Ep.#14 - "The Weak and the Innocent" (The Frontiers Saga) (7 page)

“Both field generators are intact,” Commander Eckert reported.

“And their energy buffers?”

Comma
nder Eckert tapped buttons on his data pad as he searched for the answer. “Maybe ten percent, but they’re falling… Something is draining them. It just dropped to nine percent.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I’m kind of limited with what I can do here.”

“How long until they’re dead?”

“Hard to say,” the commander replied. “Five minutes, ten minutes. I’m just guessing, really.”

“Why did they go offline to begin with?” Captain Nash wondered.

“Maybe a bad connection? We were taking damage at the time.”

“Or too many failed emitters,” Nash said, concerned. He looked at Eckert. “I don’t suppose you can check the emitters with that thing?”

“No way.”

“
Attention to the Earth vessel,
” a heavily accented voice called over both their comm-sets. “
I am Major Goya of the Jar-Benakh. Those alive must respond.
”

“The Jar what?” Captain Nash said.

“Jar means battleship in Jung,” Commander Eckert clarified.

“How the hell did they tap into our internal comms?” the captain wondered.

“
We are aware of you…
”

“Damn right he is,” Nash muttered as he listened.

“
…and we offer you to surrender to us now.
”

“I’m pretty sure this clown didn’t score too high in his English classes,” Captain Nash said as he tapped his comm-set. “This is Captain Robert Nash, of the gunship…uh…Pequod. I can’t understand what you are saying.”

“Pequod?” Commander Eckert wondered.

Nash turned in surprise. “You never read Moby Dick?”

“Moby what?”

“
You to sur-rend-dur to me, on now, to here
…
Or to you is death of pain.
”

“Not to be rude, Major, but your English sucks,” Nash replied over his comm-set. “If you want to discuss the terms of your surrender, you’re going to have to find someone that can speak English a whole lot better than you. No disrespect intended, of course.” Nash addressed Eckert. “How long until we can jump?”

Eckert stared blankly, unable to respond.

“How long?” Nash repeated, smacking the commander on the shoulder so he’d snap back into focus.

“I don’t know, a few minutes, I guess. I just have to find the commands in the database, load them, and then send an execute command, but…”

“
Sur-rend-doer on this moment, or pain will be coming to you into the best… Ack! Worst of places… Ja! Pain to the worst!
”

“Please, get someone who can speak English properly, or I’m gonna open fire and blow your dumb ass to pieces just to shut you up! You’re getting on my nerves!”

Commander Eckert stared at his captain. “Sir, is it really necessary to antagonize them like that? I mean…”

“Fuck’em,” Nash scoffed. “Get that thing ready to jump us out of here.”

“Sir, if all the emitters fire…”

“I know, we’ll tear the ship apart and we’ll be dead. We’re pretty much dead no matter what we do here, Skeech. With any luck, the breakup will ignite our propellant tanks and blow us to hell, maybe even set off the charges on the field generators.”

Commander Eckert turned his attention back to his data pad as he began preparing the starboard jump field generator for the jump. “And if by some miracle, we happen to survive the jump, then what? All the EVA gear is forward, in the unpressurized areas.”

“There’s a maintenance crawler aft, remember?” Nash reminded him. “We can use that.”

“What’s to stop the Jung from following us?” Eckert wondered. “We’re likely only going to jump a few light minutes, an hour at the most.”

“We’re hull to hull right now,” Nash said. “We’ll probably take a hunk out of their hull when we jump. That might slow them down a bit.”

Eckert continued punching in commands on his data pad. “I think I’d like to change my vote back to
insane
again, sir.”

* * *

Commander Telles crouched down low as Falcon Four streaked overhead, blasting the rooftops to their left with their nose
-mounted turret. Streaks of rapidly fired bolts of plasma energy struck the rooftop, sending debris in all directions as both man and building were torn apart. Telles kept his head low, barely peeking over the edge of the large section of fallen building that was providing his cover. Falcon Four pitched up and banked slightly right, disappearing in a flash of blue-white light as two shoulder-launched chaser missiles streaked upward toward them from the rooftops on their right.

Two more thunderous claps announced the arrival of more jump ships from the north.

