Rogues Resurgence: Complete Final Chapter.

[SteveMill]

The end of book two chaps. A shorter novellete will finish it off.

Steve

Chapter Twenty: Vengeance

“How long to mobilise the assault team Sarge?” Max asked as they walked towards the bay flight-line. Two Mamba’s stood armed and ready.

“One hour, Commander. Bug out or assault?”

“Both Sarge. Get the support gear to the Chip Fab, wait in Family Whi until it comes online. Have the troops prepped for attack. I still plan to get the Fab established first and attack at a time of my choosing but you never know what opportunities might arise. Make sure they have an escort, just in case.”

“Understood Sir.” Payter’s posture stiffened and he almost saluted. “Just give the word.”

He hurried from the flight deck, snapping orders to the bay security squad.

Max climbed into the Mamba cockpit. Automatically he injected a stim, then another, to banish the fatigue and the feelings. Riding the initial rush he relished the sudden surge of vitality, the enervating rush through his nervous system, the clarity.

This was it, he could feel it in the electric air, one of those points on which destinies pivot. Law would fight, Max planned to leave him no choice, and he would lose, completely and definitively. A major strut of the Shadow Conspiracy would collapse, a corpse to be looted for wealth and power. There would be chaos.

Chaos and opportunity. He could feel the possibilities, almost touch them.

The bulk of his fleet, Raiders, reserve squadron and five wings of Confed fighters were already heading for Teladi Gain and enough Bayamons remained in Scale Plate Green to deal with the survivors of any assault, should Law be reckless enough to launch an attack from Teladi Gain.

Max hoped he would, he would cut it to pieces before it left the sector. Then he would smash the Black Heart and kick down Law’s door.

Law, cowering for his life, under the barrel of Max’s gun.

Exhilarating!

Max let the rush dissipate, leaving him feeling focused and ready. He pushed lingering thoughts of Tyre to the back of his mind. He had possibly misjudged her, that or she was a good actress. For the first time, feeling the silk around his neck as he called for launch permission, he admitted to himself that he hoped he had.

There was a spark, that made him feel good too. He would fix things when he got back.

“Permission to launch Commander, good luck sir.”

“Acknowledged, and thanks.”

He didn’t recognise her voice, one of the new people.

As soon as he cleared the docking tunnel he inserted the Xela chip into her ship interface, curtailing her banter with a succinct update.

She read the mood and realigned her personality matrix, absorbing the tactical situation from the nav-sat network.

The route to Teladi Gain was clear of clan activity and civilian traffic almost non-existent. And in Teladi Gain itself the sector defences clustered deep out in space, around the carrier, five thousand klicks from the eastern gate.

Thirty of Max’s fighters prowled the Fab perimeter in wings of three. The All-Seeing-Eye orbited the Fab closely, it’s own LT a last line of defence. Xela linked to it, Kaitrin acknowledged immediately. The Black Heart was close to the Station, practically touching, connected by a short docking tunnel, suggesting large scale material transfers.

A Lifter freighter, bristling with sensor pods behind 50 expensive megawatts of shields, circled the Fab. She cross-referenced it’s registration and sampled the networks. Smile Max, you’re pulling down record ratings.

The station CAP, six wings of two Bayamons and three wings of four Orinoco heavy fighters, circled inside the defence perimeter delineated by a dozen Laser Towers. The Base itself was leaking some sort of vapour crystallised into a mist that glittered in her sensitive sensors. If the base was leaking atmosphere they might be evacuating. Or transferring more support to contain the problem. Some sort of interference screen was blocking her scans. She recognised the trick as her own.

Adapting, she didn’t like that.

Max listened to the report and said.

“Get me Rarr, Zee.”

“If you say so Max.” She answered, unwilling to let it past without at least disapproving with her tone. It took less than a minute for the fat, sweat-faced Argon criminal on the Profit Share Bliss Place to appear. A holo-tank played in the background.

“Mr Force, I’m surprised, haven’t you anything better to do?” He nodded back at the tank. “I’m expecting quite a show.”

“Surprise is for wimps Rarr. You got anything for me?” He demanded curtly.

“Yes, I have actually. My extensive checks revealed she is precisely as she seems to be. You should be very happy, if I can be trusted.”

