“Of course. I know my own people. This is where she was being built. I’ve spoken to some of the techs here, and they say she is a beauty.”
“Let’s do it,” said Billy.
Matilda shook her head.
“I’m going back to the landing bay. They’re bringing in every fighter they can get their hands on. I want to see what resources we’re going to have for the fight.”
“Fight? Back with the fleet?”
Matilda shook her head.
“No, Billy. Here. Every hour we stay increases the chances of them attacking. We shouldn’t be here.”
With that, she stepped away and was gone. Lilija and Svana started to leave. Valdis called after them.
“You, too?”
Svana laughed.
“No. There are rumours Black Squadron is here. We’re going to find out.”
“Good. If you find them, tell them they owe me coin. We’ll meet you there in thirty minutes.”
Svana nodded, and then they were gone, leaving Nate with Cassandra, Billy, and Valdis. Cassandra shrugged as the others walked away, before looking to Nate.
“Looks like not everybody is as excited about this as we are.”
Billy smiled. They’d spent more time in the simulator than ever in conversation. It wasn’t just their shared interest in the gaming experience; it was also the ships and the technology. Both knew what they were going to see, and it felt more like a daytrip than a chore. Cassandra seemed unusually positive at the opportunity.
“That’s because they never ran the Dreadnought scenario, did they?”
Nate nodded.
“To be fair, we almost didn’t either.”
Even Cassandra chuckled at hearing that.
“You’ve got a point.”
Nate then gave Valdis the nod.
“Okay, Valdis…show us the way. We can’t be too long, though. We have to get back.”
“Don’t worry about it. The Commander wants us there on the hour. He said the rest of the time was up to us. Remember?”
Nate had remembered the words of the Commander, but he could also feel an uncomfortable nagging at the back of his mind. It was like he should be doing something useful, especially when the station seemed to be going through such upheaval. Yet the Commander had been clear. He’d given them three hours to rest, stretch their legs, and to meet some of those aboard before heading back. Nate assumed it was all in lieu of any kind of real rest and relaxation.
“Okay, but not a second more. I want to be there before the Commander arrives.”
Valdis gave him a mock salute.
“Very well, come with me.”
They walked away from the observation platform and back towards a glass-covered pod. As Valdis moved in front of it, the doors peeled away to a white open space. She stepped in, and the others followed. It looked a little like an elevator, though the shape was curved, and most of the exterior completely transparent. The door closed up tight, and a gentle hum marked the movement. Valdis moved to the front and placed her hands on the transparent material.
“Watch this.”
The ground dropped away, and they were moving up through the air. The ceiling raced on by, and then they shifted to the left. The unit increased speed as they left their original location far behind.
“Impressive,” said Cassandra, “A magnetic levitation transport system.”
“Yes, most of the bigger facilities have them. There are rails throughout the station and cross junctions to change course.”
“Wait,” said Billy, “So I could choose any destination in the station, and this little thing will take me there?”
Valdis winked.
“Of course. Why? Don’t you have them?”
Billy shook his head, but Nate could tell she was making fun of his gullibility.
“Billy, we have similar technology, we just don’t use it in this way.”
Another floor vanished and bulkheads whooshed on by from left to right. For a moment, they could see columns of troops moving along open walkways, and then it was there, right before them in all its glory.
“Wow,” said Nate, “I never thought I’d see one.”
Valdis sighed happily as the transport pod moved to a higher position and followed a rail all around the ship. It was massive, though at this distance the scale was hard to fathom.
“She’s called Imperator, first of her class and abandoned more than a two decades ago.”
They moved closer to the bow, and Nate could see the resemblance to Furiosa. This particular vessel looked about fifty percent bigger, with an extended superstructure top and bottom. The armour was unpainted and appeared like dull iron.
“Look, you can see inside the hull.”
Cassandra extended her hand and pointed at an area where large sections of the hull were missing. At first it seemed it was an incomplete section, but as they headed closer, Nate spotted sections hanging off mounts.
“Yeah, she’s been cannibalised.”
Billy shook his head as he watched.
“We fought against one of these in the simulator.”
“Sort of,” added Cassandra, “The Dreadnought in our system was an estimate, based on stories and information in the Byotai public record. The one we saw was basically a stretched Legion Class with a lot more guns.”
“I see,” said Valdis, “The reality was the Imperator Class Dreadnoughts were supposed to be a match for the best Helion warships, if we ever came to blows. By building a small number we could reduce the size of the fleet.”
“Peace dividend,” said Billy, as though reciting something from a textbook.
“A what?”
Billy’s face reddened, and he immediately looked to Cassandra for help. She nearly laughed before wading in to help. They were now halfway along the hull and nearing the portside wing section. There were no solar arrays, and most of the gun ports and current mounts were empty.
“The price of peace. When the fighting stops, the economy shifts to peacetime. Nobody wants to spend all their money and resources on war, especially after a conflict.”
“Ah, I see. Yes. We have had this after every major war. We spend years building ships, only to cast them away when they are no longer needed.”
