The Battle for the Ringed Planet (42 page)

“You don’t look so good,” he whispered.

“Not a good idea sitting next to me, I think I’m going to throw up …”

But the serious expression on the CAG’s dark face got Torian’s attention, and when the commander dropped his unlit cigar reading the text message floating above his Con, Torian knew there must trouble, “Listen up!”

All eyes turned to the lean man with hard black eyes, “The Immortal Fleet has entered the system. We are going to put up a fighter screen. I will be leading with Alpha Flight.” A collective gasp rose from the pilots surrounding the CAG in their seats. Monica bent over the other side away from Torian and proceeded to vomit.

“My thoughts exactly,” the CAG grimly announced, “Now, we are short one flight, I have orders that you Hawkeye pilots will be flying Starhawks, hopefully you’ve done some practice in simulators because your learning curve just became a cliff.”

A short buzz of voices followed but was quickly cut off as the Commander Marshall Skylin, the CAG, raised his hands, “Dekker will command Charlie Flight, Johnston, you’ve been on Starhawks before, you’re with Bravo.” Then he glanced at Torian, Monica and Lieutenant Mark Senzo, “You three will make up the rest of Charlie Flight. There are spare kites in the landing bay. Alfa, Bravo, and Delta flights will launch first, that will give Charlie a little time to get used to the Starhawks. Any questions?”

Lieutenant Nathan Johnston raised his hand, “How many fighters do they have?”

The CAG stared at him hard, “We have just under 100, and they have just under 300. But remember this!” he pointed his finger at them, “We are far better trained! We will take them out!” He folded his arms, “Now, to the hangar bay!”

Lieutenant Commander Declan ‘Dekker’ Stronn approached Monica and Torian, motioning Mark Senzo to join them, “Have you three flown Starhawks before?” No was the collective answer and Dekker sighed, “Ok, listen, Starhawks are very close to Hawkeyes, except, well, they’re faster, more maneuverable, and have a lot more firepower …” He paused for quick reflection, “…oh, and the ejection system control is on the other side, you probably want to remember that one.”

“Top of my list …” Torian muttered.

“Call signs, I’m Dekker, and I got Valkrie …” he glanced at Monica, “and Tang for Senzo… McCallum?”

“Sky Demon works for me.”

“Good, anyone fly formation?” they all lowered their heads.

“Flight school,” Monica piped up.

“Not me.” Torian added.

Dekker sighed again, “Right, stick close to me then.”

The ace pilot strode ahead following the other pilots while Senzo, or Tang, whispered to Monica in ear shot of Torian, “That guy dumps his wingman every time …”

“Oh …” Dekker turned back, “Tang, you’re my wingman, since you have the most flying time, and Sky Demon, you’re on Valkrie’s wing. Now let’s go.”

Torian glanced at Monica, “You going to be all right?”

“Sure, we’re flying kites we’ve never flown against three times as many fighters. It’s a good thing I have nothing else to throw up.”

The three former Hawkeye pilots slowly followed the rest out and when they got to the deck below down the ladder Torian turned to Monica, “I have to make another detour …”

“Make it quick, Torian!”

He sped down the corridors, up ladders, clanking with his boots as he rounded a corner to the Sick Bay and rushed through the double doors. Kavan Tass stood up as he entered the section where Siiri was held and strode to the wall while at the same time she rushed to meet him against the transparent barrier.

“Torian!”

“Siiri!” he swallowed.

“Darling, I know … it’s the Immortal Fleet!”

“They’ve ordered me on fighters so that we can give you time to get out …”

“No! Torian you’ve done your part …”

“Listen …” he stepped over to the door and glanced at Tass who nodded and opened it up, and then she rushed into his arms.

“No Torian, don’t do this!” her eyes began to fill with tears, “There are too many of them …”

But he clutched her arms and whispered close, “Remember what I told you … if I don’t make it back, bargain the secret about the aliens for citizenship … Siiri …” he choked on his words, “…anywhere you want to go …”

“I want to go with you!” she began to sob.

He lowered his head to hers, “I know …”

“Don’t go! Please! Stay here, even if they put you in prison you’ll be alive and I can see you …”

“No, I’m not like that …”

“Please! Don’t go!”

Then he held her chin and pressed his lips against hers and she pulled him close with her arms around his neck. And when they parted tears streamed down her cheeks and he was at a loss for words.

