“One Crillon Battle cruiser standing down, Commodore,” Captain Carpenter reported, even though everyone could already see that, courtesy of the Criton sphere.
“Come-on, come-on,” Earhart almost shouted, not wanting to have to engage these next-generation Crillon ships in battle without knowing their capabilities.
“Shields to maximum,” Commodore Earhart ordered, as a Crillon voice rattled over the inter-ship comms link.
“Why are you engaging us?” The Crillon asked.
Commodore Earhart, being under the control of both Lord Garth, and Lord Tara, had no choice but to ignore the question.
“Stand down or die,” he ordered the Crillon.
“We are all in the same Galactic Navy…. Uh…. What…, a mental intrusion,” the Crillon gasped.
Hearing this, Earhart knew that Lord Garth had started to convert the Crillon Commander, and it would only be a matter of time before he succumbed.
“One Crillon ship is warping out,” Invincible’s tactical AI stated.
Good, Earhart thought to himself as the ship created its worm-hole.
Destroy it. Lord Tara’s command stabbed into his mind.
But Earhart, with great determination, managed to ignore Lord Tara’s command long enough to allow the ship to jump to safety. However, Earhart knew he would pay for his disobedience later.
“Looks like the first Crillon has Jumped out of the fight,” Captain Carpenter commented, sounding relieved.
Earhart felt Tara’s influence trying to force him to engage the remaining none compliant Crillon ship, which still hadn’t raised its protective screen to the maximum.
Then, another Crillon voice rattled from the intership comms link.
“I am Commander Procard. You will not engage another Galactic Navy vessel,” he ordered.
Commodore Earhart recognized the name Procard, from years ago. But, Lord Tara’s grip had tightened on him, and he had no choice but to engage the Crillon ship.
Suddenly, Earhart’s mind was filled with conflict…, then confusion, as he felt Procard, or someone else, enter it.
But, whoever it was its intrusion was weak and unstable, allowing Lord Tara’s mental superiority to quickly push the intruder out.
‘Engage that ship Commodore, or die,’ came Lord Tara’s vicious mental command, almost frying Earhart’s mind with its ferocity.
“Procard, stand down and survive,” Earhart heard himself say, almost pleading with him.
His screen’s gone to Max,” Invincible’s weapon AI informed.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Earhart grumbled as he looked at the Crillon Procard’s Battlecruiser status-tag, that was currently being displayed in Invincible’s holographic tactical sphere and saw the battle cruiser’s shield leap to full strength.
Earhart’s options were limited. He knew from the latest Crillon ship’s schematics, that going down either side of the Crillon ship was no longer safe, as Antimatter weapons had been added to their weaponry, one each side of the vessel.
Just then, details for the best attack scenario dreamed up by his weapons tactical operators and AIs, finally appeared on his display.
Checking it over, Earhart decided that he wasn’t sure Invincible could even carry out such a maneuver. Whereas, Victor and Excalibur had less mass for their maneuvering thrusters to push the ship around, so would have been better, but they weren’t powerful enough to repel a vicious attack from the Crillon ship.
More importantly, he was concerned about Invincible being able to do a Barrel-roll around the Crillon ship’s length without getting spattered across space.
Who in their right mind would attempt to Barrel-roll a heavy Cruiser around another vessel? He wondered, grumbling to himself.
Nevertheless, he could see the logic in approaching the Crillon vessel at an angle, as it would prevent the Crillon’s forward anti-mass weapon from obtaining a target. Plus, rolling around the hull, between the new anti-mass ports that were each side of the Crillon ship, would also mean that the Invincible would only have to withstand the ship’s Particle beam weapon assault. While allowing Invincible’s shield piercing and particle beam cannons, to have maximum effect on the Crillon Battle-Cruiser.
“Engage,” he ordered, seeing that this scenario was the best option. Nevertheless, he was apprehensive.
