Billy continued to shake his head.

  “Well, she’s home now, and bringing the last of the Separatists with her. With this over, we might actually see the end of the trouble out at the Rim.”

  “Wouldn’t that be a trick,” laughed Nate, “We just have this mess back home to sort out.”

  From here he had the perfect view of the fleet as it waited at anchor in its vast formation a short distance away from the colossal naval base, and what a sight it was. As Nate ran his eyes along the ranks of ships, he suddenly realised quite how big a force this was.

  “Amazing,” he said, shaking his head, “Are we trying to make a point, or what?”

  Directly ahead were three long columns of warships, each spaced perfectly apart. In the middle was a group of four Helion cruisers. Their sleek and agile shapes were in stark contrast to the brutish, utilitarian design of the Alliance vessels. What they lacked in gunnery, they made up for in advanced electronic warfare and guided missile systems. Twenty years ago such ships would never have been part of the fleet, but now they were as much of the Alliance, as was any other world in the organisation.

  “That’s more than twenty ships in total. It must be more than half of the Central Fleet.”

  “It’s a sweet sight,” said Billy, “Nobody would want to mess with them, especially with four dreadnoughts in the mix. Right there, that’s the best the Alliance has.”

  The Firehawks swept in over the naval base and towards the massed formation of Alliance warships.”

  “I’m not seeing much in the way of fighter cover,” said Harry, “Shouldn’t we launch some more?”

  “It’s not up to us. Where is Relentless?”

  Nate looked from left to right, and to his surprise found the ship and a small contingent out on the far flank of the defence force. Several ships were near to her, all waiting in a neat formation. A short distance away was a group of the brand new Morato Class heavy frigates. Normally, Nate wouldn’t have been surprised to see them.

  “Why so far from the Rift?”

  “Maybe Galanos suspects something?” Billy suggested.

  More flashes at the distortion in space-time marked the arrival of ship after ship. And soon they outnumbered the Alliance forces by some margin. The fighters moved past the middle line of Alliance ships, and towards the first that contained the largest and most powerful ships in the entire fleet. Most prominent was the line of four battleships, gleaming in their light grey paintwork, and with their yellow trim and detailing.

  “Nate, there’s an open broadcast coming from the station.”

  “Put it on.”

  “This is General Rivers, Chief of the Defence staff of the Alliance of Independent Systems. We welcome you to the capital, and…”

  His voice crackled and then completely cut out.

  “General. Your signal is breaking up.”

  “The Admiral,” said Nate quietly, “Admiral Churchill. What ship is he on?”

  Billy pointed towards the lead ship of the first line of warships. She was the oldest of the new dreadnoughts, and also the one they had all spent time on.

  “Dreadnought, of course.”

  Nate’s brow tightened, and then a thought occurred to him.

  “Check Terra Nova. Is anything untoward happening on the surface?”

  “The planet?”

  “No, Billy, the sandwich…of course the planet!”

  Billy went quiet for a few seconds, and then turned back to look at him.

  “There’s nothing coming from down there.”

  “Wait…what? How can there be nothing?”

  “Okay, there’s something, but it’s just noise. It’s like they’re jamming everything down there.”

  Nate gulped and then looked back to the Rift.

  “Relentless, are you receiving?”

  “Loud and clear,” replied a familiar voice.

  “Commander, you’re back.”

  “Indeed. I have half of Corsair Squadron in the tubes and ready to launch. What’s your status?”

  “Sir. We’re in the air as planned. We’ve got a problem, though. We’re receiving no transmissions from Terra Nova. Just white noise from the planetary network. What’s happening?”

  There was a short pause, and Nate could tell something was going on.

  “We’re working on it. Yorkdale confirms the problems and is sending shuttles to the surface. I want you to link up with the Red Tails and establish a CAP around the battleships. Wing Commander Holder is launching and will join you there.”

  “Yes, Sir, we’re on it.”

