by Ryk Brown
Fayla screamed, blood spraying across her face and chest.
“What the hell, Brill!” Toma yelled. “Now what are we going to do?”
“Get the body out of my way,” Brill demanded, pulling the dead pilot’s body up out of the seat and heaving him into Toma’s arms. “I will jump the ship myself.”
Captain Dubnyk looked at the sensor screen. “The interceptor is closing rapidly, Mister Daymon.”
Brill climbed into the pilot’s seat, studying the controls.
“You do know how to jump this ship, don’t you?” Captain Dubnyk asked.
“I have seen it done during training. It is not difficult.” He looked around the console frantically. “All such ships have an emergency escape jump feature, to get out of trouble quickly…in case the Jung ambush them. If I can just find the…”
“A wise feature,” the captain interjected, trying to engage the young man in conversation to help calm him down.
“…Wait… I think this is it.” Brill’s eyes went wide with recognition. “Yes…first these up here,” he said, flipping several switches. “Then these.” Several red lights turned green. “Yes! Yes! I remember. The jump drive is active.”
“The interceptor has fired missiles,” Captain Dubnyk warned. “The time to jump is now.”
“I think… I think…” Brill repeated, nearly paralyzed by uncertainty. He pressed the emergency escape jump button, but nothing happened. A look of confusion washed over him. “It should have worked.”
“Why didn’t it?” Toma demanded.
“I don’t know…”
“The interceptor’s missiles are closing on us,” Captain Dubnyk warned.
“Wait!” Brill yelled, the answer coming to him. He turned to look at Toma. “Quickly! Cut off the pilot’s right index finger and give it to me! Hurry!”
“Five seconds to impact,” Loki announced from Falcon One’s cockpit. “Three……two… Wait! The target has jumped. Telles, Falcon One. The target has jumped away.”
“One, Telles. Pursue, pursue.”
“Falcon One, pursuing,” Loki replied. “Josh, turn to one seven five, up five, and match the target’s speed.”
“One seven five, up five. Accelerating,” Josh replied as he initiated a turn and brought up the throttles.
“Stand by to jump.”
“On course and speed,” Josh reported. “Jumping.”
“They have returned,” Captain Dubnyk warned. “Jump us again, quickly!”
Brill pressed the pilot’s severed finger against the emergency escape jump button again. “Jumping!”
Captain Dubnyk glanced at the sensor screen, as the interceptor reappeared behind them. “They are jumping along with us,” he realized. “How often can this ship jump?”
“As often as we like,” Brill replied.
“Then jump us again, three times!” Captain Dubnyk ordered.
Brill did not ask questions, only did as the captain ordered. He pressed the dead pilot’s severed finger against the emergency escape jump button again. He waited a few seconds for the jump to complete, then repeated the cycle two more times.
“Turn hard to port, then jump six times!” Captain Dubnyk ordered.
Brill initiated the turn, then began jumping again as instructed. “When the pilot’s finger cools down, this may no longer work,” he warned in between jumps. “Once the system realizes that unauthorized use is being attempted, it may lock us out for good, or worse.”
“Worse, meaning, blow us up?” Captain Dubnyk surmised.
Brill said nothing and kept jumping the ship.
“That is why we have Toma,” Captain Dubnyk replied.
“The pilot’s finger will not be enough to unlock and take control of the system,” Brill warned. “It will require the pilot’s authorization code as well. It is how they hand command of a shuttle from one crew to the next. I have seen it.”
Captain Dubnyk turned to look at Toma. “Can you crack the code?”
“I believe so, yes,” Toma replied.
“That’s six jumps,” Brill reported.
“Continue jumping until we are out of the system, and away from both the interceptor and the Jung fleet,” Captain Dubnyk instructed. “Make random turns, left and right, and up and down, every so often. And whatever you do, keep that finger warm.”
Brill nodded.
Captain Dubnyk turned back to Toma. “It’s all up to you now, Toma.”
“I will do my best,” Toma promised.
“I’m sure you will,” Captain Dubnyk replied. He turned back and looked out the window to his right, catching brief glimpses of space as the window cycled from clear to opaque and back again with each jump. Soon, the first step in his resurrection would be complete.
“I’ve lost them,” Loki finally admitted. “They must have started executing turns in between jumps, so we’d lose their trail.”
“What do we do?” Josh asked, looking at his partner.
Loki sighed. “What else can we do? We jump back to Tanna and report to Commander Telles.”
* * *
Captain Nash had been pacing the floor of the Cobra command center for more than half an hour. He started five minutes prior to the earliest moment that the Jung could come out of FTL and hadn’t stopped since. With each passing moment, he wondered if the Jung were traveling slower than their top FTL speed, or if they were planning to come out as close to Tanna as possible, in order to strike immediately.
A third thought kept nagging at the back of the captain’s mind. Could they have decided that the system wasn’t worth expending ordnance over? It was a ridiculous thought, to be sure, but it kept nagging at him, nonetheless. On one hand, the Jung had demonstrated on several occasions their propensity to punish worlds that defied them. However, if, as some suspected, the Jung had their sights set on expansion outside the Sol sector, the ships currently passing through their system could have more important matters to deal with. So, as ridiculous as it seemed, it still was possible…at least remotely.
