Deneb or Die Read online

  The final hops took two days. Using the latest intel we had available, we came in on the opposite side of the planet hosting the Deneb IV outpost. And luck was with us. The four ships of the invaders were positioned in orbit above the settlement. I had to wonder if there would be anything left. It had been weeks since the initial invasion.

  The Fracker dropped through the atmosphere along with three hundred twenty-two others. The fleet broke into four groupings who then split off, each heading around the planet in opposite directions.

  Sammy came over the loudspeaker. "Two minutes until we're within sight of those lasers. Ninety seconds from that point on should they decide to stay put."

  Collins frowned as he stood for the short walk to where the breach tube would extend from. "Ninety seconds under threat of that laser weapon is way too long."

  Tanner said, "Ninety seconds at about five seconds a pop means eighteen ships can be turned to carbon by one of those lasers before we reach target. And each ship has two, which means we are looking at possibly a third of our fleet being annihilated before we reach those ships. Not much we can do to change that though."

  The drop through the atmosphere brought buffeting. The breach crew stood ready, grasping the hand-loops and rails beside the hatch they would be exiting. The buffeting smoothed as the lower reaches of the atmosphere were reached and the ship leveled out.

  The Fracker clung to the right side of the assault group, Sammy reasoning the center ships would be targeted first. Vast seas were crossed and mountain ranges topped before the first of the massive Herzek warships came into view. The laser pulses came moments later.

  As directed, each of the ships kept distance from the others while juking and jibing in an attempt to make targeting of them difficult. When the first several ships exploded, Tanner's prediction turned to fact. Thirty ships from our group began taking wide sweeping turns in an effort to flee the battlefield. The squad watched on a wall display as the Herzek lasers targeted the largely stationary targets first.

  Collins shook his head. "You stop moving around erratically and you'll draw their fire for sure."

  Tanner grinned. "Yeah, let them have at it. At least that move is keeping the Herzek weapons from being trained on us."

  Sammy opened a comm. "Thirty seconds. So far we haven't been— crap!"

  Even with the inertial dampeners on full, I could feel the slight pull happening with each change of course. The image on the display showed our fast approach to our targeted warship. The forward force as we slowed almost pulled me from my feet. The breach tube extended, and a hatch was bonded to the warship's hull. Sparks flew for several seconds as a cutout for our entry was made.

  I followed Xurpok through the pipe, heading onto the enemy vessel. We had broken into a room that had machinery for water recycling and storage. Two Herzek crewmen were dead before I stepped through the hatch. I opened up on a third as he opened a door coming in from the outer hall. His guts had yet to all hit the floor before Xurpok was pushing his way past.

  We moved out into the hall after him as Sammy came over the comm. "Looks like the other warships are targeting our breachers. I'm detaching. Gonna see what damage we might do to those laser cannons with our own guns."

  "Keep safe, Sam. You're still our ride out of here."

  I hustled to catch up with the others as they ran after the Corbo Tornado. Again the halls were littered with Herzek bodies as our surgically enhanced killing machine rampaged through their ranks. I took note of the fact he was heading directly toward the bridge as his first matter of business.

  Sammy came back with a report. "They're wreaking havoc on our fleet. Sensors say we are already down a hundred twelve ships. You have thirty crews aboard with you there. Ship two has twenty-six, ship three has thirty-five and the last ship only eighteen. Several dozen others have taken to keeping themselves moving while we have another sixty of so who are still in the process of attempting a breach."

  "Keep us informed. And any luck against those lasers?"

  "Modest damage, but not enough to put them out of order in any timely manner without fully putting us at risk. I've noticed a half-dozen other captains attempting the same with whatever weapons they have aboard, but at this moment all eight of those lasers are still operational and firing. Either you stop them from the inside or we'll be out of ships in about a half hour tops."

  I opened a general comm. "This is Balls! All breaching crews need to head for the bridge of whatever warship you are on. We have to stop those laser cannons if we want to have a way home!"

