"Got it. Hold on."
Nate rolled again, using the winglet-mounted thrust outlets to spin about at an incredible speed. He then pulled up to close towards his friend. Both fighters were coming at each other, and Nate could see the fighter slightly below Cassandra.
"Boost up, now."
Cassandra hit her burners and lifted her nose. For a fraction of a second the Byotai fighter was vulnerable. Nate didn't hesitate and put a single burst through its nose before veering off to the right and avoiding contact. As quickly as that, the remaining two fighters peeled away back towards their ships. At the same time the small point-defence turrets that covered ANS Warlord opened up on them. One was destroyed instantly, but the final craft jinked and twisted, and somehow made it away in one piece.
Lucky, very lucky!
Nothing happened for three seconds, and then every single weapon opened fired. There were particle weapons capable of pulverising small ships, large-calibre railguns, and even automatic cannon turrets. As this first salvo fired, it was followed by dozens of missile launches.
"Beautiful," said Nate.
The Alliance battleship halted and took the entire fire of the enemy fleet, shrugging off many impacts while unleashing a veritable torrent against the largest of the Byotai cruisers. After thirty seconds of continuous fire, the enemy ship exploded. This was not a single explosion, but a series of hundreds of smaller ones that ripped her apart from bow to stern. The battleship didn't stop there and simply redirected her guns at the rest of the enemy fleet.
"Crusader Squadron, it's time to come home. The battle is over," said Lieutenant Higgins.
Nate dropped his forward speed by ten percent and checked his scanners. Simultaneously, a wave of relief spread through his body as he heard the words. The fatigue in the officer's voice was clear and obvious, but Nate barely noticed that. All he wanted to hear was that it was time for them to return, and that they had made it without losses. The battle had not taken long, but not once since they had launched had he expected to actually return. Billy's voice popped up on the Squadron's unique channel.
"We did it. I can't believe we did it. I thought we'd had it back there."
Nate breathed a long sigh of relief. It was similar to the feeling he'd felt on so many of their simulator runs, especially those back before the fighting had started. Any form of competition was stressful, but real combat was something unlike any feeling he'd felt. There were moments of elation, but the fear and the dread. He had never experienced anything like it before, and he didn't want to feel it again.
"I hear you. That was a close one."
As they spiralled away from the last phase of the battle, he looked back. The rest of the Alliance ships were advancing in two columns. Each of them fired into the enemy ships, and then as quickly as it had all started, they were gone. One at a time the Byotai ships withdrew through their Spacebridge, leaving behind the remains of a single cruiser, as well as an escort class ship that had broken in two.
"Port hangar doors are open. Welcome home, Crusader Squadron," said Lieutenant Higgins.
One by one, they moved inside while the Alliance fleet positioned around the battered, but still functional ANS Relentless. Nate looked at her hull and the hundreds of marks along her armour.
How the hell did she survive all that?
He had heard of much bigger ships being annihilated in minutes, yet somehow this medium-sized warship had kept going. He waited his turn as he tried to assess the damage. Finally, he travelled through the layered airlock doors until finally making it inside. It was a much slower process than the rapid launch from the top deck, and the job was made more difficult by the wrecked shape of Rex's fighter. But finally, after a battle that had felt hours long, he was back. And as the canopy opened, and he climbed out, he found he was speechless.
CHAPTER THREE
Alliance Armoured Assault Ship 'ANS Relentless'
In Orbit over Eos, Helios System
Nate and Matilda looked out from the array of small windows fitted along the port replenishment bank. Normally, two additional sections folded back inside the ship to protect this section. These units were now fully extended so that the other ships had full access to Relentless' internal stores and power controls. A handful of other crew clustered around the small gallery, two sharing a sandwich as they watched the events outside. Nate found the pain returned to his brow, and he looked away and did his best to hide it. He rubbed his head, but the pain returned with a vengeance. He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed slowly before reaching for one of the tablets given to him from the medic.
"So, that's the Orion Battlegroup?" Private Valentine asked.
Nate opened his eyes as soon as he heard her voice. He looked over, lifting his eyes slightly to meet hers.
She's always so quiet.
Private Valentine might only have been a few years older than him, but their lives could not have been further apart. Nate came from a well-to-do family, and he had succeeded in at the civilian Academy. There was a life out there for him in any sector he chose, while Valentine was a lifer. A woman who'd started at sixteen and never turned back. Nate couldn't even imagine the kind of situations she'd faced. While he worked behind a computer, or in a cockpit, Valentine dealt with situations face-to-face.
"Where are the others?"
Nate opened his mouth to speak but was beaten by Matilda.
"Just us, the others have assigned duties."
The young marine pulled her head back a fraction in surprise. Nate spoke to her to her quietly.
"Don't mind her, her social skills are...well...not quite fully developed."
It was quiet, but nowhere near enough that she couldn't hear.
"Funny, Nate, very funny. In answer to the Private's question, yes, it is the Orion Battlegroup, at least the bulk of it. Fourteen ships, including Warlord."
