Gamma Raiders: Storm Squadron Alpha: Scifi Alien Romance Novel (7 page)

“That’s a job for the flight mechanics,” said Jomanak. “We’ve got more important things to do.”

“Wrong,” said Ja’al. “And that attitude will get you killed. I won’t have you jeopardizing my team. You owe me thirty press-ups for crossing the line from confidence to stupidity. Storm Squadron pilots depend on their teammates, but each of you are expected to know how to do everything and anything required of them in the heat of battle. When the mechanics are safely back here on the deck, they can’t help you.”

Kira gritted her teeth and dug her heels into the ground. She may not have the training or the sim experience that some of the recruits did, but she sure as hell knew what to do with faulty systems. She gathered her courage and spoke. “You can divert power from the hyperdrive core.”

Ja’al walked to her and looked her in the eyes. Her body filled with electricity as he held her gaze. She still remembered the feeling of his hands on her body. Imagined his warm lips on her skin. And she felt the heat rising inside her.

“And why would you do that, Cadet Thorne?” he said.

She felt the eyes of the room on her. She almost regretted speaking up. But she knew she was right. “You can’t run a full diagnostic in the heat of battle,” she said. “But the most common problem with the comm systems on a fighter, is that the weapons are drawing too heavily. There’s not enough power left for the Gaussian field to complete the comm circuits. Diverting power from the hyperdrive could give it the extra kick it needs.”

Ja’al stared at her silently, and she heard the sound of Jomanak grunting beside her as he fought through the remaining press-ups.

“And you think it’d be a good idea to knock your hyperdrive systems offline?” said Ja’al.

Despite their feelings for one another, he couldn’t go easier on her in front of the others. And Kira wouldn’t have wanted him to. The more he drilled her now, the better prepared she’d be. But this was an easy question. To her, at least, the answer was obvious.

“I do, sir,” she said. “No sane pilot would make the leap to hyperspace in the heat of a battle. You wouldn’t have a clear course, and you’d never make a clean escape. Getting the comm systems back online first gives you a better chance of surviving the battle.”

Ja’al smiled at her and closed his eyes briefly as he gave a small nod. “Thank you, Cadet Thorne.”

“Sir,” she said, feeling more confident in herself already.

Ja’al raised his voice to address the group. “That’s the kind of forward, strategic decision that each of you will be expected to make. And those of you who think you’re above learning the inner-workings of your ships would do well to take a page from her book.”

She still had a lot to learn, but her background would serve her better than she had realized. She had a foundation that few, if any, of the other cadets did.

She could do this. She just needed to draw on her strengths.

Chapter 7

After a brief lunch, Kira navigated through the dark, cramped hallways of the Rebel base and found her way back to the training room. She could have used more time for rest and relaxation, but that luxury wasn’t on the agenda. She probably would have been too nervous to appreciate it, anyway. Storm kept a rigorous schedule, and there was no time for relaxation.

A bank of simulator pods lined the outskirts of the room, waiting for the cadets to begin their flight training. A large holodisplay occupying the room’s center, enabled recruits who weren’t taking part in a drill to study and learn from the mistakes of their classmates. No pressure.

Immune to the pressure of performing in front of her peers, Reina looked as bubbly as ever. Her red curls bounced as she tilted her head and waved Kira over. “I can’t believe they’re starting us on aerial combat already,” she said. “After this morning’s lecture, I thought we were in for a physics lesson.”

“I can handle equations,” said Kira. “But all this? I’m not so sure.” She looked around at the rows of steel and tarkanium pods sitting on complex rigs that allowed full rotation in all directions. The mock-cockpits were outfitted with the full array of sensors and controls, just like the JRV class fighters they’d be flying while on their sorties. Training in an I-57A pod was indistinguishable from the real thing.

“Kira, this is going to be amazing. You wouldn’t be here if they didn’t think you could do it. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

Again, Kira wasn’t so sure. Her stomach tightened as she questioned her resolve. Why did she let Ja’al talk her into this? She should have joined the wrench-heads after all.

“What’s the matter, Thorne? Afraid you won’t be able to hack it?” said Jomanak. He placed his hands on his hips and a mocking smile drew across his face.

“She was just concerned that they won’t be able to clean up all the pieces of your over-sized ego when she blows you out of the sky, Jom,” said Reina. “You’re the one who should be worried here.”

“Please. I can handle anything this wrench-head can throw at me.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Kira. She’s wasn’t at all sure she’d be able to best him, but Reina’s faith inspired her. Besides, she wasn’t going to let this little prick intimidate her. If there was one thing Kira could do well, it was rise to a challenge. No matter what she thought about her own skills, Kira wasn’t about to suffer his insults.

