Omega Force: Rebellion (OF11)

by Joshua Dalzelle

  The fighters they were up against were designed solely with void conflict in mind. They were blocky and had odd protuberances that made them unstable and difficult to control within an atmosphere. The Phoenix, built for a different purpose, was sleek and excelled when she was in air. He just hoped that the Miressan ground based military was just as lax and outdated as their HDF fleet had been.

  23

  Kellea watched the tactical hologram intently as the Phoenix tried to flee the area. Jason had been running wildly around within the ConFed's tightening picket lines, unable to break away thanks to the overlapping ranges of the 405th's ships. She was still trying to figure out what his role had been in what seemed to be a complete debacle for the ConFed as the gunship came about again, apparently turning away from where a heavy cruiser was moving to cut them off.

  Once the ship had swung about on her wide turn, the Defiant's computer put up a new icon letting her know that the Phoenix had just brought up her targeting scanners. Who was he going to shoot at? All the missiles the gunship carried were ill-suited to take an individual fighter out.

  "ConFed ships are raising shields," Essel said. "Apparently, they're not taking any chances once the targeting scans hit them. We might want to—" he was cut off by a warbling alarm. The computer automatically highlighted and zoomed a portion of the hologram to the ConFed dreadnaught…which was burning in space and listing badly, being pulled down towards Taus.

  "I don't understand," Essel said as the bridge exploded into action. "They never fired."

  "Computer detected four missile launches from the DL7, but it was only a few seconds afterwards that the dreadnaught took hits," the sensor operator said. "The first two hit the shields and buckled them, the second two ripped in pretty deep. She's still under power but floundering."

  "Captain, please raise our own combat shields," Kellea said. "I think things are about to get a bit more…exciting."

  The reaction from the ConFed fleet was impressive. There were no panicked shouts over the open channels, no uncoordinated or knee-jerk responses in the formation, none of the things she would have normally associated with their military. The 405th commanders quickly reassessed their new tactical outlook and adjusted their formation to compensate. Now that there was a new threat on the board, more fighters were launched after the Phoenix, and the ships that had been loitering to cut off routes of escape began pushing back down towards Miressa Prime. At the same time, a six-ship formation lead by one of the battleships began pushing hard up towards the Eshquarian fleet. It was an impressive display of quick thinking and coordination.

  "Something's happening in the Imperial formation, Captain," one of the tactical officers said.

  Kellea manipulated the controls and took a look at what the officer was talking about. The computer pointed out a spike in the power signature in one of the Luex-class battleships, as well as new targeting scans coming up. The formation had been mostly dormant since the first opening valley that had destroyed the entire HDF fleet, but now it looked like that was about to change.

  The Luex surged ahead, her main drive flaring on the sensors, charging straight ahead for the incoming ConFed ships. In quick succession, two more Imperial ships lit off their main drives and also drove forward, falling in behind the battleship. Targeting scans littered the threat board, and the opposing ships locked each other up for missile strikes and rushed to close the range so they could bring their main guns to bear.

  "Incoming transmission, Admiral…another broadcast from the Luex that's on the move."

  "Let's hear it."

  "This is Captain Mavog of the Imperial battleship, Zenoah, and this is my message to you: Eshquaria will never submit!"

  "That was it," the com operator said.

  "What the hells is happening around here?" Kellea mumbled.

  "I think I now understand," Scleesz said. He'd been so quiet she'd almost forgot he was there. "This was supposed to be a show. A demonstration of ConFed military superiority. I don't know how, but those ships were under ConFed control, but something went wrong…those missiles were never meant to touch the HDF fleet. The 405th being here is a contingency, not part of a strategy."

  "I'm afraid I don't understand, Councilman."

  "I will explain it to you if we make it out of this system, Admiral," Scleesz promised. "But for right now, I think we can surmise that the crews of those Imperial ships are retaking their vessels, and now they want blood."

  "Burke," she said, the word sounding like a curse.

