by Brown, Ryk
“And with only fifteen hundred men, no less,” Nathan answered.
“Indeed.”
“Six months ago, I was praying for a quiet assignment patrolling the outer edges of our system,” Nathan confided. “Now here I am, jumping about the stars and getting shot at by an evil empire. It’s like something out of an old sci-fi movie.”
“Movie?” Captain Waddell asked, unfamiliar with the term.
“I think you call them ‘vids’,” Cameron chimed in as they turned the corner into the lateral corridor that ran the breadth of the forward section.
Captain Waddell nodded his understanding as they approached the starboard boarding foyer. A few hundred troops were standing in line down the starboard corridor, waiting for their turn to step through the airlock and into the staging platform where they would then wait their turn to be shuttled down to the combat area on the surface of Takara.
“You know, the one thing I will never become accustomed to is how there are so few young men in the ranks of the Corinari.” Nathan took note of the puzzled look on Captain Waddell’s face. “On Earth, our military, especially the enlisted ranks, are mostly in their early twenties.”
“Ah, yes,” Captain Waddell responded. “That is the result of having so many of our young men forced into imperial service. Most of those who join the Corinari do so after their service to the empire.”
“Of course,” Nathan agreed. “It’s still difficult to get used to.”
“Well, sir, this is where we wish each other luck and part company,” Captain Waddell announced as they came to a stop near the boarding foyer. “Try to keep those ships from complicating matters for us.”
Nathan took Captain Waddell’s offered hand, shaking it firmly. “I’ll do my best, Captain. Remember, it’s just a diversion. Don’t do anything crazy, like try to take the palace yourself. You just have to make it look convincing until the insertion team finishes their job.”
“We’ll hold their attention well enough, sir,” Captain Waddell assured him. “Commander,” he added, shaking Cameron’s hand as well.
“Good luck, Captain,” Cameron wished him.
Captain Waddell joined his men, disappearing into the airlock with the rest of the column. Soon, he and the rest of his platoon would be boarding the first wave of jump shuttles, which were currently docked to the breach boxes connected to the end of each of the five cargo pods that made up the staging platform.
Nathan and Cameron turned aft and continued making their way to the main hangar deck.
“Six months ago, you were praying you would pass your finals at the academy, just like the rest of us,” Cameron reminded him quietly.
“He didn’t need to know that,” Nathan told her.
“I suppose not. Still, he will be quite surprised when he learns the truth.”
“Assuming he survives,” Nathan stated. Cameron did not answer. They both knew that the first wave was the most likely to suffer heavy losses, especially if the initial strike teams were not successful in disabling all of the air defense batteries encircling the capital city of Answari.
“I prefer to believe that they all will survive,” Cameron stated.
Nathan looked at her. “Since when did you become so optimistic?”
“One of us has to be,” she told him, “especially after the way you were walking the ship like a specter of doom.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Yes, that bad. What was up with that, anyway?”
“Don’t worry; Jessica already chewed me out for that.”
“I know, I’m the one who told her to do it.”
“Really?” Nathan said, surprised.
“She’s better at that kind of thing. Plus, she enjoys it, especially when it’s your butt she gets to chew.”
“I see.”
They passed through the entrance to the starboard fighter alley and made their way across the deck. There were so many fighters packed into the tiny space that Nathan could hardly see how they would ever get them out and into space. Technicians were scurrying about everywhere, all in orderly fashion, as they finished arming and preparing the various fighters for their upcoming flights.
It took them less than a minute to cross the fighter alley and enter the large middeck transfer airlock, one of three that connected the fighter alley with the main hangar deck. With the elevator pad that made up the bulk of the deck within the airlock down at its lowest position at the cargo deck below, they had to walk along the narrow gangway near the extreme edge of the airlock in order to reach the other side. Looking toward the floor, Nathan found it an interesting sight to see down to the next deck, one that he had never witnessed. From what little he could see below, it appeared to be just as busy as it was on the main deck.
They passed out of the transfer airlock on into the main hangar deck, where the fifty fighters that were configured and loaded for atmospheric flight were being prepared. Once the flight apron was clear of the strike teams, these fighters would be positioned on the apron in order to do a quick launch when the Aurora jumped back to orbit above Takara briefly in order to release them.
Nathan also spotted the Falcon, Tug’s interceptor that had since been equipped with a mini jump drive and painted black for her role as a reconnaissance ship. It was parked on the elevator pad in the starboard transfer airlock at the aft end of the main hangar deck, next to the large cargo shuttle that contained the C2 that Commander Taylor would be running. Loki was already in his seat at the back of the interceptor’s cockpit, while Josh was saying his goodbyes to Ensign Yosef.
“Still seems an unlikely couple,” Nathan said to Cameron.
“I don’t know. She seems to like him well enough,” Cameron commented.
“Is it serious?”
“As serious as you can get, considering the circumstances.”
“Good luck, gentlemen,” Nathan called in passing.
“Thank you, Captain,” Loki called from the cockpit.
