FLASH – Fleet moving for alpha strike on pri-target. Remove obstructions. – END

 

A message read appearing on Ted’s HUD. He could see why. The monstrosity of a ship had turned and its back was aglow as its massive engines fired, pushing it slowly away from Tau Ceti E. They were making a break for it. And god only knew where but it wouldn’t be good.

 

“All ships, new objective. Gama fleet is going to advance. We’re going to clear a path for them.” Ted said, relaying the new orders.

 

His remaining crews reported back in and he turned the ship and accelerated as fast as he could down the flank of the Gyfjon and out into the oncoming swarm of Insectoid ships.

 

“Yeeehaw!” CMLT McIntosh shouted in a mock American accent as she opened up the ship’s weapons on the multitude of ships directly in her firing arc.

 

“You almost sound like you’re enjoying yourself back there.” Ted said.

 

“Like a wee gurl wi’ a bug zapper in ah cloud o’ midgies boss!” she called back.

 

Ted shook his head and spun the ship around to another wave of fighters making for Gama fleet. “How are we for power Yemi?”

 

“Thirty two percent sir. Lowest ship is twenty six. I estimate forty minutes until the first ship will need to return to base to recharge.” Ibori replied knowing full well that probably wouldn’t happen. They’d fly until they were dry.

 

“Let me know when we hit bingo.” Ted replied. It didn’t matter, but it was protocol.

 

Another set of explosions and lights disappearing from his HUD told him Lorna was once more on form. He swung the ship around, wary of getting too far ahead to go after Insectoid ships that had made it through the fighter screen. Bobbing and weaving through Insectoid fire he spotted a Titan fighter being pursued by three Insectoid ships.

 

“You see that Lorna?” Ted said.

 

“Aye boss, jus’ get me a wee bitty closer.” She said.

 

Ted pushed the ship as fast as it would go, doing his best to follow the snaking course of the Titan Fighter. Acolyte One’s weapon’s opened up and Lorna cursed as the shot went just aft of her first target.

 

The Titan fighter dropped into a steep dive. Ted anticipated it and his neural interface allowed him to make the turn faster than the trailing Insectoids and Lorna opened up the guns of Acolyte One.

 

She caught the first ship on its upper cockpit and it span out of control as the crew were vented into space. The second exploded, its reactor taking a direct hit. The third fighter decided discretion was the better part of valour and peeled off its chase.

 

“Thanks for the help,” A male voice came over the comm “I could shake two, but three…”

 

“Happy to help.” Ted replied. “Stay frosty.”

 

“Stay frosty?” CMLT McIntosh laughed “Ya’ve been watching too many turn of the millennium movies boss.”

 

 

****

Sorcha ran.

 

She ran like she had never ran before in her whole life. She pushed through the pain that sang in her mind from all over the cuts and gouges she had across her body and carried on. She carried on past the wounded Titan soldiers being tended to by medics. Past the exoskeleton clad bodies of heavy jacks that the Insectoids were unable to devour. Past burning and crumbled buildings.

 

Her whole body trembled with a mix of terror and anger. All this death and destruction. Countless lives lost for no reason. The lack of Human dead worried her. There should be at least a million people trapped in the city. But there were no sign of them.

 

It didn’t take long to reach the end of the safe zone that Titan troops had carved out. There was still a few hundred units to get to the edge of the city and then a mad dash in the open up to the compound.

 

A pop rang out from a building to her right and then she heard the squeal of a bug and a thud as it fell dead to the ground.

 

“I wouldn’t go any further ma’am.” A jack trooper appeared in a window at shoulder level of the building behind her. He was clad perfectly in black and near invisible. That was until he stepped into the light and his suit shimmered and blended in with the blue carpet. Sorcha couldn’t help but be impressed by the size of the rifle. “Insectoids control past this point. The Titans are focusing on keeping the area around the caves clear. You should go there.”

 

“I have to get to the compound!” There’s five thousand people trapped up there.” She said trying to believe her own words.

 

The near invisible trooper tapped on his arm and scrolled through a display. “I’d head to the outskirts and work your way along the city’s edge. Reports have bugs going building to building searching for survivors.”

