by Sid Kar
It was the footage recorded by a camera inside an airship. They were firing at the ground troops and receiving fire in turn but the armored airship was protecting them well. Then suddenly a strange looking creature appeared on the ground, he ran up the wall and jumped into the airship through its opening. Valorun and the remaining audience jumped a bit but Gregan had seen it before, only dismay set upon his face.
Then to their amazement, the strange creature proceeded to single handedly throw all their soldiers and pilots out of the airship and it went down hard before the screen turned to static. Camera had broadcasted the visuals but it had been destroyed with the airship.
“What is that?” Lewyn almost yelled, “Is that even a Starfirian?”
“Yes,” Gregan replied, “we believe so. He is just armored and in a mask.”
“Looks like a specialist unit to me,” Admiral Flannan said then turned to Valorun, “I know you are not fond of them Grand Admiral, but now might be the time to activate our own specialist warriors: the MegaMacktars.”
“And good reason why I don’t like them,” Valorun said, “Brash, braggarts who are nearly hard to control and very aggressive to boot.”
“We might need their type to deal with these Starfirian specialists,” Gregan said, “If one of them gets inserted inside our ship, he could wreak great havoc and be very hard to put down. Most of the troops abroad our spaceships aren’t upto the levels of Forward Recon Troops and he manhandled my boys.”
“Alright, Commander,” Valorun said, “I will trust your judgement. Activate them but keep them on standby.”
“Yes, Grand Admiral,” Gregan replied and saluted him. He walked over to the screen to retrieve the recorder cube.
Suddenly Valorun’s personal radio cackled and the voice of his communications officer Tynol Molor came through in a high pitch.
“Grand Admiral, we have picked up that huge, Starfirian ship that had aided Nestorians in devastating our military outpost on Whitefog,” he said.
“Where did it come from? Did it rush ahead of their fleet?” Valorun asked on his radio.
“No admiral,” Tynol said, “Appears that it was hanging around, perhaps deliberately hiding in the outer fringes of this star system. It seems to be accelerating towards their fleet to join up with them.”
“Then it must have scanned our fleet’s strength,” Flannan said.
“No matter,” Valorun said then turned to face them, “Admirals return to your spaceships immediately and hold the fleet in the formation I specified. I am going after him.”
“Alone?” Lewyn asked in a tone of surprise.
“Why, Vice-Admiral Lewyn, are you scared of going after a spaceship that is near our size?” Valorun smirked at his Second-in-Command and Lewyn was embarrassed. This was the first time the old man had smiled in a sly manner in a long while and to be accused of being fearful in front of the other admirals was somewhat insulting, even if tongue in check. Rest of the admirals and commander Gregan saluted Valorun and left the room. Meanwhile, Lewyn carefully weighted his words and then he spoke.
“Do you want an individual dual to show Starfirians that even their biggest starship can’t beat us? Demoralize them?” Lewyn asked.
“Do you think I wish to stroke my ego?” Valorun laughed, “After winning all the accolades and awards our Empire can bestow on an imperial officer in the last war? No, I want to use our second SuperCorrosive Sphere and no better target to use it upon,” Valorun said, “In a crowded, chaotic fleet battle, we will never be able to target that spaceship.”
“That is our last one,” Lewyn said, “Why not save it for the emergency.”
“You surprise me, Lewyn,” Valorun said, “For the longest while you were itching for a war, but now you have suddenly turned cautious and conservative. This is why I am the Grand Admiral. Anybody can be pumped up for battle when backed by a massive force and a straightforward battle board. But moments like these, under uncertainty, is when bold strategies require true courage and foresight and yield the biggest gains.”
“If you say so…” Lewyn began to speak but Valorun cut him off and headed towards the door. He had no time to waste.
“Follow me, quick,” Valorun said waving his hand, “Besides, we have no material that can safely store that superweapon. It is eating through even its special inert metal alloy container and would have had to be jettisoned into space soon anyhow.”
Lewyn almost trotted to catch upto Valorun who had sent an order for the hovercraft to pick them up and take them back to the command room.
