by James Palmer
“Once we attack, and they realize who we are, you know they are definitely going to make a beeline towards Earth,” Red commented.
“Yes I do, Red, so that just means we’ll have to beat them there.”
“Don’t worry boss, I know this will work.” Dan acknowledged.
“You’re more confident than I am, Danny.” Mark turned and looked about the command deck, then smiled like a predator, “Let’s get moving. It’s time to go hunting.”
Chapter 14
The Cagliostro dropped out of hyper-warp directly in front of the space station, so quickly that no one on board had time to react. The ship streaked around the huge wheel in space, firing all its weaponry at different ships docked at its huge hull.
Missiles, as well as energy blasts, leaped from the manta ray shaped starship, every weapon was precisely aimed, and all found their mark. Within two minutes, thirty five ships had damaged engines or shield generators. The cannons aboard the space station glowed brightly, their energy discharges began to come closer and closer to finding their mark as they explosively seared space all about the Cagliostro, which under Mark’s deft hand flipped and spun through space, diving and ascending rapidly.
Then the Cagliostro suddenly flipped over and reversed direction in mid-course and sped away, disappearing into hyper- warp. Instants later the remaining three ships that were undamaged were in pursuit, also disappearing after their prey in explosive barrages of light.
That was when the true mission began.
The Stargrazer dropped out of hyper-warp, literally on the bottom of the station. The flash of hyper-warp curtain being dropped should have been unseen by anyone, who would have been more concerned with the damage the station and the ships docked to it had just been subject too.
The Stargrazer attached itself via its magnetic belly hatch as a hole was quickly and quietly cut into the hull of the station itself and Dan, Red and Eddie advanced quickly to the prison level.
“So far, so good,” Red whispered.
“Yeah, don’t jinx it,” Dan growled almost imperceptibly.
“I got movement heading our way,” Eddie advised while looking at his handheld scanner.
All three men wore armored suits now with see though helmets. Like their regular uniforms, the armor was blue and white.
Eddie ducked low and peered around a door edge as several blasts of light seared the walls above his head. He looked up and gulped hard before returning fire.
Now it was a pitched fire fight between three men and an army.
Red looked down at the scanner in his hands, “Our people are behind them. We have to get through these guys before we can go any further.”
“Yeah leave that to me, you two keep firin’” Dan ordered as he ran into the hallway, suddenly taking two huge, bounding steps then hurling his armored form into the amassed troops with a loud ‘Boom!’
Even as Dan cleared the enemies out of the way, another wave of the stations guards came rushing down the hallway at him. As he braced himself for their assault, a blast of energy flew past him and exploded into the converging guards, scattering them like leaves in a hurricane.
Dan spun around and saw Red standing there in his armored suit holding what could only be described as a small cannon. It hung from a strap over his shoulder and the end was still smoking as Red grinned behind his plexi-steel face mask. “Mark VII energy canon. Perfect for crowd dispersal.”
“You’re tellin’ me?” Dan replied as he turned back and began running to the cells.
Eddie had set up where they had cut the hole in the floor with a tripod mounted energy rifle. He looked at his scanner as Red did the same.
“We got incomin’ Red.”
“I know, slick. You ready?”
DiGenovese smiled and snapped his head sideways for half a heartbeat then back upright. “Mamma DiGenovese didn’t bring up a boy who wasn’t.”
“I pity yer mamma.” Red grumbled, as he wrapped the strap to the handheld cannon tightly in his right hand.
Behind them, along the sides of the hallway, Dan Sledge raised both his powerful hands above his head and brought them crashing down upon the force field holding the crew within the cells so powerfully the floor shook and those within the cell were knocked off their feet. Despite all his might though, nothing happened.
“Uh-oh.” Sledge remarked
An auburn haired beauty ran to the bars out of the crowd of blue and silver suited captives. “Nothing can take that field down. We think it’s a kinetic energy field.”
