There was no accompanying commentary with the feed, only randomized scenes of the destruction. The scene abruptly changed to the capital building itself, and whatever doubt there was about a violent coup was erased when they saw the Praetores of the order, along with Fordix, walking among the elected officials of Galvetor’s government. All were restrained and on their knees.
“Is there sound with this?” Morakar asked. Kage messed with the controls on the terminal a bit until Fordix’s voice could be heard clearly over the din of the chaos outside the chamber.
“—too long this body has been corrupt, inept, and blind to the fact that Galvetor can no longer survive on its own without outside assistance. Some of you recognize that, most don’t, but either way you waste away the years with endless debates and public polling instead of being decisive leaders.
“Yet during all this debate and lecturing by supposed enlightened intellectuals, not one of you has thought that the banishment of the warrior class was something that should be reconsidered. No one has felt that a unified gelten race would be advantageous as we move forward. More importantly, as you’ve all squabbled about how Galvetor would benefit greatly from trade alliances, Restaria is forgotten except when used as a bargaining piece … slaves to be sold to the highest bidder to fight their battles while the spoils flow right back here to the capital. This is why we have—”
“Turn it off, Kage,” Morakar said wearily. Kage killed the feed and looked over at his companion. “It’s the same old argument wrapped in a different set of lies,” Morakar said. “Many here bemoan the fact we’ve been forced to live on Restaria, but conveniently ignore the fact that the reason we are here is because of an attempted overthrow of an elected government. For all of Fordix’s righteous indignation, he’s simply proving why those that put us here were right in the first place.”
“This seems like it’s been planned for some time,” Kage remarked after a moment.
“Yes,” Morakar agreed. “All of this would have had to have been well in place even before they asked my brother and me to find Lord Felex. This also makes me wonder if there aren’t some co-conspirators on Galvetor who arranged for Fordix’s arrest. It was the perfect excuse to draw the Lord Archon back to Restaria.”
Before Kage could answer a dull rumble started shaking the building and began growing in intensity. He ran over to the large windows that overlooked the square and was rewarded with the sight of the Phoenix coming through the lower cloud layer, extending her landing gear before coming to a not-so-graceful landing that crushed some benches and sculptures under the massive wheels.
“Things are now looking up,” he said, suddenly in much higher spirits. He saw the ramp descend and then Doc, Mazer, and Jason raced out of the ship and into the building. Lucky could be seen walking down to the edge of the ramp to look around before walking back up into the cargo bay to stand guard. From Kage’s vantage point, the engines looked like they were still running.
It was nearly five minutes later when the three exited the lift and crowded into Crusher’s office. Doc was the only one who didn’t recoil in horror when he saw the blade still sticking out of their friend. He moved over quickly, pulled out a handheld scanner, and began taking readings of not only the wound but Crusher’s overall health. After a few grunts and tsks he straightened.
“It was close, but this isn’t necessarily that bad,” he said. “Whoever did this missed his heart, but still did a fair amount of damage. The good news is that it isn’t anything the nanobots I’ve already programmed can’t handle.” He went through his bag and pulled out three large auto-injectors full of the microscopic little machines and lined them up. He pulled the end off of the first one and injected its entire contents near the wound itself. Jason peered over his shoulder and could see the silver tendrils running underneath Crusher’s skin on their way to the edge of the wound.
“Now comes the tricky part,” Doc said. “The timing needs to be pretty close or we could have a real mess.” Just when the swarm of nanobots looked like they might actually make contact with the blade, Doc grabbed the handle and pulled it out in one swift motion. Crusher’s eyes popped open and a gurgling moan escaped his lips before he fell back, his breathing shallow and fast.
The wound did not bleed much as the nanobots poured down into the cavity and instantly began stitching tissue back together and removing any necrosis that had begun around the edges. “Help me lay him flat,” Doc said. Jason, Mazer, and Morakar picked Crusher up, kept him level, and then gently put him on the floor. Doc then used the other two auto-injectors and pumped the big warrior full with a veritable army of the specialized nanobots. Jason had been on the receiving end of one of these treatments and he knew there was massive discomfort associated with the near miraculous recovery.
They waited while Crusher slept and his wound healed right before their eyes. Doc began an intravenous drip to help his patient replace the lost blood and fuel his recovery. Soon his skin lost the cool, clammy feel and his breathing began to return to long, deep breaths. It was nearly ninety minutes after the first injection when he opened his eyes and looked around.
“Captain,” he said, his voice strong and clear. “You’re back.”
“Not a moment too soon, it would seem,” Jason said, walking over to kneel beside him. “What happened?”
“This has all been a setup,” Crusher said. “Everything was to get me back here to get all the legions under a unified command. When I asked Fordix about the troop buildup he stuck a sword through me for my troubles.”
“Where is the Caretaker?” Mazer asked.
“She was involved as well,” Crusher said. “She’s the one that paralyzed me before Fordix stabbed me.” The look of sadness on the faces of both Mazer and Morakar was profound. “What has been happening? How long was I out?”
