The ship killed forward acceleration and began to turn in space, twisting along its own flight path until it was facing backwards. The impacts on the shields moved towards the aft section, pummeling the engine room and cargo sections. As the timer reached two seconds, Josh slapped his panel and opened an M-space portal. On the projection, Lee saw Kongo imitating the procedure exactly. Both ships were moving backwards towards the enemy even as two vortices opened into M-space. At zero, Josh pushed his throttle back to full.
From the M-space vortex, a massive pressure wave, energized with the blue-brown particles and pushed by their maneuver several days prior, pushed into real space. The energized particles moved at nearly half the speed of light, pushing through and erupting into a plasma fireball. Resolute and Kongo were already moving, expecting the incursion into normal space. They broke off at full power in opposite directions as the pressure wave rolled from the mouth of the vortex towards the Gizzeen. Unable to respond to the unexpected plasma wave, the Gizzeen vessels were enveloped in fiery energy. Ships caught in the translation burned. Two dozen were incinerated at almost a quarter of the speed of light. The rest were pushed backwards, slamming into each other as they tried to navigate the tempest.
Resolute was clipped by the edge of the directed pressure wave, spinning around in space and tumbling end over end. Goldstein slapped at his console, trying to stabilize their flight while the rest of the crew held tight. The artificial gravity was screaming to hold them in place as the forces around them threatened to tear them apart. The ship began to stabilize and Lee heard a shout for a medic from behind. As he glanced, he caught sight of Ronald Chang on the floor, bleeding from a cut under his bandages. Lee took only a moment to worry before turning back to the projection ahead. Goldstein had managed to stabilize the ship, but all he saw before him was stars. That was when he realized they were in darkness.
Outside the ship there was a clear path through the blue haze. Their pressure wave had burned away a swath of space thousands of kilometers long. The tendrils of energy reached back for the cleared space, but the ocean of particulate and energy was unable to move back into the empty area. Lee said a pilot’s prayer for luck and set himself firmly back into his seat.
“Kongo?” he asked, trying to call his own display back up. “Are they okay?”
“Captain Farthing was just calling to ask the same thing from us,” Kama replied. “He says you scratched his paint and owe him a new coat.”
“He’s fine,” Lee said to the bridge. “Resume course. Orient us to that portal.”
The ship turned, slower this time but on a steadier course. The dot representing the assault frigate moved into formation on their starboard side again. Lee saw the vortex appear on screen. From this side, it looked like an M-space vortex but on a massive scale. He checked the readings and realized where in space the portal was.
“That thing’s blocking the sun…”
“It’s all around it, sir,” the sensor officer replied. “The sun is still producing heat and energy but the light is being stopped.”
“How long can Earth survive like that?” Lee asked. “Without light and—”
“Earth should be okay,” the woman replied. “It’ll just be a dark blue night.”
“Well, let’s spread some daylight,” Lee ordered. “Accelerate and harden shields. Prepare to launch the package.”
“Sir, we’ve got ships coming in fast from aft,” the Octopod called out. Two dozen closing fast.”
“Evasive!” Lee shouted. “Spread us out.”
Resolute moved outward, away from Kongo, which was flaring its shields in preparation. Josh turned the battleship on its side, not wanting to hit the other ship with its side mounted cannons. Kongo slowed and put itself into a more offensive mode to handle the attacks. As the first blue bolts slammed into the shields, Lee saw they were low powered and not a real danger. These ships were new to the galaxy, but older, more powerful ships would be along soon.
“Sir, we’ve got more incoming to starboard. Almost one hundred ships. I’m reading fighters and destroyers,” Cal announced. “More directly ahead.”
“Head to port,” Lee ordered. “Open up as soon as we’re in range.”
“They’re herding you,” Chang said from behind. “Don’t fall for it. Stay on target or this whole thing is over.”
“Kongo is pulling ahead,” Josh announced. “She’s accelerating to clear the way.”
