The Battle for the Solar System (Complete Trilogy)

by Sweeney, Stephen

  “Sir, that could still leave us vulnerable to long-range fire from Chimera,” Liu said, “particularly from its plasma accelerator array.”

  “That’s just a risk we’ll have to take,” Parks said. “Right now, we’re totally outgunned and outnumbered. Short of jumping out of the system, there are few options open to us. The atmosphere is the only cover at our disposal, unless you want to attempt to negotiate the asteroid group …”

  “If you’d suggested that ten years ago, I might well have tried it, Admiral,” Liu said. “Beginning descent now.”

  “Relay updates to me via the shuttle,” Parks finished, returning to his seat.

  “What about us?” Estelle said.

  “We’re now going to have to work faster than ever,” Parks said, “which means splitting up. There are three containers, so we’ll need three teams. However, I think it would be beneficial to us if we check the system and mission manifest logs on the bridge, to see if we can locate the asset faster. Remember – we still have no proof it’s actually on the ship! For all we know, the Elpis is a decoy.”

  Dodds noticed another fleeting glimpse of guilt cross Kelly’s features, and felt himself subconsciously crossing his fingers.

  “Wood,” Parks addressed one of the pilots. “What’s our ETA?”

  “I’ve just raised our speed, so two to three minutes,” the man said. “We’re about to hit the upper part of the atmosphere. It’s going to get bumpy,” he added, tapping away at the instrument panel.

  “Good. Open the doors as soon as we’re latched on to the Elpis and it’s safe to do so,” Parks said. “Right people, listen up – as soon as we’re landed, I want you to split into teams and get to finding that bomb. Todd, Taylor, you take the rear container. de Winter, Dodds, Grace, you take the middle.”

  “What about the first?” Estelle said.

  “Mr Koonan and I will handle that, once we’ve determined the whereabouts of the TSB,” Parks said.

  Dodds saw the two men lock eyes. Interesting pairing, he thought. There must be method in his madness.

  “I’ll need you to help me access the computer systems, flight logs and carriage databases on the bridge,” Parks answered both Dodds’ and Chaz’s unspoken question.

  There was a small snort from Chaz. “Just don’t go expecting me to start calling you ‘Admiral’,” he growled.

  “Mr Koonan, so long as for the next hour you do precisely as I tell you, you can call me whatever the hell you damn well please,” Parks replied.

  “Sir, stupid question,” Dodds started, “but what makes you certain that the Enemy won’t simply blow the Elpis to bits while we’re aboard her?”

  “Because they don’t know why we’re here, Commander,” Parks said. “If I know the Enemy, they’ll be curious to know why we just skipped out of Sol and came all this way to a ship in orbit around a gas giant, in the middle of nowhere.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Enrique said quietly.

  “Right people, check your gear. But keep the safeties on,” Parks added, glancing out the shuttle’s cockpit window.

  Dodds powered up his rifle, checking that the battery was still full, before testing the weight once more and giving it a final once-over. He looked to Natalia, sitting next to him, seeing her doing the same. The expression on her face was one of quiet determination, fighting against the uncertainty and trepidation that were no doubt now rising within her at the appearance of a Pandoran warship.

  The shuttle fell silent, all eyes watching out the front as they drew closer to their destination. Dodds could feel the shuddering once more, though this time he wasn’t quite sure how much of it was due to the atmosphere and how much to his own anxiety.

  *

  Damn, that didn’t take them long, Dodds thought, hoisting his rifle and preparing to take on the invaders. So much for using the shields to hold them back. It seemed that the Pandorans had managed to burrow their way in far quicker than had been expected.

  “Todd, Taylor, they’re coming at you from the port side,” Parks’ voice came in Dodds’ earpiece. “The rest of you, they’re coming in from the starboard. Fall back to defensive positions and prepare to repel the first wave.” He said it so smoothly, as if he was asking them to do nothing more than pick boxed produce off a conveyor belt and load it onto a lorry.

