Trish, Gandy and Sharvie were dropped at Midelon. The Bangor, following just behind its centurion shield, jumped to the coordinates as given by the colonel.
Tawn said, "They did good. This thing follows our nav precisely. You don't even know it's there."
"Just make sure you remember to not fire those railguns while we're behind it."
"Not a problem. Just programmed in the safety-lockout when the shield is connected to the nav and in front. With the rails active it will automatically move to the side. I'm kind of excited to see how well it works."
Practice in the Jellon system went on for twenty-two minutes before the Hailstorm arrived.
"Let's do this," the colonel said.
"Link to our nav signal," Tawn replied. "You can ride in behind us."
The shield moved forward, followed by the two Human ships turned warships. A half hour ride saw the planet of Jellon II growing on the display as the Denzee and New Earth fleets popped into view. In a familiar sight, debris fields from nine New Earth ships littered the heavens.
Harris opened a comm to the Earther fleet admiral. "You should have us on approach. We'll be hitting that Ratoon on this end. As always, any attention you can draw would be helpful. Just don't needlessly sacrifice any crews on our behalf."
"You do your best out there, Mr. Gruberg. We'll handle our end."
Once inside maximum range for the Ratoon weapon, Tawn said, "Lights are dimming."
The instant the weapon's disc began to glow, Harris turned the Bangor hard to starboard. The beam of the weapon slid by.
The colonel came over the comm. "You cut that a bit close, Mr. Gruberg. Remember, you have a longer tail right now. Our hull just hit four hundred fifty degrees."
Harris nodded. "Consider it done colonel. We have one more of those beams coming before we're home-free. Timing will be much closer on this one."
The Bangor raced in, the freighter Hailstorm only meters behind her, the centurion shield riding defiantly out front. As the two minute mark passed, the lights on the Ratoon dimmed. Harris pushed the control stick down, diving and again missing the devastating effects of the powerful beam.
"Break off colonel. We should be set on this one."
The shield was given a command from the nav system. With a single, precise move it maneuvered up and over the Bangor, settling in behind her before again locking in. Tawn opened up with the railguns as the distance to the Ratoon narrowed. The great ship attempted to turn to realign its main weapon.
The Hailstorm release a barrage of hypervelocity tungsten with both rail cannons from all six port-side turrets firing at once. The exterior plating on the Denzee warship crumpled in a line running from her forward decks going back along her starboard side. The Bangor focused on the area surrounding the main weapon, relentlessly pounding the hardened plating that protected the nose of the ship. Whole sections were pushed back by a full bulkhead, but again the remarkable Denzee hull showed no breach.
As the Ratoon turned to flee, the two Human ships continued to unload death and destruction.
Harris commanded. "Colonel. We're breaking off to the next one. We can mop up the damaged ships later."
"Coming in behind you, Mr. Gruberg. Good shooting back there."
"Twenty-three more to go, Colonel."
With assistance from the New Earthers, a second and then a third Ratoon were severely beaten and sent from the field of battle. As an approach was made toward the fourth, the Denzee changed their tactics. The Ratoons were instead partnered as three ships each. Firing of the main weapon was staggered.
As the Bangor raced in, the first beam was avoided. The second was distracted, instead taking out a New Earth destroyer who had ventured too close. The firing of the weapon from the third ship caught the centurion shield dead-center, blasting the hull plating and bulkheads back to the sixth level, also taking the drive system offline.
The Bangor and the Hailstorm peeled off, racing in to pummel the main guns of all three ships as they flew in and around them in close proximity. The missile defense systems of the immense ships firing thousands of the small but powerful missiles at the marauders. The rail cannons on the Hailstorm blasting them from the blackness of space as the Bangor moved in close to her for cover.
Harris opened a comm. "Colonel. We can't fight three at once."
"Nonsense. Call in the Earthers. This is their colony. Let them carry the load. Tell the admiral we want a dozen destroyers in on this next attack. They have to free us up for us to get a kill."
