Free Fleet Box Set 2

by Michael Chatfield

  “On our way,” I said, a new fire filling me as I jogged as fast as I dared in the armor, too fast and I would be bouncing my helmet off of the roof.

  Krom and Shreesht caught up and passed me, I let them as the Commandos followed us.

  I checked my map, looking at the sensor data.

  “Here,” I said, highlighting a wall right next to the Kalu forces. I got a grunt back in return.

  We ran through a squad pod and a maintenance shaft, getting to the wall. I stabbed the wall with Shreesht and Krom. A line appeared as I dragged my sword down, Krom finished cutting the top.

  He looked to me as I finished my cut last. We shared a nod as I kicked the wall, the bottom bending as I got out of the way and Krom fired into the stunned Kalu, Shreesht, the rest of the Commandos and myself flowed in behind Krom. I twirled my sword, it felt weird with its kink.

  A Kalu brought a claw down at my torso. I turned, bringing my sword down and across. The Kalu tilted as it was lifting its other paw to attack but found it had one less limb. I didn't let it recover as I stepped in towards it and slammed my blade into the back of its neck, twisting it and jerking it free.

  Blood seeped from the creature as I brought my blade out, flipped it in my hand and jumped at a Kalu leaping to Krom's side.

  I tackled it mid-air my blade stuck in its gut, I rolled when we touched back down. Yanking my blade free as another charged me. I clamped my feet through my nerve ports and cranked up to full power as I swung my fist. The Kalu acted as if it had been hit by a small car.

  Its nose crumpled in as my fist smashed into it, its body flopping back end over its front. I brought my sword up and down into the creature as it clawed at its own face.

  I released my hold on the ground as I snap kicked a Kalu that had been following the one I had just ended.

  Its head snapped sideways, throwing it off, momentum carried it forward still. I jumped on it, stabbing it with my sword. I felt something let go, seeing that my sword was now a dagger with plasmid leaking from the end.

  Shreesht smashed into a Kalu that would've blind-sided me. He kicked them in the side, throwing them down the corridor. An enraged Avarian was something to get the hell out of the way of, especially one in powered armor and determined to show up his awakened comrade, who was clubbing a Kalu to death with his cannon.

  A Kalu jumped on Krom he grabbed them and smashed them to the ground, his boot crushing their armor and helmet. Krom slung his cannon, threw me one of the array of blades he kept on himself. I grabbed it, throwing the broken sword at a Kalu that was still causing havoc to Carsickle’s people. It jumped in pain, and a rail gun peppering the creature leaving holes in its armor.

  “Move up!” Carsickle said, his forces that had been trickling in to help me and mine, now they came in full force. I nodded to Carsickle, his people looked to have been surprised, they had their rail guns out instead of their plasmid weaponry, something they were fixing as they stowed their guns and unsheathed their plasmid.

  Alerts pinged in my helmet, now on silent as there had been so many of them recently that they gave me a damned headache. More Kalu were landing. Though Fruit cup was finally rotating into the battle, Heston had mentioned he had a surprise but hadn't elaborated.

  I felt a savage grin spread across my face as Heston's surprise became clear.

  “You crazy assed fighter jocks,” I said inside my helmet as I stabbed a Kalu that tried to attack the Commando to my side. It turned on me, its jaws snapping. My pistol was in my hand and in its mouth in seconds. I pulled the trigger, stowing it away before the Kalu dropped to the floor.

  “Think you can take my ships do you? You don't know the Free Fleet!” I barked, yells coming from the Commandos and the mixture of personnel that had joined in. All of them were fighting for their home and one another, it was why I had trained them all to be able to use powered armor, and made them learn basic fighting skills and weaponry.

  “Breaches in the gunnery and engineering,” Rick said in my earpiece.

  “The Fleet?” I asked, ducking out of the way of a claw and elbowing the Kalu in the face, stabbing it in its less armored under-belly.

  “We're getting slapped, corvettes are rotating and acting like Fighters, giving support and keeping away from the Star Warriors, nearly every ship is boarded and a lot are just barely holding on, we don't have the numbers to fight them all off,” Rick said simply.

