by Ryk Brown
“Fifty seconds.”
“Any time, Skeech.”
“Got it. Jumping in three……two……one……jumping.”
“Where’s it at?” Captain Nash asked as the jump flash subsided.
“Scanning,” Toosh answered from the sensor station. “Got it. Off our starboard side. One hundred kilometers, give or take.”
“Could have put us a little closer, Skeech,” Captain Nash said.
“Sorry, sir. Transmitting updated targeting data.
“Twenty seconds to launch,” Toosh added.
“Waiting for confirmation of the targeting update,” Commander Eckert said.
“No pressure, Skeech,” Captain Nash said. “It’s only the fate of the world.”
“Confirmation received. KKV is powered up, targeted, and ready to launch.
“Eight seconds.”
“Plenty of time,” Captain Nash told them.
“Three……two……one……launch.”
Commander Eckert pressed the launch button on the KKV control interface. “KKV is moving out at full thrust. She’s altering course.”
“KKV is steering to the new target heading,” Toosh reported. “Continuing to accelerate.”
“All KKV systems reporting normal,” Lieutenant Scalotti reported. “FTL field generators are charging up. She’ll go FTL in…”
“KKV has gone to FTL,” Toosh reported.
“…Now?” Lieutenant Scalotti finished.
“Damn,” Captain Nash exclaimed, “that was stressful, and we’re not even under fire.”
Commander Eckert exchanged glances with his captain.
“Hey, Wellsy. When we get back, ask Aurora comms to give us an extra minute next time, just in case, huh?”
“Aye, sir.”
“Plotting return jump,” the commander said.
“Jump complete,” Mister Riley reported as the Aurora’s jump flash subsided.
“Target, one zero kilometers to starboard, twenty ahead,” Mister Navashee reported.
“Bring tubes to bear,” Mister Chiles announced.
“Firing solution in five seconds,” Jessica reported.
“Celestia is firing,” Mister Navashee reported. “Direct hits to target’s forward shields, number four arm.”
“Target the same,” Nathan ordered.
“Targeting number four arm,” Jessica reported.
“Target’s shields on number four arm are at ninety-three percent,” Mister Navashee reported. “Celestia is firing again.”
“Yaw complete.”
“Target lock. Firing,” Jessica announced as she pressed the firing button on the tactical console. A preprogrammed firing pattern of triple-plasma shots from all forward torpedo tubes, as well as from the Aurora’s two port plasma cannons sent fourteen balls of plasma streaking toward the target. “Weapons away.”
“Celestia has jumped away,” Mister Navashee announced.
“Continue your yaw, Mister Chiles,” Nathan ordered. “Keep our nose on the target.”
“Continuing yaw, aye.”
“New contact. Jump flash. Scout Three.”
“Fire at will,” Nathan ordered.
“Firing at will, aye,” Jessica acknowledged as she began firing triple shots from each of the forward plasma torpedo cannons.
“Target’s shields are down to eighty-seven percent,” Mister Navashee reported. “Target is bringing her guns on to us. Target is firing guns. Five seconds to first impacts.”
“All hands brace for incoming,” Nathan ordered. “Time to KKV impact?”
“Ten seconds,” Mister Navashee answered.
“Escape jump, one light second, now!” Nathan ordered.
“Jumping,” Mister Riley answered as the first few enemy rail gun rounds struck their starboard side. “Jump complete.”
“Five seconds to KKV impact,” Mister Navashee reported. “Three……two……Target has gone to FTL!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, sir! The KKV missed! I’ve got its red-shifted light ahead and to starboard. Searching for the… Got ’em! Five hundred kilometers further along their original course.”
“Comms, tell Scout Three to go retrieve that KKV and move it to position five.”
“Aye, sir,” Naralena acknowledged. “Retrieve KKV and move to position five.”
“Message to Celestia; continue attack. Box pattern, range twenty kilometers. They have the first pass.”
“Box pattern, twenty klicks, Celestia has first pass,” Naralena repeated.
“Mister Riley, get us into position for our first pass, in approximately two minutes.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Comms, message to Scout Two; retarget KKV Two, current track. Launch at one three three two.”
“Scout Two, retarget current track, launch at one three three two, aye,” Naralena acknowledged.
“That’s a full five minutes from now, sir,” Jessica warned.
“He jumped in five last time,” Nathan replied. “I’m betting he won’t use the same intervals every time.”
“It was a clean miss, sir,” the Karuzara’s tactical officer reported. “Scout Three is on their way to recover the KKV and move it to position five according to plan.”
Commander Dumar looked unshaken. “And what of the incoming missiles?”
“Now that the platform has jumped ahead several hundred kilometers, she is again within range of her missiles. Our remaining Falcons cannot engage them without risk of being destroyed.”
“How long until we have a firing angle on those missiles?”
“We’ll be over the horizon and have a clear shot in ten minutes, sir.”
“Tell the Falcons to hang back out of the platform’s weapons range. As soon as it goes into FTL again, they are to jump in and take out as many missiles as they can, but they must jump away as soon as the platform comes out of FTL.”
