by Ryk Brown
“Cargo shuttles, perhaps?”
“Too small, sir.” The systems officer’s eyes suddenly widened as he stared at the sensor display. “Captain, it’s a warship! They are bombing the surface!”
Captain Gullen was suddenly more interested. “Can you determine their target?”
“We’re too far out, Captain. I’m also picking up two more ships. They appear to be attacking the larger ship.” The systems officer looked at Captain Gullen. “I believe they are Palean four zero twos,” he said in disbelief.
“The Alliance flew Palean four zero twos against the Jung back in the Sol Sector. But they retired them once they had enough Super Eagles,” Commander Jarso recalled.
“They gave the last three to the Ghatazhak,” Captain Gullen told the commander. “They were non-functional when the Ghatazhak left Sol. They were among the cargo that I hauled to Sherma for them.”
“Then it is the Ghatazhak who are under attack,” the commander realized.
“They cannot survive an orbital attack,” the captain said. “Not with only a few four zero twos. Nobody could. Not even the Ghatazhak.”
“They might,” the commander disagreed, “with our help.”
“You have no idea what that ship’s defenses might be,” Captain Gullen warned. “And you are only twenty ships, Commander. The chances of your survival…”
“Twenty-one,” the commander corrected, cutting him off. “And, if the Ghatazhak are, as you say, the only ones who can stand against the Dusahn, then they are worth protecting. My men and I stand ready to assist them, Captain.”
“This ship carries no armaments, Commander.”
“I only ask that you remain at a safe distance, so that those who survive the battle have someplace to return.”
Captain Gullen sighed. “I cannot promise how long we will remain in the system,” he told the Commander. “But I can promise that we will remain as long as humanly possible.”
Alarms sounded throughout the ship. Twenty men, each of them once of the noble houses of Takara, ran out onto the Glendanon’s massive cargo deck. They weaved their way between stacks of cargo pods that towered like buildings on city streets all around them.
Once they reached their rows of jump fighters, the pilots climbed up onto their ships, using the fold-out boarding ladders built into the sides of the fuselages.
As they boarded their ships, cargo techs scrambled about to ensure that the departure of the Takaran fighters would not be impeded. But they had little time, as the entire deck would need to be depressurized before the doors could be opened, and the long process had already begun. In a few minutes, the air inside the massive bay would be too thin for them to breathe.
Commander Jarso slid down into his cockpit, immediately activating the canopy. As it slid closed, he donned his helmet and checked that its umbilical was still attached. With his helmet on and sealed, he buckled himself into his flight seat and pressed the restraint lock on the side. The sides of the seat changed shape, coming up over his thighs and binding him snugly into his chair.
The commander flipped on his main power and immediately started up his ship’s reactor plants. His console sprung to life, and his helmet comms crackled as they came online. He kept one eye on his squadron status display, green indicators illuminating as each ship powered up.
The commander glanced outside, noting that the last of the cargo deck technicians had left the area. Soon, the massive sections of the Glendanon’s cargo deck would begin to roll aft.
“Glendanon, Raker Leader. All Rakers are manned and powering up. We’ll be ready for departure in one minute.”
“Raker Leader, Glendanon. We copy. We’re waiting for the all clear from the deck chief before rolling back the doors. Is there enough room for you to pass above the forward cargo, or do you need us to roll back and expose the mid deck?”
Commander Jarso activated his sensors, scanning the stacks of cargo pods in the forward half of the ship. “We can make it as far as the second section,” he told the Glendanon’s communications officer. “Forward of that, the stacks are too high.”
“Copy that. Deck chief has given the all clear. We’re rolling back the doors now. Launch when ready.”
“You might want to have the first three sections rolled back by the time we return,” the commander warned him. “We might be pretty well banged up by the time we get back.”
“Understood. Good luck.”
Orange warning lights began to flash across the length of the cargo deck, warning all that it was about to be opened to space.
