Obsidian Ressurection

by T J Bryan

  Rather than belabor the point Toni simply said, "Definitely."

  Again Katarzyna and Krzysztof paused. Katarzyna continued. "We have an extensive list of questions. We have prepared this list on this info chip. Please answer all of our questions on the info chip. We shall return when you have completed the survey."

  At that Katarzyna and Krzysztof rose, left the room, and boarded Black Storm. The ship remained docked as Toni and Smilot found an info chip reader.

  Toni commented, "That was very odd. They seem in no hurry and the facts of a pending invasion are clear. And what is with this questionnaire?"

  Smilot paged through the list of questions. There were over one hundred and many Toni knew she could not answer. How many ships did the OCN have in service? Where were the ships positioned? Who were the OCN allies? What were the weapons profiles of the OCN. The list went on and on.

  "Half these questions we cannot answer." said Toni. "This information is simply too dangerous and I can't for the life of me know why they need this. Their risk is clear. Why all the need for this intense detail?"

  Smilot replied, "Do you get the feeling that Katarzyna and Krzysztof are not in charge of this mission. They seem to me to be simply stand-ins for someone else. Perhaps their Guidance Order representative whom we have yet to meet."

  "Well I am at a loss as to what to do next. Some of these questions we can clearly answer, but not many. And should we inform them of the passage of Sváva which may well be taking place as we speak?

  Smilot shook her head. "I suggest we simply tell them the truth. That they are about to be invaded by a powerful force using anti-matter weapons. They can accept our statement and prepare a defence or they can choose to ignore our warning and simply die. Let's be blunt and to the point. There is no sense in prolonging this discussion. If those probes have appeared then a Megra invasion is imminent if not already in progress."

  "Smilot, have your command con call them back. I agree. Brutally frank is our only option."

  Half an hour later Katarzyna and Krzysztof reappeared and were ushered into the conference room.

  Toni stood. "I am going to be frank with you. You are about to be invaded by a powerful and merciless enemy; the Megra. They will use anti-matter weapons and will destroy your defences within days. Then they will begin kinetic bombardment of your planet and you will all die. Let me emphasize the urgency of your situation. You will all die.

  Katarzyna and Krzysztof seemed not to react. "Have your completed our questions?"

  Toni shook her head in frustration. "No, and I have no intention of answering most of them. The size and disposition of OCN ships can be of no real value to you at this time, but it would be of great value to our enemy. We simply will not provide that information."

  Again Katarzyna and Krzysztof seemed to mentally withdraw from the conversation and instead concentrated on some messaging they were receiving that both Toni and Helen could not hear.

  Krzysztof replied. "Then we have nothing to discuss. We shall depart immediately."

  As Toni and Smilot followed Katarzyna and Krzysztof to the dock and Black Storm, Toni's inter-tab chimed and the station claxon sounded.

  "Incoming. Megra Ships. I repeat Megra ships incoming. This is not a drill. Incoming..."

  Toni simply shook her head. The Fourth Battle of Wu was about to begin.

  Chapter Ninety Five

  Diana System - Sváva - Year 3248 March 2 ET 00:10

  Following standard procedures Mia Nordlicht, captain of the Sváva, had launched probes two hours before entering the tunnel to Diana. As Isabella Santos on defence called out the seconds to entry to Diana, Mia looked about her bridge and at her crew. Emma Gunnulf was Sváva's pilot and her short stature required her to sit on a cushion in the pilots seat. Emma was quick witted, very funny, and with astonishing physical reaction times. Within the OCN she was recognized as perhaps the best pilot only second to Lennie Karrlson, and even some debated that. Olive Gunnulf, Emma's sister sat at the weapons station and had the habit of humming or singing songs while in flight but the Banshees had been together for so long no one seemed to either hear or be bothered by her singing. Their astrogator, Paul Ivar, older brother of Siggy Ivar Captain of the New Hildr, had been a good fit for the Sváva. Mia well understood how challenging it must be to live in tight quarters with eight young and somewhat aggressive women. Emershan Abara, their super cargo from Moschus, sat quietly in the jump seat behind the captain.