“Sir, we can handle the missiles when…”
“The enemy must continue to believe that we are concerned about the incoming missiles,” Dumar explained patiently. “If he thinks we are not, he will wonder why we are not. He will then become more cautious, and a cautious enemy can be even more dangerous than a careless one.”
“Yes, sir.”
“They are using their ability to make short, precise, FTL hops in the same way that our ships use their jump drives,” Mister Bryant said.
“Yes, the commander of this platform is no fool,” Dumar said. “He will vary his intervals in order to thwart our KKV attacks, all the way to Earth. Then he will park his ship in as low an orbit as he can possibly maintain so that we cannot risk launching KKVs at him for fear of hitting the Earth herself.”
“Why did he not simply come out of FTL much closer?”
“He could not risk coming out of FTL any closer than say, the lunar orbit, and still have time to make last-minute course corrections. Then it would take five, maybe ten minutes for him to move in close.” Dumar looked at Mister Bryant. “What would you do if you were in command, and that platform suddenly appeared three hundred kilometers from Earth?”
“I’d launch everything,” Mister Bryant answered. “The KKVs, the antimatter mines, the works. I’d have no choice.”
“Exactly,” Dumar agreed. “No, he is no fool, this one.”
“Firing all weapons,” Luis reported from the Celestia’s tactical station.
“Aurora has jumped in on the opposite side of the box,” Ensign Kono announced. “They’re firing.”
“Time to KKV impact?”
“One minute,” Ensign Kono reported.
“Continuing yaw,” Ensign Hunt advised.
“Continue firing, Lieutenant,” Cameron ordered.
“Aye, sir. Continuing to fire all forward plasma weapons.”
“Multiple contacts!” Ensign Kono reported. “Twelve ships departing the platform’s bays.”
“They’re gunships,” Luis reported as he continued firing.
“Can we targ
et them?” Cameron asked.
“No, sir,” Luis answered. “They’re still inside the platform’s shields, staying close to her hull.”
“More contacts!” Ensign Kono reported. “Six of them. Larger.”
“Troop carriers,” Luis added.
“All new contacts are going to full thrust!” Ensign Kono reported. “They’re headed for Earth!”
“Comms, contact the Aurora and the Karuzara and make sure they see them as well. And make sure the Ghatazhak know too.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Celestia reports the platform has launched gunships and troop carriers,” Mister Bryant reported.
Commander Dumar rubbed his chin. “I assume they are headed this way?”
“Indeed, sir, however we cannot yet ascertain if their target is the Earth, or us.”
“The Earth is not a threat to them, we are. Assume we are the target. Lock down all exterior access points, airlocks, maintenance passageways. Put security on full alert, and have them open the weapons lockers and arm everyone.”
“Yes, sir.”
“How many ships?”
“Eighteen in total. Twelve gunships and six troop carriers,” Mister Bryant replied. “Perhaps they mean to bombard the Earth from orbit as they did in the last attack?”
“No, those gunships are serving as escorts. They are still too distant to use fighters. They would not have enough fuel to operate in the atmosphere.”
“We can attack them with our weapons,” Mister Bryant said.
“They will approach from the opposite side where we are unable to reach them.”
“Time to KKV impact?” Nathan asked.
“Thirty seconds,” Mister Navashee replied.
“Yaw maneuver complete,” Mister Chiles reported from the Aurora’s helm.
“I have a firing solution,” Jessica announced. “Firing all weapons.”
“Direct impacts, same shield section,” Mister Navashee reported. “Shield is down to eighty percent.”
“Are they still launching ships?”
“No, sir. Twenty seconds.”
Nathan watched the tactical displays along the bottom edge of the main view screen. “They’re not even rotating to keep fresh shields towards us… Why?”
“Target has gone to FTL!” Mister Navashee reported. “The KKV will miss!”
Nathan bit his tongue to avoid cursing. He took a deep breath. “He knows… Somehow, he knows.” He turned to his left. “Where is he at now?”
“Target just came out of FTL again,” Mister Navashee reported. “He is now inside the orbit of Mars, continuing on same course and speed.”
“Comms, message to Scout Two. Recover KKV two and reposition to position six. Message to Celestia. Tell them to switch to triangular pattern and continue the attack. They have first pass.”
“Aye, sir,” Naralena acknowledged.
“Tactical, are the remaining missiles in range?”
“Yes, sir,” Jessica replied. “We can hit them with lasers; no problem.”
“Let’s get rid of them before we continue chasing that damned platform.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Jump complete,” Mister Jakoby reported.
“Target dead ahead, twenty klicks to starboard, five off, two down,” Ensign Kono reported from the Celestia’s sensor station.
“Locking all weapons on target,” Luis announced. “Firing all weapons.”
“Scout One has jumped away,” Ensign Kono reported.
“They must be headed out to launch the next KKV,” Cameron said.
“Target is firing rail guns,” Ensign Kono reported. “Impact in five seconds!”
“Escape jump, Mister Jakoby,” Cameron ordered.
“Escape jump, aye,” her navigator answered as the Celestia’s blue-white jump flash washed over them. “Jump complete.”
“Hard about, set up for the next pass,” Cameron ordered.
“Hard about, aye,” Ensign Hunt acknowledged.
