Higher still, the open air of the planet gave way to darker atmosphere and the brightness of Taygetta became more piercing in the dark of space.
Haddron finally pushed the lever back the other way and his upward trajectory slowed to a stop. He took in the site of his planet and marveled at the beauty of it.
Erra looked similar to Earth except with a pinker coloring compared to the blue human planet.
Haddron pulled out a communicator. “I am returning,” he said into it.
He pressed the lens and teleported out of the room.
* * *
The crew watched Haddron connect his teleporter to the metal strips back aboard their ship.
“I tried to warn you,” Naura said.
“The result would have been the same.” Haddron pressed the lens.
“You killed the whole vanguard?” Elit asked with a gleeful smile.
“I did no such thing,” Haddron scolded.
They all watched the window as the white light grew brighter from beneath the ship.
When the same light faded away, All on the ship found themselves staring at Erra. Naura smiled at the sight of their home planet. Jammin smiled at another sight hovering above the planet.
Kar’libon placed a hand on Haddron’s shoulder. “You are certain of this?”
“More than anything.” Haddron stepped toward the window of his ship and gazed out at the same monstrosity as Jammin hanging above Erra.
The vessel resembled the carcass of an immense animal, its bones picked clean. A rib like structure—a cage of sorts—jutted out from behind the main control center. The spine of the structure formed a low profile arch, almost like the fin of some ancient sea creature. Cannons extended forward and aft from within the fin while six dual-sided turrets—twelve in all—were mounted on the sides of the fin. Each of those turrets spun constantly in search of a target.
The rest of the massive structure had armaments of similar nature all adding up to a fearsome weapon of war.
“Naura,” Haddron said. “Begin docking sequence.”
“I will follow you wherever you go, Haddron, but if we link with the Slagschip there is truly no turning back.”
“I have no intention of turning back. Begin docking sequence.”
Naura turned to her console and did as instructed.
* * *
Haddron’s ship pressed forward toward the Slagschip. It maneuvered underneath the structure, lining up with the opening at the bottom. Once the two were aligned, Haddron’s ship sent short bursts from the bottom of the hull, pushing the ship up toward the opening.
The ribbed sections on either side of the Slagschip’s dock bracketed the ship while the control center enveloped the front of Haddron’s ship.
One more burst from the top of the ship slowed it until metal locks grabbed hold of the ship, keeping it in place.
More connecting pieces extended out from the interior part of the Slagschip, additionally fusing the two vessels.
* * *
Haddron input commands on his console and the front windows and walls swirled like liquid just as the ship’s crew seats had done. Those walls widened and moved back, merging with the control room of the Slagschip and increasing the entire size of the space.
Elit whistled. “It’s going to take all of us to run this thing.”
Haddron steepled his fingers. “Phase three is complete, my friends. Now begins our revenge.”
Eight
Unexpected Partnership
Taylor Lee Durham hurried to catch up to Irons as the rest of the crew followed behind them through the Wartech main office lobby. The lobby was mostly empty as the employees were busy at their own desks.
Durham rushed around a package courier who was pulling in a large dolly truck stacked with boxes.
“I’ll get that.” The lobby receptionist stood to receive the delivery manifest from the deliveryman.
“Boss.” Durham finally caught up to Irons. “I thought we were enlisted treasure hunters. When did we become police?”
“When the order was given.”
“Yeah but—“
Irons stopped and jabbed a finger in Durham’s chest. “Look, we got orders and we’re gonna follow them through. Don’t matter how much we like’em.” Irons turned on his heel and continued toward the front doors.
Syracuse and Lindsay walked by the lobby receptionist.
“Why’s he so touchy about this? It’s one guy,” Durham whispered to Syracuse.
“Because it involves one woman,” Syracuse told him.
“The Admiral?”
“Now you’re catching on, kid.” Syracuse followed after Irons.
Lindsay and Durham looked back to see Sitasha showing Hannah technical specs while the same Wartech security surrounded Benjamin and Mona as they escorted them through the lobby.
“Why does this Haddron thing feel bigger than the Catters?” Durham asked.
“Because in some weird way,” Lindsay started. “I think it is.”
* * *
An armored personnel carrier sat parked at the curb, right in the fire lane in front of the building. More Wartech Security stood nearby, blocking the sidewalk on either side of the APC.
Syracuse rubbed at his chin. “Isn’t all this a little excessive?”
“I’m not convinced it’s enough.” Benjamin stepped toward the APC. “Haddron could come out of nowhere. Literally.” He opened the back passenger side door of the armored personnel carrier.
“And he’d be gone just as fast,” Hannah added.
“Exactly, Specialist Xuyen.” Benjamin put one foot in the APC. “If he does show up, I’m hoping these guys or the snipers will take him out.”
“Snipers?” Lindsay’s eyes darted around. She immediately took note of the perfect vantage points to sight down on a target. Her eyes were sharp enough to spot at least two rifles aimed out of one of the buildings. If there were any others, they were hidden remarkably well, even from her.
“I’m not particularly comfortable with rifles pointed at my head,” Mona said as she stepped toward the APC.
