Relic Tech (Crax War Chronicles) (45 page)

“Can’t get through to the gunboats, Captain, jamming.
Roberts
received.”

“It will do. Laser batteries, open fire. Fire at will.”

“They’re tearing into her,” I said. The scarred elbow was now blackened with gaping holes.

“Captain,” called Navigator Pidsadaki. “Incoming Crax fire. Recommend thruster burn to protect the engines.”

“Was McAllister able to rig the missiles for transmit targeting after launch?”

“Negative, sir. Too complex.”

“We need targeting to take down that destroyer.” The captain sounded incredibly calm. “Navigator, give us a three second margin of error. We’ll launch missiles, initiate spin. Calculate it.”

The
Kalavar
opened fire again, scoring on the same section.

“McAllister,” called the captain. “Affix coded transponder to one of the missiles. Relay vitals to
Roberts
.”

“Acknowledged, Captain.”

“
Roberts
,” called the captain. “Will have to initiate spin in fourteen seconds to protect our engines. Will lose targeting. Have affixed transponder to advanced missiles. Have your missiles chase.”

“Acknowledged,
Kalavar
. That’ll get ours close. Will continue to fire. Follow us through.”

“Laser battery, let’s make this last one count. One-hundred-ten percent power.”

“Acknowledged, Captain. Emergency overload.”

The
Roberts
’s point defense weapons began firing on the closing canisters. Denude of her reactive armor, she began to take hits.

“Dual beam lasers hit on ventral elbow. Pulse lasers opening up,” called the weapons engineer. “Aft missiles firing,”

“Initiating burn,” said the navigator. “All sections verify ready for impact, secured for hull breach.”

“We’ll see if Mer’s armor project pays dividends,” said the captain.

We hung on as the
Kalavar
spun 180 degrees. A patter of dull thuds sounded through the hull. “That’s the caustic canisters,” said Lori, holding her son close.

“I’ve seen the outer armor plating. It’s ugly and formidable.” I said a quick prayer.

One exterior camera still functioned. I focused it and forwarded the view to the navigator’s screen.

“Captain,” he said, “hull remains intact. Exterior armor port side sustained eighteen hits. Fourteen burn-throughs.” He paused. “Primary antigravity array damaged. Secondary antigravity network still intact.”

“Acknowledged. Initiate main engines, flank speed. Swing by the
Roberts
. Shuttle bay prepare to receive escape pods.”

The
Samuel Roberts
was dead in space, slowly tumbling with its forward momentum. “Looks like buckshot through a steel can.”

“Three of her missiles are trailing ours,” said Watts. “Four escape pods vectoring our way. Crax destroyer is opening up again, trying to disrupt escape pod retrieval.”

“She’ll do more than that,” I replied. “If those missiles don’t hit, we’re dead. They’ll be ready for any advanced equipment surprises like Howler’s missiles.”

“Navigator,” said the captain, “reduce engines to one quarter. Protect the cascading atomic engine compartment. Present starboard side.

“Initiating maneuver, Captain. Barrage strength down sixty percent. Canisters angling toward us. Point defense lasers opening fire.”

“I suspect, Lieutenant, she’s saving some for the incoming missiles. Lost some of her point defense lasers. Won’t be fooled like her sister.”

“Long-range fire from the gunboats ineffective,” replied the navigator as the shots went wide. “Missiles initiating terminal dive.”

“There they go,” I said. The Crax destroyer let loose with everything. A canister destroyed one advanced missile before it split into multiple warheads. The second split, but all were taken out. Then two large flashes. “
Roberts
’s missiles got through! She’s buckling along the horizontal crossbar,” I said, just before the Crax ship split in two.

“Prepare for impact,” called the navigator. A second series of dull thuds sounded.

I sent a message to the navigator.

“Hull integrity remains intact,” he reported to the captain. “Both external starboard monitors damaged or destroyed.” A second later he added, “Tracked repair bots report twelve impacts, nine exterior armor breaches.”

