by M. D. Cooper
Altair and Reddy signaled green on the net and Salas and Arsen lobbed several concussion grenades before opening up with their assault rifles. The action gave their squad mates ample cover to get in the best positions to return fire.
However, the moment they ducked down to reload, the enemy delivered a withering assault with their railguns. Molten plas and steel sprayed out from each impact.
Perez swore.
Taylor said.
Weber added.
Despite the Marines’ best efforts, the enemy was advancing. There was only so much they could do against an enemy that outnumbered them four to one and had superior firepower.
Angela replied.
Angela’s avatar grinned.
Tanis got that distracted feeling she experienced whenever Angela was using a substantial part of her brain to help work through a difficult problem. It was almost like a buzzing going on in the back of her mind, causing segments of code or raw mathematical theorems to flash through the background of her thoughts.
Angela said after a few moments, A position flashed on the map of the dock.
Tanis sighed.
Tanis chuckled.
Tanis laid out the scenario to her two squads. Taylor spoke up as soon as she was done.
The two men dashed from their position, rolling and sliding across open spaces to present the smallest targets possible. The power junction was on a catwalk seven meters above the deck and while a few crates rose higher, much of their climb would be in the open.
“Good luck,” Tanis whispered. < C’mon Marines, let’s lay down one hell of a distraction.>
In a coordinated effort, grenades were lobbed and fire spewed out of assault rifles and slug throwers to hide the movements and destination of Taylor and Weber. Combat net showed they were almost at their goal and just had the climb ahead of them. Tanis saw they had opted to scale the back of a radioactive waste storage container rather than take the more exposed ladder along the wall. It would be quite the leap to the catwalk, but the two men must have thought they could make it.
Tanis swung a probe into their area to see a pair of the enemy on the opposite side of the container the Marines were climbing. She sent the feed to Weber. Upon reaching the top of the container he crouched and lobbed two conc grenades over the far side. Twin blasts ripped apart several crates and Weber leaned over the top and delivered a barrage of slugs from his assault rifle before continuing with blasts from his pulse rifle, while his automatic reloader fed fresh ammunition into the AR.
Taylor had used the distraction to make the leap to the catwalk. He crouched low, unfastening the cover to the power conduit’s coupling. A plasma pellet hit the catwalk near him, half blasting and half melting a portion of the structure away. The unsteady surface shook and swayed, but Taylor held his position while Weber threw his last grenade at the attacker who had made the shot.
Taylor said as another shot struck near him. The cover was off and he was reconnecting the coupling. He was fastening the cover when another plasma pellet sliced through the railing behind him and tore the catwalk under him off the bulkhead. He was wrapped in the twisted metal as it fell six meters to the deck below. Weber swore both audibly and over the net as he jumped down from his perch and raced to where Taylor’s body lay—what was left of it.
Weber’s tone was low and pained.
Kowalski said.
Angela brought the dock’s security systems online. Pulse particle turrets lowered from the ceiling and opened up on the enemy. Angela didn’t care what she hit—her only concern was that as long as it wouldn’t cause a blast big enough to kill the Marines or Tanis it was expendable. The attackers were forced back, and though they were able to take out the turrets one by one, they lost over fifteen of their number in several seconds.
Tanis asked.
Trist replied.
Perez asked.
Tanis said.
Her words were emphasized by a slight rumble that passed through the deck plate as the ring made magnetic grapple with the Intrepid.
Kowalski called out.
Tanis looked over the updates flowing into the combat net. At least another forty enemy were entering the dock from other entrances and the Marines were once again in danger of being flanked.
Tanis said.
Jansen replied.
Tanis accessed the automatic loaders, tapping into several haulers and agrav pads loaded with dense items. She configured them to move into positions to cover the Marines as they retreated.
Perez said.
Kowalski said.
Things were getting tense; the fireteams were pulled back as tight as they could manage around the comm shack, but the plasma rails were chewing up the cover. Tanis was trying to bring in more cargo, but their attackers had wised up and were shooting any haulers or grav pads they saw.
A low boom echoed through the dock and Tanis knew that the Intrepid had completed its docking procedure. It was just over a minute early. Any moment now the ES shield would drop and the trigger mechanism would fire. She saw the Marines all shift, their posture showing that they were taking a last stand approach to the fight. They’d go down as heroes.