 

Sorcha’s eyes bulged out of her head. She knew what that meant.

 

“They’re not killing them yet. They’re storing them. Bringing them to a ship. We’re on top of it.” He said.

 

Sorcha nodded. “Ok…thanks. Be safe trooper.”

 

“You too ma’am. I’ll radio in your intent.” He said.

 

“Thanks…” she said and headed off towards the edge of the city.

 

She hadn’t even made it a minute before she encountered the first group of Insectoids. There were six. Three digging into the side of a building, two standing watch and one clutching some sort of canvas bag. Sorcha wasn’t sure what surprise looked like on an Insectoid face but she was pretty sure she saw it on at least three of their faces.

 

The rifle sang out repeatedly and jolted as it unleashed deadly energy beams at the group before they returned fire. She ducked in beside a tower block and looked around the corner. One was standing in the open, its weapon trained on her, three were dead and two were missing.

 

Likely looking for her.

 

Sorcha ducked down low and dropped back a few streets. Just as she was about to turn the corner a bug scuttled out in front of her, stood and levelled its laser arm at her. It didn’t even have a chance to get a shot off before Sorcha’s large, black boot swung and smashed its head against the building beside it, collapsing its head in the process.

 

The noise of the encounter brought the sentry running but Sorcha anticpated this and spun around the building, emerging behind the creature. She brought the butt of her rifle down on its rear shell, flooring it and dropped her boot on top of its head reducing it to paste.
A shot flew over her shoulder, she felt its warmth as it skimmed past her face and impacted the building behind her, melting its concrete façade. She dropped and rolled into cover and looked up the street. The last bug was standing there, hissing and clicking loudly, its laser arm pointed down the street towards her.

 

Sorcha also saw the strange canvas bag it had looped over two of its arms. It was only now she had a bit of time to watch it could she see that it was moving. She felt rage bubble up inside of her at the thought of what the bug was trying to do. It was slowly making its way backwards away from her with a bag full of Humans.

 

She set her rifle from automatic to single shot, took one last look, quickly leaned out and fired.

 

The shot went wide and the bug hissed and fired back, impacting just in front of her. Sorcha fired again, this time the shot struck home and the dropped to its back, hissing. Sorcha rushed up and unfurled the bag carefully.

 

People righted themselves and spilled out on to the streets screaming and panicking. Some dispersed and some swarmed to her.

 

“Go! That way!” Sorcha said pointing to where the Titan command post was. “It’s safe that way.”

 

The people, mostly colonists but some clearly wearing Avalonian clothing, begged for her to help. There were at least three dozen. But there were five thousand in the compound.

 

She shook her head. “I can’t, I’m sorry.” She said. “Stick to cover. It’s clear.”

 

And she turned and started to run towards the compound.

 

 
****

Ridgemont paced back and forth along the top of the secondary science console. She normally didn’t pace. She preferred to quietly brood behind her desk but she didn’t have a desk. She just had metal arm rest designed for a massive creature to lean on. The rest of the Humans from the delegation were watching a readout on the screen of the Insectoid ships and Gama fleet.

 

To her it was just a mess. Triangles of different colours whizzing around, and Gama Fleet’s ships inching forward towards the Hive ship which was inching away.

 

“What’s the status now?” She asked impatiently.

 

Bogomolov shrugged. “Same as before. We are moving, they are moving…”

 

“Though it looks like they are slightly outpacing us.” Niall spoke with concern.

 

“There has to be something more they can do!” Ridgemont said. “Some trick you’re holding back on!”

 

Eyrn gave a thin smile and knelt so not to loom over the panicking woman. “I promise you Madam Secretary-General, my husband will do whatever it takes to stop that ship!”

 

“But they’re getting away. If they can get to lightspeed there is nothing to stop them from attacking Earth!” said Premier Phạm.

 

“Earth may not even be their target. They may try to push further into the Empire. We have always been their primary competitors.” Loona tried to reassure.

 

“I’d bet dollars to doughnuts Earth is next.” Darren said bluntly.

 

“You can’t know that for sure.” Loona replied and knelt down as well and looked at him, concerned.

 

“Doc,” Darren said. “A ship that big, how many troops you reckon it’s carrying?”

