Interstellar War (The Pike Chronicles Book 5) (13 page)

Chief Henderson and the rest of the boarding party had decided to split up to cover more ground. As they swept through the station, it shook violently. It was clearly being hit, but Henderson did not know from who or what. For now, it didn’t matter. They had a job to do, and they would do it until further notice.

Rounding a corner, he came upon a band of Juttari soldiers approaching from the other end. He instantly took a knee and opened fire. His Marines didn’t hesitate to join in the melee. The Juttari scrambled for cover, but to Henderson’s surprise did not shoot back.

“Chief Henderson. Hold your fire,” came a voice from the other end of the corridor. “We are on your side.”

“Bullshit,” shouted Henderson. “I don’t know you.”

“We are Chaanisar. Your AI has freed us.”

“Shit,” He opened a comm with Lieutenant Lee, the Chaanisar team leader. “This is Lieutenant Lee,” said the voice through the comm in his helmet.

“I have a group of Juttari here who say they are Chaanisar, and that the AI has freed them. Can you confirm.”

“Yes, Chief. AI has verified their claim.”

“Damn. Thanks Lieutenant.”

“One more thing, Chief. AI has verified that she is taking fire from the other stations. She has advised that we evacuate before this station is destroyed. Return to the shuttle for extraction.”

“Understood,” said Henderson, turning his attention back to the Chaanisar. “Your story checks out. My men won’t fire on you.”

“We are coming out,” said the voice.

“Just remember, if you do anything stupid we will cut you down.”

“I would not expect any less.”

Henderson and his men kept their weapons trained on the Chaanisar as they reappeared in the hallway. He counted ten in total. Their posture was not hostile, but Henderson still felt uneasy. “Don’t drop your guard,” he told his men. “Those Chaanisar could turn on us at any second.”

“No way in hell am I taking my eyes off those boys,” said Burke.

“Me neither,” said Patel.

“You sure this is a good idea, Chief?” said Johns.

“No. I’m not. But what the hell do I know?”

As the Chaanisar drew nearer, weapon fire erupted from the other end of the corridor, dropping two toward the rear. The remaining Chaanisar spun around to return fire. The corridor lit up with energy weapon fire, as blue bolts criss crossed its length. Henderson dropped lower to avoid the stray bolts sailing overhead. In the confusion that ensued, he made a decision.

“Support the Chaanisar,” he ordered, and surged forward with his Marines to assist in the fight against the new threat. Reaching the Chaanisar position they added their firepower to the mix, fighting side by side with their new allies. They helped tip the scales, and the rate of enemy fire slowed. The Chaanisar advanced with terrifying speed, falling upon the enemy with fearless rage.

The Marines followed their advance, trying to lay down support fire. But the Chaanisar now fought nose to nose, with ion blades unsheathed. The Marines continued to move in, but with the battle moving into hand to hand combat, they had very few clear shots.

“Fuck it,” said Henderson finally. “Blades!” He shouldered his energy weapon, drew his own ion blade, and threw himself into the chaos alongside his Marines. Slaughter followed, as the Marine blades pierced armor and flesh. As the blades were withdrawn, blood splattered across Marine and Chaanisar alike.

When the butchering finished, a Chaanisar turned to Henderson, pointing to the lifeless combat suits on the floor. “They were Juttari,” he said.

Henderson nodded his understanding.

Corporal Burke retracted his visor and spit on one of the corpses.

Powerful concussions rocked the station, pulling Henderson back to the larger reality. “We’ve all got to get off this station,” he said to the Chaanisar. “Follow us.”

“AI, what is your status?” said Jon, from the bridge of the Freedom.

“I have taken control of one station, but have been blocked from the other two,” said AI. “They have opened fire on me. Multiple Chaanisar in this system have been freed. Unfortunately, not as many as we had anticipated.”

“We are picking up weapon fire from the surrounding Juttari warships. Are they firing on you?”

“Negative, Admiral. They are fighting amongst themselves, as some of them are Chaanisar. There are battles being waged for control on board. I am assisting where I can, advising the Chaanisar to give me access to their ship systems.”

“What about the strike teams?”

“I have asked them to evacuate. There is a strong possibility that this station will be destroyed. It is better if they were not on board when that happened.”

“Understood. Update our systems to indicate which of the Juttari warships are on our side.”

“Yes, Admiral. Systems have already been updated.”

