them. You will find the body of one of their soldiers nearby. I recommend you overload their weapon and use that to flush your targets out.”
“Yes, sir!” One of them cried out, rushing forward to find the body. Several shots hit the ground around him but he continued on, unfazed by the attacks. He reached his destination and began fiddling with the firearm, keeping his head down. A moment later, he hurled it toward the defenders and dashed back to his cover.
Screams broke out and one of them dove to safety just as the weapon burst. The core didn’t have enough charge left to kill the man but it did seem to daze him. Gizan’s people charged and fired at the stunned individual, putting him down. One of them was rewarded with a shot to the side, a nonfatal blow that dropped them to the ground.
The others tore into the final defender, hitting him more than twenty times before they stopped.
Unnecessary, Gizan thought. At least they succeeded. “Prepare your charges but do not start them until I say.”
“Dorin Station,” a voice pumped through the overhead speakers. “This is Tella. Can you guys read me? What’s going on? Why’s the alarm going off? There’s something wrong with coms too. I can’t get a message out of the system. Did we have a reactor leak?”
One of the defending vessels. Gizan smirked as he prepared the weapons. The ships they needed to take were docked for various upgrades and repairs. Those flying around out there were in the way and needed to be dealt with. If they truly thought they were still dealing with their allies, then taking them out would not be overly difficult.
Gizan typed a message to them, explaining that their outgoing communications were experiencing a problem. Interference came from the reactor leak the commander feared. He requested they approach to send some help to replace some casualties they were experiencing. It only took a moment for them to comply.
Good thing they didn’t notice our entrance into the system. My assault craft is truly a marvel.
The key to successfully dealing with the military craft involved holding off until the right moment to bring the weapons online and fire. As Gizan’s targets drew closer, he noticed a com signal coming from the construction crews. They were asking what happened, looking for some assurance that they were safe.
Gizan locked down the doors, trapping the workers where they were. The docking clamps were also secured and could not be disengaged from the other side. Someone from the crews might be clever enough to break through and free themselves but by the time they thought to try, it would be too late.
He didn’t answer their calls, turning his attention to the approaching ships that were an actual threat. The weapon’s console indicated they were at extreme range. Come a little closer. I want this to wrap up quickly. Neither vessel had raised their shields. The trust remained even in the unusual circumstances.
“The station is secure.” The report came through Gizan’s earpiece and he smiled. “Detonators are set and charges are ready.”
Gizan didn’t reply but he brought the weapons online and fired into the destroyer. Massive cannons unleashed fury upon the larger of the two ships, tearing through the unshielded hull. Secondary explosions dotted the side and debris burst out in all directions. As it began to drift, the reactor went up and the whole craft was consumed in a golden bubble of flames.
A power surge in the scout indicated they were trying to bring their defenses online but they didn’t have time. The station’s weapons were vastly more powerful and far easier to redirect.
Gizan fired again, annihilating the smaller ship with the first two shots. The rest were overkill, passing harmlessly through the chunks of molten hull.
The station is ours, Gizan thought. Time to make the best of it … and rid ourselves of those unnecessary construction crews. He turned to his people. “Jettison the unfinished and damaged ships. When they are far enough away from the station, destroy them. Provide medical attention for our wounded and begin prepping what we can of our spoils.
“When our people arrive, I expect to have them acclimate and depart as soon as possible. We should be able to occupy two scouts and two destroyers. The next part of our mission will not be as simple, I assure you.”
Gizan headed out to supervise the process. Killing everyone aboard wasn’t the hard part. Getting people into place to commandeer their prizes, that would take some considerable administrative work.
Gizan’s least favorite part of any operation.
***
The Gnosis returned home and immediate went about swapping out vehicles and getting their people cycled through to some ground time. Engineers came aboard and worked with Chief Engineer Nathaniel Webber to collaborate and ensure all ship systems were working properly.
They entered into discussions about the advancements coming their way and how best to implement them seamlessly without significant downtime. The second Orb helped them solidify a number of theories and they were in the simulation phase. Some of these advancements would end up in the new ship they were completing.
Others required more time to ensure they were safe.
Desmond and Vincent went through the records of volunteers who wanted to join the Gnosis. They had some people to replace, a couple who were transferring off and of course, those lost in the recent mission. Well over three dozen candidates applied and each of them wrote an enthusiastic letter to get on board.
