"SOUND COLLISION ALARM!" Wakinyan added.
A claxon echoed throughout the ship, warning all of the imminent peril.
Edwards, scared and flustered, hurriedly recalculated the Crazy Horse’s speed and course. Silently he prayed he had not made a mistake. "TURN ON MY MARK! FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE, MARK!"
"UP ANGLE TWO DEGRESS, COURSE ZERO-THREE-ONE, FIFTY KNOTS AYE!" the crewman replied loudly.
This time as the Crazy Horse leaned into the turn, part of her hull and one of her conards began to scrape a side of the cave wall. Massive sparks trailed the ship’s metal from contact with the rocks as the destroyer’s hull vibrated, screeched, and groaned. But once more the ship righted itself and was in the middle of the corridor again. Meanwhile, even though they were flying at a greatly reduced speed, the Earth fighters had gradually closed.
"Beta Leader to Gladstone. Target is now within missile range, over!" the woman pilot voiced mechanically.
"Gladstone to Beta Leader, you are cleared to fire! Repeat, you are cleared to fire!"
"Beta Leader to Beta Flight, prepare to fire missiles!" Beta Leader then checked her console and armed her missiles. "Beta Leader to Beta Flight, all weapon systems now show green and have a lock! On my orderFIRE MISSILES!"
Almost simultaneously, the three fighters launched their deadly projectiles at the Crazy Horse.
"CAPTAIN, FIGHTERS ARE STILL CLOSING!" the sensor crewman exclaimed. "THREE MISSILES HAVE BEEN LAUNCHED! MISSILES HAVE ARMED! MISSILES HAVE ACQUIRED!"
"WEAPONS, STANDBY TO LAUNCH DECOYS! HELM, INCREASE SPEED TO SEVENTY KNOTS! TIME TO THE NEXT TURN, MR. EDWARDS?"
"WITH RECALCULATED SPEED, FORTY-FIVE SECONDS, SIR!" Mr. Edwards replied.
"LAUNCH DECOYS!" shouted Wakinyan.
Swiftly, several decoys were ejected from the Crazy Horse as the ship sped away. For a lagging moment, they hung in the air motionlessly, monitoring the radar tracking signals from the inbound missiles. They then started moving slowly upward, generating false reflections and a holographic projection of several phantom ships. The images were so enhanced by the darkness of the cavern that the deception would have fooled even the most skeptical eye.
As the missiles approached, each of the projectiles' computers compared the electronic signals and visual footprint of the holographic images to the ones stored in their data banks. A match quickly was made to the electronic deception. Within microseconds, the missiles locked on and pursued the false quarries.
A few moments later, each missile flew through the mirages and impacted on a rocky wall. Chucks of stone debris were cleaved from the strata of the granite structure and blown right into the path of the advancing fighters. A small boulder slammed into the lead craft, creating an explosion that blew the other two off course and out of control. Both pilots each fought desperately with their spacecraft trying to regain mastery, but their lives swiftly ended in brilliant fiery collisions with the cavern.
The bridge of the Crazy Horse remained hushed as all listened for the sensor crewman's decree.
"MISSILES HAVE REACHED DECOYS! MISSILES HAVE DETONATED!" he pronounced, staring at his monitors. After a small pause, the crewman smiled and turned to Wakinyan, "All three fighters have been destroyed, Sir!"
"I'm going to get stinking drunk after all this is over with," Randall said relieved.
Wakinyan leaned back in his command seat, "Save a bottle and a seat for me. Thank the stars we nailed them without starting an eruption."
Suddenly, the bridge of the Crazy Horse vibrated to a deep rumbling that engulfed the entire ship. For a long minute it continued—and then quickly ceased. A second tremor followed closely behind the first, but was much more powerful. Finally, it too ended leaving no doubt as to what was happening.
"Then again, I could be wrong," Wakinyan admitted his folly. "SMITTY, INCREASE SPEED TO ONE HUNDRED KNOTS AND GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE! MR. EDWARDS, PLOT ALL COURSE CHANGES TO THAT SPEED! SMITTY, USE ALL DOCKING THRUSTERS TO Support MANEUVERING!"
Randall grabbed Richard by his arm. "At that speed, there's no way we can make it through the tunnel!" the lieutenant protested quietly.
