Rada swung the Tine about, searching for new targets. At the center of the fight, fighters spun about each other, exchanging projectiles; most moved sluggishly, but perhaps one in ten of the enemy ships maneuvered with the grace of Motion Arrestors. The frigates—which, with their mass, were little more than oversized targets—hung at the rear of the exchange. Was that where the commanders were gathered? More likely, they were filled with marines and supplies. Everything FinnTech would need to take over the Hive.
They didn't have to defeat the entire fleet, did they? All they had to do was knock out the freighters. Without those, the enemy would be unable to seize the station. It might be enough to convince them to withdraw and regroup. Even if they stayed in orbit around the Hive, in the time it took them to bring in replacements, it was possible Toman could rally aid from somewhere—an Earth government that had finally had enough, the freebooters in the Belt, a corporation that feared it would be next in FinnTech's sights. Since releasing the footage of the alien ship attacking the Tine, there had been growing support for the Hive. The FinnTech assault could be what finally tipped the scales.
But striking the freighters would mean killing hundreds of ground troops and personnel. She could rationalize that as FinnTech's burden—they were the ones who'd started this war, who'd brought these people to the field—yet she knew she'd feel it, too.
She'd deal with it.
She scanned the tactical display, doing a rough count of support/troop craft. FinnTech was doing a good job insulating them from the worst of the fighting, but if all the Hive's forces turned on them at once…
Beside the main screen, the comm video feed flashed on. Toman sat on the bridge of an expansive ship, face painted by the reds, greens, and yellows of the dozens of screens shining from its desks and walls.
"Friends," he said shakily. "I am honored that you have fought for me. And so sad that you had to. That is why I am both pained and happy to announce that it's time to leave. We're abandoning the Hive. Your orders are attached. More to follow."
The screen blanked. The Tine's computer showed a new set of orders, instructing them to skim along the front lines and cover the withdrawal.
"He can't be serious," Webber said. "We just got here!"
Rada smashed her palm on the dash. "We can still do this. What's he thinking?"
"Our team has burned a lot of missiles already." MacAdams gazed up at the screens. "Expect he wants to pull out while we can still defend ourselves. If they chase and we run dry, say goodbye to the entire fleet."
Hating every moment of it, Rada accepted the ship's course recommendation. They swung toward the periphery, rockets firing automatically in response to threats. Behind them, the swirling mass of Hive ships began to shift. The movement's purpose wasn't obvious; some ships flew laterally, gaining speed, preparing to break.
"Least we put up a fight," MacAdams rumbled. "Not much a station can do against a navy that size."
Webber leaned back, hands clasped behind his head. "As brilliant as our fearless leader is supposed to be, his tactics were awful vanilla."
"There hasn't been a fleet action on this scale for a generation. Bet you half the officers ain't even seen live combat. 'Sides, defending a station is like running a race with a ball and chain. Try to do too much, and you're apt to break your leg."
Toman reappeared on the screen, addressing the entire fleet. "You've fought hard and deserve an explanation. We're chewing through our ammo. We can't afford to get to the point where we don't have enough to cover our retreat. Even if I wanted to take that gamble with my life—and all of yours—there's a second fleet on the way. It's from the Locker. And despite our best efforts, it's hostile.
"We could stay and make our stand. Make a statement to the System. Do our best to cripple FinnTech's navy, hoping to slow them down enough for someone else to pick up where we left off. Instead, I choose the option that will allow us to continue the fight ourselves. Partly, this is because I don't trust anyone else to step up and continue it. But mostly? The spirit and bravery you displayed today was too inspiring to only experience once."
He stood from his chair. Rather dangerous, given that he was inside a ship in the middle of a battle with no Motion Arrestor to prevent him from getting pulped by a sudden change in direction. He stiffened and saluted.
"Thank you for believing. Let's get out of here safe. This is only the beginning."
New orders followed. The ships furthest from the enemy turned, flying straight back toward the Hive. Rada anticipated the plan—squeeze past the station, which would fire everything it had to keep the enemy from pursuing. Anyway, no point in leaving unused ammo for FinnTech to capture.
The fleet bulged backward, then flowed in wholesale withdrawal. The FinnTech ships moved in behind them, cautious at first, advancing in a funnel-shaped formation. Within a minute, the edge of the funnel nearest to the Hive boosted forward, firing off a thicket of rockets to drive the defenders away from the station. Missiles launched from the circumference of the ring. Defenders flung rockets and drones behind them. The attackers spread out to buy themselves space, slowing.
Orders flashed across the comm. As one, the Hive's ships punched into full burn. Still bearing more speed than most, Rada looped around the rear of the fleet.
The Hive shrank behind them. Hundreds of explosions played out across the darkness as the FinnTech vessels fought to extract themselves from the swarming missiles.
"Think they'll chase us?" Webber said.
"We bought ourselves a head start," Rada said. "They may not be able to catch up."
"If they try, and succeed, wouldn't it have been smarter to stick with the Hive?"
