by Linn Schwab
* * * *
“I see them!” Ariel screamed. “They’re almost right in front of us!”
“Hang on!” Virginia said. “We’re going in after them!” She pushed the throttle forward and swung the Wallaby leftward. The enemy ship turned away from her and attempted to withdraw back inside the debris. “Ready...” Virginia prompted. She aimed the Wallaby’s nose at the ship and concentrated on lining up a shot. “FIRE TWO!” she yelled.
Ariel pulled down on the trigger again. Tube number two let loose a torpedo. The weapon raced forward in line with its target, but passed harmlessly overtop of the cruiser’s stern.
“AAAH!” Virginia groaned when her shot missed its mark. As she swung the ship back around to the right, she noticed it felt a little unbalanced, just as Brandi had warned her it might. I’ll have to compensate for that, she reminded herself. As if this isn’t challenging enough already!
The Wallaby dove into the wreckage field following directly in the trail of her prey. As Virginia attempted to line up another shot, the cruiser’s rear guns fired a salvo. They missed! she told herself. I’ve got six seconds before they can fire again! The enemy ship swerved to the left just as she felt she had a clean shot. “FIRE THREE!” she yelled, hoping the torpedo might still find its target.
Ariel reached for the trigger. In the fraction of a second it took her to pull it, the cruiser’s rear guns fired again. A shell exploded on the Wallaby’s nose, tearing a gash along the starboard side of her hull and knocking her off course as the torpedo left its tube. Virginia steered left to compensate for the impact and watched as her shot missed its target again.
* * * *
“That’s three,” Derrick said, watching the torpedo flash by outside his window.
Captain Hoile turned to him and asked, “How many rounds do those things carry again?”
“Thirty–six,” J Mac replied.
“Oh, good,” the captain quipped sarcastically. “They’ve only got thirty–three more tries at us, then.”
“We lost her!” a voice yelled from the rear of the bridge.
“Where’d she go?” the captain demanded.
“She slipped behind that cluster of wreckage off to starboard.”
Captain Hoile looked out through the starboard windows and searched through the wreckage for the missing destroyer. His entire body ached with apprehension as he waited for the ship to reveal itself. A flash in the distance caught his attention. A torpedo launch! he realized in an instant. “Brace for impact!” he yelled. His hands latched onto a nearby column. Forty meters off the starboard side, a torpedo slammed into a piece of wreckage and exploded with a tremendous display of force, showering the Mona Lisa with a cloud of shrapnel.
“My god!” the captain stammered in awe. “Those things really pack a wallop!”
“I told you, Captain,” J Mac reminded him. “Destroyers are nothing to mess around with.”
“I see that, Lieutenant,” he said. “Helm, let’s pick up a little more speed! I’d rather sideswipe some of this wreckage than take a chance on getting hit by one of those torpedoes!”
* * * *
“Awww,” Ariel whined in disappointment as she watched her torpedo strike the wrong target. “That one was going to hit them. Stupid piece of wreckage!”
“It’s alright,” Virginia assured her. “We still have enough to take them out. At least we’ve turned them away from Volaris. Now we just need to make sure we don’t lose them.”
* * * *
Robin sat at one of the control room consoles and searched through the security camera feeds. “Have we heard anything about the gun bays yet?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Veronica told her. “The cameras on that level are still blacked out.” She entered a query on her console. “Looks like the intercom up there is still out too. We might be able to–”
The sound of heavy footfalls broke her train of thought. Commander Eldridge ran in from the corridor and rushed across the room to Veronica’s station.
“Lieutenant Marlowe,” the commander insisted, “I need to know what our current status is. Do we have any fires that need to be contained?”
Veronica shook her head. “No fires anywhere that I’m aware of,” she answered.
“Do we have any structural issues that pose a serious threat to the station?”
“I don’t believe so, Commander.”
“What about casualties?” she asked. “Have we lost any of our personnel?”
Lindsey closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes,” she confirmed. “Catherine’s dead.”
