The Battle for the Ringed Planet (45 page)

Instantly Martin turned to Thomas, “I want Spacemasters out there with a fighter escort, let’s recover those pilots.”

“The hanger bay is a mess, sir ...”

“I don’t care! Dump out anything in the way, the longer you take, pilots will die!”

“Aye, sir!”

Glancing back at Siiri, his voice a little calmer, “Is he alive?”

“Yes.”

“We’ll get him.” Then he gave her a hard stare, “What is all this. Please explain what just happened.”

“It is better if Kayla does.” Then she closed her eyes, and they returned to her normal azurite blue.

Without warning, an image appeared near the front of the bridge, next to the holo. The creature had large round eyes and an elongated head, with thin arms and legs, taller than most humans by over a foot, addressing them in English, “I am Kayla. We live in the rings.”

The bridge crew, including Admiral Martin Bennion, stared transfixed. The marine who had lost his rifle drew a pistol and strode up to the admiral to protect him, but the commander waved him off, “No, that won’t be necessary.”

“We arrived here millennia ago from a stricken planet. We do not know where the others of our world went, as we were only one contingent. I commanded a military vessel, an escort to a great ark. We created a city of refuge, Reega, under the rings on the planet below. It thrived for a long time and we, mostly scientists, experimented as we had on our old world. We found ways to transcend our limited lifespan and live longer. That was our downfall, for the second part of the procedure never materialized and failed, and we became trapped. We tried to warn others, but they would not listen and hoped for a correction. But it never happened.”

Kayla then stepped forward a little, and a look like sadness crept over her long thin face, “Then your people arrived. They must have known we existed, at least in the city. Gifted beings, experimenting with their minds as we had done, they provided a doorway for us. What followed was an atrocity that my people committed against yours. We destroyed your colony with our passions and desires. I do not speak for all my people, for some still commit those crimes. A majority is remorseful and wishes to repent of their evil. We hope to establish contact and have technology, medicine, and other advances of knowledge at your disposal. We only ask that you aid us in helping us become free.”

   A period of silence dominated the members of the bridge crew absorbing the fantastic tale. Finally, Martin stepped forward, glancing at Agent Tass, and then back at Kayla, “I am not in authority to negotiate any sort of agreement, but I can promise you that this victory you have given us will go a long way to settle your concerns.”

Kayla nodded, “The girl, Siiri … she is special to me. I wish that she be freed of any restraints, and that man she loves may be restored to her.”

“Thomas …”

“Two Spacemasters with a two flights of Starhawks have deployed.”

“Thank you Admiral. One other thing, there are still your people on the planet, possessed in our empty city, and her people safe underground.”

“That will be taken care of, I promise.”

“You will not be happy when you go there.”

“We will be fair in our dealings.”

“I thank you for that. I will take my leave for now. I hope our relationship will be peaceful.”

“As do I,” he replied and then Kayla vanished.

Martin glanced at Tass, “Probably a little more than you were hoping for ...”

The agent swallowed and nodded, “I’ll say.”

--

“A Spacemaster is approaching with a flight of Starhawks.” Monica studied the display on the inside of her visor and brought up a holo on her cockpit control panel to make sure.

Nathan replied quickly, “You’re serious?” 

“Siiri wouldn’t leave me out here.” Torian sighed happily.

“They have three recovered live pilots, 2 prisoners, and a few dead. I’m talking with the Starhawk flight leader now.”

The looming Spacemaster with the boxlike body attached to the titanium spine spun elegantly so that the rear section with the ramp down faced the trio. A man in an armored combat utility suit with a plasma canon hanging from the top of the door waved them over. Scorch marks on the ramp and inner walls bore evidence that not all drifting pilots wanted to be rescued.

“I’ll see you inside the hanger. I’m going to hang out with the Starhawks.” Monica waved from the cockpit as Torian broke away towing Nathan towards the Spacemaster.

“Just because we broke ours …,” Nathan grinned back.

At the ramp, Torian observed several marines with their armored combat utility suits watching over two figures in black sitting with restrainers clamped to their arms on the row of seats. There were several other figures draped in a navy colored covering clamped to the floor and three fleet Starhawk pilots grinning back at him, two from different squadrons and one from the Black Knights.

