by Chris Burton
She was certainly being sluggish. Something was definitely wrong.
Sure enough, he was losing ground to Steve, plus the fourth and fifth placed candidates caught up with him. He tried not to panic and ran a series of ship wide diagnostic and health checks to see if he could determine the problem. The main drive ran at eighty-five percent and he was caught by everyone. His race was over unless he diagnosed and corrected the problem quickly.
The diagnostic revealed a faulty circuit in his stellar drive. The ease involved to resolve the problem depended on where the circuit was. He set a further diagnostic enquiry in more specific detail and found it at the business end of the stellar drive, out of maintenance range. The circuit controlled a valve which allowed plasma to vent from the drive mechanism periodically. The valve sealed shut and a huge level of plasma built up within the drive mechanism. Jake took the ships stellar drive offline and sighed. His race was over.
There was never any question Jake would make it to the Top Gun final. He amassed more than enough points to ensure he would be one of the final twelve. As it turned out, he finished in third place overall, but the final places were largely irrelevant for the final candidates as they would all start with zero points in the first race of the final. Jake felt disappointed. He knew he could have won the race today and this would have gone some way to alleviate the guilt he felt about Hilliard’s untimely demise. He had the disappointment of not completing the race, as well as, the guilt.
Jake suffered the further humiliation of his Rapier being towed to Mars by an Eagle. The Rapier was a write-off. The buildup of plasma caused huge damage to the stellar drive, the auxiliary drive as well as the main infrastructure. Alpha engineers would get to the bottom of why it happened.
So he qualified for the final. He could concentrate on the one thing which really mattered. He must see Carla, before she left.
There was passion. Both of them were aware of their strong feelings for each other. It would be some weeks before they would see each other again. Carla showered, dressed and was ready to leave by nine o’clock the next morning but Jake lay there almost in disbelief—that they were together, and that it took them four long years to realize their feelings for each other. After holding each other close for what seemed an eternity, they said their goodbyes and Carla took her bag and left Jake’s apartment. He lay there not certain exactly what he was feeling.
* * * *
He must have drifted off to sleep again. An hour passed since he last looked at his watch. It was Christmas Eve and he had his own journey to make. He needed to get a move on.
Before the Top Gun event, Jake asked Steve to join him and his family for Christmas Day. His friend declined citing that Christmas was an Earth celebration and that, as a Titan, it meant little to him, especially that he was no longer with Carla.
Christmas was not the festival it once was. The religious festival, over time, largely reverted to its origins: a mid-winter festival celebrating the end of the year and the start of the next. The giving of presents still continued, but in a less materialistic way. It was usual for someone to buy their loved one a token present and children still awaited their presents from Santa Claus on Christmas Day, but the ‘old’ meaning of Christmas eroded over time. Jake’s family was unusual, in that they still decorated their house at Christmas time and Jake’s mother still cooked a Christmas lunch using traditional Christmas fare.
Jake took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of his parents and Barrat. He stayed two nights and was pleased to see his parents called a truce in terms of attacking his chosen route of graduation. The Academy and his studies were mostly off the agenda for the duration of Jake’s stay, although the subject of both Maria and Carla did come up. Jake decided not to mention his new relationship with Carla. He was certain they would disapprove if he told them his best friend and Carla were no more because she was with him. On Boxing Day morning, following a cooked breakfast, Jake left his parents and headed back to the Academy. He arrived at his apartment, just as Steve arrived at the door. Here we go, Jake thought. It’s back to reality.
Chapter Forty-One
The Sect Arrival
The Sect Legion arrived in the Tri-Star system about two hours before Admiral Shenke’s mini-task force. They immediately joined forces with the Sentinels’ small patrol force and set out their stall, pending the arrival of the Alpha/Nexus ships and the more considerable threat pursuing them from the Ionian System.