“Torian McCallum, I love you and will always. You come back to me!”

Slowly he nodded, and then whispered quickly, “Remember what I said.” Etched in his mind forever was the vision of her pretty form standing there in her oversized flight suit with red teary eyes.

The he turned and faced Tass, “If those bastards board this ship …”

“Then I’ll kill us both.”

Torian nodded and was about to leave when he noticed Agent Tass had extended his hand, “Good luck out there.”

A little surprised, the pilot took his hand, “You’re still an asshole. Thanks.”

--

Admiral Bennion faced a dozen floating screens with faces of other starship commanders as he gave out orders, but Captain William Chen’s hard dark eyes pleaded with the flag officer, “Marty, please put the Titan in line! I’ve still got two working turrets and shields!”

“Bill, you need that tunnel drive up and running, I have ordered Spacemasters to evacuate your non-essential crew …”

“It doesn’t matter where you put me, we’ll still be doing repairs.”

Martin sighed and rubbed his temple, “All right Bill, put the Titan in line next to the Prometheus.”

“Thank you, Marty.”

“The rest of you, I want a tight line formation with the God of War class cruisers on the far end flank. When I give the orders, you will tunnel out stating with the Juno. The Europa will be the last one out, and we’ll recover the fighters.”

“You’re the flag, Marty …” Brynn Mostyn, captain of the God of War battle cruiser, Camulos, began to object.

“That’s right Brynn, I’ll be passing that to you until we rendezvous.”

“It’s dangerous Marty, you can’t take all those fighters …”

“We’ll make room, those are my orders.” He glanced at Lars and then the floating screen with Colonel Benjamin Trilling, “I’m sorry Ben, we’re going to leave you high and dry.”

“I understand Marty. We have the Intel from the girl Siiri about the tunnels under the city, we can dig in.”

“The Immortal Fleet can field 10,000 troops. Have you secured the northern perimeter?”

“Almost, we’re on it, but we have several hundred prisoners, wasting our resources, and we have the coordinates for the civilian villagers, what do we do about them? I wouldn’t want them to fall into enemy hands.”

“I know. Ben, hold the city until relieved. Understand?”

“Yes Marty.”

“I know that you’ll be facing odds of 5 to 1, and that those are crappy orders, but there they are.”

“We’re marines, Marty, you can count on is.”

The Admiral nodded and then turned away, but he was not so sure, signing the man’s death sentence.

--

As Torian walked up to the sexy Starhawk fighter, coated in blue and white with the newly painted squadron logo on the tail, a Black Knight riding a horse with a lance, he saw a man in a combat utility suit with blue skin, curly blonde hair and a playful grin.

“You always wanted to fly Starhawks,” Tristan flashed him a grin.

“But not to my death.”

“What better way to die? I went out on a Hawkeye, now you’re going to one up me!”

“I hope you’re not going to give me a running score while I’m dodging black Solvairs …”

“Nah, I see you already got your gong!”

“Thanks to your stories of exploits, so I guess I owe you one.”

Then Tristan became solemn and reflective, “Friend, the only thing you owe me is staying alive.”

Torian nodded and noticed Monica approaching in her combat utility suit holding her helmet, “You better get your gear,” she cautioned.

“I’m on it.”

“I should be your wingman.”

“You have more formation than I do.”

Then they stood staring at each other before she spoke again, “Torian …” she hesitated.

“Hey!” he grinned and slapped her shoulder, “Let’s go kick some Solvair tails!”

She forced a smile, “You go see her?”

“Yeah. You got someone?”

“Had.”

He shrugged and then they both saw Dekker waving them to their fighters. Ground crews removed charging cables and the metal clamps from the landing skids as the pilots strode to the Starhawks lined up by flight. Torian nodded to the young female technician snapping a panel closed on Starhawk 532.

“Good luck, sir.”

“You, too,” he snapped on his utility belt, slipped on his helmet, and then climbed up the footrests into the tiny cockpit. He touched a few panel controls and the transteel shielded bubble canopy closed down over him tightly. The whole enclosure was a separate unit from the rest of the spacecraft to ensure maximum protection for the pilots. Starhawks were the most advanced fighters in the war, but Solvairs were more rugged, but both with equal weaponry and targeting.

“Charlie flight, check in.” Came Dekker’s voice over the intercom.

