Operation Hellfire (12 page)

"Uncertain, Sir. I have a single formation of four Byotai Hawkmoth fighters."

She watched the small unit circle lazily about the station. They carried an unusual black zigzag pattern that made them standout, even from a distance. The only other sign of movement was from the massive radar scanner dishes. There were several of the large metallic devices, and they rotated quickly, providing a detailed three-dimensional view of the entire System. Thirty seconds after their arrival the Rift flashed once more, and then settled down to a dull black shape.

At first glance it might easily have been nothing more than just more empty space, and only a careful examination would show it covered up and obscured the stars behind it. Bright lights flashed aboard the station, and then four large hangar doors opened up. Out came dozens of Byotai Hawkmoth fighters, all making for the formation of Alliance ships.

"Okay, they are coming for us, friendly or not. Let's get ready."

She looked to Captain Cornwallis, who waited patiently for the word.

"Captain, it's time. Get my fighter cover outside. I want them between us and the station in the next thirty minutes."

Alliance Armoured Assault Ship 'ANS Relentless'

Approaching Eighth Quadrant Fleet Reserve Base

Hatches continued opening across the exterior of the Byotai base, but at the same time a series of small blasts erupted along the one side. One exploded with such force that a series of outer plates tore off and floated off into space. From this breach came a tall column of yellow flames and gas before settling into a gentle flickering series of flashes. A Byotai fighter twisted to avoid something and then crashed into the central dome, its broken wreckage leaving a jagged scar along the surface. Like the rest of the sector, there was now fighting in all quarters, and the station was no exception. A pair of individuals wearing EVA suits took aim and fired a single missile towards the orbiting ship nearby. Against a civilian ship, the attack would have been devastating, but against the three warships it was futile. A single burst of defence fire from Relentless exploded the warhead with ease.

The heavily armoured assault ship waited high above the station and followed a wide elliptical orbit. She was close enough to use her guns if necessary, but far enough away to grant them a brief window to activate countermeasures and defences if needed. The gun turrets fitted inside their internal mount lifted up high above Relentless' superstructure. They glowed blue as they charged up, ready to fire at a moment's notice. On her own, Relentless was a major vessel, but with a pair of destroyers on hand, the small force was much more dangerous that it might look.

The Liberty Class had been designed in the period leading up to the Biomech War and had proven a simple, reliable, and relatively powerful addition to the fleet. For the loss of a single standard ship of the line, two Liberty Class could be manufactured. Even more important these ships operated on a much smaller crew, and could be reconfigured in a matter of days to an entirely different specification. ANS London was the older of the two and configured as a guided missile destroyer. She carried eight powerful missile launch systems, capable of firing everything from planetary bombardment missiles to devastatingly powerful anti-ship torpedoes. ANS New Berlin was much newer and fitted out for close-range escort, commonly known as an Air Defence Destroyer. Though still carrying a pair of missile tubes, she also carried independent quad gun turrets fitted with 20mm coilguns.

All three Alliance ships altered formation to present their flanks to both the station and the group of Hawkmoth fighters. The two destroyers rolled their hulls twenty degrees so that all of the belly-mounted turrets had a clear line of sight to their potential targets. Only then, when all three ships were in position did they ready their fighters.

"Launching now," said Captain Cornwallis.

The flank-mounted hangar doors fitted alongside the angular side of Relentless slid open to reveal the series of armoured inner doors. Unlike the bow launch deck, the flank sections were fully sealed and still partially crewed. It would reduce the number of fighters that could be launched and recovered for now, but it also left the ship least vulnerable to attack. The outer doors automatically shut with each launch, leaving the ship fully sealed and protected.

The fighters of Corsair Squadron blasted off from their grav sleds and into space. After clearing the station, the Lightning fighters activated their burners and accelerated away towards the station. Now that the fighters were in space, Captain Cornwallis swung into action, with the ever-reliable Commander Higgins at his side to assist. It was their job to coordinate the fighters and to ensure the three ships were kept safe, while also conducting their own operation against the station. The Captain looked to Commander Higgins and indicated towards the station.

