“What is the meaning of this?” said Jon. “Why have you attacked my ships?”
“I need not give any explanation. You will surrender, and allow your ships to be boarded, or you will be destroyed. You have one minute to make your decision.”
“One minute? That’s not enough time.”
“It is what you have,” said Keer, vanishing from the screen.
“Initiating nuclear strike,” said AI.
Jon watched his display, hoping for something he could fire at. Nothing. “AI, this isn’t working.”
“Understood. Expanding parameters. Launching nuclear strike.”
The Freedom was hit again by the alien energy weapon, but the ships remained invisible.
Captain Keer’s face reappeared on Jon’s display. “Your time has run out Admiral. What is your answer?”
“That wasn’t a minute. You owe me more time, Keer.”
“Nonsense. It will accomplish nothing. Surrender now and I will be merciful.”
“Initiating nuclear strike,” said AI.
“Contacts!” said Petrovic. “Twelve alien contacts have just appeared.”
Jon smiled. “Any last words, Keer?” he said, terminating the connection.
The enemy ships unleashed a torrent of weapon fire at Jon’s battlegroup, sending multiple concussions through the Freedom.
“Evasive tactical jump to grid coordinates AF7,” ordered Jon. The battle group disappeared, reappearing one hundred thousand kilometers behind the enemy ships, away from their line of fire. “AI, destroy those enemy ships.”
“Shall I continue the deployment of nuclear weapons, Admiral?”
“No. Save the nukes. Conventional jump bombs should do the trick. They can’t hide anymore.”
“Yes, Admiral. Launching jump bombs.” Jon watched on the main viewscreen as multiple jump bombs detonated inside each of the massive Dvorkan battleships. AI had expertly placed each one where it would inflict the maximum amount of destruction. Right on top of the ships’ cores.
“Direct hits,” said AI. “Launching secondary strikes.”
Tiny suns began to chase each other across the viewscreen as each ship blew apart, the light so bright that Jon had to shield his eyes. On his tactical screen the icons representing each enemy ship disappeared one after another in rapid succession.
It was almost disappointing, Jon had expected that the giant ships could stand up to a little more punishment. Then again, when was the last time these ships had seen real action? Or had been fired on by a determined enemy? They were clearly more accustomed to bullying, and extortion.
He now understood why so many in Dvorkans longed for their age of glory. The Empire had gotten fat, and soft. There can be no strength without adversity, and the Empire had long since forgotten what adversity felt like.
“Enemy destroyed, said AI, as the last Imperial battleship blew apart.
“What disabled their cloaking device?” said Jon, relieved that the encounter had ended.
“The radius of the nuclear strikes was not sufficient to destroy the enemy ships, but the last strike was close enough for the subsequent electromagnetic pulse to reach them. The EMP appears to have disabled their cloaking technology.”
“Interesting. Their cloaking technology is vulnerable to EMPs.”
“That is a logical conclusion, Admiral.”
“Commander, have a cache of EMP jump bombs manufactured in case we run into this problem in future,” ordered Jon.
“Right away, Sir,” Commander Henderson said crisply.
“Thank you, AI. You saved our asses once again.”
“Your most welcome, Admiral.”
“Commander, do any of our ships have a functional jump system?”
“Only General Tallos’s ship is jump capable, Sir.”
Jon sighed. “It’ll have to do. Let General Tallos know that we’ll need him to piggyback our ships to safety. A few light years should be enough. We need to make repairs.”
“General Tallos has acknowledged receipt of orders. His ship is beginning jump operations.”
The hulking Diakan battleship moved into position directly above the Freedom, before activating its jump system. The jump field enveloped the Freedom, and jumped both ships to safety. Tallos’s ship then vanished, to continue its task of retrieving the remaining damaged warships.
“Begin repairs immediately,” ordered Jon, happy to finally be out of Empire space.
Chapter 31
“How are you settling in?” said Jon, wondering how Miira could possibly be comfortable sitting in the relatively small chair across from his desk. He wondered what she thought, as she looked around his sparse ready room. From what he had seen of the Empire, the Dvorkans favored the ornate when it came to decoration. They probably preferred larger chairs than the ones aboard the Freedom. He made a mental note to have some fabricated.
“I am acclimating myself to the conditions on this ship, even though many things are not ideal,” said Miira.
“Oh, what type of things?”
“My bed, for example. It is not long enough. My legs hang out so far off the end that I sleep with my feet resting on the floor.”
“Yes, I can see how that would cause some issues. I’m sure you can understand that this ship was built to accommodate a human crew. Your bed, and everything else on board was built with the average human in mind. Rest assured, accommodations will be made for you. We’ve just been busy dealing with repairs.”
“Oh, I understand that your repairs take priority over my comfort, Admiral. This is not an issue.”
Jon smiled. “Thank you for understanding.”
“Has Breeah had a chance to speak to you about my request?”
“Yes, she has. She said you don’t want to return to the Empire. That you want to come back to Earth with us.”
“That is correct.”
“She explained that you are worried about being implicated in the deaths of those soldiers.”
