by Cary Caffrey
"And don't you think you should take your seat?" Karen asked, eyeing the empty command chair.
Sigrid still felt uncomfortable with the idea of sitting in it; her crew were looking at her expectantly. What was she afraid of? Scorpii lay ahead on the other side of the Relay. The girls were there. Suko was there.
Sigrid slid slowly into the chair; it felt surprisingly comfortable.
"It looks good on you," Karen said brightly.
Sigrid felt her cheeks glow warmer; she shook her head and smiled at the lively ensign.
"Begging your pardon, Sig…Captain…" Selene said. "But do we have a plan for this? We don't exactly know what we're flying into here."
A plan? So far, she'd been propelled along, either by the wishes of her masters or by the inertia of events unfolding around her. Did she have a plan?
Gene had told them much of Scorpii; his group had a base on one of the larger asteroids, nestling in an old mining facility. There were only a few hundred people there, mostly workers and students from Hekate, but they had been joined by a paramilitary group backed by a wealthy friend and patron of Nicola Kirk's. His involvement had been the catalyst that had seen their protest movement move from peaceful demonstrations to full-scale military engagements.
It had to be Smith.
As for having a plan…? Sigrid closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "What will happen if we engage the stealth systems going through the Relay?"
"It shouldn't affect anything," Christian said. "Travel through the Relays is more contingent on mass, inertia, velocity and our entrance vector. I don't see how the cloak will affect that."
Selene let out a long breath. "It does expend a tremendous amount of energy. If it causes some kind of feedback as we enter the effect…"
Christian did some quick calculations on his console. "I see only a small chance of that being a possibility."
"Small? How small is small?" Selene asked, furrowing her brow.
"A little over four percent."
Karen swallowed hard. "But…what would happen—"
"We could end up on the wrong side of the Galaxy," Selene said.
Christian stroked his chin. "More likely, any energy discharge would simply disrupt the Relay."
"You mean, we might break it?" Sigrid asked.
He nodded. "Quite likely."
Selene laughed. "So, either we get trapped somewhere across the galaxy or we get trapped here."
Sigrid considered her options. "Wehr told us how many ships they have there. He figures they'll have between fourteen and twenty ships guarding that base. If we fly straight in, they'll see us. We can't take on an entire fleet."
Christian plunked an elbow down on his console, leaning heavily on his hand. "Well, isn't this fun."
Sigrid sat quietly, calculating the different scenarios. "Either way, it's a gamble, but we have to make the best of the cards we hold. Engage the stealth, Lieutenant Lopez. Ms. Tseng…take us to Scorpii."
* * *
Captain Samson Potter stood on the bridge of his ship, the flagship of the large task force that was currently pursuing the four CTF Naval ships inbound for Scorpii IV. They'd been accelerating toward the force for nearly three days, coming in on a vector that had completely cut the CTF ships off from the Relay behind them. They were cornered and trapped. He'd been somewhat surprised when the CTF ships had not turned to engage; they were still hanging there in orbit around the dead planet. He'd expected them at the very least to bring their ships up to speed to try to match the velocity of his attacking force. But instead they'd remained parked in orbit. They were sitting ducks.
Knowing that didn't make Captain Potter feel any better; he'd learned long ago that when an enemy, especially a cornered one, didn't do the expected, then there was a good chance that he was the one who was being cornered. Right now, Potter could feel all the hairs on his neck bristling.
"Break off," Captain Potter, said to his helm. "All ships disengage."
"Sir?" his XO asked. She shook her head in complete disbelief. "We have them!"
"Break off. All ships, 180 degrees about. Maximum acceleration."
His XO took a deep breath, but acknowledged the command.
"Sir!" the tactical officer cut in. "We've got ships in system—coming in from the Relay."
And so the trap was sprung. "How many?"
The face of his tactical officer turned white as a sheet. "Thirty-two."
Potter laughed.
"Sir?"
