by Ryk Brown
“Eagles One and Six, moving to secondary kill slot,” Commander Verbeek reported.
“Eagle Leader, Eagle One One. We’ll back you up from the east,” Lieutenant Shan reported as he initiated a turn to port. “Pal, we’ll jump a four-click box…north, east, south, then west. That should put us in cleanup position right on time.”
“Sounds good, Deshi!” the ensign replied over comms.
The lieutenant rolled out of his turn on a northerly heading and pressed his jump button, transitioning ahead four kilometers in the blink of an eye. He checked his tactical display, ensuring that his wingman was still with him, then turned east, as planned.
Commander Verbeek finished his turn, then pressed his jump button. “Eagle One, in the secondary slot,” he announced. “You still with me, Nikki?”
“Still with you, boss,” the ensign replied.
“Lock your missiles on all four targets,” the commander instructed.
“I’ve only got two missiles left,” the ensign warned.
“That’s alright,” the commander assured her. “Between the two of us, we’ve got four, and we’re just the backup team.”
“Get everyone to cover, just in case,” Commander Prechitt ordered over comms as he made the final adjustment to his course.
“We’ll do our best, but they’ve still got a few boots on the ground,” Lieutenant Sandau replied.
“Do what you can, Lieutenant.” The commander checked his tactical display one last time. All four Ahka raiders were still headed toward the base, holding their course, speed, and altitude.
“Why aren’t they just jumping ahead and dropping?” Talisha wondered.
“Trust me, they will,” the commander replied. “That’s the thing about jump battles…they’re both unpredictable and predictable, all at the same time. It’s about having a plan for every possible move your opponent might make. They’re going to jump ahead the moment we launch missiles.”
“Then why launch at all?” Talisha asked.
“So that they will jump,” the commander replied. “Jumping in five. You’re on a three-second delay.”
“Got it!”
Commander Prechitt pressed his jump button, transitioning into the primary kill slot directly in front of the onrushing Ahka raiders, less than a kilometer away and headed directly for them.
“Four targets, dead ahead, one kilometer and closing fast,” Max reported.
“Reacquire,” Commander Prechitt instructed.
“Collision alert,” Max added. “Targets reacquired.”
“Missiles away,” the commander announced as he pressed the missile-launch button on his flight control stick. He immediately pitched up, clearing a firing path for Talisha, who would be jumping in behind him.
“Reacquiring targets,” Leta announced as Talisha’s Nighthawk came out of its jump. “Collision alert. Five seconds. Targets reacquired.”
“Launching!” Talisha exclaimed as she pressed the missile-launch button on her flight control stick.
“Missiles away,” Leta confirmed. “Targets are altering course…they are veering outward for clear jump paths.”
“He was right,” Talisha realized. She, too, adjusted her course, sliding over just enough to block the path of one of the onrushing raiders.
“Talisha, you are maintaining a collision course with target three…”
“I know!”
“Three targets have jumped,” Leta reported. “Recommend evasive action. Five seconds to impact.”
Talisha watched her tactical display as the onrushing raider attempted to maneuver to a clear jump line, but she matched the target’s move again.
“Collision alert, collision alert,” Leta repeated.
There was a brilliant explosion directly ahead of them, and Talisha immediately rolled onto their port side and pulled back hard on her flight control stick.
“Missile impact,” Leta reported. “Target destroyed.”
“YES!” Leta exclaimed, rolling level again.
“A daring strategy,” Leta congratulated. “And quite risky, I might add.”
“Not exactly an air show, is it.”
“One down!” Commander Prechitt reported over comms.
Three targets suddenly appeared on Commander Verbeek’s tactical display, and his collision avoidance alert began squawking like crazy. Undaunted, he quickly checked that his missile targeting system was linked with Nikki’s, then assigned all three raiders as targets for the four missiles remaining between the two of them. A split second later, the targeting system showed that all four missiles were locked on their targets, and the commander pressed his missile launch button. “Launching two!”
“Launching two!” Nikki replied from behind and to the commander’s right.
With only seconds before they would collide with the incoming raiders, the commander angled slightly left and pressed his jump button, jumping between two of the targets, clearing them by less than three meters to each side.
One of the three raiders disappeared in a blue-white flash as the other two exploded.
“Two down!” Nikki reported over comms. “One jumped ahead!”
Lieutenant Shan looked at his tactical display as the last raider appeared. “Targeting the last raider!” he reported. But he was too late.
Another icon appeared; a smaller one, coming from the raider itself. A second later, the raider disappeared in a blue-white flash.
“Shit! He’s launched!” the lieutenant exclaimed. “Fuck! The weapon is already past me! Can you get it, Pali?”
Leta instinctively brought her Nighthawk into a tight, right turn, coming around to pursue the targets that had gotten away.
“Shit! He’s launched!” the lieutenant exclaimed. “Fuck! The weapon is already past me! Can you get it, Pali?”
“Negative!” Ensign Garson replied over comms. “It’s already behind me!”
“I’m coming around to port!” Lieutenant Shan reported.
