Elite

by Allen Stroud

  Bertrum found a tactical display and put it on the main viewscreen. He quickly located the large cluster of Orange Star freighters and Lave Station. A steady stream of small dots were exiting the spaceward docking bay, the computer tagged each as they cleared the launch area, Vipers, Bertrum thought, replying to the distress call.

  One of the larger ships, called the Maximillian, had manuevered out away from the rest and was also launching fighters. Bertrum spotted a group of dots appearing right on the edge of the display, heading straight for the freighters. He found the ident of the ship that’d messaged; an Asp Explorer, making for the station and being pursued.

  Maybe someone worked out the plan?

  * * *

  Heldaban Kel cursed as the Asp pulled away. Larger engines gave the ship a significant acceleration advantage and the pilot at the controls knew how to use them, maneuvered breaking, then full power. There was nothing Kel could do but try to match speed, raking the Asp with laser fire whilst he stayed in range.

  Things were starting to look a whole lot worse. The tactical display had identified a large ship moving to intercept. Kel recognised it from the photographs, the Maximillian, an antique Copperhead escort frigate with a compliment of four Vipers aboard. Back in the thirty first century, they’d been the pride of the Galactic Co-operative. Even now, a volley from her would shred the Cobra in seconds.

  ‘Kel to Archaeo, waiting for the welcome party; they appear to be late.’

  ‘On route Heldaban, keep your rookie on.’

  Kel grimaced. ‘I lost my rookie fifty years ago. Likely lose a lot more if they don’t move!’

  ‘On the way.’

  He glanced at the tactical display. Four dots on the edge, closing fast, but four more appeared around the Maximillian. Ahead, the Asp adjusted course, aiming to skim over the frigate as it turned broadside on. Kel had a choice, break off or dodge the guns. The ships coming in to help were Sidewinders, the Maximillian’s squadron, old Viper Mark Is. The friendlies had the advantage.

  The frigate dominated the viewscreen, the Asp a small dot as it hopped over the ship. Kel’s display lit up with laser fire, the red beams arrowing straight at him. He pushed the stick forward and activated the rotator jets, sending the Cobra into a fast corkscrew. Most pilots saved this kind of manuever for slow speeds on a docking approach. The spinning ship shuddered as bolts splashed against his shields. Kel kept his eyes on the screen and tried to ignore the building nausea.

  The Viper squadron reached him first, scattering as they charged by, reversed orientation and fought their own momentum to pursue. The power level of the rear shield started to fall. In a pack, the aged fighters were still deadly and they didn’t have a hard job with one target to aim at.

  The Maximillian next, suddenly a rusting landscape dead ahead. Kel adjusted his heading and the Cobra ducked under the frigate, racing close to its gunmetal hull. Behind, the firing stopped as the Vipers couldn’t risk hitting their mothership. That meant recovery on the rear shield. Kel diverted additional power from the lasers to max the charge, just as the Cobra came out the other side. He relocated the Asp, adjusted course and gritted to hold back contents of his stomach. The Maximillian continued to fire, but as she’d been in the way before, now the pursuing Vipers prevented her from opening up with all guns. Lack of training, Kel smiled. His eyes flicked to the tactical display. The frigate wasn’t turning in pursuit and after a few seconds, the Vipers pulled out. He cancelled the Cobra’s spin and keyed up the comms. ‘Welcome to the party.’

  ‘Welcome yourself,’ the familiar voice of Brahms replied. ‘Wouldn’t have missed this for all the Tantalum in Tiliala.’

  On the scope, the Sidewinders engaged the Vipers in pairs, their superior weapons, taking out one straight away. ‘Watch your backs,’ Kel warned. ‘That grandfather ain’t as slow as he looks.’

  ‘Acknowledged.’

  Ahead, the Asp continued towards Lave Station. Kel checked the distance. The whole manoeuvre had cost him a dear. The escaping ship was no more than a speck now, moving between the stars.

  * * *

  Gebrial opened the doors to the lobby and crawled across the floor. Tobias Renner was crouched behind one of the couches she’d been sitting on a lifetime ago. He had a pistol in his hands, but nodded for her to approach. She went down on her stomach and slid over, getting a quick glimpse of the plaza outside through the glass. Less than an hour ago it had been full of people. Now, it was deserted.

