by Chris Burton
“A fleet which you are not supposed to know about.”
“That is hardly important right now. We need to retreat and regroup in the solar system and then join forces with SED. The battle may be lost but this is far from over and we need our best tactical man at the helm. That is you!”
Shenke said nothing, rubbing his chin, with his fingers. He needed a shave. How long had it been since he was last in his quarters?
“Okay, Chris. As always, your arguments are very persuasive. Are the ship to ship comms back up?”
“Yes, but intermittently.”
“Get me Rodriguez as soon as you can and Hoskins too. We need a holographic heart to heart.”
Three hours later, the retreat commenced.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
The Queen Expects
From her viewing window at the far end of her sanctuary, the Queen saw Alpha begin their retreat. She was joined by her Kronan who was in the process of updating his Queen.
“Now we will enter their system and take them out one by one. There will be no Alpha vessels left, by the time we reach Earth.”
“And how many of our ships will be lost in the meantime? You don’t hold much value to your fellow Kryl do you? We have lost six thousand ships since we arrived and still we have not defeated them. You seem quite pleased with yourself. I am surprised, especially since you appear to be mourning the loss of a family member.”
Morvalt looked quizzically at his Queen.
“Yes, Morvalt I know you were visiting your brother. Why would you want to visit a lower caste?”
“Because he is my brother. I cannot cut him off just because of my status. Anyway the need has gone now, his son is dead.”
“That is exactly what you should do. They are an inferior caste and are here to serve us. When you matured, you became a Kronan; you should have left your past behind you. We, the Kryl hierarchy are your family now.”
He was angry but he tried not to show it.
“They have the same blood line as me. I cannot and will not turn my back on them, especially during such a difficult time.”
“You will! Your priorities lie with me. You were pre-occupied with the lower caste and that is why we have taken so long to defeat the humans. Morvalt, do not defy me. I will know if you visit again and I will send you to the depths of hell.”
Morvalt was fearful, but defiant. She may be Queen, but he would not let go, so easily. Her powers were not that much greater than his.
The Queen smiled, revealing her graying teeth.
“Do not push me Morvalt. I can sense you are hiding something.”
“I can assure you my Queen, that all is as it should be. My priority is very clear and I am of course your servant and your chosen one.”
The Queen paused. Morvalt’s words were carefully selected. It was well known that he aspired greater power. Was he preparing to make his move?
“What progress has been made with Carter?”
“I have control of him but he has been detained by his commanders. He cannot leave the Halo 7 at present but we are monitoring and protecting his ship. I will take my cruiser to him once our invasion is underway. We will board and take him by force.”
“By now, they will be aware that you control him and that he knows where you are. Be wary, my Kronan. They will target your cruiser if they know you are aboard.”
“I relish the prospect my Queen. The humans have been formidable adversaries but we have proven our warrior qualities in defeating them each time. I will bring him to you alive and soon. Can I ask, once again, why you want me to bring him to you? It would be easy for me to enact our collective revenge.”
“No! You do not need to know why. Prepare the fleet for advancement to Earth and then bring Carter to me.”
“Yes, my Queen.”
There was hatred, briefly, as he departed. He would not allow the Queen to rule his life. He was a Kronan and the Queen’s chosen one. If she did not back down, then he would find a new Queen.
* * * *
Morvalt was now in his sanctuary. He had used his quiet time wisely and he felt less angry. The Queen had no divine right to take the throne. There were others of equal caste, who would be ready to ascend, but he was still her chosen one and he needed to remain patient.
A Kryl is born without caste. Their status within the colony defined by their blood parents. When the Kryl reaches maturity and young adulthood, their caste becomes clear, when their perceptive, cognitive and telekinetic abilities begin to flourish. The vast majority of the population remain as workers, with only a chosen few rising to other levels within the hive. There are two levels above the worker Kryl, but below the hierarchal Kryl’s. These Kryl usually fulfill the skilled functions of the hive. Above this level, there are the hierarchal Kryl, less than half a percent of the hive, of which there are six distinct levels. The highest level is the Queen, of which there can be only one, and therefore other females who attain this level of telekinetic power, are forbidden from using it and must lay in wait for the time of the old Queen’s passing. One female will ascend to the throne, having defeated all the others.
The highest male level is the Kronan where up to ten exist in a colony at a time. These are usually the leaders of the colony—the Queen’s Governors, Commanders and Advisors. Within the Kronan, as within all castes, there are variations in capability. One Kronan will usually rise to the top to become the Queen’s chosen one. When the Queen and the lead Kronan mate, the Kronan will then rank as the Queen’s equal, although her powers are always the strongest.
Morvalt had been the lead Kronan for a long time but he had not yet joined with his Queen. His time would come soon but he had to remain subservient until she was ready.
Alpha One
The Kronan
Part Three
Chapter Fifty-Nine
The Retreat
The logistical exercise of moving one hundred and fifty ships is difficult enough in peacetime, let alone in the midst of battle and with no rules governing how the enemy dealt with your maneuvers. In the absence of surrender, losses continued.
