Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3)

by L. E. Thomas

  “Dauntless has fired a system-wide disruptor,” Braddock said, confirming her suspicion. “Stay on your toes and use your eyeballs.”

  Ryker pulled back on the stick, flying for the belly of the Interceptor trying to get around the Tridents. The disruptor scrambled her sensors, rendering her radar lock useless. She switched to guns and closed on the bandit.

  “Don’t let them through, Knights,” Braddock said. “Do not let them engage the target. Savior, do you copy?”

  “We have docked with the prize, refueling now,” the Karda announced. “We require cover.”

  “Roger,” Braddock said. “We’re on it.”

  Focusing on her target, Ryker pulled the trigger, three bolts shooting into space. One found its mark, sizzling into the Interceptor’s shields. The bandit rolled, spinning away from its course and heading away from the Wraith. Ryker stayed on him, pummeling the Interceptor with a punishing fire.

  “Knight Four, this is Knight Eight,” Skylar said. “You’ve got a trailer.”

  Ryker twisted her neck around. She swayed, making a more difficult target while staying on the bandit in front of her. “I can’t see him.”

  “I’ve got this,” Skylar said. “Don’t let your target escape!”

  She turned back to her crosshairs and fired again, a spurt of laser fire passing just below her target. Her next shot hit the Interceptor squarely in the center of the ship, vaporizing its shields. The bandit rolled and spun around, reversing course to face directly for the vulnerable Wraith. The Interceptor released two missiles for the Wraith and broke off the attack.

  “Missiles inbound to prize!” Ryker yelled. “I’m in pursuit.”

  “Copy Knight Four,” Skylar said. “I’ve got your trailer.”

  Ryker yanked back on the stick, changing course to pursue the inbound missiles. She pulled in behind them, the distance between her Trident and the missiles growing. She fired until her energy banks drained, her final bolts exploding into the closest missile.

  “Got one!” she yelled.

  Dropping her power to the shields to allow her weapon’s energy to recharge, Ryker stayed focused on the remaining missile. The projectile spun, altering course and zeroing in on the Wraith and the refueling Karda in front of them.

  Two-hundred MUs to target.

  Recharge, she thought. Come on.

  Her crosshairs tried to center in on the missile, now locked on the Wraith.

  One-hundred MUs. Fifty. Twenty.

  Her energy bank readout on the HUD shifted from red to yellow. A few shots at least.

  She leaned forward, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. She rested her finger on the trigger, easing the stick to the right. The crosshairs drifted over the rear exhaust of the missile. Now.

  She fired, the laser bolts flashing into the rear of the missile. The projectile toppled, spinning twice before it exploded in a brilliant flash of light.

  Exhaling, she collapsed back into the seat.

  “Prize is clear,” she said, gasping for breath.

  Bringing her Trident in a wide trajectory around the Wraith, she stared at the battle in the distance and listened to the chaos of frantic radio chatter. Despite the loss of their sensors as a result of the disruptor fired by the Dauntless, the Corvos continued launching missiles into the fray. She only saw three of them now. The fighters, Tridents and Interceptors alike, twisted in a furball of laser fire and blind missiles.

  “Lone Wolf,” she said, changing her frequency to the one Braddock specified as being used by the captured Wraith, “this is Knight Four. You are clear.”

  “Knight Four, Lone Wolf,” the transmission came back, the words coming slowly. “Thank you. Nearly back online here.”

  She hesitated, watching the battle raging in the distance. She replayed the last transmission in her mind. That voice …

  “We have you covered, Lone Wolf,” she said, easing forward on the throttle. “I am heading back into the fight.”

  “Copy that,” Lone Wolf said. “Stay frosty, Knight Four.”

  Her jaw dropped. Tears brimmed, spilling and running down her cheeks. After weeks of mourning his loss, worrying she didn’t have the chance to tell him how she felt, he was out here in the depths of space. She smiled, ignoring the fact she thought it was impossible.

  Austin.

  She didn’t know how or why it had happened, but it was definitely Austin—her Austin. He was in danger.

