by L. E. Thomas
“I understand.” Waylon pointed at the defense system. “How could pirates afford such technology?”
“I have no idea.” Josh shook his head and surveyed the room full of a mismatch of technology. “One thing’s for certain, they have quite the benefactor.”
For the next several minutes, Josh poured through the files searching for anything on the curvature way station. Apparently growing tired of watching Josh search through files, Waylon left the room, giving orders to his crew. Josh watched them through the window for a moment and sighed. Staying with the Barracudas would certainly be easier than trying to find a way back to a Legion base. Gaining transportation to Tarton’s Junction or any other Legion station was a topic Waylon might not be too keen on discussing anytime soon. For one, he wouldn’t want to get so close to the law. For another, he probably wouldn’t want to loan Josh a spacecraft, either. Perhaps Josh could send out a distress signal? With any luck, a Legion vessel or even a merchant marine would pick up his signal and come pick him up.
Josh shook his head. Once again, this idea would make using the asteroid base impossible for Waylon and the Barracudas.
After finishing his review of another file, Josh stood and stretched. He limped over to a different workstation. Several encrypted files prevented him from searching the details. Perhaps this was a waste of time.
“Josh,” Waylon said, bursting into the room. “I think you’ll want to see this.”
Moving as fast as he could manage, Josh scuffed his feet into the hangar bay. The crew had started stripping the crashed Tyral Trident fighter for worthy parts and dragging the trash to the airlock. Tocol stood on the nose of the Trident like a champion hunter and hurled a piece of scrap metal to the hangar floor.
Matta ran up with a circuit board in her hand, her eyes wide. “This is the navigation computer from dat fighter.”
“Yeah?” Josh said, his eyes darting between Matta and Waylon. “So?”
She looked at Waylon and back at Josh. “We think it’s the fighter that one-eyed man was flying. Anyway, there’s a series of coordinates locked into the computer. Waylon said you’d want to see it.”
Josh smiled. “Let’s go back to the control room.”
When they made it back to the control room, Josh hooked up the circuit board into the workstation’s input and downloaded the information. His head pounded. He sat back in the chair and politely ordered Matta to complete downloading the information. Resting his head in his hands, he waited for the files to transfer to the workstation. Tocol and Waylon watched them work.
“Everyone step back,” Josh said, wincing as his head throbbed. “I’ll activate the star chart hologram.”
When everyone moved away from the center of the room, a black object shaped like a telescope descended from the ceiling. The object glowed a dull aqua blue. The room filled with an electronic hum. A holographic projection of the asteroid field flashed, and images of asteroids tumbled through the control room. Tocol flinched, backing into the wall.
“You’re scared?” Waylon laughed.
“Shut up,” the large man grumbled, ducking as a holographic asteroid floated past his head. “What is this?”
“It’s a map,” Josh said, his voice filling with strength, the internal officer returning. “We’re trying to figure out where Rodon and the rest of his rabble went.”
Tocol nodded, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Matta sat on the floor, crossing her legs and staring up at the asteroids as if she were a child in a grass field on a summer evening. Waylon rubbed his beard as he took in the asteroid field.
“This is us,” Josh said, pointing to the large asteroid in the center of the field. “If I zoom out a bit, like this, you can see the rest of the star system.”
The view pulled back to reveal the rest of the Zine system. Two uninhabitable planetary bodies circled the star. The large asteroid field loomed across the system, taking up the majority of the room. Absolutely nothing called attention to the system, probably the reason Dax Rodon had chosen it.
“There are several coordinates keyed into the stolen Trident’s navigation computer,” Josh said, feeling like an instructor. “I am going to cycle through the last coordinates now.”
He punched in the first coordinates. The holographic map pulled back farther, flying through space to another backwater system of Quadrant Eight.
“This is the Amade Cluster,” Josh said, glancing at Waylon. “We know this system way too well.”
Waylon shifted. “That we do.”