“Jarso to all Rakers. There appears to be some sort of assault ship attacking Burgess. We suspect that the Ghatazhak are under attack, as well. We do not have confirmation as to the identity of the attacking forces, but it’s a good bet that it’s the Dusahn. If we are to stand against the Dusahn, we will need the Ghatazhak. Our mission is to destroy that ship, then fly cover while the Ghatazhak evacuate to the Glendanon. We will divide into four groups, led by myself, Rio, Gio, and Sissy. Dumdum, Razz, Mother, and Hedge will go with Rio. Red, Sticky, Shooter, and Stringbean will go with Gio. Opie, Deaf, Peanut, and Rat will follow me. The rest are with Sissy.”
“Come on, Rubber,” Lieutenant Commander Sistone complained. “Why do I get all the babies?”
“Because you’re so good with children, Sissy.”
“Sissy, can we play a game?” Ensign Hux teased over the comms.
“Pipe down, Hux,” the commander scolded. “This is serious business. Sissy, you and the children provide close air support for the Ghatazhak at the Lawrence Spaceport.”
“Any idea where that is?” Lieutenant Commander Sistone quipped.
“It’ll be where all the jump flashes are concentrated,” the commander replied. The flashing orange lights outside his ship suddenly changed to red. “The doors are opening now, gentlemen. As soon as the first two are open, we can slide along the top to the exit. We launch by the numbers. Once outside, everyone form up on your leaders before we jump in.” Commander Jarso fired his thrusters, lifting his ship up off the deck with ease, now that the Glendanon had decreased the artificial gravity in the cargo bay to minimums. “Let’s get some payback, boys. Rubber is up,” he announced, as he fired his forward translation thrusters and headed up over the stacks of cargo pods toward the not-yet-opened second bay door.
* * *
“Port dorsal shields are down to thirty percent!” Sergeant Nama warned. “You think maybe you could show them our starboard shields for a change, LT?”
“I’ll do what I can,” Lieutenant Teison promised, as he pulled the Super Falcon into a wide right turn. “How many more passes until that damn shield of theirs comes down?”
“None of their shields are below eighty percent right now,” the sergeant replied.
“We’ll never survive long enough to bring even one of those shields down,” Ensign Lassen said in despair.
“How about a little positivity once in a while, Tomi,” the lieutenant complained as he activated the next jump.
“Okay, I’m positive we won’t survive long enough to bring their shields down,” the ensign replied, as the Super Falcon’s windows cycled opaque and then clear again.
“Target their number eight shield again,” the lieutenant ordered as he steered the Super Falcon directly into the incoming defensive energy weapons fire.
“When the hell did the Jung get energy weapons on their ships?” Sergeant Nama asked. “I thought they only had rail guns?”
“They’re not Jung, remember?” the lieutenant reminded him.
“Jung, Dusahn… Same thing, right?”
“Just unload on them, Riko.”
“I am!” the sergeant assured them.
The ship rocked violently as several energy bolts slammed into their forward shields.
“Fuck! You can show them our starboard side anytime, LT!” the sergeant exclaimed.
“I am!” the lieutenant yelled back.
“Two is hit! Two is hit!” Sergeant Tillem declared over the comms. “We lost all forward shields!”
After a pause, the lieutenant keyed his comms. “How bad?”
“Fuck!” the panicked sergeant cried out. “We’re decompressed! They’re dead! Eski and Marso are both dead!”
“Two is headed right for that ship, LT,” Ensign Lassen warned.
“Len! Can you get out?” the lieutenant asked over comms.
“Get out to where, Jasser?” Ensign Lassen wondered.
The lieutenant knew it was hopeless. Even if the sergeant was able to push himself away from his crippled ship, its momentum would carry him into the enemy ship’s shields, killing him instantly.
“I’m going to try to force a reactor overload,” the doomed sergeant reported. “If I can time it just right, I might be able to…”
Super Falcon One continued to shake violently as incoming energy weapons fire impacted against the starboard shields. When the sergeant’s transmission cut off, both pilots looked to the sensor display, as the green icon indicating the position of Super Falcon Two suddenly disappeared.