VC Barryett, Col. Tollvyk, Norvyk, Rockvyk, Capitan Styx, and the other officers and guards disembarked off of the hovercrafts right outside of Starship Conquistador’s command room and briskly walked towards the main entrance doors. The Starship Guards patrolling outside promptly saluted the arriving crew and then suddenly stepped in front of Norvyk and Rockvyk and one of them spoke to Capitan Styx.
“Capitan, these two are not authorized to enter the command room,” a guard said, “sorry sirs,” he turned to face them two, “but we would need Commodore Raptor’s orders to allow you two to proceed further.”
“Get out of their way,” Col. Tollvyk jumped back, “Raptor is fighting for his life, but he would not even be alive if these two hadn’t helped me rescue him.”
The guards were disturbed. They had not been completely informed of the developing situation with regards to their Commodore. They looked at VC Barryett and Cap. Styx with a helpless face.
“I don’t care,” Norvyk said then guffawed, “but I am a Stardjacker, I can get anywhere in the starship on my own accord.”
The guards were unnerved to hear this. They had spent a lot of time just recently worrying about a rogue Stardjacker getting past their defenses and now a new one had shown up who appeared to be laughing in their faces.
“And I am a State Detective,” Rockvyk said showing them his badge, “trained to keep state secrets.”
“And he has business with Com Antrar’s matter,” Tollvyk said to Barryett. He could not say much more in front of the crowd but Barryett understood and was even taken aback a bit.
“He does…” Barryett mused then blurted out, “we don’t have time. I am in temporary command. Guards let these two in till further notice.”
“Yes, Vice-Commodore,” the Starship Guards saluted him and stood aside.
They all hurried inside the command room and Capitan Alvina rushed to greet them.
“How is Commodore Raptor?” Alvina squealed in high pitch. She wanted to keep calm but her heart was fluttering and giving out.
“Com. Raptor is badly injured, but he will live,” Barryett announced to the whole room, “thank these three men for saving him.” He pointed to Tollvyk, Norvyk and Rockvyk. The command room cheered.
“Cap. Alvina, you aren’t the only one. I would be splayed out on the floor on all fours, crying like a baby with my hands and legs paddling air in all directions if it was otherwise with Com. Raptor,” Tollvyk said walking over to his rocket section and his junior rocket officers saluted him with smiles. “Let’s get this sucker who wants us in a single combat against this beast of a warship. This one is for our Commodore Raptor.”
“VC Barryett, this is the same Mercurian warship that had destroyed our Nestorian ally’s Battleship Avenger with some chemical Superweapon,” Horyett, the gravitron officer said, “I have collated its gravitron signature with the data Avenger had managed to beam us just seconds before its destruction. They match exactly. It is bigger than us.”
“Bigger like a bear is bigger than a lion, won’t save him from the lion’s wrath,” Tollvyk interjected readying his rocket arsenal, “Let’s rip this bastard a new throat.”
“Col. Tollvyk, I understand you have been through a bloody physical battle and your friend Raptor is precarious, but I need you and all of you to be calm and composed,” Barryett said, “We have a battle ahead where we are heavily outnumbered. We need our wits about us to overcome the odds.”
“Apologies VC Barryett,” Tollvyk said. It wasn’t his friend he was answering to now, he realized. He reached for a glass of an ice-chilled drink prepared by his junior officer and gulped it down. It was supplied by the Army with the ingredients to soothe a soldier’s nerves.
“They have launched,” Horyett exclaimed the next moment, “Incoming 100 rockets, impact in T minus 60 seconds at our current speed.”
“Distance to our fleet and the Mercurian spaceship?” Barryett asked walking over to his station.
“The rockets will reach us long before we reach our fleet even at top acceleration,” Horyett replied.
“I can launch 200 counter rockets,” Tollvyk said.
“We have already depleted our arsenal considerably,” Barryett said, “I am worried what we will have left to fight with in the fleet battle.”
“Impact in T minus 45 seconds,” Horyett said.
“Rainmar is Starfleet Command, it can restock us rapidly in a battle emergency,” Capitan Overyk, the navigation officer said, “They must be preparing right now for that very role
on a war footing for their starships.”
