Far From Home: The Complete Third Series (Far From Home 16-19) (Far From Home Box Set Book 3)

by Tony Healey

  "See that?" Ardai asked.

  Jessica watched. The haze intensified, crackled with energy. "What's the reading?"

  "Eight point nine," Punk said.

  "Will, tell the others to get ready. We'll slave their navigational systems to ours, as discussed," Jessica told him.

  "Kay, get ready to tie them all in," Shaw said.

  Punk looked up. "Nine point three. Almost there."

  The inner of the circle was now a shimmering screen of light, energy arcing from within it.

  "They're tied in," Kalar said. "I have control of the fleet . . . how thrilling!"

  "Spool the Jump Drives," Shaw said. "We Jump on my mark. This is going to be really interesting."

  The Spectre's own Drive growled to life as around it, the other ships' Jump Drives did the same.

  "Nine point five," Punk said. "We're ready."

  Shaw looked at Jessica. "Last chance to turn back? Find another way?"

  "No, Captain. I appreciate the offer, but no. This is the only way."

  He grinned. "Glad you said that. Kay, Jump."

  Jessica reached out, and Will took her hand. She looked away from the screen as the Spectre, The Queen Victoria, the Cotopaxi, the Reliant and the Brave all leapt through the TransJump portal.

  11.

  "Ma'am, I'm detecting an abnormally strong Jump signature from the other side of the sun," Gentry said, frowning at his readings. "It's a conduit of some kind. It can only be the new technology Jessica hinted at."

  "Okay. Ensign Gordon, lift off please. Get us up off of this rock."

  The Ensign was more than happy to get the Intrepid flying again. "Yes Captain!"

  "Red alert," Chang ordered. "All hands prepare for battle. Doctor, do we have visual of the arriving fleet?"

  The viewscreen changed to show the glowing circle that had appeared from nowhere. At first there was nothing to see, and then Chang spotted the unmistakeable bow of a ship emerging from within it. "There. I see it."

  "The fleet has arrived," Banks said.

  The Intrepid gave a slight jolt as she lifted from the surface of the asteroid under her own power. The screen shifted back to the forward view from the Intrepid's front edge. Ensign Gordon wasted no time in opening up the engines, pushing her to full power, and leaving the rock in its wake.

  "Eager to engage them, Alanna?" Banks asked.

  "You could say so, Commander," she said.

  Chang turned to Kolvin. "Chief why don't you go to Engineering. You might be needed."

  "Yes Captain," he said and left the bridge.

  In front of them, the sun's burning edge licked the fiery hot flames of creation into the void. And beyond them, the fleet awaited them.

  * * *

  "This is Captain Lisa Chang of the starship Intrepid," came the voice over the comm.

  Jessica felt disoriented from the journey through the portal – it was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Certainly nothing like a regular Jump. But Chang's voice pulled her back to reality with a jolt.

  "We read you, Lisa."

  "We'll rendezvous with you in two minutes. You should see us on your sensors."

  "Lisa we will be easy to find. Just look for the fireworks," Jessica said, closing the channel.

  Shaw ran a hand over his face. "Kay, release our control of the other ships."

  "Affirmative. They're free."

  "Good. Now how's about we get this party started?"

  Will shook his head. "It's started without us."

  On the screen, the Amarax rested, backlit by the glare of the sun, accompanied by the strange construct that was the Array. The Amarax looked exactly as it had when Jessica last saw it – separated into its three cylindrical sections. Spilling from within, swarms of ships.

  "Put me on with the fleet," Jessica said.

  Will gave her the nod. "You're on."

  "Fleet, this is Captain King. You've no doubt noticed the hostile forces headed our way. Something tells me they've been expecting us. Well, let's not give them anything but a tough fight. Hit as hard as you can, with everything you've got. And we'll toast our victory back at the Station. King out."

  Shaw slapped his thigh. "Well, it damn stirred me up. Come on Kay, take us in!"

  * * *

  Chang looked about at the bridge crew, listening eagerly to Jessica's words.