“Return to course,” ordered the captain. “Flank speed. Now all we have are those shuttles, fighters and breeching pods. Shuttle Bay, how many escape pods from the
Roberts
?”

“Two, with nineteen crewmen total.”

“Good. Those that are fit, have them report to Chief Brold. Get the others to Medical.” She switched frequencies. “Fighters, recommend Finger Four Formation. Put some maneuvering distance between us. Keep them off as best you can.”

“Acknowledged,
Kalavar
. Out.”

“Kra,” said Watts. “One of the Primus escorts broke off. Toward us.” She finished calculating. “She’ll get in range before we reach the gate. If only we had the auxiliary rockets.”

“The gunboats won’t even slow her down,” I agreed. “Look, dock’s attack shuttles damaged the carrier. She’s disengaging!”

“I count nine attack shuttles and one fighter still in pursuit.”

“May as well,” I said. “I don’t think there’ll be a dock to return to. The Crax are in range.” The dock and monitor continued to fire all batteries. They’d scored several hits on the Primus escort. Superficial damage. “Pray the lasers penetrate when they close. The Crax troop transports are staying out of range.”

“The Crax are firing canister weapons,” said Watts. “Difficult to say who they’re targeted on. Wait, they’re firing again. Two waves.”

“They’re learning,” I said. “Take out the reactive armor on the first wave and penetrate with the second.” The Primus heavy cruiser and escort opened up. Emerald flashes scattered across the dock. “They’re targeting weapon systems.” Flashes followed by explosions reverberated across the dock. Only one dock laser battery answered when the monitor returned fire. Again, they scored several hits. “She’s too heavily armored. They’ll never penetrate the Primus armor.”

“Not before they’re destroyed.” A forty missile wave rocketed from the ZQ Dock and the
Stellar Inferno
. “The dock’s rotation is bringing more batteries to bear. This time she fired on a Selgum Crax destroyer. “The monitor’s combining fire.” The first wave of corrosive canisters impacted the
Stellar Inferno
’s hull. The reactive armor combined with defensive fire minimized penetration. Laser batteries emerged from the cloud around the monitor, tearing into the targeted destroyer.

“The Primus ships have taken out more dock lasers,” said Watts. “Pinpoint accuracy. The one chasing us will get our engines before we make the gate.”

The second wave of canisters raced into the cloud, resulting in explosions. The
Stellar Inferno
and Crax destroyer perished simultaneously. “They’ll take out the remaining batteries,” said Watts. “Then target the pulse defense lasers. See, the breaching pods are already launching from the troop transports.”

“Sitting duck,” I agreed. I scanned the internal monitors. The chief was speaking to the group of
Roberts
survivors. “You okay, Skids?” He was sitting in corner a little pale. “You going to get sick?”

He shook his head. His mother knelt next to him. “It’ll be okay. Everyone on the
Kalavar
is armed. If they board, we have marines.” Skids remained unconvinced. I couldn’t blame him.

“You stick with me, Skids,” I said. “I’m a survivor. So’s your mom. So are you. If it comes down to it, do what I do. Do what I say, when I say.” I patted his shoulder. “I’ve been in tougher scrapes.” He looked up with hopeful eyes. “Really,” I told him. “Ever hear of the Colonization Riots? I was there. When we get through this I’ll tell you about it.”

“You might have been a little young, Max...Michael,” his mother said.

“Then you’ll get a history lesson.”

“I like it when you teach stuff, Specialist Keesay.”

“Okay then. Remember, do what I say, when I say.” He nodded. “Now, I’m assigned to monitor the situation and keep the chief and captain up to date. Computers and R-Tech, I need your mother’s assistance.”

“Mom says you’re better at tech manipulation than you think.”

“Maybe, Skids. Now hang in there. Lori.” I pointed to the approaching Primus escort. “She’s swinging around behind. Trading closing distance for a straight shot.”

Lori Watts recalculated. “She’s delaying intercept by four minutes. We’ll have a chance to get through the gate first.”

