Kyle Katarn: The Rise & Fall
Book 1: Rise of a Hero
Part 2
Chapter 24: Mad Dash Over Ergo
A/N: So, let's see. Last time, Wexter and Kyle had arrived at Planet Ergo and found the trail of the smuggler ship. When we left things, they were diving on the base, hoping to disguise their approach. But no such luck. Well, here in chapter 3, we'll see what happens when you get detected approaching the bad guy base. Strap in, and let's fly!
Planet Ergo
Emerging from the remnants of the fireball created by their headlong descent, the Moldy Crow came into full view, engines and repulsors firing as the ship leveled off somewhat, but still descending towards the surface.
Inside the cockpit, the temperature had finally started to decrease, although the two men inside would've preferred it much cooler.
"Kyle?"
"Yeah?"
"The next time I fly for you, can we skip the sauna bath?" Wexter said as he used his sleeve to wipe at the sweat on his face.
"No promises," Kyle chided. "What's our descent rate?"
"We're coming through 30,000 feet," Wexter replied, checking his instruments, "descending about 100 feet per minute."
"Sounds good," Kyle said, using his shirt to blot the sweat off of his face. "Continue descent. As soon as we find the base, we'll need to come in hot and fast."
"Considering how it feels in here, I'd say we got the hot part taken care of already," said Wexter. "You got anything on the radar?"
Kyle checked the display, shook his head.
"Nothing yet."
Wexter held the Crow steady as they flew lower, descending through twenty thousand feet, fifteen thousand.
Alternating between checking outside and the radar, Kyle didn't see it at first.
"We're passing 10,000 feet," Wexter said.
Kyle didn't respond, thinking, where is the base? We're low enough that we should at least be detecting energy emissions.
As he turned back to the radar screen, Kyle saw it. A single blip had appeared at the very edge of the display.
"Hold on," he said, "I think I'm getting something."
Focusing on the radar, he watched as the blip moved a fractional distance from the edge of the screen.
"Confirmed. Radar is picking up something."
"Why don't you process the signal through the scanner array?" Wexter suggested.
"Oh sure," Kyle said sarcastically, "that'll work. As long as you don't think they'll pick up an active scan."
There was a moment's pause, then, "On the other hand, we could just wait until the signal grows stronger.
Kyle said nothing, sparing the older man further embarrassment.
As they flew on, the dot continued to move towards the center of the radar display, the blip growing brighter.
"Passing 8000 feet," Wexter called.
Eyes glued to the display, Kyle sucked in a breath as a corona of light suddenly emerged from the blip. He cursed.
"What?"
"You want the good news or the bad news?"
"Good news first."
"Well, I can now positively say we're tracking the base."
"And the bad news?" Wexter asked tentatively.
"The reason I know for sure is we've just been scanned."
"Blast!"
"My sentiments exactly," Kyle said.
"So what do we do?"
Kyle didn't reply right away. He hadn't counted on the base detecting their approach. Even still, what choice was there but to continue?
"We go on," he finally said, "as soon as we have visual on the base, we find a landing spot quick and you get out of here."
"Can I say how much I don't like that plan?"
"No," Kyle replied.
"Okay."
They traveled in silence for a few minutes, looking out both sides of the craft for any sign of the base.
"Hold on," Wexter called, "I'm looking… there! I see it!"
"Where?" Kyle said.
"Just ahead and off to the right," the older man replied.
Turning to look that way, Kyle spotted the structure. "That's it."
"You think?" Wexter said sarcastically, "It's the only building around."
"Funny," Kyle said, smiling briefly. "Okay, let's look for a good landing spot."
The smuggler base was a hodgepodge of new and old. The largest structure was a squarish building of a color only slightly deeper than the surrounding terrain. All around the perimeter were curved openings shaped like an inverted "U". The walls rose for two stories, terminating in a square capstone. Placed almost haphazardly around it were about a half dozen pre-fab rectangular one-story buildings.
"I think I see something," said Wexter.
"Where?"
The older man pointed. "There, the west side of the main building."
Looking over Wexter's head, it took Kyle a moment to see it.
"It looks like some kind of courtyard."
"I was thinking the same thing," Wexter said.
The flat area they were seeing was comprised of the same material as the building it adjoined. Rows of flat stones stretched out, forming the perfect landing spot.
"Take us in," Kyle said.
Wexter moved to adjust the controls just as the proximity warning began to sound.
"What the…"
Looking down at his radar display, Kyle was the first to see them.
"We've got incoming! Pull out!"
Not seeing any immediate danger, Wexter did hear the urgency in Kyle's voice. He pulled back on the engines and fed more power to the repulsors. As the Crow slowed even more, he yanked the control stick to the left and pushed the throttles forward. The Crow leapt forward, angling away from the smuggler base. A second later, laser fire sliced into the space they were just in. Wexter turned to the left just in time to see three Z-95 Headhunters rocket past.