“
Combat Eight coming in from the north,
” the pilot of the first combat jump shuttle reported.

“
Combat Three coming in behind Eight,
” the second pilot added.

“
Combats Eight and Three, maintain one hundred meters until Falcon Four finishes their next pass, then descend to Kato Two for evac,
” the controller in the command bunker instructed. “
Watch for chasers.
”

“
Eight staying above one hundred for Falcon Four, watching for chasers.
”

“I hate chasers,
” the pilot for Combat Three grumbled.

More energy weapons fire began to rain down on the commander and his men from the rooftop to their right, forcing them to duck down tight. Several men tried to return fire, taking hits that their body armor could barely absorb.

“Where the fuck are all these guys coming from?” Master Sergeant Jahal barked.

“
Bulldog One, ten kilometers, southeast at one four thousand, ready to jump in for evac.
”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” Commander Telles replied as he raised his weapon just enough to get a string of shots off at the roofline to their right.

“
Bulldog One, Control, got you on the scope,
” the controller’s voice called over the commander’s helmet comms.
“Maintain approach, I’ll call your jump into Kato Two.
”

“
Bulldog One, on approach. Copy you’ll call my jump into Kato Two.
”

Several bolts of energy slammed into the large section of building debris that Commander Telles was hiding behind, striking on either side of his head. The third one ricocheted off the top of his helmet, causing the tactical display on the inside of his visor to disappear. “My TDS is down!” he called to his master sergeant.
These fuckers can shoot
, he grudgingly admitted as he returned fire.

One of the Ghatazhak soldiers on the other side of Jahal took several shots in the chest and neck, tossing him onto his back. The master sergeant scrambled over to him, reaching for his neck to check for a pulse.

“Teichert’s dead!” he called out.

Another jump flash occurred directly behind Commander Telles, announced by a deafening thunder followed by a powerful wave of displaced air. Falcon Four streaked over their heads again, firing their nose turret at the Jung troops on the rooftops to their right.

“Give me his helmet!” the commander replied as debris from Falcon Four’s attack rained down on them.

As Falcon Four disappeared in another jump flash, the master sergeant removed the dead man’s helmet, checked it over quickly, then turned to the commander. “Heads up!” he shouted as he tossed the helmet toward his leader.

Commander Telles caught the helmet with ease. He waited several seconds for the debris to finish falling around them, then removed his helmet and quickly put on the one the master sergeant had thrown to him. The helmet automatically extended its umbilical into the top of the commander’s backpack and came to life, painting the tactical data onto the inside of the commander’s helmet visor. “I’m good!” he yelled, giving his master sergeant a thumbs-up.

“
Telles, Control. Jojo and Tongo are both clear. We’re all that’s left on the ground.
”

“What about Combat Seven?” Telles demanded.

“
They put down on the other side of the lake, far from any unfriendlies. They’ve already detonated. I’ve got two Falcons flying cover until someone comes back from Porto Santo to pick them up.
”

The energy weapons fire had ceased after Falcon Four’s last pass, and Telles and his men were able to stand again. The commander signaled Master Sergeant Jahal to position the men to keep an eye on the roof lines on either side, just in case. “Very well,” he replied over his helmet comms. “Shutdown and double-time it to Kato Two.”

“
Copy that. Control to all units. We are shutting down and bugging out. Everyone rally at Kato Two. Good luck.
”

Commander Telles scanned the skies above. He could still hear the exchange of weapons fire from the far side of the command bunker. “Brakar One Seven, Telles. Sitrep?”

“
Telles, One Seven. Holding off about a dozen of the fuckers to our north and west. TDS shows another twenty or so two clicks north, moving toward us.
”

“Copy. Hold until command bunker is clear, then move to Kato Two for evac.”

“
One Seven, copies.
”

“New movement!” Master Sergeant Jahal barked as he swung his energy rifle up to fire at the distant roofline. “Check your TDS! Check your TDS!” he yelled urgently as he opened fire.

“One One, Telles. Sitrep!” the commander called over the din of weapons fire.

“
Telles, One One, taking fire from the rooftops to the south. We’ve got no shot! Pinned down!”

