Nate nodded as he spoke, but his throat was so dry no sound came out. This time Rex spoke, and after days of quietness, he seemed to have gotten back a little of his passion.
"No, Sir. We cannot just compete to fire a few guns, Sir."
Commander Higgins' eyebrows lifted up high. It was clear he'd expected the cadets to jump at the chance to get involved, even if it meant as secondary crew to the new arrivals.
"Explain yourself, Flight Cadet."
Though he was being stern, it gave Rex and the others confidence in knowing he was still using their temporary rank. If nothing else, it meant they were still formally part of the ship's complement.
"Well, Sir. I'd put good money on us being better than these OTC cadets. We've logged more hours and more simulator time than I bet all of them have together."
There was silence, and even Rex must have been wondering if he'd perhaps stepped a little too far over the line this time.
"I see," said Commander Higgins, "And the rest of you, do you agree with Flight Cadet Hampel's assessment?"
Nate answered immediately, not wanting to lose the initiative.
"Yes, Sir. We've flown everything out there. You've seen us in action. The Bullnose is no exception. We can do as well as these new OTC pilots, and I suspect we can do it a lot better, Sir."
Lieutenant Commander Holder still looked far from impressed, but Nate was convinced her demeanour had shifted, if only a little.
"It seems to me this situation can only be settled one way."
Commander Higgins grinned.
"Indeed. Crusader Squadron, you have one hour to prepare. Then get back here for assessment. We will test all twelve of you together."
"Sir," said the group in chorus.
It looked as though this encounter was over, but Rex couldn't leave without knowing what was going to happen, and quite what he had just got the five of them into.
"Sir, what are we to prepare for?"
Commander Higgins' expression became serious once more.
"You're going up against these seven OTC cadets, and you're going to prove to me, them, and yourselves where you fit in on this ship."
He looked away from Rex and to the others.
"One hour, I suggest you get some chow and prepare yourselves. You've got a lot to live up to."
The five cadets left the room, leaving only the two officers. When they were sure the five had left, Lieutenant Commander Holder spoke.
"You saw the preliminary briefing from the Admiral. Are sure this is wise?"
Commander Higgins didn't hesitate in his reply.
"They are the best small group of pilots I've ever come across, and these OTC cadets? Well, they are just as much of a wildcard."
Lieutenant Commander Holder still did not seem convinced.
"I read your report on the way here. They clearly do not have the skills and mental discipline expected in a front-line unit. A few of them show promise at the stick, but what do they offer as a group?"
This time the Commander truly smiled.
"They are video gamers, and when they fight together, they play together. It's as though they know what each is thinking before it happens. I've never seen such close coordination before. They might even surprise you."
"Well, we shall see, soon enough? Won't we?"
* * *
45 Minutes Later
A gentle hum ran through the ship as they continued on their voyage. The engines were on full burn, but their destination remained classified. All external windows had been sealed as was normal for long-duration, high-speed journeys, and all communication systems blocked from external use. As Nate waited outside their quarters, he tried to imagine where they were going.
"Matilda. Where do you think we're going?"
The twenty-one year old technical genius lifted her gaze to look at Nate, but her position and expression remained the same.
"Away from Eos."
Nate shook his head in frustration.
"Yeah, I know that, but where? They said we were heading to the first Spacebridge."
"The entire area is known as the Nexus for a reason. There are hundreds of Rift entrances and most are still inactive. We could be travelling to another planet in the Alliance, or taking one of the interstellar Spacebridges to somewhere else. There are more than a dozen permanent Spacebridges connecting directly to the Byotai, Khreenk, and Klithi regions for starters."
"Great," said Nate, "So you don't know."
Matilda shrugged.
"Like I said. We are heading away from Eos. That's all we know. Anything else is mere speculation."
Nate turned away from her and found the equally irritating shape of Billy pacing back and forth in the corridor as he waited for the others. Cassandra and Rex were still getting themselves ready, and it looked like Billy was about to have some kind of panic attack. Nate moved closer to him, but he lifted his hand to block him while shaking his head. He then moved back to the bulkhead door where he could see Rex. He watched for a moment before speaking, his tone filled with frustration and irritation.
"Rex. You couldn't just accept assisting the new squadron, could you? We could end up cleaning the floors because of this."
He then looked away muttering.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
Rex ignored him as he pulled on his boots. When he’d finished, he wandered nonchalantly to the doorway and threw a casual glance in Billy's direction. He looked happier and calmer than he had done in weeks.
"These are OTC cadets. Rich kids out to have fun. We can take them. You know we can. You heard the officers; these Bullnose gunships are an extra. I bet they aren't even serious about using them."
He pointed to Billy and then to Nate.
"This strike squadron should be ours, not theirs."
He expression altered as he moved closer to Nate.
"We've handled Hammerheads before. We can do this."
Billy laughed, but it was far from genuine.
"Uh, this won't be with Hammerheads. You know that, right?"
Rex lifted a single eyebrow.