  "My guess as well, Admiral," Scleesz said calmly.

  "Intel! Assuming the entire Imperial fleet here is fully operational, what are their chances against 405th?" Kellea asked.

  "It's too close to call, Admiral," came the answer. "We've been running the numbers in real-time based on our best intelligence for all known vessels. Now that the dreadnaught appears to be out of the fight, the two forces are evenly matched."

  "Captain Essel, please alert Taskforce Starfire to be ready for their initial jump at my word," Kellea said.

  "Admiral?" Scleesz asked.

  "I don't trust you, or the ConFed," she explained in a pleasant voice. "My entire taskforce is sitting outside the system, waiting for my word to jump in if needed. When I call, if I call, twenty-one more Cridal ships loyal to me will arrive. That includes five Fend-class destroyers and ten Terran Victory-class heavy cruisers."

  "I believe that prudence might be the best—"

  "I believe we're witnessing the genesis of a full-blown civil war that will determine the future of the quadrant, Scleesz. I don't intend to be caught back on my heels if this situation escalates."

  "Of course, Admiral."

  Mok watched the two fleets come together on the remote sensor feed he had coming over a slip-com channel from the Sarafin. The cargo ship was still sitting out in the outer system amongst the other civilian traffic, pretending to be prepping for mesh-out. His rage at Burke had subsided somewhat, and now he watched with great interest as the Zenoah tore down into the system on a collision course with a 405th battleship.

  He couldn't help but swell with pride as the Imperial ships, once turned back over to their crews, mounted an offensive without hesitation. Their political Fleet Masters may have sold them out and betrayed their people, but the line officers were still fighting for the pride of the Empire and their very freedom.

  "The Phoenix is moving towards Miressa Prime, still being pursued," Similan said.

  "Perhaps he's going to strafe the High Assembly, or bomb a cultural landmark," Mok deadpanned. "It's possible he's going to just fly around and terrorize the populace until he becomes bored by that and decides to try and light off another brutal civil war in a different system. It's always hard to tell with him."

  "If I may be so bold, master, I—"

  "Similan, I am well aware of your feelings on these things." Mok cut him off. "I'm having a bad enough time right now, and I don't think I could handle a lecture from you on why Jason Burke is right and I'm wrong."

  "Very well, master," Similan said, not bothering to refute his boss's assertion at what he was about to say.

  "This isn't a total loss if Captain Mavog can get those ships out of there before the ConFed calls in reinforcements and boxes him in again," Mok said. "Admiral Colleran would be wise to leave with the Defiant while she has the chance, but I'm afraid her personal feeling for the people involved may be clouding her judgement."

  "What of Omega Force?"

  "Jason Burke just shot down a ConFed dreadnaught," Mok sighed. "No matter what happens here today, he'll be labeled a terrorist and hunted down relentlessly. Even if our side wins, I don't think he'll live long enough to know about it. If he was smart, and assuming he survives this fight, he'd melt the Phoenix down for scrap, change his appearance, and go back home."

  "What do you think he'll actually do?"

  "Something equally stupid as shooting four XTX missiles at a ConFed dreadnaught. He can't help himself. What's worse
? The idiots on his crew not only follow him, they cheer him on." Similan let out a low, chuffing laugh that caught Mok off guard. He'd never even seen him smile before, much less laugh.

  "Forgive me, master."

  "Of all the things to find funny…"

  Mok turned his attention back to the display. The Phoenix had hit Miressa Prime's atmosphere and was no longer on sensors, but the other part of the battle was really heating up. All but one of the Imperial ships was now under power and moving in on the 405th Battlefleet, and the first wave of missiles were already in flight. He held his breath, waiting for the two battleships to come within range of each other and really start slugging it out. The Luex-class was an awesome machine of war, but she was just getting her feet under while the crew scrambled to reverse all the damage done by the ConFed crews while the 405th ship was in peak condition. The Eshquarian crew could very well be flying into a slaughter.

