Ep.#15 - "That Which Other Men Cannot Do" (The Frontiers Saga) (46 page)

The first two Ghatazhak soldiers jumped up into the port door to the combat jumper as Sergeant Torwell brought his top-mounted weapons turret around to the port side and opened fire on the charging crowd.

Commander Telles and Master Sergeant Jahal stood on the port side of the combat jumper, firing away at the crowd, determined to keep them far enough away that they could safely take off.

“
Twenty seconds to impact!
” Ensign Latfee called over the commander’s helmet comms from the combat jump shuttle’s copilot seat.

Both the commander and the master sergeant took a step backward toward the combat jumper. Master Sergeant Jahal stopped firing and climbed inside. Once inside, he opened fire again, while Commander Telles climbed up into the shuttle.

“
Ten seconds!
” Ensign Latfee warned.

“Let’s go!” the commander ordered as he climbed into his seat.

The combat jump shuttle’s engines screamed back up to takeoff power, lifting the shuttle from the tarmac. Commander Telles continued to look outside as the shuttle climbed and accelerated forward. The doors slid closed, and the sergeant in the topside turret stopped firing. The commander gazed out the window as they passed over the raging crowd. As they passed over them, something caught the commander’s attention. A young man and a young woman, crouched down behind the corner of one of the line shacks, each of them clutching something wrapped up in small blankets. Something small, about the size of…

Oh, my God,
the commander thought. “Wait!” he exclaimed. “Put us down!”

There was a bright flash of white light from behind them.

“Nuclear detonation!” Ensign Latfee reported.

“There’s no time!” Lieutenant Kainan insisted, as the combat shuttle’s windows turned opaque.

* * *

Jessica stood at the forward end of the Aurora’s port hangar bay, watching Combat One roll out of the mid-bay elevator airlock. As the shuttle rolled out, its port side door slid open, revealing the four Ghatazhak and the shuttle’s crew chief in the back. Two Ghatazhak soldiers stepped down out of the shuttle as it rolled, followed by Commander Telles and Master Sergeant Jahal.

Jessica looked at Commander Telles’ face, locking eyes with him. She knew by his expression that he had been unable to retrieve her friend and her friend’s family. She turned and headed back toward the forward hatch.

Commander Telles continued walking toward the forward end of the hangar bay, his trusted master sergeant at his side.

“You’re not going to tell her?” the master sergeant asked.

“It would serve no purpose,” Commander Telles replied.

“She will find out…somehow, someday.”

“Perhaps, but hopefully she will be in a better state of mind then. She is too close to the edge now.”

“You got that right.”

Commander Telles spotted Captain Scott coming out of the forward hatch. “See to the men,” he instructed the master sergeant. “Get them fed and rested. We will be needed for search and rescue, once the remaining Jung ships are driven from Tanna.”

“Yes, sir,” Master Sergeant Jahal replied.

Commander Telles walked up to Captain Scott.

“Commander,” Nathan greeted. “A rough one?”

“It was not pleasant,” the commander admitted. “Did any of the gunships survive?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“That is unfortunate. They were a valuable asset,” the commander said. “What about the people on the asteroid base? What about Captain Nash?”

“They made it out just before a missile strike took out the entire asteroid.”

Commander Telles looked surprised. “That is illogical. To destroy a valuable fuel depot.”

“They probably figured we’d blow it before we’d hand it over to them anyway,” Nathan said. “Which is true, of course.”

“Of course.”

“I take it you were unable to retrieve Lieutenant Commander Nash’s friend,” Nathan surmised.

“That is correct,” the commander replied. “I sent a team to her residence as soon as we arrived, but she was not there. The team conducted an aerial search, but to no avail.”

Nathan sighed, looking back toward the corridor where he and Jessica had passed without words a moment ago.

“How do you think she will handle this?” Commander Telles asked.

Nathan was surprised by the commander’s genuine concern. “We will see. I suspect she’ll still be able to do her job. We had a
talk
.”

The commander’s eyebrow went up. “Indeed.” Commander Telles thought for a moment, then spoke. “Captain, when we were departing, I saw a man and a woman huddled behind a small building on the tarmac. I believe they were each holding an infant wrapped in blankets. I know it sounds highly unlikely, considering the Cobra plant is a highly secure area…”

“Synda’s husband worked at the plant,” Nathan told him, a grim look on his face.

