Defiant (The Mythrar War Book 4) Page 2

  Then, in an instant it all made sense. The mission to attack the West was a trap.

  The mission wasn't about gathering all of Russia's forces to deliver the Americans a decisive blow. It was about getting the Russians all in one spot to make the Mythrar's attack more lethal. How better to subjugate, or eliminate, your enemy than to gather them all in one sector of space? Then, when they least expect it, you bring your fleet in for an attack.

  As Federov watched the battle play out on the main viewscreen, he realized the other ships were a front. Their job was to keep the Russian fleet in one place long enough for the rest of the massive ships to jump in.

  Then, as if to punctuate his thoughts, the alien vessel closest to the Tarasenko fired. A massive green beam erupted from the front of the ship and lanced into the Sochi. Seconds later, Admiral Petrov's ship exploded as the beam tore it in two. The beam held its position for a few long moments before it adjusted, and it tore into another unsuspecting ship.

  "The battle is already over. Soon your fleet will be destroyed, or be part of ours. There is nothing you can do to stop it now."

  Maslow held his gaze on the screen long enough for Federov to make his move. He crossed the bridge at a speed that would have made his younger self jealous. But the younger man was just as fast. Before Federov could even touch the weapon, Maslow delivered another crippling blow to Federov's ribs. They cracked as the strike hit home, knocking the wind out of the older man again.

  Maslow bent over and retrieved the weapon from the floor. With one fluid motion, he lifted it and aimed it at Federov's head. "It is over. I have already called the masters and submitted. As long as we keep calm and do as they say, we will be spared."

  Through the pain, Federov stared up at Maslow and smiled. Through the broken ribs, bruised chest, bloody lip, and possible broken nose, all he could do was laugh. Maslow stared down him, anger flaring in his eyes as he took a step closer. As he moved, he never allowed the blaster to drift an inch. Federov knew this would be the end. Not only of him, but of them all. The Mythrar had proven capable of infiltrating the chain of command. If they could control a captain of the second rank, they had to have someone higher. Perhaps even President Kirov was under their control.

  But it wasn't the utter hopelessness that allowed him to smile. It was the woman standing mere meters behind Maslow, holding a blaster to his head.

  "We will be spared, old friend. But not you."

  Then a blinding light flared across the bridge as Alexandra Karin pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Four

  Volgograd Sector

  Bridge, Russian Battlecruiser Tarasenko

  Federov stared at Karin in astonishment. Not that he didn't think she was capable of such an act, he just hadn’t believed anyone on the ship was with him. He broke himself out of his momentary daze, wiped Maslow's blood off his face, and took her outstretched hand.

  "Thank you for that," he said as he got to his feet.

  "You would've done the same for us." She turned and placed the blaster back in its holster on her belt.

  While he appreciated the sentiment, he wasn't sure he felt the same way. Just moments before, the crew had surrounded him like a bunch of hungry wolves, and now he was expected to believe they were still on his side? He'd been in the Russian Navy long enough to know his people only respected one thing.

  Power.

  Considering he'd just got his ass handed to him by his now—dead XO, he’d proved he was somewhat lacking in that department.

  But the exercise had also proven that he had at least one ally on the ship. One single person was willing to stand up for him when he needed it most. And he needed that more than anything now.

  With the internal conflict over, the rest of the crew turned back to their seats. Federov stood still for a long moment, contemplating his next move. He took a moment to watch the bridge crew work, but his attention was focused on the battle playing out on the screen.

  Now that the larger ships had joined the battle, Russian ships were going down in droves. His people's ships were more than capable of handling the enemy fleet's lesser vessels, but even combined, they were no match for the huge Mythrar ships.

  "Lieutenant Lebdev, my previous order stands." Federov used as much authority in his voice as his injured chest would allow.

  "But Admiral Petrov…"

  Federov raised a hand, silencing the lieutenant. "Admiral Petrov is dead. Those bastards destroyed his ship in less than a second. They might not be firing on us now, but how long do you think we will last against their weapon? Two seconds? Three? Personally, I didn't agree to come back just to die here. In the skies over New Earth or Europa, perhaps. But NOT here. So I will tell you again. Disengage from that vessel and make for the gate."

  Lebdev stared at him for a few seconds before turning his attention back to his console. Shortly after, the ship moved. The image of the massive ships seemed to shrink in the background.

  Laser fire streaked by the bridge as Federov's fireteam continued to pound their target. Debris rocketed away from the impacted area as small explosions erupted from the hull. Federov kept waiting for the Mythrar ship's massive laser to explode, but it didn't seem any worse for the wear. If the rest of the ship was as resilient as the weapon, he wasn't sure what chance they had.

  The weapon seemed to turn as the Tarasenko made its lumbering turn towards the gate. For a moment, Federov was sure they would be the weapon's next target, but then the weapon stopped before aiming to fire on a different Russian ship.

  The scene playing out on the viewscreen was pure carnage. Death and destruction as far as his eyes could see. He'd been in the military for a long time, and never once had he seen death on such a massive scale. If this was what humanity had to look forward to, perhaps they would've been better off to surrender. At least that way they could get to survive.

