by John Walker
Pahxin men and women would be prepared to fight to the death to defend their ambassador. Gizan didn’t know what to expect from the humans but after hearing how they had trounced the Tol’An both at their home world and later when they snatched the Trindisha from their clutches, he knew not to underestimate them.
I will cut them down regardless.
The pilot broke his reverie, “We will be able to board in a few moments, sir.”
“Attach yourself to the following bay,” Gizan said, programming coordinates into the computer. “That will be the easiest port to break through. A maintenance hatch that is not comfortable for the regular people they admit to the station. Is our expert prepared?”
“I am, sir,” the voice behind him came from a highly trained individual who had hacked into Pahxin systems many times in the past. “I can begin the process shortly so it’s ready to open upon our arrival.”
“Excellent. Ensure that it is. We will not have time to wait. The faster we work, the less time their security will have to settle in.” Gizan’s eyes narrowed. “Fire to kill. We cannot allow any of them to survive. Our departure will be made in much more haste than our arrival, I absolutely assure you.”
“Master,” the pilot spoke. “What about the fighters? How are we going to evade them?”
“That’s what the rest of the ships are for,” Gizan said. “You do not worry about them or their duties. Our sole purpose is getting on that station, collecting our cargo and getting off. Anything else is a mere bonus. If the Pahxin lose their warships here, so much the better but the human ship … I believe that is their only vessel capable of hyperspace.”
“Should we not prioritize that as a target?” The pilot asked.
“No. It would be a benefit to our cause, but we have not been sent for that. Besides, we did not come equipped for such a conflict. This is about surprise. And when they see us on that station, I promise you the terror and shock will be quite real. Prepare yourselves. We are nearly there.”
***
Squadron Leader Dennis Arden stared straight ahead as he and his team raced to meet the enemy. His scanner showed dozens of Pahxin fighters bursting from the four warships not far off, and they adopted a scattered formation. His own people used a vanguard but they were spaced far apart to avoid any area attacks by the larger enemy vessels.
None of them thought they’d be called upon for this particular mission. All the pilots were in the rec room when the alarm went off requiring everyone to get to their battle stations. At first, Dennis was convinced it was a drill but the timing didn’t make sense. There was no way that Captain Bradford would put them through paces in such a delicate time.
If the Pahxin misinterpreted what their scans told them, it could’ve easily led to a fight.
The quick briefing stated they would be meeting the Tol’An again. It was the only good news about the scramble. Most of the Gnosis crew wanted another shot at them after the bastards attacked Earth but their second mission didn’t involve them at all. Much as the soldiers wanted to wage war against them, one ship wouldn’t be enough.
Even if we beat their asses when we got the second Orb. Dennis tried not to be arrogant about their victory but it was hard not to feel a little smug. Yes, they experienced some losses but not before they sent them packing a second time. Maybe if they wouldn’t have divided their forces, we would’ve had a harder time tearing them up.
“We’re approaching the first fighter screen,” Flight Lieutenant Shane Goring called out. The younger man had been working toward a promotion and Dennis was giving him more responsibilities. While he wasn’t technically leading Mustang squadron on the mission they were currently on, he was operationally in charge for the moment. “Prepare yourselves.”
Dennis checked his shields and noted they were at full strength. Weapons were hot and ready to go. He checked the distance before he’d be in firing range and tensed up. Ten seconds. The enemy ships lit up, their weapons powering on for the first attack. Pahxin ships arrived moments before them and chaos erupted some distance to the left.
That’s a lot more ships than I thought we’d face, Dennis thought. He was grateful for the help but as they zoomed in with Charger squadron at their side, he realized that had they been alone, they would’ve been hopelessly outnumbered. The initial scans are showing we’d be looking at three to one and we fielded twelve ships!
A beam sizzled his shields with a near miss, bringing Dennis fully back to the moment. He fired a burst with his guns then initiated his top thrusters to drop low. The attack connected with a target, the metal burning up in the enemy’s shields.
They flew by one another, each ship a momentary blur before Dennis and Shane banked hard to the left and came around to find a firing solution. All around them, the dogfighting became intense, violent dances taking place as pilots struggled to gain an advantage. Weapons fire lit up the darkness around them, potshots meant to misdirect targets into better positions.
Bright flashes winked all around them as different vessels began exchanging beam shots. Com chatter increased. Charger squadron dove into some immediate action, calling their targets as they began blasting away. Despite all the activity, it felt less chaotic somehow, more controlled. Perhaps it was the fact they were flying with allies.
Dennis picked a pair of ships for them to focus on and they sped toward them. The targets were trying to line up shots on two ships from Charger squadron but their prey proved too wily. “Computer’s trying to acquire a target,” Shane said. “What do you think about missiles? Might chase them away from our allies.”
“Hm.” Dennis shook his head. “No. A proximity explosion to the other ships might be enough to cause some damage. Let’s stick to beam weapons and make this attack surgical. I’m going to take a shot at the one on the right. It might push him into your line of sight. Get ready … You might only have a moment.”