"Staying at the Hive would have been sure suicide. At least this gives us a chance." On tactical, the enemy fell steadily behind. "The major limitation on speed is going to be how much acceleration the pilots can endure. We're literally running for our lives. Our people will be willing to push themselves harder than theirs."
The explosions in the distance faded to nothing. As soon as the last missiles had been dealt with, the FinnTech armada disengaged from the station, accelerating hard after the retreating fighters. The gap between the two sides steadied. For a few minutes, the distance wobbled between smaller and larger as the FinnTech pilots put themselves to as much G-force as they could stand, then eased off for a quick rest.
Then, as Rada had feared, a contingent of fighters peeled away from the main body of the pursuers, angling to the side, yet steadily gaining ground.
She opened a Needle to Toman. "Rada here. Those ships—they've got MAs. They're going to cut us off. Slow us down. And feed us to the main fleet."
To her surprise, a link opened. Toman was thoroughly gripped by his chair, face distorted by the relentless tug of acceleration. "Got any suggestions for what to do about that?"
"Who, me?"
"You've spent more time flying with a Motion Arrestor than anyone on our side. How do we take them down?"
"There's no magic weapon," she said. "The MA doesn't lend them any weaknesses to exploit. It just makes them stronger."
"Yeah, I was afraid of that."
"Have you tried shooting at them?"
"Okay, okay. I'll figure something out myself." He smiled at her. "You've already done more than I could have wished for. It's always been my philosophy to push people until they fail. That's the only way to learn where their limits are—and they're usually much further than we would have believed. You and your team, though? You haven't failed me yet."
"That would explain why you keep assigning us so many wacky missions."
"I want you to promise me something. If they catch up to us, don't stay and fight. Get out of here."
She laughed in disbelief. "You really expect me to leave you to die?"
"I do," he said. "Because you know that you dying with me wouldn't solve anything. You can still be useful. You three are heroes. You can take that status and use it to convince the System to stand up."
>
"Because we've been so effective as a PR miracle so far."
"It will be different. Before, we knew the Swimmers were out there, but we didn't know what they wanted. This time, we don't know who Those are—but we're damn sure they don't mean us well. Promise me."
"To run away." Rada kept her expression neutral. "Because we'd have no chance to win."
"Correct."
"Like when we flew into the Kuiper Belt to provoke the aliens into attacking us and proving they mean us harm."
Toman's face darkened. "I believe you've played a trick on me."
"There's always a chance. You just have to take it."
"Then let's hope we haven't found your limits yet." He gave her a wink. "Gotta run. Good luck."
The connection closed. She swiveled to face Webber and MacAdams.
"Yep," Webber said.
"Right here," MacAdams said.
"Let's go to work."
The FinnTech detachment was already passing to port, flying far enough away to render an exchange of missiles pointless. What was protocol for engaging manned fighters who were significantly faster than you? This situation hadn't existed since the very first days of space, when hard caps on motion hadn't been determined by the frailties of the human body, but by primitive engines and fuel.
Toman's forces outnumbered the MA-equipped ships more than three times over, but if he tried to engage them, they'd dance back. Meanwhile, any diversion of course would allow FinnTech's trailing fleet to get closer. If she had a few more ships like the Tine, she might be able to corral the squad into a devastating encounter with the Hive's vessels, but she couldn't even split up their ship without sacrificing the speed they'd need to be effective.
Hang on. She didn't have manned fighters. But she didn't need them.
She reopened the comm. "Toman. How many drones do we have left?"
His face appeared on one of her screens. "About enough to field a baseball team. We burned almost all of them back at the Hive."
"I need everything you've got. And I need a quick strategy programmed for them."
"LOTR's here on the ship with me. Coding this up is the least they can do for me saving their lives. What've you got in mind?" He listened as she explained. When she finished, he didn't look particularly hopeful, but he wasn't cussing at her for wasting his time, either. "I'll put them to work. Shouldn't be more than a few minutes."
The FinnTech advance squad was now well past the Hive fleet, angling in from the side to put themselves directly ahead. Once they were in position, the ships began to fire a staccato of kinetics. They aimed no more than a speckle of rounds at each Hive vessel, but it was enough to force a small adjustment. After a few repeats, these adjustments induced adjustments of their own, rippling through the fleet. Behind them, the enemy gained ground.
"All set," Toman said, jarring her from her passive observation.
"Let's give it another minute or three," Rada said. "See if they'll come at us with missiles. The more they waste on the fleet, the better my chances with the drones."
The FinnTech ships held position, sniping continuously. They showed no indications of wanting to engage. Smart play. They had nothing but time. And with the Locker en route, the Hive's window to escape the noose was running out.
"They're not biting." Rada nudged the Tine forward. "Launch all drones."
41 drones surged forth. Against the nineteen FinnTech ships—equipped with MAs, and far more heavily armed—Rada had no illusions about her chance of outright victory. If she could take down enough, though, the fleet might be able to overwhelm them with missiles.
The drones advanced in a loosely spaced plane. The enemy took a similar formation, buying themselves space to work with, minimizing the chance of losing too much to a surprise gambit. A few missiles flicked back and forth. As the mini-fleet entered engagement range, Rada sent the signal.
