Star Crusader: Renegades

By Michael G. Thomas

The Alliance Navy's renowned assault carrier ANS Relentless is sent into action for the first time in more than a year. She’s been significantly enlarged, upgraded and improved with Byotai armour and heavy weaponry. But most significant of all, Relentless is the first carrier to embark a squadron of the alliance’s newest fighters, the deadly F26 Firehawks.

Nate and Billy have completed their Academy training and are thrilled to find they’re to be returned to their old home, the Alliance assault carrier Relentless. They are to bolster the ranks of the enlarged Knighthawk Squadron, as two of its most famous pilots. What they find in the Rim will stun every soul in the Alliance and threatens to bring an old enemy back into the fray. With the Alliance on the brink of a new civil war, only Relentless and her band of plucky pilots can make the difference.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Swordworks Books
• Release date: Jul 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463089361

Michael G. Thomas

Michael G. Thomas, is a writer, martial artist and military historian. He has written books on European martial arts and military history as well as Zombie Survival books and fiction. He is the co-founder of the prestigious Academy of Historical Fencing that teaches traditional armed and unarmed European martial arts. His specialist subject areas are teaching the use of the medieval two handed longsword and the German long knife in both the UK and other parts of Europe.He academic background is as varied as his writing with degrees in Computing, Classical Studies and Machine Learning. In recent years he has undertaken substantial research in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as Ancient Greek and Byzantine military history.Michael is currently completing his Champions of the Apocalypse Series and Star Crusades science fiction series.

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STAR CRUSADER

RENEGADES

By Michael G. Thomas

Part of the STAR CRUSADES universe

Copyright © 2018 Swordworks Books

The official Star Crusades website:

www.starcrusader.com

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All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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CHAPTER ONE

Convoy Theta, Prometheus Shipping Lane

The red planet of Prometheus was something of an enigma. Its location was unique in the Alliance, a place where the shipping lanes could be clear one moment, and the next ensnared in such bursts of energy they would be impossible to navigate for months. This one feature made the area such a lucrative location for smugglers, traders, and pirates. While other worlds were relatively accessible, vast electrical storms and clouds surrounded Prometheus, rendering many systems inoperable. Even worse, random surges could send out great tendrils of energy capable of disabling larger ships, and in some cases cutting entire vessel in half.

The wreckage from four ancient warships drifted along the periphery of the narrow shipping lane in the heart of the maelstrom. Each was lashed to a heavily armoured buoy that served as a marker for any vessels in the area. The wrecks sustained repeated attacks from the chaotic environment, serving as a harsh reminder as to the deadly environment any ship might choose to follow. No paint remained on the broken hulls, and it was all but impossible to identify any particular design or allegiance from the remains. The only sign that they served any useful purpose now was the array of navigation lights places along them. It was a warning, and one that must be taken seriously.

A flicker of light danced about a small object placed a short distance from the buoy. It was little more than a kilometre away, but in space that was effectively right on top of the wrecks. The device was hexagonal, but no larger than a briefcase. It pulsed and flashed, and then from nowhere a pair of Lightning IIA fighter-bombers materialised. Anywhere else the sight would have been stunning, but there was nobody out here to see a thing. They entered the Prometheus shipping lane with a series of blue and white light crackling along the edges of their wings as they drifted along the periphery of the deadly gas clouds. It took almost ten seconds for them to fully appear, with the elongated noses of the spacecraft appearing last. They were almost impossible to spot in front of the edge of the dark clouds of explosive gases. One wrong turn could ignite a ball of gas and trigger a deadly series of superheated explosions.

The fighters remained completely still, their engines switched off, and all internal lighting and navigation lights disabled. Even if they had been spotted, they would have been ignored as nothing more than the rest of the flotsam that littered the shipping lanes heading directly to Prometheus. Inside the craft was a man. He sat in silence, waiting for confirmation from his computer system. A single tone confirmed that, and he opened his eyes to see the deadly firestorm that was the shipping lane.

We’ve arrived, said Viktor Borislav from inside the cramped cockpit, And this place is just as ugly as I remembered.

He moved his hands to the computer controls. One by one they responded as he brought systems online.

Check your passive sensors. Are they here yet?

I’m seeing nothing, replied Yulia, his trusted lieutenant, Maybe they decided to change the location.

Viktor laughed at the suggestion.

No chance. They’ve spent enough time and money establishing these routes. I promise you they’re here. It costs a lot of money to re-task their servers for this.