“Shockingly, you’ve been sitting in that chair with a sword sticking out of you for almost a full day,” Jason said. “I have no idea how that’s even possible, but either way it looks like you’re on the mend. Things aren’t so good on Galvetor. The warriors with Fordix have taken over the capital and have been sending out releases about the new order they intend to build. It seems none of them has really thought it through past the initial takeover, though. I’m seeing a lot of talk and posturing and not a lot of action from him or the Praetores.”
“That’s not surprising,” Crusher said, groaning as he sat up. “They’re as children … full of idealism and conviction, short on planning and logistics. Slogans are no substitute for a well thought-out plan. Speaking of which, what’s our move?”
“You’re asking me?” Jason said in mock surprise. “You’re the Guardian Archon here.”
“This is no time for pettiness, Captain,” Crusher said. “We need to do this the way we always do: as a unit. We’re vastly outnumbered on Galvetor.”
Jason bit down his sarcastic retort. It seemed like Crusher was quite humbled from this latest betrayal and he didn’t need Jason taking cheap shots at him.
“I assume you would like me to put you in a room with Fordix?” Jason asked.
“You know me so well,” Crusher said with a huge genuine smile that would have terrified any human child.
“Oddly enough, we may have the element of surprise,” Jason continued. “Even with ten thousand warriors they’re going to be stretched fairly thin. What do they have for close air support?”
“Nine of those Eshquarian combat shuttles,” Kage replied. “They had ten but you guys stole one.”
“They’re no match for the Phoenix even with experienced flight crews,” Jason said. “So I’m thinking the good ol’ frontal assault may be our best bet. Even in your weakened state we have more firepower than we’re used to … assuming the Reddix brothers would care to join the party.”
“I’m in,” Mazer said.
“Me too,” Morakar said.
“I would like to participate as well, Captain Burke,” Meluuk said.
“I appreciate t
hat, I truly do, but I have something more important for you to do,” Jason said, looking at Doc. “Twingo can’t make this trip. We’re going to secure the medical facility that’s on the second floor of this building and you’re going to wait here with him.”
“Captain—”
“Please, Doc … we can’t leave Twingo here by himself. The medical facility should be able to keep him stable until the Defiant makes orbit,” Jason said. “Meluuk, I’m going to outfit you from our armory and I need you to make sure they stay safe until we return or my associate comes to pick them up. This isn’t just someplace to tuck you out of the way, I’m trusting you to protect my family.”
“I will not let you down, Captain,” Meluuk said with a deep nod of his head.
“Now that we have a loose plan, are we ready?” Jason asked. “Okay then, let’s get Twingo loaded up on a med platform and make sure he’s safe and then we can get in the air.”
“One thing,” Crusher said, holding up a hand. He pointed directly at Mazer before continuing. “Is that my armor?”
Chapter 26
The peace and quiet of the beautiful Restaria day was shattered as the Phoenix’s drive throttled up and she lifted smoothly from the surface and thundered off towards the sunset. They’d managed to move Twingo without incident and had Doc set up in a private corner of the well-equipped medical facility to monitor his progress. Meluuk was given an arsenal of powerful weaponry and posted near the only entrance. Jason silently urged the Defiant to hurry up and make it into the system. He was anxious to get Twingo’s more exotic treatments started such as the cloning of the parts his torturers had chopped off.
He sent the Phoenix on a sharp climb up out of Restaria’s gravity well and began the chase of Galvetor around the system’s primary star. He wasn’t pushing the ship too hard since the damage was already done on the gelten homeworld. Instead, he was letting the ship loaf along to give Doc’s treatments more time to get Crusher ready. His friend was moving around the bridge, swinging his arms and bending at the waist to keep loose before they made landfall.
“Kage, I’m going to clear out as much of their air support as I can before we deploy, but you’ll be left alone in the ship once we hit the ground,” Jason said. “The shields should be more than enough to protect the ship from those shuttles, but I don’t want any collateral damage to the surrounding city. After we’re off, clear the area if you feel like it’s getting too hot.”
“Count on that,” Kage said. “Air to air combat isn’t my strong suit.”
“Neither are smooth landings, simple level flight, and not hitting obstacles on takeoff,” Crusher said as he continued marching around the bridge.
“At least I can make it all the way through a mission without getting stabbed with my own knife,” Kage retorted.
“Mission isn’t over yet, little man,” Crusher said. The back and forth was like thousands of identical interactions Jason had been witness to, or participant in, since he’d joined the group. At the moment it was oddly comforting.
“Take over, Lucky,” Jason said, hopping out of the pilot’s seat. “I’m going to go get dressed for the party.”
“I’ll go with you,” Crusher said. “I need to get my gear together, too.”
“Mazer and Morakar, you guys can go down once we’re back and grab whichever weaponry tickles your fancy,” Jason said. “There are some generic sets of body armor down there that should fit you. We don’t have enough time to fabricate anything custom. Sorry.”
“I’m sure we will be fine with whatever is already in on hand, Captain,” Morakar said. Jason looked at him a moment before nodding and walking off the bridge. He seemed to be taking the duplicity of Fordix and the Order a lot harder than his brother was.
