The Garoden War. (SpaceFed StarShips Series) Book 6. An action-packed follow-on story that sees the Earth's Space Navy in action.: ‘Into the Fire.’

by Gerry A. Saunders

  ‘We’ve sensed what you are planning, Frank. So we’ll try to see what the alien’s second brain is capable of doing.’

  ‘Brilliant,’ he thought back.

  ‘As for making it shut down the vessel’s force field, that might be difficult, Charlotte said.

  ‘But not impossible,’ Cindy added. ‘We’re confident that a Quad-Sync could confuse it enough to make it do, just that.’

  ‘I love you two,’ he sent back, having realized there was a slight chance of success for his hare-brained plan, after all.

  ‘Steady, Frank. You're too old for either of us.’

  ‘Funny.’

  ‘Even so, it would be a one-off,’ Charlotte warned him. ‘We think it would soon recover, and learn to protect itself in future.’

  ‘Hopefully, it won't be around afterwards, Charlotte.’

  ‘Absolutely. So, when do we give it a try, Frank?’ she asked.

  “Now, if possible,” he urged.

  ‘Okay, let’s have a go,’ Cindy said, joining in.

  Frank turned and smiled at Susanna. ‘So, you did get all of that, Sues.’

  ‘Yes. But, my link isn’t as strong as yours.’

  ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be our anchor, Susanna,’ Charlotte told her.

  ‘We’ll need a stay, to pull us back. Just in case their second brain is stronger than we think,’ Charlotte then explained.

  ‘So, what do I have to do?’ Susanna asked, realizing she hadn’t a clue about what was expected of her.

  ‘We’ll guide you, to start with,’ Cindy assured her.

  ‘It will become apparent, Susanna,’ Charlotte added. ‘Trust us.’

  Susanna was still nervous. But, just nodded okay at Frank.

  “Okay. Andromeda. Send an Action warning to our ships, now. Then, watch and wait for the correct time to order the ships to fire, if we succeed.”

  Andromeda sent the warning, and the ships captains all acknowledged their readiness.

  Frank’s tactical display now showed that the two Crillon Battlecruisers and the one remaining Solveron ship had already moved into a firing position.

  Frank cursed under his breath as he saw that all of their ships were sitting at a far greater distance from the alien vessel than he would have liked. So, now, even if their Quad-sync managed to hold down the alien ship’s force field. They would also have to control the alien’s second brain longer, to allow time for their own ships weapon’s fire to reach the alien’s vessel.

  ‘Let's go.’ Charlotte and Cindy ordered.

  Chapter 17

  Mistaken jubilation

  Kronon, the Pathfinder's overseer, was exasperated by Draxon’s lack of results.

  “Where is our imaging probe’s data, Draxon?”

  “The probe has only just reached the designated location, Kronon,” Draxon angrily snapped back, annoyed at Kronon’s arrogant attitude.

  ‘Companion. When will the fleet arrive?’ Kronon sharply asked.

  -Ω-

  Frank knew that what they were going to attempt was risky. Nevertheless, it had to work if his plan had any chance of success.

  The mental Quad-sync had operated surprisingly well, with little effort from each of them. And, in such a way that all four could easily sense each other.

  They were now linked together as one synchronized mental probe. Frank, being mentally weaker than Charlotte and Cindy, felt their emotional turmoil as they held the group together. Even so, he was sure that Charlotte and Cindy weren’t worried about his and Susanna’s apprehension, as they still had a confident feel about them.

  Susanna quickly realized that what she had to do, was to keep the connection with the other three at all cost. While, at the same time, concentrating on a fixed object in their cabin, just in case the others needed to pull back quickly.

  The three of them slowly moved their combined mental probe out and towards the alien’s ship. Then, the Quad-sync’s probe touched something alive.

  This was their first setback.

  Susanna staggered mentally as the others jerked back to her. Once safe, Cindy decided that it was the ship’s stealth that was alive.

