Starstorm (Starstorm Saga) (23 page)

“Or to be alone,” replied Jack. After traveling nearly fifteen kilometers across the Martian landscape they turned off the main trail and headed for a small ridge. Jack brought the rover to a halt at the base of the ridge.

“I’m sure there will be quite a view,” said Jack as he brought the rover to a halt and climbed out. He extended his hand to help her out of the rover—not that she needed the help, but she was perfectly content to give him her hand. They walked hand in hand up the rocky slope. At one point, April slipped. With the reflexes befitting a fighter pilot, Jack caught her and hefted her in his arms.

“Are you trying to sweep me off my feet, Lieutenant?”

Jack smiled. “Is it working?”

“More than you know…” she said softly. Almost magnetically their heads moved closer together. The sudden jolt of their helmet visors smashing into one another snapped them back to reality. There was an awkward moment of embarrassment in which Jack set her back down.

They continued up the slope. Trying to reset the mood, Jack put his arm around her. She responded in kind. Once they had reached the top of the ridge that had a perfect view of the red rocky Martian plains. Demos and Phobos, Mars’ asteroid like moons hung in the star studded sky. April leaned her helmeted head against Jack’s shoulder. Jack then took her in his arms as she looked up into his face.

“Where have you been all my life?” asked Jack.

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” replied April.

Jack then noticed a large group of people in space suits running down a path that ran across the forward base of the ridge.

“What’s going on there?” he asked.

“Those are Space Force Marines and Martian Colonial Troopers. It looks like they’re on a field hike.”

Jack shuddered. He remembered basic training and all the field hikes he had been put through by Sergeant Ferch. He imagined how awful it would be to have to do it in a space suit like those guys.

Suddenly, April’s personal transmitter beeped. Someone was trying to call her. She was lucky that the particular model of space suit she was wearing had a feature that would patch the communication threw to her helmet. Otherwise she would have had no way to answer it. The voice of Captain Doran was electronically piped into her helmet.

“Come in, Commander.”

“This is Commander Kelley, go ahead Captain.”

“Commander, report back to city hall at once. You’re needed. Is Mr. Thunder and Mr. Knight with you?”

“Lieutenant Thunder is, but Commander Knight went to a transmitter station.”

“Very well, report back with Thunder. I’ll contact Knight.”

“Understood, Captain.” She turned to face Jack.

“We’ve got to go.”

With a sigh he nodded.

Captain Doran and Major Travis were waiting on the front steps of City Hall as Jack and April pulled up in the solar car.

“It’s about time!” said Captain Doran as he and Major Travis got into the back seat. “Get us to a turbo car station! We must reach the Martian Colonial Defense Force Command Center!”

“What’s going on, Captain?” asked Jack.

“The enemy may be on the move.”

“What about Lt. Commander Knight?” asked April. “He’s probably already there, now step on it!” They then sped off for the turbo car station.

Trey was never able to send his message. Just before he would have reached the end of the line, Doran had called him and told him to go with Duke to the Command Center of the Martian Colonial Defense Force. He was in a turbo car with Duke, headed at full speed through one of the tunnels. They were only moments from their destination.

Unlike the other turbo car tunnels which were transparent so that you could look out over the Martian landscape, this particular tunnel was below ground. It was dimly lit and had rocky walls. The Command Center was a large compound on the other side of the Olympus Mons. It was a veritable fortress, built on the rocky edge of the solar system’s largest mountain. It was the brain from which all of Mars’s defenses were directed.

The turbo car began to decelerate and it came to a halt in the turbo car station. A Colonial Trooper was waiting on the platform as they got out of the turbo car. The trooper saluted Gordon.

“Sir, Commander Wells is waiting for you in the control room.”

“Very well,” said Duke. Duke and Trey entered the elevator and took it up two levels to the control room.

The control room was a large combat information center. Strategic specialists were busy at the various control consoles. The front of the room was lined with windows that looked out on the outside world. A large view screen covered the back wall.

Commander Wells, a trim gray headed man with an equally gray mustache approached them. He was wearing a well-made but simple black uniform. He was the commander of the Martian Colonial Defense Force.

