Freedom Flight (Space Rogue Book 3)

by Jay Toney

  "But nothing. You can tell me about the mission later. Right now, you're tired and need some rest. You can spend some time with Jewel now, but I will need her later. I need to start building a model of the spaceport, and planning our attack."

  Amber and Jewel hurried off to our quarters, and I headed to the bridge, memory crystals in hand. I gave the crystals to Doc, and he started feeding the information to Persephone. I sat in my chair, and put on the helmet that would give me a neurolink with Persephone. I hoped that the neurolink would allow me more than just basic command functions.

  I was shocked. Persephone's self image was instantly transmitted to my mind. She was beautiful. If you mixed Stella and Astrea together and took the best features from both, Persephone is what you would come up with.

  "So, this is how you see me Captain?"

  "I'm confused, I thought this was your self image."

  "It is, and it isn't. I don't really have a self image. Not one that I know of anyhow. I was relying on you to provide me with one. I see that you find this image is pleasing. I will use it from now on. How may I help you?"

  "I need to build a three dimensional holographic model of the spaceport and its surrounding buildings."

  "What level of detail?"

  "I need to be able to identify key buildings, warehouses, and defenses."

  "That is simple enough. How about this?"

  An image of the spaceport appeared in my mind, in complete detail. "That is perfect."

  "Anything else?"

  "Can you identify the warehouses, and anyplace else they may be keeping valuables?"

  "How is this?" She showed me the image again, this time with the spaceport ground defenses and patrol craft in red, and the key buildings I asked for in blue."

  "That's perfect. Thank you Persephone."

  I removed the helmet and stopped Doc from struggling with the data to build the model.

  "Doc, I'm finished. I have our model ready."

  "How can you. Its only been a few minutes."

  "Persephone, please bring up the hologram of the starport."

  "Sorry file corruption error."

  "Is this some type of joke?" Doc asked.

  "No we had a working model."

  "Yes it is," Persephone said, bringing up the model in complete detail, the key buildings shaded in blue, and the defenses in red."

  "This is outstanding."

  "I had lots of help from Persephone, but it was my idea."

  "Well, maybe Amber, Jewel, and your deevil aren't without intelligent company. But I still think your devil is vastly more intelligent than you are."

  I wasn't sure if Doc was joking, but I did know that was as much of a complement as he was going to give me. He started studying the spaceport from every different angle. He would be busy for hours, playing out every portion of the attack in his head. I only had one question, "Would Natty be included in the attack?"

  I headed to my quarters to join with Jewel and Amber. The Neurolink, left me tired, and I needed to rest for a little bit. Amber was excitedly telling Jewel about her mission. She was just getting to the part where the patrol craft were chasing her north, away from the spaceport.

  "When you were searching for a hiding spot, would you have spotted the cave if you had Jewel with you?"

  "Maybe, I don't know."

  "Would you have waited as long as you did, before leaving?"

  "Probably not."

  "You have just answered why she didn't come with you."

  "You told me you brought someone with you on a reconnaissance mission, and it ended badly. Tell me about it."

  "I brought one of the female crew with me for a joy ride, during a reconnaissance mission on Orion V. Instead of hiding like you did, I fought the patrol ships, showing off my combat skill. I ruined the raid, and lost a friend, because of my stupidity. She was killed when our marauder took a hit from one of the patrol craft. I never flew with a copilot on another reconnaissance mission after that. Doc rescheduled the raid for a later date. He made me sit that raid out. Everybody celebrated their success after the raid, and chastised me for getting a good pilot killed. It took a long time to regain the trust of my fellow pilots."

  "I'm sorry, I didn't realize what could have happened."

  "Just don't make the same mistake I did. You did a good job on your first reconnaissance mission."

  "I would have blown those two patrol ships apart," Jewel boasted.

  "That is why you didn't go. At the very least you would have alerted the security forces to our presence. At worst they would have scrambled their fleet. As good as you are, you can't fight against thirty to one odds. Even I can't."

  After reflecting upon it, Jewel came to the conclusion that I was right. She would have liked to have been the hero, but realistically it would have led to failure or disaster. Either she would have been shot down in combat, or she would have led the defense forces to our waiting ships. Their assault shuttles would not have been a great threat to our ships, but would have ruined the surprise needed for a successful raid. Every armed man that could be gathered would have occupied the warehouses, defending them against us. We would have had to fight for every bit of loot we could take, costing needless lives on both sides.

  I would be stripping crew from all three ships to make up a ground assault team. I would need at least 120 people in powered armor, more if I could get them. Taking that many people from the fleet would be cutting things pretty thin. We still needed recovery and maintenance crew aboard to offload our cargo and service the shuttles, so I couldn't take everyone.

  By the morning of the raid, every detail of the plan was worked out. The marauder pilots, would be targeting predetermined ground targets. The viper pilots, would attack anything that got off the ground. After the defenses were taken down, the vipers would maintain close air support, attacking any remaining or new defenders while we were emptying the warehouses.

