Harris turned. “Gandy, when you finish, go up and bring her down. She needs the break.”
Gandy stood and headed for the door. “I’m done.”
Tawn chuckled. “I’d say the hard crush continues.”
“And I think she’s starting to soften,” said Trish. “She likes the attention. Of course we are trapped out here, so her pickings are slim.”
Tawn frowned. “That’s your brother.”
“Exactly,” Trish replied. “I love him and all, but he can be a pest.”
Harris took a bite from the mystery meat in an MRE. “When they get back we can check in with Alex and get started on the next level. Whatever that might be.”
Chapter 27
_______________________
The group discussed the options before them as Sharvie dug into her meal. When she had finished, they walked together to the bunker, through the several sets of doors, and into a new room.
A holo-image of Alex appeared. “Good, you’re all here.”
Harris asked, “So what’s our next mission?”
“I believe you will like this level, as its requirements will be simple. To your left you will find a disc on the floor. Each of you will stand on the disc for a full body scan. When the scans are complete, you may go. In about two weeks you will receive further instruction as to what is required to move beyond this level.”
Harris nodded as he walked toward the disc. “I can do that. And you’re right, I like it.”
“As was expected. Now, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms fully extended out to your sides.”
“Like this?”
Tawn laughed. “You look like one of those scarecrows we saw on Farmingdale.”
Harris replied. “Shush. I don’t want to have to do this a second time.”
Alex said, “Your scan is complete. Please move aside for the next person.”
The other scans followed and the group returned to the supply hut.
Harris sat on a bench. “How’s the plating on the Bangor coming?”
“Almost done,” said Trish. “Two, maybe three more hours.”
“Good. I want it ready if we decide to go after the Denzee ships.”
Tawn shook her head. “You’re really set on this path, aren’t you?”
“I am. The Denzee need to be stopped. The Earthers may want to rule us all, but at least they want us to live. The fates of our friends on Jebwa tell us what the Denzee think of us.”
Tawn sighed. “Fine. We do it your way. But I want right of first refusal before going in if I think a situation looks bad.”
“Fair enough.”
The following day, a comm was opened to Domicile.
“Mr. Morgan. I forgot to ask about the gamma-ray bomb the other day. Any progress? We could really use something like that against the Denzee.”
“We still have several technical hurdles to overcome, Mr. Gruberg. I’ve beefed up the science teams working it and given them a near-unlimited budget. If it’s possible, they will find a way to make it happen.”
“How are the repairs to the Hailstorm coming?”
“She will be ready this afternoon—cosmetic damage aside.”
Harris nodded. “Excellent, that’s sooner than expected. Sounds like I need to talk to the colonel.”
“You have something planned?”
“We’re gonna find out. Either way, get us that weapon, Mr. Morgan. I think we’re gonna need it.”
Bannis was silent for several seconds. “You do realize that once this genie is out of the bottle there’s no putting it back in? The gamma-ray bomb will be forever available for use or abuse.”
“That’s a risk we have to take if we want to survive. If you can contain that information on your end, we’ll do the same on ours. Besides, if it can be researched and made to work, eventually it would be, whether by us or someone else.”
Bannis nodded. “A point we’ve bandied about before.”
The comm was closed and a new one opened to the Retreat. “Colonel, I know it’s asking a lot, but I need a crew on the Hailstorm. I want to take her into a fight with another one of those Denzee warships.”
“Has something changed?”
“Not really. What I need your ship and crew for is a distraction. If you can draw the fire of that main weapon, we’ll go in and take it out.”
The colonel frowned. “That weapon is a ship killer. You want us to be its target?”
“If you keep a proper distance you can dodge its fire. We’ve already done so. All we need is for them to take a single shot at you. That gives us fifty-four seconds to attack before they can fire it again. That’s enough time for us to disable it. Once that’s done, you come in and finish the job.”
If we’re successful against one ship, we’ll do our best to lure away another. And, Colonel, if we can drive off those warships, the Earthers can handle the rest. And I might as well tell you now that part of our motivation for doing this is a bounty being offered by the emperor. A hundred million credits for each main weapon we take out. We could use that money to build more freighters.”
“I can’t say I like this plan, Mr. Gruberg. But if you’re committed, we’ll provide a crew. When would you want to do this?”
“Bannis said the Hailstorm should be ready for use this afternoon. The sooner the better on this, as the Earthers are taking a beating over there. And if you weren’t aware, the Barrier colony is currently providing about 20 percent of their food.”
The colonel sighed. “Sounds like a perfect opportunity to take the Earthers down a notch or two. Let Barrier fall, then we go in and stop the warships.”
“That strategy has crossed my mind repeatedly. I just don’t think we can risk waiting.”
“Very well. I’ll have a crew ready and waiting when the ship is released from the dock.”
The comm closed. Harris sat back on the bench.
“That’s it, then. We go this afternoon.”
A short while later, Trish walked into the hut.
“Plating is finished. Our ship looks more like a shipping container than a ship now.”
Harris nodded. “It can be the ugliest ship humanity has ever seen so long as it does the job.”
