“Supreme Commander,” said his communications officer, “the queen commands your attention. She is on your screen.”
Granthaxe acknowledged his crewman and responded. “My queen. I bring you the information concerning our encounter with our enemy. Their fleet vastly outnumbers us and their vessels are far more powerful that ours. The best that we can accomplish is to slow down their progress. We cannot stop them.”
“This has been foretold by the gods, my son,” said the queen. “We will begin evacuation of our most gifted young ones along with some of the elders. Do you have any information concerning the attempts of Kyron and the young human child Amanda Williamson in their search?”
“Nothing of substance yet, my Queen,” he said. “But I do have great faith in Kyron and Amanda Williamson. Though I do not believe they will find the ship in time to save Altarra, I maintain my belief they will find it in time to save Earth. Nonetheless, we will fight to our very last breath.”
“That is not necessary, my son. Hold them at bay for as long as you can. Nothing will be accomplished by fighting to the death. It is always best to live so one can fight another day. This will give our ground troops time to prepare and our remaining people the opportunity to seek shelter. But once it is evident that you cannot stop them, you must return to Earth for one final attempt to slow their progress and give Amanda Williamson and Kyron as much time as possible. The humans are a peculiar species, my son, but they fight with courage and reckless abandon. Now I must return my attention to preparing for the evacuation of as many of our people as possible. Depending on how many viable ships we have available, we could save at best two hundred thousand of our population. Then I must prepare our troops for the arrival of the Karang’s ground forces.”
“The humans are most certainly a strange breed,” said Granthaxe. “Unlike us they have many different classes in their society. Some seem to be privileged and others seem to live in poverty. I do not understand their concepts and how some could be so above reproach and others live from hand to mouth. They have ones who would put their lives on the line to help others, even complete strangers, yet there are some who betray their own people. I find them to be most confusing.”
“Indeed,” replied the queen. “They are difficult to understand. There are times they seem careless and selfish. Then there will be times they show great compassion and perform selfless acts of bravery. I believe that they have yet to reach their true destiny. They have promise as a species, my son. But now, with the current threat to both our kind, we must work together to ensure the survival of both our ways of life.”
“Will you be leading the evacuation, my queen?” he asked.
“Yes, my son. With your father gone, I must attend to our survival as a species. Be safe, my son, and may the gods smile upon you and our people.”
“We will do our best, my queen. I will contact you when we are a day’s distance from home. At that time, all evacuation needs to be completed. We do not want the Karang to know that any of our people have vacated the planet. It is imperative that they do not know our whereabouts. Until then, my queen.”
“Until then, my son.” The screen went blank.
Granthaxe turned to his communications officer. “Contact Admiral Benjamin Thompson.”
“Contacting him now, Commander,” replied the communications officer.
Within seconds Admiral Thompson’s voice had come through loud and clear. “Supreme Commander, I trust that you contacted the queen and gave her an update.”
“Indeed I did, Admiral Benjamin Thompson. My people are proceeding with evacuation plans and will be heading to the planet where your academy is located. The queen, along with myself, is forever in your debt for your kind offer of giving us a safe haven to continue our existence.”
“That is what friends do for one another, Supreme Commander. I have no doubt your people would do the same for us.”
“Indeed, Admiral Benjamin Thompson. That we would. However, that is not the reason for my contacting you. I would like to discuss battle strategy. It is most obvious that we cannot just line up and try to stop the Karang. I am wondering if you have devised a plan of defense for our next encounter.”
There was a brief delay before Thompson replied. “I do have an idea that I’d like to run by you if you are interested.”
“Indeed, Admiral Benjamin Thompson. If I am correct, I believe the human response would be, ‘I’m all ears, Admiral.’”
The sound of laughing could be heard from the admiral’s ship. “I’m most impressed with your knowledge of our language, Supreme Commander,” said Thompson. “And yes, that would be the correct response. But for now, let’s discuss my plan.”
“Please do so, Admiral,” replied Granthaxe.
“Okay,” said Thompson. “This is my idea. We pull the combined fleet on the opposite side of Altarra. This way, when the Karang approach the planet, it will appear that we are gone. Most likely they will bring their fleet into an orbital position so they can surround your planet. We wait until the last possible moment and then attack from four different angles. We disperse the fleet into four even attack groups. We come at them from above the planet, below, and both sides. This will give us a very slight advantage and brief moment of surprise. Of course we will have to be well coordinated and be sure that each attack group focuses on a separate area so we do not put ourselves into a crossfire of our own weapons. What are your thoughts concerning my plan of attack, Supreme Commander?”
Granthaxe sat back into his chair and smiled. “I think it is a well thought out and a most devious plan, Admiral Benjamin Thompson. Send me the data on the flight plans of each attack group and the area of concentration for each one as well. I concur that we will surprise them. However, as you stated, the surprise will be short-lived. We must take full advantage of it and destroy as many of their ships as possible. And by doing so we will give our ground forces much needed time to prepare for the upcoming ground invasion. Then I would suggest that we retreat and make our way towards Earth. Is that an acceptable course of action, Admiral Benjamin Thompson?”
