Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3)

by L. E. Thomas

  “Absolutely,” Lord said, leaning forward in his seat. “If you’re off just a bit in the calculations, the curve could open in one of these mountains here. This is incredibly risky, sir. Is the asset really worth it?”

  Horace exchanged a glance with Braddock. After a moment, Braddock looked at Ryker. She held his gaze, wondering what Braddock’s stare implied.

  “The asset is definitely worth it,” he said. “Once the Serpents are dropped, the Karda will curve back out again.”

  “Dropped?” Lord said. “How do you mean?”

  “They are using wingsuits to drop in fast and quietly. They simply have to open the door and jump out. The Star Runner then leaves.”

  “I don’t like it,” Talad said, shaking his head. “The moment they descend on the planet, the Dauntless will be all over them. What about a planetary bombardment?”

  “Negative,” Braddock said. “They will not risk the asset. The greatest threat will be Interceptors and Zahlian ground troops.

  Ryker frowned. “And what about the Serpents?”

  Horace folded his arms over his chest. “They hold out until we can get to them.”

  Ryker nodded, knowing the Serpents were embarking on a one-way trip. She looked at the other captains, saw them shaking their heads and staring down at the floor. They don’t believe in this, she thought. They had the look of failure on them already.

  “We need a volunteer,” Horace said, “and we don’t have much time.”

  “Why, sir?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Other than the Dauntless in orbit, why is the time such a factor?”

  Horace cleared his throat. “The message indicated the asset was nearly out of power and would soon be unable to avoid detection.”

  Ryker nodded. “How long?”

  “About four hours.”

  Her jaw dropped. “From now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  She sighed.

  “We will need the Star Runners on alert status here on the Formidable. There is a possibility we will need all the Tridents and Corvos on board by the time it’s all over.” Horace stared at the other captains. “But first, we need a volunteer.”

  Ryker stared down at her tablet, sliding her fingers along the edge. While Commander Horace nor Major Braddock hadn’t come out and said it, a fellow Star Runner had to be down on that moon, far from home and alone. They waited for rescue, waited for the long promise of Legion forces everywhere that proclaimed they would never leave a comrade behind, never abandon a friend to the enemy.

  And Ryker knew something about herself, something she had always known since her days on Lian; she would never be able to ask someone else to do something she wasn’t willing to do herself.

  “Commander?” she asked, her voice cracking. “I would like to volunteer for the mission.”

  “Too valuable here.” Horace shook his head. “Ask one of your Star Runners to volunteer.”

  “Commander?” Braddock held up his hand. “Scorpion is the best we have on board.”

  Ryker glanced at the other captains, saw them both nodding. Blood rushed to her face. “Thank you, sir.”

  Horace tilted his head. “You really think you are up for this, Captain? Can you deliver these men to their target?”

  Ryker nodded. “Give me the chance, sir. I won’t let you down.”

  *****

  Mechanics crawled over the hull of the Karda, stripping the craft of any identification linking it back to the Legion. One man, a white fabric tied around his mouth and nose, used a spray can to cover the numbers on the tail of the Karda.

  The Karda was not as pretty as the Trident, lacking the sleek shape, but she could take a beating and served as a support craft in every capacity the Legion required. Whereas the Trident could be outfitted for air support or bombing missions, the Karda could be sent on every other required mission.

  Ryker slid her fingers along the smooth nose of the vessel, her eyes sweeping over the hull. She caught her reflection in the front canopy, saw the plain gray flight suit they had asked her to change into instead of the familiar Tizona blue. As instructed, she had no identification. In the event she was caught during this mission, she was just some pirate pilot.

  She snorted.

  She didn’t plan on getting caught. There were always ways around that.

  Throughout the hangar, mechanics mutilated Tridents by removing all identification marks in the event they were needed behind enemy lines. If they went into combat against the Zahlian forces, Horace wanted to make sure these Tridents appeared to be pirate vessels. Otherwise, their actions could spark the second galactic war.

