Alliance: Legacy War Book 3

by John Walker

  “Gorman to Fielding, we have the VIPs and are ready to come out. What is the situation, over?”

  Gunfire turned sporadic and they heard only a few shots as opposed to the constant barrage of a few moments before. It lasted another twenty seconds before the lieutenant responded. “Enemy has ceased fire. We need to clear the area, get to the evac and let the bombers finish this place off. Come on out.”

  “We’re clear,” Gorman said to the others. Major Dawson, Admiral Reach and the Pahxin ambassador approached.

  “Glad to see you, boys,” Reach said. “I didn’t know if you’d make it but I had a feeling Captain Bradford wouldn’t let us down.”

  “Glad to be here, sir,” Heat said, gesturing for them to come forward. He scanned them for injuries and noted that the ambassador required medical attention but the others were only a little battered. They’d be fine. He spoke into his com, “we’re going to need medical personnel standing by when we return to the ship.”

  “Everyone okay?” Gorman asked.

  Heat nodded. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Wait!” Christina stepped forward. “If you’ve secured the area, we can’t go without grabbing some intel. This place could be a gold mine.”

  “We’re about to level it with bombers,” Gorman said. “We don’t really have time.”

  “Call them off,” Christina replied, turning to Reach. “Sir, surely you agree. We have to find a computer terminal at the very least and see what we can pull. This sad tablet I grabbed won’t offer much insight.”

  Reach seemed to think about it for several moments before nodding. “Alright, the major is right. Let’s get what we can from this place. There’s no reason to waste an opportunity like this. Tell he bombers to hold off. This shouldn’t take long.”

  Heat held back an urge to sigh and turned away, reaching out to Fielding. “Lieutenant, the VIPs are secure. I need you to let the bombers know we require another few minutes. The admiral would like to gather some intel from this facility before we depart. Please advise.”

  “Sounds good,” Fielding came back. “We’ve secured the courtyard so you should have a few minutes but don’t take long. We have no idea how long it will be before the Tol’An send reinforcements.”

  “Understood.” Heat drew a breath and gestured down the hall. “I’ll escort you while we make this happen. Gorman, take the Pahxin ambassador up to his people for some aid. This shouldn’t take long.”

  Chapter 11

  Dimitri figured the bombs wouldn’t be all that difficult to destroy. The challenge came from their speed but they moved in a straight line, driving toward their destination. With any luck, when one exploded, it would take others with it. He figured the bomber only deployed the payload out of desperation.

  Lining up with the heat corona of his target, Dimitri engaged the targeting computer. It failed to get tone immediately, which surprised him. He was at medium range and there was no reason it should’ve been a struggle to lock on.

  “Are any of you having trouble with your computers?” Dimitri asked. “I can’t seem to get tone.”

  “Same,” Dylan replied. “There’s some kind of field surrounding them. Looks like we have to eyeball the shots.”

  Dimitri engaged a reticle, lifting his nose to lead the target a little. He fired and the beams seemed to be on target. The bomb climbed at the last second, avoiding the attack. Are you kidding!? “Did you see that?”

  “Let’s escalate things,” Dylan said. His ship pulled away from the others, moving closer to the projectiles. He opened up with guns. The shots hammered one of the bombs, even as it also attempted an evasive maneuver. A bright spot near the engine lit up and the casing shattered, sending debris in all directions. “That’s one … but holy crap, they’re quick!”

  “If they detonate, we can’t be so close to them,” Marge added. “I’m going after them from the flank. Maybe I can strafe them and do some real damage.”

  She banked to the left and headed off and Raptor Four, Jerry Graff, followed.

  Dimitri climbed, noting they had less than four minutes before the bombs reached their target. Five remained and if all of them were allowed to hit, they would certainly cause enough damage to destroy the ship. After the most recent attack by the destroyer, the Gnosis was in no shape to take additional shots.

  “Need a hand?” Dennis Arden tapped into their com channel. “Looks like you’re having some challenges taking down some bombs.”