Robin looked back over her shoulder. Miranda was still sitting against the inner wall, with the fire extinguisher resting at her side. At the mention of Catherine’s name, a tear rolled down across her left cheek. That must’ve been who she was trying to save, Robin realized. And Catherine was also one of the station’s controllers, so the two of them were probably close friends.
“Commander?” Robin pleaded, looking up at the senior officer in anguish.
The commander sensed right away what she was thinking. “Don’t worry, Captain Starling. The Second Battalion is still intact.” She turned to Veronica again. “What about the station’s systems?” She glanced up at the monitors and noticed the positioning thrusters were active. “How did you...” she started to ask, but fell silent when she noticed Commander Jeffries’ card key lying on top of Veronica’s console. She grinned and nodded her head in approval. “Very resourceful,” she said. “I take it we must be out of position?”
“Yes, Commander. A little more than seven kilometers right now.”
“And where is Major Richards?”
“She’s in the infirmary,” Robin said. “We think she might have a concussion.”
Another set of footsteps rumbled in from the corridor, and a shuttle pilot appeared at the control room’s entrance. “Commander Eldridge,” the pilot said, “I was asked to deliver a message to you.”
The commander waved her in closer. “Cindy,” she said, “what’s happening out there? Did you run into a delay somewhere?”
“Sorry, Commander. I got back here as fast as I could. Everything’s in chaos right now. The enemy is hitting us everywhere at once.”
“What about our patient? Did she survive the trip to Cumulus?”
Robin listened closely. The patient she was referring to had to be Sheri.
“Yes,” Cindy replied. “At least she was still alive when we last saw her. I spoke with the station commander there. She told me she knows you’re in a tight spot. She said that because of all the activity, there aren’t enough forces to go around right now. But she wanted me to let you know that there are three new destroyers sitting at Orion, and another one waiting at Centaurus for you. There aren’t any crews available to fly them, though. If you want them, she said you’ll have to send someone to get them.”
“Well,” the commander said, “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. Our ships are likely going to suffer some damage, so we could definitely end up needing a few spares. Captain Starling,” she said, turning to Robin, “I’m assigning your battalion to retrieve those destroyers. My shuttle will drop three of your squads at Orion. The remaining squad will fly on to Centaurus. I’ll leave it up to you to decide which squad that is. You’ll find the rest of your battalion in the cafeteria. Go tell them to board the shuttle right now.”
Robin nodded and got to her feet. “Commander,” she said, “I don’t have a key. I gave mine to Virginia.”
The commander leaned over Veronica’s shoulder and grabbed the key off the top of her console. “Take this one,” she said, placing Commander Jeffries’ key in Robin’s hand. “I’m putting my trust in you, Captain Starling. Get back here with those ships as soon as you can.”
“Yes, Commander.”
As Robin hurried out of the room, the shuttle pilot hesitated for a moment. “Are you sure about this, Commander?” she said. “She seems a little green to me.”
“She’s p
erfectly capable of handling this. And we’re already down two destroyers as it is. This station could be in serious trouble if any more of our ships are sidelined with damage. Listen, Cindy, after you drop the last squad at Centaurus, I want you to get back here as quickly as you can. As soon as all of these girls return, I may ask you to fly them to a safer location. Assuming there still are any safer locations.”
“Yes, Commander,” the pilot said, then ran from the room to return to her shuttle.
Commander Eldridge looked at the security monitors and observed the activity in various parts of the station. “Does anyone know where Janine is?” she asked. “I don’t see her anywhere.”
* * * *
Robin gathered her battalion in the hangar and ushered them into the back of the shuttle. Before taking a seat, she checked with the other three captains to make sure each of them had their keys.
“What’s going on?” Judy asked. “Are we evacuating Volaris?”
“No,” Robin said, “we’ve been given an assignment. There are four destroyers at other stations that Commander Eldridge wants us to bring back here. Three at Orion, and one at Centaurus. Your squads will be getting the ones at Orion, and my squad will get the one at Centaurus.”
“Should we wait for you at Orion?” Trina asked. “Are we all supposed to come back together?”
