Behemoth: Rise Of Mankind Book 1 (13 page)

              “Nice maneuver,” Meagan grunted as she pulled to the left and lowered her throttle. Retro thrusters engaged in her front and the enemy nearly collided with her. Apparently, he had some sense of self preservation because he pulled up and flew past her, wildly dodging to avoid a lock.
You’re screwed now, buddy
.

              The HUD in her cockpit lit up as the enemy danced near her reticle. She moved the stick with perfect finesse, lining the shot up for her computer to get a solid lock. The computer pinged a monotonous rhythm then suddenly emitted a solid buzz. Meagan pulled the trigger, her cockpit warming instantly as the pulse blasters annihilated her target.

              “Watch it!” Meagan had no idea whose voice shouted over the line or if it was even meant for her but she reacted, pulling to the right. The ship strained at the sudden maneuver and even with the inertial dampeners, her vision blackened temporarily. A missile flew by so close she could make out the fins surrounding the thruster in the back.

              The ordinance exploded a moment later and Meagan gunned her throttle to avoid the concussion wake. Her attacker, a ship trying to maneuver for another shot, flew nearby in the opposite direction. She adjusted course, making a play to gain the same advantage he sought.

              Chaos raged around them as ships dodged and weaved, climbing and banking in an effort to pull off shots. Distraction tended to be the biggest danger of space combat. The temptation to attack another, easier to target craft always entered the equation. Meagan constantly hammered into her pilots the importance of spacial awareness: always focus on the thing that’s focusing on you.

              In this case, her opponent had it in for her, of that she was certain. He already took one shot and wouldn’t give up. She spun her craft and took a pot shot, something to throw him off guard. His ship bounced away, an incredible maneuver that made her head spin.
How’d you even do that?
His thrusters essentially tossed him a few feet to the right, a quick burst from the side moving him to safety.

              He returned the favor, firing several blasts in her direction. Meagan dodged, turning her craft sideways to fly between his attacks. The pulse beams sizzled against her shields but she took no damage.

              They began flying directly at one another and she returned fire, letting a missile fly to distract him from shooting back. He once again pulled off a stupendous maneuver, climbing out of her path and narrowly avoiding destruction from the missile. As he leveled out, Meagan moved in behind him with a perfect shot at his aft.

             
Now I’ve got you.
Meagan hit the computer and tried for another lock but her opponent’s erratic motion made the computer useless. She eyeballed it, taking several shots that he dodged about like a fly avoiding a swatter.
Who the hell am I fighting? Their version of the Red Baron?

              Meagan fired again and this time, the enemy dropped below her attack and suddenly spun in place. As he came around, his weapons discharged, blasting her with a direct hit. The fighter bounced from the initial contact and she lost control for a moment, careening away from the fight and back toward a large fray of combat.

              “I’ve been hit,” she announced, trying to keep the stress from her voice. “Checking systems.”

              All the calm she could muster didn’t fight off the anxiety of knowing the incredible pilot was still out there, still trying to take her out. He might already be behind her but she didn’t have scans to prove it. Power fluctuated then the automatic backup system came online. She saw her nemesis had indeed moved in behind her and was seeking a lock.

              The flight stick didn’t respond at first but as the engines fired back up, she was able to jam her controls starboard and pull away. Hitting full throttle, she saw pulse blasts zing by her cockpit, missing by mere inches. Damage reports indicated her shields were at thirty percent, not enough to stop another direct hit. They were charging but she needed a good minute for them to be effective again.

             
Don’t have time for that.
“Where the hell are you, Mick?” Meagan asked over the com. “This guy is all over me!”

              “I’ve got my own problems,” he replied, “but I’m working my way back to you. Hey, I’ve got an idea.”

              “I’m all for them.”

              “Remember those retro videos? The Blue Angels?”

              Meagan dodged, grunting at the effort. Once again, she narrowly avoided death. “Get to the point, man!”

              “If your sensors are up, I’m coming straight at you. We have to make this close…I’m thinking no more than three meters.”

              “What’s no more than three meters?”

              “The distance we’ll be from one another as we pass by. You dive, I’ll climb. Our friends will have a quick meeting they hopefully won’t walk away from.”

              “Jesus…” Meagan nodded. “Sounds insane but I’m in.”

              “Ten seconds.”

             
That’s a lifetime out here…more than enough time for this jerk to put me down
.

