A MATTER OF LOYALTY
A/N: By now, the plot of this story is pretty much developed, so action will tell the rest of the story. There will be a non-violent final chapter to wrap things up, however.
Chapter 20
Briefing room, Battlecruiser Fenris,
Umoja orbit, Umojan Protectorate,
January 16, 2505
Not for the first time, all the commanders of the Hellhounds aboard the Fenris gathered and stood at attention, but this time Charlotte felt excitement and anxiety bubbling in her gut as Miranda cleared her throat to talk. No more running or tricks. This time, Xavier Daniels will be dealt with permanently!
"As you all know, the Dire Wolf has been damaged from the battle on Heralt and is orbiting a world called Junction for repairs," Miranda began. Behind her stood Azaru and several of his high templar officers, all of whom stood tall with their hands clasped behind their backs. "We are going to take the offensive to our enemies for a change, and we have Azaru's complete support, and that of the Raging Spades infantry division."
Outside the briefing room's large windows, Charlotte could see the elegant golden Carrier ship floating nearby, silent and still. She wished that she and the other Hellhounds could carry out an operation on board the Epiphany of Light, but when Miranda had suggested such a thing to Azaru, he had politely replied that Terrans had no business learning the secrets of Protoss ships.
Miranda continued, "It is currently 0800 hours. At 1000 hours, I want everyone at their battle stations and all boarding parties prepared! We are jumping directly to Junction with the Epiphany of Light, and make no mistake, people, there's going to be a tough fight as soon as we get there. Junction's space station is small and remote, evening the odds for us. Even so, do not relent for a second." She pounded one fist into her open palm, her eyes intense. "It's our job to destroy everything standing between us and Xavier Daniels save for the Dire Wolf itself. That ship is the Fenris' sister ship, and we'll need it when we re-unite the Hellhounds to defend the Umojan Protectorate. Are we clear?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Charlotte barked with the other commanders.
"Good," Miranda nodded once. She pressed a button on a keypad and the viewscreen behind her displayed a tactical map. "Pay close attention. This is how we will carry out this operation. First, we -"
"Commander! One contact entering our space!" piped a voice on the comm.
"Hostile?" Miranda asked back, visibly tense.
"It's Umojan," came the voice. "But I can't identify where it came from."
Everyone turned to look out the windows. A whirling vortex of green and blue energies warped into existence, then one spherical vessel popped out. The ship's thrusters blazed bright yellow as the craft sped toward the Fenris, and the energy field collapsed in its wake.
"This is the science vessel Lazarus of the Umojan Cyborg Institute," stated a flat male voice on the comm system. "Requesting permission to dock, Fenris. We are here on the authority of Dr. Julie Hanson."
Miranda's eyes widened slightly but her voice was calm as she responded, "Understood. Permission granted, Lazarus. Send a delegation to the main briefing room to meet me."
"Roger that. Lazarus out," the voice responded in the same flat manner.
Murmurs of curiosity and surprise flew among the commanders and Protoss, but Miranda stood still and silent as the minutes crept past. Finally, the briefing room's doors slid open and several huge people marched in, a woman in a gray lab coat among them. Charlotte didn't recognize the woman with long black hair and thick-framed glasses, but she certainly recognized one of the armored Reapers who escorted her. "Trevor!" she blurted.
"Charlotte," Trevor saluted her with two fingers. "Been a while, hasn't it? Still doing okay with the scout force?"
"I... yeah," Charlotte swallowed, suddenly feeling off-put. She knew that Trevor would have a few boasts and smart-assed remarks up his sleeve... but why was he here? He was even in full armor, as were the two marines, one firebat, and one Marauder who escorted the woman. The odd party stopped in the middle of the briefing room, while the woman approached Miranda and offered a hand.
"Dr. Julie Hanson, head of the Umojan Cyborg Institute," the woman introduced herself.
"Miranda, CO of this half of the Hellhounds. Good to have you, Doctor. I admit, I've never personally met you or any member of your Institute. Very secretive."
Dr. Hanson made a modest smile. "Yes, we are a rather secluded section of Minister Jorgensen's science departments. I brought a few of my men with me to prove what kind of help I'm bringing."
