Escape of the Relentless Read online

  “Yes, sergeant,” replied Han-zo.

  “But remember, private, there are usually ten of them to one of us,” said Pi-ce.

  “Yes, ma’am,” replied the private, retrieving his rifle.

  Having overseen the private’s first kill, Pi-ce turned back toward the armored doors. They had not been breached.

  She activated the opening latch.

  Nothing happened.

  She pressed the activation key pad again. Nothing.

  “They must have locked it from inside,” she said aloud.

  “Should we blast it?” asked Corporal Tra-na.

  “A good warrior knows when to kick a door in and when to knock on it, corporal,” replied Pi-ce as she opened a small metal box containing a handset. Grabbing the handset, she spoke. “Inside the armory, this is Lieutenant Pi-ce, MARDET officer from Runan Imperial Frigate Relentless. Open the hatch.”

  Pi-ce stepped backwards, gripping her rifle. The massive doors clanged and began to move.

  As the doors slid open, two Marine officers and a sergeant came into view.

  “Good to see you, Lieutenant. I am Captain Dra-xe,” said the tallest of the three, stepping toward the entrance.

  “Sir,” replied Pi-ce with a salute, “we picked up a distress signal and —”

  “It was a trap,” interrupted Dra-xe. “We jumped to the coordinates set for the negotiation and right into their trap. They had at least four ships-of-the-line.”

  “Negotiations? What …” Pi-ce noticed the wound on the captain’s right arm as well as the sergeant’s shoulder and leg. “Do you need a medical pack, sir?”

  “I’m good … How bad is it across the ship? We split up the royal family and held out as long as we could. When we were going to be overrun, the major ordered us to forgo a glorious death to protect the Princess. Did we hold the ship?”

  “No, sir. But the bravery of your men was evident.”

  Dra-xe gave her a nod. “I had feared there were too many of them.”

  Pi-ce looked behind the Marines. The outline of a young woman came into view in the shadows.

  “It is safe, Princess,” said Dra-xe, turning toward the woman. “They are fellow Marines.”

  A blonde woman in her early twenties emerged from the darkness and stepped in front of the captain. She had long flowing hair and deep blue eyes common to the royal family. She was tall for a Runan woman, or even man, her head coming to Captain Dra-xe’s shoulders.

  Despite her stoic demeanor, Pi-ce could tell the Princess was exhausted and anxious.

  “My family?” she asked, her eyes widening.

  Pi-ce paused.

  “Lieutenant?” asked the Princess again.

  Pi-ce lowered herself to one knee and bowed her head.

  “I am afraid none survived … Queen Xendi.”

  “Oh,” murmured Xendi.

  Pi-ce slowly raised her head. She could see Xendi struggle to repress her emotions.

  “Rise, lieutenant,” replied Xendi, her voice cracking slightly. “You must tell me what has happened.”

  “Yes, my queen,” said Pi-ce, slowly rising to her feet. “We received a distress signal and jumped to this location. Once here, we came upon two destroyed Qua-la capital ships and began to search Thunder for survivors. We first went to the bridge. That is where we …”

  “Where the rest of my family was,” said Queen Xendi.

  “Yes, my queen.”

  “Continue.”

  “That is all I know, my queen. If you will allow it, we must get you onboard Relentless. Once there, Commander Catton can provide you more information.”

  “Very well, lieutenant,” replied Queen Xendi. “Take me to him.”

  Chapter Three

  Commander Catton stood in the small hangar bay onboard Relentless awaiting Lieutenant Pi-ce’s return with the last remaining member of the royal family and new Queen of Runan Empire.

  “The sideboys are ready, sir.” reported Operations Department Senior Chief Lupo with a salute.

  “Very good,” replied Catton, activating his communications link. “TAO, what is our status?”

  “Captain, TAO. We are still at Battle Stations. Weapons yellow and tight. Both fighters are still out. No new RADIUS tracks. Transport now designated as Runan One is less than a mile out.”

  “So she’s the last one” said Lieutenant Commander Halstrom.

  “Yes,” replied Catton. “And if we can’t get her back, the Qua-la will be the least of our problems.”

  “Sir?” asked Halstrom.