              “Count it down,” Meagan glanced over her shoulder. Her guy was closing in.
What the hell? Need the up close kill or are you finally realizing I’m too wily for your bad shooting?

              Shields read fifty percent.
At least I won’t die if he gets a lucky shot but two pulse beams will do me in
. She spun, a barrel roll dodge which took her slightly off course. Her sensors showed how to correct and she nudged herself back into position.

              “We still good?” She asked Mick.

              “You should see me. Get ready!”

              Mick appeared suddenly ahead of her and if not for the precise measurements of their sensors, she would’ve sworn they were about to collide. Trusting in their instruments went against her every instinct. When he went by, she felt his wake and she pressed her flight stick forward, entering a swift dive.

              Light erupted behind her and on her scan, she saw the enemy ships collided, turning into a ball of blue light then fading to nothing.

              “Oh my God, that actually worked!” Meagan allowed herself some relief. “Good job, Mick!”

              “Goes to show they don’t have the same communication network we do,” Mick replied. “Looks like they’re all out here independently. “

              “Good point.” Meagan looked down and frowned at the readings on her console. The containment unit holding her pulse engine had a hairline crack. Any more damage might rip it open and then, she’d be done. Even if the shields prevented a full on destructive blow, a pulse breach meant certain death.

              “I’m in a little more trouble. Look at these readings.”

              “Just be careful,” Mick replied. “I’ve done an entire mission with a cracked core. It’s cool. We’re almost done here.”

              The enemy fighters had been depleted but so had they. Half of Tiger wing was down. Lieutenant Richard Martin, Panther Seven, wasn’t responding to hails. This was a real fight, the kind they’d trained for, sure but no one knew just how bad it would get or how deadly. Meagan took a deep breath and steadied herself for the rest of the engagement.

              Far off, she saw the larger ships still battering at each other. The Behemoth leveraged a lot of punishment on their enemies but they got as good as they gave. Their larger weapons required some recharge time so it wasn’t constant but every blast made the entire sector light up like a star passed by. How much punishment could either side take before folding?

              “Let’s get back in there, Mick. I sure hope they’ve got a plan on the Behemoth because I sure don’t see a good path forward.”

              “I’m sure they know what they’re doing.” Mick took the lead. “Now, follow
my
six this time. I’ll get us home.”

              Meagan grinned. “Lead on, my friend. Lead on.”

              “Chief Engineer Higgins is on the line,” Agatha shouted over the noise on the bridge. “He states damage crews are circulating through the ship, prioritizing damage.”

              They pressed forward, moving out of the firing arc of the enemy but it was only a temporary saving grace. Auxiliary fired at the enemy, turrets meant to fend off fighters or harass a larger vessel. The enemy returned the shots and even those less powerful weapons caused superficial damage to the Behemoth.

              Gray slapped his tablet and brought engineering online. “Higgins, get our shields back up! We can’t survive this engagement for long.”

              “We’re working on it, sir!” Higgins voice crackled on the line. “They really did a number on us with that initial foray!”

              Gray stood and paced over to Redding’s station, peering at her screen. “Can you get us out of here?”

              “They have my engines at sixty percent.” Redding shrugged. “I can go to maximum speed but it won’t be enough to escape.”

              “Better to be chased than dead. Get us going.”

              “I can’t push it too far or the pulse drive might not take it.”

              Gray nodded. “Do what you can.” He turned to Paul. “Put the Silver Star online. They need to understand the gravity of the situation.”

              “Report from the fighters,” Everly said. “They state the enemy squadron is down to twenty percent effectiveness. They’re mopping up now.”

              “Finally, some good news.” Gray rubbed his eyes. “Tell them to wrap it up and be ready for another attack. God knows if they’ve got more waiting in the rafters.”

              “Some of them have to come in for repairs,” Everly replied. “They’re requesting landing clearance.”

              “Not right now. They’re safer out there.” Gray checked his tablet as another blast shook the ship. “Redding!”

              “I’m on it, sir!”

              Agatha cleared her throat. “I’ve got Lieutenant Darnell on the line.”

              “Olly,” Gray called out. “I hope you’ve got some good news for us. We’re reaching the eleventh hour.”

              The lights flickered as another blast grazed their shields. Gray clenched his fist and waited for the briefing of the tech crew.
At least Redding dodged that one. How many more before they’ve put us down? You’d better have something, Olly. For all our sakes.

