The War Across the Stars (9 page)

I felt the ship lurch to the side and ahead I could see Tronadan, the habitable moon of Sontonos.

“Um… whappening?” Max asked. 

“We can’t warp and these new transports don’t use Ultradrive.”  Ryan explained.  “We’ll be forced to await rescue on the moon over there.”

“Oh… Why don’t they just warp in and pick us up then?” Max questioned. 

“Do you ever listen?” I yelled at him.  “The warp beacon was destroyed!” 

“Who… how am I s’posed to know how that silly thing works? “ 

“We do!” Nevin, Ryan, Phil, and I said. 

“Oh…” Max mumbled. 

“And I’ll gladly explain it,” Phil said excitedly. 

“Oh no,” Nevin said.  “Not again.”

“Alright, let's begin,” Phil stated, ignoring Nevin’s comments.  “There are eleven… correction… ten warp beacons in the Jerico System, one at each planet.  It produces a field around it large enough to encompass multiple dreadnaughts.  This field prevents ships from warping on top of each other.  Now this only registers recently warped ships.  A flaw in the current system is if a ship travels through normal space over the Beacon, such as those fighters, the field will not detect it.  It was designed primarily for warping in fleets.  That way every ship in the fleet has it’s own place to appear after a warp,” Phil explained. 

“Make sense?”  

“Oh… what?” Max asked.  “Do you need me to repeat that?” Phil asked. 

“Oh! Um… I get it. Yeah, that’s it.  No, no repeating needed,” Max said, obviously unaware of how it really works. 

“Ok,” Phil said. 

“We’re ‘bout to land on Tronadan!” Wanda called.   ”We’re going through its atmosphere now.” 

I remembered that Tronadan had much less atmosphere than most planets and was barely habitable.  It was only after one and half revolutions of terraforming that the first colony began to look like a city.  Four hundred and fifty days of terraforming just to get a hot, volcanic moon as a place for people to live.  Currently, only fifty thousand people even live there.  I only knew of two cities, Tronadan City and York. I didn’t know of or expect any military bases.

“Almost thar!” the airman exclaimed.  “This atmosphere didn’t take near as much shielding as most planets.  ‘Course it’s not really a planet,” she babbled. 

Then we felt the transport lurch as the resistance of the upper atmosphere gave way to the troposphere.  I wondered why it hadn’t done that on Enphuerzo or Sontonos.  I assumed it was due to the damage to our transport’s engine.  Soon the transport was easing toward the dark brown ground.  It was a cracked, dry land, as Tronadan received little rain and relied on shipments of additional water to survive.

We heard a soft bump as we touched down on the ground.  The transport’s door opened and Ryan stepped out.  I followed him and watched as the other transport landed.  We looked up as we heard the roar of an atmospheric dropship.  That is when we saw a Vorgian Wildcat dropship soaring by.  Surely it couldn’t be Gonyon, since he was coming from Sontonos. 

“James…get in!” Ryan screamed as he hopped back into the transport. 

I quickly followed, unsure of Ryan’s intent.  Ryan barked some orders at Wanda and the transport began to lift.  I was somewhat worried about what his plan may be.  The transport’s only defense, or offense as I feared he would make it, was an L-101 scaled twice as large as normal mounted on the front.  The transport turned and sped the same direction as the dropship. 

“Full speed!” Ryan ordered. 

“Yessirree!” Airman Xavier called out. 

Since the transport was designed for space it would naturally be faster than the atmospheric drop ship, likely enough to catch up.  Whether or not that was a good thing I had yet to find out.  The dropship likely had missile pods and a chin-mounted minigun.  Fortunately though, the minigun would probably be fixed into position, making it only a forward defense weapon.   It should be useless on a target behind the dropship. 

“Target their port engine,” Ryan commanded. 

“Yepperdo!” Wanda exclaimed. 

Beams of laser shot from the bow of our transport.  In an instant they impacted, melting the engine.  The dropship wobbled as its pilot tried to keep it steady.  I could see the warm blue-orange thrust decrease on the two starboard engines. 