“Partly. That was my initial concern, but it is more than that. The truth is I am not happy in the Empire.”
“How do you know you will be happy on Earth? Or anywhere else in our part of the galaxy?”
“In the Empire I am ridiculed. Among your people, I am not. My knowledge of the Builders is valued, and I believe that my knowledge of the Empire will prove helpful in the future, as more of your jump ships venture into Imperial space.”
“Yes, it would be. Look, I’m not going to argue with you. There are many benefits for us, but I’m just wondering if there are enough for you.”
“The truth is I have never felt fulfilled with my life, yet now I feel I have a greater purpose. That this, here with you, is my destiny.”
Jon leaned back in his chair. There was that word again. Destiny. The close cousin of prophesy. There were days that those two words felt like great iron shackles cutting into his ankles. “Who am I to argue with destiny?”
“Then you will let me return with you?” said Miira, barely hiding her glee.
Jon wondered what she thought she’d find back on Earth. She was looking for an escape. She was unhappy with her life, and anything else seemed preferable. He just hoped, for her sake, that she wouldn’t end up regretting it. All those things that she disliked about the Empire, she may end up longing for in a few years’ time. “You can return to Earth with us.”
“That is wonderful. Thank you so much.”
“Don’t thank me yet. You may still live to regret it.”
“Oh, I won’t. Believe me. But I do have another request.”
She probably had lots of them, thought Jon. She had left everything on Kaizon One. She would need more than just a bigger bed. She would also need to visit Doctor Ellerbeck so they could sufficiently meet her nutritional requirements, and any other health related needs. “Name it,” said Jon.
“I want to join your crew. Officially, that is.”
“What? You can’t be serious.”
“I am. I know th
is is sudden, and you do not know if you can trust me yet, but eventually, I would like to become a member of the crew.”
“But you said yourself that you weren’t a soldier.”
“I’m not. But surely you have members of the crew who are not soldiers. You must have engineers, medical staff, and so on. I can become one of your science officers. I just want to do my part.”
“I don’t understand. You already agreed to help us. There’s no need to join the UHSF.”
“I wish to belong. I know this must all seem very strange, just keep it in mind for future. When you learn that you can trust me.”
“You do realize that I don’t know how long that will take.”
“Of course, Admiral. In the meantime, I will do my best to prove myself to you. For example, I know you cannot cloak your ships. I can help you with that.”
“We do have the cloaking devices we took from those soldiers.”
“Yes, but those are only personal cloaking devices. Reverse engineering them will only give you the ability to make more personal cloaking devices.”
“You’re saying you know how to cloak a ship?”
“I am.”
“How? I thought you were an expert on the Builders?”
“I am. But I am also a scholar. To attain that title in the Empire, you must first be well versed in all the core disciplines. Engineering is one of those disciplines.”
Jon had no intention of looking a gift horse in the mouth. He just hoped she wasn’t a Trojan horse in disguise. “Would you be willing to share your knowledge with our chief engineer?”
“I would be happy to. As I said, I want to prove my worth to you.”
“Alright. I’ll arrange it. Thank you.”
“No, thank you, Admiral.”
As Miira left the room, Jon began to ruminate once again on the concept of destiny. I wonder why the Great See’er didn’t see any of this? he thought.
Chapter 32
Repairs complete, the battle group had resumed its quest to find the Builders. The days passed without incident. Jon was pleased. He felt no need for any more excitement, and was anxious to reach their destination. This was their eighth day of travel, and they were about to initiate the last jump in this cycle.
This jump would bring them to sixteen hundred light years traveled since they left Dvorkan space. As before, they took the opportunity with each jump to take in as much data as possible. No one had ever ventured this far, and their scans were accumulating a wealth of information on this part of the galaxy.
It struck Jon that even with the reach of the jump gates, there were still incredibly large, unexplored swathes of space left in the galaxy. He had always assumed that the Juttari and Diakans controlled most of the galaxy. But he realized now that this was simply not the case.
It was true that the jump gates had great reach, but between every two jump gates there was often a thousand light years of unexplored space. And beyond there were the vast regions of the galaxy the jump gates didn’t reach. The Dvorkans were a great example. They had their own jump gate network, that no one had ever even imagined could exist.
Of course, the jump system would change everything. Yet, even with its reach, it would be a long, long time before all of the galaxy could be explored. How many other unknown empires existed out there? How many undiscovered threats? With the proliferation of the jump system, Jon feared they would encounter new dangers, perhaps more terrifying that any they had yet seen.
On this journey, they had found many promising star systems, and habitable planets rich in resources. This presented the positive side of the jump system. With its reach, these star systems were ripe for future colonization. In fact, if friendly relations could be established, the Empire could prove to be a valuable trading partner for future colonies in this region.
On the other hand, the Empire could see these colonies as a threat and become hostile toward them. Without a jump system, the Empire couldn’t harm them, but how long would that last? The Dvorkans had already shown their engineering prowess. Once they knew that a jump system existed, it probably wouldn’t take them long to figure out the technology.
