The War Across the Stars (34 page)

Chapter 21

Into the Hornet’s Nest

Nevin eased the gunship to the ground, slowly resting it on the snowy plains.  He exhaled loudly as he disabled the engines and leaned back.  Together we opened the starboard hatch and dismounted the gunship.  Despite the gray, angular metal, the gunship truly was a beautiful sight.  Stepping into the snow, I once more could feel the omnipresent cold.  We each approached the Corsair, and the back hatch opened, as if on cue.  Within the team was eating the fruit that Cassidy had picked from inside the Tredecim capital.  She smiled and tossed one to me.

“Phil said they’re safe.  I say they’re good,” she said.

Though hesitant, I took a bite from the fruit and was satisfied by the mere feel of food in my mouth.  Without delay I consumed the remainder of the fruit, wishing only that there was more to go around.

“Thanks.  Good idea to grab ‘em Cass,” I said, stepping into the relative warmth of the Corsair.

“Congratulations Ross.  You survived.  Washington and the Admiral are dead, I presume?” Malum inquired, his face plain.

“Yes sir.  We’re done here.  I suggest we take the
Hornet
before the UED can reorganize.”

“Agreed,” Boone pitched in.

“Anyone else a pilot, I can’t say I’m the best,” Nevin admitted.

“Uh, I can,” the ensign, Jeremy announced.  “I was trained in basic dropship flight before I went to be a Nav officer.”

“That’s more than I’ve had, controls are yours,” Nevin said, pointing to the gunship. 

“How should we split?” I asked.

“I’d advise—,” Phil started, before being cut off by Malum.

“Rangers, you shall take the UED Gunship.  Ensign Lowell will be your pilot.  My pilot, two Marines, and Boone shall take the Corsair.”

Not seeing anything wrong with the plan, aside from what was likely to be shaky piloting of our craft, I nodded.  Everyone loaded onto their respective ships, and we took off, ascending from the horrid planet for the last time.  I extracted Ryan’s tags and twirled them slowly between my fingers for a few minutes, reflecting on how Operation UNKNOWN had been in so many ways, a disaster.  Though our mission was accomplished, and it was nearly time to head home. 

I used the digital screen of the port gun to watch the icy planet slip away, fading into an ever-smaller entity.  We began our approach on the massive UED fleet, though due to their disarray, and our UED IFF, we were not fired upon.  We smoothly approached the one ship of Vorgian design, the title
Hornet
emblazoned across the starboard side of the bow. 

We glided effortlessly to the aft of the ship, slowly lowering toward the open hangar bay.  Its gate was hung ajar, though it appeared the pressure field remained active.  We passed through it, our ship first, followed seconds later by Malum’s Corsair.  We touched down with a clank, and I braced myself.  If any Vorgians were left, they would all be on this ship.

I slipped in the final magazine of 9mm rounds for my H-81.  Nevin readied his SMG, and Phil did a double check on his shotgun.  Cass slowly ran her fingers over her AR-27 before checking the magazine.

“Let’s finish this,” I said, opening a hatch and sliding out of the craft. 

My team followed suit, Jeremy taking up the rear.

“Take this, keep it safe,” Nevin said, slipping Jeremy his H-44. 

The higher caliber round seemed an odd fit for the naval officer, but he accepted it graciously and tried to mimic our stance. 

We advanced through the dark hangar bay, old Wildcat dropships and Preston-Class Tanks lined the walls.  When we reached the doorway out of the hangar, I looked back, confirming Malum and his team were with us.  I entered the hallway right behind Phil, who had assumed point. 

It seemed as if the entire ship was trying to preserve power, almost all lighting disabled.  The light from our gun-mounted flashlights was our only dependable source of luminance.  In a way, it reminded me of the pirate base we had destroyed on our last mission before Operation UNKNOWN.  But then they had been confused, untrained.  They were hardly a threat.  Here the Vorgians could be waiting for us, having set a trap.  We had no way of knowing how much Robert had told Cope, or whether any of the exchange had left that tent via COM. 

Phil turned a corner.  Still nothing.

We were en route to the bridge, there we could gain lights and hole up as we departed the planet’s orbit.  Passing by another corner, only darkness treated us.

“Is it… is it empty?” I asked, barely able to believe it.

“Surely not, they’d have had to leave some nature of sentinel, would they not?” Phil countered.

“One would think… but… Not seeing anyone,” Cass murmured in response.