  “They’ve got evasive capabilities,” Dimitri said, firing his weapons. Again, the bomb danced away but he continued after it, chasing the thing as if he were in a dogfight with it. “Do you see this?”

  “We can help,” Dennis replied. “If we lay down enough concentrated fire, that should be sufficient to take them out. We’re coming in hot. Watch your scans.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Flying Officer Alicia Quinn piped in. “Permission to break formation?”

  “Granted,” Dennis replied. “But keep it within some realm of safety, huh?”

  Dimitri knew Alicia well enough but he didn’t know she was such a daredevil. After their last couple missions, her name became a byword for reckless but daring flying. If she had a plan, he could definitely assume it would be wild but whether it proved effective or not remained to be seen.

  Another of the bombs went up as Marge caught it on the side with guns, tearing through the fuselage and knocking it out.

  Maybe they’re not responding to the guns the way they do the beam weapons. That would make some sense and give us a slight advantage. Dimitri relayed his epiphany to the others. “Try to switch to mass drivers as your primary attack. Let’s see if they don’t bother to evade.”

  “Hold on,” Alicia said. “Don’t shoot at all for a second. I’m trying my plan.”

  With four left, Alicia flew in front of the bombs, firing her beam weapons at the one on the end. It climbed and she spun in place, firing again. It tried to evade and collided with another bomb, detonating when they made contact. The resulting explosion took both out and Alicia righted herself, climbing to rejoin the others. “Two left.”

  “That was ridiculous.” Dimitri muttered, firing his cannons. The bomb didn’t move nearly as much as it had when they used beam weapons but he still narrowly missed. “Everyone, just lay into them together!”

  They had less than a minute left. The Gnosis loomed head of them, easily large enough to block out the distance beyond it. Every fighter, eleven in all, fired their cannons at the same time, laying down a wide field of fire. The bombs wriggled and tried to evade but there was simply too much ordnance for them to avoid.

  They were torn apart, tumbling away. Dimitri slumped in his chair, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

  “Watch it!” Dennis shouted. “I’m reading unstable mass … The warhead’s intact!”

  Dimitri climbed suddenly, pulling up hard and hitting the thrusters. An explosion behind him made the ship shake violently and he struggled to maintain control. Thrusters on all sides kicked in, forcing the ship to remain straight. Alerts burst in his ears, crying out that the engines had taken significant damage.

  “Everyone okay?” Dimitri called. “Did anyone get caught in that blast?”

  Each Raptor and Mustang sounded off but two reported heavy damage. They needed to get back aboard the Gnosis to have their problems looked at but as Dimitri looked over the hull of their home, he realized they might be in more trouble than he anticipated. The damage looked extensive and potentially crippling.

  Dear God … Can we recover from all that? Time to find out.

  “Return to base, everyone,” Dimitri said. “Our part in this fight is over.”

  ***

  Desmond gazed at the screen, giving his crew some time to catch up on the emergency repairs. The two remaining Pahxin ships brawled with the larger Tol’An vessels, blasting away with beams easily the size of some of the medium ships in the Earth defense fleet. As the enemy retaliated, the scene i
nspired awe, especially with the eerie silence of the chaos.

  And we’re sitting ducks all the way out here. Desmond sighed. I want to get in there.

  Scans indicated there was tremendous amounts of debris in the makeshift battlefield, turning that area of space into a hazard for regular travel. Pahxin fighters overwhelmed the Tol’An resistance as tiny flashes provided some sense of the wild dogfighting. The battle seemed on the verge of conclusion but it wasn’t over quite yet.

  One of the two Tol’An capital ships took three shots straight to the hull. Their shields must’ve dropped and when the attack took them, electricity and fire poured out of several holes. Each engine produced a blue glow and the middle of the vessel expanded then burst, essentially cutting the ship in half.

  The other turned, engaging engines while attempting to flee. They were immediately pursued and the Pahxin concentrated their fire, chipping away at what remained of the target’s defenses. It couldn’t stand up under the barrage and the thrusters went dark a moment later as it began to drift.

