Pax Imperia (The Redemption Trilogy) (58 page)

The Confederation ships flipped about on their axes, pointing back the way that they had just come. Their engines were at full power, and they desperately tried to bleed off their speed, as they started to brake. Meanwhile the Confederation Fleet once again started to shift formation, but this time forming a defensive line between the enemy armada and the station.

“Signal
Terra Nova
to commence the evacuation,” Jon ordered hurriedly. “All other ships are ordered to hold this position, and resume firing. We hold this line.”

*****

“Lieutenant, message from the
Invincible
, they are in position and we’re to commence the evacuation,” Chris reported.

“Very well,” David acknowledged. “Notify the flight deck that they are to launch the first group of shuttles. As soon as they’re clear, start loading the next batch. Order security and marines to oversee the civilians, make sure they’re all aboard and then order them to follow in the last of the shuttles.”

“Lieutenant, it looks like we have another problem,” Chris reported. “Sensors from the docking ring report that we now have five hard docking seals, but they should all be empty. My guess is that some of those enemy assault shuttles made it through our defensive fire and have managed to dock.”

“As if we don’t have enough problems already,” David cursed. “Can you isolate the docking ring from the rest of the station?”

“No sir,” Chris shook his head. “The damage is too severe on the docking ring. I’ve lost all remote access, it’s a miracle that any of the sensors are still functioning.”

“Very well,” David sighed, getting to his feet, heading for the small arms locker that was kept in the command centre for emergencies. “You have the C&C until I get back.”

Chris gaped as David withdrew a large assault rifle, stuffing spare clips into his multiple pockets. “Where the hell are you going? Sir?” he added after a momentarily pause.

“My security teams and the marines are busy overseeing the evacuation. We’ve nobody else left to spare. I’m Head of Security, and I damn well plan to
secure
my own station. I promised that bastard Malthus that I would shoot the first person that stepped aboard, and I plan to keep my promise. You’re in charge until I get back.”

*****

“We’ve lost the
Illustrious
,” the Operations Officer reported, grim faced. Not that anybody took any notice, as every eye was already drawn to the view-screen showing the heavy cruiser, fires clearly visible from multiple hull breaches. One of those fires must have reached an ammunition magazine and many of the bridge crew shuddered at the resulting explosion, which tore a massive hole amidships. The ship started to break apart as it tumbled and fell, a death knell that it was never to recover from.

Sitting motionless, watching the unfurling scene on the view-screen, Jon wondered how many crew were on that ship. A thousand? Two? He doubted more than a handful would have had time to make it to the escape pods in time.

“Tighten our formation. Close the gap. Keep firing,” Jon ordered, emotionlessly. “What is the progress of the evacuation?”

“The station reports that fifteen shuttles have departed so far, and they are fifty percent complete. They report they should be finished in twenty more minutes.”

“Then that is how much longer we have to wait,” Jon said. “How long that we
must
hold this position.”

“And what happens then?” the Operations Officer inquired, but nobody voiced an answer to that question, knowing they all shared the same eventual fate as the
Illustrious
.

*****

“We cannot just sit here and do nothing,” Miranda exclaimed. “We need to help Jon.”

“With what?” Paul said in a resigned tone. “I’ve already told you just how many ships Malthus has, there is nothing that we can do. Even if we were to take the
Relentless
and her escorts we wouldn’t stand a chance. Where are you going?” he demanded suddenly as Sofia stood up.

“I’m going to help my husband,” Sofia insisted. “I took a vow at our wedding that we would protect one another, and I am not doing much good sitting around here doing nothing.”

“There are too many of them Sofia,” Paul shook his head. “Malthus has an armada with him.”

“Well I’ll just have to go and find an armada of our own then, won’t I?” she insisted, storming off the bridge.

*****

It turned out that finding an armada was far easier than commanding one. Sofia blinked at the remaining nine Confederation Fleet Admirals, all staring back at her in astonishment.