“They’re re-stabilizing!”  Philip said as he looked out the cockpit’s window with Ryan and Wanda. 

“Go for the aft-starboard engine,” Ryan said. 

Another column of light shot from the transport in a split second.  The engine sizzled as the impact melted it.  The thrust weakened to nothing as power to the engine cut off completely.  The remaining starboard engine powered back to full to equalize with the port engine. 

“Try and contact them, “ Ryan said. 

“Okay,” Wanda agreed, surprisingly not adding anything unnecessary.  The COM crackled to life and Ryan stated his demand. 

“Land your ship immediately or we will disable it.  Our sights are set at your next engine,” he said nudging Wanda.  

“Okay, I see,” Wanda whispered as she aimed the laser at the engine. 

“It is in your best interest to land.” 

Nothing came over the COM.  Suddenly, the dropship’s engines pointed down and the dropship began to hover in place.  Our transport zoomed past, our pilot unable to react in time.

“We overshot it!” Phil announced. 

“Pull this back around Airman!” Ryan ordered. 

“Jus’ call me Wanda!” she replied, immediately pulling hard on the controls.

The transport’s shields began to take minigun fire.  That was followed by several missile impacts, shaking the ship.

“Engine systems are only thirty-two percent operational!” Wanda yelled.

The transport jerked violently as another pair of missiles hit.  Finally the transport swung around and approached the oncoming dropship.

“Controls are functioning at twenty-five percent standard response time!  I feel like I’m flyin’ a slug!” Wanda yelled. 

Our transport fired again, melting a hole in the dropship’s window.

Wanda began to pull back hard on the controls. We were heading straight for the dropship.  Bullets bounced off our shields.  Another laser burst melted the dropship’s front-port engine.  It began to spiral as it became limited to one side propulsion.  Then I realized we were seconds away from impact, getting way too close to the enemy.  With the last burst taking out the engine, the tail end of the dropship swung around.  It crashed into the bottom of our ship ripping off our L-101 laser defense system. 

“There go our shields!” Wanda exclaimed. 

As my mind raced at the thought of what just happened, I climbed up the ladder.  I saw the dropship spinning as it descended.  Then one of the engines exploded.  The flames soon enveloped the entire dropship.

“That was close,” Philip said as he slowly shook his head. 

“But it worked,” Ryan pointed out. 

“Had that been one of our Corsair Dropships, we’d be dead now,” Phil said. 

“And that’s why I’m glad to be technologically superior,” Ryan responded.  “More importantly though, let’s head back to the other transport.  If the A-Z Gun is in Vorgian hands… we need to take it back.”

After about four minutes, we arrived back at the location that the other transport had been waiting.  Due to extensive damage to the engines, the return trip was slower.  The ship slowly descended toward the cracked surface of Tronadan.  I heard a light thud, as we hit the ground.

“Everyone outside!” Ryan ordered. 

We all stepped out onto the ground.

“According to James, Gonyon will be taken here,” Ryan said.  I smiled briefly, happy that I helped.  “So we’re gonna get him back.” 

“Oh…we are?” Max asked. 

“Yes Max, we are.” 

Scott Keys shook his assault rifle in his arms.  “I’m ready,” he commented. 

“We’ll split into two groups.  I’ll lead one and Deborah can lead the other,” Ryan instructed. 

Pinkip merely nodded in agreement, seemingly willing to let Ryan give some commands despite her rank.

“Then, we’ll search the sky for one of their transports.  Do not engage civilian craft. Understood, team?” 

“Yeah,” we answered. 

“Okay,” Ryan said. 

Then, we divided into groups.  Nevin and I were with Ryan, so were Mikel and Carl.  I could see sadness in Carl’s eyes at the loss of his brother, yet through it all he fought on.  Then I thought of what we’ve been through.  I’ve stood beside two of our men as they were killed, and despite the fact I barely new Steven or Ben it still bothered me.  I should have done more.  I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Ryan was on his way back to Wanda’s transport.  I hurried to catch up with Nevin.  We then hopped on and prepared for anything.  I could see the other transport departing in another direction as we left the ground.

