Star Runners: Mission Wraith (#3)

by L. E. Thomas

  Wait a minute, he thought. The explosion. There had been two explosions, both striking her Trident. Two different explosions.

  With his sensors down, he didn’t know how many missiles the Dauntless had fired on him. Ryker had destroyed several missiles. He knew that much. But an exploded spacecraft produced space debris. Since the system-wide disruptor had been fired and nobody had fully functioning sensors, was it possible the Dauntless had assumed one of the explosions had been the fleeing Wraith? Is that why the ARC was recalling its Interceptors and fleeing?

  “Knight Leader, Lone Wolf,” Austin said, ignoring the sinking feeling creeping into his soul and slapping his visor down over his face, “do you copy?”

  “What are you still doing here?” Major Ty Braddock asked, his voice full of venom. “Get out while you can! That is an order!”

  Austin thought for a moment, the plan forming in his mind. If Tulin escapes, he would continue his efforts to spark a full-fledged war between the Zahl Empire and Legion. As long as Tulin lived, the threat to peace would continue. Tulin hadn’t been on Earth during the Battle of Atlantis, so there was nothing any Star Runner could have done that day. The Tyral Pirate threat had been eradicated, but they were just Tulin’s pawns. He would find more if he escaped. But now, he was right in front of Austin on board the Dauntless. And Austin was in the cockpit of the most advanced fighter in the galaxy—a fighter Tulin thought he had just destroyed.

  “Knight Leader, we need to attack,” Austin said.

  “Attack?” Braddock asked, his temper rising. “The ARC? We are battered here, Lone Wolf. Our mission is to get you out, and that’s what we’re going to do. Look out there—the ARC’s leaving!”

  “I know. Think about it, sir. If he leaves, this will just go on and on.” Austin leaned forward in the cockpit. “We have a chance to cut the head off the snake and preserve peace. All those Star Runners who have died leading up to this moment, all those who have died today, we owe this to them, sir.”

  Braddock paused. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Lone Wolf,” Skylar cut through the gamma wave. “What do you think you’re doing? This is suicide!”

  “Can it, Knight Eight!” Braddock barked. “Proceed, Lone Wolf. Make it fast.”

  Austin smiled. “They think I’m dead, sir. I’m going to use that to our advantage, but we need to hurry. Form up at point six-oh-five at twenty-thousand MUs from the target.”

  Braddock grumbled. “Knights, form up at those coordinates.”

  Austin watched the five remaining Tridents moving into attack formation. The two Corvo missile boats stayed at the rear.

  “Knight Leader,” Austin said, “we need the Archers.”

  “I see. You heard him.” Braddock made a sniffing sound into the microphone. “I don’t expect you are going to fill me in on your little plan.”

  Austin shook his head. “Not on an open channel. I’ll cue you in. Form up for an attack. They won’t take your actions seriously. Why would they? Agreed?”

  “Your show, Lone Wolf.”

  “Let’s do this.”

  Lieutenant Austin Stone lurked behind the Zahlian ARC, close enough the light from the engines played across his canopy. His eyes widened, taking in the massive size of the capital ship.

  After telling Major Ty Braddock to remain on standby, Austin had taken the shrouded Wraith in close. Five Interceptors, those apparently flying CAP, lined up to land in the Dauntless’ bays. He was close enough to see their position lights. He held his breath, instinctively afraid they would somehow hear him in the vacuum of space even though he knew the thought was ludicrous.

  He had thought the ARC would have to drop its shields to allow the Interceptors to land similar to the Formidable’s landing procedure. But as Austin closed on the ARC and studied the vessel, he noticed space debris flashing off the deflector shields. When he dropped inside one-hundred MUs, a bluish haze surrounded the aft section of the ARC. Austin sighed.

  The aft shields were still up.

  Somewhere behind him, Braddock formed up with the Tridents and the two crucial Corvos. With the missile boats using their small ordinance on the Interceptors, Austin knew they would still have a full load of torpedoes to launch into the Dauntless once he made the first move.

