“We were right about the planet, wrong about the timetable,” Kage said. “Gryr-4 is erupting into widespread violence NOW!”
“How far out are we?”
“Nine hours at current velocity,” Kage reported.
“Well let’s see what we can do about that,” Jason said as he commanded the slip-drive to eighty percent power. He watched his ETA timer count all the way down to one and a half hours. “Lock in the planet as our destination and start giving me all the information you can on it.”
“It’s already queued up at your station,” Kage said.
“Doc, report to the bridge,” Jason said over the intercom. “All other crew report to your stations and prepare for combat operations.” Kellea was the first on the bridge.
“What is going on? Combat operations?”
“On a hunch we started drifting closer to a planet we thought was a prime biodrone target. Turns out we were right, Gryr-4 is exploding as we speak and we’re hours away from meshing in,” Jason told her.
“To do what, exactly?”
“Hopefully to shut down the biodrones if Doc found me an answer,” Jason replied.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, Captain,” Doc said as he walked onto the bridge. “I’m no closer than last time we talked.”
“Shit,” Jason muttered. “Well, we’re going in anyway. We’ll play it by ear and see if there’s any way we can offer assistance.”
“From what I’ve read about the government of Gryr-4, this may be the best thing for them,” Kage said.
“If they want to overthrow their oppressive government that’s their business,” Jason replied. “But I’m not allowing the ConFed to manipulate them into throwing off one shitty government for another one that’s equally bad.”
“No arguments here,” Kage said, “but the fighting appears to be spreading across the largest continent. At least if the news service reports are to be believed.”
“Doc, take the seat,” Jason said, getting up. “If you haven’t found an answer by now, I don’t think a couple more hours will make a difference. You two,” he said to Lucky and Crusher, who had just arrived, “with me. We may be involved in ground operations.”
“About damn time something fun happened,” Crusher said as he followed Jason off the bridge.
“So are we to engage the biodrones on the ground, Captain?” Lucky asked once they were in the armory.
“I’d prefer not to,” Jason said, “but the idea of just cruising by while the ConFed gets its hooks into another planet doesn’t sit well with me. We won’t take any unnecessary risks ... in the end Kellea is still one of the more important pieces of this and I still have some hope Doc will come up with a way to neutralize these things on a planetary scale. Help me out with this, will you?” Lucky walked over and helped Jason brace enough to get his legs into his armor while it was still in the maintenance rack. “Thanks,” he said as the armor closed itself around him.
“While I’m all for a little action,” Crusher said, “You know we’re not actually going to make a difference one way or another, right?”
“That depends,” Jason said. “Mass casualties alone don’t guarantee the desired outcome. First the biodrones attack, then the ConFed swoops in to save the day if needed. If the violence is getting as out of hand as Kage indicates, they’ll have no choice but to step in this time and get the planet back under control.”
“So we are going to attack the ConFed?” Lucky asked.
“Not exactly.”
“I must admit,” Lucky pressed, “I am confused as to what our objectives actually are.”
“If I’m honest, I’m not exactly certain myself,” Jason said as he began picking armament off the wall.
“Can we ever run an operation that isn’t a complete and utter cluster fuck?” Crusher asked plaintively, using one of his favorite expressions he’d picked up from Jason.
“I don’t want to mess with success,” Jason answered. “Careful planning may actually throw us off our game.”
“Let’s just try it once. For variety’s sake.”
“Crusher, I really don’t even know what the situation on the ground actually is,” Jason explained, “but I want to be ready for anything. I’m hopeful we won’t even need to disembark.”
*****
“Unidentified craft, this planet is under ConFed quarantine. Halt your approach.”
“I guess that answers our question about whether the ConFed was going to have to exert control or not,” Jason mused. “Keep com silence, they’re going to be too busy to worry about us.”