I shook my head. “No, the Primus are too smart. Got something up their sleeve, or should I say, scales.” Some of the screens began to lose clarity. “Jamming. What’s that coming out of the Primus ships? Looks like breaching pods.”

“That’s not good,” said Watts. “They’ll be carrying elite forces. Coregar Crax.”

“Gar-Crax in battle armor.” I tried to disguise my sinking feeling. The screens continued to distort. Watts worked to retain the relay, but shook her head.

I tapped the console. “Captain, this is Security. Transmissions from the Zeta Aquarius Dock have been jammed. Switching exclusively to
Kalavar
feeds.”

“Acknowledged,” said the captain.

I asked Lori Watts, “When were you granted access to security systems?”

“After the attack on the systems, as a precautionary measure.”

“Your access is broader than mine?” She nodded. I shrugged.

“Captain,” reported Navigator Pidsadaki. “Our fighters have engaged the enemy fighters. They’re outmatched. Totally defensive, sir. Enemy attack shuttles slipping past. Breaching pods following.”

“Maintenance,” called the captain. “Are those maintenance-bots ready?”

“Two are, Captain.” I recognized Gudkov’s voice. “Chief Brold ordered me to get them to the tracks. At the hatch now. Estimate three minutes ’till operational.”

“Acknowledged. Navigator, how long until we reach the gate?”

“Eight minutes, fourteen seconds. Sir, the Primus escort is getting behind us.”

Cut power to starboard engine. Adjust aft thrusters to port. Increase their angle.”

“That’ll increase approach time by,” he did the calculations, “one minute, eighteen seconds. Sir, Primus appears to be altering angle of approach. She’s opening fire.”

I waited for impact. When none came I examined the screens. “Navigator, screen feed four.”

“Sir, they targeted the gate.” He paused. “Getting unstable readings.”

“Damn! All engines on line. Give me 105%. Navigator, come about. Keep our tail away from her as long as we can.”

“She’ll close. Enemy attack shuttles coming about, looks like they’re going to target engines.”

“
Calling Thunder
,
Thunder Child
,” called the captain. “Gate inoperable. Primus escort closing. Three breaching pods, on approach supported by two attack shuttles and three fighters. Our fighters eliminated. Appear to be targeting our engines. Twenty-eight minutes until our cascading atomic engine recycles.”

“
Kalavar
, two minutes till intercept. Unable to target lock enemy units.”

“Engage Primus escort. Keep her off our tail.”

“Acknowledged,” called one of the captains. “
Thunder Child
, come around behind. I-formation. Forward batteries, manual targeting. Fire on the Primus escort. Fire at will.”

“Sir, pulse lasers opening fire.” The navigator’s voice went monotone. “Verified, pursuing Primus escort has launched two breaching pods.”

“Give me aft view. Aft batteries cease fire. Port main engine, cut thrust to one-quarter.”

“Thrust cut to one-quarter.”

“Initiate fuel dump, portside auxiliary thrust rocket. Jettison portside auxiliary rocket.”

“Sir?”

“Do it now. Emergency release. Ordered sequence.”

“Fuel dump initiated,” stated the navigator. “Emergency release.” The fuel-filled rocket tumbled away.

“Good. Main engines failed to ignite it. Aft batteries, target auxiliary rocket. Fire on my order.”

I switched to the back view. “They’re swinging wide of the thrust rocket,” I said.

“But what would happen if those attack shuttles came near the vapor trail?” asked Watts. “Their corrosive canisters won’t ignite it.”

“Aft batteries fire!” The explosion rocked the
Kalavar
.

“Got one of them, sir. The second is limping away. Light damage to portside engine. Loss of ten percent thrust.”

“Good trade,” said the captain. “Bring her down to sixty percent power, then have her flame out.”

“Relaying the order, Captain.”

“Have all shuttles capable of condensed space travel energize and prepare cascading engines. Even the exploration shuttle in the cargo bay. We’ll fail to mission accomplish without taking a few more risks.”