  But all of this was a moot point if the ARC didn’t drop all of its shields before it left the area. He might have to reposition himself, but the Corvos and Tridents wouldn’t be able to do so with the ARC flying in the opposite direction.

  What if the ARC didn’t need to drop its shields before heading into FTL travel? It was a new vessel, perhaps the Zahlian engineers had developed something more advanced than other ships? The Legion’s curvature drive prevented the shields and the shroud from operating properly. He had always heard the energy shields wouldn’t sustain FTL. It was in one of the first flight school lessons in Ryker’s class.

  His felt a twinge in his stomach.

  Ryker.

  Don’t think about her, he thought. Stay frosty.

  Even as he told himself to concentrate on the mission, his eyes welled up with tears. He shook his head.

  Concentrate, man.

  The final Interceptor disappeared into the landing bay. Austin armed his missiles. He rested his finger on the trigger while placing his free hand on the level to deactivate the shroud. Still nothing. The haze flickered over the engines, protecting the ARC from a rear attack.

  It wasn’t going to work. His spontaneous plan to take out Tulin and his flagship had failed. They had the opportunity to avenge the Star Runners who died, the men who sacrificed themselves so Austin could somehow live during the Battle of Atlantis and take all the credit. He couldn’t avenge the suffering Josh had been through at the hands of the Tyral Pirates. He couldn’t avenge Etti and the others who died in orbit above Flin Six.

  And, of course, Ryker.

  He owed them this victory. He owed it to himself.

  But the Dauntless was about to flee.

  The engines glowed, the Lutimite Drive apparently firing up. The blast shields around the engines expanded, the ship preparing for FTL. The landing bay doors shut.

  His eyebrows raised as he watched the ship.

  Please give us this chance.

  He took his finger off the trigger and held it over the transmission button, preparing to call off Braddock’s attack. Tulin would escape, allowing the threat to bleed into another series of attacks and projects just like the Wraith or worse.

  The shields flickered twice, catching Austin’s eye. He squinted, watching the shields waver over the engines. They flickered again, then faded out completely.

  He hesitated, staring in shock.

  Snap out of it!

  He pulled back on the shroud, the Wraith materializing just off the aft section of the Dauntless.

  “For Ryker,” he whispered, the crosshairs setting on the engines of the Dauntless.

  Moving his hand back to the stick, he pulled the trigger twice. Two missiles ignited from beneath the wing, flashing toward the ARC’s engines.

  The ARC couldn’t react, the missiles probably appearing to come from nowhere. He didn’t wait for the impact, pulling back on the stick to take the Wraith above the Dauntless. He leveled out, banked to the left and watched the missiles smash into the unsuspecting vessel.

  The eruption was more than he could have hoped, the two warheads exploding inside the exhaust. One entire engine broke off, the energy wave from the missiles ripping through the hull, sending a section of the fuselage burning away from the ARC. The power fluctuated throughout the ship, the running lights flickering twice as the Dauntless listed forward, tilting into a slow spin.

  “Knight Leader, you are clear for your attack run,” Austin said, trying to prevent his emotion from showing over the gamma wave. “Happy hunting.”

  Switching to guns, Austin dove toward the ship. Debris shot from the ARC in a series of secondary explosions. He reached under one hundred MUs and fired his laser
s, unleashing all his anger, all his frustrations into the crimson bolts as they ravaged the hull. Fragments blasted off the side of the ARC, spinning fiery debris off into the blackness of space. The Wraith zipped over the Dauntless, strafing the entire length of the ARC until his energy banks ran dry. He rolled away from the ship, evading any impending counterattack.

  The Dauntless responded, peppering the sky with glowing yellow bolts from its defensive batteries. The fire surrounded the ARC with a cloud of chaff designed to block incoming missiles. But none of the defense laser cannons had fired.