The majority of Sect vessels were interceptors, all of the same design, with patent black livery and a blacked-out cockpit. They were essentially ghost ships, barely visible and unbecoming, bearing in mind they were piloted by members of the Betanic Order. They were fast, capable, adaptable and powerful. They would be a real handful for any similar-sized adversary. Their pilots were superbly trained—handpicked at birth and taken under the wing of the Sect Military. Here they were raised, educated and trained as killers, still versed in the teachings of the Sect, but qualified as guardians and protectors of the Tri-Star region itself. They were the gatekeepers, and their job was as clear today as it ever was.
Amongst the mass of Black single-seater ‘interceptors’ flew Sect Command ships. These were the nerve system of the Legion and housed the Sect Commanders, the Betanica Priests themselves. Also taken from birth, they were trained to command and lead the offensive against the Kryl should they be allowed through the Void Hole. There was one larger vessel, where the High Priestess herself resided. This ship, with the majority of the interceptors, formed the main defensive force should the Kryl attack.
The Nexus Alpha research vessels neared the system; the convoy of ships was considerable. They were led by two Eagles, followed by the two Nexus Survey vessels. Behind this, Alpha brought with them eight support craft and the Alpha research vessel, Botanic. The Botanic was really the hub. The senior Nexus scientists and their watchful executives were based here, together with the Alpha scientific and military contingent. The Botanic became a military vessel, with fifteen jump ships and a considerable arsenal of teutonic and ballistic missiles, as well as her conventional defense systems. Her shields were up to Battle standard and she housed a contingent of two hundred fifty troopers, ready and waiting to be deployed in whatever scenario came to pass.
The Odysseus project leader was Dr. James Cameron. Cameron was a consultant with no direct connection to either Alpha or Nexus, and was brought in after a disagreement as to who should run things. He was a leading specialist in his field and a natural leader, known for his no-nonsense approach to problems.
They would arrive in the Tri-Star System in less than twenty-four hours, and his team thought they were ready. Cameron was clear he wanted further diagnostic tests run before they reached their destination; he was concerned about reports from Alpha commanders that a Sect Legion was in the system. We may only get one chance, he thought, and failure is not an option.
The AUSWAS survey ship neared the Tri-Star system. The Collective came before as guests of the Sentinels. Winterburn knew where he was going; he formed the Collective for this reason. He knew Earth couldn’t resist the temptation to enter the wormholes, and that the Sentinels would try to stop them. He must apply political pressure to prevent Alpha from accessing the wormholes in the name of exploration or profit.
The Collective responsibility was clear. They would attach themselves to the Alpha-Nexus vessels and persuade them not to enter. They would assert themselves in the best tradition of political activists by placing themselves between the opposition and the wormholes.
Winterburn was busy. He made contact with thousands of dormant members of the Collective; he told them they were needed in the Tri-Star system. He knew they were listening. Slowly but surely, the Collective’s numbers would swell and the System would be awash with his flock. Only then could they commence their task in earnest, and only then could he reveal the Collective’s true objective.
Chapter Forty-Two
The Nexus Arrives
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br /> The Alpha/Nexus Fleet cleared the giant gas cloud which had for so long protected the Tri-Star system and its secrets, and the three stars were visible in the main viewer, directly in front of the convoy.
Cameron felt confident his team was ready. He took his group of ships to high alert. He thought it likely the first obstacle would be the Sentinel Patrol ships, and asked his Alpha commanders to make ready their jump ships in the event the Patrols became an issue. He waited for news from Admiral Shenke that they were within range, so that he could seek Alpha’s protection as they began to work.
The job was simple; to open the wormholes was not. The wormholes lay dormant for millions of years, and the simple act of passing across them was not sufficient to wake them from their slumber; the two survey vessels needed to make some noise. They needed to create a high-frequency oscillating pitch, to be achieved by a sonic pulse resonator which would bounce sonic waves off the sides of the dormant wormholes. The wormholes would respond to the high pitch and should start to unwrap and turn.