Robin paused to think it over. “No,” she said, “Commander Eldridge wants them back here as soon as possible. Just leave as soon as you have them up and running. Dock them on spur number three when you get here.”
“Robin,” Christy said, “I don’t have a pilot right now. Tabitha is still unaccounted for.”
“Oh, no,” Robin said, “I forgot about that.” She pulled Christy over to where Caroline was sitting. “Caroline, I need you to teach one of Christy’s girls how to operate the flight controls. Which one do you want her to teach, Christy?”
“Umm,” she said, “Rachel, I think.”
“Okay,” Robin said to Caroline. “I’m not sure how long it’ll take us to reach Orion. Just do the best you can to get her ready.”
Caroline moved to one of the seats next to Rachel and started explaining the controls to her.
The shuttle’s copilot stepped into the cabin now. “Is everybody here?” she yelled.
“We’re ready,” Robin answered.
The copilot closed and sealed the side door, then disappeared back inside the shuttle’s cockpit. Seconds later, the engines started rumbling, and the shuttle taxied closer to the hangar’s airlock.
* * * *
When his ships neared the battle zone again, Admiral Sands positioned them so they could fire broadsides along the edge of the asteroid field. When all of the ships were situated, he picked up a microphone and ordered the gunners to wait for his command. A nervous silence gripped the Alabama’s bridge as everyone stared out through the windows, waiting anxiously to see if the Admiral’s plan would work. If it didn’t, his ships might be forced to withdraw since they were operating without any fighter cover.
* * * *
Jay’s squadron led the way as the UEF fighters advanced through the asteroids. “Nice and easy,” he addressed the group. “This is not a good place to build up too much speed. And don’t venture too far in from the edge or you might never find your way back out again. Let’s space ourselves out and try to form a net so we don’t let anything slip by us in here.”
The other fighters began to fan out, to the sides, above and below Jay’s squadron.
“How far in do you think they’re hiding?” Jason asked.
“Not too far,” Jay said. “I’m sure they don’t want to get lost in here either.”
The radio fell silent for a while as the fighters crept forward in search of their prey. Then came the call from a rookie pilot, “I see one! I have an enemy destroyer in my sights!”
The pilot pulled his plane’s nose up a little to get a more secure aim at his target. The enemy destroyer didn’t react to his presence. Apparently, their attention was focused elsewhere at the moment. “I’ve got you,” he whispered as he fired the first rocket. Streaking forward from beneath his left wing, the rocket impacted on the side of its target with a burst of bright light and a cloud of smoke.
* * * *
A sudden explosion rocked the Osprey, startling her crew as they rested in their seats.
“What was that?” the captain yelled in alarm.
“A rocket!” her systems controller replied. “A rocket just hit us on the starboard side!”
Captain Brooks looked out through the starboard windows and saw a string of enemy fighters approaching. “Enemy fighters!” she screamed. “Melinda, get us out of here, fast!”
Melinda pushed the throttle forward and pulled the nose of the ship to the left. A second rocket plowed into the hull, forcing the ship’s tail to swing a little wide.
“Hurry!” Captain Brooks insisted. The enemy fighters were closing in fast.
The Osprey’s hull scraped along the edge of a rock as she wrestled her way out of her hiding place. Melinda headed straight for open space in the hope that she could outrun the fighters once there. “We’re almost out!” she said to the others. “Hang on! I’m gonna try to lose them as soon as we’re in the clear!” She steered the ship between a pair of large rocks and banked left in an attempt to throw off the fighters. Just as the Osprey broke into the open, the enemy planes appeared to give up the chase, leaving the destroyer’s crew baffled and bewildered.
“Why did they stop?” the captain wondered aloud.
* * * *
The instant the enemy destroyer emerged, Admiral Sands reached for his microphone and issued a command to his entire formation. “Open fire,” he said with regret in his voice. The enemy ship’s crew didn’t have a prayer of surviving.