  Emma Gunnulf called out, "Entry in ten."

  Mia replied, "Prepare to ping the probes and drop a mailbox Mr. Santos." The idea of calling every crew member by the term 'Mister' had once struck Mia as odd, but with time it simply became a designator that an order was about to be given.

  Seconds later the vid screen went from blank to a brilliant display of stars and a distant sun. Mia's research in the EG had given her the basic facts about the Diana System. A 'K' class sub giant star emitting an orange light was surrounded by 32 planets and planetoids. Only one planet was in the goldilocks zone however and the planet was the scene of violent atmospheric disturbances and brutal weather. The colony had been established well before the Great War. The people of Diana had developed a remarkable system of land based weather modification systems managed from orbital stations. While the weather of the entire planet could not be entirely controlled, they were able to moderate the weather over their cities and settlements. However, on occasion, the weather control was inadequate to prevent damaging storms. Most of Diana's cities were underground.

  The necessity of maintaining orbital stations for weather control had resulted in an industrial infrastructure that was capable of building rugged atmospheric flyers, orbiting stations, heavy lift vehicles and very fast light freighters. Mia also knew that the Diana system maintained a steady trade with nearby systems selling atmospheric flyers and freighters in exchange for foodstuffs which could not be grown on the weather swept planet. Of great importance to Diana was trade with Moschus which supplied advanced AI systems for managing the weather control systems. Diana further integrated AI systems into the overall management of the entire planet.

  Mia was about to sit in her captains seat when Isabella Santos called out, "We have a dumbbell in system. Seems to have entered from the Larissa portal. No more than an hour ago. It is headed in system and toward the planet of Diana."

  Mia looked again at her crew. They were all extremely calm on the outside but she knew that inside they lusted for combat. After almost three years flying training missions they felt the need to prove themselves once again. This, Mia realized was their opportunity to prove that their first successful combat had not been just dumb luck.

  "How long until they are within firing range of those orbital stations?"

  Isabella replied, "Fourteen hours fifteen minutes. There are two planetoids they need to clear and it will take them some extra time."

  Mia examined the system map carefully. She intended to attack the dumbbell but only on Sváva's terms. Mia and her crew were convinced that attack, attack, attack, was the only solution to a SAR's success and even its' survival. In hundreds of simulations and training drills against green OCN ships they had learned that even the slightest hesitation by an enemy gave Sváva a killing advantage.

  "Have they scanned us yet?" Mia asked knowing the answer.

  "No," replied Isabella.

  "Mr. Ivar, how long can we use GWP in this system if we head to one of those planetoids?"

  Paul Ivar looked confused for a moment, but turned to his station and then replied. "No more than twenty minutes."

  "And Mr. Ivar how fast would we be traveling at the end of that period?"

  Paul replied immediately, "About 12% of SOL."

  Mia thought a moment longer. "Mr. Emma, give me a plot that blocks our approach to the dumbbell by one of those planetoids. I want to use GWP for maximum speed, then shut down our engines and sling shot around that far planetoid and put four up the dumbbell's ass." Since Emma Gunnul
f and Olive were sisters Mia had adopted the habit of calling them by their first name.

  "Aye aye, Sir." replied Emma.

  Moments later GWP was invoked and the ship began to accelerate at a tremendous rate. Gravity compensators in the ship made the acceleration unnoticeable.

  "Mr. Olive load two 'K's and two sand casters please. And prepare for a second round if necessary."

  Twenty minutes later they shut down the GWP. Mia idled her fusion engines to make detection difficult. They soon passed out of the blocking of the near planetoid and became visible to the Dumbbell, but only if he was looking very closely. The second farther planetoid grew nearer and the Megra had already passed it and was headed in system.

  Mia called out. "Mr. Emma. Is the slingshot plot good?"

  "Aye aye, Sir."

  "And what will be our speed as we exit the orbit of the far planetoid?"

  Emma replied, "About 15% SOL"

  "What speed will the Megra attain as it clears the inner planetoid?"

