Talosian Chronicles 5: Raptor Squadron Page 9

  Cindy sighed. She knew that no matter what, Shannon would be going with them to the planet. She just hoped the girl wasn't bragging about knowing how to use a pulse rifle. She looked at the girl. "Grab your gear and report to the Damocles, Lieutenant."

  "I'll be there, Ma'am," Shannon replied grinning. "You really don't have a choice, Major. Janet told Ian I have to be with you. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Besides, I'm one of the top rated snipers we have."

  Cindy was surprised to hear the soft voice in her mind, but covered it well; she grinned at the girl. "We'll see, Lieutenant."

  Lissa and Cindy were waiting as Shannon arrived carrying a smallish duffel bag. “Hi Major, It’s good to see you again.” She dropped the duffel and saluted. "Reporting as ordered."

  Cindy returned the salute. “Shannon, let me introduce one of our team-mates; Lissa Dancer. Lissa, this is Lieutenant Shannon Roberts. As I told you before, she’ll be going with us to Hyperion,” Cindy said.

  “It’s nice to make your acquaintance.” Lissa offered her hand to Shannon.

  Returning the handshake Shannon got a strange look on her face and glanced at Cindy.

  “Lissa is our computer and electronic countermeasures expert.” Cindy said aloud. "She is also an android but that is a secret, and up to her to divulge to you," Cindy held in the front of her mind so Shannon could read it.

  “I look forward to getting to know you,” Shannon said to Lissa.

  “Let’s get back to the Raptor and get her settled in. The rest of the team is anxious to meet you,” Cindy said.

  In the day and a half that Shannon had been with Cindy's team, she had done her best to get to know the other members, as well as do her share of the work. When Cindy entered the bay after her briefing, she found Shannon and Ben working on one of the land rails.

  “What are you two doing? This thing is supposed to be loaded.” She took a seat on the open left rear wheel of the modified dune buggy.

  “Modifications, Ma’am,” Ben said. “The whiz-kids at Phoenix Base came up with a new weapons configuration, so we thought to implement it. We didn’t think we had time to do both rails though…”

  “How much longer will it take?” Cindy asked.

  “About another six hours. We have the parts to do both rails; but you did want these loaded,” Ben replied.

  “How long have you been working on this?” Cindy asked. Looking at the turret mounted rail gun that replaced the laser on the top of the vehicle.

  “We started about oh-seven-hundred. It’s really not that bad to do. You’re getting a new weapons computer and, of course, the rail gun. We are also mounting two more laser cannons on each side of the turret, installing a shield generator, and some suspension modifications,” Shannon explained.

  “Wow, all that in ten hours?” Cindy asked.

  “Yes Ma’am, Jerry and Lissa said they would give us a hand as soon as we finish getting the turret installed. Jerry will do the new suspension and Lissa will take care of the computer,” Shannon replied.

  “Well, if you can pull it off in ten hours, unpack the other one and get it modified, too. For now, however, we have a mission briefing. Let’s go.” Cindy nodded her head in the direction of the Raptor.

  When they got inside and the team was assembled, Cindy sealed the ship. “Damocles please project briefing notes for this mission,” Cindy began. “We're headed for the planet Hyperion. It fell to Imperial forces a few years ago and Admiral Williams thinks we can take it back. We will make planet fall here...” she pointed to the map, “…outside the village of Plainview. We are to keep a low profile until we can evaluate the situation and possibly make contact with any partisan forces on the planet. Our main mission is to evaluate enemy strength, reconnaissance of the area surrounding the city of Starlight; the planetary capitol, and to begin the search for a Benesian exile. The main planetary spaceport is located here, just south of the city. After our initial evaluation, we report back and await orders. Until those orders come in, we are to search for the exile and any partisans.””

  “What are the rules of engagement?” Sasha asked.