"We're going to damn well try! Or would you prefer to be caught in a volcanic blast and lava flow?" Wakinyan softly, but seriously asked.
Suddenly, the sensor's crewman alerted Wakinyan to a new danger, "CAPTAIN, THAT EARTH DESTROYER IS BEHIND US AGAIN!"
From out of the heated mist, the Gladstone appeared and began firing its pulse weapons in short bursts. Even though the stern of the Crazy Horse took several hits, the damage was minimal. The Crazy Horse was quick to return the fire with its secondary laser weapons.
Different warning alarms sounded through the Martian ship's bridge as it rocked from more hits. Emergency lighting flickered on and off with each accurately placed energy bolt.
Randall was beside himself with anger, "What the hell is wrong with those morons? Don't they know that this volcano is about to erupt?"
Wakinyan spun and looked at his friend with a glowing mischievous smile. "Maybe they don't know! Maybe we should tell them!" his voice chuckled along with a spiteful twinkle in his eyes.
Randall's jaw dropped as he lightly shook his head, "Oh my God, no!" The lieutenant knew the situation was about to go ballistic.
"Mr. Edwards, how many more turns do we have and their time?" Wakinyan quizzed his navigator.
"Just two, Sir! The first one in one minute and fifteen seconds! The second one in three minutes and forty-three seconds!"
Unexpectedly, another giant tremor resounded in a lengthy drum roll that quivered the entire ship. Many eyes within the Martian crew winced in worrisome alarm as many loose objects fell or flew to the deck in defeat of the inertia canceling system, which could not adjust as quickly to the frequency of the huge drumbeats.
"Proceed with due haste, Mr. Edwards!" Wakinyan acknowledged the threat of the volcano. "Mr. Randall, set two space mines to detonate in three minutes! Your target is the bottom of the lake!"
The entire bridge crew was astonished at Wakinyan's command. They all turned to gaze at him with disbelief. However, Richard's face, however, had become a carving of stone with an unimaginable hardness.
"Mr. Randall, you heard the order?"
"Aye, Sir! Targeting the bottom of the lake!" Randall's face grew slightly pale as he set the controls to the mines.
The battle between the two ships had transformed into a duel. Their secondary laser and pulse weapons not only blanketed each other with hits, but blasted chunks of rocks out of walls and ceilings. This apparently weakened the earthen structure, for tremors increased in both frequency and degree. By now, both ships were pelted with everything from pebbles to boulders, bouncing off and sometimes denting their hulls, then splashing into the water beneath them. Their resulting geysers soaked and sprayed both ships with the blood-red water.
"Mines are ready, Sir!" Randall informed his captain.
"Deploy mines!" Richard commanded.
The two space mines dropped from the belly of the Crazy Horse, and plummeted into the rippling and frothing sea below. As planned, this did not go unnoticed by the crew of the Gladstone.
"SIR, THE MARTIAN SHIP HAS JUST DEPLOYED TWO SPACE MINES!" the Gladstone's sensor crewman called to his captain.
Captain Jamel jumped up from his seat astounded. "WHAT?"
"SIR, THEY'VE JUST DEPLOYED TWO MINES TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE!"
Jamel was quick to grasp Wakinyan's intentions. "Those crazy Martians, they’re going to blow the volcano! HELM, GET US THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"
A deadly race then began between the two ships with time running out. As both destroyers throttled up their engines, they either had to leave the cavern—or let it become their tomb.
As the two ships dissolved into the dark confines of the underground passages, the mines faithfully counted down second-by-second until reaching the three-minute mark. With an immense explosion, they
announced the completion of their purpose. The cavern at “point zero” disintegrated, while the rest of the interior then began to collapse.
Tremendous amounts of pressurized steam saturated the chamber as boiling lava met temperate water. The lava began filling every crevice as it rampaged up from the magma chamber below. Walls began to crumble into dust by both surging force and searing heat. An eruption was now irreversible as well as imminent.
After completing the last of the turns, the two ships had ceased their battle and were now dashing upward side-by-side down the darkened corridor of the cavern at maniacal speeds. A speck of light finally loomed on the horizon, and grew in size with each passing moment.
On board the Crazy Horse, the navigator announced a very welcomed message, "CAPTAIN, LAVA HOLE EXIT DEAD AHEAD!"
The good news, however, was short lived as another giant tremor suddenly collapsed part of the upper portion of the vent hole in front of them.
