Fortunes of War (Stellar Main Book 1)

by Richard Tongue

  “If anyone is interested,” Schmitt said, “I’m fine back here as well.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, Doctor, but I rather hope that you have a very boring battle.”

  “I’d have no objection to that whatsoever,” he replied.

  “One minute to emergence,” Carter said. “Hang on, everyone. This is going to be fun.” She looked at the screen, then down to the projected image of their breakout point. Malek was accompanied by a halo of debris on its endless voyage through space, a triple-ring system that would give them at least momentary coverage from attack. It was a perfect ambush point, barely large enough to be used as a gravitational target, with lots of places for a ship to hide.

  She rested her fingers carefully on the controls, trying not to think about what was going to happen next. She was taking her crew into battle, in a ship using barely tested guns. Only Garcia had ever fought a space action before. The rest of them were rookies, and if Fortuna was in their sights, they’d be outgunned ten to one.

  Her training had briefly covered the possibly of a firefight, though focused totally on evasion techniques. Pandora was fast, agile, quick. She could decide the time and place of each individual firing pass, but Fortuna would have the weaponry to take advantage of it. She looked up at the countdown clock again, the final seconds ticking away, then took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

  They’d live, or they’d die. It was as simple as that. Entering the system had eliminated any other possibilities. They’d never be able to escape in time if the enemy was waiting for them. Perhaps that was the one advantage they could truly count on. Their backs were to the wall.

  “Emergence,” she said, smoothly disengaging the T-Drive as Pandora returned to normal space, the stars returning on the screen, surrounding the dark, barren world below. Warning alarms sounded, debris close to them, and she smiled as she realized that Garcia had brought them precisely on target, right under the innermost ring.

  “Contact!” Kruger said, breaking her brief sense of satisfaction. “Contact, close aboard! Another ship similar to the one on the planet, but this one is armed. I’m also picking up some debris, and at least one escape pod, still broadcasting its beacon.” He paused for a second, then grimaced, adding, “We’ve just been scanned.”

  “Full active sensors,” Carter ordered. “Rusty, get into the turret.” Looking up at the monitor, watching as data flooded in through the external pickups, she added, “Even odds. Maybe a little better. We can take them.”

  “Where the hell is Fortuna? Or Odin?” Wu asked.

  “No sign of any other ships in orbital space, and nothing on the surface of the planet except cold, dead rocks,” Kruger said. “They’re not here. The escape pod is using ValkyrieTech frequencies, though.”

  “We missed the battle,” Carter said, gloomily. “At least we might avenge them.”

  “Enemy ship is coming around, heading onto an intercept course,” Kruger reported.

  “Turrets primed, ready to fire,” Garcia added.

  “Try and hail them, Kruger,” Carter ordered. “Let’s give them a chance to talk.”

  “They’re hailing us,” Kruger replied, eyebrow raised. “Calling you, by name.”

  “Interesting,” she said. “Put him on.”

  A crackling female voice replied, “This is Redemption. We identify you as Pandora, under the command of Captain Victoria Carter. Leave this system at once or suffer the consequences.”

  “You know we can’t do that, not until we’ve completed our recharge cycle,” Carter replied.

  “Go full-burn for deep space. You can engage your drive as long as you stay within a billion miles of this location. There’s no need for you to remain in this area.” She paused, then said, “Obey my orders immediately, or I will be forced to open fire.”

  “Let’s turn this around,” Carter said. “Cut power to your engines and remain in standard orbit, and prepare to be boarded. Or I’ll be forced to rip that little ship of yours into its component atoms.”

  “Your call, Captain. This is on you. Redemption out.”

  “Very diplomatic,” Kruger said.

  Shaking her head, she replied, “Sometimes there is a time to talk and sometimes there is a time to fight. What’s the status of the escape pod?”

  “Redemption was closing on it, but they’re well off-course for that now. I’m getting telemetry that reports the internal systems are in good condition, one occupant, awake and healthy. No signals, though. He’s probably waiting to see who wins.”