She looked at the incomplete warship.
“And when the time comes, we have to start again. Always from behind.”
“Exactly,” said Nate, “And from the look of things, this ship needs a lot more work.”
Banks of huge engines were fitted at the rear. Every single one of them was there, and most of the hull plating appeared intact.
“What would be needed to finish her?”
Valdis’ eyes appeared to pool up as though she was genuinely saddened at what lay before them. They were now moving along the starboard side of the hull and heading back to where they’d started. Another transport pod raced past below them, a reminder that they had limited time before they needed to get back.
“The ship is a shell. The hull was finished years ago, and the internal structure is intact. The electronics and internal systems are all missing. She has no weapons, and no monocrystalline armour. Most internal systems were removed in the last war to keep the battleships and cruisers operational.”
The ship finally faded from view as they headed back inside the station’s structure.
“Perhaps one day she might see action,” said Cassandra.
Valdis looked far from convinced.
“I very much doubt that. The skills and technology needed are not here. You understand how big the ship is? I think you’ll find her total mass exceeds even your Warlord Class.”
Light started to fade as they dropped three more levels and then passed through a security level. Normally, multiple armed soldiers would have watched the place, but now it was deserted, with nothing but a flashing light as they passed on by. Another ten metres and they slowed down to stop on an obsidian-coloured deck.
“This is our stop,” said Valdis.
“Look,” said Billy, “The Widows.”
They slowed down and waited as a dozen black-clad warriors approached.
“Flying Officer Lewis?”
Nate looked up at them, relaxing as the faceplate slid away to reveal one of the twins. Nate didn’t know them well enough to identify which it was, but at least he knew who they were.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Commander Higgins sent me to find you.”
Nate glanced to his friends.
“I thought we had time?”
The Black Widow smiled, and Nate felt immediately disarmed.
“You look a little out of your depth, pilot. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.”
She nodded towards another of her comrades.
“We went through the same nightmares...a long time ago. Trust me. The same things happen, year after year.”
Nate wasn’t entirely sure what she was talking about, but he then spotted several groups of pilots, and they were all gathered around Matilda and the other members of his squadron. Commander Higgins was also there, as well as some of the officers from Victorious.
“Let’s go,” he said.
They passed the group of Black Widows and headed towards the pilots. Nate was sure there must have been at least thirty more pilots, and every one looked years older than him, Valdis, or the other pilots. He didn’t stop until reaching Commander Higgins.
“Ah, there they are. Come here.”
Nate had no idea what was happening, or what to even say.
“Sir.”
The Commander gave him a subtle wink, and then nodded towards the other pilots. Nate moved his attention to them and saw they were all looking at him.
“Son, meet your new friends.”
They were a ragged bunch, yet all wore flight suits and armour, along with the insignia of half a dozen different squadrons. Nate truly had no idea what to say, but luckily for him one of the paler and older looking pilots stepped forward. She had the equivalent rank of captain on her armour. She nodded slowly, and then spoke in words he had no chance of understanding. A second later his translator did the work, and he listened carefully.
“Welcome to the Kalar Anchorage, Star Crusader. We look forward to fighting beside you.”
Nate was surprised. The words didn’t sound sarcastic, but that was often the case with the translator systems. The technology was incredibly advanced, but even with the latest updates, it was often hard to isolate particular moods or emotions with just the voice. Even so, he could see nothing angry, irritated, or amused about the expression of the alien pilot. He turned sharply to his right. Lieutenant Commander Holder was there beside him.
“Sir. I’m a little confused. What’s happening? Why are they focussing on me?”
The Alliance officer remained impassive but focused on the Byotai.
“Thank you, Captain. We are honoured to become part of this unit.”
She then nodded to a large computer display on the wall. On one side were schematics of dozens of fighter craft, but next to it a recorded videostream of the recent battle. Nate took a step closer, not realising what he was looking at. The other pilots joined him, forming a group of more than thirty looking at the event.
“This was earlier?”
“Yes,” said Holder, “That small matter of saving part of the Anchorage from atomics.”
Nate’s eyes widened, and his face began to glow at seeing Valdis and Cassandra watching him. Cassandra remained relatively stoic, but Valdis didn’t hold back. She slapped him on the back, moving closer to the screen so she could narrate the action. Nate chose to ignore her running commentary and looked at the fight. The videostream wasn’t perfect, but it did catch the first moment when the Phantoms split apart, leaving just him and Valdis to chase down the last of the enemy shuttles.
“Nice flying,” Billy whispered from behind him.
Nate grinned and then nearly jumped back as gunfire bounced off the heavy fighter’s armour. Some of the Byotai pilots groaned as armour plates tore off and the Phantom’s guns opened fire in a crescendo of shells. Cheers rang out as the fight continued, leaving the shuttle a mass of wreckage that vanished from view. Nate turned away from the display, but two of the Byotai pushed him back and pointed to the display. They muttered something, and another repeated it.