“We can’t take much more of this,” Sergeant Nama warned, breaking the silence. “Half our shields are below twenty percent, LT.”
Lieutenant Teison said nothing. He was a Ghatazhak. Like all other Ghatazhak, his training had begun as he entered puberty, and had lasted more than a decade. He had only recently become a pilot, but the same no-fail mindset that drove him as a Ghatazhak foot soldier dictated his approach to flying. Admitting defeat while they could still fight was a difficult thing to do.
“LT,” the sergeant urged.
“If we can’t stop them, at least we can provide cover while the others escape,” Ensign Lassen reminded his commander.
“We can stop them,” the lieutenant insisted. “Tillem had the right idea.”
“They took him apart before he even got close, Jasser,” Ensign Lassen said.
“He was dead stick,” the lieutenant argued. “We’re not.”
“Jasser…”
“You all know that not even half of our forces will get out alive if we don’t take that ship out,” the lieutenant said, looking at his copilot. “And you can be damned sure that none of our families will make it out alive.”
“Maybe they won’t glass the entire planet?” Sergeant Nama said hopefully.
“Are you willing to bet your wife’s life on that?” Lieutenant Teison asked, looking back at the sergeant.
No one spoke for several seconds.
“It’s your call, Jasser,” Ensign Lassen finally said. “I’m with you either way.”
The lieutenant looked over his shoulder at Sergeant Nama.
“Let’s do it,” the sergeant agreed.
“Coming about,” the lieutenant stated, bring the Super Falcon into a tight left turn.
“I’ll get the reactors as close to critical as I can without lighting us up,” Sergeant Nama said.
“Be ready to dump all available energy into the forward shields,” Lieutenant Teison instructed. “We’ll fire as if we’re making another attack run, then kill the weapons and dump the power into the shields when we cross the safe jump point.”
“Wouldn’t we have a better chance if we forgot about the weapons and dumped all the power into the shields?” Sergeant Nama suggested.
“Then they’d know we were making a suicide run,” the lieutenant replied. “They’d train every gun on us. You got enough power to keep the shields up against every gun?”
“Jump point in ten seconds,” Ensign Lassen announced.
It was the longest, quietest ten seconds of their lives. At the end of it, the last remaining Palean four zero two, nicknamed the Super Falcon, jumped back into the Dusahn assault ship’s field of defensive fire. Again, the ship shook as enemy energy bolts slammed into their weakening shields.
“Open fire,” the lieutenant ordered.
“Forward shields down to twelve percent,” Sergeant Nama reported.
“Twenty seconds to safe escape jump point,” Ensign Lassen announced.
“Stand by to kill weapons and dump all power into the forward shields,” the lieutenant instructed.
“Reactors are at one hundred and thirty-seven percent. I’m overriding the safeties to keep them climbing. They’ll light up at one-forty-two,” the sergeant warned.
“Ten seconds!”
“One-thirty-nine.”
“Five seconds.”
“It’s been an honor, gentlemen,” the lieutenant said as he held their course.
“Jump flashes!” Ensign Lassen exclaimed. “Bearing zero eight five, up eighteen relative! Twenty clicks! Holy shit! They’re Takaran fighters!”
Lieutenant Teison pulled back hard on his flight control stick, pitching the Super Falcon up and away from the Dusahn assault ship. “Nama! Dump all power into the ventral shields, and dial those reactors back down to safe levels!”
“Falcon One to incoming Takaran fighters!” Ensign Lassen called over comms. “Identify and state intentions!”
“Falcon One, Commander Jarso of the Avendahl! Approaching with a flight of twenty jump fighters looking for some action. You boys know where we might find some?”
“I’m passing over the target right now!” Lieutenant Teison announced. “Have at her, Commander, and welcome to the party!”
