The War Across the Stars (17 page)

“Where’s Manda?” I asked, worried for my sister.

“She’s already downstairs,” Dad replied as he shoved more cans in a bag.

I grabbed a package of bottled water and ran downstairs hastily.  I saw Amanda folded up at the far end of the room.  Choosing to join her, I made my way to her and sat.

Another explosion shook the ground. 

“Mom?  Dad?  You guys okay?” I called.

When there was no response I stood up and went upstairs.  There were bullet holes throughout our walls.  I looked out the window and saw a Corsair clad in black paint hovering around.  My parents were okay and ran to me with the bags.

“Let’s go, come on!” Dad rushed.

Listening, I followed him straight back downstairs and closed the door behind me.  I paused for a moment, and then locked it.  The basement was rather bare.  One couch, the supplies we had brought, and the box containing my possessions were the only objects occupying it.

“Oh curses,” Dad mumbled pacing around.  “What is going on!?” 

I heard knocking and then more shooting.  I wished that I had had a weapon to defend myself, but we didn’t own any guns.  Plus, all of my military issued guns were at base. 

We waited for maybe twenty minutes before it happened.  I heard heavy knocks on the door.  Then a foot broke through.  Men broke through and charged.  They held civilian rifles and pointed them around.  Dad charged at them but was shot in the shoulder.  He continued and bashed one in the face.  Amanda screamed and started running.  I willed myself forward.  I seized one’s arm and pulled him over.  Then I knocked him on the floor and started kicking him. 

I looked over and saw Dad on the floor and one of the pirates approaching me. 

“This war ain’t over yet,” the man muttered.

I reached for the downed man’s gun but was then slammed in the face by the stock of the other’s rifle.  I felt pain for a short time longer before everything went away.

My eyes fluttered open.  It was all still dark.  Fires littered the area, and part of the basement’s ceiling had collapsed.  Dad remained where I had last saw him, but now surrounded by blood.  My eyes began to water at the sight. 

“No… No… No!” I said breaking into tears.  On the staircase was Mom, having not succeeded in her escape.  I tried to crawl closer but it was hard.  I had blood on my face from a gash in my forehead.  My view was still fuzzy from my wounds.  I finally managed to reach my Mom.  I lay with my arm around her and remained there for what could have been hours.  I felt that although I had survived, that they had killed me inside.

I did not know what happened to my sister.  I had not seen her in the basement, so I assumed she had escaped.  I wished her the best of luck and hoped to find her someday.

Elonian soldiers eventually found me.  They took me to a refugee hospital that had been established.  I would never forget that day… the pain I felt.  It changed me.  I knew I had to stop this from happening to others.  I had to be the best I could be and put the Elonian people before myself. 

Part II

The War Across the Stars

Chapter 11

Special Operations

“Move in,” Ryan whispered.

Nevin, Cassidy, and I entered a service tunnel, while Ryan, Philip, and Max went down a hall.  We moved quickly and quietly down the tunnel.  We arrived at a door and stacked up.  I signaled for Nevin to move in.  He acted on the signal and I heard a suppressed burst of gunfire.  I followed him in and noticed the dead pirate on the floor.

We were moving in to the pirate base’s command center.  Located there should be the pirate leader as well as an Elonian Intelligence officer.  The officer had been siphoning sensitive information to the pirate group.  His motives were unknown, as well as his identity. 

Ryan’s team was moving in to disable the power.  With the power off, the command center’s electronic doors would release. 

We darted down the next hallway.  Several more pirates were neutralized with ease.  These pirates were no match for revolutions of high-level training.  We had come far from our days back in the Vorgian War.

We arrived at the Command Center entrance.  The door was still locked.

“Ryan, James here… We’re at the door.”

“10-4, we are closing in on the generator.  ETA well under a minute,” Ryan said over the inter-suit COM. 

“Roger that, sir.”

We waited patiently in the barely lit room.  Then the lights cut and I heard several machines groan to a stop.  I grabbed one side of the split door and Nevin grabbed the other.  We pulled it open and Cassidy moved in.  Nevin and I followed suit.  Quickly we advanced and seized the frantic Intelligence officer.  Nevin shouldered his SMG and fired a single round into the pirate commander’s head.  He was expendable… and better off dead.  As for the officer, we needed him alive.  I slipped out a tranq needle and jammed it into the man.  Nevin and Cassidy cleaned up the rest of the guards and we were clear to go.

“Objective secured.  Prepped for evac.”

“Alright, we’re already closing in on the hangar,” he responded.

“We’ll be there shortly,” I informed him, shouldering the officer.

  We needed to get to the hangar quickly.  The destroyer
Iron Fist
was waiting outside to obliterate the base after we were off. 

We hurried down the pitch-black halls.  We had only our gun-mounted flashlights to guide us with the power off.  On the way down the hall we encountered another pirate stumbling in the dark.  A simple burst and he was down.  Before long the whole base would be put out of their confusion.  Within minutes we were boarding a solid black pirate Corsair.

“Good work team,” Ryan murmured as he started the engines. 

We rose out of the hangar that had been carved into an asteroid.  We could see the
Iron Fist
just outside the asteroid field. 

“Rangers to
Iron Fist
… come in,” Ryan said over the COM. 

“
Iron Fist
here, we read.”

“Objective secured.  You are clear to open fire.”

“Copy that Rangers.  Clear to open fire.”