“You’ll never make the turn fast enough!” Talisha warned. “I’ve got this!” she added, pushing her ship into a steep dive. “Leta! Growler guns!”
“The target is out of the weapons range,” Leta responded.
“Not for long,” Talisha replied, pressing her jump button.
The Nighthawk fighter jumped ahead, transitioning to a position just above the nuclear bomb as it tumbled through the air toward the base.
“Growler guns are ready,” Leta reported. “Target is in range.”
Talisha pressed and held the gun trigger on her flight control stick. Her ship rumbled as the weapon sent a hundred slugs per second along its multiple mag rails. A wave of glowing slugs spread out before her, streaking toward the tumbling weapon, its field of fire widening with every meter of travel. Seconds before the weapon reached its detonation point, the slugs found it, tearing it to shreds, and destroying it in uneventful fashion.
“YES!” Talisha exclaimed. “Weapon destroyed!”
“Good job!” Commander Prechitt congratulated over comms.
“Anyone get a bead on that last raider’s escape jump?” Commander Verbeek inquired.
“I’ve got him,” Commander Prechitt replied as he plotted an intercept course. “Transmitting estimated position now,” he added. “Talisha? Are you receiving the coordinates?”
“Affirmative,” she replied.
“Then meet us there,” he instructed. “We have some carriers to kill.”
“Jumping,” Commander Prechitt reported just before his Nighthawk disappeared in a blue-white flash.
“Jump plotted and ready,” Leta announced.
“Jumping,” Talisha said as she pressed the jump button on her flight control stick. A moment later, she again found herself on the tail of Commander Prechitt’s Nighthawk as he opened fire on the Ahka carrier ship, directly in front of him, with his own Growler guns. As he dove, he translated upward, constantly pitching downward to keep his guns on the target as he passed over the top of it, continuing to
fire until he had no choice but to stop, for fear of hitting his own wingman.
Talisha opened fire, as well, targeting the same shield section as the commander, holding her trigger down as she executed the same translation and pitch maneuver. As she passed over the top of the carrier, it jumped away in a blinding blue-white flash. “Damn it!”
“Don’t worry,” Commander Prechitt told her. “We’ll track them all the way back to Ahka if we have to.”
“His shields were down to ten percent!” she exclaimed. “I almost had him!”
“There’s another one out there somewhere,” Commander Verbeek said, after jumping into the area to join them.
“We’re going to have to take the fight to them,” Commander Prechitt realized. “They’re not raiders anymore. Not if they’re willing to drop nukes. It’s time we went on the offensive, Commander.”
“Agreed,” Commander Verbeek replied, “but we’re going to need bombers to do so. Bombers with shield busters.”
“Talisha, how fast can these Nighthawks get us to the Rogen system?”
“That depends,” Talisha replied. “Where’s the Rogen system?”
“Commander, we can send a comm-drone,” Commander Verbeek reminded him.
“No time,” Commander Prechitt insisted. “It hasn’t returned from our last comm-relay yet. Talisha, transmit to all Nighthawk AIs and give authorization for Commander Verbeek to take control of them.”
“I’m on it,” Talisha assured him.
“Verbee, take command. Any of our pilots without a Super Eagle to fly get put into Nighthawks. Get them up immediately so they have time to get used to it. Maintain a high state of readiness, and start planning an attack on Ahka using Eagles, Nighthawks, and Reapers.”
“How long do I have?” Commander Verbeek asked.
Commander Prechitt pulled up the star charts on his Nighthawk’s navigation display. “Max, how long to get to……star designation one five seven two alpha five?”
“Approximately eighteen hours, Commander,” Max replied. “However, I show no record of any civilizations at that location.”
“Trust me, there is,” the commander insisted. “Plot a course and prepare to get us underway.”
“You might want to let me take lead on this run,” Talisha suggested. “You may have the combat experience, but I’ve got the actual flight time in these ships.”
“Lead the way, Miss Sane,” Commander Prechitt insisted.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Captain,” the guard called from the hatchway to the captain’s ready room, “someone would like to speak with you.”
Nathan looked up from his view screen, spotting Naralena at the entrance. “Naralena,” he said, standing up. “Please, come in.”
Naralena stepped inside, the guard closing the hatch on his way out.
“How are you doing?” Nathan asked, coming around his desk.
“I’m good,” she assured him.
“Please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk as he took a seat on the edge. “You’re sure you’re alright? You’ve been through a lot.”
“Please,” she said dismissively, “I went through a lot worse last time. Besides, medical cleared me.”
“Of course,” Nathan replied. “What can I do for you?”
“First, I wanted to thank you for rescuing me…for the second time, I might add.”
“To be fair, I wasn’t rescuing you,” Nathan admitted. “I didn’t even know you were with them.”
“You didn’t realize you were rescuing me the first time either, when you took us off of Haven. Regardless, I’m grateful.” She looked down, smiling. “At times, it seems nothing short of a miracle…you, coming back from the dead and rescuing me without even meaning to.”
“It’s not a miracle, Naralena. It’s just a series of unrelated events that happen to put me in a position to rescue you.”
