Chapter 5: Bunthik

As I ran along Har-Hi barefoot and still wearing something akin to a hospital gown.

“You know that I never flew a Dai fighter and I am also a tad underdressed.”

He stopped at a bright red hole that opened in a wall.

“You can fly my Wolfcraft and we acquired a few Auto Dressers.”

He pointed at the hole.

“Jump in, feet first preferably.”

I did and found myself on some sort of metal slide, that went almost vertical increasing my speed to something unhealthy if the end was solid ground.

It wasn’t, but the slide was definitely not made for someone wearing the Dai version of a hospital gown. This was one of the setbacks of my new female body, it had more areas that needed to be covered to remain decent. The slide ride made an arrival in decent fashion an impossibility.

I found myself in a cavernous hangar with a hundred grove like slits extending from where I was into a long tunnel.

A robotic arm placed a red painted Wolfcraft on the grove slit right before me.

Har-Hi had arrived right after me, but standing one grove behind me, an arm placed a Khari-Hi fighter in it.

I recognized the boxy contraption to be an Auto Dresser and used it. To my pleasant surprise, the machine dressed me in what looked like a genuine Condor.

I climbed into the lowered pilot seat and integrated with the fighter, a heartbeat later. During the pre-flight check, I noticed the fighter did not have Translocators or Loki torpedoes, these systems were replaced by Dai weapons.

Through the comlink, Har-Hi addressed me.

“Viking, you are in my group. Engage the Wak-Ru units at will. Your system will identify them if in doubt.”

The Wolfcraft was bigger than the Dai Fighters and it did not fit into the acceleration grove as the Dai units, but the Wolfcraft was riding on a makeshift sled so it could be accelerated.

In all this hectic activity, I noted that the Dai process of launching fighters was well organized and all, but could not hold a candle to the fighter deck of a Union ship. Something that had little to do with Tech level.

The Wolfcraft was pushed along the acceleration tube much slower than the Dai fighter. I was the last of this group to reach space.

The computronic immediately identified thousands of targets. There, less than five light minutes distance, a massive Dai Fleet. No mothers, but dozens of Dai battleships, destroyers, and clouds of fighters.

Behind us the Hi fleet with seven mothers, but apparently no battleships.

The huge Exer-Hi was the focus of enemy fire already, her shields holding at least for now.

This was a Type VI, not as maneuverable as the Kahri fighters zipping around me, but it was faster. Without Loki torpedoes or Translocators, it was much less potent and unable to engage capital units. Yet I felt it was imperative to take out the enemies battleships.

The fighter still had an impressive array of weapons. It had retained its FTL-DE cannons. Instead of the Loki torpedoes, it carried six missile pods. While I remembered some of our classes on Dai weapons, I had no idea what kind were loaded, this being Har-Hi’s fighter they could be any kind.

And instead of the Translocator cannons, the fighter had the Dai Sputter guns with ten AM kilo loads.

“Alright, Pirate. I have no idea about the situation or the details, but I am trying to get at least one of these battleships out of the equation.”

I gunned the engines to max and took on the closest battleship.

Har-Hi watched as his Wolfcraft, accelerated past red line. Over a direct line Pul-Hi, one of his old friends and first-class fighter pilot came on.

“First you let a female fly that Union thing and now she flies it to her certain doom.”

“She flies and perhaps dies for our Tribe.

“Another voice said.

Har-Hi had to concentrate as he engaged the first enemy, anyone else declaring to take on a battleship with a fighter, he’d declare suicidal and insane.

I did not engage other fighters, evaded the first shots coming my way, ignored the few that impacted into my front shields and zipped past the enemy fighter screen. The first battleship grew in my sights fast. Now, with a working TL and a Loki that would not be all that impossible. A few TL loads taking out shield projectors and a well placed Loki into its drive section while evading enemy fire and fighters. The battleship was launching more fighters, and that is where I got an idea.

Launching fighters meant there was no shield coverage. The last time it was a Nul carrier, but this time I had no Lokis. I accelerated to the very limit of the engines shot past the emerging fighters, the point defense guns could not get a good lock, because of the other fighters who apparently didn’t expect me so close to their nest. With maximum reverse thrust, slowing the Wolfcraft down and taxing the structural integrity as well as the kinetic energy diverters to their very limit. I released half of the missiles and six of the Antimatter bombs while keeping reverse trust at its maximum.

