Ep.#14 - "The Weak and the Innocent" (The Frontiers Saga) (12 page)

“Sir, Commander Telles indicates he cannot hold his current position for more than a few minutes without reinforcements,” Ensign Souza reported. “They’ve lost team five, and team one is down to four men. He’s suggesting we target the section forward of midship and breach the hull to reduce their numbers.”

“That’s crazy!” Jessica exclaimed.

“Mister Delaveaga, can you pinpoint the commander’s location?” Nathan asked.

“I can narrow it down to a particular section,” Luis answered, “but that’s as accurate as I can get.”

“Do so, and then target the section just forward of it.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Captain,” Jessica began to object.

“I’m not going to open up the section he’s in,” Nathan said, cutting her off, “that would be crazy. But if we can open up the next section forward, at least that might prevent more Jung combatants from joining the fight, or at least slow them down.”

“Quads are locked on target, Captain,” Luis announced.

“Comms, warn the commander we’re going to fire on the section forward of them,” Nathan ordered.

“Aye, sir.”

“Lieutenant, wait thirty seconds, then…”

“Jump flashes! Three… Wait!” Mister Navashee paused a moment. “Make that nine jump flashes. Four troop jumpers, two Falcons, and three combat jumpers, sir.”

“Hold your fire!” Nathan ordered.

“Holding fire,” Luis acknowledged.

“Troop jumpers are carrying breach boxes on their backsides,” Mister Navashee added.

“That must be what took them so long,” Jessica commented.

“Ensign Souza, inform Commander Telles that his reinforcements are moving into position now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Nathan smiled at Jessica and breathed a sigh of relief. “I was getting a bit worried.”

“More contacts!” Mister Navashee warned. “Christ, there’s dozens of them! They’re launching fighters, Captain! A lot of them!”

“Lieutenant! Point-defenses! Target those fighters!”

“Aye, sir!” Luis replied.

“Comms! Order all friendlies to remain inside our defense perimeter, or jump clear and hold!”

“Captain!” Mister Navashee called, “half the fighters are leaving at top speed! They’re departing on the same course as the attack shuttles!”

“Those fighters can’t go to FTL, can they?”

“No, sir, not that we’ve ever seen, at least.”

“Firing point defenses,” Luis announced.

“Captain! Incoming mayday from Scout Two!” Ensign Souza reported. “They found Scout Three’s wreckage, including two intact jump field generators. So did the Jung. They’re trying to recover them. Scout Two engaged and destroyed one, possibly two fast attack shuttles, but they took heavy damage and had to abandon ship.”

“Were there any survivors?” Jessica asked, urgency and desperation in her voice.

“Did they self-destruct?” Nathan asked in an equally worried tone.

“They didn’t say.”

“Falcon Four is headed for a hornet’s nest,” Jessica realized.

“Did Scout Two give a location?” Nathan demanded.

“Yes, sir,” Ensign Souza replied.

“Feed it to those Falcons and tell them to backup Falcon Four,” Nathan ordered. “Hell, send the combat jumpers as well. Tell them to make sure the Jung do not get away with any wreckage!”

“What about sending Scout One?” Jessica suggested. “She’s got plasma cannons big enough to take those shuttles out with a single shot, right?”

“No good,” Nathan shook his head. “Besides us, Scout One is the only other ship that can launch that last KKV, and if that battleship manages to restore main power and raise her shields, we’re going to need it.”

“Four more contacts!” Mister Navashee announced. “They’re launching more attack shuttles!”

“God damn!” Nathan cursed. “For a ship without power, they sure are launching a lot of spacecraft!” Nathan turned aft. “Luis! Target their starboard launch tubes and close them up! Comms, tell the troop jumpers to jump to a safe distance and hold.”

“Quads locked on their starboard launch tubes,” Luis reported. “Firing!”

“What are you doing?” Jessica wondered.

“They’re going to sacrifice their ship in order to keep us occupied so they can get a jump drive,” Nathan explained as he turned forward. “Helm, move us under them and over to their port side, nice and smooth. Lieutenant, take out their shuttle bays next, then their port launch tubes.”

“Moving under and to port,” Mister Chiles acknowledged as he pushed the Aurora’s flight control stick forward and began to nose the ship down.

“Starboard launch tubes destroyed,” Luis said. “Preparing to target her ventral shuttle bays.”

“Troop shuttles have jumped away,” Mister Navashee reported.

“Moving under the target now,” Mister Chiles announced.

“Firing quads,” Luis reported.

“Keep our topside toward the target as we come around,” Nathan instructed. “Don’t stop until we’re directly over her topside, and standoff inverted about fifty meters away.”

