by Thomas Fay
‘Damn it. What about Tau Ceti?’
‘The Second Fleet has evacuated all of our covert bases and remote stations. A fleet of Cetian ships is heading for Tau III. The Un’Glaz faction has fled the Forum. For all intents and purposes, the Treaty of Tau III has been broken.’
‘Captain?’
‘Yes, sir?’
‘Do you have any good news for me?’
‘The Space Navy ships within Alpha Centauri are holding their own. The UEP gateways have been locked down and the other Spectre squads have managed to destroy another gateway anchor.’
‘At least that’s something. Do what you can, Captain. Let’s just hope reinforcements arrive in time.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And Captain?’
‘Sir?’
‘Good luck.’
‘You too, sir.’
I switched the port-to-ship coms device off. The situation was worse than I had ever imagined. Either it was all one giant coincidence or someone had orchestrated a multi-system uprising. I didn’t really want to think about who would be powerful enough to instigate such a situation. And how could the UEP’s covert teams not have known about it?
I looked at Roger D and Dayna.
‘What now?’ they asked.
‘Is the Helios Ark flight ready?’
‘Yes,’ Roger D replied. ‘We’ve managed to get the hull plates fixed. I’ll tell Mason to get her powered up.’
I cast a critical eye over Selize.
‘You’d better get Jeni to the ship as well. We’re going to need her help.’
49.
We had to fight our way past several more Proxians who had infiltrated the star port. Luckily, the Centaurian ability to sense them even in dark space saved us each time, although we didn’t emerge unscathed. Roger D had a burn mark on his left arm from coming into contact with a fusion carbine and Dayna had a welt on the back of her head from being thrown into an airlock. We finally made it to the Helios Ark.
‘Mason, get us clear!’ Roger D bellowed as soon as we were inside. I felt a surge of power pass through the familiar ship as we moved through the main cabin. Roger D and Dayna ran for the main deck as I half carried Selize to the medical bay. Jeni met us inside.
‘Jeni, she needs—’
‘It’s okay,’ the medic replied as she helped me lower Selize onto the medical table. Leaning over her, I grasped Selize’s hand tightly.
‘Selize, can you hear me?’
Her breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps and her face was contorted in pain. I looked at Jeni.
‘I’ll see what I can do but this is so far beyond my area of expertise. We’ll need to get her to a Centaurian medic.’
I nodded. Standing up, I continued to look at Selize as I backed out of the medical bay. Reaching the central cabin, I suddenly remembered what was happening in space around us and ran for the main deck just as the Helios Ark detached from the star port.
‘We’re clear, sir,’ Mason Turk said, his artificial voice showing no hint of concern with the situation we were in.
‘What’s going on out there?’ Roger D asked.
‘The Wraith-class vessel has managed to destroy one of the Proxian frigates, sir. Four of the Centaurian fighters have been destroyed along with half-a-dozen Proxian fighters,’ Mason replied.
‘Sounds like it could be going better,’ Dayna said.
‘If all we have to deal with is one strike force then we should be able to overpower them,’ I said. ‘The Space Navy covert ships will keep the Proxian dark-space craft from launching any more surprise attacks inside the star port and that Wraith-class ship is more than a match for that remaining capital ship.’
‘What about the star port? They’ve lost atmosphere on two decks and there are still Proxians marauding throughout the halls,’ Dayna asked. ‘They’re vulnerable to attack.’
‘It appears that the mercenary ships are protecting the star port, ma’am,’ Mason said. ‘They have successfully repelled two attacks on the installation.’
‘Looks like whatever you’re paying them is worth it,’ I said. ‘I just hope they stick around.’
‘Darius Soh is many things but he’s famous for keeping his word. Besides, that ship of his is packing some serious hardware,’ Roger D said.
‘Tell me about it. The loadout on his ship must have cost a fortune and, judging by the way the Proxians are staying clear of the star port, he’d be a match for a Raptor heavy fighter. That still doesn’t change the fact that if things get worse we have no way of evacuating the star port.’