  “If he puts himself in hibernation,” Schmitt added, “I can’t bring him out of it without equipment I don’t have on this ship. What’s his life support status?”

  “Nine, maybe ten hours,” Wu said. “Relax, Doc. This fight will be over long before then.”

  “Firing range in one minute,” Kruger reported. “Relative velocity is really low. This is going to be a dogfight. We’ll be in the battlespace for ten, eleven minutes, and either of us can extend that indefinitely.” Looking at Carter, he added, “Not too late for us to evade action.”

  “Could we do that and still rescue the escape pod?” Carter asked. “We’ve got to find out what happened here, and we can’t avoid battle forever.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “Commit.”

  Pandora’s engines roared as she guided her ship into position, running as hot as she dared to guide the ship towards its target. Periodically, the lights flickered, the power distribution network struggling to cope with the unexpected load of the plasma cannons, Wu making second-to-second adjustments to keep the essential systems running. Carter focused on her helm, moving her ship into position to take the critical shot.

  The pirates would fire first. That much was certain. The enemy ship had a triple-laser mount, with a long combat range, capable of inflicting significant damage, but not enough to take Pandora down with a single shot. She had the double-plasma load, one of the most powerful small-ship weapons ever designed, but with an extremely short range. That meant that she had to get deep into the enemy’s defenses if they were going to press their attack.

  The only way to guarantee survival in a battle was simple. Don’t get hit. As she closed on Redemption, she started playing with the thrusters, sliding Pandora from side to side, crazy trajectory changes that she hoped the enemy wouldn’t be able to match. The enemy ship was executing similar maneuvers, the two pilots fighting a battle with each other, pushing the capabilities of their respective vessels to the limit and beyond.

  Warning lights snapped on as they entered firing range, the first bolts of laser light racing from the enemy ship, narrowly missing Pandora’s engines. A few meters closer, and their ship would have been crippled. She took the risk of flying level for a couple of seconds, gaining ground, then veering off just as the enemy fired again, the shots this time dispersing harmlessly into space.

  Now the plasma cannons could open up, albeit at extreme range, and Garcia fired a short burst, more alerts sounding as Pandora’s systems protested the power drain. He wasn’t even trying to hit them, not yet, but to drive them where he wanted them, put them in a position to take the perfect shot. At the same time, the enemy gunner was attempting the same trick, trying to force Pandora into position. Carter played with the thrusters again, swooping down, ignoring the warning lights as the ship’s superstructure groaned under the acceleration, then ducked around, lining up for a perfect shot.

  The two ships danced around each other, more bolts of red death raining from Redemption’s turret, close enough to score Pandora’s paintwork, not close enough to do any damage. The next shot would hit. Both vessels were so close now as to make it inevitable. The enemy gunner had fired just a heartbeat too soon. Pandora had the edge, had the charge built up to take a shot.

  Garcia had one chance. He took it.

  Twin balls of purple plasma raced from the ship, catching the enemy vessel’s underside, ripping and tearing through the vessel as a series of cascade eruptions raced up and
down the hull, the force of escaping atmosphere ripping the hull armor into pieces. An escape pod launched, trying to get away, but was caught by the cloud of exploding debris, joining the cloud of death that littered orbital space.

  For a moment, Carter was mesmerized by the terrible display, then threw the engines to maximum, burning as hard as she could in a bid to escape the debris, the hull ringing as some of the smaller fragments rattled on the armor. She drew back on the acceleration as they climbed to safety, then started to concoct a course to the escape pod.

  “Total destruction,” Kruger said. “Nothing left, no sign of life.”

  “Any damage, Cassie?” Carter asked.

  “Nothing significant, but I’d like to take a look at the power network before we break orbit. I didn’t like some of the readings I was getting towards the end of the battle. I might go out and check the hull, as well, just to be on the safe side.” She paused, then said, “It’ll take a good four, five hours, I’d guess.”

  “Not a problem,” Carter replied. “We’re not in any danger now.”

