by Dan Worth
The three Shaper ships were rushing closer in the view from the Glory’s bows. The one they had hit previously was limping visibly as the destroyer bore down on it.
‘I’ve always wondered what it was like to be in a space battle,’ said Rekkid, thoughtfully. ‘It’s a curiously detached experience.’
‘Yeah, right up until the point where you’re left choking on hard vacuum,’ Katherine replied. ‘I’m all for new experiences, but...’
‘This is glorious,’ rumbled Steelscale. ‘This ship is a weapon like nothing I have ever seen. The Shapers are going to rue this day, if all Arkari vessels can fight like this.’
The Glory’s guns fired once more, breaking the back of the already damaged Shaper vessel. It died, convulsing, its ice-white shards rapidly turning black and lifeless. Fire spat from the other vessels, hammering the destroyer’s forward shields in a blaze of light.
‘I wouldn’t be so sure of that,’ said the measured, female tones of Eonara’s liquid metal figure. ‘War Marshal, I have managed to contact a number of other ships within Arkari space. They have relayed the following message from Fleet Meritarch Beklide in the home system: “Enemy invasion of home system confirmed. We are massively outnumbered and attempting to make a stand. Activate all ground defences. Defence of the home world is to be made using all means necessary. We are on our own.” I have also managed to obtain reports of attacks launched across a number of key systems and there are unconfirmed reports of planet-killer class weapons being deployed against civilian worlds. Reports mention the mass use of wormholes like the one we see before us to allow large numbers of ships to achieve total tactical surprise. There are also indications that the human Solar System is under sustained assault from forces loyal to the Shapers.’
There were gasps and cries from the assembled beings on the bridge. Even Mentith’s normally implacable face appeared ashen.
‘Furthermore,’ Eonara continued. ‘I have managed to isolate samples of the virus program deployed against our hypercom network. Though I have not managed to develop a countermeasure as yet, I have managed to determine its origins.’
‘You have?’ Mentith replied.
‘Yes. It was inserted into our communications network by the Shaper agent currently under heavy guard in the Black Rock facility. There are markers within the data that indicate its point of origin.’
Mentith put his face in his hands.
‘They’ve been playing us, all along,’ he muttered angrily. ‘How could I have been so stupid?’ He cursed loudly in Arkari and thumped the arm of his chair. ‘Ship, signal the Black Rock. Tell them to abandon the station and detonate its reactor cores.’
‘At once.’
‘And ship, they are to leave no-one behind who can answer any questions about what we know.’
‘Yes. Communicating now. Message acknowledged. Shaper vessels are closing fast.’
‘Engage and destroy.’
In a desperate attempt to defend its fellow craft, one Shaper vessel was resorting to suicide tactics in order to try and take down the Sword of Reckoning. Beklide saw its spiny shape approaching head on at full speed. It was a futile gesture. Beams from the bows of the massive dreadnought leapt out and tore the already damaged ship apart. The blasted remains careered off the dreadnought’s shields in several pieces, striking rows of sparking energy as they did so. But where one had fallen, there were hundreds ready to take its place.
However, the ship had some good news for her:
‘Meritarch, I am receiving a priority message from the Ring’s A.Is,’ said the Reckoning. ‘They have successfully re-established communication links to their systems and are powering up planetary defences.’
‘Excellent.’
‘Tactical co-ordination may be a little sluggish as they are using sub-light comms. Hypercom systems are still down. Radio, electrical and optical communications are now functional.’
‘No matter. Tell them to fire at will.’
The Sword of Reckoning was tearing into a long line of destroyer sized craft fashioned from bulbous, interlinked modules. There was no telling where these craft had originated or who had built them. It didn’t matter, the race who had constructed them in some far off corner of the galaxy were nothing but slaves to the Shapers now. The death that the Arkari dreadnought brought to them was a mercy, an act of liberation. Beklide checked her tactical displays and saw a chain of immense energy spikes all around the Ring that girdled Keros.
