Hard Nova Read online

  The Terran Union command carrier Independence took the first wave of missiles on one flank. She was designed to take a beating, and a beating she did take. They exploded in incandescent waves of titanium white. One entire ship bay was sheared off, and damage control struggled to keep the ship alive.

  All through low orbit, the Terran Union had held the Qin. Held them at every thrust, every probe, every line. But now came a terrible blow from where they least expected it. The planet itself.

  Flight Commander Jakob Whistler fled from the wreck of the North. He’d barely managed to make it off before one of the missiles struck the light carrier. On one side, he had a battered fighter covering him, and on the other, Lieutenant Waino Heikonen in the only other bomber that had made it out.

  “Here it is, kid,” Jakob said. “We’re gonna tag team one of the big bastards and then make for the Independence. Got it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Jakob tapped out a dozen keys and watched as the route plotted. Satisfied, he sent it along to Lieutenant Heikonen.

  The path took them from one wreck to the next. The battle line where the two fleets met was a mass of torn steel and smoldering reactors. Perfect cover for a bomber.

  Just before he gave the order to engage, Jakob took it all in. Lances of railgun fire stitched through the sky. Missiles slung out from the Terran Union ships and hammered into alien hulls. Arc cannons and batteries of fusion pods responded with pure violence.

  He’d been in enough fights to know that they had given it as good as they’d gotten it. But with the missiles…they’d be done soon enough.

  “All right, kid. Let’s roll.”

  Jakob tapped the key and felt the thrust on his spine.

  The little bombers darted into the cover of a shredded Qin destroyer and passed out through a ring of glowing steel. They shot across a gap and glided just over the armored hull of the heavy cruiser Frank Wild.

  The Wild sent out another barrage with her railguns. Jakob banked his bomber and broke free of the program.

  A second later, more fire came in from his Qin target.

  “Go free, kid!”

  More fire shot out. The bomber danced in and out. Jakob sweated at the controls and focused on the route. He glanced up to check his escort and saw the fighter leave and engage a Qin interceptor. One more glance. Heikonen was still in place.

  “Go hot! Prime the pin!” Jakob called. His fingers sweated. Beads of perspiration rolled down off his forehead and onto his gravity suit.

  The bomber flew and punched across the final gap. The firing line where the only things alive were the weapons that crossed it. Railguns tore through space and pummeled into the Qin ships on the opposite side, while they responded in kind with the devastating fusion pods.

  In a moment, the flak opened up.

  Jakob hit the boosters and felt gravity take its course. No chance now.

  The flak struck one side of his wounded bomber and detonated what was left of his fuel supply. Burning plasma expanded along the length of bomber. The ejection seat flung him out with a velocity far beyond what any human could withstand.

  Jakob flew in the one direction that, as luck would have it, had no flak.

  He regained consciousness just in time to watch Lieutenant Waino Heikonen complete his bombing run. The armor-busting bomb drifted down and touched the hull, and it was like a sunburst went off.

  The Qin heavy cruiser split open down the center.

  Jakob sighed loudly and watched the show. If nothing else, he’d die watching the most epic fleet battle in history.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Gavin slid down a snowbank and sprinted out from the cover of the wreckage. The chill air blasted over the glacier. He shielded his face as his eyes watered. The sun had just set. The air dropped into a nighttime chill.

  Then he stopped and stared straight up. Stars danced above him. It took a second for him to realize they weren’t stars but ships. It was a silent duel above, two lines locked into battle. From the ground it appeared to be flat, just two dimensions. Lances of light flared silently between them. Explosions flared out.

  It felt surreal to watch all the violence and hear not a sound.

  Rob came out just behind. He gave one glance up and grinned. “Come on!”

  Gavin turned and saw Rob cracking emergency glow sticks. The lighted batons glowed a bright green and flashed a steady tone. He rushed over and grabbed a handful.

  The two men made a large circle with the lights. Then Gavin set out and made sure an incoming path was safe. Rob walked behind and marked out a straight line where it was clear of crevasses.

  “It’s off!” Jack yelled. He stumbled through the drifts with Vince at his side. He looked up excitedly with a wide grin on his face. “It worked!”