  ‘Did you know about the bombs?’ Gebrial whispered, when she got close enough.

  ‘Bombs?’

  ‘Bowles has explosives strapped to his chest. He threatened the hostages with them.’

  Renner chewed his lip and sighed. ‘I’m sorry I got you into this,’ he said. ‘Looks like we’re not getting out.’

  ‘I didn’t see anyone,’ Gebrial said.

  ‘Nor would you,’ Rennick replied. ‘They’ll have sharp shooters in the buildings. Leaving here by the front door’ll be suicide, probably worse at the back. Only a matter of time before they realise we don’t have enough people to defend this place and storm it.’

  She stared at him. ‘Makes you the first to die when they do.’

  Renner shrugged. ‘Well, you and me both don’t fit in around here do we?’

  ‘You think they all rigged explosives?’ Gebrial asked. ‘That part of the plan?’

  ‘Wouldn’t surprise me,’ Renner said ‘Jallin’s a cold fish and does exactly what Harker tells her to do; seems they weren’t holding out as much hope for success as we thought.’

  ‘But Bowles told me they got messages out before the power went down,’ Gebrial said.

  ‘Might make a difference in a few places, but you think it’ll raise the city?’ Renner glanced meaningfully back at the doorway. ‘Any of those hostages likely to pick up a gun and help?’

  ‘Not at the moment,’ Gebrial said.

  ‘And why is that?’

  ‘It’s like growing up, but in reverse,’ Gebrial said. ‘When I was a kid, I didn’t ask why my father made me do things a certain way, as I got older I questioned stuff and realised the unfairness.’ She stared at the doors, picturing the people inside the locked room with Bowles. ‘They’re scared. They’ve been under the boot for so long they’ve forgotten they’re being put down. No matter what we say, it’s what they know, what’s familiar to them. We’re trying to take that away.’

  Renner scratched his chin. ‘So, how do we persuade them?’

  ‘First thing we need to do is separate the Spacers. They’ll need longer to convince anyway, hard to give up privileges for uncertainty.’

  ‘Tough enough to keep a hold on one room of hostages,’ Renner said.

  ‘Bowles can sit with them. They hate him already. The Colonials are the ones we want.’

  ‘Won’t be many of them,’ Renner said.

  ‘More than the no one we have at the moment,’ Gebrial replied.

  * * *

  ‘Frigate dead ahead sir.’

  On the bridge of the Furnace, Jander stared at the tactical display projected on the lectern monitor. ‘Magnify on the main viewer,’ he ordered. ‘Time to intercept?’

  ‘Eight minutes at current speed, Admiral.’

  Stars streamed as the camera zoomed in and a large ship appeared side on, her engines idle. Small flashes of laser fire erupting all around. ‘That’s the Maximillian,’ Ambassador Godwina said. Jander nodded, noting the scrolling data on the sidebar confirming her words. ‘She’s launched fighters.’

  ‘Our targets moved on,’ Ennis said, ‘but she’s right between us and the Ronin.’

  Jander leaned over the rail to Lieutenant Cassom at the comms station. ‘Open a channel to them and explain why we’re here.’

  ‘Already tried, Admiral,’ Cassom said. ‘She’s not responding.’

  Jander frowned. ‘What’s the situation?’

  ‘Three Sidewinders engaged with some antique Vipers,’ Aimes reported. ‘Another two
ships closing to support.’

  Jander glanced at Ambassador Godwina who returned the look with a calculating stare of her own. ‘Don’t be afraid of making a difficult decision, Admiral,’ she said.

  ‘I don’t think fear is a factor,’ Jander said. ‘Mister Aimes, relay orders to all ships, course plot around them, keep formation and best speed.’

  ‘Acknowledged Admiral,’ Aimes replied. The frigate in magnified view lurched away as the Furnace began to maneuver.

  ‘That’ll cost us,’ Ennis said.

  ‘Better than getting dragged into a war without reason,’ Jander said.

  * * *

  Pietro pressed the call button on the elevator and waited. The whole section between the stairs, the corridor to the cells and here was dark, illuminated only by the green glow from the panel and lights from the floors above.

  ‘The lifts must be under cameras,’ James warned. ‘They’ll spot us the minute the doors open.’

