Operation Chimera (31 page)

“I know,” said Caiomhe, “Just trying to buy us some time.” She hauled her ship around once again in the direction of to the carrier, the last Broadsword in through the atmospheric retention field.

Michael blasted two Kraits away from Zavex’s Glaive, covering him as he flew into range of the
Manhattan
’s turrets. A cloud of virtual safety extended approximately twenty five hundred meters around the carrier, where a ludicrous number of anti-fighter turrets waited to repel hostiles. Already, long streamers of energy gathered around the gargantuan engines; the jump sequence had already started.

“Green Wing, stop dawdling, get in here.”

“Alright, guys, you heard Commander Grey, take it in.”

Michael dove toward the
Manhattan
, a tear formed in the corner of his eye as its silvery grandeur filled his view; a sight he thought he might not have ever seen again. Line abreast, the fighters of Green Wing flew beneath the massive ship, and up into the recessed docking bay. No sooner had the Manta’s rear end cleared the field than the heavy blast doors slammed closed.

After spinning the Glaive around to face the door, Michael eased the craft down onto its landing pads. He glanced left, smiling at the clouds of fog that gathered along the flight deck. The ramp extended out from the bottom of the Manta, revealing a worn-out Liam, and frantically gesticulating Keg. Apparently, there were more Draxx out there that needed killing, and the little murder machine wasn’t done yet.

To his right, Aaron had disembarked his Glaive and was already in the midst of a post-flight walkabout. The cocky smile on his face took all the credit for him coming back with an intact ship; Michael shook his head, turning to watch Emma leaning against the side of her little fighter. She looked about ready to vomit. He hit the canopy open, and the glass peeled back and away from him.

“Command, send a medical team to the flight deck, we recovered a survivor,” said Michael.

“A survivor?” asked a female voice. “From what?”

“A derelict Terran ship.”

“A what?” Commander Grey broke in to the channel. “I’ll need to see a full report.”

“Of course, sir.” Michael removed his helmet and climbed down the boarding ladder, approaching Emma. “You okay?” he whispered.

The Mosquito was small enough not to have a boarding ladder, just two folding steps. She held on to the side of the cockpit for balance.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just been sitting so long I feel woozy on my legs.”

He patted her on the shoulder. “Great job out there, Loring.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Don’t worry; I was as scared as you look now.” He winked.

She turned, back against the cold fighter. “I was fine out there, Summers. Just didn’t stop to think about it. Now that I’m safe it’s like, ‘holy crap what did you do?’” She tucked her hands under her armpits to hide the trembles. “I’ll be okay. I can handle it, it’s just…”

“First time jitters. It happens to everyone, man or woman. Ignore him.” Michael nodded in Aaron’s direction.

“What’s he doing?” Emma leaned to the right, raising an eyebrow at Zavex who knelt by the front landing gear of his fighter.

“Looks like he’s meditating. Probably thanking his ancestors he lived…”

She made a discomfited grimace. “I need to get out of this PWRS.”

“Yeah…” Michael adjusted his flight suit. “A shower sounds like a damn fine idea. One minute.”

He waved to a medical crew that appeared to be unsure of where to go, jogging to meet them by the ladder to his fighter.

“What’s this guy’s story?” asked the lead medic.

“No damn idea… I was hoping he could tell us when he wakes up.”

nsign Sayle, seated at the tactical station, spun about. She still had her earpiece held in place from liaising with the hangar deck and hangar control.

“All fighters are safely aboard, Captain,” she said.

Driscoll watched streams of Draxx fighters exit the capital ship in front of them. “Plot a course, Mister Cochrane. Our partial charts should afford us the ability to use the Jump drive safely, so get us out of here, on the double.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Prime the Jump drive.”

“Aye,” Hardy said.

Ensign Brooke looked up from his monitor. “Twenty seconds until they’re on us.”

The fighters were closer now. If they’d had the chance to launch beforehand, they would’ve. The Draxx liked to get an upper hand in any given situation, no matter how small. Now their numbers were significantly reduced, but it hadn’t stopped them from playing their trump card.

After what she’d been through, the
Manhattan
was in no position to face down a hundred or so Draxx fighter craft. Retreat, for the time being at least, was the best option available to them and Driscoll knew it. The nebula should hide them.

“Helm?” Commander Teague asked.

“Course plotted, Ma’am,” Cochrane said.

Teague looked at Captain Driscoll.

“Do it,” he said.

The Drive whined into life from within the ship. Lieutenant Hardy took the
Manhattan
clear of the enemy vessels and activated the Jump. Regular space shrank back then rushed forth to enclose them in its dark embrace as they leapt to safety.

A moment later, the Draxx starfighters arrived in the spot they’d previously occupied. Inside the command section of the last remaining Draxx capitol-ship, its Captain cursed in the closest approximation of profanity his lizard tongue could manage.

reen Wing had the ominous distinction of being the first crew to meet with Commander Grey after the mission. Briefing Room D was one-eighth the size of A, intended for a single squadron at a time rather than the entire mission force. Michael led the way in, saluting the Operations Officer before taking a place behind one of the chairs. Aaron, Emma, and Liam followed, with Zavex bringing up the rear. The Talnurian closed the door behind him and took a position at one of the chairs.

Green Wing all sat at the same time.

“Welcome home,” began Commander Grey. “I’m sure you are wondering why I’ve decided to start the debriefing with fourth wing.”

“I imagine it has something to do with our clear comm traffic, sir.”

Grey nodded at Michael. “Before we get into that, tell me more about the derelict you found. Most of your recorder data from that part of your flight is unreadable.”

Liam made a ‘that figures’ face.

“Sir, we proceeded toward the location of the detected anomaly, later identifying it as something metallic. Between the deteriorating state of communications to the
Manhattan
and the unpredictable nature of what appeared to be some manner of ion storm, I issued an order to return to the carrier.”

“Yet you did not…” Commander Grey tilted his head.

“We tried, sir. We took a course that our flight control systems identified as the path back to the
Manhattan
, but we wound up going closer to the anomaly.”

“It was as though the anomaly wanted us to come closer,” said Zavex, earning a minute of silence from the assembled.

Emma shivered.

“Oh come on, Zav.” Aaron grinned, too casual for a meeting with a Commander. “You don’t think ghosts and such live out in space do you? The nebula was just disorienting us.”

“Directly at the anomaly?” Zavex bowed in acquiescence, despite his verbal challenge.