“Oh I trust you Rarr, you know what I’d do if you stiffed me. And yes, it does make me happy.”

“The smart money suggests I will have little to fear soon. Perhaps smart is not as smart as it thinks?”

“The art of surprise isn’t dead, Rarr. Out.”

“Let’s hope you’re on a roll Max. Fab power-up projected as 4.2 hours. The new fighters are fully maxxed, fully armed and standing by to launch.”

“Should shorten our odds, Zee. I hope Rarr shifts his bet in time.”

The Mamba slipped through the PTNI HQ jump-gate.

“This isn’t a risk free strategy Max. We don’t know what he has in the hole.”

“Law’s no busted flush.” Max agreed. “But we have the initiative and an 8:1 kill ratio average.”

“Bigger. It’s an acceptable risk. His forces are all in one place and if the TL tries to break-out we’ll be in position to intercept it beyond the LT screen.”

“The question is, can we get troops onto the station? Options?” Max asked.

“Three. Hack the transporter system or the docking port, force the docking port, or blast in from the outside. Without preparation I wouldn’t hold your breath for the first.”

“Force the port or nothing, Zee. We’ll play it by ear.”

“Odds rising Max.”

“Make a note to have you programmed with a little faith.”

Max engaged the SETA, gliding through the deserted sectors in accelerated time, stations zipping by the cockpit.

He disengaged the drive at the gate to Cho’s Defeat. Xela signalled the waiting fighters on entering the sector.

It was empty, except for a handful of sector defence fighters and a Boron Piranha burning towards Patriarch’s Keep.

The Mamba’s formed up on his stern, in three wings of three. The tenth fighter pulled up close on his starboard side, wings almost touching. Max zoom scoped the pilot, he lifted his visor and grinned.

“Hi ya Max baby, wanna be my wing man?”

“You can be mine Jack. The Sarge okayed a ship swap?”

“By and large Max, the important thing is I’m here. I’ve got some mercenaries in-bound too, just in case you understand?”

Jackson’s Mamba drifted to the Five O Clock cover position, to watch his six.

“We’re partners Jack, but Payter’s in overall charge of any assault. Understood.”

“Expected Max, relax, we’re about the take down the Stoertebeker Clan and seize a prime piece of real estate. This is my ticket to the top table. Our ticket that is.”

“We need each other Jack, we’ll cut a deal. Out.”

Xela cut the channel with alacrity.

“Well there’s somebody expecting pay-back for his fifty million. The Teladi Gain clan franchise is worth a lot more than that, beyond the short term. Are you thinking, the lesser of two evils?”

“Definitely, once I figure out what that is.”

“I hate it when you go all cryptic on me Max.” Xela said. “Incoming signal from the Sarge. Troops launched.”

“Game on.” Max stated and gave the order for all fighters to engage SETA.

They cruised through the intervening sectors, dropping back to normal time in Family Whi.

The Split defence fleet disposition mirrored the Teladi on the other side of the gate. Tensions were high but no-one was looking for trouble. Except for the jump-drive wild card of course.

Max checked the tactical display as they flew on towards the Teladi Gain gate.

Law watched the screen from the Black Heart fire control station, in these moments he felt, a man should hold his own destiny. The net broadcasts had little new information, just unconfirmed reports of a handful of new fighters coming through Split territory. The lack of real-time intelligence didn’t concern him, everything was ready, this time he had seen to that himself.

The negotiations with Director Morn had been long. He was taking a monumental gamble, stepping so far beyond that mark that only success would vindicate it, but the terms bearable for now and he needed well-positioned allies as much as he needed the munitions and the equipment.

The un-crated fighters filled the station docking bays, assembled and ready.

All he was waiting for was Force. Revenge, Law relished the taste.

Artur had a clear view of the Mamba flight through the panoply of the Piranha. He needed no secret sources to tell him it was Max. The Boron pilot held a steady course and they flashed over-head and out of sight. His arrival would be unannounced but Daht would see him.

Whether he would listen was another matter.

…………………………………………………………………………………

“My tactical designation, Zee?” Max asked.

“Red One, Jackson is Two.” She flashed the other designations on the HUD, scrolling through his fleet.