  Desmond’s com chimed and he tapped the screen to bring it on speaker. “Go ahead.”

  “Captain, it’s Webber. I’ve finished the damage assessment. Of the two primary engines, only one of them will require repair. As a result, I’ve restored the helm so we should be able to move again.”

  “How fast can you get the engine back online?” Desmond asked. He wondered how long they’d be stuck in that system, especially since the place was hostile territory. The Tol’An might respond when they lost connection to their outpost and if the Gnosis remained in a weakened state, they wouldn’t be able to defend themselves.

  “Half an hour at most … That’s just to get us moving again. When we get home, we’ll be busy for a while.” Webber sighed. “Shield generators were burned out so we’re replacing the circuitry. They’re internals are all modular, meaning it won’t take long. We’ve almost got them back up. Some of the emitters will also have to be replaced. A couple melted completely.”

  “Understood.” Desmond smirked before he asked his next question. “What about weapons? Hyperdrive?”

  “Surprisingly, our arms are still ready to go. If you need them, you’ve got them.” Webber spoke to someone else for a moment before returning. “Hyperdrive remained unscathed. Sorry, something’s requiring my immediate attention. I’ll report back with some progress ASAP. Webber out.”

  Desmond turned to Salina. “How are our casualties?”

  “Eight dead so far,” Salina replied. “Many wounded but I’m receiving reports that the med bay has stabilized the worst of the injuries.”

  “Vincent, are we getting any word back from the pilots?”

  “Most of them have returned to base,” Vincent replied. “The bombers have just finished leveling the facility. The marines are on their way back. They report they have the admiral and his aide. The Pahxin ambassador has gone back with his people. Com chatter suggests that the Tol’An have been routed and are fleeing the battle … though I have no idea where they’re going.”

  “Ulian has hailed us,” Salina said.

  “Put him on the screen.” Desmond stood when the commander’s face appeared. “I understand you’ve taken care of your side of the battle.”

  “We have. I would like to commend you on handling that destroyer. The technology aboard, so I’m told, was something we had not seen before. Very powerful. Good work. I am sorry that your ship received such damage from it. We would like to send a repair crew to assist with preparing you for hyperspace.”

  “Thank you, we accept.” Desmond clasped his hands behind his back. “You seemed to make out fairly well.”

  Ulian waved his hand. “Conventional weapons. They did not have the advantages of your foe. Nevertheless, yes, they were tough but not insurmountable. I will leave two ships here to mop up and come to you personally for the assistance. Stand by.”

  The screen went dark and Desmond sat back down, fending off the stress that settled on the back of his neck. They may have succeeded at their task but the cost was high. Several crew dead, equipment damaged…it was the worst battering they suffered since beginning their forays into space.

  I suppose we’d been fairly lucky until now. I underestimated the Tol’An before but I shouldn’t have. The Pahxin would’ve wiped them out by now if they weren’t formidable. It won’t happen again.

  “Captain,” Salina said, “I’m picking up a large ship leaving the planet’s surface. It’s not one of ours.” She paused. “It’s the one that left the station! I’m sure of it!”

  Desmond scowled. “Where’s it going?”

  “I …” Salina stopped suddenly. “It’s coming this way!”

  “Are the shields back?” Vincent asked. “Or at least some of them?”

  “Yes, sir,” Zach answered. “I’ve brought them online for the starboard and aft sides.”

  Desmond nodded. “Turn us so he has to face the defended side and get the weapons ready. If he’s really going to attack us, we can give this bastard a special thank you for leading us here.”

  “Um,” Cassie said, “permission to put something on screen?”

  “Go ahead,” Desmond replied.

  Cassie tapped at her computer for a moment and a tactical view of the area came up. “I did a scan on that incoming ship. They’re powering up their hyperdrive but that looks like an attack run to me.”