Commander Telles was at a loss for words. “She did not tell me. If I had known, I would have had my men search the crowds trying to get on the evacua…”

“Not your fault, Commander,” Nathan interrupted. “Did you tell her?”

“I did not think it was an appropriate moment,” Commander Telles explained. “The lieutenant commander and I have not been on the best of terms since the battle of Kohara.”

“You were probably right not to say anything right now,” Nathan agreed. “But you
will
have to tell her someday.”

“I understand.”

“Very well,” Nathan said. He patted the commander on the shoulder. “Get some food and rest,” he told him. “We jump to Tanna in forty-five minutes.”

* * *

“Two minutes to jump point,” Mister Riley announced.

“General quarters,” Nathan ordered.

“General quarters, aye,” Naralena replied.

Nathan rotated his command chair to face aft, as the trim lights all about the Aurora’s bridge turned red to indicate her change in level of readiness. “Lieutenant Commander, do you have the updated orbital tracks from Falcon One?”

“Affirmative, sir,” Jessica replied. “They should be halfway around the planet by now. Last count was four frigates and one battleship. No fighters or gunships in the area. All updated targeting data has been provided to the Celestia’s tactical officer.”

“One minute,” Mister Riley updated.

“All departments report general quarters,” Naralena reported. “XO is in combat, COB is in damage control. Flight ops reports all combat and SAR birds are ready for launch.”

“All shields are up, all weapons are charged,” Jessica reported.

“Very well,” Nathan replied.

“Thirty seconds,” Mister Riley said.

“Jump flash,” Mister Navashee reported. “Falcon One.”

“Incoming message from Falcon One,” Naralena told Nathan. “Ensign Sheehan reports no change in any of the targets’ orbital tracks.”

“Very well.”

“Celestia reports general quarters, ready to jump,” Naralena added.

“With those Falcons jumping in and out to keep an eye on them, those Jung ships have got to suspect something is coming,” Jessica warned. “They’ll be ready.”

“They won’t be ready enough,” Nathan said with conviction.

“Coming up on first jump point,” Mister Riley informed them.

“Execute both jumps as planned, Mister Riley.”

“Jump one, in three……two……one……jumping.”

The subdued jump flash lit up the interior of the Aurora’s bridge for the briefest of moments, as the ship transitioned from the recharge layover point nineteen light years from the 72 Herculis system, to a point only five light years out.

“Jump complete. Verifying jump two plot. Jump drive one down to seven point five percent of max energy.” Mister Riley checked his console. “Forty seconds to attack jump.”

Nathan sat as patiently as he could, knowing that every moment they spent here was another moment that a nuclear weapon could be detonating on Tanna. He also knew that no matter what he did in the next hour, Tanna was doomed. The Jung ships had already dropped enough nuclear weapons on the planet to eventually wipe out all life on the surface, and make it uninhabitable for centuries to come. And for what reason? Because the Tannans had rejected their rule? It was a ludicrous thought, considering that the Jung’s only interest in the system had been as a fueling stop on their way out of the sector. They could have just as easily struck up a mutually beneficial deal with the Tannans that did not require conquering them.

Of course, none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that the Jung ships that put the final nail into Tanna’s coffin were going to be destroyed, and with as much force and aggression as he could muster.

“Jump plot verified,” Mister Riley reported. “Twenty seconds to jump.”

“Celestia reports ready for attack jump,” Naralena reported.

“Execute attack jump as scheduled,” Nathan instructed.

“Aye, sir,” Mister Riley replied. “Attack jump in ten seconds.”

Nathan closed his eyes, clearing his thoughts and emotions as his navigator counted down the last few seconds to the jump. This battle would be personal.

The inside of Nathan’s eyelids glowed brightly for a split second.

“Jump complete,” the navigator reported.

Nathan opened his eyes.

“Five contacts,” Mister Navashee announced. “Four frigates, one battleship. Targets one and two, dead ahead. Five kilometers, and two thousand kilometers.”

“Plotting jump to second target,” the navigator said.

“Locking onto primary target,” Jessica announced. “Give me two down and one to port, Mister Chiles.”