  Nate licked his lips as he checked the mapping data for the area. There were now three units of fighter in the air, with the Gorgons staying close to Yorkdale Station. The Red Tails were far from view but moving fast towards the fleet. Like the Knighthawks, they also flew the new F26s.

  “Red Tails?” Billy asked, “Isn’t that the premier Terra Novan Squadron?”

  “One and the same,” replied Nate, “Based on the surface and larger than any other in-service squadron. They’re an air-wing on their own.”

  “Really? I’m impressed.”

  They hurtled past the long line of ships and arrived at battleships just five seconds before the Red Tails. While the Knighthawks could only manage four fighters today, the Red Tails brought ten fighters, and flew in two V formations of five craft each. Nate was about to introduce himself when a shape rolled in front of him and took up the lead position.

  “This is Wing Commander Holder. I’m taking command of this CAP. I want three groups working on this pattern.”

  Imagery and waypoints appeared on the tactical overlay, and Nate breathed a sigh of relief. It was one thing being in charge of the fighter squadron in space, but quite another being responsible for the entire mission. The Wing Commander probably knew more about space combat than he would learn in his lifetime.

  “Understood, Wing Commander,” said the leader of the Red Tails, “We’ll follow your lead.”

  The fifteen fighters split apart to follow their planned course, and for a few seconds Nate was given a view of their fighters. They were coloured the same as his. But as the name suggested, the entire rear tail section was painted a vivid red. No other squadron in the Alliance looked quite like them, and like their forbears back in the twentieth century, they’d collected quite a reputation as an utterly reliable squadron. Nate followed the Wing Commander as they streamed over the top of the battleships and towards the Rift. According to his mapping data, they would perform a complex figure of eight once they’ve arrived, ensuring the station and both wings of the fleet were covered at some point by a group of five fighters.

  “Looking good,” said Holder, “Widen that formation. I don’t want to get too bunched up.”

  Nate made the adjustments and added another thirty metres spacing.

  “Sir. The new ships, is it me or are they diverging from their flight plan?” Charlie asked.

  Wing Commander Holder responded instantly.

  “This is Wing Commander Holder of Knighthawk Squadron to refinery ship. Please return to your previous heading and await customs patrols. You may not pass the outer marker.”

  The fighters continued on their course, but with each passing second the number of ships diverging from the registered flight plan increased.

  “Uh…what’s all this about? That’s not a few ships slipping away, that’s a good portion of the civilian ships.”

  “I think you’re right, Billy,” said Nate. “Wing Commander, I’m not liking the look of this.”

  “Understood. Follow me in. I want a close pass along their entire formation. Scan every square metre of their hulls. Let’s see what’s going on. Red Tails fall back to the battleships and run a close CAP.”

  Billy looked back to his friend.

  “What do you reckon? Are they trying to intimidate us?”

  Nate shook his head as they changed course to give chase. The F26s were easily fast and agile enough to redirect, and in seconds their burners were blazing away, and they accelerated towards the lead vessel. They zoomed past the first ship, with the scanners hammering away at the ship’s hull. They could make out every detail on the surface, as well as penetrate the hull to check for some forms of contraband, weapons, and people.

  “No weapons on the first ship,” said Nate with relief.

  “Good,” said Holder, “but keep moving down the line.”

  They’d passed the first five ships when Charlie called out from her Knighthawk Four.

  “I’m detecting an anomaly,” she said nervously, “There’s nobody on the first six ships. They’re completely deserted. What the hell is going on?”

  The next five seconds were completely silent as they considered what they’d just heard. The Wing Commander finally broke the silence.

  “Relentless, this is Knighthawk Leader. I request the launch of half the Avengers immediately. The Corsairs need to get out here, too.”

  Nate gulped at this.

  “I suspect we’re about to be attacked.”

  “You’re certain?” Commander Higgins replied.

  “No, but it’s very suspicious.”