  We launched heading to the planets surface. Each pilot had their own predesignated targets. However, we were one marauder short. I divided Natty's targets between Amber, Jewel, and myself. It would make things harder, being short the 10 ground troops she was supposed to carry, and the loss of cargo capacity, which would mean more trips to and from the surface to get the cargo. In a raid, everything was done on a timetable, that timetable was broken, before we even started.

  "Controlled decent?" Amber asked.

  "Or powered dive?" Jewel finished.

  "A little of both, lets have some fun."

  We dove, accelerating towards the surface. Plasma blinded our view out of our viewports, and our wingtips left fiery orange contrails during our decent. From the surface, we looked like a storm of shooting stars. After we slowed enough for the flames to vanish, we started rolling and banking, making it harder for surface missiles to track us. It was like Antares all over again for me. Only this time I wouldn't get my ship shot up.

  I pulled up, with just seconds to spare, and advanced my throttles. I lined up my ship on my first target, a gun tower, and fired a missile. Then I banked to my right and lined up my next target, an assault shuttle. Crew were scrambling to board it when my missile struck the shuttle, sending flaming wreckage in all directions. I flew past the spaceport, and pulled up hard climbing skyward.

  I eased back on the throttles and let the shuttle stall, then pushed the nose down and advanced my throttles. My next two targets came into view. I lined up my reticle sight on the first target and fired my 40 mm cannon. The rounds were a mix of armor piercing, high explosive, and incendiary. They shredded the hull of the shuttle, and set its fuel ablaze. The next shuttle was starting its t
ake off roll. A quick missile shot ended its take off. Two more targets, then I could land.

  I pulled back on the controls again to gain a little altitude, and search for my next target. It wasn't where it was supposed to be, the shuttle had gotten airborne. My sensors Indicated three airborne targets, none of my vipers, had engaged them yet.

  My ship gave a slight shudder as I kicked in the afterburners, accelerating towards my target. The first shuttle didn't even bother trying to evade me, while my missiles were locking onto him. When I got a missile lock tone on the shuttle, I fired a missile, and quickly selected the next ship. It was to close to me for missiles, so I selected my guns. When he crossed into my gun sights, I fired a steady burst into the shuttle. I had to bank hard to avoid the debris from the explosion.

  The last shuttle pilot must have been a veteran. He followed my turn lining up behind me. I didn't realize it until I saw tracer rounds flying past my viewport, and felt the impact of several other projectiles. My ship held together, by some miracle. Before I could react, one of my crazy Vorg pilots flew head on at me firing his guns. I was sure that I would be killed this time, by one of my own pilots. Instead of his bullets hitting me, they passed within inches of my viewport, striking the shuttle behind me.

  "Are you alright Cappy?"

  "I'm great thanks to you."

  "I can't let you have all the fun. I'll see you when everything is over."

  "I'll buy the first beer."

  "I'll hold you to that."

  I eased off on my throttles, and set course for my landing zone. All my targets were taken care of. I had to have confidence that the rest of my team were finished too. I landed the ship in my designated location, next to a warehouse and opened the marauders rear hatch. My troops exited and secured the perimeter, then entered the warehouse. Only a few shots were fired before they began carrying out several cases of different sizes and shapes. After the shuttle was loaded, I headed back to the Persephone.

  It took eleven trips for me to empty the small warehouse, of everything we thought might be valuable. With the troops back on board, I headed back to the Persephone. Every pilot was accounted for, and no one got hurt. That was a first for either Doc or I.

  The first order of business was to see what we got. Intelligence as to what we were taking was non existent. We only new that the people of Sirrah IV found our looted cargo valuable. There were crates of all shapes and sizes, laid out on the hangar deck. Every pilot selected a crate to open, and we opened them all at once.

  I wasn't sure what I expected, but I didn't expect what I saw. The crates were full of weapons of all types. There were explosives, blasters, rifles, shoulder launched missiles and more. The weapons would be easy to sell, and would turn a nice profit, ensuring a good bonus for the crew. They also answered the question of why, the governing body of the planet wanted us far away. This shipment was ready to be either picked up, or shipped out. They didn't want anyone finding out about their gun running operation, or their customers.

  Natty flew over to join our celebration. I didn't want to listen to any of her excuses. She promised to help during the raid, and didn't show up, or even call. Her failure to show up put us all in jeopardy, and nearly got me shot down. I couldn't trust her any longer. She was no longer welcome aboard my ship.

  "Natty, you are no longer a member of my crew. Get off my ship before I have you thrown off."

  She saw that my anger was real, and there would be no argument from her that could persuade me otherwise. She left, holding back her tears.

  I had one more thing I needed to take care of. I owed a vorg pilot a drink. That meant I was probably going to have to share a mug of beer with each and every vorg pilot, to settle my debt.

