The Last Praetorian (30 page)

“Good job guys.  Transmission has terminated,” Jon updated
the Marines via the communication link.  “We need to pick-up the schedule as we
have no idea if anybody received that transmission and how long it will take
for them to respond.”  Unfortunately the ship’s sensors, picking up several
gravimetric distortions, quickly answered Jon’s rhetorical question.

“We’ve got incoming!” Paul called out urgently.

“What have you got?”

“Sensors are picking up several gravimetric distortions
thirty kilometres from our starboard bow.”

“Any idea regarding numbers?”

“Not yet,” Paul said. “They are coming in close formation so
I cannot isolate the distortions any more accurately.” 

At the confused look from Miranda, Jon quickly explained. 
“We cannot track ships while they are in FTL, but we can detect when ships are
about to enter or exit FTL by the massive amounts of gravity waves caused by
their FTL engines generating worm-holes in our space-time.  It would seem we
are about to receive company,” Jon replied tensely.

“How did they arrive so quickly?”  Miranda asked reasonably.
“We only detected the transmission several minutes ago and quickly shut it
down.”

“No idea, with any luck it is just another ship on a
scheduled arrival.” 

Behind the two pilots Paul just snorted in disbelief.  “Yeah,
like we ever get a lucky break…here they come!” He exclaimed as the gravity
distortion finally abated to leave several ships, fast approaching the station.
 “Sensors are detecting two assault shuttles with five, no make that six
fighters in close escort,” Paul cursed. 

A communication from the approaching group broke the sudden
silence on the bridge with the curt orders.  “Unidentified ship – this station
is private property, you are ordered to power down all systems and surrender
otherwise you will be destroyed.”

“Well…there goes the neighbourhood,” Jon quipped.  “Paul,
how long until they arrive at the station?” Jon asked.

“If they remain at this approach velocity, a little under
three minutes,” Paul said. 

Tapping open a secure communication channel with the crew on
the station Jon ordered.  “David, Patrick we have incoming reinforcements
estimated arrival time is a little less than three minutes, fall back to the
ship and prepare to depart.”

“Commander,” Gunny objected. “We are at the computer core
now, they have secured the doors and we are cutting through now.  We need more
time.” 

Glancing at the tactical screen that was showing the
real-time unfolding situation Jon thought for a moment before replying. 
“Understood, we are moving to the backup plan,” Jon said.

“Acknowledged, we will try and speed things up this side,”
Reynolds replied before turning to the Marines that were currently using a
laser cutter on the heavy blast doors.  “We’re out of time, pull your men back,
we’ll blow the doors…”

Meanwhile Jon was busy removing his restraining harness,
while ordering Paul.  “Make sure David and the security team are secure then
make all possible speed to the nearest FTL jump-point.”

“But what about the Marines on the station?” Miranda
interjected in a worried tone.

“They’re Marines,” Jon replied sardonically. “They are used
to being abandoned by the fleet.  Don’t worry they will be making plans to make
their own way home.  Paul you have the bridge,” Jon ordered over his shoulder
as he hurried towards the exit.

“And where the hell is he going?”  Miranda demanded as the
door of the bridge slid shut leaving Paul and her alone to deal with the
unfolding disaster.

“He’s gone to take care of that bunch,” Paul thumbed his
finger out of the starboard window in the approximate direction of the incoming
ships.  A few moments later a hard knock was felt causing the freighter to
shudder as something detached from the underside of the freighter.  Miranda was
stunned to see the
Eternal Light
drifting away from the freighter.  Once
at a safe distance the main engines of the smaller ship powered up and it shot
off in the direction of the oncoming ships.

“He’s going to take them on by-himself,
is he nuts?
” 
Miranda demanded in complete disbelief.

“I would worry less about him and the
‘Light
,” Paul
insisted. “And more about ourselves, unless we get moving,” Paul replied
tersely.  Rapidly flicking switches to bring the freighter’s engines up from a
cold start.  “Anyway he is the best pilot that I have ever seen,” Paul added
matter-of-factly.