  Our run up stairwells and down halls continued until we reached the deck where the bridge was located. Fifty meters and several hundred Herzeks separated us from our prize. Xurpok had managed a doorway with an advantageous sighting of the hall, but it wasn't a hall he would be able to charge down.

  A comm came in from Sammy. "Just to let you know, I've just completed a bio-scan. Looks like you have about four thousand bio signatures on that ship. About two hundred of those register as Human. And I'm seeing a large force two decks below you that is moving your way. Counter shows at least fifteen hundred."

  "Is there a hull plate on that level you can attach to? One on this end of the ship?"

  "One moment... there is."

  "Pop a hatch in there and then destroy the hatch. We're in the forward section. A hull breach should lock down this section and each of the decks, keeping that crowd away from us."

  "What do you see from the other crews?"

  "Pinned down, mostly."

  I sighed. "Dig us a hole in that hull, Sammy. Let's lock this ship down."

  "Give me forty seconds."

  I opened a comm to Xurpok. "Sammy's about to open a hole a few decks below us. That will seal us into this bulkhead section. Any way you can move forward or do we want to try to lure them back this way?"

  "I can make no progress moving forward. When do you expect this event to happen?"

  Alarms sounded in the hall as bulkhead doors automatically closed, sealed, and locked.

  Chapter 4

  * * *

  Sammy came over the comm. "You aren't gonna believe this, but that hull breach must have happened at just the right moment. I've got hundreds of Herzek bodies flying out of that hatch-hole on the third deck. Was not expecting that."

  I replied, "Unless you're standing in a doorway, there's nothing to grab hold of."

  "Ha! And I just got in a shot at one of those guns. Scratch one of the laser turrets. And just so you know, we've only lost two ships in the last five minutes. The Herzek figured they were getting just as many hits on their own ships as they were ours. The nav display looks like each has a swarm of angry hornets around it."

  Mendez asked, "Hornets?"

  I stuck my head out, glancing down the hall before pulling back. "It's an Earth insect with a nasty sting that can also bite."

  "One day I'm going to make it to Earth for more than a port visit."

  Xurpok moved back to our location. "You should move back and across the hall. This corridor will soon be filled with Herzek fighters. They tend to move as a group, so we can expect them all at once."

  I nodded as I waved the others past. "You staying in this door?"

  "That is the plan."

  "OK. Well. Let's leave you an out. If they charge out this way and you have to run, keep low. We'll keep our own fire at least a meter off the ground. And I've seen you run like a four-legged animal, so I know you're capable."

  "It was part of our training. And I welcome your suggestion."

  I hurried after the others. Seconds later, the first of the Herzek poked their head around the corner. Xurpok had moved back inside the doorway. An all-clear signal was given and a half-dozen fighters rounded the corner. Xurpok emerged from hiding with his blaster firing.

  As the first three Herzek bodies exploded, Xurpok dropped to the floor, taking aim and firing at three more as he rolled back to the side room and through the door.

  I fired my bl
aster from high as Tanner squeezed out below me. The next three victims were splattered across the hall as we pulled back. Several laser pulses burst into flame as they struck the walls, floor, and doorsill around us. Xurpok used the opportunity to launch his second assault.

  As he had done with the first, he rushed from the side door while firing before again dropping to the floor and rolling out to complete his maneuver. Another five Herzek were dead, but the others continued to come.

  After we followed Xurpok's gun and run with our own, a comm was kept open so we could coordinate our efforts. Xurpok would hurl himself into the hall and roll back followed by us flooding the hall with plasma bolts. It took less than a minute before the remains of two-dozen Herzek fighters littered the hallway corner. The remaining horde stopped just short of that position to rethink their strategy.

  Mendez pulled up a schematic of that deck. "This main corridor is our only way to that bridge."

  Tanner said, "Unless we go through these walls. Anyone bring a cutting torch?"

