A Line in the Sand
Page 18
“And they put antimatter warheads on those things?”
“They call them planet killers,” Marcus told him.
“And Earth is using them against the Jung?” Dylan wondered.
“Most likely,” Nathan replied.
“No wonder they’re pissed.”
“Jump is ready, Cap’n,” Josh reported.
“Heads up, people,” Nathan announced so that his gunners would hear. “We’re jumping to Nor-Patri. Execute your jump, Josh.”
Josh reached for the jump button. “Here goes nothin’.”
A few seconds later, the jump flash filled the command deck. Appearing before them was the Jung home world, Nor-Patri.
“Contacts!” Dylan announced. “Six of them! Two frigates, one cruiser, and three cargo ships!”
“What are they doing?” Nathan asked calmly.
“Nothing,” Dylan replied. “They’re just in orbit.”
Nathan reached up for the comm-panel again. “Jung Empire, this is the Karuzari Alliance ship Dalen Voss. We come in peace and wish to speak with your leaders. Please respond.”
“You don’t really think that’s going to work, do you?” Jessica asked.
“The warships just activated their weapons systems,” Dylan warned. “The frigates are locking onto us…MISSILES! Six…no, twelve of them. Twenty seconds to impact!”
“I don’t suppose you want me to activate point-defenses,” Jessica said.
“Not yet,” Nathan instructed.
“Our forward shields just came up,” Dylan told him. “You want me to lower them?”
“Negative. Leave them up,” Nathan instructed. “Pitch up and jump us ahead a few hundred kilometers.”
“Five seconds to impact,” Dylan warned.
“Pitching up and jumping three hundred kilometers,” Josh reported as he pulled the Voss’s nose up, adjusted the jump range, and then pressed the jump button.
“Hold course,” Nathan instructed. “Keep an eye out for new contacts,” he added as he reached for the comm-panel again. “Jung Empire, this is the Dalen Voss. Hold your fire. We only wish to speak with your leaders. We are no threat to you.”
“Two new contacts,” Dylan reported, his voice getting more tense. “Gunships…I think.”
“Yup, those are gunships,” Jessica confirmed after calling up the sensor display on her station. “I’ve got tactical and sensors, kid.”
“Thank you,” Dylan said, relieved.
“I’m going to need you to dial up the jump distances,” Josh told him.
“I can do that.”
“Gunships are closing fast,” Jessica warned. “They’re approaching our starboard side.”
“Raise all shields,” Nathan instructed.
“I thought you wanted to appear non-threatening,” Jessica remarked as she raised the rest of their shields.
“I do, but I also don’t want to be dead,” Nathan replied.
“Shields are up,” Jessica announced. “Weapons hold, boys.”
“Bring us about,” Nathan instructed. “We’re going to jump back to Nor-Patri, but this time, I want to come out in a low orbit, below those warships.”
“Coming about,” Josh acknowledged.
“Gimme a minute,” Dylan said.
“Gunships are firing,” Jessica reported.
The starboard shields lit up, and the ship shook as the gunships opened up.
“Whoa!” Jessica exclaimed. “Jung gunships have energy weapons now!”
“Well, it has been seven years,” Nathan said.
“Jump is ready,” Dylan reported.
“On course back for Nor-Patri,” Josh added.
“Execute the jump,” Nathan ordered.
“Jumping,” Josh announced as the jump flash washed over them.
“Pitch up and show them our forward tubes,” Nathan instructed.
“Pitching up, bringing all tubes to bear.”
“You want me to fire on them?” Jessica asked.
“Not yet,” Nathan instructed as he reached for the comm-panel again. “I just want them to know that we can,” he added. “Jung Empire, Dalen Voss! Hold fire! Hold fire! We just want to talk!”
“All three ships are locking onto us,” Jessica warned. “Plasma cannons and rail guns.”
Again the ship shook, this time more violently, as larger, more powerful weapons found their forward shields.
“I don’t think they’re listening,” Vladimir stated.
“Oh, they’re listening,” Marcus insisted. “They just don’t care.”
“More missiles,” Jessica warned as the ship continued to shake from the incoming fire. “Fifteen seconds.”
“Josh,” Nathan called.
“I’m on it.”
“More contacts, dead ahead!” Jessica warned. “They just came out of FTL!”
“They’re blocking our jump path!” Dylan warned.
“Watch this,” Josh told him, pushing their nose down and jamming his throttles forward.
“Eight missiles inbound!” Jessica warned. “Five seconds.”
“Any time, Josh,” Nathan urged.
“We’re entering the upper atmosphere,” Dylan warned. “Our shields won’t be able to withstand the heat at this speed!”
“They don’t need to,” Josh declared as he pressed the jump button.
The jump flash again washed over them, and they suddenly found themselves back in open space, riding quiet and smooth.
“Not bad, huh?” Josh said as he backed the throttles down. “Come about again?”
“Yes,” Nathan replied. “Jess, how much of a threat are those ships?”
“Well, their rail guns are no problem. They don’t drain our shields at all. Their energy weapons are run-of-the-mill plasma cannons. We can take quite a bit from them before it becomes a problem.”
