by Daniel Gibbs
"On the outside?" Yanik asked. "That is not very secure."
"It makes sense," said Miri. "Without it, someone could conceivably seal themselves in the access center. That is a greater worry to League Security than someone breaking in. After all, there are other countermeasures for external threats. Anyway, signal me when you're ready."
The others moved into position around the door. Yanik nodded to her, and Miri pulled the lever.
The door slid open, and they moved in, weapons at the ready. They found a handful of technicians at various stations working the systems. Each was staring at the door. As if with one will, they went for weapons.
With the exception of Yanik, the others started pulling their triggers. One by one, shots claimed the technicians. Only one got off a shot that whizzed by al-Lahim's head to no effect. It was clear they hadn't been trained for any kind of fight, and with the element of surprise, it made the exchange an outright slaughter.
Miri went for one of the workstations and al-Lahim for another. Felix stared down at one of the bodies. He was a young man of dark brown coloring, baby-faced and young. His eyes were opened wide, as if his death came as a shock. Felix swallowed and shook his head. "Christ, some of them, they're just kids."
"There are young warriors on both sides of the war," Yanik remarked.
"Except they weren't warriors, not soldiers. They were just a bunch of techies. Should've surrendered. Would have surrendered if the League were halfway sane."
"On this, they aren’t," al-Lahim said, his attention still on the workstation he'd appropriated. "They never have been."
Felix forced himself to look away to where Miri was accessing the system. "So can we get to the good stuff?"
"Well, there are some permissions we'll need time to get through to access everything," Miri answered. "Although I'm already seeing some interesting information in their basic database. The station's been here for nearly a year, although it took them three months to finish setting up. There's references to a 'Operation: Ehud' and 'Project Underworld'. A couple of other operations too, but they're heavily encrypted."
"Decrypt them?"
"Starting to. Abdul—"
"I'm entering the station's control systems. Some of it's going to be encrypted, but give me time and I can take over the station."
"The moment either of you find anything about the League's operation here, start transmitting it to the fleet," said Felix. He motioned to the others. "Let's cover the doors. Just in case."
Caillaux was staring at the internal security grid cameras, tracking the enemy's advance to the command center, when one of his officers spoke up. "Sir, there’s anomalous access in progress within the primary data center. Someone's accessing our encrypted files and station control protocols."
Caillaux turned his attention to that section of the station. The transponders for the technicians were no longer transmitting. The boarders sent a team for the data center? It won't help them hold control of the station… oh no. "Do we have any teams that can retake the center?" He looked over the station map, guessing which group might try.
After several queries to the various officers leading the defense, Caillaux's officer replied, "We do, but they are several levels away, it will take them at least fifteen minutes to get into position."
He sighed. That was far too long for experienced personnel to crack computer encryption and find information. He had to stop them now. "Then we have come to the end." He triggered the intercom. "Commander Lauritz, begin the overload."
The reply was immediate. "Yes, Captain."
22
It had been some time since Miri had gone trawling through League databases. After a moment's consideration, she realized the last time had, in fact, been in the company of al-Lahim, back when he was training to be part of CIS. She'd demonstrated how League systems worked using a captured dataset and helped the would-be operatives learn the best ways in.
Despite the conservative bent in the League, where suggesting the wrong innovation or change could lead to swift punishment for "undermining society," their computer security still evolved. Security was always a paramount concern to them, especially within the military. Miri could see some of those improvements in the system as she tried to access it.
While those changes were noticeable, certain fundamental elements seemed to be the same. Miri found in them enough commonality to let her start processing through the encryption. She soon found specialized files. They were logs of the captured ships and the modifications done. "This isn't their operational plan, but it's a start," she said aloud while setting up the transfer. "Do we have control of their communications system yet?"
"I'm establishing it now," said al-Lahim. "Then I— " He drew in a breath. "Oh no."
"What?" Felix asked.
"Sensors in the engineering section are showing an increase to the reactor output. It's already at a hundred percent and climbing." Al-Lahim's voice held its usual calm tenor. "It looks like a deliberate overload."
"Well, crap." Felix took out his commlink and tapped the key for the established channel to the Shadow Wolf. "Jim, we've got a problem…"
Felix's warning was unnecessary. Piper had, in fact, already spotted the thermal spike in the reactors. Henry knew very well what was happening. "Found what we need yet?"
"Gaon's still looking."
"They need to get out of there," Tia insisted.
Henry didn’t disagree, but he knew it wasn't so simple. "Check with the others, see if they're pulling their people out. Piper, did you finish those scans?"
"I did the best I could," she said. With a couple taps of her keys, she overlaid the scan results onto the image shown on the wall display. "What were you looking for?"
"Their fuel tanks." Henry hit the transmit key again. "Felix, everyone else, can you tell me where the tanks for their reactors are?"
"I'll ask."
"Do you think taking the tanks out will help?" Tia asked.
"If we take out enough, they won't have the fuel to finish the overload," he said.
"And we don't just shoot their engineering section because…"
"...because if we don't clip the fuel first, the reactors might blow early."
