Relic Tech (Crax War Chronicles) (44 page)

“It will,” said Watts. “First, the wave of enemy fighters and attack craft will sweep through to disrupt the formation. Watch. The Umbelgarri won’t miss.”

On cue, golden, arcing energy beams, resembling the Chicher white fusion beams, emanated from the Umbelgarri frigate and fighters, striking out at the closing enemy.

“Advanced tracking systems,” I responded. “Accurate and deadly.” The frigate emerged pockmarked from the sweep, but unhindered. “I count six Umbelgarri fighters.” I reexamined the display. “One cutter’s falling back.”

“Yes, Specialist,” she said. “But see, two of the three squadrons are gone.”

“Chopped to bits!” yelled Skids.

“They’re circling back for another run,” said Watts, resting a hand on Skids’ shoulder. “They’ll ignore the cutters.”

The Umbelgarri fighters broke from their mother ship to intercept the returning fighters. “That’s not standard tactics,” I said. The frigate accelerated into the maw of the three Selgum Crax destroyers that supported the carrier and assault ship. “Think it can take them?”

All five Crax let loose with their canister weapons. “Maybe.” Hope echoed through her voice.

“Really, Mom?”
Skids’ shoulders no longer slouched as he leaned toward the monitors. “Take’em out! Take’em!”

The Umbelgarri reached out with its main beam armament. The ghostly, golden-hued line slid downward, slicing into the assault ship. Smaller beams arced madly to obliterate the canisters as they approached. About one in three got through. The Crax
laid in a continuous acidic avalanche.

“The assault ship’s slipping behind that destroyer,” I said. The Umbelgarri sliced into the intervening vessel, severing one of the sections at the elbow and, with an upward return stroke, tore into the main junction.

Watts adjusted the screens. “She’s lost seventy percent of her defensive beams. They’re getting through.” The Umbelgarri sliced into the assault ship, clipping off a disk section before carving upward into the central hull.

“Two down!” cried Skids as internal explosions emanated from the assault ship. Then he frowned.

“She’s losing power,” said Watts as the Umbelgarri ship appeared to list. “She’s not going to make it.” Several escape pods popped from the hull, but instead of running, they rocketed toward the enemy formation. The Crax targeted them and destroyed two. The third detonated against a destroyer’s port side.

“I think they picked that one up during the Silicate War.” I said. “From us.”

The Umbelgarri beam struck out again, targeting the damaged destroyer, but the weapon only scarred the hull. Flames erupted aft, near the sleek Umbelgarri ship’s engines. Explosions followed.

I shook my head. “They’re swinging wide to finish her off.” Canister fire rained down on the faltering Umbelgarri ship. It reminded me of Ms. Jazarine’s tortured demise.

The frigate lashed out, one final ineffectual blow, before breaking up. Eight Crax fighters and two attack craft formed up with the surviving carrier and two destroyers.

I slid into a seat and scanned the internal security monitors. Each marine had paired up with a sec-spec. Each duo had a score of armed civilians with them. I flipped from camera to camera.

“Are you okay, Specialist Keesay?” asked Instructor Watts. She rolled her chair close.

“Give me a minute.” I said, and took several deep breaths.

“Michael, how about you?”

“I’m okay—I’m a little scared, Mom. They’re coming.”

I checked my equipment. Pulled Ms. Jazarine’s slender blade and set it across the desk.

“Specialist Keesay?”

I looked at Instructor Watts. “I’d say call me Kra, but I don’t know who you are.” She pursed her lips. “The pilots,” I said. “Griffin, Bolt, Howler. They were good guys. Really helped me out.” I flexed my fingers. “Sorry, guess I just came off my adrenaline rush. Hope I got all the infiltrators.”

“Me, too,” she said, and switched off the room’s internal monitors. “Dr. Maximar Drizdon.” Her face had lost all expression.

“What?” I asked.

“Dr. Maximar Drizdon is my husband. His son, my son, is Maximar Jr.”

