by Ryk Brown
“Target the octos with main guns, and keep the point-defenses on the missiles,” Captain Hunt ordered.
“Four down!”
“Main guns can’t track fast enough to keep up with those octos, Chris,” his XO warned.
“Six down!”
“That’s all we’ve got, Denny,”
“Two got through!” Bonnie warned.
“Aurora! Two slipped through!” Captain Hunt called over comms.
“Brace for impact!” Cameron warned again.
Two explosions rocked the Aurora, threatening to knock her crew off their feet.
“Two impacts!” Jessica reported, clinging tight to the edges of her console. “Starboard ventral side! Shields are down to twenty percent, but holding!”
“Eight more missiles!” Kaylah warned. “Two five seven, twenty up, ten seconds out!”
“They’re in the Glendanon’s engagement zone,” Nathan stated.
“The Glendanon’s trying to hold off those gunships,” Cameron reminded him. “I’m locking onto them.”
“New missile contacts!”
“Jesus!” Nathan exclaimed.
“Eight more!” Kaylah continued. “Coming over the horizon from aft of us. Eleven seconds out!”
“Where the hell are they all coming from?” Josh wondered as he swung the Aurora’s nose into the missiles coming in from their port side.
“There’s got to be more than two frigates out there,” Nathan decided.
“These guys are jumping like crazy,” Vol said from the front seat of Shenza One. “How are they managing to launch and reload so quickly?”
“The targets have four missile launchers each,” Isa explained from the back seat. “Twice as many as usual. I believe they are alternating between launchers.”
“They’re trying to make each ship appear to be a pair, by firing eight missiles each time,” Vol realized.
“Two frigates jumping around, firing eight missiles at a time with only ten to twenty seconds between launches… That’s got to be difficult to defend against,” Isa said.
“Another wave of missiles,” Denny warned from the Weatherly’s sensor station.
“That’s twelve in our engagement area,” Bonnie exclaimed.
Captain Hunt sensed the uncertainty in his weapons officer’s voice. “Michael, move us between the Aurora and the inbound missiles.”
“Four down!” Bonnie reported.
“Jack, divert all available power to our starboard shields,” Captain Hunt continued.
“If we take more than two or three hits, our shields aren’t going to hold,” his engineer warned.
“Better us than them,” Captain Hunt said to himself.
“Six down!”
“Four seconds to impact!” the XO warned.
“Eight down!”
“In position,” the helmsman reported.
“Nine down!” Bonnie updated.
“Brace for impact,” Captain Hunt ordered.
“Ten down! Eleven…”
Suddenly, the Weatherly rocked violently as the twelfth missile impacted their shields.
“Shields are holding!” the engineer reported as the shaking subsided. “They’re down to eleven percent, but they’re holding!”
“We can’t take another hit on those shields,” the XO warned.
“We’ll put our best shields toward any incoming missiles,” Captain Hunt decided.
“Uh, that may not be enough,” the XO said, his eyes widening as he spotted the new contact on his sensor screen.
“The gunships are too fast for our main cannons, and our point-defenses are unable to penetrate their shields. Especially if we must continue defending the Aurora.” the Glendanon’s XO reported. “Our shields won’t hold forever.”
“We stay on station,” Captain Gullen stated firmly. “We protect the Aurora.”
“New contact!” Kaylah reported from the Aurora’s sensor station. “Dusahn heavy cruiser!”
“So much for the force recon theory,” Jessica muttered as she assigned the heavy cruiser as the primary target for the Aurora’s plasma cannon turrets.
“The cruiser is targeting the Weatherly,” Cameron reported. “She’s having to roll to keep her best shields toward it.”
“That’s not going to work for long,” Nathan said. “Josh, put our nose on that cruiser, and translate upward so we can hit them with our torpedoes.”
“Translation thrusters are a still a bit weak,” Josh warned.
“Just make it happen,” Nathan ordered.
“I can slave in the docking thrusters,” Loki announced. “That should help a little.”
“Comms, relay through Gunyoki Command. The Glendanon needs some help against those gunships.”
“Aye, sir,” Naralena acknowledged.
“Surely they can hold their own against a bunch of gunships,” Josh snickered.
“They can, but we need their guns to help defend against missiles and that cruiser,” Nathan said.
“Gunyoki Command reports a squadron will join the Glendanon in thirty seconds,” Naralena announced.
“Sori Leader to Sori Squadron,” Tariq called over comms from the cockpit of his Gunyoki fighter. “We are to engage the gunships attacking the Glendanon. Maintain a five-kilometer perimeter. Do not pursue the enemy outside that perimeter. Our job is to free up the Glendanon’s guns so she can defend the Aurora.”
“Let’s go get them, boss,” one of his pilots exclaimed.
“Easy, Salis,” Tariq urged. “Excitement reduces focus. Remember your teachings.”
“Oh, please, not that old Gunyoki bunka.”
“Insulting your squadron leader on your first day is not a strategy for success,” Tariq replied.
“Gunyoki Command reports that Tekka Squadron has split up, and both elements are engaging the missile frigates,” Naralena reported from the Aurora’s comms station.