Dennis spun to the right for a better angle and unleashed his beam weapons, depressing the trigger several times to break up the attack into bursts. They flew toward the enemy and he spun wildly away, the corona from his engines blurring together as he evaded. Just as he righted himself, Shane fired.
Shields shattered, tiny electric lines appearing in space before vanishing in a bright flash. The second and third hits pounded into the metal and melted the fuselage, shutting down the engines. A brief tumble took the ship a good fifty meters away from his allies before the vessel exploded in an orange-purple ball.
“Scratch one,” Shane called. “Good show.”
“Not done yet.” Dennis veered to the left to avoid a retaliatory attack and once again flew by another target. Charger was hot on the enemy’s tail, firing guns the whole time. Shane moved to support him and Dennis caught up as well, lining up for a shot. The three of them synced up and unleashed all at the same time.
Each attack hit the rear of the vessel as it attempted to escape. Dennis didn’t even see the shields go down this time. The ship was obliterated instantly, pieces and debris scattering in all directions.
Not bad so far, Dennis thought. He looked around, his heart nearly stopping in his chest as he saw one of the enemies dashing toward his left side. A direct hit caught him as he initiated a dive and an alarm went off in the cockpit. “Alert,” the computer stated in a calm voice. “Alert. Shields down to fifteen percent. I repeat …”
“I heard you,” Dennis grumbled. “I’ve been hit … Systems check isn’t done so I don’t know how bad it is.”
“Can you still maneuver?” Shane asked. “Wow, that guy who got you is coming back around. He wants to finish the job.”
“A little help then?”
“Don’t worry … I’ve got it.” Shane hesitated for a moment and light flashed over Dennis’s controls, illuminating the cockpit. “There you go. He’s done.”
“Automated repair has kicked in to fix my shield generator.” Dennis checked the diagnostic quickly. “It overheated. Crap!”
“Fall back and giv
e it some time,” Shane said. “We can hold this rabble for a few moments.”
Dennis noticed that the larger ships were heading toward the Gnosis and the Pahxin warships. He counted seven in all but they looked dangerous. His scanner didn’t indicate what they were packing but it must’ve been potent if they were willing to charge in without even slowing down.
I wonder what they have up their sleeves that makes them think they can pull this off. Dennis frowned and kicked on his afterburner, taking himself out of the dance floor of combat. Dogfighting continued all around him, ships exploding here and there while others merely took damage. He saw the tally on his own screen as his allies suffered minor damage.
The Pahxin fighters seemed to be doing a good job but they’d at least lost three of their number already. They entered the battle with a larger force but Dennis didn’t think they could afford heavy casualties. Maybe it was just the way the humans thought about death that brought the thought to mind but either way, their newfound allies were no joke when it came to combat.
Dennis pulled away from the fighting only to find he had one of the enemy ships hot on his tail. Are you kidding me? He initiated evasive maneuvers, trying to get further away from the opponent. If he led it back toward the Gnosis, automated defenses might save his life but it was a long trip and they’d have some of their own problems to deal with.
A couple blasts flew by him to the left then over his head. He continued to move erratically, trying to ensure he was an impossible target to hit. “I could use a little help over here if anyone’s close by!” He spoke louder than he intended to over the tactical com net. “Sorry to be insistent.”
“I’m on my way,” Shane said. “But it’ll be a minute.”
“Settle down, humans,” a heavily accented woman’s voice broke over the com. “I am coming.”
Dennis saw one of the Pahxin ships flying toward him on the right. His opponent nearly got him with another shot and he pulled hard on the stick, trying to draw closer to his potential savior. He gritted his teeth as the inertial dampeners fought to keep up with his motions. Even with all his fancy flying, he couldn’t shake his pursuer.
“Warning, missile lock.” The computer let him know the enemy was about to drop some heavier ordnance on him and he cursed his luck. “Prepare for countermeasures.”
“Don’t bother,” the woman said. “I’ve got this.” She fired her weapons, turning the enemy ship into ash in an instant. There wasn’t even an explosion. It simply turned into debris and was gone.
Dennis swallowed hard, glancing over his shoulder then turning back to look at the woman’s ship. “How the hell did you do that?”
“That’s our disruptor beam,” she replied. “What is your name?”
“Dennis Arden … Squadron Leader of Mustang.”
“I am Dala Ahnshyr. Stick with me and I will protect you while your shields repair. We do not have time so divert power as you can, human. We must re-enter the fray and stop these criminals before they cause more trouble.”
“Working on it,” Dennis muttered. “Shane, I’ve got this back here. Stick with the action nearest you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
With the kind of weapons these Pahxin are sporting, I doubt we’ll be in this brawl for long. Lord, they’re more powerful than we thought. Of course, there has to be some reason they haven’t finished these criminals off. I only hope we don’t find out what it is today.
***
Cassie tried desperately to break through the jamming signal so she could communicate with the station. Salina turned her attention to coordinating their ships. Though they couldn’t talk to the admiral’s party, they could still chat amongst themselves. She took her place in the combat mission, leaving the tech stuff up for grabs.
