"Sergeant Nál, I am honoured."
The Byotai officer bowed down in respect, and the Sergeant nodded politely.
"Thank you, Captain. The honour is mine. I have heard of this ship. We have spoken of the exploits of your battleships before, on Hyperion."
Nate had never heard her mention the forest world before, or even of her knowledge of Byotai warships. It left him wondering what else she and her people got up to on that hostile and deadly planet.
"I have never met one of your race before. Is it true, that you have the strength of many men?"
He looked down at her feet and then up to her chest and the open visor on her helmet. To a human eye she was overly muscular, ill proportioned, and ugly. Some openly called them monsters, or trolls, but this Byotai appeared in awe.
"You have the physique of a god. Please...show me?"
He stepped closer to the Sergeant and extended out his arm.
"What is he doing?" Nate whispered.
Matilda sighed.
"Really? Can't you tell?"
Sergeant Nál chuckled as she deactivated her armour while signalling to her comrades. Each moved around to pull the sealed sections from her body until only below her waist was protected by the armour. Those unfamiliar with a Jötnar might be unsure even if this was a male or female. Only by standing alongside the slightly larger males would it become more obvious. Her chest was slightly larger, and her waist a tiny fraction smaller.
"Let's do this."
Sergeant Nál extended her right arm and grasped the Byotai's. Almost immediately their muscles turned taut, and the Byotai began to grunt. He altered his stance to put more weight down onto her limb.
"Not bad, not bad at all," said the Sergeant.
With a short shudder, the Jötnar forced the reptilian officer's arm back and then flipped him over so that he landed flat on his back. Sergeant Nál leaned in over the fallen officer and extended her hand to help him up. Nate's mouth hung wide open as he watch the Byotai wipe the dust from his uniform and then look back at the Sergeant. His expression seemed neutral, perhaps even a little hostile. Then his mouth opened wide, and he nodded repeatedly while talking. So fast was his voice that it took a full second for the translator to catch up. When they separated, it was obvious that a bond had been made. Commander Higgins said just a few more words and then turned to move away, but stopped and indicated to Lieutenant Commander Holder.
"I must speak with the Captain. I'll leave you to get acquainted. Don't take too long. We enter the Rift in less than five hours."
He then pointed to the pilots.
"And I need all of you ready to launch."
With those brief words, he was gone and took the group of marines with him. Captain Sobiex waited until the mysterious Jötnar was out of sight before looking back to the pilots and nodded furiously once more.
"Come with me. I will introduce you to the rest of your squadron."
They walked across the deck and past a pair of battered looking Byotai fighters. Nate had seen the designs before but had never been this close to one.
"Captain. Are these fighters operational?"
Captain Sobiex shook his head.
"No. These two have been stripped for parts. We are using whatever we have left to keep the ship going."
On they went until reaching a row of parked up fighters. They were all sitting on their hydraulic platforms, and the nearest group bore small markings along their noses.
"What are these?" Billy asked.
A shape emerged from behind the fighter, followed by three more young looking pilots. They were only a year or two older than Nate and his friends, yet their clothing and expressions betrayed the weeks of bloody battle that they'd seen. Their faces were much darker than Captain Sobiex, and the leader of the group's cheeks were coloured with dark brown strikes, almost like the flanks of a Tiger. They were slighter in build to the Byotai and wore tight, corset like body armour that emphasised their chest and neck. Nate spotted Billy staring at the pronounced cleavage of the first officer and shoved his elbow into his side. He groaned but got the point, and lifted his eyes to theirs. All four sported colourless hair that hung down to their shoulders. So pale was the smooth looking strands that they looked like transparent acrylic. Billy leaned close to Nate and whispered, "They have hair?"
Nate shrugged.
"Looks that way."
The tallest of them looked at Nate and his friends, opened her mouth, and hissed slowly before speaking.
"They are the last of the Mantis Fighters from the Royal Retinue of the late Imperator."
To their surprise, the young Byotai spoke without a translator, though her accent was thick and muffled.
"Mantis fighters," Billy whispered again. He then looked to Nate and raised his eyebrows, "And she is hot!"
Nate looked to his friend to shush him. They had seen these craft in simulation. Though similar in shape to the Hawkmoth fighters, the elegant Mantis fighters were equipped primarily with low rate of fire guns and long-range cruise missiles. The designs were longer than the Hawkmoth and with a pair of much bigger engines stacked one on top of the other. In the Star Crusader game, they had proven to be almost impossible to catch with gunfire, and could out accelerate any fighter in the Alliance inventory. While most seemed absorbed in the four female pilots, Nate's attention was firmly on the fighters.
"These are incredible machines. I never imagined I would see one in the flesh."
The Byotai nodded politely and then walked to Nate. For a second, he thought the pilot was going to attack him. He instinctively brought out his hands but kept them hung down low at his flanks, just as he'd been taught. She moved so close that he could smell a cinnamon like aroma about her, presumably some kind of perfume. Once directly in front, she sniffed and then reached out, took his hand, and turned him around so that he was now alongside the fighter. Still holding his arm, she moved to the spacecraft and placed his hand on the cool metallic surface.