“That would explain why the missile barrages have stopped,” Cameron commented.
“Not quite,” Jessica corrected. “There’s still a few coming in, and every one of them is targeting us.”
“Apparently, the general wasn’t lying about Lord Dusahn’s obsession with destroying us,” Nathan said.
“Captain, that cruiser is trying to get around the Weatherly,” Kaylah warned.
“And toward us, no doubt,” Nathan added.
The ship rocked as new incoming weapons fire impacted their shields.
“The cruiser has shifted its focus to us,” Jessica confirmed.
“Be sure to extend the same courtesy to them,” Nathan suggested.
“I’m trying,” Jessica replied, “but the Weatherly keeps blocking our firing line. I’m only able to get short spurts off.”
“Request permission to get jittery,” Josh asked.
“Get jittery?” Nathan wondered.
“We may not be able to jump…or break orbit, or do much more than spin around, but we can at least shift back and forth to make us more difficult to hit.”
“By all means, then,” Nathan replied, “get jittery.”
“Gettin’ jittery, sir,” Josh confirmed, smiling.
“I’m not sure you can make a ship this size, ‘get jittery,’” Loki commented. “The most you can do is translate around in an unpredictable fashion.”
“Okay, so we get, ‘slow-motion jittery’,” Josh replied.
The ship shook violently as another round of weapons fire struck their forward shields.
“We are firing back, right?” Nathan wondered.
“Yes, sir,” Jessica assured him.
“That’s not jittery enough, Josh,” Nathan decided.
“Forward shields are down twenty percent,” Cameron warned.
“Where the hell are St
rikers One and Two?” Nathan wondered as the ship continued to shake with incoming weapons impacts. “They should have returned by now.”
“We can’t take this kind of pounding for much longer,” Cameron warned.
“I don’t plan to,” Nathan replied. “Comms, flash traffic for Orochi Command.”
“Flash traffic,” Chief Mando announced. “From Orochi Command.” The chief looked at Aiden. “Launch orders.”
“Finally,” Aiden exclaimed. “What are we shooting at?”
Chief Mando handed the data pad with the launch orders to Ali.
Aiden looked her. “Well, what are we shooting at?”
Ali swallowed hard. “The Aurora.”
“Message from the Aurora,” the Weatherly’s XO reported. “They want us to climb to a higher orbit, but continue targeting the cruiser.”
“How much higher?” Captain Hunt wondered as his ship shook from the incoming weapons fire.
“Twenty kilometers,” Denny replied.
“Are you sure about that?” Captain Hunt wondered. “That will allow the cruiser to slip past us.”
“That’s what the message says, Captain,” the XO assured him. “They say not to make it look too obvious, though,” he added, sounding a bit confused.
“You heard him,” Captain Hunt told his helmsman. “Take us to higher orbit, but make it look like we’re just trying to keep our strongest shields toward them.”
“You are ordered to descend to a lower orbit, and try to get under the cruiser, but remain slightly ahead of her,” Naralena stated over comms.
“That will leave us with very little maneuvering room and dangerously close to the upper atmosphere,” Captain Gullen argued.
“Captain Scott’s orders, sir,” Naralena replied. “Aurora, out.” The ship shook again, causing her to grab the edge of her console to steady herself. “The Weatherly and the Glendanon have been notified, and Orochi Command has confirmed the relay of launch orders.”
“Forward shields down to forty percent,” Jessica warned, glancing at the shields display in the center of the tactical console.
Nathan glanced at the time display on the lower, right edge of the main view screen as the ship shook from incoming weapons fire. “Helm, be ready to translate hard upward on my command.”
“Aye, sir,” Josh replied. “You want me to stop being jittery?”
“Negative,” Nathan replied. “Just be ready. I’ll tell you to stop being jittery just before I give the order to translate upward.”
“Understood,” Josh acknowledged.
“The cruiser is descending below the Weatherly and accelerating to pass her,” Kaylah reported.
“They’re about to get an unfettered line of fire on us,” Cameron warned.
“One they won’t want to lose once they get it,” Nathan commented as he tapped the comm-controls on the arm of his command chair. “Engineering, Captain.”
“Go ahead,” Vladimir replied.
“On my mark, I need you to vent plasma from the forward plasma torpedo generator manifolds.”
“Which ones?” Vladimir wondered. “There are four of them.”
“All of them,” Nathan replied, “but not until I give the word.”
“Understood.”
“Incoming weapons fire will ignite that plasma, Captain,” Cameron warned.
“I’m counting on it,” Nathan replied.
“If the ignited plasma reaches the vents, it could ignite the plasma within the ship,” she added.
“I’ll only vent for a second or two,” Nathan assured her.
“If that was supposed to put my mind at ease, it hasn’t,” Cameron stated.
“Aiden, from this distance, if we’re so much as a millimeter off…”
“I know, I know,” Aiden said, cutting Ali off mid-sentence.
“Won’t the planet’s gravity alter their trajectory?” Chief Mando asked.