“I almost had him,” Miranda replied smugly. 

Affording a quick glance at the younger woman Paul replied
delicately “I understand that Jon was going easy on you.  According to him he
was hoping that you would lose interest, anyway he was very grateful that you
survived the destruction of your ship.  He said he would have been mortified if
he killed anyone with such a great posterior,” Paul added glibly, frantically
trying to nurse the engines into life.

“He said
what
?” Miranda exclaimed in disbelief, completely
forgetting about the approaching threat and turning her full attention to Paul.

“Ugh…” Paul said, frantically trying to change the topic of
conversation. “I probably shouldn’t have mentioned that should I?  Anyway it
was after quite a few drinks in my apartment and we got talking about you and
that young communications officer that you were dating…” not realising that he
was digging a hole for himself.

“And…” Miranda insisted, her eyes narrowing at Paul.

“Well…” Paul hedged. “I might have mentioned something about
you and the aforementioned communications officer and obviously commenting
about your radiant beauty….” Paul had recognised the cliff that was looming
ahead and was frantically trying to start bridge building.

“Let’s get to the part you were discussing my ass…” Miranda
insisted venomously.

“Well…Jon made some sort of comment about how he was
grateful that you were unharmed in the incident as otherwise he would never
have got the opportunity to know you better…” Paul hedged.

“He said that?”  Miranda replied thoughtfully, her
expression softening slightly.

“
Then
he mentioned about observing your fantastic
ass,” Paul added helpfully.

“He had better make it through this alive,” Miranda insisted
in response. “Then I can kill him!” she growled.

“Finally!” Paul cheered in celebration as the engines
finally reached full power from the cold start-up.  Flicking the communication
channel open he asked.  “David, are you and the rest of your security team
secured?” he inquired. 

“We have just secured the airlock this side and we are ready
to depart,” David responded. 

“Let’s go then!”  Paul insisted hurriedly, motioning towards
Miranda to pilot the freighter away from the station.

“I cannot,” Miranda motioned towards the flight console and
specifically the docking lights that showed they were still firmly docked to
the station.  “We need to wait for the station to release the docking clamps
before we can depart.”  Miranda explained calmly to the increasing incredulous
face of Paul.

“In this instance we are going to skip a few items from the
pilot’s standard pre-departure checklist,” Paul commented derisively. “I’ll
introduce you to a term in the navy my old squadron commander called ‘ex-fil’,
or what Jon commonly refers to as ‘getting the hell out of Dodge’.”  With that,
he leaned forward slamming the throttles of both engines straight to full
thrust! 

The slight shudder through the freighter as the
Eternal
Light
decoupled was nothing compared to the terrifying screaming of metal
as the powerful engines of the freighter fought against the clamps that were
securing the ship to the station.  It seemed for a terrible instant that the
powerful clamps to the station would be victorious, but with a final terrible
roar of stressed metal, the supporting clamps and a good portion of the station
were torn free as the engines of the freighter propelled it away from the
station.

“Don’t worry,” Paul added reassuringly. “I am sure they will
not be billing us for the damage...”       

*****

“Fire in the hold!” the voice of Gunny echoed out across the
teams tactical channel followed a moment later by the heavy bulkhead doors
protecting the computer core being torn off by a blistering explosion.  Before
the explosion had even dissipated Gunny was through the hole gouged in the door
by the heavy explosives throwing stun grenades to immobilise any defenders. 
The Marines had no particular care if the defenders survived the encounter or
not, but instead had settled on these to avoid any possible damage to the
computer core, their main objective.

As it turned out the use of the stun grenades was fairly
superfluous as the defenders were already totally disorientated from the
earlier heavy explosion to the doors.  The Marines quickly disarmed the defenders
and restrained them while two marines started the delicate job of dismantling
the computer core.

“How long will this take?”  Gunny demanded as the two techs
quickly started pulling off deck panelling.

“Should only take a few minutes, Gunny,” one of the techs
replied.  “These cores are designed to be portable for easy replacement and
repair.”  A few moments later the deck under the Marines started to vibrate
rapidly, then with a noted sudden drop in air-pressure, sirens started to wail
in the background and emergency blast doors started to close.

