Ep.#8 - "Celestia: CV-02" (11 page)

Marlene nodded her understanding, trying to hide her anxiety as the soldiers outside climbed back aboard the shuttle. The ship began to ascend just as the last soldier climbed aboard. It rose slowly at first, turning to the right as it gained altitude. Soon, it began accelerating forward at an alarming rate, dropping down to maintain a constant altitude above the contours of the landscape below as they headed down into the valley below.

Marlene swallowed hard, having never experienced such a wild ride. She had ridden in many shuttles in the past, even a presidential shuttle just after her husband had been sworn in a week earlier as the new president of the North American Union. Those rides had been smooth and easy, nothing like the jarring, shifting, wild ride she was currently on.

“
How are you doing, ma’am?
” the lieutenant asked over the comms.

“I’ve had smoother rides,” Marlene told him, trying unsuccessfully to smile.

“
Yes, ma’am, I imagine so,
” the lieutenant said, a broad grin on his face.

He was young and confident, dressed in the duty uniform of his country. Marlene remembered pictures of Nathan during his flight training, dressed in a similar uniform and wearing a nearly identical helmet. He had looked so good in his uniforms, like he belonged. She wondered if this young lieutenant’s mother worried about him.

“What about my children?” she asked the lieutenant as the shuttle banked to the left.

“
Command is sending teams to pick them up now, ma’am. They’ll be fine.
”

“They said the Jung were here.”

“T
hey’re in the system, but still hours away, ma’am. There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll have everyone secure long before they get here.
”

He was kind to offer assurances to her, but Marlene knew that everything was far from fine. Her husband had never talked much about what would happen if the Jung did invade the Earth, but she could tell that it worried him deeply. She had tried not to think about it much, choosing instead to go about her daily life as if nothing were wrong. She had convinced herself long ago that it was better for her children at the time to see that she was not worried. They had needed to grow up with hope and confidence in their own futures. Now she wondered if she had been wrong. She wondered if they might have been better served with frank discussions about the realities of the Jung threat.

Of course, now all her children were grown and had children of their own. Nathan had been the last to leave the nest. She wondered if they had prepared their own kids for such an event. Had they followed her example, choosing to pretend nothing was wrong? Or had they been honest with their young ones?

The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. She told herself to calm down as the shuttle continued to bounce and turn. She told herself that, soon, she would be back with her husband, safe and secure in an underground bunker somewhere in the Winnipeg area and surrounded by her entire family, all of them—except for Nathan.

CHAPTER FOUR

Captain Yahi sat calmly in his command chair at the center of the Reliant’s bridge, watching the tactical map displayed on the port-side view screen. The lighting was dimmed, and the edges of the deck and overheads glowed red to indicate that his ship was at battle stations and ready to fight.

“One minute to turn,” Ensign Erbe reported from the navigation station in front of and slightly to the left of the captain.

“Comms, any response to our hails?” Captain Yahi asked from his command chair.

“No, sir, nothing,” Ensign Donabee answered from the comm station.

“Have you been sending them over all channels?” The captain wondered aloud. It wasn’t that he did not trust the young communications officer, but like many on his crew, it was the young ensign’s first tour. He had joined the crew a few months back, coming over on a supply ship along with a dozen other late-tour replacements.

“Yes, sir,” Ensign Donabee answered. “All frequencies and in all known languages. They
can
hear us, sir. I think they’re just ignoring us.”

“Stand by to send the following challenge,” the captain began. “To Jung ships, from Commander, UES Reliant. You have entered the sovereign space of the United Earth Republic and have refused to answer our hails or state your intentions. If you do not reverse your course and leave the system immediately, we will be forced to open fire. You have one minute to comply.”

“Coming up on the final turn, sir,” Ensign Erbe reported, his voice slightly anxious.

“Helm, turn into the targets,” Captain Yahi ordered.

“Aye, sir,” Ensign Stewart answered, “turning into the targets.”

“Send the challenge,” the captain ordered his comm officer.

“Aye, sir, sending challenge.”

“Combat, Captain,” the captain called over his comm-set.

“
Go ahead, sir,
” Commander Denker answered over the comms.

“Load and deploy all missile batteries. Deploy and charge all rail guns. Lock one quad on each ship. Weapons hold. Wait for my order before firing.”

“
Aye, sir,
” the commander answered.

“Turn complete,” Ensign Stewart reported. “We are now headed directly at the targets.”

“Weapons range in thirty seconds,” Lieutenant Calloway reported from the tactical station.

“Any response to our challenge?” Captain Yahi asked, holding onto the hope that the Jung would respond favorably and he would not have to open fire.

“None, sir,” the comm officer answered.

“Weapons range in fifteen seconds,” the lieutenant reported.

“Begin deceleration burn,” Captain Yahi ordered. “Let’s not close on them any faster than we have to.”

“Aye, sir,” Ensign Stewart answered, “beginning deceleration burn.”

“Captain,” Lieutenant Legasse called from the sensor station. “The targets are changing formation. They’re spreading out.”