He was pacing across the front of the bridge, leaving Doc in the pilot’s seat for the time being. While he could do it, he preferred not to fly the ship in his new armor until the adaptive calibration function had more time to hone his fine motor skills. He’d rather not rip the control stick out of the console if he got overly excited. “What sort of Fleet presence are we looking at?” he asked Kage.
“Negligible,” the Veran reported. “One standard cruiser and its associated support craft are trying to cover the entire planet.”
“I wonder why they don’t pull the trigger and shut down the biodrones?” Jason directed his question to Doc.
“The fact the drones are so mixed in with the general population could be problematic,” Doc said. “If they all drop dead suddenly it would look suspicious, not to mention the recovery of the bodies with so many other combatants would be difficult. That’s all just a guess, of course. Tactics aren’t my specialty.”
“Could have fooled us,” Twingo said sarcastically, earning himself an unfriendly glare.
“Kage, what appears to be the main objective? It can’t just be a high body count,” Jason said.
“It seems like there’s a heavy convergence on the capital, specifically the Ministry of Defense headquarters,” Kage said. “It’s where the Exalted Leader retreats to at times of war.”
“Exalted Leader? That’s his title?” Crusher asked incredulously.
“I’m just reading what’s here,” Kage said defensively. “I’m sure there’s a subtlety to the title that’s lost in translation.”
“Oh I’m sure,” Crusher snorted.
“Doc, swing us around to the opposite side of the planet from the cruiser and make atmospheric entry,” Jason ordered. “Go dark. Full countermeasures. I want to overfly the capital and get eyes on the ground. Hard to do from orbit with Fleet parked right overhead.”
Flying off of the nav data Kage provided, Doc angled them in for a darkside entry that would keep them hidden from the limited ConFed Fleet presence over the planet. The gentle entry vector made for a nice smooth ride until the Phoenix broke into the upper atmosphere and sped east to overfly the capital at speed and get an idea of how bad things actually were. The Ministry of Defense, as well as the ConFed, had quickly put a clamp on slip-space transmissions leaving the planet, each for their own reasons.
The flight was uneventful as the outbreak of riots and violence had grounded most commercial air traffic and the planet’s limited military air power was centered near the capital to provide what defense it could for the government. At twelve times the speed of sound in the dense Gryr-4 atmosphere, the flight took less than two hours from their entry point near the daylight terminator to the capital city itself.
The city was densely populated and had all the hallmarks of uncontrolled urban sprawl and poor planning. As they descended below the cloud layer they could make out the slums on the outskirts, the haphazardly-placed pockets of industry, and the gleaming towers of the city center. The Ministry of Defense headquarters building was an enormous, black monolith that jutted up from the middle of the tightly-packed buildings, obviously meant to throw a big shadow, both literally and figuratively.
“Subtle,” Crusher rumbled from the back of the bridge.
The Phoenix shot over the city, her sensors recording every detail of the ground situation before the few small ConFed support craft in the area could even react t
o their presence. Given how busy they were, it was no surprise they offered no pursuit.
“How does it look?” Jason asked.
“The largest mob appears to be smashing itself against the blocks of the MoD building,” Kage said, and he quickly analyzed the imagery from the flyover. “No real heavy weaponry being employed by either side yet, but a lot of small arms fire. The building looks to be safe from being breached.”
“So what do we do?” Crusher asked.
“I hate to even say it, but we need to make sure the Exalted Leader is protected,” Jason said, feeling more than a little foolish uttering the absurd title. “If the iots want to toss him out on his ass afterwards, that’s their business, but the ConFed can’t be allowed to win here today.”
“There is a way to serve both goals,” Lucky spoke up. “Kage, are there ConFed soldiers on the ground?”
“Um ... yes,” Kage verified after scanning the sensor reports again. “There is a company-size unit of regular infantry that looks like it’s attempting to gain access to the MoD building through a heavily-defended access point of a tunnel two blocks away.”