  ‘We need to be closer to overcome it,’ she told them.

  Frank then sent an instruction to the Andromeda. ‘Move to twenty kilometers from the alien vessel, but out of the firing line of our other ships,’ he ordered, and felt Andromeda’s Sublight drive as it started to move her.

  ‘So, you hope the alien vessel’s force field is already extended to its maximum, Frank?’

  ‘Yes,’ he replied, and a moment later felt Andromeda stop as her Sublight vibrations ended.

  ‘Frank. Be careful. That image probe of theirs must have seen us move.’ Charlotte warned.

  ‘I know,’’ he replied, as they slowly started to move their combined mental probe out towards the alien ship, once more. With Susanna still acting as their anchor.

  The quad-sync probe touched the alien ship’s living stealth coating again. But this time passed through without interference.

  Frank quickly recognized the four alien brains as amber glows. Two of which were duller than the others.

  ‘This is one of their secondary brains,’ Charlotte told him, as both of them guided him towards one of the brains. Then, when he was close to it, he realized that there were slight differences between the two types.

  However, Charlotte had already recognized that these second brains were part organic, and part synthesized electronic processors and nothing like anything that they had ever come across on Delta.

  As they closed in on it, the selected brain sparkled with a million tiny points of light. These, tending to distract their attempt to find something in the brain that resembled a Protect function.

  Kronon’s, companion brain suddenly realizing that it had been compromised, tried to shut itself down.

  Realizing this, Charlotte raised her mental level far higher than Frank’s. This, in turn, drew Cindy and Frank’s level up to hers, causing the alien’s second brain to reluctantly indicate the ship’s force field Control Command.

  Then, with an enormous thrust from the Quad-sync, Kronon’s companion succumbed, and ordered the screens down.

  It was at that instant that Frank glimpsed something he had already suspected. But now knew, for sure.

  -Ω-

  The Garoden Pathfinder ship remained stationary while it waited for its probe to carry out an independent scan to locate the alien stealth ship that was eluding them.

  “Imaging probe’s data coming in,” Draxon informed as he studied the conflicting data.

  Kronon ignored him and directed another command at his Companion brain.

  ‘Companion, I asked when will the fleet, arrive?’

  “Kronon,” Draxon almost snarled. “I can feel your lack of concentration. Forget your damn Companion. That stealth ship is just outside our screen’s range.”

  At hearing this, Kronon reluctantly broke off his quest. And looked over Draxon’s shoulder, only to see an almost identical set of symbols to those he’d seen on his own display.

  “See, it’s moved, without us seeing any disturbance,” Draxon excitedly told him.

  Startled, Kronon quickly decided on a course of action.

  ‘Companion. Blanket fire on that ship’s coordinates,’ he commanded.

  Nothing happened.

  Kronon was flabbergasted. No Garoden Companion had ever disobeyed a direct command.

  Then Draxon screamed out in fear. As a warning flashed up on his display, showing the Pathfinder ship’s force field had suddenly dropped.

  “Look, your damn Companion has dropped our screens. Get them up quickly, you fool,” he yelled at Kronon.

  Kronon, ignoring Draxon’s lack of respect, panicked instead, and mentally stabbed at his companion brain again.

  ‘Put our shield back up. Now!’

  Again, nothing happened.

  -Ω-

  ‘Their screens are down, Frank,’ Charlotte said. Trying
to convey the urgency to Andromeda as all three minds struggled to direct and hold the companion's actions.

  So far, Andromeda hadn't received any information from the mental battle that she knew must be in progress.

  Then, suddenly, her sensors detected what appeared to be the alien’s force field dropping. But it wasn’t conclusive.

  However, Frank’s orders were clear enough, and the human side of her recognized that this was the right time to act. She shouldn’t wait any longer for an instruction which might never come, she decided.

  So she transmitted the Fire Command to all the ships locked into her command net.

