Chapter FORTY-TWO
The watch was changing on the flight deck. Up aheadBrad saw three guards and two technicians enteringto take their posts; moments later an equal numbercame out and disappeared down a companionway.Ship's crew strolled the passageways and onbusiness in and out of maintenance shops, orengrossed in discussions with companions aboutDrummer's appeal.
Few noticed Brad or his companions; those whodid gave them a passing glance and moved on.The ship was preparing for action, and armed,suited-up crews were to be expected.
Brad signaled a pause. Adari, in flight gear as theothers were, joined them and stood with Kumikolaughing and talking through open visi-plates.Hodak, against a bulkhead, held a maintenancemanual, slowly flipping pages, apparently reading.Brad and Drummer moved short distances alongthe corridor, seemingly in thoughtful conversation.The scene reflected routine.
The traffic thinned momentarily. Brad lookedquickly along the corridor and motioned. Theyconverged toward the companionway leading tothe flight deck.
Brad entered first, followed by Hodak, Adari,Drummer and Kumiko. Inside, Kumiko swung thehatch shut and dogged it.
Myra, pressed into a corner against the farbulkhead by the Chief of the Flight Deck, smiledup at him, eyes wide. Big and chunky, he talkedfast, trying to convince her of something thathe obviously believed was good for both of them.
Seeing Brad appear at the head of the companionway,Myra pushed the hulk away with one hand and drewher weapon with the other. Before he knew what washappening, the fleshy man with the high hopes wasflat on the deck, out of it.
Stooping and pointing, Myra circled toward Brad.
"Two, there, rifles." In another direction. "One,on the catwalk, rifle." Over her shoulder. "Two inthe control room, sidearms, but they may haverifles stashed close by. Fighters on the cats,ready to go but still on control room switches."
Brad snapped out orders.
"Hodak and Kumiko, control room. Switch thefighters to self-launch. Adari, the guy on thecatwalk. Myra and Drummer, suit up and intothe first ship."
Hodak and Kumiko charged into the control roombefore Brad finished speaking. Red and orangeflashes and a clatter erupted through the doorway,followed by silence. Hodak and Kumiko tore out,bent low, splitting to right and left. They carriedrifles raised into firing position.
Adari, eyes and gun elevated, skirted the fighters.
"What the hell's goin' on down there?" The shoutcame from a guard on a balcony above. "Who'reyou guys?"
That's all it took. Shots followed each otherclosely. The guard fell slowly in the ship's lightpseudo-gravity.
Hodak ran to join Brad. Kumiko headed for thefighters to switch the catapults' activators tointernal controls, arm and charge the guns, andinsert into each ship's computer the capsulesAdari had passed to her.
A guard darted by Brad and took cover behinda line of massive consoles. A succession of rifleblasts cracked through the air close above Brad.Crouching, he raised his weapon and fired. Theguards would be difficult to get at.
"Down, Brad, flat."
Hodak's hoarse whisper carried from two metersbehind Brad. As he ducked a soft swishing soundsliced above his head. Glints of light sparkledfrom a curved, shiny object. Seconds later, theboomerang returned, wetly red.
"Go, Brad."
Hodak wiped and collapsed the boomerang and slippedit into a sheath along the thigh of his space suit.
Motioning Hodak forward to climb into the nearestfighter, Brad followed. The others, already inplace, were racing through their checklists.
Brad began his preflight as he switched his commto 'on'.
"Myra, Drummer, do you read?"
"Loud and clear."
"Adari-Kumiko?"
"Right."
"Kumiko, did you fix our inter-ship comm the wayZolan told you to?"
"Fixed. They'll have to search and analyze dozensof scramble channels to find and fix on ours. Wehave a private and moving channel."
"OK. Check suits. Batten down and seal up. Nowhear this."
Brad stroked control panel keys, switches andlevers as he talked.
"Call signs: Hodak and I are One; Adari and Kumiko,you're Two, and Myra and Drummer, Three. The job isto keep 'em confused and stumbling over each otherfor as long as we can, and hope for the best. Thecapsule Adari slipped into your computer has thecoordinates and formation we hope they've assumed.By now they're well into the faked redeployment.We're dealing in seconds, minutes if we're lucky.
"The deployment we triggered concentrates them inthree sectors: Alpha, Beta, Gamma. Hodak and I willtake Alpha, Adari and Kumiko, you've got Beta; Myraand Drummer to Gamma. Your sector coordinates arein the capsule; use standard locks to interface thecoordinates with your ship's flight controls. Go forcommand decks, weapons control centers, thrustersor other vitals where disabling is money. Try forbattle cruisers, but don't ignore other targets ofopportunity. Keep your explosive decompressorsand laser-quads at max. Talk as you work so we allknow what's happening. Go."