The Invincible surged forward. With the two cruisers, Victor and Excalibur, dropping back to follow six kilometers behind, while at the same time moving outwards to form an arrowhead formation.
Commodore Earhart watched their rapid approach to the Crillon ship. Then Commander Procard ship’s forward anti-matter weapon fired.
“What the hell is he firing at?”
“Excalibur, Commodore,” weapon’s officer Black called out.
Earhart flipped his tactical display to view Excalibur, just as the Crillon’s Anti-matter bolt made a direct hit on its protective screen. The Bolt then flared, sending out an orange sheet of fire that hugged the periphery of the protective screen, but was unable to penetrate it.
Captain Carpenter cursed, as tiny points of light around Excalibur’s hull flashed for a split second, as some of the ships protective field emitters overloaded, and fried.
“Excalibur,” Earhart yelled over the inter-ship comms, “Break-break, get out of firing range. Fast.”
“Excalibur is intact and backing off Commodore,” the tactical AI confirmed.
“Incoming,” the weapons AI then warned.
Earhart’s attention jerked back to watch the Crillon ship that Invincible was starting to roll around.
Invincible, suddenly shuddered as Procard’s Crillon ship released a salvo of high power particle beams, causing Invincible’s protective screen to struggle as it absorbed the energy.
“What the hell are you waiting for, Garth?” Earhart irritably snapped, realizing Procard hadn’t been converted yet. “Bad idea. The damned plan’s flawed.” Earhart then muttered to himself.
“They're interfering with our weapon’s firing protocols,” Invincible’s security AI interjected.
“Commodore!” Carpenter called trying to get Earhart’s attention.
Earhart ignored Captain Carpenter. He just hoped that Invincible was able to live up to her name.
Chapter 21
Ronin
Frank and Susanna materialized in the center of a large room onboard Ronin. By now, both the giddiness and blackness that had filled their minds for a few seconds on Andromeda had gone.
Frank looked around for the transfer cylinder they had entered on the Andromeda but couldn’t see it Then he noticed a small greenish-colored sphere hovering some eight meters away, to the left of the room. The Sphere suddenly vanished, startling him, then instantly reappeared, just two meters in front of him.
“I am your interface with this ship, my name is Ronin,” came a human and male-sounding voice.
“I am Susanna, and this is my husband, Frank,” she stated, instinctively realizing they needed to be wholly involved as a couple.
“I am fully aware of who you both are,” Ronin coldly replied.
“Touchy, aren’t we?” Frank shot back.
“Yes, and so would you be,” Ronin added. “I have a Captain onboard who seems to be lacking in common sense. With a Time-traveler who, right now, only has what you seem to call animal acts on her mind. Not forgetting the fact that I’ve been dragged into an unstable and backward period, as some sort of punishment.”
“Well, put like that, I might well agree with you,” Frank replied, and couldn’t help smiling at the sphere’s comments.
He could see that the front of the interface sphere had a fluidity about it. In fact, the surface loosely resembled a face that also seemed to be able to mimic one's expressions.
“So, I have prepared a room for you to perform your animal acts,” Ronin continued.
“Thank you,” Susanna acknowledged, not sure what Ronin was really alluding to. “But, we’ll leave the animal acts to the other two.”
“Then there’s still hope for this time-period,” Ronin replied.
“We will be rendezvousing with Tamar’s vessel. But, to accommodate your late arrival, the contact time has been changed to twenty-one hours,” Ronin informed them.
“Being late was out of our hands,” Frank stated.
“Yes. I can see, from your minds.”
Hearing that, Frank and Susanna realized that the interface sphere wasn’t averse to looking into their minds whenever it wished.
“Tamar is a Varon High-Seer,” Ronin then stated.
“We thought the Varons were extinct, is that not so?” Frank asked.
“It seems that the Varon High-Seers are somewhat telepathic,” Ronin stated ignoring Frank’s question.