  “What about us?” Roberts asked. “Should we disengage and circle?”

  “No,” Parks said. “You’ll have to stay put. If you take off they’ll likely blow you to pieces the moment you’re clear of the Elpis. Seal the doors and arm yourselves in case of forced entry. I’ll see what can be done from up here to make it more difficult for them to get to the airlock.”

  “Acknowledged,” Roberts said, sounding less than confident. But then, Dodds concluded, it didn’t sound as if the shuttle pilots had much of a choice. Rather like the rest of them.

  “Let’s get back to the entrance to the container, where that small compartment was, just after the security gate,” Estelle suggested. “It’ll give us a better chance to take the initiative, as well as provide more cover and fall back opportunities to the main hold itself. Agreed?”

  “Agreed,” both Natalia and Dodds said together.

  The three ran first to the security checkpoint that they had passed through earlier, covering Estelle as she went about finding a way to lock the system down. She did so after only a few moments of trying.

  “Parks has locked down the interconnecting container routes, so they’ll have to come through here if they want to get us,” Estelle said. “We can fall back all the way to the rear if we find ourselves outnumbered.” None of the three commented on the statement, the fact that they would be outnumbered an absolute certainty. The checkpoint locked down, the three fell back to the compartment.

  “Admiral, any further information on the whereabouts of the asset?” Estelle asked.

  “We’re still attempting to access the databases,” Parks said. “The minute I find out, I’ll notify you.”

  “Got it,” Estelle said, before pointing towards the open door that would be used to funnel the incoming soldiers. “Get into cover. Try and angle yourselves towards the adjoining corridors, so that we can get a better line of sight advantage,” she said to Dodds and Natalia.

  Dodds understood. The corridor that joined the room they occupied was somewhat twisted, with a short bend after the security checkpoint. It meant that anyone approaching the compartment would be doing so more or less blind. He moved towards one of the square cargo containers in a corner. Its size was far from a perfect – tall enough to allow him to take cover and shield his entire body, but higher than was ideal for shooting over. He’d have to pop out from the side any time he wanted to fire.

  But, beggars couldn’t be choosers.

  Natalia and Estelle had also hidden, Natalia having climbed atop one of the containers and moved behind another that was stacked upon it. Dodds wasn’t quite sure why she had chosen that position – perhaps to avoid being too close to the entrance and taking the brunt of the force of the attacking soldiers when they came through. From her higher position behind him Natalia could shoot to advantage over the top of him. He’d have to keep that in mind whenever he moved.

  Estelle was just to his left. He glanced over to her, seeing her tipping the contents of a small container into her mouth. She then discarded the clearly empty bottle. It must’ve contained the last of her anti-anxiety pills. He hoped that she hadn’t exceeded the recommended dose. She caught his eye and gave him a nod.

  “You guys ready?” Dodds asked of both women.

  “Ready,” Estelle said. The confident tone that Dodds was so used to had returned; the one she had perfected through endless practice, that rarely betrayed her true feelings to those with whom she spoke. He wondered if she were thinking of the time she had spent on Mythos with Chaz.

  “Ready,” Natalia said. Where Estelle was confident, Natalia was not. She was attempting to be fearless and determined, but her eyes betray
ed her. She clasped her rifle close, her hands shaking.

  Dodds glanced again to the digital counter on his rifle, in case for some inexplicable reason the amount of charge left in the battery had suddenly decreased. It was still full, approximately one hundred and twenty shots remaining. Two spare fuel cells continued to weigh him down, as did three grenades – two standard, one smoke. Parks had been right to suggest that they arm themselves for a fight. He only wished the admiral had suggested they arm themselves for war.

