Imperial Command

by D. J. Holmes

  May-sic’s tentacles stopped moving. For several seconds the alien remained perfectly still. Then it spoke slowly. “Never before has a Kalassai ship allowed aliens to make modifications to her. Many of my species would excommunicate me for even discussing the possibility.”

  “And yet if we do nothing, your people on your ship may be found and killed by the Karacknids. They have already destroyed one of your ships today. Surely you can let us help you prevent more deaths?”

  “Many millions of my people have been killed at the hands of the Karacknids,” May-sic replied. “My leaders will not like this, but I would not see more deaths, not when I can prevent them.”

  “Then we are agreed,” Jones said as he sat forward in his command chair. “I will launch a shuttle with my best engineers. They can carry out an external analysis of your ship’s hull and survey your internal damage, with your permission of course. Then we can draw up a plan to make your ship shift space worthy. You and your engineers will have final say on whatever plans we make.”

  May-sic’s tentacles started moving again. “That is acceptable to me Captain.”

  “Okay then, we will launch our shuttle momentarily,” Jones said. “As my engineers carry out their work, we have something else we need to see to. Will your ship be okay on its own for a short period or are there other emergency supplies you need?”

  “No, thank you,” May-sic replied. “My repair teams are doing what they can. May I ask though, where do you intend to take your ship?”

  “There are still two Karacknid ships in this system,” Jones replied. “Either one of them will be able to watch what we’re doing and track where we go. They’ll send whatever Karacknid reinforcements come to this system after us. I don’t intend to let that happen.”

  On the holo projection, May-sic switched her tentacles to swim closer to whatever device was recording her image. “You have fought the Karacknids before I see. They are your enemies as much as they are ours.”

  Jones nodded. “They have killed many millions of my people as well. I intend to make sure those in this system do not get a chance to do so again.”

  “Then send us your engineers and be on your way Captain, we will endeavor to be ready for you when you return,” May-sic said.

  “We’ll speak again soon Captain,” Jones replied and cut the COM channel. “All right, plot us a course back to the point where the Karacknids’ negative mass photon sensor wave came from. May-sic called their sensor ship a mothership. Whatever it is, we are going to hunt it down. Swing us by the Karacknid cruiser we crippled. We’ll finish it off with our heavy plasma cannons as we pass her by.”

  As Intrepid’s officers got to work, Alvarez watched events unfold and kept an eye on the reports coming back from the engineers Jones had dispatched. Their initial survey of the Kalassai ship’s hull reached Intrepid just as the exploration cruiser blew the remaining Karacknid cruiser into space debris. “It looks like Chief O’Malley thinks we have enough titanium to seal the two holes in the Kalassai ship’s outer hull,” he updated Jones. “As long as their internal structure has supports they can attach the patches to. From what he is saying, it looks like the internals of Dancer are as strange as its external hull.”

  “I’ll get our engineers to start gathering up all our titanium,” Jones replied.

  For the next hour O’Malley sent regular updates as he and a few other engineers boarded the Kalassai ship. Alveraz imagined O’Malley was more than a little nervous. They had all seen the goo that Emilie and Walker had entered. They had also seen Wayfarer take off with Emilie and Walker. At least this time Dancer couldn’t go anywhere. At least not fast.

  “New contacts!” Intrepid’s sensor officer called out. “Bearing nine three four point four. It’s the Karacknid mothership. It’s making a run for the mass shadow.”

  “Lay in a pursuit course immediately,” Jones snapped.

  It quickly became apparent the Karacknid mothership was nowhere near fast enough to escape. The question on everyone’s minds was, just how well armed was it? Given that the ship was fleeing, Alvarez hoped that answered the question.

  “Fire our first salvo,” Jones ordered as soon as Intrepid got close enough. To everyone’s surprise, as the missiles raced away, the Karacknid mothership didn’t respond in kind. When Intrepid’s missiles did get close to it however, its point defenses opened up.

  “The computer estimates the mothership has the point defense batteries of a Karacknid battlecruiser,” Maguire reported.

  Jones visibly pushed his lips together. “How many missile salvos do we have left?”

  “Twenty,” Maguire replied.

  Jones shook his head. “It’ll probably take us at least five or more to break through that much point defense fire. And probably a few more to do any serious damage. Hold fire.” He turned to where Matthews sat just in front of Alvarez. “You say this negative mass sensor is extremely power hungry?”

  “Everything we know about such sensors suggests that they are. Given the size of the Karacknid mothership, I’d imagine so,” the astrophysicist answered.

  “So the chances of them putting any energy weapons on that thing are pretty slim. They’re not likely to have much spare energy to waste,” he said. “Continue our pursuit, bring us into plasma cannon range.” He glanced at secondary holo projection that was still showing Dancer. “If we want to win May-sic’s trust, we may as well put on as good a show as we can.”

