Sol Shall Rise (The Pike Chronicles Book 1) (15 page)

Kevin’s troopers scrambled backwards as repeated explosions rocked the corridor. His AI reported some damage to a few combat suits, but thankfully there weren’t any more casualties. They were pinned down, so he ordered a battle bot and waited.

Battle bots were extremely effective field units, but they weren’t as versatile on board a starship. Still, Kevin didn’t want to waste valuable time in a drawn out firefight, and they provided the firepower he needed at the moment.

The battle bot was essentially a small hovercraft with extremely thick armor plating and an array of heavy weapons at its disposal. It could be sent into a hot zone and withstand enemy fire while pulverizing the enemy’s positions. It was the tip of the spear often needed for a decisive thrust against an entrenched enemy.

The two groups traded fire, locked in a standoff as Kevin waited for the battle bot to arrive. He watched its progress on his visor and in no time it pulled up behind his team. The troopers moved aside letting the bot glide through. Although smaller than a mech, it was quite large and bulky and practically filled the corridor.

It turned the corner and immediately started taking fire, but it would take more than a few hand held weapons to get through its heavy armor. Deploying a plasma cannon the bot proceeded to fire on the enemy. It followed up by lobbing a handful of plasma grenades as well. The Kemmar combat suits were no match for the bot’s arsenal and they dropped off one by one.

The weapon that drove back Kevin’s men popped up again and fired on the bot. Explosions hammered the armored hovercraft but didn’t stop it, rather it just slowed down. The bot returned fire and hammered the alien weapon with repeated plasma cannon bursts. The Kemmar weapon wasn’t as well armored as the battle bot and the plasma cannon rounds ripped through the alien machine until it was nothing more than a heap of smouldering scrap metal.

Kevin watched its progress on his visor and gave the order for his men to move out. His team rounded the corner, weapons at the ready, and followed the bot’s steady progress.

When the bot reached the infiltration point Kevin had it lob a bunch of plasma grenades through the hole and into the attached Kemmar ship. Explosions could be heard and flashes of light shot out of the opening with each blast.

When the vessel had been softened up to Kevin’s satisfaction, he and his troopers climbed in. Gunfire echoed from the opening as they dealt with the scant defenders.

The room they entered was large and cavernous. While the plasma grenades ensured no enemy soldiers stood guard near the entry point, the large room provided ample cover for the Kemmar soldiers. Kevin and his men started taking fire the moment they entered the ship.

They returned fire and sought cover for themselves. They then provided covering fire, so the rest of the troopers could board. Red energy bursts crossed rail gun tracer fire as the two sides battled for position. Kevin’s heavy Gatling gun proved to be the deciding factor, tilting the scales in favor of the humans.

At the far end of the room was a doorway, and the Kemmar seemed intent on its defense. It likely provided access to the rest of the vessel.

“I count six defenders on both sides of that doorway,” said Kevin over the combat suit comm to his team. “Team A and B, advance on the doorway. The rest of us will provide covering fire.”

“Yes, Sir,” said the troopers.

“Move out,” said Kevin, and then stepped out himself and opened fire on the doorway.

The other troopers fired with him and the Kemmar defenders had no choice but to fall back. Team A and B advanced quickly, stopping briefly whenever they found cover, until they reached the Kemmar positions.

They then charged the defenders and Kevin watched on his view screen as his men took fire. An alert appeared as Private Schledohrn’s vitals flatlined.

“Damn it!” cursed Kevin. Schledohrn was a great soldier and true to form he led the charge on the Kemmar taking the brunt of their fire. His sacrifice allowed the other troopers to overwhelm the enemy positions and kill the rest of the defenders.

“Position secured,” said Private Daniels.

“Hold position,” said Kevin, and the rest of the security team advanced.

The doorway gave access to a network of corridors and hatches. The rest of the ship seemed to follow a highly compartmentalized design. Kevin knew they needed to find and secure the bridge first. Hermes scans provided a layout of the Kemmar vessel which now displayed on his visor, giving him the most direct approach to the bridge.

“We take the bridge first. I don’t want to get bogged down in any room to room firefights. You should all have the route on your visors. We move fast and we hit hard. Let’s move out.”

The troopers moved quickly through the ship, encountering scant resistance. The walls were covered in odd markings and there were what looked like computer interfaces built into the bulkheads every twenty meters or so. Kevin knew they were being monitored and wondered why they didn’t encounter heavier resistance.

That question was answered as they got closer. The corridor leading directly to the bridge was heavily armed and concealed turrets sprang out of the walls and ceiling unleashing an electrical storm of energy weapon fire.

Kevin cursed as two of his troopers disappeared from his display, dying almost instantly under the onslaught. Several others sustained heavy damage to their combat suits before finding cover. While he had hoped to take the bridge without any more casualties, he knew it wouldn’t be likely. He had actually been surprised they managed to make it this far without encountering any other surprises.

This ship must have been primarily a boarding vessel. After breaking off from the battleship its role would be to lock onto the Hermes and send in its boarding parties while the other ships continued to hammer it on the outside. Other than the boarding parties there may be a few aliens running the bridge, and nothing more. He hoped the turrets confirmed his theory. All they had to do was disable the turrets and then take the bridge.