  Dodds wondered if Parks and Chaz had access to any security cameras on the Elpis. The security station just down the way would certainly be offering a feed, which could provide the three with much-needed information about the size and make-up of the invaders. Would they have those energy shields with them? he wondered. He couldn’t recall having seen any on Kethlan, their usage seeming to have declined over the years. He wondered just how efficient the invading soldiers would be. Would they be like the ones that they had met on Kethlan, all slouching and staggering, uncertain and ungainly in their movements? Or would they be more like the Pandorans of old, the ones that they had first met on Arlos, Mythos, Thundar and Elle, with their inhuman strength, speed and clinical firing accuracy.

  “What do you think they’ll be like?” Natalia said, tracking his thoughts, apprehension detectable in her voice.

  “Too hard to tell,” Dodds replied, eyes on the corridor, trying to see further around that bend. “We’ll find out when they get here.”

  He wondered who was commanding Chimera. Zackaria? Perhaps. Though if it were going to be any high-ranking member of the Pandoran army, it would most likely be Rissard. He was certain that a vessel such as Chimera wouldn’t have been dispatched with just a crew of regular soldiers aboard.

  A succession of booms echoed down the corridor towards him, some closer than others, almost like thunder. Two more followed quickly thereafter. The second seemed right next to them. That was the security checkpoint they’d sealed up! So they were in!

  “Here they come,” Estelle said, keeping her voice low to help maintain an element of surprise.

  The sound of heavy tramping boots followed and Dodds braced himself for the first sign of those ruby-red eyes. It wasn’t long in coming and Dodds found his rifle was spraying plasma bolts even before he knew what he was doing.

  *

  “Talk to me, Koonan,” Parks said, glancing over at the man working away at a computer.

  “I’ve managed to gain access to the ship’s manifest,” Koonan said, “but the crew profile I’m using is restricted to a subset of the full inventory.”

  Parks glanced at the screen, seeing a list of items. Above them, the totals were displayed –

  Showing 1 – 100 of 241; Total: 311; Hidden: 70

  “Nukes?” Parks exclaimed.

  “Two, according to this. There are atomics, as well,” Koonan said, scrolling through the list. “There is a lot of high-yield weaponry on this ship. The Elpis is overflowing with it.” He sounded just as stunned as Parks himself.

  “How did you access that profile?”

  “Luck,” Koonan said, tapping away at various controls on the display. “I tried using their profile names as their passwords, and this was the only one that gave.” He continued to tweak, seeing whether or not he could access the hidden items. He could not.

  “How many crew profiles are there in total?”

  “Just five,” Koonan said. “Probably those guys,” he added, nodding to the bodies that occupied part of the bridge. Two still sat in the chairs where they had died, the others lay on the floor where Parks and Koonan had moved their bodies. The two men hadn’t speculated long about how they had died, only checking that there was no immediate threat to their own lives. The autopilot had been engaged when they had entered the bridge, but the system had obviously failed at regular intervals, filling the ship’s system logs with hundreds of thousands of error and warning messages, making it near impossible to extract anything useful from them.

  “I’ll check them again,” Parks said. “Maybe one of them has left a passcode or access key of some sort that we missed the first time around.” It didn’t take long, a search of the captain revealing a set of letters and numbers scratched onto his identity card. It struck Parks what might have occurred – as with the autopilot, the life support had failed for an extended period, thus dooming the helpless crew. The captain had survived long enough to think to etch his passcode onto his ID and hide it in his breast pocket. Parks only hoped the timing of any fresh failures wouldn’t catch them out themselves. As if in answer, the Elpis began rocking heavily. A small vibration, not unlike that experienced by the shuttle, had been present ever since they had boarded, but was now getting worse.

  “Use this,” Parks said, handing the identity card to Koonan, “I need to find out if this rocking is a sign of bad things to come.” He pulled the navigator’s body from the seat and began working through the console there, soon identifying the source of the problem. The freighter, as they already knew, was in a decaying orbit around the gas giant. It seemed, however, that the team had arrived in the system and boarded the ship towards the end of one of the quieter periods of the Elpis’ stay around HD 21563010 Ab. Things were getting steadily worse, the future looking bleak. Parks detected a swirl in the weather patterns up ahead on the Elpis’ instruments. It was still some way off, but he knew exactly what it meant – a storm. Escaping from the Elpis could prove difficult once they hit it.