“Some simply see miracles as incredibly long odds. Others see miracles as an event that defies all understanding and has no explanation based on logic or science. Miracles are in the eyes of the observer.”
“Perhaps, but at least in my case, there is an explanation.”
“Yes, Jessica gave me all the details, every step of which defies all odds.”
“So, I am Na-Tan, then,” Nathan surmised.
“In the eyes of some, yes,” she explained. “In Volonese, Na-Tan means the one. In Takaran, it means savior. In Angla, it means the same as Nathan, gift from God. But in Chezikan, it actually means miracle. It’s all a matter of your point of view.”
“So, what do you believe?” Nathan finally asked.
“I believe you to be a brave and honest young man who is a natural-born leader, and is unable to turn his back on the injustices that litter human civilization. I believe that you manage to do miraculous things, often in the defiance of all odds, but I do not believe that you are an immortal savior sent by God.”
“After all, I did die,” Nathan pointed out.
“Yes, you did,” she agreed, “and then you returned, but not because of a direct act of God, but rather the actions of your friends.”
“Some will argue they were doing the work of God,” Nathan replied. “Not me, of course.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Naralena said. “Again, it’s all about individual perspective.”
“That’s not why you came to see me though, is it?”
“No, it’s not,” Naralena admitted. “I heard about Ensign deBanco. I thought maybe I could help.”
“We have other communications officers,” Nathan told her.
“Ensign Laurel is also qualified as a communications systems maintenance specialist, and Ensign Jenib has a degree in fluid dynamics and is currently helping to repair some of the damaged transfer airlock doors on the port side.”
Nathan looked surprised.
“I checked,” Naralena admitted. “The point is, you’re shorthanded, and they have skills that can be utilized elsewhere.”
“You don’t have to do this, Naralena,” Nathan told her.
“I know, but I want to do it.”
“You’ll be in harm’s way again.”
“As long as there are people who believe they can force their will upon others, we are all in harm’s way,” she insisted. “It’s only a matter of degrees. I cannot stand by and watch my friends risk their lives for me, and everyone else, and do nothing to help. I couldn’t then, and I cannot now. I need to be a part of the solution, and this is the best way. Communication is my specialty. It’s what I was genetically skewed to do.”
“I’m pretty sure this isn’t what your parents had in mind when they made that decision,” Nathan insisted as he rose and headed back around his desk. “Head down to the quartermaster’s office on deck E,” he told her as he took his seat again. “I doubt there is anyone there at the moment, but you should be able to find a few uniforms that fit. I’ll have Cameron find you a bunk.” Nathan smiled. “Welcome back, Miss Avakian.”
“Thank you, sir,” she replied, also smiling as she rose and headed for the exit.
“Naralena,” Abby exclaimed, greeting her at the hatchway. “I heard you were aboard. It’s good to see you again.”
“You as well, Abby. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get to work.”
“Of course,” Abby replied. She turned to Nathan as Naralena left. “She’s back?”
“It appears so,” Nathan replied. “I didn’t know you were coming aboard, Abby. What’s up?”
“I wanted to tell you in person. I’ve completed my designs for the long-range jump emitters, and I’m ready to begin testing.”
“That is good news, but you could’ve just called.”
“I’m meeting with Commander Kamenetskiy. He asked for my help stabilizing the containment fields on reactor three.”
“Vlad asked you for help?”
“I was equally surprised,” Abby admitted.
“Worried would be a more accurate term.”
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br /> “There are two problems with my designs, however, both of which can be solved in time.”
“What kind of problems?” Nathan wondered.
“The design needs quite a bit of aramenium to produce the emitters. They also require a lot more power, necessitating a complete overhaul of your current emitter power distribution network.”
“I’m not sure if the aramenium will be a problem or not,” Nathan admitted. “I’ll have to speak with the leaders of Casbon. As for the emitter power distribution network, it’s half destroyed at the moment.”
“But changing the remainder of it means the Aurora will be without jump capabilities for twice as long,” Abby pointed out.
“If we can get to Takara in a single jump, it will be worth it,” Nathan insisted. “Besides, the Weatherly should be returning in a few hours, and we’re working on turning the Orochis into armed missile frigates.”
“But the power requirements may be more than two reactors can handle,” she warned, “even if both are running at one hundred percent.”
“Let me worry about that, Abby,” Nathan insisted. “I already have an idea on how to solve that problem.”
* * *
“Three more jumps to the rally point,” Charnelle announced from Striker Three’s right seat.
“I still can’t get used to you sitting right seat with me,” Aiden said.
“That’s the tenth time you’ve said that, today,” Charnelle told him. “Get used to it, already.”
“I’m trying.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “Kenji will be well in a few days, and you’ll be rid of me.”
“Don’t misunderstand,” Aiden corrected, “I like having you in my right seat. If nothing else, you’re far better looking than Kenji.”
“You’re such a flatterer.”
“And you don’t whine as much.” Aiden checked his flight displays as the next jump cycled. “Sorry about Wabash,” he added. “I know you two went way back.”
“All the way to secondary ed.”
“It’s amazing that you managed to survive.”