Whatever you say, but just remember, what happens in the public zone stays in the zone. We only get the one life out here. Screw it up, and you’re not coming back. Wait... I see something.

Shapes emerged from the distant clouds. For a moment it could have been a shoal of fish deep underwater, but as they came closer, the shapes became more obvious. They were long vessels, with multiple curved cargo sections above and below the central spine of the ships. They would easily break apart should they ever encounter an atmosphere, but in space this was irrelevant. They looked completely black, as they were backlit by the distant glow of the fiery planet of Prometheus. It might be masked by the cloud and storms, but its red glow was ever present in the system.

I’ve got four ships, all the same class, just as expected. Vulcan Class haulage ships, those things sure are ugly. This is one hell of a haul. We were right. It’s Theta Convoy. Twenty million Alliance credits between them.

I see them, said Viktor Borislav, On a nice predictable course as we thought they would. You just have to love these bots. They spend the time and money bringing in extra crews to rack up the money, at the expense of security. They have no idea what’s about to hit them.

Yulia’s eyes ran along each of the civilian vessels as she shook her head.

And no escort. They’re getting cocky. This should be easier than we thought.

Let’s hope so. Check your weapons and be ready. We have to get in fast and place the beacon. It would…

He stopped speaking as a fifth vessel moved out from the clouds.

Wait…what is that?

He felt a chill in his stomach as the ninety-metre-long vessel moved out and followed behind the transports.

It’s a Star Class cutter. This is not good.

He brought up the ship’s details on his onboard computer and checked its configuration. Cutters were the smallest vessels used by the Navy, common for policing operations as well as for use with coast guard units. This particular ship was long and bulky in contrast to the two fighters, though a veritable minnow compared to the transports. Everything about it was stubby and flat, with hard lines and no discernible curves. Slung on each flank was a pair of heavy railguns, the kind of weapons carried aboard ships of the line. The rear hull was slightly smaller and fitted with a pair of powerful engines, one above the other. Atop this section was a single dual gun motorised turret.

That thing is a problem. We need to move back.

No, said Yulia, Look at the markings.

Viktor zoomed in on the side of the ship and isolated the markings running along the hull. They were exaggerated and heavily worn, but he knew right away who they were.

It can’t be!

That’s the Echidna symbol. Maybe it’s a captured ship from a few decades back.

Maybe. Don’t forget, it’s just a skin. That ship ain’t the real deal, Yulia. Probably another rebel sympathiser, they carry the skin for bragging rights.

She laughed back at him.

Gamers. I keep forgetting that. They’re probably Carthago migrants with a chip on their shoulders. What’s the plan?

Nothing has changed. We need to intercept the convoy before it can make it to the next waypoint. From then on it’s all plain sailing to Prometheus.

Just mentioning the world sent a shiver down Yulia’s spine. The planet was well named. From afar it was a burning hot world that could have easily been a dying star. Anyone moving closer might think it was dead and lifeless, and of little interest to any visitor. Its atmosphere was thick with dark black smoke that hid the massive structures covering the surface, though most were buried deep into the rock far below. Prometheus was a vast transportation hub, as well as one of the most significant military outposts, shipyards, and research facilities in the Alliance. Long lines of ships moved back and forth to the gigantic six-kilometre-long Prometheus Seven Trading Post that orbited the planet. More important though, Prometheus was home to the massive interstellar Spacebridge that connected Human worlds of the Alliance to their new holdings across the galaxy in the Orion Nebula.

Very well, said Yulia, Let’s go.

Viktor led as the pair moved in low and fast far below the long line of transports. They used the thick gaseous clouds to mask their approach as they moved on its periphery. It was a risky move, and one mistake could see them lashed and torn apart by the natural phenomenon.

Okay. I have them lined up. Do we send in the maker buoy?

No. Not yet. The cutter will tear our landing parties to pieces. We need to neutralise it first. Are your weapons ready?

Of course.

Target their weapons and don’t miss. One pass should be enough to take out the railguns and cannons. After that, she’ll be a sitting duck.

I’m ready.

Follow me!

Energy burst from the engine exhausts as the pair of old fighters spun about and began a high-speed approach towards the cutter. The fighters were simple winged designs, with a pair of large engines attached to their flanks. Six small wings extended out both horizontally, and along diagonal angles to create an odd arrangement that earned the nickname spiders. The name was unfortunate due to them only having six of the stubby winglets rather than the expected eight. Hardpoints under the wings were fitted for external ordnance, and a pair of Gatling guns sat under the horizontal wings, just inside the engine intakes. Unusually, both fighters carried enhanced Pulsar missiles.