"All fighters and ships of the Royal Retinue are coated in a hardened layer of the Nanocrystal paste. It is a great honour to command fighters of such value to the Empire."
Nate shook his head in awe.
"I've seen reports on the material. It is mined and refined at Melantias, in the Tenth Quadrant, isn't it?"
The Byotai lowered her head but said nothing in reply. Nate had heard of the material before, but this was the closest he'd ever been to the stuff. He ran his hand along the surface, surprised to find it had a hard, smooth finish like a layer of glazed pottery. As he moved his head, it distorted and bounced the light in ways that he'd not seen on a fighter before.
"Isn't it incredibly expensive? I heard it was more valuable than precious metals to the Khreenk. You and your fighters must be truly blessed."
The pilot nodded once more.
"Yes, we are truly blessed. The technology and equipment we use is the best the Empire has to offer. Using it, the elite pilots of the Ironclads have a kill ratio of eight to one since the revolt began."
Matilda did the maths in her head and gasped at realising how much damage they must have caused. At the same time, Lieutenant Commander Holder moved closer as she finished speaking with another pair of senior officers. She walked past her own pilots and stopped in front of the Byotai. She extended her hand, and the alien shook it slowly.
"Lieutenant Commander, you are very welcome here. Your Squadron's reputation precedes you."
Nate watched carefully, but it was hard to gauge the emotions or intentions of the Byotai at the best of times. Their expressions could often be impossible to guess. There was something about this four that he found hard to place. They were clearly under a great deal of stress, yet they carried themselves with great dignity.
"I am Flying Officer Valdis Ferreus, and these are the three remaining pilots of the Ironclads."
She then looked to her comrades.
"Svana, Dogg, and Lilija."
Each straightened and saluted as their nam
e was called out.
"We transferred here a week before the battle, new recruits direct from the Military Academy. There were fifteen of us on that transport. But now there are just four of us."
She lowered her head as though ashamed to continue. Sensing the shift in mood, Lieutenant Commander Holder indicated to her own pilots.
"Well, today this will change. I am taking command of the Ironclads, and between us we have ten experienced pilots, all of whom will make a valuable contribution, I am sure."
Her eyes moved to Nate, and for a change she smiled, immediately making Nate a little nervous.
"Ensign Nathaniel Lewis, second-in-command of Knighthawk Squadron, and credited with nine verified kills."
Valdis turned and spoke something quietly to her three friends. One made a cackling sound that Nate was sure was a laugh. She then looked back.
"That is impressive, Ensign. Lilija is our highest scoring pilot, with fifteen kills to her name."
Nate smiled as he listened.
"Nice. I'd hoped for more, but we've only been flying since our escape aboard Relentless."
"That's true," said Lieutenant Commander Holder, "Until then, none of you had even been inside a fighter, had you?"
Flying Officer Valdis' eyes lit up as she heard this.
"Tell me truthfully, is this...fact?"
Nate nodded, now wondering if he'd misread the situation. Instead, the Byotai pilot stepped close and placed her arms around him. He wasn't sure if it was a kind of greeting or an embrace. He lifted his hands to her back, and as he touched her body, she shuddered.
Great, something tells me you shouldn't have done that.
They separated, but Valdis appeared as eager to speak as before.
"We have a few minutes before we check our birds. Now tell me all about how you went from rookie pilots to veterans."
Billy heard the last few words and shook his head.
"Oh, we aren't pilots. We are civilians. We were at the starbase for the Star Crusader simulation contest."
Valdis looked stunned.
"Incredible. Truly...incredible."
Lieutenant Commander Holder stepped between them and gave Nate an expression that suggested he needed to move back for a moment. He did so, though not quite sure why.
"We will have time to discuss this later. In the meantime, we need to finish introductions and then sort out callings and procedures before we enter the Rift. Until we break through, we will have no idea what's on the other side."
Valdis lowered her head once more.
"My apologies. Please continue. It is important we are ready...and I am intrigued to see what fighters you have brought with you."
She looked off into the distance where the line of Lightning fighters waited, but her eyes lingered on Nate for much longer.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Byotai Imperial Battleship 'Furiosa'
Approaching Serpentis System Rift, Deadlands
24 December 2472
It was only a fifteen-minute break, but it was very welcome. So far the group had run simulations from inside the fighters, rehearsed take-off and landing procedures, as well as established a the chain of command and wingmen pairs. So much had been crammed into such a short amount of time, yet for all that, Nate was thoroughly enjoying himself.
Thirty minutes to go and we'll be through.
In his mind, they were heading into a glorious battle, one where Furiosa would play the significant role. He and his friends would be there to witness the great event, and perhaps even do something themselves. He smiled, and as he opened his eyes, the bright lights and pungent aroma of the scents worn by the four female pilots welcomed him. He leaned forward, took a sip of cool water, and then looked across to his comrades. For a second, he might have thought he was back aboard Relentless, but as his eyes focussed, he was clearly somewhere very different. He was inside an alien ship and surrounded by surprisingly grateful people.