  ‘We have to keep hoping our friend is looking out for us,’ Pietro replied.

  James stared at the ceiling. ‘I guess he’s overridden the power controls down here. Easiest way to shut down surveillance is to cut the power.’

  Pietro smiled. ‘Thanks, this isn’t my first prison escape.’

  ‘Sorry,’ James said. ‘I just— I want to help.’

  ‘Once we find a computer terminal, you’ll be all the help in the world,’ Pietro said. ‘Right now, we need to focus and make sure we go the fourteen floors to meet our friend.’

  With a distant hiss of hydraulics, the lift began to ascend. Pietro motioned James to a position on the other side. The boy moved across and nodded, there was a ping and the doors opened. Pietro stepped in front and found himself face to face with a soldier in the same black uniform as the others he’d seen. Without hesitating, he bunched his zip tied hands together and drove them straight into his nose. Blood spurted from the man’s nostrils and his eyes went distant before he slumped to the floor.

  Pietro knelt down while, James stood over him. ‘Well, that was easy,’ he said.

  ‘We were lucky,’ Pietro replied. ‘You don’t count on it.’ He found a foldaway pocket knife in the soldier’s belt pouch and opened it with his teeth. ‘Hold your hands out.’

  James did as instructed and Pietro cut through the zip tie. James took the blade and did the same for him. ‘Now what?’ he asked.

  ‘We haul him out and I change clothes,’ Pietro said.

  * * *

  As the Cobra closed on Lave Station, the tactical display filled with ships and Heldaban Kel got more concerned.

  ‘Brigade Leader to Kel.’

  ‘What’s up Archaeo?’

  ‘Need you to break off pursuit and form up with us.’

  ‘Can’t do that.’

  ‘Kel, if you don’t you’re dead. That Asp’s going straight for the station and you won’t catch him. Plus you owe me a save.’

  He shifted the tactical view and located Archaeo’s ship. The Brigade were closing on a huge group of Anaconda transports nearly twice their number, a steady stream of Vipers were heading to intercept. He sighed and keyed in a change of course. ‘All right, I’m coming.’

  ‘Wise choice, we’ll find your friend later.’

  Kel switched to the encrypted Brigade comms channel. Ahead, space erupted with flashes of laser fire and sparking shields. The station Vipers buzzed around the invaders, but Archaeo held her group together.

  Kel spotted the Ronin in the centre, Faith’s ship was surrounded by escorts and heading straight for the first Anaconda. The Panther clipper got into range and her forward guns erupted, spitting projectiles at the transport. Other ships joined the attack and he saw the tell-tale flash of burning oxygen.

  ‘Shields down,’ Faith said over comms.

  ‘Confirmed,’ Archaeo replied, ‘break formation and move to second target.’

  The Brigade scattered. Adders, Cobras and Sidewinders pealed away to engage and vicious dogfights ensued. One got caught in the crossfire and thrown horribly against the side of another transport. Shields flashed as the smaller ship exploded.

  The first Anaconda began to drift. The Trojan, the decorated Python used to drop boarders onto Castellan Station, closed on the stricken vessel, a docking tube extended from her belly. The boarders would be desperate men and women. Pilots who’d fallen on hard times, losing their ships through misadventure. The freighter crew, likely no match for them.

  ‘Archaeo, you can’t pull this stunt more than twice,’ Kel said.

  ‘Aiming for three,’ Archaeo replied.

  ‘You’re drawing a lot of attention!’ Kel said. Three support frigates were maneuvering towards the group to surround them, fighters launching and charging in. ‘The way out is closing!’

  ‘Time to pay your debt then,’ Archaeo replied.

  Kel spat a curse and activated manual control, aiming his ship at the incoming Vipers at full speed. He counted twelve, four from each frigate. Within seconds he was amongst them, weaving into the swarm. The Cobra’s beam lasers made short work of one Viper; with a flash, it broke open like an egg. He targeted a second and watched it explode, then picked out a third, but the fighter ducked and flipped around, pumping autocannon rounds into his forward shields. Sparks flew from the console and Kel grinned. Now I got their attention.

  * * *

  When the last of the hostages entered, Gebrial closed the doors, drew her pistol and put her back against the wall.