Flying in reverse, my aft shields received some serious pounding, pulling down two of the three shield layers and reducing the third to forty percent.

I was not sure if it has been done before but I accelerated to threshold speed remaining in reverse. I didn’t want to slow down to turn.

The Dai battleship rocked and a series of explosions ripped a huge hole in its primary hull.

“Cosmic spirits, she did it,” Pul-Hi exclaimed with utter surprise in his voice.

Har-Hi plowing through the dissipating energy clouds where heartbeats before a Ku tribe fighter exploded taking on the ninth opponent.

“Because she’s Erica, my captain!”

I came out of quasi almost right away, but with enough distance between me and the raging space battle, to reset my shields and plotting an attack run to the other battleship. The situation was not well for the Hi tribe. The Ku had more capital units, seven more dropping out of quasi.

The Hi fighters were taking their toll, but there weren’t enough of them.

On my com board, a new comm request was indicated.

“Viking here.”

“This is the USS Tor-Hi. Identify!”

I dug out my code key and transmitted my service number name and rank.

“Captain Olafson we are ready to receive you. Admiral Stahl expected something like this and ordered a group to follow.”

I could not wipe the deep grin off my face.

“I could use a Wolfcraft with Translocators.”

Tar Wak-Ku, commanding the heavy strike force wiped on his feet.

“Cam Elf-Na’s spies were correct. That Okthi Hi heeded the call for Thana Shoo and stopped at the secret Hi gathering spot. The Cam will shower me with honors wiping this stain of our collective honor.”

One of the old tenders to the shrine said.

“They received the call that means they are not Okthi. We committing acts of Okthi by attacking a tribe on their way to honor the call and ambush them at their holy grounds.”

“Silence old man. Such deeds will be forgotten once the Cam rises.”

“You are the Tar, but your influence stops at the shrine and those who tend the heart. Our heart is growing dim.”

That caused silence in the command sphere of the Ku battleship. The Seven-Ku, the chieftain only second to the Tar said.

“Let us abandon this and ask for forgiveness and let the Pale Ones decide who is Okthi as it has always been done.”

One of the command givers pointed at his console.

“We just lost the Them-Or-Ku.”

Another said.

“The Hi fight as if the spirits aide their warriors.”

The Tar had expected a hard fight even knowing the Hi tribe would only come here with their mother while the rest of kept going to Thana Shoo. Every old tribe had such a sacred spot. Where they released their dead into space and called upon the spirits. He knew it was a despicable act to set an ambush here, but he was too much involved with Elf-Na to refuse or back down. The Hi tribe was not allowed to reach Thana Shoo. Only recently he became wise of Elf-Na’ despicable practice of selling Dai into slavery because he tried to find ways to get rid of the supporters of his brother, a growing number of his own tribe that questioned his leadership. Elf-Na helped him to cement his position. Thousands of Ku Dai were killed or sold into slavery, never to be seen again. The news that the Karthanians suddenly denied all Dai their support and released all their slaves had spread like a wildfire all across space.

Even thinking about the possibility that there was one liberated Ku with the Kar of the Hi clan was frightening to him.

There were sudden yells.

“Union carriers! There are Union carriers! They are releasing fighters.”

The flight deck boss of the Tor-Hi was a Dai, but wearing Union uniform. He saluted me.

“Captain Olafson, welcome aboard. Captain Kir-Me extends his greetings, and gave orders to supply you with whatever you need. He expects you wanting to go back out there.”

“Your CO is a wise man indeed.”

A Kahri Wolf was retrieved by a robotic arm and placed in the acceleration tube of a revolving starter. With all respect to the Dai and love to my Dai friend, but this was the Union way of launching fighters.

My weapon control board showed a full layout of the latest Union weapon technology. Dual Translocator rotary guns. Spine mounted, Zero point energy pumped Quark Gluon Plasma cannon with Schwarzlicht tunnel for FTL fire. The latest Wotan Spear ship to ship missiles.