Ensign Yosef pulled away from Josh and became more formal. She was dressed in the same pressure suit as Cameron, ready for her assignment in the C2. She fell in behind her commanding officers as they passed by on their way aft, and she turned to cast a farewell glance at Josh as they departed.
They stopped at the bottom of the cargo shuttle’s boarding ramp. Cameron turned to Ensign Yosef. “Go ahead, Ensign. I’ll join you shortly.”
“Yes, sir,” Ensign Yosef answered. “Captain.”
Nathan nodded to Ensign Yosef as she started up the ramp.
“Don’t forget;” Cameron said to Nathan, “Naralena has to either transmit the jump destination to the Falcon before you jump, or she has to drop a comm-buoy so that he knows where you jumped to during his absence. Never jump without leaving him your destination so he can find you. Otherwise, we’ll lose contact.”
“I know,” Nathan assured her, “and more importantly, so does Naralena. Don’t worry, Cam; you’ve trained them all very well.”
“It’s not them I’m worried about,” Cameron admitted.
“I thought I was supposed to be worrying about you,” Nathan told her.
Cameron said nothing for a moment, simply staring at Nathan, unsure of what to say. After an uncomfortable silence, she snapped to attention and saluted. “Good hunting, Captain.”
“Thank you, Commander,” Nathan responded, returning her salute. He watched as she turned around in perfect military fashion and ascended the cargo shuttle’s boarding ramp. Nathan stood there for a moment watching her disappear into the back of the shuttle. She was probably the safest of all of them, tucked away in the back of that shuttle inside the C2, floating in the blackness of space some two light days away from the action. As much as she tried to hide it, Nathan knew she was afraid that she would not see any of them again. In fact, the biggest threat to the safety of those in both the staging platform and the C2 was that none of the jump enabled ships would survive, which would leave them all stranded out there in deep space, waiting to di
e.
As the heavy cargo shuttle’s aft boarding ramp began to raise, Cameron moved along the port side of the shuttle, squatting down to walk under the side bay that extended from the aft facing mobile command post’s starboard side. It was an uncomfortable way to walk, especially while wearing a pressure suit designed to protect the wearer from a sudden decompression of the shuttle itself. She couldn’t imagine trying the maneuver while wearing a full EVA suit. She continued her squatting walk under the six meter length of the side bay, sliding her helmet along the deck in front of her as she went until she finally came out the other end and was able stand up straight again.
The inside of the C2 was buzzing with activity as the Corinari technicians made final checks of all their communications and sensory gear. The C2 was configured to be primarily a central communications hub, and to that end, three of her six technicians were dedicated to comm-traffic only. The other three were tasked with taking the incoming data and using it to alter the tactical holographic map that was displayed at the plotting table in the center of the dimly lit room. The six technicians combined could not only present Commander Taylor with as close to a live status display of the battle as possible, but they could also share that tactical view with the Aurora’s CIC via the smaller jump ships that would act as comm and data relays.
Despite Captain Scott’s objections, Ensign Kaylah Yosef, the Aurora’s science officer turned sensor operator, was to serve as Commander Taylor’s backstop. Cameron had asked for her because she was a science officer and, therefore, would keep Cameron from forgetting about the various time lags and relay logistics involved in maintaining communications amongst the various elements of the battle. Not only would the C2 be separated from the battle by two light days, but the two primary battle zones were separated from one another by anywhere from a few light minutes to as much as a few light hours. And the Aurora’s position within the system would be constantly changing in an extremely unpredictable fashion. It would take a scientist’s mind, like Ensign Yosef’s, to keep track of such factors. That would leave Cameron free to think in a more tactical fashion, focusing on the battle itself rather than the logistical complexities.
Ensign Yosef, having come aboard a minute ahead of Commander Taylor, had already tucked her helmet and gloves away in the overhead compartment above the plotting table. As Commander Taylor entered the room, Ensign Yosef was making the final adjustments to the holographic display hovering above the plotting table by perfectly adjusting the brightness and contrast so as to make it easy to view the symbols and abbreviated data that were to be displayed. The holographic display currently showed the immediate area of space around them, referred to as the ‘staging area’.
Cameron also placed her helmet with her gloves stuffed inside into the overhead above the plotting table. “How are we looking, Chief?” Cameron called into her comm-set.
“Rear hatch is secure,” the shuttle’s crew chief reported over the comm-set. “We’re starting our roll-out now.”
“Very well.”
“The shuttle’s flight data can be displayed down in the corner of the plotting table,” Ensign Yosef explained, “but only in 2 dimensions.”
“That will be fine,” Cameron assured her. “It will save me having to ask.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, people,” Cameron began, addressing the entire staff of the C2, “listen up. Our primary role is to act as a central communications hub, as well as a command and control center. Our ability to control the actual battle will be limited due to our distance from the combat zones. However, we will be the only ones who can truly see the big picture, and thus we are the only ones that can make the decisions. It is extremely important that all messages are tracked, and that we know the exact time the message was received. All combatants will be using a mission clock as a time reference instead of local or shipboard clocks. All messages will be time stamped using the mission time. This should all be fairly automated, but keep your eyes on it nonetheless, as we have not had any real-world testing of any of this. This is the first use of a C2 in a superluminal battle scenario, so we may have to make up a few things as we go. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Ensign Yosef or myself.”