It had been easy enough to summon them, for she still had access to all her husband’s files and systems. It seemed he had never removed her access, even though he thought her long dead. She decided to give
that
some serious thought at a later date, after she had her husband back, safe and well.

She had never used the holographic conferencing software before, and found the resultant effect most disconcerting. Ignoring this, she instead met each of the Fleet Admirals gazes, in turn, before replying. “I don’t understand your hesitation, Jon Radec your Lord, and Emperor needs your support immediately.”

At this all nine Admirals nodded in agreement, but it was Admiral Flintoff that was the first to voice their concerns. “Lady Radec, if Emperor Radec summons us we will all depart immediately—but he has not.”

“He’s a little busy at the moment,” Sofia snapped, fast losing her patience. “He asked me to pass on the message in his stead.”

At this the Admirals shifted nervously, but none were willing to meet her gaze. “Only the Emperor can command us, my Lady, or the Senate of course,” the Admiral hedged.

“They’re all
dead!
” she exploded in frustration.

“We know Lady Radec,” another Admiral added. “Hence why we said that only the Emperor could order us. It has been that way for over five generations. Ever since Edward Aurelius founded the Imperial Navy.”

“Then my great, great grandfather was an imbecile.” Sofia ground her teeth together in frustration. “Can’t you see what is happening? Look around you. First Harkov, then Romanov and now Alexeyev. Which of you is going to be next? I am no military expert but even I can recognise that Malthus is picking you off one-by-one. It’s the oldest strategy in the datapad—divide and conquer. Only if we stand together, united, can we fight him. If you each insist on acting independently, Malthus will continue to be victorious, until none of you are left.”

The Admirals continued to glance at each other nervously, but still none would support her.

“This is my husband. He is out there fighting and dying at this very moment. Not to mention tens of thousands of fellow sailors. Do none of you care? For I tell you all now, that if the situation were reversed and it was one of you out there, my husband would not hesitate to come to your aid.”

“I’m sorry my Lady, there is nothing that we can do until we receive orders from our Emperor,” Flintoff apologised.

His silhouette wavered, before vanishing entirely.

“Please, I beg of you.” Sofia knelt before those remaining, crying, tears leaving streaks down her cheeks. “Help Jon. Help them all.”

One by one the remaining Admirals flickered out of existence, their troubled expressions lingering in the air for a few seconds longer, until only one remained.

Sofia looked up despairingly into Admiral Sterling’s sympathetic expression. “Please Frank. I have never asked anything of you before, but I beg you now. Help Jon.”

“You know I would—if I could,” Sterling added in a troubled tone. “But just my fleet won’t make any difference, and if we depart, then I leave the Eden System undefended. I promised Jon I would remain and defend this system. I’m sorry. I truly am.” With that even his figure disappeared, leaving Sofia kneeling in the darkened empty room, alone.

After a few minutes, she brushed the tears from her cheeks and stood defiantly. She swore that never again would she abandon Jon, and it was a promise that she meant to keep.

If the rest of the fleet would not help him, then she would just have to do it alone. She wouldn’t live the rest of her life without him.

She would help him, or die trying.

Chapter Nineteen

Terra Nova Station, Aquila System

“Patrick? Patrick!” the woman’s voice called out desperately, echoing down the packed corridor. For the evacuation was now in full swing, with the remaining crew of
Terra Nova
streaming towards the main hangar deck, and the last of the waiting shuttles.

Patrick looked around, trying desperately to locate the source of the cry, but it was impossible, for the corridor was jammed full of people. The next thing he knew a trembling body collided with his own, desperate arms encircling him to stop the person from being carried further down the corridor by the crowd. Looking down Patrick was stunned to find himself gazing into the terrified brown eyes of Jane Castle.

“Jane, what are you doing here? You and Elizabeth should’ve departed long ago.” For it had unanimously been decided that the children and families would all depart on the first few shuttles.

“I cannot find her,” Jane cried out in terror. “Elizabeth, Marcus and Harrison’s daughter, they were all out playing together when the alert sounded. I’ve looked everywhere, but
I cannot find them!”
she wailed hysterically.

