by J. K. Mabrey
“Don’t worry men,” Rindel said trying to calm down the sudden commotion. “Our shields have been tested against worst bombardment. Keep the fire on the dreadnought. As soon as its shields are down, launch the artillery rounds.”
The dreadnought continued to move closer to the station, taking heavy fire the whole time. It must have been hoping for backup from another ship to draw away some of the fire, but there was none. After a minute of taking on direct shots, the massive ship turned course again to withdraw from the station’s range.
Noticing the ship’s changed strategy the captain said, “Launch the artillery now before it is out of range.”
“But sir,” one of the cadets said, “the artillery won't be as effective with their shields still up.”
“Understood, Cadet, but they will help in bringing the shields down. We need to get them down, then we can disable the engines before they get out of range.”
The station continued to bombard the dreadnought with artillery and laser fire. Just before the ship got out of range the shields flickered and failed.
“Launch the artillery at the engines," Captain Rindel commanded. "Halt its escape.”
The station fired four shells at the ship, each hitting an engine and exploding upon impact. The stern of the ship erupted in a fireball that sent the ship careening in a circle while still drifting away from the station.
“Readouts show that the ship’s engines are all out of commission,” the Cadet said.
“Good, just let it drift there. Turn the arms toward the next incoming ship.”
“Sir!” the Cadet yelled. “Our scanners show multiple fighters incoming.”
“Any readings on what type of ships they are?”
“Looks like about a dozen different variances. Some from each race perhaps.”
“Open the hangars,” Rindel said. “The stations are no match for the fighters alone.”
“Right away, sir.”
“If we engage them in ship-to-ship dog fighting, we’re gonna lose a lot of men,” Mike said.
“I realize that, Lieutenant Colonel. They are the ones engaging us with fighters. We have no choice. The Council has ordered this battle. All loss of life will be on their hands.”
“The Council is usually so against any loss of life," Mike said. "This move is very strange. I can understand sending the fleet here to threaten and persuade us to surrender our space. But to order an all-out war, it doesn’t make sense. There’s something more to this than just our raid at Extrera.”
“Sir,” the Cadet interrupted. “It appears that the Iriquios and Farlin ships are keeping their distance from the battlefield.”
“They’re not attacking?” Rindel asked.
“They’re only launching salvos of artillery, half of it’s missing. They’ve also not deployed any fighters.”
“I see,” Mike said. “The entire Council does not want this battle to be happening. The majority of the aggression is from the Chokmnd and Rovun fleets. If we can repel them, the rest of the fleets will undoubtedly flee as well. Get the word out Cadet to concentrate on the Chokmnd and Rovun vessels only. Leave the others where they are.”
“Yes, sir.”
“What are you thinking, Snyder?”
“I’d say the Iriquios and Farlins only joined in on this assault out of pressure from the Council. The Iriquios have always been our greatest ally in the galaxy, and the Farlins have always understood our plight for self-sustainment. They'll understand why we did what we did better than anyone. The Council is just being manipulated by Red Moon to get us out of the way. Or perhaps this is just a way to divide the Council further. Have them fighting internally about our fate.”
“I don’t particularly like the idea of being the monkey in the middle for intergalactic turmoil. You usually end up being ripped apart by both sides.”
“That we can agree on," Mike said. "I can only hope that Zavik gets what we need to prove the betrayal going on in the Council.”
“Before we’re completely occupied by the Council forces," the captain added.
The battle raged on outside the station. Under a new strategy, the Earth stations were focusing their attacks on the Chokmnd and Rovun ships. With enough damage and losses, they would hopefully withdraw from the battle. Mike looked out the viewfinder to see many disabled dreadnoughts drifting through space. Explosions were numerous all around. The realization that fighters were being destroyed, and soldiers lost to a battle that should have never started, choked him up. The Council had pushed too far too fast. Negotiations were never a possibility. The Fleet came prepared for a battle, and Earth was equally prepared to defend.
So far the Earth fleet had held its ground and not actively joined the battle. While numerous in ships, individually they were weaker than the Chokmnd or Rovun’s. Ordering them to engage in a battle such as this would most likely result in the loss of at least a few of their cruisers. They were smaller and had weaker shields than their Galactic fleet counterparts. It was not an easy decision to willingly order a ship, commissioned with hundreds of soldiers, to engage in a fight that would result in significant loss. But the military was trained for such situations. The men wouldn’t question orders. They knew what needed to be done to save Earth, and they were willing to die for their planet.
The Earth ships were well armed, like most Earth military vessels. Their design placed the bridge towards the center, raised slightly higher than the rest of the ship. A large battery of lasers surrounded the bridge, deterring any ships from attacking the high-value location. The Earth cruisers had small ship hangars, only capable of holding three-dozen ships each. They had developed separate specialty drop-ships for carrying large numbers of fighters into battle.
“Call up Admiral Hansen, Cadet,” Mike said.
“Yes, sir,” the timid soldier replied.
“What is it, Lieutenant Colonel Snyder?” the Admiral asked.