“Don’t worry, they’ll hit him and not you,” Benjamin said, climbing into the armored vehicle. “They’re at least as well trained as Captain Irons.”
Irons scoffed at the remark. He didn’t believe there was any honor in mercenary work. Making a living as a soldier was one thing. For him, duty came first. Compensation second. Mercs were all about the dollar first. If things got tough, he doubted any of these security guards would go above and beyond. Contracts or no.
He stepped off of the curb just at the APC only to have Benjamin hold his hand out, halting Irons’s entry.
“Sorry, Captain. Your ride is back there.” Benjamin pointed to a Jeep pulling in right behind the armored vehicle.
“How’s that?” Irons asked.
“Just a precaution. In case Haddron does show up, who better to spot him than the Iron Albatross?”
“If he does show up, it’s gonna be right inside this thing.” He rapped his knuckles on the APC. ”I’m more useful here.”
“And what if he takes you out then takes the Admiral? Who’s gonna go after him then?”
Mona smiled at Irons. “It’s ok, James.”
Irons looked at her then back at Benjamin before turning his sights to the Jeep. A gun emplacement sat on the vehicle’s roll bar. He gritted his teeth then turned back to Mona.
“I’m right behind you if anything happens.”
“Outstanding,” Mona answered with as brave a face as she could muster.
Irons walked to the Jeep, brushing by the Wartech security that blocked the way.
“He still dotes on you, doesn’t he?” Benjamin asked.
“He’s a good soldier. Always has been,” Mona replied.
Benjamin chuckled mischievously. “I think it’s more than that, Admiral.”
“You’re sure your security can handle things?” Mona changed the subject.
“Absolutel
y. But just in case I’m wrong— Private Durham and Brooks.”
The two soldiers turned to the CEO.
“You’re with us.”
They both looked at Irons who only exhaled through his nose. He was already annoyed that he wasn’t on the closest personnel detail of the Admiral but his annoyance was even more aggravated now that he was being separated from his team.
“Commander Hill, Specialist Xuyen and Sitasha will ride in the transport truck up front,” Benjamin said. “Let’s move out, people.”
Syracuse glanced at Irons and held his hands up, confused by the personnel placement.
Irons only shook his head and climbed in the back of the Jeep, taking his place at the gun turret.
The front Jeep turned into traffic with the other two vehicles moving close behind it.
Irons grumbled as they made their way down the road. The two Wartech security guards who accompanied him kept quiet while they followed as close to the APC as possible. All three of them kept their eyes peeled for any visible threats. Irons tried to calm himself by running through the whole scenario. How could Haddron possibly know where Mona was exactly? It was a long shot that he would just show up near her much less inside the APC. That thought was sobering but he still maintained a watchful eye.
“You know, I had a run in with this guy in my early academy days,” the driver yelled though his balaclava.
Irons’s expression changed from vigilance to familiarity.
“He was training us in Nordic fighting styles. The guy is a genius when it comes to hand to hand. I doubt even you could take him, Captain,” the driver said. It was easy to tell he was talking with a smile.
Irons glanced down at the man behind the wheel. “You gotta be kidding me.”
“Afraid not.” The man removed his helmet and pulled down the balaclava covering his face then looked back at Irons. “Glad to work with you again, James.”
“Allen!”
Captain Roy Allen brushed his fingers through his well styled hair, trying to get rid of the helmet head. It had little problem bouncing back.
“What are you—”
“The Admiral figured it would be a good idea to team up the best Captains in the fleet.”
“Since when do you qualify?” Irons asked.
“Since I got my rank.” Roy laughed. It was an arrogant laugh. Even after getting caught on day one of the last battle with the Catters, Roy Allen was still as cocky as ever.
“Listen, Irons,” Roy continued. “Since you and your team will be working under my command—“
“Your command! You wanna run that by me again?”
“The Admiral didn’t tell you?” Roy was genuinely shocked. “Since the Lucky Liberty is still being repaired, you and your crew are being stationed on my ship.
“Allen, you ain’t fit to run your own crew. You sure ain’t fit to run yours and mine. Haddron will eat you for breakfast.”
“If it was a hand to hand fight, I’d probably agree with you. But I’m pretty sure if the guy does show up in his slag-whatever, we’re perfectly capable of handling it.”
“You seen the specs on that thing?”
“It’s one ship, Irons. How bad can it be?”
* * *
“Run this by me again!” Syracuse yelled over the rushing wind as the troop transport travelled down the highway.
“Commander, it’s incredible,” Hannah said, excited about the new information. “Maybe not in the good way but it’s— The Slagschip is in no way built for speed.”
“With a teleporter, it doesn’t have to be,” Sitasha added, her white hair whipping in the wind.
“Right,” Hannah continued. “It’s built entirely for offensive attacks. A total weapon.” She turned the tablet with the Slagschip’s tech specs to Syracuse.
He looked them over and shook his head in disbelief. “This thing is its own armada.”
“And it fully integrates the weapons and defensive systems of whatever docks inside of it, making it even stronger.” Hannah looked back at the APC behind them. “Commander, an armored truck isn’t going to stop that thing if it shows up. Our ship won’t stop that thing if it shows up. With or without repairs.”