“Sounds like a plan to me, Supreme Commander. We’ll get to work on the calculations and flight paths for each battle group and forward them to you for your approval. Thompson out.”
Granthaxe was once again impressed with the quick thinking as well as the devious nature of the plan. He knew that the Karang would think that their combined fleets had retreated because they were egotistical and knew that they outnumbered and outgunned them. And while it would not assure them victory, it would most certainly slow them down and maybe even give the Karang some doubt. Even if it did nothing else but kill a few hundred more of the Karang scum and buy the Altarran ground forces more time to prepare for the invasion, it would be a worthwhile sacrifice.
Regardless of how the plan would play out, Granthaxe and his fleet would be ready for the challenge. He looked at the time. They would have their answers in twenty-four hours. It couldn’t come soon enough.
Ryan was reading the report he had received from Admiral Mueller detailing the first encounter with the Karang. Needless to say he was relieved that there had been no casualties on his side. But what he could tell from the report was the sheer power of the Karang’s weapons and the size of their ships. It was obvious that the next encounter would be much more deadly, as the first attack alone had nearly decimated most of the power to their shields. He knew he couldn’t take too much more sitting around and doing nothing while his family and friends were putting their lives on the line. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself but he wasn’t getting anywhere.
He went to talk to Jill at the communications console. “Contact Admiral Williamson for me,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” said Jill. “I’ll let you know when I get hold of him.”
“Thanks,” he said. He started pacing back and forth. He was trying to think of a reason to justify taking his fleet to assist with the fight against the Karang and didn’t noti
ce Tanner coming his way.
“I’d say penny for your thoughts, Ry, but I’m pretty sure I know what they are,” said Tanner.
Ryan could see the look of concern on his friend’s face. While Tanner was known to be the class clown, Ryan also knew that he was also very bright and could tell when he was upset.
He took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. “I can’t take too much more of this crap, Tanner. Everyone’s out there risking their lives while we’re sitting around playing babysitter.”
“I feel you, Ry. And I agree with you to a degree. I mean in all honesty, if the Karang beat up on our newer ships and the Altarrans’ fleet, they’ll shred us like a T. rex fighting a chicken.”
“That’s the spirit.” Ryan chuckled. He knew Tanner was trying to lighten the mood and keep him calm. Then an idea came to him. “What do you know about wormholes?”
“Not a hell of a lot,” said Tanner. “I’m a weapons specialist, not an egghead. Why are you asking? Something brewing upstairs in that warped mind of yours?”
Jill called to him. “Captain, I have Admiral Williamson and Amanda on the com.”
“Hold that thought, Tanner,” said Ryan. “We’ll continue our conversation in a few minutes.”
“You got it,” said Tanner.
Ryan sat down in his chair and accessed the communications switch. “Admiral,” he said. “Do you have any new information concerning your search for the ship?”
“Yes we do, Ryan,” said Thompson. “In fact I was about to contact you, but you beat me to it.”
“That’s great news, sir,” said Ryan. “I have something I want to discuss with you. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Mandy first.”
“Not a problem. Keep it short. We’re all pressed for time, as I’m sure you’re quite aware.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll keep it short.”
“Ryan,” said Amanda. “How are you?”
Ryan took a deep breath. It was great to see her on the monitor as well as hear her voice. Not being with her the last few days and barely speaking to her had turned out to be much more difficult than he’d imagined. But he had to keep it professional, for now.
“Hi, Mandy. I hear you have some good news for me.”
“Yes I do. I think we know where the ship was hidden. It’s not the Bermuda Triangle like I originally thought. It’s the Devil’s Triangle.”
Ryan could hear the excitement in her voice. He wished he could reach out and hold her in his arms, but that would have to wait. Back to business. “I’ve heard of the Devil’s Triangle. But I thought it was just another name for the Bermuda Triangle.”
“So did I,” said Amanda. “But my father remembered old naval stories his grandfather used to tell him about five Japanese ships that disappeared in an area near Tokyo in the twentieth century. The Japanese named the area the Devil’s Triangle because they thought it was possessed by evil.”
“Wow,” said Ryan. “I never heard of it. I guess because everyone in the United States is focused on the Bermuda Triangle. Did they ever find out what happened to those missing ships and crew?
“No,” she said. “That’s why I’m one hundred percent positive this has to be the place. Ry, I can feel it.”
He could see the excitement in her eyes. She looked even more beautiful to him now than she ever had. “That’s great,” he said.
From behind Amanda her father’s voice could be heard. “Time to go, Amanda,” he said. “We’re preparing to land.”
“Okay, sir,” said Amanda. She turned her head back to face the viewer. “I’ve got to sign off now, Ry. I’ll contact you if we find anything.”
“Sounds good, Mandy,” he said. “Tell your father there is something I need to discuss with him within the next day or two. Let him know it’s important.”
“I will. Talk to you soon,” she said. “And stay safe.”
