With Chase’s countermeasures dying off, the pilot never saw his missile come back. It impacted with the already lowered bogeys shields and tore the ship to shreds.
“You’ll have to teach me that one,” said Daniel as Chase disabled the jamming field.
“Not sure I can teach you how my gut works, but we’ll figure something out. Now, get back to the barn, your ship is too damaged to stay in the fight.”
“I think I can hold her together.”
Chase looked at his instruments and checked the status of Daniel’s ship.
“That’s a negative, you barely have any shields, and you’re leaking power like there’s no tomorrow. At this rate, you’ll be out of juice before you can return to the starbase.”
“Right. What about an escort?”
While Chase liked the idea of returning to the starbase, ending a successful run on multiple kills, the battle wasn’t over. Saroudis might still need his help. He decided to compromise.
“I’ll cover you until you’re out of range of enemy fire.”
“Fair enough. Thanks, Chase.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Soon, Daniel was out of danger, and Chase veered back toward the battlefield. He opened a channel to Saroudis on the Destiny.
“What’s the status, Captain? Where do you need me?”
“Reinforcements are five minutes away, I think we can hold them o—”
But static interfered with the comm channel as an enemy ship exploded in close range to the Destiny.
“Captain! Have you been hit? Captain, please respond.”
Chase had trouble breathing as he looked at his scopes and saw that the Destiny had lost its starboard shields. He adjusted his vector and pushed his ship’s thrusters to their maximum limits.
9
“Destiny, come in,” said Chase.
The Destiny’s deck lights flickered madly, which was not a good sign. The remaining enemy destroyer on the Destiny’s starboard side launched three torpedoes. The ship was far enough away for Chase to try and intercept one or two of them, but he knew in his heart that he would never be able to shoot three of them in time.
“Chase Athanatos to Star Alliance fighters, there are three torpedoes on course to the Destiny. Its starboard shields are down. Can you help me intercept?”
“This is Alpha Three, I’m close enough to try but I can’t shak—”
Static replaced the pilot’s voice, and his Manticore faded from Chase’s scope.
Dammit!
“No risk, no glory.”
Chase’s Manticore screamed past the Destiny’s belly, plunging Chase’s cockpit into darkness for half a second. He had visuals on the incoming torpedoes, aligned with the first one, and opened fire with low-power, high-rate lasers. The goal here was to impact a small target and let its own contact sensors do the rest. The faster rate of fire, the better.
It only took two seconds of sustained fire for Chase to detonate the first bogey. He had hoped the explosion would set off the other two torpedoes on course to the disabled Destiny, but no such luck.
Chase quickly scanned his instruments to choose his next target, looking at possible impacts from the torpedoes to see which one of them could create the most damage if the Destiny’s shields didn’t get back up in time, which was more than probable. The missile on his farthest starboard side was the winner. A direct impact on the Destiny could light up its landing bays and create secondary explosions.
Chase lit it up with everything he had but didn’t manage to get it on his first pass. He cut thrusters, swiveled his ship, and re-engaged them at full power the moment he was done with the maneuver, all the while firing at the torpedo. A couple of hits grazed it, but the torpedo stayed on course.
He needed to make a decision and fast. If both of them impacted with the ship, the Destiny could be destroyed. His mind raced to try and find a solution when he remembered his simulation engagement with Saroudis and the no-win scenario. He never thought he’d be faced with it so soon.
Chase siphoned all the power from every system on the ship, except for minimal life support and low-power communications, and fed the extra power to the thrusters. Every holo-instrument in his cockpit turned off, plunging him into solitary darkness. The Manticore flew without shields and no weapons, but it flew faster than the torpedoes, fast enough to catch one of them before it impacted.
For a second he thought that perhaps if he set his ship on the right trajectory and ejected, then he would survive. But that was wishful thinking, he couldn’t risk missing his mark, and even if he did hit his ship after ejecting, the high-yield torpedo’s explosion would incinerate him just the same.
Never thought this is how I would go out.
Chase was a few seconds away from his target. His thoughts went to his best friend, Daniel. Perhaps it had been a mistake to send him back to the barn. Maybe together they could have found another way. It mattered not anymore. He couldn’t let the crew of the Destiny die, not if there was anything he could do about it. Chase took a long breath.
Goodbye, Daniel.
Just before he was about to impact with the torpedo, he saw a missile trail impact with the other torpedo a few klicks from his position. His comms crackled to life.
“Chase! Break off now!”
It was Fillio’s voice. Chase broke away from the torpedo, and Fillio waited a second before blasting it with another missile. The resulting shockwave shook Chase’s Manticore and sent him into a spin, but he managed to recover.
“Holy crap, I thought my number was up. Not to sound ungrateful, but what are you doing out here?”
“Well, for one, saving your ass, but I just thought it unfair that the two of you got to go out and play with the big guys, so I convinced Tharowni to let me take a reserve fighter.”
“I’m glad you did. Thank you, Fillio.”
Chase felt both relieved and guilty. He had basically broken up with her, and now she was saving his life. Hopefully, one day he could repay her for that.