"I thought you said this would be a simple insertion!"
"So I was wrong!" Kyle retorted, "Sue me. Better yet, get us out of here, then sue me."
Cockpit of Z-95 Gamma One
"Blast it! We missed!"
"Calm down, Gamma Three," said the lead Z-95 pilot, "they just got lucky. Now, let's bring 'em around and try again."
"Roger Gamma One," answered the pilot of the second Z-95.
Coming around in a wide arc, the Headhunters moved back towards the Crow, which had executed its own turn and was climbing back into the sky.
"They're trying to escape," said Gamma One, "let's get after them. Fire as soon as you have a clear target."
"Acknowledged," said Gamma Two
"They won't get far," replied Gamma Three.
Accelerating, the trio of Z-95 moved up behind the fleeing Moldy Crow.
Crimson beams of light began to reach out, some missing, others striking the shields, making them flare brightly with each new hit.
Moldy Crow
Kyle felt the cockpit jolt as the Crow was hit again.
This isn't working. Those Z-95 are too fast for us.
"Shields are at 70!" he called to Wexter, just as the ship was hit again, "make that 67."
"Kyle?"
"Yeah?"
"Now can I say that this was a bad plan?"
"No!"
Smuggler Base
Tactical Room
"We're receiving a transmission from the Z-95s," said Axon, listening through a pair of headphones.
"What is it?" asked Frenden.
Axon listened for a moment more, then slid the headphones down onto his neck.
"Gamma One reports they don't recognize the ship, but it was definitely heading for the base. It evaded their initial attack and now appears to be trying to escape."
"I see." So he had been right.
Placing the headphones back on his head, Axon listened as a second transmission came in, then turned to Frenden.
"Gamma One is requesting instructions."
It took only a moment for Frenden to decide.
"Order him to disable the ship if possible. Whoever they are, they went to a lot of trouble to try and disguise their approach. I'd like to know why."
"And if he can't disable it?" Axon asked.
"Then he is to destroy the ship rather than let it escape."
"Okay," Axon replied, placing the headphones back on his head. Keying the "Transmit" button, he relayed the smuggler chief's orders.
Moldy Crow
The Crow was shaking with increasing regularity as more laser strikes threatened to overload the shields.
We need to do something, Kyle thought, now.
"Wait a minute!" Wexter said, snapping his fingers. "I think I have an idea."
"If it has to do with keeping us alive, I'm all ears," said Kyle, "shields are at 47 and falling."
"It's a maneuver my uncle taught us years ago. He said it was the perfect evasion technique."
"We've got nothing to lose," Kyle replied, "let's try it."
"Okay," Wexter said, rubbing his hand together in anticipation. "But before we begin, you should strap in, tight."
"Why?"
"You'll see."
Unsure of what his companion, Kyle nevertheless checked his harness, tightening it as much as he could.
The Crow began to slow as Wexter pulled back on the throttles. At the same time, Kyle heard the repulsors kick in.
"Um… Wexter? Slowing down is only going to make us an easier target for them."
"I know," the older man shot back, "we need them to get closer." He studied his radar display, watching as the three dots representing the Z-95s drew closer.
The Crow continued to be buffeted by multiple laser hits. Kyle watched the shield display ticking down, 32, 27, 22, 18."
In the forward cockpit, Wexter was talking to himself. "Almost, almost. Just a little closer… NOW!"
Surface and sky exchanged places as Wexter slammed the control stick to the right, rolling the Crow onto it back.
But before Kyle could get used to that, he felt sudden pressure pressing him back into his seat as the Crow leapt forward, engines roaring confidently. Holding the stick in both hands, Wexter pulled it back, effectively dropping the nose towards the ground.
Kyle felt the weight on his chest increase, making it impossible to move as the Crow rocketed towards the ground. Five seconds later, the pressure shifted to his side as Wexter pushed the stick to the left, rotating the ship 180 degrees. It wasn't until he felt the pressure of the floor against his feet that Kyle realized the nose was coming back up, Wexter pulling back on engine power and using the repulsors to arrest the descent and complete the final part of the maneuver.
As they leveled out, Wexter cut power to the repulsors and shoved the throttles forward. The Crow responded, the sound of the engines winding up like a high-pitched scream accompanied by a resounding "BOOM" as the vessel rocketed ahead on a column of blue fire.
Cockpit of Gamma One
"Stay on him!" called Gamma One, "the boss wants him disabled if possible."
"Roger," said Gamma Two.
"Whatever," replied Gamma Three.
The pilot shook his head. Gamma Three's insubordination was becoming a real problem.