The remaining eighteen hundred Jump Ships had all returned to their births and the cruisers had regrouped in a V formation. The Viceroy and Illustrious were protected in the middle of the fleet and the Halo 7 was lodged towards the front.
* * * *
Admiral Shenke stood on the command bridge, with Commander Willis at his side.
“The Sentinels have departed, Sir. The Kryl do not appear to be following them.”
“That is because they have their sights primed firmly on us. As soon as we move, all hell is going to break loose.”
“Commander Hoskins on ship to ship, Sir.”
Shenke acknowledged. He waited for some time for transmission links to be available.
“Jonathan thanks for coming back to me. I want you to take the Halo 7 and head for home, at maximum velocity.”
“Not as part of the fleet. Can I ask why, Sir?”
Because, with Carter on board, you are potentially a liability to the fleet. I know you think the opposite, but if they want him to come to them, it is highly likely they will try to come to you. The Halo is fast, you should get home ahead of any pursuing vessels and then you are safe, at least for the time being. Koenig has other plans for you, so report to Alpha One.”
“I don’t feel very comfortable with this. We should be facing the Kryl just like everybody else.”
“As I said, Koenig has other ideas. This is not negotiable Jonathan. Get the hell out of here now.”
Shenke closed the link and starred into space before a sudden grasp of reality brought him back.
“Are we good to go?”
“Spasmodic firing to port and we are still being blasted on all sides by the Kryl fighters.”
“Looks like it’s as good as it is going to get. Take us out.”
* * * *
As Alpha’s fleet began its slow journey back to Earth, Morvalt waited patientl
y before responding. It was time to force their advantage, but he was still an honorable Kryl. His stature in the hierarchy called for a measured response at a time when the enemy was defeated rather than full out attack.
Two and a half thousand Kryl Cruisers began their chase three minutes after Alpha had commenced its retreat. They would catch them just as they entered their star system; their intention to stifle the life from every ship. The other fifteen hundred ships, including the Queen’s ship headed directly to Earth, where Morvalt would join them, when the fleet was destroyed. They would then join forces and commence the invasion.
This had been done before—several hundred times over the last millennia. They chose a suitable planet for its food source, invaded, fed until the supply was exhausted and then moved on. They became ruthless and exploitative, seeking out opportunities, and then taking them. They had grown, they became stronger, and yet more powerful still. That was before.
Now, things had changed. The Kryl were dying and the food sources became scarce. Not as a precursor to their dwindling numbers but as a catalyst, which simply moved to escalate the problem. Then the fissure was located, probed, and Navalion was sent to find a food source and prime the new galaxy for a Kryl invasion.
Navalion had done his job but paid the ultimate price and it was down to Morvalt to finish it. He could not save his people but he could provide relief and a delay to the onset of the advanced stages of the disease for the majority of his Kryl. All he had to do was to finish the job.
* * * *
Shenke watched as the Halo 7 detached from the fleet and swiftly accelerated to stellar speed. Less than a minute later, a solitary Kryl cruiser began its pursuit. Had Morvalt been on that ship? He did not have time to contemplate further. The Kryl commenced their assault on the fleeing Alpha fleet.
The already weakening shields of the Alpha Cruisers and frigates, forming the backbone of the fleet’s cohesion, were bombarded by a massive and sustained attack by the Kryl’s larger and venomous fighters. Their shields already weakened; they started to fall.
Shenke needed to keep his fleet together. They passed into the Kuiper Belt, affording some protection but the Kryl’s onslaught was relentless. Even now, there were two options: continue the retreat and risk the fleet breaking up before they reached the core planets or turn and face the enemy.
Shenke realized it was now or never. He needed to lead if they were going to stand any chance of getting through this and where better than the solar systems natural defense barrier. The Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud were composed of trillions of orbiting chunk of rock and ice, where radiation levels were at their highest and even the simplest electronic and biometric systems were sent into frenzy as they travelled through it. To slow down would only compound the problem and most peripheral systems would not cope. Here we can defend ourselves, he thought, only plasma and laser cannon weapons would work and shields would be relatively ineffective. Here was the obvious place to make a final stand.
Morvalt’s cruiser was slowly catching the Halo 7, but the prospects of reaching her outright looked bleak. They had passed beyond the Kuiper Belt and were heading towards the core planetary rings of Earth’s solar system. She was heading for Earth.
“Give me more power. Divert all power from secondary systems and disable shields.”
The Kryl cruiser accelerated again, another burst of intense power forcing the multi-phasic star drive to work harder still. The Halo 7 would have to slow down at some stage, to commence her re-entry positioning for Earth. He would come in fast and that would be his opportunity.
Chapter Sixty
The Home Run
Jake felt safer now as they rounded the moons of Jupiter and saw the familiar space lanes marking the start of Alpha’s core domain. There was only limited Alpha activity, a few Jump Ships and two patrol vessels, but this was home territory and even though he knew Morvalt was in pursuit, it would not be long before they were safe.