  "There are about a dozen torches laying out there in the hallway. The Herzek lasers would cut through there."

  "Well then, how about trotting your little hiney out there and grabbing us a couple?"

  "Uh, no. That seems more fitting for someone with a low IQ."

  Tanner chuckled. "Collins... you're up."

  "Xurpok," I said. "Give us some cover fire."

  Repeated blaster bolts struck the far end of the hall as I bolted from the door. Two of the Herzek laser weapons were retrieved. One, being non-functional, was tossed aside and another grabbed before I raced back to the safety of the room we occupied.

  Mendez frowned. "Sorry about the low IQ comment, Sarge."

  A back wall glowed red in a spot and then sparked as a hole was burned through.

  I growled. "Looks like our friends had the same idea. Xurpok, watch for Herzek cutting through walls."

  Tanner grabbed one of the laser rifles from my hand. From the side, a dozen pulses saw a hole about the size of an eyeball melted into the wall. The laser weapon was dropped as his own plasma rifle was lifted to his side. Occasional laser pulses shot through the wall as it became apparent a circular cutout was in the works.

  Tanner moved to the hole he had burned with a grin. He stood just to the side as he raised his weapon. The tip of his blaster was placed in the hole and the trigger pulled repeatedly. The whumps of plasma being ejected were followed by the thuds of impact as Herzek bodies exploded.

  Collins shook his head. "That was too easy."

  Mendez took the other laser from my hands and proceeded to continue the work the Herzeks had begun before. Tanner pumped round after round of plasma through the hole, clearing the room on the other side.

  Xurpok said, "We have a problem. They are burning sighting holes into the wall corner. I may lose my positional advantage."

  "Can you reach one of their laser weapons?" I asked.

  "I can."

  "Grab it and sight back through the hole. They won't be able to hit you without exposing themselves."

  Mendez said, "Fifteen seconds and this wall plate is gonna drop to the floor. Tanner, you better have that room clear!"

  "It's as clear as it's gonna be. Collins, get ready to burst in there, I'll follow you through."

  Xurpok sprang from the room he occupied, hopping over the bloody remains of the two-dozen dead Herzeks before sliding to a stop at the corner. His blaster was hung out to the side and the trigger pulled repeatedly at the same instant. After three Herzek bodies exploded, a dozen others turned away and sought shelter.

  The plate being cut out of the wall fell through with a clang. Collins raced through, firing repeated rounds through the doorway leading out into another hall. Tanner came through behind him with Mendez just after. I glanced out into the hallway we previously occupied only to see Xurpok charging around the corner. The whumps from his blaster told of the havoc he was wreaking on the Herzek.

  I raced up the hall and climbed over the pile of dead bodies before reaching the corner. A dozen more Herzeks lay dead further up, dismembered or disemboweled. Collins, Tanner, and Mendez shot from the side hall and raced after a still-charging Xurpok.

  Sammy came over a comm. "I'm connecting to the end of the hall you now occupy. I would suggest you find a secure location and close a door, I'll be blowing this hatch once it's in. I show a large number of your Herzek friends at this end of the hall. I plan on giving them all free space passes."

  Tanner replied, "Nice! We're in a room. Door is shut."

  Xurpok added. "I am secure."

  "Sarge? Tell me you're ready. The hatch is in."

  I turned into the next room but was unable to close the door due to several bodies occupying the doorway. I looked around and found a small closet, closing myself inside. A boom could be heard seconds later with a violent rush of air following just after.

  Sammy said, "I have dozens of Herzek now free-floating."

  "Everyone," I slowly opened the closet door as air continued to rush out of the room. "the moment that equalizes, take control. Get back in that hall and take it!"

  Xurpok replied, "Already there."

  Whumps and thuds could be heard as I cautiously moved toward the door, the air still rushing past me.

  Chapter 5

  * * *

  Sammy said, "Bio-scan places thirty-four Herzeks ahead of your position. They are huddled on the bridge."