  “Follow Ben's route and get us the hell out of here. Prepare the mines,” I said.

  “Will do James,” he said, “Alright TAC, get those..,” He was talking before he cut the channel to me.

  “To Engineering,” I barked to Carsickle as we finished off the last of the wave of Kalu.

  He greened up, plotting a route and sending it out to everyone.

  Chapter decisions and honour

  Yasu looked over the bridge of Floater, five Star Warriors had clamped onto the ship around the bridge. Yasu had been fighting in the rear of Floater, allowing Fighters to get free of the Battle-Carrier and keeping Engineering safe.

  The Kalu had rolled the forces in the central areas of the ship and got into the bridge by literally clawing their way inside. Yasu had fought through what seemed like a sea of Kalu that had boarded her ship to get to the bridge, but it was too late.

  The bridge crew had killed at least three Star Warriors worth of Kalu. She gently moved the body of the helms person, she couldn't tell what kind of creature they'd been, let alone their sex.

  Floater was falling, that much was easy to see. She scanned the readouts on the console, looking at the plot of the system. She saw the rough planet that was the rally point of the Fleet before they jumped. Though with the Kalu on them Yasu didn't think they'd be able to clear through the wormhole.

  The Kalu would just light up their generators and collapse their escape.

  They needed time, and Yasu had one idea of how to do that.

  “Charles!” She barked, her second in command moving from the entrance of the bridge.

  “Commander?” He asked, probably wondering where they were going to fight off the next wave of Kalu.

  “Get on that communications console, get me the commanders of the worst wounded ships. I have a request to make of them and one hell of a gamble,” she said, looking to him with steel in her eyes.

  She hadn't told him a thing, but a glance to the planet and to her at least some recognition showed in his eyes.

  “Commander,” he said in confirmation, moving to the command console.

  Yasu felt her stomach drop out at what she was about to do, but she knew it was the only way she could think to save the fleet, James would've done the same.

  He seems to have rubbed off on me some, she thought. A sad smile played across her lips as she changed the ships navigation, opened her visor and looked into the visual pick-up, recording a message.

  ***

  “Alright you bastards, ready to show these Kalu fuckers what the hell we're about?” Heston asked every fighter that was under his command and currently holding formation with Fruit cup. Nearly every flying capable fighter was there, it was seventy percent of their original numbers but it was still impressive. There hadn't been anywhere else for the Fighters to go, every ship capable of holding them was under attack by Star Warriors and would make them a damned easy target if they tried to resupply or fix their Fighters.

  “Commanders,” Heston said, his commanders firing up their ships and talking to their individual wings as they sped off towards the still incoming wave of Star Warriors.

  Heston grinned as he powered up his own MEF,

  “ALRIGHT WING TWO-FOUR-ONE, YOU READY TO THROW THESE FUCKERS BACK INTO DEEP SPACE? THEN FOLLOW ME!” He applied full thrust, the wake-up adrenaline and the damned thrill of pushing a MEF to its limits making him whoop.

  A guitar started over his wing's comms. Heston was about to tell Mufti Diver to shut his music up when he figured out the tune and laughed.

  “Guess who just got
back today? Those wild-eyed boys that had been away haven't changed, haven't much to say but man, I still think those cats are great,” Smith sung the boys are back in town as Heston's wing banked, coming in amongst the Star Warriors closing in on friendly ships.

  Heston peppered the back end of the Star Warrior, using the same method Smith had to penetrate the armor with his rail guns, penetrators fired, the Warrior flashing light as they wreaked havoc, the guns went silent and the Warrior drifted as its engines stopped.

  One down, only another three thousand to go. Heston flipped his bird, Smith was next to him in seconds. Smith might have been unorthodox and a bit eccentric, but there was no one else that Heston would want on his wing.

  ***

  Heston's attack with Fruit cup and all the Fighters he could rally was impressive, but Foshunti knew that it was only prolonging the existence of the Fleet. The Kalu were too damned fast, had too many ships and didn't think of losses like other sentient creature. The losses they sustained would only serve to push them to attack faster and harder than ever before. They had found a worthy enemy, and they would do anything to destroy them, or get their names placed into the stories of their clans in the attempt.

