After a few moments, the incoming fire seemed to stop. Murphy nodded to Walker before leaning around the corner with his weapon.
Pulling back on the trigger, Murphy unleashed a volley of blaster fire back on the agents’ position. The rest of the Marines followed suit quickly, and soon the corridor was filled with the steady staccato of blaster fire. Walker held his position until Adams' blaster overheated. As soon as the Marine pulled back around the corner to let his weapon cool, his spot was filled by Walker, who opened fire. The scene was repeated on both sides, allowing the Marines to keep the agents pinned behind cover down the hall.
Walker noticed someone peering into the hall. With a flick of his wrist, he turned his weapon on the spot. The blaster rounds tore into the target, obliterating the skull of one of the Secret Service agents down the hall. It was followed by three more agents; the men had moved out from the safety of cover to assist their fallen friend.
The deaths seemed to invigorate the agents as they fired, using what little cover they had. Blaster fire peppered the walls around the Marines, but to their credit, they continued to fire throughout the barrage.
Walker turned his weapon in time to catch an agent changing positions. The agent's momentum propelled him forward and into an open door, revealing a pair of agents who had been firing from inside the room. Talbot turned his weapon on the new threat and eliminated them both with a controlled burst.
One by one, the agents continued to fall as the Marines bathed their position with continuous fire. Then as suddenly as it had begun, the hall grew quiet, allowing the final shot to echo through the corridor.
Carefully and deliberately, Rhodes stepped out into the hall. O'Neil and Russo followed close behind, their weapons aimed down the hall in case an agent survived. The trio moved slowly, watching closely for movement.
"I wonder why they stopped here." Hogan pulled out his blaster's energy source, inspected it for damage, and slid it back in. "I've been on this station dozens of times. There's nothing out this way except the offices of a handful of New Earth senators. Nothing worth losing your life over."
Talbot glanced up from his datapad and nodded. "There doesn't seem to be a tactical reason for the stand. Might mean Landry is using this area as his base of operations."
"Was," Hogan interrupted. "We did a number out here."
Walker agreed with Hogan but kept his mouth shut while trying to work through the encounter on his own. Little of what had happened the last few hours had made any sense. The assassination, the orders to return to the planet, Wellard's request for the team to search for Bremerton, who was being charged with the assassination, and now Landry's appearance on the station. If the VP was here now, it meant he was likely on the station during the assassination. Out of all the happenings of the day, that one fact raised the most questions. Why would the NEC choose now, out of all times, to put the Commander-in-Chief and her second in command on the same station just hours before battle? Walker had his suspicions but kept them to himself.
Rhodes stopped at the first body and dropped to a knee before placing his fingers at the agent's throat. He glanced back at O'Neil and shook his head before moving on to the next. They continued the routine of checking the bodies until they came upon the last. Once there, Rhodes turned and signaled 'all clear' to the rest of the team.
"Walsh and Norton, cover our rear. Everyone else, move out." Walker slid his datapad back in his pocket and moved into the hall. The rest of the unit followed close behind. As they got close, Walker cringed inwardly at the full extent of the damage. He wasn't a stranger to combat, but his previous hostilities had been directed at a well-defined enemy.
But this was something different. These people were supposed to be on their same side. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if some of them had enlisted in the military at one point or another.
He wasn't sure how he could continue to fight like this. Killing the humans allied with the Klyptons aboard the Providence was one thing, but people just doing their jobs was another.
"Sir, you will want to see this." Rhodes stepped out of the room and motioned for Walker to go inside.
"What is it?" Walker asked.
"We found Commander Bremerton."
Chapter Twenty-Five
New Earth Sector
CIC, New Earth Station
Admiral Flannigan watched with disdain as Vice President Landry casually strolled onto the bridge. Who did that man think he was, coming onto the bridge like he owned the place? Even if the rumors of Alvarez's death were true, control of the military should have been hers, meaning his presence on the bridge was unwarranted. By the smug look on Rear Admiral Austin's face, she knew who she could blame.
"Vice President Landry, as you are surely aware, we are on a war footing. I suggest you and your men…"
Landry raised a hand, silencing her. "President." As soon as he said the words, he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a folded slip of paper and handing it to her. He didn't even bother to watch her reaction as he continued onto the bridge and over to Austin's terminal. "Thank you for the warning, Admiral. Your service to the collective has been noted."
Flannigan turned in time to see Austin bending at the waist in some form of ritual bow. She wanted nothing more than to rush his terminal and give him the beating he deserved, but considering her situation, she kept her desires to herself. Best to deal with that one after the fact.
"Admiral Flannigan, you are dismissed from duty. Admiral Austin, you are now in charge of the fleet. Please send the orders to the rest of the ships to stand down. Any ships that fire upon our Mythrar allies will be dealt with accordingly."
