Defiant (The Mythrar War Book 4) Page 18

  "So, you resort to treason. Tell me, is the potential reward worth your life?" Landry's fingers intertwined as he waited for her response.

  "Treason? I call this a lawful seizure of power from a corrupt government official. You lost the right to speak for humanity the moment you sold us out."

  Landry laughed. The bastard really laughed. What did he find so funny about the situation? At best, he was looking forward to spending a long time behind bars. At worst, he would end up like the other Landry clones they'd found over the previous months.

  "You say I sold out humanity, but I assure you, that was done long ago. I am just a mere shepherd here to bring the lost sheep back to the flock." Landry stood, even as the remaining Marines leveled their blasters in his direction. With a grin, he paced towards Flannigan. "Your age of freedom is over. Nothing you do will change that fact. Your fleet stands at the edge of destruction. Even now, a new force has moved into the system and is making their way towards the planet. When they arrive, they will decimate the rest of the NEC fleet. When that is done, the flagships will begin the process of assimilating the rest of humanity with the collective. Those that join us willingly will have a place at their side, and the freedoms that come with the bonding. Those that refuse…" He grinned even wider, leaving the rest of the sentence unsaid.

  But his meaning was clear. Join us, or die.

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Bellan Sector

  Bridge, NECS Jefferson

  "Pull the group near the Detroit back and have them regroup with Viper Squadron." Tegan's fingers danced across her console, sending orders and firing positions to her remaining fighters. Out of the hundred she had started with, only thirty or so remained alive. From what she could tell, the rest of the NEC ships had fared the same. The endless waves of drones combined with the deadly capital ship engagements had led to the loss of thousands of pilots.

  "I'll do what I can," Richards said. "It's hard trying to send commands to more than a few at a time."

  "You're smart. Can't you write a program to help you control the drones?"

  "Sure, if I had more time." Richards paused, making her regret the statement. She knew he was doing his best to get the fighter situation under control, but it wasn't as fast as she would have liked. One of her pilots, a close friend, was out there and needed help, but thanks to the increase in drone activity in the sector, the SAR units had yet to enter the void.

  She knew sending ship assets out just to help one of her friends was asking for trouble, but she didn't care. She'd already lost one friend in this battle and another during her first tour of duty on the Endeavor. If there was something she could do to keep Switch alive for another day, she would make it happen.

  "Look, I'm sorry," she said, sincere. "I'm just worried about Switch. He's out there now, floating in the debris field just off our port side. If I could…"

  "Don't be," he interrupted. "He's a good kid. If there was something I could do to help him out, I would, but my hands are full up here. If I wasn't trying to control so many at once, I might have a shot at helping him."

  Tegan rubbed her chin as she considered his dilemma. She knew there had to be a way for him to get things under control on his end, she just… A thought snapped to her mind in an instant. As gruesome as the idea was, Fireball had unwittingly handed her the solution in his final moments.

  "Fly some of the drones into the capital ships. Try to target critical systems where you can, but anything would help." Turning the drones into guided missiles wasn't the best use for them, but it was better than letting some of them flounder in open space. At least this way he would stand a chance at getting them under control.

  "As good a plan as any," he admitted. "Targeting the Clinton now."

  Tegan brought up the image of the Clinton on the viewscreen. The ship was one of the first to fire on the NEC fleet when Landry played his hand. Now it was alone and surrounded by three damaged NEC cruisers. For their part, they were doing what they could to corral the ship toward the station, hoping the defensive array would do the dirty work of ending the threat, but the Clinton was proving to be too smart for that trick.

  The first of the drones changed course, pulling in line with the damaged heavy cruiser. Soon four more joined the first, each on the same suicidal course.

  "Have those drones fire all available armaments at the ship before they collide. It might allow them to penetrate the ship further."

  "Copy," Richards replied.

  Moments later the drones opened with lasers, burning small holes on the enemy ship while thermal torpedoes rocketed away from two in the rear. The missiles connected with the ship, creating a muted fireball in the void and when it was done, two fighter-sized holes remained. Then, in a blinding flash of light, the drones found their mark. They exploded with enough force to tear a sizable hole in the Clinton's hull. The ship belched flame and debris into space from the blast. It was followed by more as some of the systems inside the vessel went critical.

  "Got them!" Richards said over the comm, failing to hide the surprise in his voice.

  "Good work. Keep doing the same on the remaining vessels." Tegan paused, not wanting to say any more than she should. At this rate, it would take an hour for him to get full control over the remaining drones. By then, Switch would be long gone. "Brendan, I have something I need to handle. My assistants will help you determine targeting solutions."

  Richards remained quiet for a long while, which made her nervous. Surely he had to know what she was planning to do. The question was whether he intended to stop her. Then he spoke.

  "Be careful out there." His words came out soft and sincere as if he wanted her to know he cared, while keeping his knowledge of her plans a secret from the rest of the crew. A fact she would be thankful for once she returned with Switch.

  "I will." Before she could say anything else, she flipped off the comm and stepped away from her console. She scanned the room and noticed everyone busy with their jobs. Somehow, she knew she wouldn't have another chance. Either she moved now or left Switch to his fate.