She pointed off towards the largest ship in view.
"It is interesting that the flagship is here, but not with the entire fleet. We should have five times as many ships in this region. Warlord is only sent where the Admiral wants to focus his attention."
Even as she said the ship's name, Nate still found it hard to believe. No ship came even close to the reputation of the massive behemoth. ANS Warlord was capable of winning a battle on her own, and she never travelled without a substantial escort. And as usual, Matilda had spotted the single more obvious point before anybody else had.
"This is the Spacebridge that leads back into the Arnos Cluster. Maybe we're here to protect the border from attack."
"Really?" said Matilda.
It was true that the flotilla of ships was waiting patiently on the periphery of Alliance space. Their location around the moon of Eos that orbited the gas giant Gaxos was no secret to those on board. This was the planet furthest from the Helios star and had been a major refinery site and industrial facility. Like much of the star system, the entire moon's infrastructure was slowly being rebuilt following the war. A heroic battle had been fought more than a decade ago, a campaign that saw Alliance ground troops and soldiers from the New Helion Army taking on the Biomechs in pitched battle.
Until the war, this sector of space was formally part of the Helion League. It had since been absorbed by the Alliance upon the dissolution of the League. This single star system was more than just a collection of planets and moons. It was home to a bizarre celestial phenomenon known colloquially as the Helion Nexus. It was almost impossible to construct Spacebridges, or Rifts, as they were often known, over distance of more than a few dozen light years. For some unexplained reason, there were dozens of these Rifts at the Nexus, and they connected dozens more star systems back to this one point. Less than half had been fully mapped, and others led into the empty void, or even into the hearts of stars. It made the Nexus the most strategically important location in the galaxy, and whoever controlled it would be able to dominate the region.
Both Private Valentine and Nate looked at Matilda, and she rais
ed her eyes in mock amusement.
"This is all very simple. This Spacebridge leads to the Arnos Cluster, a backwater of the Byotai Empire, filled with dead worlds and debris. This is the longest and least direct route to take if you want to travel between their sector and the Alliance."
She licked her lips before continuing.
"But...the Arnos Cluster does contain Spacebridges to other parts of the Empire, including the disputed Tenth Quadrant."
Nate considered her words for a second.
"So...we might be mobilising to assist at the Tenth."
Again, Matilda shook her head.
"I seriously doubt that, Nathaniel. Sending in a fleet would draw massive attention to us."
Nate's face reddened, as Matilda continued to demolish his hypothesis. His head still throbbed, and with every second he remained on his feet, the worse he felt.
"Interesting," said Private Valentine, "It could be the perfect way to attack us. Use the least travelled route to hit us from behind."
Matilda tilted her head and smiled. It was a rare expression from her and clearly forced.
"Yes, that is possible. But then you have to ask another question."
"Why?" Private Valentine answered.
"You're forgetting one important detail."
Nate sighed and looked back to Valentine.
"Which is?"
The two shared a moment as they waited for Matilda to speak. She had already turned her attention back to the warships. They might have been stationary, but that didn't mean there was no activity. There were scores of shuttles, transports, and fighters out there. She could even see robotic drones working on a damaged section of hull plating on the port side of Warlord.
"We're not at war with this Star Empire, or whatever they are calling themselves. This isn't an invasion force. Just look at it."
Nate looked from ship to ship, examining the various designs. The two most common types were the cruisers and destroyers of the fleet. There were also two troop transports and several replenishment ships.
"You must have seen the new squadrons. Apparently, three of them have transferred to the fleet. And one is coming right here, to Relentless."
Nate nodded.
"Yeah, I heard we have some new pilots coming in."
Matilda shook her head.
"No, I heard from one of the deckhands they are being rebased here, on Relentless."
"What about us?" Nate asked.
Matilda remained expressionless.
"How would I know? They need experienced pilots, not videogame playing cadets. Maybe it's time for us to go home now."
Nate appeared mortified, but Matilda seemed oblivious and far more interested in the ships outside.
"The Navy is not wasting time. They are repairing and preparing for something, something very important. If I had to guess, I'd say we're getting ready for an operation, and it will be one to take us back inside the Empire's border."
The internal alarm sounded, but this time it was not the desperate call of the klaxon. It was merely a warning to listen.
"This is the Captain. All military officers and NCOs will report to the port hangar deck in fifteen minutes."
Almost immediately the bracelet on Private Valentine's wrist glowed gently. She activated the unit and checked a detailed message before looking to the others.
"So much for three hours R&R. I'm back up. Maybe you're right."
She could see the disappointment on Nate's face and tried to disarm him with a smile.
"We'll do the team combat next time, I promise. I've been itching to try out that Star Crusader simulator since I got here."
She pointed at Nate.
"You've got competition, my friend."
With that she was gone, and when Nate looked back, Matilda was looking right at him. She was shaking her head in silence.
"What?"
She again looked at the lines of ships nearby.
"It's never going to happen, Nate. Never."
