"Aye, aye, Admiral."
Jace undid his harness, rising from his chair to stride toward the weapons locker.
"Maintain fire on those ships. Do not let up," Bechler ordered his people.
"Yes, sir."
Bechler met Jace at the locker a second later. "I have to say we've landed ourselves in quite the situation."
Jace helped himself to one of the cold weapons, strapping the sword to his waist before grabbing an X-ON pulse rifle and distributing it to the petty officer Bechler had pulled from the crew and tasked with defending the bridge.
"I did say I wanted their attention," Jace said calmly.
Bechler grimaced. "I would have been okay with a little less of it."
Jace plucked a few grenades from the locker, handing a couple to Bechler and the petty officer before keeping one for himself.
When humanity reached the stars, the use of hot weapons fell by the wayside. When one mistake could result in the loss of an entire crew, they turned back to the cold weapons of their distant past. Things like swords and knives.
Grenades and rifles were no longer the first choice. Except when the situation was dire and death a preferable alternative to capture.
If they had to use them, the bridge was the best place. The bulkheads around it were the strongest in the ship. It could withstand heavy weapons fire and a few blasts—Jace hoped.
Otherwise, their distraction attempt was going to be pitifully short-lived.
"Status on the planet infiltration team," Jace called.
"There’s a problem with the drop ship. It took heavy fire during entry," Ensign Velasquez answered Bechler cursed. "Please tell me this hasn't all been for nothing."
Unlike the captain, Jace retained his calm. Vast experience with Kira had taught him to never count the Phoenix out. That woman had a way of surprising you.
"Lieutenant Himoto and the Curs are en-route back to the ship," Velasquez reported. "The Phoenix and her party continued on. No word on their status though."
There, you see. Just as Jace said.
Knowing Kira, she and the rest were probably causing havoc down there. It was up to Jace and his people to do their part.
The ship shuddered under another barrage.
"The least they could do is give us a break while their own people are on board," Petty Officer Green grumbled.
Jace patted him on the shoulder. "That would imply they care about the lives of their boarding party."
They didn't. It was what made the Tsavitee such a difficult foe. Their principles were vastly different than a human's. They lacked even the most basic elements of empathy. It made them ruthless. Even to their own kind.
"How is my ship, Ensign?" Bechler asked.
Jace and the petty officer, along with two ensigns, moved to set up a blockade in the event the Tsavitee managed to breech the bridge.
"We're taking a beating. We've lost two cannons on the port side and another three launch tubes."
"Our fighters?"
Ensign Boone made a face. "A third are gone."
"What about the CSS Horizon?"
"Still in the fight."
That was something at least.
The ship groaned, shimmying a little from an explosion on the opposite side.
Bechler sent an uneasy glance at the walls. "We're not going to last much longer like this."
"We don't have to. Just long enough," Jace returned.
He was banking everything on this operation. His career. The future of the Consortium. His very life. Along with the rest of those who'd followed him in this mad plan.
They'd come this far. Might as well go the distance.
Jace had known this could be a one-way trip. So did the rest of his crew. But they'd come anyway in hopes that their sacrifice might make a difference.
Jace wouldn't spit on that by turning and running now.
"I can no longer reach the CSS Lawrence. They’ve gone dark."
Bechler and Jace shared a look.
"Think they were destroyed?" Bechler asked.
"I hope not."
Shepperd was a good man. A brilliant leader. It would be a pity to lose him here.
"Sir! We have reports from the brig. They've lost the general and are requesting backup."
Bechler growled. "I told you it was a mistake to let that thing on board."
"Our priority right now is the ship. Tell them to focus on defense," Jace ordered.
When Kira returned—and she was going to return—she wouldn't be happy to find her prisoner gone. Jace couldn't worry about that for now. The survival of he and his crew were the only things on his mind.
Action on the bridge came to a halt as the distant sounds of fighting filtered through the ship. The petty officers and ensigns shot uncertain looks toward the hatch.
"Green, get me eyes out there," Jace ordered as Bechler took control of the space battle.
Petty Officer Green accessed the ship’s cameras. "They're heading in this direction. The QRT took heavy losses. I don't think they'll be able to hold them."
"Time to seal off the bridge," Jace said.
The petty officers stood by as Jace triggered a lockdown. The hatch to the bridge sealed. When it was fully shut, Green slapped a small incendiary device to the edge. It flashed, melting the metal together.
"I'd like to see them get through that," Green said smugly.
"They will. There's no doubt of that," Jace answered.
It was how they'd lost so many ships during the war. The ones the Tsavitee didn't shred were taken from the inside. Any crew captured was subjected to horrific torture at the hands of the enemy.
Banging came from the other side of the hatch.
Bechler left the problem of the boarding party to Jace as he focused on calling out orders to those still operating the ship.
"When they breech, plug the hole with their bodies," Jace instructed the four crew members with him. "Once they're inside, switch to cold weapons as much as possible. We don't want friendly fire."
If their systems went down, the Reliance would be next. While a self-destruct wasn't out of the question, Jace would prefer to save it as a last resort.
"Aye, aye, sir," his team responded.
There was a loud boom from the outside.
"Here they come," Green muttered.
Jace unsheathed his sword in preparation as the others trained their rifles on the door.
"I can't believe this is happening," someone murmured.
The smell of metal being melted came as a spot the size of a fist turned red hot. A second later a spear penetrated the softened metal. It acted as a grappling hook, barbs popping out to embed in the hatch. Metal screamed as it pulled tight.
The hatch bent outward. A little at first. Then more and more before the grappling hook ripped free, taking a giant hunk of the hatch with it.
"They're through. Prepare for contact," Jace ordered.
The sound that came from the other side was a spine tingling reminder of other battles. The war cry that followed might as well have been a call to arms as demons and cannon fodder poured through the hole.
"Fire!" Jace shouted.