“Ah Mr. Gordon you have arrived.” Wells spoke with a nearly English accent.

“Yes, sir. You’ve met Lieutenant Commander Knight.”

“Of course. It’s been a while Mr. Knight.”

“Yes, sir,” replied Trey.

“What is going on Commander?” asked Duke.

“Well gentlemen if you would take a look at this screen here you’ll notice that three groups of enemy craft have left the Saturn zone and are headed towards the inner Solar System.”

“How many ships and what type?” asked Trey.

“Our scans indicate that they are fighters. It appears five per group, fifteen in all.”

“I wouldn’t bet on it,” said Trey. “The last time they did something like this their ships flew together in close formation with each other. They managed to trick our radar scanners into believing there were only half as many as there really were. I’ll wager they’re trying to do it again.”

“Slippery little devils aren’t they,” said Duke.

“Slippery and ruthless,” said Trey. He then turned to Commander Wells

“Can you compute where they are heading?”

“According to our calculations, the first group is headed straight for the center of the Solar System. It’s almost as if they are headed for the sun itself. The second group is on a direct course for Earth.”

“And the third?” asked Duke.

“They’re on their way here. We’ve readied a full colonial fighter wing to intercept them. That’s why we called you here Lt Commander Gordon”

“What about Earth,” asked Trey.

“The forces on Earth have been put on full alert,” said Commander Wells. “There’s a shuttle waiting to take you up to Phobos base, Gordon.”

“Mind if I tag along, Duke?”

“Always happy to have company, Trey.”

“I better let the Captain know.”

“Captain Doran is on his way,” said Wells. “I’ll inform him you’ve gone along when he arrives.”

Then Trey had a thought. “He’s on his way now? He probably has Jack with him. We could use his help,” said Trey turning to Duke.

“There’s no time,” said Wells. “If we are going to intercept the enemy before they reach the Mars zone then you must go now.”

“Alright,” said Trey. “Let’s do this.” He then headed for the shuttle hangar with Duke.

Chapter Twenty

D
uke flew the shuttle and as they left the atmosphere they approached Phobos, one of Mars’ two asteroid like moons. Phobos served as the primary orbital base of the Martian Colonial Defense Force.

“So when is the last time you flew a Colonial Fighter?” asked Duke as they made their final approach.

“It’s been a while,” replied Trey. “But I think it’ll come back to me pretty quick.”

As they got out of the shuttle, a whole group of Colonial pilots greeted them.

“All right Duke...” said one of them. “We’ve been put on full alert what’s going on. Are the aliens coming?”

“They are, and we’re the welcoming committee. This is Lt Commander Knight. He’s with the Space Force. He’ll be coming along. He’s gone up against these jokers before, so listen to him.”

The pilots all turned their attention to Trey.

“Alright guys, listen up,” said Trey. “We’ll be going up against between five and ten Zidian Fighters. Many of you have seen action before against pirates. This will not be the same. The Zidians are not cowards who run from a target that fights back. They are aggressive and ruthless dogfighters. Their fighters out gun Star Swords and Colonial Fighters alike, so don’t try and go nose to nose with them. Your only advantage will be your maneuverability. You can’t out fight them. You have to out fly them. Stick close and watch each other’s back. Don’t stray too far.”

“Alright men, man your ships!” yelled Duke.

The pilots then headed for their fighters. Trey and Duke quickly got into flight suits and went to the hangar.

“Alright Trey, here we go, just like the old days!”

“Just like the old days,” replied Trey.

The two men then climbed into the cockpits of their Martian Colonial Fighters. Trey strapped himself into the seat and closed the cockpit. The cockpit of the Colonial Fighter was much more cramped than the cockpit of a Star Sword. The controls were different, but in a way simpler. The craft itself was smaller than a Star Sword and carried lighter weapons. Trey found himself wishing for his own fighter.

