by Saxon Andrew
“I’ve heard about them. Do you have any footage on them?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Michael pressed his wrist unit and the monitor on the wall illuminated with the image of the giant black warship that was destroyed outside the Bullet Cluster.
“I don’t get a sense of how big it is just hanging in open space.”
Michael pressed a button on his WU and the view moved in closer and closer until Jinks saw a small ship on the hull. “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yes, it’s a Battle Pod.”
Jinks started shaking his head, “That ship is as large as a…”
Stoney said, “Moon.” Jinks nodded.
“And it’s just as fast as a Battle Pod in the void.”
Jinks looked at Michael, “Is that why you had the void disrupted around our Solar System?”
“That’s part of the reason. I want them to have to come at us at a much slower speed so we have time to reduce their numbers before they arrive at the planet.”
Jinks turned back to the monitor, “A Battle Pod won’t survive very long attacking that thing.”
“That’s not your target.” Michael changed the image and another black warship appeared on the monitor. “This is what we call the Mini-monster. It’s thirty miles long and uses the same disruptors as the Monster.”
Jinks stared at the image and moved closer to look closely at it. “There are gaps in the coverage.”
“Very good, Fleet Admiral. Your fleets of Battle Pods have been practicing moving through the gaps in the disruptor coverage to get close enough to the hull to launch a heavy round.”
Jinks looked at Michael, “And a heavy round is…?”
“A large explosive device with a dark energy ball on its nose to penetrate force fields and the thickest hulls. Once the dark energy burns out, the explosive inside it detonates.”
“Will a disruptor beam stop it?”
Michael shrugged, “Unfortunately, it will. They have to be fired extremely close to the target to maximize the chance that it will make it through to the hull.”
Jinks looked back at the image, “We’re going to lose a lot of good pilots doing this.” Michael sighed and nodded. “I realize the pilots have been working on hitting the gaps in that ship’s disruptor coverage, but those ships aren’t going to cooperate and simply fly a straight course for our target practice. Hitting those gaps with a madly gyrating warship is impossible at worse and difficult at best.”
“My scouts have sent images of the fleets coming here and it appears they are organized with a thousand of the Mini-monsters surrounding each Monster. There’s good and bad news with this formation.”
Jinks nodded, “They won’t be able to use radical maneuvers in a formation like that but it is going to be next to impossible to get at the Monster.”
Michael nodded, “That’s how I see it, too.” Michael turned to Stoney, “I’m sending you to assist Audrey in organizing the planet’s defenses. We now have a hundred and twenty eight defense satellites above the planet. We’ve place two of them in the Northern Hemisphere and two on the Southern Hemisphere on top of every longitude.”
“I’ve been looking at their armaments on my way here. I’ll see if I can do something to help her.”
Michael walked over to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out two black headbands, “Both of you will need to start wearing these pretty much twenty four hours a day until this is over.”
Jinks looked at the band Michael was holding out to him, “Why?”
Michel shrugged, “This band will block your thoughts and any outside thoughts from entering your brains. The Legends are bringing a telepathic species with them that can suck your brain out faster than you can imagine. We have a thought blocker pattern built into the force field that we believe will protect the people on the surface but you are going to be outside the force field.” Michael held it out and Jinks took it. He handed the other to Stoney, “You’re probably going to be safe inside the force field but you’re going to be much closer to that species than the populations on the surface. We don’t want to take any chances.” Stoney took it and immediately put it on his head.”
Jinks saw him do it and shook his head as he put his on his head, “Always the over achiever.” Stoney shrugged and smiled. “When do I see my fleets?”
“They’re at Eden getting ready for the battle. You can go and meet them there.”
Jinks shook his head, “How? The barrier and the void are disrupted.”
“I’ve had your old pod brought in and Jester is being transferred into one of our Attackships. All Flag Officers will be in them during the coming conflict. We can’t afford losing any of you. All of our warships have been fitted with the new Light Drive.”
“I know nothing about flying that new ship!”
“Jester will handle that and the Weapons Computer will fight the ship. You will have a simulator on board that you can work on during whatever spare time you have but trust your computers to keep you out of trouble. Your job is to lead them from a safe distance.”
“What about you?”
“I have to do the same.”
They heard the door to Michael’s office open and they saw Jinks Junior walk in, “Hey, Dad, it’s good to have you around.” Jinks hugged his son and smiled, “I’m shipping out to Eden. You’re looking good, Son.”
“Thanks, I come from good stock.”
“I’m proud of you, Son.” JJ nodded and Jinks looked at Michael, “I’ll contact you as soon as I arrive at Eden.” Michael nodded and watched the three leave his office.
Michael went to his chair, thought about the team his father had during the last war and knew they were really something special. He sighed and thought, “Hensel.”
“Uhhh, hello Commander.”
“Are you busy?”
“I’m helping Mom wash clothes. I think she really misses going to work.”
“Are you able to see where the Legend forces are?”
“I can’t actually see their ships but I can locate their thoughts.”
“How long will it be before they arrive?”