  "The dumbbell is starting from a dead stop at the portal. Assuming she is like all other dumbbell we have seen she will be at about 4% SOL as she passed the inner planetoid."

  Moments later they entered the gravity well of the large planetoid and were captured by the gravity well as they spun around and reversed direction.

  "Incoming," called out Isabella Santos. "A second dumbbell has entered from Larissa."

  Mia remained seated. "How long till the second ship reaches the orbital stations?"

  Isabella responded, "Fourteen Hours fifteen." A second later Isabella called out. "We are being scanned. Scanned by M1. He sees us."

  Good thought Mia. It was about time. Mia was depending on M1 launching a torpedo to ensure its' destruction. If M1 did not fire then Sváva would close the distance and attack with 'K's and previous experience had shown that a dozen or more 'K's might be required. No, thought Mia, they will fire a torpedo and that will be their doom.

  Mia knew that on their present course and speed the second Megra ship was still too far away to present a danger as they approached the first enemy ship. First Sváva would deal with what was labelled as M1 on the vid screen and then come back and deal with M2. Dumbbell torpedoes were not anywhere near as fast as the Sváva was now traveling. That made M2 no immediate threat. The threat of M2 would wait.

  "Mr Santos, I want to know the second M1 fires a torpedo. They may not have learned their lessons yet." Mia continued, "Mr. Olive, do not wait for my mark, but when the dumbbell fires a torpedo immediately fire the casters. And redirect our two 'K's to the ship following us, M2. Lets wake them up."

  "Mr. Emma, give me closing distance to M1 by 100,000 Ks."

  Emma replied, "3 million kilometres and closing. We are at 16% SOL. We will be on top of M1 in 73 seconds.

  Emma began the countdown of the closing distance. Mia continued sitting. She was no longer thinking of M1. Her mind was now set on a tactic that would bring an end to M2. As she studied the system map carefully Olive called out, "Torpedo launch, casters away." A moment later Olive continued, "'K's away toward M2."

  "Time to impact on M1?"

  "Eight seconds replied Olive."

  Mia called out, "Fusion engines on, full speed please Mr. Emma. I want to pass by M1 and continue accelerating."

  Moments later a blinding white light indicated the complete destruction of M1. They had foolishly launched an anti-matter torpedo in the face of two sand casters. 59 seconds later Sváva sped past a glowing cloud of plasma and dust. Sváva was now heading in system and toward the 'K' class sub giant.

  "Mr. Emma give me all the juice you can and let's slingshot around the gas giant and come back on M2 for a head on attack."

  "Mr. Ivar, I want a plot that will give me an intercept on M2 given its current direction and speed."

  "Aye aye, Sir."

  After some moments Paul Ivar replied. "I have a plot."

  "Give me the details please Mr. Ivar."

  "At our current accelerating speed we should round the gas giant in eight hours. We will exit the slingshot at 24% SOL. If M2 continues on its' present course it will be about fourteen million kilometres from the planet. That would place her outside an effective attack zone on the orbital stations but within half an hour of reaching that point."

  "Mr Ivar, Mr. Emma, execute the plot please."

  Moments later Sváva slightly altered her path and headed toward the gas giant.

  Mia called out again, "Time to impact of the 'K's on M2?"

  Olive replied, "Four hours and thirteen. Given our speed away from M2 the 'K's will not have maximum closing speed."

  Mia knew that at that distance the 'K's would easily be intercepted. But she was certain that M2 would fire a torpedo in its' defence and Mia considered that a good thing. Let them have confidence in a weapon so easily turned against them, that is if one could catch it within 80,000 kilometres of launch.

  "Mr. Santos," Mia said knowing that silence was no longer needed, hail the planet. Inform them they are under attack by Megra. Let them know we are friendly and that we have eliminated one Megra ship. If they have questions answer as best you can, however do not tell them of our intention to destroy M2. You never know who might be listening."