If the jerk wasn't such a good pilot, I'd…
Pausing in his thoughts, he made himself take a deep, cleansing breath,
Okay, he thought, calm down. Let's take care of the immediate situation. Once we can get back to base, I can deal with Gamma Three.
"Gamma One, this is Gamma Two. Something's happening. That ship just went inverted."
The pilot peered out his windscreen, eyes widening a bit as he confirmed that the ship they were pursuing was indeed, flying inverted. It was also slowing, which didn't make much sense.
Oh well, he thought, shrugging, they want to commit suicide, we can oblige them.
"Gamma Two, Gamma Three, the ship appears to be slowing down. Concentrate your fire on its engines. If we can penetrate the shields, we can disable him."
"Affirmative," called Gamma Two.
"Now that's more like it!" said Gamma Three.
All three ships opened fire, lasers converging on a spot right behind the engines. The shields deflected their blasts, but Gamma One knew it would hold up only so long under concentrated fire.
Suddenly, the ship's engines gave off a brighter glow as it began to move forward, accelerating.
Before the pilot could call his wingmen, the ship's nose came down and it dropped out of the sky, the Z-95 flashing past the space where it had been just a moment ago.
Gamma One turned to look behind as the ship turned in mid-air, it's nose coming up as it leveled off. A loud "BOOM" echoed in the air as the ship rocketed away.
"Gamma One, this is Gamma Two. Did you see that?"
"I did indeed, Gamma Two. Whoever's piloting that thing is either very good or very crazy." Or both, he thought.
"Do we pursue?" asked Gamma Two.
"Of course we do, you idiot," said Gamma Three. "Or are you going to let a simple trick like that rattle you? Maybe you should go back to base and hide under the bed."
As the most junior member of the squadron, the pilot of Gamma Two had been the target of Gamma Three's jibes and insults for over a month. And so far, he had endured it all. But right now, Gamma One need the two of them focused on stopping that ship.
"That's enough, Gamma Three! Give it a rest!"
Fortunately, the other pilot did not reply.
"All right then. Both of you assume pursuit course and follow me. We'll try once more to disable the ship. After that, we destroy it."
"Acknowledged," said Gamma Two.
"Right," said Gamma Three.
Bringing their ships around, the Z-95 fired the engines, accelerating after the ship.
Cockpit of Moldy Crow
As the Crow sliced through the air, the terrain outside a blur, Kyle found himself able to move again. His chest ached slightly as he took a deep breath. Leaning forward, he called to Wexter, "what in the universe was that?"
"A reverse Immelmann," came the reply, "it's a maneuver designed to evade and confuse pursuing vessels."
"Well I think it worked," Kyle said, glancing out both sides of the ship and seeing no sign of the Z-95s. "Well, I'd say landing near the base is out of the question. You see any ground cover we could use?"
"Maybe," said Wexter, scanning the terrain below them. "There a few stands of trees we might be able to hide in."
But as he looked back up, two things caught his eye. "Uh oh."
"What?" Kyle asked, still focused on the terrain.
"You want the bad news or the worse news?"
Kyle started to reply, but then noticed his radar display and the three dots moving towards them.
"Is that…?" he asked.
"Yep," replied Wexter, "those Z-95 are back on our tail."
"I'm guessing that's the bad news," Kyle said, "So what's the worse news?"
"It's ahead of us," Wexter said, "take a look."
Kyle did so and spotted the problem. Still several miles ahead but drawing steadily closer, was a mass of ugly gray and black clouds.
"A thunderstorm?"
"Looks like it," Wexter replied.
We're in trouble here, Kyle thought, those Z-95 will catch up to us eventually. Even if we headed for space right now, we might not make it. There's got to be something we can do, something to level the playing field.
The idea came in a flash. He called to the pilot. "Fly us into that storm, Wexter."
"What!" the older man exclaimed, not believing what he had heard, "are you crazy?"
"Depends on who you ask," said Kyle. "But listen to me for a second. Those Z-95 will be a lot more vulnerable in that storm than us. If they see us go in, they might not follow."
Wexter gave it some thought, then asked, "What if they do?"
"Then we'll come up with something else. Besides, you got a better idea?"
"No, I don't," said Wexter, "but this is still crazy."
Despite his misgivings, he guided the Crow towards the growing storm, using what power was available to charge the shields. They were going to need them.
Cockpit of Gamma One
"Go ahead, Gamma Two."
"Lead, the ship is changing course."
"Brilliant observation!" said Gamma Three, "I guess you think we can't see this."
Gamma One was about to say something, but the pilot of Gamma Two beat him to it.
"Well, since you haven't noticed we're headed right into a storm, yes."
Gamma One had noticed the storm as well. As they drew closer, he used the Headhunter's scanner array to examine it. What he saw was not encouraging.