  Her Trident circled the Wraith once more. Her eyes remained fixed on the sleek fighter, trying to catch a glimpse of the pilot. She shook her head. Interceptors and a Zahlian ARC pursued him. If they couldn’t capture him, she knew they would destroy him.

  He was flying the Wraith, and she needed to protect him.

  “I’ll give you everything I’ve got,” she whispered, still transmitting.

  “I know … Knight Four. I know. You always have.”

  He knew—he recognized her voice, too.

  Nodding, she pushed forward on the throttle and back into the fight.

  *****

  “Remaining bandits are bailing,” Braddock said, his voice tense. “Another squadron coming in—ten interceptors inbound from the ARC.”

  Ryker instinctively glanced at her sensors and saw only static. Another flash of light erupted in the distance. The Dauntless fired another disruptor to scramble the sensors throughout the star system.

  Braddock snapped. “All Knights—report in!”

  “Knight Four ready,” Ryker said, forming up above her commander.

  “Knight Eight here,” Skylar said.

  “Knight Seven, ready,” Bear said, his voice strained.

  “Knight Seven, what’s your status?” Braddock asked. “Thought I saw you take a hit.”

  Bear grumbled something inaudible. “Still here.”

  “Knight Two here,” Captain Talad said. “Knight Three took a hit. I think his comm is out.”

  “Copy,” Braddock said. “We have two Archers back there. Four Knights down. Lone Wolf needs a few more minutes, and we’re going to give it to him. Clear?”

  A few of the six remaining Tridents acknowledged, the battered group forming up in a combat spread to meet the incoming Interceptors. Shaking away the thought four Tridents and two Corvos had already fallen in this engagement, Ryker formed at the perch position with Talad as the defender. The six Tridents formed up in three identical formations with Skylar, Bear, Braddock, and King forming the other two combat spreads. The three formations extended the space between them, forcing the incoming Interceptors to choose their targets.

  The ten incoming Interceptors were trained well, choosing to engage equally and negate the advantage of the combat spread. Two Zahlian fighters took direct hits from the Corvos’ barrage and broke off from the main assault force, evening up the odds for the still outnumbered Tridents. As two of the Interceptors broke away, the remaining eight shot directly into the Tridents.

  The fighters locked into their lethal dance, twisting, spinning, diving and firing lasers until the guns glowed red hot.

  These guys are good, Ryker thought as she allowed a bandit to sail over her head. She pulled back on the stick, bringing her Trident around to pursue the Interceptor. But he looped as well, sending them in an endless pursuit. She put her throttle in full reverse, slowing her Trident and maneuvering solely with her thrusters. The Interceptor overshot her position, flying directly into her crosshairs. She unleashed a full barrage of laser fire into his belly. His shields overloaded, sending the Interceptor spinning away from the battle.

  Pushing her throttle forward, Ryker pursued the damaged Interceptor. Sparkling debris fell away from the spinning Interceptor as it moved uncontrollably from the battle. The onboard systems had probably caught fire, burning the pilot. She lined up her crosshairs and fired, putting the Interceptor pilot out of his misery.

  Bringing the Trident around, she got a glimpse of the battle from a distance. The ARC continued moving toward the fight, a pair of Interce
ptors flying CAP close to the vessel. Away from the ARC, Tridents and Interceptors locked in a mortal engagement. Whenever an Interceptor tried to break through the line to attack the Wraith in the distance, a Trident would yank them back into the engagement. Without her sensors, she had to do a quick count of the Tridents still fighting. Not counting herself, five Legion Tridents engaged with the Interceptors. The two Corvos had backed off from the fight, unwilling to risk firing another barrage of missiles into the tangle of fighters and hitting one of their own.

  Ryker felt a pang of guilt twist into her core. They had already lost six Star Runners today. How many more would fall before they left this cursed system?

  “Knight Leader, Lone Wolf,” Austin said, breaking through the disorganized clamor of radio chatter. “Refueling operation complete. Permission to assist and engage.”

  “Negative, Lone Wolf,” Braddock said quickly. “Evacuate the area ASAP. We will cover you.”