Tia nodded and said, "Right," as if confirming a fact.
"We're sending you the fuel tank locations now. They're dispersed throughout the station, so you’ll have your hands full."
Piper obligingly put the data up. Henry grinned. While Felix was right about their distribution, it looked like the main tanks were kept closer to the reactors. "Piper, get me a firing solution."
"Given how deep they are, a neutron cannon shot is best," Piper said. "Cera, I'm sending you the position data."
"Received. Movin' into position."
The Shadow Wolf's maneuvering thrusters fired, pushing the ship into place for the necessary shot. "Bringing fusion drive online," Cera added.
Henry accepted the report without another word. They'd only get a couple of shots from the cannon, most likely, before they had to shut down the fusion drive or start using it. He'd prefer not having to do so, given the heavy use the system had already seen. "Shoot when ready."
It didn’t take long for the drive to recharge the neutron cannon's capacitors. The flip of a switch retracted the covering plates hiding the barrel of the weapon. A moment later, the white-blue beam speared through what, to Henry's current position, was the "bottom" of the League station. Since its deflectors were long disabled, and they were within the perimeter of that field anyway, there was nothing stopping the beam from slicing through the station's hull. Debris and flame erupted from the wound the Shadow Wolf's big gun carved into the station. After a few seconds, it fired again, with the same effect.
"Lots of helium-3 venting there," Piper said. "I'd say we got both main tanks."
"Reactors still overloading?"
"Thermal signature's staying the same."
That was what Henry wanted to hear. It meant they didn't have the fuel
to finish the overload. Even if they intentionally broke open their reactor chambers, it would only cause their own deaths, not the destruction of the whole station. For the first time since they jumped into the system, he relaxed in his chair. "Keep an eye on them anyway. We'll blast more fuel tanks if we need to."
"Will do," said Piper.
Al-Lahim and Miri were still hard at work trying to get into the computer systems, making full use of the reprieve won for them by the Shadow Wolf. Yanik, Felix, and Caetano took up positions at the two main doors. Their weapons were at the ready. Yanik seemed the most withdrawn of them all, but that was because he was listening carefully.
"They are coming," he said as he gestured at both doors. He brought his gun up while the other two guarded the second door.
"Can't risk an assault in here," Felix said. "If they shoot up the computer cores, it could cost us the info we need."
"Then we do the unexpected," said Caetano. "We attack."
"That is the best way to deal with an attack," affirmed Yanik. It was, at least, his preferred way of dealing with an attack.
The moment each door opened, they started firing. Not just starting to fire, but moving forward as if to charge from the room.
Yanik was, understandably, the more successful with this tactic. His weapons' sheer firepower quickly felled those Leaguers ready to rush the room on his end. Had they been Marines, a counterattack would have punished him for this, but like before, they were ordinary crew on the station given arms and told to fight. Their morale collapsed against the very real danger of his weapon, and they scurried for cover.
On the other end, Felix and Caetano opened fire with their borrowed rifles the moment the door slid open. They claimed two in the first shot and two more in the next shot. But they didn't have a heavy weapon like Yanik's that forced everyone to hide behind something or die. They took return fire that blasted at their soft suits. Felix felt the burn of a hit on his right arm and grimaced, fighting back the pain and trying to track the shooter.
Caetano nailed the shooter first, but there were at least two more. One round hit her shoulder, another the right side of her belly, and a third grazed her left arm. The softsuit absorbed some of the impacts, but not all, and she fell back into the data center.
Felix withdrew with her, still firing short bursts. "Status?" he asked.
"I'm alive," she replied, voice laden with pain.
"Right." Felix's gun blazed again and this time caught one of the remaining Leaguers as she tried to get to the door for a clear shot.
A second shooter was already drawing a bead on him. Time seemed to slow as he brought his weapon over, even as he knew it wouldn't get into position in time.
Caetano's rifle fired. The pulses of light struck the Leaguer straight in the heart, killing him instantly.
They remained where they were, Felix still standing; Caetano, on the floor, barely sitting up. Each waited anxiously to see if another attacker would come. When it had been clear for thirty seconds, Felix leaned over and helped Caetano up.
That, of course, was when a Leaguer chose to show up, rifle up and ready to fire.
There was the bark of a gun, a League pistol, Felix was sure. He expected to find himself shot. When he didn't, and when it was clear Caetano hadn't been either, he watched the Leaguer collapse. The back of his head steamed through the remains of his suit's helmet.
Oskar stepped into sight. A League-made pistol, the one he always kept in the infirmary, was in his hand. Felix looked through his faceplate to see the pained look on his face. "I'm sorry," he said to the dead man. His eyes tracked to them, and concern replaced that pain. "You're wounded."
"Yeah, but still alive, thanks to you."
Oskar nodded but remained silent. His focus immediately went to Caetano, where she was sitting against the frame of the doorway. He used his medical scanner to check her condition. "I'll need to get her back to my infirmary as soon as possible," he said, even as he unslung his medical pack. Behind him, other boarding parties were sweeping by. "You'll be all right," he assured her.