Our stolen Corsair exited the asteroid field. The destroyer unleashed a massive barrage of missiles into the base.  Asteroids exploded behind us.  We soared into the open hangar bay of the destroyer. 

We exited the Corsair, once again successful.  We had made habit of success.  We truly were the best soldiers the Empire has ever known, surpassing even the original Rangers. 

We were far more organized than before, having more varied roles assigned between us. 

Ryan, along with being team leader, was our explosives expert and pilot.  He was probably still the most talented person among us. 

Phil continued to manage electronics and data, and he tended to carry the SG-13 pump-action shotgun.  This allowed him to use his strength in close quarters combat to his advantage.

Max had improved a lot from his days as our local idiot.  He still had a tendency to crack jokes at the strangest of times. 

Cassidy, ranked sixth in the original contest, had been added to our team to replace Robert.  She did nothing but impress after that, having easily matched up with the rest of our team, and was certainly more useful than Max, even after his improvements.  She had bright blue eyes and brown hair, about shoulder-length, bound to military specifications.

Nevin used the SMG-56 for mobility over power.  He had only grown faster, and now our team made use of it, giving him tasks where his speed could be of aid.

I was proudly our designated marksman.  My skills had improved immensely, to the point that I surpassed the rest of my team.

Before this most recent op, Colonel Miller, still the commander of the Rangers, informed us that we had an unusual mission next.  He had told us it seemed unfit for a team like the Rangers. 

Chapter 12

Operation UNKNOWN

             
The Rangers sat silently in a dark room.  A bright holo-display sat in the center as the only light source.  It resembled a TRIAD system, but was obviously modified for other purposes.  Colonel Miller sat at the far end of the table.  Several mysterious Intelligence officers observed the display. 

             
“This mission is a gamble,” one of the officers stated.

             
“I understand that, but they are the only team that could handle the adverse conditions.  If they find what we think they will, we’ll need them,” another responded.

             
“I don’t like it.  What if the Vorgians knew we would collect the data?  It may be sabotaged, faulty, a sort of ruse.”

             
“I agree,” another chimed in.  “Besides, we are sending them through the Black Hole Belt.  It’s ridiculous.”

             
“Yes, yes, I know.  But the Vorgians likely succeeded.  I trust this intel,” the second officer said thoughtfully.

             
A man with the lone star of a Brigadier rose from his seat and put his hands down on the table. 

             
“This mission has already been decided.  We are contradicting ourselves in a time of great importance.  We need to hunt down Rigel Korth before he establishes some sort of new government.”

             
“Sir, with all due respect, it has been over a revolution since the
Hornet
departed from Vorga.  I’m sure Korth has already begun on his new regime,” the first officer retorted.

             
The officer with the strongest support of the mission raised his hand for attention.

             
“Gentlemen.  Yes we need to go.  Yes we send the Rangers.  But think.  He will have a military stronghold at best, not a new civilization.  The chances of finding other sentient life forms beyond the Black Hole Belt are astronomically low.  We need to exterminate him, but we should not be concerned about his politics.”

             
“He’s right.  Just be aware that every minute we waste listenin’ to this babble is a minute that my boys are not out preserving the safety of our citizens.  This whole mission may be the wrong place for ‘em, but even so, let’s at least get it outta the way,” Colonel Miller argued.

             
Silence filled the room after Miller’s statement.  I glanced over at Nevin.

             
“Okay.  This is over.  The mission is on.  Rangers, you will arm up and ship up to the
Procyon
. 
Procyon
has a new engine device to allow for you to arrive much faster through Ultradrive.  You’ll keep a warp beacon on the ship, meant for release once you find this
planet
.  Dismissed,” the Brigadier concluded.

             
We rose from our seats and exited the dark room.  The hallway was noticeably brighter, and it took some time to adjust.  This mission was unusual.  Apparently Intelligence thinks that Rigel and Robert are not only alive, but also rebuilding.  We boarded the Carrier-class shuttle and prepared to be taken up to Procyon.

             
“This new ship is pretty exciting,” Phil commented.

             
“Why?” Max asked plainly.

             
“This is top-of-the-line stuff.  It is a new class of heavy assault cruisers.  The new Procyon-class will take the place of the current Invader-class.” 

             
We continued minor conversations as we waited for arrival at
Procyon
.  Once on board the ship we departed for our bunks.  This mission would require a lot of waiting before we initiated the action.

             
The next day
Procyon
launched from Euphola toward the Ontario Black Hole Belt, a region where stars had collapsed onto themselves, then pulled others in to do the same.  The strange anomaly had always been enough to dissuade many attempts at passing through it.  Fortunately, this ship’s Ultradrive should be able to shrink the singularities small enough for us to slip by.

             
We had a nice arsenal of weapons for the mission.  We had all of the usual guns to expect, as well as a few specialties such as rocket launchers and the new SF-42 SOPMOD.  The SF-42 was an all-purpose weapon in the literal sense.  It was fairly light for maneuvering around, yet has brilliant accuracy.  It had a mid-length barrel, which could be shortened with ease for close quarters and heightened mobility.  With a scope and semi-auto setting, it made an excellent sniper rifle.  While it was inferior in stopping power to the SR-4, with a clean headshot, it worked with the same efficiency.  A thirty round clip allowed sustained fire or for a seemingly unending sniper magazine.  On full auto it had a reasonable rate of fire as to not waste ammo, but still get the stopping power dished out fast enough.  It looked to be an amazing gun, and I was anxious to try it out alongside my SR-4.