“What about those missiles?”
“They’re a lot slower than the Dusahn’s,” Jessica insisted. “I can keep them off us if you let me use our point-defenses.”
“Do it,” Nathan instructed.
“Finally,” Jessica replied, arming the automated point-defense cannons. “Setting PDCs to widespread missile intercept mode.”
“Queue up some shield busters as well,” Nathan added.
“You got it,” Jessica replied eagerly. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking we need to show them that they’re wasting their time and ordnance trying to take us out. Maybe that way, they’ll agree to talk with us.”
“When is the last time you met a Jung who wanted to talk,” Marcus muttered to Vladimir.
“Back on course for Nor-Patri,” Josh reported. “Where do you want us?”
“Head on with the cruiser,” Nathan replied. “One hundred clicks out, just enough above her for a clear jump line if we need it.”
“Working it,” Dylan acknowledged as he entered the destination parameters into the jump computer.
“Jess?”
“Two shield busters in the tubes, two more in the ready racks.”
“Whenever you’re ready, Josh,” Nathan instructed. “But this time, we stand and fight for as long as possible.”
“Jump plotted,” Dylan announced.
“Jumping,” Josh added, pressing the jump button again.
When the jump flash subsided, they were once again looking at Nor-Patri, only this time, the three warships were too far away to be seen by the naked eye.
“Lock the first two shield busters on the frigates,” Nathan instructed. “As soon as they’re away, load two more and set them to snap jump as they leave the tubes. We’ll be launching them from close range.”
“Understood,” Jessica replied.
“Launch the first two missiles when ready.”
“Ten clicks off the cruiser’s port side. Tubes to bear as we jump,” Josh repeated as he prepared to execute the maneuver.
“Launching the first two,” Jessica announced. “Missiles away! Loading two more!”
Nathan watched out the front windows as the first two missiles jumped away. “Jump on my mark.”
“Ready to jump,” Josh confirmed.
“Two more shield busters loaded,” Jessica confirmed. “Set to snap jump on exit. Two more in the ready racks.”
“Jump!”
Again, Josh pressed the jump button, immediately twisting the Voss’s flight control stick to begin her yaw maneuver to port.
Nathan looked out the port cockpit window, spotting the small black object that was the distant Jung cruiser. He watched as their nose swung to port and the black object slid into the forward windows.
“I have a firing solution,” Jessica announced. “On target in three……two……one…”
“Launch two,” Nathan instructed.
“Launching two,” Jessica replied.
The cockpit lit up, backlit by the jump flashes as the missiles left the tubes and vanished.
“Missiles have jumped,” Jessica reported. “Confirmed impacts on the frigates. Both targets have lost starboard shields. Cruiser has lost starboard midship shields. Multiple missile launches. Both frigates. Twelve missiles inbound. Twenty seconds to impact. PDCs are hot.”
The Voss’s point-defense cannons, located on the upper and lower surfaces of each end of her nacelles, opened up in the direction of the incoming missiles. The cannons danced back and forth as they fired short bursts of bright yellow energy, creating a wave of energy bolts in the path of the incoming missiles. One by one, the missiles exploded, each of them intercepted by one of the hundreds of bits of energy flying toward them.
“All twelve inbounds are destroyed,” Jessica reported triumphantly.
“Jung Empire, this is the Dalen Voss. We can take out your ships any time we wish, but we just want to talk. I suggest you stop wasting ordnance and answer us.”
“New contacts,” Jessica reported. “Uh-oh.”
“What is it?” Nathan asked, not liking the sudden change in her tone.
“Two battleships,” Jessica replied. “And they’re launching fighters.”
“They must have been further out in the system,” Vladimir decided.
“Must have,” Nathan agreed. “Jung Empire,” Nathan called over comms again, “we will defend ourselves if forced to do so. Again, we just want to talk!”
“Minute thirty until their fighters are on us,” Jessica warned.
“Gunners, if those fighters attack, you’re weapons free,” Nathan instructed. “But only if they fire first.”
“Dalen Voss, Dalen Voss,” a voice crackled over comms. “Identify or be destroyed!”
“Finally!” Nathan exclaimed. “This is the Karuzari Alliance ship Dalen Voss. We only wish to talk with your leaders. Please stop firing.”
“One minute to fighters,” Jessica warned. “The battleships are locking their big guns on us.”
“Can they hit us from that distance?” Nathan wondered.
“Oh, they can hit us,” Jessica promised. “I’m not sure how much effect they’ll have on our shields, though.”
“I seem to remember taking a hell of a beating from those guns, myself,” Marcus reminded them.
“Dalen Voss,” the Jung voice repeated. “Who is your captain? Identify!”
“Why the fuck does he need to know who the captain is?” Marcus wondered.
“I have no idea,” Nathan admitted.
“Dalen Voss, identify or be destroyed!”
Nathan looked at Jessica. “How long?”
“Thirty seconds,” she replied, locking eyes with him. “Don’t.”
