Operation Hellfire

by Michael G. Thomas

  "Who better to explain Byotai weapons and tech than Prince Kratha and his military commander, General Honorius?"

  There was complete silence as they looked upon the two strange figures. Unlike Nate and his friends, many of them had not yet seen the alien, even though images of their escape had been viewed thousands of times on board the ship. The Prince was more than an alien warrior; he was now the ruler of the Byotai Empire, or whatever remained of it. That one fact alone made him something of a celebrity on the ship. Though the President of the Alliance was an important figurehead, it was nothing compared to the Royal Line of the Byotai, a family whose history was older than humankind's colonisation of the stars.

  "This should be interesting," said Rex.

  "Shh!" whispered Cassandra, while giggling.

  Weeks earlier Nate might have been annoyed. Back then he and Rex had been little more than archenemies, and Cassandra the girl he could never get the attention of. Now they were friends, perhaps not the greatest, but this posting aboard Relentless had brought them all much closer together. With the other new pilots, there might now just be ten of them in the Squadron, but the bond between them grew stronger every day. As well as those from the Academy, there was the brilliant, if pompous Bartholomew Hawkins, the Third, Augustyniak, Fletcher, and the flamboyant and noisy Foss twins. Every day they practiced together in the Fighter Control Suite, using the military Star Crusader Simulator to hone their skills.

  The Byotai spoke with the officers, and a low murmur of conversation quickly broke out in the group. Nate opened his mouth to speak with Cassandra but was pre-empted by another.

  "Can you believe this?" Hawkins asked.

  Nate looked to his left, and only then noticed that he was right there alongside him and looking at him, Rex, and Cassandra. Rex shrugged, but Cassandra had no issues with talking, perhaps even a little too loudly.

  "It makes sense, I guess."

  Hawkins shook his head ever so slowly so as not to draw attention to him.

  "Looks like we're all one big happy family now. Alliance and Byotai in it together."

  Nate's eyebrows rose.

  "You know that this Star Empire controls all the Byotai colonies in The Trinity, plus those in the Tenth Quadrant and whatever lies in the Anicinàbe sector, right? Combined that is a lot more than we can put together."

  Hawkins smiled.

  "Very true. But there's a big difference."

  Cassandra tilted her head in a coy expression that seemed to irritate Rex. She was playfully flirting with Hawkins right in front of the others. It may have been harmless, but it didn't come across that way to Nate, and he suspected neither did it to Rex.

  "Let me guess...you?"

  Hawkins looked confused.

  "Uh...no. We've just come out of a war, and we've got the people, tech, and experience to fight. The Byotai only got involved in space in the Biomech War, and you remember what the Anicinàbe did, right?"

  This time Rex actually spoke.

  "They did nothing. Only us, the Helions, and some Khreenk got involved. The Anicinàbe just kept out of the way while we bled."

  The teenager's voice was bitter, and it took a second before Nate recalled that he and Rex had something in common. Both suffered major losses in their families in the last war, and both while serving in the Alliance Navy. Hawkins seemed confused as he listened to the complaints from Rex. It might have become loud had not the Byotai representatives started speaking.

  "For those that have never met me, I am Kratha, Crown Prince of the Byotai people and now Regent."

  All eyes turned to the two creatures. Prince Kratha was clearly a Byotai. Though of a similar build to a human male, his upper torso was thicker built, and the bony ridges on his face, as well as the leathery finish to his skin, marked him out as reptilian. He wore his Royal body armour, rich in details and partially covered in his cloak that hung down low, nearly touching the floor. The glint of silver and gold marked out scores of embellishments, with only his head left unadorned. The General, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He wore military uniform and armour, but he lacked any of the niceties shown by Prince Kratha.

  "He is rather handsome," said Cassandra, her voice low and discreet.

  The young Prince turned his gaze to those at the front and scanned the room. It was big enough to conduct a decent size military drill, and the walls were full of images and artwork of military events of the past. He said a few more words, but few seemed to be listening, especially as his voice trailed off and stopped when he spotted Nate and his friends. He lowered his head reverently, and Nate found himself doing the same.

  "Thanks to the men and women of this ship, I have been passed the role of saving all Byotai...from the evil that is spreading through the galaxy."

  There was no sound from the audience, but he either didn't notice or chose to ignore them. It looked as if he had a carefully prepared speech, yet the pauses suggested he was thinking carefully before speaking.

  "This evil takes the shape of the promise of social reform and riches, but behind it comes a cruel mixture of racism and fear. They destroyed my people with barely a fight, and are spreading a dark message of revolution from city to city. Already these extremists are working to turn Helion and Khreenk citizens against Biomech machines and synthetics. It will spread, and so will the violence."

  He looked up, opened his mouth, and let out some warm air. When he looked back at the military personnel, his eyes glazed over.

  "I want to thank you for the bravery and courage in helping my people. Together we will halt the advance of these heretics and killers in my own territory, and in doing so, stop them moving into your own."