Jon reoriented his tactical screen to focus on the battle taking place between the Juttari warships. Their new allies were now highlighted with blue icons, while the ones still loyal to the Juttari stayed red. The ships the Juttari had used for their invasion were overwhelmingly populated by Chaanisar, but here the Chaanisar ships were clearly in the minority. Did that mean that the Chaanisar numbers were dwindling? He had no way of knowing. But these Chaanisar ships would be destroyed without any help, as would the space station AI had seized. He did not want to lose either. The time had come to join the fight.

Jon tapped his console and General Dathos, appeared on screen. “I am sending over updated information indicating which Juttari warships have been converted to our side. It is time to engage the enemy. I will take the jump ships with me to help the Chaanisar. The rest of the fleet will attack the enemy stations. AI should keep them busy for the most part while you approach. We will join in once we are done with the enemy ships.”

“It will be done,” said General Dathos.

“Pike out,” said Jon, closing the comm. “Ensign Yao. Are the jump ships still synchronized with us?”

“Yes, Sir. They are jump ready.”

“Advise them that we will be jumping into battle imminently.”

“Yes, Sir. Jump ships are acknowledging your instructions. All ships ready for battle.”

“Good,” said Jon. “Set coordinates for a landing just behind the enemy warships.”

“Coordinates loaded.”

“Tactical, prepare to fire all weapons the second we land. Set point defense to defensive mode.”

“Weapons ready, Sir,” said Petrovic.

“Commander, I want all our birds launched the second we land. The bombers are to ignore the stations for now and attack the enemy ships.”

Yes, Sir,” said Commander Konos. “All birds are ready for battle.”

Jon glanced around the bridge. Everyone seemed on point, and the General Quarters command remained active. “Helm, initiate jump.”

Henderson ran down the corridor followed by his Marines, and their new Chaanisar allies. The station had quickly deteriorated under the weight of the combined attacks. The corridors were filling with smoke as fires burned all around them. Electricity arced from exposed systems, and sparks flew out at them as they raced by. They were slowed as they dodged the wreckage quickly amassing on the floor.

Energy bolts followed them as the Juttari gave chase, but Henderson’s team kept moving. They had to make it to the shuttle before the station blew apart.

“Chief Henderson, how far are you from the shuttle?” said Commander Thretos, the Diakan team leader.

“We’re close. The Juttari have slowed us down some.”

“Do you require assistance?”

“Negative. Nothing we can’t handle.”

Henderson’s optimism disappeared when they turned the next corner. Up ahead a supporting beam had collapsed, leaving the corridor largely blocked. With the Juttari right behind them, they couldn’t work to clear the way.

“What do we do, Sir?” said Burke.

“We have no choice,” said Henderson. “We fight.”

The group turned to face a horde of Juttari closing in. With nowhere else to go, they charged the enemy.

“Commander Thretos,” said Henderson. “Our path is blocked and we have Juttari on top of us. We can’t make it. Leave us behind.”

“Understood,” said Thretos.

Within seconds both sides had sustained numerous casualties. They fought at close quarters leaving precious few opportunities for cover against the barrage of energy bolts. Henderson couldn’t ignore the stats displaying on his visor. Combat suit integrity amongst his entire team dropped fast as they each took multiple hits. He had hoped for a repeat of the previous encounter, but this battle would not be won by blades. This would be a brutal, last man standing affair.

Eying his own suit’s stats, he clearly saw that he would not be the last man standing.  His suit’s integrity had already fallen to twenty-five percent. A few more hits and he would be done for. Surely the Juttari must be suffering the same amount of damage.

As if in answer to his question, one of the Juttari retracted his combat suit and leaped for the ceiling. The alien scrambled forward, using its claws for traction, in its own attempt to get in closer to the enemy.

Henderson had heard stories about how the Juttari liked to fight with their claws, utilizing their great speed, and agility to their advantage. He could see how they would be terrifying for most. But against Marines and Chaanisar in combat suits, it was just plain foolish. Energy bolts burned through the alien’s flesh before it had a chance to get close, and it fell onto the floor. Once feared throughout the galaxy, now nothing more than rotting flesh.

“I’m hit,” shouted Johns over the comm.

Henderson saw him crumpled against the wall, his combat suit’s integrity at zero. His HUD informed him that Johns had an abdominal wound. Thankfully the suit was still functioning, sterilizing the wound and administering pain killers.

“Hang tight, Private,” said Henderson. “I’m coming.”

