"Galanos is launching fighters."
Two Avengers blasted away from the interior of the warship. They must have been inside so they could rearm for any subsequent action. They moved into a defensive position between the two ships, slightly above direct line of sight to keep the flak corridor clear. The communications unit blinked once, and Billy leaned forward and tapped the unit. The internal speaker activated, but there was no accompanying videostream.
"This is Captain Galanos of the Alliance Assault Ship Relentless. We are not looking for a fight, but if you want one, we're ready."
The two cadets looked at each other, their faces numbed at what they could see. A reply came back almost immediately, and to their surprise it was in English, but with a thick Byotai accent.
"This is Byotai territory. Surrender your ship, and we will take your crew as prisoners of war. Refuse, and you will be obliterated. You have thirty seconds to comply."
Billy tagged the lower section of the Byotai heavy cruiser as the computer identified movement.
"Look."
A pair of massive metallic layers parted and revealed a hangar section. Spindles extended outwards, and four fighters were jammed inside, like four bats hanging upside down. One by one they released from their mounts and moved away from the ship. As they did so, their membrane wings fully deployed.
"They look like moths," said Billy.
Nate has seen the shape before, but when he spotted the insignia on the wings, it sent a shudder through his body.
"They are Hawkmoth Light Fighters and that one, that's DuFarl's ship. I'd recognise his markings anywhere, The Death's Head Squadron. Just like it was back in the Star Crusader contest."
The other three moth-shaped fighters left the ship and headed towards the pair of Avengers, now outnumbering the Alliance craft two to one.
"Ten seconds."
The image from Sergeant Perkins returned after what had seemed like an age. To Nate's surprise, he could see a gun battle was still raging.
"I need emergency evac for civilian personnel. Be at the door in thirty seconds, and make sure you come through the shielding."
Nate had no idea what he was talking about, but he was already reaching for the control when Billy said what they were both thinking.
"How can they get inside without suits? And what the hell is the shielding thing?"
Nate had already hit the engine start, and the units spluttered into action. The Mauler was a big ship, and it took a little effort to lift her from the platform even by a few centimetres. Nate spun the ship around so that its right flank pointed at the tall black doors.
"We’ll get as close as we can. Hold on!"
Nate's control of the Mauler was as smooth as any experienced combat pilot, and he skimmed along the long platform as though the craft was fitted on wheels. Closer and closer came the outer door, and then to his surprise, the entire thing opened up. This was not the small door the marines had opened, but the entire black slab that must have been more then forty metres wide. Something inside shimmered blue, like a thin energy shield.
"Here we go."
Without checking to look inside, he slid the Mauler through the massive opening and then hit the ground, the low slug skids sliding along the metallic floor. The doorway may have been big, but the Mauler still barely made it inside. The vessel shuddered violently, and some of the internal seal broke as the vibration increased. And then it stopped as quickly as it had begun.
"We're coming in," said Sergeant Perkins.
The view from the right-hand virtual window stunned Nate. The marines were coming out from another much smaller doorway, along with a number of personnel wearing Naval uniforms. He deactivated the side doors to the hold, and they slid open. They filed in, and then there was silence. Sergeant Perkins reappeared at the doorway and took aim with his carbine. The muzzle flashed repeatedly as two more marines staggered through the doorway towards him.
Valentine!
Nate watched her stumble trying to help another wounded marine. She dropped to one knee and twisted about to look back. Another marine jumped out of the Mauler to help, and soon there was a vicious firefight that stopped them making it to safety.
"Billy, help them."
Try as he might, due to their current position, there was no way to target the doorway. All four of the gun turrets were positioned on the front of the Mauler, and their limited rotation made shooting this far to the right impossible.
"I...I can't get..."
"Hold on," said Nate.
The doors were still open when he blipped the power from the four massive engines. It was only a subtle shift, but by rotating thirty degrees, he allowed two of the turrets just enough of an angle to target the opening.
"Oh, yeah," said Billy.
Both turrets opened up and hammered the narrow gap with incredible firepower. In space the guns seemed deadly, but on the ground, and this close, they were devastating. Wall, floor, and armour was torn apart with such intensity the entire area vanished in dust. One of the marines moved out of the side, and then another. Finally, Sergeant Perkins said what both of them were praying for.
"All aboard, get us out of here."
Nate needed no encouragement and manpowered them away from the shielded platform while swinging his nose about to face the enemy. He never saw them, and Billy made sure not one of them would get a shot off. Once clear, he spun them around and hit maximum power. They accelerated away from the starbase at high-speed and on a direct path to Relentless.
"Out of the pan and into the fire," Nate said under his breath.
The hatch at the rear of the cockpit opened up and in came the shape of Sergeant Perkins. With no gravity in the Mauler, he was forced to struggle, twist, and drift to get close to the two of them.
"Well done, both of you. What's the plan?"
He looked at the forward screen and the growing shape of the Byotai heavy cruiser. In the excitement of their escape, none of them had noticed that the battle had already begun. Both capital ships were slugging away at each other while the four Byotai fighters were nowhere to be seen. Nate connected to Relentless, and an image appeared of the Captain.