  His accent was thick, like that of a foreigner unused to their language. Yet there was a smooth and comfortable sound that put the group immediately at ease. He was young, but having been a member of the Royal Family had clearly been exposed to public speaking from an early age. As Nate watched him, he found himself smiling at the skill and confidence on display. He suspected there wasn't much of an age difference, but the Prince was vastly more confident than him.

  It would be awesome to be in his shoes.

  Even as he thought it, he realised that it wasn't all quite so simple.

  He's lost all of his family, his home, and what friends are left?

  The more Nate thought about it, the more he understood that Kratha was living a bizarre life. Without the Alliance, he would be dead in days. From what Nate had seen since their escape, most of the Byotai people seemed satisfied with that.

  Are we supporting the right side?

  As he looked at the young Prince, he could still find nothing but admiration for the young noble. He'd lost everything, yet even now was ready and willing to step up and fight. Nate liked him, and rightly or wrongly, he couldn't change that.

  "Captain Galanos has asked me to share as much information as possible on our weapons and training, and I for one agree with her suggestions. I have prepared information for a briefing on our training and tactics that I believe you will watch later?"

  The Prince glanced over to the Marine officers, who gave him a polite nod. He acknowledged them and then looked back.

  "As in the Biomech War, we will fight alongside each other. And like you, we have improved our equipment based upon the many lessons learnt then."

  Nate looked to Rex who seemed equally intrigued by the statement. The Prince walked towards the tables in front of him and stared at the weapons. There was a mixture of Alliance and Byotai tech, but one item in particular was missing. He reached to his flank, and immediately a pair of marines at the door gripped their weapons more tightly, anticipating trouble. The Prince noticed their movement and pulled back his cloak to make it easier for them to see what he was doing. The two nodded politely, but still kept their eyes firmly on him as he removed a pistol from him flank and placed it on the table.

  "These are the three most common weapons used by my people in the last five years. We also
make use of small numbers of imported Khreenk high-energy weapons, something you have already experienced. Though different to the equipment you use, they also offer many advantages over your own firearms."

  One of the deck crew muttered something, but a harsh glance from Sergeant Nál quickly put an end to that. Prince Kratha reached forward and lifted a gun. It was a Bullpup design, with the trigger further forward than most common weapons. A clip hung down under the stock, and a piston arrangement under the barrel slid back and forth as he simulated loading the weapon.

  "This is the Krokspjot, what you might call a carbine or rifle."

  Billy leaned closer to Nate and whispered in his ear.

  "Just like the ones used on the starbase, right?"

  Nate nodded but said nothing to avoid being reprimanded by the no-nonsense Sergeant Nál. Nate glanced over to Private Valentine, but she appeared equally engrossed by what was happening.

  "The Krokspjot is the standard weapon used by my people, and it exists in different sizes, depending on military units, status, and when it was built."

  With a smooth gesture, he spun the weapon around so that it slid to his shoulder in a single elegant movement. At the same time, his left hand reached out and tapped the lever at the side of the piston. The unit opened, and the Prince withdrew a block about the size of a man's hand. He then placed the weapon back down on the table and held up the block.

  "This is a standard polymer block, and it contains twenty-four projectiles."

  He held up the unit so that the audience could see it. From where Nate sat, it looked like a beige plastic or rubber block, with dark shapes hidden inside it. The Prince gripped the corner and pulled. A small strip peeled away, and he showed the rectangular chunk that was about as big as a pencil covered in a thin layer of plastic.

  "Standard issue thermal bolts, each is caseless and heated by the charging chamber on the carbine. When fired, the piston loads the bolt into the mag-chamber and launches it in a similar fashion to your coilguns."

  Prince Kratha nodded to one of the marines who walked to the table and took a handful of the thermal bolts. He then moved to the front of the group and handed them out. When Nate finally received his, he had an immediate flashback to their original escape so many weeks ago. It took a moment before he remembered where he'd seen the fearsome projectile.

  "Valentine."

  He said her name out loud and without thinking, but luckily for him the training hall was now buzzing with the sound of the pilots and crew as they had their first up close look at Byotai tech. Nate spotted Valentine as Prince Kratha approached her. The two spoke, but he was too far away to hear.

  "Nate?"

  He found Rex in front of him.

  "Yeah?"

  "Isn't this the same as the stuff they were firing at us on the Mognathus 7 Starbase?"

  Billy pushed past two of the deck crew so that he could join Nate and Rex. He held a pair of the Byotai thermal bolts in his left hand as he approached, and immediately answered Rex's question.

  "Yeah, this is what they were using. Weird, don't you think?"

  He held up one, and Rex shook his head.

  "Yeah, we've seen them before, Billy."

  Nate nodded towards Valentine. She was still busily chatting to the Byotai Prince.

  "You remember the one we helped pull out of her chest?"

  Rex nodded, his expression grim.

  "That thing was white hot. There's not much that can breach the hardened chest plating of PDS Alpha armour."