  Braddock led his Tridents in, some firing their final missiles into the Dauntless. Austin saw at least four make it through the chaff cloud. Explosions lay waste to the once mighty ship, erupting across the hull like the surface of a volcano. Cries of victory crackled over the gamma wave, loud enough to cause static in Austin’s ears.

  “We’ve caught’em flatfooted!”

  “They don’t even know what’s hitting’em!”

  “I’m going in with guns—cover me!”

  The Tridents moved in close, pounding the side of the ARC with laser fire. Smaller explosions joined, forming bursting spouts of flame and debris over the ARC’s surface. The Tridents broke off from the attack, banking and rolling away from the Dauntless.

  He brought himself in a wide circle around the ARC and allowed his energy banks time to recharge. He couldn’t help but smile at the flaming ship, the ship with the commander who had been the cause of everything he had been through since he first arrived at Tarton’s Junction, the ship that had been responsible for nearly killing his mother and best friend … the ship that the woman he loved perished to destroy.

  The Corvos moved in next, unleashing a flurry of torpedoes that filled the sky like a white meteor shower descending on the dying vessel. Austin watched as torpedoes exploded into the landing bay doors, preventing the ARC from launching any alert fighters. Escape pods shot away from the ARC like hornets escaping a falling nest. The main body of the ARC lurched and buckled, the back of the vessel appearing to collapse. Austin saw raging internal fires through the portholes on the side of the ship as it spun out of control.

  “Knight Leader, Lone Wolf,” Austin transmitted from his position away from the battle. “I think we got her.”

  “I copy,” Braddock said. “The Lutimite Drive is going to blow. Knights, break off the attack or we’ll get caught in the explosion!”

  “Copy, Knight Leader!” Skylar yelled.

  Austin pressed forward on the throttle, shooting away from the Dauntless. The five Tridents and two Corvos scurried to a safe distance just as a bright light emitted from the center of the ARC. A wave of energy exploded from the sides of the Dauntless, splitting the ship in half a second before it exploded. The blast wave outstretched in a circle around the ship, sending debris and scrap in every direction.

  Spinning his Wraith around to face the explosion, Austin leaned back in his seat, watching the Dauntless in its final death throes. The bow of the ship tumbled away from the main explosion, sparking and burning like the embers floating away from a fire.

  “Lone Wolf, Knight Leader,” Braddock’s voice cooed in his ear piece.

  “Copy, Knight Leader,” Austin said, fatigue washing over him.

  “Well done, sir.”

  A Trident pulled up next to Austin’s fighter. He thought he saw Braddock’s helmet and a two-fingered salute.

  “Thank you, sir.” Austin took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Let’s go home.”

  “Dismissed!”

  The officers dispersed, the movement preventing Lieutenant Austin Stone from zoning out. The group made idle chat as they filed out of the Formidable hangar. He had not heard one word from Commander Mitchem Horace or any other officer during the funeral for the Star Runners lost during Mission Wraith.

  Austin stared at Ryker’s casket, hoping this situation had been like his own “funeral,” and that she would be sent off on a covert mission like he had just accomplished. The officers and other Star Runners moved around him like water passing around a boulder in the middle of a river, yet he could not pull his attention away from the casket. Her body had not been recovered, but Major Ty Braddock said this was a normal occurrence during battles taking place in deep space. Austin sighed, his throat constricting.

  She had died for him, launching her Trident between him and the incoming missiles.

  And now the mission would be classified, all documents about Mission Wraith would be buried so deep the press would never be able to find it. The Star Runners, Ryker included, would be listed as “Missing in Action.” Austin clenched his teeth. She deserved better. They all did.

  “Lieutenant?”

  Austin didn’t turn, knowing the voice behind him all too well. “Major Braddock.”

  “You are dismissed.”

  “I know.”

  Braddock shifted on his feet, moving next to Austin and clearing his throat. “We have some things to discuss, Stone.”

  Austin sighed. “I’m sure we do, sir.”

  “We will be docking with the Tizona later today, and the crew will be released for a brief two-day shore leave after that.”

  “Sure.”

  “Your situation might make things a little different.”