Ronin seemed to be in conversation with the ship for a few moments. Then Frank and Susanna felt the tingle in their minds that warp entry caused.
“Yes, you sensed correctly. We are underway. Once you’ve settled in, you will meet with the other two to discuss the mission’s end goal.”
“That’s fine with us, Ronin,” Frank acknowledged.
“Do you wish to visit the room now?”
“Yes, Susanna said, then starting to feel giddy, closed her eyes, and her mind went blank for a second.
Opening her eyes, she found Frank standing next to her, in a brightly colored and exotically decorated room.
Looking around, they saw that the room was luxuriously furnished. Including an oversize but comfortable looking bed. Soft sofas and expensive drapes, and various drinks in a beautiful looking cabinet.
“Some room,” Susanna said, amazed at the level of comfort that wouldn’t generally be found on Starships.
As they started to make themselves comfortable on Ronin’s ship, they mentally searched around for the other two humans and found them.
Both were surprised at how easy it had been to locate them. Then realized one was male, the other female, and that both had advanced brains. But, one was more advanced than the other.
‘Hello Susanna,’ Susanna got back, as she touched the female mind.
“Cindy,” a surprised Susanna said out loud.
Frank’s mind touched the other human. But, even though its mind didn’t respond in the way Frank expected, he knew it belonged to this Captain Gerry Stevens.
‘So, all four of us have enhanced minds,’ he thought to himself. ‘And, we're going to meet this supposedly extinct Varon race, that isn’t extinct after all.’
“Why are the four of us, suddenly so important? And, what has that got to do with this Tamar, the Varon High-Seer?” Frank wondered out loud.
“My guess would be a common link between our enhanced brains, plus Charlotte and Delta,” Susanna suggested. “But I haven’t a clue about the Varon,” she added.
Frank didn’t comment on Susanna’s reply. But he was sure that Charlotte was right about Delta. And, that things were getting dangerous for everyone.
Chapter 22
Survival
Out of the corner of his eye, Commodore Earhart saw Captain Carpenter’s hand hovering over the disengage tab on his tactical display. While the Invincible struggled to absorb the Crillon Battle cruiser’s continuous high-power particle beams that were slowly penetrating its protective screen.
Even though just seconds of engagement had passed, Invincible was rapidly losing ground. And, with Invincible being unable to fire because the Crillons had somehow managed to interfere with her weapon’s firing protocols, the ship was hovering on the point of disaster as she tried to abort her barrel-roll.
“Warp field establishing,” science officer Curry yelled.
“Geeze,” Captain Carpenter growled as his surroundings started to elongate.
“Back us off,” Carpenter yelled.
Then Criton, the Invincible’s holographic tactical sphere collapsed, as the Crillon’s warp field expanded, overloading Invincible’s power conduits and sending the ship spiraling away, out of control.
Then, Commander Procard’s vessel suddenly vanished into its wormhole. Leaving the Invincible struggling to regain stability, while endeavoring to keep it far enough from the Crillon’s wormhole.
Ten minutes of thruster-controlled firing, and Invincible was finally under control again. With Commodore Earhart feeling thankful not to have been dragged sideways into the Crillon’s wormhole, knowing that would have been the end of Invincible.
Commodore Earhart shakily sat back in his seat and wondered how the hell they’d got it so wrong, while beads of sweat trickled down his cheeks.
Nevertheless, he quickly recovered and sprang into action.
“How’s Excalibur?”
“Repairs are underway Commodore,” the security AI informed.
“And, Victor?”
“No damage sir.”
Earhart decided to ignore the AI’s assessment and turned to his science officer.
“Officer, Curry. What is our status?”
“Surprisingly, only four field-emitters have blown. I’ve sent the service droids out to replace them…. Ten minutes max, and we’ll be done.”
“Excellent,” Commodore Earhart said, congratulating Curry’s team.