‘I might be able to call in some favours,’ Roger D said. ‘A few colleagues of mine, working the frozen moons. They’re not exactly flying the latest combat vessels but at least they might be able to get some people out of the star port.’
‘Do it. We’re going to need all the help we can get,’ I said. My years of training and experience meant I was calm under space combat situations. It masked the inner turmoil I was experiencing, worrying about Selize’s condition. I took a deep breath and reached out with my mind.
Selize? Are you okay?
No response.
Selize?!
The young Centaurian, whom I now recognised as our unborn daughter, Sonya, appeared in my subconscious. Through the telepathic link I experienced Sonya’s anguish. She was desperate to be born, to spare her mother any more pain. I felt my heart being squeezed as I experienced the raw emotions through the telepathic bond: Selize’s pain and Sonya’s desperation. I turned to Roger D.
‘The baby needs to come out. Now,’ I said.
‘It’s not that simple,’ Dayna said.
‘What do you mean? We’ve got a medical bay on board. Surely Jeni can deliver a baby?’
Dayna shook her head.
‘For a Centaurian child to be born is a complicated process. It involves not just the physical entry into the world but the telepathic transition. Without the proper ritual, the baby could suffer irreparable brain damage.’
‘Can you do the ritual?’
‘No. We’ll need to get to either the command ship or a Centaurian planet.’
I looked at the view screen. The Centaurian command ship was under attack by the remaining Proxian frigate but its shields were holding. Fighters from both sides dodged and weaved between the large capital ships, trying desperately to get a lock-on. The Tenebrarum Eternal and its support ships were firing occasional beams from their thermal lances. The invading ships were still keeping their distance from the star port and the powerful mercenary craft, only venturing closer when evading one of the Centaurian fighters.
‘I’m going to order Spectre Squad Alpha to engage those fighters and clear a path to the command ship,’ I said, my voice calm. I knew what I was doing was selfish. I was playing my ace early. But I had to save Selize and our daughter.
I reached for the coms.
Before I could activate it, Mason Turk’s synthetic voice said, ‘Sir, I’m reading additional contacts converging on the Dyson Alpha star port.’
‘Friendly?’
‘No, sir. All Proxian.’
I felt a chill flow through me as I looked around at the faces of the crew.
Finally, I asked, ‘How many?’
‘Another strike force, sir. Thirty-two ships.’
50.
Chiron’s amethyst surface shimmered with an ethereal quality as it reflected the light from Alpha Centauri’s stars. The frozen moon spun silently in the darkness of space as thirty-two Proxian ships appeared in orbit around it. Their propulsion systems exuded dense particle trails as they accelerated hard through the vacuum of space.
‘This is about to get very messy,’ Roger D said. He had managed to contact half-a-dozen free-merchant vessels surveying the frozen moons. They had all agreed to help. Dyson Alpha was their home; they knew what was at stake.
‘Tell me about it,’ I replied. ‘What’s the status on those free-merchant ships?’
‘They’ve docked with t
he star port and are loading people as fast as they can. Civilians and star-port crews are being given priority. Looks like Minotaur and Daedalus got most of their people out before the UEP gateway shut down so we should have enough ships to evacuate those left behind.’
‘Some good news at last.’ I turned to Dayna. ‘Have any other stations come under attack?’
‘Yes. Epsilon Centauri and Theta Minor. The Space Navy destroyed half the Proxian ships that attacked the shipyards before the remaining vessels retreated. Theta Minor was hit pretty hard. The station suffered considerable damage and a lot of people were killed before we managed to drive them off.’
I nodded, deep in thought.
‘What about the planets? Omicron Alpha? Sigma Alpha?’
‘No sign of Proxian ships so far.’
‘That’s what I was afraid of.’
‘What do you mean?’ Dayan asked.