  There was a pause. “I copy, Knight Leader,” Austin said, disappointment in his voice.

  From a distance, Ryker lined up her crosshairs with an Interceptor that had broken away from the main group and flew toward the Wraith. She led the bandit and blind fired her final missile into the rear of the Interceptor, the ship coming apart in a spectacular explosion. She looked up at the dissipating wreckage, her eyes wide. Her blood ignited with the feeling of victory. It all came crashing down when she looked at the course change of the ARC, using the dogfight to give the fighters a wide berth and travel around the battle. The Dauntless now had a straight and unobstructed line to the Wraith.

  “Knight Leader, Knight Four,” she said.

  “Copy.”

  “You see the ARC?” she asked, staring at the distant ARC. “It’s trying to go around us.”

  Braddock hissed. “You’re right. Veer off and do what you can.”

  Ryker broke off from the engagement. She checked over her shoulder twice, saw nothing in pursuit. Setting up her Trident at a perpendicular angle to the Dauntless and its trajectory to the Wraith, she stabilized her power distribution by shifting a bit more power to the engines.

  The Wraith banked away from the ARC, heading for deep space as Austin prepped the Lutimite Drive. He suddenly disappeared, activating the shroud. In another minute, he’d be out of here and safe.

  As if the ARC heard her thoughts, a flurry of missiles launched from the bow of the Zahlian ship. With her sensors down, she couldn’t verify the type of missiles the Dauntless had fired. She didn’t need to, however.

  The ARC had given up trying to capture Austin. They were trying to kill him. The six missiles in bound to his position had to heat seekers—the Wraith’s only theoretical weakness.

  “Knight Leader, Knight Four, we have a problem. Six heat seekers bearing down on the prize.”

  “Do what you can, Knight Four!” Braddock yelled. “You’re the only one in position.”

  Lowering her gaze, she flew towards the six missiles. She flexed her right hand, making fists and feeling her joints pop. The only way to catch a missile was to transfer all power to the engines and ignore her shields. Whatever energy remained in her lasers were all she’d have if she planned to catch the missiles. If that’s what she had to do to save Austin, well, that’s what she was going to do.

  Her speed increased as the missiles closed on Austin. She flew on an intercept course, heading directly for the missiles from the side. Resting her crosshairs ahead of the lead missiles, she eased her finger back on the trigger. Laser bolts flashed, exploding the two lead missiles with her first shots. Two down, four to go.

  She had a half dozen more shots in her energy banks, maybe more.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw flashes of light coming from the ARC. Massive laser shots from the ARC’s heavy weaponry ignited the space around her Trident. She winced, expecting a hit that didn’t come.

  She fired. The bolt shot over the next missile.

  Take your time.

  Holding her breath, she fired again. Two bolts soared toward the lead missile. One missed, flying directly in front of the missile. The second struck the nose, exploding the projectile and sending debris whirling away from the others.

  She wiped the sweat from her eyes. Three more missiles.

  The crosshairs rested just ahead of the next missile. Incoming fire struck her Trident’s shields just over her wing, sending her into a spin to the right. She fired, but the laser bolt missed high. Trying to right her course and stop the spin, Ryker eased left on the stick. She glanced at her sensors, saw her shield energy had dropped to thirty percent with the last hit. The laser energy was—

  She froze, her heart stopping.

  The HUD showed her laser energy banks holding in the yellow at four percent—one shot, maybe two.

  She looked up, watched the lead missile changing course. It must have a bead on Austin, who had activated the shroud and remained invisible. The remaining three missiles followed their course.

  No, she thought. No!

  Lining up the crosshairs over the lead missile, she squeezed the trigger. Bolts unleashed scarlet light into the black of space. They soared together. If she could have willed them to strike more than one missile, she would have done so. She leaned forward, watching the bolts sparkle through space. The first bolt struck the lead missile in the warhead, destroying it instantly. The second bolt flashed through the explosion.

  The two remaining missiles continued their course toward Austin. There was nothing left on board her Trident that could stop them except for …

  Using the remaining power in her engines, she adjusted her course to intersect with the current path of the missiles. She buried the throttle, coaxing as much power from the engines as she could.

