Elit steered the ship toward Irons, attempting to collide into him but Irons flew upward, avoiding the crash. It wasn’t taking him very long to understand how the suit worked or the mechanics of space flight outside of a ship. He looked down as Elit passed under him. Elit looked up as Irons flew overhead. The Captain pointed at the traitor and was surprised when a small panel popped up from the gauntlet of the suit. Inside, the end of a barrel glowed. Elit steered away just as the armament fired off a yellow beam.
“That armor has offensive capability—“
“Just found it,” Irons told Haddron through the comm system.
“We need that ship, intact, Captain,” Syracuse came in over the system. “I hate to say it but this is gonna have to be a no firing situation.”
“That don’t make things easy.”
“You want easy, go join the army.” It was easy for the Commander to say. He wasn’t the one in the alien suit flying in the void without a ship.
Irons ignored the comment and considered his options. They could fly all day till they both got blasted by the Catter battle cruisers around Erra. He didn’t know what kind of scanning systems they had. As far as he was concerned, it was possible the Catters already had a swarm of LAVs making their way toward them. He was curious about the full range of the battle armor but not so much that he wanted to test it through an armada.
He could also blast a hole in the ship. That would stop Elit but damage the very thing he’d stolen.
Suddenly the ship switched gears and slowed down, letting Irons rocket ahead. The Captain watched as the glow of the thrusters grew brighter. The small ship shot upward on a trajectory right after him.
“Dirty thieving…Hate being hunted,” Irons said as he dipped downward.
Elit managed to stay on his trail as Irons swerved side to side, up and down. The Captain even tried slowing down but the Nordic was better at flying than he would have given him credit for. Turning the tide was going to be hard without being able to fire. Even harder with him now being the pursued.
A blaster shot suddenly streaked underneath him. It was close enough that he felt the heat off it even with the armor. Irons rolled and watched as more shots fired after him. The HUD called out the shots as best it could but Elit had the ship on full auto. Irons could only dodge but knew that if he felt the heat of those things, then it was only going to take one shot to put him down.
“I can’t shake him,” Irons said into the comm system. “You sure I can’t fire at him?”
“One shot from the suit into that ship and your reconnaissance plan goes to waste,” Haddron warned.
Irons rolled to avoid another blast. “Yeah, well one shot from that ship into me is gonna make that a moot point anyway.”
“Can you get into the ship, sir?” Lindsay’s voice broke in.
“If I could get to it, I might be able to open the cockpit.”
“Not like that, sir.”
Irons dodged another shot while considering her words. It suddenly struck him. “Shoulda led with that.”
Irons dropped one of his hands to his hip. The teleport lens morphed through the armor, keeping the suit airtight. He pressed the lens and disappeared in a flash.
Elit tilted the flight stick, rolling away from his flight path. He’d had more experience with the teleports. It wasn’t difficult for him to figure out Irons’s plan.
The Captain reappeared behind the ship. “Blast! Any other ideas? That one is useless.”
Irons retook his path as hunter and continued the chase.
“Can you get him to come back this way?” Syracuse asked.
“Doubtful. He’s got a mind to make it to Erra. I don’t see him turning around even if it is to chase me.”
“We are running out of time, Captain,” Haddron said. It was the first time he’d sounded worried since the Catters revealed themselves invading Erra.
Both Elit and Irons entered a small field of meteors. The Captain had to admit he was impressed at the Nordic’s navigational skills. Elit flew through the field with ease, dodging the space rocks while maintaining speed. Irons barely escaped being crushed between two of the meteors on a collision course toward one another.
Elit blasted a larger rock, creating a tighter debris field for Irons to navigate. The Captain twisted and turned to avoid being hit by the smaller asteroid chunks. One of them scraped against his shin, setting off warning lights on the HUD.
“This thing ain’t meant for this kinda fight. Someone get me a strategy I ain’t thought of yet cuz this guy is getting away.”
“Hey, Boss!”
“Out with it Durham!”
“Can’t you just take out his thrusters?”
Irons chuckled. “One of these days you’re gonna quit playin’ dumb, aintcha kid?”
“So it’s a good idea?”
“Hannah, can you repair that thing if I shoot the thrusters?” Irons changed course, flying up over the meteor field.
“Affirmative, sir,” Hannah said with no doubt in her voice.
“Good soldier. Lining up my shot.”
Irons thought about going faster and the suit complied. As he caught up to Elit, he noticed Erra getting larger in his view. “Magnify.”
The HUD view switched to an enlarged image of the Nordic planet. Irons snarled at the sight of Catter tanks and fortresses surrounding it. He could see the smaller movements of LAVs as they flew formations but even magnified they were still too small to make out their details. Not that it mattered because of all of the space vessels surrounding Erra, only one truly had his attention.
What he thought was a moon on the display feed of the attack was actually a small planetoid, locked in a stationary spot above Erra. And from what Irons could tell it was more than just artificial. Whatever it actually was, he was woefully unprepared for it or the armada around it. That fight was going to take far more than a lone soldier in a weaponized space suit.