“I’m picking up another target, way out by Aluria!” Ensign Lassen reported. “Database IDs her as the Glendanon!”
Lieutenant Teison looked back at the sergeant, a broad smile on his face. “Get on the secondary and inform Telles that help has arrived.”
* * *
“General! They’re pounding the shit out of us!” Commander Jahal yelled over the sound of energy weapons fire and explosions. “There are pockets of us cut off all over Lawrence! By my count, we’ve already lost one hundred men! And we’ve only been fighting for ten minutes! We cannot hold! We have to retreat!”
“To where?” the general challenged, as he continued to return fire.
Another blue-white flash appeared, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder and wave of displaced air. Only this time, it was directly behind them.
The shock wave knocked them all over. As the general got back up, four crimson and black soldiers leapt from the hovering cube, landing only a few meters from General Telles, Commander Jahal, and Lieutenant Nash. The soldier facing them immediately took aim and fired repeatedly, striking Commander Jahal in the chest and face, sending him spinning to the pavement in a smoldering heap.
General Telles, still not on his feet, returned fire, triple-tapping the nearest enemy soldier in the middle of the chest, the third round finally making its way through the crimson and red armor and into the enemy soldier’s torso. He quickly fired at the next soldier, who was turning to take aim at him, but caught his weapon with his first blast. The enemy soldier’s weapon sizzled and popped as the infuriated soldier cast it aside, pulled a large combat knife from his side, and lunged at the general in one smooth motion.
Jessica fired repeatedly as she got to her knees, but the other two soldiers were facing away from her, and the back of their armor seemed impenetrable.
General Telles took the lunging Dusahn soldier low, driving his shoulder into the man’s upper thighs. The blow caused the soldier to flip over as he swung his blade at the general. Telles felt the man’s blade bounce off the armor on his left thigh as he passed under the toppling man. He tucked neatly into a roll, continuing forward at a run. Two steps, then a leap, and the general was on top of one of the soldiers that Jessica had fired upon before. His own
knife already in hand, he found the weak spot in the body armor, between the chest piece and the neck. As Telles rode the man to the ground, his knife drove deep into his clavicle, severing the enemy soldier’s subclavian artery. He pushed the knife across the man’s neck, opening him up before stepping off and rolling to his right to avoid energy weapons blasts from another group of four Dusahn soldiers who had just jumped in behind them.
Jessica fired four shots into the man Telles had knocked over to finish him, then concentrated her fire on the final soldier from the first group, drilling slowly into his back with each bolt of energy. The man resisted, and even tried to turn to face her. That was his mistake, as his armor was not as thick on the sides, and her energy blasts finally found the flesh they sought. As the man fell, she saw General Telles single-handedly taking on four attackers in close combat. Twisting and dodging, stabbing and punching, all four men tried in vain to take down the general. She raised her weapon to open fire, when two more flashes appeared nearby, nearly knocking her back down again. She opened fire on the nearest lander to her left, managing to strike one of the thrusters on the corner of the small ship. The enemy lander tipped to one side as its four doors opened. Two of the men fell out, awkwardly landing on their sides. The third man managed to jump to safety, but the fourth was unable to get out before the lander struck the tarmac and exploded, killing the two men who had fallen to the ground.
Four more shots from her energy rifle dispatched the one survivor from the ill-fated lander. Jessica turned to check on the general, only to find a pile of dead bodies at his feet.
General Telles picked up the nearest Dusahn energy weapon and opened fire on the four men who had just jumped out of a nearby lander, taking them down one by one.
Jessica raised her weapon to fire on the departing lander, but it exploded before she could pull the trigger. She ducked instinctively as a combat jump shuttle streaked low over them, weapons blazing, firing into the forces advancing behind them. She turned back to the general, who was now standing amongst a second pile of dead Dusahn soldiers, firing at yet another lander that had just jumped in nearby. Four more Ghatazhak were running toward the general from the west, and Jessica finally felt as if she had a chance to catch her breath.