Henderson struggled to reach the wounded Marine. The young man had served with him on the Hermes. They both fought together on the Kemmar prison planet, in the colonies, and now on this station. As hopeless as things seemed, Henderson was determined to help him.

The sheer chaos hampered his progress. Head low as more energy bolts surged by, he managed to get a few steps closer. It wasn’t enough. Henderson watched in horror as a volley of energy bolts crashed into Johns, knocking him over.

“Johns,” shouted Henderson. But there was no answer. He didn’t need to look at the man’s life signs to know the young Marine was dead.

More men fell, both Chaanisar and Marine, as the battle continued. Juttari fell too, but not enough to gain an advantage. The two sides were too evenly matched, and the tight quarters left no room to maneuver. Henderson took a couple more hits, and his suit’s integrity dropped down to ten percent.

I’m going to die here today
, he thought. He was surprised to find this comforting. He would die in battle, fighting for humanity. He could think of no better way to go.

A deafening crash sounded directly behind him, causing the floor to shake violently. He almost lost his balance, but managed to find his footing.

“Your path is now clear, Chief Henderson,” said Commander Thretos over his comm. “Please lower your heads.”

“Shit. Fire in the hole,” shouted Henderson, while diving to the floor. The men ducked as a screaming whine filled the corridor. Multiple explosions followed, ripping through the Juttari ranks. Henderson raised his head to survey the carnage left behind. “Thank the stars for Diakan heavy weapons!”

“Amen,” said Burke.

“Chief Henderson,” said Thretos. “We must go now.”

“Right behind you, Commander. Lead the way.” Getting up to his feet, Henderson couldn’t remember ever being so glad to see a Diakan.

The Freedom and her jump ships landed behind the enemy fleet, as the battle between them and the newly freed Chaanisar raged. Floating wreckage littered the space on both sides, and several more ships were on the verge of destruction. While the freed Chaanisar fought bravely, it was clear to all that the Juttari had a significant numerical advantage. It would be difficult for the Chaanisar to overcome those odds alone. Jon was going to change that.

Mere seconds after landing, the Freedom’s guns opened fire on the unsuspecting Juttari. The rest of the group joined in, spraying energy bolts, projectiles, and missiles at the enemy ships. Amidst this maelstrom the Freedom’s fighters shot out of their launch tubes, and closed with the enemy.

Jon noted that the Juttari had carriers. Juttari fighters swarmed the Chaanisar ships, but he knew that they would soon turn to intercept Freedom’s fighters. That would certainly take some pressure off the Chaanisar. Jon’s fighters were outnumbered two to one, but they all had their own versions of the jump system, and would more than even the score.

The bombers launched and immediately engaged their jump systems. They reappeared practically on top of the enemy ships, dropping their armor piercing missiles, before jumping back to the Freedom to be rearmed. The ordnance detonated creating gaping ruptures in the enemy hulls, which spewed debris into the unforgiving void. The strike forced some of the ships to list to one side. Clearly incapacitated, they waited for the strike that would end their suffering.

Simultaneously, the mammoth Diakan battleships launched their own fighters. The huge battleships fired their engines and surged forward, plowing straight into the enemy lines. The Juttari were so focused on their battle with the Chaanisar that they were caught totally off guard by the Diakan juggernauts. Chaos reigned as the Juttari scrambled to shore up their crumbling formation.

“Those Diakan ships are incredible,” said Commander Konos from his station, clearly awestruck. “I’ve never seen anything that big before. Even the giant colonial freighters are small by comparison.”

“Yeah, the Diakans don’t play around. Those ships are designed to bully their way into the enemy line. Once there, they use their size and those heavy guns to wreak havoc.”

“Several Juttari ships are turning to face the Diakans.”

“Sure. They can’t ignore those Diakan beasts. It’s good. It’ll take more pressure off the Chaanisar,” said Jon. “AI, can you connect me with one of the Chaanisar commanders?”

“Yes, Admiral. Stand by,” said AI.

Moments later, a powerful looking man wearing a Juttari uniform appeared on Jon’s comm screen. “I am Colonel Kleid of the Chaanisar.”

“Hello, Colonel. I am Admiral Pike.”

“We know of you, Admiral. Your AI has advised us of all that has happened.”

“AI has always been proactive. I assume she has told you of our cause?”

“Yes, Admiral. We understand your intentions. We will fight for you.”