Syracuse glanced at the APC. “I see why this is worse than the Catters, now.”
* * *
Durham checked his rifle’s loading gate then looked up at the shutter in the ceiling. He nudged Lindsay. “Think we’ll both fit in there?”
She looked at him and his boyish grin. “Get your head in the game.”
Mona smiled half-heartedly at their banter.
“No need to worry, Admiral.” Benjamin assured her. “We got the best of the best on either side of us. I feel sorry for Haddron if he tries to show up. I don’t care how good he is. There’s no way he’s prepared for the crew of the Lucky Liberty and Captain of the Drastic Nova.”
“Captain Allen is here?” Lindsay asked.
“He’s behind us.” Benjamin stuck a thumb over his shoulder.
“Does our Captain know that?” Durham asked.
Benjamin sat for a moment, pondering the question. “You know. Now that I think about it, I might have left that out.”
Lindsay and Durham shared the same expression. This isn’t going to go well.
* * *
“Stay on their bumper!” Irons yelled.
“If I get any closer and they make a sudden stop, you’re going over the roll bar!”
“I don’t want another car getting between us and them, Allen!”
Roy laughed. “Trust me, James, I know what I’m doing.”
“You ain’t proved that to me even one time.”
“I proved it to the Admiral. That’s all that matters.”
“Captain,” the guard in the passenger seat said.
“All you proved to her is how to get captured. We’re trying to prevent that from happening to her,” Irons said.
“Captain.” The guard’s voice got louder and more frantic.
“You have a funny way of showing gratitude,” Roy snapped.
“Gratitude? For what?”
“Captain!” the guard yelled.
Irons and Roy snapped forward at the line of vehicles all stopped on the freeway.
Roy slammed on the brakes, bringing the Jeep to a screeching halt and stopping just short of ramming the APC.
Irons grabbed hold of the roll bar to keep himself from flying over it and smacking right into the armored truck in front of them.
Roy stood up. “What’s going on”?”
Irons looked past the stopped cars. In front of them was a light show of some sort. “What is that?”
“Whatever it is, it’s got everyone stopped,” Roy answered.
The light flickering finally stopped and a lone figure stood in the road. A few of the cars in the other lanes, slowly moved forward.
“That looks like…” Roy trailed off.
“It’s him!” Irons moved behind the turret and took aim down the freeway.
A single light flashed and the figure vanished. Traffic began to move again.
Durham stuck his head out the roof shutter and looked back at Irons. “What’s going on, Boss?”
“Haddron is here!”
Durham spun forward. “Where?”
“Keep your eyes open. He’s using his teleporter. Tell Brooks to be on the lookout and radio to Hill.”
The front troop transport and the APC began to move when another flash appeared on the roof of the armored truck. The flash and appearance of Haddron took Durham by surprise. He fell back into the APC and fired up through the shutter. His bullets hit nothing but air as Haddron had already teleported away.
“He’s got teleport tech?” Roy asked, surprised.
“You agreed to this detail without intel? Figures.” Irons shook his head. “Just keep your eyes on the road. You spot him, call out the direction.
The three vehicles stayed in line while weaving through the traffic. Without a police signal or some s
ign to stay out of the way, the civilian vehicles created another obstacle in their path.
“Nine o’clock!” Roy pointed to his left.
Irons turned the gun in that direction and watched Haddron falling down the side of a sky scraper. He tensed his trigger finger.
“Don’t shoot at civilian structures!” Benjamin shouted through the Neural Transmitter. “Wait till we’re clear!”
“Stevens, we’re gonna miss our shot.”
Haddron disappeared.
Irons spun his head around, trying to anticipate where he might end up next.
A flash went off just behind Irons.
“The Iron Albatross. I am familiar with your victories during the war,” Haddron said.
Irons spun around, swinging his fist but hitting nothing but air. He stumbled and fell into the back of the Jeep.
Another flash went off just behind Irons and Haddron appeared, standing on top of a civilian car. The car skidded to a halt, throwing Haddron off it. The Nordic flew toward Irons and teleported just before reaching him.
“Irons! Noon!” Roy shouted.
Irons stood and turned to see Haddron back on the roof of the APC. He grabbed the gun and fired but Haddron teleported just in time.
“He didn’t do that at the academy,” Roy said.
“Just stay alert.” Irons patted Roy on the shoulder. There was too much at stake to let whatever minor rivalry the two had get in the way. “Stevens. You hear me?”
“I do, Captain.”
“Everyone on high alert till we get to the docks. Haddron just showed up and he’s playing with us. Worse, I don’t think he’s done, yet.”
Nine
Face Your Enemy
The small convoy sped through the tunnel as fast as the traffic up front would allow.
“Brooks!” Irons shouted. “Keep an eye out.”
Lindsay Brooks stood up through the APC’s roof shutter. She kept her head moving from side to side, watching for anything or anyone that might be a threat. Her gun stayed pointed forward. “Sir, we can’t have a fire fight in such a cramped space. Not with civilians around.”
NORDIC WRATH (War In the Void Book 2) Page 6