“Sir, I think we need to send in the fleet to clean up this fight.”
“The fleet is sorely outgunned and you know that. If we send them in, we’re sure to lose dozens of ships, if not more.”
“I’m well aware of the dangers involved," he said, "but our fighters are dwindling and their ships are moving closer. They get any closer and our stations will lose what advantages we have. The fleet will provide a push that could turn the Council away.”
“That would be an awfully big gamble, Snyder.”
“I realize that sir, but if we don’t do something we will begin to loose space stations. If we can take out a few dreadnoughts, I feel the Chokmnd and Rovuns will have to order a retreat.”
“I'm inclined to agree with you. Very well, I’ll order the fleet to advance on our positions.”
A moment later the Earth fleet moved closer to the station’s position, firing salvos against the incoming fleet. Many smaller ships erupted into fireballs of debris upon impact. A Chokmnd dreadnought positioned itself on a path to the space station and set its targets. The closer it drew, the more accurate and deadly their weapons became. The station began to take a substantial beating. The jarring blasts sent the standing occupants to their knees.
"Our shields will hold," Rindel said, regaining his composure. "Concentrate all of our firepower on that incoming ship. What's our closest cruiser?"
"The Clandestine is only fifty clicks out, sir," a Cadet reported.
"Tell them we are in need of immediate assistance with this dreadnought."
The Chokmnd ship drew even closer to the station, straining the shield generators further.
"Our artillery is of little effect with their shields up, sir, and our turbo lasers are overheating."
An alarm sounded a red alert. Darkness swallowed the bridge as flashing red lights oscillated around the room. Again they were shaken to the ground.
"Sir, our shields are failing. A few more direct hits and it'll go into cool down mode."
"We'll be vulnerable to all firearms then," Mike said.
�
�Dammit, where is the Clandestine?” Rindel shouted.
“It’s just coming into range now, sir.”
The Clandestine, a rather large ship by Earth's standards, launched an all-out attack on the Chokmnd dreadnought. Though roughly half the size of the Chokmnd ship, the Clandestine, along with the station’s still working armaments, were putting up a good fight. The Chokmnd ship chose to focus its firepower on the space station. It could have quickly ended the Clandestine’s threats, but decided to stick with its plan of destroying the space station. The Chokmnds underestimated the combined firepower of the cruiser and station. The Clandestine’s heavy turbo lasers weakened their shields, causing them to collapse, and leaving the ship vulnerable. Seeing this turn of events, Rindel ordered a full barrage of artillery fired at the dreadnought.
The ship was maneuvering away from the station when a shell impacted the bow. The explosion rang through the front quarter of the ship, sending out sparks and an explosion that further propelled the ship away. Three more shells impacted the side of the mighty dreadnought, each engulfing the ship in an even greater explosion than the last. Mere moments later the ship, crewed by hundreds of Chokmnd, spiraled into more than a dozen pieces. Fires raged on all surfaces as secondary explosions were snuffed out by an immediate lack of oxygen.
The Earth fleet cruisers were setting up a perimeter around Earth, strengthened by the space stations. Even with the large fleet the Council sent, breaking this blockade was not going to be easy. If it were to be done, the Council would surely lose most of the attacking fleet. It was an easy decision to make. The Council had tried to take Earth with an inadequate force, and Earth wasn’t going to just step aside and be occupied. Now with dozens of their ships disabled or destroyed, and the fleet as a whole disoriented, a retreat was inevitable.
Mike couldn’t understand why it was taking so long. “They have to know they’ve got no chance right now of winning this battle. What are they doing?”
“You don’t suppose they have reinforcements coming, do you?” the captain asked.
“If they did, they would have already arrived. It would have been to intimidate us into surrender. No, this is the fleet they meant to use. I don’t think they expected us to be this prepared for them. To have practically the entire fleet at Earth, and the stations prepped for combat. Not to mention the Iriquios and Farlins taking a back seat. This battle’s lost and they know it. Now they’re probably trying to figure out how to bow out of this fight without hurting their own pride.”
“Their pride?” the captain asked.
“Imagine the response they’ll get when everyone figures out that the all-mighty Council fleet was beaten back by the unworthy humans. Man, I’d love to be the guy who writes that headline.”
Suddenly the Council fleet pulled back from the battle. The ships, in a disorderly fashion, raced for the nearest portal, not caring where it took them, as long as it was out of Earth space. The Earth fleet was ordered to stand down, and to let the ships escape. It was not their mission to destroy any more than they had to in order to protect their planet.
“What’s going to happen now,” Rindel asked offhandedly.
“Now, it gets worse. The Council won’t accept this as the end. They’ll come back, with a vengeance.”
Plea
Paquiko sat at his desk, rereading the briefing of the failed assault on Earth. “The Chokmnd fleet lost twelve dreadnoughts," Paquiko let out in disgust.
“Yes, sir," Varin confirmed. "Three were completely destroyed and the rest too disabled to escape.”
“And what of the other fleets?” Paquiko asked.