He could sense him getting closer. The Halo 7 slowed down for her run into Earth. He felt the familiar probing of Morvalt in his mind, beckoning him to leave the ship and come to him. Jake was powerless to respond. If they wanted him, they would have to come and get him.
* * * *
Morvalt sensed Jake’s imposition. He was obviously still imprisoned.
That will not stop me, he thought. We will come to you Jake.
* * * *
The Halo 7 slowed to sub-light-speed and joined the Titan space way leading directly to Earth. It was quiet; no commercial traffic would risk their cargo or passengers with invasion looming. The attack was swift and deadly. The Kryl commander had already determined the Halo 7’s weaknesses. The weakest point of shielding surrounded the exhaust manifold on the main drive system. While this drive was offline, the damage caused by the blast was too close to the operational drive section of the ship, knocking out both the stellar and the main ion drives simultaneously. The Halo 7 began to slow down.
The Kryl ship was in stealth mode as Hoskins and his crew scoured the viewing screens, looking for something that did not appear to be there.
“Our main drives are down, Sir; maneuvering thrusters only.”
“Barium Sweep. They are out there somewhere.
We have been here before, Number One. If they are after Carter, they will be looking to board. Keep those shields up.”
“I am picking up a vapor trail, twelve kilometers to port.”
“Lock onto and discharge everything we have got. Launch Rapiers and get those shields back up!”
The Kryl Cruiser was forcing the initiative and had weakened shields on both sides of the Alpha Battle Cruiser
“They are circling us. Launch the Sabres too. Are those Kryl fighters?”
“Confirmed. Fifteen Kryl fighters have launched. There are two Alpha cruisers in range; ETA two minutes.”
Hoskins grimaced. Two minutes and it could be all over, if they board and take Jake, which was all their protection, gone. This would be tricky.
“Shields to stern down, Sir. They are targeting the hanger deck.”
It was beginning to look bad, but all Hoskins could think about was Obeya.
“CAG, report.” No response. He tried again with no response.
“Get me a team down there now.”
Hoskins was in a state of panic. Please let Obeya be okay.
Commander Jacques watched his CO’s usual coolness evaporate. It was time to step up.
“Sir, get yourself down there. I have this.”
“No, Number One. I am needed here.”
“With respect, Sir, you should stand down and see to the hanger deck.”
Hoskins knew his XO had control and he swiftly exited the bridge. It was down to Jacques now.
“Engineering. Drive Status?”
The reply was prompt.” Stellar drive is available for a quick shunt, Sir, but nothing more.”
“Comm. Observations; can you confirm the discharge is likely to be plasma coil from their star drive?”
“Looks like it, Sir. Although without visibility, I can’t confirm...”
Jacques was not listening.
“Prepare stellar drive, engage and take us out, away from Earth.”
This was not in the rule book and highly dangerous, especially if they shunted too near to the sun.
“Sir, what about the Jump Ships?”
“Engage!”
Moments later, the stellar drive erupted into life and the battle cruiser leapt forward and out of sight. The short burst of power took the Halo 7, ten thousand kilometers in a few seconds, but now, the power burst had discharged as she slowly ground to a halt.
“Silent mode.”
All communications ceased and the Halo 7 became a noiseless, drifting hulk.
The Kryl cruiser did not follow.
“Sir,” the comms officer, said quietly.
“We have no drive to return. The Jump Ships will be sitting ducks.”
Jacques glanced at his watch
. “By now, the two Alpha Cruisers will have arrived. I have a hunch that Morvalt’s ship will not stick around to fight. They will be looking for us, and we are still a sitting target. They will find us soon.
Get a message to the chief engineer. We need that ion drive up and running and will someone get down to the hangar deck to update the CO.”
* * * *
Jake suddenly felt free again. They had obviously shunted some distance via the stellar drive and were in silent mode. Genius, thought Jake. But he knew this battle was far from over.
* * * *
“Bloody dangerous, but fantastically clever, Number One. As it worked, I wish I could take the credit.”
“We are not out of this yet.”
“No, but we can lick our wounds and get the drives back up. We only need to get to Earth, for God’s sake. Any activity in this area?”
“No, we are in no-man’s land.”
“She will find us and we have no drive system and no Jump Ships. We need to be ready.”
* * * *
Morvalt was angry. They were there for the taking but his crew and his ship let him down. When the Earth ship engaged their star drive, he ordered his ship to follow but the star drive withered and died. It was back up now but it was too late.
They briefly engaged with two other Alpha vessels. Morvalt engaged his pulmonary drive and moved the invisible ship out of range. He was here for one thing. Now, he had no link to Carter and no way of finding him.
“Get me the star drive back on line now!” ee shouted.
The drone’s response was muted. “We over-stretched the drive in that last burst my Kronan. We need to cool it down before it is ready.”
“I don’t want your excuses; just get it back as soon as possible.”
* * * *
“Ion drive active, Sir. Should I engage?”
“No. Send out manual probes first. I want to see if there is anything out there.”
“Discharged. Barium Sweep?”
“No. It will use up too much energy and will light us up like a sports stadium!”
He turned to his first officer and signed. “That was way to close.”