A young lieutenant stepped up behind Robert, coming to attention and offering a salute. “Lieutenant Elgar, sir,” the young man announced. “I was told you wished to speak with me?”
“You’re a pilot, right?”
“Yes, sir,” the young lieutenant replied.
“How many sim hours do you have?” Captain Nash wondered.
“One hundred and forty, sir.”
“But no actual.”
“Incorrect, sir,” the lieutenant replied. “I have thirty-two minutes of actual flight time.”
Captain Nash looked surprised at first, figuring it out a moment later. “You flew Cobra Three Zero up from the surface, didn’t you?”
“Just trying to be accurate, sir.”
“How’s your crew?” the captain asked. “They doing okay in their simulations?”
“There is room for improvement, sir,” the lieutenant admitted.
“Your crew get any group time in the full ship simulator?”
“A little.”
Captain Nash’s eyebrow went up. “How little?”
“Three hours, but they also have thirty-two minutes of actual, sir.”
“Of course.” Captain Nash sighed. “Have you run any of the standard attack maneuvers?”
“Legally, only the alpha and beta series,” the lieutenant replied. “But we have run most of the others during our open sim time.”
“Good, you’re going to need it.”
“Sir?”
“You and your crew are taking Cobra Three Zero into battle.”
Lieutenant Elgar didn’t respond.
Captain Nash looked at the lieutenant. “Are you alright, Lieutenant?” he asked, noticing the young man’s pale complexion.
“Uh, I’m not sure, sir.”
“You don’t think you’re ready for it?”
“I’m not sure that’s my call, sir.”
“Actually, it is.”
“Then I’d have to say no, sir,
we’re probably not ready to go into combat,” the lieutenant confessed, “but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t willing to go.”
Captain Nash nodded. “Well, at least you aren’t full of shit, Lieutenant. Get your crew to your ship, and get out there. Control will vector you to your attack group.” Captain Nash reached out and shook the young man’s hand. “Good luck, Lieutenant.”
* * *
“How did this happen?” Commander Telles asked his master sergeant.
“The jump shuttle was attached to one of the cargo vessels that regularly run passengers and resources between Earth and Tanna,” Master Sergeant Jahal explained. “My understanding is that the crews took it upon themselves to start evacuating people, possibly even for profit.”
“Most likely for profit,” the commander agreed. “Despite how wonderful everyone thinks these Tannans are, I find them no different than any other human culture, complete with the same flaws and weaknesses inherent to all.” The commander took a deep breath as he looked out across the orderly flow of evacuees to the boxcars waiting on the tarmac at the Cobra gunship production plant. “What about Tannan security?” he wondered. “Where were they?”
“They were en route at the time. Apparently they were delayed due to roadway congestion.”
“These people don’t have airships?”
“Apparently not,” the master sergeant replied.
“Were the shuttle crews at least armed?” the commander wondered.
“They were, and they did kill several of the assailants. However, the attack was well coordinated. They fired into the crowd, killing at least twenty innocent people, causing them to disperse, so that they could ram the barricades with their vehicle. There was a young woman involved as well, as a diversion…”
“Of course,” Commander Telles said, shaking his head.
“Telles, Falcon One,” Loki called over the commander’s comm-set.
“One, go for Telles.”
“The shuttle got away, sir. We tracked them jump for jump for the first few, but they must have started doing multiple jumps, possibly even turning between jumps, in order to evade our pursuit. Recommend we take a few more Falcons and start a grid search, while there is still time.”
“Those shuttles are protected against such things,” Commander Telles commented.
“They are,” the master sergeant agreed. “Could they have been hacked?”
“Doubtful, but not impossible. More likely the pilot was a willing accomplice.”
“However, the maneuvering the ensign described would suggest a level of training above basic cargo shuttle operations,” Master Sergeant Jahal pointed out.
“Indeed,” Commander Telles agreed with the master sergeant’s observation. “That is what I find most curious.” Commander Telles tapped his comm-set. “One, Telles. Take three more Falcons with you and conduct your search. If you do not find that shuttle within two hours, return to Tanna, understood?”
“Will do, sir,” Loki acknowledged. “Sorry, Commander.”
“Just find that shuttle, Ensign.”
“Yes, sir.”
Master Sergeant Jahal looked at his commander. “You do not believe this was just a bunch of Tannans wanting to escape certain death.”
“We cannot afford to,” the commander replied. “Vector Lazo to collect the bodies of those attackers and bring them back here. We will attempt to identify them later. That may bring us some answers.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Multiple contacts,” the sensor officer at the Cobra command center announced. “Eleven FTL signatures.”
“Position?” Captain Nash asked.
“Six hundred kilometers and closing. They’re on course for standard orbits over Tanna.” The sensor operator paused for a moment to verify the data, then turned to Captain Nash. “Their shields are up, sir.”
“The cruisers are separating from the battleship,” the tactical officer added. “They appear to be headed for lower orbits. Frigates are headed for higher orbits.”