His team kept firing on the weapons, but the speed in which they returned fire made progress slow. Still, it would only be a matter of time until they could storm the bridge. Suddenly, without warning, the ship started vibrating.

Kevin’s comm link came to life. “Chief St. Clair, do you read,” said Commander Wolfe.

“Yes, Commander. What’s going on?”

“The Kemmar ship is breaking contact with the Hermes. How close are you to taking the bridge?”

“There are several automated weapons blocking our way. Once we secure the corridor we can launch an assault on the bridge.”

“We can’t allow them to escape. We’ll try to take out their engines. You and your men may want to secure yourselves while we open fire.”

Kevin felt his stomach hollow out and contract as he and his team braced themselves for the upcoming explosions.

Outside the Kemmar ship raced away. While the Hermes had taken heavy damage, it still had enough power to deal with the solitary alien ship. The two vessels traded fire, the Kemmar firing back at the Hermes in what looked like a random pattern, and the Hermes in close pursuit focused its fire on the Kemmar engines.

Not wanting to destroy the ship, it avoided using missiles and concentrated its energy weapons on the target. By controlling the intensity of the beam, they were able to eventually disable the engines, leaving the offending ship hopelessly adrift. The Hermes focused its fire on the enemy weapons systems, disabling its ability to fire back.

Inside the ship everything paused while Kevin’s troopers were bounced around by the battle. The troopers held on to whatever they could, but they were still thrown in all directions. The armored suits protected them from any injuries, even though they were knocked around quite a bit.

“Don’t these assholes have inertial dampeners?” said Private Daniels, holding on to a bulkhead while his legs were whipped around.

“We’ll install some after we take the bridge,” said Kevin.

Kevin felt particularly claustrophobic trapped in the alien ship. The Hermes may have been only trying to disable the vessel, but inside it felt like everything was going to break apart at any moment. He felt a massive concussion and all movement stopped.

“The ship has been disabled, Chief,” said Wolfe.

“Thank you, Commander. I presume you’ll stop banging us around in here now?”

“Yes, Chief. You are good to go.”

Kevin looked back towards the turrets and scowled. “Ok Marines, let’s take those guns out.”

The troopers took up positions again and opened fire on the Kemmar defenses. Bit by bit they advanced down the corridor. One by one they destroyed all enemy turrets and were faced with a solid metal door blocking entrance to the bridge. Kevin had Daniels rig the door with explosives and the team took cover while they were detonated.

The explosion produced a tangled mess of contorted metal and sharp strips jutting out at abnormal angles. The opening, however, was large enough for the troopers to step through, their combat suits protecting them against any cuts or punctures from the metal.

“Nice and easy,” said Kevin. “I don’t want to lose anybody else because of some alien surprise.”

Slowly the troopers entered the bridge and took up positions to secure the perimeter. Inside they found three Kemmar lying on the floor, presumably dead. Not wearing combat suits, this was the first opportunity Kevin had to see a Kemmar.

They were bipeds and had a torso that was disproportionately longer than their legs. Their bodies were covered in orange hair. The same hair covered their heads and faces, as well. Their heads were broad and round, and they had wide slits for eyes. A small nose seemed disproportionate compared to the large cheeks covering most of the face.

Kevin nudged one with his Gatling gun, but it didn’t move. He pushed at its face and revealed several rows of sharp teeth. They were obviously carnivores.

“Damn those things are ugly,” said Daniels.

“Bridge secured,” said Kevin over his comm link.

“Acknowledged,” said Wolfe. “Awaiting feed from enemy systems.”

Kevin signaled to Chen to initiate a takeover of the enemy systems. Chen stepped up to the enemy console and his suit produced a hexagonal object which Chen then placed on the console. The object proceeded to access the enemy systems.

Utilizing the power of the Hermes AI it initiated a series of brute force attacks against the enemy computer defenses. The Kemmar systems were no match for the Hermes AI, and it obliterated security measure after security measure, overwhelming the Kemmar systems until it had gained complete control.

“Enemy system takeover complete,” said Chen. “Initiating feed.”

The entire Kemmar database was then transmitted to the Hermes systems. The Hermes gained access and control of all systems aboard the Kemmar ship, and detailed schematics were transmitted to the trooper combat suits, which provided all necessary information to their displays.

They waited while the flood of intelligence flowed across space to the Hermes. The updated combat suit display now showed the entire ship, but no other signs of life other than Kevin’s team. Still Kevin ordered his men to split up and search the ship while they waited for the transfer to finish.

With the Hermes AI having taken over the Kemmar systems, any built in defenses fell under the AI’s control and were no longer a threat. The troopers fanned out across the ship securing each room as they went.

When the transfer was finally complete the Hermes sent over a shuttle to retrieve the troopers. Several engineers were also on board, their job to examine the technology and see if anything worthwhile could be salvaged. Having jumped away from the battle the Hermes was no longer under any immediate threat and could take time to conduct repairs and determine its next course of action.

