by John Walker
“Anthar Ru’Xin, why didn’t the invading force drop directly on the facility,” Gray asked. “It seems odd to me they’d enter an open battle.”
“One of the technologies at work,” Kale said. “They must be masking the signature of the base, forcing the enemy to search. That works to our advantage and buys us time. But the battle is upon us!”
“We have range,” Redding stated. “Permission to open fire.”
“Fire at will,” Gray said. “After the volley, launch the fighters. Olly, prepare the Protocol Seven. I think we need to make short work of these bastards to save the facility.”
***
Wing Commander Meagan Pointer ran alongside Squadron Leader Mick Tauran. They’d been on standby, waiting near the hangar for a quick launch. Since they did not have the Ready Thirty order, they didn’t board their ships but Revente kept them nearby, just in case. Apparently, his paranoia paid off.
“You ready for this?” Mick asked. “Seems crazy we should have to throw down this fast after leaving the solar system. Hell, we didn’t even have the chance to look around and be awed by it all.”
Meagan grinned. “Nothing surprises me anymore, especially when it comes to Revente’s gut feelings. He’s survived things no one deserved to because he listened to his instincts. This time’s no different.”
They nearly collided with Wing Commander Rudy Hale, head of one of the bomber wings. He was a huge man, just shy of too large for regular fighters, he embodied the look for one of the tough, larger vessels.
“Lord, Hale,” Meagan complained as she moved around him. “You’re like a moving wall or something. You coming on this mission?”
“Yeah, capital ships mean pulse bombs,” Rudy replied. “If they use that fancy tech we picked up, we’ll tear em up quick. This will be our first chance to see how the rest of this war’s gonna go.”
“Don’t get cocky,” Mick said. “This is a whole new game out here.”
“We’ll see.” Hale grinned at them. “See you out there.”
“Yeah, just stay out of our way with your slow boats,” Meagan shouted back. “Let’s make this happen.”
The other members of Panther wing, her squadron, boarded their ships and began hastily running through preflight check lists. Meagan brought them up on coms. “I’m not going to waste your time with a long winded speech, guys. This is the real deal, bigger than before. We’ve got six caps out there and God knows how many fighters.
“Remember to keep your IFFs hot and pulsing because there are friendlies that don’t know who the hell we are. I don’t want anyone getting shot down over a misunderstanding. Lieutenant Tullefson, welcome to the unit. I wish you would’ve had a little more time to acclimate to the team but I guess nothing beats a crucible.
“Let’s get out there and take down some bad guys.”
Meagan’s ship throttled up and as the inertial dampeners kicked in, she felt the cockpit pressurize. The tower cleared for launch in ten seconds, just after the Behemoth’s first broadside to one of the enemy ships. She felt her heart race with adrenalized anticipation and counted down the seconds impatiently in her head…
***
Gray watched as Redding laid full into one of the enemy vessels, pounding them with pulse cannon fire. Their shields flickered and visible damage across their hull registered. Olly called out, “direct hit!” then began his assessment of what that meant to the enemy. Regardless of how hurt they were, it sure got their attention.
“They won’t ignore us now,” Gray said, turning to his tablet. The Crystal Font moved in on a different target and a flurry of strange looking pulse beams lit up the sky. They appeared jagged, with purple flickers all along the blue lines. He wished Clea had been present to explain what he was looking at.
They also tore into their enemy though the damage appeared just as minimal as their own. “Olly, coordinate with the Crystal Font and ensure we both use the Protocol Seven to the fullest. I want to finish these guys quick.”
“I’m working with their tech officer now,” Olly replied. “We’ve got it installed and ready. They report all settings nominal. Our broadsides should be ready for the next round in just a second.”
“All fighters are away,” Adam announced. “Bombers too.”
“Keep them away from our target,” Gray replied. “Get them out there to cover the other alliance ships and when Clea’s team is ready, they’ll need an escort.”
