The affable Merlin stepped from the open airlock door to greet his fellow pilots. Danny Green had been with Lee since the first mission aboard Baal years ago, and had taken the name of a fallen comrade as his call sign. He was one of the best pilots in the fleet and a good friend to his wing-mates.
“I got caught up in being dead,” Lee responded, clasping Merlin’s outstretched hand. “The Resolute is turning into a real barge of the dead.”
“I know, Captain,” Merlin replied. “That place is spooky. I think I’ll stay here. They have ice cream.”
The pilots laughed as they reunited with their missing man. Lee took the moment to look at the Vadne shuttle that occupied the main part of the hangar. The ship was as sleek as the capital ships, but with a curiously fat midsection that reminded Lee of a waist. The ship sat on four extended legs that kept it a few meters from the deck. The whole ship shone like chromed steel in the harsh hangar lighting. A stepped ramp extended from the port side, and two tall felinoid guards had just exited the ship. Following closely was the brindle emissary that Lee had been asked to call Sterling. The furred man approached the pilots and held up a clawed hand in greeting.
“Captain Pearce,” Sterling said in a quiet voice. “It is a pleasure to finally greet you as a friend. I wanted to express my regret at our first meeting, but the admiral assured me that the act was necessary to advance our goals.”
“Mister Sterling,” Lee replied, holding up a hand in greeting. “I hope you understand how much I appreciate you and your people aiding us with whatever it is that Chang has in mind. Our past relationship has been forgotten and you honor me with your presence now.”
Both men dropped their hands and turned to the airlock. The Demons had ceased with greeting and now stood at an uneasy state of attention. Lee motioned for them to relax as the two men started to the door. There was something very familiar about the Vadne emissary that Lee found unsettling. He did not like having information kept from him, and this man represented a major hole in his knowledge of the situation.
“Mister Sterling?” Lee asked. “I wonder if I might trouble you for some information.”
“Of course, Captain,” Sterling said calmly. “It is the least I can do after helping to kill you.”
“Indeed,” Lee said with a smile. “I find you very familiar. Did we meet before the trial? There is something very familiar about you and I wish to understand it.”
“It is not surprising that you recognize my scent, Captain,” Sterling said. “I am paternally bonded to one of your officers.”
“Wait a minute,” Baron said from behind the men. “You’re Farthing’s dad?”
“I believe that is the correct title, yes,” Sterling replied, turning to face the big human. “His siress was my mate during our pair-bonding days. He is one of my favorite offspring.”
Lee understood completely now. Vadne names like Farthing and Sterling were chosen by them only when in contact with other races. Farthing had once explained that they chose the names of local currency to enhance their value to the races they encountered. Amongst their own people, a series of growls and pheromone scents distinguished one Vadne from another. The familiar sensation Lee had towards the man had more to do with the way he smelled than his markings or mannerisms.
“Your son is a valuable member of my crew and a good officer, Sterling,” Lee replied. “It was a shame I had to kill him.”
“I understand that was part of the plan as well,” Sterling replied, with a chuffing laugh. “It seems we have all done strange things in the pursuit of your home planet. I hope it will be worth it.”
Lee and the Vadne representative walked down the corridor to a nearby receiving office. Originally built as a satellite station for the ship’s extensive security contingent, the office had been reappointed as a conference room. Pearce could see Captain Alfredo Ortiz through the clear glass wall. He was seated at the table, watching status readouts on the small screen nearby. Lee could see the look of concern on the man’s face. He looked tired. Lee palmed the plate by the door
“Captain Ortiz?” Lee said, as the door slid open. “Are we late?”
Ortiz stood quickly as the two men entered. The transport captain waved off the Demons and the security guard for the Vadne. The pilots stepped back into the corridor and took up positions near the door. The felinoid guard stood directly in front of the door, facing out. Lee and Sterling took up seats on either side of the table, sensing the urgency of the other man’s information.
“Thanks for coming over, gentlemen,” Ortiz said. “I have been asked to relay the following information by Alliance Command. The admiral ordered the evacuation of Perigee station just after the ministers went into exile. He is concerned that one of the ministers may have been plotting something very big.”
