Solar Warden by Jakob Waechter (best authors to read TXT) 📕

Ryan informed Owens at once to delay it. They were already close to leave the orbit. Then Ryan activated the display with the tactical information. They saw the squadrons around the enemy ship. There were now 120, still increasing. Both, shuttles and the enemy ship, where pursuing the Icarus from a different direction.

“There are less than 90 combat drones on the Icarus. If they cannot bind the enemy fighters we are sitting ducks. There is no experience how the battle will turn out. It is possible that the Icarus will be forced to jump. Also we don’t know when the capital enemy ship is in weapons range. I fear we are not in a good position,” Ryan said. Owens was now joining them.

“Owens what is your opinion. Do we get to the Icarus?” Knight asked.

“That’s a good question.” He looked at the tactical display. There were now 138, still increasing.

“We took with two drones one of them down and lost one combat drone. This time we will engage differently. But it does not guarantee that it has more success. If they break through they can easily intercept us or they split up. That means they can outnumber us or just force the Icarus to jump.”

“They said they want to destroy the Icarus. So they will ignore us. Without the Icarus we only have the option to fly back and that’s what they want,” Knight was sure there was no point in destroying the shuttles.

“Yes, but with the Icarus away, we only can go back to the planet. In space, I guess, they will destroy our escort then we are out of options.” Owens added.

Fisher was discussing now the option. It looked not good to get the shuttles to the Icarus in time.

“I see only one option, we jump. The shuttles are leaving the orbit soon and need instructions. If we jump to the other side they could avoid the alien ships. But we don’t know how fast they are. This means the shuttles will have the alien ships in their back,” Fisher said.

“If Knight’s information is correct they won’t harm the shuttles. They will do everything to destroy the Icarus. Maybe force us also to leave the ship,” Clark replied.

“Then we can change the odds by jumping away when they send the fighters. Send the shuttles the new coordinates. Maybe we can outrun them. How long till we can jump?” Fisher looked at the tactical display. There were now 155 fighters and they started to move towards the Icarus.

“15 minutes and it won’t be less. We are on maximum acceleration. At that speed we will have, we never did a jump,” Clark was concerned, he made the calculations for the approaching fighters.

Fisher wanted to give the order for it, but a third labeled ETA time showed up and was decreasing. It went down to 20 minutes where it seemed to count in normal time scale.

“Now we have the question, are they in less than 15 minutes in weapons range? Do the shuttles have the new coordinates?” Fisher asked.

“I informed them,” the communication officer replied.

“They are changing the course now. This acceleration of the enemy fighters is faster than of our shuttles. I must admit they can easily intercept them,” Clark informed and checked the further readings.

“Show me the numbers,” Fisher needed to adapt somehow. But attacking the incoming fighters was not a good option. At least with the drones and fighters. He looked now at the displaying numbers. The combat drones were better. He had a plan now. “Give me Ryan.”

He discussed it with Ryan while the enemy fighters split up as expected. 40 were flying now after the shuttles. The rest was still heading for the Icarus.

“Launch all combat drones, intercept the 40 enemy ships. Then meet up at our jump destination,” the Captain ordered. With that decision the Icarus was nearly defenseless against the rest. But the combat drones had now an advantage in numbers. Till more of the combat drones were shown to the enemy it would be too late for the enemy to alter the course.

Hopefully the programming was good enough for the enemies next move. Fisher was a bit worried. Without fighter support there were not much options to control the drones, because most of remote commanding was turned off. But letting the enemy the chance to hack them was not an option.

“What now? We are on the run. The Icarus is launching combat drones,” Owens was back from the cockpit.

“We don’t have the exact plan. But, I guess, we get now support. At least down to the planet we have a limited time window. Still the door in the cave base is closed. So we have options,” Ryan replied.

“We are soon accelerating from the planet away. I would say the point of no return is reached I about 10 minutes. Then we have to be sure we make it to the rendezvous,” Owens was worried about the approaching fighters.

“The problem is, if we go down to the planet, we don’t fly away with maximum speed. Then they are faster on us,” Knight said. He was no expert for air or space battles. But that he could tell.

“Right. Our combat drones have faster acceleration. So they should be here at the planet in time to intercept the fighters. But they will meet up close to the planet as I calculated,” Owens added. This gave at least the others something to consider.

The Icarus had now launched all combat drones which were accelerating towards the 40 fighters.

“Wow, bold move. At least we should be save for now,” Owens commented.

“This means we make it to our destination.” Ryan looked at the tactical display. “Knight needs now the suit.”

Watkins went for the emergency space suits. The enemy capital ship jumped away.