"Huh?"
Cassandra was now ready and moved out to join the other five. Unlike the others, she seemed to have spent a disproportionate time getting her long, shoulder length hair to stay completely straight. Matilda sighed.
"All this time, for your hair?"
Cassandra lifted her nose up at her complaint.
"We are going to have to do more than just fly some fighters. We're going to have to impress the hell out of them and show we can do the same as any experienced squadron."
She then prodded both Nate and Rex in the chest.
"Especially after what you two said."
Billy moved alongside her, his mop of messy ginger hair in stark contrast to the blonde perfection of Cassandra's efforts. Billy activated his Secpad and brought up a holographic image of the new additions to Relentless' arsenal.
"The new squadron is flying Bullnose Gunships. You know, the ones that are not available on the public release of Star Crusader."
Nate moved close to his wrist and examined the 3D model carefully. His face contorted as he tried to assess quite what he was looking at.
"True, but we've flown the Hammerhead Assault variant. Remember the pack we got hold of before all of this blew up?"
Cassandra spoke quietly to Nate, her voice almost becoming a whisper.
"That pack was an unauthorised upgrade, and you remember what nearly happened."
Rex seemed much more serious now.
"That nearly got us booted out. You crashed the game servers with the update that took two weeks to repair."
Nate walked back and forth, muttering in frustration as they talked.
"Yes, yes, I know this. I'm not stupid."
He continued to shake his hands.
"That's not what I'm talking about. The assault variant is based on the known specs of the upgraded Hammerhead. This is basically what became the Bullnose. I bet those O
TC cadets have never even fired a gun in anger."
Billy grabbed his left arm, and now Nate could see the perspiration dripping down his forehead. Nate had seen this before, and he knew Billy could be fragile under certain circumstances.
"We know the flight characteristics by heart. Don't forget the last time we used them before the crash, we kicked some serious..."
"Nate's not wrong," added Rex, "And we've got imagery of the Bullnose gunships on file. How hard can it be?"
Cassandra and Matilda shared a quick, slightly exasperated look. Matilda seemed especially irritable, and as usual, she went straight to the weakness of the argument.
"The Bullnose is a different spacecraft to the ones we've used. The additional armour, different engines, and drastic shift in mass will make it unlike anything we've controlled before."
Cassandra appeared to be in firm agreement and kept nodding as Matilda spoke.
"Don't forget the weapons are managed by onboard crew, and we're going up in a simulated battle against these OTC cadets. Who's to say they haven't spent the last year flying Bullnose for real?"
Nate looked off into the corridor, licked his lip, and then turned his gaze back on his friends.
"Does it matter now? Let's get in there and show them what we can do."
Rex led the way, and Nate found himself at the rear, chasing a disgruntled looking Billy.
"We've got one big advantage over them, and I promise you, that will win it for us."
All four stopped to looked back at him. Matilda asked what they were all thinking.
"Which is?"
Nate laughed.
"Teamwork. Individually, maybe they can beat us, but as a team we work. Each of us knows what the others are doing without even checking. That comes from practice and experience."
Rex stepped to his side and thumped his shoulder.
"See, you're not the useless geek I always thought you were."
He turned around and walked away.
"What are you waiting for? Come on!"
The five moved off inside the ship at a fast walk. It wouldn't take them long to reach the control suite, but with every step Nate could feel his stomach rumbling. Nerves had returned, just like they always did before a big game.
We can do this. Can't we?
CHAPTER FIVE
Alliance Armoured Assault Ship 'ANS Relentless'
Helios System
Each of the fifteen ships left a fiery trail behind them as they travelled at speed. The fleet continued on its high-speed dash towards its objective, with every vessel in the fleet operating at its maximum velocity. This was a tightly held formation, with the ships little more than fifty kilometres apart. All fighters and drones were kept inside the protection of their mother ships, as it would prove impossible to launch and recover them in the available time. ANS Warlord led the formation, the rest spread out in three small groups behind it.
"A matter of hours until we read our first waypoint."
Captain Galanos leaned back in her seat and watched the vertical command display. Multiple small windows showed different views from her ship, as well as one giving her a perfect view of the fast-launch deck. As always, a pair of fighters sat on their rails with their pilots resting nearby. They could be launched in a matter of seconds, and shortly afterwards the flank launch bay could do the same with their fighters.
Less than a day to go, and already they're itching for some action. This is better, much better.
She heard a noise and looked to her left; it was Captain Dreuc of the Byotai military. He was the only member of the Byotai military to escape from the Mognathus 7 Starbase during the first day of the mutiny. Now he always seemed to be near the Captain, offering advice where he could. He wore his Imperial uniform as though on the deck of a Byotai warship. What little remained of the clothing he'd escaped in was now adorned with the gilt and embellishments expected of an officer of his rank and position. It was not quite perfect, and she noticed with amusement that he must have made use of Alliance equipment to add some of the amour. The end result was garish, but a surprisingly effective combination of dress uniform and light armour. He hissed several words through his translator circuit.