“Good. We’re going to help you defeat this Juttari fleet. My tactical officer will coordinate with your teams so we can better focus our efforts.”

“We will comply.”

“I’m transferring you over to Ensign Petrovic, our tactical officer. Pike out.” Colonel Kleid’s face blinked off Jon’s screen.

“He seemed cooperative,” said Konos.

“All the freed Chaanisar have been cooperative,” said Jon.

“I can’t imagine what that is like. One minute they are your enemies, and the next they pledge their loyalty to you.”

“It’s taken some getting used to.”

Jon shifted his tactical display to focus on the station, and was instantly struck by how much damage it had sustained. It was covered in scorch marks, and had suffered multiple hull breaches. Yet it continued firing.

“AI, how much more can that station take?” said Jon worriedly.

“This structure is surprisingly robust, Admiral. It was clearly built for defence.

I am unaware of many structures that could withstand this much damage.”

Jon shifted his display to the fleets converging on the stations. They were not in weapons range yet. “The Diakan and Chaanisar fleets are coming to your assistance, but they’re still a few minutes out. Can you last at least that long?”

“They are precisely three minutes and twenty-one seconds away. All factors indicate that the station can remain active for the required time frame. But its missile defense capabilities have been significantly degraded. Once they are gone, this station will be destroyed.”

“What about the other stations? How much damage have they sustained?”

“I have focused primarily on the closest station. It should be easily destroyed when the fleets arrive. The third, however, is still relatively intact. Its destruction will be more challenging.”

“Understood. Do the best you can.”

“Of course, Admiral.”

Jon returned his attention to the starship battle in front of him. His ships had made significant headway since jumping in. Multiple Juttari warships had been destroyed in a matter of minutes. They had taken the enemy by surprise, and took full advantage of that fact. The Juttari attempted to adapt, but found themselves in a vice between Jon and the freed Chaanisar. They needed to apply more pressure to finish it.

As if reading his mind, Colonel Steeg stepped up. Jumping his battleship, and two heavy cruisers, he landed on the Juttari’s right flank. The three warships began to pulverize the Juttari vessels.

“Commander Konos, what is the status of our bombers?” said Jon.

“Bombers have rearmed and are preparing to launch,” said Konos.

“Order them to strike here, on the Juttari flank,” said Jon, pointing to where Steeg had landed. “Let’s speed up the collapse of the Juttari line.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Konos. “Bombers have acknowledged orders. They are launching now.”

“Ensign Petrovic,” said Jon. “Advise Colonel Kleid that the Juttari right flank is about to collapse. When it does, I want them to join Colonel Steeg and focus their efforts on that flank.”

“Yes, Sir,” said Petrovic.

Jon looked over at Konos. “With the Diakans battleships in the middle, that Juttari line is going to crumble once their flank is destroyed. This battle is about to turn into a rout.”

“Will you take prisoners, Sir?”

The question caught Jon off guard. “Prisoners? Did the Juttari take prisoners when they nuked Earth?” He felt the crew’s eyes turn to him. He had raised his voice without thinking.

“No, Sir. They did not,” said Konos sheepishly.

“Those bastards killed billions. Billions! We will give them no quarter.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Jon felt the adrenalin surge through his body, exciting the creature in his belly.
Yes. Kill them all
, it urged.

You just leave that to me
, Jon replied.
The Juttari want genocide, and it’s genocide they’re going to get.

The creature growled in response, savoring Jon’s answer. It wanted blood, and so did he. Was it vengeance? Some of it was. But there was more to it. The Juttari would always be a threat to humanity. Jon couldn’t allow that. Would he exterminate the entire species? He didn’t think he would go that far. He would make sure that they could never pose a threat again. He just didn’t know how far he’d have to go to make that happen.

The Freedom’s bomber squadron soon launched. They engaged their jump drives and vanished, only to reappear along the Juttari right flank, as ordered. They unleashed their heavy, armor piercing missiles, vanishing again. Their missiles drilled into the Juttari ships with devastating effect. Multiple missiles hit each target with such force that they were practically broken in two. Successive explosions reverberated throughout the stricken ships, until they were blown apart in a sequence of blinding flashes.

Carnage followed, as the Chaanisar ships pulverized the shattered Juttari flank. The enemy fell into disarray. Any semblance of organization among the Juttari ships disappeared, accelerating their demise. Jon switched his focus back to the stations, just as the advancing fleets came into weapons range.