* * *
Lieutenant Higgins waited patiently on the port landing deck as the doors hissed open. His legs were hurting more than usual, and he could only assume it was down to the walking. All day long he'd been moving about the ship organising supplies, spare parts, and quarters for the never-ending numbers of new crew. The ship was designed to handle nearly four hundred crew plus the same number for the air-wing, and that was a big jump up from the numbers they'd left the Arnos Cluster with.
So, after all this, and now Relentless gets taken over by strangers.
It was not something he could really be upset about. Transfers between ships were part of Navy life, and Relentless needed new crew like a dying man needed a blood transfusion. Nonetheless, it was strange to see so many new faces coming aboard. Stranger for him was that he knew who else would be aboard the newly arrived vessel. His replacement.
Not long now.
Everything had been cleared to make space for the latest generation Mauler. Its insignia marked it out as having just come from ANS Warlord, but all of them knew who was inside. Without moving his body, he looked to his sides where the majority of the ship's senior officers waited. Captain Galanos was there on her own and just a few metres from the side doors. She called out in a stern tone, and as one the officer corps moved to attention.
Here he comes.
The dust cleared and out came the shape of Admiral Churchill. The last pictures he'd seen of the man had been back in his glory days of the last war, and even then his hair had been thin. Now it was a thin haze that ran along the top and sides, before vanishing at the back. His face was pale and marked with his long years of service. Yet his eyes burned bright blue, and with an intensity Lieutenant Higgins had never seen. As he stepped off the ramp, he moved with the speed and agility of a man half his age. He spoke with the Captain for almost a minute and then moved away from the Mauler and to the small cadre of officers and NCOs.
"Men and women of Relentless, welcome back home. You've had one hell of a time."
His face relaxed, and he lifted one hand before speaking again.
"As you were."
He then walked a few steps in front of them, stopping just a couple of paces from Lieutenant Higgins. Though older than most people on the deck, he was alert and ready. The Lieutenant had never been this close to him, and he could already see why so many had pushed to serve in whatever fleet the Admiral was in. Some men simply oozed confidence, and this man had it in buckets.
"We heard you were coming back a week ago and hauled ass to get here. We were almost too late, but I can see this ship is a lot more than she might appear. The Relentless class may have been cancelled, but there are still a few old ladies left."
He nodded in appreciation to the men and women before him.
"Relentless has a reputation from the war, and you've added another layer on top. You are the only warship to have escaped the trap set by the Star Empire. It's a reputation that is spreading on both sides of the border."
He nodded to himself as if he was trying to remember something.
"Now...Admiral Anderson told me just a few hours ago what he thought of you, and your ship."
The others on the deck were almost leaning towards the Admiral as he spoke, desperate to hear what the supreme military commander in the Orion Sector had to say about them.
"His words exactly...you put up one hell of a fight. Relentless is the jewel of the fleet."
The atmosphere around him appeared to warm. There were few better ways to cheer up a tired and worn out crew than praise for them and their ship. A ship's reputation stayed with it for a long time, and tales of the survival of a single ship would add quite a cachet to a vessel few would have heard of a month ago. Lieutenant Higgins took the opportunity to study the Admiral as he waited there in front of him, and tried to size him up. He was of about average height, perhaps a little taller at around 1.8m and looked every part the Admiral. He seemed to know exactly how to gauge the space and tailored his words on
the fly.
"There's a lot happening right now, and we're still unclear on many of the details. You've been out of the loop for weeks, and no doubt you're itching for some information on what's going on."
A few in the group nodded quickly in agreement. Life aboard Relentless had not been easy, with most of the information coming from the interrogation of the one prisoner they had taken.
"You've heard rumours, I'm sure. All I can say is that probably half of them are true."
That seemed to send a chill through the group, and even Lieutenant Higgins was surprised to hear that. Senior officers were rarely forthcoming with information.
"We've got two alien races that a year ago were at each other's throats, and now a faction deep inside both is calling themselves the Star Empire. From what we can tell, they have major support inside both regions and are expanding at one hell of a rate of knots."
So far none of this was news, but it was certainly nice to hear confirmation from their commander. Higgins was actually surprised the man had even decided to come and visit Relentless, let alone talk to them about what was happening.
Of course, this is it. He's here for a mission. Or to tell us we're being withdrawn.
"We have six more hours, and then we are leaving this sector. Relief ships from Spascia will guard this region while we conduct our own little operation, and I want Relentless to join us. We are re-entering the Rift and taking the scenic route."
Again he smiled as he let his words sink in. The Rift was merely a doorway to another part of space. The assembled men and women had no idea of their destination or route, as was standard practice aboard a warship until well underway.
"A civilian interstellar liner is due to arrive within the next four hours. That will allow us to extract the civilians you so bravely rescued weeks ago, as well as the Ambassador and the cadets. Once completed, I want Relentless ready to leave. This mission is of critical importance to the Alliance, and I expect each and every one of you to do your duty."
Star Crusader: Knighthawk Squadron Page 6