  “Do you know how long the Espara dynasty has lasted?”

  “Two hundred years I believe, sir. Since the —”

  “Since the War of Unification,” interrupted Catton. “Even if we get her back, one of the other noble families might still make a play for the throne.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” said Halstrom.

  “When Queen Xendi Espara lands on Relentless, we will have the most valuable cargo in the Empire onboard.”

  “Hopefully the Qua-la don’t realize she’s alive. There have to be more ships close by.”

  “I’m not going to give them time,” replied Catton. “As soon as the Queen is onboard, we are jumping back into our territory. I —” He paused as the transport drifted into the hangar. As it slowly turned and lowered toward the deck, Catton contacted the TAO.

  “TAO, have the bridge plot a FTL jump to Starbase Charlie Seven. I want to be ready to go as soon as we get the fighters in.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied the TAO.

  The transport locked into place and Catton took a deep breath as the doors slid open.

  “They’re onboard,” said Halstrom into his comms link.

  “QUEEN XENDI ESPARA, RULER OF THE RUNAN EMPIRE, MATRIARCH OF THE ESPARA FAMILY, AND HEAD OF THE NOBLE FAMILIES, ARRIVING,” blared over the announcing circuit.

  Catton nodded toward Senior Chief Lupo.

  “Attention!” shouted Lupo, and the sideboys snapped to attention.

  As Catton looked on, the large frame of Lieutenant Pi-ce stepped through the hatch and walked down the small platform to the deck of Relentless. Behind her came Captain Dra-xe who stopped on the opposite side of the platform facing Pi-ce.

  Both snapped to attention, saluting.

  From the darkness of the transport stepped Queen Xendi.

  Catton was first struck by her beauty. At the hatch, he saw her take in a deep breath, her hand resting against the hull to balance herself. In his peripheral, he saw both fighters entering the hangar bay.

  It was time to get the hell back to Runan territory.

  Catton stepped forward as Queen Xendi began to make her way down the platform, stopping at the opposite end of the sideboys. As she approached, he saluted.

  “Welcome aboard Relentless, my queen,” he said, bowing slightly. “I am sorry for the circumstances, but we will get you back to Runan territory.”

  The queen nodded. She was shaken for sure but doing a surprisingly good job of hiding it.

  “If you will do me the honor, I have made my in-port cabin available for you. It is not ideal, but I hope it will keep you comfortable until we can get you home.”

  She nodded again. “Very well, commander,” she said, extending her hand.

  Catton took her hand into his.

  Noticing her hand was trembling, he squeezed slightly. “Come with me, my queen,” he said softly.

  Catton walked across the hangar quickly, but at a pace that allowed the queen to look controlled. At the opposite end of the hangar, they stepped into the elevator. The doors closed and Xendi collapsed against the wall.

  “My queen,” said Catton, reaching to support her. As he helped her regain her balance, he saw tears running down her cheeks.

  The queen wiped her eyes and exhaled heavily. “Thank you, commander. It has been … it has been a long day.”

  “I understand. Once —”

  “CAPTAIN TO COMBAT,” came across the announcing circu
it.

  Catton gritted his teeth. “I am sorry, my queen. If they are calling for me over the announcing circuit, I have to go there.”

  “Very well, commander. I understand. I will accompany you.”

  “As you wish, Queen Xendi. But you might want some time alone —”

  “Thank you, commander,” she replied, forcing a smile. “But the last thing I want right now is to be alone.”

  “Yes, my queen,” replied Catton as he depressed the keypad for the Combat level.

  The elevator doors opened and Catton, with the queen behind him, quickly made his way to the entrance to Combat. At the door, he pressed his hand to the access pad and the doors slid open.

  He was meet by the TAO, Lieutenant Drake.

  “Sir, I just …” He froze when he saw the queen enter behind Catton.

  “Continue, lieutenant,” said Catton, placing his hand on the TAO’s shoulder. “What is it?”

  “Sir, we just received an active beacon from a lifeboat. We pinged them and got a response.”

  Catton clinched his jaw. “Are we set for FTL?”

  “Yes, sir. The bridge has plotted and entered jump coordinates to Starbase Charlie Seven.”

