by G. P. Hudson
Chapter 7
“A Var fleet is coming, Admiral,” Colonel Bast said urgently.
“How do you know this?” said Jon, puzzled by the Chaanisar’s message.
“I saw the fleet. The Cenobi shared their sight with me.”
“Shared their sight? You mean they contacted you?”
“Yes, Admiral, but we don’t have time. I will explain everything later. We must prepare for battle now.”
Jon didn’t need coaxing. He had learned to trust Colonel Bast, and this situation was no exception. “Sound general quarters, all ships.”
“General quarters, general quarters. All hands man your battle stations,” Commander Henderson announced over the ships public address system to the entire fleet. A blaring klaxon accompanied the alert, and the bridge glowed in red light.
“Jumpspace disturbance detected,” said the computer. “Enemy vessels identified. Initiating jump bomb strike.”
As the enemy armada appeared, there was nothing to indicate that the jump bombs hit their marks.
“Report,” Jon said, his blood beginning to boil.
“Jump bomb strike had no effect,” said Henderson. “The Var shields are preventing the jump bombs from landing within their ships.”
“Are they having any effect on the shields?”
“Negative, Sir. It appears that the shields have blocked the bombs from landing anywhere near their ship.”
“Prepare a high yield nuclear jump bomb strike,” ordered Jon. “Detonate the bombs just outside the Var shields.” Based on the previous battle with the Var, nukes appeared to be the only sure way to disable those shields.
“Sir, the Freen have jumped into close proximity with the Var,” said Henderson. “It puts them within the nuclear blast radius.”
“Damn it,” said Jon. “Hold the nukes, but continue with the conventional jump bombs. Same targeting parameters, just outside the Var shields. Fire at will.”
This time the Var shields glowed orange with each jump bomb detonation. But to Jon’s frustration, the hulking black warships withstood each strike, shields remaining intact. The Var ships roared to life in response. Crimson bursts of energy surged forth from the black guns. When they hit the Freen vessels, the energy didn’t reach the hulls. Instead, it dispersed, spreading around the ships until it dissipated, causing no damage.
Jon opened a comm with Commander Booch, and he soon appeared. “Commander, why have you jumped in so close with the enemy?”
“We are your Honor Guard,” said Booch, as if that explained everything.
“But we gave you our jump bomb technology.”
“It is useful, but the Var would counter its effects by closing with our fleet. That puts the Foreseen at risk.”
Jon was beginning to understand. The Freen were trying to tie up the Var, and keep them at a distance, and out of range of Jon’s battle group. While the Freen were outnumbered two to one, Jon’s ships could continue using the jump bombs to lend support from a distance.
“Launch bombers,” ordered Jon. The Freedom’s bomber squadrons had just been upgraded with the added protection of Freen shield technology. Their heavy torpedoes might help to bring down the Var shields.
“Bombers away,” said Henderson.
“We’re sending our heavy bombers for additional support. I’ll see what else we can do. Pike out.” Booch vanished from the comm, and Jon turned his attention to his tactical display where his bombers appeared as they jumped in. Each one launching their heavy torpedoes before jumping back to the Freedom to rearm. Clenching his fists, he studied the Var shields as the torpedoes struck. They took on the now familiar orange glow but remained intact. Jon could only hope that the Var shields were weakened.
A new development proved far more worrisome. With the Freen ships outnumbered, the Var were now moving to flank them on the one side. The Freen had focused their fire on the Var center, to disable those shields quickly, but that left them vulnerable on their flank. The Var took advantage of their weakness and closed in.
Jon had seen enough. “Commander, notify the rest of the battle group that we are going to jump in and close with the enemy.”
“Yes, Sir. Relaying message.”
Jon activated his tactical jump display, overlaying a grid onto the surrounding space with a corresponding set of coordinates. He touched a spot on the grid just behind the Var fleet’s center. “Helm, initiate short range jump to selected coordinates.” A moment later the viewscreen filled with the Var fleet, as the battle group jumped in directly behind the enemy. “Fire at will, all weapons.”
