by Ryk Brown
Josh flipped the small safety-cover off the firing button on his flight control stick, as he pushed forward on the stick again to arrest their pitch-over maneuver at just the right moment.
The view of Casbon returned, sliding down from the top of the screen, covering just the uppermost part once their pitch motion had ceased. Seventeen solid-red targeting squares appeared around the center area of the main view screen, indicating the location of the incoming interceptors that were still too far away to be seen. “Eat this,” Josh muttered, pressing his firing button.
Red-orange plasma torpedoes leapt out from under the Aurora’s nose in groups of four, repeating in waves every other second.
“Four targets destroyed,” Kaylah announced. “The remaining ships have broken off and are jumping to safety.”
“Nicely done, Mister Hayes,” Cameron congratulated. “Bring our nose back on course.”
“Pitching back forward,” Josh replied.
“Mister Willette,” Cameron said in a stern voice. “Next time someone challenges your defense perimeter, you give them more than just point-defenses…understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Ensign Willette acknowledged, embarrassed by his error.
“They’re acting like they’re drunk!” Kareef exclaimed over comms.
“It might not last,” Talisha warned. “Take them out while you can.”
“Sane, Prechitt!” the commander called over comms. “How are you doing down there?”
“The drones seem confused, so we’re taking advantage of it and knocking them down like pila beetles!” she replied.
“Be on the lookout for interceptors,” the commander warned. “There’s at least a dozen of them in the area, and they could jump down on top of you at any moment.”
“Understood,” Talisha replied. “Leta, if you spot any of those interceptors, don’t wait for orders. You lock missiles on them and let them have it!”
“Understood,” her AI replied.
“New contact!” Kaylah warned from the Aurora’s sensor station. “Big one! It’s got to be the carrier ship. Twenty degrees to starboard and fifteen up relative. Six hundred thousand kilometers and holding position.”
“Size and armaments?” Cameron asked.
“Nine hundred and twenty meters. Defensive turrets only. Basic directional shield turrets. She’s no match for us. She’s trying to be stealthy, but doing a lousy job of it.”
“Does she know we see her?”
“I doubt it,” Kaylah insisted. “I picked her up on passive and haven’t hit her with active sensors yet.
“Mister Sheehan, jump us forward two light minutes.”
“Jumping forward two light minutes in five…”
“Josh, as soon as we jump, turn into the target to intercept,” Cameron added.
“…Three…”
“Understood,” Josh replied.
“Standby to hail them on all frequencies and channels,” Cameron instructed Naralena.
“Jumping,” Loki announced, as the blue-white jump flash washed over the bridge.
“Turning to intercept course,” Josh announced, as he initiated the turn.
“Mister Willette,” Cameron said, “keep the helm pickle hot, and be ready to lock all forward plasma turrets on the target as soon as we jump in.”
“Yes, sir,” the ensign replied, determined not to make another mistake.
“Plotting intercept jump,” Loki reported, anticipating her next order.
“Target will detect our new position in ten seconds,” Kaylah warned.
“Coming onto intercept course,” Josh reported.
“Intercept jump, ready.”
“Execute,” Cameron ordered.
Again, the blue-white flash washed over the bridge, revealing the enemy ship on the main view screen.
“Your mic is hot,” Naralena reported.
“All forward cannons locked on target,” Ensign Willette announced.
“All tubes are on target,” Josh added.
“Unidentified ship, this is the Karuzari Alliance ship Aurora. Stand down and recall all forces immediately, or you will be destroyed.”
“They’re spinning up their jump drive,” Kaylah warned.
“Mister Willette,” Cameron said. “Target their jump field emitters and open fire.”
“Targeting jump field emitters,” the ensign replied. “Firing!”
Streams of red-orange plasma bolts streaked forward on the main view screen, slamming into various points on the enemy vessel.
“Eight of their jump field emitters are disabled,” Kaylah reported. “They’re not jumping anywhere soon.”
Cameron snapped her fingers and made a motion with her right hand, indicating to her tactical officer to cease fire. “Stand down and recall all forces, or you will be destroyed,” Cameron repeated firmly. “I will not ask again.”
“Target is locking defensive weapons on us,” Kaylah reported. “They’re turning toward us as well.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Cameron mumbled.
“I’m detecting a rise in their internal power levels,” Kaylah added.
“They’re opening a door in the bow,” Ensign Willette announced urgently. “I think it’s a torpedo tube!”
“Josh, take her out,” Cameron ordered.
“Aye, aye,” Josh replied, flipping the cover off the firing button and holding it down.
Three waves of four plasma torpedoes leapt from the Aurora’s forward tubes under her bow, slamming into the enemy ship as it turned toward them. The first wave opened up the target’s starboard bow, and the second wave found its way deep inside, setting off numerous secondary explosions that started a chain reaction. The third wave of plasma torpedoes was redundant.
“Target is coming apart,” Kaylah reported. “Their antimatter reactor is losing containment.”
“Jump us to safe distance, Mister Sheehan.”
“Turning to a clear jump line,” Josh announced.
“Jumping!” Loki added as the blue-white jump flash washed over the bridge.
