by Ryk Brown
Lord Dusahn glared at the lieutenant crossly. “I believe you overestimate their firepower, Lieutenant.”
“Apologies, my lord, but victory itself may not be enough in this instance.” The lieutenant paused a moment, casting sidelong glances to ensure that no one was within earshot. “The people lose faith…”
Lord Dusahn scowled at the young lieutenant.
“Not in you, my lord, but in the superiority of the Dusahn Empire and our way of life. A clear and decisive victory would likely dispel such concerns.”
“A victory achieved by our flagship and our flagship alone,” Lord Dusahn insisted.
“My lord, they have hit us with at least five hundred missiles in less than five minutes.”
“And yet we are still alive and able to fight,” Lord Dusahn pointed out, becoming impatient with the junior officer. “You have your orders, Lieutenant. Now connect me with Captain Ruba.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
* * *
“Diggers One and Two,” the Glendanon’s comms officer called. “Clear for immediate launch. Good luck.”
“Yeah, we’re going to need it,” Captain Hosick replied as he adjusted his flight controls, causing his modified Contra ship to rise from the massive cargo ship’s forward deck. A small movement of his main throttles and the ship slid past the edge of the Glendanon’s retracted cargo deck hull into open space.
“Digger One is away,” his copilot, Lieutenant Erskin, reported to the Glendanon.
“Digger Two is away,” Lieutenant Westwood reported over comms.
“Loading jump to rally point Oscar Five,” the copilot announced as he tapped commands into his console.
“You ready, Busby?” the captain asked over comms.
“No, but let’s get on with it,” the captain of Digger Two replied. “See you on the other side, Angus.”
“We’re clear of the Glendanon, General,” the captain reported over comm-sets. “We’re jumping to the pre-insertion rally point now. How are you guys doing back there?”
“A little cramped,” General Telles replied, “but we’ll survive.”
“This is the second time the Corinari have had to help your people defeat an evil dictator,” the captain joked.
“Be thankful you are not facing the Ghatazhak this time,” General Telles joked back. “Your casualties should be much fewer this time around.”
Captain Hosick laughed at the irony as he initiated the jump. “Right.”
“Flash traffic from Command,” Ensign Cellura reported from Orochi Sixteen’s comm-station. “They’re ordering a full strike on target Bravo Sierra.”
“It’s still intact?” Pip asked in disbelief.
“You didn’t expect their flagship to fall to a few jump missiles, did you?” Captain Roselle replied. “No doubt they had their shields up.”
“There were at least four shield penetrators in that attack,” his XO pointed out from the Orochi’s tactical station.
“They’ve probably been working on how to beef up their shields since Scott took down four of their battleships at once,” Captain Roselle commented. “That’s what I’d have done.”
“If that’s the case, why order another missile attack?” Pip wondered as he entered the targeting data provided in the message from command.
“There must have been some indication that it was warranted,” the captain insisted. “Taylor’s as sharp as they come. She’s got to have a good reason.”
“According to this targeting data, Bravo Sierra is no longer in orbit but is moving away from Takara.”
“How fast?” the captain asked. “Is she making a run for open space?”
“Not based on her last known rate of acceleration,” the commander replied.
“She’s just climbing to higher orbit then; possibly positioning herself for better coverage of the planet…maybe even to get a little maneuvering room,” Captain Roselle decided. “Again, that’s what I’d do.” After a moment, he added, “Better double-up on the penetrators. Maybe even throw in a few nukes.”
“Simultaneous strikes?” Pip asked.
“With the penetrators, yes,” the captain replied. “Put the rest ten seconds behind them.”
“Got it,” his XO replied. “Loading twenty-eight jump missiles, eight of them shield-penetrating and four of them nukes.”
“Let’s hope this works,” Gil stated. “If not, Nathan’s going to have his hands full.”
“Missiles are ready for launch,” his XO reported from the tactical station.
“Let’em rip,” the captain instructed.
“Takaran insertion jump complete,” Loki reported. “We’re one light minute out from Takara.”
“Threats?” Nathan inquired.
“One dreadnought, a few cargo ships of various sizes, and at least fifty octos,” Jessica reported from tactical. “It looks like the octos just launched from the dreadnought but don’t yet have targets.”
“The dreadnought is accelerating,” Kaylah reported. “Looks like she’s climbing to a higher orbit.”
“Multiple jump flashes,” Kaylah reported. “Twenty-eight missiles, headed for the dreadnought. Impact in five seconds.”
“They’re activating point-defenses,” Jessica added.
“Plot an intercept jump,” Nathan instructed. “We need to jump on them while their targeting systems are still affected by the detonations.”
“Already plotted,” Loki assured him.
“Impacts!” Kaylah reported.
“Weapons hot, fire at will,” Nathan ordered. “Execute intercept jump.”
“Weapons hot, fire at will, aye,” Jessica replied.
“Jumping,” Loki announced at the same time.
The jump flash washed over the bridge again, and the massive black and crimson warship appeared at the center of the Aurora’s semi-spherical main view screen.
“She looks undamaged,” Nathan realized.
