by G J Ogden
Sterling knew that swapping out the Sa’Nerran computers for Fleet systems wouldn’t be as trivial as Banks had made it appear. However, he couldn’t deny the idea had merit. And with the resources of a Dreadnaught at their disposal, it was certainly possible.
“It’s a long-shot, but then so is every option we’ve got right now,” replied Sterling. He looked back to Admiral Griffin. “I think it could work.”
“Excellent, then it’s agreed,” Griffin said, as ever seemingly undeterred by any challenge she was presented with. The Admiral then shut down the CIC computer and returned to the spherical viewing window. Sterling took this to mean that the meeting was coming to its conclusion. “You will depart as soon as repairs to the Invictus have been completed,” the Admiral added. “I’ll have one of the Obsidian Soldiers escort you back to your ship.”
“No thanks, Admiral, I think we can make it back on our own,” Sterling said. He had no intention of allowing the machine another opportunity to skewer him.
“As you wish, Captain,” Griffin replied, still peering out through the window. “You are dismissed.”
Sterling flashed his eyes at Banks and turned to leave. Just at that moment the doors swished open. Sterling almost went for his pistol again, assuming it was an Obsidian Soldier returning to finish the job. However, rather than an onyx black killing machine, the new arrival was Lieutenant Shade.
“Apologies for the intrusion, but I have urgent news,” she reported.
Griffin turned to face Shade, eyes sharpening once more.
“Why didn’t you just inform us over neural comms, Lieutenant?” asked Sterling, wondering why Shade had chosen to relay urgent news in person.
“I have a neural blocker enabled in this room, Captain,” Griffin cut in. “I do not like secrets.”
Sterling almost laughed out loud at the absurd irony of Griffin’s statement, but just managed to reign in the urge. “Go on, Lieutenant,” he said to Shade.
“Aperture relays report that F-sector is under attack, sir,” Shade continued. The revelation left Sterling numb, like the heat had just been sucked out of the room. “The Sa’Nerra have committed their entire invasion armada to the attack.”
Sterling cursed. “Then we don’t have any time to waste,” he said, glancing back at Admiral Griffin. “How soon can you have the Obsidian Soldiers loaded onto the Invictus?”
“They have already been loaded on board, Captain,” said Griffin. Her response implied that she thought this fact should have been obvious.
“Then we have to leave right away, whatever state of repair the Invictus is in,” Sterling said, turning to Banks. “If the Sa’Nerra take control of F-Sector, we’ll have no chance of reaching the aperture. But the battle will be a perfect distraction.”
Banks nodded. “I’ll get the ship ready to depart right away,” she said before turning to Lieutenant Shade. “You’re with me, Lieutenant.” Shade moved to Banks’ side and the two officers hurried out of the CIC.
Sterling was about to leave too when Griffin spoke up. “Good luck, Captain Sterling.” If he hadn’t known better, he would have said there was a warmth and familiarity to the Admiral’s voice that implied a level of concern for his wellbeing. “I will move what I can of my base to Omega Four and see you there.”
Sterling nodded. “I’ll be there, Admiral,” he replied. “I don’t know when or how, but I swear that I’ll bring the Vanguard home.”
Griffin nodded. “I’ll be waiting, Captain. Good hunting.”
Sterling saluted the Admiral then marched out of the CIC. He knew that the task ahead seemed impossible, but he also held true to the idea that the greater the stakes, the greater the reward. If he could recover the Vanguard and get it to Omega Four then they would have a weapon that was capable of pulverizing a planet from orbit. It’s time to fight fire with fire… Sterling thought as he continued to march back to the docking port. He would rain fury onto the alien’s homeworld until their planet was reduced to nothing but rubble and ash.
Chapter 25
The battle for F-Sector
Sterling watched the battle raging in F-Sector on the viewscreen, his face painted red by the low-level alert lights on the bridge. Sterling was no stranger to combat, but he’d never seen anything on the scale of the battle unfolding before him. Hundreds of warships occupied the space surrounding F-COP and dozens more were surging in every minute. The fighting was already heavy, but so far there was no sign of the Titan – the super-weapon commanded by Emissary McQueen herself.