Two hours passed before a comm was opened to the Retreat. Coordinates for a meeting point in Barrier space were given. Minutes later, the Hailstorm slipped through a wormhole, stopping beside the Bangor.
The colonel came over the comm. “What’s our plan?”
Harris replied, “Wasn’t expecting you on this venture, Colonel. Not that I don’t appreciate your leadership, but I don’t care to put you at risk out here. You’re the heart of the Retreat and are needed there.”
“I’m also a commander. And my worth is no more than any of the others on this crew.”
Tawn stepped in. “OK, we’re all here. We’re all committed. Let’s just get this done before the two of you either start fighting or hugging one another.”
Harris chuckled. “The plan is we go in first and try to draw one of those warships out. If they fall for it, bring the Hailstorm in as a distraction while we take out the main gun. After that, we’ll move on to the next ship while you either destroy of chase that one away. Simple.”
Tawn nodded. “Simple plan for a simple man.”
Harris turned. “It’s a win-win for me. You’ll either congratulate me and my simple plan if we’re successful, or you’ll be dead, in which case you won’t say anything.”
Tawn replied, “Whatever. Let’s just get moving.”
The Bangor swept in toward the Barrier colony. The four Denzee warships, along with twenty of the rattle ships, were squared off with twenty-eight New Earth destroyers and a dozen cruisers. The occasional plasma round was exchanged as the ships all remained in a cloud of slow-motion activity.
Harris said, “We’re targeting this closest one.”
Two of the rattle ships broke off from the others to engage the small incoming vessel. The ship vibrated an
d shook as dozens of plasma rounds began impacting the hull.
Tawn said, “That plating along with our shields is doing the trick. If this is the worst they can do, we could wipe out every one of the rattle ships by ourselves.”
Harris nodded. “Let’s see how they like tungsten. Let those rails rip when you’re ready.”
The first six pellets were sent to the ship approaching on the port side, with devastating results. Decks disintegrated and debris quickly filled the space surrounding the Denzee ship as it moved into a slow uncontrolled roll. A hard turn, another burst from the magnetic rail weapon, and the remains of a second defending vessel started into tumble.
Tawn smiled. “That was pretty sweet.”
She opened a general comm to the Denzee and enabled a translation algorithm. “Send more ships.”
Harris chuckled. “You trying to make them mad?”
“If that’s what it takes to draw out one of those warships. Plus it was kinda fun.”
Another three of the rattle ships came out in defense of the Denzee fleet. All three were dispatched with minimal effort. Harris slowed his speed as they neared the first of the warships, now turning their way.
Tawn shook her head. “They aren’t taking the bait. That second warship is turning our way too. What’s the new plan?”
Harris pushed the control stick full forward. “The plan is we take this right into them if they won’t come out to play. See the red line on the display? That’s our safety line. Beyond that we can dodge whatever that beam weapon is. We’re going right up to it. And just for grins, why don’t you put the guns on auto for one of those spiral shots? That will force them to move.”
The Bangor approached the distance Harris had designated as safe. Tawn fired off several rounds of tungsten pellets. The warship’s movements were only side to side.
A hail came in from an Earther ship. “We were told you might show. How can we help?”
Harris said, “We need that ship to fire its main weapon. That will give us the time we need to go in and disable it.”
“Consider it done.”
The comm closed as an Earther destroyer charged forward toward the nearest Denzee warship. The massive ship turned to face its new attacker. The lights on the exterior of the claw-hammer went dark. Seconds later the disc on her front glowed bright blue. The Earther destroyer turned, but the back third of the vessel failed to escape the beam. Explosions followed as the aft of the ship disintegrated, sending the remains into a slow spin.
Harris pushed the throttle full. Fifty-two seconds later, Tawn Freely opened up with the rail cannons set to autofeed. Five rounds struck the plating surrounding the Denzee weapon. The ship’s lights failed to extinguish and the weapon didn’t fire.
An endless stream of plasma rounds sprang from the other guns that made up the arsenal of the warship. The Bangor jerked, rattled, and shook, but without taking noticeable damage.
Turning, they took a second run at the weapon. Dozens of tungsten pellets impacted the disc and the area surrounding it. Massive depressions formed in the thick hull, but with no evidence of a breach. The Hailstorm quickly moved in as the behemoth turned and began to move back toward the others. A fleet of short range missiles were launched as the Bangor needed. All were easily avoided.
Harris winced at the tremendous beating the port-side hull of the warship was taking from the hypervelocity tungsten rounds.
Tawn opened a comm to the Hailstorm. “Break off, we’re done with that one. Hang back as we try to draw another one out.”
A second and then a third claw-hammer ship saw their main weapon disabled. Two more Earther destroyers and their crews sacrificed themselves for the effort. The final warship turned away, jumping back to Rumanta. The other Denzee ships followed.
Harris turned the Bangor to follow. “Hailstorm, New Earthers, we’re going after them. If we can manage to take out the other three warships, you Earthers can wipe out the rest.”
An Earther admiral replied, “Lead the way. We will follow.”
A jump to the Rumanta System was met with a dozen of the smaller rattle ships racing out to meet the incoming attackers. The Bangor ran between them, firing as it went, its hull largely immune to the plasma cannons fired by the Dulons.
