“Who’s firing nukes at us?”
“Running area scan,”Hannah said.
“This thing gonna be able to withstand radiation bursts?” Irons asked Haddron.
“As well as any ship designed for the void.”
“Sir, scanners show another attack heading this way.”
“Gimme a point of origin, Specialist.”
“Wormholes sir.” Hannah spun around to Irons.
“We’re nowhere near Erra,” Syracuse said. “How do the Catters even know we’re out here?”
“My guess is they’re just probing,” Irons said, steering clear of the path the first missile traced.
“Then what are they firing at?” Durham rushed to Hannah and took a look at the console data. He maximized the display and followed the path. “Boss.” He turned to Irons. “They got a line of sight straight for Earth. And we were the only thing in their way.”
“One blast from a weapon of that power is more than enough,” Haddron said. “I would not wager even the Slagschip standing up to another.”
“We don’t have to take the hits,” Irons explained. “We just gotta dish out our own. How many more are there?”
“Three. Maybe four?” Durham complained. “Who fires nukes like a regular gun?”
“Obviously the Ka’traxis Brood,” Jammin’s words were meant as an insult to Durham’s intelligence.
“We can’t take more hits like that,” Lindsay said.
“Can’t let them through, either,” Syracuse told her.
“I’m open to ideas, XO.”
Syracuse shook his head. “I only got the one. Operation Corkscrew.”
“That’s worse than a Boomerang,” Durham said.
“What’s a corkscrew?” Elit was particularly fascinated by the word.
“You’re about to get a first hand account,” Irons spun the wheel and pushed the throttle up to max. “Forward all guns. We fire till the lawn’s clean.”
* * *
The Slipstream Regulator was never meant for vessels beyond a certain size. The Lucky Liberty maxed out the full power of the modification. With the added weight of the Slagschip, the significant speed boost was lost. Though still faster than either vessel could travel without the modification, it created little in the way of any true speed advantage.
The large integrated ship flew straight for one of the incoming missiles, guns firing away, shredding through the projectile and forcing it to explode.
The ship cut to the right but was still caught in the nuclear blast.
* * *
Jammin braced himself against the console. “I hope this corkscrew worked before.”
“Wider swings, Captain?” Syracuse suggested.
“Wider swings, Commander.” Irons spun the wheel to the left, course correcting for the blast.
“More incoming, sir!” Hannah yelled.
“Copy that!”
* * *
The Slagschip fired at another missile crossing its path. This time the explosion went off after the ship had passed it, evading the blast.
The space vessel made a sharp turn, flying right back into the path of more missiles. Every one of its guns, including those absorbed from the Lucky Liberty, fired at the line of destructive projectiles, forcing them to explode. The Slagschip continued weaving back and forth in a pattern that kept it free from the destructive shockwaves that blasted outward with each explosion. It stayed on that track, making its way toward the missiles’ point of origin.
* * *
Everyone on the bridge braced themselves, trying to stay on their feet while Irons put the Slagschip through maneuvers Haddron had not dared attempt. As a vessel of unparalleled offensive might, maneuvers weren’t something those who’d taken control in the past had to concern themselves with. But with Captain James ‘Albatross’ Irons behind the wheel, the Slagschip was certainly being put through its paces. Though even he wasn’t accustomed to the amount of effort it took to keep the heavier vessel on course. Even in a zero G environment.
“I can see the wormhole, Captain,” Hannah said. “Whatever’s firing must be right on the other side of it.”
“Lining up.” Irons steered the ship back in line with the oncoming missiles and throttled down. He hit the reverse thrust one time, slowing the ship just enough to keep it forward well enough away from the other missiles.
Everyone watched as the Slagschip’s barrage flew straight at the incoming Catter missiles, exploding them one by one in a domino effect of nuclear blasts.
Most space explosions are doused quickly in the oxygen-less environment. But the explosive blasts of the atomic missiles were so strong that even the vacuum of space could not douse the radioactive fire before it spread out in all directions. The shockwaves were not domes as they would be in atmosphere. They were whole spheres of kinetic energy, expanding outward till their force lessened to nothing. In the void with no gravity to act on it, their force lasted much longer.
Ordinarily, Hannah would calculate the necessary safe distance but with so many missiles still rocketing from the wormhole, even readouts from the Cyber Eye, when in working order, couldn’t calculate the best speed and distance. At this point Irons had only his instincts to get them through the onslaught.
* * *
The size of the explosions dwarfed the Slagschip as the vessel steered straight through each one, keeping just out of reach of the strongest parts of the blasts. The chain of bursts was like glowing bubbles going off one by one until their energy dissipated enough for the cold of space to douse them.
The last glowing light came from the Ka’traxis Brood wormhole with its swirling purple edge.
The front thrusters shot off, slowing the Slagschip down till it was mere yards from the opening. Its numerous guns continued to fire round after round right into the portal.
* * *
“Irons, you must not fire into the wormhole,” Haddron implored. “You could be firing on Erra and Shugaar itself.”