“Scientists,” Dan grumbled disdainfully under his breath, “Get back Reynolds,” he addressed her,” This is gonna make a mess.”
Sledge walked away from the force field, to the wall next to it where its controls were mounted. He stood against the opposite wall then charged the one he was facing, head down, like a maddened bull. The wall shattered into dust and crumbling debris as he charged through it. A half second later his fists tore through the wall of the cell, shredding the stone and steel cell like tissue paper.
“Ever’body out!” He roared. “Head down to Eddie and Red, they gotcha covered. Go!”
He repeated the same actions with the cells next to the first one and within seconds sixty people were rushing down the hallway towards the hole in the floor where the Stargrazer was docked.
“Move it!” yelled Eddie as he fired blaster beams into the now smoke filled hallway before him. On the opposite side of the hallway from him, ducking behind a protrusion in the wall Red waited for his hand cannon to recharge. An instant later he stepped from behind the protection and braced his legs as the cannon fired a massive pulse of energy through the air towards the gathered guards. The deafeningly loud ‘Whoomp!’ sound it roared made the freed captives cover their ears while some squealed in surprise as they dropped through into the Stargrazer.
“Things’re gonna be tight in there, so get as far back as you can,” Eddie shouted.
Reynolds, the female scientist who had spoken to Dan a moment earlier grabbed his shoulder as she was running past, ducking down behind him. “Where’s the boss?”
“On the Cag, runnin’ interference, now get on board hon, we ain’t got time ta waste.”
She nodded and dropped through the hole between the Stargrazer and the station. Instantly the artificial gravity in the Stargrazer took hold of her as the instant she stepped through the hole she was suddenly standing on what a second ago within the station would have been the ceiling, but aboard the ‘Grazer was actually its floor, which was attached to the floor of the station. In other words when she stepped into the ‘Grazer, everything as upside down.
Again the former captives heard the explosion of Red’s gun as Eddie continued to fire into the smoke filled miasma ahead of him. Energy blasts were being fired in answer now back upon the Stargrazer’s crew from within the smoke.
“All clear down here!” Dan shouted.
“Everyone’s aboard.” Eddie replied.
“Let’s move it!” Red shouted.
Dan came thundering down the hallway, his feet pounding upon the floor like heavy drums, as behind him from the opposite end of the hallway energy blasts began to smack his armored form and the walls of the hallway about him.
Eddie dropped through the hole into the Stargrazer followed by Red. Dan suddenly stopped behind them as blaster beams seared his armor all about him.
He stood there watching impassively as enemies moved closer and closer to him, now no longer hidden in the fog-like smoke. Within his helmet he grinned as he jammed both his hands into the wall on his right and tore the entire wall down for thirty feet in both directions, burying the enemy combatants. “That’s what ya get for killin’ our friends, and taking the rest captive.” He turned his head towards a camera he had seen earlier, mounted on the ceiling above him, and then growled menacingly, “Don’t mess with us.” Then he leaped up, and crushed the camera in one massive paw.
An instant later he dropped through the hole in the
floor just before the Stargrazer’s belly hatch irised closed. People were jammed like sardines in the small ship, but he fought his way to the front, even as Eddie ramped the engines up to full power and the Stargrazer hurtled away from the station as the stations defenses came to life, firing blasts at the diminutive ship, coloring space like a lightning storm at night.
Dan moved into his seat, taking flight control from Eddie.
“Well that was certainly exciting.” A baldheaded man said, elbowing his way up to the front of the ship to stand behind Dan’s seat.
“Hang on tight Moratora.” Dan looked over his shoulder at the man.
“I am. As tightly as possible, Mr. Sledge.”
“Good, ‘cause we ain’t outta the woods yet.”
Even as Dan spoke, the small ship was rocked by explosions as energy blasts seared its shields.
“Red, what’s goin’ on?” Dan asked, plunging the ship hard astern. Behind them, the crew heard gasps and cries of surprise as the former captives were thrown about.
“What do you think is going on? They’re shooting at us!”