“Locking all forward tubes on the dreadnought,” Jessica reported. “Firing all tubes.”
Red-orange balls of plasma streaked toward the Dusahn dreadnought in waves, each wave composed of four sets of three. The enemy warship’s shields flashed brilliantly as the balls of plasma slammed into them.
“Eleven missiles made it through their defenses,” Kaylah reported. “Their shields were drained by the impacts but are still fully intact.”
“Find us a weakness we can exploit,” Nathan instructed.
“Working on it,” Kaylah assured him as she studied her sensor displays.
“Incoming fire,” Jessica warned.
A second later, the Aurora shook as the incoming energy weapons impacted their forward shields. Despite the heavy barrage, the Aurora continued charging toward the dreadnought three times her size, all her plasma torpedo tubes firing repeatedly.
“Too close for missiles, adding in the forward batteries,” Jessica reported.
“Range two kilometers and closing fast,” Loki warned.
“Target is turning to port,” Kaylah announced. “Multiple contacts! Twenty-four Gunyoki fighters at one five seven, forty-two down relative. Range four clicks. They’re attacking the dreadnought. Octos are maneuvering to engage them.
“One kilometer!” Loki warned, the concern in his voice rising.
“Starboard turn, get us a clear jump line and take us just past the range of their guns,” Nathan instructed.
“Turning to a clear jump line to starboard,” Josh acknowledged as he started the turn.
“They’ll still be able to hit us with jump missiles,” Jessica warned.
“They can’t follow us if they can’t see us,” Nathan commented.
“Clear jump line,” Josh announced. “Tight, but clear.”
“Jump ready,” Loki added.
“Execute
,” Nathan instructed.
The jump flash washed over the bridge, and the barrage of incoming energy weapons fire ceased.
“Green deck,” Nathan announced.
“Green deck, aye,” Naralena replied.
“Ready all point-defenses,” Nathan added. “They’ll be launching missiles any second.”
“Point-defenses are ready,” Jessica assured him.
“Target any remaining surface-to-orbit defenses and eliminate them,” Nathan added. “The fewer guns shooting at us, the better.”
“I’ve got Aurora targeting all surface defenses now,” Jessica assured him.
“As soon as we take out the last of Answari’s surface defense, turn hard to port and jump out one light minute,” Nathan instructed. “But not until we’ve been on our outbound jump course for a full five seconds.”
Josh turned slightly, looking over his left shoulder at his captain. “A trail of breadcrumbs?”
“A trail of breadcrumbs,” Nathan replied, surprised by his friend’s use of the old Terran phrase.
“Attention all Eagles, green deck,” the Aurora’s flight operations controller called over comms.
Commander Verbeek tapped a button on his flight control stick, activating the pre-programmed quick-launch maneuver.
Ten Super Eagle jump fighters, arranged in a tight diamond formation at the leading edge of the Aurora’s starboard forward flight deck, lifted off in unison. A second later, the translation thrusters on their topside fired briefly, arresting their rise so that they hovered halfway between the deck and the ceiling of the bay, pointing toward the gaping opening in front of them. Then, all ten fighters began to glow blue-white, flashing and disappearing in unison a split second later.
The jump flash washed over the commander’s cockpit, disappearing a half second later. He glanced at the tactical display at the center of his console, noting that all the fighters in his group were still flying in formation around him, and that Lieutenant Commander Cardi’s group had also made it away safely from the port forward deck. “How are you looking, Sammi?”
“All good,” she replied confidently.
“Eagle Leader to all Eagles,” the commander began. “Our job is to create confusion on the surface and to provide distraction for the Ghatazhak. Let’s get to work.”
“Jump complete,” the Glendanon’s helmsman announced somewhat nervously.
“How’s it looking, Justan?” Captain Gullen asked his executive officer, who was at the Glendanon’s newly installed tactical console.
“I’m picking up about a dozen octos, a disabled frigate, and a whole lot of debris…hopefully from what was that cruiser.”
“Keep your eyes open,” Captain Gullen urged. “Poray, keep an escape jump ready that will take us completely out of the system. If anything larger than a gunship shows up, I want to be able to jump away in a moment’s notice. Is that understood?”
“No problem, Captain,” the nervous young helmsman assured him.
Captain Gulled tapped the control console on the small pedestal next to his command chair. “Launch the boxcars.”
The Aurora rocked as incoming energy weapons slammed into her aft shields.
“Dreadnought is closing,” Kaylah warned as the bombardment continued.
“Jesus,” Jessica exclaimed as the ship shook. “Are there any guns they don’t have trained on us!”
“All surface-to-orbit defenses have been destroyed,” the Aurora’s AI reported.
“Aurora,” Jessica barked, “retrain all weapons on the dreadnought.”
“Understood,” Aurora replied.
“Josh, execute your turn,” Nathan instructed.
“Turning hard to port,” Josh acknowledged, initiating the maneuver.
“Dreadnought is turning with us,” Kaylah reported.
“She’s trying to keep her forward tubes on us,” Jessica added as the ship rocked with another round of impacts. “Aft shields are down to forty percent.”