“I’ll find them, you go. Now.” Patrick reassured her.

“But—”

“But nothing. I have a good idea where they might be hiding. I’ll find them and bring them with me, now go.” Patrick gave her a swift but firm kiss on the lips, before releasing her into the stream of people, watching for a few seconds longer as the crowd carried her towards the waiting shuttles. With one less person to worry about, Gunny turned around and started pushing his way through the press of people, going in the opposite direction.

*****

“Captain,” an officer on the bridge of the
Revenge
reported. “We’re tracking a number of shuttles that are departing the station. Based on their current projected heading and speed we estimate that they are attempting to flee the System, as they are heading for the nearest FTL jump-point.”

“Radec,” Malthus spat his name out like a curse. “He’s evacuating the station, right under our very noses. Stop him.” This order was directed squarely at Captain Miller.

“Operations,” Miller called out. “Have we managed to identify the command centre for that station yet?”

“Yes Captain, we have just finished analysing the sensor data of the station. Their C&C is located on the upper deck of their central habitat ring.”

At a questioning glance from the Senator, Miller hurriedly explained. “It’s quicker just to take-out the C&C than the entire station. It’s massive, we could spend the next few months shooting holes into it.”

“And it took you over forty-five minutes to realise that their command centre is on the top of the station?” Malthus demanded sarcastically. “Destroy it, quickly.”

At a nod from the Captain the officer hurriedly went about communicating with the rest of the fleet to focus their fire on that particular section of the station.

“In the meantime I am still waiting for you to tell me how you plan to stop those shuttles,” Malthus demanded furiously. “They’re
not
to be permitted to leave.”

“They’re not a tactical priority Senator, we should continue to focus our firepower on the remaining Confederation ships and station.”

“I didn’t ask for your
opinion
,” Malthus spat out. “I gave you an order. I understand that we’ve a considerable number of missiles. I assume that the shuttles are still within range of them?”

Miller nodded reluctantly.

“Then use them,” Malthus hissed.

For the second time in the space of an hour Miller hesitated, but this time Malthus did not wait for him. Wheeling around, he stalked across to the Tactical Officer’s console. “Target the shuttles with our missiles. Fire them all, immediately, or I will have you dismissed for insubordination and will find somebody else to do it. You had better decide fast.”

The
Revenge
quickly locked onto the defenceless fleeing shuttles and commenced firing with her own complement of missiles.

*****

“Missile launch, multiple contacts,” the Operations Officer called out frantically.

Everybody went still on the command deck, as already they had lost all of their escorts, leaving the few remaining Capital Ships extremely vulnerable to such weapons.

“What’s the target?” Jon asked hoarsely, for whichever ship was targeted was almost certainly doomed to a quick, fiery death.

“They’re not targeting the fleet. They’re locked onto the departing shuttles,” the Operations Officer reported.

Jon swore. After so many lives that had already been lost, it was all going to be for nothing, as the crew of
Terra Nova
were going to die anyway. With their escape so close at hand, it just didn’t seem fair.

“Lord Radec,” the Helm Officer interrupted suddenly. “Most of the missiles are going to pass by very closely to the
Invincible
, they’ll pass across our bow, a little over three kilometres distant from us.”

“But we don’t have any weapon systems that can target them,” the Tactical Officer reminded him. “Our bow and dorsal railguns are too large to accurately target them. If we’re lucky we might hit one or two, nothing more than that.”

“Sirs,” the Helm Officer swallowed hard, before continuing on. “I wasn’t proposing that we fire on them. I was suggesting that we intercept them. We position the ship between the missiles and departing shuttles,” he added to the stunned officers.

“There are over thirty of them, all with high explosive warheads. What you are suggesting…” the Operations Officer shook his head. “While the ship might be called
Invincible
, I can assure you that we’re certainly not. It would be suicide.”

All eyes on the bridge turned to face Jon questioningly.