War Angel: part seventy-eight

“Okay, so we get onboard and spread the bug. Then what? No way we can manufacture enough to take out the entire ship quickly.”

“You’re right, Richard, but we don’t have to. We just have to get it to strategic spots. The bridge. The infirmary. The kitchen. We just need to get the ball rolling so we can escape.” Jack smiled. “If we’re to have any chance of saving the damn planet, we have to knock that ship out.”

“Sure, I think we all get that,” Gina chimed in. “But how? Even if we kill everyone on that ship, the Omegans will just crew it with others. And then they’ll probably open fire on Earth with it.”

“No question,” Jack replied, “We have to destroy that ship. Completely.”

“Once again, I hate to be a killjoy, but even as good as our weapons are, they won’t make a dent in the RGC, Jack. That hull is just too strong. It’ll take something a lot stronger than what we have to break it.”

The War Angel’s captain let out a laugh. “Oh, I know. But there is a weak spot that we can exploit. It won’t be easy, and the risk is completely ludicrous. On the bright side, they will be completely unprepared for it.” He wiped his hand across his brow, moving sweat away from his eyes. “How many of you read The Odyssey in Classic Lit class?”

Kate could hear the brutal sound of weapons fire from ahead. She stopped running, slowing her pace to a jog, and began checking her corners with more caution. It would not do to get shot now. The doctor needed rescuing.

As did the Drakes.

It had been a kindness for Sarah to not mention Ben when sending her off, but deep down, she knew that he could be just as vital as the doctor. Personal feelings aside, he did know his way around the comm. equipment like no one else on the ship. Plus, this was war, and in war, every soldier was necessary. With such a small crew on the War Angel, every person counted. Even a man she hated. Even a man she tried to kill with her bare hands.

She peered around the next corner and discovered the nearest source of gunfire. Four Omegan warriors were at the next bend, using the branching of the corridor to give themselves cover. Fortunately for Kate, their absolute focus was on her shipmates. Unfortunately for Kate, there was no cover for her once she started moving in their direction. She closed her eyes and played out various scenarios in her head before deciding on a plan of action.

Then she took off at a full sprint towards the Omegans.

Halfway to their position, one of the warriors caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye. As he turned and bellowed, Kate threw her legs out forward and went into a slide. Gliding across the floor, she opened fire before the Omegans could completely turn around and aim their guns at her. With guns in both hands, she pulled the trigger relentlessly, watching blast after blast tear through the enemy. By the time she came to a stop, the four warriors were dead, their blood forming small pools on the deck.

Popping up off the floor, she peered around the corner the warriors had been defending, and she saw the junction where Dr. Gray and the Drakes were trapped. She could also see the far end of that corridor, and could see more Omegan warriors were entrenched there. Her mind went into analytical mode. “Maybe 30 meters to their alcove. Call it twelve to thirteen seconds for them to make it here. Cover fire from me maybe buys them eight seconds at most. Not good,” she thought.

Not good at all.

“Hime to Clover, do you read?”

The comm. crackled. “This is Clover, I read.”

“How’s my girl? Ready to fly home?”

“Scoop re-attachment almost complete. Three minutes, Hime.”

“Clover, it looked from the outside like cannon three is back in place. Is it online?”

There was a short silence, and then he responded. “I think so. Haven’t had a chance to test it, though.”

Gina cocked her head and closed her eyes. “Seems like this would be a good time. Free to go weapons hot?”

“Umm… okay.”

“Are you within the shields perimeter, Clover?”

“I am. Why?”

Gina activated the War Angel’s shields. “Because there’s a great big sitting duck sitting across the docking bay,” she replied, looking at the ship Richard had attached himself to in order to get inside the Kan’Tar. She swiveled around to Sarah, who was standing at the weapons station. Sarah punched up the targeting system and picked six points on the B-class cruiser and plugged them in. She then took a long, deep breath and fired cannon three.

The now repaired cannon exploded with raw firepower, sending massive energy beams across the Kan’Tar’s docking bay and into the ghost ship. The bolts tore massive holes in the Omegan cruiser’s hull, rocking it with explosions. Fireballs and debris rained down across the landing bay, and Richard could only watch in horrified awe as the War Angel’s shields bounced pieces of the craft away, harmlessly. Just as he thought it was done, the engine block exploded as well, sending a shockwave powerful enough that he felt it through the shields.

“Spot on, Clover,” Gina’s voice echoed through the comm. You may have just saved us all.”

M’isti moved toward the door and activated a comm. “T’reen, report!” A second shockwave, more powerful than the first, rattled the room. “T’reen! Bridge! Report!”

“They… probably need you… on the bridge…” Jack said, slowly sitting up.

The Omegan Supreme Commander wheeled around, his eyes full of righteous fury. “Whatever you have done, boy…”

Jack pressed his back against the wall and took a breath. He wiped blood out of his eyes, and spit some out of his mouth. “I’ll tell you exactly what I’ve done, F’ath.” He exhaled slowly. “I’ve beaten you.” Jack steadied himself. “You ever read any Earth literature? Don’t answer, I’m sure you probably haven’t. Well…” he coughed, “there was an old poet named Homer, and he wrote this thing called The Odyssey. Great book.”

M’isti looked at him, angry and impatient. Blood began to flow out of his nose at a faster pace, and he felt his knees weakening. Suddenly, he knew what he had been denying since the symptoms had begun: he truly was going to die. And with that knowledge, his anger began to fade. Keys would die with him, of course, and the circle that had opened over a hundred of Earth’s years ago would finally close. It was, as he slumped against the door, poetic. “All right, Captain. I am listening, and neither of us is going anywhere. Tell me how.”

Jack held up his hand in a “stop” motion. “There was also a writer named H.G. Wells, wrote probably our most famous novel about Earth being invaded by aliens. Know how we won in that story? The bad guys got sick from our planet’s germs and bacteria.” He shrugged. “Sometimes the classics just work.”

F’ath M’isti’s limbs weakened, and he eased himself to the floor, sitting next to the door. “How does this Homer fit in?” he asked, weariness creeping into his voice.

“Oh!” Jack looked surprised. “Right! There’s an incident mentioned in The Odyssey called ‘The Trojan Horse’…”