***

Prior to the Battle

              Olly answered his com, linking up with Lisa. “I’m here. Are you on the bridge?”

              “Yes, sir. I’ve made it and let me tell you, this is a technological paradise.” Lisa patched her camera to his tablet and gave him a look. Like the rest of the ship, the walls, floor and ceiling were comprised of the same shimmering, silver metal. A massive black screen dominated one surface across from some chairs with consoles bulging out of the smooth terrain.

              “True to the form of the ship at least,” Olly replied. “Do you have power up there?”

              “I do. I’ve coordinated with Maria. The good news is all connections are online up here but they can’t all link to their services. Those are what she’s going to have to establish down in engineering.”

              “How long?”

              “Our diagnostic test is almost done. We’ve identified the weapon station and we
think
they might just be off. AI is running a test too.”

              “Sounds good. Keep the line open.”

              Olly worked with Cathleen to get the database working. The reboot gave them access to another node but it was merely a junction, a launching point for other information centers throughout the network. She identified a link which they could use to bring someone out of the suspended animation process, resuscitating one of the crew.

              Together, they ran a scan to identify the various personnel in an attempt to locate someone suited to computer systems. If they followed any best practices concerning security, only a few people would have the necessary access codes to get Protocol Seven. Whoever they revived first needed to help immediately or it may be pointless to wake anyone else.

              Maria spoke up on the com, “Engineering wasn’t as prepared as the bridge but I’ve got all the consoles running. The universal code helped my tablet gain access and is translating all the protocols. Weapon systems are definitely offline but I’m rerouting power and am replacing some burned out parts.”

              “ETA?” Olly asked.

              “A couple minutes,” she replied, “however, I don’t know how long they’ll last under a prolonged engagement. Hell, I don’t even know what their weapons will do. Are they going to be powerful enough to get through the enemy’s shields? No clue.”

              “Speaking of defenses,” Olly added, “can we power them up?”

              “You said weapons were priority number one,” Maria said. “I can look at them when I’m done…”

              “Multitask,” Olly answered. “We have to be efficient.”

              Maria sighed. “Yes, sir. I’ll do what I can.”

              “Lieutenant Darnell,” Sid piped in, “the Behemoth is under attack.”

              “What?” Olly tapped into the Silver Star cameras to see what was going on. The enemy ships bombarded the Behemoth, bringing down a lot of firepower on them. “Holy crap! Guys, we really need to hurry! Our people are being hit hard!”

              “What?” Maria shouted. “What do you mean?”

              “The enemy’s all over them!” Olly paused. “Fighters are engaged…wait…the enemy ships were on their way to
us
! AI, why would they attack this ship?”

              “This vessel has been pursued by the enemy for some time,” Sid replied. “Protocol Seven has required their full attention to take us down at all costs.”

              Olly groaned. “Why didn’t you say so before?”

              “No one directed such a query to me before.”

              “Thanks for nothing.” Olly shook his head. “Lisa, Maria, they’re after
us
! The Behemoth is just in the way. You’re working toward self preservation with our offensive/defensive capabilities.”

              Agatha pinged him and he brought the bridge online. “Darnell here.”

              “Olly, it’s Captain Atwell. We’re in a serious way here and need some help. Tell me you got those weapons online.”

              “We’re working on it, sir. Maria’s almost got them.”

              Gray sighed. “I don’t have to tell you this isn’t a request. You guys need to be able to hit them or we’re all dead.”

              “I know, sir…there’s only so fast we can go with repairs though.”

              “Sir!” Maria interrupted. “I got the primary power conduit restored and shoved a new fuse into the console. A compensator went out but they’re modular so I replaced it like a battery. The rest of the machine—”

              “Are they up or not?” Olly interrupted.

              “We’re good! Weapons are charging now! Holy wow, it’s fast! We’ll be ready in ten seconds!”

              “Did you hear that, Captain? We’re weapons hot!”

              “Thank God,” Gray replied. “You have someone ready to fire?”

              “Lisa, please tell me you know how to pull the trigger.”

              “Sid showed me,” Lisa said. “We’re good.”

              “On your command, sir! I’m tapping your com into Lisa’s. We’re ready when you are.”