  Garcia dropped down from the turret, his boots rattling on the deck, and said, “Nice flying.”

  “Nice shooting,” she replied. “Take over, will you.”

  He nodded, taking her place at the helm, and she walked back to her cabin, closing the door behind her, looking into the mirror. She took a deep breath, looking into her own eyes, not entirely sure what she saw. Two months ago, she was second-in-command of the family ship, looking to buy her own ship within a few years, strike out for herself. Perhaps on a ship not unlike this one, as a trade pioneer.

  Now she’d shot two people and been responsible for the death of a dozen more, one way or another, and somehow, deep inside, she couldn’t feel anything. It was as though a part of herself had died, died with her shipmates, her father, and all that remained was an empty, soulless vessel. The door slid open, Schmitt standing at the threshold.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” he said. “When we get back, you need to see someone.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You can’t lie to your doctor,” he replied. “You’ve shut yourself down. Closed off your emotions. That’s a survival instinct, and for the short term, it won’t be a problem, but long term, you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to one hell of a breakdown.” Taking a step forward, he added, “After what you went through, you should have taken weeks, months to deal with it. Seen a therapist. Instead…”

  “There isn’t time, Doctor,” she replied. “Not if we’re going to stop those bastards. It looks like Odin’s already gone. Which means that one of the few friends I’ve got left is dead, and I get to tell his wife.” Turning to him with cold eyes, she said, “Unless you want that honor, Doctor?”

  “He’s not dead,” Wu said, peeking in through the corridor. “We just got a signal from the escape pod. Odin wasn’t destroyed. It was captured. And we’ve got someone outside who knows where to go.”

  “Excuse me, Doctor. Looks like I’ve got work to do.”

  “Sure, Captain,” he replied. “For now. But remember what I said. It’s going to hit you, sooner or later. And if you don’t get it under control, it might bring us all down when it does.”

  Chapter 19

  The airlock cycled, Schmitt standing by the hatch with his medical kit in hand. Wu stood next to Carter, her hand close to her pistol, wary of a potential trap. With a low hiss, the pressure equalized, and the inner door cracked open to reveal a tall, gaunt woman, her arm in an improvised sling and a bandage around her head, her uniform splattered with blood and grease. Schmitt stepped forward, pulling out his medical scanner, running it over her arm.

  “Broken in three places,” he said, shaking his head. “And a cracked rib, as well. What the hell happened to you over there?”

  “Smith and his henchmen weren’t particularly gentle when they boarded us,” she replied, wincing as Schmitt poked at her arm. “I had to do what I could with the supplies on the pod.”

  Nodding, Schmitt said, “I think I can do a bit better with what we have here.” Turning to Carter, he said, “I need to give her a full examination.”

  “Can it wait for a moment?” Carter asked. “I need to ask some questions.”

  “My patient…”

  “No, she’s right,” the woman said, interrupting the doctor. “I’ve got to get this out while I can, and we’ve got to move quickly.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “I know you. Victoria Carter?”

  “That’s right.” Carter frowned, then said, “Sandoval, isn’t it? Odin’s First Mate?”

  Nodding, she replied, “It’s been a while since we met.” Taking a deep breath, she looked at Schmitt, and asked, “Is there any chance I could get some sort of painkiller?”

  “You’d be a lot more comfortable on a medical bed,” he replied, fumbling through his pack. “One shot. That’s all you get. Anything else will mess with your readings when I examine you.” He injected her arm, and said, “You’ll pay for that later, but it’ll keep you on your feet for a while.” Looking at Carter, he added, “This ship is full of lousy patients.”

  “What happened?” Carter asked.

  “We were attacked. The ship, Fortuna, was waiting in the shadow of the planet. They must have known exactly where to strike, down to the minute. Someone betrayed us.” She shook her head, and said, “I can’t imagine who. That bastard Smith ordered us to surrender, and we were outgunned, outnumbered. We didn’t have a chance, and all of us new it. Little Joe ordered us to give in. They boarded us a few minutes later, locked us into the cargo bay.”