"CAPTAIN, THERE'S A BOULDER BLOCKING THE WAY! TWO SHIPS CAN'T FIT!" the sensor crewman forewarned of the impending disaster.
Without hesitation, Wakinyan leaped up from his command chair and dashed for the helm. Pushing the strapped-in crewman aside, Richard grabbed the control sticks and shoved them both hard to the left for a mere instant.
The Crazy Horse responded by slamming into the Gladstone, sending the Earth ship hurling into part of the wall and the boulder. The Gladstone crumpled and detonated into a massive fireball as the Crazy Horse raced past.
A new problem arose, however; lava was roaring up from the vent hole. So tremendous was this molten surge that it was quickly overtaking the Martian ship.
In desperation, Wakinyan increased the speed of the Crazy Horse to well past the safety limits set for atmospheric conditions. Soon, the bow of the destroyer glowed in a burning orange from the friction caused by contact with the atmosphere. But with a final burst of speed, the Crazy Horse lunged ahead and out of the volcano.
As the Martian ship climbed skyward; lava, rocks, soot, and fumes were blown outwards from the hole at hurricane force with a deafening explosion, which shook the vessel violently. The destroyer, however, quickly sped away from the danger.
Wakinyan reduced the ship's speed and relinquished the helm back to Smitty. As he stood and looked around, he asserted his rank once more, "Resume your positions! It's not over yet!"
"Lord, what a ride," Randall commented. "DAMAGE CONTROL, REPORT!"
"All decks reporting in, Sir!" a crewman answered. "Just a bunch of bumps and bruises, and two minor hull breaches under repair, Sir!"
"Captain, ship is now on course. Four minutes to Waypoint Green, Sir," the navigator added his voice.
"Weapons," Wakinyan called, "have you fed in the target coordinates?"
"Aye, Sir. All coordinates have been fed into both manual and automatic systems. All weapons are set and fully functional," the crewman replied.
"How are we going to hit them?" Randall asked.
"It's a good guess they know we're coming,” Wakinyan replied. “After we take out their outer defenses covering the approach, we'll have to concentrate on their sensors. Then we'll rake the base!" Richard altered his strategy.
"And the Earth cruiser?" James wondered.
“We'll have to be ready to deal with them at any time,” Richard woefully admitted.
Randall rubbed his chin in thought. "I've got an idea, but it's based on an assumption. We'll have to leave the base's missile tubes operational though."
Richard was intrigued. "Really? You that sure of your plan?"
"Well, I wouldn't bet the farm on it," James was honest," but I think there's a good chance that it will work."
"Outstanding! Let's do it!" Wakinyan agreed heartily without knowing any of the details.
As the two officers schemed, the Crazy Horse sped on to her objective.
* * * * *
Chapter 3: Epson Planum
The Earth forces' base at Epson Planum was an intricate part of Mars' defensive network. Spanning over ten miles in diameter, the base was equipped with some of the most lethal weapons technology could provide. The majority of the complex was submerged, however, deep within the Martian soil as to sustain any massive bombardment from space. A fort meant for unprecedented defense, it was deemed to be “unconquerable”.
Normally, each day started with the daily routines postulated by military protocol within standard operational procedures. With word of the Martian fleet's rebellion, however, protocol was shoved aside for immediate necessity. Sirens wailed, blast doors closed, weapons were energized, and non-combatants were removed to the deepest depths of the base for safety.
To make matters worse, volcanic ash had combined with an incessant dust storm to impede both visual scanning and electronic sensing equipment alike. Still, the base readied itself for a presupposed attack.
General Walter Cox, Epson Planum's Base Commander, stood in the command and control center in conversation with the captain of the Earth cruiser Louyang. Yet, the general's keen eyes and shrewd mind still monitored and analyzed incoming information supplied on several huge viewers at the same time.
"From all the reports I'm getting, it's a damn uprising! Those Martian bastards only gave a few minutes' warning before launching attacks against all our forces!" the general was furious. "Hell, we can't even call for help because all of our communications satellites and links have been destroyed! On top of that, that damn volcano is shaking us to pieces while a dust storm is jamming our sensors!"
"You're about to have bigger problems, general," Ortega conceded. "A Martian destroyer is going to attempt to level your base. We think he's approaching you from zero-seven-seven degrees."