“
Combat Eight, Telles. Take out targets on the rooftops south of Micker Three! Then circle west and take out the targets in the street west of Micker Four!”

“
Combat Eight, engaging targets on rooftops south of Micker Three and in street west of Micker Four,
” the pilot responded. “
On first targets in thirty seconds.
”

“Combat Three, Telles. Targets in the street, north of Micker Four are yours. Then clear the roof tops around Kato Two again!”

“
Combat Three, inbound for targets north of Micker Four, in the street, then on the roofs around Kato Two. Weapons live in twenty seconds.
”

“All jumpers, your targets are dangerously close! Call your shots. Call your shots!”

“
Combat Eight, copies.
”

“
Combat Three, copies.
”

Commander Telles noticed a dozen green dots moving up behind him on his tactical display. He glanced behind him to confirm that they were the technicians from the command bunker. Each of them had donned torso armor and helmets, and carried energy rifles of Corinari design. “Bulldog One, Telles. Start your approach. I’ll call your inbound jump.”

“
Combat Eight! Danger close! Micker Three! Heads down!
”

Commander Telles turned to his right, looking southwest as Combat Jumper Eight swooped in low over the top of the now abandoned command bunker, firing all of their weapons at the rooftops on either side. It was an impressive array of firepower with eight separate barrels spewing forth bolts of red plasma energy.

“
Bulldog One is starting final. Understand you’ll call our inbound jump.
”

“
Combat Three! Danger close! Micker Three! Heads down!
”

“Stay here!” Telles ordered the fleeing controllers from the command bunker, gesturing for them to get down. “Hunker down and cover your ears!” he ordered as his men continued to fire at the distant roof lines to the east.

“
Combat Eight! Targeting the streets west of Micker Four!
”

“
Combat Three! Clearing the roofs south of Kato Two!
”

“Brakars One One and One Seven, Telles!” the commander called as Combat Jumper Three streaked overhead and opened fire on the rooftops south of the commander’s position. “Move to Kato Two. Now, now, now!”

“
One One moving to Kato Two!
”

“
One Seven moving to Kato Two!
”

“Bulldog One!” the commander yelled over his comms. “Jump, jump, jump!” He turned to his men. “Heads down!” he yelled as he took cover.

“
Bulldog One, jumping to Kato Two. Heads down, gentlemen,
” the pilot announced calmly.

The entire landing zone lit up with brilliant blue-white light, then disappeared as all other sounds were drowned out by the roar of another wave of air. The effect was disorienting to most, even to the Ghatazhak. When a heavy cargo shuttle jumped in that low, the shock wave could knock the air out of a man’s lungs.

Four screaming engine pods of the cargo jumper instantly replaced the sudden clap of thunder as it hovered only twenty meters above them, descending at an alarming rate.

“
Combat Jumpers, Falcon Four!
” Loki’s voice called out over the comms. “
Bandits on the rooftops, two blocks to the north and south of the LZ! They’ve got chasers!
”

“
Three, circling south to engage!
”

“
Eight is taking the ones to the north!
”

“
Bulldog One, setting down,
” the pilot announced as the cargo jump shuttle neared the surface. Its gear doors slid open, and four double-wheeled gears dropped down into position. The shuttle bounced slightly on its gear struts, its engines rapidly spinning down to idle as the shuttles aft loading ramp swung down into position.

“
Combat Eight! Four chasers on your six!
” Loki cried out. “
Jump, jump, jump!
”

“Go, go, go!” Commander Telles ordered, gesturing for everyone to board the shuttle. He turned to his left, spotting Combat Eight as it banked hard. One of the four chaser missiles pursuing the combat jump shuttle slammed into its aft starboard engine just as its jump field started to form. The shuttle rolled to the right, yawing in the same direction due to a sudden loss of thrust, the forward section of the shuttle disappeared in a blue-white flash, leaving the aft section behind to tumble aimlessly to the ground.

“
Combat Eight is down!
” Loki reported. “
Eight is down, hard!
”

There was an explosion a few blocks away as the tail of Combat Eight struck a building. Telles turned and saw his last two squads running around the corner of the command bunker, on their way to the cargo shuttle. Seconds later, there was another explosion a few kilometers to the northeast.