“Two down, one to port,” the helmsman replied.

“Battleship is three thousand kilometers to port,” Mister Navashee continued.

“I’ve got a firing solution,” Jessica announced from the tactical station.

“Fire all forward tubes,” Nathan ordered, “singles only.”

“Single shots, all forward tubes, aye,” Jessica replied.

“Jump flash,” Mister Navashee added. “Celestia is making her run on frigate three.”

“Jump to second target is plotted and ready,” Mister Riley said.

“Torpedoes away,” Jessica reported, as the Aurora’s bridge lit up with red-orange flashes.

“Battleship is locking missiles on us,” Mister Navashee warned.

“Torpedo impacts,” Jessica reported.

Nathan watched the main view screen as the first Jung frigate, still three kilometers away, exploded behind a barrage of red-orange impact flashes.

“Snap jump us to the second target,” Nathan instructed calmly.

“Battleship is firing missiles,” Mister Navashee warned.

“Snap jumping to second target,” Mister Riley replied.

“Jump complete,” Ensign Sperry reported.

“Second frigate, dead ahead,” Ensign Kono reported from the Celestia’s sensor station. “Three kilometers.”

“I have a firing solution,” Luis reported from the tactical station.

“Fire when ready,” Cameron instructed from her command chair.

“Firing singles, all forward tubes.”

“Aurora has destroyed frigate two,” Ensign Kono announced. “They’re jumping away.”

“Message from the Aurora just before she jumped,” Ensign Souza reported from the comm station. “They’re setting up for phase two.”

“Target four is destroyed,” Ensign Kono confirmed.

“Mister Hunt, climbing turn, forty degrees to starboard.”

“Climbing turn, forty to starboard, aye.”

“Mister Sperry, make ready a two-light-minute jump.”

“Jump complete,” Mister Riley reported. “Intercept angle is perfect, sir.”

“I have a firing solution on the battleship,” Jessica said.

“Very well,” Nathan replied. “Stand by to snap jump to next firing position. Tactical, two rounds of triplets, full power, all forward tubes. Fire when ready.”

“Full power triplets, all forward tubes…firing,” Jessica reported.

The Aurora’s bridge again lit up with red-orange light as two rounds of triplets, a total of forty-eight plasma torpedoes, headed for the distant Jung battleship.

Nathan glanced up at the time display on the tactical display screen to the right of his helmsman.

“All torpedoes away,” Jessica reported.

“Ready on the jump,” Mister Riley added.

Nathan watched the seconds count down, waiting for the plasma torpedoes they had just launched to travel approximately half the distance to their target. “Snap jump… Now.”

“Jumping.”

“Two more rounds of the same,” Nathan ordered. “Fire on my order.”

“First rounds will pass us in fifteen seconds,” Mister Navashee warned.

“Give me four degrees up, one to starboard,” Jessica instructed the helmsman.

“Four up, one to starboard.”

“That’s it,” Jessica said. “I have a solution.”

“Five seconds,” Mister Navashee warned.

Nathan turned his head to the right to look at the starboard edge of the Aurora’s spherical main view screen, waiting. Two seconds later, two groups of twenty-four plasma torpedoes streaked past their starboard side.

“Fire,” Nathan ordered.

“Firing,” Jessica replied.

The bridge flashed red-orange again as forty-eight more plasma torpedoes headed for the Jung battleship.

“All torpedoes away!” Jessica reported.

“Ready on the next jump?” Nathan asked his navigator.

“Aye, sir,” Mister Riley replied. “Plotted and ready.”

“Picking up Celestia’s plasma torpedoes now,” Mister Navashee reported from the sensor station. “All torpedoes, theirs and ours, should strike the target within a thirty-second period.”

“That should shake them up a bit,” Jessica commented.

“Ninety-six plasma torpedoes over thirty seconds?” Nathan said. “I should hope so.”

“First impacts in twenty seconds,” Mister Navashee reported.

“Execute your next jump, Mister Riley,” Nathan ordered.

“Jumping.”

“Executing turn to parallel course with target and decelerating,” Mister Chiles reported as the Aurora’s jump flash subsided.

“You’re sure about this, right?” Nathan asked, turning to look over his shoulder at Jessica.