"They played us," he said. "They drew us out, and we took the bait. We showed them exactly where the base is." Potter slammed his hand on the arm of his chair. "What's the vector on those ships? Are they attacking?"
"They're splitting into two groups, sir. Some heading for the mining facility, the rest look to be engaging us."
"How many?"
"Twenty-eight, sir—headed toward us. Four moving to engage the base."
Thirty-two ships against his task force of twelve. Now he was the one surrounded. It was a goddamn ambush.
Captain Potter sighed grimly. "Get the crews to their Pods. Let's prepare for battle."
* * *
"How many?" Sigrid asked. What she'd heard didn't seem possible.
"Thirty-two in total," Christian said. "They came through the Relay right behind us."
"But how?" Karen asked. "How could they have followed us?"
"They didn't," Selene said. "There were no ships in-system at Gliese. Their exit vector doesn't match ours either. Wherever they came from, they didn't follow us."
"So, we just walked into a full scale invasion?" Christian said.
"It would appear so."
Sigrid peered over Christian's shoulder at the tactical monitor; four of the ships from the CTF forces had peeled off from the main force and seemed to be following them in. "Do they see us? Is our cloak still engaged?"
Selene nodded. "Yes. I don't think they see us—but the harder we push our engines the more the cloak drains us. If we're not careful we won't have enough in reserve to get back through the Relay."
Sigrid opened a channel to her engineer. "Rodney, how long can we maintain the stealth field?"
"As long as you're not planning any crazy maneuvers, I should be able to hold it. It would be great if we could ease off though. I don't like some of these readings."
Sigrid grimaced. "And if we slow, those ships behind us will overtake us. How far behind us are they?"
Selene checked her readouts. "They exited the Relay about two-point-four hours behind us. We're still faster. If we keep accelerating at this pace, we should increase that gap to nearly five hours by the time we reach the facility."
"What kind of ships are those?"
"Two troop carriers with destroyer escort."
Two troop carriers against her crew of five…? Sigrid had a thought. "How many mines do we have aboard?"
Christian's eyes lit up. He smiled. "Six, ma'am."
"Well, let's see if we can even the odds somewhat."
"Yes, ma'am."
Christian and Selene worked diligently to coordinate the mine-laying, dropping five into the paths of the oncoming CTF ships that were so close on their tail. Then it was just a matter of waiting the few hours for the ships to catch up. With luck, the four pursuing vessels would be snared, much in the same way that the Agatsuma had been.
While they waited, Sigrid spent her time grilling Gene Wehr on everything he knew about the mining facility, piecing together a map and committing everything to her PCM. It wouldn't be accurate, but it would hopefully save her some time once they landed. That wouldn't be for another two days.
At least the main CTF Force was engaged with the…Sigrid laughed to herself. What should she call them? The Hekatians? The Scorpions? The Rebels?
It didn't matter. This was a rescue mission.
They gathered on the bridge again to monitor their mine-laying efforts. Three of the mines attached themselves to their targets. Needles of piercing light radiated o
utwards as the mines detonated, completely obliterating one of the transports and disabling two of the oncoming destroyers. One mine drifted off harmlessly and the fifth suffered a malfunction, allowing the second transport to continue unscathed.
"We still have one mine," Christian said.
"No, I want to keep that in reserve," Sigrid said. "I have something in mind for that one."
Now, all she needed to do was deal with a single company of CTF Marines and whatever they had down on the Scorpii base. Piece of Cake.
They neared the base just as the CTF forces began clashing with the Scorpii ships. The smaller task force put up an admirable fight, taking out eight of the CTF Naval ships, but their defenses were overwhelmed by the sheer weight and numbers of incoming ordnance thrown at them. Their smaller force was quickly obliterated.
Sigrid and her crew observed the surviving CTF ships wheeling away from the battle area, changing course and accelerating in their direction.
Karen's eyes went wide. "They're heading this way."
"Let's just make sure we're not here when they arrive," Sigrid said.