She said nothing in reply. Felix got the idea that she was disappointed. He turned away from her to check up on the others. Yanik seemed unhurt, at least, and Miri and al-Lahim were still working on the computers. "Got our smoking gun yet?" he asked.
"Well, we can prove the League captured the stolen ships," Miri noted. "We have the reports and requisition orders for the armaments they were refitted with. But I'm still looking for something about their end goal. At least twenty percent of the data cores were wiped before we got here."
"I've taken control of most of their systems," al-Lahim added. "Although I won't be able to shut down their fusion cores from here. At least there's no longer a risk of overload. Their fuel lines are compromised, and they've lost the main helium-3 tanks."
"Start bringing back atmosphere and gravity, if you can," Felix said. "It'll make this easier."
"Right."
Miri, meanwhile, was carefully examining the data files. The League computer techs had done an admirable job ensuring there could be no recovery of the lost data. She felt a worry they might not find what was needed. Most of the materials here were basic day-to-day operative logs. Personnel matters, supplies, maintenance and repair reports.
Then came the surveillance systems.
There was too much to look through, given the League watched everything, but she had an idea. She examined the feeds until she found what she wanted: the surveillance of Hartford's office. She brought it up on her monitor. A simple search parameter, part of the system, helpfully eliminated the hours when he wasn't present. She added a second check for other personnel in the office. When that seemed too much, she narrowed it to External Security, which was still quite extensive, but not impossibly so. She triggered the system to upload the data into the Shadow Wolf's available computer space before she started watching the video for herself.
As the red spread through the sections of Pluto Base's image on his holotank, Captain Caillaux felt a deep sense of despair. The reactors couldn't overload due to the damage to the fuel systems, and the counterattack to retake the data center failed. He'd failed Admiral Hartford and society.
With computer access being sequestered from his command center and the station nearly fallen, most of his officers were taking cover, prepared to fight to the bitter end. He didn't join them. Not because he intended to surrender, but because he hoped that the sight of him unarmed would lull their boarding parties into assuming surrender. Then his officers could get the benefit of surprise and possibly take down some of the boarding teams. Even if he couldn't destroy them all as directed, he would at least be fulfilling his orders to the best of his remaining ability. Social duty would be upheld, and hopefully, his family wouldn’t suffer for his failure.
The doors blew open from a blasting charge. Caillaux watched the armed figures, wearing a variety of hardsuits and softsuits, enter. He held his hands up as if to surrender.
They opened fire anyway.
Caillaux went down in pain and, after several seconds, an increasing terror in the pit of his stomach at the realization that this was, indeed, the end of existence for him. As a pitch blackness came over his consciousness, he found himself thinking of his family back on Thibould and how much he missed his old life. At the shrinking periphery of his senses, he heard gunfire, cries, and screaming.
Then there was nothing but darkness.
The confirmation of their success came from Piotr Tokarev, his voice a welcome end to the tense quiet on the Shadow Wolf bridge. "My brother reports their command center has been taken," he said on the open tactical channel. "Their remaining cannons no longer fire. The engineering section is all that remains. It fall shortly."
Henry took the news with a smile. "Good work."
"And we've found the crews of the missing ships too," al-Lahim said over the line. "The League turned off their life support and gravity when the boarding started, but they're still alive. I've ta
ken enough control to circulate atmosphere back into their section."
Tia smiled. "At least those people get to go home now."
"At least. They can also testify to what happened… and a lot of other things." Henry was already wondering how much therapy would be necessary, given the traumas undoubtedly inflicted by the League. Knowing the League's usual behavior, they'd turned a section of their station into a re-education camp.
"Dulaney here. If everything's clear, we're going to start docking. But we probably shouldn't linger. The League will respond eventually, and I don't want to be here when they do. Plus there's the matter of their remaining Q-ships."
"We must assume they're going forward with their plans," Henry stated. "We're getting a data dump from their cores now. We're ready to transfer as we get it. Honestly, I'm not sure we have the room in our systems for all the data."
Dulaney answered quickly. "Mad Hatter is ready to receive."
"As is Morozova.”
Tia tapped at her station controls. "Transmission in progress."
"Any hangars big enough for us, Cera?" Henry asked. "Big enough and intact, I mean."
"Lookin' now… ah, I think I see one, sir. Under one of th' cannons. Well, former cannons, as it looks like th' other ships are takin' 'em out t' be on th' safe side."
"Then take us in."
As the Shadow Wolf began moving, Henry found he wasn't getting the usual post-crisis easing of tension he enjoyed. Because this isn't over, he reminded himself. We've still got to stop the other half of their plan.
While the station's fusion cores were now mostly off-line, the battery backups were sufficient to provide some lighting to the data center and restore atmosphere and partial gravity. While this made the work of those bringing the rescued spacers to departing ships easier, it did little to alleviate Miri's most significant issue: the sheer number of times Hartford met with his security officers.