Multiple blinding beams of energy and swarms of guided warheads blasted out from that megastructure, crossing thousands of kilometres in a matter of seconds and raking across the flanks of the enemy fleet with deadly precision. Ships began to die by the hundred amidst the firestorm. The fury of the Arkari in the defence of their home-world was unmatched.
‘Look!’ cried Ship Master Urkild. ‘See those bastards burn! All weapons, fire at will on the enemy!’
The Reckoning turned and dove into the opposite flank of the enemy fleet, ripping through squadrons of enemy vessels with wild abandon. The bloodlust of the Arkari fleet was up now and the ships and crews began to scent victory. They each circled and charged into the fray, hulls gleaming bright in the light from the sun, brilliant weapons piercing the void.
‘Meritarch, I am detecting unusual activity at the original wormhole,’ the Reckoning reported. ‘The aperture is growing in size. Width is now one hundred and fifty units and increasing. I am attempting to get a reading through the hole but there is much interference from the radiation backwash of the battle.’
The Sword of Reckoning was at the heart of the enemy fleet now, unleashing the fury of its entire complement of weaponry at the surrounding ships. It corkscrewed through the vast formation, spreading death amongst the Shapers and their enslaved cannon fodder and shot out of the other side amidst a huge nuclear fireball of exploding reactor cores. With the dreadnought clear, the squadrons of destroyers dove onto the shattered formations and began to tear them apart.
‘Something big must be coming through,’ Urkild responded, stating the obvious. ‘Maybe it’s one of those giant ships that we’ve heard rumour of.’
‘I fear that you are right,’ said the ship. ‘I am detecting a vessel of enormous size on the other side of the wormhole. It is difficult to get a true reading but the returns suggest that it may be ten times the length of this vessel.’
The Shapers were responding in kind to the latest attack. Hunting packs of the sleek, crystalline ships leapt after the Arkari craft, attempting to isolate and overwhelm individual vessels. Beklide saw the Winter’s Chill come apart under heavy fire. The destroyer - now out of control and dying - slammed straight into a Shaper ship before exploding.
‘They’re coming for us,’ said Urkild, his voice fearful. ‘They’re coming to take our world from us.’
‘Let them try,’ Beklide responded. ‘Ship, disengage and bring us about to a position above the wormhole. Signal to squadrons one through ten to form up with us. We have to take this thing down or it’s all over.’
Two of the Shaper vessels had rammed into the Black Rock, embedding their noses into the armoured docking bays that had parted like wet paper before their weaponry and diamond hard hulls. Inside the facility, nightmarish creatures spilled from the bows of the two vessels, charging through the halls of the facility in an attempt to reach the reactor core. The scientists inside made a brave stand, aided by squads of combat drones, but they were overwhelmed by the ferocious tide. Those that were not torn apart in suicidal charges by bomb rigged, enslaved creatures were dragged away screaming to whatever terrible fate awaited them.
Others were luckier. The Black Rock began to shed escape pods like a flower shedding delicate, bright seeds. They fell away in brilliant showers, twisting and turning in the starlight. Some were struck down by fire from the remaining Shaper ships, but safe in their numbers, many succeeded in jumping quickly away in all directions before they could be caught or killed.
Those aboard the
Shining Glory saw what was happening. The destroyer had just taken down the last of its three attackers, and now turned its attention to the other three vessels assaulting the station. Final detonation of the Black Rock’s reactors was still several minutes away.
The ship spoke.
‘War Marshal, I am receiving a transmission from the Black Rock. The crew have sealed themselves in the reactor chamber but it will take some time for total meltdown to be achieved. Already the Shaper creatures are attempting the blow the bulkheads and gain access to the chamber.’
Mentith swore.
‘Can’t we get them out?’ said Rekkid, in horror and disbelief. ‘You’re asking them to kill themselves!’
‘They’re already dead,’ Mentith replied. ‘Once the Shapers get hold of them... and they will. There isn’t enough time.’
‘Can’t we destroy the station ourselves?’ said Steelscale. ‘The guns of this warship...’
‘...are not sufficient to breach the reactor core in time. The Black Rock asteroid is a giant lump of heavy metals. It would take quite some time for us to burrow through it, even with our main guns. Our best hope is to take down those remaining ships and deny the Shapers a chance of escape with their prize.’