“I kinda figured that one out, genius.”
“Dan, get us to hyper-warp, man. We can’t out fight those things,” Eddie shouted.
“What things?” The beleaguered pilot replied.
Red punched a button on his control panel and the view screen split in half, showing both fore and aft views side by side. In the aft one, a huge war ship was speeding after them, and gaining rapidly.
Dan looked in surprise and then grimaced, “I thought they were all taken out by the Cag?”
“Well obviously not all of them,” Red answered sarcastically.
Dan shook his head angrily, “Everybody hang onto somethin’. This is gonna get rough.”
He touched a control and the ship leaped into hyper-warp, leaving their pursuers far behind.
“Full power to the engines, divert extra power to the rear shields. We took a beating already. We can’t take a chance on getting’ hit again.”
“Where to now?” the bald man named Moratora asked.
“We rendezvous with the Cag. That’s step number one. After that we have to get back to Earth, and warn everyone.”
“What are you talking about? You can’t warn anyone in time to save the planet? These people have hundreds maybe thousands of ships that can break the light barrier. Counting this one, Earth has two.” The auburn haired woman, Reynolds said, coming up to stand next to Moratora.
“It ain’t a matter a goin’ faster than light once we get back there; it’s gonna be a matter of ‘who’s got the bigger guns?’ So far from everything I’ve seen, that’s definitely us, lady”
“Dan’s right, Reynolds,” Red began, “Earth has hundreds of ships between the planet and Pluto. All armed to the teeth. From what I’ve seen, in my professional opinion since we’ve been out here, they haven’t got a chance against us.”
Reynolds snorted and threw her mane of auburn hair back as she laughed. “You jokers make me laugh. Do you really think these aliens can’t handle backwards ol’ us? We’re the new kids in town, and these guys will smack us down like nothing.”
“Really Reynolds? And why’d you think of something like that?”
“Because how else could it end? If this alien race has been keeping its eyes on Earth and our developments, then why shouldn’t they be ready for any weapon we’ve got? My God, they impersonated the General and put a plant right in the pentagon while doing so. We’re up against some serious bad guys. This is not going to be a joke or an easy mission.”
“No kiddin’ lady,” Dan rumbled, “Though it don’t much matter. This is somethin’ we have to do. If we don’t warn home in time, our families will be massacred by these aliens, as well as everyone else on the planet.”
“They’re an advanced race, or races, if they wanted to pluck us out of the stars they could do so with ease,” Reynolds replied hotly.
Red turned to her, with anger flashing across his face, “Lady, are you kidding me? We have won at every turn here.”
“Except the one where forty of us were slaughtered and the other sixty were captured while you fools were off playing space cowboys,” she retorted with equal ire.
“Do you think the boss or any of us aren’t going to feel that one for a long time, sister? You had better think again. Now go claim a spot away from me, before I throw cuffs on your wrists and a rag in your mouth. I’m still head of security on this ship. You don’t want to piss me off.”
Her eyes bulged from her face as she glared at him then she slowly turned and walked away, disappearing into the back of the crowded ship.
“What got into her?” Eddie asked.
“She’s afraid,” Red replied. “Very afraid. I’d say the vast majority of these people never expected what happened to them to happen in the first place. It was never even a consideration.”
Eddie nodded, “Yeah I get that. But hey, they were all warned before we took off. But besides that, I think we better keep an eye on Reynolds. Something ain’t right. I mean how’d she know all that stuff about the General? She wasn’t there and was already taken captive by the time we got back.”
“Good point Eddie.” Red replied, “She’s got my attention now.”
Eddie nodded, “It’s still terrible about our people though. But everyone did know the consequences and came along on their own. There’s just nothing we can do about it now.
“Maybe so Eddie, but how long are we gonna be able ta hide behind that one?” Dan asked quietly, “This is tearin’ the boss up, just like the rest of us.”
“Right now we have to look at the big picture, and that’s getting back to Earth and warning everyone.” Red interrupted.