There was time, however. Colonies could be established without the Empire’s knowledge. Defenses could be put in place before the Empire was approached for trade. The Empire had grown complacent and corrupt. If they were not awakened, they wouldn’t pose a threat, giving the colonies time to establish themselves.
Of course, there was still the small matter of the Erinyie and Juttari. Jon shook his head. There could be no thoughts of colonization while they were still at war. One step at a time, he thought. First, we find the Builders, and defeat the Erinyie, then we can think about expansion.
“Scans have been completed,” said Commander Henderson.
“Did we find anything interesting?” said Jon.
“A few planets in this region show promise. Scans show they are resource rich, and could support life under the right circumstances.”
“Store the data for future study.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Jump status?”
“Jump system is at twenty-five percent. All ships are still synced with our jump system. We are jump ready.”
“Very well, prepare for final fifty light year jump. Initiate when ready.”
“All systems ready. Initiating jump.”
The main viewscreen flickered, and a massive star appeared. A blue giant. The battle group had landed far from the enormous star, but it still filled most of the viewscreen, bathing the bridge with its blazing light. At ten times the radius of the sun, this star dominated this region of space. At ten thousand times the sun’s energy, it ensured that nearby planets would be burnt to a crisp. There would be no life here.
“Contacts!” announced Ensign Petrovic, the tactical officer.
Contacts? Here? Jon looked over at the young officer, waiting for more information. “How many contacts, Ensign?” Jon said finally.
Petrovic double checked his data, then looked up at Jon with surprise. “Thousands, Sir. All on an intercept course.”
“Thousands of ships?”
Petrovic looked at his data again. “No, Sir. They’re too small. But they are armed. They appear to be autonomous weapon systems.”
“Sound General Quarters,” said Jon. “What is our jump status?” he asked, hoping they still had some juice left.
“Jump system is at zero percent. We are not jump ready,” said Henderson.
“Bring point defense system online. Ready all weapons. It seems we’ve landed on a hornet’s nest. How long until they are in weapons’ range?”
“Under a minute, Sir.”
“Retreat. Set a course away from the contacts. FTL speeds. Continue acceleration until we surpass enemy velocity.”
Jon watched on the tactical display as the tiny red threat icons raced toward them. They were small, but in their numbers were a serious threat. Even without the jump system, Jon was confident he could outrun them, however. While they might be capable of traveling at FTL speeds, it was unlikely that they could match his battle group’s top velocity.
These weapon systems were protecting something, otherwise they wouldn’t be here. He was sure they would give up the chase when the battle group was far enough away from this star system.
As their ships moved away, multiple explosions began to detonate against their hull.
“Where did that come from?” said Jon, knowing that the swarm were not yet close enough to open fire. Could their weapons have such range?
“We are being fired on by unidentified vessels, Sir. They must be cloaked,” said Petrovic.
“Launch EMP bombs. Full radius.”
“Launching EMP bombs.”
Jon stared at his tactical screen as the EMP jump bombs detonated, filling the space around them with electromagnetic energy. As they did, new threat icons began to appear, filling his display. Weapon systems of varying dimensions were closing in from all sides. They were s
urrounded.
“All weapons, focus fire on targets dead ahead. Punch a hole for us to fly through. Fire at will,” Fresh concussions pounded the Freedom’s hull. “Commander, relay order to all ships.”
The battle group joined in the melee, deploying the tremendous firepower at their disposal. Energy weapons burned into the offending machines. Coil guns blasted huge projectiles through the enemy ranks. And nuclear weapons decimated hordes of the enemy.
But as each hole materialized, more weapon systems poured in to seal it. How many of these little bastards are there? Jon thought. They’re everywhere.
“Hull breach deck eight,” said Henderson. “Emergency containment fields are holding.”
“Keep firing. We’ve got to punch through,” ordered Jon.
“Admiral, these weapon systems are moving in a coordinated fashion,” said AI. They must be linked together. I may be able to take over their network if I make contact.”
“Good idea, AI. Commander, arm a few jump bombs with cyberwarfare payloads. Launch at the swarm dead ahead when ready.”
“Launching cyberwarfare bombs,” said Henderson.
Chapter 33
The bomb detonated amid the alien swarm, spraying out their own hordes of tiny spider-like drones. AI occupied each one of the mechanical insects. The miniature bots raced out in all directions, attempting contact with the alien weapon systems. Counteracting the onslaught, the swarms shot and destroyed many of the drones. But the tiny insect like bots numbered in the tens of thousands, and many survived.
Inevitably, contact with the enemy was made. AI had access. She burrowed into the enemy weapon systems, overwhelming the alien technology with sheer brute force. AI’s power and skill was unprecedented. The weapon systems had no hope of resistance.
As she took control of each compromised weapon, AI sought access to the rest. To work together as they did, they had to be networked, and it didn’t take AI long to discover the link.
Surprisingly, the defenses in place were not very robust, and AI spread herself across the ranks of the alien swarm, relentlessly seizing control. As she did, she forced the compromised weapon systems to turn on their former comrades and fired.
The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10 Page 146
