by Charles Nall
Hawk chuckled. “Well, yes. That’s the nature of the beast. We’re mercenaries here. The Union has used our services many times as well.”
“The world has changed. We know longer need you. We don’t have to lower ourselves to your level. Everyone in this galaxy must pick a side. So, Mr. Hawk, are you with us or against us?”
“This is ridiculous. We’re mercenaries.”
“Trachis!” Devereaux yelled. “What’s the meaning of this? You aren’t actually considering attacking the station, are you?”
Trachis smiled. “Again, that is entirely up to the commander of this station. This... hub of piracy and villainy.”
“...And many civilians and honest business practices as well,” added Devereaux.
Lieutenant Knight looked over some data on his console. “Sirs, the Cove is launching ships. A lot of them.”
“Did you make your choice, Mr. Hawk? Are you coming to attack us now?” Trachis asked.
“No, Mr. President. We’re evacuating. We’re evacuating the entire station. We’re not attacking you. We have to use every single craft available in order to get everyone out. Once we’re all gone, you can have our station. I don’t give a damn.”
“Assume Con-1 across the entire ship!” Trachis ordered.
Devereaux cocked his head to the side. “What? Why?”
“We’re under attack, Captain, by a myriad of mercenary ships!”
Jaxon Knight shrugged. “The ships are heading toward the jumpgate. I don’t detect any online weapon systems on the ships. I’m also not detecting any weapon systems on the station proper, but I can’t quite get through the interference of the shields. I think they are actually evacuating...”
“I don’t care what you think, Lieutenant!” yelled Trachis. “Ensign Stewart, aim the coil cannons at the station!”
Sid Hawk laughed. “You are going to attack us? We’re not doing anything. There still is a substantial amount of people on board.”
“Terminate the link, Hydrus!” Trachis commanded.
“Are you planning on destroying the station? This is unacceptable,” Devereaux said.
Trachis roared, “Ensign Stewart. Destroy that station. The coil cannon shots should be easy to land on the stationary Silver Cove.”
Stewart hesitated.
“Sirs, the jumpgate is coming online,” Jaxon Knight said. “It appears to be forming a conduit toward Confederation space.”
Devereaux walked up to Ensign Stewart. “Don’t make the ensign do this, Mr. President. Son, you are dismissed.”
Ensign Stewart nodded and scrambled off the bridge.
“Fine,” Trachis said. “You do it, Captain.”
“No. This isn’t right. I will not be your puppet!”
“That station is responsible for the loss of life of many members of the Interstellar Federation. They helped supply the enemy with weapons! We must end this! Destroy that station!”
“NO.”
“It’s an order... and not just from me.”
Devereaux frowned.
“Sirs, the ships are entering into the hyperspace conduit. They are leaving,” Knight reported.
“Captain...” Trachis said. “Do your duty.”
Blood trickled out of Devereaux’s nose. “Not you, too,” Devereaux muttered. Devereaux tapped a command into the console.
A coil cannon shot impacted the shield system of the space station. The slug broke apart into many pieces and rained upon the station like a shotgun blast, ripping apart the outer hull of the station. The next coil cannon slug pierced straight through the station. The Commonwealth destroyers began unloading their weaponry onto the station as well. The Silver Cove broke apart from the weapon fire.
The Silver Cove mercenary station was destroyed.
June 5, 0271 AC – 22:24
Skyrift’s Quarters, USS Empyrean
Edge of Galactic Union Space
Commander Ember Skyrift stepped out of the shower in her washroom. She grabbed a towel and dried herself off. It was much easier to dry herself, since her hair was still recovering from the chemotherapy. The cancer had finally been completely destroyed in her body. She had a thin layer of hair on top of her head. She pulled a robe over herself.
Ember entered into the main room of her quarters. Her quarters were larger than a normal officer’s cabin and well decorated.
She noticed that her red wig was in the middle of the floor. Papers were knocked off her desk.
“Is someone there?”
Ember Skyrift walked toward her bedroom. A sense of fear crept into her. The lights were off in the bedroom. She thought she had left them on.