Flannigan jumped to intercept Landry but was stopped by the arms of two of his guards standing behind him. "You do not have the authority to dismiss me. Only an executive order signed by both the House and the Senate can remove me from duty." It wasn't the complete truth. The only other way she could've been removed from duty was for her actions to prove her to be incompetent. Considering the lack of action on the battle lines, she hadn't messed up.
Landry smiled and nodded back down to the paper still in Flannigan's hand. "You'll find the necessary signatures in that document. In fact, read it in its entirety. You may be surprised to know how much power I have."
Flannigan studied his eyes for a moment before turning her gaze back down to the document. As Landry returned to his casual stroll of the bridge, she skimmed the paper for his proof. Sure enough, the signatures he required were on the document, but their legitimacy was under question. Someone had, in fact, signed the documents in their names, but how was it done so quickly after the reports of Alvarez's death? Political red tape and bureaucracy took time. In the past, it had taken days, if not weeks, for such an order to be passed down. If the document was authentic, the order had been signed in hours.
This could only mean one of two things. First, that the document was forged. If that was the case, it was her duty to bring him to justice. But seeing as how she was outnumbered, such a move would have to wait.
Second, it was also as likely that dozens of political offices were occupied by either Mythrar loyalists or a splinter cell of agents themselves. With Landry's loyalty being a known quantity, the odds that other heads of state were compromised had to be staggering. Surely the Mythrar's plans hadn't relied on a single point of infiltration.
Except Landry wasn't a single point. She knew of at least two times when the supposed second in command of the NEC government had died in the past few months, including the well-documented accounts of his time aboard the Providence. In fact, she was one of the few people who had seen his body as it was pulled from the ship after it returned to port. Commander Jason Bremerton had ensured the remains survived the journey back to the station to prove his story. But as fate would have it, another Landry was already hard at work back at the presidential office on New Earth.
"You'll find everything is in order." Landry stepped off to her side and held his hand
outstretched for the document. "Now if you don't mind, be a peach and leave my bridge." The emphasis he put on the word 'my' made her want to deck the man. The only thing keeping her from it was her desire for life. That and knowing her best shot at getting back at him was being alive.
She slammed the paper back in his hand and strode towards the door. She stopped and turned to face him before stepping outside. "I'll send you to Hell myself if it's the last thing I do."
Landry turned and smiled. "I admire your courage, but your statement is doubtful. In a few hours, our friends will have control of the station. Once they find out you were nearly responsible for firing on them…" he trailed off, allowing the rest of the sentence to remain unsaid. But his context was clear. Once the Mythrar took the base, she would die.
"See you in Hell," she said. Before he could respond, she strode out the door.
Chapter Twenty-Six
New Earth Sector
Bridge, NECS Reliant
Captain Wellard leaned forward in his chair, awaiting Flannigan's response. Deep down, he believed she would do the right thing and tell this Captain Miller where he could stick his offer, but recent events made him wonder.
The sight of the massive enemy fleet was putting him on edge. Each passing second felt like another blade to the gut as both sides fortified their lines. Glancing around the bridge told him the rest of the crew felt the same.
Part of him, the rational side, wanted to issue the order to flee. Have Ensign Price turn the ship around and make for the nearest gate. Back in Entropa, they had faced a fleet less than a third of this size and barely survived. And that was with the help of the docile Xandar. This time around the outcome of the battle would be on humanity alone.
Wellard's responsible side wanted to stand pat. Wait out the next few minutes to get a firm understanding of their situation. While he didn't believe Flannigan would issue the order, there was a chance someone high in the government would make the call. If rumors of Alvarez's death were true, that meant Vice President Landry was in charge. If that was the case, they had lost the battle before it had even begun. But he figured it was just as likely the speaker of the house or someone further down the chain might act in her stead in the meantime.
"Sir, incoming message from the station," McRee said. "Should I patch it through?"
Wellard nodded. "Time to see where we stand."
Unable to contain himself anymore, Wellard stood and faced the screen, waiting for the broadcast to start.
The screen flickered before settling on an image of New Earth Station's CIC. The screen panned around the room before stopping on the last face Wellard wanted to see.
Vice President Landry.
Wellard bit down on his lip to keep from saying something in front of the crew he might live to regret. Most of the crew knew Wellard's views of the man. Considering their history over the past few months, it was hardly a surprise. Still, for a man who was supposed to be dead, he had a way of surviving.
"Captain David Miller, I am President Nicholas Landry of the New Earth Coalition. On behalf of the people of New Earth, and the rest of the outer colonies, I graciously accept your offer. I have already issued the order to our fleet to stand down. Evacuations of the ships should begin momentarily."
Wellard stared at the screen in disbelief. How could he hand over humanity without a fight?
"I know there are those of you in the fleet who question my decision to stand down. Rest assured, I have thought long and hard about such a move. Like our ancestors before us, we are not in a position to put up a proper fight. If we submit, we live. If we resist, we die." Landry paused for a long moment before continuing. "I know there are some of you thinking about disregarding my order. I must urge you to reconsider. Any rash acts could jeopardize what I have worked hard to accomplish. As such, I echo Captain Miller's threat. Any vessels that refuse to stand down will face not only the Mythrar's wrath, but mine. Landry, out."