  Once received, the Michigan and Argonaut, along with the two Crillon Battlecruisers, immediately released a barrage of fire. A barrage that would, however, take all of four seconds to reach the alien vessel.

  For different reasons, the remaining Solveron ship, and the Andromeda had stayed out of the action. The Solverons, not willing to risk their remaining ship at this time. While Andromeda hadn’t dared to take part, as, although Frank and the girls’ physical bodies were still onboard, she had no data on what would happen to their mental links if she were to engage the alien ship.

  No defensive response came from the alien ship as the attackers’ energy bolts hit the now, virtually unprotected, vessel. With the energy bolts causing the Bio Stealth coating to fry away, before the grey metal beneath it melted, then disintegrated in a ball of fire that almost severed the ship in two.

  Several sections of the alien ship’s hull rippled and melted from the effects of the particle beam onslaught, causing multiple smaller explosions that shattered the weapon’s energy-containment sphere. While a vortex of fire swelled throughout the ship.

  Then, almost as soon as it had started, it was over. All that remained of the alien ship was its broken metal skeleton, a few segments of hull material, and glowing gases that permeated its frame. These then slowly dispersing, while multiple pieces of debris drifted along and further out in Space.

  Andromeda was aware of Susanna’s efforts to pull Frank and the two girls back, mentally. And, was relieved to sense them stirring.

  Frank and Susanna woke up feeling drained after their ordeal. It wasn’t that it had been physically tiring, just that it was mentally draining to the extreme. They sat staring at each other as they gathered strength to move. Then, Frank momentarily sensed Charlotte and Cindy as they also recovered.

  Frank was only too well aware that he and Susanna had been the weaker pairing in the quad-sync. So, what would happen if there were more ships like these, he wondered. Even though there had only been one alien ship, Charlotte and Cindy had also struggled to hold the quad-sync together.

  He panicked, briefly, as he remembered that split-second slip of Charlotte’s own defenses. Then that glimpse of something that he wasn’t supposed to have seen.

  “What is it, Frank?” Susanna asked, seeing beads of sweat running down his face.

  “Err. Nothing, Sues,” he shakily replied, and pulling himself together contacted Andromeda.

  “Andromeda. Give me the alien ship’s status, please. Oh, and by the way, your timing was perfection?”

  “Thank you, Frank. Yes, I think I did very well for a museum piece.”

  Frank and Susanna couldn’t help smiling at each other, on hearing Andromeda’s remark that hinted at her being thought of as an outdated hunk of metal.

  Andromeda displayed what was left of the alien ship, on the main screen. Frank cursed, as he stared at the wreckage of what he now recognized as a Garoden ship.

  He knew that the loss of both Commander Sodran’s Solveron ship, and the Crillon’s Battleship, the Carga, was a high price to pay for just one alien vessel. Especially as they hadn’t gained any real information, as yet, about this new race.

  “They never intended to talk to us, Sues.”

  “I know Frank, but there was nothing else we could have done,” she said trying to calm him.

  Frank shrugged, as he thought about what had happened. Then had another idea. “Wait a moment,” he said, sounding pretty pleased with himself, then called Captain Serrell of the Argonaut.

  “Yes, Frank?” Hector said, as his face appeared on Frank’s screen.

  “Hector, see if your Drones can salvage some medium sized pieces of the alien ship’s wreck. Then distribute a part to each of the other ships here. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

  “Ok, Frank. We’ll get on with it now.”

  “Good. I’ll send Thomas over for a piece.” Frank replied then cut the connection and sat back, thinking again.

  “Everyone seems to be calling you, Frank. Do you want me to connect to the Earth ships, first?” Andromeda finally suggested.

  Frank didn’t answer. He’d fallen asleep.

  “Later, Andromeda please,” Susanna quietly answered.

  Chapter 18

  A Change of Plan

  Viceroy Verice, Commander of the Star-Destroyer Z183 and of his V23 fleet of eight Star-Destroyers, stood quietly admiring his ships through his bridge’s windows while thinking about things in general.

