Purge of Prometheus

“We have five Destroyers pulling away from the main pack and pursuing,” he stated, his voice flat and emotionless. Still, Keryn was sure that he was feeling the same flood of nervousness that she was.

With the Alliance Fleet already suffering heavy losses, it didn’t surprise Keryn that so many ships would turn to assault three relatively unscathed Alliances ships. Her only hope was that, having already accelerated into the system, the Ballistae would be able to maintain its lead and reach the sun before being engaged.

“We’re tracking them now,” Alcent replied. “All ships, focus rail gun fire to the rear to deter our pursuers.”

From the control room, Wyck pulled up the tactical display. Together, they traced the launching of dozens of thick metal slugs from the rear of their three ships. Seemingly in response, the five Terran Destroyers launched a full volley of rockets. The approaching red dots nearly outnumbered the metal slugs. Still, Keryn had little concern about their first attack. Launched from so far away, the Alliance ships would have plenty of time to launch a defensive attack and destroy all the missiles long before they threatened any of the three vessels. Instead, she turned her attention to the steadily decreasing number on the top left of the display. The number continued to count down the distance between the ships and the darkened sun. If her calculations were correct, Keryn still believed they could reach the sun before the Terrans made contact.

As Keryn looked back toward the tactical display, she noticed another red triangle emerging from ahead of the Alliance ships. Scrambling, she activated the intercom. “We have a sixth Destroyer coming in from straight ahead,” Keryn yelled into the radio moments before the Ballistae shook from an impact.

“Believe me,” Alcent yelled back, “I already know!” He left the radio channel on as he called orders to the other ships. “Take evasive maneuvers and return fire on that son of a bitch!”

Rockets launched from their ports as the three ships separated from one another. Many of the missiles exploded harmlessly in the gap between the three elusive ships and the sixth Destroyer. Still, all three ships rocked from close impacts.

“Give me defensive fire to the front,” Alcent ordered.

Keryn continued monitoring the attack. Slugs continued to fly from the three ships, destroying enemy rockets. With every volley, however, the missiles grew a little closer before they were destroyed. Stealing a glance at the distance counter in the top left of the display, Keryn grew alarmed. The numbers were no longer rolling comfortably toward zero. They had slowed drastically.

“Alcent, why are we slowing down?” Keryn called to the bridge. “We need to keep nearly maximum speed if we expect to reach the sun in time.”

“And I cannot very well fly at full speed at a heavily armed Terran Destroyer!” Alcent replied angrily.

“The missiles behind us are closing on our position,” Wyck said, concern creeping into his voice.

“I thought we had defensive fire covering our rear!” she said, spinning on the young Uligart. Keryn felt sweat roll between her shoulder blades. The plan was falling apart quickly.

“We still do,” Wyck explained, “but the other two Cruisers have focused all their attention on the new Destroyer.”

“Stupid!” Keryn exclaimed, slamming her fist down on the console. “We flew right into a trap.” The first five Terran Destroyers hadn’t worried about the distance when they fired their first volley. With so many targets to try to destroy, the Alliance ships didn’t stand a chance of stopping all the rockets.

“Alcent, we need to get out of…” Her words were cut short as an explosion reverberated throughout the Ballistae. Keryn was tossed from her feet, landing roughly on the hard ground. Above her, the tactical display flickered and threatened to fail. “Alcent, I need a damage report!”

She climbed back to her feet just as Wyck hurried back to the controls from where he had fallen. “Alcent, what is our status?” Her fingers worked furiously on the tactical display, trying to ensure power didn’t fail to the vital system.

“Alcent, what is…” She stopped as Wyck placed a hand on her shoulder. Looking crestfallen, he shook his head.

“The rocket hit the bridge,” Wyck said softly. “Anyone that was up there is dead now.”

Keryn allowed herself only a moment of sorrow for the loss before her mind started to spin into action. “Can you reroute all the control systems from the bridge to this location?”

Wyck shrugged. He stared at the console as though seeing it for the first time. Keryn placed hands affectionately on his shoulders. “Wyck, can you reroute the systems?”

Snapping out his stupor, he shook his head. “Sure, I think I can.” Hurrying back over to the console, Wyck opened the panel underneath its keyboard and began fidgeting with wires.

“Ballistae, this is Squadron Commander Decker,” Adam called worriedly over the radio.

“Adam, this is Keryn,” she called as she activated the microphone.

“Thank Gods!” Adam said with an obvious sigh of relief. “I was worried when I saw the rocket hit.”

“We’re alive, but we’re still far from safe,” she replied. “Do you think the Squadron can keep some of these rockets off me until I can reroute navigation?”

“We’re on it,” Adam replied. Switching channels, he called to the other pilots in the Squadron. “Our task force is in trouble and needs help. Do everything you can to keep those rockets off our ships. Remember, if they fail, we all fail.”

The Alliance fighters dove in formation toward the barrage of rockets hurtling toward the three ships. Opening fire with the front machine guns, Adam felt satisfaction as a line of missiles blossomed into balls of plasma. Diving and twisting into impromptu maneuvers, the fighters intercepted the rockets launched by the front Destroyer with no further damage to the Alliance ships.

“The rockets are clear in front of you,” Adam called into his radio. “That should buy you some time, Keryn.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you right now,” she called back.

“We’re going to try to clear that Destroyer out of your path,” Adam said. “Wish us luck.” Switching back to his Squadron channel, Adam continued. “Let’s make a hole for our ships. Be ready for anything. It’s only a matter of time before the Terrans send out their own fighters.”

As soon as they had regained formation and begun flying toward the Destroyer, one of his pilots called over the radio. “Here they come.”

From the front of the Destroyer, small fighters spewed from its underbelly, filling the space with swarming ships. The two throngs of fighters hurtled toward one another, crashing together in the open space. Explosions shook Adam’s ship as he barrel rolled in between enemy machine gun fire. Letting his own guns spin, fire leapt from ends of his barrels as bullets tore through a Terran fighter. Dodging rockets and the glowing tracer rounds, Adam found it difficult to locate a friendly ship, much less ascertain how his Squadron was doing in the battle.

“Tell me you’re almost done,” Adam yelled into his radio as another fighter exploded nearby.

“Wyck is almost there,” Keryn called back, concern evident in her tone. “Bear with me a little longer and we’ll be moving again.”

“How are the Defiant and Phalanx handling the delay?” Adam asked as he looped his fighter, coming in behind an enemy.

“They’re furious,” she replied, “and a little scared. I think they…”

“I’ve got it!” Wyck exclaimed over the radio. “I’ve got navigation and weapons linked to the control room.”

“I’ll make you a hole,” Adam replied. “All fighters, this is the Squadron Commander. Our ships are heading this way and need a hole through this cloud of fighters and the Destroyer behind them. Let’s give them a way out of this hell hole!”

Dipping his fighter into a dive, Adam watched dozens of other ships emerge from the dogfight and fall into formation. Pulling up on the controls, Adam skimmed along the top of the Destroyer’s hull as he waited for the rest of his fighters to get into position. Finally, with tracer rounds striking all around him, Adam activated his radio.

“Fire all rockets!” he cried into the radio as he pushed the trigger. The four small plasma rockets under his wings shot from their tubes as Adam pulled away from the doomed Terran ship. As he gained altitude, hundreds of small blue and purple explosions blanketed the Destroyer. Smoke poured from the top of the ship as fires roared