by John Walker
“So easy to take down, right?”
“Target locks will be ineffective so not easy.” Dala paused. “Note that we’ve been detected and they know we’re onto them.”
Dennis checked the scanner and sure enough, the enemy ship was on the move, flying away from the Gnosis. The speed surprised him and he’d have to engage full throttle plus the afterburners to catch up. Both would put a drain on his beam weapons but at least the guns would be unaffected.
“We’d better hit it,” Dennis said. “Though I’m not entirely sure where they think they’re going.”
“Their goal is to lure us away from the battle, removing two combat pieces from the engagement. If we ignore it and go back, it will simply continue harassing the Gnosis. The Tol’An fail to grasp the fact we have good reason to track this thing down and destroy it. If not for this fight, then the next one.”
Dennis engaged his engines and hit the afterburners, shifting more power for additional speed. Once he was underway, he asked, “Is this ship their own design or something?”
“A modification on an old one,” Dala replied. “They took our original fighters and threw out everything they didn’t need, including life support. The person piloting that ship is wearing a full environmental suit and that limits the amount of time they can fly. They also lack the ejection thrusters required to save the person should the ship experience a problem.”
“Jesus, that’s insane!”
“I am not sure what you mean by that…”
Dennis cleared his throat. “Um … nothing. Just … slang I guess.” They were closing on the target but not quickly. He checked their range and they were well away from the Gnosis, having traveled over five thousand kilometers. At least we got this guy off their backs. First part of the plan accomplished. The next part seems like it’ll be a lot more difficult.
“Keep going straight,” Dala said. “I’ll see what I can do about driving him into an attack.”
“Wait! How are you going to …” Dennis paused as he watched Dala’s ship dart off, leaving him behind as if he were standing still. “Catch … up … wow. You guys are fast.”
“I’m sure when the talks are over, we’ll share this information. For now … be prepared to shoot.”
The enemy turned sharply, banking hard to the left. Dala matched its motion, leading it and firing at extreme range. Purple lights flashed from her weapons, winking out as quickly as they appeared. Though they didn’t seem to come anywhere near the target, it swung wildly around, flying away from her attack.
Dennis continued on his course, checking his distance to target. He figured he didn’t even have a slim chance of scoring a hit at that range and so he remained patient, letting Dala do her work. She pushed her ship hard, the thrusters at the back burning bright. Cutting around, she fired again, this time at its rear.
This had the effect of speeding the enemy up and it began flying roughly in Dennis’s direction. With it coming closer, the range rapidly became less of a problem. The targeting computer tried to snag a link but failed. Dennis did his best judgement call and pulled the trigger, then readjusted to fire again.
The first volley of projectiles were a clean miss but the second came close enough to make the enemy perform a barrel roll and dive. Dennis adjusted course to pursue just as Dala came up on its rear. She fired again and one side of her beam weapon hit. Shields flared and the enemy climbed, a tight maneuver that should’ve turned the pilot into paste.
Lord, their dampeners are incredible! Dennis pulled up as dramatically as he dared and he still felt extreme pressure from the G force. Leveling out, he was on target again but his heart skipped a beat when he noticed the enemy was coming straight for him. Rolling to the right, his ship took a blow from energy weapons on the bottom, searing his shields.
The generator issued a warning moments before it began the recharge process. From one hundred percent down to fifty in one shot—and not even both beams. Dala wasn’t kidding about how tough these things are. That was incredible! He looked over his shoulder, noting the enemy didn’t have a chance to come after him.
Dala fired relentlessly, forcing their opponent to go into a fully defensive mode. It swung around, moving like an angry bee but it couldn’t shake the Pahxin pilot from its tail. Dennis veered around and tried to catch up with her, moving in low. He called his shot so she wouldn’t fly in his path, blasting away at the enemy.
It took one of his rounds and rocketed off suddenly, as if it supercharged its engines. There’s no way the pilot handled that! Dennis shook his head, staring with wide eyes. “What just happened?”
“He just used his advantage,” Dala said. “And it won’t save him for long. Whatever fuel he has left will be diminished. We can stay with him and catch up or return to the Gnosis. I do not believe he has enough to make it home or to cause any more trouble but … the assignment is yours. I will defer to your judgement.”
Dennis checked the course heading for the enemy and frowned at what it was racing toward. A small asteroid field lay not even five hundred kilometers away. If it was going in there, it would be easier to hide. Maybe he thought he could call for some help and his buddies would come and save him later.
I don’t want to leave him out here to cause more trouble later. “I think we should go after him. Make sure he’s done.”
“Then we shall.” Dala altered course and gave chase. “Be mindful of the asteroids. His signature will be difficult to make out amongst them.”
Yeah, I’m sure he’s counting on that. “Got it … Let’s make it happen.”
***
Gunnery Sergeant Geoff ‘Heat’ Heathrow boarded the shuttle in his power armor and took his customary seat near the pilot’s seat. Seregeant Lawrence Gorman, Lieutenant Brent Fielding and Corporal Willis Anderson rounded out the four man team going to help the ambassadors. They decided any additional manpower would be overkill in the tight quarters.