‘They’re focusing on the outlying installations, trying to thin out the Centaurian forces. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to capture one of the star ports and use it as a staging platform to attack the planets.’
‘What can we do?’
‘Make sure that doesn’t happen. We have to stop them from taking the star port at all costs. Destroy it, if all else fails.’
Silence descended throughout the main deck of the Helios Ark as my words registered. Dyson Alpha was their home. I could tell the thought of destroying it was unthinkable to them. Which is why free merchants were unreliable in combat situations. They couldn’t make the hard choices, especially the ones that hit close to home.
‘Here they come,’ Roger D said, his voice barely above a whisper.
The Proxian ships expanded on the view screen as they neared Dyson Alpha. Two capital ships, bulky dark-hulled Goliath-class frigates, decelerated as two wings of Tempest-class medium fighters engaged the remaining Centaurian fighters. Blinding flashes of light erupted from the ships as they ducked, weaved and rolled using their manoeuvring thrusters to avoid the barrage of munitions filling the emptiness of space. Countermeasures swarmed around the fighters, desperately trying to intercept the multitude of seeking projectiles and weaponised beams of energy trying to destroy them. Ships began to explode on both sides.
The Goliath-class frigates aligned their weapons on the Gemini Alpha command ship. Locking on, they unleashed steady beams of energy from their fusion lances along with swarms of kinetic projectiles, attempting to cripple the large capital ship.
‘Those fighters won’t last long under that sort of assault and neither will the capital ship,’ I said. ‘If another Proxian strike force joins them, we won't have a chance. We need to get those people out of the star port. Now.’
‘I’m working on it!’ Roger D shouted, as he furiously input instructions into the command console before him. ‘Mason, what’s the status on the evacuation?’
‘One ship has completed loading passengers and is accelerating towards the frozen moons, sir. Another is about to detach.’
‘We need more time. Get me Captain Soh on the coms.’
‘Channel open, sir.’
‘Captain Soh,’ Roger D said.
‘Roger D. It seems things have become rather more complicated than we anticipated,’ the voice of Captain Soh spoke over the coms.
‘Don’t give me that, Soh. This is exactly what you signed up for.’
‘If I recall, our agreement involved assisting the Centaurians to defend the star port from invading forces. In no part of the agreement was it stipulated that we would be facing overwhelming numbers of enemy combatants.’
‘Soh, you worthless space dog! You knew exactly what you signed up for. Now help those free-merchant ships evacuate the star port.’
There was a momentary silence. I had to admit, I was slightly impressed with the way Roger D was handling the most wanted pirate in the known universe.
‘Never let it be said that Captain Soh does not honour his contracts. We will remain in orbit to ensure the evacuation of the station. But do not question my honour again, Roger D.’
‘That would require you to have any, Soh. Roger D out.’
Roger D cut the coms.
‘That went well,’ I said.
‘He’ll do his part. But once those ships are gone, I suspect he will be too.’
‘Things are getting heated out there,’ I said.
The Wraith-class command ship was firing barrages from its plasma turrets as the Proxian Goliath-class ships continued their assault. Fighters on both sides were taking heavy damage, venting dense plumes of vital gases into the vacuum. Large pieces of hull plating floated in space, testament to the savagery of the conflict.
Activating the coms, I established a secure link to Spectre Squad Alpha.
‘Captain Argus here.’
‘Captain, have you detected any more dark-space craft?’ I asked.
‘No, sir. We’re not reading any more Anubis-class vessels within the vicinity of the star port. We also believe we’ve managed to destroy almost all of the ships that were here.’
‘Almost all …?’
‘One of them managed to escape, sir.’
‘It didn’t return to the strike force?’
‘No, sir. It managed to evade our ships and dock with the star port. It remained in place for maybe five minutes and then accelerated out of here. They seemed to be in a hurry.’
Marvik, I thought. Someone got him out.
‘Alright, we’ll worry about that later. Things are escalating rapidly out here and the Centaurians are taking heavy fire from that second strike force.’