  Gavin cupped his hands and yelled back. “Good work! How do you know?”

  Jack pointed up behind him. A thin wisp of smoke drifted up from a comms array.

  Rob jogged up to Gavin. “The Coalition forces will find this, I know they will.”

  Gavin started walking back toward the others. He didn’t want to just stand out and wait like a dumb tourist. “We’ll stick in cover until the dropship comes in.”

  “You need to tell them we have to go to Qin command,” Rob stated.

  Gavin stopped and faced Rob. “Are you sure about this? That must be the most defended location on the whole planet.”

  “But it’s not, not at all. It’s impenetrable, not by defense but by depth. The only way in is by submersible.”

  Gavin glanced up. Time was running out. How long could the fleet hold out? “You can get us in?”

  “Yes.”

  “You swear?”

  “I swear it to you as my brother.”

  Gavin stared hard at Rob’s face. A part of him just wanted to get into orbit, to get safe, to get away. But it wasn’t safe. And he couldn’t get away. Not there. Either he fled to space and died in orbit, or he tried to win it on the ground. “All right.”

  Rob grinned and slapped Gavin on the arm. “This is the dawn of a new day.”

  Onna called out, “We’re ready!

  “Let’s go,” Gavin said. He ran toward the wreck and pulled out his pistol.

  “Gavi…can I call you Gavi?”

  “Sure.” Gavin hadn’t had anyone call him that in nearly twenty years.

  “If the Coalition forces arrive, things will get messy. I have my own troops with them.”

  Gavin crouched down and entered the edge of the wreck. Jack stood next to Onna and Vince. Cross huddled in the back with his arms wrapped tight to his chest, a frown on his face. They stared out into the darkening sky. “Get ready, stay clear. Once the rescue boats are down, I’ll give word and you all come out.”

  “I—“ Rob started to speak.

  Gavin pointed his finger at him. “You are going to stay right here until I tell them we have a Coalition soldier, otherwise they’ll just shoot and wonder about it later. Got it?”

  Rob nodded quickly. “Got it.”

  They all stared out into the darkness and watched the dancing lights in the sky.

  “You hear that?” Vince said. He cocked his head and stepped forward. “I hear them.”

  Gavin strained to listen. Then he heard it, a far-off rushing of air and the whine of turbines. “It’s TU. Rob, stick with Jack, get him in safe when I signal.”

  A massive sound roared past and a group of black shapes shot by. Gavin ran out and turned; the barest of blue glows was visible from the tails of the TU Furys. He’d know that sight anywhere; they were always angels on his shoulder.

  A louder turbine hummed and whined. It grew louder every second. Three dark shapes dodged through the mountains and dropped down, just meters off the icy glacier.

  Gavin raised both of his hands over his head. One hand was open, the other a closed fist. It meant safe for now, but hostiles inbound.

  The three dropships swooped closer in unison, as if all piloted together. T
he two on the outer edges hovered. A heavy-weapons gunner leaned out and swung the barrel of a rotary cannon outside. The center dropship gently touched down onto the glacier and bounced.

  Gavin watched. He knew the pilot was testing the landing, if it would hold his load.

  Finally the center dropship landed; the snow hissed on the runners. It was almost the exact same model that Gavin had come down to the planet on.

  He ran up to the dropship and held his hands up. They’d be itchy to shoot. He sure would be if he was in their shoes.

  The doors opened and a dozen spec ops soldiers rushed out. All but one spread out away from the dropship. They didn’t halt until they were in cover. They all wore light body armor with a flexible exoskeleton that made each joint bulky. On their backs were power packs. The wielded a variety of weapons, ranging from assault shotguns to a heavy-barreled autocannon.

  One soldier stood before Gavin and saluted. “I’m Captain Lopez. You Gavin McCloud?”

  Gavin returned the salute. “Yes, sir. I’ve got a Coalition defector with me. Instruct your troops not to shoot, please. And two wrecked naval crew.”

  The spec ops officer spoke into his mic and informed his team. Then he looked at Gavin. “Get them moving and now. It won’t be long till the Coalition know we’re here.”