“I didn’t get a chance to say it before, but good job getting Twingo and Doc back, Captain,” Crusher said as Jason pulled his armor out from its alcove and began running a quick diagnostic on it. “Glad the ship was in one piece too.”
“Yeah, our timing was more luck than skill,” Jason said. “We were almost too late for Twingo. This entire op has been a cluster fuck. While we were chasing the ship halfway around the sector, a hit squad almost took out Kage and then you got skewered by your closest advisor.”
“I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere,” Crusher said after a few tense moments.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“How would I know? I’m just the dumb soldier who got stabbed with his own sword,” Crusher said. “I’ll see you back up there.” He grabbed his gear and stomped out of the armory, leaving a slightly confused Jason alone to try and climb into his powered armor without assistance.
After some undignified contortions, he was able to climb up into the unit and power it up. A moment later, it closed around him and he stepped down off the rack. He grabbed his railgun, two plasma sidearms, and a few grenades before walking out of the armory. This was the first time he’d worn the unit since the modifications that Doc had done on him. The results were unexpected and a pleasant surprise. Before, there was always a barely perceptible mismatch between his movements and the armor’s, but the enhanced capabilities were worth that slight inconvenience. Now the powerful suit felt as natural as wearing a well-worn glove. In fact, he barely noticed it was there by the time he was climbing the steps to walk onto the bridge.
Lucky made to get out of the pilot’s seat but Jason waved for him to stay. “You may as well get as much seat time as you can,” he said. “I’ll take over right before we hit Galvetor’s atmosphere.”
“Of course, Captain,” Lucky said and settled back into the pilot’s seat. Mazer and Morakar walked off the bridge as Crusher stepped back in, carrying two large sandwiches with him.
“How come he gets to eat up here?” Kage demanded.
“He’s too big to say no to, he’s armed, and he doesn’t leave sticky fingerprints all over my consoles,” Jason answered without looking up. “Anything else?”
“Yeah, there are three capital ships that just came out of slip-space at the edge of the system,” Kage said.
“Seriously?” Jason asked incredulously. “Put them on the main display.” The sensor tracks for the three ships was imposed over a diagram of the system and displayed on the main canopy. “Can we ID them yet?”
“No,” Kage said. “The range is too great and they’re running silent, no transponders. They’re not all that big, however. Smaller than destroyers, possibly frigates.”
“ConFed ships?” Crusher asked.
“Not likely,” Jason said. “ConFed Fleet wouldn’t deploy three frigates alone like this, and they don’t sneak into systems without their transponders blaring their affiliation loud and proud. Are they going to be a problem?”
“Not at their current speed and heading,” Kage said. “We’ll make landfall in another hour; they won’t even make orbit for another twelve.”
“It’ll be all over by then, one way or another,” Jason said. “Flag them, have the computer track them, but this doesn’t change our plan.”
“Lord Felex, we have a request to make of you,” Morakar said as he and Mazer walked back onto the bridge.
“Yes?” Crusher asked.
“We would like to claim the Praetores when you challenge Fordix,” Morakar continued. “We would like to clear our name of this treason.”
Crusher pretended to consider it carefully, turning his back on the brothers and giving a Jason a half-smile and a wink before turning back.
“Granted,” he said, “with conditions. While this act will clear your names, I may need you further when this is all over. I expect you to be available and enthusiastic for whatever task I put in front of you.”
“You can count on us, my lord,” Morakar said with a bow, speaking for them both.
Chapter 27
“We’re getting pinged by the automated orbital control system. Seems like the standard automated message,” Kage said, sounding disappointed. “What sort of hostile invasion is
this? They don’t even change the outbound message to warn everyone of the regime change? Or at least declare victory?”
Jason just rolled his eyes. “Just keep tracking those shuttles,” he said. “How many have you picked up?”
“Six out of nine,” Kage said. “The other three may be on the ground.”
“Feed all the airborne targets to my tactical display,” Jason said. “Let’s tighten it up, full combat mode.” He and Kage quickly went about bringing the ship to full power and energizing all the tactical systems.
“Weapons up, shields up, tactical sensors up,” Kage read off his status board. “We’re ready to kick some ass.”
“Strap in everybody,” Jason said. “We’re going to be hitting the upper atmosphere at speed and making a combat descent.”
“What does that entail?” Mazer asked with trepidation as he strapped into the seat.
“I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Crusher said humorlessly, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.
The normal procedure when approaching a planet would be to allow the ship to be captured by the gravity and perform a series of deceleration orbits in order to enter the atmosphere at a safe speed. With a ship as capable as the Phoenix, there were a few more interesting options available. Jason angled the nose up a bit and let the ship’s shields slam into Galvetor’s mesosphere at a velocity that would tear most other ships apart.
As the Phoenix skipped off the upper atmosphere, she created a series of enormous shock waves that could be heard on the ground like thunder. Jason angled the nose back down and throttled up, pushing the gunship into a violent dive that slammed everyone on the bridge against their restraints. The coronal discharge of superheated gases cascaded around the shields as the ship bucked and fought her way down into the lower atmosphere.
Omega Force 5: Return of the Archon Page 25