“Watch…you must watch.”
Some of the others spoke excitedly at the sequence of events. Even Nate was impressed when the Phantom screamed past a camera feed. It looked a deadly spacecraft, and by a bizarre coincidence, he spun it about just as it moved to the next camera. The shot looked like something from a movie. Then the engines blipped, and bright lights like stars blotted out the image. Some present groaned at the brightness, but seconds later it was gone, and the fighter swung back to land on the ground. There were gasps, and one of the younger Byotai placed a hand on his arm.
“Uh…thank you,” he said nervously.
That should really have been the end, but instead he got to see the gun battle with the wreckage of the shuttle, followed by Nate and Valdis moving into the left of the frame. Far off the enemy soldiers were already spreading out.
“Yeah, that wasn’t so smart,” said Commander Higgins.
Nate felt guilty, but then the gun battle started. The two youngsters should have run from the battle, but instead they drew sidearms and fought a short battle. The Byotai whooped with excitement as they watched until Valdis took a round to the head. She slumped to the floor, and shots clattered about them. Then a cheer rang out as Nate dragged her away from the fighting, just as other figures moved around him. Billy took a bow as more Byotai congratulated him and the others before the imagery ended. One by one the Byotai turned back to him, and Commander Higgins stepped between the two groups.
“We leave in forty-eight hours.”
Matilda looked confused and turned her attention to Nate. He shrugged in reply.
“Kalar Squadron is joining the fleet, and so are their fighter units.”
He beckoned towards two of the Byotai. They bowed slowly in front of Nate. It left him feeling terribly exposed, and he was sure every pair of eyes was now studying him in exquisite detail.
“These are the squadron leaders of Vampire and Sword Squadrons, newly formed from the remnant of six other units. Like the Ironclads and Knighthawk Squadrons.”
His eyebrows rose as he nodded to the many fighters lined up on the deck.
“They’ve been fighting the Star Empire for weeks now.”
Nate wasn’t sure this was going, but he could sense the mood.
“Now they’re ready to join us, and take on the Star Empire one last time.”
The Byotai remained silent, but Nate saw the pride in their faces. They were veterans, yet neither appeared dismissive of his particular role as a simulator pilot. The Commander listened to a few of them speak before lifting his hands to continue.
“We will unite under the joint command of the Byotai and the Alliance. Together the heroes of both our peoples will hold back the tide.”
There was shouting and cheering, and the Commander took that opportunity to speak with Nate and his friends.
“Honorius and Colonel Gun have persuaded Katanga to fight with us. We’re going to be leaving soon, but first we’ve had to make a few changes to fit them in. If we’re going to work together, we need to keep things simple.”
They’re joining us?
His mind filled with images of the Ironclads growing from a handful to dozens of pilots and fighters. It was both exciting and disappointing. He was quite proud of what they’d achieved together, first aboard Furiosa, and now Victorious, although the thought of working with all these other pilots was still quite exciting. Commander Higgins lifted his arms in a welcoming gesture.
“We’ve crippled the Star Empire reserve fleet, buying time for us to assemble an armada along the border. But our sensor beacons confirm that they are still massing. In mere weeks they will be ready, and the assault upon Helios Prime will begin.”
He let that sink in. Helios might not be of particular concern to them, but the central Helios System was the hub that connected all of them together.
“We fought together against the Biomechs over the world of Helios. Our fleets battled impossible odds over Helios Prime and Spascia, and we can do the same again.”
There were a few murmurs, but not great excitement, not yet.
“That is why we will mass our forces together. Alliance and Byotai, in one great fleet to hold against the tide of the Star Empire and their traitorous allies. We will smash them on the border, and then inflict such a defeat upon them they will never dare to attack us again.”
Nate was amazed. He turned to look at his friends, but noticed Major Spartan and Colonel Gun watching in silence, off in the shadows. They must have just arrived but had entered without pomp or ceremony. Commander Higgins was pumped up with his unexpected speech to the pilots and pointed to the Byotai squadron leaders.
“It is therefore my pleasure to welcome Ironclad, Vampire, and Sword Squadrons to form the very first mixed fighter wing. Together we have the number and the skills to take the fight to the enemy.”
Some of the Byotai were already muttering words of encouragement, and at least three were speaking quite loudly to their comrades. Commander Higgins glanced at them, silencing them with little more than a cool stare. Nate had known the man since they’d escaped the terrible ambush, yet he’d changed from his roles as a pilot. Even in this short space of time, he’d transformed just as much as Nate had. Now the man was a tough officer in command of flight operations aboard not one ship, but an entire flotilla.
“We will have peace with the Star Empire, but first we will have war.”
Nate looked on, open-mouthed. He’d seen his share of fighting, but things were moving at a pace he could never have imagined. The Commander had a few more words to say, but Nate’s attention was already shifting throughout the deck.
“We leave in forty-eight hours. I suggest you get acquainted before we leave for home.”
Star Crusader: Siege of Kalar Page 6