“Tactical analysis, Lieutenant,” Sterling said to his weapons officer, though he kept his eyes focused on the battle. “How do we weave our way through the chaos out there to reach the aperture we need?”
Shade entered a sequence of commands into her console and the viewscreen switched to show a tactical analysis of the battle. Their target aperture was highlighted on the screen, located within the ever-expanding perimeter of the battlefield, beyond F-COP. Sterling cursed, realizing that there was no way to reach it without flying into the combat zone.
“Looks like we have no choice but to fight our way through,” said Commander Banks. She was still at Keller’s former station at the front of the bridge. Sterling had requested she continue her temporary role as pilot; he needed someone at the helm that he could trust.
“If that’s the case then so be it,” replied Sterling, also realizing there was no other option. “Maybe we can even take a few of these alien bastards down before we surge.” He turned to Shade. “Find us a route in, Lieutenant,” he said, adding a note of caution, “but no heroics. We can’t afford to take heavy damage out here.”
“Aye, sir,” Shade replied, already working at her console. A course projection then appeared on the screen. “I suggest this route, Captain,” the weapons officer added, nodding toward the screen. Clearly, she had already been working on the plan before Sterling had asked her to plot a route.
Sterling studied the course, finding it to be surprisingly nuanced for his usually gung-ho weapons officer. Rather than find every opportunity to engage the enemy, Shade had plotted a course that would take them in behind the Fleet Dreadnaught Hammer. They would then be able to use the massive dreadnaught for cover while they waited for an opening to make their run for the aperture.
“Good work, Lieutenant,” said Sterling. “Though, if I’m honest, I’m surprised you didn’t suggest we just charge headlong at the closest cluster of enemy warships.”
“This isn’t the battle I’m interested in, Captain,” replied Shade, as cool and collected as always. “The real fight will be at Sa’Nerra. I want to be there to see their cities burn and their space stations crumble.”
“You’ll get your chance, Lieutenant,” replied Sterling, meeting the eyes of his warmongering weapons officer. Shade had spoken with feeling and it was a sentiment he shared. “We all will, so long as we can get through this.”
“Course laid in, Captain,” said Commander Banks. “But there’s a squadron of Skirmishers and Sa’Nerran Light Cruisers between us and the Hammer,” she continued, as the Invictus powered toward the battle. “The Samson and Typhoon have engaged them, but they’re taking heavy fire.”
“Then let’s give them a hand,” said Sterling, highlighting two of the enemy ships on his tactical screen. “Fire at will, Lieutenant.”
“Aye, sir,” Shade replied, staring at the targeted enemy vessels like a hungry wolf.
As the Invictus powered toward the battle, the Typhoon was caught in the crossfire from two Skirmishers and driven out of position. The Skirmishers swooped in behind it, sensing the kill.
“New target,” said Sterling, highlighting the enemy vessel on his console for Banks and Shade to see.
“Adjusting course,” replied Banks.
Sterling felt the engines kick hard before the inertial negation systems compensated. Banks may not have had Keller’s deft touch at the helm, but she was every bit as aggressive – if not more so. The Skirmishers rapidly cam
e into view ahead of the Invictus, the speed of their approach seeming to catch the enemy off-guard. Flashes of plasma lit up the viewscreen as Shade fired the main plasma rail-guns, striking one of the phase-three Skirmishers square across the back. The vessel exploded instantly, showering them with fiery debris. Powering through the debris field, Shade unleashed a volley of plasma at the second Skirmisher, damaging the alien vessels’ engines and causing it to fall back. The alien ship was then pummeled by a devastating attack from the Samson and obliterated in an instant.
Sterling’s console chimed and he saw that a message had come through from the Fleet Destroyer Typhoon on the open channel.
“Thanks for the assist, Invictus,” the captain’s voice said. “Though I have to say, I’m surprised to see you here and on our side. Fleet has you listed as an enemy combatant. I almost ordered my weapons officer to target you.”