  “Are there any Blazing Sun assets in the region we could call in?” Mok asked.

  “No, master,” Similan said. “With the recent unrest we’ve pulled most of our operation out of the Pillar Worlds, working through the smaller syndicates instead.”

  “Damn.”

  24

  The Phoenix slammed into the stratosphere of Miressa Prime so hard the sensors were washed out by the plasma generated from the shields hitting the denser air. The ride through the thermosphere had been bumpy and nearly fatal as Jason had to juke around a ship that was running in low orbit without its beacon on, trying to hide from the warships clashing above.

  “Nine pursuers are still with us, one of the fighters broke up when it hit the atmosphere,” Doc said. “Shield failure.”

  “I got ‘em,” Jason said. “Standby aft cannons, bringing up the mains now.”

  The big main engines lit off with a reverberating boom as superheated plasma was fed into the containment chambers and focused out the thrust nozzles to give the big gunship forty-seven million pounds of raw thrust to augment her grav-drive. It was a capability that the Phoenix possessed that most other ships did not, and though they were considered an anachronism, the plasma thrust engines had saved their asses more times than he could count.

  “Care to fill me in on your grand strategy?” Kage asked.

  “To be honest, I’m just making it up as I go,” Jason said. “Find me a direction that isn’t filled with innocent civilians, if that even exists on this planet.”

  “Due south,” Doc answered. “Entire tracts of undeveloped wilderness. This planet was re-terraformed back in—”

  “Please shut up,” Jason said calmly as he spun the Phoenix around and pointed her nose to point south. “Deal with enemy fighters first, interesting history factoids after.”

  “I… Sorry.”

  The first shots from the leading fighters peppered the rear shields as the fighters were able to close the distance at the higher altitudes while Jason changed course abruptly and lost momentum. They were still far enough out that the plasma bolts had expended most of their energy before hitting the shields, but it also meant that Jason had squandered his ship’s hard-fought lead, and if his plan didn’t work, they’d swarm him under. The fighters’ weapons weren’t overly powerful, but they didn’t need to be when they came in relentless waves of incoming fire.

  “Missile shot! Veer right!”

  “I can’t! I’m at full deflection! Track—” Jason’s words were drowned out as the Phoenix bucked under him and alarms started blaring on the bridge. He blinked in confusion at the fact the fighter had been able to fire a missile within the transition boundary, but he had no time to contemplate it as he fought for control of the gunship. The explosion had slammed into her shields on the upper, aft section and pushed the tail down so violently she was now tumbling through the sky.

  “Stabilize, damnit!”

  “I’m trying!” Kage shouted, his four hands flying over the controls.

  “First two fighters overshot! Three more coming into range!” Doc shouted over the alarms. The nose and tail swapped ends twice more before the computers had enough and the grav-drive asserted control over the tumble…which was exactly what Jason had been trying to avoid. He couldn’t get to the pilot aid override controls before the grav-drive brought things to a screeching halt, practically stopping the big gunship in midair.

  “Brace! Brace!” Kage called. More shots hammered into their shields as the trailing three fighters took their free shots on the stationary ship, strafing the dorsal surface with their cannons before overflying. Jason’s teeth slammed together and took a chunk out of the inside of his cheek as the Phoenix rocked under the incoming fire.

  It wasn’t a free pass, however, as the Phoenix's automatic systems opened up with point defense fire and plasma bolts from the two forward turrets. The last fighter in line exploded into a brilliant fireball, the second was critically hit and began spiraling towards the surface, and the third took heavy enough hits that it was making a wobbly climb back out of the atmosphere.

  Your method of control is simply too inefficient to take on this many targets at one time. You don’t allow the Phoenix to defend herself, instead insisting on controlling every action. You are in the way.

  “Either help or shut up, Cas,” Jason grunted.

  I believe I can take control of the ship’s fire control system through your neural implant connection. You’ll need Kage to authorize the new bridge connection.