“We’re so fucking close,” Dvorak swore. “Just one more goddamn minute and we’ll have this bastard cracked.”
Behind the Marines the
ES shield at the cargo hatch snapped off and the Intrepid’s doors began to slide open.
Angela said.
Tanis turned and raised her rifle to fire on the emitter. Kowalski cast her a sidelong glance, his expression showing his acceptance of what she was about to do. Her finger had pulled the trigger halfway when she felt a Link come online.
Of course! she thought. The dampening field wasn’t set up to block the focused beams between the comm system and the Intrepid. The opening iris had established those connections and since Angela was deep in the comm system she was subsequently linked with her ship.
Amanda said a moment later.
Tanis felt a rapid exchange of information pass through her as Angela brought the ship’s avatar up to speed on recent events and what they were fighting with. Less than a second later she felt a massive presence swell onto their local net. It was as though she was suddenly on the edge of a deep precipice. She realized it must be the Intrepid itself, stepping in to disable the device. The vast mind that powered the ship broke through the trigger failsafes and seized its processes. Angela, Trist and Dvorak let out simultaneous cry of delight on the combat net and a moment later the waveform guides in the communications array exploded in a shower of sparks and debris.
the presence said over their combat net, and was gone.
Amanda said.
Tanis said.
Perez said.
Joe’s voice came over the combat net. Tanis turned to see him entering the dock at the head of over two hundred soldiers in full combat gear. Within moments they had taken up positions around the Marines and were laying fire into the enemy.
Tanis had never been so happy to see anyone in all her life.
CHAPTER 32
STELLAR DATE: 3227348 / 01.30.4124 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: GSS Intrepid, Callisto Orbital Habitat (Cho)
REGION: Jovian Combine, Sol Space Federation
“We were pretty sure something suspicious was going on when we couldn’t find you and General Grissom said you’d gone rogue after attacking Strang,” Captain Andrews said. “You may be a bit impulsive, but that tale was a stretch.”
“Ring security couldn’t find you, and we couldn’t get a comm signal from the guards at the dock, even though TSF told us they were checking in regularly,” Terrance added. “We were getting one hell of a run-around.”
Tanis was sitting at the table in the bridge’s conference room with Terrance, Joe, Captain Andrews and Admiral Sanderson. With the additional forces Joe had brought to the battle on the docks, the attackers had been overwhelmed and surrendered. However, things were still a mess. Grissom was demanding Tanis be turned over to his command on the ring, and Strang had not been indicted for abducting her. With all sides of the tale coming out it was becoming obvious that Grissom was in Strang’s pocket.
“So, we were ready for just about anything when that dock opened up, hence the rather large armed force at my back,” Joseph said. “Can’t say how glad I was to see you there still kicking.”
“That’s me.” Tanis smiled. “I’m a kicker.” She realized that statement could have been misconstrued. “Er, well, figuratively speaking.”
She couldn’t help but notice a wry look from Joe. Everyone else pretended to ignore the statement and the look.
“Glad we got there when we did,” Terrance said. “We owe you, Major Richards. We owe you several times over.”
“That we do,” Sanderson growled. “I’ve got calls in to several individuals up the chain of command demanding Grissom’s head. Things will come to light very shortly, and they won’t go well for him—that I can promise you.”
“Lucky for me Angela is rated A97 incorruptible, or it would be my word against a TSF division’s that Strang assaulted me,” Tanis said. “As it sits, it’s still going to take some doing, I imagine.”
“We had some of our own excitement as well,” Joe said. “Turns out there was a bit of sabotage in the scoop’s main systems. If we hadn’t caught it, it would have activated and caused some pretty serious damage to Callisto.”
“Really?” Tanis asked. “Did we find who did it?”
“Ouri is working on it. So far everything points to some contractors back on MOS. Everyone onboard checks out.”
“I’ve just got word that Grissom has been relieved pending further investigation.” Tanis saw Sanderson smile for the first time. “It would seem that internal affairs has been keeping an eye on him for some time. He made official insubordination charges against you, and those are still standing, but I believe I can get those dropped even if he’s cleared.”