“I guarantee whatever I’m hitting, it ain’t a planet or a city. Those missiles were the same size as the ones our subs use. Whatever fired those didn’t do it from a planet.”
Haddron looked on as the Slagschip continued to rain fire through the wormhole. Whatever was on the other side was not retaliating. Whether that was because the missiles couldn’t get past the storm of bullets or because that same storm had obliterated the unseen attacker on the other side was still in question. Either way yielded the same result. There were no more missiles. Even better, the wormhole was shrinking.
The purple light dimmed until it finally blinked out of existence.
Haddron input one more command in the Captain’s armrest and the guns finally powered down. “You have saved your planet,” he said. “Now we move on to Erra.”
“Xuyen,” Irons said. “ I want a scan for the rest of the area. Let’s make sure we got’em all.”
“Sir, the Lucky Liberty’s scanners don’t go that far but—”
“You’re on the Slagschip,” Jammin said as he turned to Hannah. “Just like the battle armor your Captain wears, your ship’s capabilities are multiplied.”
Hannah narrowed her eyes at the large Nordic. As far as she knew, technology didn’t work that way. Additions and improvements could be made. But a simple merging of technologies from different planets wasn’t going to improve the Lucky Liberty. This wasn’t a case of putting Wartech ship parts onto a Catter LAV. But then again, the bridge of the Lucky Liberty and Slagschip was far different now than when they were separated. She ran commands into her console and found the Earth vessel’s damage was healed. Her hull was better than just patched up and she didn’t need any technical reports to know that the engine was as good as new.
“Activating long range scanners,” she said with a hint of doubt. She watched the console display as a blue ring grew out from the center. The ring continued moving well past the point she expected it to stop. Impressed by the improved scanning range, she turned to report
to Irons. “Sir. Scanners show nothing for miles in all directions.”
“That’s good news, right?” Durham’s eyes just happened to lock with Elit’s.
The wiry Nordic scoffed and looked away.
“So what now?” Syracuse asked.
Haddron connected his teleporter to the Captain’s seat. “Now we make our way to Erra.”
“Hold it.” Irons grabbed Haddron’s wrist. “We need to recon before we go in guns blazing.”
“My world has no time for reconnaissance. We go now and we destroy any Ka’traxis Brood vessels in our path.”
“I hate to be the one to break this to ya,” Irons started. “But whatever that thing was above your planet, it’s about the size of a moon. And you and I both know that as powerful as this boat is, it ain’t that big. And we sure don’t know what else the Catters got up their sleeves. You wanna save your world? Great. Me, too. Erra ain’t been nothing but good to Earth. Except for a few bad apples.” Irons made it a point to let all the Nordics but Sitasha know he was referring to them. “Nordics are alright in my book. But if we go in there without knowing what we’re up against, we’re gonna do more damage than you want.”
“The Catters probably have all of Erra surrounded,” Lindsay said. She entered commands on her console. “Just like they did Jupiter.” A display screen popped up, revealing Erra with a simulation of Enemy ships surrounding it. “I recommend we teleport in right there.” She highlighted a specific area far enough away from the planet to not be detected. “We’ll have to figure out the next step until then.”
“That’s as good as we’re gonna get it, then.” Irons glanced at Haddron. His expression was both a question and a command. Haddron had worked alongside humans long enough to tell which was which. But Irons was giving him the chance to work with them. The Nordic knew Erra better than the humans did. It was the best shot they had but deferring to experience was a tactical plan not to be ignored.
“If it is truly as good as we get then I agree.” Haddron took no more time to comply. He pressed the lens and as soon as the teleporter flashed, the light was gone and the Slagschip was suddenly bathed in the glow of Taygetta.
They were far enough away to not be seen while still able to see the movement of Catter ships around Erra. They were like specks, barely moving from that distance. But one object, far larger than the Catter ships, caught all of their attention.
It was the size of a moon and was far closer to Erra than any moon should be. A few ships flew in sentry formations around it.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” Naura muttered.
“Things like this ain’t ever supposed to happen,” Irons said. “But seeing as how this did, here we are.”
“Are you satisfied with your recon?” Haddron asked.
“We’re one ship against all of that?” Durham said breathlessly.
“We’ve faced odds like this before,” Syracuse told him.
“Due respect Commander, but the Flagship wasn’t the size of a moon. And the Captain’s laser blast isn’t an option anymore.”
“We have the Slagschip. That’s enough,” Jammin said.
“What more do you want, Captain Irons?” Haddron unhooked the teleporter from the strips and clipped it to his own belt.
“We gotta get closer.”
“No way we’re doing that in something this size,” Durham said.
“Then we’ll have to do it in something smaller.”
“Great. Not this again.”
A knife suddenly shot by Durham, burying itself in the wall behind him.
“You’re weak complaining sickens me,” Elit said as he drew another blade. “This whole truce sickens me.”
“Elit, what are you doing?” Haddron demanded.
“What you clearly lack the courage to do.” Elit backed up toward the bridge door.
Lou stepped toward the lithe Nordic but Elit swiftly pointed the knife at him. Even though Lou was far larger than Elit, he still yielded to the blade.