  Gavin turned and waved. “Move!”

  The others ran out from the cover of the wrecked Mackinac. Jack and Rob helped Cross, the sniper limped along.

  A starship burst above them and momentarily lit up the entire glacier. Even miles up, the blast was amazing.

  “I hope we’ve got a ship to land on,” Lopez said as he watched the debris spread.

  “We’re not headed there, Captain. Once we’re airborne, I need get in contact with the Sky Marshall. We can get the orbital defenses back online.”

  “Outstanding,” Lopez said. Then he snapped his head up and pointed at the horizon. “Cover!”

  Three Furys flashed overhead with full afterburners on. They opened fire a split second later. One dissolved under the blast of an arc cannon, and the other two disappeared.

  Gavin sprinted back toward the Mackinac. Already the others moved away. The outer two dropships gained speed, ropes dropped, and the rest of the spec ops teams rappelled down. The center dropship picked up a meter off the ground and barreled right toward the Mackinac.

  The outer dropship exploded in a ball of flame. It slid sideways and crumbled apart as it struck the glacier.

  Gavin pumped his arms and ran. Lopez kept pace and barked orders into his comm set.

  Six Coalition dropships suddenly dropped cloak and slammed down onto the glacier. The nearest was right in between Gavin and the rest of the soldiers. The armored door opened and the Coalition troops attacked.

  Lopez kneeled down and opened fire. His assault rifle sent a dozen rounds out; they smacked into the advancing troops without much effect. “Go, go!” He pushed Gavin away.

  Gavin sprinted back toward the TU dropship. It lurched up and bounced, and a rocket connected square into the cockpit. It shrugged off the blow, but the second rocket punched through.

  The dropship exploded and blasted Gavin backward. He flew a dozen meters and skidded onto the ice.

  The Coalition troops were blistering fast. They sprinted in long leaps while firing at the same moment. The spec ops teams raced for cover and returned fire as best they could.

  Gavin gasped for breath. He pulled out the pistol and tried to sit up.

  An armored suit loomed in front of him. A round ricocheted off the front armor plate and the soldier paid it no mind. He pointed the barrel of his fusion rifle right at Gavin. “Your sister sends her regards.”

  Jack looked back at the burning dropship.

  “Move, you idiot!” Rob shouted. He yanked on Jack’s arm. “Run!”

  Vince and Onna ran ahead, with Cross at their side. They made it to a chunk of the Mackinac’s armor and took shelter next to a team of spec ops soldiers.

  “This way!” Rob said. He pulled Jack away, and the two ran for the main body of the ship.

  A Coalition dropship rumbled past. At the same moment, six soldiers leaped out from a side door.

  Rob grunted and pushed Jack down a slope.

  Jack rolled to the bottom. He smacked up against a beam and groaned. Rob rushed past and yanked his arm. “Get up!”

  “The others,” Jack said. He ran, not to keep up with Rob, but so his arm wasn’t yanked out of the socket.

  “Only you and Gavin are essential, now move!” Rob yelled.

  They ran through what was the dorm and dropped down a level. Rob took a second to get his bearings. “This way!”

  Rob ran toward a dark hall. Jack stopped where he was.

  “Slow down, I can’t keep up!” Jack said. “I’m sore, tired, I haven’t slept well in two weeks, and I’m sick of people yanking me from one place to the next!”

  Rob stomped back three steps and punched Jack right in the stomach.

  Jack heaved over and let out a massive “Oooooof”.

  “Shut up,” Rob said. He wrenched the locksmith’s arm and tugged him further into the darkness.

  They crouched through a part of the hull that had nearly collapsed. Rob pushed Jack ahead, and the pair scrambled on their hands and knees. Then through the darkness came the wink of stars; they were about to climb out on top.

  The sound of a raging battle roared out. Furys zipped past with Qin interceptors just behind. An explosion suddenly lit up the sky, and then it was dark again.

  Rob grunted and yanked Jack along the edge of the hull.

  A dropship swooped down and stopped just before them. The door swung open and six armored soldiers stepped out.

  “Oh shit,” Jack said.

