by D. J. Holmes
“And does your data tell us how the Overlord got the technologies needed to construct and equip such a powerful war fleet?” Bell asked. “I don’t mean to be rude but our scans of your planet do not suggest your people have the capabilities to produce so many ships.”
“We are not sure,” Tak’ar answered for Jil’lal. “To be honest this has been a mystery since the first Overlord took power. As I said before, as if from nowhere his forces were able to seize power using weapons that were far more advanced than anything his opponents had seen before. Most of the military units you see around our world are equipped with state of the art Vestarian tech, but they aren’t much more advanced than the weapons we used before the Kulreans contacted us. Yet we know from historical reports and a few brief skirmishes we have had with the Overlord’s personal guard that the Overlord has access to a level of technology far beyond that which he equips his usual troops with. It may be possible that the Overlords have had access to these kinds of technologies ever since they took power and have just been limiting their use so that their opponents don’t get access to it.”
“That’s possible,” Bell said as she began to wonder exactly what the omen was that had crashed into the plant’s surface. A Kulrean ship maybe, she thought, with technology the Overlords have managed to reverse engineer?
“It does mean that toppling a ruler with the ability to secretly produce his own fleet of warships is going to be much harder,” she continued. “There is no way Endeavour could take on so many ships.”
“That may not be an immediate problem,” Jil’lal said. Our data included messages that have been sent to the construction yard ordering the fleet to prepare to leave the Vestar System. They were sent just over two weeks ago and we believe that the fleet has already left for its next target, likely the Kulrean homeworld.”
“Well if the Kulreans are as advanced as their satellite in orbit suggests they are, the Overlord’s fleet are going to get a nasty surprise,” Bell said.
“Yes,” Tak’ar said. “But our dealings with them suggests that they are very strong pacifists. It is only a guess but we do not believe that they have a military nor a fleet of their own. There may be nothing to stop the Overlord’s ships from attacking their homeworld.”
“Oh,” Scott said shocked that any species would leave their homeworld undefended. “This could end very badly. The Overlord has already shown that he is willing to bombard alien planets to get his way.”
“Yes,” Bell agreed. “But that fleet could also be on its way back to Haven. The Overlord may feel like his chances of defeating the Kulreans would be stronger if he could add human technology to his warships.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Scott said. “The defenses on Haven couldn’t hope to hold off over two hundred of their warships.
“No,” Bell said in a serious tone. “Tak’ar, we need to contact our Captain with this information right away.”
“I understand,” Tak’ar said. “No COMs will be able to penetrate this base though. I will have to take you back up to the surface.”
“Then lead on,” Bell said as she stood and made her way to the door hoping Tak’ar would pick up on her concern.
Chapter 20 – Boarding Action
In the first Expansion Era it was unheard of for one of the space nations to secretly build up their military forces. Explored space was just too small to hide the mining and construction yards needed to build a large fleet. Now the Empire is so vast that the entire Human Sphere from the First Expansion Era could be lost without even being noticed.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
1st July, 2466 AD, HMS Endeavour, in orbit around Vestar
James was on the bridge, sitting in his command chair listening to Bell relay the information she and Scott had obtained from the Resistance.
“Good work Agent, this is vital information,” James said once she had finished. “I will send a shuttle down to collect you and then we will go straight to this construction yard.”
“No,” Bell said. “Tak’ar says the Overlord’s army units in this area must have detected the shuttle the first time it landed because patrols have more than doubled since we got here. If you send down a shuttle for us now there may be a firefight and you would give away the location of the Resistance’s base. You may have to wait until things calm down here to collect us.”
“Very well,” James said. “We have no time to loose. We need to verify the construction yard’s existence and see if we can track this new fleet in case it has headed back to Haven.”
“Yes Sir, I understand. Scott and I are prepared to wait here on Vestar. With your permission we would like to provide what help we can to the Resistance while we wait.”
“You may give them advice and share tactics,” James said. “But don’t get involved in any operations yourself and do not trade any technology with them. If this information proves true then the Overlord has attacked and bombarded a human planet. If that is the case, then when we get back I will have no problem relieving the Overlord of as much of his military forces as we can. But until it is confirmed I don’t want you taking any direct action against him, understood?”
“Yes Sir,” Bell responded, “there is one more piece of information I am sending you. Jil’lal, one of the resistance’s technical experts has provided us with detailed information on how their computing systems work. Scott says that if some of her people can get their heads around it in time, they may be able to access the Vestarian computers in the construction yards and get some more data on their attack fleet.
“Excellent,” James said. “Tell Scott she has done a good job. You both have. Now I better go.”