A fierce battle ensued. New Earth ships powered in to take on the remaining active claw-hammers, taking heavy damage but inflicting some of their own. The Bangor swooped in, diving in and about the Denzee ships, moving with impunity and timing her attacks on the behemoth warships. A fourth and then a fifth main gun were taken out.
A general hail came over the comm from the Denzee. “This is Queen Nuerba. You have proven a worthy opponent. Permit us a short time of peace and we will leave your system.”
The Earther admiral was first to reply. “We will crush you here and now!”
Harris cut in. “Admiral, let them go. If they leave in peace we don’t lose any more people or ships. And you will have regained all of your territory. Should you choose to continue, you will do so without our assistance.”
The admiral was silent for several seconds. “Very well, Denzee. You have your peace. Make haste. Be gone from our space.”
Tawn turned with a smile. “If this is true, it’s fantastic.”
Harris shook his head. “Except for the fact that we probably just unleashed the Earthers to come after us. The politicians on Domicile still have their heads stuck in the sand.”
“True, but we now have the Bangor, the Hailstorm, and two other ships that are capable of taking them on. Add in the updates Mr. Morgan will possibly be making to our fleets and we should be able to maintain our advantage for some time. That at least gives us some wiggle room to work with.”
Harris tilted his head back in thought. “I guess… And I suppose we could always attack and shut down the production at Eden with these ships.”
Tawn nodded. “Now you’re talking.”
Over the ten hours that followed, the Denzee emptied their hives. With loaded ships, they departed toward their original colonies, at first through a wormhole to the edge of the boson field, and then at sub-light speed beyond.
The Earther fleet remained at Rumanta. The Hailstorm returned to the Retreat. The Bangor jumped to Eden. A comm was opened and Baxter Rumford hailed.
“What?”
Tawn said, “We just crushed the Denzee. They’re packing up and leaving our space. And the way I see it, you, or the emperor, whichever, owe us for shutting down five of those warship main guns.”
Bax was silent for several seconds. “How were you able to pull that off?”
“We’re just that good, that’s all. Now, where are our credits?”
“It may take time to get those released.”
Tawn shook her head. “Those are electronic. The only release they need is for your emperor to give them up. Make the comm and tell him we’d like to be paid for our services.”
Bax sighed. “You’ll have to give me some time. The emperor has to be willing to accept my comm.”
“Just do it. Stalling doesn’t make a difference other than to make people unhappy. And unhappy people can be prone to retribution. Your emperor knows what we just did to the Denzee. Unless he wants to see that happen here at Eden, he needs to pony-up on what he promised.”
Bax was again quiet for several seconds. “As I said, I need time. Give me ten minutes and I hope to have an answer for you as to when you can expect it.”
The comm closed.
Tawn crossed her arms as she sat back in the chair. “They try to cheat us and there won’t be a building or piece of machinery left down there that’s usable.”
Harris replied, “She knows that. This is all on the emperor and how he wants this to go. He’d be a fool to not pay. Not only could we shut down those mines down there, we could shut down his ship factories. Nothing stopping us from going into New Earth space—with these ships, that is—when the updates are finished.”
“So you’d declare war on the Earthers
?”
“Haven’t we already done that a dozen times over?”
Tawn chuckled. “Yeah, I guess we have.”
Bax came back over a comm. “Hold up your credit store.”
Tawn complied.
“Five hundred million credits. Quite the haul given you didn’t lose anyone.”
Tawn said, “We lost eight destroyers full of Earther crews. I would hardly call that a picnic.”
“They were defending their empire. Another week or two at Barrier and they would have all been dead. Anyway, the emperor sends his regards. And he says if you ever want it you always have a place in his royal house. He has fifteen daughters or nieces and eighteen sons or nephews who are yet to wed. He says you could have your pick. As members of the royal family, you would live the rest of your lives in luxury and ease.”
Tawn smirked. “We just earned a half billion credits. The way I see it, we can choose that life right now, without having to be in the royal family.”
“He offered. And I think you know why. At least I imagine you will know why within a years’ time. All this titanium will be put to use.”
“You’re on the wrong side of this fight, Rumford,” said Harris. “One day you’ll regret it.”
“We all have regrets, Goober. It goes with living.”
The comm closed.
Tawn looked at the display on her credit store. “Wow. That’s a big number.”
Harris nodded. “Yeah, too bad it has to be spent on more of those freighters. And I’d like to get the drive here on the Bangor updated with that new housing. Maybe some more padding for the pilot’s chair. Gets kind of rough on the bum with all the jerking around from those plasma cannons.”
Tawn chuckled as she glanced down at Harris’ back. “I’d think you’ve got more than enough padding back there to compensate.”
“Hey, it’s not as big as yours.”
“I’m not the one complaining.”
A jump and a short run had the Bangor landing at Midelon. A short victory lunch was had by all. Afterward, Trish and Gandy began an inspection of the plating and how it had held up in the fights. Their report came back with no issues found.
Harris opened a comm to Bannis Morgan. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the Denzee threat being removed.”
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