  Studying the tough little craft, she felt a sense of nostalgia wash over her. She had flown the Karda on her first tour when Commander Saada Keelo sent her on a reconnaissance mission. Nubern had selected her for that mission, but it was nothing like this one.

  “Are you sure you can do this?” Braddock asked. “We can send someone else.”

  Ryker heard Braddock walk up behind her and turned to looked at him. “You care, sir?”

  “No,” he snapped, a smile forming at the edge of his lips. “Don’t start such outlandish lies. Ship’s got enough of them as it is.” He leaned closer to her. “I meant what I said in there—you’re probably the only Star Runner onboard who could pull it off. I just want you to be well informed of the dangers. We will not be able to come for you for a long while. This moon is inside Zahlian territory. You are on your own.”

  She nodded, appreciative of the concern her commanding officer showed. “I’ve made up my mind, sir. If I can make a difference, it’s what I am here for. Right?”

  “Correct.” He looked at the Karda, then back at her. “I am still very proud.”

  The crew covering the Karda suddenly stopped, their eyes fixated on the far side of the hangar. Ryker followed their gaze. Six Serpents marched into the hangar, the crews in their path parting. The Serpents wore tight-fitting black suits the likes of which Ryker had never seen. Loose fabric swung down at their legs and under their arms. They donned dark helmets covering everything but their eyes and mouths. Grenades and extra packs for laser pistols covered their chests. Each man carried an oversized backpack protruding out from their bodies. The Serpents each held a cold stare as their boots pounded across the steel hangar deck.

  Braddock snapped to attention. The crew, including Ryker, followed his lead.

  “Captain Towers,” Braddock said, his tone showing deference to the esteemed veteran marching toward them. “Been a long time, sir.”

  Tower offered a crisp salute. “Braddock,” he said, his voice almost sneering. “Congratulations on your promotion. Well deserved.”

  “Thank you, sir.” He turned to Ryker. “May I introduce Captain Ryker Zyan? Call sign Scorpion.”

  “Captain.” Towers nodded. “You offering my men and me a ride today?”

  She swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

  Towers glanced back at Braddock. “She any good?”

  “The best, sir,” Ryker said before Braddock could answer. “I’ll get you there.”

  Towers nodded slowly, taking a step forward. “These wingsuits we have on will allow us to free fall to the moon’s surface, but you have to slow to an appropriate speed for them to work properly. Otherwise, the speed could break our backs, and we’d fall to the surface like birds with their wings clipped. Can you do that under fire?”

  Ryker smiled. “I can, sir.”

  He glanced back at Braddock. “I like her.” He slapped his hands together. “Clock is ticking. Am I wrong?”

  “Not at all,” Braddock said, waving the mechanics off the Karda. “Clear out!”

  Ryker attached her helmet and glanced at her watch. The asset will be out of power in three hours.

  Time to move.

  The Serpents filed into the back of the Karda, checking their gear and loading their weapons as Ryker settled
into the cockpit. When she finished the startup sequence, she saw Braddock and Horace standing on the other side of the hangar. She offered a two-fingered salute, and the men returned the gesture.

  “Everyone strapped in?” she asked.

  “Copacetic, Captain,” Towers shot back. “Let’s do this.”

  “Copy. Tower, this is Angel One. We are ready for take off.”

  “Angel One. Traffic is clear, and you are good to go. Hangar doors will open once all personnel are clear. Happy hunting.”

  She pulled gently back on the stick, bringing the Karda into the air. Warning lights flashed red throughout the hangar, and the crew scattered to their protective zones before the vacuum of space filled the area. She pulled back on the stick, tilting the nose up toward the hangar doors. The warning lights stopped flickering, offering now a constant crimson light.

  The outer doors parted slowly, revealing the black of space. She shot through the opening, bringing the Karda into the blackness. Above, two Tridents flying CAP soared past and out of her view.

