by Ryk Brown
Connor had a sudden flash. Three young men. Each of them considerably intoxicated. They were calling to him, challenging him.
Connor, eyes still closed, tried to recall more of the memory. Old buildings. Ancient looking vehicles. The design did not match anything he had seen in the Pentaurus sector. The other three men were egging him on, daring him to do something. They were walking quickly along the storefronts, nearly slipping on the icy sidewalks. It was cold…very cold. The other three men stopped at a building, pointing at the sign in the window. He grew closer, laughing. Join the fleet! Protect the Earth! Then suddenly the images were gone.
After a deep breath and a long sigh, Connor opened his eyes and rose from his bunk. His decision had been made. He was Connor Tuplo, and that was who he intended to be. If he had to go it alone, so be it. The Seiiki could easily be flown by one, and he could pick up a new crew in the Rogen sector.
Connor exited his cabin and headed forward, stepping through the hatch into the forward port corridor. As he passed the galley entrance, he stopped. Standing in the galley to his left was his crew- Marcus, Neli, Josh, and Dalen.
“Ship is ready for departure, Cap’n,” Marcus stated.
“Shall I start the preflight?” Josh inquired.
Connor smiled. “Sure.” He stepped aside as Josh passed and headed for the Seiiki’s cockpit. Connor looked at Dalen, who was holding a full duffel bag. “Is this goodbye, Dalen?”
Dalen looked confused, then glanced down at the bag he was holding. “Oh, no,” he assured Connor. “This is just supplies and stuff. The Ghatazhak let me raid the kitchen in the flight ops office before they started packing it up. I figured the more food we had on board, the better, right?”
“Right.” Connor smiled again. “I trust you finished the calibration?”
“You bet, Cap’n,” Dalen replied. “We’re good to go.”
“Good. You and Neli stow those supplies,” Connor instructed. “We liftoff in five.”
“You got it,” Dalen replied.
“I’ll go raise the ramp and secure the cargo deck,” Marcus said as he exited the galley.
Connor said nothing to the old man as he passed. Everything he wanted to say was conveyed in the glance that they exchanged. Then he looked at Neli.
“Crew is family,” she whispered, as she leaned forward, kissed him on the cheek, and turned to help Dalen put away the supplies.
It surely is, Connor thought as he watched Neli and Dalen unpack the contents of the duffel and put them away. He sighed again, exiting the galley, heading forward. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his family, and at that moment, he felt a lot better about his decision.
Connor could hear the Seiiki’s engines spinning up. He ran his hand along the curved bulkhead that surrounded the forward lift fan, feeling its vibrations as it spun to life. He bounded quickly up the short cockpit access ladder, and moved smoothly into the pilot’s seat on the left.
“Preflight is complete,” Josh reported. “Reactors are online, and we’ll have full power in forty seconds.”
Connor donned his comm-set. “Lawrence Control, this is the Seiiki on pad six. We’re ready for departure.”
“Seiiki, Lawrence Control. Stand by for departing traffic on pad six.”
“Seiiki, standing by,” Connor replied.
“Full power,” Josh announced. “All systems show ready for departure.”
Connor looked out the side window. In the distance they were gathered- General Telles, Commander Jahal, Deliza, Yanni, Loki, his wife and child, the two Nifelmian doctors who had given him back his life…and Jessica. They did not wave, they simply stared at the Seiiki from afar. But Connor felt as if his eyes were locked with each of theirs.
“Seiiki, Lawrence Control. You are cleared for departure from six. Depart on heading zero two zero. Cleared to jump at three thousand.”
Connor did not reply, continuing to stare at the people who he should have considered family just as much as his crew.
“Cap’n?” Josh called.
Connor keyed his comm-set, his eyes still fixed on the people gathered in the distance. “Seiiki is cleared to depart pad six. Fly zero two zero, jump at three thousand.”
“Safe journeys, Seiiki.”
Connor sighed, his eyes still gazing outside. “Take us out, Josh.”
* * *
Jessica and the others watched as the Seiiki climbed away, eventually disappearing behind a distant flash of blue-white light in the night sky above Lawrence. No words were exchanged among those gathered to witness their departure, and silently, each of them went off in different directions to go about their duties.
“General,” Commander Jahal called.
“Yes.”
“Communications reports that one of the boxcar captains, Josan Donlevy, knows where the jump freighter Morsiko-Tavi is hiding out. He believes that, if asked, he would gladly support the Ghatazhak evacuation.”
“I am not familiar with this ship,” General Telles replied, as he turned and started walking back to the flight operations office.
“A standard flatbed hauler,” Commander Jahal stated. “Originally designed for interplanetary use. Dozens have been fitted with jump drives since the fall of the empire. They are not large ships, but they can carry at least eight to twelve cargo pods.”
“Who commands her?”
“Effry Tobas,” Commander Jahal replied. “Ex-Corinari pilot.”
“He flew with the first group of Falcons that Dumar sent,” Jessica recalled. “The ones that helped us destroy the battle platform. He was one of the few Falcon pilots who made it home alive.”
“Then, he can be trusted,” the general assumed.
“He has no love for the Jung, that’s for sure,” Jessica assured him.