Admiral Shenke’s mini-fleet entered the Tri-Star system. Shenke ordered an immediate scan of the system to establish the whereabouts of both the Sentinel patrol ships and the Sect Legion. He knew while the Patrol vessels posed only a limited threat; the Sect vessels were different. Diametric scanning revealed extremely sophisticated and advanced weaponry. These were the mainstay of the Sect vessels.
Shenke opened a comm link to the Odysseus Project lead vessel, the Botanic. Dr. Cameron answered immediately. Shenke was wary of the scientist. They had crossed each other before.
“Ah, Admiral Shenke. It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has Dr. Cameron. This time we appear to be on the same side.”
“Yes. So sorry to have dragged you away from your war games, Admiral. We have a large Sect contingent we need your assistance with. I presume you will be able to keep them at bay?”
“They are much more than a contingent Doctor. They represent a real threat.”
“Oh, come on, Admiral. This is a walk in the park, with your weapons of mass destruction. Please try and keep the more sinister ones in your trousers this time,”
Shenke was angry. Cameron walked a deliberate tightrope to see how far he could be pushed. This was, Shenke reasoned, posturing—Cameron trying to ensure that Shenke realized who was in charge.
“Just be aware, Doctor, my fleet acts independently of any standing instructions you may have.. Orders to deploy come only from me.”
“Ah, very well, Admiral. I understand your anxieties. Can I ask, though, that you immediately deploy a sizeable ship to watch over the AUSWAS vessel? They are, I believe, a threat to this mission.”
“A threat why? Are they not simply observers?”
“Yes, but there is more to it than that. Alpha and ECG intelligence both report the potential threat from the Collective, who are in effect holding the AUSWAS banner. They are in the guise of using AUSWAS’s ship. Our concern is with Professor Winterburn. He is likely to try to stop the opening of the wormholes.”
“I will deploy a battle cruiser to ensure that the AUSWAS ship is kept out of harm’s way. You won’t see any trouble from him.”
“Thank you Admiral. That will make our lives easier. We will stand down until your report confirms that the threat from the sect has been alleviated.”
Shenke thanked Cameron and closed the comm link. He paused briefly before opening a new comm link.
“Commander Hoskins, I have a special job for you. I need you to locate the AUSWAS ship and prevent it from impacting on the mission. Use any force necessary.”
Hoskins was in his ready room. He was glad to take the opportunity to remove the Halo from the fleet. Fleet cohesion was stifling and you never felt in command of your own destiny. Even in battle, he felt controlled; he was briefly on his own and in command of his ship and its destiny once again. The AUSWAS ship didn’t present too much of an obstacle. Scanning revealed their weapons potential, but he thought it unlikely they would be used. They were political in their stance, and were here to use persuasion to prevent an action, not be active participants. He doubted whether any exchange of weaponry would even be required, but he remained cautious to the possibility of conflict.
His first officer entered the ready room, with a smile on his face. “The AUSWAS ship appears to be under the command of a Professor Winterburn, who is the founder of the Collective. The Collective are an antagonistic pressure group, whose sympathies lie deeply with the Betanica Sect. They want only to stop us from opening the wormhole; this should be a walk in the park. I would imagine that morale is good aboard the ship now that we have left the fleet.”
“It’s probably only temporary. You say, you would imagine; aren’t your ears close to the ground at present, Commander? Do you sources affirm your instinct?”
“No, not yet, but I am sure they will. I guess we are hoping that, by the time we rejoin the fleet, the Sect threat will be destroyed and, hopefully, Rose will have secured victory against the Sentinels.”
“Don’t be so sure, and don’t rule out any potential difficulties with the AUSWAS ship. These types of people can be just as awkward to deal with as our enemies.”