"We can wait until tomorrow, Colonel. Mr. Morgan will have a shield ready for each of us by then."
The colonel shook his head. "The Earthers down on that planet don't have until tomorrow. Check your nav screen. They're sending those Dulon ships down to the surface in droves. We fight this fight now or there won't be a tomorrow for Jellon."
Harris opened a comm. "Admiral. We need your commitment if we're to continue this fight. Give us at least a dozen ships on this next assault. And I'm certain you understand the type of commitment I'm requesting."
The admiral replied, "I'm assigning the fourth command group to you, Mr. Gruberg. Sixteen destroyers and two cruisers. Use them as you will."
An Earther captain joined the comm. "What are your orders?"
Harris looked over the nav display. "I'm designating the next group of three for our attack. Your mission, Captain, is to keep us alive. We can take out those main weapons. You lose us and you have no offense."
"You have our full support, Mr. Gruberg. Tell us what you want and we'll give it our best."
Orders for the coming attack were sent.
Tawn slowly shook her head. "In no universe did I ever expect to be commanding Earther ships."
Harris chuckled. "And you expected to be fighting aliens?"
"In some fantasy universe maybe, but teaming with Earthers to do so? Not something I would have ever have imagined."
"I don't think anyone would have guessed the Denzee coming out of nowhere. I mean, why now? Why at this moment in time? We've been in these systems for two thousand years and never so much as seen a scout or had any indication of other sentient life. And I now have to believe that if there are Denzee there are others."
"Not that this is the time for this discussion, but didn't you ever wonder about the initial wormholes that brought us out from Earth? I can't believe they just appeared, both at the same time, and both within close proximity to Earth."
"You think those were purposeful?"
Tawn shrugged. "Don't know. Just weird that they opened to here."
Harris said, "Will be in range in ten... five... mark."
The rail cannons of the Bangor sang with low-frequency vibrations as they spewed their tungsten death. The disc of the closest Ratoon pushed in. A nearby destroyer was eviscerated as a Denzee beam struck it broadside.
The Hailstorm took a heavy hit from the third.
The colonel came over the comm. "We lost our cannons on the port side. Decks are burning. Have to pull back."
Harris said, "Keep in close until we can nail this third gun, Colonel. Don't need you to be an easy target."
As the Bangor closed on the remaining Ratoon of the trio, the lights on the warship dimmed. "Crap! Miss-timed!"
The control stick was pushed hard right. As the disc on the front of the Denzee ship began to glow, an Earther destroyer slipped in between. The high energy of the weapon ripped through the weak hull of the destroyer, shredding the entire nose of the ship and sending it into an uncontrolled spin.
Harris cut back hard, coming in to relieve the Ratoon of its terror. Tawn opened up with the railguns, pushing back the hull plating surrounding and including the disc. The Ratoon under assault turned from battle.
"The colonel's out. I think we've done all we can do. They had us dead right there." Harris said.
Tawn replied, "We leave and this colony is lost. The Earthers are gonna have to pick up the slack."
Harris let out a long breath
as he turned toward the next set of Ratoons. "Captain, I hate to even ask, but I need you to line up three of your destroyers for an assault. Move all of your personnel to the back of the ship because you're about to get your faces blown off. We need you to ride in as our shields."
"We'll do whatever it takes, Mr. Gruberg."
Tawn said, "I don't think this will work."
"Why?"
"They aren't as fast as we are. We get within range of those cannons and we'll need to leave them behind. We can't wait for them to get us in close enough to do damage."
Harris growled. "We'll just have to play this one by ear then. Captain? Put three more destroyers in our chain. When the first takes a hit have the others fan out. Should provide us with the cover we need."
The captain replied, "Coming to together now, Mr. Gruberg. Passing initial control of our nav systems to you."
Harris winced. "Let's hope this works."
— Chapter 16 —
* * *
The group of seven ships turned for their next target. Three Ratoons came out to meet them with their main weapons glowing blue-white. A juke to the right, followed by another, had the seven just within range when the first of the destroyers took a hard hit.