“This confirms this was Cyclops’ ship. He had been to the Amade Cluster.” Josh punched in the next coordinates. “These coordinates I’m punching in now were keyed into the navigational computer when the Trident crashed. It’s safe to say these are the coordinates Cyclops planned to travel to next.”
The holographic star chart pulled back again. The stars swirled around the room. Matta sat in the floor and clapped. Tocol leaned against the wall as if the stars would smack him in the face. The images slowed and settled on a gray moon.
“Okay, then,” Josh said, shifting his head to the side as he studied the planetary body. “This small moon was his next destination. The way station is buried here and … wait.”
“What is it?” Waylon asked, stepping forward.
Josh pulled the star chart back. The image shifted, moving away from the gray moon to show the planet it orbited. The blue and white marble of a planet glimmered over their heads.
“Where is that?” Matta asked from the floor.
Shaking his head, Josh zoomed out a bit more to see the nearest planetary body after the moon. A dull red planet also orbited the yellow star. He sighed, a pressure building in his chest.
Waylon stepped next to him, placing his hand on his shoulder. “You know this place?” he breathed.
“I do.” Josh frowned as he stared at the floor. “It’s Earth.”
“Earth?” Matta asked. “What’s that?”
Waylon held up his hand, silencing her. “What do you mean? That’s your home?”
“Yes.”
“Rodon wouldn’t dare attack a Legion dark world.”
Josh winced. “It appears he would.”
Josh thought of Kadyn, of his parents.
Waylon shook his head. “He doesn’t have the resources to pull off such an attack.”
“Apparently, he does.”
Quiet fell over the room. Even Matta remained silent on the floor. Waylon squeezed Josh’s shoulder.
Turning away from the star charts, Josh rested his elbows on the workstation. If they weren’t prepared, the Legion had to be warned. A surprise attack on a backwater planet like Earth could provide a beachhead to open up the entire Quadrant Eight for invasion. A way station with enough energy could provide the beacon for an entire task force to waltz into the rear of Legion space.
“I need to go back,” Josh said without turning.
“To Earth?” Waylon shook his head. “That would be suicide, brother.”
“I need a ship.” Josh turned to face him, his fatigue forgotten. “I need a ship now.”
Waylon’s jaw dropped. “I—“
The map turned red, washing the room in the hue of blood. An alarm blasted like a bullhorn.
“What is that?” Matta asked.
“It’s not good.” Waylon pointed at Tocol. “Get everyone ready to leave. Now!”
Tocol scooped Matta up with one hand, grabbing her shoulder. “Got it.”
“Let’s see what we have.” Josh shifted the map back to the local star system. A lone vessel entered at the edge of the asteroid field, a curve closing behind it. “Here’s our newcomer.”
“Who is it?” Waylon asked, stepping back to take in the local hologram.
Josh zoomed in on the vessel. “It’s a modified fighter-bomber. Whoever it is, they are alone.”
“Who would come way out here?” Waylon glared at the screen. “Has to be one of Rodon’s men.”
Josh stared
at the sensors. “There’s no identification.”
The vessel flew through the asteroids like a professional, heading directly for their position.
“I don’t like this,” Waylon grumbled. “I don’t like this at all.”
A new alarm sounded.
“What now?” Waylon asked, his voice rising.
Josh frowned. “There’s another ship coming in.”
“What? Where?”
Josh zoomed out. “Here—at the edge of the field.”
The holograph shimmered at the edge of the asteroids. A capital ship passed into the space just outside of the asteroid field. With the massive cannon under the bow of the ship and the four torpedo tubes, Josh did not recognize the vessel from his studies.
“What is that?” Josh breathed, turning to Waylon. “Have you ever seen anything like that before?”
Waylon shook his head. “No. It’s not Legion.”
Josh keyed for identification. “It’s squawking a Zahl transponder.”
“Zahl? Here?”
Josh re-verified the identification. The information pinged back. The vessel was large enough to carry hundreds of personnel. A hangar bay opened at the base of the vessel. The transponder popped up on the screen, providing Josh ship information.