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ said Katherine, pointing at one of the external displays hovering around Mentith that showed the wormhole exit. Another six enemy ships could be seen emerging from it. They were larger vessels than those that had preceded them. Each was roughly the size of the Shining Glory.
‘That wormhole...’ mused Mentith. ‘This is how the Shapers have managed to attack all of our systems.’
‘Yes,’ the ship replied.
‘It doesn’t matter how many ships we kill, the Shapers can just redeploy additional forces here to wear us down.’
‘In all probability.’
‘Eonara, what do you know of the Progenitor wormhole devices?’
‘Everything,’ Eonara replied. ‘I have access to full schematics and research.’
‘The Shapers must be using a similar device or devices. Do you think you would know how disable or destroy one?’
‘I think so. Such a device would require enormous reserves of energy. If we attack the power relays and capacitors we may stand a chance of taking it out of action, yes.’
‘Good. Ship, bring us about and head for the wormhole. Prime all weapons and prepare to fire. It’s time to put a stop to this.’
‘I’ll need full control of the ship,’ said Eonara. ‘We won’t get a second chance at this. I know it goes against everything...’
‘Agreed,’ Mentith replied. ‘Ship, relinquish control to Eonara. Eonara, I am releasing the authorisation protocols to you now, you now have full access to the ships drive, shields and weapons. Don’t let me down.’
The Shining Glory began to power forward toward the shining aperture, the hideous light of the Maelstrom shining through it like a baleful eye. Rekkid and Katherine stared in horror at the approaching wormhole as it grew larger and larger in their field of vision. The six additional Shaper vessels were fanning out and looping around to engage the Glory.
‘Are you out of your fucking mind, you crazy old bastard!?’ cried Rekkid at Mentith. ‘We’re about to take one ship into the Shapers’ lair in the centre of the galaxy!’
‘Do not question my command decisions, Professor,’ Mentith spat. ‘Our actions could save billions of lives. Our enemy thinks that they have us on the back foot. This, they will not expect.’
‘Oh, great. You know I thought being an archaeologist would be a sedate sort of existence. Nice and quiet. Digging things up in the countryside. But no!’
‘Rekkid,’ said Katherine. ‘Please be quiet and hold my hand.’ She looked at him fiercely.
‘I... yes, of course,’ he replied weakly.
‘If we’re going to die, I want to be with a friend when it happens. Okay?’
Rekkid nodded mutely and saw his own fear reflected in Katherine’s eyes.
Its engines straining to maximum, the Shining Glory plunged into the wormhole and into the heart of the galaxy.
Chen watched the enemy fleet approach, the tracks of their warp signatures clearly visible on her HUD. They were inside the orbit of the Moon now. The attack was seconds away.
‘They’re here,’ said Singh. ‘Enemy ships emerging from their jumps ten thousand kilometres ahead.’
‘Ready all weapons and prepare to fire,’ said Chen. ‘This is it, people. This is where we make a stand.’
‘Admiral, the Germanicus is hailing us,’ said Andrews.
‘Tell Cox I don’t bandy words with traitors and alien parasites. Tell him to surrender now, or he dies.’
‘Brave words indeed, Admiral.’ The image of Admiral Cox appeared in her vision, she heard Andrews howl in protestation. Somehow he had circumvented their systems. ‘Brave words from a dead woman. Can’t you see that you have lost? Your Arkari friends cannot help you now. Even as we speak, their worlds burn!’
‘Better dead than enslaved. You creatures might have taken over so many of our people, but you haven’t learnt a damn thing about humans have you? We don’t ever give up, we don’t surrender and we don’t negotiate with the likes of you!’
‘Admiral, the enemy fleet has closed to five thousand kilometres,’ said Singh. ‘Still no sign of the Shaper ships.’
‘Instruct all ships to launch our fighters and bombers,’ Chen replied. ‘Ready main weapons for firing. Ground forces are to stand by and prepare to repel any assault.’
‘Relaying messages now.’
