“Get your fighters together and provide what defense you can,” Yen ordered. “We’ve caught the Terrans by surprise right now, but it won’t be long until they start sending up their own fighters to meet us.”
Yen waited until the Duun fighters began moving into protective positions around the Cair ships before he switched to the Squadron-wide channel. “All ships, this is Commander Xiao. Duun fighters will provide cover fire while the Cair ships move toward their pre-designated satellites. Eliminate your satellites quickly, then begin your descent to the planet’s surface.”
The ships all split in different directions as the Cair ships, laden with plasma rockets, moved to destroy the integral satellites that interlocked the entire grid. If everyone were successful, destroying only a few satellites would disable the entire network, allowing the remainder of the Alliance Fleet to fly directly into orbit around Earth before starting the final invasion.
Warrant Pelasi turned the Cair Thewlis and accelerated toward a more distant satellite. According to the High Council’s projections, the satellite they were ordered to destroy would be in orbit directly above the Empire’s capital city. Once their satellite was destroyed, they would have only a short flight down to the planet’s surface in order to apprehend the Terran scientist, Doctor Solomon.
Behind the Cair Thewlis, four Duun fighters fell into line, offering a more thorough protection for the strike force than they were for the rest of the Cair ships. Looking ahead, Yen could make out the targeted satellite, looking inconspicuous amongst all its brethren. Written across its side, as had been written along the sides of all the satellites, was the words Strategic Interlocking Nodule. There was nothing remarkable about the satellite, though Yen knew it held one of the relay stations within its computer that interconnected the rest of the grid for this section. Without this single satellite, a small portion of the network would be inoperable. Coupled with the rest of the targeted satellites, Earth would soon be unprotected from an invasion force the likes of which they had never seen.
As they grew closer to the satellite, his radio suddenly crackled to life.
“Here they come!” Iana cried out in warning.
Looking at the radar, Yen knew why she sounded concerned. The entire space around the planet was suddenly filled with small red dots, far more than they had expected as a defensive fleet around Earth. Nearly standing, Yen pressed his face against the window, trying to get a better view of the approaching ships. As they came into view, they were nothing like Yen expected. Anticipating an invasion, the Terrans had outfitted nearly every available ship on Earth with improvised armor and weapons. Many of the ships flying toward the Alliance strike force were little more than cargo vessels carrying bulky, outdated weaponry. Darting quickly between the hulking brutish ships, however, were smaller Terran fighters, the types that Yen had faced before. The Terran fighters were heavily armed and armored and would pose a significant threat to the Fleet if not eliminated early.
“Keep them busy, Alpha Leader,” Yen ordered. He switched over to the Squadron net as he continued. “All fighters, target the Terran fighters first. Keep them off the Cair ships until we can finish our mission!”
Switching off the radio, he turned toward Pelasi. “Get us in range as fast as you can.”
Even with the inhibitors, Yen could feel the strain as the Cair Thewlis accelerated quickly, trying to put a distance between the Terran defensive fleet and themselves. Even accelerating, Yen could see a number of red dots breaking away in quick pursuit. Suddenly, the Cair Thewlis jerked as it was struck repeatedly by weapons fire.
Yen growled in anger. “What’s our status?”
Pelasi checked the gauges. “No serious damage, sir. I don’t think they were Terran fighters. It looks like they’re firing older weapons that are having trouble puncturing our hull.”
“I don’t care what they’re firing,” Yen snarled. “Give them enough time and they’ll find a way to blow us up.” Angrily, he turned back on the radio. “Alpha Leader, where the hell is my cover fire?”
“I’m on my way, sir,” Iana called back, the frustration evident in her voice. On the radar, a blue dot broke away from the pack and hurtled toward the pursuing Terran ships. Though the Cair Thewlis continued to shake from weapons fire, Yen saw the missile launched from Iana’s ship. Immediately, two of the red dots disappeared from radar. The gunfire eased as the Cair Thewlis closed the rest of the distance toward the satellite.
“Are we within range?” Yen asked to Pelasi.
The Uligart pilot checked his console before nodding.
“Then blow that bastard out of the sky.”
Two plasma missiles leapt from the rocket tubes underneath each of the ship’s wings. Streaking forward, thick smoke trailed behind them as the two missiles locked onto their target. The Cair Thewlis turned aside before the rockets found their mark, exploding violently in a spray of blue and purple plasma. The explosion tore through the outer plating on the satellite, showering the delicate inner wiring and computer processors with superheated flames. As though erupting from within, the satellite rocked from a series of explosions as the plates buckled and the nodule tore itself apart.
“Alpha Leader,” Yen called over the radio. “Our mission is complete and we are heading for the surface. Think you can make a hole for us?”
“I think we might be able to manage that,” Iana called back.
Three of the four Duun fighters dropped into a wedge formation in front of the Cair Thewlis, which turned and began diving for the planet. The Terran defenders bunched their ships in front of the four Alliance attackers, firing their meager weapons in hope of deflecting the diving ships. The outdated weapons of the Empire’s modified transports had little effect on the Alliance fighters, which shattered through the defensive wall in a violent explosion of plasma and machine gun fire. The broken Terran ships fell away, opening a gap through which the Cair Thewlis passed on its way to Earth.
“We’ll mop up the rest of these,” Iana called, “and then join you on the surface. Be careful until then.”
Yen didn’t bother to respond. Instead, he turned toward Pelasi. “Take us into the atmosphere.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Though the streets of the mining town on Pteraxis were empty, Keryn could feel the prying eyes of people watching her from the shuttered windows and store fronts as she and Adam entered the town. It was unnerving to feel so exposed. On the periphery of her senses, she could almost make out the inane gossip of their presence in town being spread from building to building. Their chatter was like that of mice, burrowing through a wall; scratching just beyond the realm of hearing.
“Where is everyone?” she muttered, as much to herself as to the Pilgrim who walked at her side.
Adam ran a sleeve across his brow, wiping away the dripping sweat. Even in the dry air, the warm breeze leeched the moisture out of his skin. Keryn suffered much the same, a sheen of sweat glistening across her tan skin and matting her silver hair, though she suffered in silence.
“If they were smart,” Adam replied, “they’d be hiding inside, out of this heat. I’ve been outside for less than half an hour and I’m already sweating like a fat kid.”
Keryn smiled, despite the situation. “Maybe we should follow their example. Do you see any buildings that look open for business?”