“Tang, all systems go.

“Valkrie, all systems go.”

“Skydemon, all systems go.”

“Ok, do exactly as I do and you’ll live. I have 53 kills and not one hit on my kite for a good reason. Don’t leave formation for anything!”

--

Tass brought up a holo, but with all the fighters forming up along the line of cruisers, it was difficult to tell which squadron or fighter was which. He could zero in on one or a small group for more information, “I have an audio feed from the Black Knight Squadron, and I can isolate it to Charlie Flight, where your boy is.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a tiny voice, fingering Torian’s dog tags around her neck.

“The Europa will collect all the fighters and we’ll be the last out, so he has a chance.”

“How close are we to the rings?”

Puzzled, Agent Tass danced his fingers across the holo and brought up a view of the 11 battle cruisers and the colorful ring of crystals and ice chunks, “Right behind us, the scanners detected some sort of radiation interference and the Admiral is using that as a screen for their scanners, though it’s a low yield, but a nice try.”

Siiri glanced out the porthole, opposite the rings she could not see, but the corners of her mouth formed a slight smile.

--

“All fighters in formation, Admiral,” Sergeant Thomas Mal reported, “Enemy fighters have been launched.”

“In coming request from the Camulos, sir,” Specialist First Class Rhonda Birk glanced up and Captain Brynn Mostyn’s red wavy haired face appeared on a floating screen near Admiral Bennion’s command chair.

“What is it, Brynn?”

“Marty, let me take the Peron and the Mars into a flanking position, our guns have greater range and can take out an entire cruiser in 2 or 3 shots.”

“Those God of war cruisers are vulnerable to fighters …”

“But we’re fast. We can hit them hard and pull back, drawing a considerable force of fighters off our Starhawks and give them breathing room.”

“It’s risky, Brynn.”

“We can go in and get out, and take out maybe half a dozen of their Emperor class cruisers. It will make them think and give us more time to tunnel out.”

Lars peered over at the Admiral, “I think it’ll work.”

“All right Brynn, move in.”

“Thanks, Marty!”

“Admiral!” Thomas brought his holo up to main viewing area, enlarged for all to see, “The Immortal Fleet is firing on one of their own!”

The bald metal skulled XO frowned as he walked up to the large 3 dimensional display that showed distant images of 2 dozen battle cruisers surrounding one lone silver colored vessel and firing repeatedly invisible plasma bursts causing red and orange hits. The other cruiser fired back disparately and scored a direct hit causing an explosion producing a flare of light. One of the Immortal Fleet’s battle cruisers ripped apart.

“An older Sultan class …” Thomas commented, but then his words cut off as another blinding flash clouded the holo, and he glanced at his flat panel display, “That was the Imperium sword class cruiser, it looks like they destroyed it.”

Gruffly Lars snorted, “I guess they’re not a big happy fleet.”

“No.” Admiral Martin Bennion replied, “The honor of the kill has to stay with the Immortal Fleet. So we won’t give them that.”

“Their fighters are advancing …” Sergeant Thomas Mal sighed.

--

“Keep it tight, Skydemon you’re drifting!” Dekker chastised Torian over the radio.

Torian saw the images and vectors of enemy fighters in his HUD and used eye lid blinking to change screens, all of which was so fast he wasn’t aware he was becoming separated.

“Charlie Flight!” came the CAG’s voice, “A squadron is breaking through, plug up the hole!”

“On it!” Dekker replied, “Follow me, and stay tight!” The deadly Starhawk with blue-ringed stripes rolled and the others followed with Torian staying close on Valkrie’s wing.

Dekker steered his fighter towards the center of a dozen Solvair fighters heading for the 4
^th
battle cruiser fleet. The other three fighters stuck close and like an arrowhead, they charged the enemy formation.

“Um …” Tang called with a worried tone, “We’re going to collide!”

“Stay close and fire when I say!” the fighter ace growled.

Skydemon turned and saw Valkrie peering at him through her cockpit bubble, and he swallowed.

--

Siiri squeezed against the transteel barrier glued to the hologram as Tass tried to track the jumble of fighters, clicking on the wrong squadron and trying to figure out where Charlie Flight was. He was not very good with holos she concluded, all they could see were dozens of black and blue fighters tumbling, twisting, shooting, and exploding. At least he got the audio feed right, and she cringed listening to the fighting.