“Now make sure you don’t shoot their ship. Okay Wanda?” Ryan said. 

“Uh-huh.  I get it
real
good,” Wanda answered. 

Minutes later we were in the air in search of Vorgian transports. Then the COM crackled on. 

“We found our first target, they’re landing now.” 

“Understood,” Ryan said. 

“Looky! Sensors see a real faint object nearby!  It’s not one of ours,” Wanda explained.

“Get us there!” Ryan ordered. 

“Kay, kay, I will,” Wanda accepted. 

“James… C’mere!” Ryan called. 

I squeezed into the already cramped cabin. 

“Keep your eyes open,” Ryan said. 

I looked around the sky in search of transports. 

“Sir!” Wanda shouted.  “Two additional ships just showed up.” 

“What are they?” Ryan questioned. 

“Dropships, fully armed.” 

“Be careful,” Ryan warned. 

“They’re ‘proachin’ our position!” Wanda announced. 

“Take evasive action,” Ryan commanded. 

My eyes darted around looking for the hostiles. 

“There!” I said, pointing at a Vorgian transport. 

“I see ‘em,” Wanda said. 

We began to turn in their direction.  I noticed the dropships had opened fire.  The transport rattled as several missiles impacted the shields. 

“Shields at thirty percent!” Wanda said. 

We were gaining on the transport, though it seemed to be descending toward the ground, as if to land.

“Twenty-one percent,” Wanda updated. 

We were less than a hundred meters over the ground.  The Vorgian transport was heading toward a small, deep gray structure. 

“Come on…” Ryan murmured as we sped toward the black-coated transport. 

The Vorgian transport eased toward the ground.  The door opened and several SAS came out.  Then, I saw a now-familiar face, Lt. Davis. 

“Sir,” I said to Ryan.  “That’s Lieutenant Davis.  The one I told you captured us.” 

“All right… If he thinks he can take our people, we’ll take him.” 

Then I saw Francis Gonyon step out.  He was blindfolded and handcuffed.  Behind him was an SAS holding the A-Z gun. Our transport was meters off the ground. 

“Four percent shields!” Wanda said frightfully. 

The transport door opened.  Ryan unclipped his SR
-
4 and ran out first.  Philip and I were right behind him.  Ryan knelt on one knee and took aim.  He fired.  The Vorgian with the A-Z went down.  Phil and I fired.  Two more SAS hit the sand.  My next shot hit Lt. Davis in the leg, but I was aiming for the SAS next to him.  Lt. Davis fell to the ground clutching his wound.  Finally the Vorgians realized our position and opened fire.  Assault rifle rounds flew by.  Ryan shot another round into the tallest Vorgian standing.  I didn’t even have a full clip left in my SR-4… Only three rounds.

We ran over to Francis.  Ryan and I looked for the key.  With a quick search we determined that the Vorgian who had the A-Z Gun had the key on his ammo belt.  I unclipped it and ran over to Francis. 

“Thank you,” he responded as the metal clasp released his hands. 

“You’re welcome,” I told him, “It was Ryan’s idea.”

Then a missile exploded beside us, bits of earth spattering over us.  

“Get to the transport!” Ryan yelled. 

We sped over to the transport.  Though as I placed my first foot back onto the ship I looked back to see Davis still holding his leg as he appeared to put distance between himself and us. 

“Ryan, if we’re going to get Davis, we need to do it now!” I called out, stepping back onto the ground.

“This here hunk of metal won’t last much longer!” Wanda said. 

“Okay then, get us out of here!” Ryan commanded.

“Ryan!  Are we leaving Davis?” I asked again.

“Prex it James!” Ryan cursed.  “Let’s get him, hold up Wanda!”

Together, Ryan and I tore across the ground, more bits flying up all the while, and seized Davis from the ground.  He put up a slight fight, but we managed to drag him back and tossed him into the transport.  Without another thought Ryan took his head and slammed it against the metal door as the transport lifted skyward.  The ship shook again, hit by yet another enemy barrage.