Okay. He opened the channel himself as the last jumpgate loomed.

“Red Squad this is Red One. It’s all quiet on the other side, pair up and take your instructions from Flight Control. This is it guys, it’s going to hot up quick.”

One way or another.

They acknowledged confidently, one by one.

“With you Great One.” Jackson called.

Max led the wingman pairs through the jumpgate.

Law watched the heavy Split fighters flash from the jump-gate in pairs.

“Six, eight, ten. Good, you are about to lose the war Mr Force.”

Around him the bridge crew caught the shift in mood and steeled themselves, hunching intently over their stations, faces lit blue under the red battle light.

With a touch of a button he put the station fighters on launch stand-by. He nodded to the Teladi female next to him, on fighter control. “All pilotsss to their cockpits.”

She watched console indicators turn red to green.

“Ship fighters ready Sire.”

“On my command.” He cautioned.

She looked at him.

“Understood.”

Law cycled through the Black Heart missile banks, activating the silkworms.

A substantial portion of his fortune was now tied up in munitions, transferred from Teladi Company reserves at triple the average market cost, despite Morn’s complicity.

Bribes to pay and pockets to line, he swallowed his rage and paid. He was as committed to the throw as Force was. A feeling of fate hung in the air.

He focused on the broadcast Lifter and designated it non-combatant.

Then he locked on the silkworms.

“Helm, report?” He asked evenly.

“Course constantly updated, Sire.”

He was new and there was fear in his voice.

“Excellent!” Law, almost hissed with satisfaction. Force might be swept up in the fate that seemed to have pushed them into conflict but he was seizing his.

He waited until the new fighters reached the almost completed factory before sending the launch signal. Fighters flooded from the station docking bay, Bayamons, Mandalays and Falcons. Very expensive Falcons.

Law watched Force’s ships explode into action on the tactical display.

“Disengage docking tunnel. Helm, on my command.”

…………………………………………………………..

“Well there’s a coincidence Max.” Jackson announced as the fighters launched. “I say we are expected. There’s an awful lot of fighters out there.”

“Then we’ll have to give them a bloody pounding!”

Corrin pulled up off his port side and rocked his Eel’s wings. Max dipped his own in reply before the big catamaran fighter rolled away.

“Red Squad this is Red One, go freelance, let’s clear this screen and hit that ugly shit transporter.”

He closed the channel.

“Zee, open all frequencies.”

“They’re all ears Max.” Xela confirmed.

“Let’s end this thing.” He stated. “This savage has lived too long.”

He glanced at Xela’s tactical update in the HUD, seventy light and medium fighters and a dozen Orinoco’s. Nothing yet launched from the Black Heart.

The cloud of fighters shoaled with disciplined precision and accelerated towards the Chip Fab and the Force fleet.

“Okay Zee, here’s the tactic, you just flesh out the details.”

Max’s hands tingled with anticipation, adrenaline flooding his system.

Xela switched into full tactical mode, operating through the All-Seeing-Eye sensors, designated targets, projecting threats and holding multiple simultaneous conversation with the rank of controllers in the mobile base. It was almost the same thing.

One of life’s moments, even forgetting about the alien technology, Law had to be removed. He was beyond the bounds of all human decency and it was going to end.

Max rolled onto an intercept course with the oncoming fighters and hit the after-burner.

“Charge!”

Morn poured a small measure of spirit into her glass and settled back in her chair. At times like these she needed to be alone, it was at times like these she felt a true Teladi.

The greater the risk, the greater the reward and she was risking everything for a half share in the alien technology.

The walls of her inner sanctum closed in some more.

And this was only the beginning.

The holo-screen was the best credits could buy. Morn had earned the best.

The military feed confirmed it’s forces were well away from the battle-field. She wanted no accusations from that quarter.

Switching to the net feed she selected Teladi Network News and tracked the impact of events on stock prices.

There would be an expensive storm to ride out, questions made worthwhile not to ask.

As the two packs of fighters closed she nervously emptied one glass, then another.

Aboard Paradise Station, Skull watched from the main control room. She had refused all Law’s requests for support. Jackson and Force would make more reliable partners and Morn would soon see where her interests lay once Daht was dealt with.