“Plotting next jump.”
“Target is launching more ships,” Ensign Kono reported. “Same as before. Twelve gunships and six troop carriers.”
“Where’s the Aurora?”
“She just jumped in for her attack run,” Ensign Kono replied.
“And the missiles?”
“All destroyed. The four remaining Falcons are now attacking the first wave of gunships.”
“New target,” Loki announced as the Falcon’s jump flash subsided, “one o’clock, ten down. Range, eight hundred meters. Locking turret on target.”
“Turning in,” Josh replied.
“Firing turret,” Loki reported as red-orange streaks of energy raced toward the fast approaching gunship from the Falcon’s nose turret. “Locking missile onto target.”
Josh snapped rolled the ship to the right to avoid incoming rail gun fire displayed on his threat screen. “Hurry up, Lok.”
“Missile lock. Level off so I can deploy.”
“Make it quick,” Josh told him as he stopped his roll.
“Firing,” Loki announced. “Missile away. Pitch up.”
“Gladly,” Josh answered as he pulled the Falcon’s nose up sharply.
“Jumping in three…”
“Wham!” Josh cried out as their missile slammed into the side of the Jung gunship as they were about to pass overhead.
“…Two…”
The missile penetrated the gunship’s hull and buried itself deep in its midship before detonating. The explosion lit up the inside of the Falcon’s cockpit as they passed overhead.
“Boom!” Josh added with excitement, as if he were back home on Haven, playing a video game.
“…One…”
Several pieces of debris slammed into the underside of the Falcon’s tail.
“…Jumping.”
Their helmet visors went opaque for a split second, clearing up again as the jump flash subsided.
“Maybe a little more pitch next time, huh, Josh?” Loki asked.
“Sorry,” Josh said. “Next target?”
“I want all cargo jumpers loaded with as many men as possible,” said Lieutenant Telles. “Full level three gear.”
“Are we fighting a ground battle, or a space battle?” his sergeant wondered.
“That depends on where those troop ships go,” the lieutenant said. “I’d prefer to keep our options open.”
“Understood,” the sergeant replied.
“What about boxcars?”
“There are two of them still on the deck,” the sergeant answered. “Both are empty.”
“We’ll use those as troop transports as well.”
“Time to firing solution?” Commander Dumar asked.
“One minute, and we’ll have a direct line of sight on the target,” Mister Bryant replied. “But at this distance, sir, our weapons will have only half their charge by the time they reach the target.”
“Target has gone to FTL,” Mister Navashee reported.
“Damn it; that was only three minutes.”
“Scout One’s targeting solution is no longer valid,” Jessica warned.
“What have we got on deck that can jump?” Nathan asked.
“Multiple contacts, coming from the platform!” Mister Navashee reported.
“Flight reports two jump shuttles,” Naralena replied.
“They’re launching fighters,” Jessica reported. “Dozens of them… Make that at least a hundred.”
“Flight! Captain!” Nathan called over his comm-set. “Launch a jump shuttle, now! I need them to relay a new firing solution to Scout One!”
“Aye, sir,” Major Prechitt responded over his comm-set. “They’ll be off the deck in one minute.”
“Comms. Notify the Celestia; high low, thirty out, we have first pass high.”
“High low, thirty out, we have first pass high, aye,” Naralena answered.
“They’re still pouring out fighters, Captain,” Jessica warned.
“Mister Riley
, set us up for our first pass.”
Commander Dumar watched the view screen on the far wall of the Karuzara’s control room. The asteroid’s track around the Earth was displayed, as was the track of the incoming battle platform as well as the Terran ships that were attacking the intruder. Numerous other tracks represented the gunboats, troop shuttles, and fighters currently on their way to Earth via the side opposite the Karuzara itself.
“We’ll have clear line of sight in ten seconds,” Mister Bryant reported.
“Have the Aurora and the Celestia been warned?” Dumar inquired.
“Yes, sir,” Mister Bryant replied. “Both ships are aware that we are going to open fire with our plasma cannons. They will attack from outside of our targeting zone.”
“Very well,” the commander said as the angle displayed on the screen turned green to indicate that the Karuzara’s main guns now had a clear line of sight to the target. “You may fire when ready.”
On the surface of the Karuzara asteroid, four massive, double-barreled plasma cannons raised and adjusted their barrels to take careful aim at the distant Jung battle platform. One by one, the barrels took turns firing at ten-second intervals, hurling massive bolts of high-intensity plasma energy streaking toward their target. It would take nearly twenty seconds for their rounds to reach their intended victim, during which time the intensity of the charges would diminish by nearly half. It would not be enough to bring down the enemy battle platform’s shields, but if they could maintain the barrage long enough, it might diminish the platform’s shield strength to the point that the attacks by the Aurora and the Celestia might be enough. If they were lucky, it would prevent the enemy from making yet another FTL jump that would move it even closer to Earth.
“The Karuzara’s plasma shots are reaching the target,” Mister Navashee reported, “however, the drain on the platform’s shields is negligible. They’re just too far away from them.”
“Time to KKV impact?” Nathan asked.
“One minute.”
“Turn complete,” Mister Chiles reported.