  But it was too late for that now, seeing as how his newly promoted XO had killed their liaison moments before, not that he was willing to accept that as an option. Better to die a free man than a slave, he thought.

  "Lieutenant Vedrine, open a ship-wide comm."

  "Comm open, sir," she replied a few moments later.

  "This is Captain Federov. As you are aware, we are engaged with an enemy fleet decimating our ranks. Against Admiral Petrov's orders, I have ordered the crew to take our ship out of the battle and back to New Brandenburg. If anyone believes this is a mistake, or wishes to die here today, you are free to leave in an escape pod. I expect those that remain to answer to me. We will make the jump out of the system in less than twenty minutes. You have until then to make your choice. Federov, out."

  "You sure that's wise?" Karin whispered over his shoulder. "Half the crew is likely to hang you themselves."

  "Then I'll tie the noose," he proclaimed, louder than he knew he should. But he would be damned if the rest of the crew didn't know how he felt. Federov stood and waved an arm at the main viewscreen. "There is nothing for us here except a swift death. Worse is that there is nothing here for our people. Our only chance to survive is to return to New Brandenburg and alert the rest of our people. Perhaps we can get there in time to help some of them escape."

  She stared at him for a long moment, her blue eyes studying his. "Where will we run? Our colonies are all here."

  "Then we give up. But at least that way we get to do it on our terms. Not like this." Federov noticed the crew's watchful eyes as they talked. Each of them seemed to be asking the same question. Why bother to run if the decision is between slavery or death? But to their credit, they turned their heads back to their stations and did their jobs.

  The ship made its way through the massive battle, without so much as drawing the attention of the other ships. For the first time in his life, he was glad to be invisible to everyone else. It also marked the first time where that was the preferable option.

  "Thirty seconds until contact with the gate," Lebdev said as he slowed the ship for the jump.

 
; "Initiate jump when we are in range. Do NOT wait for my mark." Federov glared at Lebdev to emphasize his point. If the kid so much as hesitated to take the ship to the other side… Better to not focus on those thoughts until he had to. He'd nearly killed him one time today already. Threatening his life twice without doing anything would not enhance his credibility.

  Thirty seconds later, without so much as a word being spoken, the self-contained wormhole of the gate expanded and swallowed the Tarasenko.

  Chapter Five

  Volgograd Sector

  Bridge, Flagship Koniva

  Captain David Miller watched the battle play out on the main viewscreen. As expected, since the arrival of the rest of the flagships, the Russian fleet didn't stand a chance. By his estimation, the Russians had started with eighty ships. Now, after ten minutes of battle, less than half remained. Those that did were doing what they could to neutralize the smaller Mythrar vessels, as the flagships had proven impervious to their weapons.

  Not that the flagships were impervious, they were just capable of mitigating impressive amounts of damage. This was due, in large part, to the thick tungsten plating that comprised their hulls. Combined with the Mythrar's advanced armor modulators and shielding, human weapons didn't stand a chance. Add that to the devastating beam weapon, and it was only a matter of time until the humans fell.

  "Russian ships are taking heavy losses, but they are doing a number on our other ships. I suggest we pull the rest back for the next attack." His XO, Julie Robbins, suggested.

  Miller gave her a thoughtful nod before returning his attention to the screen. If things were different, he would've commended her for her contribution, but in this case, he wished she’d remained silent. In truth, he knew they shouldn't have been there. Sure, the Mythrar might have found the rest of humanity sooner or later, but it should've happened on its own.

  It was partially his fault, he realized. If he'd let the ISS Valiant destroy the Intrepid all those years ago, they wouldn't be here now. The Mythrar, as a whole, were more concerned with building up their assets before moving on another unsuspecting race of aliens. But the moment Emissary Koniva learned about the Intrepid, everything changed. Soon after, the Mythrar changed their plans from seeking another alien civilization to finishing the job they’d started a century before. It was only a matter of time until the Mythrar made their move.

  "Pull them back. Have the other flagships focus on the Russian survivors. Main targets are those firing on our other ships."

  Robbins nodded her head and transferred the commands down the chain. Soon after, the first of the Mythrar ships turned back, leaving the remainder of the Russian fleet for the flagships.

  One at a time, the flagships opened fire, their sickly green lasers decimating anything they touched. As the flagships focused on the fleet, the rest of the Russian ships scurried for cover, using the damaged husks of ships where they could. But even that did little to protect them from the worst of it.

  Onscreen, Miller watched as one of the Russian vessels pulled away from his flagship. Unlike the rest of the ships that seemed intent on destroying as many of the smaller Mythrar vessels as they could, it was moving away from the battle. A quick glance at the viewscreen told him everything he needed to know. That ship wasn't trying to get into a better firing lane, or hoping to catch one of the smaller Mythrar vessels unaware. They were simply trying to escape the carnage plaguing the rest of their people.

  Miller nervously glanced around the bridge, wondering if anyone had noticed the ship moving away. But it was clear, if anyone was watching the scene play out on the massive viewscreen, they were opting to stay quiet. More than anything else, that made him wonder. Were there other humans on the flagship like him, willing and able to look the other way when his people tried to escape?