“Maximar Drizdon?” I said. “The combat theoretician? Who masterminded the offensive against the Shards?” She nodded. “Anticipated a wormhole appearance and enabled a fleet to take the attack to them?” She nodded again. “I guess you would know something about fleet weapons and tactics.”

“Yes.” She smiled, and extended her hand. “Veronica Drizdon.” I shook it. Skids, or Maximar Jr., stood next to me grinning ear to ear. “You kept the secret well,” she said to her son.

“And you’ll have to continue,” I said to Maximar Jr. I scrutinized his mother. “I recall clips of you. Cosmetic surgery?”

“DNA manipulations too. At least for me.”

“With war brewing, I can guess why some might be after you. Wonder how much Stardz, Schultz, Jazarine and B’down took to turn traitor on their own species.”

“The Crax might not have paid them,” she said. “But that’s all I can say. You deserve that much, at least.”

“Understood. Thanks. I’ll continue to refer to you as Instructor Watts, and Skids. Not only for security reasons, but it’s so ingrained.”

“Lori will do, Kra.” She flipped her hair back and rubbed her chin. “If I had to classify you, I’d say you’re a hybrid. Rogue and good Samaritan.”

“I think we know which genes are dominant,” I said, reactivating the internal monitors.

My com-set crackled. “Transport
Kalavar
, this is the Zeta Aquarius Dock, Rear Admiral West.” The voice was throaty and deep. “Con-gate set for condensation ratio 51.375K. Altering target. Will commence long range bombardment of blocking Crax vessel.”

“Zeta Aquarius Dock,” replied the captain. “Gate factor acknowledged. Negative on blocking vessel. Forming up with
Samuel B. Roberts
,
Thunder Child
and
Calling Thunder
.”

“
Kalavar
, near zero probability of surviving enemy assault. We’re set to self-destruct.”

“Acknowledged. Situation understood. The longer you keep them occupied, the better our chances.”

“Con-gate power setting for two ships, minimum two minute interval. Both will be at 22.833K.
Kalavar
,
Sammy Roberts
, good luck. We’ll hold’em and take as many as we can.” The admiral either forgot or chose not to close the channel. “Bays launch all attack shuttles and remaining fighters. Keep that carrier from crawling up our ass. Surviving cutters, flank them.
Stellar Inferno
, let’s help the Primus bastards remember they were in a fight. Target escort on the heavy’s port side. Lock will be inoperative, so go manual and shoot straight. All batteries open fire. Fire at will.”

I turned away from the initial bombardment to watch Specialist Liu approach Security. She wore a sidearm on her hip and carried a satchel. I keyed the intercom. “Specialist Liu,” I said. “Good day, how can I be of service?”

She gazed at the door for a second. “Busy day. I’ve brought breakfast.”

“Now that you mention it, I am hungry.” I checked Lori Watts and her son. They both nodded.

“The chief suggested chicken patties, your favorite.”

“Very kind, Specialist Liu. I’ll check with him.”

“He thought you might.” She spoke into her collar. “Chief, I’m at Security. Door remains locked.”

“Keesay,” came over my com-set. “Better eat up. May be a while.”

“Understood, Chief.” I double-checked the monitors and keyed open the door.

Skids whispered into his mother’s ear. “Specialist Keesay,” she said. “Michael needs to relieve himself.”

Liu set the satchel on the desk. “Can you hold the fort?” I asked.

“No need,” said Liu. She called up a screen and entered a code. “The chief’s office has a back room.” The connecting door to his office slid open.

“Really?”

“Long hours,” said Liu.

“You keep them, too. Joint code,” I said. “Makes sense.”

“I’ll take him,” said Lori.

I asked Liu, “How go the preparations to repel boarding?”

“Actually, your colonists seem the most eager. How goes it out there? I heard not too well.”

“Correct. We’ve got a Crax destroyer and some support between the con-gate and us. We’ve got a damaged destroyer escort, some fighters and a couple of gunboats to assist.”

“They’ve got breaching pods?” asked Liu.

I nodded. “Captain’s plan for a surprise run ended quick.”

“The chief said you took out two infiltrators.”