“It’s the Dauntless,” he said. “This computer doesn’t have the class in its memory banks.”
“A new ship?” Waylon smacked the back of the chair. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
The Dauntless slowed to the edge of the asteroid. The fighter-bomber turned around, changing course from heading directly toward the asteroid base. The fighter-bomber slowed and faced the Dauntless.
“Quiet,” Josh said as he slipped on the headset, searching the gamma waves for any transmissions. “I think I’ve got it.”
He patched the signal through to the interior speakers. Beyond outside the window, the Barracuda crews rushed around the hangar. Some carried crates while others detached fuel hoses from their ships.
“We are growing impatient with your lack of progress,” a signal hissed over the speakers.
“I wasn’t supplied well enough.”
“Rodon, please. You have been given more supplies over the years to dominate the competition. You promised to wreak havoc on the Legion backwater planets. You chose Earth. You failed.”
“I need more time. Tell Warlord Tulin I need more time.”
“Your time has run out.”
“I underestimated the defenses on Earth. I just need more time.”
“Unfortunately for you, I cannot grant it. And I’m afraid Tulin has decided there are to be no witnesses. You and your base of operations will be destroyed.”
“But I—“
“Goodbye, Rodon.”
Static screeched throughout the control room. Josh killed the transmission and stared at the holographic map. Waylon crossed his arms over his chest and stood in silence. A flurry of missiles launched from the Dauntless toward Rodon’s ship. Rodon looped around, heading quickly into the asteroid field. The missiles exploded into the rocks, sending fragments twirling into the asteroids. High-powered laser cannons erupted destruction, shattering larger rocks into tiny particles. Rodon’s ship spun around, rolling through the rocks before disappearing into a collection of sharp asteroids. His signal disappeared from the sensors.
For a moment, Josh thought the Dauntless would turn around and leave the system now that it appeared the pirate leader had been destroyed. As if to prove him wrong, interceptors launched from the Dauntless, twelve horseshoe shaped fighters soaring in perfect formation into the path cleared by the capital ship’s heavy weaponry. The Dauntless followed, the massive cannon under its bow obliterating any asteroids floating close to the ship. Josh traced their trajectory back toward the asteroid base.
He yanked his attention from the chaos playing out on the holographic map over their heads. “Waylon?”
Waylon clenched his jaw. “I’ll start the evacuation.”
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
“I’m below bingo fuel.” Austin blinked hard, tightening his eyelids and opening them again. Fatigue threatening to take over. He took a deep breath and tightened his hand around the stick.
Austin descended into the Earth’s atmosphere, his Trident rocking as he pulled back on the throttle. A cloud hovered over his heart. Dax Rodon, the man who had killed Josh and countless other Legion pilots, had escaped once again. Worse yet, Nubern had crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
“You take the lead,” Braddock called back, the gamma wave crackling. “Once you hit the water, activate your shields and use the maneuvering thrusters to land. You’ll conserve fuel.”
“Copy,” Austin said.
After pursuing the pirates halfway to the moon, the other Tridents incapacitated by the Tyral suicide attack had rebooted their systems and they returned to Earth in formation. Austin shook his head, trying to stay awake on the descent.
Debris littered the ocean’s surface. Burning pieces of metal peppered the blue waters of the Pacific. Long streaks of fire trails stretched across the water. Many pilots lost their lives today, and for what?
He scanned this sector of the ocean and found no surface contacts.
“Atlantis, Rock.”
The gamma wave hissed. “Copy, Rock.”
“Eight Tridents coming in for a landing. Can you direct?”
“Copy, Rock. Follow the landing beacons to the civilian hangar.”
Austin frowned. “Repeat? You are directing us to the civie hangar?”
“It’s the only operational hangar.”
