Prevail (The Pike Chronicles Book 2) (22 page)

The past twenty four hours had turned Captain Seiben’s life upside down. Jon had laughed when he said he should have never picked up the escape pod earlier, thinking he was joking, but he wasn’t. He didn’t wish for Jon, Breeah and Anki to die, and he knew that if he hadn’t picked them up they might very well have died. He just wished someone else rescued them. Someone like Neeman should’ve found them. Neeman’s life should be in tatters.

Seiben worried. The anxiety was almost overwhelming. He worried for his daughters, and for his wife. What if something happened to them? How could he protect them now?

His life had been simple. It was a good life. No matter how much Darla complained, they had all they needed. He had the security of a good job. They had a good apartment. The kids went to a good school. They didn’t want for anything. Now it was all gone. They had nothing. All because he listened to his nephew and retrieved that escape pod.

He tightened his grip on the weapon’s stock. All that mattered now was that they come out of this alive, and the only way to do that was to escape with Jon and these other men. He looked around at the men. They had stopped running now and took up defensive positions, waiting for the coming DLC attack. Who were they? Where did they come from? They were all clearly soldiers, but from where? He had hauled freight his whole life and had been to all the human worlds, and he knew with certainty that these men came from none of them. How was that possible?

He had listened in on Jon’s conversation earlier and from what he understood they weren’t all from the same place. He understood they were also enemies at one point, waging war against each other. That certainly hadn’t happened in this region of space. Something about it triggered a memory. He remembered the old myths he heard as a child. The stories told of how they came from another part of the galaxy. The birthplace of humanity. They told how a great evil came and destroyed it forever. They were taught in school that they were all that was left of humanity in the universe. Yet these humans were clearly from somewhere else. Could they be from the place the myths spoke of? Perhaps it wasn’t destroyed after all? He tried to remember the planet’s name. It was so long ago and his memory wasn’t what it used to be. It escaped him.

He turned to Darla. She was crouching beside him with the girls. They were hidden behind some trees, with the soldiers in position in front of them and on their flanks. The soldiers had chosen a hill as a good place to mount a defense, and they all spread out along its ridge, their weapons ready. The attackers would have to get past the soldiers to get to his family. If the soldiers couldn’t hold them off they were done for anyway.

“Darla,” said Seiben. “Do you remember the old myths about how we all originally came from another planet?”

“Yes, my grandmother told me the stories often when I was a child.”

“What was the name of the planet?”

Darla thought for a moment, searching her memory for the information. Her eyes suddenly brightened and she said, “Earth.”

“That’s it,” said Seiben, the name awakening more memories.

“Why would you ask me something like-” She looked around at the men surrounding them and said in a whisper, “You think these men are from Earth?”

He thought about it some more and said, “Where else could they be from? They’re not from any planet I know.”

“But, those stories… they’re just myths.”

“How do we know that? The stories came from somewhere. What if it wasn’t from someone’s imagination? What if the stories are true?” said Seiben, feeling like he had just uncovered some deep, dark secret.

“But they said that Earth was estroyed,” said Darla. “If the stories were true, these men can’t be from Earth.”

“What if that part is wrong?” said Seiben. He felt like he was on the verge of some major discovery, but wasn’t qualified to put the pieces together.

“Now you’re talking nonsense,” said Darla, patronizingly. “You can’t just pick and choose only what information suits you. If the stories are true, then they are true. Simple as that. Otherwise they’re just myths.”

Seiben wasn’t convinced. He would have to ask Jon about it. But first they had to survive this encounter.

One of the soldiers yelled, “Incoming!”

Seiben peeked around the tree and saw a line of security craft in the sky, converging on their positions. When they came nearer the soldiers opened fire as one. The sound was deafening and Darla pulled the screaming girls in close. Seiben stayed fixed on the unfolding battle. The initial salvo from the soldiers downed a few vessels. They seemed surprised by the attack and they changed directions, backtracking while returning fire. It seemed like a real passive strategy, almost a retreat, until he realized what they were up to.

They lowered themselves close to the ground and DLC soldiers started to jump out. Soon there was a sizable ground force of black clad DLC troops advancing steadily on their positions. The soldiers stayed low and continued shooting, while the security craft above them fired. They advanced together and the sustained barrage had a noticeable effect on his defenders, forcing them to keep their heads down more than they would prefer.