“Chase, I still have four torpedoes on my bird, I decided to take a strike loadout, what do you say we blow that ship to smithereens before it reloads its torpedo tubes?”
“Sounds like a plan, but I only have lasers. If you think your ordnance is enough to take it, I can try and cover you.”
“Lasers won’t make a dent, but that destroyer’s shields are in bad shape. I suggest you boost your shields to the max and provide its laser battery with a diversion. I’ll do the rest.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
A couple more starfighters joined their wings.
“Alpha Two and Six to Starbase fighters, thank you for saving our ship. Do you require assistance?”
“Hello, boys,” said Fillio playfully, “if you could help my friend here clear a path to that destroyer, and if you happen to have any torpedoes left, we could use that too.”
“I’m all out,” answered Alpha Three. “Six?”
“I have one left and two missiles. I can slave their targeting and release to your fighter.”
“Neat, I’ll take it, thank you. Six is it?”
“Lieutenant Commander Kal Maniakos. They call me Maniac.”
“Nice to make your acquaintance, Maniac. Acting Lieutenant Fillio Steriopoulou. You can call me Seraph.”
Alpha Three, Six, and Chase teamed up to clear a path for Fillio’s Manticore until it reached firing range. She kept her approach vector for another few klicks as she wanted to release her payload at an optimum distance. When she and Six finally fired, Chase was already veering away. His power nodes were severely damaged, the resultant shockwave from the destroyer blowing up would render his fighter completely inoperable.
When the payload hit the shields of the Obsidian destroyer, it lit the dark space with a very bright, temporarily blinding flash. The ship had been obliterated, turned to space dust.
Multiple flashes lit up the area in the distance as Star Alliance reinforcements jumped into the war theater.
Unsurprisingly, what was left of the Obsidian Empire forces turned tail and jumped away.
We’ve won.
The comms came to life with Saroudis’ voice.
“Thank you all for protecting the Destiny. We came close to losing her. Even though we’ve won the battle, this has been a tragic day with the loss of both the Medusa and the Sparta. But for now, let’s just be happy this engagement is over. All fighters, return to base.”
Chase could feel the strain in the captain’s voice, how heavily the loss of life today had impacted Saroudis. Chase wondered if one day he would be in a position where thousands of lives would depend on his choices. He did not relish the thought and preferred discarding it altogether.
10
“Were you really going to sacrifice yourself?” asked Daniel on their way to cargo bay three.
“I didn’t think I had a choice, you know,” answered Chase. “If I didn’t, and people died, I would never have forgiven myself.”
“I know, and I think if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same, but boy, that’s heavy. Our first mission and we both came within a hairsbreadth from dying. Makes you think, doesn’t it?”
“That’s what we’re fighting for. For the freedom and safety of the Star Alliance, to oppose the tyranny of the Empire, and at the end of the day, for one another.”
“Well said. I must admit I’m no longer in a hurry to graduate. I mean…today was filled with enough excitement to last me for the next few months of class.”
I wish I could get back in the cockpit right this instant myself.
Chase simply nodded.
“Do we know why we’ve been called to the cargo bay?” asked Daniel.
“I have no clue.”
When Daniel and Chase stepped in, the first thing they noticed was the crowd of pilots and other officers neatly lined up. They heard running footsteps behind them, and Fillio came in between them and put her hands around both their necks.
“Do you think they’ll give us medals?” she asked.
Medals?
“I— I didn’t consider that…” said Chase.
“I don’t think that’s why we’re here, but that would be cool, wouldn’t it?” said Daniel.
Fillio exhaled loudly. “You two are good pilots, but you’re not the brightest, are you?”
They advanced toward the rest of the pilots who split into two groups, making a path in the middle for Chase, Daniel, and Fillio to walk through.
Saroudis was waiting with Admiral Tharowni on the other side. Tharowni’s voice boomed through the cargo bay’s speakers.
“All hands, salute!”
Oh shit, she’s right. We’re getting medals.
They were amazed at what was happening to them. The smiles, gratitude, and admiration from their fellow pilots filled their hearts with pride. It all felt surreal. When they arrived at the front of the podium, Saroudis addressed the crowd.
“These three cadets have displayed incredible courage under fire today. Even though they haven’t officially graduated from the Star Alliance Flight Academy, when danger beckoned, they answered the call of their hearts and risked their lives for our values. It is with great pride and honor that I bestow upon them the Wings of Valor for extreme courage and bravery.”
Saroudis pinned a set of quadrinium-enhanced metal wings on each of them and saluted.
The trio of cadets saluted back as the crowd applauded. A tremendous sense of pride filled Chase’s heart. Not too long ago he had almost been dismissed from the academy, something that would have broken his heart. But now, he truly felt like his life was back on track.
Later that day, they all celebrated at the mess hall. They were bought many drinks, more than they could handle.
“Boy, what a day,” said Chase, raising his glass.
“I’ll drink to that,” said Fillio.
“So will I,” added Daniel.
Admiral Tharowni came to their table.
“Well done, you three. I’m glad you all came back alive from this ordeal, and I will deny it to my grave if you repeat this, but you made me very proud.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” said Daniel.