‘We saw that, sir. Orders?’
I took a deep breath. I watched as another Centaurian fighter exploded. We were rapidly running out of time and out of options.
‘Engage the Proxian fighters. Take down as many as you can—we’re making a run for the command ship. Several free-merchant ships are evacuating Dyson Alpha. The mercenary ships are protecting them for now but we’ve got to buy them some more time.’
To his credit, Captain Argus didn’t even hesitate. His reply was instantaneous.
‘Understood, sir. Spectre Squad Alpha moving to engage.’
I cut the coms. I knew Spectre Squad Alpha would come under heavy fire the moment they engaged the Proxian fighters. I had never looked forward to making such decisions during my tenure with the Space Navy. The types of decisions that always ended up costing lives.
‘Alright, the Spectre ships are going to engage the Proxian fighters. Between them and Captain Soh, that should give the free-merchant ships enough time to finish the evacuation of Dyson Alpha,’ I said.
‘What about us?’ Roger D asked.
‘Head for the command ship. We’ve got to get Selize on board before it’s too late.’
‘Dayna, you know what to do. Mason, track the Proxian ships and divert all available power to the shields. This is going to be close but I think we can make it.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Mason said. ‘Transferring power to shield generation.’
I felt my insides lifting up as Mason diverted power from gravity generation to shields. I tightened my restraints.
‘I’ve let the Commander know we’re on our way. The Centaurians will do what they can to assist us but they’re going to have their hands full with those ships,’ Dayna said.
The ship’s intercom crackled to life.
‘John, are you there?’ Jeni’s voice asked.
A cold chill flowed through me. I reached for the intercom switch.
‘What’s wrong? Is Selize alright?’
‘Nothing I’ve tried is working. She’s having trouble breathing. Her heart rate and blood pressure are through the roof. We need to get her to a Centaurian medic and fast.’
I switched the coms off and reached out with my mind.
Selize, hold on just a little bit longer. I need you, both of you.
51.
Spectre Alpha-4 was venting plumes of dense white gas from two ruptures in its hull. It
ducked and weaved between the Proxian fighters, unleashing deadly streams of energy from its thermal lances. Two Proxian fighters exploded. Another three lined up on the damaged stealth vessel and opened fire with their fusion lances. Three incandescent beams of energy struck the matt-black hull of the covert ship. Spectre Alpha-4 exploded.
‘Damn it!’ I exclaimed.
I grasped the sides of my acceleration couch as Dayna rolled the ship to avoid a pair of Proxian fighters. We were operating in zero gravity, all of the graviton flux generator’s power diverted to the shields. Alarms were blaring throughout the Helios Ark, indigo warning lights turning a deep shade of amber. For a split second, I was reminded of my first mission aboard the ship when we had encountered the Kadmian Raiders in the asteroid field. That seemed like a lifetime ago now.
‘Sir, our shields are down to thirty-two per cent,’ Mason Turk’s emotionless voice stated.
‘Hold on, we’re almost there,’ Roger D said.
At that moment another Spectre ship exploded under a relentless barrage of enemy fire. Ten more Centaurian fighters had also been destroyed. The Proxians had not escaped unscathed. Almost half of the attacking fighters had been destroyed, but the remaining force outnumbered the defenders two to one.
The Tenebrarum Eternal was taking sustained fire, as were its two support ships. One of them was venting plumes of gas and its starboard engine was sputtering intermittently. The other had suffered considerable damage from a capital ship’s weapon strike and now sported a gaping hole in its aft section.
‘Incoming transmission from the Tenebrarum Eternal, sir,’ Mason said.
‘Put it through,’ Roger D said. ‘Captain Soh.’
‘Roger D. I believe the time has come for us to leave you.’
‘The evacuation isn’t complete. You can’t abandon those people, Soh.’
‘My vessels have sustained heavy damage and this is an unwinnable situation. Our contract specified a delaying action until reinforcements arrived, not a fight to the death.’