Seiben got nervous. He wasn’t a soldier, but he could see that defending against such a large force was not going to be easy. At this point it even seemed impossible. They were outnumbered and outgunned. The slow, steady DLC advance made it worse. It looked like they had learned their lesson from the last engagement. They respected the soldiers’ abilities and were not taking any chances. There were no heroics. Nothing fancy. They moved forward inch by inch like a steamroller. Seemingly unstoppable.

Seiben’s mind raced. What could he do? How could he save his family? He couldn’t fight. If the men surrounding him couldn’t prevail, then what hope did he have? None. He had to surrender. That was his only option. Hopefully they wouldn’t kill him anyway. He could plead ignorance. He would be telling the truth. He didn’t know why they were after Jon. But he did know that Jon didn’t kill Jansen. That was enough. That knowledge made him dangerous to Kulberg. They wouldn’t arrest them. They would kill him and Darla to keep them quiet. They could easily justify it after this. How hard would it be to claim that they were killed in battle? That they fired on DLC security?

What about his daughters? They didn’t know anything. Could they be that cold? Could they murder innocent children? Could he take that chance? Even if they didn’t kill them, what would happen to his lovely girls? How would they be treated? The thought horrified him. He decided he had no choice. If he was going to die anyway, it would be defending his family.

He looked out at the battle and saw that things had changed quickly. The security craft had jumped ahead and the DLC soldiers were charging. The men defending them couldn’t fight off both and were focusing their fire on the charging force, in most cases cutting them down before they could reach their positions. The charge didn’t make sense until he realized that the hovercraft had sailed over their positions and were now behind the defenders. His heart pounded against his chest as he took quick shallow breaths. The hovercraft were turning. They were going to shoot the soldiers in the back.

Without thinking he raised his weapon and fired on one of the vessels. Terror gripped him when it stopped its turn and swung around to face Seiben. He kept firing to no avail. The vessel pointed its nose downward to get Seiben in its sights.

Oh no
, he thought.
What have I done?

The Chaanisar ship landed behind the unsuspecting destroyer and opened fire. Energy weapons, missiles and rail guns lit up the void, targeting the warship’s propulsion system. It took the enemy’s crew some time to figure out what had happened. To comprehend that the ship they were bearing down upon had somehow shown up behind them. In that time the Chaanisar had inflicted a fair bit of damage on the DLC vessel. Not enough to disable it, but enough to get its attention. The destroyer had heavy armor plating that seemed capable of taking a significant pounding. Its deflectors dispersed much of the penetrating power of the energy weapons. The DLC vessel recovered from the attack and returned fire.

Energy weapons hit the Chaanisar ship. While they didn’t have deflectors like the destroyer, their armor plating was robust enough to withstand the pounding. Bast monitored the position of the second warship on his tactical screen. It had been notified of the attack and now changed course.

“Helm, prepare to jump behind the destroyer on our port side,” said Bast.

“Coordinates plotted, Sir.”

“Jump.”

The Chaanisar heavy cruiser landed behind the second ship and opened fire once again. This destroyer responded faster than the first, tipped off to the Chaanisar jump capabilities. The Chaanisar were still able to get off the first shot before the DLC ship could respond. When they returned fire it wasn’t just with energy weapons, but with a salvo of missiles too.

“Launch counter measures,” said Bast. “Rail guns in point defense mode.”

Some of the DLC capabilities impressed Bast, especially the deflectors. But their missiles were not sophisticated enough to defeat the Chaanisar defenses. Most of the missiles chased after the decoy drones, and the rest were easily defeated by the point defense shield. Still he had to keep them guessing.

“Helm, prepare to jump directly in front of the other destroyer.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Jump.”

The Chaanisar landed and fired. Bast hoped to confuse the ship, if only for a split second. Any advantage was useful. The enemy was learning, however, and adapted quicker this time, returning fire from all its weapon systems. The onslaught rocked the Chaanisar ship and Bast’s console lit up with alerts reporting damage throughout the ship.

“Sir, second destroyer is firing on us.”

Bast saw it on his screen. They used their energy weapons, and while they were quite a distance away, they had enough range to hit the Chaanisar ship. More warnings flashed on his console as the reality of the two on one engagement took hold.

Now that we have their attention
, thought Bast.
It’s time to play a game.

“Helm, jump us one thousand kilometers behind the destroyers.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Jump.”

The Chaanisar ship landed a safe distance from the enemy vessels, but close enough that they were clearly visible to the two ships’ scanners. He wanted to play chase with the two ships. He wanted them to come after him. To draw them away from the station. He knew it was a simple tactic, but sometimes they were the best. He didn’t need both ships to chase. One would do just fine. If he could split them it would be ideal.

