The Phoenix Wars: Book I, Reprieve

by C. R. Daems

  "The deal the Anixians offered was fair, and they have treated me well, so I have no reason to go back on my word," I couldn't help a girly giggle. "I think Anixia needs me more than Earth, and I like the Phoenix concept."

  "Yes, you and people like you are what the police will need if we are going to survive," Joseph pursed his lips then nodded to something he was considering. "While you are acquiring experience, I want your emphasis on hand-to-hand fighting and shooting. Doug and Carl aren't the only ones who would break their contract with the Anixians, nor the last willing to use violence. Every new crop of humans has one or more of them."

  "I have a question, Joseph. Where do the Anixia get the food we eat?" I asked a question that had been nagging me for weeks.

  "The Anixians have a small area that is still fertile but shielded from high altitude observation. They raise some animals and grow some of our food there. But the majority of it is gathered from a system a day's travel from here. It is Earth-like with water, oxygen, animal life, and large areas of fertile land. Its current evolution is somewhere in the middle of Earth's Phanerozoic Eon, about five hundred million years in its past."

  "So, if the Tullizor could destroy our cruisers, we could no longer support life here on Anixia." I gave an involuntary whistle.

  "Yes, we are hanging on by a thread," Joseph said. "That is information best kept secret. It is information only known to the Anixia and Phoenix leaders and a few trusted individuals."

  "Leaders?" I asked.

  "Humans in leadership positions, mostly that is confined to those with three stars, like a fighter-wing leader or the captain of a cruiser," Joseph grinned. "Or the head of a police compound."

  "Why me?" I asked.

  "Your performance against the Tullizor and your police work stopping a hijacking makes you a trusted person in the eyes of the Phoenix and Anixians."

  My discussion with Joseph had my head spinning as I made my way to the fighter area the next day. I doubted we had more than three to five cruisers, and Doug would not only have reduced that number by one but also significantly reduced our odds of surviving. When I entered the fighter area, everyone stood clapping. I looked behind me to see who they were clapping for, but there wasn't anyone. Before I could speak, Bradley walked up to me, smiling.

  "Congratulations, Kayla," Bradley said. "You have officially been promoted to Squadron Leader."

  "Why? We already have three and don't have enough pilots for two full squadrons," I asked, totally confused.

  Bradley laughed. "You are going to command the K-box squadron. A squadron specifically tasked with the responsibility for killing Tullizor cruisers. You will be responsible for qualifying pilots on the K-box and developing the squadron's tactics. I'd like to see everyone in the Saker House of War qualified initially so that you have ready replacements if necessary."

  "Why me?" I asked. Although it sounded exciting, I was a very junior Saker pilot.

  "Because you are the only one who has experience with the technique, you developed the concept, and I believe you are the right person to evolve the strategy. Eventually, all the Houses of War will need to have a K-box squadron, but first, someone has to make it a working model. That's you, Kayla."

  "We are going to need a trainer fighter and then a couple of test fighters for candidates to fly solo, and I'll want to conduct an introductory class to explain the mathematics involved," I said, thinking out loud and warming to the idea, especially now that I knew how close we were to extinction.

  "Why?" Bradley asked. "We have the K-boxes."

  "If I give you a calculator and show you how to use it and it's destroyed, you couldn't compute the answer to the simplest mathematical problem. However, if I teach you the theory, then give you a calculator, it does not matter if the device gets damaged; you can still compute the answer. Furthermore, if you punch in a wrong number by mistake, you won't be aware of it unless you know the theory. In that case, it will look wrong. In a fighter traveling at over three thousand meters per second, a couple of seconds off could cost you your life."

  Bradley nodded and grinned. "That's why you are the best person to evolve this strategy and to lead the first squadron. You know you are going to enjoy it, so grin and accept the responsibility and the promotion."

  Chapter 23

  K-Box Qualifications

  I decided on two classes to keep the number of students manageable, remembering I always learned more in my smaller classes than in my larger ones. Teachers had less time for individuals when the class was large, so they tended to be lectures and provide little time for questions. Although my first session of the day only had ten pilots, who I knew well, I was still apprehensive being the teacher. I wasn't eighteen yet and had never taught anything in my life. It didn't help that Calum and Bradley were auditing the class.

  "This class is to teach you how to be a human K-box–"

  "Why? We have the K-box, and it will be faster than us at determining the timing," Tyler asked, receiving a nod from everyone in the class, but not Calum or Bradley.

  "You are making a run at the Tullizor at three thousand meters per second and your K-box malfunctions. Are you going to ask the Tullizor for a time out while you return to the cruiser for a replacement? Or try to fix it in the ten to twelve seconds you have before you take option two."

  "What's option two?" Jesso asked.