The assault frigate appeared on the screen. Rods of carbon, each a meter thick and three meters long, were firing from launch tubes along the forward opening of the ship. Kongo was equipped with both Alliance and Vadne weaponry, and she was opening up with her most effective arsenal. As the rods moved in on the mass of targets, Lee caught sight of the nearest Gizzeen ship. Blue plasma bolts rocketed from the vessel, wrapping around the barrage of rods and vaporizing them. A second round of Vadne projectiles made its way through the blast but was stopped by the sheer number of oncoming ships. Kongo fired plasma bolts into the Gizzeen, hoping to clear a way through the enemy vessels. Two of the ships were struck in their weakened condition and ruptured, but a dozen more leapt ahead and continued to fire. They may have been weaker without the spillage from the other side but it made them no less fierce.
“Open fire!” Lee ordered. “Keep them back.”
As Resolute turned broadside to the battle, her plasma cannons burst forth deadly energy. As each bolt struck the Gizzeen ships, the vessels erupted in red-orange fire. It reminded Lee of a shooting gallery he had visited once when a circus came to the ranch, but much deadlier. There was a massive roar and Resolute seemed to list. Lee checked the heads-up display and saw one of the larger Gizzeen ships had struck their port hull near the engine room. Their port thruster assembly, never reliable, was cutting out and restarting every few seconds. Resolute turned on her side, exposing her keel to the battle as Josh tried to right her. Another boom and the ship seemed to vibrate. His tactical display told him they were surrounded and taking more hits than their shields could handle.
“Turn us around!” Lee shouted over the rumble. “Turn us one-eighty mark zero and lead them away. Give Kongo some room.”
The ship lurched over as Josh Goldstein tried to maneuver with a port thruster assembly gone mad. Resolute turned around, drawing some of the fire away from the smaller ship and allowing it to fire more broadly into the attacking ships. There was another commotion from behind him and he saw Chang take over the scanner station. The young woman, whose name Lee could never remember, had apparently fallen from her seat and cracked her skull on the railing. Chang was monitoring and gave Lee a thumbs up. When he turned around, there was a strange fluctuation on the screen.
“Identify that reading in the upper left,” Lee called back to Chang. “Is that a vortex?”
“Confirmed,” Chang called. “I’m reading an M-space translation about forty-thousand kilometers out. It’s a big one, too.”
“Who is it this time?” Lee asked, hoping for the best.
“It’s my fleet!” Chang called. “It’s the Barathists and the Ixloab. How did they know? I sent them out months ago. They should be near Mars by now, not here, and certainly not in M-space.”
“I told you about Kama Yu, right?” Lee said, turning his attention back to the screen. “Josh, can you get some speed? I need to get beyond the battle line and let the incoming ships take over.”
“It won’t look pretty but I think we can do that,” Goldstein replied. “Kongo is following but taking their time of it.”
“They’ve got hull ruptures on two decks,” Kama called out. “Telexo says they’ll cover while the Barathists take over.”
“All ahead … sideways or turned on your head or whatever we’re doing,” Lee called with a grin. “Are the Demons in place?”
“Launch bay reports trouble,” Kama replied after a moment. “Baron says the Demons are ready but the shuttle isn’t.”
“Launch the fighters,” Lee ordered. “Tell
them to stick close and wait for the shuttle.”
“Aye.”
The ship bolted from the swarm of fighters surrounding it. Plasma bursts ruptured hull plating over organic hides as they passed. Lee waited as the incoming Ixloab vessels barreled into the Gizzeen ships. The Vadne, however, seemed to hold back, watching as the battle raged in front of them. Lee watched as a mass of Gizzeen ships broke off and approached the Barathist lines. In one single volley, the Vadne ships fired rods directly into the oncoming vessels. With no time to respond, the Gizzeen ran straight into the oncoming weapons and were torn in two. Fluidic bursts from the ships made Lee realize the ships really were alive inside the armor plating. The death toll from that single volley of fire was unimaginable, so he put it out of his head. Resolute sped past the Barathist lines and into the cleared space beyond. According to the scanner, Kongo was bogged down by two Gizzeen ships of similar size and was being aided by four Ixloab vessels being piloted by maniacs. They matched maneuvers with the Gizzeen and nearly tore themselves apart with wildly acrobatic moves.
“Are we clear?” Lee asked. “What’s next?”
