-
Voltrex Battle Commander Kamuss’s face was grim as his fleet was slowly destroyed. Without hesitation his people sacrificed themselves for an alien vessel they knew little about.
“We can activate the drive in twelve seconds,” reported Lieutenant Commander LeLath. “I hope this alien ship is worth all this.”
Kamuss nodded. On one of the viewscreens, another Voltrex ship was riddled by Trellixian energy beam fire. He too hoped this alien ship proved worthy.
-
Mark issued frantic orders, trying to keep his ship alive and to rescue trapped personnel. All across the ship, reports of massive damage flowed into the Command Center. The Fold Space Drive was now nonrepairable. The sublight drive was a total wreck, and only one of the fusion reactors still functioned.
“I think we’re about to enter hyperspace,” reported Chloe. “Whoever these aliens are, they’re sacrificing their ships to save us.”
Suddenly Mark’s stomach wrenched, and the surviving viewscreens blurred.
“We’re in hyperspace,” Chloe said in explanation. “We’re safe from enemy fire.”
Mark looked at Lieutenant Keys’ computer console. “Chloe, do you have a full translation of the First Contact packet they sent?” Mark could scarcely believe their ship had been rescued.
“Yes,” Chloe answered. “We can communicate with the aliens whenever you want.”
The Command Center was a mess. “Let’s get the Command Center fully operational, and then we’ll contact our new friends.” With a deep sigh, Mark looked down at Lieutenant Commander Barrington. His body had been covered, and the med tech still hovered over the captain. Mark suddenly realized he was now in charge of their mission. He had a heavily damaged ship, large casualties among his crew, and his vessel was now under control of the new aliens. He eyed the self-destruct button for a moment and then decided against it. “Lisa, we’ll soon contact these aliens. I need your group to assess their danger and give me a recommendation on how to proceed.”
“Yes, Major,” replied Lisa, trying to remain calm. “We’ll get it done.”
Mark coughed from the heavy smoke in the Command Center, the air was slowly clearing. He wondered how many of the crew were still alive. One thing he did know: if they ever returned to Earth, it would not be in the Vengeance. His first ship’s command would be his last.
-
Trellixian Battle Commander Balforr gazed in disbelief where the Human ship had been only moments before. The Voltrex had rescued the ship and, in the process, had sacrificed most of their fleet. It was a move Balforr had not been expecting.
“They’re gone,” Second Officer Jaltor said. “How do we explain this to the High Command? If the Voltrex learn the secret of Jelnoid technology, we may never defeat them.”
Balforr did not reply for a moment. He had tied his career to capturing one of the two Human ships. Now he had failed. “I’m going to my quarters. We will remain here while our ships repair their battle damage. When I return, I shall send a message to the High Command.”
“What will you tell them?”
“That we successfully destroyed one of the Human ships, and, in a violent battle where we defeated a large Voltrex fleet, the last Human ship managed to escape.”
“What do we do now?”
Balforr hesitated and then answered. “That fleet must be from the Voltrex system we recently attacked. I will request additional reinforcements so we can attack that system and destroy it. Perhaps we can destroy the Human ship before the Voltrex can learn any of its secrets.”
Turning, Balforr left the Command Center. Perhaps only he realized how dangerous it was that the Voltrex had rescued the Human vessel. If the Voltrex gained access to Jelnoid technology, the entire Trellixian Empire could be at risk. Possibly a single small Human vessel could be responsible for bringing the Trellixian Empire to its knees in the near future. Balforr knew the Empire could not be involved in a prolonged war, which pulled resources from its colonization effort. With a deep breath, Balforr, for the first time, realized just how fragile the Empire actually was.
Chapter Fifteen
For several hours the crew of the Vengeance worked repairing damage, removing their dead, and getting the injured to the med bay. Across the ship repair crews patched up the hull and repressurized compartments. A number of compartments near the outer hull were left in a vacuum as they would require extensive EVAs to make repairs.
Some of the damage was so widespread that repairs weren’t even possible. Walls were reinforced, and cutting torches were in wide use as the crew worked to shore up sections of the hull. The ship’s Marines worked alongside the regular crew, making the ship as safe as possible.
In several compartments the bodies of dead personnel were removed and taken to the ship’s morgue. When the final casualty count was tallied, fourteen members of the crew were missing. They had probably been sucked out into space when the compartments they worked in were struck by Trellixian energy beams. A gruesome way to die and one best not thought about.
“We have an incoming message from the alien ship that has us in its tractor beam,” reported Ensign Smith as a green light flashed on her console. “Chloe and I have set up a translation program based on their First Contact packet, so we should be able to understand them. There is video content as well.”
Mark nodded. “Put it on the main screen, and let’s see what our rescuers look like.” The last few hours had been hectic with the crew working frantically to get the ship and its systems stabilized.
The main viewscreen cleared of static, and one of the aliens appeared.
“They’re giant cats!” exclaimed Brenda, her eyes widening in surprise. On the viewscreen, one of the aliens was plainly visible, with several others in the background. “They’re gorgeous.”