Shenke identified the whereabouts of all one hundred fifty Sect Ships and began to split his fleet tactically. He dispersed the Halo 7 to shadow the AUSWAS ship. He looked to spread his fleet as widely as possible, while still leaving a core element to assist the Odysseus project. He only had fifty ships, making this awkward. He decided he needed a core of ten vessels to help protect the project and about twenty-five to spread out and ensure complete coverage of the system. The others would remain on standby, pending further orders, to ensure the Sentinels didn’t try to attack from outside the system. He knew the Nexus ship could not commence its operation until he had secured the system, and it was with this thought that he opened another channel to Doctor Cameron.
“Dr. Cameron, I presume that you are in place, pending our advancements?“
“Yes, we need you active and neutralizing the Sect threat. What level of deterrent are you preparing to use?”
“We won’t be nuking them, if that’s what you mean. They will be more than a pushover, but we will use fairly conventional weaponry. I will advise you myself when I am certain that we have achieved our aim.” With that, he hung up and commenced his personal log.
* * * *
The AUSWAS ship knew it was being followed and Winterburn approved of the ship that Alpha had recruited to do the job. They are taking us seriously, he thought. He did, though, have no intention of allowing Alpha or anyone else to interrupt his personal position on this. The Collective would ensure they were placed in the right position to influence proceedings, and he would be the center of all that occurred. Winterburn ordered a direct course for the wormhole, and the AUSWAS vessel moved slowly forward. He knew Alpha would first clear a safe route to allow the Nexus scientists to do their job.
Chapter Forty-Three
The Battle Continues
Admiral Rose enjoyed dinner with two of his senior commanders in his state room. They finished dessert and awaited coffee, when Rose’s comm link sounded.
“Admiral, the Sentinel flagship is in trouble, sir. Her shields are down. She is dormant and listing. She is under protection, but this is an opportunity to take the flagship and General Yoshi.”
“I am sure Yoshi won’t stick around to be taken. Yes, we need to take the ship. Launch jump ships and troopers. I will join you in about five minutes. Keep me informed of progress.”
Rose hung up before his orders were affirmed. He knew this battle neared its conclusion. Victory was in sight, and yet he was anxious. This was the critical time in a battle; both sides were weakened and loss of life had been considerable. He knew victory would be soured by the loss of too many Alpha personnel, and in recent days, losses had been significant. He knew every decision was critical, and that the only way the battle would end would be upon the demise or capture of General Yos
hi.
He had a lot of respect for his opposite number. He disliked Yoshi. He disliked all his enemies, but that didn’t stop him from feeling for the near-defeated General in terms of professional respect. Yoshi would soon be compelled to withdraw or surrender. Words couldn’t describe the way a defeated commander felt when he finally reached a decision such as this. The battle was not yet over; it was in its death throes, drawing to its inevitable conclusion, but the bloodbath continued. Rose knew Yoshi wouldn’t allow his command team to be taken. He could have already moved them to a secondary command ship, within the protected mass of the main Sentinel Fleet. Despite its dwindling numbers, the fleet still afforded a great deal of protection.
Yoshi had made several mistakes in the last few days and was compelled to bring his flagship into battle. It was the sole remaining dark ship in the Sentinel Fleet. The dark metal shielding no longer afforded the Sentinels with the protection which had plagued Alpha in the opening salvos of the battle. The flagship became easy to detect. Alpha command concentrated its heavy artillery on the Sentinel flagship. Its demise was inevitable.
Rose turned to his two guests. “Gentlemen, the pleasure of your company this evening has been delightful. Please take your time to digest dinner and enjoy your coffees. I am returning to the bridge.”
Rose headed off towards the bridge, and the two commanders exchanged glances and quickly finished their coffee. They knew Rose had signaled that he was back on duty. Despite his polite suggestion that they could take their time, they both knew Rose wanted them back in command of their respective ships.
* * * *
Yoshi was downbeat. His flagship was being boarded and his fleet numbers rapidly diminished. He had run out of options to turn the outcome around; he needed to pool his remaining resources for further attacks against the main body of the Alpha fleet. He still had atomic weapons at his disposal. He planned to inflict the highest number of casualties possible by driving his forces into the heart of the enemy. He was going to target the Alpha command vessel.