“But not fast enough to turnaround and confront the Mercurian battleships that will get past our fleet,” Barryett shook his head, “No way they can all be engaged before Rainmar. They would not miss an opportunity to go after a starship that is a sitting duck in the orbit for resupply.”
“Impact in T minus 30 seconds,” Horyett said a bit louder this time.
“Vice-Commodore, there might be that chemical superweapon hidden behind those rockets, the trick they used against Nestorians,” Tollvyk said. He had just remembered that fact as his mind had calmed down and refocused completely on the battle ahead.
“Yes, yes,” Barryett suddenly remembered too, “Col. Tollvyk, then launch your 200 counter rockets.”
“200 counter rockets launched and away,” Tollvyk exclaimed pressing the keys for their launch, “Interception in T minus 12 seconds.”
“Get me Colonel Aurvyk,” Barryett spoke on his terminal after establishing a direct connection to the starship’s chemical weapons section. Aurvyk was their chief chemist.
“Col. Aurvyk reporting sir,” it was he who answered, “We are receiving live updates of the situation from the command room and we have prepared all of our neutralizing agents.”
“Good to hear, Col.” Barryett replied, “please stay live with me.”
“Yes sir,” Aurvyk replied.
The 200 counter rockets launched by the Starfirians met halfway in space with the 100 rockets incoming from Mercurian Megaship Maverick and there were a large number of interceptions. A total of 81 Mercurian rockets were destroyed, but 19 managed to fly by unharmed and zoomed in on Starship Conquistador.
“Impact in T minus 9 seconds,” Horyett said.
“Laser defense full auto,” VC Barryett said.
“Lasers on full auto,” Capitan Alvina replied switching over the lasers to computer targeting.
“Switch all available power to the shields,” Barryett said.
“All available power to the shields,” Avyk, the shields officer, replied.
When Mercurian rockets were 5 seconds away, the laser batteries on the hull of Conquistador opened fire on full rate. Hundreds of lasers shot out and tried to knock off the zeroing rockets.
In the next four seconds, the lasers managed to intercept and destroy sixteen rockets, but three still got through and viciously struck the hull of Starship Conquistador, shaking the massive starship and even sending a few vibrations in their command room.
“Damage to the shield?” Barryett asked.
“Shield’s holding, little damage,” Avyk looked up from his terminal with a smile.
“Chemical Sphere incoming,” Horyett nearly screamed, “The rockets masked its signature. Impact in T minus 30 seconds.”
“The rockets were fired in a pattern to intentionally mask it,” Barryett said, “That is why we intercepted so many. So let’s not pat ourselves on the back yet, we have a clever player in the game against us. Capitan Alvina, target the chemical weapon with lasers. Capitan Flyptar, dive hard and then execute a vertical ‘S’ loop while keeping forward towards our fleet.”
“Yes vice-commodore,” Alvina and Flyptar replied simultaneously.
Capitan Alvina and her laser section targeted the SuperCorrosive Sphere launched by Maverick and the lasers poked holes through it but it was nearly 100 meters in diameters and lasers failed to disperse it.
“Impact in T minus 20 seconds,” Horyett intoned solemnly.
Capitan Flyptar and his flight crew dove the Starship hard, then pulled it up equally rapidly, flipped its nose up and accelerated. Then they dove forward again but broke their descent halfway into a straight vector forward completing a vertical S loop. It was taxing on the starship’s engines but rockets had a hard time keeping up the pursuit.
“Impact in T minus 10 seconds,” Horyett said worriedly.
“How did the chemical sphere change directions in tune with us?” Flyptar asked bewildered, “I thought those were launched out with atomic catapults.”
“This one must have navigation micro-rockets embedded inside that change its vector,” Barryett said then turned to his screen, “Get ready, Col. Aurvyk, we won’t escape this one.”
“We are ready,” Aurvyk replied with a slight disdain at the thought of fearing a mere chemical agent when his top chemists were abroad to neutralize it.
“T minus 2 seconds…impact,” Horyett said then watched his panel quietly.