“There are more enemy ships ahead, but they’re not responding well,” Chang called. “I think they’re really new. They shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Good.”
“Captain!” Kama shouted. “Launch bay is reporting a problem with the shuttle. The device has been removed and the ship is preparing for takeoff.”
“Who the hell?” Lee cried. “Is the pilot still on board?”
“Baron says yes but he can’t contact.”
“Hail that shuttle and let me talk to whoever it is,” Lee ordered, standing and stepping to the rail. “Can we close the bay doors?”
“Negative,” the Octopod replied, tapping keys ineffectually. “Whoever it is has our command codes for the bay doors.”
“Alert the Demons,” Lee said. “Have them escort our hijacker back inside when he tries to go.”
“I’ve got him,” Kama said. “Putting him on speaker.”
“Attention, unknown pilot,” Lee called. “Stand down and return to the launch bay. This is your last chance.”
“Sorry,” Henry Moore’s voice called out from the speaker. “I can’t do that, Lee.”
“Henry? What the hell do you think you’re doing? You know we need that shuttle. Stand down.”
“I can’t do that,” Henry replied. “Don’t try to stop me either. I can shut down those fighters just as easy as I can shut down your pilot here. You know they have an off switch on these robots?”
“Henry, stop,” Lee repeated. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m going to get my Emma, Lee. I’m going home. You’ve cleared the way and I can go home.”
“You’ll never make it,” Lee said, looking at the screen and the carnage ahead. “There’s too many Gizzeen. Stand down and we can go home afterwards together.”
“No, Lee. You know this is a one way trip for you and your ship, and I’m not going with you. One of us has to survive to tell the story, right? Otherwise who’s going to write those books?”
“Henry, no!” Lee called as he saw the shuttle exit the ship. “Henry we need that shuttle! Ours is damaged and we need it to deliver the package!”
“Goodbye,” Henry said as the signal cut out.
“Dammit!” Lee cursed. “That was our last chance.”
“No, Lee,” Chang replied. “There may be another way.”
Lee stared at his former friend, realizing what the man was referring to. He understood what he had to do.
28
Zero…
Alice juked the controls hard to the right, twisting the ship into a tight corkscrew to avoid the blue fire from behind. The Gizzeen ship was fast and could maneuver laterally faster than anything she had ever seen. After watching Henry Moore fly off with the shuttle, Alice had expected a recall from Resolute, but none came. Instead, a squadron of aquatic-looking ships swooped in fast, blasting at her shields with more powerful blasts than she expected. The Demons split apart and tried to pull the fighters away from Resolute. Alice had already destroyed two of the ships while avoiding the battleship. The third fighter, however, was wilier than the others. It moved almost before she did. Her options were limited, so she turned back towards the ship and tried to maneuver the pursuing ship into a blast from the battleship.
There was a blast from in front of her of red-orange light which streaked too close past her canopy. The ship behind her exploded as it was torn apart by the energy beam. She pushed the nose down hard, avoiding the oncoming Alliance ship by meters as it streaked by. When she turned the ship back around, her heads-up magnified the ship and identified it.
“Lee?” Alice said as she saw the familiar silver streak. “Lee what are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, Commander Bennett,” Ronald Chang’s voice came from the speaker. “Form up on Eagle One and head towards the bridge. Jackal and Princess, take port and starboard. Aztec and Merlin, cover aft. Demons, we are go for the mission.”
“Admiral?” Alice called. “Are you flying that ship? What’s happening?”
“Princess, keep the line clear and stay focused,” the admiral replied. “A decision had to be made. Form up now.”
Alice pulled her ship up to the left wing of the Silver Eagle fighter. The presence of Admiral Chang in that ship was confusing. She knew he had once been a fighter pilot, but his participation baffled her. A small window appeared on her heads-up. Aztec was projecting an image of the Eagle as seen from just below. Immediately, Alice saw what he had been trying to show her. A small golden metal shaft had been affixed to the underside of the admiral’s ship.
“Ronald!” Alice called. “No! You can’t do this! It’s suicide!”
“Princess, if I hear you call that name again I will have your nav computer pulled and you will float the rest of the way home,” Chang responded. “We have a job to do and we are going to do it. Stay in formation.”
