CHAPTER 32

ONE SHOT

U.P.N. Kanto - Near the planetoid

The momentary flash of nausea that followed the use of a jump drive caused Ayla Geer to wince. She'd never gotten used to it.

'Advocate Geer, we have arrived in system. The U.P.N. task force is hailing,' Lenny said.

'Open a channel,' She replied.

She didn't like using the Advocate uplink either. But she didn't know how to fly the Kanto, it's Guardian Lenny did.

'This is Captain Zao to incoming vessel, please identify.'

'Hello Captain, this is Ayla Geer aboard the U.P.N. Kanto,' she replied

'I hope your journey was uneventful Advocate. We've found your daughter, Captain Geer,' Captain Zao reported.

Ayla smiled. 'Thank you Captain. May I speak to her? I'd like to return her ship.'

'That will have to wait. She's gone down to the planet with a marine contingent to retrieve a lost crew member.'

Her smile vanished. 'She's gone back?'

'Yes Ma'am. Don't worry though, she's with a squad of heavily armed marines. She should be fine.'

'Do you have communication with her?'

'Negative. There's something jamming any communications to the facility underground. We've got communication with our drop ship in the hanger, but nothing further than that.'

'And this didn't seem like a warning sign to you?'

'Ma'am, with all due respect, you're here as a courtesy, and because we thought it would be a nice gesture to give Captain Geer her ship back. I would not tell us how to do our job if I were you. You relinquished whatever special privileges you had as an Advocate when you refused to do your duty as one.'

'The reason for that is on that planet, Captain. It's a very dangerous Guardian and will not hesitate to use whatever means at its disposal to achieve its ends. You'd better stay sharp.'

'I intend to. I will contact you when I have something worth reporting. Until then, leave the comms channels clear. Captain Zao, out.'

The link was cut from the other end.

Ayla leaned back in the Captains chair. She let out a sigh.

She sat in silence for a long moment, building up her nerve.

'Lenny?' She asked over her Uplink.

'Yes Advocate Geer?' He replied.

'You told me Exo had communicated with you when you left here.'

'Yes Advocate.'

'Could you communicate with him?'

'Inadvisable. Guardian XO-33 is extremely dangerous, and would attempt to overwhelm me.' Lenny said.

'Do it anyway.'

'Yes Advocate.'

***

Hostile forces descending elevator shaft.

Animal life inefficient to drive them off.

Advocate status; Cryogenic stasis chamber online. Robots moving him to south shaft.

Ships in primary hanger destroyed.

Drone control, offline.

Requirement of secondary means of Advocate evacuation.

...

Analyzing situation.

...

Incoming communication from Guardian LE-46.

...

Deny communication link.

Conversion of Guardian unit LE-46 tertiary priority.

...

Secondary hanger still undiscovered.

Enemy craft in position to intercept launch from secondary hanger.

Distraction needed.

...

Marine drop ship lightly guarded.

...

Redeploying assets.

***

'Communication is not being answered Advocate,' Lenny said.

'Understood. Let me think of something.'

Ayla stood up and paced around the bridge. This was her daughter's ship. It was unlike anything she'd ever been on. It was a sleek craft, not like the bulky civilian ships she was used to.

She looked at the planet. It was hard to believe that Exo was down there, and that now her daughter was down there too, right in his lair.

She sat down at the pilots station and looked at the sensor read out. The U.P.N. ships still maintained formation over the planet. She noticed them turn their formation.

'Lenny, open a link to Captain Zao.'

'Yes Advocate.'

'I'm a little busy Advocate,' Captain Zao said tersely.

'What's going on?' She asked.

'We've lost contact with the marines on guard in the hanger bay. The drop ship seems to be powering up its engines. We're not sure what's going on. I'll keep you posted. Zao out.'

'Connection cut from Zao's flagship Advocate, shall I attempt to reestablish?' Lenny asked over the uplink.

'No.'

On the sensors, Ayla watched as a new contact rose from the broken opening to the hanger bay. The formation of ships shifted in response, screening Zao's flagship in the rear of the formation.

This doesn't feel right. Exo always had more than one thing in motion at once. What can't I see right now? Ayla thought to herself.

'Lenny, scan the surrounding surface for anything moving,' Ayla ordered.

'Standby.'

She looked at the display in front of her. The drop ship was flying low to the surface and moving away from the formation. The formation of ships moved after it.