A wall of guns opened up on the Osprey, drowning it in a sea of explosive projectiles. A cascade of shells tore into its hull, rending and gnashing it to shreds in an instant. Fragments were hurled about with such brutality that a feeling of queasiness overtook the Alabama’s crew. Many of them felt compelled to turn their eyes away. Several of them reached for their mouths and stomachs. A lieutenant standing to the right of Admiral Sands dropped to all fours and started heaving and retching.
“It’s gratifying to see,” the admiral said, looking around at the nauseated faces of his crew, “that so many of you remain suitably sensitive to this. War has a way of turning people into monsters. It’s good to know I’m still serving with the former of the two.”
* * * *
“Alright, that’s one,” Jay said, after verifying the enemy ship’s destruction. “Let’s keep moving forward and see if we can flush out another. It’d be nice if we can swing the odds a little more in our favor.”
The fighters returned to their search formation and resumed weaving their way through the asteroids. Moments later, another voice called out, “I’ve got one! I’ve got one at two o’clock high off point. I’m moving in for a shot right now!”
Jay looked to his two o’clock high position and watched as the fighter swung around for an attack.
* * * *
As the Scorpion’s surveillance camera scanned the battlefield, the remains of a ship drifted into frame on the monitor. Captain Rollins stood up to get a closer look at the screen. “That looks like one of ours,” she said. “Sara, zoom in on that debris.”
The fragments of wreckage grew larger on the screen until part of a name became visible on one of them: Osp–
Sara suddenly gasped in horror. “Oh no!” she said, “That’s the Osprey! Something must’ve happened to them!”
A rocket slammed into the Scorpion’s hull, igniting fear and sudden panic in her crew. “We’re under attack!” the captain yelled. “Sandra, get us moving, now!”
* * * *
Delia walked through the Calypso’s bridge, distributing packets of freeze dried food to her crew. “Here you go,” she said, handing one of them to Tabitha. “Have you ever tried e
mergency rations before?”
Tabitha shook her head and looked at the bag in curiosity.
“Lucky you,” Delia said with a laugh. “They’re not exactly my favorite.”
“They’re not anyone’s favorite,” Audrey insisted. “The bag tastes better than the food inside it.”
“Don’t listen to her, Tabitha,” Delia said. “The bag doesn’t taste any different at all.”
Audrey grinned at Tabitha then suddenly glanced up at the surveillance camera screen. The grin disappeared from her face in and instant. “Uh–oh,” she said, “something’s happening. It looks like the Scorpion might be in trouble.”
Delia looked up and gasped in disbelief. The Scorpion had left the cover of Pangea, and was now completely out in the open. “What is Mitzi doing!” she cried. “She just gave away her ship’s position!”
As the Calypso’s crew looked on, a merciless wave of enemy shells tore the Scorpion’s hull to shreds. Delia dropped the emergency rations and ran to the starboard bank of windows. Outside, she noticed an abundance of shapes that looked nothing at all like asteroids. “Enemy fighters!” she yelled, instinctively reaching for the starboard rocket triggers. She allowed them to move in a little closer, then blasted the formation with a face full of rockets. “Emily, ninety degrees to port and make the best speed you can through these rocks! Whatever you do, try not to take us out in the open! Jennifer, stay ready on the port side rockets! Tabitha, stand by on the smokescreen!”
* * * *
Once again, Jay watched from a distance as several other fighters crept up on a destroyer. He held his breath, hoping for another success as they positioned themselves to open fire on their target. Without warning, the destroyer let loose on them with a deadly barrage of rocket fire. A brilliant flash erupted from the side of the ship, and a wave of glowing streaks shot outward, culminating in an arc of detonations as the warheads connected with rocks and fighters.
Explosions ripped through the planes’ body panels. Debris ricocheted in every direction. Jay winced as fragments pelted his canopy, but tried to keep his eyes on the enemy destroyer. The ship turned and started moving away, but showed no signs of heading out toward open space, which left him with a difficult choice to make. Should he tell the pilots to continue the pursuit, or order them to fall back and return to the fleet? Before he even had time to reach a decision, several of the more inexperienced pilots raced forward to chase after the fleeing destroyer.