“The Rovuns lost four in total, two completely destroyed as well.”
“This is completely unacceptable!" Paquiko yelled. "The humans were supposed to agree to our lenient terms of space occupation. Why didn’t we know they had consolidated their fleet around Earth?”
“The intelligence was inadequate, sir, I apologize. They were more prepared for our attack than we thought. General Trasser has been ordered to appear before the Council to brief you on the failure.”
"Good," Paquiko said. "It is necessary to get a thorough understanding of the current situation." He rose from his desk and paced the office, trying to determine what steps the Council would need to take next. This could not be accepted. Earth would have to pay for their resistance to a Council order. Another strike, a larger strike would need to be commissioned. “What of the other fleets, besides the Rovuns? What were their losses?”
“The Iriquios and Farlins did not lose any ships, sir?” Varin said in a cold, menacing voice, knowing this was his opportunity to set a permanent divide.
“How was that possible?" Paquiko asked. "Did Earth not attack them?”
“No, sir, they did not attack Earth. When the Chokmnd and Rovun fleets moved in, they held their ground. They set a perimeter but did not advance on any of Earth’s stations or ships. Trasser will have to answer why that was allowed."
“This betrayal of the fleet must not be allowed to stand,” Paquiko said, anger swelling in his voice. “What meaning do they have for not enforcing the laws of this Council, even if they do not agree?”
“I hate to say it, sir," Varin said, watching Paquiko continue to pace, "but I tried to warn you that some of the other races have grown tired of your rule. They have fallen for the lies and deceit humans are so well equipped to spread. They wouldn’t attack someone they consider a bigger ally than us or the Rovuns.”
Paquiko halted his movement. “You speak as if this is some grand conspiracy to usurp control of the Council.”
“I would never dare to suggest such a thing without proof, that is for sure. However, I think the actions of our fellow Council races speak for themselves. They are not committed to your vision of the galaxy. They will delay, and oppose you, for the rest of this conflict with Earth, that you can be assured of.”
“That may be," Paquiko said, "but for now, they will answer to their fleet’s lack of obedience. No race is above Council law.”
Paquiko stormed out of his office and headed for the Council chambers. The meeting had been set up as soon as the battle at Earth was over. The commanders from the battlefield reported back the situation and the councilors were originally going to meet to discuss the next steps. Now the meeting was going to be dominated by the accusations of betrayal Paquiko was about to throw.
The other councilors were sitting at their respective seat when Paquiko entered. The internal conversations halted immediately. Paquiko was not pleased. “We have a very serious situation on our hands. There are some here who are not on board with what the Council has commanded.”
“Paquiko,” Iney said, “what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the betrayal that led to our defeat at Earth. The Iriquios and Farlins did not move on Earth when the fleet ordered it. You must explain yourself now.”
Conchu stood from his seat. “The Iriquios do not feel the attack at Earth was warranted or necessary. We were not going to impose our control on their space through force. It was unwarranted.”
“It was an order from this Council!” Paquiko yelled. “Your disobeying cost us the battle and it cost the Chokmnd and Rovun fleets many ships.”
“It was not our intention to lose life," Conchu said. "That is why we abstained from the battle. Your disagreement with Earth did not need to degrade into a battle that will now turn to open war. This was your fight, yours and the Rovun’s. That’s why there were no other races there. They didn’t agree to this fight either, and neither do we.”
“You disrespect the Council with your insubordination.”
“You disrespect the Galaxy with your war on humans. They are not a threat to you. You are blinded by your unscrupulous chief of staff.”
Paquiko was visibly shaken. “You dare talk of the High Emperor’s son like that. If we were in Chokmnd territory I’d have your tongue.”
The other councilors let out small gasps, and Conchu said,
“Thankfully we are not in Chokmnd territory. You are blinded by your loyalty to that dog. He manipulates you into believing that humans want to take over, that we,” gesturing to his colleagues, “ want to take over. Admitting humans as Council race eligible is not outrageous. They are flawed but worthy.”
“I will not allow any race who disobeys our orders to become Council eligible,” Paquiko said. “We have rules and laws that were established long before any of us lived, and far longer before humans were even the dominant species on their planet.”
“We all follow the laws,” Racklera said.
“You did not follow orders during the assault!” Bamino yelled. “I lost men and ships because of your weakness.”
“I do not believe it was weakness that stayed us,” Conchu said. “It was the Council’s fault the humans attacked your convoy. It was not fair to punish them for that.”
“Fair?” Bamino asked. “We’ll see what you think is fair when they turn on you. When we turn on you.”
Conchu stared at the Rovun standing across from him, his mouth hung open slightly. “I don’t think you want to be making such threats like that openly, Bamino. We have not wronged you, but if you make a move against us we will show you what our fleet is capable of.”
Bamino began to growl before Paquiko halted him. “It is clear that the Iriquios and Farlins would prefer to sit this conflict out. Very well, but know, if you support the humans in any manner, the Chokmnd people will demand you are held responsible, and I will have no choice but to find you in violation of Council law.”