“Ready another spread of shield penetrators,” Nathan instructed. “We’ll launch them blind after we come out of the next jump.”
“They’re not going to work,” Jessica warned.
“Ready a comm-drone to notify command that the dreadnought is taking the bait,” Nathan continued, ignoring his tactical officer’s warnings.
“Turn complete,” Josh reported.
A series of impacts in rapid succession shook the bridge even more violently than before, nearly knocking Nathan from his seat.
“Aft port shields are down to twenty percent!” Jessica warned.
“Execute escape jump,” Nathan instructed.
“Jumping,” Loki replied as the jump flash washed over them.
“Forty degrees to starboard, down twenty,” Nathan continued, enjoying the brief respite from the bombardment. “Make it sloppy.”
“I’ll do my best,” Josh replied, “but I’m not good at sloppy, at least not when it comes to flyin’.”
Nathan glanced at the time display. He had no idea how long it would take the Dusahn dreadnought’s sensor officer to calculate where they had jumped to based on their course and the amount of energy discharged in their jump. He could only assume that the officers serving on the flagship of the empire were the most capable; therefore it would not take them long to catch up. “Load another jump,” he instructed calmly. “Four light minutes.”
“Four light minutes, aye,” Loki replied.
Nathan waited, saying nothing.
“Turn complete,” Josh reported, rolling the ship out of its turn.
“Captain?” Loki asked, expecting an order to execute his jump.
“Too soon, and they might lose us,” Nathan stated calmly.
“Too long, and they’ll realize we’re leading them away from Takara,” Jessica reminded him.
Nathan said nothing, closing his eyes as if trying to concentrate. Finally, he gave the order. “Jump.”
“Jumping,” Loki replied instantly.
Nathan kept his eyes closed as the jump flash washed over them. “Ninety to port, ninety down, ready a five-light-minute jump,” he instructed quickly.
“Ninety to port and down,” Josh acknowledged, pushing the Aurora’s nose down and applying power as he rolled the ship into a tight turn to port.
“Jess, load our current location as the target for the missiles and stand by to launch all four, twenty-second-jump delays.”
“Loading targeting data,” Jessica replied.
“Josh, as soon as we jump, yaw us around one-eighty so that…”
“I get it,” Josh insisted before Nathan could finish his orders.
“Jump loaded,” Loki reported.
“Missiles ready,” Jessica added.
“Turn complete,” Josh announced.
“Jump flash!” Kaylah warned. “They’ve found us!”
“Jump,” Nathan instructed.
Loki’s finger was already on the jump button, and the flash of blue-white light was washing over the bridge before the command had cleared the captain’s lips.
“Spinnin’ us around!” Josh declared as the jump flash subsided.
“Launch the comm-drone,” Nathan ordered, fighting to remain calm.
“Launching comm-drone,” Naralena reported.
“Four nukes next, Jess,” Nathan added. “Snap jump as they leave the rails.”
“Putting four nukes in the launch queue. Snap jump from the rails.”
“Yaw maneuver complete,” Josh reported.
“Launch four.”
“Launching four missiles!” Jessica replied.
Nathan glanced at the view screen as the missiles streaked away.
“Loading four nukes,” Jessica declared.
“Launch when ready,” Nathan instructed. “Josh, be ready to c
ome about and jump back to our previous location as soon as the next four missiles are away.”
“Got it,” Josh assured him.
“Plotting the return jump,” Loki added.
“Based on how long it took them to catch up to us last time, I estimate thirty seconds until they find us here,” Kaylah announced.
“Ten seconds until the first four missiles jump,” Jessica reported. “Nukes are ready! Launching four!”
Nathan glanced at the view screen again as blue-white flashes appeared at the forward edges of the hull, the missiles jumping away as they left the launch rails. “Now, Josh! Hard about!”
“Here we go,” Captain Donlevy said, as he activated the pod hauler’s automated departure sequence.
Translation thrusters on all four engine nacelles on the massive pod hauler fired briefly, pushing the ungainly ship up off the open forward cargo deck of the Glendanon. A second later, the thrusters fired in the opposite direction, arresting their ascent. As the arresting thrust fired, so did two lateral thrusters, causing the cargo ship to slide to port, out of the bay and into open space.
One by one, the other three boxcars followed suit, rising from the Glendanon’s cargo deck and exiting its forward bays. As each ship cleared the Glendanon’s decks, it tipped over on its side, firing all four main engines in order to accelerate away from the ship.
In the turret portion of the converted SilTek G-Four-Five mobile missile launcher, Donan Keefe tightened the restraints on his seat. Although the cockpits of the pod haulers had inertial dampeners, those systems had been removed from the cargo pod in order to accommodate more tanks per pod. “Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten so much for breakfast,” he said as the tank swayed about.
“And you call yourself a Corinari?”
“One that didn’t apply for flight training for a reason,” Donan countered.
“I puked the moment we launched,” Broc admitted over comms. “Stinks like hell in here now.”
“Be thankful you didn’t have the boka sausage,” Donan joked.
“You’re both cladars,” another tank driver chuckled over comms.