“That could be a few minutes too long,” Gunny muttered
aloud, “I think that was our ride that just departed.”       

*****

Approximately ten kilometres away from the Syndicate
station, and still accelerating hard towards the incoming enemy ships, Jon
noted on the scanner as the freighter slowly started to pull away from the
station.  However, according to the ship’s tactical computer the enemy ships
were still going to overtake the fleeing freighter several minutes before it
could make its escape into FTL. 

“Looks like I need to buy Miranda and Paul some time,” Jon
said to himself in the
Eternal Light,
instructing the ship’s on-board
computer to deploy the internal missile pods.  Having expected trouble on this
expedition the
Eternal Light
had additional weapon systems installed, as
it was the closest the company had to a dedicated assault shuttle.

Arming missiles and targeting the nearest ship, the tactical
computer bleeped to inform him that the missile pods were now deployed and
on-line.  Confirming that the missiles had a strong lock on the lead fighter
Jon launched the first salvo of missiles at maximum range.

The missiles sped out of their launch tubes and, with a
glaring light as their main engines fired, accelerated rapidly towards the
on-coming ships.  Jon continued to fire the remaining dozen missiles,
alternating between the oncoming ships, until the launchers were empty.  For a
few brief seconds, the
Eternal Light
was true to its name as
deadly missiles, one after the other sped away from the ship in a brilliant
pyrotechnic display.  Watching the missiles on his tactical computer he
remembered the words of his earliest flight instructor.

“When you have missiles, use them!  Keep using them until
you have no more!  You cannot take them with you into the next life.”

Watching the approaching ships carefully, Jon noted as soon
as they detected the incoming missiles.  Obviously treating the
Eternal
Light
with contempt the approaching ships had remained in their close
formation, but as soon as they detected the missiles, every ship broke
formation and began a desperate series of violent manoeuvres to avoid the
incoming missiles.  In addition it quickly became obvious that the approaching
shuttles had some sort of point defence weaponry, as the missiles targeting
these ships disintegrated half a kilometre from the target.  The remaining
fighters fared less well, with over half being destroyed by the incoming
missiles.  With the formation of the enemy ships now completely disintegrated,
the
Eternal Light
sped through the gap left by the destroyed ships and
slid onto the tail of one of the approaching shuttles.  Carefully targeting the
engines and flight control surfaces, which Jon knew to be the weak point on
these shuttles, he opened fire with the ship’s forward guns.  The battle was
well and truly joined.    

*****

Miranda watched open mouthed in amazement as the ship’s
sensors tracked the battle, now less than ten kilometres from their fleeing
freighter.  What had initially started off as a totally one-sided fight with
eight enemy ships facing-off against the
Eternal Light
had now
disintegrated into a free-for-all with three enemy fighters being destroyed in
the first missile salvo and what appeared to be a now heavily damaged Syndicate
assault shuttle.  The enemy ships had been thrown into complete disarray by the
ferocity of the attack and while Jon in the
‘Light
had the freedom to
manoeuvre and fire at will the remaining ships had to show restraint to ensure
that they did not collide or accidently fire on their own ships.

“I’ve never seen anything like that!”  Miranda whispered in
wonder. Paul spared a look from the engine controls where he had been trying to
nurse every spare ounce of thrust out of them and glanced at the unfolding
battle on the tactical computer.

“He was the Commander of the 58
^th
Squadron, the
Praetorian
Guards
,” Paul explained tenderly. “They were an elite fighter squadron in
the Imperial Navy.  Personal bodyguards to the Emperor himself… and he was the
best.  His squadron were all destroyed escaping with the Emperors’ daughter,
Sofia, right under the nose of a rogue Navy Commodore.  The rest of his
squadron gave their lives to buy enough time for the two of them to escape.  I
think Jon lost more than his squadron that day; he lost the closest thing he
had to a family.  He has been looking for a purpose in life ever-since then.”