**********
The Freedom had made good time, for the Heliot space cruiser was one fast ship, faster than anything that Earth had, and the power from her engines exceeded anything the Defenders hybrid engine could ever hope to accomplish.
"We should be nearing their position pretty soon, assuming they managed to stay clear of trouble that is." Tyler said to Paul Divine who was on communications and weapons. "Why not try to contact them Paul?"
"Before you do that Paul, you two guys should take a look at this on the long range sensors. It looks like two space cruisers are orbiting an ice moon of a gas giant up ahead, and there are indications of a smaller craft on the moon`s surface." Tracy Goddard said.
Up ahead was the other end of the solar system that they were about to rush through, so Tyler came out of hyperspace and asked Paul Divine to turn on their defence shield and also their cloaking device.
"John you take over the communications." John Hardyman was one of the trainee spacemen. "Paul, will you power up the weapons." Tyler ordered as they cruised across the system to come to a halt over the crashed freighter.
"That looks like the ship the Connors` ride about in, a bit smashed up but it sure looks like it. John will you radio down and see if they are still at home?" Tyler asked.
Meanwhile on the ice moon Ray Connors told his wife to see if the shuttlecraft was still ok, because he had a last minute plan of action. A minute later Jean returned after checking out the shuttle.
"Yes Ray the shuttlecraft is still ok but I am not so sure about the hanger door." Jean said and tried to raise a smile.
"Well we will just have to find out when we are leaving the Jeanette. What I plan to do is put the Phaser on a timed operation while we sit in the Shuttlecraft and ten seconds after we fire our Phaser, we open the hanger door and slide under the ice. We were lucky enough for our old rust bucket to end up in front of one of the holes the Aldebrans made when they fired at us as we slipped away under the ice and it is still not fully frozen." Ray said. He hoped that his plan was better than it sounded.
"Don`t call her an old rust bucket Ray, she was good to us." Jean protested.
"I know darling, I know." Just then, a call came into them over their crackling wreck of a radio.
"Ray Connors, Jean Connors we are from Orion and we are just above you in a cloaked space cruiser, do you need help now or can we see these two Aldebran cruisers off first?" It was John Hardyman`s voice and it sounded quite firm, even if he was about to go into his first battle.
"Orion ship we are sure glad to hear from you, yes we are just fine, you can see the two mongrels off first."
However, Ray did wonder just how the Orion starship was cloaked, and how it would be able to accomplish such an act against two space cruisers, he was about to find out. Back on the space cruiser Freedom, Tyler issued his orders.
"Paul, target both of those two space cruisers, set the Phasers to knock out their shields with the first shot and if they persist then take out their engines, but await my orders first. Tell me when you are ready." Tyler ordered.
"We are ready now Tyler." Paul Divine said ten seconds later.
The Freedom de-cloaked above the Jeanette stunning the two Aldebran crews, and Ray and Jean Connors. Tyler took over the communications from the pilot`s seat.
"We are a space cruiser of the space fleet of Earth, please take your two ships back to Aldebra; we will open fire in one minute if you are still here. Please do not power up your weapons or attempt to open fire on us as I will get very angry, and then I will be forced to return fire, and it will certainly mess up your shiny vessels."
The reaction of the two Aldebran ships was of course to target the Freedom with their weapons.
"Tyler we are being targeted by their Phasers." Tracy said.
"Ok Paul, take their shields out."
Twin beams of the purest energy surged away from the Freedom to strike the two Aldebran space cruisers simultaneously, and their defence fields were immediately knocked out, the superior technology of the Heliot ship was so far in advance of that possessed by the Aldebran ships that they did not have a chance.
"They are returning fire Tyler." Tracy called worriedly, but she should not have worried because as the Aldebran Phaser fire was soaked up by the Freedom`s defence shields Paul Divine fired again taking out both ships` main engines and leaving them defenceless. Tyler watched as the two Aldebran ships moved slowly away on their secondary engines, their captains both stating that they were leaving and not to fire again, something Tyler had no intention of doing. Caroline had appeared on the bridge, and crossing over to the where Tyler sat she leaned over and kissed him.
"Darling your early Christmas present sure is some powerful ship." Caroline said.
"She sure is darling, and she is all ours."
On the ice below the massive Heliot starship, a hanger door fell down with a silent bang, and an aging shuttlecraft appeared from within the stricken freighter Jeanette. From within this shuttlecraft Ray Connors called the Heliot starship over the radio and asked.
"Hey Tyler, can you tell us where can we park our shuttle craft?"
THE END
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About the Author
I was born in London, England. Like most of the world I had to work hard to pay my mortgage and all the other bills so I only had the time and the energy to write some short stories. My wife and I have a son who is now married to a lovely wife and they have five children of their own. Since retiring to the Greek island of Crete I have finally found the time and the energy to write some full length Science Fiction stories.
Other Books by Philip R Benge
Colonies of Earth Series in order
Galaxy Spies
Time Storm
Rebirth
Trial by Ordeal
Horror Stories
Strange tales; three short mild horror stories
Kidnapped and Bound for Hell; A full-length story
David Charlton stories, a science fiction series
Rescue Mission to the Stars
The Treasure of Altaraus
Return to Mazere
Other science fiction stories
Quasar
The Venetou
Short children`s stories
The Haunted Abbey
The Pirates Treasure
I am working on a new story entitled Invasion Earth, it should be finished sometime this year, if you e
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