Breeah entered the sick bay in a panic. She had run all the way from her quarters and her forehead glistened with sweat. The Captain had told her that Anki had been found, but she didn’t understand why she had been brought to the sick bay. Had she been injured? The Captain told her Anki was fine, but she didn’t trust the translating device they used. It could have made a mistake. She had already lost so much, she couldn’t lose Anki too.

She paced back and forth, biting on her fingernails, waiting for someone to come and tell her what was going on. If she didn’t see someone soon she would search the entire sick bay for her daughter and damn anybody who did not like it.

Moments later, a door opened and Doctor Ellerbeck walked out with the Captain holding her little girl. Anki smiled, but Breeah could see that she had been crying and had been through a terrifying ordeal. She rushed over to Anki who shot out her arms for her mother.

Jon handed the child to Breeah, who took her into her arms and squeezed her tight, loosening her grip only enough so that she could smother her with kisses. Anki wrapped her tiny arms around her mother’s neck and was soon giggling as Breeah’s kisses tickled her. The giggles brought a smile to Breeah’s face and the tension dissipated as she relaxed.

Doctor Ellerbeck gave Breeah a reassuring smile.

“Anki is fine. She has been through a bit of a scare, but she is uninjured. She should get some rest though, and avoid wandering through the ship again.”

Breeah pulled Anki out so she could look at her, and frowned. “You’d better not do that again, little girl.”

Anki shook her head quickly from side to side and Breeah pulled her in for another squeeze.

Anki rested her head on Breeah’s shoulder and Breeah proceeded to sway from side to side, rocking the little girl in her arms. Then she looked at Jon. “I don’t know how to thank you Captain.”

“It was nothing. I’m happy to help.”

Jon looked back at them and his normally severe face softened. His eyes took on a faraway look, as if he was lost in memories. She saw a gentle side to him that she hadn’t noticed before. Hidden deep behind his hard, threatening features existed a kindness that she felt the outside world rarely saw.

Anki pushed against her mother’s shoulders so she could look at her. “Nothing?” she said, eyes wide and bright, her whole face lighting up. “He fought five Kemmar soldiers and won! It was amazing.”

Jon frowned. “Your daughter exaggerates.”

Breeah didn’t think so. This was a powerful man. She thought he could probably fight twice as many Kemmar and still win. There was something about him. She had never seen a man like this before. In her colony there had been large, powerful men, her own husband included. Yet this man seemed to transcend all of that. It wasn’t just his size. He had a presence. A confidence. And a severity that left little question about his capabilities. She knew he was unrivaled among men.

“Again, I thank you, Captain. I am in your debt.” And she truly meant it. This man ordered the deaths of her friends and husband, and yet she felt obligated to him rather than resentful. The dead were gone. The living only mattered. It was her own fool of a husband who had initiated the battle. All he saw was a two on one encounter that he was sure he could win. He only saw plunder, and everyone died for his greed. Yet this man saved them and offered them refuge. And he put his people at risk against the Kemmar to save people he didn’t know.

“Come now, enough of that. I’m sure you’re exhausted after the day’s events. Let me walk you and Anki to your quarters.”

Thankfully the battle had ended. She hoped they had seen the last of the Kemmar for a while.

Walking back to their quarters she continued to think of her husband. He had been a decent provider and never raised a hand to Breeah or Anki. She would miss him for that. But there had never been love between them. Reivers were practical, and their marriage had been no different. Arranged by their fathers long before, the idea was that love would eventually bloom between the two. Yet it never did. And now that he was gone it was time to be practical again. Time to think of Anki and the future.

“Captain, you must forget my people.”

Jon gave her a perplexed look. “I don’t understand.”

“You must not return, Captain. You must not fight the Kemmar again.”

“But surely you don’t mean that. The Kemmar will kill them when they find them.”

“Then they will die. Reivers are raised to accept death, Captain. It is a possible outcome of every raid.”

“I’m sorry Breeah, they’re humans. I can’t just leave them.”

“We are humans as well, Captain. As are the rest of your crew. The Kemmar have learned of the gate. More warships will come. You fought well against the battleship and almost won, but if you return you will be destroyed.”

“But they’re your people…”

“I must think of Anki now. I almost lost her today. I cannot risk losing her again. Captain, you have shown yourself to be an honorable man. You must not feel guilt for the lives of those on our ships. You were defending your ship. There is no shame in that.”

“I do feel guilty, but it’s more than that. Aliens have held the power of life and death over humanity for far too long.”

“That is your history, Captain. My people live free. We always have. My people will find a way to survive, and it will not be under the boot of the Kemmar. Like them, you need to ensure that your people survive. Consider my words, Captain.”

“I’ll consider them.”

They approached Breeah’s quarters and the door slid open. Anki hugged Jon and ran inside. He smiled. Breeah looked up at him and nodded. “Thank you again for saving Anki, Captain. I am in your debt.” She then surprised herself by hugging the Captain. When she stepped back she saw that he was smiling. She felt her cheeks flush and quickly turned and followed Anki into her quarters.