“The cruisers will conduct the bombardment, and the frigates will fly cover,” Captain Nash surmised.
“They’re going to have a tough time hitting our gunships with missiles, Captain,” the tactical officer insisted. “They should know that by now.”
“They do,” Captain Nash agreed. “What they don’t know is whether or not we have anything other than gunships…like something bigger.”
“Break into six-element groups,” Cobra command instructed over the comms. “Five groups total. First element in each group takes lead. New group designators are One-One through One-Six; Two-One through Two-Six; and so on. Frigates first. Transmitting target designators and assignments now.”
Commander Rano looked at his new copilot, Lieutenant Borru. “Are you ready, Lieutenant?”
“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant replied, swallowing hard.
Captain Nash was next on the comms. “All gunships, keep your jumps tight, no more than ten light seconds. There’s going to be so much traffic, we don’t need to be adding comm-buoys to the mix. And for God’s sake, keep your time in the kill zone as short as possible… Good hunting.”
Commander Rano glanced at the tactical screen on the center console as the target designations came up. “One Leader to Group One. We’ve got frigate one. Fly the attack patterns assigned by command. We’ll start with pattern beta seven, offset splits, fore and aft, with variable intervals between five and ten seconds.” Commander Rano took a deep breath. “Follow me in, gentlemen.”
Alert sirens began to blare all across the Cobra gunship production plant on Tanna.
“Commander Telles, Cobra command,” the voice called over the commander’s comm-set.
“Go for Telles,” the commander replied.
“Jung ships have come out of FTL. ETA to orbit is fifteen minutes. Recommend you clear the area immediately.”
“Understood.” Commander Telles turned to Master Sergeant Jahal. “How long until those boxcars finish loading?”
“Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes.”
“Tell them to hurry it up. I want them off the ground in twelve, and jumping one minute after that.”
“They won’t be full,” the master sergeant warned.
“I don’t care. Wheels up in twelve…period. I don’t care if they have people hanging off their ramps. Anyone left in Tannan skies after fifteen will be a target.”
“What about the troop shuttles? When that last boxcar leaves, the crowd is going to rush the shuttles, just like last time.”
“Just before the last boxcar launches, have the Ghatazhak fall back to the troop shuttles and the Mirai and hold. Once they secure those ships, have the marines on the fence line fall back to the shuttles for evac.”
“And if the crowd doesn’t cooperate?”
“Anyone who doesn’t do what they are told, dies…understood?”
“Yes, sir,” the master sergeant replied without hesitation.
“Captain,” the sensor operator called. “The Jung battleship is launching fighters.”
Captain Nash moved to get a closer look at the tactical display. “How many?”
“At least fifty of them, sir.”
“That battleship is still twelve minutes out,” the tactical officer commented. “That’s a long ways out to be launching fighters from, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Captain Nash agreed.
“Besides, we don’t have any surface defenses, or interceptors. Why do they need fighters?”
“To assert their dominance,” Captain Nash realized. “It’s not enough to destroy Tanna. They want to scare the crap out of anyone who might survive, so others will know what the Jung are capable of doing to those who stand against them.”
“All gunships are starting their attack runs,” the tactical officer reported.
“Here we go,” Robert mumbled to himself grimly.
“I’m picking up at least fifty of them,” Loki told Josh. “It looks like they’re all headed
for the planet.”
“Cobra command to all Falcons,” one of the controllers called over their comms. “Intercept and destroy all enemy fighters.”
“All of them?” Josh repeated in disbelief. “All fifty of them?”
“Transmitting target designations now,” the controller added.
“Relax,” Loki said. “That’s only six or seven fighters per Falcon.”
“In that case, no problem… Piece of…”
“Don’t you dare,” Loki interrupted. “Adjust course ten degrees to port and five down relative.”
“Ten to port and five down,” Josh replied as he adjusted their Super Falcon’s course.
“Selecting four targets.”
“On new course,” Josh reported as he finished his turn.
“Dial up eight hundred thousand clicks,” Loki instructed. “As soon as we come out of the jump, turn hard to starboard, forty degrees, dial up one hundred and jump again. I’ll launch, and then you pitch up twenty and jump ten more clicks. That will put us passing over them, fore to aft…”
“And I pitch over and fire at whoever is left,” Josh finished for him. “I know what a right dogleg with overhead cleanup is, Lok.”
“Jump point in three…” Loki began.
Josh dialed up the first jump’s distance and pushed the selector switch straight up and held it, his index finger barely touching the jump button.
“Two…”
Then he put his hand on the throttle and waited for Loki to finish the count.
“One…”
As the word ‘jump’ came out of Loki’s mouth, Josh pressed the jump button, holding it a full two seconds before releasing. As the windows cleared, he pushed his throttles to full power and put the Super Falcon into a tight right turn. As the ship turned, he dialed up one hundred kilometers for the next jump. “Turn complete,” he reported as he rolled level. He pulled his throttles back to zero, killing the main engines. “Jumping.” He pushed the jump button again. The windows cycled.
“Weapons bay doors open,” Loki reported. “Four good locks. Launching four chasers.”