She went up to her desk and grabbed a handgun out of a hidden compartment under the desk.
Skyrift approached her bedroom. “Lights on.”
The lights turned on. She didn’t see anything.
A hand went over her mouth. The unknown person’s other hand grabbed her handgun. She struggled with the man, but he was strong. He removed the gun and tossed it to the side. She attempted to fight back. The man struck her across the face.
“Who—who are you?”
There was no reply.
The tall man was wearing all black and wore a mask that resembled a skull. She had no idea who this intruder was. Her right eye began to swell shut from the previous strike.
She had beaten cancer, but this was something else entirely.
He threw her onto the bed, after striking her again.
“Save me, Terra,” she said. “Security! Security!” She hoped the computer monitoring her quarters would recognize the distress and send security.
The man finally spoke. “Your god won’t save you. She doesn’t exist. No one will save you, I made sure of that.”
She recognized the voice.
She cried. “No, it can’t be... it can’t be.”
Captain John Devereaux didn’t want to accept it. “When... when did this happen?”
A marine in the room shrugged. “A few hours ago.”
Devereaux tried not to vomit.
Ember Skyrift’s naked corpse was still on the bed. Her neck was bruised. She had been strangled to death.
“Find who did this. Go over these quarters over and over until you find something,” Devereaux commanded.
“If it’s the same guy, I don’t think—”
“FIND SOMETHING!”
8
May 9, 0271 AC – 15:25 Epsilon Ridgecrest Time
Amaterasu, Watatsumi-class Battle Cruiser
Orbit of Epsilon
“When are they striking?” Commander Melody Kelly asked the captain.
“Our informants say tomorrow, no exact time,” Captain Hayato Suzuki said.
They both turned the corner down the steel corridor of Amaterasu, a Watatsumi-class battle cruiser that once served the Orion Confederation. This starship was one of the few that defected from the Confederation and was now defending the new independent world of Epsilon.
Captain Hayato Suzuki and Commander Melody Kelly entered into the forward ready room. Other officers were already there, as well as a woman they did not recognize. The woman was sitting on a table on top of many papers and files. The woman’s legs swung under her.
The woman hopped off the table. She pointed at Suzuki. “You the one in charge here?”
The captain raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yes. I am Captain Hayato Suzuki of the Free Epsilon Militia and Amaterasu.”
“Wonderful!”
One of the officers bowed. “Sorry, sir, she... insisted.”
The woman smiled. She had long dark hair and a scar that went through her right eye. She wore a weathered, brown jacket. A few bullets had left holes in the jacket.
The captain nodded. “And you are?”
“I’m one of the sorry suckers that accepted a contract from Epsilon to defend it. I’m Teresa Day, pleasure to meet you. I was bored sitting in my ship. Now, let’s talk business.”
Captain Suzuki bowed. “Peace. We’re here
to discuss the upcoming battle, not any sort of payment or anything of that nature.”
“Well, yes. That’s what I said. The battle is my business.” Teresa turned to one of the other officers. “Is this really the captain?”
Suzuki sighed. “It’s no matter. Please, sit.”
Teresa smiled.
“In a chair, this time.” Commander Melody Kelly insisted. Commander Kelly offered her hand to Teresa for a handshake. “And I’m Commander Melody Kelly.”
Teresa eyed Kelly’s hand and looked confused.
Kelly retracted her hand and was equally confused. “Um, alright. Yes, please sit down.”
Teresa Day and the officers of Amaterasu sat down at the oval table of the ready room. There were a few empty chairs. A holographic projection of Epsilon hovered above the middle of the table. In front of each person was a collection of papers detailing the defense network. Paintings of planets and model starships decorated the ready room.
“Thanks everyone for coming,” Suzuki said. “Amaterasu has become the flagship of Epsilon. The plight of the people of Epsilon spoke to us. There was no honor in staying with the Confederation. We parted ways and will defend this land.