He reclined back in the large, overly comfortable chair and looked across to two of the Byotai pilots. The material moved with him, yet did not emit even the softest of sounds. Byotai technology and engineering already carried quite a reputation, and now he could see why. Nothing proved more interesting than his new friends, each of which seemed intrigued by the young human pilots near the one wall.
Weird, very weird.
He shook his head and looked around the room. All nine of them were present, with just the Lieutenant Commander away and speaking with the senior officers. The average age of the group was eighteen or nineteen; yet in their mixture of Byotai flight suits and Alliance Naval issue PDS armour they looked like veteran combat pilots. A smile formed on his face as he realised that the scene was highly reminiscent of the simulated environment used on the Byotai Space Station during the Star Crusader simulation. Back then the pilots' avatars had met in briefing rooms much like this one to plan coordinated missions.
You idiot, he thought suddenly, why do you think you're here, after all?
The space allocated for the pilots was actually a comfortable and spacious lounge area, but what really surprised Nate, was that it was attached to the side of the lower hangar deck. One wall was equipped with a long line of short windows, each granting a view of the massive open space. The Byotai had a unique architectural style, with slab style walls and columns everywhere. He'd read somewhere that they shared much with the old style on Earth, known as the Doric style. Much of this was hidden by the gold embellishments that covered everything. Angled bullheads reduced the width of the ceiling and joined the fall at the bottom of the walls, creating an odd shape that gave strength, as well as dedicated bays for each fighter, protected on three sides by tough metal.
She's a fine ship, a real monster.
Sitting inside such a behemoth left him with a strong feeling of safety, yet in his short time aboard Navy ships he'd learnt one hard truth. There was no single ship in existence that could not be overwhelmed, boarded, or destroyed. At least one of this very class had already been taken, and there was a good chance a second had also been taken.
I wonder who would come out on top in a ship-to-ship fight?
Nate imagined ANS Warlord, with her bodged design and primitive weapons compared to the advancements of the Byotai. For all the improvised changes and decisions made by the Alliance Naval engineers, they'd still managed to construct a ship that had proven herself time after time. He watched Billy and almost laughed as he tried to sound impressive in front of their new allies. Billy looked out of the nearest window and then repeated himself before noticing Nate watching him.
"Hey, Nate. How much longer? I'm itching for some action."
Nate looked to his friend who was clearly trying to big himself up in front of Lilija, the unit’s top-scoring pilot.
"Don't rush it, Billy. When it comes, you'll want it to slow down."
Like all of them, she was fully armoured up as a pilot now, yet her womanly shape was still obvious, even under layers of material and armour. While the Alliance PDS gear was close fitting and only lightly armoured, the Byotai gear looked much more basic. The soft material that covered the skin was augmented with hard plate sections of a thin, translucent colour that betrayed it as Nanocrystal paste. Nate had never heard of it being used for clothing, and could only assume it was due to their status in a Royal unit.
"Really?" Billy asked, his tone obviously sarcastic.
He looked back to Lilija. A familiar voice caught his ear. He turned around and found Valdis moving to the large seat in front of him.
"In my experience, that is exactly what happens. Nathaniel."
The voice was smooth and exotic. She lowered herself carefully before sinking into the soft material. Like the other three, she wore the ivory coloured armour, embellished in yellow and gold. Her hair hung down over her shoulders, and Nate noticed the plates shift and bend as she settled down. To his surprise he still found that he was rather taken by her. She was clearly intelligent, perhaps very intelligent. And t
hough of the Byotai race, the differences between them seemed far less substantial than he might have expected.
Nobody told me the Byotai women were like this.
The images he'd seen over the months of being in the Academy had shown creatures that had very little in common with humans. He recalled seeing them as being large, trollish creatures, with large heads, large bony exoskeletons, and a fearsome attitude. Now he was seeing charm, sophistication, and even beauty in their own particular way.
"Valdis, only my parents called me Nathaniel, and they are both dead. My friends all call me Nate."
He tried to sound assertive and strong, something he'd read that the Byotai respected. But as he said the words, he felt little more than a petulant child. In a matter of weeks he'd be eighteen, and still he felt as he did when he'd been back at school.
"Very well. Does that mean I am your friend?"
Nate nodded.
"Of course, we are all friends, are we not?"
Valdis made a clicking sound and then indicated towards Cassandra. She was sitting quietly on her own, scrolling through pages of data on her Secpad bracelet while humming quietly to herself. Nate watched for a moment, but he was much more interested in what this exotic Byotai had to say. Cassandra had scorned him on so many occasions that he was now starting to enjoy life, without having to try and catch her eye, and always failing.
"I've heard humans say that time speeds up when you're having fun. Is this true?"
Nate looked intently into her yellow eyes as he answered. As he moved his attention from Cassandra, she glanced over to him and shook her head a little. She was only too aware that she had been watched by the pair, but had kept her eyes low to avoid having to engage either of them in conversation. Svana walked alongside her comrade and ran her hand along Valdis' arm. She turned and spoke several quick words in her own tongue. The words were short, but friendly, and then Svana was gone. Nate watched her briefly as she settled in alongside Cassandra, who acknowledged her presence politely.
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