Fielding was new to the team, having only joined the Gnosis a day before they departed. He barely had a chance to speak to the men or let them know his expectations before they were thrown into a mission with him. All Heat knew about the man came from stories of his field service. Apparently, the guy was pretty tough.
They expected more time to acclimate to him, that they were going on a milk run where they could chat and get to know their new team lead. Instead, they had to find out what he was made of in conflict, not exactly the best place to build trust. Still, he picked the men with confidence and was the first one to say he’d be right there with them.
I already like him better than our last guy … This one seems to know what he’s doing. I’m not afraid we’re going to be led astray.
“We’ll be there in about three minutes,” Warrant Officer Jeb Douglas announced. He was one of the most daring and crazy pilots in the crew and bringing him along meant they would certainly arrive swiftly but not necessarily safely. “I’m going to recommend everyone strap in for this though. We’re going to be hauling some serious ass.”
“Thank you,” Fielding replied. “I’ve heard stories about this guy and I’m assuming all of you are quite familiar. We’re going in near the Pahxin shuttles as it’s closer to the Gnosis. I’m thinking there’s a possibility that we’re going to be shooting right away so be prepared for that eventuality. HUD check in flight. Let’s fall out, Mister Douglas.”
The shuttle launched without preamble and the moment they cleared the deck, Jeb hit the thrusters and propelled them out. Afterburners kicked in and the ship hurtled toward the station at a rapid pace. Heat looked out the window, noting how quickly their destination was growing.
A destroyer engaged the Gnosis, exchanging blasts as the two capital ships lumbered in various directions, attempting to mitigate the damage as it came in. Fighters buzzed one another in the opposite direction, engaged in a flurry of combat. A massive Tol’An battleship duked it out with the Pahxin capital vessels.
The sheer chaos in the area must’ve bee
n particularly painful for the Gaelirans to behold, considering their neutral status. But just then, the humans and Pahxin were working to keep them all safe. Hopefully, they’d be grateful or at least not angry. Clearly, the negotiations brought the trouble.
Were their hosts the type to hold grudges?
Probably not, Heat mused. Someone must’ve brought this kind of nonsense to their door before. You don’t offer a place for peace without the occasional flared temper.
“Two minutes to contact,” Jeb said. “Communications are iffy so you’re going to need to find a way in when I get us linked up with the door I’ve found.”
“Maybe the internal coms are working,” Gorman offered. “When we get close, we should be able to open the outer door easily enough then com someone for the inner door.”
“Let’s plan to open them both ourselves,” Fielding said. “We can’t be sure of any assistance on there and if we have to, we might need to blow that door and use our own pressurization to keep from killing everyone on board.”
That sounds extreme, Heat thought. But then again, we are talking about a desperate situation. The Tol’An might blow up the entire station. We can only speculate why they’re really here.
“Coming in hot,” Jeb said. “Hold on, everyone! This is going to be interesting.”
“I hate when you say that,” Heat called out, gripping his seat tightly. “It always proves to be too accurate.”
***
Christina’s ears rang as total chaos erupted around her. She shoved herself up from the ground and fired her weapon at the smoking remains of the door, three shots disappearing into the smog. People shouted around her, screams of pain and she crawled her way to the table where the VIPs were still located.
Admiral Reach was still moving as was the ambassador for the Pahxin. Bodyguards from both sides engaged in combat, first with firearms but they were forced into a wild melee. Christina realized the time for waiting was over. They couldn’t hold the enemy there. It was time to move.
“We have to go!” Christina shouted. “Admiral, you have to follow me. Now!”
“What about the bodyguards?” Reach shouted. “Shouldn’t they be controlling this?”
Christina cursed under her breath. “I’m AIA, sir. I’m sorry to bring this to your attention now but we don’t have time for arguing. If we want to get out of this alive, you’re going to have to trust me. Come on. Now!”
She pulled his arm and they left the table, moving for the opposite door that had just been destroyed. Reach crouched as they moved and he opened the door while Christina fired suppressive shots at the doorway. Lothan arrived with his ambassador, prepared to make a run for it as well.
“When this opens,” Christina said, “we’re going to have to take the lead. Chances are good we’re about to encounter enemies out there.”
“I agree.” Lothan grunted. “I’ll take the lead, you follow the rear and ensure no one lags behind. I know the way to our shuttle.”
“Okay …” Christina turned to Reach. “Stay in the middle and remain close to the other ambassador. When that door opens, follow Lothan no matter what. Ready?” The door slid aside, revealing the open space between the conference room and the nearest hallway some sixty feet away. “Go! Go! Go!”
The four of them darted from the room, leaving the bodyguards to hold the Tol’An back. Gunfire continued blasting back there but at least immediately, the small VIP party was not pursued. Christina kept her head on a swivel, keeping an eye on the two hallways which might admit attackers.
One came running from the left and Christina whipped off a snap shot, catching him in the throat. He fell to the ground, grasping at the wound as he convulsed his way toward death. The next one must’ve seen his friend go down because he didn’t come out but rather used the corner for cover and fired at them.
Okay, so they aren’t trying to catch us, Christina thought, ducking her head. “I suggest we sprint, everyone!”