***

              Gray let out a deep breath and stood from his seat. “Okay, Lieutenant Oxton, lock your weapons on the nearest enemy. Redding, link up with her and coordinate your fire. I want you guys to give them everything we’ve got. Don’t hold back. This literally is a matter of life and death.”

              “Understood.” Redding acknowledge, tapping her controls. “I’m linked up with you, Oxton. On my mark, we’ll turn and fire. Ready?”

              “Ready!” Lisa replied, her voice taught with nerves. Gray hadn’t heard someone so scared in a long time. Most of his bridge crew were cold as ice. The technicians weren’t as akin to combat or so prepared for that matter. They weren’t in this for the fight, they wanted to keep things running.

             
We all stretch when the need arises
.

              The Behemoth ponderously turned, straining the sluggish engines. Gray clenched his fist tightly, willing the vessel to move faster. Every fiber of his being tingled with adrenaline. If this worked, if their coordinated effort drove the enemy off, then they certainly took the upper hand. They could win the fight.

              Otherwise…

              He didn’t allow himself to consider the alternative. This had to work. Too many lives were at stake for it not to.

              “Enemy fired again!” Everly leaned forward, reading his tablet. The ship jostled. “Direct hit! Lower decks!”

              “Redding!” Gray spoke her name through clenched teeth.

              “We’re in position now, sir.” Redding looked up at the screen then squinted at her console. “Okay, Oxton…on my mark. Three…”

              Gray stood up, watching the screen through squinting eyes. The enemy floated out there, maintaining their distance and formation. They only moved to aim, spinning in place and not pulling away from their position. This gave the Behemoth a slight advantage in distance and the ability to make minor adjustments to avoid extra damage. Sadly, it didn’t seem to be working.

              “Two…”

              Gray noticed the enemy weapons were charging again, the barrels of their pulse cannons glowing in anticipation. Their entire engagement would be decided in the next few seconds. How did the enemy recharge so quickly? Their fusion cores must be huge, and possibly not as contained. Safety conditions on their vessels may not be a concern.

              “One…”

              The enemy would fire any second! Gray looked at his tablet to see why they delayed at all and understood at once. Redding used the extra few seconds to better line up their shot, to get a solid lock. As he said before, he wanted certainty of a direct hit. Her last few seconds were well spent but they’d be for nothing if they didn’t fire first.

              “Fire!” Redding shouted, jabbing her console several times.

              The Silver Star’s edge lit up, not one but
hundreds
of tiny barrels all launching pulse energy in a massive, concentrated blast. Combined with the Behemoth’s attack, all of space turned white for a brief moment. The shielded enemy ship took the brunt of the attack, canceling their own attack and causing massive damage. The other caught some secondary blasts and careened away, moving off from its companion.

              “Direct hits!” Redding shouted.

              “Damage readings coming in now,” Paul said. “Wow, they really took a pounding! I’m reading fires on their decks but a hull breach will have them out shortly. At least two weapon systems are offline or at least, I’m not reading any power from those stations.”

              “Are they going to stick around?” Everly said. “Or do they want to keep going toe to toe?”

              Redding spoke up, “Oxton reports she’ll be able to fire again in a few moments.”

              “Get ready for another volley,” Gray said.

              “They seem to be pulling away!” Tim announced. “They’re moving out of range!”

              Gray sat in his chair, allowing himself to relax for a moment. His reprieve was short lived and he leaned forward to assess the situation. They sustained some pretty serious damage and it impaired combat effectiveness, at least for the moment. The battle moved them toward a real stalemate. Neither side could afford another exchange so they each retreated, licking their wounds while hunting for another advantage.

              “Olly, get your shields back up as soon as possible,” Gray said, then clicked over to Chief Engineer Higgins. “You’ve got limited time. What can you do with it?”

              “What’s limited?” Higgins asked. “Because an hour is a lot different than fifteen minutes.”

              “I can’t say for sure. Let’s go in half hour increments.”

              “In a half hour, I can contain the worst of our damage and get auxiliary power to the engines. Weapons are mostly stable…I’ll put someone on ensuring consistent energy flow.” Higgins sighed. “I’ll do what I can. Let me know if I have more time.”

              “Do what you can.” Gray turned to Everly. “I want the current fighters onboard and launch the others to replace them. Keep us battle ready. Can the hangars handle the traffic?”

              “Yes, sir. Control’s ready to go and will bring them in and out as necessary.”