“Happy hunting Sir,” Bell said as she closed the COM channel.
“Julius,” James said to the Third Lieutenant who was on the bridge with him, “contact Ferguson, Mallory and Becket and tell them to meet us here.”
“Yes Sir,” Julius replied.
“Navigation, lay in a course to take us to the asteroid belt Bell’s information identified. Take us there under stealth. We don’t want to alert the Vestarians that we are coming.”
*
Ten hours later Endeavour had come to a complete stop beside the large asteroid that housed the Overlord’s construction yard. They were within plasma cannon range but hopefully out of range of any x-ray lasers the Vestarians might have hidden on the surface of the asteroid. Scans of the large rock hadn’t identified any weapon platforms but James was being extra careful.
“I think I have found it Sir,” Julius said.
“Show me,” James asked.
On the holo display the image of the large asteroid zoomed into a section and flicked to thermal imaging. Across one section of the asteroid a thin line of heat was clearly visible. “The computer estimates the line to be more than two hundred meters long. That’s just wide enough for them to fit their larger warship through. I think we’re looking at waste heat from the seal between their external doors.” Julius said.
“I agree,” James said after taking a few seconds to consider the image. “Send the coordinates to Major Johnston and tell him his mission is a go. Tactical, I want the plasma cannons at full charge, if you get even a hint that a weapons point is charging up take it out immediately.”
James turned to Ferguson who was sitting beside him. “You ready to lead the second wave?”
“Yes Sir, I have selected thirty of the crew with the best weapons skills. We’ll be ready to back the Major up,” Ferguson replied.
“Very well then, go and see to your team. Have them ready to embark as soon as the shuttles return,” James ordered.
“Shuttles away,” Sub Lieutenant Malik informed James from the sensor station.
*
As Johnston’s shuttle took off from Endeavour’s flight deck he turned to Lieutenant Becket and said, “Let’s try to keep you in one piece this time shall we?”
“That would be appreciated Sir,” she replied with a smile.
“Missile launch from Endeavour,” Becket announced as they approached the asteroid.
Everyone in the cockpit of the shuttle and those in the rear who could strain against their harnesses looked out the main forward window and watched as a single missile streaked passed the two shuttles.
When it was fifty meters away from the asteroid it detonated. In space the force from a thermonuclear explosion quickly dissipates but the missile was close enough to ensure a significant amount of its explosive force crashed into the external doors of the construction yard. Even if the doors were made of valstronium, it was hoped that the missile would still blow a hole big enough for the shuttles to fly through.
“We’re being hit by multiple target acquisition radars,” the pilot announced worriedly.
“I think they know we’re coming,” Becket said.
“Don’t worry, Endeavour will handle them,” Johnston said. Sure enough, a few seconds later green plasma bolts rained down on the giant asteroid, causing explosions to erupt all across its surface.
“Listen up lads,” Johnston said over the COM to his men to take their minds off the danger. “As soon as we enter the construction yard the shuttles are going to scan its interior with ground penetrating radar. One of the aliens in the Resistance provided us with a program that will analyze our scans and identify the likely locations of the construction yard’s central computer. Our job is to take those positions and hold them until the tech guys coming across in the second wave can get to them.
“We don’t know how good these aliens are in ground combat but we have the element of surprise. Let’s use it to our advantage. Don’t forget, these are the guys who attacked Haven, unless they surrender show them no mercy.”
“The hole that missile blew in the external doors isn’t big enough for us to fit through,” the shuttle pilot said, bringing Johnston’s mind back to the present.
Before he could say anything Becket opened a COM channel to Endeavour. “We’re going to need that hole widened for us Julius,” she said..
“On it,” she replied. Moments later four plasma bolts tore into the hole, melting its edges enough for the shuttle to fit through.
“That should do it,” the pilot said in relief.
“Here we go,” Becket said in excitement as the shuttle eased its way through the hole, closely followed by its sister ship.
As soon as they were through the hole, the pilot gunned the engines and whipped the shuttle into a series of tight evasive maneuvers. They hadn’t been sure if the interior docking area of the construction yard would have any weapons defending its entrance. When no weapons fire was detected the pilot slowed the shuttle and waited while its radar mapped out the interior of the asteroid.
“It’s vast,” Becket said as the first scans began to come in. “It looks like they have hollowed out almost all of the asteroid.”
“It sure does,” the pilot said. “Look over there, they still have two of their frigates under construction.”