  “Ideally, we never fire a shot. The enemy is not to know we're there. However, if we are discovered, we are authorized to protect ourselves and the ship. Situational containment is also authorized, but only if the situation can be contained. Raptor Icarus will also be making planet fall near Rominy.” She indicated another major city 9000 kilometers to the west. “We will be going to full stealth after launch. Star Dancer’s Centurions are to do the recon of the system. We launch as soon as Star Dancer drops to normal space.”

  “If we’re supposed to keep a low profile, how are we supposed to make contact with partisans?” Jerry asked.

  “I was wondering when you’d ask that. Shannon? Why don’t you explain and then give us a quick rundown on our new toys,”” Cindy asked.

  Fourteen hours later, Cindy and her team were suited up and sitting in the Raptor as Star Dancer prepared to re-enter normal space.

  "Private channel, Cindy," Lissa said.

  "What's on your mind Lissa?" Cindy asked accepting the call.

  "If Shannon is a telepath that works for Janet Laskar, could it be that she is here to evaluate you in a real combat situation as well?" Lissa asked.

  Cindy thought about it for a moment. "It's possible, but I doubt it. If they were going to use a telepath to evaluate me they would have done it before now. It might be part of her mission with us, but I don't think it's a big part. Really, I think she's just a sweet girl that got dropped on us for this trip. I just hope we don't see any action and are forced to see how good she really is with that rifle of hers."

  "I know you said she was a trained sniper and they are allowed non-standard weaponry, but a completely custom weapon is very unusual. Besides if she's that good, why hasn't she been recruited into the teams already?" Lissa asked.

  "I don't know, maybe she simply didn't want to; it is a voluntary force after all," Cindy replied. "Relax Lissa; she's only with us for this mission."

  "Damocles, this is Flight, report status?" the flight controller asked over the comm.

  Cindy switched back to that channel. "We're all dressed up and ready to leave for the party, Flight."

  "Understood, raising the elevator to launch position - stand-by for launch," Flight replied.

  Outside the ship, in the big bay, the massive doors over the ship opened and the section of the deck the Damocles sat on began to rise. Once clear of the bay, Cindy put her hands on the controls for the Raptor. "Flight, this is Damocles, we're on the roof and ready to launch."

  "Understood, interface in thirty seconds," flight replied.

  Across the hull of the big ship, on the opposite side, the Raptor Icarus was also in launch position. Cindy brought her mind back to her own ship as she listened to the countdown. She watched as Star Dancer returned to normal space and immediately received clearance to launch. Rising up off the external hull of the big ship, she engaged the stealth systems and put them on course for their destination far ahead of them. Without prior coordination, the Icarus took up a wingman's position beside them and matched course.

  It was going to take time to get to where they were going, but that had been allowed for in the overall plan. While the Raptors made for the planet, Star Dancer and the other ships would be doing scanner sweeps of the rest of the system while centurions did recon. After five hours of flight, Ben and Sasha arrived to relieve Cindy and Lissa. It was still another six hours to their destination, but Cindy would be back long before they arrived.

  When she got back to the common area of the Raptor, she saw that Jerry and Sam were playing a card game while Shannon was working through some pretty complex equations on a portable terminal.

  "Whatcha doin?" Cindy asked the girl.

  Shannon smiled at her. "Trying to build a model of hyperspace in the computer so I can test a theory. It's part of the Doctorate program I'm working on."

  "Hyperspace Physics? That'
s not intimidating at all," Cindy said sarcastically. "I thought you were a simple Engineering tech."

  Shannon shook her head. "I help out if its needed, but this is my goal." She cocked her head up at Cindy. "Major, you keep thinking of me as a girl; you do know that I'm actually a year older than you are, right?"

  "I thought you folks didn't intrude on the private thoughts of others?" Cindy asked, surprised the girl…er, young woman, would peek like that.

  "We don't and no, I didn't peek," Shannon replied. "It's like you were projecting that at me. Almost as if you were telepathic yourself." She shrugged. "You could be a latent that simply hasn't expressed her power yet."

  "What do you mean?" Cindy asked.