  The artificial gravity of the Formidable faded away, replaced by the familiar feeling of weightlessness. She relished in the humming sound of her ship, the constant whine of the electronics and the drone of the engines. She never tired of leaving the carrier and flying amongst the stars. She figured she never would.

  The navigation computer pinged, and she keyed in the preloaded coordinates that would take the Karda through the curve and directly into the upper atmosphere of the moon.

  “Angel One, this is Tiger,” Braddock said into her earpiece. “As we discussed, maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary. Go in, drop the Serpents, and get out. Should take less than three minutes.”

  “Yes, sir. Will do.” She placed her hand on the curvature drive lever. “Prepping the drive now, sir. Departing in thirty seconds.”

  “Happy hunting,” Braddock said and killed the transmission.

  Ryker pulled back on the lever. She watched the space around the spacecraft waver and glow, the stars shimmering like rings in a pond.

  “Ready back there?” she asked.

  “Green,” Towers said. “Let’s go.”

  Easing forward on the throttle, she brought the Karda through the curve.

  *****

  Instead of the black of space she was accustomed to seeing through a curve, she squinted at the bright light of the atmosphere. The Karda bounced, the Serpents in the back grunting hard against their safety harnesses. The turbulence smacked her head forward against the dashboard so hard she saw stars. Forcing her body back into the seat, she gripped the stick and buried the throttle. The Karda leaped forward, screaming hard into the moon’s atmosphere.

  “Report!” Towers yelled from the seats inside the cargo area.

  Ryker blinked hard, staring at the sensor readout. The preprogrammed beacon seared an emerald green in the center of her screen, eight-thousand MUs from their position. Balancing her power distribution, she made sure the shield power matched her engines and took all power away from the lasers. With the amount of power packed by a Zahlian Interceptor, she wouldn’t last long in a scrap with one of them—much less an entire squadron.

  “Forty-five seconds!” she yelled over the rush of the atmosphere clashing with the shields.

  “Roger! Get ready men!” Towers screamed. She heard the Serpents grabbing their gear and standing, their hands grabbing the safety handles lining the top of the Karda. “Let us know when we are ten seconds out!”

  “Copy!”

  She pushed forward on the stick, bringing the Karda at a sharper angle through the thick atmosphere. She gripped the stick so hard her joints ached. The clouds shot past the canopy, revealing her first true view of the planet’s surface.

  Green land rolled through hills like a carpet leading toward jagged mountains. She searched for the river she had seen on the scans of the planet in the precious minutes provided for planning on the Formidable. Nothing yet.

  She glanced up, searching for any sign of the Zahlian forces who undoubtedly knew of her arrival. Somewhere up there, the Dauntless was scrambling Interceptors onto her position.

  Don’t think about that now.

  The river emerged in the midst of a forest like a piece of black rope draped across the land. She banked, hard, bringing the Karda to bear on the river that would lead her to the canyon where the asset was hiding. Easing back on the stick, she brought the Karda under fifty MUs of the planet’s surface. The Serpents couldn’t jump from this height—they needed to be higher. She glanced at the beacon, saw the canyon rapidly approaching.

  “Ten seconds!” she yelled.

  “Roger!”

  “Good hunting, Captain!”

  She reduced her speed, allowing the Karda to fall within acceptable risks for the Serpents to make their drop. Her sensors wailed—four Zahlian Interceptors broke through the clouds to the East, bearing down on her position. They were too far out for guns, but missiles might …

  Five seconds.

  She heard the men slide back the doors on both sides of the Karda. The wind howled, blowing through the inside of the Karda.

  “Standby, men!” Towers yelled.

  Here we go, she thought.

  The mountains loomed directly ahead, closer, closer. At the last moment, she yanked back on the stick. The Karda accelerated into the air, bringing her the altitude she required for the Serpents’ suits to work.

  “Now!” she yelled, leveling out her trajectory as the Karda shot over the canyon.

  Come on, come on.

  She glanced back, caught a glimpse of Captain Towers leaping out into the air, leaving the inside of the Karda empty.

  They were away!