The signals from Brad's control panel had theireffect. The rushing sound of escaping air told themthe huge portal was opening. Within seconds thebattlefield stretched before them.
Brad hit the catapult release. The ship lungedforward. As it cleared the flight deck, Brad maxedthe thrusters. Hodak glanced back over his shoulder.
"Two and Three are clear," he announced.
The three fighters skewed sharply toward theirassigned sectors.
"Two talking. Battle Cruiser Intruder coming up.Range: 2500 K. Destroyer screen not tight enough.Ex-decomp at max. Range: 2000 -- 1000 -- 400. Threesecond burst. On target, but about 50 meters aft thebridge. Gotta go around for another try, dammit.
"Back at 900 -- 500. Incoming laser-quads. 300.Two second burst and breaking port. What do yousee, Adari?"
"Made it this time, kiddo. Bridge collapsed. Butmove this baby's tail. I can almost feel theirheat."
"Three to One. Skip to Channel C for a sec andyou'll hear Scarf. They must have cleared theDragon's bridge. He's giving orders to the P-fleetto line up for a hit at the Terminals. Looks likehe wants a kind word from his boss. I'm headingback to the Dragon.
"Dragon coming up. Range: 1700 K. Spotted us.Have incoming. You didn't down all their guns, Kumiko.Lousy shooters, though. At 1400 -- 700 -- 300.Decomp on sustained -- Five second burst. Passingover. What's the word, Myra?"
"Their stern sucked a lemon. Totaled. Holdit. Fighter catapulted off the flight deck. It'sclosing with a Dragon screen destroyer. Get backto 'Channel C', it may be Scarf talking."
He was.
"Major Scarf to Destroyer Viper. I'm coming aboardand taking command of the Planet Pluto AssaultForce. Notify all Plutonian units to be ready toattack the Terminals and inflict maximum damage.Those orders come directly from President Narval.I'll lay out the attack formation as soon as I'maboard."
"Two to One. Hear that? The fighter has matchedup and I see Scarf in transfer."
A momentary silence.
"Comin' round the bend and linin' up. They seeus and know we ain't their lovers. Destroyer hadto stabilize to bring Scarf aboard; now they'rehustlin'. I'll give 'em the nose decomps, as weslip under. 500 kay -- 350 -- decomps on -- goin'under."
"Blowout -- they're gone. Hey, Hodak, takes careof your buddy."
"He was no buddy of mine. OK, Two. Move it, Brad."
Brad searched for the Windstorm, Yargoul's battlecruiser, now the combined fleet's flagship. Twoand Three had scored hits in the tight field,significantly diminishing the fleet's capabilities.If the Windstorm could be taken out, or evendamaged, the enemy fleet's command-and-controlwould be seriously degraded.
Two destroyers converged on Brad from 11 and 1o'clock. Brad switched to their channel.
Brad reacted instinctively. His feet slammedfootpads as his arms and hands yanked andtwisted the other controls. The sensitive fightercorkscrewed and hurtled away just as laser-quadbeams from both destroyers crossed where hehad been a fraction of a second before. Jigglingrev
ersers and thrusters, he space-skidded into atight half circle and dived under the closest ship.Killer beams tracked him but the arc couldn'tcatch up.
Passing under, Hodak cut loose with hislaser-quads, raking laterally across thedestroyer's underside. At the close range thedamage was devastating. The destroyer splitapart along the shock line with a silent, flamingexplosion.
Brad spun the ship about and fired the bowexplosive decompressor at the other destroyer. Thedestroyer crumpled into a twisted mass of metal.
Veering off, Brad searched his instruments forsigns of battle cruisers. Hoping for a lead, heflipped the switch to Channel C and caught the tailend of a transmission: "...enemy formation is nowchanging course to close with us. They are centeredon coordinates H010 and V210. Distance: 5 point2 million kilometers, closing fast. Tracking, andwill report. This is Lieutenant Asto, Commanderof Titan Patroller Group. Out."
Brad felt a surge of elation. Drummer reachedacross the intervening space and pounded hisshoulder. Was it possible? The next voice onChannel C dispelled his doubts.
"This is Fleet Commander Yargoul to all Commandersof the INOR Combined Fleet. UIPS battle fleet hasjust emerged from behind a comm screen sunsideof Planet Pluto. The screen was erected to keepthe Logistics Depot and the Slingshot work site fromcommunicating with their government during thisoperation. Unfortunately, it also kept us frommessages dispatched by our own headquarters.The UIPS fleet is still out of range, but closingfast. All INOR ships accelerate transition into battleformations and stations. Point for convergence iscoordinate H010-V210. Attention: Commander ofPlutonian Destroyer Group Two. Have one of yoursquadrons remain in this sector and to take out theinterceptors that have been harassing our fleet andthen catch up with us. Out."