The Crillon’s fleet 5 already knew that, once they had completed this, they were to continue straight on and out of range of any attack from vessel B.
Frank hoped that this massive bombardment would strain the Garoden’s protective screen. And, with the help of their quad-sync group’s efforts, they would be able to destroy at least one of the Garoden warships.
Then he indicated where he needed the Argonaut and Michigan to be located, to play their part. Frank also hoped that, at the critical time, they would be able to fire at, and distract B, the other Garoden warship, long enough to allow Frank’s plan to work.
He had already sent a recommendation to Hector, that he should leave at least two armed stealth drones behind. To monitor, and keep an eye on the rest of the Garoden fleet when they arrived.
Next, he marked where the Starcruiser Neutron would need to be. And indicated that it would be accompanying the Andromeda, under stealth mode.
This would, in turn, enable the Andromeda to get close enough to ship A, for their quad-sync to mentally interfere with the Garoden companion brains at the critical time.
Afterwards, whatever happened, his ships would ascertain the effectiveness of the Crillon Fleet 5’s upgraded weaponry.
Then, together as a group, they would reassess their next action. Ensuring they were a long way away from the Garoden fleet’s arrival point before putting it into operation.
With that, Frank finally decided that he had covered everything possible.
“Execute plan,” he signaled his ships.
Frank knew that the Starships, Jefferson, Illustrious, and Derringer, would arrive soon, bringing his fleet up to seven Earth ships. And, dependent on how many Crillon Fleet 5 ships were still operational, all of these would then determine the fate of Earth, Dpav4, Crilla, and Solvera.
The Weapons Icon flashed on Frank’s screen, and Mark Trask’s worried looking face appeared on his tactical pad.
“Yes, Mark?” Frank acknowledged, wondering why Mark was calling his tactical pad.
“Are we secure?”
“Yes…Talk to me.”
“I’ve just received a weapon’s status message from Captain Patterson on Illustrious. It was sent just before they jumped.
“Weapon status? Go on, what did Derrick say?”
“Well, even though it’s only encrypted as a weapon’s update, he’s taking a helluva risk sending it. But he must have thought that it was unlikely to be monitored at that particular time.
Anyway, he’s warning you that Admiral Winton’s military are now on all three ships. And that, Captain Ted Garret, on the Jefferson, has been ordered to seize your two assets.
He also states that Admiral Winton is not liked by anyone.
But, he also warned you that none of them had any doubt that the Argonaut and Michigan would also have to obey his commands. That’s all Captain Patterson sent.”
“Just what we need… Thanks, Mark.”
With that, the call ended.
Chapter 32
Hell, on fire
Viceroy Verice was laid back with his eyes closed, as he relaxed and slurped a capsule of Juice.
He could sense his companion brain’s disapproval of this, just as he’d sensed Griken’s as well. Although, he was sure that Griken’s disapproval was more about the fact that he was jealous of the so-called perks that only the Garoden elite was allowed.
Then, six minutes later, a battle alarm sounded in his head, waking him with a start. Even his heart rate shot up.
He sat up. Mentally pictured a spot on the bridge, and surprised Griken as he suddenly appeared laying crouched on the floor, close to him.
Verice quickly scrambled to his feet, acutely aware that the warp signatures weren’t Garoden.
Then looked at the screen, to see wormholes forming outside. But these were way out and towards the starboard side of Captain Stugron’s Star-Destroyer, Z190.
Damn, he almost shouted out, realizing that if he tried to engage, he would inevitably hit Z190.
As he watched, he saw the alien’s ships emerge from the wormholes, one behind the other. Each of them ten seconds apart.
The Crillon’s Fleet 5 had arrived.
Three minutes earlier, Frank had checked that the Argonaut and Michigan, who were still operating in stealth mode, had, as instructed, moved unseen into their designated positions by the two Garoden warships.
While the Andromeda and the Neutron, were also cloaked and were sat less than six kilometers from the Garoden’s ship A.
Now, all of the ships crew’s eyes were glued to their consoles as they made final adjustments that would assist their AI’s actions. All of them ready to fight or die in the attempt.
Meanwhile, Horatio Stevenson and Russian Grand Councilor, Andrei Sergei Volkov, were pleased that they had been ordered to lock themselves in their cabins. While Captain Reece and his six Marines, now in full body armor, guarded critical areas just in case there was an attempt to board the Andromeda.
Charlotte had already indicated that the only way to locate the right Companion brain was to search separately once they had established the correct area on the Garoden warship’s substantial bridge.
Frank, Susanna, Charlotte and Cindy remained standing while they readied themselves quad-link then to look for the companion brain, just as they had managed to do before on the other Garoden warship.
“It’s time… Susanna, anchor us as before,” Charlotte ordered.
“Why always me?” she muttered. No one commented.