  From out the frontal viewport he spied Cratos, its guns blazing as it tackled the streams of enemy starships that were attacking it. Every now and again the dreadnought’s encasing shield would flare as something heavy struck it. He guessed that those were missiles and rockets that had successfully made it through the assault of winds and made contact with their target. No beam weapons yet, he noticed. He looked at the radar display, seeing that Chimera was a substantial distance behind them, well out of accelerator range. A series of red markers were issuing from its region on the display, however. More starfighters. He had no idea of whether the carrier’s maximum complement had been upgraded since it had been brought into service, but knew that, as a Cobra-C class vessel, that capacity already exceeded Griffin’s own of two hundred and eighty.

  As he waited for Koonan to come up with his findings, Parks couldn’t help being impressed by the efficiency of the gunners aboard Cratos. These were clearly seasoned veterans, which would explain why Lovejoy had taken them to Kethlan. Even with the enemy starfighters floundering in the turbulence of the gas, he was surprised at how little they were testing the gunners. He also noticed how the range of the plasma fire between the two sides seemed to be being reduced by the clouds they were entering.

  It gave him an idea.

  “Everyone, this is Parks,” he spoke into his comms. “The shuddering we’re experiencing is due to our proximity to an approaching hurricane. Things are likely to get a great deal worse in the next few hours.”

  “That’s rather the least of our worries right now, sir,” Dodds’ voice came back, amidst gunfire and the sound of de Winter and Grace shouting in the background. Parks ignored the comment.

  “I’m telling you this now because I’m going to move the Elpis up alongside Cratos,” he said. “It’ll make it easier for us to get off the ship once we’ve acquired the asset. It’ll also mean that any enemy attack will have to come in a lot closer than usual. The methane streams also appear to be having a detrimental effect on plasma weapon fire, which can only make our lives easier. Everyone understand?”

  They replied that they did.

  “Good. Brace yourselves,” Parks said. “And hope that the engines don’t let us down,” he added. He began working the controls, relieved to find them adhering to the standards the CSN had imposed on every vessel acquired from Gloucester Enterprises. Even so, he found himself somewhat rusty on the controls, a result of having spent years being chauffeured around in starships, he thought. He made a mental note to bone up on
starship navigation once everything was all over. The Elpis’ engines came online without a hitch and he started steering the freighter towards Cratos.

  “Admiral,” a voice came over the bridge’s comms. It was Liu. “We’ve just seen the Elpis come fully online. Is that you?”

  “Yes, Commander,” Parks said. “We’re experiencing heavy turbulence, as I expect you are. It’ll make our escape a lot more difficult, if not impossible, should we have to traverse any sort of distance in a shuttle. So, I’m going to bring us up close to Cratos.”

  “Understood.”

  “But there is something else I need you to do for me,” Parks added. “How confident are your gunners?”

  “I’d say very,” Liu said. “They’re amongst the best I’ve worked with. What are you thinking, sir?”

  “I need them to shoot off the Leeches that are currently sticking to us. I’ll lower the shields so that they can be picked off more easily.”

  “That’s an incredibly dangerous idea, sir. You could vent the entire vessel when those things go up.”

  “I know, but that’s also part of the plan – we can space some of our uninvited guests while I’m at it. I’m going to drop down as many safety doors as possible, to contain the exposure. I’ll signal you when I’m ready to commence.” He was relaying the instruction to the Knights, advising them to ensure that they were on the right side of the safety doors and nowhere near external bulk heads, when Taylor interrupted him.

  “We’ve found something!” she cried.

  “Details, Taylor,” Parks replied.

  “A large grey container labelled TSB-Pro 0.”

  “Koonan, how’s that manifest coming?” Parks asked of him.

  “One second,” Koonan said, his fingers darting across the display. “Confirmed – TSB-Pro 0, container 3, section H—”