  “Kage, Cas is going to take over fire control through my implant,” Jason said as he was still fighting with the Phoenix about who was in control. For the time being, the ship had decided he was simply a voting party in the flight control process, not a dictator in the pilot’s seat. “Make it happen and don’t argue with me about it.”

  “Got it.”

  “Come on, you stubborn bitch!” Jason shouted, shoving the stick forward and aiming the nose straight down, trying to find some action that she wasn’t going to fight him over. Mercifully, she finally relented and returned full control back to the helm. Jason kicked the right peddle to spin them about and slammed the throttle forward.

  The Phoenix streaked away just as more incoming fire from the last four fighters tore through where they’d just been sitting. Jason angled them back around again so the nose was pointing south, and they pushed hard away from where the pursuing fighters overshot them.

  “That missile did some real damage back here, Captain,” Twingo’s voice came over the intercom. “I’m not sure what it was packing, but the aft shields are weakened to the point they could give out at any time.”

  “Thanks for the good news,” Jason griped. “Doc, what the hell was that?”

  “Computer can’t identify the missile type,” Doc said. “Looks like it was an antimatter charge, though.”

  “Antimatter warheads on a small tactical missile? They’re either brave or stupid,” Kage said. “Four of the fighters are coming back around, the remaining three are heading back to space.”

  “They’ll hang out in orbit and wait for us to pop back up,” Jason said. “We need a plan.”

  The Eshquarian fleet was getting its legs under it and, now, it looked like the 405th may have made a critical error in not attacking them immediately when they first arrived. When the ConFed fleet meshed-in, they ignored the drifting Imperial ships and concentrated on setting up a defensive boundary around Miressa Prime, seemingly more worried about an outside threat. This made Kellea even more suspicious about who had been controlling the Imperial fleet during the first part of the engagement.

  “Both Imperial battleships are now in action, Admiral,” Captain Essel said. “The rest of their force is underway, but two of the cruisers and one frigate aren’t moving with the others.”

  “The Imperial Navy has managed to divide the 405th into two groups.” Kellea pointed out. “They’ll try to keep one group at bay while concentrating on pounding the other into dust. What’s the status on that dreadnaught?”

  “It’s stabilized, but its po
wer signature is still dropping,” Essel said. “Sensor Ops tells me that they’re able to see critical structural damage where two of those…whatever they were, hit once the forward shields buckled. There is a small flotilla of shuttles coming up from Miressa Prime, so we’re assuming they’re going to abandon ship in an orderly manner.”

  “If they have to scuttle her”—Kellea shook her head in amazement—“that single ship represents nearly a tenth of the fleet’s operational budget. She was meant to be parked over a planet and intimidate systems into bowing to the ConFed’s will.” She looked as if she could burst out laughing at any moment. “And one arrogant, hotheaded human in an old gunship almost singlehandedly blew her out of the sky.”

  “They’re a funny species,” Essel said, clearly not understanding what she thought was so amusing. “Having their Victory-class ships with us these last couple of years has been…illuminating.”

  “I’m sure that’s the term used to describe them in the officer’s lounge,” Kellea said drily.

  The Defiant was in a high parking orbit over Miressa Prime and she’d ordered the engines to station keeping, allowing the ships to remain focused on the battle out past the orbit of Taus. She’d watched the Phoenix dive into the atmosphere with nine fighters nipping at her tail. There had been some observed explosions, and less than half the fighters came straggling back up into orbit, so she assumed Jason was holding his own for now…not that she was cared one way or the other.

  On the tactical hologram, she watched as the 405th tried to regroup and deal with the Imperial Navy that had now split their formation in half and was getting ready to hammer down on the trapped ships with overlapping fields of fire. The ConFed commanders seemed to be overwhelmed by the Eshquarian’s superior tactics even as their ships were obviously not yet at full power. So far, there had only been small spats of exchanged fire as each side rushed to reposition their ships in response to the other. From what Kellea could see, the ConFed would soon learn why the Eshquarian Empire hadn’t been tested in generations.