  Tegan stopped off at her locker and retrieved her flight suit and helmet. It had been months since she'd last worn them. Ever since…

  She dropped the thought to focus on her problem. Best to deal with her shortcomings another day. She slipped on her gear like an old pro and had her helmet on before anyone could give her a second look. Leaving the outer glass mirrored, she sprinted across the flight deck to one of the few remaining fighters. For a fleeting moment, she wished she knew what was wrong with the bird, why it was still here on the flight deck while other fighters were out in the void. But to do so would betray her plans, so she let it be. It if wasn't flight worthy, the mechanics would have disabled the engines. Or perhaps it was here because the pilot died before getting a chance to fly. Unlikely, considering the lack of damage to the flight deck. Which meant it was probably junk. Still, the only thing left to do was try.

  With the grace of an ace pilot, she hefted herself up onto the craft and lowered herself into the cockpit. She knew the move would look strange to some, all but the few veterans who had been with the crew from the start, having seen a good portion of the pilots enter their birds on the fly in the same way.

  Tegan flipped the switches to bring the fighter to life. Faint vibrations pulsed through the seat, sending waves of energy up her spine. The familiar feel of the cockpit brought her back to life. It had been too long since she'd flown. Longer than she'd ever gone between sorties.

  Just one final run then I'm done. The words came easily, though she wasn't sure of the truth. If it were up to her, she'd be back out here in a heartbeat. Commanding the flight crews was important work, and thrilling in its own way, but nothing beat being out in space. The one place where a single mistake could not only cost you your life but the lives of those you held dear.

  "Sir, what are you doing?" one of her aides asked through the comm.

  Before the aide could speak again, she pulle
d back on the yoke, sending her fighter spiraling into the void.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Bellan Sector

  Bridge, Flagship Koniva

  Miller fell out of his chair, dodging a beam meant for his head. Using the seat as cover, he crawled back to the room's main communications terminal. Across the bridge, many of the human crew members were doing the same, though more than a few had already succumbed to the aliens’ fire.

  "Fight them. Take back control of the ship." Miller pulled the blaster off his belt and fired at the aliens entering the room. The bridge lit up as the remaining bridge members did the same. Compared to the Klypton weaponry, the blasters were more of a toy than a weapon, but they killed just the same. Soon, twenty Klyptons lay dead in the doorway, leaving a handful still out in the hall. Miller moved to the corner of the console, leaned out, and pulled the trigger, hitting one of the yellow-skinned aliens in the chest. The round seemed to disintegrate its ribcage, exposing the organs in its chest cavity before it fell over dead.

  Noticing Miller's fire, another alien turned towards the captain. It aimed its massive rifle at him and pulled the trigger. Miller saw the alien a moment before the shot and ducked back behind the safety of the console, even as the weapon turned a significant portion of the computer into a spray of shrapnel that peppered the wall.

  "There are too many of them," Robbins said from behind a nearby console. "Our weapons will overheat before we kill them all."

  Miller peered around the side of the terminal. Once he saw the swarm of Klyptons ready to storm the bridge, he was inclined to agree. "Fine, then cover me. If we can't have the ship, nobody can."

  Robbins looked at him, eyes asking an unspoken question. To her credit, she left it unsaid and fired into the hall.

  Miller waited for a break in the fire before sprinting across the room. Klyptons fired at him as he ran, but none of the shots found their mark. Many of the screens and computer terminals were damaged beyond immediate repair, but it didn't matter. If he could pull off his plan, there wouldn't be anything left for the Klyptons to pilot… if anything at all.

  He waited for another break in the fire before kneeling before the console. As he punched in the commands on the screen, he kept an eye on the aliens entering the room, ready to duck if he caught their attention. Soon the console pulsed as a single line of text scrolled across the screen.

  Collision imminent. Confirm?

  He moved his hand to approve the command as the screen shattered, sending a spray of plastic into his face like shrapnel. A stream of blood flowed from his face where one of the larger pieces caught in his cheek. Before he could pull it out, a Klypton charged.

  The alien swung his club like a sword, trying to separate Miller's head from his body. Miller ducked the blow and followed it up with a burst from his blaster. The alien doubled over as the rounds caught it in the gut. Miller used the momentary reprieve to unload a few more rounds into its skull. It dropped to the ground with a sickly thud.

  Two more Klyptons seemed to take its place, each attempting to finish the job the first started just moments before. Both of the aliens lifted their sickly-looking blasters at his chest and prepared to fire. Before they could, something slammed into the ship, sending everyone crashing onto the floor.

  The impact sent Miller into the wall, knocking the wind from his lungs. As he struggled for breath, the two aliens seemed to recover. All he could do was watch as they knelt down to retrieve their weapons off the floor. He was sure his life was over, until a pair of blaster rounds caught them in the head, killing them instantly.

  Then everything went quiet. It almost seemed as if the aliens had won. He kept waiting for one of the brutish aliens to come around the corner to finish the job.