“A little,” Aiden admitted as he double-checked his Orochi’s flight displays. “But they will only be there for four seconds before they hit…something.”
“I don’t suppose someone else wants to push the button,” Ali said as she armed the missile launch system. “Turret seven is active,” she added. “Four missiles—loaded, locked, and ready for launch.”
“Twenty seconds to release point,” Aiden warned.
Ali flipped back the launch button cover, causing the button to glow. “Launch rails are hot.”
“This seems like a really bad idea,” Ledge groaned.
“I’m sure Captain Scott knows what he’s doing,” Aiden assured him.
“Let’s hope so,” Ali said as she watched the clock count down the last few seconds. When it reached zero, she pushed the launch button, hard, holding it down firmly until all four missile indicators, on the number seven missile launcher, flashed three times and then went dark. “All missiles away,” she announced, her eyes shifting to the active missile status display. “Missiles are making final course adjustments.” A second later, all four clusters of data on the screen stopped moving and changed to a single word: jumped. “All missiles have jumped.”
The Aurora shook violently; the constant bombardment rattling her to the core.
“Forward shields are at twenty percent!” Cameron warned.
“Keep pounding them!” Nathan ordered.
“I’m pretty sure we’re feeling it more than they are!” Jessica declared as she continued to fire plasma torpedoes at the enemy cruiser.
“The only thing worse than running away is running ass-first,” Josh grumbled.
“Just be ready, Josh.” Nathan glanced at the time display. “Cease firing on all forward tubes,” he added. “Engineering, Captain. Vent now! Tactical, drop all aft and ventral shields!”
“What?” Cameron replied.
“Do it!”
“Dropping aft and ventral shields,” Cameron acknowledged.
“Contacts to stern!” Kaylah reported urgently. “Four missiles! Ours!”
“Now, Josh!” Nathan ordered, rising to his feet. “Jess! Fire all tubes!”
“Translating up!” Josh acknowledged as he pushed the translation toggle forward as hard as he could.
“Resuming fire!” Jessica replied.
The Aurora quickly rose in relation to her flight path, just as the outbound plasma torpedoes ignited the plasma floating outside the tubes. The cloud of plasma flashed a brilliant orange, fading out only a second later, just as four missiles passed under the Aurora, barely missing the underside of the ship.
The missiles slammed into the forward shields of the pursuing heavy cruiser, causing them to flash brightly. Sparks exploded all about the cruiser’s bow as her forward shield emitters were overloaded by the incredible amounts of energy dumped into them by the missile detonations.
“Four direct hits!” Jessica reported.
“The cruiser’s forward shields are down!” Kaylah reported with glee.
“Pound them!” Nathan ordered.
“Firing all weapons!” Jessica replied.
“Target is turning,” Kaylah reported. “They’re charging up their jump arrays.”
“Keep firing…”
The main view screen filled with blue-white light. When it faded a second later, the cruiser was gone.
“Target is gone,” Jessica reported.
“Scan the area,” Nathan ordered. “He may have just jumped out of range. If so, he’ll send another wave of jump missiles our way first.”
“Scanning,” Kaylah acknowledged.
“Captain, Gunyoki Command is reporting that the frigates have jumped away. Jump power signatures indicate they were jumping out of the system.”
“The jump signature of the cruiser was high, as well,” Kaylah added.
“Maybe it was a force recon, a
fter all,” Cameron suggested.
“Either that, or the Dusahn aren’t fighting to the death any longer,” Jessica added.
“Don’t bet on it,” Nathan said. “Stay at general quarters. Comms, order the Weatherly and the Glendanon to resume protective positions again, and tell Gunyoki Command to scour the area, random search patterns, to a distance of two light years.”
“Aye, sir,” Naralena acknowledged.
Nathan turned to Cameron. “Divert all available energy to the shields. I want them all back at full strength, in case they come back.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Comms, new orders for Orochi Command. Dispatch four ships to Takara—full missile spread; military targets only. Launch and return.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Maybe we should wait a while,” Cameron suggested. “Long enough to be sure.”
“Sure about what?” Nathan wondered. “That we were attacked again? I’m pretty sure we were. No, the Dusahn need to know that every action has consequences. No attack can be left unanswered. If they think they have the upper hand, they will send more ships; bigger ships.”
* * *
“Where are we going?” Marcus wondered as he followed Gunwy down the passageway.
“To my favorite dining establishment,” Gunwy replied.
“I didn’t know there were any restaurants in this section.”
“There are dining establishments all over this station,” Gunwy explained. “Have you ever taken the time to examine the plans for the entire station?”
“Can’t say that I have,” Marcus admitted.
“You should. They are really quite fascinating. Did you know that this station was built by mining the interior of the asteroid, and then building it outward using those mined resources? The end result was a station more than twice the size of the original asteroid.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s even bigger than that,” Marcus insisted.
“Indeed,” Gunwy agreed, “but that came much later, after they began trading with nearby systems.”
“Clever people.”
“Necessity often forces one to become more clever than usual, as was the case for my people long ago.” Gunwy stopped at an unmarked door. “We are here.”