  ". . . let's not give them anything but a tough fight. Hit as hard as you can, with everything you've got. And we'll toast our victory back at the Station. King out."

  Banks shifted in his seat. "Alright! You heard the lady."

  The Amarax hove into view, the sun blazing on their right. To their left, the fleet that Jessica had assembled. A ragtag grouping of ships from different classes stood together to fight the same fight. To stop a thousand year old Namarian master plan for reincarnation.

  Dr. Gentry looked up. "Spectre is leading the charge at the front."

  The Namarian ships spilled from the Amarax.

  "Ensign, maximum thrusters. Let's join the battle."

  * * *

  Cessqa boarded her ship.

  Beltine chased after her. "But the Array . . ."

  "Ensure it is activated! Bring our people home!"

  He backed away from the ramp as it slid inside the oddly spherical vessel, closing her in with her crew.

  Now it fell to him to see their plan through. Only Cessqa would be able to hold the humans off. Only Cessqa would hold them back until their forces could join them. Beltine fled back to the command centre, knowing their fates rested in his leader's hands.

  He looked back to see her ship rise from its moorings, like a strange alien flower, spikes jutting from around its hull. Flanked by countless smaller fighters, it headed out into the glare of the sun.

  Beltine continued on his way. They were mere minutes from activating the Array and he wanted to watch it with his own eyes.

  12.

  The sphere was jet black, with a channel around its circumference from which a multitude of spikes jutted out at regular intervals. The spikes crackled with energy, the green lightning rods leaping at the Union ships, crashing against their energy shields.

  The Intrepid drew close and Cessqa turned her attention to it directly, unleashing a wild fury of green energy against the Intrepid's shields.

  Chang flinched as the forked beams struck the bow, causing an explosion of light so intense she had to look away from the viewscreen. She threw an arm over her face.

  "Report!"

  "Shields have dropped to ninety percent," Gentry answered. "Intense isolated bursts of energy. Class six. Very deadly."

  "Return fire," Chang ordered. She gripped the sides of her chair as Banks unloaded the Intrepid's lasers back at the sphere. He followed it up with three torpedoes.

  "No damage," Gentry said. "None at all."

  We've got to figure this out . . . Chang's mind raced to come up with something.

  Ahead of them, the sphere fired again. The green energy bolts slammed into the Intrepid, the whole ship shaking from the force of the hit.

  "Bring us about!" Chang yelled. "Aft torpedoes! Fire!"

  Ensign Gordon turned the Intrepid, the bridge skewing to the right as she took the ship in a tight starboard turn. The viewscreen changed to the rear camera, and Banks launched all tubes. The torpedoes whirled away from the Intrepid, directly into the path of Cessqa's sphere. They impacted in a series of explosions on the Namar ship's hull.

  "Anything?" Chang asked.

  This she hadn't expected. A ship that couldn't be hurt? How was it possible . . . ?

  He shook his head. "Negligible. One percent damage to their structural integrity. That's it."

  "Trying something different," Banks said, biting his bottom lip. "Focusing our guns on one spot. A concentrated, focused laser beam."

  "Do it."

  "Firing."

  The lasers converged on one point, at the front edge of the sphere. They burned in an endless stream of deadly power until th
e energy banks could take no more and Banks was forced to cease fire.

  "Damage report," Chang demanded. "Ensign Gordon, evasive manoeuvres. Don't let them hit us if you can help it."

  "There is a significant level of damage at the focus point of the laser fire. Hull integrity in that section is down to less than ten percent. Exposure to space highly likely. But–"

  Gentry was silenced by Cessqa firing at them again, green tendrils of destruction that struck at multiple locations along the Intrepid's energy shield, weakening it further.

  How much more of this can we take? Chang wondered.

  "Go on."

  The Doctor ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "If we can find a vulnerable area, we could focus all of our fire on that one spot as long as we can. With luck, we'll cause enough damage."

  Chang looked at the sphere on the viewscreen. "There's nothing there. Just those spikes."

  Those spikes . . .

  Her eyes widened. Of course! Those spikes!

  She got up, ran to the tactical station. "Commander, focus all your fire on one of those spikes. Put it out of action."