"One of my own, it seems," Miranda commented, looking past Dr. Hanson at Trevor. "I hope you've been taking care of him."
"The best I could," Hanson assured her. "I have a large squad of cyborg soldiers prepared to unite the Hellhounds and defend Umoja from all threats. That, and this provides another chance to test my cyborgs."
"They're not fully trained?"
"Well..." Dr. Hanson hesitated. "They have all been trained at my facility and have been sent on real missions... but they've never had to deal with a firefight on board a Battlecruiser against a hardened enemy like Xavier's Hellhounds. What's more, we're trying to minimize casualties on the enemy's side. Stun rounds, trickery... this will take some finesse."
"Well, I do have a plan," Miranda stated. "See the viewscreen? The Fenris and Epiphany of Light will neutralize all of Daniels' and the Dominion's space fighters and assets, then pick off the Dire Wolf's turrets to clear the way for dropships. We board the Dire Wolf at its cargo bays and make our way to the bridge. In the boarding party, there will be several heavy firefight teams plus two specialized teams: one psionic squad and one technician squad."
Hanson looked at the Protoss with admiration. "I can guess who's on the psionic squad."
"Plus me," Nick added, walking over to his place with the Protoss. He seemed very small next to them.
"The psionic squad is designed to capture enemy support crew and use mind control on them," Miranda explained. "Force the enemy staff to open or close doors to our benefit and give the enemy soldiers bad directions. The tech squad will carry out similar operations to cover any gaps that the psionic squad leaves, not to mention disabling enemy turrets, cyber-warfare suites, and other electronic obstacles."
"Sounds like you have a solid plan," Hanson approved. "How soon will this happen?"
Miranda checked her watch. "It's 8011 hours now, and we make the jump at 1000 hours. Have your men prepped, Doctor. We need to make this count."
Hanson turned to her cyborgs. "We have our orders. Meet with the Hellhounds infantry squads in the hangar. We're taking the fight to the enemy."
The cyborgs shuffled back into the elevator, but Charlotte hurried over to Trevor before he got in. "You seemed awfully quiet," Charlotte commented.
The towering Reaper offered a small grin. "Wasn't nothin' to say, darlin'. Miranda and Dr. Hanson have our mission plan worked out. It's my job to lead my men and carry out that plan to the best of my ability. A lot is counting on me. I can't fail my allies."
Charlotte beamed. "Wow, Trevor. Julie Hanson over there really tamed you! I like the new you."
"Is that how you see it?" Trevor asked, suddenly looking bashful. "Well... anyway, I have to go. Best of luck, Charlotte." He marched into the elevators with the other cyborgs and Dr. Hanson, then the elevator doors slid shut.
*o*o*o*o*
Hangar 02, Battlecruiser Fenris, Umoja Orbit,
Umojan Protectorate,
January 16, 2505
Since there would be no room for vehicles on board the Dire Wolf, Charlotte had given up her pilot suit in favor of a bulletproof vest that sported the Hellhounds logo and urban camouflage pants and black boots. She carried one Scythe pistol in her holster, the same type that Reapers wielded. One of the armory officers had recommended a Gauss Rifle for sustained combat, but Charlotte had turned the offer down, not favoring a slow and heavy weapon. One pistol would be enough for her... plus a combat knife sheathed on her belt.
Around Charlotte stood hundreds of soldiers, all marines, firebats, and Marauders. A total of five dropships sat in this hangar, and Charlotte knew that the other three hangars each had five more dropships to carry over a thousand soldiers into the Dire Wolf. Eight of the Cyborg Institute soldiers stood in this hangar and the rest were in the other hangar, all ready to fight. Some of the soldiers from the Raging Spades infantry squads were here too.
"Ready to roll, Charlotte?" Nick asked kindly, double-checking his pistol's laser sight for flaws. "Today we make or break our entire army."
"Honestly, I'm more concerned about you than me," Charlotte admitted with a small smile. "Your job sounds tricky, basically brain-hacking the Dire Wolf's crew to make a path for the soldiers. You know, Xavier Daniels is with the Dominion, and he has that Colonel Falcon guy with him. I'll bet that Daniels has a few Ghost agents on his side."
