Harris entered two waypoints into the nav computer before pushing the throttle to full. “Twelve minutes to the first turn. Another eight and you can power up those guns. Three after that and it’s happy time.”
The Biomarines were silent until the Bangor reached the first waypoint.
Tawn said, “Funny how you remembered that vengeance saying yesterday.”
“They drilled that into us pretty good, didn’t they.”
“They did. Along with a thousand other good lessons. I mean, think about it… all the battles we’ve been in, and we survived. Even with the fiercest of fighting, the survival rate of a Bio was way above a regular’s. I’d have to say they taught us well.”
Harris chuckled. “You’re not going back to thinking about your wanting-to-be-a-farmer days, are you?”
Tawn smiled. “Actually I was. Only now I’m glad I was born Bio and not a regular. We have such an advantage with what we’re doing here right now. Terror is replaced with determination. Nervousness with anticipation. Self doubt with overwhelming confidence, but not arrogance.”
Harris turned with a nod. “I guess they packaged us up pretty good.”
Tawn held her hand up in the air with the palm facing Harris. “Not pretty good. The best.”
Harris looked up at her hand. “You expecting something with that?”
Tawn grabbed his hand by the wrist, picked it up and slapped it against her own. “Weren’t you paying attention to history back there? It’s called a high-five. It means ‘oh yeah,’ ‘great,’ ‘excellent,’ ‘for sure.’”
Harris chuckled. “I don’t recall seeing that. Thought you were trying to do that wave like the Queen of England or something.”
Tawn shook her head. “Don’t remember seeing that. I wonder if our educations were largely based on the questions we asked or the responses we gave?”
“Sounds like a question for Alex.”
Tawn grinned as she held her hand up in the air again. “And you know why it will be a question for Alex? Because I have extreme confidence that we will be victorious here and return.”
Harris stared at her open palm.
Tawn huffed. “Come on, don’t leave a girl hanging. Slap it on!”
Harris reached up for a minor tap.
Tawn shook her head. “I hope you’ve got more than that waiting for the Earthers.”
The second turn was made. “Three minutes and we’re gonna find out.”
Tawn flipped several switches. “Rail circuits are on. Security-lockout is off. Pellet is in the breach. All we need is a target.”
“Ninety seconds.”
“That look like the same command ship to you?”
Harris shook his head. “The back end is different. You think that’s a new ship?”
“Could be. Wonder if it’s made with Eden titanium?”
Harris chuckled. “They aren’t turning them out that fast. Sixty.”
Tawn checked-over the railgun settings. “We are ready and set.”
“Thirty. At fifteen we can expect the possibility of plasma fire.”
Tawn nodded. “Bring it on, big daddy. We aren’t going home empty-handed today.”
“Fifteen… ten. We have plasma…”
Tawn nodded. “Just have me aligned for zero.”
Harris pulled hard left to avoid the first two rounds before swirling around on the original line. At zero, Tawn unleashed the first tungsten pellet. Two seconds later the second pellet flew.
A burst of six plasma rounds came their way as Harris cut ten degrees to the right. “In line for number three in two… one… mark.”
Tawn unleashed another round. The first struck the command ship dead center. A cone of debris jetted out the far side as the remaining energy from the hypervelocity tungsten round impacted the second ship, causing major exterior damage.
The Bangor rattled and shook as repeated rounds found her hull.
Harris said, “We have quality hits on command and number two. Three is falling in line after us. Our shot there just missed aft. It moved on us too fast.”
Tawn replied, “Should have aimed us forward.”
Harris nodded. “Would have been a nice forethought. Wasn’t sure we’d even get a shot off.”
The Bangor shook violently for several seconds.
Harris swerved and juked to avoid the plasma rounds that followed.
Tawn scowled as a pair of hits rumbled on the back of the Zwicker class ship. “I’m finding this weapon a bit useless at the moment. Maybe we should consider building it into a turret before coming back out here.”