"I'll deal with those fighters. I need you to set up CAP for the ships and to get the boarding party ready. Put half of Thunder to work, and get your Knighthawks ready."

"On it."

By separating their workload, the two men were easily able to command the three squadrons of spacecraft on board, from fighters and gunships to the venerable Mauler landing craft. As the Captain issued the first orders, Commander Higgins contacted Ensigns Lewis and Hawkins.

"Knighthawks, we have Byotai fighters on approach. Their intentions are uncertain, and they are blocking our comms to the station. Make sure you're ready to launch on my command."

The channel clicked as Commander Higgins turned his attention to the pilots of Thunder Squadron. As Nate listened, he found himself feeling frustrated that they were now being launched while he and his friends were stuck inside the station. Thunder Squadron lacked the kudos of the pilots in Corsair but were still rated higher by Admiral Churchill over the Knighthawks. Nate knew that it was fair and reasonable, after all, they were just kids. But it still grated.

"They had their time. Now it's ours."

With no immediate threat to the ship, Nate brought up the mapping data for the second planet, well away from their current position. Even at full burn, they could offer no useful help in that direction. Both groups of Alliance ships would have to work separately until they could finally rally upon the completion of their missions.

"Look at the Helion, Billy. They are in serious trouble."

They watched carefully as videostream transmissions from the exterior of the ships showed the battle. The Alliance ships under Churchill had now arrived and used the planet's gravitational pull, as well as its thin, slightly corrosive atmosphere to help slow it down prior to running into the centre of the mass of ships.

"Not good," said Billy, shaking his head.

The Helion cruisers were tough, but like much of the old Helion military, their ships were designed for speed and long-range firepower via missiles. With so many ships in close proximity, the battle had turned into a short-range slugging fest, with ships on both sides able to use their guns at point-blank range. This style of combat rendered the speed of the Helion ships moot, negating the advantages they had with their high-speed, long-range missiles. Two large transports swept in to strike a cruiser, but it used its manoeuvring engines to rise above them at the last moment, allowing the two to crash into each other while the Helion ship rejoined its comrades. As it lifted away, it launched a barrage of rockets that hammered the civilian ships and broke them apart with ease.

"What would I give to be in the thick of that battle?"

* * *

Nate listened to the words from the Commander with an ever-growing smile. They had been sitting there for so long his body was starting to ache. One thing that could not be said about any of the Alliance spacecraft was that they were particularly comfortable for long durations. In the time it had taken to prepare themselves on the hangar decks, Commander Higgins had made his way back to the CIC where he could assist Captain Cornwallis. It meant the young pilots were alone in this part of the ship, with only a handful of deck crew out there, making sure the spacecraft were good to go.

Nate looked to Billy.

"Weird, isn't it? A few weeks ago we were controlling drones. Now it's all old school, and we're in the thick of it."

Billy didn't seem quite as excited by what was happening.

"I suppose. Back then the Commander was watching us in the Fighter Control Suite. Now we only use that place for training. It's pretty weird to me. Now he's deputy to the CAG."

Billy shook his head and then checked his weapon setting for what must have been the fourth time so far. He was right, though. Just weeks earlier the control suite had been where they spent almost all of their time for simulation training and later on to control the small number of drone fighters. With there only being manned fighters left, it was clearly safer to command the squadrons from the CIC, where the CAG could communicate directly with the senior staff. Even so, it was very different to their humble beginnings on the ship.

"Let's hear what's going on," said Nate.

With a flick of a switch, he activated the squadron channels. Corsair was already out there, and familiar voices quickly filled the cockpit of the Mauler.

Lieutenant Commander Holder.

Nate smiled as he imagined the twenty-six year old officer leading the unit of veteran pilots into action. He was still amazed they were allowed anywhere near such personalities, and just thinking about her and her military record left him feeling so small and inadequate.