  "I can try . . ."

  The Intrepid fired, filaments of light connecting the Union ship to the Sphere. They converged on the single spike and proceeded to melt it away.

  "Cease fire!" Chang ordered. "Doctor Gentry, scan it. Is it still functional?"

  He shook his head. "No."

  "Good," Chang said with a smile. "Get to work, Commander. Target each spike in turn. Chief, if you can give us whatever power you can for shields and lasers, I think we can survive this."

  "On it," Kolvin said, his fingertips working the controls of the engineering station.

  "Take her weapons from her and all she has is a ship."

  Banks nodded. "If we can take out one side, it gives us a chance. A shot at hitting back."

  "Exactly," Chang said, returning to the Captain's chair. "Commander, fire at will."

  * * *

  The Spectre barrel rolled, firing a whirling dervish of torpedoes into the oncoming Namar ships. They erupted in brief, brilliant bursts of fire and light before it rushed through them, knocking past their ghosts.

  The Reliant lurched to port, cutting across the Spectre's path. Kalar dove beneath the larger vessel, brought them back up the other side to find the Brave locked in battle with several Namar attackers – their vicious energy weapons cutting through its hull like knives through butter.

  "Fire on those ships," Shaw ordered.

  "Clearing the way," Ardai said, unleashing their weapons on them.

  Where their fire touched, the Namar blew apart. But it wasn't enough. Kalar brought the Spectre around for another pass, in time to see a group of a half dozen ships plough into the Brave, crashing through her hull. The viewscreen was filled with white light as the Brave's reactor detonated.

  "Aaargh!" Kalar angled them away from the blast, before the ship could blow entirely. The shell of the shockwave knocked them off course, several electrics blowing around them, the bridge temporarily thrown into darkness before the emergency power got a chance to kick in.

  "Aft view."

  The viewscreen flickered, showing the lower portion of the Reliant blown away from its proximity to the Brave. The Namar saw the weakness and targeted those exposed sections of the Reliant's hull, firing tirelessly until she too succumbed to their attacks.

  "Dear God," Jessica said.

  "Bring us about, Kay," Shaw growled through gritted teeth. "Will, blast 'em apart!"

  * * *

  Chief Kolvin returned to the bridge. "Chip has everything in order below decks. I thought you might need my assistance here."

  "We're in good shape?" Chang asked.

  "Shields are weakening, but other than that we're undamaged thus far," Kolvin told her.

  On the viewscreen, the Reliant and the Brave tumbled, lifeless in space, their exposed parts glowing white hot as their hulls burned. The Reliant's starboard engine had been ripped clean off, and from the exposed pylons and connectors spilled shimmering reactor material.

  All those lives . . . Chang thought. I hope there are some survivors.

  The Spectre and the Cotopaxi swooped past, unloading their weapons at Cessqa's ship.

  Chang turned to Kyle. "Okay. Banks, get to your fighter. Dana, put me on audio."

  "Yes Captain."

  "This is Captain Chang. I want all fighter pilots ready to launch on Commander Banks's order. Ensign Van Zandt, report to the bridge."

  Banks headed for the door. "You're gonna trust a kid to shoot back at the Namar? You realise he's never been in combat."

  "I've been looking at his file. Highest percentile in his class. I've been meaning to give him a shot. Looks like now's his chance. He'll do fine."

  He shrugged. "You're the Captain."

  The Intrepidrecoiled from a direct hit, the bridge shuddering around them. "Take care of yourself out there, Kyle."

  He nodded and left.

  "Ensign Gordon, take us in close to the Amarax. Close as we can with those ships there."

  "Aye."

  The ship turned away from the Spectre's battle with the sphere, and the Intrepid headed toward the giant cylinder they had once called Enigma.

  The mystery of its origins and purpose were soon pretty evident . . . Chang thought grimly. Next to the Amarax, the Array – a way of calling Cessqa's people home. Back from the dead. The lattices were no longer black, but glowed white hot.

  "How much longer before it is ready to be used, Doctor?"

  "Two minutes, by my calculations."

  Damn.