Frank felt the other three minds join his. He knew that it is hard to get into sync while trying to avoid pushing the intruding alien minds out. Nevertheless, he was aware that this time he must be careful not to touch a Garoden primary brain, as he had done, before. After a few moments, their mental probe formed and slowly reached out until it felt the living stealth coating of Z190. Then passed through without interference.
Once they had found what appeared to be the bridge, Charlotte and Cindy guided their search for the companion brains.
They quickly recognized six Garoden brains, but these had an amber glow, so were a no-no. Their targets, the companions, were the duller, and more vulnerable brains.
Then, they found the Companions. Now all three attempted to locate the Companion brain that controlled the ship’s force field. Frank started to lose concentration for a moment. Then, managed to concentrate his efforts again. Knowing that time was of the essence, and was fast running out.
As they each selected one of the companion brains, to search. The brains sparked with a million tiny points of light. However, these tended to distract their attempts to find something similar to what they had found before, but this time, resembled, Protect. They could find nothing. A sense of urgency ran through all three as they sensed the Crillon fleet 5’s Exit wormholes forming.
Then. ‘I’ve got it. It’s this one,’ Charlotte suddenly said, and guided them to it.
The Garoden Companion brain of Prabos, Captain Stugron’s science officer, suddenly realizing that an external force had compromised it. Tried to shut itself down.
‘It’s opposing me, just like the other one,’ Charlotte remarked as she increased her mental level. At the same time, drawing Cindy and Frank’s levels up to meet hers.
Then, after a short time, unable to hold out any longer, the companion reluctantly indicated the force field control’s position.
In the meantime, another, and brighter brain. Sensing that this particular Companion brain was under a mental attack had started to move towards it, to help.
‘It’s now or never,’ Charlotte urged, as she sensed the stronger brain coming to the companion’s aid.
Then, with one enormous mental thrust, the Garoden Companion brain succumbed. And moved, to be able to lower the screens.
-Ω-
Fleet 5’s Commander Procard’s hands began to feel sweaty, as adrenalin kicked in. He knew this wasn’t unusual, as, during the first few seconds of the jump exit,
all of their lives were entirely dependent on their ships and crews’ ability to recover, and be battle-ready in seconds.
Then his ship seemed to drop like a stone. But that was just one of the effects everyone felt when dropping into normal space, along with the general giddiness.
Procard’s Crillon Battlecruiser finally exited its wormhole, just two kilometers from and on the far side of Stugron’s Garoden warship, as planned. Procard suddenly heard contact alarms sound as his ship’s detectors found their designated target, the Garoden warship.
“Their screen is still up, commander,” Procard’s science officer yelled. As both ships screens made contact.
“Damn you, Richardson,” Procard growled.
Then, searing heat and giddiness came like ripples on a pond as Captain Procard’s Crillon Battlecruiser struggled to fight the entangled force fields while his ship slid past, on the far side of Captain Stugron’s vessel. Then out of the line of fire from the second Garoden warship.
In the meantime, the second Garoden warship designated A, was now taking fire from the Argonaut and the Michigan.
The Crillon ship’s particle beams flared against the targeted section of the Garoden’s screen. Sending sheets of boiling energy that were now trapped between the two force fields rippling outward in angry bursts.
“Two missiles, out-coming,” Procard’s weapons officer warned.
“I see them,” the targeting lieutenant confirmed.
-Ω-
Prabos’ companion, tried to fight the external mental force that had compromised it.
Then the primary brain of Prabos, Stugron’s science officer, began to add his power to prevent his companion’s total collapse.
But, the primary brain’s action was too late. The companion had virtually surrendered and had set the force field control, to off.
-Ω-
‘Break the contact,’ Charlotte ordered sounding relieved. Then started to back out of their Quad-sync probe.
‘Leave it, Frank,’ she mentally chastised him as he tried to examine the companion brain’s center core.
He sensed Andromeda and the Neutron already moving away.
‘Of course,’ he thought. ‘Now I know it all. Everything.’
Then, Frank sensed Charlotte’s mental sigh.
‘Was this how it was meant to be?’ She wondered. ‘Or, was it the death-knell for Delta, and her kind?’’
-Ω-
Commander Procard’s crew saw the two incoming missiles detonate harmlessly in space, under a hail of particle beams. And, even though they had already safely passed the Garoden warship, they cheered as her screen went down.
Then Procard, having seen the rest of his Fleet 5 ships engage the Garoden’s vessel after exiting warp, one after the other behind him, summoned his exec.
“Jump to the rendezvous point,” he ordered.
Then Procard’s ship immediately generated its wormhole, and vanished, as planned.
Procard was pleased that his force field modifications had stood up against the Garoden’s. So, at least, that meant, a stalemate had been established, regarding each other’s protective force fields.
-Ω-
Space seemed to boil around Stugron’s Garoden Star Destroyer, as it started to break up under the Crillon fleet 5’s bombardment, as ship after Crillon ship’s energy particle beams ripped into its now unprotected hull.