"It is good to be moving again. My people have reached a dangerous point. Soon it will be too late, and I will be unable to help. I must return home and do what I can to end this madness."
He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and the Captain waited patiently for him to continue. Like all Byotai, their mannerisms were often quite different to those of humans. Their reptilian heritage left them with some unusual traits, one of which was the closing of eyes when worried or stressed. It was a behaviour commonly identified amongst the cold-blooded creatures that had once thrived on Old Earth. He opened his eyes. They flickered and then he looked back at Captain Galanos.
"I don't understand how this could happen so fast. Everything we've seen suggests your people are conservative, stable, and successful. It makes no sense."
The alien warrior made an odd rubbing sound with his throat before answering.
"My society is a divided one, Captain. And it has been this way for generations. Does it need...reform? Yes, it does. But not like this. It is for those like myself to try and end this before it gathers too much momentum. There will always be those looking for an opportunity, and I suspect malcontents will see this as their chance."
Captain Galanos did her best to look concerned, but she was finding it hard while trying to plan for an operation she knew nothing about. At present she had no more than an initial destination and a list of problems to be resolved. She did know the great split he referred to was one that had torn through the Empire. From what little information they had access to; it was clear the legitimate government was in trouble, and that many of the disgruntled agitators were on the side of the revolutionaries.
"My own people have gone through the same upheavals. The English Revolution, the Arab Spring, and more recently, the Great Uprising that finally resulted in the creation of the Alliance. Discontent can take a long time to come to the surface, but when it does..."
The reptilian officer nodded as he had seen the humans do in the past. This time his translator seemed to do a much better job of conveying emotion, but that could just as easily have been Captain Galanos adding what was missing in her own mind.
"Yes, when it does, it can be violent. People will do the strangest things when something this massive comes along."
Captain Galanos checked two new messages and compared the imagery to her schematics; both were for a series of turret mechanisms. The work crew had been forced to make wiring changes and needed authorisation to disable two more to continue the work. She sent the necessary orders and then turned her attention back to her guest.
"Our treaty is with your government, and with Imperator Thras II. The Byotai Empire still exists."
The former Byotai officer snorted as she spoke.
"It exists only as long as there are those to protect it. You believe you will be welcomed when you enter our old domain? I will at least have a chance, in certain places, but your Alliance? We have a treaty of convenience, nothing more."
Captain Galanos seemed unfazed by this rebut. She knew the details of the decade long agreement between the regional superpowers. It was one thrashed out in the months following the Biomech War, and it was to be the guarantor of peace in the galaxy.
"Nonetheless, we have treaty obligations to one another. By mutual consent we have given guarantees that an attack on one is an attack on both. We are legally and morally obligated to assist your..."
The Byotai officer hissed again, and this time he looked much more agitated.
"Yes. But if this new regime has taken root, how far will you go? What if my Empire has been destroyed? What if these two peoples are now part of this self-declared Star Empire? What authority can any of us have?"
The Captain stalled for a second, and Captain Dreuc took that as a signal to continue.
&nb
sp; "The agreement cannot stand if one party no longer exists. Will the Admiral declare war on the Star Empire, and for what reason? It can only bring your Alliance into a war between a region that includes over thirty star systems and hundreds of worlds."
He pulled his head back and snorted.
"Your Alliance is not as strong as you think it is. Your local systems of Taxxu, Helios, and T'Karan contain the remnants of former glories. They are nothing compared to the power of the combined Byotai and Anicinàbe."
"They are not the basis for our strength. The home systems are strong, united, and advanced."
Once more the officer snorted with amusement.
"I think not, Captain. The colonies of Sol, Proxima, and Alpha Centauri still number but a fraction of your new competitor."
His eyes widened as though surprised.
"My advice is to recover what you can, and avoid wakening this giant. If you allow a war to start, I can promise you it is a war you can never hope to win. Nothing unites people more than the threat of a common enemy."
He pointed at the Captain.
"By pushing too hard, you could unite them with a bond that lasts generations."
With those last words their conversation came to a somewhat hasty conclusion. Instead she turned her attention to her crew. The CIC was a hive of activity, and a world apart from the scene weeks before, when the under strength crew had been spread so thinly. The officers continued moving about, managing their own particular part of the ship. At nearly two hundred and eighty metres in length, and displacing over seventy thousand tons, Relentless was a big ship, though not in the same league as ANS Warlord. With a full complement of crew, as well as two squadrons of fighters, Captain Galanos finally felt confident they could do their part, even though the words from Captain Dreuc were beginning to sap that confidence.
"For now we will maintain formation with the fleet, and prepare for whatever operation the Admiral has in store for us."
Reports continued to stream in, the majority from the various engineering teams spread throughout the ship. One in particular concerned her, regarding fluctuating levels in the engines. The engineers had made subtle adjustments, but this had never been a problem before.
Star Crusader: Knighthawk Squadron Page 9