  Twenty minutes later eight plasma bolts ripped into the rear of the Karacknid mothership. Half of its engines cut out seconds later. Vainly it tried to carry out evasive maneuvers with the thrust it had left, but eight more bolts scored hits when Intrepid’s plasma cannons fired again. Three more salvos ripped the large Karacknid ship apart piece by piece. Eventually a bolt hit something vital and the ship disappeared in a colossal antimatter explosion as one of its reactors lost containment.

  “Bring us back to Dancer,” Jones ordered. “Let’s see what May-sic and O’Malley have come up with.”

  Just over an hour later May-sic’s image was once again dominating Intrepid’s main holo projector. “You are to be commended Captain,” May-sic was saying. “Never before have I seen four Karacknid ships destroyed so efficiently. Your species is clearly a worthy adversary for the Karacknids.”

  “We could not have won today without the firepower and defenses of your ships,” Jones replied. “I’m only sorry that we were not able to save your second ship.”

  “Thank you for your sorrow Captain,” May-sic said. “And for your offer of assistance, your engineer has been very helpful. Though I suspect your team has been uncomfortable on-board Dancer. My species’ way of existence is not similar to yours.”

  “That may be May-sic, but we are willing to make sacrifices to help those who we call our friends,” Jones said. “Does this mean you and O’Malley have come up with a workable plan to tow your ship out of here?”

  “We have,” May-sic answered. “Not all of my people are happy with it, however, the final decision lies with me. I will take responsibility for what we are doing here today.”

  “Then I will send orders for work to begin immediately,” Jones responded. “The next question is, where are we to take your ship? Let me be completely frank with you Captain. We have been seeking out your species because we know you have been at war with the Karacknids for many years. My species and our allies only recently discovered the Karacknids. Since then we have been in a desperate war of survival against them. We would very much like to befriend your species in the hopes that we can aid one another. My ship Intrepid was sent to this sector of space to seek out your species and to offer an alliance, technologies, and whatever other things we can share with one another. That was why we sought to speak to the Captain of Wayfarer. However, that encounter did not go as we had hoped. My Captain boarded Wayfarer to speak with her Captain. Not long after this Wayfarer attacked and disabled us and then fled, taking my Captain and one of my crew with them. We do
not know why. My Captain would have shared nothing with Wayfarer’s Captain other than what I have already shared with you. For our part, we showed no hostility towards Wayfarer. That is in part why we are now here, we have been searching for our Captain and hoping to find another Kalassai ship that can help us with this problem.”

  May-sic was quiet for a long time. Her tentacles only shimmered back-and-forth slowly. “I cannot speak for Wayfarer’s Captain,” she eventually said. “But I think I can guess what happened. If your Captain spoke to Wayfarer’s Captain of alliances and technologies to help beat the Karacknids, then it may be that she decided our leaders needed to hear what your Captain had to say. No doubt that presented Wayfarer’s Captain with a problem. The locations of our leaders and the vast majority of our people are a secret no other alien civilization is allowed to know. To prevent you from following Wayfarer’s Captain may have deemed disabling your ship necessary.”

  “So you think our Captain is still alive?” Alvarez couldn’t help himself asking.

  “My species is a peaceful species at heart,” May-sic explained. “I cannot see any reason why Wayfarer’s captain would abduct your Captain or harm her out of ill will.”

  “Then the question remains, where are we to take you?” Jones asked. “We would like to go to where our Captain is, to bring her home.”

  “That would be a very risky endeavor for you to embark upon,” May-sic replied. “If you were to discover the location of one of our city ships, you would not be allowed to leave that system. Our leaders would forbid it. The only way you could get your Captain back would be if we agreed to bring your species into our confidence. That has never happened before.”

  “Have you ever witnessed four Karacknid ships be destroyed so easily?” Alvarez asked boldly.

  “We have not,” May-sic confirmed. “It is true, your words excite me. There are many on Dancer who would see us standing up to the Karacknids, if only we had the means. But our leaders are far more conservative than I.”

  “But you would take us to where Wayfarer took our Captain, if we are willing to assume the risk?” Jones pressed.

  “As long as you know the risks, then, in this extreme case, I will do so. Dancer cannot be repaired without being brought to one of our city ships, and there is no way we can get there ourselves. It would seem we may be of mutual benefit to one another.”

  Jones nodded. “Then we have a deal. Hopefully, this is the beginning of many more between our two species.”

  Alvarez shared a glance with Jones and Maguire as a grin spread across his face. He no longer feared that Emilie was dead. What’s more, they were actually on their way to where she was. You’re going to see her again! he said to himself. His grin only widened.

  Chapter 35

  The Karacknid War was the first time Human warships encountered particle beam weapons. Our reactors at the time were simply not powerful enough to form the matter streams and meet the rest of a ship’s energy needs. In close range engagements it meant smaller numbers of Karacknid warships. Given that a modern superdreadnought has an energy output greater than many of the Human fleets that fought in the Karacknid War, that is no longer an issue.

  -Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

  IS Constitution, 25th March 2483 AD (seven weeks after leaving Earth).