“They’ll arrive here first; they left early because they had a longer trip. They should be here in three days. The ships going to M-87 will arrive a day later.”
“Will the ships going to M-87 run across the debris of their tools before the ships arrive here?”
“I’m not sure. It will be close to the same time.”
“Hensel, can you hear the thoughts of the Legend Ships trapped in the disruption?”
“I can but I’ve blocked them. Their suffering is too much to bear.”
“Thanks, Hensel.”
“Glad to help.”
The contact ended and Michael was surprised at how much older he sounded. How did that happen?
Hensel smiled. His parents had removed their objection to his looking around and he had learned so much in a short period and he continued to absorb tremendous amounts of information from the greatest minds on the planet. He started folding clothes as he looked in Audrey Stone’s mind. Now here was a treasure trove! He looked at his mother and didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was going to have a daughter; he could already hear her. She’d find out soon enough. He focused on Audrey and smiled.
• • •
“Katy, Jinks, Audrey, the Legends will be here in three days! Start moving your fleets into position. Wrap up your training and follow the plan.” Michael pressed his panel and Talel appeared, “The Legends will arrive in about three or four days. You should start getting your forces in position.”
“Let me know if you need me to send your forces back to aid your defense.”
“I will.”
Michael leaned back and pressed another button. Jan appeared on his display, “You should get moving. We’re expecting company in three days.”
“I’ll say goodbye to the children and see you in the morning.”
“That would be good.”
; • • •
The Senior Legend saw the distant speck of light shining dimly in the void. The voyage was too long and it was impatient to get it done. He had chosen to go to this galaxy to avoid the battle at the ball galaxy. He was not going to take a risk if he could avoid it. The other Legends knew he was showing his cowardice but they respected his resourcefulness in coming up with the plausible escape.
He would waste time in the Spiral Galaxy until conditions became clear at the giant galaxy. The distant light grew larger and he ordered his fleet into normal space just outside the galaxy’s edge. He looked at the map the deceased Legends sent before they died and saw the planet he was looking for was on the opposite side of the galaxy from his line of approach. Can’t anything ever be easy?! He moved his fleet back into the void and skipped over the top of the galaxy and emerged into normal space above the planet’s location. He saw the flashing blue light on the map and looked at the spiral arm below him. He thought, “Lock in the coordinates of the star flashing on my panel and send it to all ships.”
“It is done, Great Leader.”
“On my command, we will jump in to that star and arrive half a million miles out from the third planet. JUMP!” The giant fleet of midnight black warships disappeared from normal space, jumped toward the distant star and were slammed out of the void into normal space just outside the edge of the star’s planets. “WHAT’S GOING ON!?”
“Great Leader, the void around this star has been disrupted. The only way to go to the third planet is to go through normal space.”
He stared at the tiny speck of light in the distance, “How long will it take us to arrive at our fastest speed?”
“Five days.”
“What?”
“Great Leader, it will take a tremendous push in normal space to get our ships up to one quarter of light speed and then we will have to slow. Our large mass works against us in normal space.”
The Legend decided that there was no way he was going to move in without a means of making a fast escape. He started to order the fleet to the ball galaxy when he heard, “ELDER, ALL OF OUR TOOLS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED!!”
“WHAT!! NOT ALL OF THEM?”
“Yes, Elder. The vast majority are locked up in a giant disruption. But there is a debris field in normal space that extends for more than a million light years.”
“Those idiots must have allowed themselves to get surrounded! Continue with the attack.”
“Will you be coming here to join us?”
“No, I’m going to attack this planet.”
“Yes Elder.”
The Elder Legend did not like this at all. He could choose his poison and going after one planet seemed to be the less dangerous of the two options. One thing was certain, the forces in that ball galaxy were strong enough to destroy the billions of tools. “How many Warships do you see in this system?”
“None.”
“That’s very odd.”
“There is a force field around the third planet and there appears to be some kind of objects in orbit above the planet.”
The Elder nodded and heard the Telepath say, “You were right. There is a presence here.”
The Elder felt his instant fear threaten to take him, “Do you sense those white high energy beings?”
“No, but I can hear thoughts dimly from the planet and according to your records, you destroyed that planet. It appears it wasn’t killed like you thought.”
“You will take the fleets in and attack that planet.”
“WHAT?”
“You heard me!”
“What are you going to do?”
“I will remain at the edge of this disruption with my personal bodyguard.”
“Your ships might be needed!”
“You’re the one that insisted we had built far more than would be needed and you lobbied for your species to command them. You also suggested I stay out of the fighting and observe what happens. I gave you what you wanted, so go and carry out my orders!”
The Telepath almost consumed the Legend but remembered the member of his species that had begged to die after consuming a Legend. Its suffering could be felt by all and the Legends refused to kill it. They waited for them to come and end its pain. It knew it had no choice. He ordered the massive fleet to go to maximum speed and the ships headed toward the distant star. The Elder waited with his three hundred Monsters and their escorts at the edge of the solar system.
