Hell Fighters from Earth

by William C. Seigler

“Commander that was no accident. They’ve adapted their tactics. They fire a wall of missiles then explode them, and we get to fly through a wall of debris.”

  “I see. Good approach, but won’t our field generator move them around us?”

  “Small meteorites and whatnot, but I wouldn’t bet on it. They’ve come up with an effective defense.”

  “It’s only effective if it hits us. At these speeds hitting anything is extremely dangerous,” added the FO.

  “Commander, I recommend we do something about this before attempting a rescue,” said du Bois.

  “Sir, the first missile’s locked on. I also think I can get one off at the one at L2.”

  “Do it,” responded Fitz. “You mean take out the defending ships?”

  “At least, hurt them. We’ve got to do something to neutralize this defense.”

  “It’s away.” There was a huge fireball as the first missile struck the ship at L5. “I’m close enough to get a good lock now. How about two more?”

  “Do it,” replied Fitz. “Chief, you’ve got that troubled look.”

  “Two away.” The big missiles blasted off from their racks.

  “Something’s happened to the missiles from the ship that rounded the star.”

  “What?”

  “The computer thinks they might have actually staged and now the second stage is coming at us at incredible speed.

  The second missile, the one launched at the ship at L2 found its target, but not before they got off a volley. “Sir, we’ve got incoming,” warned Denver.

  “They’re firing awfully close to the direction of the L5 ship,” said the skipper. He and the FO exchanged glances and grinned. “I’ve got an idea.” He turned toward the approaching missiles.

  “Corporal, have your men hold their fire,” ordered du Bois.

  “Uh… yes, sir.” He spoke into his mic, “Okay guys, take a breather; hold your fire.”

  The skipper slowed the ship and ran it out till Chief reported that incoming had radar lock, then turned and headed straight back for the ship at L5.

  “Sir, they’ve exploded,” reported Denver.

  “Hold on.” He swung the ship around and headed for the southern pole of the planet at tremendous speed.

  “Oh boy,” said Fitz. In the heat of the fight, nobody had noticed the giant ship nestled next to the little planet. It was big and looked like a small elongated moon. Now everyone saw it.

  Two more of Denver’s missiles struck the L5 ship and a wall of shrapnel headed for the doomed ship.

  As they swept over the south pole, the pilot yawed the ship to starboard again bringing another warship into view. “Corporal, two more missiles if you please.”

  “Yes sir.” As the nose pointed directly toward the enemy, he fired. “Two away.”

  They came around the planet headed straight for the ship leading the planet in its orbit. “It might not fire if we keep the planet directly behind us,” said Fitz.

  The skipper responded. “You might be right. Let’s try it.”

  “Chief, do you have an E.T.A. on those inbound missiles?”

  “Less than an hour. These just do not fit the pattern of the others. Hard to say what they’ll do. I’m also getting signs of explosions and outgassing by the ship at L5.”

  “Sir, both missiles have struck the ship at L4.”

  Chief spoke up. “Looks like they’ve got fires going on several decks. There’s considerable outgassing amidships.”

  Fitz spoke up. “Skipper, you ready to head for the big ship?”

  “Sir, I do believe so.” He turned the ship and raced toward the objective.

  What happened next they had not expected. The uncompleted giant carrier started firing at them with small, fast missiles. “Corporal!” barked duBois.

  “I’m on it. Okay guys, back to work. We’ve got incoming.” All three guns began firing as the pilot dodged and weaved. However, the gunners kept firing even after the incoming stopped.

  “What you guys doing?” asked Denver.

  “Trying to knock out their missiles before they launch,” responded Chuy. It was true. They had targeted sites from where missiles had launched. The converted destroyer was under the giant Reptilian spaceship carrier and sailed in to dock with the Grey alien’s ship.

  “Okay Smith, let’s go.”

  “You guys keep a sharp eye out to see what they throw at us next; the CO and I are taking a little walk.” He removed his headset and grabbed the jerry-rigged weapon. He followed Fitz to the air lock. He noticed Fitz was wearing his headband and wondered what conversations he might be having with the aliens.

  Fitz opened the airlock; the air seemed stale, fetid. He did not like it. Was this what lizards smelled like? They make his skin crawl; for a moment, he wondered if they had the same reaction to him. He did not care.

  “Which way here?” asked Fitz.

  For a moment, Denver wondered if he was talking to him. Then he realized that Fitz was in contact with the aliens. He rounded the corner and stopped at a door. Quickly the alien gave him the combination, and they were in.

  “Stand by the door,” Fitz commanded.

  “Yes sir.”

  Denver had not even seen the aliens yet, but they had to be close. Maybe in the attack everyone was at battle stations and not guarding aliens.

  Shots! There were shots coming from the direction Fitz had gone. He raced in the direction of the shots. There were two guards. Now they lay on the floor. So .50 caliber works on these guys; good information.

  “Back to your post. The objective is just beyond this door.”

  As Denver got to the door, he almost ran into several Reptilians. They were as shocked as he was. For a moment, they were frozen. He raised his weapon and fired knocking the lead lizard into the others. He got down behind the doorway and fired again.