  “Where were they heading?”

  “Abydos. I was able to hack into the navigation computer. I’ve got their course projection, right down to their intended landing sight.” She pulled a datapad out of her pocket with her good arm, passing it to Carter. “All our cargo stayed on board. I guess they’ve got some sort of a base down there. They didn’t stay long. Started preparations for departure only a couple of hours after they captured us. About, I think, four hours ago, in total.”

  “They’ve only been gone for a few hours?” Carter asked. “Damn. If we’d moved a little faster…”

  “We didn’t have any way of knowing that,” Garcia replied.

  Kruger took the datapad, scanned the display, and said, “Interesting. That’s a small site, barely covered. Not a bad place to start if they are intending some serious excavation.” Turning to Carter, he said, “That might explain why they want the crew, as well. Trained engineers, technicians, mechanics. All needed to run the equipment they’ll be using. It takes skilled personnel.”

  “No archaeologists?” Wu asked.

  “Maybe, but if they don’t care about the site, they might not need one. I doubt they’re doing anything more involved than treasure hunting.” Turning to Sandoval, he asked, “How did you manage to get away from the ship?”

  “Two of the guards said that they were hurrying because someone was coming. I figured the Patrol. We decided to make a break for it. Little Joe wanted to stay with the crew, and I had the skills to make it to the escape pod in time.” She paused, then said, “We faked a decompression alarm to get the doors open, and I ran for it as the ship began final preparations for departure. Once the countdown is started, it can’t be stopped. I had a small window, and I managed to get onto the pod in time.” Looking down at her broken arm, she said, “Though one of them caught me with a baton on the way out.”

  “Did they give you any indication of their plans once they’d got you to the surface?”

  “Nothing,” she replied. “Nothing at all. I didn’t even know where Abydos was. I’d never heard of the place until I looked it up in the pod’s database.” Wincing from the pain, she added, “Once I got away, Odin left, and Fortuna had already gone, but another ship showed up an hour later. They didn’t seem interested in me, not until you arrived.” She looked at Carter, and said, “Thanks. Thanks for coming after us. I owe you. Big.”

  “Don’
t worry about it,” Carter replied.

  “Are we heading back to Colchis?” Sandoval asked.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “We’re going to Abydos, just as soon as we complete our system checks. I’m not leaving Little Joe and the rest of his crew in captivity for one moment longer than I can help.” She turned to Schmitt, and said, “Patch her up as best you can.”

  “Will do, boss,” he replied. “Come with me. We don’t have a full Sickbay, but I’m pretty sure that I can improvise something to make you a lot more comfortable than you are now.”

  “Wait, wait a minute,” Sandoval said. “They outnumber you a dozen to one, and they must have a secured installation down there. Do you really think you can take them on by yourselves?”

  “We’ll never know unless we try,” Carter said with a smile. “Just relax. We know what we’re doing.”

  “Do we?” Kruger asked, following her as she walked towards the bridge. “She might have a point. Now that we know where the pirates are located, we can go and get help. The Patrol will have to listen.”

  “Will they?” Garcia replied. “I’m not so sure of that. Right now, all we’ve got are a set of coordinates and some educated guesswork. That’s not going to convince Petrov. At the very least, we need to do a reconnaissance-in-force.”

  “You don’t really think that the five of us can defeat them, do you?”

  “I’m glad that you’re counting yourself as part of the crew now,” Carter said with a smile.

  “I don’t think I’ve got much of a choice. I certainly don’t intend to let them capture me again without a fight.” He paused, then said, “I’ve never been to Abydos, but I’ve got good charts and plans from the one expedition that surveyed the place. We might be able to use them to plan an attack. I suppose there are only so many places that they can use to hide.”

  “Speaking of which,” Garcia said, “I can see at least one big problem coming up. They’ll see us landing. If they don’t have any surface-to-air defenses, they’ll be able to prepare for our arrival.”