“Aye, sir.” Adam conveyed the orders to Revente.
“Pulse cannons are ready, sir,” Redding said.
“Excellent.” Gray took a deep breath. “Initiate the Protocol Seven, Olly.”
“Yes, sir.” He tapped away at the computer and nodded to Redding. “Frequency established. Fire away.”
“Gladly.” Redding hit the button and their vessel hummed for half a second as a barrage pounded the enemy vessel. Their shields were useless, just as before and as the attack penetrated their hull, large bubbled explosions riddled the surface. The enemy cracked in half, drifted then vaporized in a massive blue-red explosion.
The shockwave shook the Behemoth but it ended quickly.
“Well done,” Gray said. “How’s the Crystal Font doing?”
Olly watched his scan for a moment and tilted his head. “They…they must’ve done it wrong.” He replayed their attack and they watched as their strange pulse blasts reflected harmlessly off the enemy shields. “I’m analyzing their attack now to see what happened. I…can’t believe it wouldn’t have worked. That makes no sense!”
“Maybe they needed more time to adapt it to their weapons,” Tim suggested.
“They’ve had a damn week!” Olly cried, “and I was involved the whole time! It worked, I’d bet my life on it!”
“It doesn’t now,” Adam said.
“Crystal Font,” Gray said, “please report. What happened?”
“Protocol Seven did not work,” Kale replied. “We were too slow to fire. My tech crew detected a signal sent to the other ships just as you fired your volley. We believe they were warned.”
“How could they make an adjustment so quickly?” Adam shook his head. “That makes no sense! Altering their shield parameters instantly?”
“It’s possible, sir,” Olly said grudgingly. “It’s not power efficient but it seems they’re randomizing their shield frequencies in three second intervals. I have no idea how long they can keep that up but that’s what they did and frankly, I bet they did it with a simple push of a button.”
One of the enemy vessels moved toward the Behemoth. Gray watched for a moment, thinking. Every second counted so he didn’t have time to really analyze the situation. They were in a tactical environment requiring split second decisions, the right ones to boot. He nodded once and stepped down to address the bridge crew.
“Olly, work on finding a way to adapt Protocol Seven to their little trick. If they are draining power countering us, then there must be a weakness. Find it.”
Olly nodded. “Aye, sir.”
“Redding, let’s draw that ship away from the planet. We got them down to five …let’s see if we can even the odds.”
“On it.” Redding adjusted course.
“Tim, analyze the system for navigational anomalies, dead planetary bodies, debris, anything we might be able to use if we can get these guys moving. I need obstacles.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Adam, keep coordinating with those pilots. Get every pilot we’ve got ready for launch and try to keep us at seventy-five active, twenty-five resting.”
“Got it.”
The enemy fired at them, energy beams sizzling by their shields. “That was close!” Olly said.
“Not really,” Redding replied. “I evaded. I learned a lot about them in our last engagement.”
“Good show,” Gray said. “Let’s keep up that kind of performance and we’ll get through this. Agatha, get us on coms with those other Alliance ships. We’re going to need to work together. You’ve got your job
s, people. Let’s make them happen.”
Chapter 5
Olly multitasked, running an evaluation program against the enemy shield configuration and the Protocol Seven while also monitoring short range scans to track ship movement. He fed various reports to different department heads outside the bridge crew and answered messages from the Crystal Font techs who weren’t as familiar with the algorithm as he was.
He felt wholly in his element.
The enemy may use brute force for the majority of their tactics but they proved to be tech savvy beyond anything Olly would’ve guessed. Their ability to adapt made sense. They couldn’t take on a multicultural army like the alliance without being wily. This setback, and he was convinced that’s all it was, made sense but wouldn’t last.
Somehow, the Protocol Seven would have a method to get past this defense but his initial simulations all failed. I really need to fundamentally rewrite the code. It was designed to find their frequency and pierce through it, that’s the strength. Countering the randomization would require more power and additional AI protocols to match the pattern.