  “Understood. We’re notifying the fleet. Fall back to…”

  He stopped just as every single civilian vessel activated their main engines. The effect was slow, but after a few seconds, the ships moved forward and continued to increase velocity.

  “Nate!” Billy yelled, “Their course is directly at the station. If they don’t change course, they’ll ram it.”

  “I know,” said Nate in a stunned tone, “It’s a suicide attack. It must be. Unless it’s a stunt to show off in front of Alliance officials.”

  “Or they want us to attack. Get us to fire on civilian ships. Maybe this is the start of the coup?”

  “Okay, pilots, this is it. Check your main guns. We’re going in hot. We’ll try and scare them off, but if that fails we’ll have to knock out their engines.”

  “Sir, that’s won’t stop them hitting the station,” said Charlie.

  It was rudimentary physics, and from the grunt coming from the Wing Commander, she was not impressed by what she’d just heard.

  “The engines are to buy us time, Ensign.”

  Commander Higgins continued to issue his orders.

  “This comes directly from Captain Galanos. If they continue onwards, the fleet will be forced to drive them back. If they do not turn away, you have direct orders to open fire on the lead ships.”

  “Commander!” Holder replied, “These are civilian ships. If we’re wrong, we’ll never be forgiven. It will be an outrage.”

  “I know,” said Commander Higgins, “Nonetheless, you’ll have to make the call. Put a shot across their bow, and hope that proves enough to stop this madness.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  New waypoints appeared on the navicomputer, and as one unit the formation of five F26s rotated about and moved towards the lead ship.

  “Sir. I don’t like this,” said Nate as they inched closer and closer. He could see the flames bursting out from the massive stern engines fitted on the refinery vessel. It was not designed for speed, but its great mass would make it hard to stop. Every additional second it spent accelerating made all of this much more difficult.

  “Neither do I. Follow my mark.”

  The fighter pulled up and above the ship, and then she fired. The pair of powerful railguns sent streaks of solid slugs just twenty metres in front of the bow of the ship.

  “This is Wing Commander Holder of Knighthawk Squadron. You will change course immediately, or be fired upon.”

  In response, the flames at the rear of the ships increased in intensity. Nate spotted engines on the flanks puffing away, a sign that they were adjusting their heading.

  “Sir, are you seeing this? The column is adjusting course. Maybe it was to draw a reaction after all.”

  “Negative,” said Charlie, “Look where they’re heading.”

  Nate looked to the course she’d plotted based on the latest data and gasped.

  “No way. You cannot be serious?”

  “Okay, that’s it,” said the Wing Commander angrily, “Break formation and circle to the rear. Let’s see if dealing with one ship will have the right effect on the rest. Red Tails, I want you to run along the column and put a few shots across their bows.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Check their collision path,” she snapped back, “They’re heading right for the fleet!”

  Nate lined up his gun sights on the rear of the ship, but try as he might, he found it impossible to move his finger to the trigger. Thoughts of the debacle at The Rock flashed right back before his eyes. All the evidence showed he’d done nothing wrong, yet there were still those that were convinced he’d fired on and killed hundreds.

  “We’re in position,” said Red Tail Leader as his two flights of F26s moved directly at the column.

  They opened fire, sending shots well away from the civilian ships, but close enough to make a point. That was the moment the refinery ship exploded. It wasn’t a small blast at any one point, but the entire ship ripped apart from the inside. Three of the F26s vanished inside the fireball and instantly disappeared from Nate’s IFF monitors. He pulled on his controls to move away from the blast just as another of the Red Tails lost control and crashed into the bridge of the second ship.

  “This is Minister Vardan Avetis of the Terran Union. We are here on a diplomatic mission from the Rim. Requesting immediate assistance. We are under attack by Alliance fighters.”

  “What the hell?” Billy shouted, “Are they insane?”

  Nate rolled the fighter around and gasped as the column of ships split apart. Each ship accelerated as fast as they could towards the moored Alliance fleet. Three more exploded, filling space with wreckage that continued along its original path.