Sterling huffed a laugh. “No problem, Typhoon, and thanks for the heads up,” he replied, silently cursing the Wessels as he did so. “Do me a favor and let the others know we’re on the same side.”
“Will do, Captain, Typhoon out,” the voice replied before the comm channel clicked off.
“It’s going to be hard enough reaching the aperture with just the Sa’Nerra to deal with,” commented Banks. The sizable form of the Hammer was now visible ahead of them. “I hadn’t figured that our own damned ships might be gunning for us too.”
“I think it’s time I had a little chat with Captain Blake,” said Sterling, opening a comm channel to the Hammer. “Hopefully, he’s still on our side. Or on Griffin’s, at least.”
The Invictus was rocked by another plasma blast, forcing Banks to take evasive action. Sterling saw that two Sa’Nerran Destroyers had broken off and were now in pursuit.
“Keep those alien destroyers off our ass, Commander,” Sterling said to Banks, as the face of Captain Blake appeared inset on the viewscreen.
“What is it Captain Sterling, I’m a little busy?” snarled Blake. As Sterling’s former commanding officer, the two men knew each other well, and while they shared a grudging respect for one another, there was also no love lost between them.
“I need you to give us cover,” Sterling replied as another blast rocked the ship.
“Port side ventral armor holding at eighty-two percent,” Lieutenant Razor called out from her station at the rear of the bridge. “Minor damage reported to deck four primary power relays. I’m returning to engineering, Captain.”
Sterling acknowledged his engineer, who then hurried off the bridge, before focusing back on Captain Blake.
“We’re on a special assignment from Admiral Griffin,” Sterling went on as his crew continued to fight the pursuing destroyers. “I think you know the sort of assignment I’m talking about.”
The Invictus turned hard, bringing its main rail guns to bear on the first of the two destroyers. Shade returned fire catching the alien ship across its aft section, destroying its engines and sending the vessel spinning out of control.
“Griffin has been stripped of rank and branded a turned enemy of the United Governments, Captain,” Blake replied, coolly. “And, for that matter, so have you.”
Sterling cursed. He didn’t have the time or patience to fence with Blake. “Look, Captain, are you going to help us or not?” He tapped his console and sent the co-ordinates of the aperture directly to Blake’s captain’s console on a secure, private channel. “I need to reach the coordinates I’ve just sent to your console and I need to get there in one piece.”
Blake’s eyes dropped to his console. His brow scrunched into a scowl before he stared back at Sterling through the viewscreen. “I know where you’re going, Captain, and it’s a wild goose chase,” Sterling’s former CO replied. “I’ve sent probes and recon shuttles out there looking for what Griffin is sending you to find. It’s not there.”
Sterling was suddenly thrown off balance as the Invictus turned hard to avoid a barrage of plasma blasts from an advancing heavy cruiser.
“We’re generating a lot of attention, Captain,” Banks called out from the helm control. “We could really use some cover about now.”
Sterling acknowledged Banks, then focused back on Captain Blake. Right now, the captain of the Fleet’s flagship was his only hope.
“We have recent data that suggests otherwise, Captain, but there’s more,” Sterling continued. “Is this channel secure?”
Blake sighed and appeared to hit a button on his console. Sterling saw a red rectangle appear around the Hammer’s name on his comms display.
“It is now Captain,” Blake replied. “Say your piece.”
“The Obsidian Project is still a go, Captain Blake,” Sterling said, laying all his cards on the table. “We have a plan to…”
“Don’t say anymore, Captain,” Blake interrupted, cutting Sterling off with the precision of a scalpel blade. “Whatever I know the enemy can know.”
Sterling nodded. “The bottom line is that I’m all out of friends. I need your help if I’m going to pull this off.”
“You never had any friends, Sterling,” Blake hit back. “Apart from one. But you killed her, don’t you remember?”