Bast sat and waited. The two ships held their positions. Would they fall for it? Staying put could work too. He simply needed to stall them until his team made it to the extraction point. Then the Chaanisar ship could jump back to the station and pick the teams up before the destroyers posed a threat.

Unfortunately the DLC ships were not having any of it. They sat there, like they were going to wait him out. Then they did the last thing he wanted them to do. They resumed course for the station.

Seiben had stepped out from behind the cover of the trees and continued firing at the vessel. Darla yelled at him to come back, but he was intent on drawing the vessel away from his family. To his horror his firing didn’t do much harm to the craft. He wanted to get it as far away from the trees as he could. He would be dead soon enough. No point getting his family killed as well.

A pair of vicious looking guns came into view and he swore he could see the pilot smiling as he targeted Seiben. He felt like a tiny mouse being toyed with by a sinister cat. He kept firing, not knowing what else to do. Salty beads of sweat stung his eyes. His shirt already wet and clinging to his back, partly from the run, mostly from the fear. Darla was right. He was no soldier. Combat frightened him too much. Yet here he was, playing the military man when he should be with his family.

Any second now the pilot would pull the trigger and it would be over, but if his family was going to see him die, he would make sure it was while putting up a fight. It wouldn’t be enough, but it might be something. There are worse ways to die. At least this way his grandchildren might hear stories about how he fought to defend his family. Much better, he thought than dying of some prolonged sickness. He tried to convince himself that his family would get by without him. It didn’t work. His actions were foolish. He knew he had let them down. He closed his eyes and braced himself, waiting for the bullets to perforate his body.

If only I had more time
, he thought.
It’s all too short.

The crash shocked him. He jump back and opened his eyes. It took a moment for his mind to process what just happened. Part of him wondered if he was delusional. Had he been shot already? Was he seeing things before death? When the security craft hit the ground he decided that what he saw was real. A large man, at least he thought it was a man, clad head to toe in metal had leapt over him and onto the floating vessel. The force of the impact pointed the craft’s nose downward, so that when the guns fired they narrowly missed Seiben hitting the ground at his feet. The metal man fired his large weapon into the cabin, shattering the glass. The bullets tore through the pilot’s body, killing him instantly. With nobody piloting, the craft spun out of control and slammed into the ground. The metal man jumped off just before impact and surged forward with tremendous speed.

All around him the same thing took place. More metal men had appeared and were engaging the DLC security force. First they eliminated the hovercraft. Their incredible agility and power allowed them to leap high enough so as to fire directly at the pilots. Some took advantage of their momentum, and struck the hovercraft with great force, causing them to lose control and hit the ground where they would be finished off.

Then they charged the ground force. They crashed into their line with ferocity and unforgiving strength. The DLC troops wore armor, but still crumbled against the charge. Their line fell into tatters. Some tried to fight off the monsters, but the metal men withstood their weapons. They didn’t have enough time to inflict any real damage to the incredible glowing armor. The metal men moved with such speed that each man could only get a few shots off before they were either shot, or seized by a powerful metal glove and thrown across the battlefield. The metal giants streaked through the DLC ranks like demons, dispersing the enemy and gunning them down as they tried to flee. The DLC force had no chance. They couldn’t defend, nor could they run. The metal men were merciless.

Seiben was surprised at the soldiers’ discipline. When the metal men showed up there were no cheers. No displays of emotion. The soldiers held their positions and kept firing. Even when the metal men charged into the enemy ranks, none of the other soldiers joined the charge. They stayed where they were and continued firing in support.

Not that the metal men needed much help. They towered over their opponents. Their speed and agility was mind boggling. The security craft that had targeted him flew low, but was easily three meters off the ground. Yet the metal man had leapt onto it like it was nothing more than a step stool.

Who are these people?
He wondered.

Darla’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She yelled at him to come back behind the trees.

Realizing that there was still fighting and that he was standing out in the open, he rushed back to his family.

Darla punched him several times in the arm. “What were you thinking?” she said, her eyes wide and fearful. “You could’ve been killed.”

“I… I don’t know,” said Seiben.

“You don’t know? You don’t know?! Have you finally gone insane?”

“I-”

“I am too young to be a widow. Do you understand me? Too young!” She punched him again, the fear in her eyes replaced by a look he knew well. Rage.