“One of the ministers,” Lee questioned. “Alfredo, what’s really going on?”
“Lee, Admiral Chang uncovered intelligence that Banu Rao has been developing a weapon that he intends to take directly to the Ch’Tauk home world,” Ortiz said.
“Minister Rao?” Sterling said, shocked at the information. “The man may have been obsessive, but a weapon to attack the Ch’Tauk?”
“It’s called the Hypervelocity Accelerator Cannon,” Lee said, stunning Ortiz and Sterling both. “Melaina recognized it when the Victory left the Perigee system.”
“I was wrong,” Ortiz said. “I should have gone to your ship for the briefing.”
“Melaina told us just before Chang ordered us out of the system,” Lee continued. “Chang had ordered radio silence for us, so we could not relay what we knew. She thinks the Victory has been converted into one big gun.”
“It’s what Chang’s analysts relayed to him as well,” Ortiz replied pinching the bridge of his nose and sitting further back in his chair. “The team of Karisiens that were sent over to work on the Victory included one of Chang’s operatives.”
“Pardon me,” Sterling interjected. “I seem to be the only one in the room who doesn’t already know everything. For what reason would Minister Rao take a weapon to the Ch’Tauk world?”
“I’m kind of curious about that myself,” Lee said. “I know he’s been one of the biggest proponents of retaking Earth, but why attack the enemy head on? My dad always told me that stomping the anthill is a good way to get bit.”
“Your dad knew what he was talking about,” Ortiz replied with a slight grin. “Banu seems to have developed the attitude that the best way to free Earth is to set fire to the anthill.”
“I am sorry again,” Sterling said. “Firstly, what are ants? I would also like to know more about this weapon. Is it really so powerful that it would force the Ch’Tauk to leave Earth?”
“My apologies, Mister Sterling,” Ortiz replied. “Perhaps Lee can explain how the weapon works better. He seems to have an inside track on the technology.”
“Not really, Captain,” Lee said standing and pacing around the table. “As Melaina explained it, the weapon is not much different from our current plasma technology. The major difference is in the delivery and how the gun throws it from the barrel. The Vadne use rail guns on their smaller ships, don’t they?”
“Yes, Captain,” Sterling said. “The efficiency of the technology on ships with smaller power plants makes them particularly useful in close combat.”
“Good, then you understand most of how the Victory has been modified,” Lee explained. “Your basic rail gun utilizes magnetic technology to push small amounts of matter or plasma to great speed. The energy released on impact is magnified by the velocity and relative mass of the object being thrown. The hyper-velocity gun does this, but on a scale we thought was impossible.”
“What do you mean?” Sterling asked. “How fast can this cannon fire a projectile?”
“According to Melaina and Tuxor,” Lee said. “The projectile size could be as small as my fist, it wouldn’t matter. Seeing the size of the gun built into the Victory, we can assume that the projectile is at le
ast the size of a shuttle or one of our fighters.”
“That is far larger than Chang was told,” Ortiz said, looking over his shoulder at Lee. “His intelligence said something about the mass of this table.”
“That seems small compared to the size of the weapon itself,” Lee said, stopping just behind Ortiz. “That isn’t really the issue, though. The real issue is that these cannons can accelerate a projectile to nearly the speed of light.”
Both Sterling and Ortiz looked at each other. The magnitude of the revelation was shocking to each man. They had been in space their whole lives and understood basic physics better than most.
“Energy is equal to the mass of an object times the speed of light squared, right?” Lee recited. “Imagine the magnitude of the destruction when any mass is accelerated to that speed. Melaina thinks the impact could crack a planet’s crust.”
“That is barbaric!” Sterling said, standing from his seat. “Minister Rao expects to destroy the Ch’Tauk world completely? That is genocide!”
“I think he sees it as retribution for the loss of our world, Mister Sterling,” Ortiz said as Lee returned to his seat. “He sees himself as the hand of Shiva. He was an Earth god who cleansed the world with fire. He has become like death itself, the destroyer of worlds.”