“I’m going to have to sooner or later,” Nathan replied. “This is Nathan Scott, in command of the Dalen Voss. Cease fire and we’ll do the same.”
“Fifteen seconds,” Jessica warned. “Everybody, lock onto a target.”
“Are those battleships painting us?” Nathan asked.
“Hell yes,” Jessica replied. “Here they come.”
Nathan stared out the forward windows as dozens of streamlined, dart-like fighters, black with red piping, streaked over the Voss, passing on all four sides of the ship. But not one of them fired.
“They’ve broken into four groups,” Jessica reported, watching her sensor display. “They’re circling back around for another run.”
“Hold your fire until fired upon,” Nathan reminded them.
Again the fighters streaked past without firing a single shot. They passed from starboard, then from below. The third group to port, and then the final group passed overhead so closely that they almost collided.
“Jesus that was close!” Mori exclaimed over the intercom.
“Dalen Voss,” the Jung voice called over comms. “State your purpose.”
“I wish to speak with your kor-dom,” Nathan replied.
“Why would the kor-dom wish to speak with you?” the Jung officer snapped.
“I know about your war with the Sol Alliance, and I believe I can help.”
“You are from the Sol Alliance.”
“I was but am no longer. I promise you the kor-dom will want to speak with me.”
“The fighters are coming around again,” Jessica warned. “The battleships are closing, but the frigates and the cruiser are moving away.”
“Cuz we snuffed their shields,” Josh chuckled.
“No, dumbass,” Marcus snapped. “It’s so those battleships will have a clear shot at us with their big-ass guns!”
Nathan keyed the mic again. “Look, we can jump away anytime we like, and there’s not a damned thing you can do about it. And we’ll just keep coming back until the kor-dom talks to me.” After a moment, he added, “Or maybe I should broadcast my identity to your entire population.”
The black fighters streaked past from all directions again.
“What’s it going to be?” Nathan asked over comms.
“Those battleships are closing,” Jessica reminded him calmly. “If they get much closer, they’ll bring down our shields with just a few shots.”
“Got your finger on the jump button, Josh?” Nathan asked.
“You thought I didn’t?” Josh replied.
“Keep an eye on our jump line, Dylan,” Nathan instructed. “Josh, if those guns fire, you jump.”
“You got it.”
“Dalen Voss,” the Jung officer finally called. “Lower shields and power down all weapons. Kor-Dom Borrol is on his way.”
“I’ll be happy to power down my weapons, but I am not lowering our shields,” Nathan replied. “Not while you’ve got those battleships bearing down on us.”
Josh and Dylan kept their eyes on their displays, ready to take action. Jessica’s eyes were glued to her tactical display as the fighters came about for another pass. Marcus and Vladimir stood quietly while Nathan continued staring out the forward windows, waiting for a response.
“They’re turning,” Jessica reported, breathing a sigh of relief. “The battleships are turning and moving away. Slowly, but they are moving away.”
“What about the fighters?” Nathan wondered.
“Half of them are breaking off and heading back to their ships. The rest are taking up position on our six.”
“Power down all weapons and lower shields,” Nathan ordered. “But keep the shield buffers charged,” he added. “I want to be able to bring them back up in a hurry.”
“We can’t hold the buffers at full charge for more than twenty minutes without caus
ing them to overheat,” Vladimir warned.
Nathan turned and flashed him a disappointed look.
“You wanted stronger shields, didn’t you?” Vladimir defended. “That’s how we gave them to you. Using the buffers.”
“Well then,” Nathan said. “Let’s hope Kor-Dom Borrol calls us back by then.”
* * *
The XK conversion yard had expanded considerably in the last few days. Now, there were five of the old cargo ships lined up side by side, four of them currently being worked on.
The number of people and engineering droids working at the yard had increased as well. Not only were members of Subvert working on upgrading and renovating the ships, but regular citizens, skilled and unskilled, were volunteering their time in their off hours.
Robert Nash stood at the end of the makeshift production line, gazing at the XK before him. This was to be his next command. As expected, it was not the most impressive-looking ship. Its design, although well suited for its original purpose, seemed questionable, considering its new role.
Even so, what they had done to the XKL series ships was nothing short of remarkable, especially considering how quickly it was all happening. In less than a month, they had converted two of the outdated cargo ships into well-equipped, multi-role, armed utility ships—in half the time estimated for the conversion of a single vessel. At their current rate, all twelve ships would be in service in five months.
Crews would be another issue altogether. There was no shortage of technicians and engineers capable of maintaining their new fleet. But full, properly trained crews would be a challenge. They didn’t yet know exactly what the ships could do. Their strengths; their weaknesses—they could be predicted by SilTek’s engineering AI’s, but until people like him got them into space and put them through their paces, they could not be certain.
Luckily for Robert, he had been receiving copies of all the Voss’s action logs and ship’s telemetry to study. No pilot could push the edge of the envelope like Josh Hayes, and Robert had already gleaned valuable insight into the XK from the Voss’s limited exploits.
“Can I help you?” a young woman asked as she approached Robert.