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Time stood still for Fleet Admiral Hunter as he looked around the bridge at his crew consisting of fifty men and woman all officers, all battle hardened sailors at their tiered battle stations. They sat in front of sensor equipment, fire-control systems, and communication stations, all of them in a half circle facing the panoramic viewport. Some had their mouths hanging open in disbelief; others looked on with intense fear etching their faces. Still, others stared not comprehending the magnitude of the horror before their eyes. He could feel the fear inside him, hating that feeling making him more determined he would not die this day a coward. Grabbing the fear burning inside him, he gradually turned it into resolution and determination. Only seconds had passed, but it felt more like an eternity when he regained his battle-hardened composure and his mind returned to the reality of their impending doom. In all his years in space, he has never seen anything of this magnitude, even when an alien race backtracked through the wormhole generators to the Earth’s solar system and a terrible space battle ensued to protect Earth from invasion.
Visuals were streaming into the computer system unabated. “Fire-control teams set all guns to manual and use visuals to hit your targets. Launch all missiles to proximity detonate,” Hunter said now firmly back in control.
“Missiles away sir, contact in twenty-seconds,” Chief Petty Officer Lyndhurst calmly advised. Pausing in contemplation she continued, “Sir, sensors are showing an unidentifiable shield in front of the enemy! It is like nothing I have ever seen. Nothing is getting passed it our laser cannons are not having any affect and we are taking hits from their weapons!”
To the bridge crew, it felt like an eternity passed before the missiles reached the strange shield protecting the enemy fleet and exploded. The explosion lit space with a blinding light that the panoramic viewport quickly adjusted for protecting the entire bridge crew from temporary blindness from the super nova like flash. In seconds, the view of space returned to normal and with it the cold realization that the enemies strange shield held. Striking back with intensity far greater than before thousands of beams of unnatural blackness ripped through space toward the fleet slamming into shields some ripping into the armored hulls of the ships. The Intrepid shuddered on impact with damage assessment screens lit all over the bridge. Admiral Hunter knew one more attack of that intensity and they were finished.
“Hanger bay Delta 10 has been destroyed none of the fighters from that squadron made it out sir. All but one of the 212’s from Hanger bay Delta 10 got out sir and are engaging the enemy. Hangers Omega 29, 33 and 39 are clear and all fighters are engaging the enemy sir.” Hunter looked at the new officer newly billeted on the Intrepid. He felt ashamed that he did not know the officers name. The fleet is in deaths throws, two-hundred fixed wing craft against a thousand of those alien vessels and our weapons do not seem to have any effect on them how can we stop them he questioned himself as another barrage struck the Intrepid. Suddenly, the bridge of the Intrepid is incinerated in a ball off flame his last thought thinking only of saving his crew.
Games of the Powerful Page 6