Figuring out how the enemy computer ran through the task sequences might not be possible in its present state. He scanned the code, contemplating where he might modify it to make the changes. Maybe I can’t have it just go right through their shields…but it may be possible to lower the integrity of their defenses.
He started a new set of simulations just as the enemy sent another attack their way. Redding didn’t fully dodge this one but their shields held, keeping them safe. Olly redirected energy to reinforce those deflectors then sent a request to the engineering team to normalize power flow to that region.
Paul admitted he didn’t even know he could do that in the last fight. I was probably wasted on the Tam’Dral.
“They’re definitely pursuing us, Captain,” Tim said. “The Crystal Font has also pulled one from the other two ships. Three to two now.”
“No,” Olly said. “The last one’s not engaged with anyone. It’s still landing troops. I’m picking up readings of drop ships deploying. They’re definitely all over the ground attack.”
“Adam, get the Crystal Font to join our fighters to take down some of those drop ships. Let’s limit their reinforcements on the ground.”
“On it.”
“Harass them, Redding,” Gray said. “Throw shots to keep them moving. We’re giving them too easy of a time following us. Go for precision shots and Olly, how’s the Protocol Seven evaluation coming?”
Olly sighed. “You won’t like the answer, sir. Let me compile some more information and I’ll get it to you soon. Another two minutes.”
“Make it one.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Olly frowned, working his controls swiftly. As the shots blasted by them, they returned fire. He wanted to look up but forced himself to remain focused. No time for curiosity. Let them do their jobs. I’ve got mine. This is fine. Everything’s cool. I’ve got this…hopefully in one minute.
***
Agatha spoke up. “Captain, I’m receiving a transmission from the alliance ships on an emergency frequency. They’re hailing us and the Crystal Font.”
Gray nodded and took his seat. “Patch it into my personal station.” He put an ear piece in and looked at his screen, waiting for the connection to establish. When it did, he heard a voice but received no visual.
“This is Anthar Pi’Inxi. Thank you for responding to our distress call. We are in desperate need of assistance.”
Kale answered, “I’m sorry, Anthar Pi’Inxi, we did not respond to your call. We were here to visit the facility and stumbled on the fight. What happened?”
“Two ships are stationed here anyway to protect the system from incursion. They put out a distress call when they picked up enemy readings on the outskirts of the system. We arrived to find six warships pounding ours and immediately engaged. Some of us aren’t doing so well…my own ship is down to sixty percent hull integrity and shields are failing.”
“How many ships showed up?” Gray asked. “Was it only six?”
“Negative,” Pi’Inxi replied. “They arrived with eight and we destroyed one. The other…we don’t know where it went. Perhaps it’s fallen into reserve. Listen to me, this is very important. We have a traitor somewhere in our midst, most likely in the facility.”
“What?” Kale snapped. “How do you know this? That’s a very serious allegation.”
“My tech officer discovered residual data on one of the satellites. Someone tried to scrub it but failed to remove all traces of their activities. The message went directly into enemy space. Besides, you know as well as I do these research facilities are our most highly guarded secrets. There’s no way they’d just stumble upon it without help.”
Great, Gray thought, now we’re not just dealing with an overwhelming force but a mole too. That’s going to go over well. Who would side with these monsters? And why? What do they hope to gain?
“We’re sending a team to the surface,” Gray said. “They’ll help evacuate the scientists and extract as much data as possible before destroying the facility.”
“The garrison down there is taking a real pounding.” Pi’Inxi sighed. “We sent down reinforcements from all our ships to bolster their numbers and they’re holding for now but I can’t say for how long. We wanted to support them from orbit but we’ve been too busy.”
Gray nodded. “Understood. A small force will be able to get in and out quietly. As long as your people hold them, we’ve got a chance to rescue all those people. Let’s coordinate our attacks on these guys and put them to bed.”