Harris released the nav. "Captain, you're on your own. Good luck."
Harris pushed the throttle full, racing forward and moving within range of the first Ratoon. Tawn pulled the trigger and the autofeeder, one that had previously been used to deliver beverage cans to hotel rooms, provided a constant stream of tungsten pellets to the breach. The plating in and around the hundred meter diameter disc, contorted, bent and caved in.
As the great ship turned away, the Bangor was flown to a position behind two Earther destroyers as they pushed on toward the next Ratoon.
Harris said, "I have something I'm gonna try. Don't freak out."
As a beam from the Denzee ship disintegrated the first five bulkheads of a destroyer, sending it adrift, Harris powered off the Bangor's systems.
"What are you doing?"
"We're still moving, only we won't be a target. Without power we'll just look like another clump of debris."
"That puts us completely at their mercy."
"It does, but they won't be wasting that weapon on a piece of space junk when there are other live targets out there. You just be ready when I power us back up. I'll be doing that just as soon as that ship fires its main weapon."
Tawn sighed. "Next time how about discussing that with me first."
"You don't like it?"
"No. I do. But I'd also like to be informed beforehand."
"Sorry, just dreamed this one up."
"Which is why we should have discussed it first."
"OK. Powering up in ten... five... mark."
The system on the Bangor came to life. The drift had taken the small fighting-shuttle to a position to the side of the Denzee warship. As the Bangor accelerated, Tawn pulled the trigger on the railguns. In a now familiar sight, plating crumpled and pushed in. As the Ratoon finished another firing, the Bangor slipped around front, inflicting its wrath on the defenseless weapon. Seconds later, the Ratoon turned away.
Two Earther destroyers and two cruisers moved in. Harris maneuvered the Bangor in close. The invisible beam from the remaining Ratoon ravaged the forward decks of the first cruiser. Harris again powered off the Bangor's systems.
Tawn asked, "How many times you think they'll fall for this?"
"At least twice... I hope."
As the systems were powered on. The nav display lit up with warnings. Four other Ratoons were fast approaching. Tawn opened up on the initial target as Harris pushed the ship toward the main gun."
A comm came in from Gandy. "Mr. Gruberg? Are you OK?"
Tawn flinched. "They're within range of those weapons!"
"What are you doing here! Get back!"
"We thought you'd been disabled."
The beam fired as the Gooch was turning away. Smoke filled the cabin as the drive system went offline, the outer hull reaching 900 degrees. "We've lost propulsion!"
Harris replied, "Hang on!"
The Bangor slid in front of the Ratoon, Tawn unleashing her tungsten fury. The ultra powerful weapon was silenced.
As Harris turned the fast ship toward the Gooch, the four Ratoons closed on their position.
Tawn reached out. "We only have two Earther ships left with us. We can't take those on."
Harris moved to open a comm to the Earther Admiral.
Tawn stopped him. "They won't get here in time. It's just a shuttle. They won't care."
Tawn hopped on the comm to the Gooch. "Shut down your systems. If they think you're dead they might just ignore you. We'll come for you once this fight is over."
Gandy frowned as he reached for the system shutdown. "Sorry we screwed things up."
The Gooch went silent.
Harris gave a command to the two remaining Earther ships. "Rejoin your fleet. We're breaking off for a bit."
The Bangor turned away from the oncoming Ratoons, instead making its way out to where the colonel was working on the Hailstorm. Three of the Ratoons turned back toward the rest of their fleet.
The colonel said, "Gruberg. We saw what just happened. I told them not to go, but they wouldn't listen."
"They've shut down. With luck the Denzee will pass them by. What's your status?"
"We need extensive repairs. Our fight here is done. Was waiting for you to come out."
"Head home, Colonel. The sooner those repairs are done the sooner we can get you back in this war."
An officer whispered in the colonel's ear. "What? Are you sure?"