‘Enslaved?’ said Cox. ‘No. No... liberated. Besides, we only take those who resist us. Those who join us willingly... we reward.’
Chen remembered a similar offer in the basement of an ancient temple, hundreds of light years away. She thought of Al Ramirez then, as he died in her arms. The Shapers had played their part there. She required vengeance.
‘Enemy ships are a thousand kilometres off our bows!’ Singh cried. ‘They are assuming combat posture and are making ready to fire.’
Above Keros, the massive armoured nose of the Shaper dreadnought began to exit the newly expanded wormhole. It was truly vast. An enormous, tapering, whale-like body trailed glittering spines that extended back from a main hull over a thousand kilometres in length. It dwarfed the Sword of Reckoning. Plains of crystal caught the sunlight as it emerged, like a giant creature being born. Across those shining, curving plates, enormous gouges, ten of kilometres long and gaping craters like open wounds had been torn - evidence of earlier encounters with Arkari vessels. They had barely scratched its surface. It moved slowly, ponderously, the giant plates moving against one another as it tried to shake itself free of the wormhole aperture. Still a full half of the ship lay on the other side of the wormhole
Beams of retina searing energy leapt from hundreds of points on that gleaming, ice white hull. Arkari ships began to die quickly.
Beklide heard herself scream the order to fire and the main gun of dreadnought unleashed the fury of a black hole at the Shaper ship as every other gun on the Sword of Reckoning and those accompanying it up fired in unison in a desperate attempt to stop the massive vessel. Hull armour buckled and shattered across the surface of the Shaper dreadnought. Spines and plates tore and splintered. Still it kept on coming. The Sword of Reckoning’s forward shields were beginning to buckle under the sustained onslaught.
‘Meritarch. I am detecting massive energy readings from that vessel,’ said the ship. ‘It is difficult to penetrate such a depth of hull armour, but given the distribution of the power signatures, I’d say that that ship is basically a single, gigantic weapon.’
‘It seems to have other weapons, I don’t know if you’d noticed!’
‘Yes, but they are very much secondary to its main armament. The centre line of that ship contains some sort of focusing chamber along eighty percent of the length of the hull linked to a network of power sources spread throughout the ship.’
‘A planet killer,’ breathed Beklide. ‘It has to be. The reports were true.’
‘Yes,’ the ship replied.
Within the Shaper craft; energy levels began to rise steeply.
The Shining Glory emerged from the far side of the wormhole into the heart of the enemy’s lair. Katherine and Rekkid gasped at the terrible sight that greeted them. The Maelstrom hung before them. Tens of light years wide. The eater of stars. Its accretion disk - the accumulated corpses of a million stars - shone down on them with an apocalyptic death-light.
The hellish sky was filled with ships. They stretched in every direction in uncountable swarms, of every shape and size from a thousand unknown races enslaved by the Shapers. Shaper craft themselves moved amongst the herds, shepherding them to the great ring that hung in the sky behind the speeding Arkari destroyer, turning slowly in the disc-light. The ring lay at the tips of two blinding beams of directed energy from the arrays that floated above the black hole. The rear portion of a vast Shaper ship could be seen entering the wormhole. Miraculously, the Glory had emerged astern of the titanic vessel and avoided colliding with its massive hull.
Wings biting hard into space-time the Glory pirouetted through the lines of queuing ships until its bows faced the wormhole device constructed by the Shapers.
There was confusion in the ranks of the waiting fleet. The lumbering ships moved slowly to engage, but the Shaper craft had seen the bright, defiant Arkari ship. Like wolves, they moved in for the kill. This would be... amusing.
Enemy fire searing its shields, the Shining Glory leapt forward.
Reynaud emerged from his jump and took in the scene in an instant. Earth lay before him, the birthplace of man, that mortal race to which he had once belonged. Its continents and seas were bright jewel-like against the blackness of space. Now he truly felt like a god. He spotted the tiny specks of the loyalist fleet against the backdrop of the planet. Five carriers arranged in a rough X formation with attendant warships surrounding them. This would be another massacre like Achernar. He yearned for the kill. He stretched out his consciousness to his fellow ships and savoured their bloodlust