There was a silence over the table as the men considered the words. Lee had been kept from the world for the last seven months. He felt he should be surprised by the instability of Banu Rao, but was not. The man had been a conspiracy nut when he was a passenger on board the cruise ship. It seemed his insanity had grown as his influence over the civilian population increased. It had taken Lee’s death to make people see the truth of the man. The necessity of his death had been hidden until now to each of them.
“What does the admiral recommend?” Lee said quietly. “Is he going after the Victory?”
“No, Lee,” Ortiz replied. “You are.”
Lee looked at his friend with resignation. He had expected a new mission for his ship, but not one with such high stakes. Chasing another battleship across the galaxy seemed like a suicide mission at best, and Lee had not died just to kill himself for Banu Rao.
“If he set out the same time as Resolute from Perigee station, he should already be close to the Ch’Tauk world by now,” Sterling said, his crest rising and falling with his breath. “You will never catch him.”
“We don’t think he went straight there,” Ortiz said. “Chang thinks the cannons aren’t finished yet. They might still need to test it before going to the heart of the enemy.”
“That makes sense, but that still doesn’t tell us where they are,” Lee said. “I could point my finger and be almost as successful at figuring out where he is.”
“Chang wants you to rendezvous with another ship first, Lee,” Ortiz said, reaching out and tapping a keypad set into the table. A set of coordinates popped up on the display near Lee. “They can help us find our missing battleship. In the meantime, I need to offload my passengers and go back to Perigee. Mister Sterling, will your government accept our petition for asylum for real?”
“Of course, Captain Ortiz,” Sterling replied. “We are your allies. Provisions have already been made for you and your people on our southern continent.”
“Thank you,” Ortiz replied. “It means a lot that you are helping us.”
“Alfredo?” Lee asked. “What is the other ship?”
“It’s one that you are familiar with, Lee,” Ortiz replied with a sly grin. “You helped free her captain from a prison once.”
“Oh no,” Lee replied. “Not the—”
“Captain Ortiz!” Kama Yu’s voice erupted from the conference room speakers just as an alarm sounded on the ship. All three men came to their feet. “We have incoming ships!”
“Who is it, Kama?” Ortiz asked. “Is it the fleet?”
“No, sir,” Kama replied in panic. “It’s the Ch’Tauk!”
10
Lee pushed down the feeling of nostalgia as he snapped the cockpit of his Silver Eagle into place. He had flown the ship to the Terran Princess out of nostalgia for the days when he was still a fighter pilot. The Vadne had assured them the Ch’Tauk would not dare attack this system for fear of the Vadne fleet. The appearance of two Ch’Tauk frigates and a squadron of fighters had changed the plans.
“Demons ready,” Jackal said over the radio. The woman had taken over as Lee’s second in command after Alice’s death, and was becoming a fine officer. “Ready for launch.”
“Space doors are cycling,” Lee said. “This ship wasn’t built as a carrier. It takes time to get those things open.”
“What’s the plan, Captain?” Baron asked, idling his ship off the deck. “Who do we get to kill today?”
“Negative on the kill, Baron. We need to escort the Vadne back to his ship.” Sterling had insisted on leaving the Hope and returning to his own vessel. “I’ll take point and stay at her nose. Aztec and Merlin, you keep to their tail until we all get back home. Jackal and Baron, I need you to keep Hope alive. Set up a defensive pattern between the fighters and the ship.”
“Roger, Flyboy,” the pilots replied across the open radio. “Orders acknowledged.”
Lee felt of pang of regret as the other pilots called him by his call sign. Years ago, Alice had given him the name to tease him as a response to his naming her “Princess.” The name brought back memories of battles they’d fought, and their time together. He quickly pushed down the memories to focus on the battle ahead.
Lee opened the radio to his battleship. “Farthing, take up a position between the Hope and the incoming frigates. She needs room to get out of the way. She’s got passengers on board.”
“Acknowledged, Captain,” the felinoid commander replied. “We’re moving into position now. Do you need cover?”