He wanted to say something to justify what he had done, but he knew it would do him no good. He knew that silence was the best approach when she became like this.

“Do you understand that you are not a soldier?” she continued. “You are a father. And a husband. I will not let you commit suicide. Do you understand? You are not getting off that easily.”

She whacked him again. He took it all silently. She was right, after all. He had to think of his family. His responsibilities. He couldn’t be running around playing soldier. What had come over him? What made him fire on that vessel? That wasn’t like him. He was too old to be playing the hero. Still, he couldn’t bear to watch those men get shot in the back. Deep down he admired their bravery. Their discipline. In the end they were defending him and his family. How could he just hide while they risked their lives for them?

He looked at Alina and Otka, their cheeks wet with fresh tears, and knew how. They needed their father. He couldn’t abandon them. Getting himself killed would be no different than walking out on them. Knowing their father died fighting would not compensate for the fact that he was gone. Nothing would.

He suddenly became aware that the gunfire had ceased. Peeking out from behind the trees he saw the men getting up from their positions. The metal men were returning from the field, their movements accompanied by a distinct whining sound, not much different from some of the machinery on his freighter. A couple jogged by him, each step causing the ground to shudder under their heavy boots. The rest of the group was following and Seiben started to get up as well.

“Is it over?” Darla asked, her face still tense.

“I think so. It looks like we’re leaving,” said Seiben.

Darla and the girls got up and stepped out from behind the trees. Soon Jon and Breeah appeared, with Burke and Daniels close behind. He noticed that Jon didn’t look tired like the others. There was no perspiration. He wasn’t out of breath. Nothing. He looked calm and fresh, like he was just starting his day. The other three looked like they were in great shape, but they all showed some signs of fatigue. But not Jon. Seiben wondered if he wasn’t a metal man in disguise.

Jon picked up Anki, and the two soldiers picked up Seiben’s daughters.

“Time to go,” said Jon.

Seiben nodded absentmindedly. He reached out for Darla’s hand, and its warm touch allowed him to release some of the stress building in his shoulders. They soon broke into a brisk jog, keeping pace with Jon and Breeah. The soldiers surrounded them, some running in front, while others protected their rear. The metal men created a larger perimeter, with the group at its center.

Seiben looked at Jon and asked, “What now?”

“There’s a ship waiting for us,” said Jon, without losing a breath. “We just need to get to the docks so they can pick us up. Then we’ll be safe.”

“Is this your ship?” asked Seiben.

Jon didn’t answer right away. The question seemed to trigger some reflection. He took so long in responding that Seiben thought he would ignore the question. When he did answer he simply said, “No, it’s not my ship.”

Seiben wondered about that. Jon was a captain. If this wasn’t his ship then whose ship was it?

“Did all these men come from that ship?”

“Yes.”

“Some of these men are your men?”

“Yes.”

“But not all of them?”

“No, not all of them.”

“The other men, they’re on your side?”

Jon looked around at the Chaanisar soldiers surrounding him, “I’m not sure.”

The answer stunned Seiben. He wasn’t sure why he asked the question, but he didn’t expect the answer he got. What were they getting into here? Jon’s face didn’t give any clues. It showed no emotion. He stared straight ahead, giving no indication of his thoughts.

Seiben took in the landscape surrounding them. All that green. He had always enjoyed taking the girls out of the city to spend a day in the parks. They had some great times out here. He had always enjoyed being around nature. But now he looked at it all differently. For the first time it struck him that none of this was real. Sure the soil and the plants were real, and they grew just like any plant would grow anywhere else. But underneath that soil was metal and machinery. There was nothing natural about it. He had spent his whole life on the station and never thought twice about any of it, yet now it all seemed like a big lie.

Maybe Darla was right after all. She didn’t come from the station like he did. She came from a planet. She probably saw this fallacy all along. She would get her wish now. He would ask Jon to arrange for the ship to drop them off on one of the planets and they would start new lives there. He was handy. He could find some work to help get them started. How hard could it be?

He thought about all the people living on the planets, and on the station. He wondered again about where they all came from. He considered the myths again and worked up the courage to ask what was really on his mind. He looked at Jon and said, “Are you from Earth?”

Jon’s head snapped around and he looked at Seiben with surprise. The look faded quickly, replaced by a more pensive one. At first he didn’t answer and Seiben got the impression that he was trying to decide whether or not to reveal the truth. When he made his decision he locked eyes with Seiben and merely said, “Yes.”