The impact wasn’t much; indeed it was nothing at all as far as the kinetic energy was concerned. The SuperCorrosive Sphere splattered on the starship’s hull and failed to chip off even the outer paint at the point of collision.
But then it went to work.
The alarms started blaring on shield officer Avyk’s instrument panel and he reacted with fright, “Vice-Commodore,” he spoke excitably, “The agent is eating our shield and the outer hull across a 100 – 200 meters arc.”
“Already?” Tollvyk exclaimed, “What the hell?”
“Col. Aurvyk…” VC Barryett turned to his screen.
“Have no fear, we have launched our robots,” Aurvyk replied, “They will reach the location of the chemical splash in five seconds.”
Avyk watched intently as the indicators on his panel told a story of steady deterioration of the metal alloy of starship’s hull.
“They better reach there NOW or our hull will turn into wet cardboard,” Avyk said.
Thousands of robots jumped out of the metallic cylindrical depots built on the starship’s exterior and using magnetic levitation swarmed to the point where the chemical weapon had struck. Their seals automatically popped out in space and hundreds of types of neutralizing agents poured out in volume of thousands of gallons. The surface was turned into a cauldron of steaming liquids, mist, goo, smoke and vapors of myriad colors.
“They are doing nothing,” Avyk said, “Hull’s rate of deterioration continues…30% of it must be mush by now.”
“Impossible,” Aurvyk said, “We have taken no chance. Every neutralizing molecule available abroad this ship has been poured.”
“Colonel…colonel…” Avyk nearly jumped and his junior officers waved their hands in frustration, “These computers haven’t decided to pull a bad prank on us. This data is available live to your section too.”
Barryett had already pulled up the Shield & Hull Live Report on one of his terminals and he turned to the screen with Aurvyk, “Capitan Avyk is right. Have your robots scrape it off.”
“Sure,” Aurvyk said, “but then we will have to scrape the robots afterwards.”
The robots made contact with the surface and metallic arms shot out of their bodies and they tried to scrape off the chemical. But their arms and scrapers started melting, even vaporizing and in a few seconds all the robots that had made contact had disappeared in thin space.
“What the fuck!” Col. Aurvyk
yelled loud enough for his voice to carry over Barryett’s terminal and boom across even the command room, “We tested those robots to withstand every caustic and corrosive chemical known to us. They should have lasted at least ten minutes against even the most sordid brew.”
“Vice-Commodore, our fleet has started to move towards us,” Horyett said.
“Towards the Mercurian Fleet,” Barryett said, “which is right behind us.”
“Vice-Commodore, the Starfleet Commander wants to have a word with you,” Capitan Dorrvyk said.
“The Mercurian battleship seems to have slowed down its pursuit in response to our fleet movement,” Horyett said.
“Goodness, the chemicals have chewed out 38% of our hull now,” Avyk said.
“Must have the texture of chewed tobacco then,” Tollvyk said and Avyk gave him an angry look but he continued speaking, “I am readying the counter rockets with special programming. Mercurian bastards must have marked that spot of chemical splash and will launch every goddamn one of their rockets targeting it. That’s how they got the Nestorian Avenger but me and my rockets will be prepared for them.”
“There is too much happening, Vice Commodore,” Capitan Alvina said in desperation unfolding her arms to either side palms up exasperated and tired, “It’s pandemonium. What do we do?”
“What Raptor would have done,” Barryett replied, “think and fight our way out. Alright,” he turned to Aurvyk’s display and said, “Analyze enemy’s chemicals and find me a solution,” Barryett said, “Your section are the experts.”
“Already on it,” Aurvyk replied.
“Dorrvyk, open a direct line of communication between me and Starfleet Commander,” Barryett said.
“Yes sir,” Dorrvyk replied.
“Col. Tollvyk, program 100 counter rockets to guard that vulnerable spot,” Barryett said.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Tollvyk said, “right on it like an eagle on an escaping rat, that actually won’t”.
“Alright…” Barryett let his words trail off when another one of his screens lit up and displayed Starfleet Commander’s face.