  "Well, people aren't born with abilities. They are born with the latent ability in a dormant state. It wakes up on its own. We still don't know how or why it does, but it does. Sometimes it wakes up on its own for no apparent reason, for others, a traumatic experience brings it on. There is simply no way to tell, as everyone seems to be so different. You could be like that. Of course, this could be the extent of it too. There's no way to tell until it manifests completely," Shannon explained. "Research continues."

  "Can you tell what it is?" Cindy asked.

  "Not without looking deeply, which I normally don't do unless the person is a candidate to join us and their surface thoughts are questionable. That is an invasion of privacy," Shannon explained. "I'd do it for you if you asked me to, but it's something I would really rather not do, especially to a friend."

  "Okay, I'll give it some thought then," Cindy asked. "I'll let you get back to your studies. You know, you could ask Lissa to help with the building of the hyperspace model. As long as that's not part of the course requirements."

  Shannon thanked her and looked to Lissa, who had sat down next to Ben.

  “Okay folks, we’re down. Let’s get a base set up, and the gear unloaded. Sasha you have guard duty in the gunnery chair,”” Cindy said as she climbed out of her chair.

  Though it was night and the sky dark, Cindy had seen through the enhanced senses of the Raptor that it was much like Earth. This was a hostile planet though, so the peaceful beauty had to be ignored. The clearing was mercifully flat, and Jerry rushed out the back door pulling a floater full of the components for the shield. Ben had followed him out with another floater carrying a power unit and the shield generator. This shield generator would not only protect them from a small scale attack, it would hide them from orbital and aerial spies.

  It took them the better part of an hour to get everything unloaded and a base camp established. Dawn was still a few hours away, but Cindy wanted to do an aerial recon of the area surrounding the city and space port. So she and Lissa climbed back into the Raptor and rose back into the night sky.

  "Starlight is to the south, on a heading of two-two degrees, one-two-one miles. Plainview is at a bearing of one-zero-four, at four miles and we’ll be flying over the village of Serenity, at three-five miles.” Lissa reported.

  “I wonder what people do out here in these small towns?” Cindy asked.

  “Farming or logging I would guess. That's what was listed in the Talosian planetary abstract. Our scans didn’t show any significant industrial centers out this far,” Lissa replied.

  “This place feels so peaceful. It's hard to believe it’s an occupied world.”

  They flew in silence for the next few minutes. “I have two fighters taking off from the space port,” Lissa reported anxiously.

  “Arming weapons. Any idea if they’re after us?” Cindy asked.

  “Stand-by. Negative, they are tuning on heading three-one-four. I would guess it’s a routine patrol.”

  “Slowing to two-zero-zero, and dropping to nape.” Cindy stared hard at the monitor in front of her. She had terrain guidance scans and a plethora of other systems to assist her in flying this close to the ground, but she had to assume they would be detected if she turned any of them on. “Let’s just hope no one throws a rock in the air.”

  The trees were thinner here, and Cindy was thankful that no power lines existed on this planet. She would have flown right into them had this been Earth.

  They did a few passes over the city, then headed for the space port. An energy field was over the base, so they couldn’t get too close. They had just finished their second pass, when the communit beeped.

  "What's up?" Cindy asked, opening the channel.

  "Sensors show five people approaching our location, but they are still on the main road. They're still pretty far away, but we thought you'd like to know," Ben said.

  "Thanks, we're returning now. Just keep an eye on them for now," Cindy replied.

  "Will do, see ya in a few, Boss." Ben replied and closed the channel.

  "Turning to heading one-niner-seven and climbing to one thousand. Increasing speed to five-five-zero," Cindy said.

  Lissa calculated the course. "Return vector set. ETA one five minutes."

  "Let's just hope it isn't the Imperial welcome wagon; I've heard they can be downright rude!" Cindy said.

  "It could be a patrol, but that would make no sense this far from the city. It has to be locals," Lissa replied.

  Cindy opened a channel. "Shannon, are you getting anything from those people?"

  "A little; I can get that they are looking for us. One of them is… brighter than the others. I think that one has an ability. They are armed, but not with military weapons. Finding us is important to them, but I can't tell in what way," Shannon replied.