Waving as he secured his footing, a medic came up to him, “You all right, sir?”

“Yeah, my friend injured his arm. Looks like you had some action here.”

“Suicide by plasma canon.”

Nathan came up and showed the medic the deflated arm while he produced a Con and scanned, “Compression fracture of the radius and ulna, there’s still time to save it, take a seat and relax. I’ll pump in something for the pain you feel when your suit arm decompresses.”

Taking a seat next to a marine he nodded as he strapped himself in, “What happened?”

The marine shrugged, “You won’t believe it. Some pretty little thing took control of the whole cruiser and defeated the Immortal Fleet. Scuttlebutt says she an alien.”

--

“You were wrong about her, Val,” the admiral, Lars, and the chief medical officer stood next to Siiri on the observation room of the hangar bay.

“Alone she has no abilities, but with that alien, and the rings …”

Agent Tass stood behind them immersed in his Con, “This is too much!”

The once neat line of fighters, Hawkeyes, and Spacemasters was a jumbled mess. Parts of space craft were strewn all over as well as the wreckage of several Starhawks that had raced to get inside before enemy fighters took them out. There was even a burnt hulk of a Solvair mixed in with the other wrecks. Technicians had cleared away most of the damaged vessels to make room for the ones that still functioned.

“How many pilots were rescued?” Val turned to Martin.

“Last report, 14 live, 23 bodies, ours, and 7 prisoners, 8 bodies, theirs ... some of our pilots were strafed with plasma canons.”

“How many injured?”

“You won’t be that busy this time, Val.”

“Here comes a Spacemaster now.” Lars remarked and the bulky spacecraft floated along the hangar floor until it got to a designated spot. The Starhawks, five in all, followed.

“Is that him?” Siiri asked eagerly.

“That’s his Spacemaster,” Lars answered. “The other one is due in about 5 minutes.”

She did not wait to hear, rushing down the stairs into the bay past technicians and marines. Several pilots exited the big vessel through the back door ramp and began walking towards the observation room stairs. One of them removed his helmet and let his non-regulation wavy chocolate brown hair fly free damp with sweat. He caught sight of flying blonde hair in a navy flight suit running towards him and he extended his arms grinning. Siiri launched into him and they both spun around locked together hungrily kissing each other.

“Sort of against regulations,” Lars postured watching through the window.

“Undoubtedly.” Then Martin sighed, “Makes me miss my wife.”

“That’s for sure.”

Then they turned their attention to the Starhawk pilots climbing out of their fighters, and Martin glanced at Lars, “We need a Hawkeye pilot.”

Pointing at a female figure letting her long red hair free from her helmet, Lars replied, “That one, Valkrie.”

“Go tell her the good news. She has to rendezvous with the rest of the fleet. Make sure Thomas uploads all the data to her ship, no one is going to believe her.”

“I still don’t believe it.”

Finally parting from her lips, Torian gazed into her blue eyes, “What did you do?”

“What do you mean? I saved you!”

“That and then some! You broke the Immortal Fleet!”

“Was that bad?”

“Well, for them. I can’t believe I’m here with you!”

“It was Kayla. I’ll tell you all about her. She possessed me and let me go. Oh Torian, she says if I leave this system, there will be no more.”

“No more?”

“No more of this!” she pointed to her head. “It will all be gone!” With both hands on his shoulders, she pulled herself up to kiss him again.

“Let’s go talk to our friends up there, they owe you,” both Torian and Siiri ascended the stairs and approached the Admiral and the chief medical officer, along with the SIS agent standing aloof.

When they both walked through the sliding side door, Martin strode up with his hand extended, “Welcome back son.”

“Thank you Admiral. Have you told the ground troops?”

“Yes, they were following the battle on holo. Everyone is still in disbelief.” Then he nodded to Siiri, “Thanks to you.”

“And Kayla,” Siiri reminded him.

Then Torian got to the point, “What now, with her?”

Glancing back at Agent Tass who peered up from his Con, “She saved my ship and defeated the Immortal Fleet; I am in your debt. What do you need?”

“Citizenship on Kanata for Siiri and refuge status for her people … Kanata takes refuges.” Torian demanded.