I opened up the satchel and set out the food and juice. “The exotic dancer and a business man. Both had Crax screens. Hope that’s all because I was lucky.”

“You always seem to manage, somehow,” she said. “I caught part of it in engineering, but only your part of the conversation came through.”

“Oh, Ms. Jazarine,” I said. “Offered me a place in their conspiracy. I immediately accepted.” Admin Specialist Liu’s mouth dropped for just a second, until I broke into a smile and winked. I took a bite of the sandwich. “Actually, I slit Mr. B’down’s throat. Ms. Jazarine fell on her own narcotic tainted blade. I’d have killed her just the same. Kept his blood on my bayonet and hers on that for analysis, should we make it through this.”

“They’ve got Schultz rigged for cold sleep. Think there are any more?”

“No telling. No offense, that’s why I checked with the chief.” I nearly choked after recalling that I didn’t challenge Tahgs.

“Just the same, if we get boarded,” she said, “I’d like to be near you.”

I looked over toward my shotgun. “Personally,” I said, clearing my throat, “I’d like to be couched between Chief Brold with his servo-armor and one of the Colonial Marines.”

“They’re suited up in combat gear. Not powered like the chief’s but they say it’ll resist some of the Crax acid.” She held a hand to her ear. “Got to get back to engineering.”

“Engineering? Say hello to McAllister for me.”

“She’s too busy aft, working on the weapons systems. Chief Engineer Harkins is keeping ahead of Crax jamming.” She swept across the wall with her hand. “Keeping your screens up.” She turned to leave.

“If you do see McAllister, tell her I got roughed up pretty good. You’ll make her day.” Lori and Skids returned. I handed a key to Liu. “If you see a marine or the chief, give them this. In my old quarters under Benny’s bunk I have two and a half cases of old-style grenades. A lot of shotgun shells, too. Hey, any chance of getting a spare CNS device?” I pointed to the back of my neck.

“Maybe. Distribution is under way. I’m awaiting myself.”

I tapped at the console, closing the door behind Lori and Skids and let Specialist Liu depart. “Good luck and keep low.” She waved into the security camera before hustling down the corridor.

“There’s food on the desk,” I said. “Chief Brold ordered my favorite.”

“Chicken patty sandwich? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you select one,” said Lori.

I finished mine and drank some juice. “Got away from them after an incident with Senior Engineer McAllister. Got the notion I was too predictable for my own good.” Then a flash caught my eye. “The gunboats got the crippled destroyer!”

“All hands secure,” crackled Captain Tilayvaux. “Prepare for combat emergency maneuvers.”

I said, “That’s not what you expect to hear from a transport’s captain.”

“Aft engines, cut power,” ordered the captain. “Port forward maneuvering thrusters, aft starboard thrusters, emergency burn on my mark. Three...two...one...now!”

The gravitation system struggled to maintain equilibrium as the transport began its spin. “She’s bringing the aft weapons to bear,” I said.

“Risky move,” said Lori. “Exposes the main engines.”

“But if we don’t get past that destroyer, it won’t matter.”

“Computer control, adjust thruster’s to halt spin to 180 degrees.” Our bodies swayed the opposite direction.

Skids smiled, enjoying the sensation. I gripped his shoulder. “Too bad you’re here. Probably more wild near the aft main engines, and cascading up front.”

“Hold missiles,” ordered the captain. “Aft batteries, open fire.”

The
Kalavar
’s dual beams reached out and scored a near miss on the closing destroyer. The trailing gunboats fired long-range and went wide. The
Samuel B. Roberts
’s remaining dual beam succeeded with a grazing hit on a leading ventral elbow. “We’re going to have to do better than that,” said Lori.

“Fighters,” called the
Roberts
’s captain. “Drop back, keep the breaching pods off the
Kalavar
.”

“She’s letting loose,” I said, as the enemy destroyer opened up with a canister barrage. “What I wouldn’t give for a canister nuke.”

“Captain,” called a weapons engineer, “the upgraded missiles are targeting in the tubes.”

“Very good,” said the captain. “Relay targeting information to laser batteries and to the gunboats and destroyer escort.”