  There it is, Koroylov said to himself as Alpha-two came into view on Constitution’s holo projector. The base from which the Karacknids had launched their devastating attack on Earth. Outwardly, Koroylov projected an air of calm. Inwardly he was grinding his teeth. He had been in command of Home Fleet when the Karacknids attacked. Earth had been nuked under his watch. Millions were dead as a result of his failure. He knew he could never make up for it, but he was going to make the Karacknids pay.

  “Sensors are detecting fifteen more warships than our scouts detected two months ago Admiral,” his sensor officer reported. “It looks like they’ve added some more orbital stations. None appear to be armed however.”

  Koroylov nodded. We’ve got here in time, he concluded. Just. “Proceed with our primary attack plan,” he ordered.

  As his staff officers sent out the order, Koroylov watched his fleet. Under his command he had one hundred and four warships. Guarding the Karacknid base, there were one hundred and thirty enemy ships. Once the handful of battlestations were added into the mix, his ships would stand no chance in a straight up fight. Of course, he had known that months ago. The beauty of being the attacker, Koroylov said to himself as twenty freighters slowly accelerated ahead of his main fleet. The Karacknids might have the numerical advantage, but they had to stay in one place to defend their depot. Especially if they are filled with supplies for an invasion fleet.

  For four hours Koroylov sat on Constitution’s bridge as his fleet edged closer and closer to the Karacknid depot in stealth. Twice they were almost detected by enemy patrols but luck was with them. “These two frigates are bound to detect us as we pass them by,” Koroylov said to his Flag Captain and staff officers as he highlighted another Karacknid patrol. “We may as well make use of the extra momentum we’ll have if we launch now. Send the order to the freighters. Launch the fighters, they are to take out any Karacknid patrols that try to intercept the freighters.

  Breaking stealth first, the twenty freighters powered up their engines to full. With their noses already pointed directly towards the Karacknid depot, they charged their target as fast as they could. Every Karacknid patrol ship in the system reacted. Their active sensors went to full and several altered course to get closer to the new contacts to check them out. In orbit around the Karacknid depot every Karacknid warship powered up their reactors. Though they stayed in orbit maintaining their formation.

  “It’s our turn,” Koroylov said five minutes later. The one hundred and five ships of his fleet announced themselves as they went to full military power.

  “It looks like these four frigates will get close enough to engage the freighters,” Koroylov’s Chief of Staff reported.

  “Take them out,” Koroylov ordered.

  From amidst his fleet, twelve Spitfire fighters appeared as they boosted their engines up to maximum. In minutes they caught up to the freighters and passed them. Long before the Karacknid frigates got close enough to scan let alone attack the freighters, the Spitfires engaged them. With three Spitfires per frigate, they stood little chance. Three of them were destroyed by plasma missiles. The fourth did get one Spitfire before it could release its missile and then dodged the two that were fired at it. In response the remaining ten Spitfires closed in on it. Using their small plasma cannons they swarmed the frigate. Three fighters were lost in the engagement, but plasma bolts eventually ripped through the frigate’s armor and took out its main engines. The fighters pulled back, the frigate’s momentum would take it out of the battle. “Those fighters won’t have time to refuel and rearm before our attack. Have them return to us and stay in formation. They can engage Karacknid missiles as they come in.”

  “Aye Admiral,” Koroylov’s Chief of Staff responded.

  “We have movement in orbit,” one of Constitution’s sensor officers announced.

  Koroylov eyed the Karacknid ships. It looked like a squadron of smaller ships were readying to break orbit. “We can’t have that,” he said to his officers. “Begin phase two.”

  Moments later the twenty freighters broke apart as small explosives detonated up and down their central support struts. From their broken cargo bays thousands of asteroids came tumbling out. Koroylov’s plan was an adaption of the one he had used to attack Earth when he had been an Admiral in the Russian Star Federation. There he had used ice meteors to bombard Earth’s orbitals to distract the planetary defenders. Here, Koroylov had no concerns about a meteor striking the rocky planet the Karacknids orbited. There were no sentient lifeforms below to worry about and he didn’t need to use ice meteors that would burn up in atmospheric re-entry. And meteors should prove a lot harder to deal with, he thought as he smiled. If they we
re blasted by energy weapons they would only break up into hundreds of smaller but still deadly chunks.

  He’ll know what is happening now, Koroylov surmised as he imagined the Karacknid commander. If it wasn’t for all the orbital stations, the Karacknid fleet could simply break orbit and move out of the way. However, the massive supply depots did not have the same luxury. The Karacknids had to stay and fight. And they can’t just wait to use their energy weapons. If the Karacknids allowed the meteors to get that close before attacking them, the thousands of smaller pieces would pummel the orbital stations. The Karacknids had to use their antimatter missiles to safely take out the asteroids.

  “Signal all ships,” Koroylov ordered. “Advance to one hundred percent thrust. Pass the word to every crew member, inform them we are only going to get one shot at this. Every missile must count.”

  “Transmitting now,” Koroylov’s COM officer informed him.