 

“Ehhh, up to five hundred million.” Niall said glancing at the Hive ship’s readouts and doing some quick mental calculations. “Give or take…”

 

“Five hundred million is a lot. A lot more than you’d need to take a backwater planet like Earth. That’s an army with one purpose and that’s to conquer an Empire.” Darren spoke gravely. “And the old adage rings true now as it did then; an army marches on its stomach. They’re going to Earth alright. They’ll lift every Human from the planet as portable food for their army. The Empire is the target. But Earth is the handy supply post along the way. They’ll likely just bomb Titan Station from orbit. Then head on to Atzalia, Vorsha…Avalon will wait. It’s too small. They’ll head to the Empire’s core. No one is safe. Like a biblical plague of locusts, they’ll keep going until either they’re stopped or they’ve got nothing left to consume.”

 

The colour drained from the Loona’s face as she realised Darren was right. This wasn’t about protecting Humans. This was about the fate of every Titan, Dunnermac, Ler, Avartle and Human in the galaxy. They had to win. They had no choice other than to win.

 

The ship shuddered violently and klaxons sounded reminding Loona that winning was a long way off. A panel across the bridge exploded and burst into flames sending a screaming crewmate to the floor on fire. Her crewmates rushed to help her.

 

“If any of you believe in any gods now may be the time to ask them to get their asses into gear.” Niall said. “We need all the help we can get.”

 

 

****

Across the bridge Aertimus Bass stared at a fluctuating number on the screen. It was time to target in weapons range. It fluctuated as he fleet constantly changed course and speed as it tried to make its way through the swam of Insectoid ships. The fighter screen was doing a great job in lowering the volume of ships in their way, but there were simply too many to make enough progress. The Hive Ship was slowly getting away.

 

A glowing ball of fire caught his eye. It looked like a Scilith Fighter. It streaked upwards in front of the Gyfjon, into the upper starboard side of the viewscreen and smashed into the port side of the ISS Melanda Tenal.

 

“Frak!” He shouted as all along the Magilna class ship’s side hull plating started to rupture and explosively decompress. Gases, debris and people drifted out past the window of the Gyfjon and every person watching shivered in horror for the poor souls that had been vented into space.

 

“Lemm raise the Tenal and ask if they need to drop back.” He said.

 

The answer came quickly. Another large explosion, this time towards the rear of the ship and every light on the ship blinked out and the engines died. No longer able to accelerate in line with Gama Fleet it started to drift into the path of Gyfjon.

 

“Helm! Emergency evasive!” Captain Gween shouted as the collision alarm went off.

 

The Gyfjon shuddered for a moment as its primary braking engines and upper RCS thrusters fired in unison and the ship ducked below the drifting hulk of the Melanda Tenal.

 

Navarchos Bass sighed wearily. “Lemm, redirect dropships on recovery from the Jev to the Melanda Tenal. Restore life support and structural integrity if possible. Otherwise abandon ship.”

 

“So ordered sir.” She said. “Do we carry on this course?”

 

“Unless you have any other suggestions?” He replied.

 

She paused. “Sensors are suggesting that the Hive ship will pass into the gravity well of Tau Ceti Eebee in nine minutes. Forty four minutes from now it will be distant enough to engage faster than light engines. Projections of their orbital inclination suggest they will head for Earth next. We could split the fleet. Attempt to come around Tau Ceti Eebee and up in front of them.”

 

Aertimus played on the possible scenarios in his mind. Judging from the sensor readouts only one ship in his fleet had big enough guns to cut holes in the Hive ship’s armour and that was the Troji. The rest of the ships would depend on it to make the dents they could fire into.

 

“Negative Lem, without the Troji an attack is pointless. Pull the Troji back and put the Gorrk front and centre, the Gyfjon and Omicron will flank. Let’s just keep a straight course and a steady speed. If we take hits then we deal with them, no more dodging.” Aertimus said knowing that it likely meant the loss of some more ships.

 

But it was either that or let that thing get away.

 

 

****

Sorcha rushed into the compounding, forgetting to disable her gravity dampeners. Which was probably a good thing as the power appeared to be out. Soaked through from the rain and shivering, Sorcha was momentarily pleased to be indoors. That was until the smell hit her. A smell that every creature can instantly recognise without having ever smelled it before.