“Will do. And that goes for you as well.” She blew him a kiss and the screen went blank.
“That was interesting,” said Tanner. “It looks like they are certainly on the right track.”
“I hope so,” said Ryan. “For the sake of all of us.
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” asked Tanner.
Ryan stood up and walked towards the bridge doors. “Come with me. I want to run my idea by Paul as well.”
“Now you have really piqued my interest,” said Tanner.
Ryan turned towards the weapons station. “Rawlings,” he said, “I want you to pull up all the information you can get me on the Dyson Wormhole. And I want everything. All the recorded data as well as any papers that have been written about it.”
“Will do, Captain,” answered Rawlings.
“Great. And once you’ve compiled all of the data forward it to Paul in engineering.”
“Yes, sir.
“Jill,” said Ryan, “you have the con. Unless it’s an emergency I don’t want to be bothered. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” said Jill.
Ryan could feel the eyes of his bridge crew on him as he walked away. He decided that before discussing his crazy plan with the rest of the crew, he’d better find out if it was even feasible. His mind was racing as he and Tanner headed towards engineering. So many lives depended on so many things going right, and their odds were slim to none. But one thing he knew for sure: he wasn’t going to give up without trying every last wild idea he could come up with. Even if it was an extremely crazy and dangerous one.
Admiral Thompson checked the time. According to the sensor readings of the Altarran orbital defense satellites, the Karang armada would be entering Altarran space in fifteen minutes. Since they were on the opposite side of Altarra, their own sensors could not pick up any readings. To ensure that they were informed of the enemy fleet’s status, Supreme Commander Granthaxe had arranged for the Altarran ground forces to send a signal informing them of the Karang’s progress. They would lie in wait until the enemy fleet came into orbital range. Then they would make their move.
Timing was everything, and the element of surprise would be the only tactical advantage they would have, and Thompson knew it would be a very short-lived one at that. They were well aware of their limitations due to their depleted shields from the previous engagement. Their combined fleet could take one, maybe two runs at the Karang at best. After that they would have to pull back and come up with another strategy or face total annihilation.
“Admiral,” said Barnes, “I have been informed by the Altarrans that the Karang fleet is five minutes from orbital range.”
“Thank you, Ms. Barnes,” said Thompson. “Inform all four battle groups to prepare for attack. And get the Supreme Commander on the com.”
“Aye, sir. Sending messages now.”
Thompson surveyed the bridge. The tension was evident but the crew performed their duties with clockwork precision.
“All battle groups are in position and ready to attack, Admiral,” said Barnes. “And I have Supreme Commander Granthaxe on the com.
Thompson acknowledged Barnes. He then turned his attention to the impending attack. “Supreme Commander, I just wanted to wish you luck and remind you that as soon as our ships lose their shields I want them to fall back and we will rendezvous at the Dyson Wormhole.”
“Luck is for those without strength and fortitude,” said Granthaxe. His voice was loud and confident. “We will carry the fight to the Karang as best we can. I will see you at the rendezvous point, Admiral Thompson.”
“Have you received confirmation from the queen that your transport ships are en route to our training planet?” asked Thompson.
“Yes,” said Granthaxe. “Over a half a million of our people have evacuated and are safely on their way. Once again I wish to convey the gratitude of our people for your generous offer. We are forever in your debt.”
“That’s what friendship is all about, Supreme Commander. Now what do you say we kick some Karang butt?”
“I prefer to kill them, Admir
al Thompson,” replied Granthaxe.
“Works for me. Thompson out.” He motioned to Barnes to cut the link.
Now they waited for the signal from the Altarran ground forces. The absolute silence on the bridge was surreal.
“Incoming message from the surface, Admiral,” said Barnes. “The Karang fleet has begun to deploy their ships.”
“All ships begin attack patterns,” ordered Thompson.
“Aye, sir,” said Barnes. “Sending message now.”
“Bring shields and weapons online, Mister Diego,” ordered Thompson.
“Yes, sir,” came Diego’s reply. “Weapons hot and targeting sensors online. Shields at thirty-eight percent.”
Thompson sat back and watched the ship’s sensors. The UEDF Constitution along with the other fifty-nine ships of their combined fleet sprung to action with catlike quickness. Within seconds the four different battle groups were in position and bearing down on their enemy.
Niles called out from the sensor console. “They see us, Ben. They are beginning to break formation.”
“All ships open fire,” ordered Thompson. The sensor screen lit up like Fifth Avenue in New York during New Years Eve.
“We’ve got multiple ships coming our way,” said Romano from the helm.
“Evasive maneuvers, Romano” said Thompson. “Maintain weapons fire, Diego. Use the automated targeting systems.”
“Aye, sir,” replied Romano. “Banking hard to port.”
“Activating auto-targeting systems now,” said Diego.
The UEDF Constitution’s weapons fired nonstop as the ship vibrated from the constant torpedo launches. It rocked violently.
Cadets: 2 The Ship of the Gods Page 10