“I am Fleet Commander Kamuss. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
Mark took a deep breath and replied. “I am Major Dolan, the acting commanding officer of the Vengeance. Our captain has been severely injured and the second officer was killed in the battle with the Trellixians. I want to thank you for rescuing us. We believe they wanted to capture our vessel.”
“That is our belief as well. I am sorry to hear about your senior officers and regret we could not save your second vessel. Do you need any immediate assistance?”
Mark looked around the Command Center. Everyone focused on the viewscreen.
“Our ship is heavily damaged. Can you take us somewhere so we can make the necessary repairs?”
Kamuss nodded. “We have a colony world nearby with several shipyards. We would be glad to help you in whatever way we can.”
“Are you fighting a war with the Trellixians?” Mark held his breath waiting on the answer.
“Yes,” Kamuss replied. “Their technology is better than ours, but we have a massive fleet and have so far kept the lizard people at bay. Where do you come from? Are you refugees?”
“Our world was attacked by the Trellixians, and most of our people killed,” Mark replied. “However, we had some very advanced technology available to us and only recently drove the Trellixians from our planet. We are an exploration mission, seeking help for our people against the Trellixian Empire.”
“Would you be willing to share your technology for such help?”
Mark was quiet for a moment. This was something Captain Erickson and Lieutenant Commander Barrington were supposed to handle. Now it was his decision, at least until the captain regained consciousness. “It is open to negotiation.” It was obvious to Mark their benefactors were interested in the ship’s technology. No doubt they had witnessed enough of the battle to realize the effectiveness of the ship’s weapons.
“I would be cautious as well,” Kamuss replied. “We must get to know one another better and build trust. From what we saw of your weapons, your technology could be a game-changer in our war against the Trellixians.”
“How soon before we reach your colony world?” Mark was c
oncerned about the damage his ship had suffered. He wasn’t sure it would be safe for the crew to remain on board for too much longer. Some of the damage was beyond their ability to repair.
“Two days,” Kamuss replied. “Will you be safe on your ship for that length of time? We could drop from hyperspace and evacuate your surviving crew to one of our vessels. It would be necessary to check the atmosphere on our ships to make sure it’s compatible as well as run a few medical checks.”
“I believe we will be okay for a few days. The damage to our ship is extensive but not life threatening at the moment. If the situation changes, I will notify you immediately.” Mark did not feel comfortable evacuating the ship, even though these new aliens sounded friendly. The crews’ quarters were in the center section of the Vengeance, and considerable effort had been made to secure that section of the ship.
“I will leave you to your repairs then,” Kamuss said. “We will speak again later. I’m sure we both have a lot of questions.” With that the transmission ended.
Mark looked at Lisa and the other special lieutenants. “What do you think?”
“He sounds honest,” said Lisa. “As a feline species, we can assume they’re hunters and very loyal to their families. My first impression is we can trust him.”
“We have no choice,” added Brett, frowning. “This is why we came out here. We’ve found a race who’s fighting the Trellixians and who seem, for now, to be holding their own.”
“I like cats,” said Brenda. “From listening to Fleet Commander Kamuss, I had the impression we could trust him.”
“They did sacrifice a lot of their ships and crewmembers to save us,” said Kia. “They lost over half of their fleet and untold personnel.”
“I agree with Brett,” said Derek. “This is why we came out here. Let’s see where it takes us.”
“I have studied their ships with what sensors we still have functioning,” said Chloe. “Their vessels are powerful but not when compared to Trellixian warships. They must be suffering massive ship losses in their battles. It’s obvious they depend on their superior numbers to keep the Trellixians at bay. If their ships were equipped with Jelnoid weapons, it would put the Trellixians at a distinct disadvantage. A fleet of ships the size of the ones Fleet Commander Kamuss used to rescue us would be deadly to the Trellixians once equipped with Jelnoid technology.”
Mark took a moment to consider what the five and Chloe had said. “So our technology will be a good bargaining chip?”
“It would seem so,” replied Lisa. “We just need to determine what kind of race these cat people are. We don’t want to strengthen something even more dangerous than the Trellixians.”
“Fleet Commander Kamuss said we have two days before we reach their colony. Let’s get as many repairs completed as possible. During that time we must come up with a plan to deal with these new aliens. Keep in mind the main reason we came out here was to find allies. We may have just done that. But how do we convince them to send a fleet to Earth to help protect it? We’re quite a ways from home.”
“Our Jelnoid technology is the key,” Brett said. “If they don’t agree to help, we don’t give it to them.”
Mark let out a deep sigh. “We may not have any choice. We’re pretty much under their control.”
“We have two days before we reach their colony world,” said Brett. “I would suggest we use that time to secure the Jelnoid technology we have on this ship. I would also suggest we install sufficient firewalls on our computers to prevent them from accessing the data without our permission.”
“I agree,” said Lisa. “It’s better to take some precautions now rather than regret it later.” Lisa looked at Derek. “Can you and Chloe take care of that?”
Derek nodded. “It shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“One more thing,” Lisa added, her eyes narrowing sharply. “I don’t think we should tell them about Chloe, at least not initially. She’s our ace in the hole and can tell if the cat people are trying to steal any of our technology. She can monitor every inch of the ship.”
