“This is it people,” said Ryoko as the kites launched, “This is real. The Northern Hemisphere Mars satellite base has detected an incoming Horde battleship. We are going in with live ammo. We have guidance systems to prevent it but still, try not to hit your squad mates.”
Over the comms they heard Duron Ardiniero, “Prime squad will take the lead. The kite fighters will intercept the horde cruiser and provide a distraction while the Daedlus gets into position to shield Mars base.”
The kite squadrons got into their pyramid formations and used their jump ability. When the fighters were together they could perform a near light speed jump to a set location. It was a new technology and no one seemed to know who had developed it. As soon as they finished the jump they saw the horde battle cruiser.
The Spectral Horde battle cruiser was cylinder shaped ending in a blunted cone. It was gray but surrounding it were lights and shapes. The colors and shapes of the lights changed frequently. They were like ghosts, like unholy specters. No one knew what the purpose of the lights around the battle cruisers was. No technology could actually register the lights as being there. But anyone who ever came into contact with a horde ship had seen those dazzling and frightening lights. The first people to encounter them named them the Spectral Horde because of those lights, and because of the way they attacked.
Black dots appeared on the sides of the horde ship and a multitude of pod fighters came flying out. At first they looked like a wild swarm. Then they formed into a circle attack formation. A single pod flew in the middle with eight others rotating around it. The horde attacked.
The battle did not last long. Janessa had seen footage of battles with the Spectral Horde before. It rarely ended well for the human forces. The horde reacted too quickly. But this time the horde did not know what it was fighting. The smart rockets did not always fire when Janessa was sure she had a target lock. There was a slight delay but when they launched the rockets did not detonate until they were in range of the target. It did not matter how the horde pod fighters maneuvered, the rockets chased them. The laser claws were like tiny ships that followed the fighter around and shot at any enemy that got to close without being told to. Janessa needed every ounce of her concentration to keep up not just with the rest of prime squad but with her fighter itself. It did not help that Junitha was clearly enjoying this and announcing it over the coms. While the other squads occupied the pod fighters, prime squad made a run at the battle cruiser. They readied the pulse cannons. In formation they would all fire at once. As they made their run and just as they fired Junitha screamed for all to hear, “Welcome to primetime bitches.”
There were five direct hits with the pulse cannons. One shot only grazed the battle cruiser. Janessa had been sure she was on target. The Spectral Horde battle cruiser attempted to turn around and retreat. But in seconds it was exploding and splitting in half. The lights that surrounded it disappeared before the ship was destroyed. The remaining pod fighters attempted a suicide run on the Mars base. The Daedlus’ cannons destroyed them all.
Back in the hangar everyone was cheering. When Ryoko got out of her fighter she was not smiling.
“You all did well out there,” she said getting everyone’s attention, “and you should congratulate yourselves. But remember that we had the element of surprise on our side this time. The Horde did not know about the Daedlus or the kite fighters until now. We did well but we were not perfect. The horde is going to be looking for weaknesses. Do not make the mistake of thinking you are unstoppable. Keep up your training. Do not forget that we are at war. In the meantime, enjoy the taste of victory.”
Everyone went right back to their celebrating after that. Janessa did not feel like celebrating. She was glad to still be alive. She was glad they had won the battle. But she knew something was wrong about all of this. And she could see across the hangar that she was not the only one. Junitha motioned for her to follow.
Outside the hangar Janessa and Junitha talked.
“Are you pondering what I’m pondering?” said Junitha.
“I think so Junitha,” said Janessa.
“You’re supposed to call me Brain,” said Junitha with a smile.
“What?”
“Never mind, no one ever gets that joke.”
“This is serious,” said Janessa, “I mean its great that we are winning but…”
“But how is that possible,” said Junitha, “Where the hell did any of this technology come from? How was the Daedlus built so fast?”
“Yeah exactly, and there are other things I’ve been wondering about. The crew of this ship. Why are there so few people here with any real combat experience? And why is everyone on staff so young? I’ve noticed that there is hardly anyone over thirty on this ship.”
“I’m over thirty,” said Junitha, “but I get your point. At first I thought maybe it was because there are so few survivors of battles with the horde. But that can’t be the only reason. Kerrigan isn’t stupid. He must have chosen this crew for a reason. And he is lying through his teeth when he says all this new technology came from secret projects around the world. There’s no way the international blocks would share these kinds of breakthroughs. The Solar Fleet may have a lot of money but they can’t make miracles happen. There is another thing. Have you noticed that there are parts of this ship that are off limits?”
“I have,” said Janessa, “The engine rooms are sealed. No one ever goes in or out. And nobody on this ship seems to know how they work or who maintains them.”
“It’s not just the engines,” said Junitha, “there is a section of the ship, in the middle towards the underside, which is big enough to fit everyone on this ship into. There is no explanation for why that part of the ship is off limits and I haven’t seen any way to access it. You probably have not noticed it but it is there and it is well hidden.”
“So what now?”
“We do one of the greatest things humans can do. We ask questions.”
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