The screen went black before being replaced by an image of the growing battle lines. Wellard stared at the screen for a long moment before returning to his seat.
He sat in his chair, contemplating his next move. While he thought it might be smart to escape to fight another day, standing down and giving up wasn't an option. But how could he fight back now? As far as he knew, he was surrounded by captains willing to follow Landry's lead. Each capable of killing his fellow man to make a point.
Wellard's comm beeped with an incoming transmission. He pulled up his console and pressed a button, enabling the call.
"Vince, do you believe this shit?" Admiral Parks said, concerned. The image of the crew behind him was similar to that on the Reliant. Many of the cast and crew were still busy at their stations even though they were in shock.
"Can't say I didn't see it coming," Wellard said. "We should've expected this to happen once we got word of Alvarez."
Parks pursed his lips. "You're probably right. But the question is what we do about it now? If Flannigan lost control of the station, things are about to get worse."
"Things are already bad. Losing the station doesn't change that. Besides, I have someone working on that problem as we speak."
Parks tilted his head, studying Wellard's reaction. "You mean to tell me, he can take control of the station remotely?"
"The station? No. But he should be able to take control of the defensive satellites orbiting the planet. Might not be a lot, but it's better than nothing."
Parks shook his head and laughed. "You never change. This will be like old times."
"Except this isn't the Russian Confederation or the Chinese. This time we're both outnumbered and outgunned." While the statements were true, there were similarities between the situations. In both cases, they had the lesser numbers and had to rely on their wits to survive. Just like now, Wellard had concocted a plan to hack the enemy defensive structures to use them against the Russian fleet. But back then the plan had its flaw.
The flaw came in the form of extensive fail-safes on the defensive structures meant to prevent attempts at hacking the software. But his team was good. While they weren't able to use the structures against the Russian fleet, they were able to keep them from aiding the Russians in battle. That alone allowed the NEC to win.
"True, but anything will help."
"Captain, we're receiving a fleet-wide broadcast from the Appalachian." McRee interrupted.
Onscreen, Wellard noticed Admiral Parks was getting a similar message from his crew. Wellard turned his attention from his console up to the main viewscreen as McRee put the broadcast on the main viewscreen.
"Vice President Landry and Captain David Miller, I am Admiral Pennington, leader of the NEC fleet gathered before you. On behalf of my fleet, and the rest of humanity, I refuse your offer. I refuse to take orders from those willing to sell out their own kind. Battle groups, your orders stand. I'll see you all on the other side. Pennington, out."
Wellard glanced back at his console to notice a grinning Parks.
"You heard the admiral. You stay close to the station, to give your man a fighting chance at breaking the encryption. We'll take the front."
"Take care of yourself, Rick," Wellard said, taking one final look at his old friend.
"You too."
Before Wellard could cut the transmission, the Reliant's bulkheads rumbled as something slammed into the ship's hull. Wellard grabbed his restraints and strapped himself in as a second blast rocked the ship.
Just like old times, indeed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
New Earth Sector
New Earth Station
Rhodes was down on a knee, cutting Bremerton's restraints when Walker entered the room. The man had cuts and scrapes visible on his arms and face, though from what was the question. The marks weren't consistent with abuse or torture, which meant the commander had been on the run.
While he was more than happy to do the favor for Wellard, seeing Jason in this condition made him wonder if he shouldn't have
left him alone. He pushed the thought aside to focus on the mission in front of him. Jason's innocence or guilt would be determined later on, well after the battle for New Earth. Walker's job was to get him to the CIC so he could help Admiral Flannigan direct the battle.
"Well kid, you look like absolute shit. The boys rough you up?" Walker offered a hand, helping Bremerton to his feet.
Bremerton held Walker's hand a moment longer than expected before releasing his grip. He dusted off his shirt before turning his head to scan the room. He stopped after a few seconds, content with his surroundings.
"The agents, are they all…" Bremerton trailed off as if it were difficult for him to spit out the words.
Damn, the kid is rattled. Maybe those cuts were from them.
"Some of them, yes," Walker said. "Most of them retreated deeper into the station." He opted to leave out the fact the agents were moving towards the CIC. Best not to rattle the kid any more than he already was.
"Look, son, I don't know what they did to you in here, but it's over. I'll be damned if I'll let some overpaid civilian punks play judge, jury, and executioner on my watch. If they're going to try you for her murder, it will be in a court, not a closet." The room wasn't exactly a closet, but not far from it. Boxes and crates lined the edges of the room, likely supplies for the nearby senatorial rooms. In the center was a single chair, the seat Bremerton had been in when Walker entered. The rest was open, almost looking as if it had been hastily turned into an interrogation room.
Bremerton blinked, seeming as if he were happy with the explanation before his eyes drifted to the floor. "I appreciate it, Walker. Not sure I would've lived the day with them in charge."
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