  "Smashing into the Tullizor cruiser because you hesitated not knowing what to do." I raised both hands palms up as if soliciting a solution from the class. "Or, in the heat of battle, you enter a wrong number. In that case, the K-box will compute a solution, but it might result in option two. If, however, you understand the K-box methodology, you might have the chance to save the mission or safely abort." I looked around the room and saw nodding heads. These men were risk-takers but not suicidal. "All right. The Tullizor's automatic laser system and their missiles are able to target you because of your heat signature. You are like a light bulb emitting a certain frequency or color. If you shut down your engine, you could just as well be a rock or a piece of junk hurtling through space. However, if we can compute the distance to the target, we can shut off our fighter's engine, count the number of seconds that need to elapse before we are at the distance we want to be to fire our missiles, then start the engines, fire, and maneuver safely away. That's what the K-box does for you based on the parameters you give it."

  "Kayla, you are certifiably crazy if that is what you did," Randy said. He was one of the older boys, around thirty, and always quiet and serious-looking.

  "It seemed like a good idea at the time," I said. "Here are the numbers that you and your K-box need:

  *The total distance to the cruiser when you begin your run.

  *Your fighter's speed.

  *The distance you want to be to restart your fighter and release your missiles.

  Once you have those numbers, you can determine how many seconds the engine should remain off. Don't forget, once you cut off your engine, you have no power for any of your instruments. You must count the number of seconds manually."

  "If you count too fast, you restart your fighter further from the cruiser than you wanted, but if you count to slowly, you end up with option two," Daryl said.

  "Correct. It's that simple," I said and smiled. They were all frowning. "For the next couple of hours, I am going to give you some problems and let you work through the number and a short lesson on counting seconds."

  "Good class, Kayla," Calum said as the pilots filed out of the room. "You are young, but you are the right person to lead the K-box squadron. Everyone knows you aren't just giving the theory but practical experience. They will listen and follow you."

  I felt better teaching the second class as it was a mirror image of the first class. Simon and Tebos attended the second session.

  "Good class, Kayla," Todd said, smiling as usual. "When do we get the good stuff?"

  "Next is an introduction to the K-box, then we have to wait for a modified trainer w
ith a K-box, and then solo, and then squadron tactics, and then you will be ready for the good stuff– the Tullizor. Todd, the next encounter is going to be bad. I can feel it in my bones. They were embarrassed by a sub-species who they have been amusing themselves for centuries. We drove off two of their cruisers. What do you think they will send next time, and what kind of revenge will they take if we lose?"

  "You have me motivated, leader," Todd said without any of his normal humor.

  Over the next two days, I made up short video clips while I was out practicing, showing the K-box and its functions. Then scheduled two classes.

  "Now that you understand what the K-box is doing for you, let us examine the device," I said as I projected the image of a K-box on the room monitors. "The on/off switch." I used a pointer to show the switch. "The device's screen will light up. When it does, it will display your current speed and distance to the target." I clicked on my video clip which showed me turning the system on. The K-box screen showed my speed and the distance to the mountain I was flying towards. "You will notice there is a value in the release distance column. You can preset that value or use your finger to scroll to the value you want, as I am doing in the video. That is also true of the time to start, as you can see me doing on the video. That is the number of seconds before your engine will cut off and the system will use your parameters to restart your engine. As a safety measure, the system does not release the Vulture missiles; you must do that manually." I shut down the video.

  "Why? Wouldn't that be more efficient?" Edward asked.

  "It would be," I said. "In the elapsed ten or even twenty seconds, probably little has changed; however, if it did, you could launch your vulture missiles into empty space and no telling what they may find to target, and you would have to return for replacements. Better to save them for another Tullizor cruiser in the area. The good news is that the Anixian designer was able to keep your hologram active so you will have some idea of what is happening around you."

  "That's a relief," Tyler said. "Otherwise, I would imagine those seconds would each feel like a long day."

  "It does tend to be a bit more exciting when you are sitting in the dark, hoping you didn't miscalculate." I gave a crooked smile.

  While I waited for one of our two trainers to be modified with a K-box, I spent my time writing a user manual. The modification on the trainer took longer as the trainer's seat not only needed a K-box but also had to have the ability to override the student's entries and to completely abort the run if necessary.

  "Kayla, the K-box trainer has arrived," everyone was shouting when I entered the pilots training area. Several grabbed my arms and propelled me over to the trainer.

  "You want me to do what?" I asked, trying to look puzzled.

  "Start our inflight training," multiple voices said. I looked inside the trainer and found a user's manual and sat down and began reading, much to the annoyance of everyone. When I thought I understood how to abort the student's instruction, to override his instructions, and to shut him down, I rose. "All right, someone make up a schedule, allow one hour per individual and six per day."

  "Why so few?" Jesso asked.

  "I will not only be working with someone new to the system but also with a new system that hasn't been tested, and one I've never used. That's like picking three unknown horses and betting your life's savings on winning the trifecta."

  They huddled together for a long time and eventually handed me a schedule. I noticed that Jesso was first and that the senior pilots, including Bradley, were on day three.

  "All right, Jesso, you are officially a test student, I'm your test instructor, and this is a test fighter, so what could possibly go wrong?" I laughed and followed Jesso into the trainer. Several minutes after we closed the hatch, we were pushed out of the cavern. I started the engine and took the fighter to ten-thousand meters before turning to Jesso. "Look familiar?"