  "Well, if it were an attack, I think there would be more than five of them. Just keep an eye on them for now and let me know if you learn anything new," Cindy replied.

  Cindy started cutting back on her speed as they neared the area of the base camp. She dropped to about 100 feet and followed the road up past the camp and very soon was hovering over the side of the road, watching a group of people walking toward them. Four of them were armed with old hunting rifles and one with an old Talosian pulse rifle, the fifth looked to be a very tall woman.

  The belly mounted rail gun was locked on to the woman as she was the one in the middle of the group. But Cindy didn’t see anything that looked like a uniform, or in fact, anything that looked remotely military, except for the pulse rifle.

  As Lissa and Cindy watched, the woman stopped her group and looking around, then looked right up at the Raptor. She spoke some quiet words to her companions, and two of them placed their weapons on the ground, while one obviously tried to argue with her. Finally, however, she must have won, because the last hunting rifle and the pulse rifle joined the others on the ground.

  Cindy's sensors beeped at her softly. She was surprised when she saw that the woman was Benesian. That would stand to reason, as Shannon had said that one of them had an ability. Cindy opened a comm to the camp. "Jerry, you and Sasha come out to the road ASAP, it looks like these folks just surrendered to us."

  "How did they know you are there?" Sasha asked, but Cindy could tell she was running.

  "One of them is a Benesian woman. Possibly the one we are after, so be nice when you get out here. She had to have sensed us since we are still cloaked. Shannon, can you reach them yet?"

  "Just a sec, Major," Shannon replied.

  As Cindy watched the group below them, the Benesian woman smiled and put her hand to her head. She nodded, and looked up at the still cloaked Raptor.

  "I understand Major. We will wait here for your people."

  Cindy was surprised by the heavily accented, musical voice in her head.

  "Major, she is the Benesian Ambassador, the men around her are her guards. There is a story here, but she will tell you when we get them back to our camp," Shannon replied.

  "Understood. Did you get that Jerry and Sasha? Treat them as guests, not prisoners," Cindy ordered.

  "Gotcha, Boss. We're almost there, coming up under the Raptor now," Jerry replied.

  Cindy knew that, since she had been able to see them since they had left the camp
.

  "Understood, we'll land so all of you can get aboard, then head back to the camp and do the introductions there," Cindy ordered.

  It happened quickly, Jerry and Sasha returned the weapons to the men and escorted the small group into the Raptor. Cindy then moved the Raptor back to the camp they had set up, landed, and secured the flight systems, leaving the powerful scanners operating in passive mode.

  When Cindy joined the group in the now crowded common area, she saw that Sasha had given the new people refreshments, and Jerry was busy treating an injury one of the men had.

  Setting her helmet down on her bunk, she bowed to the Benesian woman. "Good morning, I am Major Cindy Swift-Williams of the Raptor Damocles. On behalf of the Terran Defense Force, welcome aboard." Cindy had spoken Benesian, but felt she had done so poorly. She briefly wished she'd had the time to practice.

  The tall alien beauty stood and returned the bow, she spoke in Talosian. "I in turn bid you a good morning as well. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Ambassador Shies M’orel of the Benesian Agricultural Directorate on a mission to the people of the planet Hyperion. These men are my escorts; they are freedom fighters that have been protecting me since the Imperials arrived. My I make known to you, Lieutenant Commander Hisar, and his brother, Trante. These other two are Fram and Yaris; they are woodsmen and have worked tirelessly to keep me safe. Fram is the head of the local resistance. On behalf of the old government, I welcome you to Hyperion.” As she spoke, each of the men stood and bowed. "Hisar and Trante are also my consorts."

  "Before it happens, please let me apologize to all of you for any seeming lack of manners or protocol. We do not intend to offend any of you, so I ask that you all please be patient with us. We are a combat unit with little diplomatic training," Cindy said. "Since most of them are in here now, I would like to introduce you to the members of my team. My co-pilot and the team’s electronic warfare specialist, Officer Lissa Dancer," Lissa bowed to the woman.