*******************
TIME - 10.00 PM
LOCATION - BATTLESHIP ENDEAVOUR.
Katie had spent the last several hours familiarising herself with her new quarters. The marvels of technology baffled her. How did she put up with the tediousness of twentieth century life for so long? The hours passed quickly as she explored the wonders of her new surroundings and soon the evening approached and another sunset bathed the scene from the window in red and orange hues. She sat upon the lounge and studied the three dimensional text upon the imager before her. The text listed a number of options of data upon Intersect life and near the bottom was the title ‘Warrian life form statistics’ that captured her interest. "Open file, Warrian life form statistics." She said aloud. The text disappeared and replacing it was projected miniature figure of a naked Warrian male. The reality of the image startled Katie as it rotated slowly clockwise.
A female voice of a narrator omitted from the imager. "Warrian life form statistics. Planet of origin - Zeon, situated in the Orion system. The fifth of twenty planetoids that surround a single sun with a climate thirty degrees less than Earth. Current population is fifteen billion and inhabit the planets, Poros, Hydra, Naxos, Evoia, Kalis and the origin planet Zeon. Although the Warrian resembles a reptile, it is not a cold blooded creature. Instead it is a hot blooded and spends most of its active time during the cold of night. Eyes are infrared sensitive for night vision with tough scaly skin that is impervious to the cold environment. Hearing range is...."
"Skip ten lines." Katie commanded as the data became too statistical for her interest.
"Society infrastructure is based upon their combat ability. The finest warriors receive the title of Warlord and join the prestigious Battle Council. Every decade, a tournament is held between the Warlords to find a new successor to the throne and the victor of the tournament will then fight the present Emperor to the death. This ritual is to maintain the strongest Warrian as the ruling body. If the new champion were to win the combat, a coronation will be held and the new champion will be crowned Emperor. During the coronation, the Emperor drinks the blood from his predecessor and suffers a painful three week mutation, where he becomes the next in bloodline of rulers until another decade has passed. What form of mutation that occurs from the coronation is not yet known. The current holder of the title is Emperor Zardon, a ten times victor of the tournament and longest reigning Emperor in Warrian history. The Warrians are refuted as the greatest fighting race on Federation record and...."
"Imager off." Katie announced as she had heard enough about these aliens. Their three dimensional image was bad enough without the knowledge of their fighting prowess. She walked over to the window stared at the picturesque spectacle and wondered at the beauty of her home planet - Earth. The thought of it being destroyed in a few hours brought a shiver down her spine. How could anyone or anything want to ruin such a beautiful thing? "I wonder if Carillia was as beautiful as earth is from space?" Katie remembered the look in Ryan's eyes when he talked about his home planet and wished she could have seen it. Another chill passed through her body as she realised, the very same thing may happen to her if Intersect fails to stop the Warrians. To only have memories of her home and never to be able to gaze upon its beauty was a horrific thought. She studied the view intently, because it may be the last time she will see her home again.
Abruptly, the silence of her thoughts was shattered by the blaring of a siren in her ears and her quarters became flooded in red light. A loud clunk sounded from the windows as heavy shields sealed off the scenery.
"Mac?" She said aloud to the unseen ears.
Promptly his booming voice replied. "Yes Officer Mitchell?"
"What's happening?"
"A Cruiser has returned and we are now on red alert."
"Red alert? The battle must have started!" Katie gasped. "Where's Ryan?"
"If you mean Admiral Williams, he is currently on the Bridge."
"Thank you Mac...." She took a few steps then stopped. "Did you say, Officer Mitchell?"
"That is your new rank as is specified by your position as head of security."
She looked at the shoulder emblems and saw two gold stars in place of the previous plain red stripe. The repercussions of her new rank were the furthest from her mind. The future of the planet was her main concern and she dashed out the door and headed for the transporter.
*******************
Katie energised into a turmoil-ridden bridge. Numerous staff dashed to and from the multiple transporter units in an effort to reach their specific battle stations as fast as possible. Katie ran to the door marked ‘Helm’ and entered the command post of the mighty battleship. The Bridge was in total chaos. Amongst the lower levels were numerous staff shouting commands to other subordinates, as well as the communications staff who in turn, passed on the commands to the thousands they were interlinked. Katie expected to see a spectacular space battle before her, but the scene outside the bridge was a calm starry night. Upon the central monitor was a single Battle Cruiser which Katie recognised as the Valiant, and over its superstructure were multiple black scores. Amongst the clamour, one individual sat calmly as he instigated his orders. The one who sat in the Captain's chair, the one titled - Admiral.
First Officer, James Stanton was in his forties with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was third in command of the Endeavour and often was left in charge of the one hundred and fifty kilometre long Battleship. He achieved this position through his natural ability to lead as well as his innovative and quick thinking. There was on other thing that directed Ryan to grant him such a distinguished position, he was one hundred and ten percent behind Ryan and his decisions and never hesitated to carry them out. Such a quality gave Ryan the sound knowledge that when the Endeavour was not under the command of himself or Charlie, it was in the command of a scrupulous officer. "There is still no reply from the Valiant, Admiral." Stanton announced. "Should we send over a boarding party?"