He pushed the suit even harder, finally gaining on Elit. Whatever was happening on Erra, he couldn’t let one Nordic be the reason the problem spread to Earth. He raised his arm, aiming at the top rear of the tail section. A targeting reticle appeared on the HUD and the same gun from the gauntlet rose from his arm. The scout vessel sped up just enough to fly out of target lock but Irons followed, moving his arm up just enough to line the crosshairs back over the ship.
The reticle went from red to green.
“Fire,” Irons said.
The front of the weapon glowed then fired straight for the ship’s thrusters.
The first sign of a direct hit came when the sparks flew out from the ship. The second was when the ignition flame flickered out. The shot forced the rear of the ship down and its nose up.
Irons could see Elit frantically trying to get the vessel working again. The Nordic looked up through the cockpit and yelled something. The Captain slowed his approach and finally stopped just outside of the ship. The two of them stared at each other. Only Irons was smiling, glad in the knowledge that Elit didn’t ruin the whole plan. Even more glad that the large force of Ka’traxis Brood were not alerted to their presence.
Elit sneered at Irons. “You haven’t won.” He held up his teleporter and hooked it into the ship.
It didn’t take Irons long to realize the chase wasn’t over. He blasted off to find the larger lens on the ship and immediately aimed at it.
The glow of the device was slow, giving Irons time to fire multiple shots into it. The light that flashed was intense. The suit’s HUD dimmed to keep from blinding the Captain.
“No!” Irons yelled.
The light finally flickered out and the dimness of the suit’s HUD brightened to a welcome sight. Irons breathed a sigh of relief at the shattered lens on the ship. He flew back around to the cockpit where he saw Elit surveying his surroundings. The Nordic’s arms flailed around in anger and frustration at still being in the same spot. He finally unhooked his teleporter and pressed the lens.
The cockpit glowed br
ight then instantly darkened. It was no real surprise to Irons that Elit ran. He wasn’t sure if his escape would still lead to tipping off the Catters or if the Nordic had just placed himself in the cold void. Either way, he had to count this one as a win. A close win but a win nonetheless.
“Target acquired,” Irons said.
“Outstanding,” Syracuse replied.
“What of Elit?” Haddron asked.
“I don’t know if it’s good news or bad but he got away.”
“It is just as well. Better to be without a traitor than to be with one.”
“So my idea worked?” It was clear to tell Durham was smiling.
“It did. Of course now is just a matter of getting this thing back in the cargo bay. Any chance y’all can swing by and pick an old soldier up?”
“Negative, Albatross,” Syracuse said. “This boat is too big. No way we get in there without being seen. You’re gonna have to push it back to the garage.”
Irons looked back in the direction of the Slagschip. It was going to be a long trek. During the chase, he didn’t know how far they’d traveled. He magnified the HUD and finally got a good look at the merged vessels. It was easy to tell where the Slagschip began and ended but the exterior of the Lucky Liberty had changed drastically. It was slightly familiar but for the most part looked like an entirely different ship. He grumbled at both the sight of his ship and the fact that he had to push the smaller one.
Once he had the smaller ship facing the way he wanted, Captain Irons grabbed the nozzle extensions of the thrust chamber, extended his legs out and activated the jets of the suit, rocketing back toward the Slagschip.
* * *
The teleport flash burst inside the Grand Council chamber and Elit found himself in the center of the King’s carnage. Only two Nordics remained still breathing.
“Who is there?” the eldest Councilman asked.
“No one you would know,” Elit said. “What happened here?”
“It was the King. King of the Ka’traxis Brood.”
“The Ka’traxis have no King.”
“We thought the same but he was here, demanding the Slagschip.”
Elit pondered the words for a moment.
“Will you not help us, brother?” the second Councilman asked.
Elit took special note of those he could see lying dead in the dark at the edges of the room. He smiled. “I do not think it is you who needs the help.” He drew two knives.
The councilmen looked at Elit then at each other, uncertain at the Nordic traitor’s meaning.
“I think it is I who need help. And now I know just who to ask for it. You can forgive me later.” Elit threw his blades at the last surviving Council members.
Ten
The Bigger Problem
The smaller ship pushed through the FAC, keeping contact with the field to maintain the seal. As it passed the halfway point, the artificial gravity took over and its nose dropped to the floor, clanking and grinding against the metal as Irons continued to push it all the way into the cargo bay.
Irons finally felt the full weight of the ship as its rear section dropped down, pulling him with it. The suit was sturdy in space but in a gravity affected area it was like he had no assist. He released the ship before hitting the floor, his boot thrusters keeping him airborne.
Hannah rushed into the cargo bay with Durham and Syracuse close behind. The Specialist slowed just a little at sight of the energy wall produced by the Force Atmosphere Container. The FAC was the only thing that kept any of them from being sucked into the vacuum of space. Though she knew and trusted the science and math behind the FAC, she still preferred solid walls.
“What happened?” Hannah asked.
Durham pointed at the battle armor. “More like what are you wearing, Boss?”