"Are they nuts?" said Gamma Two.
"Maybe," said Gamma Three, his voice quieter, contemplative. "And maybe they're hoping to lose us by heading in there."
"What do we do, Gamma One?" asked Gamma Two.
The pilot took a moment to consider his options and examine the readings in his cockpit. At their current speed, the other ship would be well into the storm before they were able to catch up. There was a way to make the ships go faster, but doing so was risky. And according to his readings, the storm was a dangerous one, a super cell, which meant treacherous winds and lots of lightning.
At the same time, if he returned to base having let the ship escape, Frenden would not be happy.
Choosing the lesser of two evils, Gamma One issued his commands.
"All right, we need to catch up to that ship right now, before it enters the storm. Everyone, cut power to your shields and transfer it into the engines."
"Oh yeah!" Gamma Three exclaimed, "great idea! And what happens if one of us takes a lightning strike?"
"It won't be as bad as explaining to the boss that we lost the ship," retorted Gamma One. "Now, move it!"
Gamma One reduced his shield power to zero then transferred the energy into the engines.
The crimson glow from the Z-95s engines got brighter and with the scream of fresh power, all three ships leapt ahead, quickly closing the distance between them and the other ship.
Cockpit of Moldy Crow
"Whoa!" Kyle cried, "what the…?"
"What is it?" Wexter asked.
"I'm not sure. But I think those Z-95 must have done something to their engines. They're closing on us, fast."
"How fast?"
The Crow rocked, shields flaring.
"That fast," Kyle said.
Cockpit of Gamma One
The pilot watched in satisfaction as his wings renewed laser fire began to weaken the shields of the other ship.
"Keep it up!" he called to his wingmen.
The other ship tried a number of evasive maneuvers. But being more nimble, the Z-95s matched it move for move.
"Lead?"
"Not now, Gamma Two. Keep firing."
There was a pause, then, "Lead, I think…"
"I said, not now, Gamma Two. We need to focus on that ship."
"You heard the commander," chimed in Gamma Three.
"But Lead! The storm!"
His concentration solely on the fleeing ship, Gamma One hadn't realized that all the maneuvers it had pulled did have one effect he hadn't anticipated. It had drawn them closer to the storm, far closer than he wanted to be.
The pilot let out a brief curse before screaming, "All ships! Transfer power back to your shields! Now, before…"
Moving as quickly as they could, all three pilots struggled to reactivate their shields. But for one of them, it was already too late.
It was Gamma Three who saw it. In the space of a heartbeat, a single, bright white, deadly white streak of lightning reached from the mottled sky and touched the hull of Gamma Two's ship.
The pilot's world went white, forcing him to shield his eyes even as he fought to get his shields back online. A second later, his whole ship trembled, then shook as the two starboard engines exploded.
Gamma One saw the explosion as well.
"Gamma Two," he called, "are you…"
"I'm hit! I'm hit!" came back the frantic cry, "I've lost two of my engines. Port ones are overcompensating. I…"
A burst of static came as the Z-95, port engines still firing at full power, began to spin wildly. Tumbling, it fell towards the ground.
"Two!" cried Gamma One "cut your engines and engage repulsorlifts. Now, before…"
There was one final burst of static accompanied by a bright flash visible in the dark sky.
"He's gone, Gamma One."
"I know, Gamma Three."
"What do we do now?"
"Do you still have the enemy ship?"
"Negative Lead. I lost him while I was getting my shields back up."
"As did I. And searching around in this storm is too risky. Let's get out of here before one of us takes a strike. We'll check back as soon as the storm is over.
"Assuming we're able to find anything, "said Gamma Three. "It's wild enough in here that they might not make it."
The Moldy Crow
The ship was shaking continually now, bounced about in the wild winds of the storm.
If not for their safety harnesses, both men would have been thrown about the cockpit. As it was, they were still being knocked about even as Wexter fought to stabilize the ship.
"Any sign of the Z-95?" he asked.
"Negative," Kyle replied, "scanner's clear."
"Good," said Wexter, "'cause this storm's really bouncing us around."
"Tell me about it," said Kyle, "any chance we can pull out of this?"
"It's taking everything I've got just to keep us in the air. We might…"
Everything went white as a bolt of lightning crashed against the Crow's shields.
Both men covered their eyes until the flash faded away.
As it did, Wexter glanced with horror at his panel.
"We've lost shields!"
Before Kyle could reply, another bolt of lighting struck the ship.
"We're hit!" Wexter cried, "Engines are out!"
And with all the grace of a brick, the Moldy Crow began to fall out of the sky, smoke trailing from its engines.
And on that wonderful cliffhanger,
I shall bring to an end Part 2 of Book 1 of Kyle Katarn: The Rise & Fall
Part 3 will be up soon!