Austin leaned back into his seat, closing his eyes for a moment. The Tyral Pirates had destroyed three hangars in one afternoon. He clenched his teeth and eased the Trident into the ocean, following the green brackets on his HUD toward what was left of Atlantis.
*****
Water fell from the hangar’s ceiling as if it rained, streaks of ocean water falling off the fighter craft. He landed the Trident, the landing gear submerging into three feet of water. Switching off his systems, he opened his canopy as the Trident powered down. The engines whined, slowed, and stopped. The sound of water falling into the hangar surrounded him. Austin slipped off his helmet, his sweaty hair sticking against his head. As the canopy opened, the salty water dripped on Austin’s head and into his mouth. He rubbed his gloves over his face and sat up to dodge the water. His muscles ached.
Crewman Tyce, dried blood covering the right side of his face, brought the ladder to the side of the Trident and smiled. Austin lifted his feet over the side of the canopy and stepped down the ladder. His muscles tightened and ached. He plunged his feet into the frigid water.
“You alright, Lieutenant?” Tyce asked, clearing his throat.
Austin wanted to fall into the water, his head hanging low. “I’m okay, Tyce,” he said in a raspy voice. “Thank you.”
“Water?” Tyce asked, holding out a bottle.
Austin snorted. “Sure.” He took a long drink. “How are things here?”
Tyce’s smile disappeared. “Bombs fell from above. They wouldn’t stop. I thought we were going to die, destroyed most of Atlantis. The attackers boarded on the third corridor when our defense fighters were destroyed. I heard the cannons are gone, too. They used some kind of transport to penetrate the hull.” He looked at the standing water mixing with blood and oil. “Lost a lot of buddies.”
Austin squeezed his shoulder.
“Austin!”
He looked up. Skylar ran through the water, her legs kicking through as quickly as she could move, the helmet in her left hand. Her blonde hair clinging to her face. A small cut on her cheek spilt blood onto her otherwise perfect skin.
Austin moved toward her, and fell into her arms. She nearly collapsed under his weight.
“Oh, my God,” she breathed. She quickly kissed him. “Are you okay?”
He gasped for air into her ear. He tried to answer, but on
ly mumbled. The words wouldn’t come, so he remained in her arms. He weakly hugged her.
Skylar turned to Tyce. “How long was he up there?”
“Hours, ma’am.”
She pulled Austin around so she could look him in the eye. “Can you stand?”
Austin nodded. “I feel weak, but I’m okay.”
“Infirmary?” she asked, looking at Tyce.
“Destroyed, but we’ve commandeered a disabled freighter for the wounded.” He pointed. “It’s over there. We’re using the storage bays.”
“Got it.”
Skylar supported Austin through the filthy waters. Debris fell from the ceiling and splashed. Small fires burned across the hangar. They passed Braddock, Gan Patro and Bear who stood near their ships. The Star Runners sipped on water bottles, their eyes gazing across the standing water. Austin nodded to each of them, trying to manage a smile.
When they reached the freighter Tyce had indicated, dozens of beds lined the storage bay inside the vessel. It felt good to climb the ramp and leave the frigid water behind. The wounded bled onto the white sheets as staff tried to provide water and care the best they could. Skylar pointed toward an empty bed.
Austin squeezed her shoulder. “I’m not wounded. These people are truly hurt. I’m just tired.”
“Then rest.” She pushed him to the cot and knelt in front of him. “My God, Austin. Are you alright? You look terrible.”
She grabbed a wet rag and pressed it to his forehead. The soothing water fell over his face. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
“What happened to you?” she asked, washing the rag in a bowl. “We were doing training on the junction and suddenly got called to action by Braddock. He explained the mission in route to Earth. Next thing I know we are dogfighting Tyrals over the Pacific Ocean.”
Austin swallowed, his throat dry. “It’s good to see you.”
Her expression softened for a moment before she frowned. “I’m serious, Austin. You were supposed to be on leave. What happened?”
“Earth had been attacked.”
She blinked. “I know that much. What do you mean attacked? What happened?”