All seven ships in the battle group came to life, as energy weapons, missiles, and rail guns lashed out at the enemy’s rear flank. The jump bombs continued to pound the Var shields, and the Freedom’s bomber squadrons resumed their sorties.
Commander Booch appeared on Jon’s comm screen again, this time flapping his arms in protest. “Why have you put yourself at risk?” the Freen commander demanded.
“I’m not going to stand by and watch your ships get slaughtered.”
“Correct. You should leave this system, while we engage the Var.”
“Are you kidding? I’m not going to run away like some coward.” While the jump systems were depleted, they could still use the FTL engines to escape. But it would mean leaving the Freen to a certain death, and Jon had no intention of abandoning his new allies.
“You are the Foreseen. Your destiny is greater than any one battle. You must escape.”
“Sorry, Commander. I’m not going anywhere. And if it’s all the same to you, I’m a little tired of hearing about my destiny.”
“You are the Foreseen. Your role was determined long ago. We are your Honor Guard. We will do our part. We will lay down our lives so that you can continue. It is all as it should be.”
“Bullshit.”
The Freen commander cocked his head. “What is the meaning of this word. There is no translation.”
“Why am I not surprised?” said Jon. “What I mean is my actions are not dictated by some prophecy, regardless of how much you believe they should be. I make my own choices. I dictate what happens. And I have chosen to stay and fight, so deal with it.”
“No. This is a violation. A sacrilege. It cannot be permitted.”
“Am I the Foreseen?”
“Yes.”
“And are you presuming to dictate to me?”
Booch tilted his head sideways and flapped his arms with renewed vigor. “No, Exalted One. I am but a servant.”
“Really? You do not act like one.”
“Forgive me, Exalted One. I forgot my place.”
“I’m not running away. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Exalted One.”
“Now I suggest we focus on winning this battle so that I can fulfill my destiny.”
“Yes, Exalted One.”
“I am sharing my tactical display with you.” Jon circled his finger around a group of Var ships. “We are going to focus our fire on this group of ships in the center. Our combined firepower should allow us to break the Var center and link up. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Let’s get to it.”
The fleet retargeted its weapons, aiming for the handful of Var warships in the center. The enemy shields were powerful, but they proved no match for the fleet’s combined firepower. The targeted ships’ shields blazed a brilliant orange before finally collapsing. The fleet continued to hammer the prone vessels with an unrelenting onslaught until ultimately, each one blew apart.
The Freen moved quickly to fill the gap created in the Var line, and join with Jon’s battle group. The maneuver was successful, but not without cost, and two Freen ships on its exposed flank were destroyed in short order. But the Var line had been broken, and the fleet now had at least a chance, however slim.
“Jumpspace disturbance detected,” said the computer. “Enemy vessels identified. Initiating jump bomb strike.”
“What?” said Jon.
“On main viewscreen.”
The viewscreen transitioned to display the new arrivals, and Jon’s heart sank. A second Var fleet had arrived, much larger than the first. Any hope they had was lost.
Chapter 8
“Initiate nuclear jump bomb strike,” ordered Jon. “Maximum yield. Targeting only the shields of the second Var fleet.”
“Yes, Sir. Readying nuclear strike,” said Commander Henderson.
The second Var fleet steadily advanced on Jon’s position. Soon they would be in weapons range, leaving Jon’s ships outnumbered by a good four to one margin. A nuclear strike was the only option left. He needed to disable as much of their shields as possible before they closed in. With any luck, they would destroy a few ships, but the hard truth was that he would still be woefully outnumbered.
“Nukes away,” announced Henderson.
On the viewscreen, the second Var fleet illuminated in blazing white halos as the ships’ shields absorbed the nuclear blast.