Turning back to Agent Tass, Martin pointed, “Only he can grant citizenship, but I can handle the refugee status.”

Slowly walking up to the agent, Torian folded his arms, “Well?”

“It’s not that easy, I mean, that’s a lot screen work.”

“Agent Tass,” Martin sighed, “There are 500 people on this cruiser glad to be alive because of her. The screen work for an SIS agent accidently sucked out an air lock is considerably less.”

“Right, citizenship it is.”

Peering over his shoulder at the agent’s Con, Torian remarked, “Oh, and she needs a little reward money for saving your sorry ass and defeating the Immortal Fleet.”

“All right,” he touched some screens and moved some figures into an account.

“Torian, it’s all right,” Siiri began.

“A little more than that, after all, she gave you an alien race to study. You’ll probably become king of the SIS.”

“Fine, how is that?”

“Better.”

“Lieutenant McCallum, and Siiri, a word,” Martin motioned them aside.

They walked with the admiral out of earshot of the agent, “What is it Admiral?”

“Word of what happened here needs to get back to earth. I need someone to pilot a Hawkeye to Alpha Centari.”

“I’m at the end of my tour …”

“Let me finish. Bring her with you. Your discharge file will accompany with you, along with your back pay. I will make sure Tass marks her file as Top Secret, so no one will be nosy. And I’ll include fare for a ticket to Kanata.”

“Really?”

“Freshen up first, get a meal in you, get your stuff, and get on your way. That one is yours.” He pointed to the lone undamaged Hawkeye on the Hanger floor.

A wide grin formed on the young pilot’s lips, “Mission accepted, sir!” He saluted and the Admiral grinned back.

Then the military leader turned to give Siiri a hug, “You take care, Kanata is a nice place, boring and full of farmers.”

“I’m going to like it then,” she hugged him back.

An hour later after a fast meal and minimal freshening up he climbed into the Hawkeye followed by Siiri who glanced around at the interior, “I remember the first time I was inside one of these.”

“You were so friendly.”

“Sky Demon!”

He grinned back at her, “You can sit up front.” He actually preferred piloting from the rear seat, where he had learned from Tristan, “You’re going to be my co-pilot.”

“Forever?”

“Aye, forever,” after helping Siiri with her straps he glanced out of the transteel cockpit and saw Tristan standing there with his full flight suit and ribbons, including the ones he had been given posthumously, raising his arm for a salute. Torian had a melancholy look as he watched the apparition of his dead friend.

Then Tristan gave him thumbs up, and Torian returned the gesture, “Take care, old friend, I won’t forget you,” he whispered to himself.

“Wow, look at all these panels of lights!” Siiri was like a little child with a new toy.

“They’re disabled for you.” Then he thought about something, “and don’t touch that lever on your left, that’s the ejection control, or they’ll be scrapping us off the ceiling of the hangar.”

“Ouch, that would be nasty.”

“Especially for the clean up crew.” He began to fire up the systems, “Ok, going to lift off, ready?”

“I’m used to this part now. It’s the tunneling thing I’m worried about.”

“That should be interesting.”

“Aren’t you supposed to say something comforting, like, don’t worry, darling, it will be all right?”

“Don’t worry darling, it will be all right,” then he chuckled.

“That doesn’t sound reassuring!”

He wanted to say good-bye to Monica, but owing to the tactical situation, she left in her Hawkeye with Sergeant Matthew Blocker right away. Moments later, they were free of the Hanger Bay and steering around the Europa that had maneuvered outside the rings. Before tunneling out there was one more thing he wanted to do. Skillfully he turned the Hawkeye to the nearest dark enemy cruiser. Yawing the vessel lazily he brought it close to the bridge of the cruiser.

“What are you doing?” Siiri inquired when he flicked on the cockpit lights.

“Copy what I do.” He held up his hand with the middle finger extended so that every angry enemy person on the bridge could see. Siiri giggled and did the same.

An exasperated voice interrupted them through the Hawkeye’s Comm, it was Admiral Bennion, “McCallum, what are you doing?”

“Just saying hello, Admiral”

“If one of those fanatics straps a bomb to his suit and launches out an airlock at you …”

“I didn’t think of that.”

“That’s why I’m an Admiral, now get going before I change my mind!”