"SENSORS!" Cox instantly called out, "SCAN FOR ANY APPROACHING SHIPS AROUND ZERO-SEVEN-SEVEN DEGREES!"
The soldier was quick to obey. Not pausing a moment, the man swiftly worked adjusting his instruments, but to no avail. "SIR, I CAN'T READ ANYTHING! THERE'S TOO MUCH INTERFERENCE!"
"SIR, OUR OUTER DEFENSES IN SECTOR KILO-FIVE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" the female voice of the operations officer shouted out.
Cox quickly changed a monitor to view the distant sector. Flashes of light with accompanying explosions were made out through the swirling clouds of dust and ash, becoming brighter with each passing second. It was quite apparent to all that watched that the explosions were getting considerably closer.
General Cox responded hastily. "WEAPONS CONTROL, CONCENTRATE ALL BATTERIES TO FIRE A BLANKET PATTERN TO THE SOUTHEAST!" he ordered.
"General, we'll be there in about a minute!" Ortega informed his senior officer.
As the general gazed at the screen again, the Crazy Horse sped out through the dust firing its weapons. The march of its carnage was swift and overwhelming.
"WE DON'T HAVE A MINUTE, YOU IDIOT!" Cox realized the truth about his base's predicament.
* * * * *
At the last moment, the Crazy Horse flew upward over the installation to avoid hitting a tower. The Martian ship then showered a surgical strike of missiles, lasers and pulse energy bolts upon the sensor arrays and weaponry of the base alike, while carefully avoiding all known civilian sectors. Secondary explosions lit fires that in turn caused more explosions. The base's defenses staggered under the onslaught.
Yet, danger still stalked the Martian ship. It was the sky itself that held the most risk for the Crazy Horse. Not only was the Louyang advancing rapidly, but also high above the Martian destroyer circled an entire wing of Earth fighters. The Crazy Horse was about to feel the full fury of Epson Planum.
"Report, Mr. Randall!" Wakinyan summoned his first officer.
"Captain, the base has sustained heavy damage to their offensive capabilities!" James accounted.
"And the Earth cruiser?"
Randall quickly looked at the monitor and back again. "Closing fast!"
Wakinyan again mulled over Randall's plan in dealing with the Earth cruiser. As good as
it was, it still needed a catalyst: the proverbial match to light the fuse. Without such an event, the plan was a guaranteed failure. And unless something else entered the equation, they would have to face the Earth ship head-to-head. Caution filled Richard's mind since the outcome would be iffy at best.
"SIR, A LARGE FORMATION OF EARTH FIGHTERS IS ABOVE US AND PREPARING TO ATTACK!" the sensor crewman warned anxiously.
Randall changed the main viewer from visual to sensor scan. His eyes studied the evolving situation. "THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND SQUEEZE US, CAPTAIN!" he turned and yelled out.
"That's what they think!" Wakinyan became enraged. "HELM!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
In response to Wakinyan’s impromptu orders, the Martian ship fired-up its engines in a mighty blast, and charged ahead with deliberate speed. The Crazy Horse then went into a steep climb, twisting and turning as she did.
Above the clouds of the dust storm, Major Maklakov hurriedly regrouped his formation of Epson Planum's fighters. The Earth pilot had many grave reservations about engaging the Crazy Horse at this time, and was reluctant to attack.
Recalled after killing the Martian cruiser Viking, his returning flight was savaged by retaliating Martian fighters nearly all the way back. The Martians had successfully shot down at least a quarter of his original strike force and damaged many more. But besides the dwindling numbers, most of his fighters had expended their missiles against the Martian fleet in the space above the red planet, leaving a precious few left to deal with the rampaging Martian destroyer. With the storm's growing interference, the odds of locking onto the Martian ship for a quick kill decreased with every second.
Distortion filled their screens with false reflections and electronic noise, generated by the ever-changing magnetic fields of the blowing and shifting iron oxide dust. This made the tracking of the Martian vessel extremely difficult. Still, his base was under attack, and he was commanded to chance the blinding conditions with the risk of high losses through collision.
By the pressing of a single button, the major transmitted his improvised attack plan to every fighter under his command.
"Whiskey Leader to Whiskey Flight, keep it nice and tight, we're going in! We'll turn and penetrate the cloud layer on my mark." The major paused for a second, but then gave the command, "NOW!"