Mister Chiles looked to his left, exchanging concerned glances with the navigator, Mister Riley. “Aye, sir.”

“After you take out the port launch tubes, we’ll move into position above them and create a shield for the troop jumpers. With us acting like an umbrella, those fighters will have no choice but to try and attack from the sides.”

“And we’ll nail them with our point defenses,” Luis realized, a grin forming on his face. “Nice.”

“Comms, let those troop jumpers know what we’re up to and tell them to be ready. They’re going to have to jump into a very narrow space, very quickly.”

“Port launch tubes destroyed,” Luis announced.

“Captain, Commander Telles reports he is down to six men total!” Ensign Souza warned.

“Tell him to fall back to a safe position,” Nathan replied. “In a few minutes, he’ll have eighty men on his side.”

“I’ll have to coordinate defensive fire with their jumps,” Luis explained, “so they don’t jump through a field of fire.”

“Comms, tie the lieutenant into the troop jumpers directly,” Nathan ordered.

“Aye, sir.”

“Two each, fore and aft of the breach,” Nathan added.

“Yes, sir,” Luis replied.

“We’re in position directly over their midship, Captain,” Mister Chiles called back over his shoulder. “Fifty meters above, topside to topside.”

“Point defenses are ready,” Luis announced.

“Troop jumpers report ready,” Ensign Souza added. “Patching you into their channel now,” he informed Lieutenant Delaveaga. “Call signs are Packers One through Four.”

“Laying down defensive fire now,” the lieutenant announced as his fingers danced across his console. He paused and keyed his comm-set. “Aurora Tactical to all troop jumpers. You’ll jump in pairs on my mark. Odds will jump forward of the breach, evens will jump aft. First group jump in as far fore and aft as possible while still staying between us and the target. Second group jump in close to the breach.” Luis turned to call over his shoulder to Ensign Souza. “Souza, update the commander on the plan, tell him we execute in thirty seconds,” he instructed as he waited for the four troop jumpers to acknowledge his message.

“You got it.”

“Defensive fields of fire established,” Luis announced.

“Comms, dispatch a comm jumper and tell Scout One to set the last KKV for snap launch and then join us here, but at a safe range,” Nathan ordered. He looked at Jessica, trying to interpret her facial expression, or lack thereof. He had never before seen her look this upset… Angry, yes, but never despondent and defeated like this. “Jess,” he said under his breath, “he may have gotten out in time. There were still a couple pods left.”

Jessica cast him a disapproving look. “Don’t blow smoke up my ass, Nathan,” she snapped quietly at him. “If he’s dead, he’s dead. Just make sure he didn’t die in vain.”

“It’s working,” Mister Navashee reported. “The fighters are attacking our ventral side to avoid our guns.”

“Packers One and Two, Aurora Tactical,” Luis called over the comms. “Jump in five……four……three…” he pressed a button on his tactical console to cease firing on all point defenses. “…Ceasing fire…one……jump.”

Nathan and Jessica watched the main view screen as a blue-white flash of light appeared between the Aurora and the upside-down battleship fifty meters above her.

“Resuming fire,” Luis announced as he reactivated the Aurora’s point-defense turrets. “Packers Three and Four, be ready to jump on my call.”

Nathan continued to watch as the troop jumper quickly rolled over and maneuvered upward toward the hull of the enemy ship, expertly placing the breach box attached to his stern over a clear section of the ship’s hull.

“
Packer One, contact. Breaching now.
”

“
Packer Two, ditto.
”

“Jesus, I’m having a hard time tracking all these fighters and still maintaining a good perimeter to protect the troop jumpers,” Luis admitted.

“Jess, give him a hand,” Nathan urged.

Jessica quickly moved back to the tactical console, relieved to have something to keep her busy. “You take port and I’ll take starboard?” she suggested as she stepped in beside the lieutenant.

“Gladly,” Luis replied as he moved over to make room for her. “Packers Three and Four, jump in five……four……three…holding fire…”

Jessica’s hands went up off the console, demonstrating that she was not currently firing any weapons.

“…one……jump.” He looked up at the view screen briefly as another troop jumper appeared from behind a blue-white flash, even closer to them than the previous one. “Resuming fire,” he announced as both he and Jessica reactivated their respective weapons.

“
Packer One, deploying troops.
”

“Enemy fighter count is down to thirty-seven,” Mister Navashee reported.

“Yes!” Jessica cheered. “Make that thirty-six!”

“How about thirty-five,” Luis added.

“Nice.”