The Morrigan decelerated, pushing its maximum Gs as it slewed into orbit around the large asteroid. Christian kept close monitor over the station's defensive activity. With the programs Hitomi had provided them, Sigrid had masterfully hacked into their communications and they'd been monitoring the chatter coming from the station for some time.
The base still had a sizable defensive force of soldiers, who were bracing for the invasion that was certain to come.
The crew of the Morrigan held their collective breath as six large fighters launched from the base. But the fighters headed straight for the troop transport and its trailing escort ships; the Morrigan's stealth systems were doing their job.
"Take us in, Ms. Tseng," Sigrid said. She pointed to a spot on the navigational map, two kilometers north of the base. "Put us down there, just on the other side of that ridge." She hoped that would keep her ship hidden from prying eyes.
"Aye, ma'am."
While Selene directed the landing, Sigrid made for the airlock, gathering her weapons and pulling on the EVA gear she'd need to make it across the surface of the asteroid to the base. She looked up in surprise as Karen squeezed in next to her and started gearing herself up.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Sigrid asked.
"If you think I'm letting you go in there alone, you're crazy."
The girl's sentiment was sweet, but Sigrid knew she'd only slow her down. "Karen, I want you to stay here."
Karen stood up straight, clipping the ammunitions belt around her waist. "I'm not just an Orientations Officer," she said, primly. "I've had full weapons training. I'm checked out on all of these." She held up one of the heavy assault rifles—upside down, Sigrid noted.
"Karen—"
"Don't argue," Karen said fiercely. "I'm helping you whether you like it or not."
Before she could muster her voice, Christian ran up, clutching similar gear.
"Not you too!" Sigrid said.
Christian grinned. "Of course…"
"No, you have to stay here with Selene. I need you at Tactical to monitor the station—troop movements, com-chatter, everything. If they detect us, I need you to let me know."
"But—"
"That's an order."
Christian nodded. "Very well. But you call us the moment you need extraction."
"That's the plan."
Sigrid fastened her helmet, gathering all the ordnance she could carry into a duffel, while Christian helped Karen into the rest of her gear. Christian heaved the bag up and handed it to Sigrid, who took it easily in one hand.
"Get the ship to a safe distance and stay on the comlink," Sigrid said. "We'll signal when we're ready."
"Aye, ma'am." Christian saluted and went about sealing the airlock after them.
Sigrid opened the outer airlock door as soon as the Morrigan shuddered down on the surface of the asteroid. She leapt out. There was no point in trying to walk across the surface. The gravity was so low it wouldn't take much for her to bounce off the terrain at escape velocity.
Karen floated down beside her, arms waving an unlikely flight pattern. Sigrid hooked a tether into the belt on Karen's suit. "Hang on!"
Using the maneuvering jets on the EVA thruster pack, Sigrid blasted toward the Scorpii mining facility; she heard Karen's tinny squeal over the comlink as the tether took hold and yanked her forward. Keeping low, she skimmed over the surface, taking care that Karen was trailing obediently behind her and not hitting the rocks that jutted out here and there.
The mining facility was buried deep in the rock of the asteroid. The only evidence of the facility was a large landing pad and an airlock used to deliver heavy machinery and ore from the bowels of the mines. Sigrid had another entrance in mind; a few light boosts later they arrived at the small access shaft Gene had told her about. She found the hatch to be just as Gene had described it; the grey metal door of the airlock, jutting out from a pile of dusty rocks.
"We're in," Sigrid said over her comlink. She pulled off her helmet, quickly stripping off the EVA gear before helping Karen out of hers. Within a minute, Sigrid was armed with her twin pistols, katana, a load-out of grenades and shuriken belted to her waist; Karen was furnished with a compact eSMG—light, easy to aim and capable of spitting out an incredible number of rounds per second. "Try not to shoot me with it," Sigrid said with a wink.
Sigrid keyed her comlink; if the girls were here, if she could reach them, she could locate them that much quicker. She called several times on all the channels, but only static hissed back. Dammit. She reminded herself that it didn't mean anything—they were here. They had to be.