"All squadrons, maintain standard ROE, and try and avoid turning this into a shooting war. They are broadcasting friendly IFF, but don't trust the tech, use your eyes."

Nate nodded to himself.

We're ready. We can do this.

Lieutenant Heiskell appeared on the forward screen. It was a darkened image from inside his armour, and he looked as serious as ever.

"My marines are ready. Put us down safely. You've done this before."

"Yes, Sir. All systems are showing green, and we're on the rail with systems charged and active. Mongoose is good to go."

"Good."

With little more than a nod, the image vanished. The sound of the marine's voice was replaced by the equally dour tones of Captain Cornwallis.

"Thunder Squadron, fighter one through four, launch now. Fall in behind Corsair Squadron and establish a cordon. Mongoose, wait for my command. You will not leave Relentless except under my direct orders."

* * *

Alliance Mauler 'ANS Mongoose'

Twenty minutes had passed; they were still stuck inside the cavernous belly of Relentless. The standoff remained around the station, and as each minute ticked by, an armed confrontation seemed ever more likely. An alert flashed up on a secondary display. Nate shifted uncomfortably and glanced over to Billy.

"We've got gunfire inside the station. There are fires on the upper levels. Nobody said anything about the place being in the middle of a battle."

He pressed a series of buttons and put up a schematic of the station, along with its numerous passages and platforms. It was only half as big as something like the Mognathus station but was heavily armoured, and according to the information on the Alliance database, designed to match a dozen warships in a stand up fight. An emergency alert flashed up just as a single massive hatch opened up, and from inside came a large motorised weapon platform.

"This was supposed to be a quick operation, and we're still here. Last thing we need is to get into a fight with that thing."

Billy sighed.

"Yeah. Look out there, though. It's a mess."

Both looked to the forward displays that mimicked a set of flat-paned glass windows. Even though the inner and outer doors of Relentless' flank were shut, they showed a view as though the metal was not obstructing their direct line of sight.

"The station is still operational. But those fighters don't seem keen to let us come closer. And now that gun turret is trained on our ships."

Multiple Byotai fighter squadrons were now waiting in three groups, and between them presented a wall of metal that stopped any of the Alliance craft from getting past. Each time a Lightning fighter came close, they opened fire and sent a burst of projectiles across their bows.

"Mongoose. Prepare to launch. We've managed to patch Kratha through to the remains of the Byotai garrison. They are shutting down the external defence grid, but the fighters are not theirs. Be quick, though, looks like we've got..."

He stopped speaking for a second, and Nate and Billy shared a look of confusion. Nate pointed to the external camera.

"Look!"

The massive turret flashed white as it unleashed a volley of shells towards the ship. Both teenagers grabbed the handles near their seats, bracing themselves for the impact. To their surprise the shells headed for the closer of the two destroyers. Other ships might have been caught by surprise, but after the missile launch, they were ready. A stream of cannon fire struck all around the shells and tore the high explosive projectiles apart in good time. When the audio returned, the Commander's tone had shifted dramatically.

"They are in trouble. The gunnery system has been captured. They are tracking us. It's anti-ship, so keep moving, and you'll be fine. Get the Prince on board, and fast! Knock out the guns if possible."

"Understood, Sir. We're on the way."

Nate licked his upper lip as he moved his hand to the release controls. The launch would be conducted from the ship, but it was impossible to force the system until he released the Mauler from its heavy locking clamps. One pull and they were free, followed shortly by the magclamps lowering from view and leaving them at the mercy of the ship’s launch rail system.

"Mongoose to Relentless. We're fully loaded, weapons ready, and good to go."

He gulped and then looked to his friend.

"Ready for this?"

Billy nodded.

"Hell, yeah."

He might have been trying to sound excited, but it was hard, if not impossible to hide his nerves. It was one thing to command a fighter, or even to pair up inside a gunship. Controlling a Mauler was something very different. Now they were responsible for something vastly bigger, and carrying the most precious payload of all. People.