  He nodded, and I switched control to him. "Keep your speed at Mach 1, launch distance at twenty kilometers," I said.

  "What about time to start?"

  "Let's see how far we are from the mountain," I said, "That will determine the time."

  "Fifty kilometers," he said after looking at the K-box.

  "What does that tell you?" I asked.

  He frowned while staring at the K-box. "About one and a half minutes to reach the launch missiles distance. Well, now about one minute."

  "Punch in thirty," I said, and he did. Thirty seconds later, the engine and the control panel shut down, but to my satisfaction, the hologram stayed on. "Now you know why I had you learn the math involved. It puts you and not the K-box in control. As a squadron, we will input preset values, but even then, we may want to deviate, and you can't if you don't understand the impact of your changes." We spent the rest of the hour using different launch distances and speeds and tested the abort option, and I tested the instructor's ability to take control and to abort the run. I was pleased, and the normally serious Jesso was bubbling with excitement.

  Chapter 24

  New Survivors

  Hyun and Hanna exploded through the door into our shared quarters. Each had her left arm up and turned so I could see it, except it was upside down. Even so, the star on each was recognizable.

  "I would need to stand on my head to read your Sleeves," I teased. Laughing, they ran and jumped onto my bed and stuck out their arms. I grabbed them in a three-way hug.

  "Congratulations," I shouted to be heard over the laughing and shrieking.

  "We are now qualified cruiser crew," Hanna said to Hyun's vigorous nodding.

  "What's next?" I asked.

  "We can continue to work in the specialty we have qualified or try to qualify in another specialty. If you can qualify in three, you become eligible to be a captain.

  "Are either of you interested in being a captain?" I asked.

  "No," Hanna said. "I would be content being a competent navigator. One that can navigate across systems."

  "Yes," Hyun said. "I would like to make the decisions rather than be at someone else's mercy. Then with my trusted navigator, Hanna, and wing fighter leader, Kayla, we would be ready to take on the galaxy." Hyun raised a hand, and Hanna and I slapped it.

  "I heard we have new candidates coming from Earth," Hanna said after the excitement died down.

  "We need them," I said. "We are hurting for pilots. We have been winning, but every encounter with the Tullizor reduces our numbers, and replacement come only once or twice a year and then it takes months to train them. I'm concerned the next time the Tullizor come, they will come with a larger force and be looking for revenge. If we can't hold them off, they are going to wreak havoc on this planet. The combination could mean our eventual demise."

  "I thought you have a system to destroy their cruisers," Hyun said, looking puzzled.

  "We have an untested system, with pilots who have never used it in battle, so we don't know its effectiveness or our survival rate," I said, hating to be negative, but that was the reality.

  "I think the three of us were sent here to help save Anixia," Hanna said with a shy smile. "Kayla, you have introduced new methods to kill fighters and cruisers. Pretty soon, Hyun or I will discover something to help. Why else did we, three women, volunteer for the House of War when it is rare for women?"

  "I hope you are right, Hanna," I said. "I am afraid Anixia is at a distinct disadvantage with any nation in terms of people. They have large civilizations and can breed enough to support large militaries and continuous replacements. We have to kidnap our military, and that limits the size of our military and recruits."

  "The idea behind Phoenix," Hanna said. "To get the humans breeding so the Anixians don’t have to kidnap replacements."

  "That will take multiple generations, which is all right if we can avoid war for a hundred years." I laughed. "According to the Anixians, there are multiple warring cultures in the Milky Way; therefore, even if we teach the Tullizor that Anixia is a terrible system in which to play
we risk being discovered by other nations."

  "They could be friendly," Hanna said.

  "That would be good, but not necessarily helpful," I said, feeling depressed. "They are not going to give us people and are unlikely to want to fight our battles. Sorry! Today, we are alive, when less than a year ago, we thought we would be dead. So let's not worry about tomorrow. Today we are alive, having fun, and fighting evil. Who knows, maybe Hanna is right, and the space gods put the three of us here for a reason."

  "Because they like birds," Hyun said, followed by a laugh.

  "Or hate lizards," I said, and we all started laughing hysterically.

  The next day, Bradley asked for a meeting. When everyone was present, he began. "The bad news is that the Saker House of War isn't getting any of the new candidates that arrived from Earth–"

  "And the worse news?" someone shouted.

  Bradley smiled. "The other news is that the Saker House is being designated the Saker ship destroyer squadron."

  "Wow!" Jesso shouted. "That's like the Navy Seals, except better. Anixia's Navy Martial Eagles, the ship-killers."

  That started several excited conversations. I immediately thought of Hanna's comment about the three of us having a special purpose here on Anixia. Jesso had the right of it. Navy seals were pitted against specific units manned by men, not tanks or fighters. We would be going against the equivalent of battleships with multiple defenses, including other fighters. Bradley broke into my musing before I could be overwhelmed by panic or excitement–I would be leading the assault with a very unproven technique.