Always Forward: Gateway to the Galaxy, #2

By Jonathan Yanez

When he thinks he doesn't have anything else left in the tank
He must dig deeper.

Things are pretty far from OK. Frank's new mentor is taking him through an Arilion Knight's crucible.

He'll not only have to find the physical fortitude to forge ahead, but he'll need to find the wellspring of indomitable will to overcome her latest unyielding trial. Only then can he tap into the power of the gauntlets.

And the evil that lurks in the universe is about to make its move. The signs have built up and their enigmatic adversary unveils his latest gambit. It'll be up to the new team of Frank Wolfe, Space Corps-1, and their intrepid intergalactic alliance to defend justice in this sector of the universe.

Frank is ready for the battle at hand, but how can he be ready to lose the family he's only just found? Because there's no way they can all make it out unscathed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Yanez
• Release date: Sep 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223640899

Book preview

1

The three Chaos warships advancing on them would have been enough to instill fear in their own right. The hundreds of Chaos Dart fighters were enough for anyone to abandon hope and give in to the whispers of fear and defeat. They had come into the enemy’s zone and the Chaos army couldn’t be more prepared.

Even Frank heard a voice in his head that spoke of doubt and hopelessness.

How are you going to stand against these odds? How could anyone? You’re one Marine not a miracle. Frank raged against the thoughts as soon they entered his mind. No, you’ll find a way. You’re an Arilion Marine. If anyone can find a way, it’s you.

Evasive maneuvers, Colonel Breaker shouted. I want everything we can put into the shields done now. Open fire as soon as they’re in range.

Understood, Elly said from her seat behind the colonel, her speedy fingers ready at her command board. Incoming transmission. It’s Sava.

Put her on the small screen, Colonel Breaker answered.

A moment later, Sava’s familiar reptilian face from her station on the Ryker, which was on its inaugural run, showed on a small square on the lower right of the main view screen. Her one good eye not covered by her patch was hard as stone. Frank had wondered about her eye, but now didn’t seem like the time to ask.

We have seconds before they’re on us, Sava said as calm as if she were talking about the designated time anticipated dinner guests would arrive. "I’m going to try something. Empress Vega will have command of the Ryker. Frank, I know you can’t fly yet, but do what you can."

Roger that, Frank said. He wanted to thank her for reminding him of his shortcoming and maybe to get more details on the plan, but the transmission ended.

Here we go, Elly said from her seat at the control panel. Hold on to your butts.

The Chaos Darts arrived first. The smaller, single-seat fighter jets had long bodies with small extensions near the rear of the ship that looked like triangles more than wings. They were infinitely faster and more maneuverable than the three enemy warships also approaching.

The ebony pyramid on the moon’s surface slid closed after releasing the warships into the sky above. The four equal parts that had opened at the utmost top of the pyramid and slid down along the sides now moved closed again.

The Chaos Darts arrived with a pepper of bright yellow laser fire. The Lucy’s defensive turrets fired back in return. Since the commandeered Chaos vessel utilized the same firepower technology, their laser fire seeking out the incoming ships matched, causing some confusion. The Chaos Darts swarmed the much larger warship like a cloud of wasps on a massive brute that had disturbed their hive.

Keep those turrets firing. I want those ships floating in pieces, Colonel Breaker said. "Open a line to the Ryker."

Line opened, sir, Elly reported.

Vega’s lavender face appeared on the lower right square monitor. She wore her white hair back, and her gold and white Neeve uniform jacket hugged her torso.

I’m not too worried about the smaller fighters, Colonel Breaker said to the empress. They’ll be able to beat through our shields eventually, but it’ll take more time than they have alone. However, I’m more concerned about the three Chaos warships bearing down on us. Once they get into firing range, we’ll be in trouble.

Agreed, Vega answered. "The two squadrons of Draconian Dragoons the Ryker carries suffered heavy losses in our last engagement. I have maybe, maybe, one full squadron I can launch between Viper and Hammer squadron survivors. I don’t think it’s prudent to send them out yet, not like this."

Frank understood the hesitation in her voice, even through Elly’s translation chips. Sending out a single squadron of fighters against these odds, no matter how good they were, was a sure death sentence.

What if they weren’t alone? Frank asked as a crazed idea came to mind. What if I went with them?