  He let none of his emotions get through his mask as Talhalla shook from laser's that cut into her hull, and missiles that ripped away her armor, or struck at her internals.

  His harness strained with a particularly nasty hit. Cries came out as someone that hadn't been secured went flying into a console.

  Foshunti could only grit his teeth as another hit rocked the ship.

  Thankfully someone was holding the injured person down to stop them from flying across the bridge again.

  His console beeped, alerting him that Bok Soo wanted his attention, and the man was somehow keeping the Kalu out of vital areas. Leading the damned charge against them.

  These Free Fleet people are damned crazy, Foshunti thought, proud to be one of those 'Free Fleet people'.

  “Commander, Yasu has an idea, its crazy, but it might just give the Fleet the time it needs to get out of here, and get themselves organized to bring the fight back to the Kalu,” Bok Soo said.

  “Go ahead,” Foshunti said, listening to the plan, it was damned risky, but if it worked then Salchar and most of the fleet would be able to escape, and the Kalu would be honour bound to let them go and wait.

  At least until Yasu's diversion ended.

  “Alright, I'll pledge Talhalla to her plan, has she told Salchar?” Foshunti asked.

  “Not yet,” Bok Soo, sounding slightly nervous.

  “I will pledge my support on one term. That she tells him right away, he will not appreciate this shock and think that she and we have turned against him that we are making our own orders,” Foshunti said, keeping the nerves out of his voice, he did not want to deal with Salchar if he stopped listening to his inner circle.

  “I will pass that on,” Bok Soo cut the channel, probably doing just that.

  “Helm we will be getting new co-ordinates shortly. Carry them out to the letter,” Foshunti didn't know the new Syndicate helmsperson.

  “Commander,” it said, its voice a deep rumble, there was no question in that voice, just the understanding of another Free Fleet personnel.

  Lines of those that had been part of the Syndicate and those that had been trained by them had vanished. They were all fighting for survival.

  But maybe not our own today, Foshunti thought, his face grim as Talhalla moved towards her new coordinates.

  ***

  “Go,” I said, connecting to whatever channel Resilient, Rick or Vort was connecting to me. I dragged my sword across a Kalu, my pistol putting two rounds in their face from point-blank. The creature collapsed as a Commando blunted an oncoming attack. I slashed again, my blows and the Commando's disorientating the Kalu as it tried to slash me and them. It turned, facing the Commando to my right.

  “James?” Yasu's voice was sad as I used my pistol as an impromptu knuckle duster. No one makes my girl sad, I thought, viciously stabbing my sword into the Kalu.

  “I have a plan to get the Kalu off of the Fleet, it is risky and there is no guarantee that it will work,” she said, sounding relieved that she could get that off of her chest.

  “What's the plan?” I asked, reloading my pistol as me and the group of Commandos moved to the next grouping of Kalu. Carsickle was doing one hell of a job to keep Resilient our own, the Kalu were now charging right for the vital systems of the Dreadnought.

  “A group of Commandos and badly damaged ships go to the habitable planet, we mount a defence and issue a challenge to the Kalu. When a challenge is issued then the entire Kalu fleet will be held up, trying to destroy the Commando contingent. It will give the fleet time to get out of the system and rebuild itself.”

  Emotions coiled in my stomach as my world seemed to give way. She was going with them. I could hear it in her voice. She was going to lead my Commandos into a rearguard action to give the fleet the time it needed to get away. Then they would fight till they couldn't anymore.

  I closed my emotions away.

  “Yes,” I said, tears, unbidden filling my eyes and making my visor blurry.

  How goddamn cold am I? Filled with disgust at myself I heard the pain in Yasu's voice, she knew I knew she was going, and she knew the pain the decision took.

  “Look after the kids and get the fleet ready. The Commandos will be here waiting for a fleet that can crush these bastards,” she said. “Now go you brilliant man, and make this damned universe learn why they don't mess with us,” emotions and tears colouring her voice.