“The enemy forces will attack tomorrow at an unknown time. We do not have access to the sector’s listening post, as it was compromised by Union forces. We will have scouts situated a few light-years away to monitor hyperspace. We’ll only have a few seconds warning to get ready for the attack. And they will attack. They attacked Zeta Volantis without warning. There was an offer to surrender only after the bombs had stopped falling.
“Zeta Volantis was taken by an estimated force of nine warships of the so-called Interstellar Federation. Zeta Volantis only had a handful of warships to defend the planet, but they still fought valiantly. We assume the same force will move on to Epsilon to attack us.”
Commander Kelly looked over the files. “How many warships will be upon us? They won’t send them all, right?”
“Probably not,” Suzuki replied. “They will keep light defenses at Zeta Volantis III. Of course, they could have received reinforcements. We’re not very sure of the situation above Zeta Volantis—we lost access to the HyperNEP network in that sector.
“We are pretty certain the Galactic Union lost one destroyer in the battle. A heavy cruiser was also heavily damaged. With potential reinforcements, the amount of repairs they could have done... I would guess at the very least six enemy warships... and at the most... a lot.”
“And what do we have?” Teresa asked.
“Epsilon was never heavily defended,” Kelly replied. “We only have a handful of orbital defense cannons.”
“Any ground-based missile networks?” Teresa asked.
“No,” Kelly said.
“Starfighter defense?”
“No.”
“... Damn,” Teresa said under her breath.
“It won’t be easy. But I promised to defend this planet,” Suzuki said. “This will be a trial by fire. Epsilon will stand tall in the face of these barbarians.”
“We have four heavy warships defending Epsilon,” Kelly noted. “The cruiser Inari, the destroyer Kouzui Maru, the dreadnought Fuji and this cruiser, Amaterasu. We also have several frigates and corvettes that are also assisting the defense. These ships are either other mercenaries or civilian craft.”
“Civvies are up here too?”
“Yes ma’am.”
Teresa leaned back and stared at the ceiling. “...Say we somehow are victorious. You realize they’ll just send another wave in a few weeks, right? If they really want something they are going to get it.”
Suzuki nodded in agreement. “Yes, but true victory is not won by whomever has the biggest army. True victory takes place in the hearts of men. Our victory against this enemy will be heard across the galaxy. The rebellion that started in Confederation space will spread to the people of the Interstellar Federation. We will continue gaining support until we outnumber the enemy. It takes only one small spark to start a wildfire. They may have more battleships, more weaponry, more money, but they can never take away our best weapon.”
“And that is?” Teresa asked.
“Hope,” Suzuki said. “Hope can turn the tides of war.”
May 10, 0271 AC – 12:05
The Battle of Epsilon
“Shit. Here we go,” said Knave on the bridge of the Madcat-2. “Got a signal from the scouts. They detected trailward hyperspace flux heading spinward. They couldn’t get any exact readings. The ISF is probably using a jumpship.”
“Get ready, boys,” Teresa said. She turned her chair forward toward the holographic display. She switched the display to show readings from hyperspace.
“We should detect them soon. Then they’ll be upon us,” Rylan said.
Edwin’s leg was shaking nervously. His foot was tapping the steel plate making a noticeable sound.
“Stop jiggling your leg, White,” Russell said. “You are making me think that there’s something wrong with the ship when I hear that rattling.”
“Sorry, sorry. I...”
“You’ll be alright,” Knave said. “We aren’t dying out here.”
Although that would make things a lot easier, Knave thought to himself. Or was it the creature? Sometimes he wasn’t even sure.
The Inari, Kouzui Maru, Fuji, and Amaterasu were orbiting at different positions around Epsilon. If an invasion force appeared over Epsilon, the defense ships would converge on the attackers. Madcat-2 was following Inari as it cruised by the jumpgate to this world.
“Here they come. Exit jump point forming on the other side of the planet,” Knave said.
“Shit. Full burn, let’s get over there!” Teresa commanded.
“I just received a message through the NEP,” Knave said. “From our ISF friends... ‘Any hostilities will be met with extreme prejudice. This planet is now under the protective banner of the Interstellar Federation.’”
