Purge of Prometheus

maneuvering only, they had no time at all to calculate the trajectories of their missile payload.

Yen threw the switch, reentering the Team’s channel. “I know it’s not easy right now, but we need to get a fix on the flagship’s weapons and engines. Those are the areas where we stand to do the most damage with our rockets.”

“I’d love to help you, but we’re a little busy right now,” Gregario replied angrily. “Or are you not worried whether or not we die too?”

“That’s enough, Gregario,” Iana called, emotions welling in her voice. “Yen, be reasonable. We can’t get through their rail gun fire. It’s suicide to continue. We’ll all wind up dead like Wallace if we try to push forward.”

“Wallace is dead?” Yen asked, checking his radar for the signal that was no longer there.

“Where have you been?” Gregario yelled, rage swelling into an ear-splitting volume.

Yen wanted to reply, but couldn’t find the words. His lust for destruction had overwhelmed his senses as a Commander to the point that he hadn’t even noticed when one of his pilots, one of his friends, was killed. Jerking out of his self-remorse, Yen pulled hard on the controls as he avoided yet another metal slug.

“You’re right,” Yen conceded. “We need to…”

“Commander!” Iana cried out.

Yen checked the radar. His jaw dropped as he saw a Terran Destroyer maneuvering from behind the flagship. Team Six didn’t stand a chance against two large Terran vessels.

“We need to get out of here now!” Iana yelled.

“We are so screwed,” Gregario added.

CHAPTER 32:

“They’re hailing us,” Adam yelled from the communications console on the bridge of the Ballistae. “They’re looking for a friendly identification code from us.”

“Then find a polite way to tell them to go to hell,” Keryn replied as she continued making calculations on the tactician’s console in front of her.

The Ballistae had raced through space in an attempt to reach the embattled Alliance Fleet. They had been unprepared, however, for the scope of the battle that awaited their arrival in the galaxy. The debris of hundreds of ships wreaked havoc on the radars, leaving the crew unsure of how many ships on each side still fought. Though rockets were still being fired from a half dozen of the Terran Destroyers, all the ships seemed damaged and were limping weakly from the battle. The Alliance had fared well, but none of their large Cruisers remained undamaged. Keryn grew concerned for their chances against the remainder of the Terran Fleet, who remained undamaged and fully stocked with ammunition.

The biggest beast of the Terran Battle Fleet loomed before them: the flagship of their rear vanguard. The shining white hull was nicked and smoking in areas, but remained relatively unharmed. Having been placed near the rear of the battle, the flagship had swooped in after the Alliance Fleet was already injured, finishing off the unfortunate Cruisers it passed. If left unchecked, the flagship would cause insurmountable damage to the Alliance, resulting in them being unable to pursue the rest of the Terrans who, even now, flew toward Arcendor.

“Give me an update, Adam,” Alcent requested from the Captain’s chair. Since taking the ship, Alcent had spent most of his time either on the bridge or meeting with the council.

“I’m stalling, but I don’t know how much longer they’re going to buy it,” Adam admitted.

“Keryn?” Alcent asked.

“I’ve got the best rate of fire plan that I can put together on short notice,” she admitted. “It’s now or never.” Keryn turned toward Adam. “You’ve done all you can for us. Go fly your fighter.”

Adam stepped away from his console and walked to her side. Leaning forward, he kissed her passionately.

“Now is not the time,” Alcent said. “We have a battle to win.”

Keryn smiled. “Be safe and…”

“…come back to me,” Adam finished. “Someday, you’re going to get tired of saying that to me.”

As Adam left the bridge, Keryn inputted the last of the data, sending her firing order to the weapons bays throughout the ship. She turned to Alcent and merely nodded, acknowledging that she was ready.

Alcent pulled down the microphone and activated the intercom. “All hands to battle stations,” he began. “All fighters prepare for launch. Fire the first salvo on my mark.” He released the transmit button and turned to his crew.

“Everyone ready?” he asked.

“That almost sounded professional,” Keryn chided. “If I can make you sound like a soldier, we might just pull this off.”

Alcent activated the microphone again. “Fire first salvo!” he yelled into the radio.

A dozen plasma missiles and a score of metal slugs leapt from the ship, driving toward the exposed rear of the Terran flagship. Caught unaware, the flagship made no effort to launch countermeasures as the barrage struck its hull. Massive tears appeared along the outside of the flagship as the plasma melted through the hull and the kinetic slugs penetrated deep though floor after floor inside the ship. Gases vented as the engines sputtered and died, their plasma reserves igniting from the rocket attacks. Soon, the entire rear of the ship was engulfed in blue and purple miasma as the explosions caused chain reactions that reached the weapons stores, igniting the plasma rockets. From the gaping maw that had once been the engine storehouse, tons of flaming debris launched into the vacuum of space.

Launching from the massive hangar bays of the Ballistae, Adam led the fighters in diving attacks against the remaining weapon systems located along the rear half of the flagship, disabling the remaining threats that the ship could have posed to the stolen Destroyer. Meanwhile, Keryn activated all channels, hoping that any Alliance vessel would hear her plea.

“Any Alliance ship on this net,” she called into the microphone. “This is Magistrate Keryn Riddell, currently operating out of the Terran Destroyer Ballistae. We have fired upon and destroyed the Terran flagship and will continue our assault against the remainder of the Terran Fleet. Do not fire on our ship. I say again, do not fire on our ship.”

She began the message again as her eyes met Alcent. A fine sheen of sweat covered his bony brow. A look of genuine concern was evident upon the Uligart’s face.

“Any Alliance ship on this net. This is Magistrate Keryn Riddell…”

“…currently operating out of the Terran Destroyer Ballistae,” Yen heard, his heart pounding heavily in his chest. After all this time and after all of his worrying, she was alive. More than that, she was here! Yen’s palms grew sweaty as images of her face danced before his vision. To see her again — he hardly believed it would be possible.

“It’s her,” he said softly into the empty cabin of his fighter.

“It is,” Iana replied. Yen didn’t realize he had been transmitting his message to the last two ships of his Team. “And she managed to do what we couldn’t, Commander. The Terrans have stopped firing defensive weapons from the flagship. They’re exposed to our own assault.”

“And not a moment too soon,” Gregario commented. “We have multiple bogeys heading our way. We need to attack now.”

Yen leaned his head back against the cushioned seat and tried to gain control of the pounding in his chest. He fought through the now constant thoughts of her and tried to focus on the mission at hand. It now seemed like a lifetime ago that he had been so determined to destroy the Terran flagship; it seemed as though his propensity for violence had happened to someone else. A calm settled over him that he had not experienced in quite some time.

“It’s now or never, sir,” Gregario said, breaking the silence over the radio.

Yen nodded to himself. “Let’s do this,” he said confidently. With Keryn here, there seemed to be nothing he couldn’t do. “Hit them with everything we’ve got.”