"No, she could have been captured by the Warrians and being used to lure us in. Until we get a response, we will stay on red alert." Ryan scrutinise the ship as the method to solve the dilemma ran through his mind. "Mac, can your scanners pick up anything inside?"
"Negative. Her shields are still up and my sensors are unable to penetrate." Said the powerful voice.
Charlie went to Ryan's side. "The best way to test if she has been captured would be to fire upon her and see what happens."
"Impossible, we could kill hundreds of our own men."
"Not if we shoot away an exhaust port."
Ryan looked at Charlie, "You’re not just an ugly face, Charlie."
"Thankyou." He replied with a big grin.
"First Officer Stanton, arm the top battlement and await my order to fire."
"Yes Admiral." He turned away and carried out his command.
The left screen began to crackle and was soon followed by the face of the Valiant's commanding officer, Captain Grant. His voice carried over the clamour of the Bridge. "Valiant to Endeavour do you receive us, over."
The First Officer shouted to the entire bridge staff. "Quiet on the Bridge!"
Following the hush, Ryan responded to the Captain. "This is Endeavour receiving you loud and clear. What happened, Captain Grant?"
"We took a couple of hits Admiral, but we managed to stay together. Our communications program was badly damaged and only just now did we get it operational."
"Why are your shields still up?"
"It's running on auxiliary power and if we shut them down we may lose them for good."
"Wise decision Captain. How did the mission go?" Ryan asked hesitantly.
"A good part of the Warrian fleet passed through before our retreat. As you suspected they were slow in retaliation and we successfully eliminated two Cruisers, three Destroyers and the Battleship Kryton. There may be other unconfirmed kills by the Reliant but those are all that we could record."
Ryan was most hesitant in aski
ng the next question. "Where is the Reliant?"
Captain Grant's expression changed as he cleared his throat. "As you commanded, we monitored the energy levels from the Warrian battle fleet for anything unusual. Upon the arrival of the Flagship Kron, an unknown energy source was detected that when right off the gigawatt scale and within a matter of seconds, the power source discharged at the Reliant..." The Captain paused as his throat became clogged with emotion. "The Reliant was utterly destroyed with all her crew on board. There wasn't enough time for her to reach warp speed..." He paused again. "It was her destruction that allowed us to escape. She was true to her name Admiral, a fine fighting ship with a gallant crew. They all deserved a commendation for their skill and bravery."
Ryan felt that his heart had been wrenched from his chest, but he did his best to maintain his composure. "Thank you Captain. You and your crew have displayed the utmost bravery, you will all be commended for fine service. The battle isn't over yet Captain and we need the Valiant in her best form, so proceed with all haste on the repairs. That will be all."
Captain Grant saluted and disappeared as the overhead monitor changed back to flight data.
Ryan solemnly turned to Charlie. "What is the E.T.A. of the Warrians arrival?"
"Considering the difference in the speed of their ships to our faster Cruisers, two hours and twenty eight minutes at the earliest."
"General, I need some time to think. If you need me, I'll be in my quarters." He turned around and left the bridge.
Katie looked at Charlie and she could see that he too was concerned about Ryan. "Do you think he is all right?" She asked.
"I don't know. I think I better see what is on his mind." He turned to the next officer in charge. "James, you take the Com. Move the Endeavour into position and await further orders."
"Yes General." He went to the Helm then sat down and proceeded with the navigation orders.
Charlie looked at Katie. "You studied psychology while with the F.B.I. didn't you?"
"Yes." She answered with caution.
"You might as well come along, I may need your help."
The two left the Bridge and headed for Ryan's private quarters.
*******************
Ryan sat in the lounge chair staring at the 3D imager that displayed a lush green planet. The planet that held many memories of the thirty first century, the planet that regularly featured in his dreams, the planet he once called home. A ring from the door bell barely entered his thoughts. "Who is it?" He said aloud.
"It's me, Charlie." Said the voice through the intercom.
"Come in." Said Ryan quietly. Automatically, the door opened then Katie and Charlie walked in. There was no recognition of their entrance from Ryan, his eyes continued to stare at the planet image.
Katie's attention went straight the miniature rotating world before them and she quickly understood what planet is was; Carillia. If the planet was as picturesque as its simulated image, it was more wonderful than her mind had perceived.
Charlie went over to the lounge and sat down next to Ryan. "What's on your mind son?" The expression ‘Son’, that Charlie used more than just that. Over the last ten years the two had grown very close and he felt that Ryan was the son he never had. He often wished that his wife Debra had lived long enough to meet him.
"I've made a big mistake! I should never have involved you all in this. I should have dealt with it myself. It's my fault that the Warrians are coming, not yours. I'm the only one who should be risking his life to stop them. I've decided to face the Warrians alone!" He continued to stare at his home planet.
Charlie confronted him. "It would be madness to take on the entire Warrian Fleet as well as Zardon single handed. I don't care what great powers you possess, you wouldn't have a chance.
He stood up from the lounge and began to pace back and forth, then he abruptly stopped. "I just caused the death of three thousand people! I don't want any more bloodshed on my hands, I've already seen more than I can take and there will be a whole lot more before this day is done." He walked over to a large window that was encased by a thick shield. "Shield open!"