She had almost no doubt Force would triumph. Which just left the cripple and he would surface again. Now the enemy in the shadows had a face he would find it difficult to hide from her. She could see his hand behind Daht and through him, manipulating Force, regardless of what he might imagine.
……………………………………………………………………

The ships clashed midway between the two stations, beyond the range of either sets of LT’s.

Max targeted the nearest enemy, the target reticule almost directly ahead. He rolled the Mamba slightly to intercept the Mandalay and watched the distance fall.

At fifteen hundred metres he lined up the shot, Xela selected the next three targets.

He grinned as the distance fell towards 1k, his finger hovering over the trigger.

At twelve hundred metres the attackers exploded with drones, the missile alert began a constant chant. The drones swarmed him in seconds, smashing the shields from all angles. Max wrestled for control of the shuddering ship and snap rolled away on after-burner.

Xela confirmed the drones were following standard programming, there were a dozen following along with seven silkworms, pulling long turns to re-engage. She kept him constantly updated, threat positions and directions. He killed a Bayamon that rolled across his path with a single glancing shot and rolled inside two missiles through the storm of drones to kill a second.

“Take the drones Zee!” he yelled.

Xela took control decelerating rapidly to target their pursuers, taking out five in quick succession before breaking to evade silkworms.

The missile alert began talking again. A Mandalay flashed across his sights, spilling drones. Max killed it and boosted away.

…………………………………………………………………

Law watched the melee impassively. Now the die was cast he was no longer so confident, he’d learned Force was not to be under-estimated and already his fighters were cutting through the drones well above the projected rate. He touched a control, deploying the last of the drones to hound the Raider fighters.

“Now, Helmsman.”

He could feel the engines surge to life through the soles of his feet, restoring his sense of certainty. Law activated the silkworms and then accessed the Teladi Military net using Morn’s expensive codes.

The sky was full of drones but Max and Xela systematically scythed through them and taking out more fighters with reflex snapshots as he weaved through hosing plasma streams.

“The Heart is moving!” Xela shouted. “I’m projecting a flanking movement around the jump-gate, hit the Fab from behind!”

Max tried to take in the tactical display as Xela dealt with a pack of drones. Five fighters down but over twenty of the attackers were dead, despite the distraction of the drones and the missiles.

“Red squad, Red squad! Clear those damn drones and get on that TL!”

Max smashed an Orinoco, rolling between the incoming plasma stream, destroying it with a short burst before breaking to intercept the Black Heart. At top speed it was faster than him but flew like a brick. For anything like a useful turning circle it’d have to drop below 200.

If his fighters could break out of the morass of drones, fighters and missiles they could swamp the TL’s defences, smash down the shields with their own silkworms before it could strike at the Fab.

“It’s taken out the media Lifter Max and something’s not right here!” Xela yelled. “There’s no enemy pilots. I think these things are on auto-pilot. The die too easily too.”

She scanned several ships.

“Only one meg shields Max!”

The Mamba flashed over the Black Heart as it decelerated to manoeuvring speed, Max pumped out silkworms at close range. The TL pumped out her own defensive missile screen forcing Max to go defensive as Law’s flag-ship turned towards the Fab, fifteen klicks distant.

“Fighters moving to intercept, mine-layers inbound. He’s not getting through Max.”

Weaving through the tracking missiles, Max launched more missiles and emptied guns into the TL shields. They made a dent but recharged rapidly.

It was a trick of some sort, Max knew that now, but he couldn’t think, just react as a pair of Hawk’s swept in.

“A distraction Zee, it’s a distraction! Figure it out quick!”

The first Hawk vaporised in his sights, he held the turn with the other a fraction too long, killing it as a silkworm smashed into the Mamba tail.

Max wrestled the Mamba onto the TL’s tail and hit the burners as Xela filtered sensor readings and focused on the Station.

Damn.

“The Base, it’s firing up solid fuel boosters, it’s bugging out Newtonian on a deep space heading.”

Max glanced at the tactical display and cursed, his people were smashing Law’s fighters from the sky but had nothing was in a position to intercept before it accelerated to inter-planetary speeds under the enormous, primitive brute force thrust.