  Mia remembered that OM Marx had once lectured at the Collegium about a head on attack against a Megra. If the Megra were reluctant to fire torpedoes a high speed frontal attack was almost impossible to defend against. Unless the Megra panicked and fired a torpedo which ran into a caster. If Sváva came directly at M2 at a speed of 24% SOL the Megra would have little time to think. Using OM Marx's almost successful tactic Mia was determined to fire a string of 'K's from a distance and then time the casters to arrive shortly before the 'K's. If M2 were foolish enough to let loose a torpedo against the 'K's the casters would vaporize the dumbbell as two metric tons of depleted uranium sand crashed into the anti-matter containment bottles of their torpedoes. However as OM Marx had demonstrated a frontal attack with a high speed fly by was not without risk.

  Isabella called out, "I have contacted the Diana systems control. They are asking for proof that the Megra are hostile. They have seen our attack on M1 and seem sceptical of both our intentions and that of the Megra."

  Mia just shook her head.

  Isabella continued, "Diana systems control has dispatched three of their cutters to intercept M2 and determine its' intentions. The are asking us to heave to and wait boarding and inspection."

  Mia sighed. "Give them another warning about the Megra. Inform them we will continue on our present course until the Megra leave the system." Mia thought to herself; 'until the Megra leave this existence'.

  Emma mumbled under her breath. "Those cutters are dead meat. I guess they need some facts and they are about to get them."

  Sváva was now committed to its' slingshot course around the gas giant. The flight time around the gas giant and to the point of interception of M2, assuming M2 continued on course, was 13 hours and 4 minutes.

  Mia stood and stretched, "Lets take a break. Half watch rotation. Four hour duration. Try to get a little sleep." Mia stood and walked to her captain's quarters and lay down in her bunk. She had felt calm during the combat, but now she could feel the tension in her body. Funny she thought, when I need to act I don't feel nervous, but when I have time to think I feel overwhelmed.

  As Sváva swung around the gas giant she picked up additional speed. Mia had called for their reaction engines to run at full power. This close to the giant and the many planets within the system made the use of the ships' GWP impossible. By they time they exited from the sling shot plot they were traveling almost 25% of SOL. This was less than half the speed Sváva was capable of but only far away from orbiting gravity wells. Within a system like Diana they were still traveling at an enormous and somewhat dangerous speed. Any collision, even with a spec of dust, could cause great damage. Something the size of a marble could disable the ship and scanning systems for small objects while possible, was
negated by the speed. If you spotted an object, even a small one, by the time you saw it there would have been a collision. Mia and crew knew the risks, but closing on M2 at such a high speed had an enormous advantage. Mia thought to herself of the comment made by OM Marx during his tactical lecture at the Collegium; 'speed kills.'

  "Mr. Santos," called out Mia. "Status on the Diana cutters please."

  Isabella responded, "Gone. Just a spray of dust and particles. I detect the remains of an anti-matter explosion."

  Mia had known that Diana systems control, in its' ignorance and insistence on factual evidence of Megra hostility, had sent three of its cutters to their doom.

  "Mr. Santos, hail Diana systems control please and give me the mic."

  Moment later Isabella had Diana systems control on the con.

  "Diana systems control, this is the OCN warship Sváva. I repeat this is the OCN warship Sváva. We are in pursuit of the remaining Megra warship. We regret the destruction of your revenue cutters. You have been attacked by the Megra and you must choose to stand down and be destroyed by the Megra or fight. The choice is yours."

  "One moment Sváva. We will contact our Prime Officer." Diana systems control responded.

  After a short wait another voice came on the comm and its tone was far from reassuring. "Why have you brought this war to Diana. We saw you attack the first Megra and now our ships are destroyed. This is your fault. You brought this destruction to our system. If you had not attacked the Megra they would have remained peaceful. They would have simply passed by or sought trade. No, you are killers. We demand you leave our system immediately and without attacking the remaining Megra ship."

  Mia could almost here the spittle hitting the microphone as the Prime Officer expressed his rage. Mia could hear the Prime Officer gather his breath and begin ranting again. Mia returned the mic to the bracket on her captain's chair. No amount of reason was going to convince the Prime Officer that the Sváva's actions were justified.