Operation Hellfire (15 page)

"There's your door. Punch it!"

Nate grinned as he pushed the engines to full. Great gouts of flames surged from the four engines, and the spacecraft moved forward. The shattered and damaged hull splintered apart as the Mauler blasted out into space. The metal may have been heavily fragmented, but even then, only the hardened nose and plating of the Mauler allowed it to make it in one piece. Tiny chunks spun around behind it, and then they were away, a bright comet followed by dust and flame.

"Mongoose to Relentless, we're clear of the debris," said Nate.

Another missile whooshed past them and impacted on one of the massive docking arms. It was unable to cause crippling damage but still sent debris out into space, making the area even harder to navigate.

"Okay, time for the new plan. I need to speak to the marines."

Billy tapped a few buttons and then moved his head back in surprise.

"Message from the General. He has an idea...apparently."

Nate nodded for him to connect to the transport section behind them, and they were quickly connected via the video system.

"Pilot, have you made contact with the Prince?"

Nate shook his head.

"Not yet."

The General remained expressionless.

"Very well. Make contact now. I know a way to get him and the others out, but it will not be easy."

Nate and Billy shared an uneasy look before Nate yanked on the control column. The Mauler rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the wreckage of a Hawkmoth fighter.

"Phew," he explained, "That was too close."

They spun around the wreckage, and Nate breathed a sigh of relief as a pair of Lightning fighters formed up on their flanks. Both bore the insignia of thunder and lightning, immediately reminding him they were from the renowned Thunder Squadron. The craft to the left was the Kerberos pattern, just like those used by Knighthawk Squadron. The one to the left was a much older model, possibly a first generation, and had the graceful curves and lines now rarely seen on Alliance spacecraft.

"This is Mongoose. I need you guys to stay close."

"Acknowledged," answered Thunder Leader, "We're here as long as you need us."

"Awesome," said Billy.

Billy then tapped on his screen and enlarged the image of the General.

"Okay, we're clear now. What was your plan?"

The ancient Byotai opened his mouth wide, and though Billy wasn't completely sure, he was pretty convinced the General was laughing.

"We smash our way inside. Now tell me, where is Kratha?"

* * *

Lieutenant Heiskell stopped as he listened to the latest reports from Relentless. It didn't take long for him to receive the important points, and with each word his brow tightened further. He had no idea the Star Empire had access to this unheard of class of supercarrier. The very idea of them having such advanced warships made him feel uncomfortable. He had nothing but confidence in Captain Galanos, her crew, and the ship, but he was also well aware that Relentless was a far cry from a heavy ship of the line. While she could stand up to cruisers in battle, she would never be able to hold off a concerted assault from a battleship class vessel, and if they stayed too long, that was exactly what would happen.

"Understood, Relentless. We need to be ready for evac in twelve minutes."

He licked his lips as he looked back to their objective. They should have been there a long time ago, yet they were still working their way through the dark passageway. It was a grim, dreary place. The only respite offered was that of the bright white light off in the distance. And with each step it became stronger and stronger. He could see the other units as they inched through the station, but what really worried him were the tagged red units that had now vanished from their mapping data. He connected to the one person he knew he could trust implicitly to tell him what he needed to know.

"Sergeant Nál, what's happening down there?"

The Sergeant grunted, and Lieutenant Heiskell could tell she was injured.

"We've made contact with the Byotai. There are only eight of them left. Their commander is dead and half are badly wounded. I'm preparing to send them back to the Mauler."

Lieutenant Heiskell shook his head with irritation.

"Scratch that idea, Sergeant. The Mauler has gone."

Lieutenant Heiskell paused as he considered his next actions. Even as they spoke, he had enlarged the tactical mapping data to show the two levels above and below. The information provided by Prince Kratha had proven invaluable and showed each level, as well as the many labyrinthine passages that ran throughout its structure.

"Sergeant Nál, you need to find a way off this place and quickly. Twelve minutes is all we have. Any longer and Relentless will be leaving us behind."

She began to answer but was immediately replaced by screaming, gunfire, and shouting. Lieutenant Heiskell tensed up as he tried to ignore the terrible sounds. On his mapping overlays he could see the tagged formations of psychotic Byotai hurling their bodies at the marines. This far away they were simply red outlines, yet they massively outnumbered the marines and seemed happy to die.

"Mongoose, do you read me? I need an evac, right now!"

The answer came much more quickly than expected.

"We're here, Sir. It's getting a bit hairy out here."

Lieutenant Heiskell immediately recognised the voice of Ensign Lewis. Ordinarily, he might have been concerned, but there was something about the teenager that was unusual. He'd seen him involved in multiple dogfights, but unlike the rest of his squadron, Ensign Lewis showed calm and collected behaviour.

"Son, you've arrived in the nick of time."

"Thank you, Sir. I have a location, but you will all need to climb five levels and wait near the ventilation platform. I'm tagging it on your mapping data now."

Lieutenant Heiskell shook his head as he found the location. As the Ensign had described it, the section was five levels up and on a wide-open crescent shaped platform that ran along one side.

"Okay, I see it. I can't find a way in, though. The outer hull is five compartments away, and there are no airlocks in sight."

"Don't worry about that. Just get your people to the platform and hurry. We've got company out here."

"Understood. Sergeant Nál, did you hear that?"

There was still the sound of shouting, but for all the violence, the toughened Sergeant had little problem in answering.

"Affirmative. We're three levels from that point. It won't be easy, but we'll get there. You've got problems coming your way, too. Are you seeing this?"

He nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I see them. Two squads, upwards of fifty enemy, and they are working their way up to me."

"Yes," said Sergeant Nál, "There were triple that number waiting for us. We shattered their attacks, but a smaller contingent was able to escape and breach the emergency shafts to work their way down through the station."

She snorted, and several bursts of gunfire muted the sound.

"I lost a Vanguard trying to protect access to the shaft, but I cannot stop them reaching you. The emergency shaft travels well below you and opens up nearly eight levels below your current position. They will be with you in minutes."

"I see," said the Lieutenant, "Can you get to the ventilation platform in time?"

"Yes. There are still around seventy of the enemy here, though, and they are well defended with improvised explosives and booby traps. I have a squad trying to work their way to the top of the station. Apparently, there is a sealed evacuation hatch nearby."

"Forget that, Sergeant. Ensign Lewis has a plan, and he's not let us down yet. Redirect your efforts to their defences. Breach them and join us on the ventilation platform."

Sergeant Nál took a deep breath.

"The Byotai, Sir. I've never seen anything like it. They are enraged. It's as though they have been injected with something. Their bloodlust, it brings back memories of the War."

Lieutenant Heiskell visibly shook as he listened to his Sergeant. It wasn't the words that unnerved him. It was her tone. Nothing could shake or even worry a Jötnar when it came to war, yet something was wrong. Sergeant Nál was hesitating, and that terrified him more than anything else.

"Understood," he said, doing his very best to sound calm and in control, "We'll be ready for them, Sergeant."

There was silence on the communications system, and as he waited, he noticed a metal bridge moving out from near where they were waiting. Prince Kratha and his escort of Byotai moved along it and towards the vast communications subsystem. Only when Kratha reached the controls did the size of the system become apparent. The Byotai looked like insects underneath the boulder-sized Cortex.

"Prince. Can you do this?"

The Byotai looked back and gave a gesture with his left hand.

"Yes, I need four minutes."

He then turned away and ignored anything further said by Lieutenant Heiskell. The officer shook his head and stopped, stunned by what he could see on his mapping data.

They moved carefully, but with time being so short, they could not be as cautious as Lieutenant Heiskell would have liked. Private Valentine had been sent ten metres up front on point. It was a painful thing to have to do, and if there were any traps up ahead, the unfortunate Private would be the first get hit. She moved at a brisk walking pace, her carbine out in front and ready for danger. Only when she reached the very last bulkhead did she pause and glance back at the others.

"All clear, continuing on to the opening."

Lieutenant Heiskell nodded, and without saying another word, the young Private moved out of the passage and into the large, well lit structure. As she walked, the faint outlines of the other marines showed on her helmet overlay. Though her own squad was behind her, she could see the Vanguards and the other marine units as they continued making their way through the facility. From what she could see, they were only two levels below them and fighting their way to the Byotai loyalists now trapped inside. She dreaded to think how the massive space battle was going, and how many hundreds of thousands were now dead. The Alliance ships were heavily engaged, and from her limited time as a marine, she knew that meant a lot of casualties, possibly for both sides.

This is not how I thought it would go. This was supposed to be the easy way home.

Valentine had to tread carefully because the passage led out to a narrow ledge. She paused and looked all around, once more checking for signs of danger. They'd already fought their way through two more ambushes, and both times had suffered additional losses.

"Looks clear."

The other marines crept closer and fanned out on either side. She waited a little longer and then joined the others as they moved around the massive pit. As she travelled off to the left, she glanced down into the cavernous pit that vanished inside the bowels of the station.

That's a long way down.

Her eyes rose and focused on the structure that seemed to float in the middle. A long glowing shaft ran from high up in the station and hung down in the centre of the open shaft. Attached to the base of the rod type structure was a control suite, and floating above it the complex communications Cortex that shifted and pulsed like the thing was actually alive.

"This is it," said Kratha.

He moved out behind the marines and looked up at the pulsing Cortex and the myriad of cables and tubes that extended out and connected directly into the station. The unit glowed with blue energy that pulsed and rippled in a regular pattern.

"What now?" Lieutenant Heiskell asked.

Prince Kratha pointed to the central unit.

"I will find the controls to activate the bridge and then cross over. Then I will send my encoded message throughout the Empire via every operational base, shipyard, and naval facility. From there, the signal will be broadcast to any ships in their systems."

He paused and then deactivated the front of his armoured helm. Lieutenant Heiskell looked confused as the young reptilian office opened his mouth and sniffed the air. He blinked and looked back at the Lieutenant.

"We have company. I can smell Byotai, and they are close."

Lieutenant Heiskell immediately lifted his right arm.

"Marines, establish a perimeter. Nothing hostile gets in here, no matter what. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir!"

Valentine pointed down below.

"Sir, contact. Enemy forces moving up the gantry ladders."

Lieutenant Heiskell leaned over the edge, pulling back as several thermal gunshots struck the wall. Two more blasts hit the metal and sent sparks flying in all directions.

"Hold them back!"

The marines leant over the edge and took aim. Both sides blasted away with a mixture of carbines, rifles, and thermal rifles with such intensity that the entire shaft lit up with colour. Only now, after they had already been in this one place for a while could they actually see the complexity of the cavernous structure. Thick arched and ribbing ran from top to bottom, and hundreds of pipes and cables filled the walls. The ramp moved in and out of the station so that platforms were visible every other level to the lowest sections of the station. Fires burned on many of them, though impossible to tell if they'd been caused by earlier fighting, or the current bloody battle with the marines.