I can’t even tell the Gaelirans that we’re not responsible for this, Cassie thought. I hope they understand and know how to read the Tol’An signatures.
If the station was under total lockdown for communications, they probably couldn’t reach out o the nearby planet for assistance or support. That meant the Gnosis and the Pahxin ships were the only ones who had any chance of engaging the enemy and stopping them in a timely fashion. Unless our allies reached out to the Gaeliran high command.
Cassie tried to hail one of the ships and got them on the line a few moments later. A man’s haughty voice took the line but his strange language was translated into the toneless computer articulation. “What do you need, Gnosis?”
“Have you informed the Gaelirans of what is happening?”
“We cannot get through the interference,” came the reply. “And the planet is not answering either. It seems the Tol’An have figured out how to target jamming signals while not wasting the energy to hit the entire system. That is why we can still talk to our people … and you it seems.”
“Understood. I’m working on an algorithm now that should get us in touch with our people. I’ll share it the moment I’m done.”
“If such a thing works,” even the computer sounded snooty, “we would be happy to see it but we will not hold our breath. Good luck.”
Cassie frowned. Okay, check. We’re pretty much monkeys to these people. Good to know. Thayne never showed such an attitude so she wondered where it came from. The Pahxin had encountered other creatures throughout the galaxy. Had they treated them all in such a way? Did each encounter they had involve their potential allies having to prove themselves?
Perhaps these particular Pahxin hadn’t heard about what the Gnosis had already accomplished. Whether or not the Gnosis needed to strive toward some expectations shouldn’t have mattered. It seemed odd that anyone would lack all faith in humanity, all things considered. Thayne’s message must’ve spoken of how they performed against the Tol’An before.
Why would the Pahxin military act so superior given the circumstances?
Cassie focused on the work at hand but before she could progress, Salina appeared behind her, leaning close. “I’ve picked up a ship flying straight for the station. Can you confirm my scan? I’m picking up a strange reading about it … something I’m not sure what to make of.”
“Okay.” Cassie peered at the screen and frowned. The smaller vessel was moving as fast as a missile and it emanated a strange signal. When she traced it, a realization dawned on her. “They’re trying to open the doors remotely. That’s what you’re picking up. They’ve accessed the Gaeliran network.”
“So they’re heading inside.” Salina shook her head. “They are either trying to kill the dignitaries or capture them.”
“I would support that assertion.” Cassie gestured to her terminal. “I have to get a connection to the admiral. We need to tell them what’s going on so they know help is on the way.”
“If we can get them there.” Salina turned away. “Captain, we have picked up a small vessel attempting to board the station. It looks likely they will succeed. Recommend we prepare the marines to assist and extract Admiral Reach.”
“Agreed.” Desmond nudged Vincent. “Make that happen. We’ve got that new lieutenant on board. I’m sure he’s itching to get out there and prove himself.”
“Yes, sir.” Vincent started making the arrangements.
“We need to get a shuttle through this mess.” Desmond hummed. “I’m sure they’ll grab Jeb. He’s insane enough to make it.”
“The capital ships are almost in range,” Zach said.
“Sir,” Salina announced. “Captain Ulian is hailing us.”
“Put it on the screen.”
***
“Captain Bradford,” Ulian began without preamble. “Much as I do not believe your people are ready for intergalactic affairs, I would rather work with you than have you be a hindrance. It seems our pilots are already cooperating which is good. Now, I need you to understand the position we’re about to be in and how to proceed.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“This is not a typical Tol’An attack force,” Ulian explained. “They have never
come at us head on. Their preferred tactic involves hit and run. Harassment. There’s a danger here. I’m sure you have noticed their attempt to board the station?”
“Yes, we’re sending people to help now.”
“Oh?” Ulian seemed surprised. “Good. I will not send additional forces then. The problem with station fighting is that it can be close quarters. Smaller forces tend to work the best. The most fighters the Tol’An could possibly field with their vessel is fifteen and that’s if they are practically sitting on one another.”
“Our people should be able to handle them.” Desmond hesitated a moment. “Do you think they’re planning on fighting to the last man here or do they have something else in mind?”
“If I was to guess, they only care about distracting us long enough to do their work on the station.” Ulian shrugged. “I believe we can stop them and cripple their forces by taking out these ships. Please hold to the right flank and we will attack both down the middle and to the left. Can you manage this?”
Desmond had half a mind to protest the question but he knew there wasn’t time. The man would be terse given the circumstances. They were about to conduct a major military action and like it or not, Ulian had more experience. I need to trust his judgement and assume positive intent.
“Yes,” Desmond replied. “We’ll hold our end. Let us know if you need additional support. Our fighters are engaged there though so ensure your friend or foe is working before you do anything too crazy.”
“We understand this type of combat, Captain.” Ulian offered a thin smile. “I believe we can now show you exactly how it is done. Ulian out.”
“That guy has nerve.” Vincent shook his head. “I’ve briefed the marines and they’re hurrying to get out of here. I expect they’ll be in the air inside of ten minutes.”