  "We're really cutting this close," Chief Kolvin said. He turned around as Ensign Van Zandt walked onto the bridge, looking more than a little sheepish to be there.

  "You wanted me, Captain?" he asked.

  "Man the tactical station, Ensign," Chang said. "I sure hope you know how to shoot."

  He looked dumbfounded to be asked such a thing, but it only took a second for it to sink in. He nodded, said "Aye!" with more enthusiasm than Chang had expected, and bounded over to Commander Banks's station.

  Kolvin looked at Chang. He made to say something, but she shook her head with a finger pressed to her lips. He hesitated, then said, "I've rerouted emergency power to the energy shields."

  "Thank you, Chief," she said with a smirk. "Van Zandt, are you familiar with those controls?"

  "Yes Captain."

  "Good, because you have your first target."

  On the viewscreen an angular vessel headed straight for them.

  "Their weapons are coming to bear!" Gentry said.

  "Target that ship, Ensign. Fire at will," Chang ordered.

  "Aye."

  The Intrepid's lasers tore through the Namarian ship, weakening its hull. Van Zandt let loose two torpedoes – they hurtled into its path, and tore it apart in an almighty detonation.

  "Well done. Now keep your eyes peeled."

  "Yes Ma'am."

  * * *

  Her ship trembled around her, but Cessqa felt no concern. She watched on her monitor as the Array came suddenly to life. Every part of its latticed innards shone with pure energy. She narrowed her eyes as a bridge of light connected the Array to the sun, for the moment making the Array a binary star to the one the system already had.

  Several hits directly to her ship's hull made her look away from the web's brilliance. Her people aboard the Amarax would now be working to reach the other side of the corridor, call back to the past, and pull the might of the Namar into the present.

  "Give me communications with that lead vessel," Cessqa demanded. She watched as the officer in front of her hurriedly made the connection.

  "I have it."

  "Human vessel. This is Cessqa."

  "This is Captain Lisa Chang of the Intrepid."

  "You fought valiantly last time, Captain Chang of the starship Intrepid, but I fear this time you are far outmatched."

  "Is that so?"

  "I believe
it is."

  "I think you underestimate our determination."

  Cessqa smiled. "Ah, but there is a difference between desiring a thing, and attaining it. Victory will continue to elude you. My forces are far beyond your own."

  "We'll see," the human cut the connection.

  The human forces would focus their attention on her ship – that was good. By the time they realised what was happening, the Namar would be spilling from the Array. And they would not stop until the star ways were drenched with the blood of humanity . . .

  * * *

  Dr. Gentry looked up. "It's happened."

  The viewscreen changed to show the Amarax. Next to it, the Array glowed white hot, pulling energy from the sun, using it to form a connecting bridge.

  "We're literally out of time. Dana, patch me through to the Spectre."

  Oriz worked the controls. "You're on, Captain."

  "Lisa?"

  "Do you see it?"

  A pause, then: "They've activated it. Have you launched your bomb yet?"

  "Banks is on his way," Chang told her. "But he could do with some cover while I deal with Cessqa's ship."

  "Consider it done. King out."

  * * *

  The craft handled differently with its modification at the front – the housing to carry the probe weighed it down more than usual. With the probe attached it looked like two metal arms carrying a very ugly baby. Banks had never seen anything quite like it. He turned the ship in a slow circle above the deck, then raced out of the hangar, the fighter's engines blazing.

  Chief Kolvin's gruff voice came through from the Intrepid. "Remember, we'll pilot the probe itself from here. You've just got to get it close. Real close."

  "So they don't get a chance to shoot it down."

  "Correct."

  "Chief are you getting my feed where you are?"

  "Yeah. Reading you loud and clear."

  He swerved around a burning hunk of metal, then dodged an energy beam from a Namar ship. It blistered past, a stream of red fire. "Damn chaos out here."

  The Intrepid moved in from the right – she was an impressive sight from the outside. Not as uniform in design as the Defiant, maybe, but she had muscle. Banks could see it.

  "We'll cover you best we can," Chang said in his earpiece. "But you'd better hurry. That thing's active."