“We’re bringing our own, Resolute,” Lee said. “I have to get the Vadne back home. I can send help after that. Turn the ship broadside to the incoming targets and open fire when in range.”
“Fire control teams are already on station and waiting,” Farthing said. “Plasma cannons are hot. Engineering reports our shields haven’t fully recovered from the solar damage, but they should regenerate soon. Resolute stands ready, sir.”
“Acknowledged, Big Mama,” Lee said, using the call sign of the ship. “We are a go for launch. Good hunting.”
Lee’s ship shot from the hangar deck into space. Close behind the ship was the Vadne shuttle. He had locked on to the ship with a basic flocking signal that kept it close on his tail. He released the signal as soon as they were clear of the space doors to allow it maneuvering room. The escort fighters piloted by Aztec and Merlin exited the hangar and spread out, covering the flanks of the lightly-armed shuttle. The formation turned port towards the Vadne ship. Jackal and Baron followed and began a spiraling patrol route around the big cruise ship.
Lee could see Resolute tilted at an angle from his view as it sped in to protect the transport. Relative to the planet, all of the ships were pointed outward with the battleship heading in towards the planet. The cruise ship and the old battleship were nearly the same size, so when Resolute pulled into position, she covered the other vessel completely. Lee could almost feel the energy waiting to be released from the old ship. Her gun crews were ready for a fight after a year of sitting still.
“Demon squadron, we are reading no incoming from Vadne fleet. Can you confirm?”
The felinoid ship had signaled Lee over the open radio. Lee checked the local signal and found nothing. Lee assumed the Ch’Tauk were jamming local signals just in case. The odd thing was that they were jamming in plain sight of the rest of the fleet. There was no way the rest of the Vadne would not see them.
“Embassy shuttle, I show no incoming,” Lee responded. “Transmissions are being jammed at five kilometers from our present location. Can you signal your ship for docking?’
“Negative, Demon One,” the Vadne replied. “They will see us coming, though. By now the fleet
should be mobilizing to repel.”
“We’ve got you covered until landing,” Lee said. “Full speed. We need to get you safe before the fighters swarm.”
“Acknowledged, we are at full speed and closing on a landing.”
Lee saw the ship accelerate behind him. He nudged his own ship faster to keep from colliding with the shuttle. His fighter was much faster than any other ship on the battlefield, but he needed to keep ahead of the shuttle for protection.
“Fighters incoming!” Jackal’s voice crackled over the comm.
Lee switched his scanner back to view the cruise ship. Jackal and Baron were green dots crawling across the surface of the civilian transport. Four Ch’Tauk fighters were closing on their location in a standard attack pattern. The ships were flying in a diamond pattern, each covering the other ship’s flank. The two Eagles broke from their cover and took up positions to defend against the enemy fighters.
“Jackal,” Lee ordered. “You are clear to engage if the fighters break through. Big Mama, open fire when the fighters are in range. Let’s thin them out before they get anywhere near the Hope.”
There was a collective acknowledgement from the two groups as Lee maneuvered the shuttle closer the Vadne ship. Sterling’s insistence on returning to his own ship was dangerous to both the Vadne and to Lee and his crew. The sooner he could get this ship back home, the better.
“Shuttle,” Lee radioed over the comm. “I am turning over lead to you and your commander. Do you require further assistance?”
“Negative,” Sterling’s voice replied. “You and your squadron may join the others. Thank you.”
Lee immediately peeled away from the shuttle. He pulled his nose up tight and fell away at high speed. Aztec and Merlin flowed at a wider arc, falling away from the Vadne ship and turning towards the oncoming fight.
Resolute had begun firing its plasma cannons as soon as the Ch’Tauk fighters came into range. Streams of red-orange fire were filling the local sky with fury. The insect-like Ch’Tauk fighters bobbed around the plasma fire. Resolute’s fire teams were good, but the small ships were fast and swerved around the streams. Lee’s screens showed another four ships behind the first, falling back and waiting to see the patterns before engaging. The two frigate analogs took up flanking positions on either side of the battlefield. Lee wondered what they were waiting for.
Resolute Victory (The War for Terra) Page 8