A warning sounded in her ears, and Yulia knew right away that their cover had been blown.

They’ve spotted us. They’ll be powering up their weapons any moment now.

Affirmative. Viktor looked to the data moving in front of his eyes, I see point defence guns activating on the transports. They don’t want us getting any closer. Ignore them for now.

They were only a kilometre away, and already the four transport ships were trying to escape. Long streaks of flames extended out behind them, but it was too little, too late. The Lightning fighters were simply too fast to evade.

Warning! alerted the computer, Hostile scanners detected.

I know, said Viktor as he took evasive action. The captain of the cutter must have given orders to double-check the area, rather than instantly going to his weapons. It was common to detect all manner of strange anomalies out in this region of space, and he hoped that would give him the chance he needed. He pulled on the controls and laughed as the fighter began to spin wildly out of control. If they had been moving in an atmosphere the winglets would have torn apart, but not today. And he was an expert at flying one of these machines.

Fire!

Both spacecraft launched their pair of Pulsar missiles at the cutter and then pulled away. The four streaks of light moved faster and faster until they struck the spacecraft. Either the captain onboard had been too slow to react, or perhaps he’d just failed to appreciate the danger he might be in. The port side twin railguns tore off the ship in the blast, while the upper turret vanished in a fireball of light. The guns on the starboard side were saved by a premature impact against the ship’s hull.

They’re locked onto me, said Yulia.

Use your burners and get closer to the transports, Viktor said, rolling to the right. His manoeuvre moved him around the cutter so that he could drop back. From there he had the perfect view of the small ship. Normally, this would have been a suicidal move, but with the topside turret gone the ship was defenceless.

I’ve got lock, he said, depressing the trigger.

The pair of Kerberos pattern 20mm cannons opened fire instantly. Puffs of flame and light danced around the muzzles as they poured fire into the rear of the ship. Against a fighter the effect would have been instantaneous, but not today. The heavier armour of the cutter shattered and splintered, revealing more plating underneath.

Dammit, muttered Viktor, Ablative spaced armour, looks like they bought all the upgrade.

They moved so close to the first transport it looked like they might crash. Luckily, it was close enough that the cutter dared not fire in case it struck the civilian vessel with its powerful 60mm railguns.

Where are you? Yulia yelled, as she narrowly avoided colliding with three tall, but incredibly narrow masts extending out from the transport. Viktor boosted his engines, but even with the burners active he had a hard time keeping up with them. Then to his horror a number of hidden point defence turrets activated on the transports. These were small affairs, but fully autonomous and capable of shredding missiles, shells, and fighters.

Watch out!

Two streams of fire cut in front of his lieutenant fighter and struck the nose. They cut through almost a metre of the craft and sent the fighter spinning off into space. Small flames erupted as systems began to fail, yet Yulia somehow managed to roll the craft back into the edge of the fiery storms. For a few seconds she vanished from view, forcing the cutter to change its course in pursuit.

Activate the buoy! Yulia yelled over the communications system, We need help…and fast.

Viktor wanted to chase after her, but he knew that failure in this mission was not an option. He’d put up a lot of collateral for this job, and the price of failure would be too high for both of them.

I’m on it.

His gut told him it was the wrong thing to do, but still he rolled back to the transports and swept in low and fast below them. At the same time, he reached down to a secondary panel on the forward console. It was attached with adhesive and clearly not part of the fighter. It took just a few presses, and the device lit up in a series of light pulses.

Okay…now it’s time to deploy.

Streams of gunfire from the point defence guns struck nearby. One burst clipped a wingtip and tore it off, but it appeared to be inconsequential. He moved even closer, and then with incredible precision spun the fighter around, rolling it so that he was upside down in relation to the transport. Now a few metres from its surface he was completely hidden from view, and from the gun.

Just a little closer.

It looked as though he was about to crash, but then came the gentle thud as the landing gear buttressed against the ship. Retro thrusters fired to apply light pressure and to maintain contact with the surface. The view from the cockpit was almost completely obscured by the shape of the transport’s underside. A long extension pushed out where loading ships could attach to load and unload goods. It provided the perfect hiding place.

Do it!

Viktor pressed the final button, and the device detached from the bottom of the fighter. A flashing green light confirmed it was attached to the hull of the transport, a few metres from one of scores of different loading hatches. Satisfied he’d completed his mission, he pulled back on the control column and boosted the engines. The transports tried to track him, but in seconds he was gone and heading for Yulia. Viktor rolled the fighter to the left and right as autocannon fire tried to catch him. Any other pilot would have failed, but not him.