"Cadet, did you get them all out?"
Sergeant Perkins moved closer so that his face was in front of the cockpit camera.
"We're all out, as well as the survivors of the transports."
"Good. I am launching more fighters to cover your withdrawal. Get on board Relentless and fast. We cannot..."
A series of bright explosions along the flanks of the Alliance ship briefly interrupted her. The image vanished, and it took three seconds for the systems to reconnect.
"Uh...Billy. What the hell is that?"
It took a moment for one of the external cameras to lock onto the objects and magnify them. Nate found it difficult to swallow, realising what he could see.
"Lightning Fighters."
Captain Galanos' image finally returned, and she looked shaken by what had happened.
"The cruiser just blasted through the forward plating and to the engines controls. That was one shot in a million. I don't know..."
Another series of flashes flickered along the length off the ship as Relentless returned fire towards the Byotai ship. On the videostream it looked like an ancient battle between wooden ships, as they both fired using every weapon at their disposal.
"Pilot Lewis. The fighters came in and finished the job with missiles. The explosions came back as far as the power management controls. I need time to get the systems back in action."
Captain Galanos' face tightened.
"Lieutenant Higgins is launching now. Just do something, do anything to get the cruiser's guns off Relentless, or we'll be stuck here forever."
Her image disappeared, and Nate found he was back to seeing the shape of the enemy ship, and the constant barrage moving back and forth between them. Sergeant Perkins was silent for perhaps the first time ever, and that worried Nate more than anything.
; "Okay, son, what's your play?"
Billy turned to the marine, opened his mouth to speak, and then stopped. He moved his attention back to Nate.
"We can move close and try to harass the cruiser. We might get lucky."
Nate deactivated his visor and glanced at the two of them. His face was serious, but Billy could already see that his friend had an idea. It was a look he'd seen plenty of times before in simulation.
"Remember the Siege of Titan scenario, with the..."
"Assault landing?" Billy said, completing Nate's sentence.
Sergeant Perkins began to look frustrated.
"Okay, boys, what's going on here?"
Nate altered the port thrusters and then tagged the underside of the Byotai ship. The Mauler spun around and headed below the ship.
"Get everybody that can fight into PDS kit. There are full stocks in the rear."
It took a moment for Sergeant Perkins to realise what he was saying.
"Wait, you want to attack the cruiser?"
Nate grinned.
"I'll land you right in her belly. Can you hurt her from the inside?"
Sergeant Perkins struck Nate hard in the chest.
"I wonder about you flyboys sometimes, but then you do this. We'll be ready. Just get us aboard in one piece, and we'll do our job."
The marine drifted back into the main compartment and sealed the cockpit behind him. Billy swung his guns around, checking for targets.
"You remember what happened last time we tried to do this in the simulation, right?"
Nate's smile vanished as quickly as it had arrived.
"True, but this time it will be different."
Billy spotted two Hawkmoth Fighters moving into view as they accelerated directly at them. Both released missiles, but Billy was already firing. With the computer controls non-functional, he was completely reliant upon his own experience with the weapons. Most of the shots went wide, but at least a few struck the one to the left, and it spun out of control and vanished from view. The second screamed past dumping countermeasures. Billy adjusted the guns as the Mauler jinked left and right to avoid the missiles.
"How so?"
Nate couldn't look away, as he was desperately trying to avoid being blown up.
"Because this time we can't fail. We've got people depending on us."
The Mauler rolled three times and narrowly avoided colliding with a pair of Lightning Fighters. The Alliance space fighters continued onwards, their guns blazing away at the Hawkmoths.
"We've got your back, Nate," said a familiar voice.
Nate looked to Billy with an amazed look on his face.
"That's Rex."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rex tugged on the control column and then pulled it hard to the right. The manoeuvre was normally an easy one to pull off, but with full manual controls and his body being pushed about, he was finding it tough. Another of the Hawkmoth fighters swept past to his right and then vanished from view, with an Avenger and a single Hawkmoth right behind it. He saw one of the drones disintegrate, while the Death's Head marked fighter spun about as if it had lost control. The pilot's skill was exceptional, and just as it vanished from view, it changed course and came right at him.
Roll and evade.
Rex pulled on the controls once more, and the blood rushed to his head. The integral pressure suit tried to compensate, and then the two fighters screamed past each other. Five projectiles punctured his fighter's nose in the flypast.
"They're all over me. I..."
The forward guns of the third Hawkmoth hammered away at his left wing until flames spread through the fuel lines. Rex instinctively redirected coolant and then vented the engine. The flames died, but so did half of his thrust. He performed another roll and spotted a Lightning coming in from above. Its forward guns blasted away and cut the Hawkmoth fighter to pieces.
"Thanks...that was close."
The fighter moved in on Rex's flank and took up a position slightly ahead of him. At the same time another Lightning moved up to Lieutenant Higgins' other flank.