Irons flew to the group and landed with a clunk. He looked back at the bay door and the HUD magnified to the door switch, highlighting it. The data informed him the switch was broken.
Irons thumbed at the door. “Gonna need to fix that, ASAP.”
Haddron stepped in behind the others. His eyes went straight to the ship’s cockpit.”Elit?”
Irons turned the dial on the vest and the armor collapsed back into the vest, leaving him as he was before the bay doors were opened. Durham and Hannah both stepped back, surprised at how rapidly the full armor was deactivated.
“Good question,” Irons told Haddron. “He ported out. No telling where he is, now.”
“At least he’s out of our hair,” Syracuse said, ready to move on to the next step in the plan.
“I would not wager on that statement,” Haddron warned. “Better that he were here where he could be watched. Our only hope is that he has left all of this behind. Elits cunning is to be wary of. His betrayal may hint at a larger scheme.”
“Great. Now we gotta watch our backs and our sides,” Durham complained.
“Xuyen,” Irons started. “Her thrusters are done. You think you can put her back together?”
Hannah walked to the rear of the ship and surveyed the damage. “It doesn’t look too bad.”
“Worst of it’s at the top.”
She stepped on the wing of the ship and climbed to its roof. “Oh. I see what you mean. This thing looks like it got into a major firefight. What did you hit it with, Captain?”
“Good question.” Irons turned to Haddron.
“It is a miniature particle cannon,” Haddron explained, flatly.
“A miniature cannon did this?” Hannah muttered.
“How long till you’ve fixed it?”
“Judging by the amount of damage, sir, it’s going to be a while. Four hours, at least. Maybe three if I get some help.”
“Durham,” Irons ordered.
“Got it.” Durham jogged to the rear of the ship.
“You got some good flight time logged out there,” Syracuse said. “You see anything interesting?”
“I can say for sure, ol’ Haddron ain’t lying.”
“You saw the feed,” Haddron defended himself. “There can be no doubts.”
“Call me wary.” Irons used Haddron’s own choice of verbiage. “Least ways now I’m certain. Catters got Erra surrounded. Tanks, fortresses, LAVs and one big station.”
“You’re talking about that moon?” Hannah asked.
“That’t ain’t no moon. That thing’s a small planet.”
“What does that mean?” Haddron asked, concerned.
“I thought it might have been something more,” Hannah climbed down from the ship.
“Explain, Specialist.”
“Yes, Commander. I’m fairly aware of the planetary bodies in the Pleiades system. That new one’s not supposed to be there.”
“That’s what I figured,” Irons said. “That thing looks artificial.”
“Actually, sir. It is and it isn’t.”
“Try that again, Specialist.”
“Better that I show you.” Hannah made her way to the Cargo Bay exit.
* * *
The display screen lit up the bridge. Everyone gazed at the planetoid taking up the whole view.
“Normally, the Lucky Liberty’s scanners—even long range— only have about a two or three mile radius, depending on line of sight. The Slagschip boosted the range by a factor of about five hundred.”
Lindsay whistled, surprised by the improvement. Normally that type of reaction would be relegated to Durham but there was nothing normal about this particular mission.
“This is just a digital representation of the station but the scanned signatures are real time.” Hannah entered a command on the console and small, medium and large points of light shone on the display.
“What am I looking at?” Irons asked.
Hannah took a deep breath. “Without a true visual confirmation, I can only guess, sir, but I think these points are life forms. Now there are three distinct sets, here. Since we know this planetoid is a Catter station, it’s safe to say that, if they are life forms, a th
ird of these points are Catters.”
“And the others?” Lindsay asked.
“That, I don’t know. But that’s not really what concerns me.”
“Out with it, Specialist,” Irons ordered.
“What I’m worried about is that one half of this thing, the half that’s facing Erra, is, in fact, artificial. Or at least it’s been modified. It could be a sort of terraforming.”
“Terraforming?” Lou Trevern asked. “But isn’t that for—“
“Changing a planet’s natural ecosystem and atmosphere,” Hannah finished Lou’s question.
“You telling me that thing is a planet with people living on it?” Irons stepped closer to the display image.
“I’m saying that at least half of it is,” Hannah said. “The scans show there’s more than just Catters on that station. What that means, specifically, I don’t know. And that’s why I’m worried.”
“When did the Ka’traxis start turning planets into ships?” Jammin asked.
“You know how many tanks were on that Flagship?” Syracuse asked, rhetorically. “And with something the size of a planet? I don’t care how small. You know how many tanks they could have on that thing?”
“All due respect, Commander,” Lindsay started. “Even that doesn’t matter to me.” Lindsay took a good look at the artificial side of the station. The scan was clear enough to make out details. There were structures built as if directly into the planet. Certain sections even looked like they could have been roadways. “If this thing is just a transport vessel, fine. But what if it’s worse than that?”
“What are you getting at Brooks?” Irons asked, impatiently.
“Sir, what if that thing is a weapon? What if the whole thing is one giant weapon?”
Eleven
A Closer Inspection
Irons and Haddron burst through the door of the cargo bay. Hannah Xuyen had to jog to keep pace with them.
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