"But we've got the Protoss, the authoritative voice of psionics," Nick offered. "Azaru and his templar assured us that no 'feeble Terran brain' will stop us."
"Then I guess you only have to worry about getting gunned down," Charlotte figured. "Those psi-blades are deadly up close but there are other ways the hostile Hellhounds can fight back."
Shaking his head slightly, Nick stepped forward and hugged Charlotte tight. "I know all that. But let's not worry so soon. We can get the job done."
"Don't tell me you're at least a little nervous."
"Well..." Nick broke away from Charlotte, his face falling. "I guess I shouldn't underestimate the risks. As long as the plan works and no Dominion reinforcements show up, we've got a solid chance. If not... at least we went down fighting for the right reasons."
"It's the thought that counts," Charlotte smiled again.
A voice boomed on the intercom. "Prepare for jump! As soon as we arrive, it's all weapons hot! Fighter teams, prepare for engagement. Dropships, prepare to load your troops and meet with your escorts."
"That's our cue," Nick shrugged, shuffling into the nearest dropship's open troop bay with the other soldiers. Swallowing hard, Charlotte walked up the ramp and settled into her seat, strapping herself in while the other soldiers did the same.
Then, Charlotte felt herself compressed into what felt like a single atom, and everything was sucked into a black vortex as the Fenris and Epiphany of Light both made the jump.
*o*o*o*o*
Cockpit, Junction Orbit,
Terran Dominion,
January 16, 2505
By the book, Miranda. This is simply one space battle like any other, Miranda told herself, steeling her nerves as she secured herself into her Viking's cockpit and gripped the two joysticks tightly. In the cockpit, dozens of blinking blue and green lights confirmed that her craft was ready for launch, and any minute now, her craft would be shot out of this launching tube and into the fray. Despite knowing the carnage that lay ahead, Miranda breathed deep and relaxed, entering the pre-battle calm that she had learned was necessary for her survival. Getting tense or anxious would not help.
"Eagle One, prepare for launch," stated a voice in Miranda's helmet. Her five-man wing would be Eagle Wing, and several other wings of Viking and Wraith craft in the Fenris were ready to help take the fight to Xavier Daniels and the Dominion.
"Eagle One is ready," Miranda responded, and then one display on her HUD changed from red to green. At once, the Viking shot forth like a bullet down a gun's barrel, and Miranda felt herself being pressed into her seat from the G-forces. Only a few seconds later, countless stars popped into her sight through the cockpit glass, and the planet Junction floated below. Green and brown continents and wispy white clouds showed up clearly on Junction's surface, since the planet was so close. Still, Miranda couldn't stall to admire the view: already, she could see two hostile Battlecruisers hovering in the near distance, one of which was docked with a space station. Numerous repair craft floated around the second Battlecruiser, sparks flying from where they repaired the ship's hull and inner systems. The blocky red letters DIRE WOLF could easily be seen on the ship's hull.
As more and more Vikings and Wraiths flooded out of the Fenris' hull, numerous such craft began to pour from the hangars of the two enemy Battlecruisers as well. Countless lasers, torpedoes, and missiles began to race back and forth chaotically, explosions peppering the battle every few seconds.
"Jamming signal is now active, commander," came the voice of a communications officer on board the Fenris. "Both enemy Battlecruisers and the repair station are gagged and silent for now, but the signal won't last forever."
"Understood," Miranda replied, then added, "Eagle Wing, form up!" to her wing mates On her radar, she watched as four more Vikings drifted into formation, with Miranda at the head of the group. She stole a quick look at the Epiphany of Light, and the gold Carrier unleashed swarms of its small interceptor craft. The countless interceptors raced into the battle, scattering all over the place like bees. The tiny craft easily outmaneuvered the slower Terran vessels, taking little fire in return. However, Miranda figured that just one Lanzer torpedo hit or one Gemini missile cluster could easily pop an interceptor.