Harris asked, "What is it?"
The Dulons have begun spacing the colonists."
Harris scowled. "I don't get that. Why not just blast them with plasma rifles on planet if you're gonna kill them anyway?"
"I would guess they're doing it for the intimidation factor, or perhaps they just don't want to bother with cleaning up. Regardless, before today is over the Jellon colony will no longer exist."
Harris let out a long sigh. "We need those shields so we can put an end to this."
"We have another problem," Tawn said. "That remaining Ratoon has just pulled up next to the Gooch. They're taking it aboard."
Harris leaned his head back. "Why didn't they just do as I told them? Colonel? Is your bay operational?"
"Yes."
"We're coming in. Can you spare a squad of ten Marines?"
"You going aboard that warship?"
"Maybe."
"I can send over a dozen. You certain you want to do this?"
Harris nodded. "Can't leave them to the Denzee. Not only do those three know about us and our weapons, they know about Midelon."
"Bring her in. I'll have a team waiting."
The Bangor landed in the docking bay. A dozen Biomarines hopped up through the hatch into her cabin. Colonel Robert Thomas was commanding.
The small ship was quickly away and speeding toward the lone Ratoon. Two blasts from the superweapon missed before the Bangor flew close enough to disable the threat. Tawn unleashed a stream of tungsten pellets into the missile bays that lined the port side of the Ratoon. A sharp turn and a run into a docking bay had the hatch open and a dozen Biomarines out on the deck.
Harris led the charge as Tawn remained in command of the ship. "Colonel, take a squad around this side. We'll meet up at that set of doors on your end. The Gooch was pulled into the aft starboard bay. Once out of here we'll work our way in that direction."
The teams split with Harris leading his squad along the left wall. Resistance was light as they swept their way around to meet up with the colonel.
Tawn came over the comm. "The bay is clear. I show several dozen bios converging on that door from either direction. If you can get into that hall heading back you'll want to take the first right."
Harris replied. "Keep those reports coming."
The colonel's squad charged into the ha
ll without warning. The Denzee warriors converging from the fore-decks were wiped out in a single barrage. Harris' squad lay in wait as the group coming from aft turned into their line of fire. A similar barrage of plasma rounds sealed the Denzee's fate. The team was up and moving in unison.
Tawn said, "I show several hundred bios moving in your direction from forward. Hang on. Hope there's nothing vital behind this wall."
A pair of low powered tungsten pellets poked through the wall, shredding everything to the next bulkhead, making the hall going forward impassable. A second set of rounds broke through, causing equal damage to a parallel hallway, effectively sealing off that deck from the forward reaches.
"This deck going up is blocked. Scan shows one stairwell behind you and three going forward. The bay they brought the Gooch in through is on this same deck. I'd send a few rounds down through the floor, but I'd have to dial the power up. Don't really want to compromise the structural integrity of the ship while you're all running free."
Harris replied, "If your scan shows troops in the forward sections then do it. The fewer we have to contend with the better."
"OK. But prepare for a wind rush and a pressure drop if the hull gets breached."
"We'll handle it. You get our backs and we can push our way to that bay."
Tawn's heart sank as she looked over the latest scan. "I'm only showing one large bio back there, one of them is still alive."
Harris was quiet for several seconds. "You have a size?"
Tawn studied the data. "It's Gandy."
Plasma fire could be heard over the comm. "Let's hope the others are on Midelon."
Tawn brought the Bangor to a hover before tilting the nose of the craft down. "Hang onto your drawers!"
A single tungsten round left the breach and traveled along the rails, picking up tremendous speed before slamming into the deck in front of the ship. Sheets of thick metal tore, spreading out into the lower decks, destroying everything it came in contact with. The decks below becoming visible for only moments before smoke and flame filled the void left by the hypervelocity round.
Tawn said. "Might want to get a move on. They're turning the ship toward the fleet."
ARMS Eden Lost: (Book 4) Page 14