"Stay together and keep moving. We need to buy some time for the marines."
The formation of three fighters swung around and gave chase to the Hawkmoths. As they turned away, the last Avenger drone moved closer to the defensive flak corridors put up by Relentless. The Death’s Head fighter followed right behind and moved so close it looked as though they would collide. The drone exploded in a violent blast that obscured the area of space long enough for the enemy fighter to peel away.
"That's three on three. Stay close, you get only one life in this fight."
The last Alliance fighters changed course and chased after the main enemy fighter, while the other two split off to attack ANS Mongoose. Rex's forehead tightened as he realised what was happening.
"Sir, two of them are heading for Mongoose."
"Affirmative, I see them. Break off the attack and follow me."
The lead Lightning fighter lifted up, rolled, and then turned around to chase the two spacecraft heading for ANS Mongoose. Only the leader, the so-called Death's Head fighter remained, and it was heading right for Relentless. A video message request appeared on Rex's forward display, and he pressed it to find the face of his rival appear. It was the young Byotai cadet from the starbase, one that had been their competitor, and now one of the bloodthirsty rebels.
"Rex, so nice to see you. Are you ready to surrender?"
Rex heard his leader issuing orders, but his attention was taken completely by the fighter as it suddenly rolled to the right and raced around in a wide circle. This was the classic opening gambit that signified the start of a duel.
"Rex, listen to me, dammit! Get back in formation!" Lieutenant Higgins ordered.
Jack began to move away, but for reasons of friendship and loyalty stayed back to help his friend. Nothing was going to drag Rex away from this fight, and if that was the way it was to be, then Jack would be with him. Rex altered his course and made for the Byotai fighter. At the same time, he switched off the audio communication from Lieutenant Higgins.
DuFarl is mine!
The three fighters accelerated away from the battle between the two capital ships. And with every second, they became less able to assist either Nate in ANS Mongoose, or the battered, but still fighting AMS Relentless.
* * *
Nate's chest was pounding as he dodged the incoming fire. There were only a few secondary gun mounts on the lower portion of the heavy cruiser, and few of them were aiming at him. While the massive battle continued between the two main ships, there seemed little point in worrying about an unarmoured assault transport, and that was exactly what Nate was hoping for.
"Get ready, we're going in!"
They were moving in fast and directly at the narrow hangar section of the ship. The closer they moved, the larger it looked until they were now just a hundred metres away. Huge doors were already moving to try and seal the ship, but Billy was ready. He took aim and opened fire with all four turrets. The hardened slugs punched through plating, motors, and hydraulics, quickly locking the doors in the open position. Warning sensors announced an increase in gravitational forces as the internal gravity generators pulled the Mauler in.
"Hold on!"
The Mauler was a tough craft, and as they made the final approach, Nate hit the impact mode. Vents closed and motors pivoted back to avoid damage. Three seconds later they crashed into the ship with a violent crunch. The shaking went on for nearly four seconds, and they punched through the broken and twisted metal. Nate glanced over to Billy who was holding onto the gun mounts to keep him steady. Then they stopped and everything became silent.
"We made it."
He was talking mainly to himself, both confirming what had happened as much as trying to reassure him. He then checked the external cameras. The side doors were blocked, but the belly hatch and ramp were clear.
"Sergeant Perkins. The belly ramp is the way in, good luck."
He
then deactivated the unit, and the door opened. Any air inside the passenger compartment vanished instantly as it was sucked out into space. Though they were inside the ruins of the ship, they were far from the safety of its innards. The marines, as well as seventeen crew in PDS Naval gear left the Mauler and moved into the ship.
* * *
Sergeant Perkins was first out and dropped down into a broken storage section. Mounts on the walls were filled with metal spars and tooling, and thick cables ran in all directions. Flames licked through the interior, and it took a few seconds to get his bearings.
Okay, how can we cause the most damage as quickly as possible?
He knew his squad had a variety of small arms with them, but they were not equipped for a major assault. Relentless contained only a basic level of ammunition, and heavy weapons had been avoided due to travelling into the territory of a supposed trustworthy ally. This part of the ship was designed for fuelling, arming, and launching fighters.
Ammunition!
A single change to his scanners quickly identified the location of a motorised loading track that ran off inside the ship. He moved his head a fraction as he checked on the route. At the same time his suit built up an internal layout of the ship via its scanners.
"Ammunition bins are seventy metres this way."
More marines came in behind him as he moved on to the target. Right ahead was a single door, and he spotted something moving towards it. Without thinking, he lifted his carbine and fired. The first round struck the Byotai crewman in the shoulder blade, and he went down.
"Follow me!"
Private Valentine dropped down the ramp with a large pack fitted to her armour. It looked like a radio unit, but it was actually one of the many thermite demolition charges carried by marines. Sergeant Perkins reached the door that was still ajar and swung it open. It was big enough for two marines to travel through at a time. He didn't hesitate and jumped in, with a pair of marines close behind.
Star Crusader: Hero of the Alliance Page 25