Mac's voice responded. "Admiral, there is a red alert on."
"Don't argue with me Mac, just open the shield!" Ryan shouted. The shield abruptly raised to reveal a starry sky.
Charlie followed him to the window. "We've discussed this a thousand times Ryan, there is no other way. It's the only way!"
Ryan's eyes stayed fixed on the infinitive night. "Sooner or later I'll have to face him Charlie. The Emperor himself, the mightiest of all the Warrians. Do you know how they choose their Emperor? It's not by birth, it's by battle. He is the ultimate warrior, a master in hand-to-hand combat, battle tactics and sheer strength, and I will have to face him alone. When I'm flying, I'm in my element. Give me something with wings and I can outfly any man or beast. It’s like a gift of some sort, but the way I have to face Zardon is not my element. It is his! What chance do I have against such a superior opponent? If I don't confront him now, then more lives will be lost."
"It's no longer just your fight Ryan, it's now everyone's. All of our homes and loved ones are at risk and we are all willing to fight for them, no matter what the odds are. Without you we haven't a chance, together we can prevail. Fight with us and wee’ll send those green bastards back to hell. With Zardon's fleet destroyed, it will be all us against the Emperor and no ultimate weapon will save his slimy green hide."
"Ryan." Katie called. "I may know very little about what is happing here, but what I do know is the people under your command have the greatest respect for you and will follow you fearlessly. While in the F.B.I. I met some of the most powerful men in the world with millions of people at their command and yet they can't develop the spirit that you have in these people. You’re the most amazing man I have ever met. You have a spirit, a soul like no other. You have the mind and the willpower to overcome the most impossible of obstacles. I've seen you conquer tens of Bane's troops single handed, just think of how much more you can achieve with an army behind you. I've known you for only two days and I would follow you into hell itself to kick satin where the sun don't shine. Ryan, you can defeat the Emperor and with us you can defeat them all! I know you can, but you need all of us behind you to do it."
Ryan's intense stare fell on Katie. "The hundreds of people under Bane's command were for many years, loyal members of Intersect and I gave the order to have them all slaughtered. With my own hands I killed many of them including my old friend, Joshua Goldberg. All of them did nothing wrong except follow the misguidance of Bane. What kind of leader does that make me? Certainly one not fit to lead the defence of the Earth."
"You’re being too hard on yourself Ryan." Charlie said. "They all knew the consequences when they left Intersect. What about the lives they took when they deserted, don't you think their deaths deserved justice? If you ask me they all had it coming to them."
"I didn't ask to be the savour of the universe. All I wanted was to be a pilot, it's all I've ever wanted. Not to be some great leader and have the responsibility of the world thrust upon my shoulders."
"We all have to accept our destiny, no matter how bitter it tastes." Charlie continued. "You have been chosen for the job and we all believe you are the right man for it. No one could do what you have accomplished and no one has the heart or the soul to finish it except for you Ryan, but you need us with you to do it."
Katie put her hands on Ryan's clenched fists. "We know it's a great responsibility that you have been given and we all know too well what's at stake. That is why we will be right behind you every step of the way. Together we can beat them, but only together."
"You are the chosen one. Listen to your friends, they speak the words of
wisdom and truth." Said Valour to his mind.
"What if I fail and all this trust you have in me would have gone to waste on the wrong man?"
"Then at least you tried." Katie continued. "No one can condemn a man for that
! Look at all that you have achieved, there isn't a man on Earth who could have done what you have done. If we lose, then the least we can do is take as many of those ugly lizards with us. Let us be the thorn in Zardon's side and if luck is our ally, then we will be the poison thorn that will bring that bastard down."
A slight smile came across his face as his mood lightened. "With the likes of you two on my side, I think that just the three of us would make a formidable adversary for the Warrians." The smile faded as a more sincere expression replaced it. "Charlie I don't think I've ever thanked you for all that you've done. Unlike the others, you had a home to go to and yet you stayed. You have been more than just a friend and ally Charlie and I would never have got as far as this without your help. I don't think I could ever repay you."
"Don't mention it. Besides, this is much more exciting than retirement."
"Okay, I'll stick to the plan. Besides, I might stand a chance against Zardon and the entire Warrian fleet, but you two would be the death of me!" Ryan pushed aside all the anguish and distress with the pure fortitude that had kept him going for so long. "Come, we have a war to fight." Ryan led them out of his quarters with a new breath of determination.
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TIME - 12.30 AM
LOCATION - 200,000 KILOMETRES FROM EARTH.
Zardon watch the scene from the bridge window transform from a blur of stars to a clearly defined view of the planet Earth and its single moon. He briefly pondered over the quiet planet before him; the sole home and the origin of the great Federation Council. With one blast from the Rings of Venal, he could eliminate the Federation's existence and stop the ill fated war between his race and theirs. He could return his family and friends to life that were killed in the bombing raids and restore the war ravaged cities of Zeon to their former splendour; all with a single command. The conception of such power caused him to suck in a gulp of air and slowly release as his nerves jumped with anticipation. This was an opportunity he could not let pass.
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