  His people. The thought made him laugh inside. These weren't his people any more than the Mythrar. Sure, they shared the same basic physiology and varied mannerisms, but these people were much different.

  For starters, they were free. All the people inside the Russian vessels had something Miller desperately wanted for himself.

  Freedom.

  Not just freedom to command the ship as he pleased while hunting the rest of his kind. He desired the privileges afforded to the rest of his people, those fortunate enough to exist outside Mythrar rule. The ability to live his life as he pleased.

  "Sir, one of the Russian vessels is moving away from the conflict and towards Kirov Gate. Should I send part of our fleet to intercept it?"

  Miller's heart sank. He wanted nothing more than to let the vessel get away, to give them a chance to either gather their forces to mount a real defense or an opportunity to get their people away. But it was too late for that. Someone on the ship had noticed, so he knew what he had to do. He hated shooting down the human ships, but better for them to die here than to have the Mythrar track them back to their homeworld.

  "Order the Davenport, Sequoia, and Cairo to give chase." Miller scanned his console, looking for other nearby ships to limit their escape. "Then send a message to…"

  "Belay that order." The door to the bridge opened with a mechanical whir as Emissary Koniva stepped into the room. "You are to let that ship, and only that ship, escape. Our mission here is to seek out the remainder of the human homeworlds and bring them under our control. The only way we can make that happen is if we know where these homeworlds are."

  Miller pursed his lips, then nodded. He didn't like the orders, but questioning them now would only get him killed. "You heard the emissary. Cancel my previous order. Instead, return to our efforts to protect the rest of our fleet." Miller kept his gaze on the Mythrar, half-expecting the alien to have an issue with his plans. But if Koniva disagreed with his tactics, he didn't say a word. Instead, he lumbered past Miller to get a closer look at the viewscreen.

  "Robbins, please connect me with Emissary Jremu aboard his flagship," Koniva said.

  Robbins' eyes flitted between Koniva and Miller a couple of times before she acknowledged the order. Soon the image on the viewscreen split as Emissary Jremu's image appeared on the screen.

  The appearance of the yellow-skinned alien sparked a burst of rage inside Miller's chest. Just seeing the Klypton made him want to do horrible things. Both to the emissary himself, and those who willingly followed his commands. Few things could send Miller over the edge. Even now, the only thing keeping him from throwing something at the screen was Koniva himself. An outburst would only make matters much worse than they already were.

  The Klypton stared at the screen for a long moment before bringing his black translation box to his throat. "Emissary Koniva, you honor me with your presence."

  Koniva's lips curled upward in what could only be a smile. "I have a special task for you. It seems one of the Russian vessels is trying to escape. I want you to have your crew monitor the ship's position and follow them to their destination."

  Jremu glanced over his shoulder as if looking for a response from someone on his crew. "We are on it, Emissary. We will remain here with the rest of the fleet until the other Russian ships are destroyed. That should be more than enough time to let them believe they are getting away."

  Koniva's grin grew wider as if he was pleased with the Klypton's response. He then gestured for Robbins to cut the transmission.

  Miller watched with stunned disbelief as the four flagships decimated the rest of the Russian fleet. The massive debris field was evidence enough that humanity didn't stand a chance. But deep in his heart, he hoped they would find a way. He and his crew knew something most of the rest of his people in the Mythrar fleet did not. That the flagships could be destroyed. He hoped the rest of humanity would find a way to do it again. Otherwise, their struggles were for nothing.

  Chapter Six

  New Earth Sector

  Presidential Estate, New Earth Station

  He found the endless corridors of New Earth Station unusually clear as he made his way through the station. With the r
umors of the Mythrar fleet heading towards New Earth, they had long since shuttled the civilians back down to the planet, leaving only members of the NEC on the station.

  Members of the NEC and me, he thought.

  In his few encounters with people on the station, he’d tried to take in as much information as he could. It seemed with the civilian population off the station, the military personnel were more likely to talk. Mostly they complained about having to stay behind, instead of being sent to the planet to attend to their families. These people believed it was in humanity's best interests to pack up and run away.

  They had a valid argument. After all, the Mythrar had taken Earth with little resistance. They believed this encounter would be no different.

  How could it be? While humanity's level of technology had increased over the past one hundred years, they still weren't capable of dealing with the Mythrar ships. Back then they’d had the advantage of only facing a few of the Mythrar's massive flagships and still lost. How did they hope to deal with the dozen they’d brought to Earth shortly after?

  If rumors were true, the Mythrar had brought five of their flagships to finish subjugating the humans. If that was the case, there was little the NEC could do to repel the threat. Sure, he'd heard about the loss of Flagship Dotack back in Entropa, but even with four, there was little humanity could do.

  He turned around a corner and noticed the large group of security personnel congregating in the middle of the hall. Seeing the Secret Service agents all gathered in one place confirmed his hopes. That President Alvarez was indeed on the station, as his intelligence had suggested. Why she had stayed in her office instead of retreating to the relative safety of the planet, he would never know. But the answer didn't concern him. Only that she was here.