He flipped some switches and the fighter’s systems came on line. Unlike the Saratoga, there were no launch tunnels to fly through. Instead the hangar was cleared of people and decompressed. A large door then opened, revealing the barren cratered surface of Phobos. One by one the Martian Colonial Fighters erupted out of the hangar at full speed. Duke’s flew out first, followed by Trey’s and eighteen other fighters. The group of Colonial Fighters then set a course to intercept the incoming Zidians.

Jack, April, Doran, and Travis were in a speeding turbo car minutes away from the Command Center. Captains Hudson and Slobadik, and Admiral Shirley were in a turbo car directly in front of them.

“We haven’t had time to prepare all of Mars’ defenses,” said Doran.

“If they hit us with all they’ve got now, it will be a disaster!”

“We’ve received plenty of replacement pilots and Star Swords” said Travis.

“Yes, but they’re not combat ready yet,” replied Doran. “I had hoped to have time to at least give them some preparation for facing the enemy. I was going to have Knight and Thunder program a simulation. But if the enemy are making their move now, then most our boys will be facing them raw and green.”

The turbo cars sped through the tunnel and came to a stop inside the Command Center. The entire party followed Admiral Shirley up to the Control Room where Commander Wells was waiting on them.

“Ah good to see you gentlemen.”

Doran took in the image on the screen. Wells began to fill them in.

“As you can see, the enemy has apparently dispatched three reconnaissance teams into the inner Solar System. One of the groups appears to be headed here. We have launched a full wing of Colonial Fighters to intercept them before they arrive.”

“What about the other alien fighter groups?” asked Doran.

“We’re coordinating with American Space Forces around Earth, as well as the Russians and the Japanese. They will intercept the other groups.”

“How many Zidian ships are we talking about here, Commander?” asked Admiral Shirley.

“The recon groups each appear to be composed of five ships each. However, before he left, Lt Commander Knight seemed to think they might be using some sort of trick to hide their true numbers.”

“That’s right,” said Jack. “They’re capable of flying in very tight formations that can fool our scanners. What do you mean before he left? Where is Trey?”

“He is flying one of the Colonial Fighters,” stated Wells.

“What?” He turned to face the view screen that showed the Colonial fighters and Zidian scouts drawing closer together. He was very distressed. He and Trey had become very close comrades. They had come to rely on each other, and to watch one another’s back. And more importantly he had become Jack’s friend—his best friend now that Red was gone.

Now he’s off to face those alien monsters without me.
Jack turned to Doran. “Captain we have got to send more help!”

“We have dispatched twenty fighters,” said Admiral Shirley in a voice that said he thought that was enough.

Jack continued to speak to Doran.

“Sir, there could very well be twice as many enemy craft as our scanners show. If so, then those Colonial Fighters won’t stand a chance!”

Captain Hudson spoke next. “He’s right.”

“All the new Star Swords have yet to be deployed to the carriers,” interjected Captain Slobadik.

Jack looked his Captain in the eye. “Sir, send me back to the Saratoga and I’ll take my Star Sword and provide support.”

“Alone?” asked Slobadik.” Doran saw the determination in Jack’s eyes and admired his courage and loyalty. He was very proud of his young pilot. He was about to grant permission, when he heard Admiral Shirley speak.

“Actually, he won’t have to go alone.” Shirley had been standing at one of the control panels checking orbital deployments. “There is a Space Force launch platform in orbit that has been garrisoned with five Star Swords but only three of them are flight ready. There are a couple of rookie pilots up there who are probably asleep at the switch. Take command of them and assist the Colonial fighters Lieutenant Thunder.”

“Yes sir!” said Jack and hurried for a shuttle.

April felt a deep dread.

Here we go again.

Trey and Duke led the Colonial Fighters on an intercept course. Trey felt insecure in his fighter. It seemed so weak and fragile when compared to a Star Sword. Although its normal speed was actually faster than a Star Sword’s, it lacked the crucial boost ability.

Suddenly the perimeter alarm sounded. The scanners showed that they were only a minute away from visual range of the Zidian ships.

Duke was actually hyped up and excited. Ever since the pirates had been eradicated, he had been stuck in the boring monotony of a peace time defense force. Now was his chance to get back in the action.

“Alright men, we’re coming up on the aliens now. Give them all you got!”