 

Death.

 

The acrid stench of blood filled her nostrils and sent a shiver down her spine. It was dark, the compound only lit dimly by the windows. She gripped her rifle hard and took one step after the next, edging further into the compound that had been her home for last few months. The smell and the dead silence inside the compound worried her. Even though they were small, five thousand Humans should make a lot of noise. And the only sounds to be heard were the distant rattle of rifle fire and engines overhead or the odd rumble of thunder.

 

She approached the canteen where the Humans had been living. The door was lying ajar, bloody footprints leading both into the room and out of it. A set of shoe clad prints leading towards the canteen, and a set of bare prints leading away. She stepped inside.

 

Her father had told her stories of the horrible things he’d seen growing up in Northern Ireland. The aftermath of explosions, dead and dismembered people lying in the streets. Sorcha had listened intently, trying to gain some insight into her ancestral home. She had tried to put herself in her father’s position or the position of the people who witnessed those attacks or who had carried them out. She thought she’d done it quite well.

 

She’d thought wrong.

 

Everywhere she looked there was death. Dismembered bodies, clumps of flesh and gore that had once been people, and blood. So much blood. It pooled on the floor and ran down the walls and was smeared over every surface in the room. The few faces of the victims that were left intact were frozen in a look of sheer terror. Sorcha struggled to control the urge to be violently sick and instead channelled it into rage. The bloody footprints outside the room weren’t Insectoid. They were Titan feet. Small Titan feet. And she was going to make their owner pay.

 

“Hello, is there anyone here?” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s safe, you can come out now.”

 

She waited for a minute, hoping some survivors would appear. But none did. Either there were none left or they were too scared to come out. Sorcha hoped it was the latter. She wouldn’t blame them if they’d witnessed what has caused this horror. She wondered if she should venture in further, try to find survivors but decided against it. She couldn’t do that without trampling on the dead. And she had no desire to inflict further damage upon them.

 

“I’m going to search for more survivors. If there’s anyone left alive in here, I’ll leave via the front door. You can wait for me there.” She said and turned and left the canteen.

 

Following the footprints was her next objective. They would lead her to Myrell. And hopefully Alesia, survivors and Manka. She hoped it was just Myrell she had to worry about. Fighting one would be a lot easier than fighting two. Especially if she was trying to rescue survivors at the same time. Though she realised that meant she was hoping Manka was dead.

 

Sure enough the footprints leading towards the canteen came from Myrell’s room. Running from it was a large pool of blood. Too big to be from any number of Humans. It had to be from a Titan. Sorcha stepped round the pool and stiffened as she saw the pale body of Manka. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, trying to pull herself towards the canteen.

 

Sorcha blinked back tears. This is where it had begun. Myrell had betrayed them and had quickly gutted the only person capable of stopping her before proceeding to massacre thousands of defenceless people. And Sorcha had let her do it. She had invited her here. She had trusted her to protect these people. She had set the shaar amongst the tupps.

 

“I’m sorry Manka…” She whispered.

 

There would be time for regret later. What mattered now was stopping Myrell and rescuing Alesia and any other survivors. She turned and followed the bloody bare footprints that led her up the stairs and past her office. She entered, her rifle trained dead ahead of her ready to shoot any attacker but it too was deserted.

 

Her office had always provided a good view over the city. And today was no exception. She could see repeated flashes of rifle fire, Titan and Insectoid troops battling in the streets and in the plains around the city. There were bodies, Titan and Insectoid alike visible everywhere. It looked like the entire southwest quadrant of the city was gone. The remains of a burning Titan dropship visible amongst the smoldering wreckage of buildings.  She returned to the corridor. The footprints continued, getting lighter as they went towards the utility closet.

 

Behind the door of the closet Sorcha could hear the rumble of the heavy rain. She opened it and saw why. The floor was soaking wet and the roof hatch was open. This is where Myrell had gone. There was only one way up and one way down. Well, one way that you could go and survive. Sorcha took a deep breath, slung her rifle over her back and started to climb the slippery rungs of the ladder.