  Come on, she thought, pressing her lips together. Move it!

  The Trident passed in front of the pursuing missile. The fighter flipped forward as the missile struck the rear shields, spinning the craft around on its axis. Her helmet smacked the side of her cockpit. Her HUD flashed red, the shields gone. A shower of sparks erupted from her dashboard, igniting a small fire at her feet. For a brief moment, she saw the final missile coming for the nose of her Trident. She squeezed the trigger, hoping enough power remained in the energy banks for one last shot.

  Nothing happened.

  The missile closed, flashing in front of her canopy like a white streak of paint.

  Maybe she could try activating the—

  The explosion reflected on his canopy, the flash of light followed by the orange fireball filling the space behind him. The high-pitched wail of the heat seeking missiles had ceased. Lieutenant Austin Stone shook his head.

  That wasn’t Ryker, he thought. It couldn’t have been.

  The Lutimite Drive circles counted down from three, two …

  “No!” he yelled, searching behind him for the Trident he knew Ryker piloted. It was gone, vaporized into a cloud of debris. His hands trembled, his eyes searching the scene of destruction. He looked over both shoulders, panic invading his body. “No.”

  He pulled back on the Lutimite Drive lever, halting the countdown. Turning the Wraith around, he surveyed the area. With his sensors disabled because of the disruptor, he peered through the cloud of missile and spacecraft debris. The remains of a Trident spun away from the area. The detached wings spiraled into deep space. The Trident’s nose tumbled toward the moon he had just left.

  It had been Ryker’s Trident. He was sure it was her voice he heard over the gamma wave. She had sacrificed herself for him, throwing her Trident in the path of the missiles. He had no idea how many hit her. He shook his head. Ryker must have fired off an escape pod—she had to have! He glanced at the sensors and saw the scrambled screen of green static.

  “No!” he yelled, the image of Ryker’s face flashing in his mind. He punched the side of his cockpit. “No! Not her! Not now!”

  He floated in space for a moment, powering down the Lutimite Drive. Lifting his visor, he touched his face with his
gloved hand. Even though every reasonable thought in his mind knew it would be impossible to locate an escape pod without operational sensors if it were out there, he peered into space.

  “Where are you, Ryker?” he whispered. The reality fell over him, filling him with dread. His chin trembled. He sniveled, inhaled sharply and swallowed his emotions. He gripped the stick so hard he thought it might snap. He fought back the lump forming in his throat.

  Ryker. Why? Why did you do that?

  In the distance, the Dauntless changed course. It broke off the pursuit, heading away from the battle. The Interceptors detached from the dogfight with the Tridents, some dropping countermeasures and twirling away from their engagements. Others in pursuit of the Tridents broke off their attack, looping away from the fight. Forcing thoughts of Ryker from his mind, Austin watched the events unfold in front of him as he floated far from the battle in the midst of still crackling space debris.

  Why would the Interceptors be leaving? It didn’t make any sense why they would withdraw from the middle of the battle. Even though he shrouded the Wraith, the Dauntless surely would have detected him making the FTL transition. The energy would have been picked up on a simple sensor sweep. But the disruptor might have blocked the readings, so did they think he had fled the scene? Had Regent Tulin given up the search for the Wraith? Or did he believe he had lost too many men in the battle?

  No, he didn’t seem like the type of leader who would care about losing men.

  Then why was the Dauntless collecting its Interceptors and fleeing the scene?

  Austin frowned, wiping his face. A Trident stabilizer, blackened and charred from the explosion, tumbled into view, bouncing off his shields as he passed. He stared at it soaring over his canopy, finding it hard to believe the piece of metal had once been part of a Trident … Ryker’s Trident. He clenched his teeth, squinting at the stabilizer as his vision blurred. He thought of the explosion, the sudden flash of light. Could he have done more? Should he have intervened like he did down on the moon when he saved Towers and his Serpents? The missile impact happened before he could react, and Austin had been focused on his navigation computer when Ryker’s ship exploded.