Becket looked at where the pilot was pointing. All across the interior of the asteroid there were extremely powerful lights lighting up the whole area. It was easy to make out the two warships amongst all the construction scaffolding. It looked like there were at least six different construction berths. Four of them were empty but two contained hulls that looked like they would eventually become alien frigates. Becket was impressed at the swarm of activity going on around both ships.
“Forget about them for now,” Johnston reminded them. “Find us a place to put down.”
“There,” the pilot said pointing to what looked like a landing area for some of the smaller construction ships that worked within the asteroid. “Your Resistance program has identified two areas that might house the central control computer. That landing area is right in between them.”
“Take us in,” Johnston ordered and opened a COM to the Marine Lieutenant commanding the marines on the other shuttle. “Jeffers, you take position alpha, I’ll take beta. No need for anything fancy, just hold the position until the technicians get there.”
“Acknowledged,” Jeffers said.
“Becket, when we land you find a place to hide and cover the landing site. We will want to land the second wave here once the shuttles return. We’ll need to know it is still secure. You can keep an ear on the COM channel and follow our progress so you can update Ferguson when he lands.
“Yes Sir,” Becket said a little disappointed she wasn’t going to go with the marines. She understood though. Despite all her training she still wasn’t as capable in marine combat armor as the marines themselves. The element of surprise was everything on this mission and they couldn’t allow her to slow them down.
As the marines rushed out of the shuttle once it touched down, she hung back to stay out of their way. When she did step off, the shuttle lifted off and banked towards the exit. As she looked around she realized that she was already on her own. Both sets of marines had taken off towards their objectives. Behind her the roar of the shuttles’ engines let her know she was without backup if anything did happen. Carefully, she looked around and assessed her surroundings.
The shuttles had landed on a large metal structure built into one of the sides of the asteroid. With her magnetic boots holding her to the surface what seemed like the ground was actually one of the sidewalls of the asteroid, at least in relation to the hole they had blasted into the asteroid. Around her a number of small craft with different grappling arms and hooks were parked and beyond that the large flat landing zone was covered in metal crates of various sizes filled with all sorts of components. In the distance there were three hatches that led into the wall of the asteroid that presumably contained more rooms.
Becket carefully made her way into the midst of the crates and chose a spot where she could watch all three hatches. She settled down and listened in on the COM chatter between both groups of marines. It seemed as if they had both made contact with armed aliens but they were still making progress. She winced when she heard that one of the marines had been hit. She hoped whoever it was would be ok. She knew all of the marines through the training she had been receiving from Major Johnston. He regularly got her to spar with them and every one of them had beaten her black and blue at one time or another.
Movement at one of the hatches caught her eye and refocused her mind. A Vestarian head had poked out of the hatch for just a second. There is it again, she thought when the head appeared. Slowly, the head appeared for a third time and a full Vestarian slowly walked onto the landing zone. Five more followed it, all armed with a large, intimidating looking weapons that resembled the gauss cannons Becket knew some of Earth’s ground militaries used.
As she watched they spread out in twos and began to comb the landing zone. One pair was heading directly towards her. Carefully, she sighted her plasma rifle on the first of the aliens. Taking a deep breath, she then exhaled, slowly letting out half of the breath. As she paused she zeroed in her sights on the center of the alien’s torso before pulling the trigger twice. Without even waiting to see the two plasma bolts strike, she redirected her aim and fired two more bolts. This time she watched the alien go down before she ducked behind cover. The others would know her position; it was time to move.
She got up and sprinted to her left at an angle away from the group of aliens. When she was confident she was far enough away, she found a good firing spot and settled in to wait. Sure enough, thirty seconds later two more aliens appeared, carefully moving to flank her previous position.
Before she opened fire on them she checked the timer on her combat armor. The shuttles would be returning in thirty sec
onds. That would give her an opening. Slowly, she counted to twenty and then opened fire. This time her first shot missed but she adjusted her aim and took the first alien out with her second shot. Her miss had given the second alien time though and he managed to bring up his weapon and open fire. A small explosion erupted beside her as a part of the metal crate she had been using for cover exploded into hundreds of small balls of molten metal. “X-ray lasers,” she cursed as she ducked away from the alien’s fire.
She was just in time as another explosion erupted where she had been standing. Taking a risk, she charged out from behind the other side of the crate, firing from the hip as she went. Her move and speed caught the alien by surprise and he wasn’t able to bring his bulky weapon to bear on Becket before her plasma bolts knocked him down.
Without pausing, she charged in the direction the two aliens had come from. The last two would be either where she had initially seen them keeping an eye on her original position while their friends tried to flank her, or trying to flank her from the opposite side. Either way her route would take her behind them.