  They were six floors up in the power control room, where Harker had set more charges and shut down the grid connection. On the far side from the door, the windowed wall overlooked the main city generator system, a huge space littered with a mass of cylindrical columns stretching back into the darkness.

  The dim emergency lighting gave everything a grey cast. Gebrial glanced around. The five men and four women all looked terrified.

  ‘You going to kill us?’ asked a man, his eyes on the gun.

  ‘I don’t plan to,’ Gebrial replied quietly. ‘I was hoping you’d help.’

  No one answered.

  Gebrial sighed. ‘I didn’t grow up on this planet, I don’t know what that’s been like for you, but surely you can’t want to live this way? Generations of being spied on and being put in your place with no hope for change? These people are trying to make a difference.’

  ‘Child, you should let us go,’ a woman said, stepping forward, older than the others with grey hair in a ponytail and wearing a one-piece uniform with the word ‘Cleaner’ stitched into the lapel. The way she spoke, reminded Gebrial of her mother. ‘We aren’t worth anything to you. When LaveSec come, they’ll rescue the Spacers, but they won’t care about us.’

  ‘Then why don’t you help?’ Gebrial said.

  ‘We didn’t do this, you did.’ The woman’s eyes flicked to the door and back. ‘Your friend with the bomb, you understand he’s insane?’

  Gebrial winced. ‘He’s nothing to do with me.’

  ‘You came here with him, it’s all to do with you,’ the woman said. ‘Security will storm the building. They’ll kill you and the others. They’ll probably kill us as well and announce we’ve disappeared. They’ll try to claim the power out was some kind of technical problem. Your message will die along with you.’

  ‘You think that’ll change if we let you go?’

  The woman shook her head. ‘You’re right, we’re all dead. It’ll make no difference, except for your conscience.’

  ‘I don’t believe we all have to die,’ Gebrial said. ‘Here’s a chance to change things.’ She pulled her dataslate from her pocket. ‘With this, I got a message out yesterday and thousands of people learned about us. We can try again, perhaps even contact your families and let them know you’re safe.’

  ‘Won’t work,’ said the man who’d spoken before. ‘LaveSec will have jammed the whole site. By knocking the power out, your friends made things nice and easy for them,’ he chuckled bitterly. ‘Whatever happens anywhere els
e, we’re on our own.’

  Gebrial frowned. ‘I’m not sure about that.’ Remembering what James had said, she opened the connection screen and pulled up the planetary network, just as she’d done before. The page took a moment to initialise, but the same message appeared. ‘This slate’s been chipped, we should still be able to get through.’ She held it out. ‘Who wants to go first?’

  Chapter 36: The Test

  The lift reached the target floor and pinged.

  Pietro took a deep breath and levelled the pistol he’d found in the security officer’s belt at the doors. ‘Ready?’ he asked.

  ‘Ready,’ said James, his back to the exit near the keypad.

  ‘We’re going right and moving fast,’ Pietro said. ‘You spot anything, you shout and duck because I’ll shoot.’

  The metal panels slid away. The corridor outside was well lit with inset strip lights. Pietro stepped forward cautiously, checking left, then right, but he found no one.

  Strange ...

  He moved up the passage, pistol held up, ready to fire. The lights glowed alongside them, the illumination brightening as they went by. The corridor ran for a hundred feet or more into the darkness, a long way to walk in a straight line when you were expecting someone to shoot you at any moment.

  Pietro lowered the gun. ‘Let’s play “you’re the prisoner and I’m the guard”,’ he said, motioning James forward. The boy nodded and put his hands together behind his back and they walked on, with Pietro holding the weapon behind him.

  ‘Where is everyone?’ James asked.

  ‘No idea,’ Pietro replied. ‘Might be they’re not allowed up here. Could be something else; some kind of emergency. Whatever’s happening, we take advantage.’

  Together they moved down the corridor. Entrance plates appeared on the left and the right at regular intervals, but they didn’t slow. The goal was at the end.

  The last door on the right.

  They stopped. It didn’t open. Pietro glanced at the terminal. ‘Can you do something with this?’ he asked.

  ‘I can try,’ James said, bending down. The screen lit up at his touch. ‘Thumb print recognition,’ he said.