  War & Peace

  Proxima Trianguli was a very different system. It was a binary star system. Its two red dwarf suns orbited each other fighting for dominance and feeding off each other. There were no close inner planets, having been torn apart by the gravitational field of the two suns, and their mass absorbed by them. Long ago two solar systems collided and merged to create this system. Some planets were destroyed in the process, some left the solar system becoming rogue planets, others merged with the new system. The two remaining inner planets, were both habitable and had large well established colonies. They both shared a space station kept in solar orbit between them.

  It wasn't long after we entered the system that we were challenged by a patrol. After making sure we were here for trade and servicing, we were escorted to the space station. They weren't taking any chances with any visitors.

  I couldn't think of any reason, that the system would be under such tight security. I was sure that I would find out soon enough. The space station was huge. It wasn't as large as the space station in the Haven System, but it was a close second. It was becoming larger with all the new construction I saw in work.

  Red was ordered to moor his ship at a mooring station off of red section. The Lucy was allowed to Dock in red section, dock two, and I was instructed to dock in green section, dock four. It would be a long way for my crew to go to the Lucy, but most of them would either make the walk around the docks, or take a shuttle service. Most of my crewmen could afford the luxury of paying for a shuttle ride, the few who couldn't would still find themselves in the arms of Sally's girls, or using any of the ships many amenities, such as the holosimulators.

  Red and I both queried the station about his refugees. There was no news concerning them, but there was a warning about Alliance presence in the Sigma Mizar System, the next system we would be visiting. There was no information about fleet strength, only that they were there.

  There was also news concerning the Alliance. It seemed that they had a history of raiding this systems planets, taking whatever they wanted, whenever they chose. I found this strange because of the security from their patrol craft, and asked the stations officials about it.

  "When the Alliance strikes, they keep our patrol boats and cutters busy, while their troops raid either or both planets. Our ships don't have the hyperspace ability needed to go after the Alliance worlds. We are also vastly outnumbered."

  "It seems like most of the ships they bring with them are either troop carriers, or freighters. How many actual capital ships do they have?"

  "We don't know. We never thought about it that way."

  "Maybe we can help. Red was a mercenary, then became the Buenos Aries Defense Commander. I've led a few combat missions and can offer some insight. He may be able to help you train your people to defend themselves better. If the Alliance encounters resistance, they will most likely leave, especially when it become apparent that they can't win."

  "We have been a peaceful nation, and do not have the means to defend ourselves. Our patrol ships and cutters are relatively new to us, and are our only means of defense."

  "I have recently acquired some cargo that can be of some help. Your neighbors in the Sirrah System were running guns, and had enough to supply an army, perhaps the Alliance army, with weapons of all sorts."

  The officials took a sharp intake of breath when they heard that name. "They are indeed the people who have been supplying the Alliance. We haven't been able to intercept them and stop them before they escaped back into hyperspace."

  "They are most likely out of the weapons business. When they are unable to supply the Alliance fleet with the contracted weapons, the Alliance will retaliate against them. It won't take much to finish off the people of Sirrah. Their defenses have been largely destroyed, in a recent skirmish. One problem with dealing with the Alliance is that they don't accept failure, for any reason. Their planet will be next to be occupied, and their people enslaved by them."

  "That is a horrid means of justice, but it is what is to be expected for
those serving the Alliance. It is a justifiable end for plotting against us, just for easy profits. We will consult with Red."

  I made a list of every attraction that I thought would entertain me and my wives, scratching off everything that had to do with theater or opera. I didn't have a very good experience the last time I accompanied them to the opera.

  I made a list of all repairs, service, and desired cargo I needed for the Persephone, and gave the list to the ships AI. I also listed my silver for sale, but didn't care if I sold any this stop. I had plenty of credit chips and cargo space, now that half my silver was already sold and gone. My crew also had plenty of credits in their accounts, only needing to spend their credits during leave, while visiting the Lucy, or using the services of Sally's girls, or men.

  "Persephone, start rotating crew for a three week stay."

  "I've scheduled the crew in one week rotations, giving everyone two weeks off. I am having morale problems with one person, who overworks himself. He is normally a smiling and happy crewman. However, lately he has become grumpy, irritable, and he is affecting the morale of his fellow crewmen."

  "Whoever he is, he needs to be kicked off the ship and forced to take shore leave before he is allowed to be returned. We can't allow anyone of our crew to affect the morale of his other shipmates."

  "Captain, you are over due for some down time so I've scheduled you off for the next three weeks. You will not be allowed to board the Persephone until your leave ends. You have 20 minutes to get off, before you are escorted off the ship. By your own orders regarding shore leave."

  At first I was stunned by Persephone's words. I asked again for clarification.

  "You now have 15 minutes remaining, I suggest you hurry."

  I ran to my cabin, and hurried to pack my bag, making sure I packed plenty of credit chips to last me. Jewel and Amber hurried to follow me, taking much longer to pack. While I was waiting for them, two security men entered my cabin to escort me off the ship. I would have to wait for Jewel and Amber on the dock.