“You’re right, Red. How far to the rendezvous coordinates?”
“Another hour at one hundred percent throttle in hyper-warp.”
“Not that bad.” Danny replied. “Any activity behind us?”
“Not yet, but you know they’ll be coming.”
“I know. Even if the Cag did manage to cripple a few of them, that automated firing pass Mark did had to leave a few ships able to break through the FTL barrier.”
“That’s what I’m worried about, Dan.”
“Yeah, me too, Red.”
Eddie turned and looked back at the people standing behind him in the crowded ship before finally speaking, “Everyone all right back there? Anybody hurt?”
There were few murmurings but finally a young woman pushed her way to the front and began speaking, “There are several hurt back here, boys, but nothing serious. A few broken bones and some scrapes and bruises.” As she spoke she touched her own face, which sported a black and blue bruise on her cheek without thinking. She was a pretty young woman, with long black hair and a slender body. Her face was almost pixie-ish with rosy cheeks despite what she had been through. She stood a mere five feet tall.
Dan turned towards her and smiled gently, “Thanks Dr. Troiano. We’ll have you back in your medical bay in no time. You and your staff will be able to get to work helping these people as soon as possible.”
She returned his smile, with a hint of weariness in her eyes. “We’re already on it Dan. Things are cramped back here, but we’re doing what we can. Just get us to the ship as soon as you can, please. A lot of people are uncomfortable.”
Dan nodded, “Understood Doc.”
Eddie looked to his two friends, and then with a sigh asked the one thing none of them wanted to think about, “I wonder how Mark and Ariel are doing?”
Chapter 15
“They have us surrounded!” Ariel shouted, as Mark heaved the Cagliostro to starboard.
“I know Ari, I can see,” he answered hotly.
The Cagliostro corkscrewed through space, avoiding energy beams from three war ships that each dwarfed it.
“This is not getting to be any more fun the longer we’re doing it,” Ariel again snorted.
“Ari! Enough!” Mark barked at her, as he
heaved the ship to port feverishly. He was watching sensor readouts before him, and based on computer projections, trying to avoid enemy fire. At times he was successful. More times he wasn’t.
The great ships shields and energy levels were holding this time though, and not being drained.
Mark tapped a panel on his virtual control screen and began to talk, “General, how’re you doing down there?”
“So far so good, Johnson. Just get us to the rendezvous point.”
“That’s just what I’m trying to do General.” Mark hit the comm button again and closed the conversation.
If one were to watch the battle unfolding on the outside of the Cagliostro’s hull it would seem like a video game, as the great manta ray shaped ship spun and looped then returned fire with pin point accuracy, leaving jagged scars across their hulls.
“I don’t get this,” Ariel began, “How are we doing more damage to them than they are to us?”
“Don’t kid yourself Ari, any other ship from Earth would be very damaged right now. When I said our hull and shields were state of the art, I wasn’t kidding around. This is one tough ship. As far as us doing damage to them, we’re Earthmen, we know how to break things,” he replied with a half grin.
“No kidding, ace.”
Again the Cag rocked as several blasts raked its hull. Again the lighting dimmed and then immediately returned to full brightness.
“Hang on tight Ari, things are about to get rough.”
“About to?” She asked, wide-eyed.
The ship spun and dove below one of the war ships that was approaching them. These ships were akin to mile long blocks of granite. They had no real shape to them, no sleekness. Just weapons and nothing more. They were not made for fast maneuvers, only attacking. Mark dove the Cagliostro in close to the huge enemy ship’s hull, fairly skimming against it.
Once there, he trained all the Cags weapons directly ahead of them and fired, slashing a groove into the war ships length. As the Cag darted away, he let two missiles fly free, they turned about in space and arced directly back to the ship they had just attacked. The missiles exploded within the deep grooves the Cag’s solar cannons had just cut. An instant later the ship itself exploded into atoms. As it did, Mark hit hyper-warp and the Cagliostro disappeared in an eruption of light.
