Dawn of a New Age by Rick Bentsen Read Free Book Online Page B

concerned with is saving my home.  I can’t let myself worry about Kit.”
    “It’s not gonna be easy, Kal. Look at the situation monitor in the launch bay,” Mario pointed at the display.  “There sure are a lot of them.”
    “I know,” K’Alan said.  He punched up the weapons display and primed all weapons.  “All weapons primed and ready.  Comms and scanners are online.”
    “Engines are online,” Mario reported, then added soothingly, “She’ll be OK.  Kit’s a fighter.  She’ll pull through.”
    “She better.”  K’Alan flicked on the comms system.  “Strike Leader to bridge.  Lancer, Falcon, and Hawk strike wings requesting permission to launch.”
    “Transferring launch control to fighter wings,” Kath called from the bridge.  “You may launch when ready.”
    “Well, she sounds cute,” Mario grinned.
    “You think she sounds cute, just wait ‘til you meet her, buddy,” K’Alan laughed.
    “Just keep your mind on Kit, old buddy, let me worry about the young cute ones.”
    K’Alan laughed as he checked his straps and gripped the control yokes.  “All fighters launch on my mark.”  He took a deep breath to steel himself before the g-forces of launch.  “MARK!”
    He felt the g-forces push him back in his chair as Mario hit the thrusters and they hurtled down the launch tube.  Fighters soared out from all of the launch bays and formed up into squadrons.  Each squadron formed a pyramid with the squad leader’s Starhawk as the capstone.  Each squadron located a phalanx of enemy fighters and got to work.
    K’Alan took a deep breath and started firing.
     
    1.30.2136
    1621
    SLS White Knight
    The Bridge
     
    Thala scowled in her chair.
    “Status report!” she barked.
    “Duterius Prime is in flames, Captain,” Masha reported coolly from tactical.  “Planetary defenses are totally down.  Our fighters are cutting through the enemy, but there are an awful lot of them out there.  I estimate that we’ll suffer very heavy casualties.”
    “How many of them are there, Lieutenant?”
    “For every one of our fighters out there, they have five,” Masha reported.
    “Damn!  Kath, open a channel to K’Alan’s Starhawk.”
    “He’s on the line, Captain,” Kath replied.
    “K’Alan, I’m mobilizing three more squadrons to try and help you out a little.”
    “Much obliged, Captain.  Scramble Lancer, Crusader, and Warhammer squadrons.”
    “Consider it done.  They’ll be out there helping you within five minutes.”
    “Thank you, Captain.  Bryce out.”
    “Kath, sound the alert.  Masha, try to locate that base ship.  I want to know what we’re dealing with.”
    “Aye, Captain.”
    “Captain, incoming transmission from Duterius Prime,” Kath reported.
    “Holo.”
    “No holo available.  It’s audio only.”
    “Put it on the line, then.”
    “Captain Ker’sal, this is J’Anai Sirrus of the Duterian cabinet.  I’m not sure how much longer we can—“  The commline fizzled to static.
    “Kath?  What happened?”
    “Transmission was cut off at their end, Captain,” Kath reported, her tone terse and clipped.  “I’m trying to reconnect.”
    “Captain, the Capitol building just took a direct hit,” Masha reported.
    “Life signs?” Thala asked, suddenly very concerned.
    “Inconclusive.  There’s too much dust, debris and low-level radiation for the sensor to be accurate on life signs.”
    “Great,” Thala grumbled.  “Relay that info to K’Alan.  Tell him to make searching the Capitol building for survivors a priority when the attackers have been driven off.”
     
    1.30.2136
    1652
    K”Alan’s Starhawk
     
    “K’Alan!”
    “I see him, Mario.  Angle down so I can get a clear shot.”
    “Hang on to your stomach,” Mario called.  “This is likely to be a bumpy ride.”
    K’Alan gritted his teeth and tracked the raider on its strafing run.  His thumbs were lightly caressing the firing stubs, just waiting for the shot to line