Law was getting away.

The TL had changed course too, slowing almost to a crawl to laboriously swing towards the Ceo’s Bucksiod gate.

“This is Red One, all fighters engage that TL. It is not getting away, understand!”

He had time to register cargo canisters spilling from it before reflexively obeying Xela’s frantic call to break.

“Squash mine, squash mine!” Xela called.

“One klick, faster Max! Energy cells, petard, hoisted, boom!”

“I hate it when you get cryptic.”

“And I hate it when people learn.”

The ignited energy cells blinded every sensor in the sector, Max wrestled for control as the Mamba pitched and yawed in the plasma shockwave. It took him long seconds to level out and roll towards the gate.

“Where’d it go? Speak to me Zee!”

“Everything’s out, we’re blind, could last minutes but I’m working on it.”

Max scoped the area, nothing, no TL, no wreckage.

It took Xela two minutes to bring things back up.

“He’s not out there.” Xela confirmed. He must have gone through the gate. And that nav-sat is down.”

Max barely hesitated, ordering those fighters that could to follow him in.

Ceo’s Bucksoid was devoid of traffic.

In Scale Plate Green Artur’s ship docked in the Trading Station public bay. The Boron pilot remained in the ship while Artur threaded his chair through a gaggle of Teladi and humans boarding a Lifter.

The comm system still accepted his access codes and it took just a few minutes to get though to the General on their private channel. He looked unhappy but agreed to meet. Artur waited for the escort with a growing feeling of unease.

As the Lifter approached the Nyana’s Hideout jumpgate Gann Hamann went through the announcement routine on auto-pilot, not trying hard to keep the boredom from his voice. Another load of chastened return ticketers and a few charity cases riding steerage in the sub-space hold. Losers and drifters.

“What the shit!” He almost took a second too long to pull on the stick, scraping shields with the emerging TL. It looked Teladi, damn reckless lizards! He targeted it and opened a channel.

Before he could speak the missile alert spoke.

It didn’t stop.

“Tractor those slaves.” Law ordered.

“Course laid in Sire.” Helm reported.

“Execute.”

Law turned to Fighter Control.

“Now.”

His elite fighters launched, thirty Falcons, too precious to throw away against Force’s fighters but more than a match for the skeleton defences. Mandalays targeted the Laser Towers. His Elite fired off a dozen silkworms each at the towers, before hitting the Bayamons.

The Towers pulsed at the missiles, detonating one after the other. Raider Mandalays weaved through the fire catching most that got through.

Only one LT fell but the Black Heart plunged over the Force Bliss Place, streaming Squash mines and a steady line of silkworms. Finally he fired half of his hoarded hornets.

“Rear view.”

It was a burning hulk. Law growled in triumph and targeted the Trading Station. It had barely begun to launch defences. Much too late thanks to the disabled military nav-sat.

It exploded into burning fragments.

Yes! He clenched a fist in triumph. He felt young again!

“All stop, recall the fighters. Set next heading.”

Fighter Control complied, launching automated Bayamons to stall the closer sector patrols. The last fighter docked the Black Heart accelerated towards the southern jumpgate to Xenon space.

Law selected the new destination and triggered the automated sequence. The jumpdrive countdown activated and the mine seeded energy cells dropped.

The Black Heart plunged through the worm-hole, falling out a jumpgate in a new sector.

“Target that station, confirm clearance codes and prepare the troops.”

It was a shame Force had managed to protect the new factory but it had been a good day. Revenge tasted sweet.

Max stared at the empty sector display.

“I don’t understand, he couldn’t have got out of the sector alre… Zee, quick, target home base!”

“Engage jumpdrive now.” he ordered quietly, realisation dawning numb. “Now.”

“It’s out of range Max, we’re loaded for combat. We can get to.. It’s too late.”

The Max’s Place icon died out.

He watched the Trading Station die too.

By the time he reached Scale Plate Green there was nothing to be done, his station was a cold wreck and the sector a riot of Teladi military. Only his Dream Farm remained and he turned towards it.

“What have I done Zee? All those people.”

“Gambled and lost Max.” she answered softly.