“Just take it easy,” Syracuse said. “No need for—”
“You thought you could just come on board our ship and give orders to us?”
“Elit, this is temporary.” Jammin took one small step forward but Elit turned the blade toward him, halting the larger Nordic’s advance.
“I would expect this of Jammin,” Haddron said. “But if you want the sword—”
“You gave the sword to the humans, Haddron. Now I go my own way. And I’m taking Kar’libon’s craft.”
The door to the bridge opened and Elit stepped through.
Lindsay swung her rifle to bear at Elit. “I have a shot sir.”
“No,” Haddron said.
The interruption gave the bridge door enough time to close and Elit the chance to get away.
“If he takes that ship, we got no choice but to go in blasting,” Syracuse said.
“Then we make sure he doesn’t take it.” Irons shot a look directly at Haddron. “Xuyen, I wanna know everything about that moon by the time we get back.”
Haddron and the Iron Albatross made their way toward the door.
“What if you don’t make it back?” Jammin asked.
Haddron turned around. “If you could not wrest leadership from me, Jammin, how well do you think Elit will fair?”
Both men walked through the door, leaving the others on the bridge alone and without clear leadership.
Jammin turned to watch the Catter ships surrounding his home planet. “You don’t have to worry about me stabbing you in the back.”
Eight
Betrayal
The throughway outside of the bridge was not as Irons remembered it. The walls were farther apart and the ceiling was higher. The lights that ran along either edge of the floor had changed color from a calming yellow to a neon green.
Electrical conduits that used to run along the left wall were now embedded in that very wall
“This don’t look like my boat,” Irons whispered.
“The integration process of the Slagschip changes the host ship, morphing and shifting the components to best fit into the dock. If I had to guess, your Earth ship must have been heavily modified during the process,” Haddron explained.
“Modified?”
“Broken down and repaired.” Haddron faced Irons. “Have some joy, Captain. When we end this and part ways, friend or foe, your ship will be as good as new.”
Irons grumbled. He had his doubts and he didn’t like his ship being changed in such a way. The benefits may have outweighed the negatives but for the time being, the Slagschip took something he loved and knew very well and changed it into something nearly unrecognizable.
“Let’s just hope this thing didn’t change the floor plan.”
“If Elit takes hold of the scout ship, I fear he will take it straight for Erra, thus giving away our secrecy.”
“He don’t know this ship like I do.”
“Like you did.”
Irons shot Haddron an irritated look. “Like I said, hopefully this thing didn’t change the floor plan. What’s he need a scout ship for if he can teleport anywhere?”
“Limited range. We are not close enough to Erra for direct transport.”
“Limited range?” Irons asked. “Coulda fooled me.”
The two enemies turned allies approached a corner when Irons held up his hand at the sound of metal on metal clanking together. They both hugged the wall.
“You hear that?” Irons asked. He peered around the corner to see Elit working his blade between two sealed doors, prying them open.
Irons stepped out into the connecting hallway. “Where you plan on going?”
His question was met with a knife sailing right for his head.
Haddron watched Irons dodge the sharp blade as it passed by, burying itself in the wall. He stepped out just in time to see the doors close. “What is in there?”
“Just a utility corridor.”
“What damage might he cause?”
&nb
sp; “Nothing, I don’t think. It’s just a short cut to the…Dammit. That’s a short cut to the catwalk above the loading bay. How’d he even know about that?”
“An auspicious guess.” Haddron rushed to the door and tried to pull it open with his bare hands. “Elit is cunning in his methods of survival. And ruthless in battle. I had always questioned his loyalty but up until now—”
“Why bring on someone you don’t trust?” Irons gripped one edge of the door and pulled. “Why aren’t these doors opening?” He muttered.
“Perhaps the integration process is not yet complete. It would not surprise me if certain functions were rendered inert.”
The doors finally parted wide enough for both of them to get a firm grasp and pull them open all the way.
“I thought this thing made the host better.”
“All functions of the Slagschip can be operated through the bridge. Once integration is complete, there is no need to venture through the other sections. It is possible that parts of your ship have been deemed unnecessary and so made inaccessible by traditional means.”
“You coulda said that earlier.”
Irons looked all over the utility corridor. It looked unchanged as far as he could tell. Everything was its normal size and in its correct place. He pointed at the ladder on the other side. Suddenly the whole space lit up in a flash of white. Haddron spun around only to be met by the glint of Elit’s knife.
* * *
Razor sharp talons glistened with streaks of crimson. The same crimson liquid ran from the tip of the claws to bristling fur, matting it with blood.
Of the six members of the Nordic Grand Council, two were left. Both men were shaking on their knees as King Tar’libon tossed another one of their own away, off to the darkened area of the chamber to join the other deceased guards and council members.
The Ka’traxis Brood King sneered at the blood on his hands as if he took no pleasure in being the reason for such an atrocity. “I am having a difficult time understanding what you hope to accomplish by lying to me.”
ROYAL LINE (War In The Void Book 3) Page 5