  Four down and three got away. He spoke into his radio, “Boss we’ve got company.”

  “Understood,” was the curt reply.

  Denver moved around the fallen lizard and picked up his weapon. Man, this thing is heavy. Wonder what it fires.

  He held it the way he thought he had seen them hold it. It was stockless. He held it close to his body and fumbled around until he found a trigger. Blam!

  It almost knocked him down. His ears rang, his eyes burned, and there were several big holes in the wall at the end of the corridor. What is this, a shotgun on steroids?

  Then he got an idea. With his own weapon dangling from his neck, he sprinted down the hall and peeked around the corner. He could hear multiple footsteps. As they rounded the corner, he let fly with the lizard gun repeatedly. They stopped in their tracks and fell all over each other trying to get back out of the way.

  On a completely stupid impulse, he charged screaming like a mad banshee. The lizards scurried farther down the hallway and around the bend. He followed only to find a strange bulkhead closing in front of him. For fun, he blasted the door a couple of times.

  On the way back, he picked up lizard weapons and stripped the bodies of what looked like ammo. He kept looking over his shoulder, but there was no pursuit.

  “Smith, where the devil are you?”

  As he rounded the bend, he answered, “Here.”

  Fitz looked at the cache Denver was lugging. “What have you been up to?”

  “Fumigating, what you got there?”

  Fitz was carrying the injured alien in his arms like a small child. The other peaked out from behind him.

  Suddenly the ship shook just a bit and did so again. They looked at each other. “That can’t be good,” said Smith.

  “Think you can find the way back?”

  The radio came alive. It was the top gunner. “Denver, we got company!”

  Chapter 15: Into the Breach

  “What do you mean com
pany?” asked Denver.

  “They’re out here in spacesuits, and they are firing rockets at us,” responded Tyron.

  “Make your shots count; we’re on our way back.” He could see the airlock, but suddenly behind them, there was an explosion. Smoke quickly filled the corridor.

  He lifted his weapon to fire, but Fitz stopped him. “They may think we are still back where these guys were held.”

  “Get aboard sir; I’ll bring up the rear.” As Fitz and the alien sprinted for the airlock, he went back to the last turn in the corridor. He made the mistake of sticking his head around the corner of a “T” intersection in the direction from which they had come.

  Behind him, a lizard discharged its weapon nearly taking his head off. He quickly spun around and fired his lizard weapon in the direction of the blast. He looked after Fitz. They were safely in the airlock and waving for him to come.

  “Cycle it! I’ll hold them!” Suddenly there was firing from the other direction. He fired that way, then turned and fired the other. Now both sides were firing for all they were worth and shouting, growling, or snarling in a moisture laden oral slither.

  Of course, he could not understand it, but guessed it meant something like ‘don’t let them get away.’ The airlock opened again. He heard it and looked over his shoulder. He could see Fitz’s face behind the glass. The firing had abated for a moment, so he fired twice in one direction without looking and once in the other.

  Running as hard as he could while carrying the lizards’ weapons he made for the airlock. It was not far, but it seemed an eternity until he got there and leaped in. The door closed and the ship detached slamming him against the wall.

  He dropped everything and ran to his top gunner who had nearly exhausted his ammo. He could see the forms of lizard bodies all around him. Now the ship shook again as the side gunners opened up. He raced forward.

  He reached the flight deck as the skipper accelerated clear of the lizards. He looked at Fitz. “The aliens?”

  “They are all in his quarters. I don’t know if they can save the injured one. Apparently, they were working them over one at a time letting the other watch. It was too much for the genteel aliens. The last one is going to need some serious counseling.”

  “Sir, what about the nuke? We didn’t get to set it in the ship,” asked Chief.

  “Stay close to the ship. We need to blow this thing up.”

  The skipper looked back at him. He was a disciplined officer who knew better than to make an outburst even now.

  “What do you have in mind, sir?” He probably knew Fitz did not have any idea what to do next, but this was not the time for an open challenge.

  “Can you get us near the unfinished superstructure?”

  “I can try.”

  “Sir,” interrupted Chief, “we are out of time; the missiles from the one behind us are on us.”

  “How much time do we have?” demanded Fitz.

  “Two minutes tops.”

  Fitz and the skipper exchanged glances. “Watch me.”

  The pilot took off directly for the incoming phalanx of missiles. When they had a good lock, he turned around and headed back toward the carrier and the docked alien ship with those missiles in tow.

  The carrier now opened up with missiles of its own, which his men engaged. One got too close before exploding and the ship shook as it took a hit. Alarms sounded as one section depressurized.

  “Tyron?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Willy?”

  “The way out is sealed off, but I’m okay.”

  “Just stay put. We’ll have you aboard the alien transport craft in a few minutes.”

  “Chuy?”

  “I’m here. Couple more rounds left.”

  “Hang onto them for now.”

  The FO reached up and silenced the klaxon, as the ship grew larger with frightening speed. At what seemed the last possible moment the skipper pulled up and around behind the giant ship.

  Shortly there were brilliant flashes as the missiles meant for them slammed into the carrier. “Maybe we should get out of here,” said Chief.