“Again. Hit them with another nuclear strike,” said Jon, as concussions repeatedly rocked his ship. With foreboding, he glanced at one of the many bridge displays, this one indicating that the Freedom’s shields were down to thirty-five percent. The pounding they were taking would soon bring down his own shields. He didn’t need to pull up the numbers on the rest of the fleet to know that they were all facing the same conditions.
The second Var fleet accelerated just as the second nuclear strike hit them. Their shields once again burned white hot, but this time several of the halos collapsed, leaving the ships exposed. Unfortunately, they were entering weapons range and had no opportunity left to inflict more damage. Moments later, their great black guns came to life, hammering the Freen ships closest to them. For the Freen, this was too much to bear. Shields went down on multiple vessels. Detonations soon followed, as ship after ship buckled under the weight of the Var onslaught blowing ferociously apart.
“Hit them again,” said Jon. “Maximum yield.”
“Sir?” said Henderson.
Jon understood his XO’s concern. The Var were close enough that there was a substantial risk of the nuclear blast hitting his ships. Their situation was desperate, however. “Do it.”
“Yes, Sir. Nukes away.”
The jump bombs hit, immediately destroying several of the Var warships. Others were left visibly damaged, the hulls gaping as they vented debris into space. Some of the Var ships lost their shields, while others held, glowing bright white. An indication that they had at least lost some integrity. The fleet continued to advance, and their guns continued to fire. The nuclear blast had the adverse effect of further weakening several Freen ships, which the Var opportunistically targeted to hasten their demise. As the Var continued to close the gap, the option of a fourth nuclear strike was taken off the table.
“Shields below ten percent,” said AI. “Failure is imminent.”
On his tactical screen, Jon noticed something peculiar. The Chaanisar were breaking off and accelerating, heading straight for the second Var fleet. Jon opened a comm with Colonel Bast and Colonel Steeg, and their stern faces appeared on his comm display. “What the hell are you two doing?”
“It is the only way,” said Bast.
“What do you mean?” said Jon. “Why are you breaking formation?”
“We intend to sacrifice ourselves to destroy the enemy.”
Jon was stunned. “A suicide attack?! No. Out of the question.”
“Forgive us, Admiral,” said Colonel Steeg. “But we respectfully must disobey your orders.”
“Unacceptable. There must be another way.”
“There is no other way, Admiral,” said Bast. “You know as much. It is the least we can do, after all you have done for us. It has been an honor.”
“Sir, something is happening to the star,” said Henderson.
“On main viewscreen,” said Jon, wondering what else could go wrong.
The viewscreen reoriented to focus on the systems red giant star, which at first glance looked like it was becoming even larger. But Jon quickly realized that it wasn’t the star itself, but the Cenobi panels surrounding it. They seemed to be expanding, pulsing outward. Suddenly, a flash of blinding light burst forth from the panels, and everyone on the bridge shielded their eyes. The viewscreen went dark in response.
“Report,” said Jon. “What happened?” Before anyone could reply, Jon noted that the ship had stopped shaking. The Freedom had been taking fire from all sides, now everything had gone quiet.
“Unknown, Sir,” said Henderson. “But the Var fleets are gone.”
“Gone? Where did they go?”
“Your enemy has been destroyed,” said a booming voice that Jon knew belonged to the Cenobi.
“I don’t understand,” said Jon. “Why have you helped us?”
“It was not you that we helped, Jon Pike. We could not allow the Chaanisar to sacrifice themselves.”
Jon tried to wrap his mind around why the Cenobi had intervened. Did they still hope the Chaanisar would join them? Clearly, that was part of their reasoning. The only question now was whether the Cenobi would allow the Chaanisar to leave.
“Jumpspace disturbance detected,” said the computer. “Enemy vessels identified. Initiating jump bomb strike.”
Long black cylindrical ships started appearing in the system. The mere sight of them sent icy fingers clawing up Jon’s spine. The Erinyie had arrived, and Jon did not doubt that they were here to dish out some payback for the two destroyed Var fleets. It wasn’t long before his suspicions were confirmed. Silver beams of plasma immediately burst forth from the fearsome black ships, toward the Cenobi satellites around the red giant star.