Yulia. Head to this position, and be ready to spin.

There was no response, and for a second he thought she might have succumbed to the hellish storms. But then he spotted the small shape burst out into the shipping lane. It was Yulia, and her fighter was a mess. A trail of smoke ran behind her as one of the engines burned furiously. The cutter was on her immediately, with its battery of railguns blasting away. One well-aimed shot would end her existence, but she was not going without a fight. She twisted and rolled with incredible skill, and the cutter missed with multiple shots.

I’m coming! Viktor said.

He pushed his engines to the limit and opened fire at long-range. Sparks and flashes marked the impacts, but the captain of the ship clearly had no interest in fighting him. With only one battery of weapons, to turn against him would leave him vulnerable to attacks by Yulia. And her fighter was ready to fall apart. A railgun shot struck the already damaged engine, and it finally broke apart, sending Yulia’s fighter off into a spin.

Viktor depressed the trigger, and the guns rattled away. He then boosted the engines and moved alongside the much larger craft, but to his surprise its forward thrusters activated, and it began to slow. The nose turned, and soon it was pointing right at him.

You fool! Viktor muttered, waiting for the inevitable gunfire. But then a volley of fire from Yulia slammed into the port bow of the ship. He gasped and looked on at her fighter as it flew backwards a hundred metres away from the cutter. The captain of the cutter hesitated, and for a second the ship began to move back to her. But then it stopped, and Viktor knew the person in charge was trying to make a decision.

It’s my chance!

Without hesitation, he pulled on the control and strafed to the other side of the ship, away from the guns. He spun about to fly sideways and opened fire against the flank of the cutter. Hundreds of armour-piercing slugs hammered the layered armour, many punching deep into its hull. Finally, he was rewarded with a flash of light, and a series of small explosions began to cascade along the side of the cutter.

Get away. She’s out of control!

Both fighters pulled away as the cutter began to spin out of control. The wrecked gun mount on the port side exploded. The resulting blast knocked it off course and towards the third transport ship. Viktor’s fighter showed little sign of damage, but Yulia’s fighter was a wreck. Quite frankly, he was amazed she was still flying.

Good work, she said with a laugh, Clearing the fires now.

A mist covered one side of the fighter as she vented fire suppressant material over the shattered engine mount and fuel lines. They froze up and sealed almost instantly, stopping the fires and making the craft safe for a little while longer.

Uh…Viktor. Look!

He turned and spotted the cutter trying to correct its course. The captain was either inexperienced, or just unlucky because they managed to do little more than increase the spin rate and slammed the ship into the underside of the transport. The fact it didn’t explode there and then was an incredible feat. It slid away, drifting towards the lashing tendrils of light just a kilometre away.

Viktor Borislav, said an unexpected voice.

Jian Fang, he replied, trying to sound confident, Nice to see you again.

A marker then flashed up on his HUD along the second transport. Further markers then showed dozens more people as they appeared on the vessel’s hull. One of the smaller displays fitted to the left of the cockpit showed a view of the lower part of the transport, exactly where he’d left the marker buoy. There were figures moving about, each clad in heavy breaching armour and EVA suits. Some carried cutting equipment, and others held weaponry in their hands.

You’ve arrived.

Yes, we have, said Jian, Leave the extraction to us. You got there in the end. Now, just watch our backs while we…

Viktor gasped as alerts sounded on his scanners. One by one new shapes appeared from far off into the distance. They were coming fast, but already he knew what they were.

We’ve got new contacts. Four more cutters, they’re powering up weapons. We need to bug out. I recommend you leave…now!

No chance, said Jian, We’ve been paid up front for this. Do your job, and keep them off our backs. There’re more than five million Alliance credits inside, and we’re not leaving till we have the lot. We’re going inside now.

The voice vanished and was replaced by shouting and gunfire as the team of mercenaries boarded the lightly defended transport. Its capture was a forgone conclusion, but they might still lose one or two as they spread out inside. Viktor had no time to look to them, though; he had the cutter squadron to contend with.

Yulia. What’s the game plan?

She hesitated, and when she replied he could detect the tension in her voice.

We leave, we lose our stake. We have to keep them busy and off the boarding party.

Then we attack!

The pair moved closer together and then boosted their engines. Viktor could have moved faster, but that would have left Yulia alone and a sitting duck.

You still packing ordnance?

"I’ve got my meteor missiles left on my port side. They won’t do much against the front of those