Harris said, “You wanting another crack at that destroyer?”
“Can you make that happen without killing us?”
Harris grinned. “We’re about to find out.”
The Bangor spun to face backward, aligning perfectly with the pursuer. Tawn squeezed off a round as Harris flipped the ship forward again. Three plasma rounds jerked the attackers back in their seats and then side to side as the hull-breach indicator sounded.
Tawn yelled, “They’ve opened up those welds! We just bled off a quarter of our cabin air!”
Harris flipped down the visor of his helmet. “Doesn’t matter. You just ripped their guts out and took the ass end off that ship. Scratch one destroyer.”
Harris turned the Bangor back. “Thirty seconds until we’re in range of that fourth ship.
“Do your jukes before they start shooting this time. Might spread them out a bit for us.”
Harris chuckled. “You want to drive?”
”Just do it!” Tawn growled.
“On it. Fifteen… ten… five… mark.”
Repeated plasma rounds struck the hull of the Bangor, although not at the same instant. Three seconds later, the nose of the approaching destroyer caved and rolled backward as the tail end of the ship fragmented into a spray of debris.
Harris nodded. “Scratch four.”
Tawn said, “Two more coming up from the surface.”
Harris nodded. “We’ll be passing that command ship on the way in. I’ll line you up. See if you can throw them another bone.”
“Another bone?”
Harris chuckled. “Hey, I’m concentrating here. You’ll have to live with my lame metaphors.”
Tawn smirked. “Surprised you even know what that means.”
Harris half frowned. “Only because Alex used it on me and I had to ask. I’ve been schooled now. Thirty seconds.”
Tawn nodded. “Looks like those other two destroyers will be coming in one at a time. Perfect. We might just pull this off.”
“Fifteen… ten… five… mark.”
“Our fury has been unleashed.”
“Forty seconds to the next mark.”
The two approaching destroyers met with the same fate as their brethren. Harris turned the Bangor toward the surface, taking aim at the Fireburg dome.
“Ninety seconds.”
Tawn yelled, “Crap! Dozen wormholes opening behind us! Get us out of here!”
Harris hesitated as a small ship rocketed away from the dome below. “Wait, that’s the Fargo. This time I’m taking her out!”
Tawn reached over and grabbed his shoulder. “We don’t have time!”
Harris scoffed as he turned the Bangor away. “Again, she skips away.”
He reached over, flipping the trigger on the railguns. The ship rumbled as two tungsten pellets raced out into the atmosphere as long stretched-out fireballs, burning up before reaching their target.
Tawn scowled. “That make you feel better?”
“Yes.”
“We have a hail coming in from Bax. You want to answer it?”
Harris enabled the incoming connection. “We are gonna get you, you traitor.”
Bax replied as her image came into focus. “I must implore you to stop. You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Harris laughed. “Kicking your Earther asses is what we’re doing.”
“They aren’t your enemies.
At least not right now.”
Harris shook his head. “We know you’re building ships. And I think we both know those ships will be used against Domicile. You’ll kill everyone just like you did with the pacies on Jebwa.”
“What happened on Jebwa?”
Harris growled. “I can’t wait to either vaporize you or snap your skinny red neck. Your people rounded up all twenty thousand pacies and spaced them. I know it was you. That has Earther written all over it.”
Bax sighed. “If Jebwa was attacked, it wasn’t the Earthers. And we’re in deeper trouble than I thought. If the Denzee have already come that far, we’re only months away from a full-on invasion.”
Harris returned a sarcastic chuckle. “Denzee. And I’m supposed to believe these Denzee did this? I suppose next you’re gonna tell me they’re a breakaway faction of radicals that have separated from the other Earthers?”
Bax shook her head. “No, they are actually small brown furry beings. Kind of a cross between an Earth monkey and a Domicile braza. Only smart. They’ve already taken over one of the Earthers’ outer colonies. Came in and spaced a quarter million settlers before setting up house there. Already more than a billion have landed.”