Cameron felt the artificial gravity holding her to the deck shift slightly as the shuttle lifted off the Aurora’s flight deck and readjusted its own gravity to compensate for the loss of the Aurora’s artificial gravity. “I guess we’re away,” Cameron said to Kaylah as she grabbed the plotting table to steady herself while the artificial gravity smoothed out. She looked at the holographic display. In its center was the icon that represented the C2. The icons for the Aurora and the staging platform connected to it were sliding away from them, circling around to the aft end of their own icon as the shuttle moved farther from the Aurora toward the nearby group of cargo shuttles. The four shuttles had been sitting in space for nearly twenty hours now, their crews having been rotated halfway through.
“Staging platform reports they have completed loading and are about to disconnect from the Aurora,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Very well.” Cameron felt the shuttle lurch slightly as it applied its braking thrusters. The holographic display showed them pulling up near the cargo shuttles. Soon, the staging platform would join them, followed by the five jump shuttles that would ferry the troops from the staging platform to the surface of Takara in short jumps.
“The Falcon has also launched,” Ensign Yosef reported. “Loki is reporting that the comm link software appears to be working properly.”
“Good.” Cameron felt a slight relief pass through her. Without the software Deliza had developed, all the data and comm-traffic exchanges would have had to be manually sent and received. The automation would save them nearly a full minute with each exchange. In the beginning, it would not matter as much, as the shuttles would take at least five to ten minutes to reload between jumps. But once all combatants were in place, being able to exchange data and comm-traffic in seconds would become critical.
“Staging platform is free floating and stationary,” Ensign Yosef reported. “The Aurora is launching her jump shuttles.”
“Very well.” Cameron could feel her nerves tingling. She was both excited and nervous. Running the operation was a huge responsibility, one that she felt ready to perform. Despite the fact that the local field commanders would be making their own decisions for the most part, they were all counting on her to not only keep them properly informed, but also to make recommendations based on the big picture to which only she was privy.
Cameron’s mind wandered momentarily back to the Fleet Academy and its myriad of training simulations. They had thrown every conceivable challenge at the cadets, and after passing them time and time again, Cameron remembered feeling like she was ready for anything fate could throw at her. She realized now that she had been wrong.
* * *
“Senior Chief,” Nathan said as he approached Marcus.
“Yes, sir,” Marcus answered, turning away from the technician he had been talking with as the young man departed to tend to his duties.
“Nice work you did with the staging platform.”
“Thank you, sir. Just making do with what we got,” Marcus stated. “Could’ve used a few more toilets, what with fifteen hundred men being crammed in there.”
“None of them will be in there for more than an hour.”
“Let’s hope,” Marcus added, knowing full well that so many things could go wrong.
“Anyway, good luck to you,” Nathan stated as he continued on toward the insertion teams forming up in the forward end of the main hangar bay.
“Just keep them from punching any more holes in our sides, Captain. That’s all I ask.”
“I’ll do my best,” Nathan promised as he continued forward.
At the forward end of the main hangar bay, the ten insertion teams were gathered in their respective groups of eight. Outfitted in their complete space jump rigs, augmented with the Corinari�
�s automated chute navigation system, they could barely move under the normal gravity being generated by the hangar deck’s artificial gravity system. In another moment of brilliance, Senior Chief Taggart had devised the simple solution of converting a few ordnance trailers into taxis for the eighty space jumpers. Using two of the converted trailers, he could haul twenty jumpers per trip the length of the hangar deck to the starboard transfer airlock, enabling him to haul all eighty of them in only four trips. Once in the transfer airlock, the gravity would be lessened so the jumpers would be able to move about as if they only carried a normal parachute rig on their backs. The space-jump suits themselves were normally part of the pilot’s seat, only being worn while sitting in the fighter itself. It had never been designed to be used in such a manner.
Nathan watched as the trailer packed with fully suited space -jumpers rolled past him, being towed by a deck tractor and heading aft. He could see the faces of the men about to jump off the Aurora’s deck at one hundred kilometers above the surface of Takara. Although each of these men were well trained in high altitude parachute jumps and jumps into enemy territory, none of them had ever jumped from space. As stoic as they were, the fear and doubt was evident in even the bravest of them.
As he approached, he watched the next group of twenty jumpers take their seats on either side of the converted trailer. As they each sat, a technician standing on the trailer behind them would snap their suits against the horizontal bar running behind them using the same fasteners that attached the hard-shell parachute pack to the seat in the cockpit of the fighters in which the suits were designed to be used. Once the last man was secured, the tractor began pulling the next group toward the aft end of the hangar.
The last group of twenty jumpers, teams nine and ten, were standing at the forward end of the bay. Corinari technicians were performing last minute checks on each of the jumpers, making sure they were ready to go. The last two teams, with the exception of Jessica, were composed entirely of Karuzari operatives.