  Desmond watched the screen for a moment and sure enough, the ship was coming straight for them. Perhaps they planned to offer up a parting shot before dashing away. I wonder if we can disable that arrogant ass before he escapes. “Zach, lock weapons on target and fire a full volley.”

  “Yes, sir.” Zach performed a quick set of swipes on his console. The lights dimmed low when he fired but came back quickly enough. He switched the screen to straight visual. “Direct hit!”

  The enemy’s shields brightened even as it launched a projectile and veered away. It seemed to have maneuverability more akin to a fighter than they would’ve expected given the size. Smoke bloused out from the top of it just a moment before it winked into hyperspace and disappeared.

  “Damn it!” Desmond clenched his fist. “I can’t believe he pulled that off. What’s that projectile it deployed?”

  “Some kind of missile …” Zach frowned. “The warhead seems … Wow, suggest we pull away as quickly as possible.”

  “Are the shuttles back on board yet?” Desmond asked. “Everyone from the surface?”

  “Negative,” Vincent said. “The admiral’s ship has yet to take off and his fighter cover is still above the planet’s surface. The bombers haven’t finished off the facility yet either.”

  “What’re they waiting for?” Desmond shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Get us away from that thing and target it. We’re not taking more proximity damage from these guys.”

  The ship lurched as Zach engaged the engines and they pulled away, slow at first but the speed picked up. Ulian came on the screen, face contorted in concern. “What has happened? I did not expect you to move.”

  Desmond filled him in on what was happening and had Salina send the scan data about the missile. The readings made the Pahxin commander frown and he turned away, shouting in his own language. When he finally looked back at the camera, he straightened his shoulders before speaking again.

  “We have seen this type of tactic with the Tol’An before. Those weapons are deadly to smaller ships and can cripple larger ones. While the destructive power is nothing to sneer at, they produce a field which disables computer systems. Those include life support.”

  “What do we do about it?” Desmond asked.

  “Do not shoot it.” Ulian’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have tractor beams?”

  Desmond shook his head. The concept was known to them and their scientists were working on prototypes but they had yet to be implemented. Grabbing something with energy sounded useful but ultimately, it wasn’t the thing to focus on while trying to go beyond the borders
of their solar system.

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “Then we will be there soon. We can contain the explosion with ours …” Ulian paused, as if considering his words carefully. “You will still want to continue moving away from the attack though. Just in case.”

  “You heard him, Zach,” Desmond said. “Give us as much speed as you can muster. Oh look…Webber’s calling with a complaint about this, I’m sure.” He brought the engineer on the line. “I don’t have time at the moment. I’ll get back to you soon. We’re … essentially racing for our lives up here.”

  “Understood … just …” Webber grunted. “Try to take it easy? A little?”

  “No promises.” Desmond clicked off the com and sat back in his chair. He turned to his own computer, checking the proximity between the Pahxin ship and theirs. The ETA was less than a minute but it felt like an eternity. The missile kept pace with them, even gaining slightly. An estimate showed it would hit them in less than two and a half minutes.

  Sweat broke on his brow. This is far closer than I’d like to admit. He felt the tension on the bridge. Every one of them understood the danger barreling down on them, the helplessness of fleeing. One more brush with death, another threat with heavy ramifications. Once they left the Gaeliran space station, they found themselves hounded by misfortune.

  “Twenty seconds to impact,” Zach said. “I’ve got her at full speed but it’s not enough!”

  Desmond gripped his seat as the Pahxin ship approached. A red, translucent beam burst from their bow, nearly hitting the Gnosis. Desmond turned to his computer and noted they caught it less than three hundred yards from impact. His eyes widened for just a moment before he regained his command cool.

  “Keep moving, Zach,” Desmond spoke softly. “Give us a little more room.”

  That was way too close. He thought as the missile detonated harmlessly within the tractor beam. Which pretty much sums up this entire mission. “Thank you, Ulian,” Desmond spoke without turning on the com. “Slow us down, Zach and let Webber have some time to fix the ship up. I think we’ve had enough excitement for this shift.”