Earhart wondered why Lord Garth’s ship hadn’t helped them, then realized that there was an argument taking place between the two Lords. He reeled as Tara’s frustration rattled his brain for a second or two before her outburst faded. Even so, he sensed that she had tightened her control over him, and his crews.
Earhart checked the ship’s chronometer and noted that ten ship minutes had passed without any instructions being issued by the two Lords. He was sure that, deep in his mind, he could sense Garth and Tara were still arguing about why he hadn’t helped her. But Earhart knew he’d have to sit tight and wait for the siblings bickering to end.
Suddenly, Lord Garth’s voice came over the Invincible’s comms.
“Commodore, we are splitting into two groups. I will have the three Crillon battle-cruisers. Lord Tara will have your three Earth ships.”
“To what end Lord Garth?” Earhart risked asking.
Before replying, Lord Garth switched to mental exchange, but only with the Commodore.
We have enough ships to set a trap for the large Earth carrier you call, Lexington.
Earhart was amazed. He could virtually see Garth’s plan in his mind. This surprised him, as he didn’t know if it was intentional, or not.
All the same, he now knew that Garth would have both groups of ships just out of detector range, but within a short Jump distance from the Lexington.
Earhart continued following Lord Garth’s plan which he could still see in his mind.
So, Garth would set a damaged Crillon shuttle drifting towards the Lexington, with the shuttle emitting a distress call.
Once the Lexington had established that the shuttle was genuinely damaged, the ship would then be obliged to bring the shuttle onboard. After which, Garth’s mental powers would easily disorientate Lexington’s weapons crews. Then, with the arrival of both groups of ships from different directions, panic would follow, and the Lexington would be Garth’s.
So, you have seen what will happen, Commodore. If you fail us, Lord Tara will shred your mind and vaporize you.
Alternately, if she takes pity on you and doesn’t kill you, then I will return and cause your death in such a painful way you couldn’t begin to imagine.
A vivid representation of his brain being pulverized made Earhart feel sick. “I get the point,” he gasped, while his mind recovered on realizing that the attack on it wasn’t real.
Lord Garth’s presence then vanished from Earhart’s mind, and he was alone again. However, the details of Garth and Tara’s plan to take the Lexington had been imprinted on his mind.
A moment or so later, Earhart sensed that something was in his mind, and was checking times, locations, and deployments. Earhart knew it had to be his bolt-hole cells busy copying the ambush plan. Even so, Earhart was sure that it wouldn’t be long before
Lord Tara tried to delete this information.
And sure enough, seconds after the copy had been completed, he felt Lord Tara touch his mind.
Criton, the ship’s holographic tactical sphere finally re-established itself after Invincible’s power conduits, which had been overloaded by Procard’s cruiser warp field, had been repaired.
“Three ships warping out,” the security AI informed.
Earhart’s attention focused on the three Crillon battle-cruisers, as they created their own worm-holes, then watched as the ships appeared to elongate as they slid forward and vanished into their hyper-space conduits.
A short time later, Commodore Earhart was surprised to see Lord Tara calmly stroll into his ship’s Bridge.
“Commodore, you will ensure that all ships are battle-ready. We will be warping out in eleven hours,” she haughtily informed him.
“We will be ready Lord Tara,” Earhart equally calmly confirmed.
“You’d better be,” she coldly stated, then turned and left the bridge.
Earhart wondered why she had bothered to physically come to the bridge, then realized that something had changed. He tried to recall what it could be, but although vague fragments hung tantalizingly close in his mind, they were nevertheless just out of reach.
He couldn’t remember exactly what, but he had a feeling that Lord Tara had done something to his mind. Then he sensed a passing reference to the Lexington. But, whatever the importance of this was for him, it had gone.
Just then, his conditioning by Lord Garth brought him back to dealing with the next jump, and another unwanted battle.
He noted that the destination co-ordinates had already been fed into the Astro-navigation system. And, that all three ships were synced to a common exit point.
Galactic War Page 10