“You’ll get your chance soon enough,” said Reina as the holodisplay burst to life, showing a vivid, three-dimensional image of towering city buildings at the edge of a canyon.

“Good afternoon, cadets,” said Ja’al as he entered the room through a sliding steel door. “I hope you’ve all made good use of your break. We don’t have any time to waste. Things are only going to get more intense from here on out.”

He waved his hands through the air, zooming in on the map of the city before them. “Today’s exercise is an assault on the military installation at the Kamaran moon, Beta Relo Five. It’s all simulated, of course, but we’ve mapped the terrain and the threats you’ll face to the highest detail. For all intents and purposes, this will be exactly like the real thing.”

He shifted the camera, panning through the city and onto a dark grey hexagonal building at the perimeter, surrounded by a luminous dome of green light. “The central hub of the base is here. As you can see, they’re well protected. To hit the target, you must destroy the shields. After that, a well-placed torpedo here,” he said, zooming in on the display to an assembly of fortified concrete buildings deep inside the base’s center, “will put them out of operation.”

Kira studied the projection. The shields projected from inside the field; there was no way to hit the generators.

Reina must have noticed, too. “Sir,” she said. “The generator is inside the field. Even if we make it through the aerial defenses, we have no way to hit them.”

Ja’al looked to her and nodded. “You’re right. But I assure you, there is a weakness. And your job is to find it.”

Kira studied the map. This system had the same design flaw that the JRV class fighters did. The trick was to strike at the peripheral systems so they drew power away from the shields. She smiled to herself, forming a plan of attack. As long as she had time to analyze, she’d be fine. This was all about strategy. Keeping the bigger picture in mind.

“I’ve split you into three teams,” said Ja’al. “Five of you will fly the torpedo raid, and five of you will defend the base. The final team will watch from here.”

“You want us to defend the base? I thought we were all training to attack,” said Jom. “Why waste our time?”

“To defeat your enemies, Jom, you need to understand them. You can only understand the moves they’re likely to make when you’ve shared their perspective and seen the situation through their eyes.”

“That sounds a little mushy for my tastes,” he said. “I don’t want to know my enemy. I want to destroy them.”

“And I assure you, they want the same,” said Ja’al. “But this isn’t just an exercise in perspective. You’ll be responsible for defending our own base in the event that our location is ever compromised.”

“I’ll play defense,” said Jomanak. “But it won’t be fair to anyone else.”

“We’ll let the leaderboard speak for itself,” said Ja’al, pointing to a glowing, holographic readout on the training room wall. “Your scores in the training exercises will determine who makes the final cut. The cadet with the highest score will assume command of Storm Squadron when training concludes. Anyone who fails to accumulate enough points will be reassigned.”

Kira stiffened. Jomanak smirked.

“Let the games begin.”

***

Kira slid into the leather bucket seat of the sim and closed the pod’s lid around her. She took a quick inventory of the readings on her control systems. Fuel, weapons systems, engines, shields, guidance, targeting, power. Everything matched the diagrams she’d studied, but it was always worth making sure. She wouldn’t be surprised if one day they began an exercise with some critical component missing, just to see how the pilots would react.

But she didn’t have much time to get her bearings. The countdown began, and the simulation launched before she was prepared. The pod rattled around her, throwing her back into the seat as her screen lit up, revealing the terrain below.

Peering out through the canopy, she studied the landscape to orient herself. The enemy base sat on the edge of a large, sheer cliff. That could be a problem, she noted. While her radar systems would show the heat signatures of enemies waiting, she wouldn’t be able to get a precise read on anyone’s location or altitude with the thick rock shielding them.

“Red team, mind the cliff,” she said into her comm system as the small strike squadron descended toward the base. “We don’t know what’s hiding back there.”

“It’s not the cliff I’m worried about,” Reina’s voice crackled through the comm.

Kira was relieved to see she had a friend on her side.

But her relief was short lived. Three glowing red dots appeared on the tracking panel in front of her, approaching at full speed.

“They’re not going to make this easy, are they?” said Kira.

“That wouldn’t be any fun. Besides, we can take ‘em.”

Kira hammered the throttle, taking the point position as the fighters sped towards the base. “We’re easy targets in this formation,” she said. “We need to scatter. Distract them. Divide their forces so we have a better chance of getting to the target.”

“Copy that,” said Tabor, the young Yordaskian. He banked his fighter out to port and raced towards the far end of the engagement zone, taking Yamao with him on his wing.