“Any sign they’re preparing to fire?”

“I’m not sure, sir,” the lieutenant admitted. “I see no changes in their power or heat signatures, and optical doesn’t show any changes that would indicate weapons deployment. But to be honest, sir, we’ve never seen these ships in action, so I’m not sure what to look for.”

“Keep an eye on them,” the captain told his sensor operator. “Let me know if you see anything suspicious.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Lieutenant Calloway,” the captain said, “your read?”

“They’re moving into a line abreast, sir.”

“So that each ship has a clear line of fire,” the captain said.

“That would be my guess, sir,” the lieutenant agreed.

“Damn.” The captain stared at the tactical map showing the six Jung cruisers indicated by red triangles as they moved into their new formation. The blue triangle in the center of the display represented their ship.

“Coming into weapons range, sir,” Lieutenant Calloway announced.

Captain Yahi looked at the system map on the starboard view screen. Besides his own ship, the Volkov and the Zhang-Ti were the only other ships that could intercept the Jung forces before they reached Earth. Unfortunately, the Volkov was nearly an hour away, and the Zhang-Ti was even farther out. He looked at his watch. “Combat, Captain,” he called over his comm-set.

“
Combat,
” his XO, Commander Denker, answered.

“Target the center ship. One salvo across its course. Make sure it’s an obvious miss. I want it to be perfectly clear that it’s a warning shot.”

“
Yes, sir,
” Commander Denker answered.

“Quad three is firing,” Lieutenant Calloway reported. He watched his tactical systems for a moment before reporting. “Clean miss, sir, right across the closest target’s course.”

“Comms, send the following message. ‘Break course and stand down or be destroyed. This is your final warning.’”

“Aye, sir,” Ensign Donabee answered.

Captain Yahi took a deep breath and sighed. He had followed the rules of engagement. He had hailed them. He had warned them. He had even fired a warning shot and followed it up with a direct threat. If the oncoming Jung ships did not do as he asked, he would have no choice but to open fire on them, no doubt starting a war that the Earth was ill-prepared to fight. Unfortunately, his orders were clear. He could not allow the enemy ships to continue unchallenged toward his homeworld. The risk was too great.

“Message has been sent, all frequencies and all languages,” Ensign Donabee reported. “No response.”

“Contacts are firing!” Lieutenant Calloway announced. “Rail guns! Impact in twenty seconds!”

Captain Yahi’s brow furrowed slightly. “Open fire, all quads!” A second after he gave the order, the Reliant’s eight massive quad rail guns reverberated through the ship’s frame in a low rumble as her rails charged and sent meter-sized explosive projectiles hurtling toward their targets in rapid succession. “Lock all missiles on targets and fire at will,” the captain added.

“Ten seconds to impact!” Lieutenant Calloway reported.

“Flight! Green deck!” Captain Yahi ordered. “Launch all fighters!”

“Green deck. Launching fighters,” Lieutenant Fudala answered from the flight operations station.

The Reliant vibrated as the Jung rail gun projectiles struck her outer hull.

“Comms, launch another comm-runner. Inform Fleet we’re under fire.”

“Aye, sir,” Ensign Donabee answered. “Launching comm-runner. Four runners left, Captain.”

“Taking fire across our bow!” Lieutenant Calloway reported.

“Damage?”

“Minor outer hull damage,” the lieutenant reported. “All systems still functioning properly. Missiles firing.”

Captain Yahi watched as the two forward missile batteries launched four missiles each, sending them streaming off toward the incoming Jung ships. Eight more missiles streaked overhead from the aft batteries in pursuit of the first eight missiles.

“Our rail guns should impact the enemy ships in five seconds,” Lieutenant Calloway reported.

“First wave of fighters is away,” Lieutenant Fudala reported.

“Combat, Captain,” Captain Yahi called over his comm-set. “Target their forward weapons. Let’s reduce the amount of damage they can do to us on approach!”

“
Aye, Captain,
” Commander Denker answered over the comms.

“Quads one through six are continuing to fire on each of the Jung cruisers,” Lieutenant Calloway reported. “Quads seven and eight are targeting the forward rail gun emplacements on the two center contacts.”

“Helm, adjust course to pass between the two center contacts,” Captain Yahi ordered.

“Aye, sir.”

“Combat, set all mini-guns to fire on targets three and four as we pass between them,” the captain ordered. “Time to first pass?” he asked the helmsman.

“Thirty seconds,” Ensign Stewart answered quickly.

“First pass in thirty seconds,” the captain finished as the ship continued to shake from the impact of enemy rail gun fire.

* * *

Miri pulled the family car onto their street in the Vancouver suburbs, her two young children continuing to argue in the back seat over which of them was a better swimmer. Normally, she would have found their incessant arguing an annoyance. Today it served as a distraction. She was worried about her mother’s refusal to put Nathan’s death behind her and move on. As the wife of the newly-elected President of the North American Union, she was going to be a very busy and very public figure. She needed to be at her best and not in a constant state of managed grief.

