Stephen Berry - Final Assault

"I believe the first leader's order may be too late," said Larn. All but forgotten, the first cyberneticist hovered to the right of Sutak's station.

The first leader turned back to the hologram and a new tactical projection: thirty-five blips were moving down the slot at close to light speed.

"We can intercept with globes yellow seven alpha green one through four," said Orlac.

"No." Sutak shook his head emphatically. "I'm not going to put four crewed ships at risk to save one just because our expensive hides are aboard. Have all crewed globes except this one scatter. We'll stand off this suicide run ourselves. Ten thousand shipbuster missiles and every fusion battery we can bring to bear against thirty-five small, lightly armed asteroids should end it. Give the order."

"I just want to say, D'Trelna," said a familiar voice from the commodore's chairarm, "that if this doesn't work, these years with you have been an education."

D'Trelna laughed. "Well, Mr. N'Trol, if it does work, I want you to know-I'll always remember you as the sardonic authority-hater who saved our asses a least a dozen times."

"And I'll remember you as the fat man who saved more than just his ship a hundred times. Luck, Commodore."

"Luck, Engineer."

The circuit clicked off.

"Incoming," said a machine voice-the voice of the computer guiding the asteroid in whose hollow belly Implacable nestled. "Incoming shipbusters," repeated the computer, voice sounding through the hangar deck. The waiting troopers threw themselves prone on the deck.

"Shield frequency," said D'Trelna tensely, moving down into the navigator's chair.

"Matched," said L'Wrona, fingers entering a series of numbers, then pushing the Execute. Outside, the shield blinked off, then on again, holding steady.

"Let's hope it's still current," said the commodore.

Before L'Wrona answered, the AI missiles exploded into Line's tiny attack force, destroying Implacable''s host.

"Filters to max," said the first leader, hands shading his eyes. Even to AI eyes, the holographic projection was a single unbearable ball of red-orange flame.

"Well done, sir," said Orlac as the fireball slowly dissippated. "All targets…" He stopped, staring.

Long and silver, something burst from the flames, growing in size until it filled the projection.

"L'Aal-class cruiser, K'Ronarin Fleet," said Operations quickly. "Heavily armed, carries up to two hundred crew. She'll break up against our shield."

"If the shield frequencies Devastator carried are correct," said L'Wrona, watching the battleglobe grow to fill the scan, "then we have a chance."

Thick red fusion beams lashed at Implacable, tearing at her shield as she closed on the battleglobe.

"Here we go," said D'Trelna, gritting his teeth; he sent the cruiser ramming into the AI's shield, blue and red merging.

There was a brief confusion of colors on the board, the scan breaking up into a tumbling kaleidoscope, then it cleared.

"Gods of my fathers, through!" shouted D'Trelna. Hands dancing over the helm controls, he dropped the cruiser lower. Outside, the fusion fire raking the cruiser slackened then stopped as Implacable dropped below the cannons' minimum azimuth.

Endless sensor and comm clusters, missiles and fusion batteries flashed by, massive gray and silent, as Implacable raced for the battleglobe's southern pole.

"Brilliant," said Sutak, watching as Implacable flew unopposed across his command ship.

"Enemy ship identified as Implacable," reported Orlac, turning from a complink. "Has figured prominently in all engagements with our contemporary recons into this universe. Defeated us at Terra Two unaided. Defeated us at D'Lin with some help."

"Why isn't he bombarding us?" mused Sutak, watching the projection.

"Perhaps," said Orlac, "he's going to invade us."

The two AIs looked at each other. "Of course," said the first leader, eyes flashing. "That's just what he's going to do!" "But…"

"Operations," said Sutak. "Do we have a probable on enemy ship's destination?"

"Hangar green alpha one three," came the answer after a brief pause.

"Where is that?" It was Larn. The first cyberneticist was an agitated red sphere, bobbing beside the first leader's station.

Sutak pointed past Larn toward the command center's thick blast doors. "Through there, first right, second left. He's coming here-for us."

"What are you doing about this? What are you doing about this?" shrieked the first cyberneticist.

"Unless you leave now," said Sutak, "I'm sending every cyberneticist on this vessel into that hangar bay. If we're fortunate, they might mistake you for intelligent life." He turned to Orlac. "Ever see what a blaster hit does to a vacuum-sealed cyberball?"

"It was dogmatic martinets like that who got us into this," said Orlac as Larn streaked for the door. "A desperate plague fleet with no future.

"Just what are your orders?" asked Orlac.

Sutak shrugged. "They want me, I'm available. Security condition one-all blades to hangar bay green alpha one three. Advise security commander that I will coordinate the counterattack. Transfer command of the fleet to Hasi on our sister ship."

Sutak stood, smiling. "You know, Orlac, I'm looking forward to meeting this cruiser commander who's given us such a hard time."

"Target penetrated." l'wrona's voice echoed through the cruiser's hangar deck. "Stand by for the go. Stand by for the go."

"Positions!" cried N'Trol, leaping to his feet. "Let's go!"

"Never thought to see you leading the charge," said S'Til as the troopers formed an assault line stretching the width of the air curtain.

"Not something you'll see again," said N'Trol, stepping through the long line of troopers to take up position center front. "I've been in a few messy firefights, but nothing like this." He looked down the assault line, left, then right. Brown uniforms were intermingled with black, commandos with starship and ground personnel. What few officers and NCOs had survived were positioned along the line's front. All stood nervously gripping their rifles, waiting, staring through the blue shimmer of the atmosphere curtain. Outside, dark and diffuse, great inchoate shadows flickered across the curtain as Implacable sped into the battleglobe.

"Don't you have a unit?" asked N'Trol.

The commando officer shook her head. "No."

"Fine," said the Heir. "You're now my aide and a full colonel. If we win, I'll make it permanent."

"If we win," said S'Til, drawing her side-arm, "you'll make me a civilian-with colonel's pension. Deal?"

N'Trol laughed. "Deal, S'Til," he said, drawing his own weapon.

"I've seen it before, but it still impresses me," said D'Trelna.

A great gray cavern, its deck lined with cruisers, interceptors and assault craft, the battleglobe's hangar facility could have held a thousand Implacable'^ and still looked empty.

Implacable slipped silently past the AI ships, moving on her n-gravs toward the distant end of the cavern.

"Access portal should be coming up," said L'Wrona, eyes shifting between the diagram on his complink and the forward view on the bridge screen. "They must know we're here -maybe it'll take them a few more minutes to pull a reaction force together."

"Wrong," said D'Trelna.

L'Wrona looked up as the commodore brought the slowed cruiser to a stop.

Security blades were rushing into the hangar facility, forming an assault line in front of the open corridor leading to the battleglobe's heart.

L'Wrona touched the commlink as Implacable settled on her landing struts. "Hostiles to the front, My Liege."

"I see them," said N'Trol as the atmosphere curtain winked off. He raised his sidearm. "Forward!" he cried, leaping onto the battleglobe.