Cameron turned toward Kaylah to her left. “Target status?”
Kaylah stared at her displays for a moment. “Obliterated,” she reported.
“Commander Prechitt report interceptors are retreating and jumping away,” Naralena reported.
“Flight, XO,” Cameron called over her comm-set. “Send the Eagles to the Casbon base to provide backup until we get back.”
“Aye, sir,” the flight controller replied.
“Helm, as soon as all the enemy ships have departed, head for Casbon,” Cameron added. “We have unfinished business on Ahka.”
* * *
Sergeant Shapira and Specialist Hommel stood motionless on either side of the entrance to the First Protector’s dining chambers, ready to protect their leader, should the need arise. Across the foyer, four Ahka, dressed in flowing robes and armed with sidearms and swords, stood watching the sergeant and his cohort.
Sergeant Shapira heard something. A muffled voice; electronic. He noticed the older Ahka guard seemed to be squinting slightly, mostly in his left eye, as if concentrating to hear something.
A comm-set, the sergeant realized. The man was receiving a message of some type, and it was important enough that not only did the man’s face reveal his response, but it also revealed that he was attempting to hide his reaction from the two Ghatazhak.
The elder Ahka guard’s right hand drifted slowly, almost imperceptibly, toward his sidearm.
At that moment, a garbled transmission squawked at in the sergeant’s own comm-set, at a very low volume. It was a man’s voice; but his words where covered with static. The message repeated, and two words were clearly heard. “Red Chief.”
The eldest guard pulled his sidearm, quickly raising it toward the sergeant
and firing, but not quick enough. Sergeant Shapira shifted to his right just enough to avoid the incoming blast as he leapt into action. In the blink of an eye, he charged toward the side wall of the foyer, ran two steps up the wall, and flipped over in the air, his foot coming down across the face of the eldest Ahka guard.
The force of the blow caused the elder Ahka to let go of his sidearm, which the sergeant handily plucked from the air as he landed on his feet in a crouch.
Specialist Hommel was only a half-step behind his sergeant, throwing himself into the two guards on the left as they attempted to draw their weapons. All three tumbled over against the wall behind them, but the specialist was the first to spring back to his feet, striking one guard in the face as he pulled the man’s sword from its sheath at his waist. The specialist spun around with his sword hand outstretched, slicing across the other guard’s throat as he tried to stand.
Sergeant Shapira fired the stolen sidearm at the remaining guard, felling him as well. Finally, he turned and planted another foot into the face of the eldest guard, who was trying to get back on his feet from the initial blow.
“Red Chief!” his comm-set squawked more clearly. “Red Chief!”
“Shapira copies Red Chief,” the sergeant replied, as he pulled another sidearm from one of the fallen guards.
Specialist Hommel dropped his bloody sword, pulling sidearms from both of the soldiers he had put down.
“Ready?” the sergeant asked.
“Let’s do it,” the specialist replied.
Sergeant Shapira pointed his weapon at the door lock, blowing it off. He kicked in the door, and both men charged inside, dropping the two guards on the far side of the room. The sergeant turned to his right, expecting to take out the guards nearest the captain and the lieutenant commander, but Jessica was already standing over their unconscious bodies.
“What the hell’s going on?” Nathan demanded, looking more shocked than anyone in the room.
“We got a Red Chief call, just as the goons outside tried to get the drop on us,” Sergeant Shapira replied. “Everyone, keep your hands on the table where we can see them!” the sergeant yelled at all the Ahka sitting around the table. “I guess you heard the call as well,” he said, looking at Jessica.
“I couldn’t make it out, but then I heard weapons fire in the foyer and put two and two together,” Jessica explained.
“What is the meaning of this?” First Protector Assafa demanded.
That’s when Nathan noticed something wasn’t right. None of them looked surprised. They were trying to look outraged, but none of them were actually surprised. “Maybe I should ask you?” Nathan said to First Protector Assafa.
The doors to the foyer burst open, and a squad of Ghatazhak burst in.
Sergeant Shapira and Specialist Hommel spun around, weapons high, but immediately recognized their comrades in black armor.
“We’re secure,” the sergeant reported to the arriving Ghatazhak.
Lieutenant Sonoda followed his squad into the dining chambers, stepping up to the captain to give his report. “Casbon was attacked. The Aurora was unable to reach any of our people on the ground, so Captain Taylor launched four reapers full of Ghatazhak, and another flight of Eagles to secure you and Lieutenant Commander Nash, before she jumped back to protect Casbon.”
“Who attacked Casbon?” Nathan asked the lieutenant.
“Unknown, sir,” the lieutenant replied. “The ships were of an unidentified type.”
“What is their current status?” Nathan asked.
“Unknown, but the Aurora has just returned. I have a point-to-point secure laser-comm relay setup, so I can patch you through to them, if you’d like.”
“I would,” Nathan agreed.
“One moment,” the lieutenant replied.
“Hands!” the sergeant warned, as one of the protectors at the table tried to move his hand to his lap.
“Captain, I demand an explanation for this unwarranted attack!” Second Protector Hakimi barked.