  “Good idea,” replied the skipper. They made for open space only to have the ship leading the planet to open up on them. There was no escaping the blast. He tried to outmaneuver the blast cloud, but it proved impossible.

  Another klaxon and now most of the ship was sealed off from the rest. “Report,” demanded Denver.

  “I’m still here,” answered Willy.

  “Me too,” chimed in Tyron.

  “I’m hurt.” It was Chuy. “I’ve got my shirt jammed in the hole, but I’m still losing air.”

  “Chief, help me into that suit,” instructed Smith.

  Soon Chief had him in it. “Now you won’t be able to get through this door,” said Chief pointing at the hologram, “until I get the air pumped out. Take this. Hold it and point it at any holes less than about 20 cm and it should fill them in. It’ll solidify in seconds. Let me know when you get it done and I’ll let the air back in.”

  “When you get to his door it probably will be stuck and hard to open. Use the crash ax if you have to, but only if you have to. We’ll have to isolate his pod. Got it?”

  “Got it,” he answered as he closed up the suit. Then he added, “I think so.”

  Once in that corridor, he secured the door and waited. After Chief pumped it to vacuum, he opened the next door to the area hit by shrapnel. He was surprised by the amount of damage. Once a piece broke through the walls, it generated more high-speed shrapnel. It was a mess, but he worked quickly and soon had the holes filled.

  “Okay Chief, let some air back in here.”

  Air pressure came up, but there were still some pinhole leaks. He soon isolated them and was ready to go in after Chuy. He forced open the hatch to the gun pod; he was not ready for the level of damage. Chuy was cut up and had stripped to the waist. His shirt was blocking the hole.

  Denver motioned him aside and discharged the leak-stop foam. Some other spots needed his attention, which he quickly repaired.

  “Thanks man,” he said, but Denver could not hear him.

  “I’m bringing him out. I think I can move him.” He helped the injured man to his feet. He staggered and Denver felt clumsy in the suit.

  As they started to leave, Chief and Fitz joined them. They quickly got Chuy to safety and closed all the bulkheads behind them. He would be all right, but Chuy was out of the fight.

  “What?” said Fitz grasping his head. Then he added, “The alien ship is free. You think you can get us over to it?”

  “Yes sir, but I recommend we take out this battlewagon first. He’s still got plenty of fight left in him.”

  “Yes,” replied Fitz, “let’s get him. Smith!”

  “Already on it. One away.”

  “How many you got left?”

  “One.”

  “Blast! Let ‘em have it too.”

  “Two away.” Both impacted the enemy ship with great explosions of light and fire.

  The skipper maneuvered where he could see the damage done to the giant carrier. There were gaping holes everywhere. Here and there, they could see oxygen fed fires burning in the vacuum of space but only for a few moments. There were scattered secondary explosions. Debris was everywhere.

  A massive hole had been gouged amid ships, decks and bays where enemy ships were to be loaded were exposed. It was a colossal, ugly, smoking disaster with huge chunks flying off.

  The alien ship was attached to one such chunk and spun lazily in its own orbit around the planet. Fitz swore which was rare for him. “We need that ship.”

  “We need to completely destroy the other ships. We don’t know where any data or equipment they obtained is kept,” said du Bois.

  “Don’t forget that fourth ship. We haven’t eve
n fired a shot at it,” added the FO.

  “Speak of the devil,” said Denver, who was watching his screen.

  “What?” asked the FO disgustedly.

  “An old Earth saying, they’re here and will be in what the computer thinks is their favored firing range in two minutes.” In a low voice, he added to Chief, “I like this technology.”

  “It watches what they do. Then it modifies its programming to take any new developments into mind and gives you an idea of what they will do next.”

  “Slick.”

  “Commander,” said the skipper, “I want to swing up under the planet and when we can, fire whatever we have left.”

  “Then what?”

  “We make ourselves scarce,” commented Smith louder than he had intended.

  “Dammit, speak English!” demanded Fitz.

  “We get out and rendezvous with the transporter.”

  “That gives me an idea. Skipper, do it and get us into a good position to fire whatever we have left. Alien are you there?”

  “Yes,” replied the alien through the headband, “I’ve been monitoring. We need to get back to the ship. One of The People is near death, and the other is emotionally unstable.”

  “Unstable? Look we’ll be back momentarily. Are there any more missiles on the transporter jump ship?” asked Fitz.

  “Why yes, of course, but if the scout ship is free, we must recover it. I don’t know …” thought the alien into Fitz’s head.

  Fitz ripped off the headband. “Whip us around and bring us up behind them.”

  “Already on my way,” said duBois.

  “Smith, I want you to take the empty gunner’s station. When we get in behind them fire everything you have left into the engines.”

  “Got it.”

  “Swing around for the other gunners to do the same then head us out to these coordinates.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He slipped the headband back on. Then to the alien he said, “Can you have the star jump ship meet us very soon?”

  “Yes.”

  “One more thing, have the humans on board meet us with a full complement of missiles.”

  Everyone exchanged glances then looked back at the CO. He looked at each in turn. “We’ve still got to place that nuke, and the alien ship is floating off somewhere just waiting for the lizards to pick it up.”