A quick scan with her thermals showed the corridor beyond the airlock was clear and the two girls headed quickly out. The complex was massive, spanning nearly 20 square kilometers—there wasn't enough time to go searching blindly through the maze of twisting tunnels, not with the CTF invasion force closing in behind them. There was only one place large enough to house all the girls—Ore Processing. It was at the lowest level, deep beneath the surface. She could only hope the girls were there, and not scattered throughout the facility.
Up ahead, Sigrid sensed movement and signaled Karen to stop and move back. Three people were coming down the corridor toward them. Karen backed into the shadows around a corner. Sigrid shrouded.
Two people in civilian clothing approached; they were accompanied by a man in what looked like a military uniform, but it wasn't CTF or any of the Mercenary clan colors that Sigrid was familiar with. There would be time for questions later.
Sigrid drew her pistols, taking care to dial them to their silenced modes. She fired two quick shots, felling the soldier and one of the civilians. She grabbed the last woman from behind and covered her mouth.
Karen came out from her hiding place and stared at the two bodies. "You…you killed them…"
Sigrid ignored the remark as she dragged her captive back around the corner. "The girls—where are they?" she demanded.
The terrified woman shook her head. Sigrid jerked her neck back, tightening her grip. "Where?"
Slowly, Sigrid eased her hand away from the woman's mouth. "They're…they're in the habitat. Lower level. Tier 3."
Sigrid smacked her on the back of the head and eased the unconscious woman to the floor.
Karen, who had gathered her wits, was already struggling to drag the other two bodies into the dark passage. "I'm sorry. I…suppose I should have been expecting this." She took a deep breath. "That won't happen again."
Sigrid squeezed her arm. "It's all right. But I won't let them stop me."
"Of course. I know—I remember what they did on the Elevator…all those people. I'll do whatever it takes."
Moving smartly, the two girls padded down level after level without having to eliminate anyone else. Most of the people were gathered near the surface, preparing for the station's defense, with only the occasional
group flitting through the lower parts. Sigrid checked her watch again. They had a little more than three hours before the CTF troop transport arrived, unless the station's defense systems managed to take care of them.
They avoided two more squads of patrolling soldiers before finally reaching the lowest level, which looked more like a storage facility for the habitat—just a narrow corridor lined with large lockers, by the looks of it. Sigrid spotted the three armed guards.
Karen gasped at the sight of the soldiers in their mechanized armor. "Oh-my-God…"
"Stay here."
Karen nodded vigorously, slinking back into the shadows as Sigrid shrouded herself again.
"I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that," Karen whispered.
The soldiers carried motion trackers—as soon as Sigrid entered the corridor they turned, searching, trying to locate her. In slow motion, Sigrid drew her pistols and selected the armor-piercing rounds. She focused on the weak spots in their armor: neck, joints, faceplates. One of them raised a hulking chain gun to his shoulder. Sigrid leapt forward, fast as light. She fired two shots, shattering the faceplate of one soldier; the second shot glanced harmlessly off the next as he turned, his composite armor deflecting the blast. He was still turning, still trying to track her. Drawing her katana, she charged at him full-on before diving and slicing his leg clean off below the knee. He fell backward—the slugs from his chain gun chattering up and ripping a pattern on the ceiling before his finger slackened on the trigger.
Sigrid leapt cat-like onto the chest of her last target. She let her momentum carry them both back. He stumbled, dropping his weapon as he fell backward onto the floor. Sigrid was quickly upon him and brought her sword straight down with all her strength, piercing the mirrored faceplate. His body shuddered under her as his arms clanged limply to the floor.
Sigrid stood and grabbed for the hilt of the katana, but the blade had penetrated deep into the floor. She tugged again, but the sword held fast. With her foot planted solidly on the soldier's metal breastplate, Sigrid heaved and twisted the blade free.
"Uhchh…" Karen said from behind as Sigrid wiped the gore from her blade.