  Just as suddenly, the bridge erupted in applause. Robbins moved to Miller, a wide grin on her face. She offered a hand to Miller and helped him to his feet.

  "You alright, Captain?"

  Miller nodded, then scanned the bridge. The bodies of dozens of the yellow-skinned aliens littered the floor, along with a handful of his crew.

  He'd lost a handful of good people to the attack, but they had won. Now it was up to him to ensure their deaths wouldn't be for nothing.

  "Reroute all controls through the remaining terminals. I want to have control of the ship back yesterday." Miller's eyes went to the open door and the bodies choking the hall. "Push all the damaged equipment against the door. If those bastards want this ship, I want them to earn it."

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  New Earth Sector

  Bridge, NECS Reliant

  "Are they hostile?" Wellard asked as he studied the screen. An early scan of the new contacts showed the ships were mostly from the EU, with a handful of NEC cruisers scattered in for good measure. In his mind, seeing the two factions represented in one place could only mean one thing.

  The Mythrar had reinforcements.

  "It's too early to tell," Ritter said. "They won't be in weapons range for thirty minutes."

  "Then I guess we have to wait." Wellard turned to Lieutenant McRee. "Try hailing them. See if we can talk our way out of this mess."

  "I already have," she replied. "The ships are under a communications blackout. Nothing in and nothing out."

  "Damn." Wellard leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. This couldn't be how humanity lost, now that they were on the verge of turning the Mythrar away from New Earth. One flagship was busy firing on the other, allowing the fleet to surround the third. To this point, they hadn't had any luck damaging the remaining flagship, but Wellard knew it was just a matter of time. Time they didn't have.

  "Sir, incoming transmission from New Earth Station."

  "Tell me it isn't Landry. I don't have the patience to listen to his rhetoric anymore."

  The image on the viewscreen split, dividing the image between the battle and one of the station's CIC. And at the station's center was none other than Admiral Flannigan herself.

  "Hot damn! You got control of the station?"

  Flannigan smiled, her rough features seeming to soften. "With some help." She shifted to the side, allowing the camera to show the background. At its center stood a bruised and bloodied Commander Bremerton working from the main combat terminal.

  "And you found my XO. It sounds like you've had quite the day."

  "I could say the same about you," she replied. "I assume you know about the new contacts headed your way?"

  "I do." Wellard slumped back in his chair. "Midshipman Ritter has been scanning them since they entered the system. So far we haven't had any luck opening a channel with them."

  "Through no fault of their own. It seems the flagships can interfere with long-range communications, as well. Until they get closer, we have no way of telling what side they’re on." Flannigan turned her attention to someone in the station. She barked orders before returning her attention to the screen. "Speaking of flagships, how long has that one been firing on the other?"

  "A few minutes now." He filled her in on his actions in the battle, and how they'd been able to destroy the communications array on the flagship.

  "Have we tried contacting this Captain Miller since then?" she asked.

  "No. Our attention has been focused on mopping up this side of the sector. We don't want to risk the other flagships being able to take control of the drones from us."

  "Remarkable work on the drones," she said. "That engineer of yours has been full of surprises the last few weeks."

  "Hopefully he has a few more packed away. This war is far from over."

  "Agreed." Before she could speak again, her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. She held her hand over her mouth.

  "Sir," Wilson interrupted. "Admiral Park's ship just…"

  Wellard turned his head to his terminal. On the screen, he saw why they were having trouble speaking. Admiral Park's ship had been destroyed. Moments later it was followed by another blast a few kilometers away.

  In the center of the ba
ttlefield, things weren't going as well as on Wellard's flank. The two surviving flagships were destroying NEC ships at an alarming rate, even as the third flagship tore into the one in the center. This proved one thing. That the Mythrar were willing to do anything it took to destroy humanity, even if it meant they lost their lives in the process.

  "We need to do something soon. Otherwise, this will have been for nothing." Wellard turned his head from the screen and returned his gaze to Flannigan.

  She held her eyes at a point off screen for a moment and nodded twice before returning her attention to Wellard. "I agree, Vincent. They are tearing us apart from the inside."

  "From the…" Wellard studied her eyes. "Are you saying someone sabotaged the Admirals' ships?"

  "This stays between us, but yes. Their ships were both damaged, but not critically. I have my team going over records from their last few moments. Early signs point to reactor explosions." She took in a few breaths, regaining her composure. "This plan was well thought out."

  "Pull the Marines off the ships, making it easier to take control or destroy critical assets." He immediately wondered what he should do to keep the same from happening to the Reliant, but stopped when he realized he didn't have an option. Every available hand was busy either loading munitions or on damage control. Pulling anyone back for security duty would only limit their effectiveness in combat. Even if he could, he had no way of knowing who was trustworthy without doing an extensive check. A check that would take time and resources he didn't have.

  "Then we need to make our move. I'll order my entourage to attack the middle flagship. We'll target our weapons at the holes being created by Captain Miller. With any luck, we won't destroy Miller's flagship before he can damage the last one."

  "I'm not so concerned if we do. He was on the wrong side when he came here. Just because he had a change of heart after seeing our resolve doesn't make him our ally."