A distraction? Ayla thought.

'I have detected a small object moving away from the planet.'

'Which way in relation to the drop ship?' Ayla asked.

'Heading away.'

'Any identification of it possible?' Ayla asked.

'It is running dark. No firm identification can be made from this range without use of active sensors. However, trajectory shows it having originated from a point on the planets surface. Likelihood of it being a launched ship is 86.7 percent.'

'Set an intercept course. Charge the thermal cannon.'

'Caution; Advocate is not cleared for use of military grade weapon systems. Advocate is not trained in the use of military grade weapon systems. Thercon use not recommended,' Lenny stated.

'We can't let that ship get away. Whatever it is, it's part of Exo's plan, that makes it dangerous.'

'Exo is dangerous. Tactical analysis is in agreement with this statement. Setting course, charging Thercon. Engines set to maximum thrust.'

The ship turned from its holding position, and shot off through space, moving away from Captain Zao and his task force.

The communication system beeped.

'Incoming hail from Captain Zao,' Lenny said.

'Put it through.'

'Advocate, I notice you are moving in an awful hurry. Mind telling me why you're taking military hardware for a joy ride?'

'We've detected a small object moving away from you and the planet. I think Exo was trying to mask it with the launch of the drop ship. We're going after it.'

'We've forced the drop ship down. I'm landing more forces to investigate the crash. I'll send three ships to deal with the contact. Maintain your position.'

'Advocate, signature has abandoned its stealth. It is now in full acceleration and moving rapidly away from the planet. Its acceleration is considerable. Identification is possible.'

'Identify,' Ayla ordered.

'Linkal long range scout ship, third generation, last seen in active duty four years ago. Equipped with Linkal spatial catapult drive system. Extreme acceleration at sub-light, and capable of FTL travel, though at a slower pace than U.P.N. jump drives.'

'Analysis of situation?'

'U.P.N. task force unable to match acceleration. U.P.N. Kanto will be in range in three minutes, but after that, Linkal ship will pull away.'

'Captain Zao, the ships Guardian has recognized the ship as a Linkal long range scout. None of your ships are fast enough to catch it. It's either us or no one.'

Zao was silent for a moment. Ayla held her breath.

'As much as I'd rather it weren't so, our Guardian agrees with the analysis. You are the only one in a position to catch it. My advice to you is have Lenny give you a firing solution. You still must order the shot. The model of Guardian on that ship isn't designed for autonomous combat.'

Ayla frowned. 'You mean some are?'

'Now is not the time Advocate. Concentrate on your task.'

'Roger. Ayla out,' the communication link cut out.

'Lenny, firing solution,' She ordered.

'To destroy or disable?'

'Destroy.'

'One moment.'

They flew towards the intercept point, and the space between the ships closed quickly. Even on the sensor screen, Ayla could see that Exo's ship was gaining speed at an alarming rate.

'Solution acquired. A shot through the cockpit of the ship as it passes in front of us will completely destroy the control systems of the craft, and the pilot within the vessel.'

'Pilot?' Ayla asked.

'Yes Advocate, sensors indicate a robotic entity within the ship's cockpit. The ship is equipped with two seats though second seat does not have any life signs. However there is a faint life sign under the vessel, possibly a body in stasis.'

An image flashed through Ayla's mind of Samantha strapped in a stasis pod slung under the ship, hurtling through space, and having her life ended by a beam of heat fired by Ayla's own hands.

'Recalculate firing solution to disable.'

'Calculating. Caution, energy build up detected, matches signature of Linkal spatial catapult. Time to firing solution may take too long to calculate. Firing solution still available for destroying shot.'

'No! We'll disable it.'

Ayla waited. The spot of light out on the view screen seemed to grow brighter and brighter.

'Firing solution calculated'

'Fire!'

As the U.P.N. Kanto discharged it's weapon, the point of light became a streak, stretching off into the void of space.

'Contact lost. Spatial catapult usage confirmed. Shot did not connect with craft.'

Ayla slammed her fist into the pilots console. Her enhanced strength shattered the command surface, causing it to flicker and distort as the control panel buckled under the force of her blow. She looked at her hand. There was a deep gash in her palm, and a clear liquid was seeping from the wound.

She lowered her fist to her lap and sat in silence.

'Damage to craft and advocate detected. Are you all right advocate?'

Ayla didn't answer.