The moment the formation split, Kira caught the visual of three enemy fighters barreling straight towards her at full speed. She’d never be able to get a target lock flying straight at them.

She dropped her nose and headed in towards the ground as she slammed the decelerator. The I-57A pod kicked, simulating the g-force of the maneuver, and Kira’s stomach lurched as her position shifted. Flying close to the planet’s surface, she didn’t have much maneuvering room. But it gave her a different perspective on the battle taking place above.

In the corner of her screen, she glimpsed Reina’s fighter rolling beyond the explosive orange flash of a torpedo launched by one of the defenders. It was a little too close, but the flash of light and sound drew the attention of the fighters.

A perfect distraction. No one saw her circle around the edge of the field as she edged her ship back towards the combat zone. As long as Reina could keep them occupied, she would be able to line up her shot.

Kira throttled up to full speed and pulled back on the yoke, arcing her fighter up towards the enemies. “Hold ‘em steady Reina, I’m coming in.”

“We’ll take ‘em for a ride,” said Reina.

Kira watched her execute a deft roll as she raced towards the mountains, forcing the fighters to loop wide around back to her tail.

The gambit worked; it bought Kira the time she needed. She lined up the JRV in her cross-hairs and squeezed off a burst of laser fire. Three shots flew wide as the shocked pilot banked to starboard in response. The fourth shot tore straight through the craft’s hull. It ignited in a burst of sparks and hellish groan of metal, sending the damaged ship spiraling towards the ground.

“Nice shot!” said Reina.

Kira smiled and straightened herself in the sim cockpit. “Nice roll,” she replied.

Her moment of glory was short-lived. A blinding flash of laser fire ripped across the stern of her ship, barely missing her. “Shit.”

Two JRVs crested the canyon edge, bearing down at her at breakneck speed. Any way she turned, they’d intercept her. “Reina, I’m in trouble here.”

“Can you shake them?”

Kira glanced down at her monitors. The bandits were closing fast. And there was no cover for her except ….

Without a second thought, she decelerated and rolled her ship sharply back around, aiming straight for the heart of the base. The attackers still pursued, but any missed shots would be aimed at their own people. She might even get them to blow the place up for her. It was a brilliant plan.

Except for those damned shields.

But at least it would buy her some time.

In the distance, the sky lit up with the brilliant orange flash of an explosion, followed seconds later by the low boom of a torpedo detonation.

Yamao and Tabor must have taken down another fighter in the distance. Glancing down at her radar, she assessed the situation. A single, glowing red marker flashed on her screen. It was still headed straight for her.

“I’ve got one on my six,” she said, looking for any features of the landscape that might break the line of sight.

No such luck.

“We’re inbound and closing fast,” said Tabor. “ETA sixty seconds. Can you hold him off?”

“Doing my best,” said Kira. The situation looked grim. There was nowhere to go. But if she could hit the base and take down the shields, at least her team might still have a shot at winning this thing.

She looked to her radar for clues about where to fire to draw power away from the shield; nothing obvious presented itself in the dizzying array of green lines and data that rushed through her view. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it.

The ammunition stockade wasn’t marked on her map. Taking it down wasn’t part of the plan. But if she could line up her shot just right, the explosion would divert enough power to weaken the shields.

As Kira adjusted her course, her radar flashed red. Sirens screamed through her headset. The JRV had locked on. There wasn’t anywhere to go, and no time to adjust her course, anyway. She was dead in the sky.

With no options left, a calm washed over her. Kira steadied her hands on the flight stick and maintained her course. If she was going down, she’d at least try to do some damage on the way.

Lining the ammunition depot up in her sights, she popped off a stream of laser bursts.

They flared and scattered around the ground below. But from this distance, the shots wouldn’t penetrate the depot’s thick armor.

The wailing sirens in her ears morphed into a steady buzz. The enemy was on her. It was now or never.

Kira slammed her palm into the panel in front of her, releasing the automatic torpedo targeting into manual control mode. A series of numbers flashed across her HUD—information she didn’t have time to process. She’d have to do this on her own.

Aiming her nose at the target, she fought to keep the craft steady. The engines of her fighter flared around her, spewing flames as she closed the distance for a final second.

With a blinding flash of white, she fired her torpedo straight ahead as the enemy’s blast tore her fighter from the sky.

Her screen went dark, and the silence hung heavy.

***

The heavy hatch of Kira’s sim pod opened with hiss. Sweat trickled down her back as she adjusted herself in the seat. Did her shot hit its target? What happened?