The Cenobi panels began to glow, taking on the color of the Erinyie beams. It soon became apparent that they too were shielded. But these shields seemed capable of withstanding the powerful Erinyie weapons. Energy surged around the panels, and they began to pulse outward in slow, rhythmic beats. Blinding light enveloped the panels, as the Cenobi harnessed the star’s power. Jon watched in awe, fascinated by the marvels the Cenobi were capable of. At one point he was confident that the Cenobi were sucking up the energy from the Erinyie weapons too. The sheer power the panels had amassed defied comprehension.
The panels pulsed one last time, and the energy shot forth like a roaring river through a bursting dam. It raced through space, consolidating into a tight beam, and striking one of the Erinyie warships. The sinister black ship, feared by the inhabitants of at least two galaxies, was no match for the focused power of a red giant star. Its shields were no more than a speed bump, as the beam punched past and bore into the enormous ship’s hull. Fissures formed along the entire length of the tubular vessel, with white light peeking through until the vessel lost all structural integrity and was obliterated.
The Cenobi moved quickly onto the next Erinyie ship, just as more of the deadly black ships appeared. They came in staggering numbers and spread out around the Cenobi star, each one adding its firepower to the assault. In turn, the Cenobi panels pulsed faster, harnessing even more of the star’s power. The Cenobi fired again, and this time multiple beams lanced out at the dark horde surrounding them.
“It’s like watching a war between gods,” said Henderson, standing almost paralyzed, mouth agape.
Jon almost agreed with him but caught himself. “Not gods, Commander. Just aliens. Extremely powerful aliens, but nothing more.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Henderson, snapping back to reality.
“Make sure you all understand that,” Jon said loudly, addressing the rest of the bridge crew. “Despite how advanced they are, these are aliens. Not gods.”
“Jumpspace disturbance detected,” said the computer. “Antikitheri signatures identified.”
Chapter 9
Jon watched the Antikitheri ships appear in awe, still not used to their great size. They spanned enormous lengths, their hulls stretching out for many kilometers. Rigid, glowing prongs protruded from their bows. Thro
ugh experience, Jon knew how lethal those prongs were. He couldn’t wait to see those weapons brought to bear on the Erinyie.
But he quickly realized that something was wrong. The tremendous Antikitheri ships were not pointing their weapons at the Erinyie. They aimed them at the Cenobi star.
Jon’s fears were realized when white light erupted from the glowing prongs and stabbed out at the Cenobi satellites. More Antikitheri ships steadily appeared, each one adding its firepower to the attack, targeting the Cenobi.
“What the hell is happening here? Why are the Antikitheri and the Erinyie combining forces?” Jon said in frustration, unable to grasp the enormity of the events unfolding before him. He didn’t expect an answer. No one could know the motivations of these beings. Jon then considered the Freen, and Commander Booch. If anyone knew what to make of this, he might. Jon opened a comm with Booch, whose birdlike features soon appeared on his display. “Can you explain any of this, Commander?”
“What is there to explain?” said Booch, his black eyes scrutinizing Jon yet avoiding direct eye contact.
“Why are the Antikitheri siding with the Erinyie against the Cenobi?”
“The Cenobi are unclean. They are unbelievers. Self-absorbed.”
“The Cenobi destroyed the Var. They saved us. How does that make them the enemy?”
“This is not their conflict. They have neither chosen light, nor darkness. They should not have intervened.”
“I don’t understand. Are you saying you would have preferred us destroyed by the Var?”
“We would die in defense of the light. It is a noble death. The Cenobi are not noble. They serve only themselves. Their intervention is a provocation.”
“How so?”
“The Cenobi have never interfered in this eternal conflict. Their actions here are unwelcome by both Antikitheri and Erinyie.”
“So, the Antikitheri would rather side with the Erinyie, than accept help from the Cenobi?”