You’re a lot of things, but you’re not a pilot. Colonel Breaker looked up at Frank from his captain’s chair.

I’m not talking about flying a ship, Frank said with a crazy gleam in his eye.

Son of a sloth, Frank, Lt. Corpsman Raj Agarwal said from his spot on the bridge, where he observed and waited for his aerospace medicine skillset to be needed, hoping it wouldn’t. You heard Sava; you can’t fly. Who knows if she can even fly in space? Wait, can she fly in space? Is that something we even know?

I have to try something, sir, Frank said, looking over to the colonel for permission. We can’t win in a head-to-head fight; not against three Chaos warships and their Darts. You know the odds. Let me try. Please, let me do what I was chosen to do.

Go. Colonel Breaker clenched his robotic right hand into a tight fist. Don’t get yourself killed either.

Wasn’t planning on it and thank you, Frank said, running from the bridge. He winked at Elly and Raj as he made his way to one of the ship’s exit points. Can you clear the hangar bay for me, Lieutenant Wong?

Roger that, Elly said. She spoke to him now via the comms they shared as he traveled to his exit point. I don’t know how long your armor will last out there.

I’ll make a construct covering it, Frank said with more faith than he had at the moment. I’ve got this; this is why I’m here. This is what I was born to do.

He said the last part so quickly he was surprised he had even said it himself. Was that how he really felt?

While Frank made his way down to the hangar bay, he checked his armor suit. Manufactured by Ballistic United Tactical and Tech Systems, or B.U.T.T.S., his current employer, the armor was state of the art. The dark steel plating was equipped with liquid technology underneath, allowing impacts to be less effective by spreading it over a greater distance.

He snapped his helmet, which hung by the side of his belt with a magnetic brace, on his head. Once on, the suit was airtight. The familiar heads-up display danced in front of his eyes. The lack of oxygen in space was going to be a huge problem. His suit recycled air to a point. If there was no air around him to be filtered, he was going to have to come up with something on the spot. They were out of time.

I heard you were about to do something crazy. Sava’s hard voice came through Frank’s comm. I would advise against it.

Like you’re not going to try your hand at flying in space right now? Frank said, running down a flight of stairs that would lead him to the hangar bay on the massive ship. I saw that look in your eyes—eye—over the monitor. You’re going out with the Dragoons. Well, so am I.

And what do you think you’re going to do?

Help.

You can’t fly, Sava reminded him again. You’re going to get yourself killed out there.

Yeah, I know, but I can float, Frank said, finally reaching the launch bay. He’d grown short of breath from running while talking. "Have you ever played a game called Asteroids?"

Yes, Sava said to Frank’s surprise. The game where you take turns striking one another in the face until someone becomes concussed? I am very familiar with that game, but what does that have to do with our current situation?

"What? No, that sounds like a horrible game. Why is that even called Asteroids?" Frank stopped by the controls to the deployment bay doors and force shield. A tingle ran up his spine as he recalled the last time he was in the hangar. The last time he saw Major Lopez. He looked around to make sure Elly had in fact cleared the deck. He was alone.

Each player forms his fist into the shape of an asteroid, Sava explained. Listen, there’s no time for this now. We can play later if you’d like. Stay on your ship. You’ll be no good to us out there. That’s an order, Frank.

What’s that? Frank asked, doing his best confused impression into his comms. Sava, you’re—you’re breaking—up. What was the last part? You want me to go and help? Well, okay, if you say so. I’ll be right out.

Frank! Don—

Frank terminated the link.

Well, here we go, Frank thought to himself as his finger hovered over the button to open the hangar bay doors. How hard can it be, right?

2

How hard can it be, was a phrase that had gotten Frank into more than his fair share of trouble. These same words ran through his mind when he ran with the bulls in Spain, taught himself to ride a motorcycle, and simply walked into Mordor. Wait, what?

As he paused for a moment to rethink his current course, Frank wondered why he wasn’t more scared. He was about to walk out into space with nothing more than his diamond-plated armor suit and the ability he now wielded as an Arilion Knight. He should be terrified.

Ahhh, screw it, Frank said, slamming his hand down on the button before he could second guess himself any further. We’ve all got to die someday.

Warning lights and alarms went off in the bay area, signaling the doors were being opened.