  “No way. They’re using the ships as a meteor storm against the fleet. Instead of guns, their using debris!”

  A few of the frigates started to break formation, but most of the vessels were either unprepared for an attack or refusing to take action. Four massive transport ships headed directly towards the battleships, with three times as many smaller ships following them. And one by one they detonated until the cloud of metal, burning fuel, and other flotsam increased into a massive cloud.

  “Minister Vardan Avetis, stand down immediately,” said the commanding voice of Admiral Churchill across the open airwaves, “You have launched a suicidal attack against the Alliance. Withdraw, or be destroyed.”

  “All fighters defend the fleet,” said Commander Higgins, “You’re authorised to use lethal force!”

  Nate took aim at one of the few intact ships remaining in the first wave. A glance to the right showed as many as fifty more ships heading towards the station. A few had begun firing their primitive weapons, and the station was responding in kind.

  “Okay, we’re going in!”

  The F26s spun wildly as they passed through the wreckage and opened fire on the engines of a heavy freighter. Their railguns tore the craft to pieces, followed by a missile from Knighthawk Four that smashed the vessel off course.

  “Nice shooting. The more we hit, the safer we’ll be. Follow me in.”

  They did the same to the next two ships, and for a short moment Nate thought they might have the upper hand. The enemy had little access to weaponry and no fighters, making it relatively easy for them to circle about and keep blasting away at the ships. A few tried to evade the fire, but most just kept pushing onwards.

  “Why aren’t our ships moving?”

  “That a good question,” said Nate as he looked for a sign of any moving ships. Far off to one side were Relentless and her small group of escorts and heavy frigates. They were hammering away at the side of the civilian ships, but it was far from enough to make a difference. The battleships now opened fire, adding their colossal array of heavy and medium guns to the battle. Ships after ship exploded.

  “Commander Higgins. What’s happening with our ships?”

  “New contact at the Rift,” said Charlie, “Something is coming through, and fast! Sensors confirm the first vessel as having been captured by pirates over a year ago.”

  Nate looked up just as the outline of a huge grey mega-freighter screamed out of the whirlpool. It was moving so fast it must have been accelerating for the last day to reach such speeds. In seconds, it was past half of the civilian ships and making for the Alliance fleet. Eight more similar ships burst out before the Rift collapsed.

  “No,” said Nate, “It can’t happen!”

  Gunfire could do little against something that Nate had argued could always happen. The entry and exit speeds of a Rift were always the same, meaning a high-speed object could enter one side and exit at the same. With the correct timing and trajectory, it was possible to use a ship like a missile.

  “All ships break formation,” said Admiral Churchill, “This is a trap!”

  The suicidal ships burst through the debris field at such speed they began to break up. Fire and sparks ran along their hulls, and then they smashed into the thin line of warships even as they tried to move away. Frigates vanished beneath the rain of fire, while cruisers split apart. All four battleships fired continually, but they could not beat back the barrage of metal, and all of them were enveloped by the cloud of wreckage, as well as the large freighters, liners, and transports.

  “Talk to me!” Commander Higgins said, “What’s happening?”

  Nate accelerated away from the conflagration. His heart was pounding, but nothing he could do would pull his eyes away from the massacre. Half of the fleet was gone, and as the cloud of wreckage pushed past, it left all of the remaining ships burning or crippled. One battleship was nothing but a burning hulk, while a second pulsed with light as it attempted to use the IS drive to jump away from the battle. Wreckage crashed into the stern of the ship, severing a third of the vessel’s circular nacelles. A flash of blue light rippled through the rear, engulfing the stern as the back of the ship exploded. The crippled IS system sent feedback into the battleship, triggering a series of repeated explosions that gutted the vessel. ANS Harbinger and one of the newest upgraded cruisers were halfway through spooling up their own drives when they were hit with the first of the debris. Their nacelles were shredded, and their armour struck from bow to stern.

 

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