Tawn cut in. “Oh my gosh! A monkey invasion! Our worst nightmare! For some reason we aren’t believing you.”
Bax scowled. “Listen, you morons. I’m not making this up. And to prove it to you I’m calling off the Earthers and coming to you. Unfortunately for your vengeful egos, we’re all gonna have to work together on this if we want to live. The Denzee have no use for us. They will space both Earthers and Domers alike.”
Tawn gave an uneasy look to Harris. “Earther ships just dropped off. And Bax is heading this way.”
“Has to be a trap.”
“It’s not a trap, you idiots. This is real. Your friends on Jebwa have already paid the price for being unprepared. You want the rest of the Human race to go out the same way?”
Harris slowed the Bangor as the Fargo pulled up alongside.
“Look, I’m serious here. Our space is being invaded. I only found out when you were down there on the surface sniping. Just like you, I needed to be convinced. I didn’t believe it until the emperor took me out there himself.”
Tawn asked, “If this is such a big deal, then why haven’t you told Domicile?”
Bax sighed. “I’ve done my best to convince the emperor to do just that. He’s prideful. He thinks the Earthers can handle this on their own if they can build enough ships.”
Harris huffed. “And then he’d gladly attack us when he’s done. You’ve picked the wrong side, Rumford.”
“I can prove it to you.”
“And how would you do that?”
“Follow me out to Rumanta III. You can see for yourself.”
Harris chuckled. “I bet you have a couple dozen Earther ships just sitting there waiting for us. You think we’re stupid?”
“Yes I do think you’re stupid. But it’s not a trap. You can jump anywhere in that system and see for yourself.”
Tawn crossed her arms. “And just where are these Denzee from?”
Bax let out a long sigh. “We don’t know. Could be from anywhere out there. If their raider ships are already reaching the truce colonies, none of us have long to live, unless we can meet them at Rumanta and push them back. Show them Humans aren’t to be messed with.”
Tawn rolled her eyes. “Now you’re sounding like those old corny recruiting videos. ‘Protect Domicile. Be the freedom fighter of tomorrow.’”
Harris chuckled. “We used to make so much fun of the regulars over those.”
Bax glared. “Idiots. Focus. We’re being invaded. We need that titanium, not to attack Domicile with, but to build a fleet to defend us all.”
Harris scratched the side of his face in thought for several seconds. “Rumanta III?”
“Rumanta III,” Bax replied. “Just make the jump. This is something you will want to know. And just so you also know, the emperor is probably gonna have my head for this. So go. See it. Report it. We’re gonna need the help if any of us are going to survive this.”
Harris sat silent for most of a minute.
Bax raised her hands. “Well?”
“I’m thinking.”
“Before you strain yourself, think about this: you liked the pacies—thought they were dumb, like I do you, but you liked them. I know you want revenge on whoever did that to them. The furry little beasts on Rumanta III are waiting for your vengeance. Harris Gruberg wants his pound of flesh. Go there and you’ll see billions of those pounds to choose from.”
Harris looked at Tawn. “What do you think?”
“Maybe we go have a look. I’m sure if she’s lying we’re gonna run into her again at some point. Would make offing her that much more enjoyable.”
Harris nodded. “I like your reasoning.”
Bax shook her head. “I can’t fathom how you two morons are still alive out here, but you are. And you may just be solving a huge problem for me. Go see. Report. Get the Domers involved. This concerns us all.”
The comm closed. The Fargo turned and headed back toward the dome.
Tawn gestured toward the heavens. “Let’s go check it out. We can always off her later.”
Chapter 21
_______________________
The Gooch was ordered back to Midelon before the Bangor jumped to the Rumanta System. Hundreds of unknown ships showed on the nav display.
Tawn frowned. “She was telling the truth.”
Harris powered the ship forward.
Tawn asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking us in for a look. The DDI will need as much intel as we can provide.”
Tawn flipped on the circuits for the railgun.
Harris glanced over. “We’re not gonna need that.”