“That was not expected,” Fisher looked at the volumetric display. He tried to think what they are up to. Intercept the shuttles on the other side. They could have extrapolated the course or are there other options? “Inform Ryan that the enemy capital ship might intercept them. I guess they still have enough time to decide.”

“Less than five minutes. At least for a fast return to the planet,” Clark informed. It was an acceleration problem. They were using the planets gravity to build up more speed. Once they are away of the planet it would cost them quite some time to stop and fly back. Also there was then the chance that the rest of the fighters would reach them.

Fisher was now thinking hard and the time was against him. He also had to give orders for the incoming fighters. Also another possibility came him now in mind. That maybe the aliens jumped into hyperspace and moved close to their jump position, to make a jump not possible or just destroying both ships by trying it. What had the aliens to lose. From the information of Knight, the insectoids are the controlling lifeform and very likely not on board of any ship. So it was down to the production value of a ship and its controlling robots, organism or whatever they are.

“The fighters are decelerating,” Clark informed. They calculated for a full kamikaze acceleration to the Icarus, which meant the fastest option to reach them. Then the enemy fighters would overshoot while shooting at the Icarus or kamikaze with devastating effects. But now with the deceleration it would take even more time to reach the Icarus.

Was this a trap and the Icarus could not jump?

“Check our hyperdrive. Is it possible that the enemy capital ship is blocking our jump ability and trap us here or even crash into us?” The Captain needed that information. But it was not likely that the experts figure this out in time.

“I inform the physics department. Too bad that Newman is not on board. He is the expert in this matter,” the communication officer replied.

“True, give me Ryan afterward,” the Captain checked the volumetric display. All their combat drones were now close to engaging the 40 enemy fighters. Also the other fighters were closing in.

“Helm, let us strafe around a bit to make it harder for the incoming fighters to hit us.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Prepare to fire a missile salvo at them,” Fisher wanted to see how effective they were and maybe force them to evade.

“Affirmative,” came the reply from the weapons officer.

“I have now Ryan on the line,” the communication officer informed.

Fisher went to him.

“Ryan, we don’t know if the capital ship can block our ability to jump or even worse. The other option that they intercept you also is still possible.”

“Wait, I ask Newman about it.” Ryan was now talking to Newman, then switched back. “He is thinking now. So what option do we have. I guess not much.”

“That’s the problem. You alter course. But the enemy can adapt for that. When you are close to the jumpable zone he can even get closer on you. We also don’t know if they have still fighters on board. That means they could outrun you. For us is the only option now to get rid of the fighters. This will sure take time. You should consider either to stay in orbit or even go back in the cover of the cave till we worked out a better solution.” Fisher was following the combat drones on the volumetric display. He checked now for the fighters which were closing in on the Icarus. “Fire the missiles.”

Ryan was now thinking. “Wait a moment I discuss it with the others.

The combat drones were in a perfect formation for the attack. They swarmed out to be able to fire at nearly the same time. With a firing solution that was barely to avoid and also increased the weapons range. That caused them to fly side by side, top and down to each other. They were close now and nearly in the calculated weapons range. The enemy ships lighted up. At once an evasion maneuver was executed. Coming back from it the weapons range was reached. Shots from the aliens missed. The combat drones fired continues bursts following the firing solution. Also the alien fighters lighted up again forcing an interrupt with an evasion maneuver. Another shot from the aliens passed while lot of alien fighter exploded. It was the bigger number which made the firing solution so effective. Still there were alien ships left. But now they were even closer and both sides would have it harder to evade. The combat drones fired again and also the alien ships. However, none of the alien fighters survived, but all combat drones which altered their course now.

“We cannot outrun the alien fighters. This means if the Icarus or the combat drones can’t bind them we are done. They sure denying us to fly close to the Icarus. Maybe they just try to disable our ship. But they sure will give the Icarus a reason to stay. If we go down, we limit their options and have our fate in our hand. Maybe later we have a better chance. So the Icarus can try everything without taking care of us. Sure in the orbit we have a time advantage, but it is worth nothing unless we have enough time to fly to a zone were the Icarus can pick us up,” Knight said.

“Yes, this would also mean we need to fly a certain distance away from the planet undetected. So the enemy fighters need to be destroyed. Maybe then they cannot observe everything and we could use the cover of the planet,” Ryan replied. He thought also it would be better to go down. Even if there was the possibility that the shuttles would be destroyed, while they hide in the cave.

“I guess somehow will Fisher try to get them further away from the planet. So it still will be a tuff thing to trick them. But without enemy fighters we should be the faster. This means there is a way to get to the Icarus,” Owens said.

“Good, we are going down. I