Alice watched as Lee’s ship vaulted forward of the formation. The Demons adjusted course and speed to match, but the Silver Eagle was much faster. Aztec slowed as a pair of Gizzeen ships moved up behind them. He came to a virtual stop and the two ships rocketed past. Two quick blasts rendered the pursuing ships unstable. Two more blasts ruptured the fighters and caused a detonation of their interior propulsion system. The Eagle flew through the debris with a slight wobble of the wing in victory.
“Don’t get cocky, Aztec,” Jackal called over the comm. “It’s a long way to go and we have a job to do.”
“Demons,” Kama’s voice came over the comm. “We’re showing incoming vortices ahead of you. What can you see?”
“I see it,” called Jackal. “Magnifying the image and sending it along. It’s the Gizzeen and they’ve brought company. Ch’Tauk dreadnought and a whole load of fighters coming through.”
“We’ve got to turn back,” Alice called. “There’re too many of them. Can we call up the terrorists or something?”
“Kongo is coming in fast and they’ve brought some friends, Princess,” Lee’s voice called. “Calm down and stay on target.”
“Lee … Flyboy … there’s too many,” Alice stammered. “Kongo can’t take them all. Why are you letting this happen? Ron is your friend, and whatever he’s done he doesn’t deserve this. You’ve got to call him back.”
“Can’t do that,” Lee replied. “I wish there was some other way, Princess, but there isn’t. Now stay focused and stay off the line.”
Alice heard the line go dark as Lee’s comm closed off. She was struck by how strained he sounded. She knew how close he had been to Chang once, but nothing had prepared her for the despair she heard when he apologized to her. She shook her head to clear it and checked her heads-up. The assault frigate was coming in fast from aft and dragging almost a dozen other ships in her wake. The computer identified the ships as belonging to Cal’s race of Octopods. She had only seen a few of the ships during the war but k
new of their reputation. As she watched, the shark-like vessels shot past Kongo straight at the oncoming Ch’Tauk dreadnought. As they approached, the Dreadnoughts opened fire with its primary weapon. Thick beams of red-orange energy streaked outwards from the nose and slammed into the oncoming Octopod ships. The ships glowed red as they rode out the blasts. Two were vaporized, but the remaining ships flew on.
The ships fired bolts of energy like lightning at the massive ship. As the energy struck the armored hull, they formed a web around the shell which, as Alice watched, began to tighten around the Ch’Tauk ship, popping metal plates and crushing the vessel. With the dreadnought disabled, the Gizzeen ships moved forward into the battle. Kongo began firing blasts of rods and plasma towards the enemy vessels, but the new arrivals seemed to be impervious to the hits. Red-orange blasts flashed along the hulls and drifted into space behind them as they moved.
“We’ve got active bogeys,” Jackal called. “These aren’t the new guys anymore. We need to hit them with everything. Demons, forward and protect the package.”
Alice hesitated slightly as she pushed her throttle forward. She understood Chang’s desire to atone for his sins, but the suicide mission seemed wrong. As she moved to form up with Jackal, she looked at Lee’s ship as she passed. She had spent so much time working on the fighter she almost considered it hers, but the work had been done with one thought in mind. She’d needed to protect the man she loved from harm. Now the fighter would protect everyone else in the galaxy and Lee would be safe. She realized she needed to continue to protect the ship as she had before, even though it would eventually be destroyed.
The first hits on her shields were too strong. Her heads-up crackled as the blue bolts knocked her ship around. She moved power from thrust to weapons and shields. The ride steadied but she noticed Chang moving away from them. He was sacrificing defense for speed. She checked telemetry and saw he had switched off weapons entirely to conserve power. She returned her focus to the battle again and engaged the nearest Gizzeen fighter. It seemed to realize she was focusing on it and rolled out of her crosshairs. She matched the maneuver, placing her nose directly into the path of the oncoming ship. For the briefest moment, she wondered if they had chickens in the other galaxy, but quickly put the thought from her mind. At the last moment she realized the ship wasn’t going to turn and spun back, missing the enemy ship by centimeters.
Resolute Strike (The War for Terra Book 7) Page 24