  “I love you,” I said, the words making me shake with emotion. I had stopped in a corridor, Krom and Shreesht covering me as always.

  “I love you too,” she said, neither of us willing to shut down the connection.

  “Kalu coming!” Krom said.

  “Forever and always yours,” Yasu said, closing the channel. I funnelled my emotions into the rage I felt. I through it at the damned universe, at the Syndicate, at the fucking Kalu, at the bastards that wanted to kill my people, my brothers and sisters, my fleet, my wife.

  I stopped being the Commander of the Free Fleet and became a Commando. I let my command staff deal with the fleet as I grabbed Shreesht's cannon. I walked through the corridor, I didn't think, I reacted. Kalu, fire, Kalu, fire, Kalu fire. I felt Resilient shifting underneath me. The fleet was splitting, an announcement was coming across the speakers. I didn't listen to it as I walked through the corridors of my home.

  I only stopped when I ran out of targets, or found a group of my people. I was beyond reason or talking to. I moved, killing anything Kalu I could find.

  The Cannon ran out of rounds. I slung it, freeing my sword and pistol again. I let out a yell, the likes of which gave even the Kalu pause as I let out the pain of a tortured man that had just sent his wife to die.

  I shouldered bashed the first Kalu, striking a second as I shot the first. I rolled, putting my pistol in another's face, shooting and jumping over a Kalu. I lowered my sword, the Kalu cutting itself apart. I landed, Krom and Shreesht acting like armored bowling balls as they smashed through the lines of Kalu. The Commandos we had found killed the tossed Kalu.

  “Kill them all,” I said, my voice as cold and deadly as Marhtu's.

  I forgot the world and lived for the death. I didn't allow myself a breath, tossing myself back into the fight whenever I was free.

  Krom pulled his sword free from the neck and body joint of the Kalu.

  He opened his visor.

  “We are leaving the system and heading for Bregend, from there we will send word to the rest of the fleet to support us and claim this system,” he said, obviously someone had been relaying what was happening to him.

  “We will not leave them behind,” I said, hope playing in my chest. You know war, you know that hope can go both ways. “For now we clear our ships,” I checked my pistol, my sword and powered armor.

  I injected wake-up
, it numbed my feelings as my body tingled with what felt like artificial adrenaline. Before this had been another battle to try and hold onto some style of control and understand the Kalu. Now I understood the Kalu.

  Nothing would stop them, unless we ended them all. They would pay for every Free Fleet life they had taken.

  ***

  Eddie slumped into a chair, looking at the readings of the console in front of him blankly. His brother was heading towards Heija now, Resilient's upgrades and overhaul hadn't been enough to save her from a mauling. Twenty percent of the ship was open to vaccuum. Whole sections were irradiated, a third of Eddie's engineering crew were dead. He remembered the Kalu as they raced through his ship, ripping apart all the work he had done to protect the people inside her hull.

  He sat there, his manipulator's shaking in what would have been a human equivalent of crying.

  Stop that now, you still have your ship and you still have the rest of your engineering crew. Being recruited didn't kill you and the Kalu haven't yet. He put his cowboy hat back on his head.

  His Data pad was beeping angrily with priority alerts.

  He opened the top priority and moved towards the fluctuating power-lines.

  ***

  Smith didn't listen to music as he boarded Flasher, his carrier, Finn had been one of the few ships that had kept clear of the Star Warriors, only to be hammered by swarm after swarm of Kalu Fighters. Floater was headed for the unnamed inhabitable planet, Fruit cup was the main Battle-Carrier left and it was full. Smith was lucky that he was even getting a berth. A lot of ships were clamping onto the hulls of the fleeing Free Fleet vessels.

  The Kalu would catch up with the Free Fleet shortly, though because it splitting into two formations the Kalu were also splitting in an unorganized manner.

  “This is Commander Yasu, I offer War Leader battle for this system with battle between our forces on the unnamed planet we are heading for. Prepare your forces for battle in the time it takes this planet to rotate its primary sun,” Yasu's voice came over every single channel.

  “We accept your challenge,” came the voice that must have been of the Kalu War Leader. “You will have a tenth of the planet's rotation,”