  He glanced back at the queen. She was too important to wait.

  “Very well, TAO. Pass the word to prepare for FTL jump in —”

  “Excuse me, commander,” interrupted Xendi.

  “Yes, my queen?”

  “What of the lifeboat?”

  “Yes, Queen Xendi,” replied Catton. “It is unfortunate, but we must first get you back into Runan territory. After you are safe, I will get permission to come back for them.”

  “How long will that take?” she asked.

  “I don’t know, my queen.”

  “Might they die while they are waiting? Or what if the Qua-la return?”

  “I must think of the Empire, Queen Xendi. We must get you —”

  “Would you go after the lifeboat if I was not here, commander?”

  He wanted to lie. He couldn’t sacrifice the possible stability of the Empire for one lifeboat. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to hide the truth.

  “I would, Queen Xendi, but —”

  “Then retrieve the lifeboat,” she replied.

  Catton exhaled. “Those on the lifeboat took an oath to defend the Empire and you, my queen, are the Empire. Every moment we delay is more time for the Qua-la to return.”

  “Or more time for those in the lifeboat to die,” replied the Queen.

  She might have been young and afraid, but Catton had no doubt she was the daughter of King Espara. Her people came first.

  “Yes, my queen.”

  “Then go get them, commander.”

  “As you wish,” replied Catton. “TAO, check if Lieutenant Yin is still in his transport.”

  “Roger, sir,” answered the TAO, activating the 1MC shipboard announcing circuit.

  “LIEUTENANT YIN, CONTACT COMBAT.”

  Catton looked up toward the large clock on the bulkhead. Every second that ticked away caused his heartrate to quicken.

  “He’s still onboard, sir,” reported the TAO.

  “Good,” exhaled Catton. “Tell him to get back out there and pick up that lifeboat.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How long will it take?” asked Queen Xendi.

  Catton looked at the RADIUS plot. “About ten minutes, Queen Xendi.”

  “Saber One away, sir,” reported the TAO.

  Catton watched as the RADIUS plot for the transport grew closer to a signal designated as Lifeboat Number Twelve. As he watched, he couldn’t help but glance up toward the clock.

  “Relentless, this is Saber One. Making final approach to lifeboat. Readings indicate four individuals alive onboard.”

  Catton exhaled. At least the risk wasn’t for naught.

  “Activating magnetic lock,” reported the transport.

  Catton’s attention instantly shifted to three new contacts on the RADIUS plot.

  “TAO, AIR DEFENSE,” reported an officer seated to the right of the TAO. “RADIUS, plot designates new contacts … SKUNK ONE through THREE.”

  “Run ident diagnostics!” ordered the TAO.

  “Tell them to get back here now,” ordered Catton.

  “Relentless, this is Saber One. We just picked up three —”

  “Return to Relentless immediately,” interrupted the TAO.

  “Roger,” replied the transport. “Returning —”

  The symbols for the three craft on RADIUS flashed red and changed from half-circles to squares.

  “TAO, AIR DEFENSE. Incoming craft emitting Qua-la fire control scans. Ident as long-range attack craft.”

  “AIR DEFENSE, TAO. Designate as hostile.”

  “Tracks now designated as GHOST ONE through THREE.”

  Catton glanced toward the FTL panel showing the status report from the bridge. Three consecutive green lights showed that a plot was entered, verified by the FTL computer, and that the gravity drive was powered for the jump. “How far out is the transport?”

  “Three minutes, sir.”

  “Time to firing range on hostiles?”

  “Two minutes, sir.”

  “Damn it,” cursed Catton. “TAO, weapons free.”

  “AIR DEFENSE, kill tracks GHOST ONE through THREE,” ordered the TAO.

  “Kill tracks GHOST ONE through THREE, aye, sir,” repeated the TAO.

  “VIPER, VIPER, VIPER!” shouted the Air Defense Officer. “Incoming missiles.”

  The TAO activated the ship’s announcing circuit. “INBOUND MISSILES. ACTIVATE POINT DEFENSE SYSTEMS. ALL HANDS BRACE FOR IMPACT.”

  “EAGLES ONE through SIX away!” shouted the AIR DEFENSE officer, as six missiles sped toward the incoming enemy fighters.