Several more minutes of the nerve-racking travel resulted in no hostile encounter.  Though we did find the bridge.

Exiting the dark hallway, we stepped into the dimly lit command room of the
Hornet
.  It was a wonderful sight, several consoles scattered about, a large port providing a view into space. 

“Let’s lock down the entrance to the bridge.  If anything is alive on this ship, I don’t want it in here until we’re back in the Jerico system,” I said, an air of command in my tone.

“Roger that,” Phil said, closing the lone bulkhead into the bridge.

“Ensign, take the Nav station, get us moving,” I requested.

“On it sir, uh, Sergeant,” he replied, still submissive as usual.

Each of us split up amongst the room, assuming positions on stations and consoles that we knew little about.  But somehow, some way, we would make it work.  It took every person on the bridge, but we filled every necessary slot.  Our skeleton crew was prepared for launch.

“Ensign, take us away.  Engage Ultradrive and plot our course for Euphola,” I said.

“Right away,” Jeremy’s chipper response echoed.

It seemed everyone was smiling, taking in the fact we may actually survive.  Only Boone and Malum seemed to hold their stern postures. 

“Good work back there, James,” Cassidy complimented.

“This has been a lot for all of us, but we’re home bound now,” I sighed.

“The war is finally over,” Nevin added.  “When we reach home we can rest easy.”

“While we head home, I think I’ll crack open that ol’ laptop and see what I can learn about the UED.  We might be hearing from them again sooner than we’d all like to think,” Phil stated.

Thinking about our experiences, I sat down in the captain’s chair.  Mysteries still remained, unsolved, and perhaps forever doomed to remain that way.  Might my sister still be alive?  Who are They?  Might we ever contact the UED again?  But as we soared through Ultraspace, our course set to home, I couldn’t help but push the questions from my mind.  We still might not make it through the Black Hole Belt, we may still fail to reach home.  But if we die, we can know we died having completed our mission and having done everything we could to survive against the odds.  In real war, you have to. 

Observing the adjacent console, I opened the log.  At the time the unlimited access to the information stored within the Vorgian captain's log meant little to me.  With the mission complete, it all seemed so far away.  Though what did matter to me, was remembering every soldier that fought alongside us on Marzoc.  Giving every one a chance to be remembered for what they did.  I scrolled to the bottom before appending my best guess at the date.  I then began to type.

In Memory of the Soldiers Who Gave Their Lives on Marzoc.

Unknown Soldier- Killed by UED Sniper

Cpl Rush- Killed by UED Explosive

Cpl Hood- Killed by Praetorian

Marines of Alpha- Killed by Praetorians

Marines of Epsilon- Killed by UED

Paladin Tank Crew- Killed by Messor

Corsair Pilot- Killed by Vorgian AA

Cpl Max Pippin- Death Unknown

Lt Ryan Dunkelman- Died a Hero

Note from the Author

Five years in the making and the tale of the War Across the Stars has finally come to its conclusion.  The project has meant a lot to me and served as a creative outlet for the entirety of my High School career.  I am proud to have started it in 2007 and to have remained dedicated to it for the years following.  It is hard to fully comprehend that it is all over, but I appreciate everyone who’s been a part of helping to fulfill this achievement.

Special Thanks

James D. Pennington

Kristi McNary

Falisa Calhoun

Coree Rogers

Kerry Beach

Davion Bowens

Troy Pennington

Genna Pennington

Jasmine Miller

About the Author

             
I was born on 13 October 1993 to Troy and Marquita Pennington.  We have lived in the city of El Dorado, Kansas for my entire life, and as such it really represents home to me. 

             
I've always had an interest in writing, ever since I was a little kid, but it wasn't until 6
th
grade that I set out to write a book.  The result, wasn't too great, and I dropped the project for a while.  Then in 2007, after just starting my 8
th
grade year, I was inspired to give it another go.  With a brand new story set in a science fiction universe, I set off to create what later become The War Across the Stars.

             
In addition to my writing, I've always put my academics as a priority, seeking to go above and beyond when I can, and ensure that I maintained my 4.0 Grade Point Average throughout my entire education.  I participated in the school's Scholar's Bowl team as well as the City's Youth Commission, on which I served as Chairman for my final two years.  In 2012 I was awarded the Dean's Scholars' Scholarship to attend Wichita State University, which I will be doing in Fall.