“But the bulk of our forces are intact. We live to fight another day and we’ve pushed him out of Teladi Gain.”

It tasted like ashes.

When the survivor list came in, it was short.

Her name was not on it.

[Oldman]

.... and again....

'Strike 1' to Law it seems ....*gulp!*
Though....maybe Law's picked up some cargo he might not be able to handle....so there is some hope ....or not

Edit...oh! great read again.....just recovering from the shock!
Oldman

[Adamskini]

\o/

[KiwiNZ]

Now this is a terrible development

Great read, Steve. A lot of good action and pretty unpredictable. Now does that mean Artur at last has handed in his 'resignation'? And Dath as well?

GOSH, still shocked about what happened there. Excellent stuff!!!

found a few things:

"rush e relished"

"sweat-faced faced Argon"

"Max tired to take in the tactical display"

"He musy have gone"

Well, I am certainly looking forward to the continuation of all that.

[SteveMill]

Now this is a terrible development

Great read, Steve. A lot of good action and pretty unpredictable. Now does that mean Artur at last has handed in his 'resignation'? And Dath as well?

GOSH, still shocked about what happened there. Excellent stuff!!!

found a few things:

"rush e relished"

"sweat-faced faced Argon"

"Max tired to take in the tactical display"

"He musy have gone"

Well, I am certainly looking forward to the continuation of all that.

Thanks, I'll make those changes. I'll begin working on the conclusion to the story soon.

Working tilte: Rogues Revenge.

[Al]

Wow now thats a gripping chapter many mainstream writers could learn from. I was fully engrossed in it and am going to read it again later to pick up all the details that I know I've missed.

I'm guessing that the novelette will be the final showdown when all is avenged.

Al

[Deleted User]

Excellent..



IO

[Gandalf The White]

Very nice. I bet hisGF has been captured or something!

Can you send me thefinnished artical?

[Mercenary]

Excellent Steve,

Nice end to the book, and it looks like you'll have to start writting another soon

Now I did notice that the last few episodes & chapter have come out in quick succession. Could I read this to mean that you were encouraged to finish it quickly in order for it to appear on CD?
(Maybe I'm just being optomistic)

[SteveMill]

Excellent Steve,

Nice end to the book, and it looks like you'll have to start writting another soon

Now I did notice that the last few episodes & chapter have come out in quick succession. Could I read this to mean that you were encouraged to finish it quickly in order for it to appear on CD?
(Maybe I'm just being optomistic)

No, It meant I had a whole week off at Easter and on a couple of days, no competing demands on my time. Sorry.

Planning the concluding bookette as we speak.

[Moss]

Woah, very unexpected turn of events.

"Chapter Twenty: Vengeance " and I thought it was going to be Max's vengeance not Laws, your wicked Steve Still like Zela said Max's force is still, mostly, intact.

Was Daht and Artur on that trading station when it died tho? is Tyre now a slave? thats gonna be a nasty experience if so!

I hope you won't keep us waiting to long before we find out, great read Steve, cheers.

[SteveMill]

Woah, very unexpected turn of events.

"Chapter Twenty: Vengeance " and I thought it was going to be Max's vengeance not Laws, your wicked Steve Still like Zela said Max's force is still, mostly, intact.

Was Daht and Artur on that trading station when it died tho? is Tyre now a slave? thats gonna be a nasty experience if so!

I hope you won't keep us waiting to long before we find out, great read Steve, cheers.

Two very good questions. You wouldn't want it to end without a twist in the tail would you? Working on Ch 1 now, not sure though, if i'm missing readers who are away and I should hold off posting or whether they've just lost interest.

[Faze]

Brill Steve, cant wait for next chapter.

If I could I would give you a thumb.

[spikey]

Top class once again Steve. This story is pretty much the only thing that keeps me comming back here at the moment.

Here have a thumb. THUMB.

Spikes

[KiwiNZ]

not sure though, if i'm missing readers who are away and I should hold off posting or whether they've just lost interest.

Easter break, I'd say. People have gone on holidays etc..

[Gandalf The White]

No don't weight! post! post!post! the suspense is killing me!

[SteveMill]

No don't weight! post! post!post! the suspense is killing me!

Opening chapter in the next day or so.

Steve