Miri’s train of thought was suddenly disrupted when a large, black vehicle sped around her on her left, pulled in front of her car, and stopped, blocking the road. Miri slammed on her brakes, a small scream escaping her lips. Once the car stopped, she instinctively turned around to check on her children. Although surprised, neither seemed the worse for the sudden stop. She turned back around, about to mumble some derogatory remarks directed toward the driver of the black vehicle, when she realized that two men in black combat gear were climbing out of the vehicle that had cut her off. Her eyes widened with fear. “Kids!” she called out. Another man suddenly appeared at her door, pulling it open without warning. Miri gasped in surprise as two more men opened the back doors on either side, reaching for her children. “What are you doing?” she screamed.

“Mrs. Thornton,” the man said, holding out his hand. “NAU security. If you and your children will please come with us, ma’am.”

“What’s going on?” Miri demanded, noticing the ID badge hanging from the man’s collar. He looked and acted like most of the security agents she had seen protecting both her parents, but she had never seen them act so aggressively; nor had she ever known them to be so heavily armed.

“There’s a situation, ma’am,” the agent explained as he helped her from the driver’s seat. “We have orders to secure you and your family. We need to move quickly, ma’am.”

Miri stepped out of her car, her head turning to see the other two agents removing her children from her backseat. There was another black vehicle, identical to the one that had cut her off, parked behind her with two heavily armed agents standing on either side pointing their weapons behind the second black vehicle. “I don’t understand,” Miri said, her voice becoming shaky as the urgency of the event scared her further.

“Please, ma’am, we’ll explain it all to you on the way,” the agent insisted. “For now, we have to go.”

“What about my husband?” Miri said as the man led her away from the car toward the first black vehicle. “He’s still at the…”

“Hospital, yes. We know, ma’am,” the agent finished for her. “Another team will be securing him, you needn’t worry.”

Miri continued to look around in a panic as the agents moved her and her children into the front vehicle, quickly closing the doors as soon as they were inside. The vehicle sped off down the road, the second vehicle following. She spun her head around and saw that a third vehicle had shown up, and a man in a similar black outfit was getting into the driver’s seat of her abandoned car. “Tell me what’s going on!” Miri demanded as her children began to cry.

“It’s the Jung, ma’am,” the agent said calmly. “I’m afraid they’re here.”

* * *

Admiral Galiardi’s shuttle touched down on the brightly lit rooftop landing pad of the Earth Defense Force command center in Port-Gentil, its boarding ramp deploying as its landing gear touched the pad. Before the ramp hit the deck, the admiral appeared in the open hatch, making his way down the few steps as quickly as possible.

“Admiral!” Rear Admiral Duncan called over the noise of the shuttle’s engines as they cycled back up to full power to take off again. Rear Admiral Duncan fell in alongside his old friend and commander, Admiral Galiardi, as they made their way to the rooftop entrance, the wind from the shuttle’s lift thrusters biting at their backs. “We just got word from the Reliant! She’s under fire, sir!”

“What? What happened? Did the Reliant fire first?”

“Technically, no,” Rear Admiral Duncan explained. “Captain Yahi followed protocol. Parked himself directly in their flight path, attempted contact, issued warnings. He even fired a shot across their bow.”

“Goddamn it, Marty! We can’t afford to operate on technicalities right now!” the admiral cursed as they stepped through the rooftop entrance and made their way down the corridor.

“What the hell did you expect him to do?” Rear Admiral Duncan said. “Step out of the way and say excuse me? They’re warships, Admiral! Jung warships! And they’re coming right at us!”

“Jesus, did they say how bad the fight is?” the admiral wondered as they entered the elevator. “Are all six ships firing on him or what?”

“The message didn’t say. It came by FTL comm-runner,” Duncan said as he pressed the button for the command center located several hundred feet below the main building. “We should be receiving their battle telemetry in about ten minutes, though. That should give us a better idea of what we’re up against.”

“How long until the Volkov joins the fight?”

“At least half an hour.”

“Let’s not take any chances,” Admiral Galiardi said as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the security foyer of the underground command center. “Spin up the Lunar Rail Gun Array and have them start a track. If they get too close, I want those guns ready to take them out.”

“Yes, sir,” Rear Admiral Duncan said as he placed his hand on the ID scanner. In less than a second, the light on the scanner bed turned green.

“And contact the UER. Tell them to start evacuating the data cores,” the admiral added as he placed his own hand on the scanner.

“Are you sure you want to do that, Admiral?” Rear Admiral Duncan asked as the admiral’s hand scan was approved, and the security detail opened the main doors to allow them into the command center. “Maybe our ships will turn them away.”

“And maybe those six cruisers are just the beginning,” the admiral said. “I’d prefer not to take the chance. If the Jung are only slightly more advanced than us, the data from the Ark will make them unstoppable. We can’t take that chance. I want those data cores pulled, packed, and ready for transport as soon as possible. We can always plug them back in later if we survive.”

* * *

“Course and speed data coming in from command now,” the tracking officer reported from his console. “Tracking array realignment in twenty seconds.”