  I stood just outside the bridge door. "Looks like they've sealed themselves in."

  "I have other news. Our other merc crews have been getting pushed back. And I have word of the same on the other ships. There are still about thirty-five hundred bios on that ship with you. And I'm showing movement between levels. That breach hole I left on deck three must have been sealed."

  I followed Xurpok down the hall to a room that was adjacent to the bridge. The wall plating between the two rooms was at least four times as thick as the standard walls, almost a quarter the thickness of a full bulkhead. If we were to attempt to cut through, it would take far longer than the few minutes we had as the steel also appeared be made of a high-temperature alloy.

  Tanner, Collins, and Mendez came in behind us.

  "No way in?" Tanner asked.

  "None that we—"

  The doorway popped and burned with laser fire. In our haste to find a way in we had left the hall unguarded. We were now trapped.

  "Sammy?" I asked, "The Herzek just pinned us in. What movement do you see out in the hall?"

  "One moment... most appear to still be on the bridge. A half dozen are in the hall and another half dozen down at the breach. It would appear they are attempting repairs."

  I growled. "They get that fixed and those bulkhead doors will unseal. We need to get on that bridge!"

  The fight in the doorway continued for another fifteen minutes with us not having a way out. Mendez had taken to using the captured laser rifles for cutting through walls moving away from the bridge, which were made from the normal plating. We had managed to move three rooms down but were unable to break out into the hall. The firing positions the Herzek fighters held were superior.

  Tanner reported. "I have oxygen levels coming up. They must have that breach sealed. Give them a few more minutes and those bulkhead doors may release."

  Xurpok said, "I must go out and make an effort."

  I shook my head. "Suicide. There has to be a better way. Sammy? Can you get a shot or two off at that breach on this deck they have just patched?"

  "I can. But it's likely to roast everything in that hall. Are you secure?"

  "We can be. Make it happen." I gestured to the others, "Close those doors, now!"

  Sammy said, "Fifteen seconds... and no turning back. This won't leave a hole that is easily repaired."

  "Do it!" I blurted out.

  Tanner said, "Pressure has equalized, bulkhead doors are unlocking!"

  Seconds later, a tremendous boom rocked the deck we occupied. The door to the r
oom beside the bridge blew open, flames raced inside. We had moved to the third room down, the flames followed through the cutouts Mendez had made. As the heat raged through the final hole into our room, it quickly subsided and was swept out the other way.

  Xurpok sprinted from the room, into a hall that was still being depleted of air. The body of a burned Herzek blocked the door to the bridge. Xurpok kicked it open as he raced in. The fighters inside were still trying to recover from the concussion and were quickly dispatched. Before we could reach the bridge, the fighting was over.

  Tanner came in with a grin. "Dead Herzek everywhere. I like it."

  I pointed to the door. "Get that body out and that door sealed. Sammy! Nice work. We have the bridge. Which of those ships should be our first target? And I'm talking about taking out their laser weapons first. Give me a target."

  "That would be the ship we have designated as Warship Three. Passing you the coordinates now."

  Mendez took a seat at the weapon's console. "Pass me those numbers, Sarge. We'll get this started."

  Tanner stood behind her. "I demand you vacate that chair."

  Mendez chuckled. "Demand? Yeah. Like I have to obey any of your commands. Hold on... targeting upper deck cannon... and hmm. I have impact, but only minor damage."

  I said, "Probably designed to withstand their own weapons. Target two decks below. Bore a hole into her side. Let's see if we can take it down from the inside."

  "Roger that and firing... we have explosions. And they are firing back."

  "Keep drilling into that impact point."

  "Roger that, setting repeat to automatic. How long do we do this for?"

  "Until the beam escapes the other side."

  "And we have it. And that weapon has ceased to function."

  Collins sat at a nav console. "Not certain how to work this."

  Xurpok moved over to behind him. "Select the blue button. The joystick should now give you full movement control."