Blake’s words had intended to hit hard and Sterling felt his verbal assault land like an uppercut. Ariel Gunn flashed back into his mind and he felt physically sick. He opened his mouth, wanting to respond and to fight his corner, but no words came out. He’d never even considered that Blake had been sour with him about what happened to Gunn. Yet his former CO’s bitterness was now clear, and Sterling could hardly blame him. Gunn was one of Blake’s officers, but he’d never considered them to be close. Sterling was still stuck for any way to respond to Blake when his former CO threw him an unexpected lifeline.
“But while you have no friends out here, you do still have an ally, albeit a reluctant one.” The captain of the Hammer then operated his console and new coordinates arrived on Sterling’s screen. “Form up alongside the Hammer and stay within the sectors I’ve just sent you. I’ll make sure we give you cover, without accidentally blowing you to hell. Not that you don’t deserve it.”
Sterling sent the co-ordinates to Banks’ console and his first officer immediately adjusted course. He then turned back to Blake and forced down a dry swallow.
“Thank you, Captain Blake,” Sterling said. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that what went down had to go down on your ship. And I’m sorry Gunn had to die.” Then he realized something – it was something he’d always known, but never admitted to anyone, perhaps not even himself. “But I’m not sorry about what I did, Captain. I probably deserve the special place in hell you’ve already assigned to me, and if that’s my fate then so be it. But I did what I had to do, and I’d do it again. Nothing is going to stop me from completing my mission, Captain. Nothing and no-one.”
There was brief silence while Blake studied Sterling through the viewscreen. Then the captain of the Hammer simply nodded.
“That’s why she chose you,” Blake said, “and that’s the only reason I’m helping you now. Good hunting, Captain Sterling. Hammer, out.”
The image of Captain Blake disappeared from the viewscreen, which was now dominated by the formidable bulk of the Fleet Dreadnaught Hammer. The massive capitol ship’s cannons were pounding plasma out into space all around them, providing a shield of searing energy that prevented any enemy vessels from getting close. Sterling checked his console and saw that the Hammer was heading to the co-ordinates he’d sent to Captain Blake. They were riding along with the Dreadnaught like a barnacle on a whale’s back.
“We’re in position alongside the Hammer,” said Banks, using the moment of respite from the battle to take a breath and glance back at Sterling. “We’ll have to break out from cover to reach the Aperture, but for now we’re protected.”
Sterling nodded. “That’s one thing that’s gone right, at least,” he commented, resting forward on his console. An alert then chimed and he cursed himself for potentially jinx
ing their good luck.
“We’re receiving a message,” Banks said. Then she cursed too. “It’s from the Venator.”
Sterling sighed and shook his head. “What the hell is it with that guy, anyway?” he commented.
“I just don’t think he likes you very much, Captain,” said Banks, with a slight smirk.
“Thank you for that keen observation, Commander,” Sterling replied, scowling at Banks through the tops of his eyes. He then sighed again and threw out his hands. “What the hell, put him on the viewscreen, Commander.” He straightened his back and stared at the screen. “Let’s hear what he has to say this time.”
“Aye, sir,” Banks replied, spinning back to face the viewscreen. Moments later, the face of Commodore Vernon Wessel appeared. To say the man looked enraged would have been an understatement, Sterling considered.
“Captain Sterling, you are hereby under arrest, charged with treason!” Wessel snarled at him. Sterling had seen his former academy classmate mad before, but this was on a whole other level. “You are to surrender to me at once or be destroyed.”
“With the greatest respect, Commodore, kiss my ass,” Sterling replied. Wessel’s face went red and the man looked like he was about to explode like an overinflated balloon. Sterling abruptly cut the channel before Wessel had a chance to yell whatever string of expletives he was building up to bawl at him through the viewscreen.
“He won’t be happy about that…” commented Banks.
“I really don’t give a damn,” Sterling said as more flashes of plasma raced past them from the Hammer. “Unless that asshole wants to run the gauntlet and come at us while we’re protected by the Hammer, he can just sit out there and stew for all I care.”
Sterling’s console then chimed another alert. He cursed, expecting it to be Wessel again, but when he checked his console, he saw that it was an all-ships priority alert from F-COP. Then a massive flash lit up the viewscreen. However, this wasn’t the flash of plasma, it was the flash of a ship surging into the system.