“If we defeat the ConFed presence there, and the Phoenix dispatches the light support craft if needed, we can let this riot run its course,” Lucky said. “Then, no matter the outcome of the internal politics, the ConFed will be unable to declare victory or attempt to assume control of the planet.”
“Damn, Lucky,” Crusher said admiringly. “I’m impressed. We get to have some fun, and kicking the shit out of ConFed regulars at that, while still not needing to defend a two-bit dictator. I like it.”
“I do too,” Jason said. “Well done, Lucky. Doc, bring us about and find us an insertion point near that tunnel entrance.”
“I’m highlighting a spot on a shorter support building,” Kage said. “Sending it to your nav display.”
“We’re heading to the cargo bay,” Jason said. “Give us a five second heads up before opening the hatch.”
“Good luck, Captain,” Kellea said from the sensor station Doc normally occupied. Jason nodded and winked at her before walking off after the rest of his team.
After another six minutes the belly hatch in the cargo bay irised open and the familiar blue wavering of the transit beam filled the cavity. Without a word, Lucky stepped into the beam and descended gently to the roof of the building the Phoenix was hovering twenty-five meters above. Jason deployed his helmet and also stepped off the ledge, with Crusher following a few seconds later.
“We’re all down, Doc,” Jason said. “Go find someplace to loiter and keep an eye on those ConFed shuttles. Don’t forget to keep tabs on that cruiser either.”
“Copy, ground assault,” Doc replied. “We’ll be near if you need us.” The trio looked up as the Phoenix throttled up and flew off to the south, gaining altitude until she was just a speck in the sky.
“Let’s see what we’ve got,” Jason said, detaching his big plasma rifle from its anchor point and jogging over to the edge of the roof. The building was a squat, four-story affair that perfectly overlooked the skirmish that was taking place at the mouth of an access tunnel that led directly into the MoD headquarters building. Talk about a stupid feature on a building that’s supposed to be a fortress. The ConFed infantry was well-equipped and trained, but only at company strength. The defending troops were dug in behind fortifications and had the advantage of only needing to secure about thirty feet of beachhead. From what Jason could see, there was only small arms fire being exchanged at the moment. While the company of attackers (likely the full troop complement for a standard Fleet cruiser) was outnumbered, a well-placed rocket would put an end to the conflict. The defenders, while numerous, were all bunched up into an enclosed space. It would be a slaughter. Surely they had to realize that?
“Why doesn’t someone just lob a grenade into that bunched-up pack of morons?” Crusher asked, giving voice to what Jason had been thinking.
“The ConFed infantry does not appear to be trying to capture the tunnel in earnest,” Lucky said. “It is likely that this is a diversion.”
“For what?” Jason wondered.
“Who cares?” Crusher said impatiently. “If we eliminate the diversion, I’d say that would force their hand.”
“Well,” Jason said, “it is what we came to do. How do we want to—”
“I believe surprise will give us maximum impact, Captain,” Lucky interrupted. “Dispersing the soldiers will allow us to accomplish our objective with reduced risk. May I?”
“By all means,” Jason said, curious as to what his friend had in mind. Lucky’s eyes instantly burned red and the whine of his weapons charging filled Jason’s ears before the battlesynth took two steps and launched himself off the roof. “I wasn’t expecting that,” Jason said, rushing to the edge and bringing his weapon up.
Lucky descended in a graceful arc, bent his knees slightly, and slammed into the pavement below right in the middle of the ConFed position. The horrendous sound of the impact reached Jason’s ears as the debris kicked up caused mass confusion in the enemy’s ranks, all of them trying to figure out what had just happened.
If Lucky’s arrival caused confusion, the result when he opened fire within their midst could only be called panicked chaos. Soldiers broke discipline and scattered in all directions as the battlesynth’s plasma cannons started shredding though their ranks. A few squeezed off a few shots in his direction, but none came close to actually hitting him.