Nathan looked at the first protector, who still did not look surprised. “Just as soon as I have one, I’ll let you know,” he told the second protector.
“I have Captain Taylor for you, sir,” the lieutenant announced.
Nathan tapped his comm-set, patching it into the lieutenant’s point-to-point link. “XO, Captain. What’s going on, Cam?”
“Casbon was attacked,” Cameron explained. “First by drones controlled by a pair of fighters in orbit, then by twenty fighter-interceptors that jumped in behind the third moon to hide their arrival. There was a carrier ship as well. They refused to surrender and tried to attack us, so we took them out. After that, their drones went rogue and the Casbon’s dealt with them with their Nighthawks. The rest of the fighter-interceptors jumped away. Apparently, they lost interest once their carrier was destroyed.”
“Casbon is secure, then?”
“For now,” Cameron replied. “I left a squadron of Eagles behind to fly cover while the Casbon’s pick up the pieces. Their base took a pounding. Everything okay down there?”
“Affirmative,” Nathan replied, looking at the first protector again. “We’re surrounded by Ghatazhak. I’ll get back to you shortly.”
“Understood.”
Nathan stared at the first protector, then said, “You knew the Casbon were going to be attacked.”
“He did?” Jessica asked, surprised.
“In fact, you probably arranged it,” Nathan continued.
“Captain,” the first protector began to object.
“It should be easy to prove once we interrogate the captain of the carrier ship that we captured,” Nathan stated. “The question is: why?”
“The reason should be obvious,” the first protector stated. “The Casbon’s have aramenium that we could have sold on the open market to buy things we need. You made it impossible for us to obtain it by destroying the bulk of our fleet, so we were forced to make other arrangements.”
“What kind of arrangements?” Nathan inquired, growing angrier by the moment.
“We made others aware of the Casbon’s aramenium; for a price, of course.”
“So, you sold information instead of aramenium,” Nathan surmised.
“Partly,” the first protector replied. “Payment, and a percentage of the profits from the sale of the aramenium.”
“And you made these arrangements when?”
“Long before your arrival, I assure you. In fact, the attack was originally scheduled for a date sometime in the future, long after your people had left Casbon. Your arrival simply presented an ideal opportunity to test your ability to protect your members. If you failed, we got the aramenium. If you successfully defended them, we would know you to be capable of defending those who join you.”
“I see,” Nathan replied, fighting to remain calm.
“We have no desire to be your enemy, captain, but we will do what we must for our people. Surely, you can understand this?”
“Oh, I do,” Nathan assured the first protector. “Now here is something for you to understand. The only reason I am not completely crippling your entire military right now is because I promised the Casbons that I would try to convince you to join our alliance. You see, the Casbons are a peaceful people. So peaceful, in fact, that they would rather become allies with those who have stolen their resources, killed their people, and kidnapped their women—for decades—than kill them, even in self-defense. You see, First Protector, far braver are those who choose to turn the other cheek rather than seek vengeance. If it were me, I’d bomb your ass into submission as penance for your sins against them.”
“Captain…”
Nathan raised his hand, cutting the first protector off. “There is one more thing you need to understand. Should the Ahka refuse membership in the Karuzari Alliance, they will be considered an enemy of
the alliance. That is a relationship you do not want, believe me.” Nathan straightened his dress jacket, preparing to leave. “You will order all forces to stand down while we withdraw from your world,” he continued. “Anyone showing the slightest hint of aggression will be met with immediate and deadly force. Is that understood?”
First Protector Assafa’s eyes remained locked with those of his guest. For what seemed an eternity, he looked for the slightest hint of hesitation or uncertainty. Every man had it, even himself. But the longer he looked at the young captain, the more he began to believe that this man was the exception. This man believed in what he was doing with all his heart and soul, and he meant every word he said.
“I understand,” the first protector finally replied. He leaned toward Second Protector Hakimi, whispering something in the man’s ear. “If you will allow Second Protector Hakimi to communicate with his subordinates, they will be instructed to lay down their arms, and allow you safe departure from our world.”
Nathan’s eyes remained locked with First Protector Assafa’s. “Lieutenant Commander, inform our forces that we are leaving. Furthermore, tell them they are to kill any Ahka who brandish weapons in their presence.”
“Yes, sir,” Jessica acknowledged, nodding at the lieutenant to relay the orders to his men.
Without another word, Nathan broke eye contact with the first protector, turned around, and marched out of the room, shadowed by Jessica and the Ghatazhak.
* * *
Nathan and Jessica stepped off the Reaper as it rolled to a stop inside the Aurora’s main hangar bay.
“Welcome back,” Cameron greeted as she approached. “I guess you were right.”
“Not quite,” Nathan corrected. “I figured the Ahka would pull something, but I didn’t anticipate the use of a surrogate to do their dirty work. I should’ve seen that coming.”
“All our intelligence on the Ahka showed them to be isolationists,” Jessica pointed out, “which makes sense, considering they’re basically pirates.”
“My biggest concern is that now we have another threat to protect the Casbon from,” Nathan said as he headed forward across the massive bay.