  "But this thing did," said Billy.

  The three looked back to the tables, and to the Prince as he went back to the group.

  "Our weapons are designed to match our method of combat. We are slower than you humans, but our bodies are more resilient. So we favour a defensive method of combat, one that relies on armour and firepower over manoeuvrability."

  He pointed to the thermal bolts being paraded around the group.

  "Our thermal weapons are shorter ranged than those used by the Helions or the Anicinàbe, but they hit a lot harder."

  He walked to the table and lifted up a much bigger weapon. Similar in style to the Krokspjot, it was easily twice the size, and he struggled to hold the weight, even in both arms.

  "That is why we developed the Sparth after the Biomech War. It has entered service with our elite units, and some regular infantry units. If you see one of these, be somewhere else."

  Several of the audience laughed, and even Private Valentine chuckled. Nate looked over to her and observed she was looking carefully at the Prince. A smile had formed along her mouth, and she seemed entranced by his presentation. Hawkins leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

  "You've got competition, my friend."

  Nate swallowed uncomfortably and tried to focus on what was happening directly in front of him. Prince Kratha turned the weapon around in his arms.

  "This weapon fires a pattern of fused thermal bolts in a single shot. It can blast off a Biomech's limb in a single shot, or cut an armoured soldier clean in half."

  As before, the audience was entranced by both the words and the actions of the two Byotai. But all Nate could do was watch Private Valentine, and her fascination with the alien leader.

  What does she see in him?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Alliance Battleship 'ANS Warlord'

  Approaching Eighth Quadrant Fleet Reserve Base

  Admiral Churchill waited silently as one by one the ships of the fleet made subtle adjustments to their relative positions. He could see the assortment of vessels, but the Crusader Class ships drew his attention the most. At over three hundred metres they were impressive, and with five of them at his command he should have felt perfectly safe. As always, he was well aware that the battlegroup contained thousands of loyal men and women, citizens and service personnel that he was ultimately responsible for.

  The Prince had better be right about this.

  Each vessel was travelling at maximum speed, and because of that, they were operating under a strict timetable. All twelve ships of the primary fleet moved towards what many might consider the reverse side of the Rift. He knew that ANS Relentless and her escorts were waiting patiently on the other side, effectively stationary and positioned a safe distance away, just in case. It was an odd way of conducting the mission, and it had been at the suggestion of Captain Galanos to use the side effects of the Rift in this way. He glanced at the counter and noted they had just sixty seconds left to go before they breached the Rift.

  This will be a first for the history books.

  A light flashed ahead, and his eyes moved immediately to the celestial phenomenon, one that made long-range space travel possible. The Spacebridge was still little more than a dot, but by the time it was visible, they would only be a second or two away. Directly ahead marked the exit of this sector of space, and according to their navigation data and Byotai advisors, it would take them within ten thousand kilometres of the Reserve Base. Their trajectory was such that they would be travelling almost the opposite direction and into a slingshot around Ararrh III, right on top of the enemy ships within an hour of entering the System. It was a sly trick, and by making use of the relative speed difference between the fleet and the planet, he could cheat the time difference.

  "The Helions, they should be there and in the thick of it by now," said his XO, Commander Jarvis.

  Admiral Churchill looked to him, but his face was cool and expressionless.

  "If they were on time, they should have entered the System exactly three hours ago. I wish we had live intel from the station instead of that delayed stuff Kratha has been feeding us."

  The Commander looked a little confused.

  "Feeding? You think he's withholding intel?"

  Admiral Churchill shook his head.

  "No, not for a moment. If this mission is going to help anybody, it is him. I just don't like moving in without something a bit more up-to-date."

  "We can still send a message t
hrough to the station for a system-wide scan."

  Admiral Churchill chuckled.

  "Too late now. We'll know soon enough. Let's just hope that’s when we arrive. The last signal was corrupted, and I suspect the enemy has taken measures to tamper or intercept data. We cannot give them any idea what we're doing. Don't forget, if any warships are coming into the Ararrh System to cause them trouble, it is likely to be from our side, not further inside the Empire."

  The counter now showed forty seconds, and the mood inside the ship began to change. It was all business, but at such a velocity there was no way to avoid entering the Rift, and according to the computers, it was little more than a massive pool of energy floating in space. Churchill had never taken a ship through at such speed, and all he had to go on were the guarantees of his science officers that there was no reason why it wouldn't work.

  That's still not a reason why it might just bounce us back in broken shards of metal.

  Commander Jarvis could see the tightening of the Admiral's brow.

  "It's all out of our hands now, Admiral. It's to the gods to decide."

  The Admiral's eyebrows rose in amusement.

  "If only that were true!"

  He then reached out and tapped the intercom.

  "This is the Admiral. All ships prepare yourselves; Phase One of Operation Hellfire is a go."

  His eyes shifted to the tactical display and the comprehensive map of the coming battlefield. They were far enough away from the station to be safe, but it was still going to be the closest object out there.