Chapter Twenty
Jinks watched his visor and saw the huge Legend Fleet start forward. He still had time before he would attack. His responsibility was to reduce the number of Mini’s so the Attackships could get at the Monsters. The probes surrounding the giant Legends’ Fleet’s route into the Solar System began recording their light reflections and sending them out to the Battle Pods. The Battle Pods received the probe’s transmissions and locked in three codes each and waited in formation outside the edge of the Galaxy, where they had skipped to from Eden. This is where the Pods would escape to if they were in serious danger. Jinks looked out as the massive number of Battle Pods formed up in ranks according to their planets. The Welken, Myot, and Johan were side by side to the right. He glanced to the left and saw the ships from Earth and Eden in formation to the left. The Silver Ships were with Katy and the Attackships. They would go in when the Legends arrived at the planet. He shook his head and hoped the Battle Pod’s initial strike was going to work. Once it was done, things would get…difficult.
• • •
Ten thousand Monsters moved forward as a thousand Min-monsters formed up around each of them. The giant circular formation was more than three million miles in diameter. The giant warships flew inside their escorts and the millions of ships were tightly packed. The escorts around the central core of Monsters were formed up in five layers above each Monster; getting at the center of the formation through the Mini-monsters was impossible. The Mini’s would have to be removed first.
• • •
The Legend Fleet moved close to the orbit of Jupiter and Jinks lifted his communicator, “Pay attention, this is important. All of you have been given the light codes for three ships each as your primary targets along with two additional ships. You will skip in and fire on three ships and skip out. Notice I said three! They will start reacting after two and will be firing as you attack your third. Three ships only!” Jinks hoped the pilots listened. Many of the young pilots felt ten feet tall and indestructible. That could get them killed. “On my mark…three, two, one, MARK!” The eight hundred thousand Battle Pods disappeared in an instant. Jinks started counting off the seconds.
• • •
Chuck Bear pressed the blue button on his steering wheel and immediately pressed the orange button. He felt his pod jerk slightly and he pressed the blue button again, pressed the orange button, felt the jerk and pressed the blue button again and saw the ship under him start firing its huge disruptors as he pressed the orange button. He immediately squeezed the trigger under his right little finger and his ship disappeared as three disruptor beams flashed through the space he just occupied. One of them managed to graze his force field for a tenth of a second just before he disappeared and he looked at his force field status as he appeared outside the edge of the galaxy. It was down thirty percent.
• • •
Jeanette Burns killed her third ship and was so excited she pressed the blue button and not the pinky trigger. She pressed the orange button and pulled the pinky trigger as five huge disruptor beams hit her ship. She emerged outside the galaxy but the silver coating on her pod was melted and scorched. Her Squadron Commander yelled at her and she said, “I messed up and pushed the wrong button.”
“YOU’RE OUT OF THIS! Standby until given further instructions.”
“I’m sorry, Sir.”
“We need you and now you’re no help.”
• • •
Jinks looked at his visor and pulled up the long view. There was a giant debris field behind the advancing Legend
Ships and the entire outer layer of Mini-monsters around was gone. The remaining Mini-monsters were firing randomly into the space around the advancing formation and, after an hour, ceased firing. He said, “Tactical.” The view on his visor changed and he saw the ships that the probes had light coded in the enemy formation. “Prioritize the outer layer.” He watched the codes turn from red to green. All the ships in the outer layer were targeted.” He said, “Ship loss?”
He read the columns and saw that thirty two thousand ships were either destroyed or too damaged to continue the fight. He was highly impressed with the heavy rounds. If they hit an enemy ship, it died. He toggled his communicator, “You have your next target, on my mark, you will attack that target only! Three, two, one, MARK!”
• • •
Chuck learned something during the first attack. The button that fired the heavy rounds was slower than the light drive. He decided to try an experiment. He placed his index finger on the blue button, his middle finger on the orange button, and pressed them simultaneously. He immediately pulled the pinky trigger. He pulled up the code of the ship he attacked and saw it was missing from the list. Holy… He pressed his communicator and said, “SIR!”
“What is it fuzzy?”
“I just tried something and it worked.”
“What is that?”
Chuck told him and his commander linked him in to Jinks. Jinks listened to the pilot and said, “Standby and tell your brothers and sisters what you just learned.” Jinks linked Chuck into the main frequency and he told the surviving pilots what he did.
“Do you mean you pulled the escape trigger immediately after you pressed the two buttons?”
“Yes.”
Jinks broke in and said, “We’re going to get creative this time. I’m reasonably certain that the outer layer of ships will not stop firing their disruptors after what just happened. The probes have detected there’s about a mile between the layers of Mini’s; I’m having the probes send you the light code of the ships in the layer just inside the outer layer. I don’t think they will open fire with their own ships above them so I’m giving each of you two codes. I suggest you follow Captain Bear’s advice but press the two buttons simultaneously twice followed by a faster trigger pull on the second push. Stand by for your codes.” Jinks watched the Ship Status screen on his visor and saw the all the red codes turn green. “One more time; on my mark, three, two, one, MARK!”