  Catton gripped the bar next to him with one hand, grabbing Queen Xendi’s arms with the other. “Hold on!” he shouted, placing her hands over the bar. “Launch countermeasure pods one and two,” he ordered.

  “Away, sir,” reported an officer at a panel forward of the TAO.

  The vibrations of the ship’s rotary guns and self-defense proximity guns rumbled through combat.

  “Three of five inbound missiles engaged and killed,” reported the TAO. “The —”

  Relentless shuttered and the lighting flickered. Catton regained his balance just in time to grab the queen before she fell backwards.

  “Are you hurt, Queen Xendi?”

  The queen looked up at him with wide, startled eyes but she was unharmed.

  “MISSILE HITS STARBOARD SIDE AFT,” was reported across the announcing circuit from Central Control.

  “Sir,” reported the TAO. “Tracks GHOST ONE and THREE have been destroyed.”

  “Where’s our transport?” he replied. “We need to get out of here.”

  “Onboard, sir,” said the TAO.

  “Bridge, Captain. Commence jump sequ —” Catton stopped mid-sentence. There were only two green lights on the FTL panel. “TAO, contact the —”

  “Bridge, Combat, this is Engineering Control. Loss of power to the gravity drive. FTL is down. Time to repair unknown.”

  “VIPER, VIPER, VIPER!” shouted the Air Defense Officer.

  “Countermeasures!” ordered the TAO.

  “Missiles away!” reported the Air Defense Officer.

  Catton grabbed the queen’s torso as Relentless shook.

  “MISSILE HIT AFT!” reported Engineering.

  “Sir, GHOST TWO confirmed killed. RADIUS clear,” reported the TAO.

  “Queen Xendi?” asked Catton.

  Xendi gave him a nod. “I am okay, commander.”

  We have to assume they got off contact reports,” said Catton to his TAO. “Engineering, this is the Captain. Report status of FTL.”

  “Sir, this is the CHENG. Gravity drive is down hard,” reported Lieutenant Commander Braca, the ship’s Chief Engineeer, through the ship’s comms panel. “Fires reported in Operations berthing, Auxiliary Generato
r Room Two, and the galley.”

  “Engine status?” asked Catton.

  “Sir,” replied Braca. “Reactors are all operational. Full normal propulsion capability.”

  “TAO, is Saber One onboard?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. Set a course for Zala Six. All ahead flank.”

  “Sir? Zala Six?”

  “Yes,” replied Catton. “If they reported our position, they’ll have all vectors out of this system covered. They won’t expect us to move further in. That will also give us time to deal with the damage and repair the FTL.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied the TAO.

  “Pass the word. All Department Heads not on watch meet in the wardroom in thirty minutes. Maintain Condition III watches and Weapons Free … you have permission to engage any hostile or unknown targets threatening the ship.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “CHENG,” ordered Catton into the comms circuit. “I need to see you in my stateroom in ten minutes. And I need a status on our FTL.” Catton turned to the TAO. “You too, Lieutenant Drake … have Lieutenant Stovoki relieve you.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Drake. “Any additional orders to pass down?”

  “Just get us out of here.”

  ***

  Catton sat at his desk in his stateroom as Lieutenant Commander Halstrom and the Command Senior Chief, Chief Gruta, sat on a couch to his left.

  “I’ll brief the chiefs while you are talking to the officers,” said Gruta.

  “Then you should address the crew,” added Halstrom. “Rumors are running rampant.”

  “Unfortunately, the rumors are probably not as bad as the reality,” sighed Catton. “But you’re right.” The light on his desk turned green. “That’ll be WEPS and CHENG,” he said, pressing the button to open his stateroom door.

  Lieutenant Commander Tandra Braca and Lieutenant Val Drake entered.

  “You can start, CHENG,” said Catton.

  “Yes, sir,” replied Braca. “The gravity drive stabilizer is inoperable. The capacitor banks that stabilize the energy well barrier are fried. Chief Oda is seeing if there is a way to stabilize the barrier without the capacitors … possibly creating a variable firing circuit that will dissipate any pulses and ground it to the ship.”