“What about Protocol Seven?” Kale asked. “Why didn’t it work?”
“The signal we read from the ship we destroyed told them to randomize their shield frequencies. Protocol Seven is contingent on piercing the current frequency and ignoring them. As soon as they knew to counter us, the algorithm became useless but don’t worry, Olly is reverse engineering it now to try and make it effective again.”
“We may have tipped our hand too soon,” Kale said. “We’re coordinating with your pilots as requested. Those drop ships will not make it to the surface. Good luck, my friends. We may all need it.”
***
Meagan and Mick dodged aside as two enemy fighters screamed past them. Their wingmen caught the attackers in a crossfire, annihilating them with a couple bursts of pulse lasers. Zeroing in on another contingent, the wing commander let the targeting computer work its magic then pulled the trigger.
A fiery ball erupted and she nudged her controls to the left, avoiding the debris.
“Panther One, this is Giant Control. I need you and Panther Two to join up with…Tai’Li wing to take out some drop ships that are just entering orbit.”
“You want us to break atmosphere?” Meagan asked. “Cause the fight’s up here, sir.”
“There’s a big fight down there, Commander and I need you guys to slow it down. Be advised, we have received word that these vessels are armed and very tough. I’d send bombers but they aren’t fast enough to catch up. It’s on you.”
“How many are we talking about?”
“Ten. With the four of you, it shouldn’t be too hard. Do not let any of them reach the surface of their own accord.”
“On it, Giant Control.” Meagan switched her com wide. “Panther Wing, this is Panther One. I’m taking Panther Two on a special mission. Stay linked up with the other Behemoth wings and give these guys hell. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Should be like shooting fish in a barrel,” Mick said. “Piece of cake.”
“That saying sucks,” Meagan replied, dodging an attack and moving up to her wingman’s left. “Poor fish.”
“Yeah, I…honestly never thought much about it before…”
“Tai’Li wing, this is Panther One. What is your position?”
“Panther One, this is Tai’Li Command. My second and I are moving into the theater of operations now. Estimated Time to Engag
ement, twenty seconds.”
Meagan brought her scans up and zeroed in on the coordinates. “If we push it, we can meet you there about the same time. Gun it, Mick.”
“On it, ma’am.”
Meagan hit her afterburners. Even the dampeners couldn’t totally compensate and she was pressed hard into her chair. Ships flew by them, explosions and pulse blasts they narrowly missed. Twenty seconds seemed like such a short time but hip deep in conflict, it felt like an eternity. As the planet loomed ahead, she and Mick felt the beginning turbulence of atmosphere.
Noise suddenly surrounded them. Sound was possible in gravity, causing every rattle and windy rush to compete with their coms.
“Keep your wings in until we’ve got good air to glide on,” Meagan said.
“Not my first time to dance, ma’am.”
“Sorry, Mick. Old habits and all that.” The shields on her nose lit up, glowing from the heat. The whole ship began bucking from entering the upper atmosphere, the wind pockets buffeting her on all sides. Up ahead, she saw the thrust tails of their targets, drop ships five times the size of her fighter. “Those are freakin’ huge!”
“Scanning for weak points now,” Mick said. “Tai’Li, I’m sharing…do you have this?”
“Affirmative, Panther Two.” The calm voice spoke over their speakers. “We must first take out the rear and forward shields located on their bellies. Then, we can trash the engines and send them into a free fall.”
“They’re going to hit the ground hard,” Meagan said. “I’m talking crater the size of South Carolina big.”
“That’s probably hyperbole,” Mick said. “I hope.”
“Let’s just try to get them to fall on their buddies.”
The two alliance ships joined them, triangles of smooth metal with extended poles for their weapons. The cockpits were invisible outwardly, making it hard to target their pilots directly. They glowed yellow from their shields and their weapons crackled with purple energy like tiny lightning bolts dancing along the extended barrels.