Several sections of the hull rippled and melted from the Crillon’s Particle Beam onslaught, causing massive internal explosions from the shattering of the weapons energy-containment spheres.
While ferocious vortexes of fire swirled throughout the ship, consuming everything in its path.
Within moments, all that remained of the Garoden’s Star Destroyer was its metal skeleton and glowing gases that permeated its frame. Then even this slowly dispersed along with the debris that drifted outward, into space.
Chapter 33
Admiral Winton
Viceroy Verice was shaking with rage, and surprisingly, fear. As he stared out at the wreck of Captain Stugron’s Star-Destroyer Z190.
The ship was still crackling and flaring as its weapon’s feeds gradually lost their containment fields, then exploded. Sending debris and rapidly cooling molten balls of metal out into space.
Then Verice was suddenly jolted back to thinking about their own situation, as his companion brain showed him a picture of Z190’s warp core exploding.
“Viceroy! We must move away,” Science Officer Griken urged him.
Fully focused now, Verice said, “Yes, Griken. Their warp drive must be close to rupturing.”
“Exactly, Excellency.”
“Move now, Cratic. About two light-minutes towards that planet should be enough,” he ordered his navigation officer.
“Yes, Excellency,” Cratic acknowledged. Then tapped in the exit coordinates on his input screen.
“Done,” he confirmed. “Jump distance, thirty-six million kilometers.”
“Well… Jump then,” Verice angrily ordered him.
-Ω-
Twenty-three light-minutes out, and the rendezvous point seemed like a flower head opening out, as the fifth and last of the Crillon’s Fleet 5 Battlecruisers exited their short warp jump.
All of them had arrived safely. Two minutes later, both the Andromeda and Star Cruiser, Neutron also arrived safely, and de-cloaked.
Almost immediately, Commander Procard’s face appeared on Frank’s screen.
“Glad to…see you… made it, Richardson,” the Crillon greeted. With his speech breaking up as the multi-lingual translator kicked in.
Frank almost grinned as he looked at Procard’s wrinkled face on his screen, and saw him attempting to mimic a human’s smile.
“And you, Procard. And, with all your ships intact.”
“Yes. An incredible moment, don’t you think, Richardson?”
Frank, could almost feel the pressure being generated by Susanna, Charlotte and Cindy, who were hovering close by, and trying to listen in without Procard sensing them and becoming jumpy.
“A good start Procard. Your modified Force field seems to have worked well,” Frank said, congratulating him.
“Now. As a priority, we need to exchange any useable data we’ve each gathered on that Garoden ship.”
“Agreed… My tactical AI will collate what we have and trans… err, transmit it to you.”
“Excellent, Procard… We’ll be doing the same… Remember, keep the All-ships tight beam comms open. That way, we'll be able to have instant communication between all of us.”
“Very well. We’ll work up a follow-on plan just in case we are separated… My AI has informed me that the rest of the Garoden ships will be arriving within a few minutes.”
“That’s what we understand, Procard,” Frank replied. Then noticed that Procard had turned his head to one side, and was presumably listening to someone, or something, out of view.
After a short pause, Procard then said, “I have been informed that three of my ships weapons AI’s registered two of your ships firing at the other Garoden ship.
I assume this was intended as a distraction, Richardson. But, my AI’s haven’t registered them as here. So, have you lost both of those ships?”
On hearing this, Frank looked again at his screen. Then his heart missed a beat, as he saw that Procard was right. Neither the Argonaut nor the Michigan had arrived yet.
“Andromeda, where are they?” he nervously asked. Then waited for her answer.
“I have five Earth ships, at thirty-one light minutes out. All of them decloaked, and stationary. Their cores are active.”
So, the Jefferson, Illustrious and Derringer, have arrived as well,” Frank muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
“At least, the Argonaut and Michigan are still with us, Frank,” Susanna remarked.
“Yes. But the question is, who are they really with now? And, more to the point, who are we going to find on the other three ships? He asked
&nbs
p; “I feel, hostility,” Charlotte commented.
“Yes, me too,” Cindy agreed. “And definitely, Military.”
“Admiral Winton, no doubt,” Frank told them, certain now that Jack’s message had been correct.
Then Andromeda interrupted their discussion.
“Frank, the Starship Jefferson has requested a safe exit location for their ships.”
“Send it, Andromeda, and make sure it’s well away from the Crillon ships.”
“Done.”
Almost instantly, the five Earth ships exited their wormholes at the assigned location. With the ships sliding out into Normal space, like rabbits leaving their burrows.
Then the external view on Franks screen shifted, as he zoomed in close enough to show the new arrivals on the center of his screen.
He was sure that Procard’s sensors would be flooded with data by now. Especially data on the Battleship Jefferson.
Suddenly, the Quantum and Weapons Department’s Icons started flashing at the same time on his screen, indicating the department heads were trying to contact him.
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.’ Page 19