"Their fighter screen is falling back," Miranda announced on the open com. "Dropship flights, deploy and stay close. I need ships to escort them toward the Dire Wolf." She then coordinated several wings of craft to escort the dropships, and the Epiphany of Light drifted closer to the enemy ships to distract the enemy from the dropships.
"We're taking heavy fire!" cried one of the wing commanders escorting the dropships. Miranda's men gave the enemy a tough fight, but she could see many of her own ships going down, and she winced as first one dropship succumbed to enemy fire, then another. Dozens of armored soldiers spilled from the floating wreckage of the dropships, and Miranda vowed to not lose any more men like that.
Pushing her joysticks toward the enemy, Miranda barked, "Eagle Wing, we're flanking the enemy interceptors! Give them hell!" Her wing consisted of he five best pilots in the Hellhounds army, and she planned to push that advantage.
Locking her sights onto a slippery enemy Wraith, Miranda pushed her throttle to maximum, watching as the tracker for the target's distance shrank the number of meters between her and the Wraith. Just as the Wraith pulled a corkscrew maneuver to evade a cluster of interceptors, Miranda achieved a target lock and squeezed her triggers. Two Lanzer torpedoes streaked from her Viking's hull-mounted launchers, and the Wraith, already distracted by the interceptors, took a direct hit from both projectiles. The back half of the Wraith vanished in a silent fireball, chunks of its engine and hull scattering through space. The cockpit and one wing stayed together, propelled by sheer momentum. Five Protoss interceptors flocked toward the remains, melting the damaged Wraith into slag with their cannons.
"Eagle One, you've got one on your six!" one of Miranda's wing mates warned. Indeed, a lock-on warning blared on Miranda's HUD, and she shoved her joysticks hard, sending her Viking into a looping maneuver that nearly blacked her out. She was rewarded by an enemy Viking flying below her, its pilot no doubt confused. Swooping down, Miranda slipped her crosshairs onto the enemy craft and squeezed off two more torpedoes. The enemy pilot saw the shots coming, however, and rolled away just in time. One torpedo, confused by the sudden move, streaked off into empty space, its targeting systems frazzled. The other torpedo had better luck, curving to keep up with the elusive Viking. The torpedo snagged the Viking on its left wing, blasting off the wing with a single explosion. The Viking spiraled out of control from the impact force, drifting away from the battle. Another pair of torpedoes from Eagle Three finished off the Viking, scattering its charred remains through space.
As the dropships flew closer to the Dire Wolf, they started taking fire from the Battlecruiser's turrets. Laser bolts flew every which way from the Dire Wolf, and Miranda's ships started taking hits fast. The enemy fighter screen had been thinned out pretty well, but a lot of Miranda's men had been lost and Miranda's Vikings and Wraiths couldn't hope to survive long against a Battlecruiser, even if the cruiser was in the middle of repairs.
"It seems that you require aid," Azaru's mental voice popped into Miranda's head. "I received a report from the bridge of my Carrier. Help is on the way."
"But what about that Dominion Battlecruiser? We can't just ignore it," Miranda sent back tensely. She could see the Dominion ship gliding toward the Dire Wolf, intending to combine its turret fire with the Dire Wolf's.
"My Void Rays can slow down the Dominion vessel by targeting its engines," Azaru sent back. "And my Phoenix fighters will use their speed to strafe the turrets on the Dire Wolf. This entire battle hinges on us being able to board the Dire Wolf. I will what I can to achieve that goal."
"All right," Miranda responded. "Just give your men the word and let's hope for the best."
"I have already told them," Azaru sent back confidently. "Even though I am on board this Terran dropship, I can mentally give commands to my entire crew and I know the tactical data that they do. Such is the power of the Khala."
"I have to say that that trumps most human battlefield networking," Miranda commented. "Just make sure your boys give the enemy hell."