“Will you join us,” said Chase, pointing at all the drinks. “We could use the help.”
The Admiral nodded and took a nearby chair to sit with his pupils.
“Did you know that you’re the first cadets in history to receive Wings of Valor?” he said.
“Get out of here!” said Chase.
“I’m serious, we don’t usually let cadets out of the academy to fly in deadly combat situations, you know. I’m glad you convinced me to let you do this. Things might have turned out very differently otherwise.” The admiral’s face hardened somewhat. “We could all have been killed today. That was a close call.”
“We’re still here, so let’s celebrate, shall we?” said Fillio getting up.
“Where are you going?” asked Chase.
“Lieutenant Commander Maniakos owes me a drink,” she said, winking at Chase.
Good for you, maybe he can give you what I can’t, though if he’s serious about keeping his job, that shouldn’t happen.
“Have fun, say hi to Maniac for us,” said Chase.
“Who’s Maniac?” asked Daniel.
“That’s the lieutenant commander’s call sign.”
“Oh…peculiar call sign.”
“Yeah, ‘cause Scorpion isn’t?”
“Who calls himself Firestorm?”
“Well, at least mine is accurate.”
They both laughed.
Chase and Daniel got up as Captain Saroudis approached the table.
“At ease, you’re not on duty at the moment.”
“We’re not on duty, period,” said Chase not even trying to hide the disappointment behind his words.
“We’ll be soon enough,” said Daniel. “It’s our last year at the academy.”
Admiral Tharowni smiled.
“I think the captain wants to have a word with you two. I, for one, will get some rest. Unlike certain people at this table, I actually have class tomorrow. Good night, party well tonight, tomorrow is another day.”
It took Chase a while to compute what the admiral meant because, at first, it didn’t make any sense. Daniel arrived there faster.
“He’s not serious?” he asked Saroudis.
“Please, sit,” the captain gestured to the both of them.
They sat back, their looks serious.
“Nothing’s official yet, and you may not like the idea. But Admiral Tharowni thinks you will, obviously.”
Chase started to feel his heart beat so hard, he thought it was trying to burst out of his chest. Excitement tingled the rest of his body. And even though he thought he knew what was coming next, he still couldn’t believe it, so he asked for confirmation.
“What’s the idea?”
Saroudis looked straight at Chase.
“I lost two pilots in Alpha squadron, today. If you guys would like your temporary ranks to become official and be First Lieutenants under my command, I’d like to have you on board the Destiny.”
“Count me in,” said Chase with no shortage of pride.
“Me too, Captain, thank you,” said Daniel.
“We’ll still have to discuss your blatant disregard for the chain of command, Lieutenant Athanatos, but seeing as if you hadn’t disobeyed a direct order, we might not all be sitting here enjoying each other’s company. I’ve decided to leave that part out of my report. I think it’s only fair. Let’s just not make a habit of it in the future, though. Can you live with that?”
“Absolutely, Captain.”
“Then I’ll see you onboard the Destiny tomorrow, 0800 sharp. We’re to return to Alpha Prime, effect repairs, and replenish this battlegroup with two new ships fresh out of space dock. I suggest you say goodbye to your friends tonight, there’s no telling the next time you’ll see them. Enjoy the rest of your evening. I’ll see you both tomorrow.”
They both stayed silent for a few minutes after the captain had left, still reflecting on what had just happened.
“Are we dreaming?” asked Chase.
“Nah…this doesn’t feel like a dream; there would be naked chicks if it were.”
Chase grinned. “Classy, Dan, classy.”
I’m actually a pilot, on board a carrier ship. I can’t believe it.
Epilogue
A lizard-like Zarlack entered the ready room.
“Report,” came a cold voice from the throne.
“I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news. The attack on Starbase Alpha Three was lost by the Obsidian Empire.”
“As I suspected. Very well, you’re dismissed.”
The lizard-man bowed, but before turning away, he dared speak again. Something very few in his position would attempt.
“I’m sorry, Master. But I don’t understand why you asked me to arrange for the fake intel to be delivered to the Empire. Obviously, you wanted them to attack the station, but you don’t seem disappointed that the starbase survived. Have I missed something?”
That was one brave Zarlack. The Master, his face hidden behind a cloak, had beheaded subordinates for less than a stray look, let alone curiosity. Fortunately for this particular Zarlack, he felt magnanimous today.
“It is not your place nor your duty to try and understand my reasoning. As a matter of fact, I’d encourage you not to continue doing it in the future. While I have no need to tell you this, I’m in a rather good mood at the moment, so I’ll tell you this much: I wanted to test a theory and witness how it played out. I’m actually very satisfied with the outcome. I’ll look forward to checking the battle logs in more detail.”
“I’ll have them transmitted to your throne holo-storage at once, Master,” said the Zarlack with a bow.
“I can sense you still have questions on the matter. May I suggest you empty your mind of such concerns at once,” he said as both his eyes glowed red. “That is unless you’d like me to empty it for you. Which right now is more than a little tempting. Leave, now!”
Universe in Flames – Ultimate 10 Book Box Set: An Epic Space Opera Adventure Page 6