  Rob pushed Jack backward. “Don’t get up.”

  Jack plopped down on his ass. He started to scramble backward toward the darkness.

  “Robert McCloud, you’re under arrest!”

  Rob suddenly leaped ahead half a dozen meters and slammed his pistol in the neck joint of the nearest suit. He fired two shots. A second soldier raised a weapon, and he fired into the neck of that one too. Every movement was fluid, perfect, and faster than any normal human being.

  Jack stopped crawling backward and watched, stunned.

  One of the Coalition soldiers fired on the others. Rob worked in unison with that one soldier until only they stood. Rob sprinted and leaped into the door of the dropship. Gunfire illuminated the cockpit, and a second later a corpse flew out the side.

  Rob called out, “Victor, go get him.”

  The Coalition soldier walked up to Jack and pulled him to his feet. “Let’s go.”

  Jack struggled to stay on his feet. The soldier squeezed his arm tight and almost tossed him up into the dropship. “Hey, easy now!”

  The soldier leaped up with ease and locked himself in on the side of the door. He flipped up his face mask and yelled up front: “Clear!”

  “Hold on,” Rob called from the pilot’s capsule.

  Jack latched on to a cargo support just as the dropship swooped to one side. He clenched his eyes and then snapped them open. This time, if he was going to his death, he decided to watch.

  Rob punched the engines and the stout craft drifted upward and cleared the armored flank of the Mackinac. On the other side, the battle raged. The surviving TU spec ops teams were clustered on one side of the wreck. Two other dropships burned, the third was missing.

  Jack looked down through the door and saw Gavin lying on the ground, an armored soldier standing above him. “There he is!”

  The dropship fell like a stone. The fusion drives hummed and shook, and at the very last moment the jets boosted.

  Jack couldn’t help but scream like a girl.

  Rob spun the nose and pointed the ship-mounted arc cannon right at Gavin. The soldier standing over him beckoned, commanding them closer.

  “It’s Davos,” Victor called.

  “Bastard,” Rob said.
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br />   The arc cannon fired a single round. The electric-bright bolt blasted through the armored suit. Gavin scrambled up onto his feet and dove away from the smoldering corpse. The dropship spun and fired on another Qin dropship.

  At that, the momentum of the fight changed. The spec ops troops surged out from the wreckage and used that moment to silence the last of the Coalition troops. None of the elite troops surrendered; instead, they hid in the wreckage and fought until the spec ops silenced them with grenades.

  Gavin climbed up into the dropship and smiled at Jack. He stood straight and gave a quick nod at Victor.

  “That’s Commander Victor Wolf,” Rob called. “I saved your ass, Gavi! Now get ready, we’re leaving.”

  Gavin grinned back and slapped Rob on the shoulder.

  The dropship started to lift off.

  “Wait,” Gavin called.

  Cross ran up with a spec ops soldier at his side. Captain Lopez held his weapon and a sniper rifle in the other hand. Gavin leaned out and helped both of them into the dropship.

  The men spread out inside of the Qin-designed dropship. Cross clutched the sniper rifle tight to his chest and used it to help steady himself.

  “Clear! Let’s roll!” Gavin called.

  Jack sat up and looked at Rob. Something’s not right. Well, I’m not his brother. And he did save my ass…

  Captain Lopez looked warily at Victor. “McCloud, command is going wild. You better tell them why I disobeyed a direct order to get you the hell out of here.”

  The dropship boosted up and shot off into the darkness. The only thing lighting its way was the rising flames of the Qin missiles breaching from the ocean.

  ####

  Kane ran past the maintenance crews and struggled to breathe through the oxygen mask. For the hundredth time he had to remind himself it was real. Gavin was alive. Rob was alive.

  The ceilings were stained black. Damage control teams rushed out to different parts of the ship. Panels were pulled away and burnt wires and hoses spilled out, like the ship was disemboweled. They’d survived an orbit under the heavy fire of the Qin submerged missiles. The fleet pulled back and dropped as low as they could into the atmosphere. The Qin fleet kept pushing on them, trying to drive them back where the missiles could reach them.