And with an acceleration that put everything known to a distant second, I emerged back into deep space.

Har-Hi knew it was looking grim, despite Erica doing the impossible destroying a Dai battleship with a fighter. He had lost seventy of his fellow fighters, but they had taken a heavy toll from the Ku. While he would never give up, this was a well-placed trap. Only spies could explain the fact that the Ku knew about the exact location of the Hi grounds. If the Tar had known he would not have stopped here with just the Exer-Hi but with the entire Hi clan.

No, he would not give up, but the real possibility that all his flying and fighting skills were not enough to carry the victory over such overwhelming numbers.

Where was Erica anyway?

Just as if there was a mental connection her voice came on.

“Viking here, bringing reinforcements.”

And with that 5000 Kahri- Wolfs dropped out of quasi. His sensors maxed out after two more waves followed right away.

With this new fighter, the Union carriers releasing wing after wing; the Ku were pounded to scrap in such an overwhelming manner that they did not even have time to consider retreat or surrender. The Union carriers were joined by Dai ships, thousands upon thousands and then she came, the USS Devastator!

Har-Hi could not suppress a tight knot in his throat as he saw this magnificent disc.

“Viking did you see this? The Devi is here?”

One of his wingmen answered instead.

“Your amazing friend is no longer in her fighter. She joined Union Marines and Dai boarding teams. They are breaching the last Ku warship right now.”

No one listening could ever remember such a long and emotional Dai curse uttered. Har-Hi gunned his fighter to maximum acceleration.

“This cursed Neo Viking. She looks so nice now, so nice and yet scratch that delectable veneer and you find nothing but untamed fury.”

He flew right into the breached hangar doors.

There were Union Marines and Dai engaged in heavy close combat. Strafing the enemy lines holding an access hatch with his fighters cannons and jumped on the debris and body riddled hangar floor, moments later. Snatching a sword and the blaster of a fallen Dai he jumped over a chest high piece of torn metal.He put this much effort in his progress to reach the fighting because he wanted to reach Erica.

While Dai battleships were not as big as Union ships, they were still big and had many decks. The most important spot to reach was engineering, but he knew that was not where Erica would be found.

He also noticed that many of the Union Marines were Dai, but there were also Nul. He was not easily frightened and he had seen TheOther fight, but the brute fighting power and intensity the Nul marines was unparalleled. One of the brutes saluting.

“Har-Hi, Sir. You better get into a real suit, or they might think you are one of the defenders.”

“You know me, Nul?”

“Of course, I am Xon.”

Har-Hi did not feel too proud to actually hug the armored monster.

“How do I get a suit?”

“Bravo Company has a mobile battle dresser and a Blacksmith. I summoned it.”

“I am in a hurry, Xon.”

“I know why, the captain is halfway to the command center by now.”

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Fast track training. I am currently aboard the USS Devastator. I will be on Richter 4 on time, they promised.”

The mobile battle dresser came and Har-Hi had to admit he much rather had this Quasimodo than anything Dai at this point and stormed on. The corridors were a mess, there were dead and wounded, torn and twisted security doors and the deeper he progressed the more intense the damage and carnage became.

He was too late, the Battleships bridge had been breached. He unloaded his frustration as a Dai of the Ku tribe jumped from a ceiling hatch and decapitated the warrior with the chainsword he now wielded.

There she was, his best friend and his Captain. Erica Olafson holding a boarding ax in one hand, standing over the fallen body of a Dai warrior while she held him by the helmet initiator ring.

She appeared to him as a true warrior goddess, powerful, savage and strangely attractive.”

Har-Hi wearing a marine Quasimodo stomped onto the command center of the Dai battleship and stopped. I grinned at him.

“Looks like we gotta go to Thana Shoo after all. This piece of work here is the Tar of this tribe.”

For the first time since this started, he really stopped to catch his breath and collect his bearings.

“Where do all these Union forces come from?”

I shrugged.

“I am not entirely sure, but from what I understood this ambush was actually expected by Stahl. I don’t know any of the details, I just more or less ran into the USS Tor-Hi.”

He smirked.

“And you somehow managed to switch fighters and be part of a boarding party.”