“Just in case.”
The display in front of the console was filled with images of Denzee ships. Harris quickly compared their shapes to a fleet of “baby rattles” A small forward sphere sat at the end of a long tube. On the other end, a much larger sphere made up the remainder.
Harris shook his head. “Bright yellow. Not the best if you want to remain unseen out here.”
“Don’t think they care.”
Harris gestured toward the comm console. “See if you can pick up any communications. If we can record a sufficient amount, maybe Alex can translate it for us.”
Tawn flipped several switches, turned dials, and pushed buttons. “Nothing. Not a peep.”
“Check the light-speed frequencies.”
Seconds later, Tawn sat back. “Wow. Chatter like crazy.”
“You recording?”
“Yes. I’m picking up what appears to be thousands of simultaneous comms. Maybe our FTL comms will give us a big advantage.
Harris zoomed in on one of the ships. “Those would be gun turrets. Question is, what do they shoot?”
Tawn pointed. “Those look like missile tubes?”
Harris nodded. “If those are conventional, I’m a lot less worried than I was.”
“Hmm. The Earthers are worried. That tells me they’ve already engaged with these ships and lost. Which is why they’re going all in on those mines.”
Harris frowned. “I’m starting to think this isn’t gonna work out in our favor.”
“How so?”
Let’s say we team up with the Earthers, build up their fleet and ours. If we defeat the Denzee, which of us will be left in the power position? I doubt it will be those idiot politicians at home putting us on top.”
Tawn chuckled. “Well, don’t get yourself all worked up because of one possibility out an infinite number. You’re looking too far ahead.”
“Am I?”
“We just found out about these invaders. Let’s take this in for an hour or two and then head back. I’d like to get that crack in our ass fixed.”
“It’s not leaking. We’re fine.”
“We’re fine unless we get in a
nother fight.”
Harris waved his hand toward the nav display. “You see anything heading toward us?”
Tawn stared. “Actually? Yes. You best get us out of here. That has to be a third of their ships coming this way. And they’re fast. Faster than us.”
Harris turned the Bangor. A wormhole was opened and the small vessel slipped through. A second jump had them in Midelon space. Forty-four minutes later they were landing in the grass outside the bunker.
Trish, Gandy, and Sharvie were waiting as the hatch opened.
“What happened?” asked Gandy. “Was that Baxter?”
Tawn nodded. “It was.”
“Why’d you let her go again? She’s working for the Earthers.”
Harris shook his head. “There’s been a new development. We might all be working to help the Earthers build more ships.”
Gandy returned a perplexed look. “Why?”
Tawn said, “Humans have lived our whole existence as the dominant and only sentient species. We’re smart. We craft tools and use them to do the work we can’t naturally do. No other animals have had that ability other than making use of a stick or a rock… until now.”
“Until now?”
“One of the Earther colonies has been attacked and overrun. Bax thinks one of their scout ships may be responsible for killing the pacies. We’ve just been out to that Earther colony. The invaders are real.”
Harris said, “We have to send this info to the colonel and Mr. Morgan. They’ll have to feed it to their contacts at the DDI. As Tawn said, we may be helping the Earthers build ships now.”
Tawn brought the others aboard the Bangor, replaying the video they had captured at Rumanta. Stunned stares looked on in disbelief.
Harris said, “Farker, comm Alex for us.”
The image of Alexander Gaerten flashed into view. “Good morning, Harris.”
“We’ve got problems, Alex.”
“Explain.”
“I’m sending you some comm recordings done at light-speed frequencies. We’ve encountered another species of sentient beings and they’ve invaded our happy little space.”
“You must be referring to the Denzee.”
“How’d you know?”
“You advised me to open comms to New Earth and Domicile to gather information. I determined that might be a good idea for each of the colonies. The Denzee are a fascinating species. Very hive-like in their behavior. They have a queen, workers, and warriors. They are intelligent, although I would place that at just below that of Humans.
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