The others picked up the pace and Christina returned fire again, this time lighting up the wall near their attacker. Just then another man rounded the other corner and started shouting at them. She couldn’t make out what he had to say nor was her computer able to translate on the fly but it didn’t sound pleasant.
Either he’s saying die horribly or surrender. The Pahxin aren’t stopping so I’m not going to either.
They made the entrance to the hallway and poured in with Christina hesitating just inside to see how bad it was. Where are the bodyguards? Come on, guys! Please tell me you made it! The coms were still down internally and she cursed as she caught up with the others. They were nearly thirty feet away when she started running.
An explosion rocked the station and Christina stumbled into the wall. Catching her balance, she shouted at her companions, “you don’t think they’re shelling the station, do you?”
“I would not put it past them!” Lothan cried back. “They’ve been known to be so thorough before … even with their own people aboard.”
“Fantastic!” Christina shook her head, watching behind them carefully in the event they were being pursued.
They emerged into another room and Lothan stopped them abruptly. “Hold!” He shouted. “We are in trouble.”
“What’s wrong?” Christina asked the question but when she followed his gaze, she didn’t need the answer. The Pahxin shuttle had been destroyed, torn free from its docking clamp. The inner door held but the outer was gone. If it had caused any more damage, they would all be dead. “Our shuttle is in the hangar … not docked like this. We can make it there.”
“We should definitely try,” Lothan said. “And we don’t have to go back the way we came. We can go around down that maintenance corridor there!”
“How do you know?” Christina grabbed his arm. “We could get trapped in there.”
“He seems pretty confident,” Reach said. “And we don’t have time for debate.”
“I’ve been here many times and studied the layout extensively,” Lothan explained, “not just the map they provided but one we were able to fashion ourselves through extensive visits and tours. Trust me, we can get where we’re going through there but we have to hurry. Undoubtedly, our enemies will follow us.”
“Okay, lead the way.” Christina didn’t like it but the admiral was right. They didn’t really have a choice. I hope Lothan knows what he’s doing. If we get trapped down there, we’re just going to die tired.
Chapter 7
A bright flash off to the starboard made Desmond’s heart thump harder in his chest. It lingered for a good half minute before burning out. The destroyer was falling back just as they were, giving each ship a little room in the continuing struggle. Both ships had taken some damage but defenses kept them from experiencing any real operational impact.
“What was that?” Vincent asked.
“One of the Pahxin ships,” Salina said. “It’s … been destroyed.”
“That battleship?” Desmond asked. “That thing looked tough.”
“Yes, sir.” Salina sighed. “And one of the other ships has taken significant damage. The remaining two are … undamaged so far.”
Desmond turned to Vincent, “how’re the fighters doing?”
“We’ve had no real casualties, just some damage. The Pahxin are tearing it up out there but they’ve lost six ships. Their tactics are … daring to say the least.”
“I can imagine.” Desmond shook his head. “Cassie, where are we at with jamming their targeting?”
“I’m ready …” Cassie tapped her screen a few times. “Now. Initiating a sensor blast.”
The hull seemed to vibrate from whatever she did, not like when they fired their weapons. This was more subtle, something that Desmond only noticed due to his overwhelming familiarity with the Gnosis. “How will we know it worked?” He asked. “Maybe we need to just keep up with the evasive maneuvers?”
“I’ll be able to tell momentarily,” Cassie replied. “Also … I’m blasting the pr
obe now so we can try to communicate with the station. It might not work for long. Actually … neither of the things I tried will likely last but if either do, we’ll have a brief advantage. Initiating the other jamming signal now.”
Salina went to work on her station, trying to hail the admiral’s party. Desmond directed Zach to keep the pressure on the destroyer. Weapons hammered the destroyer again, and it picked up the pace as it moved away. Is he actually falling back because he’s concerned about us or are we being drawn into an attack?
“Cassie, I really need an update on whether your jamming thing worked …” Desmond tapped the arm of his chair. “Pretty much now.”
***
Cassie’s eyes flew over the readings on her screen and she grunted in frustration. “My scans aren’t coming back as fast as I’d like. There’s a ton of interference in this sector, not just from what we’ve done but the enemy as well. Everyone’s trying to talk to one another … It’s a real mess out there.”
“Just do whatever it takes,” Desmond replied. “And hurry.”
Like I’m not hurrying! Cassie kept her frustration to herself and continued typing as quickly as she could. Salina hailed the station, asking them in her calm voice to respond. Cassie’s probe scheme might not have been powerful enough to prevent the other ship from blocking their communications, which would round out another failure.
I feel like I need some kind of practice at this point! Cassie clenched her fists and nearly started cursing out loud when her scan data finally came back. Thank God! What happened?
The destroyer was experiencing a variety of system failures, not just from her jamming signal but from damage as well. She reported this to Desmond immediately, stating that one of their attacks impacted their shield generators. They still had several but they were under the strain of having to compensate for the broken one.
“Don’t let up,” Desmond said to Zach. “I want you to time our shots so you are constantly hitting them. We no longer have to punch through the defenses, we just have to wear them down.”