  Austin turned to face the Major, his energy fading as the events of the past month weighed on him. “My situation?”

  “Your record has been filed under ‘Deceased.’ That’s something we will need to address.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Braddock looked at the ground for a moment. “Well, you will be given alternate papers for your shore leave, traveling under an assumed name for the time being until command decides what to do with you next.” He eyed him. “I have been told you will be receiving a commendation for your performance—secretly, of course.”

  Braddock leaned in closer. “I never told you how well you did, Austin.”

  Austin blinked. Braddock never called him by his first name. “Oh?”

  “During the Battle of Atlantis,” Braddock said, a grin moving across his face. “I know you have had trouble dealing with your good fortune that day.”

  Austin looked at the deck, uncomfortable with the subject being brought up in the open.

  Braddock took a step toward him and placed his hand on his arm above where Austin’s laser burn had been bandaged. “Good fortune and luck always plays a part in what we do out there and probably had a role in your survival of those odds on Earth.” He lowered his gaze, pausing until Austin locked eyes with Braddock’s. “But luck is not the only thing. You’re a Legion Star Runner, and a good one. Don’t forget that.”

  Braddock slapped his shoulder hard enough Austin winced, and marched out of the room.

  The room emptied. Austin stared at Ryker’s casket. For a moment, he saw a figure linger at the corner of his eye as if wanting to speak with him, but they walked away.

  *****

  Austin stared at the stealth fighter; the lives extinguished for the capture of the Wraith passing through his mind one at a time. He focused on remembering their faces, recalling every detail he could recollect. After all of the effort to steal this fighter, it now sat parked on the hangar deck of the Tizona, awaiting transport back to the core Legion worlds for study and analysis. The Formidable had docked with the Tizona two days after Mission Wraith was successful. He had managed to provide a debriefing to Commander Horace and Major Braddock but had rested in his quarters the rest of the time, ignoring any knocks at his door.

  Most of the crew had emptied the Tizona’s hangar. The Wraith sat quiet and alone. After receiving so much attention, the fighter had no one crawling over it for inspection. It sat parked in front of him. He still felt drawn to the fighter. Somehow it was better than hanging out with the rest of the Star Runners.

  “They told me you would be here.”

  The tension left Austin’s face. A frown he did not know he had been carrying around softened, melti
ng away at the soft but familiar voice behind him. He turned slowly, his eyes falling upon the kind face of Jonathan Nubern.

  “Major?” he asked, whispering.

  “Austin.”

  He leapt forward, embracing his mentor. Austin released the feelings he had tried to suppress, weeping into Nubern’s shoulder.

  “I’ve tried, sir. I’ve tried so hard to be something you would be proud of, something you could admire.” He inhaled. “I’m so sorry. I never wanted anyone to see me like this. I just … I miss her, sir.”

  “It’s all right, son,” he said. “It’s all right.”

  *****

  After Austin had recovered himself, he felt a weight lift from his chest. He and Nubern strolled between the hundreds of Tridents onboard the massive Tizona, talking about the recent events both personal and within the Legion.

  Nubern had arrived for the funeral of the Star Runners, especially Ryker’s. He had received an encrypted communication from Major Braddock, explaining Austin had not been killed in action.

  The tensions between the Zahl and Legion had fallen back to the level experienced before the threat of the Tyral Pirates had all the politicians pointing fingers. Nubern said a Cold War still existed between the two governments, but the looming threat of war had subsided. With Tulin out of the picture, the warmongering parties in the Zahlian government had lost their figurehead. It would take time for them to regain their momentum, if they ever did.

  Nubern said the Wraith would be sent back and studied. With any luck, it would be reverse engineered and could forever change the way space war is fought in the galaxy.

  “Your mother wanted to be here, too,” Nubern said as they rounded another corner of parked Tridents. “Her ship had been out of communication range on The Fringe at the opposite side of Legion space, assisting with a plague outbreak. She’s now in quarantine and forced to remain there with her crew for observation.”