The drones converged on each other like an explosion filmed in reverse. Tightly bunched, they ran full burn at the nearest fighter. Missiles streamed from their bows. Far too many for one ship to defend. Within seconds, the target was consumed in a flaming cloud.
Acting as one, the drones had already snapped toward the next fighter. It turned hard, attempting to grab enough space for its wingmen's missiles to join the defense. Badly outgunned, it too vanished in the fire. The drones pounced on a third ship, but the FinnTech fighters were adapting, pulling back, hammering the drones with missiles. So tightly bunched, any evasive maneuver simply exposed a different drone to the threat. They lost five before the third fighter went down.
Rada gave the command to pull back the drones. They withdrew, scattering to a more orthodox formation. With her one piece of trickery spent, the fight degraded to a down and dirty dogfight. She weaved in and out of the drones, trying to pressure the enemy into drifting closer to Toman's slower fleet, but the fighters held discipline. Her numbers dwindled to thirty, then twenty. With thirteen FinnTech vessels remaining, she thought they'd be lucky to ace three more before she was forced to retreat to the Hive formation.
Without warning, the enemy fighters broke off their engagements, arcing away in an all-out retreat.
"The hell?" Rada said.
Webber whooped. "Ask them how our shoe tastes!"
"This makes no sense. If they'd hung on for another minute, we'd be the ones retreating."
"Low on missiles?" MacAdams said. "Had to bug out before they ran out."
"If they were running low, they concealed it well. It's almost like…" A pit opened in Rada's stomach. As she reached for the dash, the comm pinged. She called up the long-range view at the same time Toman spoke.
"Well done." His smile was as thin as thin got. "Now get back here. The Locker's incoming."
"Roger," she said leadenly. On the screen, a new fleet hurtled toward the Hive's course. Nearly sixty more ships, fully loaded with missiles and drones.
22
Kansas flopped to the ground with an airy groan. Blood squirted from a hole high on her back, pure red against the white of her shirt. Numbness swept through Ced's body. Kansas sputtered, gave a small shriek. He stepped over her, arm shaking. Though he knew there were people on the other side of the door, the office was soundproofed. She could scream her head off and no one would be the wiser.
She rolled onto her back. The shot had exited her chest. Tears flooding her eyes, she began to laugh. "You're going to shoot me."
He willed his arm to rise, aiming the pistol at her chest. "I already did."
"I mean you're going to kill me." She laughed more. "How are you doing this?"
"You made it easy."
"Oh, don't get all righteous." She pushed herself up on one elbow, wincing. Her shirt was damp with blood. "Have you heard what your special buddies at the Hive did?"
"Kansas, don't—"
"Listen. They flew out past the end of everything, knowing no one had ever come back. That the aliens were out there and that those aliens would kill them. They didn't care. They were looking for that fight. If that was what it took to shock people awake, they were willing to die for it."
His finger twitched on the trigger. "After you refused to help them. Used them to turn the System against the Hive."
"I did what I had to! To keep this place safe!" She tried to push herself up. She grimaced, rocked back on her elbow. "They pushed further than anyone. They were fearless. And it made them invincible."
"Do you have a point? Other than how right I was?"
"You didn't know they had that in them. Just like I didn't think you had it in you." Kansas planted her palm on the floor and pushed, body quivering, cords standing out from her neck. She sat up, got her knees beneath her, and stood, facing him. "Do you know what the most powerful weapon in the universe is? It isn't guns, or ships, or magic alien technology. It's the will to do what has to be done."
"The point," he said. "Last chance."
"I believe we can do this. Knock out Valiant together. Do you want to try?"
> "Let me get this straight. Before, you thought I was an idiot. Then I shot you. And now you think I'm brilliant."
"Correct."
"Maybe I'm not as smart as you think," he said. "Because my presumption is you're only saying this so I don't finish the job."
She laughed some more, shakily, her face gone waxy. "Were you listening to a word I said? I didn't believe you had the will to do this. But the moment that bullet entered my back, I knew I was wrong."
"Do you have any idea how crazy you are?" Ced's throat caught. "This is a trap, right? If I say yes, and don't shoot you, that proves I don't have it after all. That I'm still a chump."
"That's the way I would have looked at it five minutes ago."
He blinked away the blurriness in his eyes. "Then how can I know I can trust you?"
"You can't." She took a step toward him, faltering, clutching at her bleeding shoulder. Somehow, she managed to grin. "Want to anyway?"
* * *
"ETA ten minutes," Yenna announced from the helm. "And it looks like it won't be a second too soon."
Ced's gaze skipped between the innumerable screens plastering the bridge. Other than the physical views of space, and the ships dancing and dying in the distance, he had no idea what he was looking at. Colors, lines, abstract shapes—Kansas had tried to explain how these represented courses, ships of various classification, and the missiles and drones they flung at each other so fast it was like the weapons were about to hit their expiration date. All her words had gone in one ear and out the other.
He was usually much spongier than that. Then again, the sad state of his brain could have something to do with the scores of warships they were currently streaking toward.
Traitor (Rebel Stars Book 2) Page 25