  He was proud of his Star Destroyers, and of how impressive they were. And, thinking on, decided that he was even more pleased about his status in the Garoden High Command. Just then his brain companion jolted him out of his thoughts.

  ‘All ships have finished their final checks in preparation for the last Jump,’ his Companion brain informed him.

  Viceroy Verice was very astute when it came to assessing situations, then making the correct decisions concerning strategies. He was also well known for his sixth sense. So, knowing that this was going to be their last jump and that all thirteen so far had been almost perfect. He had thought that, by now, he should really have been feeling ecstatic, especially as the Pathfinder had also sent the Safe to Jump code.

  And yet, he was hesitant to give the Jump Execute command.

  Why? He wondered. And, why was he feeling nervous?

  “Griken. Your thoughts, please. Why is there zero information on the designated location, from Kronon, the Pathfinder's overseer?”

  Griken was silent a moment while his own companion brain searched for any information that he might have missed.

  “I don’t know, your excellency. We can’t find anything embedded in their transmission.”

  “Don’t you find that strange, Griken?”

  “Well, yes. The transmission does seem rather lacking in support information, for an overseer.”

  “What do you think, Cratic?”

  His navigation officer hurriedly re-checked his navigation locks. “Nothing seems wrong, Excellency.”

  “I’m not talking about navigation locks, you fool. I’m asking about the Pathfinder's lack of information on the star system they’re sitting in.”

  “Maybe caution would be advisable, Excellency.”

  “Yes. We will hold this position for a while. I’ll run some of my own checks.” Verice stated, having considered Cratic’s observation.

  “Very well Excellency,” Griken acknowledged.

  “I’m going to my Pod,” Verice told them. Mentally pictured his personal Pod, and was instantly standing in it.

  Verice looked at his pod’s blank wall, then thought, Relax, vision only. And the wall lit up with gently swirling colored patterns flowing across it. As he approached his Comms and remote command center, a seat rose up out of the floor. He stood, looking at it. Then decided to lay on his bed instead, and let his companion brain do the work.

  ‘Companion. Is a wormhole thread still open to the Pathfinder ship?’ He asked.

  ‘No,’ came the reply.

  That was unusual in itself, he thought. Wormhole threads would usually stay open much longer than this. Unless, something at the other end had disrupted it. Could that be? Verice wondered.

  Then Verice sensed his companion’s warning. His second in command, Captain Plank of Star Destroyer Z185 was in transit to the bridge.

  ‘Curse the man,’ V
erice muttered as he mentally pictured his bridge, and instantly teleported back to it.

  “Captain Plank, I told you before. Let me know when you’re coming over,” he angrily shouted at Plank.

  “I did Verice,” Captain Plank replied. “I can't help it if your companion is slow,” he added, hoping to upset Verice even more.

  “What do you want anyway that you can't message?” Verice irritably asked, trying to ignore Plank’s remark.

  Plank held up a small tactical pad. “Watch this. My Sub-Space specialists managed to record this right up until the moment the thread was broken…Look carefully,” he urged the Viceroy.

  Verice had been ready to give Plank a warning about his lack of respect until he saw the recording that was being played back for him.

  The Viceroy watched the scene on the screen, as viewed from the wormhole’s thread. Like an observer would when viewing through a pinhole.

  He could see four blurry objects on the screen, but not distinctly enough to identify any of them.

  “Do you see, Viceroy? I know it’s not good quality, but it is convincing, is it not?”

  “I know about the degradation of data through a thread,” Verice snapped back, as he studied the objects.

  However, once he’d isolated which of the blurry objects was their Pathfinder, he realized that the other three objects definitely weren’t Garoden.

  “So, not ours, Verice?”

  “That’s obvious Plank. Even though you can only just distinguish the shapes.”

  “It’s a dilemma, Verice.”

  “Excellency to you, Plank,” he ordered. “Or, I’ll have you vapourised, second in command, or not.”