“Not at the moment,” Chloe said. “Due to the damage the ship has suffered, some areas are inaccessible.”
“Then we should work hard over the next two days setting it up so Chloe can monitor most of the ship,” Lisa said, “at least the most sensitive areas.”
“Very well,” replied Mark. “I’ll assign a few work crews to get Chloe access to those sections. We’ve got a lot to do over the next few days.”
One of the first things Mark wanted to do was check on Captain Erickson. There had been no word from the med bay, and Mark knew part of the reason was the high number of injured. Nearly one-third of the crew had been lost in the battle, and another forty or more were injured. They were stretched pretty thin right now just getting the necessary repairs done. Mark also needed to speak to Lieutenant Brown about their newfound friends. With the ship heavily damaged, this mission was now in a precarious position. Mark didn’t dare risk one of the Marines accidentally shooting one of the cat people.
-
Kamuss looked at Lieutenant Commander LeLath. “Well, what do you think?”
“They only have hair on their heads,” she replied. “Their faces and hands are bare. I felt very uncomfortable looking at them.”
“And they probably felt the same about us,” replied Kamuss. “They are a new species, and we must learn to deal with them without offense. The technology on board that ship can change this war to our favor.”
“We could just take it,” suggested Diboll. “The species appears weak with no claws.”
Kamuss shook his head. “No, I believe we can gain much more by befriending these hairless ones. Besides, if I were them, I would make it impossible for us to learn anything about their technology.”
“I agree,” said LeLath. “We are not the Trellixians. Our people have always been honorable. That’s one part of our heritage we must not allow to change.”
“I will send a message to Commander Kallon, informing him of what has happened. I will also tell him that we must be prepared to fend off the Trellixians as they will not want us to gain access to the technology on this ship.”
“Then you believe they will attack the Bator System again?”
“Yes, as soon as they have sufficient ships. I will recommend every vessel we can spare be rushed to Bator. We must do everything in our power to defend the ship of the hairless ones.”
“That could endanger some of our other systems,” warned LeLath, her whiskers standing out straight.
Kamuss nodded. “It is a risk we must take. Without the technology this ship has, at some point in the future, our Federation will fall to the Trellixians. This is our best hope to stop that from happening.”
-
Early the next day Major Dolan had checked on the Vengeance’s captain, and the prognosis was not good. Captain Erickson had suffered a major concussion, causing swelling of the brain. The surgeon on board was treating it, but he did not think the captain would return to duty for weeks, even if the swelling went down. So far the captain had not regained consciousness.
Mark returned to the Command Center and prepared to speak to Fleet Commander Kamuss again. “What’s the status on ship repairs?”
“Only one fusion reactor is producing power,” Lisa reported. “The second one is too severely damaged. We can repair it, but it’ll take several weeks. However, before we do, I would like to check with our new friends to see what alloys they use. If we can find an alloy resistant enough to heat, we can substantially increase the power produced by our fusion reactors.”
“It would increase the power of our energy shield as well as our energy cannons,” said Brenda.
Mark looked confused. “I thought the alloys we got from the Trellixians’ energy rifles were sufficient?”
“They are, to a point,” Lisa replied. “But even those alloys cannot handle the heat we produce in our fusion reactors.”
“Most of the heat is reduc
ed by magnetic containment fields,” Brenda explained. “While the alloys we’re currently using are okay, we are not operating the fusion reactors at full capacity. Lisa and I have designed a new fusion power plant, based on using a better alloy. It’s our hope the cat people will have one.”
“It seems we have a lot to discuss with our new friends,” Mark replied. The lieutenants had provided him with a long list of questions to ask. “Well, let’s get this started. Ensign Smith, see if you can contact Fleet Commander Kamuss. It’s time we became a little more familiar with one another.”
-
Two hours later, Mark looked at the command crew. “Well, what do you think?” Mark had spoken to Fleet Commander Kamuss, asking numerous questions. The fleet commander in turn had questions of his own.
“If he’s telling the truth, then we’ve found the allies we’ve been seeking,” said Brett. “If you notice, he was very careful not to reveal how many planets his people inhabit. However, from the number of ships he indicated his people possess, we can safely assume it’s a large number.”
“They’ve been fighting the Trellixians for over a year, and the only Voltrex system the Trellixians have discovered is the one we’re being taken to.”
Derek stood, stretching. “Fleet Commander Kamuss says it’s heavily defended and has already defeated one Trellixian attempt to conquer it.”
“Chloe, what did you make of the conversation I had with the Voltrex fleet commander?”
“They’re desperate,” Chloe answered. “While they may have a large fleet, the Trellixians have superior weapons. It’s only a matter of time before the Trellixians conquer the Bator System. From there they will go to the next Voltrex system. I don’t believe the Voltrex can hold out more than a few years at the most.”
Mark leaned back in the command chair, which had been repaired. “So they will be desperate to make a deal?”
“Yes,” Chloe replied. “If we make them a reasonable offer, I’m 94 percent certain they will accept it.”
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