“And if he has family on Corinair?”
“Then he could be working for the Dusahn,” Commander Jahal concluded.
“Not Tobas,” Jessica insisted.
“Authorize the contact, but do not divulge our location. We will have one of our combat jumpers rendezvous with the Morsiko-Tavi elsewhere, and place a squad on her decks. If Captain Tobas wishes to join us, we will welcome his assistance, but only if the captain turns over his command codes to us. We cannot allow him to send word of our location to the Dusahn.”
“He’s not going to like that,” Jessica warned.
“He does not have to like it,” the general replied. “He only has to comply.” The general paused for a moment, his attention piqued by several blue-white flashes of light, high above in the night sky. The first few were small enough to be boxcars, or even shuttles, but there were too many of them. Finally, he saw an even larger flash, much higher.
“Uh-oh,” Jessica mumbled.
“I do not believe trusting Captain Tobas will be an issue,” General Telles said.
“Ops reports a Dusahn assault ship has just jumped into orbit, along with a half dozen fast-attack gunships,” Commander Jahal announced.
“Sound the alert,” the general ordered. “Activate all defenses, and get all jump ships spun up and ready to depart.”
Moments after jumping into orbit over Burgess, dozens of small shuttles began pouring out of the open bay on the underside of the Dusahn assault ship. Each ship fell smoothly away, firing their deceleration thrusters as they descended on the planet. Once they reached their desired speed, each ship disappeared behind its own blue-white flash of light.
“It will take the Dusahn no time to discern our location,” General Telles warned as he donned the last piece of his combat armor. “Assuming they do not already know.”
“Falcons are fueled and ready,” Commander Jahal reported, as he picked up his combat helmet. “Their flight crews are climbing aboard now.”
“Tell them to get airborne without haste,” the general instructed, as he too donned his helmet. “How many combat shuttles do we have?”
“Three,” Jessica replied. “The other three are due shortly. We still have four boxcars on the ground, as well as one cargo shuttle. The rest won’t be back for at least an hour.”
“We likely will not be here in an hour,” the general said. He turned back to the commander. “Our automated defense systems?”
“Charged and ready,” the commander replied.
Blue-white flashes of light illuminated the interior of the Ghatazhak flight operations office.
“Dusahn troops in the perimeter,” Commander Jahal warned. “They’re using some sort of jump-enabled rapid deployment shuttles. They’re jumping in all over the place.”
“Telles to all Ghatazhak,” the general began after tapping the comm button on the side of his helmet. “Defense plan alpha seven. Maximum force.” The General headed for the door. “Let’s get to work.”
Jessica followed the general and the commander toward the exit, but stopped at the comm-station. She quickly typed in a brief connection string, and waited. “Come on, pick up.”
Three men in flight suits ran toward the first Super Falcon, bounding up the port boarding ladder as blue-white jump flashes reflected off their ships and the front of the hangar. Earsplitting claps of thunder followed each flash of light at varying intervals. The sound of automated plasma and laser cannon fire immediately filled the air, adding to the cacophony around them.
One by one, the flight crew dropped through the topside hatch into their ship. Sergeant Nama, the ship’s weapons and systems operator, was the first one inside, quickly moving to his station just behind the copilot’s seat. He was already powering up his console as the ship’s copilot, Ensign Lassen, moved forward past him and slid into the copilot’s seat on the right.
Lieutenant Teison, the Super Falcon’s pilot and commanding officer, was the last one in. He tapped the overhead hatch controls, causing the hatch to slide closed. By the time he reached the pilot’s seat, his copilot already had the Super Falcon’s reactors spinning up, and her systems coming to life. “Turn them over as soon as the reactors reach twenty percent,” he instructed as he strapped himself in.
“Already at fifteen,” Ensign Lassen replied.
“Two, you up?” Sergeant Nama called over his comm-set.
Lieutenant Teison glanced to his left. “They’re climbing in now, Riko.”
“Damn, talk about slow,” the sergeant said as he continued to activate his systems.
“Twenty percent, turning over the mains,” Ensign Lassen chimed in.
“Marso was probably taking a piss or something,” the lieutenant chided. “Avionics are hot.”
“One, Two. You up?” a voice called over the comms.
Several bolts of yellow flashed across their ship’s nose.
“We’re taking fire!” Ensign Lassen reported.
“No! They’re strays!” the lieutenant exclaimed. “Who’s got flight line defense?” he asked over comms.
“About time, Marso,” the sergeant replied over comms.
“Falcon One, Jevers!” a stern voice replied over comms. The sound of ground weapons fire echoed loud and clear over the comms.
“Check the north! We’re taking strays from the north!”
“Then get the hell off the ground,” the stern voice replied. “We could use some cover fire.”
“Combat Two, we’ll be up in thirty seconds. We’ll provide your cover, Sarge,” another voice announced.
“Make it quick,” Sergeant Jevers replied.
“Three will be right behind you, Two.”
“Forty percent,” Ensign Lassen reported.
The Super Falcon shook, as three energy blasts slammed into her starboard side.
“I’m pretty sure that qualifies as taking fire!” Ensign Lassen commented.