Another dropship succumbed to enemy fire, disintegrating from countless Battlecruiser turret bolts that tore into its armored hull. Still, a trio of silvery Void Ray craft floated quickly from the hangars of the Epiphany of Light and made a beeline for the Dominion Battlecruiser. Meanwhile, two dozen sleek Phoenix craft swarmed from the Carrier's hangars to join the ragged Hellhounds fighter screen, flying straight toward the looming Dire Wolf. The Dire Wolf's turrets came alive, pumping out vivid red laser bolts as fast as they could. Two unlucky Phoenixes exploded into blue fire and chunks of golden hull chunks, but the rest of them unleashed their ion cannons with devastating results. One turret after another melted into orange-red slag, and the rest of the turrets struggled to catch the Phoenixes that flew fast and low to the Battlecruiser's surface. The Phoenixes reached the end of the Dire Wolf and broke away, their strafing run complete.
Miranda scowled at her radar. "The enemy ships are regrouping!" she warned. "Check your sixes! Check – damn it!"
Multiple lock-on warnings popped onto Miranda's HUD, and she quickly slammed one hand onto the decoy button. Enemy Gemini missiles caught the decoys, peppering the space behind Miranda with explosions. Gritting her teeth, Miranda sent her Viking into a barrel roll, hoping that her wing mates could cover her. However, a single torpedo grazed Miranda's craft, and she bit back a cry as the explosion rattled her craft and flung it away. Miranda's Viking tumbled through empty space, its stabilizer jets fighting to get the craft back on track. Her ears ringing with warning sirens, Miranda checked her HUD: the lower right section of her Viking had taken the worst of the blow, her right engine port damaged severely. She could fly her craft straight for now, but as soon as her right engine port crapped out, she'd have trouble docking with the Fenris, let along dogfight.
"I've got your back!" Eagle Four called out on the comm. A few seconds later, a nearby enemy Viking vanished from Miranda's radar.
"The Dominion Battlecruiser's engines are offline," came Azaru's mental voice. "Its turrets are out of effective range to help the Dire Wolf. My Phoenixes will make one more strafing run on the Dire Wolf, then your dropships are on their own. I am losing Phoenixes faster than I expected."
"Very well," Miranda noted, guiding her Viking back to the dropships convoy. Three more dropships had been lost, leaving fourteen dropships operational out of the twenty that had launched from the Fenris. Meanwhile, the three Void Rays continued to hammer the Dominion Battlecruiser's stern with their thick, electric blue prismatic beams. Already, huge globs of molten neo-steel armor floated in the space behind the Battlecruiser, quickly cooling and hardening. The Battlecruiser was slowly creeping toward the Dire Wolf, propelled only by its momentum. Miranda knew that her men needed to board the Dire Wolf quickly and capture the bridge before Dominion reinforcements could arrive. The jamming signal would be eventually overcome, so Miranda's men were already on the clock.
The fourteen surviving dropships hung back, letting the remaining phoenix squadrons race back toward the Dire Wolf for another run. Once again, turret fire scattered throughout space, but this time, the turret fire was considerably lighter. A few more phoenixes vanished in blue fireballs from turret fire, but the other phoenixes slashed apart more turrets with their ion cannons, and when the squadrons soared away from the Dire Wolf, Miranda's mind was visited by the mental voice of the phoenix squad captain. "This is Khazuun of the phoenix division. My men have done all they can. Hellhounds, now is your best chance to board the Dire Wolf and confront the warriors within."
"Copy that. Good work," Miranda sent back, then spoke into the Hellhounds battle channel. "The Dire Wolf has had its fangs pulled. Dropships, get in there! We'll cover you."
Now that all fighters on board the Dire Wolf had been launched, the hangar bay doors started to slide closed. Quickly, the fourteen dropships fired up their thruster ports to maximum and shot forward on long jets of bluish flames. One by one, the dropships slipped in past the few remaining turrets on the Dire Wolf and glided into the hangars, although one damaged dropship's aft engine took a hit from a turret bolt. The engine exploded, throwing the dropships hopelessly off-course. Every nearby turret focused fire on the helpless dropship, pounding it into molten shreds.
Thirteen, then, Miranda thought tightly, but luckily, the last dropship hovered into the hangar by the time the hangar doors snapped shot. Pulling back her Viking, Miranda regrouped her wing and made a beeline for the Fenris. "All wings, regroup and head back. The boarding party will take care of things from this point on. Wish them luck."