“We’d better get down there,” Crusher said, moving to climb over the ledge and make his way to the street level. Jason hopped up next to him and jumped off the roof in the same manner as Lucky. When he was halfway through his descent, he fired the repulsor jets that were built into the suit, two large boosters up by his shoulder blades and two smaller jets that popped out near his armpits, to slow his flight. While not as sexy as Lucky’s foot-mounted jets, it was a far more stable configuration.
As soon as he touched down, Jason started targeting the stragglers and opened fire, dropping each with a double-shot, center mass. His plasma rifle, while not as devastating as his beloved railgun, was quite a bit more powerful than the standard-issue infantry weapon, and the ConFed standard-issue body armor wasn’t faring well against it.
“Watch your back,” Crusher said from his left, having free-climbed down to the first story before jumping to the street below. He let loose a rapid-fire salvo towards the iot troops that were now targeting them in lieu of the ConFed soldiers since they were no longer in range. Crusher’s burst hit the tunnel roof over their heads and brought enough small debris raining down to make them duck and cover. “I count thirty-five down, that means we have another thirty-five or so still out there.”
“True,” Jason said as they moved to the corner of the nearest building to find cover from the iot troops. “But I think this assault has been busted up. Whoever is left in command will probably be calling for an extraction about now. Or at least trying to round up his survivors.”
“All troops have dispersed to the point of being ineffective, Captain,” Lucky reported as he walked casually around the corner to meet up with them.
“Thanks for taking all the fun for yourself,” Crusher accused.
“My apologies,” Lucky said. “We now have a new situation. I detected six thermal signatures approaching from the upper atmosphere and converging on this position. I believe this may be the second prong of the assault.”
“How the hell did you detect that?”
“I am in contact with the Phoenix and monitoring the sensor feed from the ship’s active array,” Lucky said.
“Doc,” Jason said into the com, “do you see the six contacts approaching from orbit?”
“Affirmative, Captain,” Doc answered. “What should we do about it?”
“Engage them,” Jason ordered. “Do NOT let them land on, or take position around, the MoD headquarters.”
“Now what?” Crusher asked. “We should get moving before the iots d
ecide to press the attack and come around the corner on us.”
“This went a little easier than I had expected, to be honest,” Jason admitted. “Let’s move and keep the rest of that company from reforming and coming back to find us.”
*****
“So what’s the plan?” Kellea asked. She was met with a trio of helpless looks from the other members of Omega Force. “What?”
“I think it would be best if you took over,” Doc said.
“Me? Why?” she asked, confused.
“You’re the only captain here right now,” Twingo offered. “We’re mildly proficient, but going head-to-head against six hostile targets is a bit too much.” The others were nodding their heads emphatically at this.
“Oh for ... Move!” she barked at Doc. He practically threw himself out of the pilot’s seat to make room for her and strapped himself back in at the sensor station. Kellea slid into the pilot’s seat and waited while the computer adjusted the seat and control positions for her body size. She had only flown the Phoenix twice before, and both times had been nothing more than goofing off with Jason, but at least she was familiar with the stick and rudder control configuration. So even though she had the least amount of hours in the big gunship, her years as a pilot and starship captain still made her the most qualified to fly the Phoenix into combat. “Kage, bring the weapons up and start prioritizing targets. We’re going for disabling shots, there are still a lot of civilians down there.”
“On it, Captain,” Kage said, his four hands flying over the controls to bring the Phoenix up to full combat capable. “Weapons are up, shields coming up, targeting solutions are coming up on your tactical display. Point defense turrets will pinpoint main power junctions and weapon systems on the targets.”
“I’m authorizing the computer to fire at optimum range,” Kellea said as she wheeled the Phoenix around and slammed the throttle down. The big gunship groaned under the g-forces as she turned one hundred and eighty degrees in knife-edge flight. Kellea double-squeezed the trigger and held it for three more seconds before releasing it. This gave command authorization to the tactical computer to fire whenever it felt it had an optimum angle and range on a target.
Omega Force 3: The Enemy Within Page 18