A pair of ominous steel doors standing eight meters high and a meter thick opened in the center of the hangar bay. The machine reeling them back on their tracks hummed as it pulled the metal slabs apart. Frank hit the button again as soon as there was enough room for him to squeeze through the pair of massive garage bay doors.

Frank walked to the opening. Through the translucent red force shield protecting the hangar bay even when the doors were open, he looked into space. Chaos Darts raced by his field of vision as they maneuvered around the much larger Chaos warship.

Drawing from his strength of Will, channeled through the glowing purple vambraces he wore on his forearms, Frank contracted a force field of his own. He had seen Sava do it multiple times before. It was a perfect circle that stretched out three meters all around him. As long as he could hold the construct, he could also hold the air inside of it. At least that was the logic that made sense in his own mind.

For a moment before stepping forward, Frank lost himself in the bigness of space. He recalled the powerlessness and ferocity he felt the last time he was in the bay aboard the Ryker. He remembered the fighting, the dying, the smell of burned meat as the Chaos plasma rifles did their job annihilating Draconian and Neeve alike, and of course he again remembered Major Lopez. He remembered her limp, unconscious body being sucked out into the vacuum of space without being able to do a thing about it. He remembered exactly what her face looked like: beautiful, determined, and scarred from their first encounter with the plasma-wielding Chaos army.

Frank shook his head free of the memory that would haunt him for the rest of his life. He took the burning pain in the pit of his stomach and the tightness in his throat and buried them deep inside in exchange for the Will to bring an end to the Chaos menace. Before Frank could come to his senses telling him he was doing something insane, he passed through the ship’s force field and floated out into space.

His plan worked. Frank could breathe and although he couldn’t quite move like he wanted to, he did have a degree of control. It felt like he was trying to walk through chest-high water. He could manage a few inches at a time if he concentrated, but right now, there was no time to hone this new ability.

Chaos Darts were already beginning to pick up on his presence and flew in to attack. All around Frank, the Dart fighters formed wings. They went on strafing runs as they pummeled the Lucy’s shields.

In front of Frank, the three larger Chaos warships made their approach.

Bright white laser fire screamed past Frank, pulling his attention back to the fighters zooming by. Apparently, he was a target now.

Frank created the easiest thing he could remember at the moment: the same A-shaped ship from the arcade game of his youth, Asteroids, complete with the single heavy blaster at the tip of the triangle.

The energy it took to make the force field construct allowing Frank to breathe taxed him. The triangular weapon around him wore on his resolve. A more sane man would have felt like an idiot as a tiny 8-bit triangle in the middle of expansive space among massive ships. Not Frank. He couldn’t stop now.

Frank, what are you doing? Vega asked, trying to keep concern out of her voice and just sound pissed. You can’t go out there alone.

I hope your will is as strong as your need to commit suicide, Sava growled over the comms. I’m coming to you.

Frank heard this and more chatter on the comms. He would have come back with a witty reply, except there was no time. Chaos Darts were zeroing in on his position and beginning their runs on his triangle-shaped ship made of translucent purple energy.

Here we go! Frank screamed at them as they approached. Bring it, Space Invaders!

Dat-dat-dat-dat-dat-dat

Frank sent a stream of violet laser-like fire at the oncoming ships. He took two of the Darts down in a shower of sparks and explosions before being slammed by an enemy beam from his left.

The air was knocked out of him as the force collided with his construct. Frank saw black for a moment as he was thrown through the air.

Hold it together, Frank screamed inside of his own head. Hold it together. You can control your movement. Find a way.

Frank managed to right himself and stop the spiral trajectory he had been sent on by the blast. He was sweating to maintain the construct around him. How long he could keep this up, he had no idea.

Something with a purple tail whizzed by on Frank’s left, not just striking an enemy Dart but going right through it. The Chaos ship exploded as Sava came out the other end. She was covered in sizzling purple energy that raced all around her body. It came to an end in a comet’s tail.

I had things under control, Frank said with a grin. Actually, that’s a lie. It’s good to see you.

Try not to get yourself killed, Sava said, racing off to join the squadron of Draconian Dragoon ships exiting the hangar bay of the Ryker on their right.

Wow, cool man. This so awesome. Laloid’s voice entered Frank’s comms. "Vega assigned me to