“Strang really has grown desperate to stop us,” Captain Andrews said. “His little plan here was frankly nuts—chancing millions of deaths to take us out.”
“There’s even a twenty-one percent chance that the field could have destroyed another ring.” Terrance’s expression was grim. “While Sanderson is taking action through military channels I’ve filed over three hundred civil complaints against Strang, Grissom, several local security firms, and…well, you get the picture. There are going to be court battles for decades over this.”
“Not that we’ll really care,” Tanis said. “We’ll be long gone by then.”
Terrance had that smile again, the one that reminded Tanis he was the owner of a multiworld corporation for a reason. “We won’t, but I promise you that they will care very much.”
Tanis looked over the assembled men. “I really can’t say enough how glad I am that you decided to take every precaution when docking.”
“Well.” Terrance wore his nicer, human smile. “Like I said, you deserve some thanks too. Without your work we wouldn’t have made it to Callisto, let alone survived today.”
“You really have the Intrepid to thank,” Tanis said. “Even with all of my efforts, without his intervention at the last moment it would have all been worthless.”
“Let’s just say that it was a group effort.” Joe smiled. “And I’m betting that it will be the STR’s last volley at us. It’s smooth sailing from here.”
“Aw, damn it!” Tanis put head in her hands. “Now look what you’ve done!”
“Who would have thought we would have a superstitious intel officer on our hands?” Terrance chuckled.
“Hell, with all that’s happened to try to stop us, I’d be crazy not to be,” Tanis said. “No matter, though. Those STR goons haven’t come up with anything we haven’t been able to handle yet.”
“Now who’s making the dangerous statements?” Joe asked.
CHAPTER 33
STELLAR DATE: 3227362 / 02.13.4124 (Adjusted Gregorian)
LOCATION: District A39, Ring 19C, Callisto Orbital Habitat (Cho)
REGION: Jovian Combine, Sol Space Federation
It was their last night on Callisto. The Intrepid had ended up staying roughly three weeks longer than intended due to the need to replace all of the supplies destroyed in the dock fight. There had also been the testimonies that Tanis and the Marines gave in the cases against dozens of individuals who were either involved or complicit in Arlen Strang’s attempt to destroy the Intrepid.
The STR had thrown him to the wolves, disavowing themselves of any of his actions, but the chickens had come home to roost. Several governments across the Sol system were launching investigations into the consortium and discovering trails of bribery, technology being
sold to embargoed groups and funding of various terrorist organizations.
Dozens of arrests had already been made and the company’s stocks were plummeting. An added bonus was that the business ventures Terrance was leaving behind were getting a boost as demand for products not manufactured by the STR increased. Not that he would ever enjoy the largess, but his offspring and successors would.
The last few nights had been gala after gala in the ballrooms on the Intrepid, but tonight there were no formal celebrations. Tanis, Joe, Ouri, and several others on the SOC staff threw a soiree at a large club on the ring. Sad farewells were given as many of the support personnel were not colony-bound and Callisto was where they disembarked. Tanis had also invited the TSF platoons that had now finished their assignments under her. At present she was sharing a table with Lieutenant Forsythe, Lieutenant Grenwald and Staff Sergeant Williams.
“Never gonna forget you, Major.” Williams smiled as he lifted a glass in a toast to her. “You’re the toughest, meanest, most cunning officer I ever did meet. Hell, if you were just a little smarter you could even be a sergeant.”
Tanis laughed. “You could say I’m a little too smart for that. You guys have to do all the work in this woman’s space force.”
“Damn right we do.” Williams downed the drink. “And don’t think we don’t like it that way. If you officers were the ones actually running things we’d be screwed for sure.”
Forsythe laughed while Grenwald scowled. “You’ll get used to it, Grenwald.” The older lieutenant smiled as she slapped the him on the back. “The NCOs are really here to keep us in line as much as the troops. The sooner you accept that, the better your life will be.”
Tanis liked both of the officers a lot. Forsythe was up for a promotion after her work keeping the Intrepid safe, and Grenwald was all but guaranteed one once he had put in the requisite time at his current rank. She also had it on good authority that Williams had a promotion to gunnery sergeant waiting once his platoon was reunited with their company in a month.