“The Epsilon defenders aren’t going to let them take their planet,” Rylan said.
Knave cracked his knuckles. “Here we go.”
Edwin’s leg resumed shaking.
“Captain Suzuki broadcasted a message to the invaders,” Knave said. “‘Epsilon is independent. Turn back now or be destroyed.’”
“Well, that is to the point, isn’t it?” Russell replied.
Madcat-2 and Inari headed towards the opposing forces on the other side of the planet.
“Detecting three Newcastle-class destroyers, two New York II-class battleships, and one Deinonychus-class cruiser,” Knave reported. “They also have a jumpship, a handful of corvettes, and a good chunk of fighters buzzing out of their nests. This... will be difficult.”
When Inari and Madcat-2 got into visual range of the enemy warships, the battle had already started. The defending forces were barreling past the invaders, blasting them with weapon fire. The majority of the weapon fire was focused on the jumpship Europa. Destroying this ship would potentially cause a catastrophic explosion that would heavily damage the nearby enemy warships. Several invading warships maneuvered in a position to try to shield the jumpship from the weapon fire. Pulses of energy flared all around the shielding warships as the energy shields attempted to deflect the weapon fire. Several mass drivers tore through these energy shields and ripped into the plating of the invaders.
The defending force turned on its side and continued unloading weapons onto the invaders. The invaders fired maneuvering thrusters and unloaded weaponry of their own onto the defenders. The invading force withdrew from the immediate area, still blasting the Epsilon warships with mass drivers as the two forces moved away from each other.
The Marauding Mad Cats and Inari joined the rest of the Epsilon defenders.
The warships on both sides were only slightly damaged. Europa had taken the most damage, with bruises from mass drivers lining her plating.
The invaders started to approach at high speed. In response, the defenders also fired their main engines
. The fighter squadrons of both sides flew ahead of their respective warships. The enemy was flying with nearly double the amount of fighters as Epsilon. The Marauding Mad Cats as well as some other mercenaries flew alongside the Epsilon fighters. The fighters consisted of a mix of Peregrines, Kitsunes, and Raptors. A small amount of outdated civilian craft also barreled toward the ISF.
The Interstellar Federation had sent a sizeable force of warships to try to take Epsilon. Two battleships, Hyperion and Prometheus, flanked each side of the Europa jumpship. Two destroyers, Manchester and Seattle led the warship group toward the Epsilon forces. The destroyer Tucson flew above Europa. The cruiser Monitor rounded out the invading warship squadron. Monitor was a Commonwealth of Perseus warship, whereas the other starships belonged to the Galactic Union. The two armies had joined together under the banner of the Interstellar Federation. The combined Commonwealth and Union invaded the former worlds of the Confederation. The Blood Dynasty, along with Union support, attacked Star Republic words light-years away.
The two fighter groups reached each other. Some of the invading fighters flew over the defenders, whereas some attacking fighters turned to attack the defense force. A dogfight began between the hordes of fighters. Corvettes joined the fray. Gnats and flies battling over a piece of meat. Some fighters broke off in pursuit of the fighters approaching the warships.
The buzzing dogfight moved closer to the Epsilon warships. Considering the sheer discrepancy of the amount of fighters, the ISF was controlling the pace of the fighter battle. The defense fighters had the difficult task of trying to protect the shields of the Epsilon warships from the disrupting fire of the enemy fighters while keeping themselves in one piece.
The defending warships unloaded everything they had on the approach. The Free Epsilon Militia battle cruiser Amaterasu fired its forward coil cannons. These large magnetically-propelled kinetic weapons mostly missed their mark. One of the slugs went too high, narrowly missing the Interstellar Federation destroyer Tucson. The other coil cannon slug took a chunk out of the jumpship but caused no major damage. The other two flew harmlessly by the enemy, but kept traveling forward at a tremendous speed. Potentially dangerous slugs that could remain in flight for centuries upon centuries until crashing into something.