“You got shields yet, Riko?” the lieutenant asked.
“We’re on the ground, Tees!”
“So are the guys firing at us!” Ensign Lassen pointed out. “Fifty on the mains. Takeoff power in twenty, jump in forty!”
“Raise them!” the lieutenant ordered.
“It’ll sever the GPU cables,” the sergeant warned.
“One to ground! Get clear! We’re raising shields!” The lieutenant reached up to the overhead panel between himself and his copilot, quickly killing several breakers. “We’re no longer drawing power from the ground!” He glanced outside to see the ground crew running for cover. “They’re clear! Raise the damned shields!” he ordered, as several more blasts slammed into their starboard side.
“Coming up!” the sergeant replied.
“Fuck! They’re jumping in all over the place!” Ensign Lassen swore, pointing at the sensor display that had just come to life in the middle of the forward console.
“Guns are hot! Shields are up!” the sergeant reported. “Targeting the hostiles to starboard!”
“Two! Raise your shields!” the lieutenant ordered.
“Already coming up!” the reply sounded.
“Takeoff power!” Ensign Lassen reported.
Lieutenant Teison looked to his left again, at the other Super Falcon. “Two, you ready to launch?”
“Fifteen seconds!” Lieutenant Eski, Falcon Two’s pilot, replied over the comms.
“All ground forces on the ramp! Falcon One! Heads down!” the lieutenant ordered over the comms, as he pushed the lift thrusters forward. The Super Falcon rose a few meters off the tarmac, just enough to allow her ventral guns to deploy. “Riko! Sweep left to right! I’ll sweep right to left!” He leaned his flight control stick to the left, causing the ship to translate sideways, while maintaining its height above the ground. Narrow streams of energy weapons fire streaked out from under their nose, as the two ventral turrets swept from left to right, sending deadly bolts of plasma energy into the enemy troops. As the ship slid to port to provide cover for Falcon Two, the lieutenant twisted his flight control stick and caused his ship to yaw from right to left, holding down the trigger on the Super Falcon’s wing-mounted energy cannons. Several enemy landers exploded in bright orange and yellow balls of rapidly expanding burning gases, sending debris in all directions. “Come on, Eski! We gotta go!”
“For cryin’ out loud! Why does he always choose us?” Sergeant Torwell complained from the open side of the combat jump shuttle.
“I’m sure it’s because he likes hearing you complain all the time,” Lieutenant Latfee quipped from the copilot’s seat.
“It’s not that I mind being the general’s favorite,” the sergeant explained. “It’s just that he doesn’t behave like most generals. The man’s always jumping into the middle of shit, and getting us shot at!”
“This is the first time we’ve taken fire in seven years, Torwell!” Commander Kainan pointed out from the pilot’s seat. “And, I’m pretty sure we’re going to take fire today, whether the general’s on board or not!”
Sergeant Torwell continued watching the distant battle, while he scanned for any sign of an approaching vehicle that might be carrying the general. Blue-white flashes, followed by screeching thunderous claps, continued to pop off in every direction. “Man, it’s only a matter of time before they start jumping in around…”
A blue-white flash appeared less than ten meters away, directly to the side of the combat jumper, announced by the sharp thunder and a wave of displaced air that knocked the sergeant backward into the jumper.
“Shit!” Commander Kainan exclaimed as two more flashes appeared nearby. He grabbed his flight controls and jammed his thrust lever forward, causing the jump shuttle to leap into the air.
A small, boxy-looking, Dusahn lander, only slightly smaller than their jump shuttle, hovered
ten meters away, a meter off the tarmac, its lift thrusters screaming. Large doors on all four sides disappeared into the hull of the tiny ship, and four soldiers jumped to the surface, their weapons firing in all directions. They were dressed in crimson and black combat armor that covered every centimeter of their bodies, complete with combat helmets similar to those worn by the Ghatazhak. Their weapons were bulky, requiring both hands to wield, but they did so with practiced ease and precision.
Sergeant Torwell, now on his back on the deck of the main compartment, felt himself pushed down hard. As he struggled to get to his feet, several energy blasts from Dusahn ground forces slammed into the underside of the rising shuttle. Without warning, the shuttle ceased its decent. The sergeant suddenly felt much lighter, scrambling back to his feet. As he managed to attain a standing position once again, the shuttle spun quickly to starboard. Torwell grabbed the gunner’s chair hanging from the turret in the center of the shuttle’s main compartment ceiling, to avoid being tossed out the open side hatch. The combat shuttle’s side guns opened fire as the ship spun around, its discharges flooding the open compartment with red light.
Sergeant Torwell reached over to the side console and pressed a button, causing the side hatch to slide closed, before climbing up into his gunner’s chair. “Back secure!” he announced.
“I’ve got at least a dozen jump flashes in the air!” Lieutenant Latfee reported. “Three two zero, twenty clicks, a thousand meters up. Inbound at high speed! They’ve got to be attack fighters!”
“Telles, Combat One!” the commander called over comms. “We’re taking fire! We had to launch! Give us your position and we’ll pick you up!”
“Negative!” the general responded. “It’s too hot at our location! Will advise!”