  She banked, rolling the Karda away from the canyon and spinning toward the western hemisphere of the planet.

  The repeating beep of radar lock pounded in her ear. Here they come.

  Perhaps they were still far enough away that she could lose them. She pulled back, sending the Karda at a ninety-degree angle away from the planet’s surface. Gravity pressed her back in her seat, darkness threatening to overtake her as the G-forces thrust against her. She fought the urge to close her eyes. The maneuver worked, the radar lock slipping away. She dropped countermeasures to be safe and keyed for her curvature drive to activate for the preset coordinates leading to the Formidable.

  Two more Interceptors descended from deep orbit, heading directly for her position. She leveled out at the edge of the atmosphere, bringing herself away from the incoming bandits. The attempt at radar lock once again filled her ear piece. Massive laser bolts ignited the atmosphere in front of her, too large to be from the Interceptors. Below her, she caught a glimpse of the mushrooming clouds of dust and fire.

  The Dauntless was trying to swat her back down to the surface with its ARC Cannon, a weapon she knew was utilized for planetary bombardment and creating an electro-magnetic pulse.

  She pulled back on the curvature drive. The sky around her wavered and flashed.

  The radar squealed, announcing an incoming missile. They were too late.

  Clenching her teeth and allowing a tight smile, she pushed through the curve, escaping the danger and hoping Captain Towers and his Serpents had landed safely.

  The flash of light in the eastern sky caught his attention. Lieutenant Austin Stone glanced into the clear blue sky, searching for another pair of Interceptors. Instead, he stared at the sky in awe. His jaw dropped open. He blinked several times, unsure if his eyes played tricks on him.

  What looked like a Legion Karda shot through a curve in the atmosphere, blasting across the rippling sky like a flaming missile. A white trail followed the vessel as it accelerated, soaring faster than the support craft was ever meant to fly. The curve shimmered through the clouds as it closed, sending waves across the atmosphere like a fish jumping out of the water. The Karda righted itself, banking hard toward the canyon. It changed course, diving for the surface and out of sight because of the canyon and the
forest.

  Austin breathed for a moment. The Legion had sent a rescue party, but it was a small one. The Karda could hold seven or eight people plus some equipment.

  He stared into the sky. The ARC lurked somewhere in orbit, watching the scene play out. Tulin’s crew had undoubtedly seen the Karda enter the atmosphere. As if they heard his thoughts, the sonic boom sounded as two Interceptors flashed like lightning in the distance, heading toward the incoming Karda from the west. He instinctively leaned forward and paused.

  There was nothing he could do.

  The Wraith’s power had drained to the point he had less than three hours. If he took off now, he might be able to take out a couple bandits, but then it would be all over. Tia, Val and the entire crew of the Chow Hall tug would have died for nothing. He made a fist and squeezed, bringing his knuckles to his lips as he stared into the sky. The clouds flashed like a strobe, probably laser fire.

  Austin rocked in the cockpit, his eyes searching the sky for any sign of the Karda. If the Interceptors had shot it down, what would happen then? Would he be captured? Would Regent Tulin torture him until he revealed the plan in detail, explaining how the Wraith had been stolen?

  He held the suicide cylinder in his palm, allowing it to roll. Shaking his head, he slid the cylinder back into his pocket and focused on the sky.

  A moment later, the Karda shot into view from behind the mountains, driving hard for altitude. The Karda slowed, passing over the canyon at a slow enough speed Austin could see the details of the vessel. The crew mutilated the vessel's hull, all forms of identification and markings of any kind looked to have been burned off. A gradual realization fell over him as the Karda flew over the canyon, a sickening feeling burrowing into his chest.

  This is not a Legion Karda. It belonged to a pirate outfit, or maybe smugglers.

  No, he thought, more likely they were scavengers sent here to pick up a downed fighter and had the misfortune of running into the Dauntless. His hand rested on the pistol in its holster on his hip. He would go down fighting if it came to that, preferring to get shot than live the tortured life of a prisoner.