“Jump flash,” Mister Navashee reported. “Scout One, three hundred kilometers to our port side.”

“
Packer Two, deploying troops.
”

“
Packer Three, contact. Breaching now.
”

“Scout One reports the last KKV is ready to snap launch,” Ensign Souza reported.

“Very well,” Nathan replied. “Tell them to jump out and launch the KKV without delay if that battleship gets main power back on line.”

“Aye, sir.”

“
Packer One, troops away, disengaging.
”

“
Packer Four, contact. Breaching now.
”

“Packer One, exit target aft, left of centerline, and jump clear,” Luis ordered as he temporarily stopped firing with his forward turrets to starboard of the Aurora’s centerline.

“
Packer One, exiting target aft, left of centerline. We’ll reload and return.
”

“Comms, tell all Packers to jump in at a safe distance and do not approach unless cleared by site command,” Nathan warned. “We may not be back by the time they return.”

“Yes, sir.”

“
Packer Two, we’re empty. Disengaging.
”

“Two, exit target forward, right of centerline,” Luis ordered. “Hold on your aft turrets,” he told Jessica.

“I got it.”

“
Packer One, jumping.
”

“
Packer Two, exiting target forward, right of center.
”

“
Packer Three deploying troops.
”

“Four fighters are grouping for a run at midship, target’s port side,” Mister Navashee warned.

“I’ve got them,” Jessica assured them. “Cover my part of the bow with number seven so I can get extra guns on these fuckers,” she told the lieutenant.

“Got it. Feel free to use the quads, if you’d like.”

“
Packer Four, deploying troops.
”

“I like your thinking, Lieutenant,” Jessica said as she brought the starboard quad rail gun online and swung it toward the target. “I’ll just set it for a tight repetitive sweep…and…damn! That fucked them up, didn’t it!”

“
Packer Three is empty, disengaging.
”

“Three, exit direct target port,” Luis instructed.

“
Packer Three, exiting to target port.
”

“Dropping fire, starboard midship,” Jessica announced.

“Three fighters coming over ventral from our port to starboard!” Mister Navashee warned urgently. “Midship line!”

“Packer Three! Nose down on exit!” Luis warned. “Three bandits coming over the top on your six!”

“They’re going to get him!” Mister Navashee declared.

“Packer Three!” Luis yelled over the comms. “Jump, jump, jump!”

“He’s jumping!” Mister Navashee exclaimed. “I think he made it. Yes, I’ve got him! Two hundred kilometers below and to starboard!”

“
Packer Three is clear,
” the pilot reported from his new position clear of the danger. “
Ya’ll are too easily excited.
”

Luis looked at Jessica. “Since when do Corinari pilots use
ya’ll
?”

“That’s probably my fault,” Jessica admitted as she continued firing.

* * *

Captain Nash continued to struggle within the confines of the maintenance crawler, straining to track the action occurring all around him. Falcons and combat jump shuttles jumped in and out of the area,
both close in and further away, appearing and disappearing behind flashes of blue-white light. They hammered away at the enemy ships as they fought to keep them from picking through Scout Three’s debris field at their leisure. Somewhere in that field, there was at least one, possibly two jump field generators, and the Jung wanted them badly.

As best he could tell, a combat jumper and a Falcon had already fallen victim to enemy fire, as had at least five Jung ships. But the chaos and explosions of enemy weapons fire had sent debris scattering in all directions, which all seemed to fly in the direction of Nash’s fragile lifeboat. One of the crawler’s legs had already been torn off by one of the impacts, as well as two of the mini-arms on the front of the unit. So far, he had been lucky in that none of the debris had struck his windows, but he feared his luck would not hold out much longer. One inopportune strike…

He tried not to think about the danger he was in. In fact, he had already resigned himself to the fact that he would not survive. Instead, he tried to keep track of the activity around him, keeping score, so to speak, for what little good it would do him. He kept telling himself that he had to keep track of the two sections of wreckage that he believed still contained intact jump field generators, on the off chance that he
were
rescued.

A jump flash went off no more than ten meters away from him, above and to his right. Despite its silent entrance into his immediate area, the intensity of the flash at such close proximity startled him, causing him to duck instinctively. Had he been looking in the direction of the flash at the moment it had occurred, he would have an entirely new problem to deal with.

It was a Falcon, and it passed right over him at what seemed like incredible speed, although he was sure that to its pilot it was just the opposite. The interceptor fired weapons, both wing and nose turret plasma cannons. Two missiles dropped on rails protruding from the interceptor’s open weapons bays, streaking away on fiery tails, a second after which the ship disappeared in another blinding flash of light.