Prominence - Retribution

by Shane Griffin

  #

  Relv sat in at his console in the command node and feverishly checked everything one last time. His ship and his crew were as ready as they were ever going to be. They were in position with the rest of their wing and he gave the ready signal to his Wing Commander.

  "Attention crew. Battle stations battle stations!" he ordered over the ships common channel. "Jump Master prepare to jump on my command!"

  He received a yes sir directly into his ear and breathed deeply while he waited for the order from his Wing Commander.

  He looked to his right and left. On one side Ibek was concentrating on his own console with an intensity born from barely controlled fear. On the other side his normally overconfident and flamboyant pilot Glax was fidgeting like crazy to the point that Relv wanted to reach across and slap him.

  Instead Relv reached out and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

  "Relax Glax, I have seen you throw this ship about like it's a one seat fighter, nobody is going to touch us." Glax turned back to look at him and forced himself to stop. He smiled back, but it was laboured. "Right?" insisted Relv.

  "Aye Commander, I'll make sure of that!"

  The countdown to jump sounded in the fleet-com channel and Relv echoed it to the rest of his crew.

  After what felt like the longest minute of his life, in the disorienting effects of a gravity wave jump, they came out the other side and his tactical displays suddenly started flashing like crazy.

  "Ok I want all sensors recording live as of now! Glax maximum transversal until we get an accurate picture of what we are facing."

  The Abarath pitched hard and the artificial gravity generator strained to keep everyone on the floor. The Corona which had also landed nearby pulled in behind them as they had practiced over and over again.

  "I want to see the analysis of the defences directly onto my tactical Aretyl!"

  "Aye sir," was the snappy response. As the data started to populate his main holographic display Relv studied it closely. A sphere of orbital point defences were immediately apparent and not dissimilar to what they had simulated in training. In fact they were actually somewhat lighter and more spread out than they had anticipated.

  Various missile launches were already being detected, but they appeared fairly slow moving and directed towards the larger ships in higher orbit. The Wing Commander ordered the launching of his missile defence fighters in responses and they quickly spewed forth to form a missile screen in depth.

  The remainder of his assault wing appeared relatively safe for the moment so Relv concentrated his attention to the remainder of the point defences.

  "Locate the weakest point in our sector," he ordered Aretyl.

  "The computer is just completing its analysis now sir."

  "OK, that's our attack point. Broadcast this to the Wing Commander's carrier and to the Corona. Glax, it's time to work your magic and get us under their orbital defences in one piece!"

  "Too easy, Aretyl won't even need to activate the shields!"

  As the Abarath hurtled at maximum speed towards the defences with all weapons blazing and easily dodging the relatively light incoming fire Relv started to have the same thought. It was all too easy. The Abarath and the Corona burst through the defences and started clearing them from the underside like they had practiced. There was very little or no fire from the surface so the two brutes stayed together.

  "Navigation, how long before the remainder of the fleet lands?"

  "Six minutes Commander."

  "Glax, keep us clearing away the defences in this sector in preparation for the assault ships. Aretyl I want detailed surface scans now!"

  As soon as the scan data from the planet's surface started to appear on his tactical display Relv's eyes widened. Ibek saw it too and he turned to Relv with a look of confusion on his face.

  "We are picking up several massive energy concentrations on the surface away from the populated areas. They have no orbital bombardment shields covering any of the population. Why would they set up orbital shield generators so far away from everyone?"

  "They are not power sources for shields they are way too large for that. The only thing that would need a power source that big would be a planet based orbital cannon, but one needing that much power would..."

  Relv quickly tapped at his neck communicator and requested a priority emergency channel directly to his Wing Commander.

  "Wing Commander we are detecting several massive power concentrations on the surface. I think they have planet based orbital weapons. You should pull the wing back and alert the rest of the fleet as soon as it lands!"

  "We have detected the same Commander. The computers are assessing this as low threat. More folly them even if they are weapons because their range and firing arc would be so limiting as to be ineffective. In precaution I have the heavy ships taking higher orbit and staying out of the projected firing arcs."

  "I still have concerns sir. They have had the better part of 70 years to prepare their defences. This is all feeling far too easy."

  "You just concentrate on clearing that path for the assault ships Commander."

  The Wing Commander closed the channel before Relv could protest further. He punched at the holographic displays in frustration. He wished just momentarily that they were solid so he could vent his anger with more than just and air swing. He tapped at his neck communicator again.

  "Tey, our orders are to keep clearing this sector. Make sure to create a big enough hole for the assault ships because I am breaking orders and leaving my station."

  "Relv this is no time to be cavalier, this is not a training exercise where you are trying to prove a point this is the real deal!"

  "Sorry buddy, but if I am right then my court martial is going to be the least of our worries."

  Relv shut the private channel between them and turned to Glax. "I want us as low as we can go so we can take a closer look at those energy concentrations."

  Glax took the Abarath into a steep dive as far down into the atmosphere of the planet as he could. The Abarath was not designed to be a surface vessel so as the atmosphere started to thicken the ship started the shudder and groan. The temperature inside also started to rise due to the friction of the gases against the fast moving ship.

  "Navigation is reporting that the fleet has landed Commander," said Ibek.

  "Can you get us lower for a visual Glax?"

  "Not unless you want to cook inside this tin can we call home."

  "Sir, I have a massive power spike coming from the surface!" yelled Ibek.

  Relv looked at the readouts. The points across the planet where the energy concentrations had been were now spiking to levels that appeared impossible. He tapped like crazy onto his neck communicator and urgently requested a direct channel with the Fleet Admiral. He had no response.

  "Glax get us out of the path of that thing and Aretyl I want every sensor on this that we have."

  A moment later a massive blinding column of energy rose forth from the planet's surface from not one, but four separate points. Instead of firing directly upwards however, they fired towards a point in close orbit. It was some type of structure that refocused the energy and pointed it directly into the midst of the capital ships in his own wing.

  It was over in a matter of seconds and the end result was that the light carrier of his Wing Commander as well as several nearby ships and countless fighters were vaporized.

  Suddenly the direct channel to the Fleet Admiral opened.

  "How the hell did you get a direct channel to me?"

  "I have no idea Fleet Admiral, but you have to get the fleet out now! We just lost the carrier to a planet based super weapon! They have the ability to reach high orbit and direct it to any target in a wide firing arc!"

  "That's impossible Commander now get off..."

  The weapon fired again, this time into the midst of the still concentrated main fleet. It had much the same effect as the first time.

  "By the flares of Vasl
us! I am pulling the Prominence back immediately along with all the assault ships and capitals. I want you to stay behind and drag in every battle cruiser we have to destroy that weapon!"

  "Are you insane?"

  "You have not given me the satisfaction of failing in any task I have given you yet Commander, don't start now. The future of our civilization may depend on it!"

  Relv cursed under his breath as his sensor arrays filled with a new threat, surface fighters now launching from hidden bases all across the surface of the planet.

  "Just one thing before I go Fleet Admiral. Fuck you and send every assault fighter you have unless you want us cut to pieces!"

  "They are already en-route. If you pull this off I will personally demote you for that first remark then I'll re-promote you."