by Mike Smith
“He’s on a direct intercept course sir! Continuing to accelerate, at this rate, time to intercept is five minutes and decreasing.”
Harkov narrowed his eyes, in anticipation. Perhaps he would have his opportunity to deal with Radec, once and for all, personally… “Hail the ship!” he ordered.
*****
As the Eternal Light rapidly accelerated towards the remnants of the Imperial Fleet, Jon double-checked that the shuttle was still broadcasting the detonation code for the mines. The one major risk for the plan was unexploded mines released from the destroyed freighters...
After the freighters exploded any control that they had over the mines was immediately lost. Therefore there was a real risk that unexploded mines could impact the Eternal Light or any of the other Vanguard or Confederation ships in the area. Hence David had proposed the idea of a self-destruct code, upon receiving the code any mines in the vicinity would detonate. The idea was quickly approved and the mines reprogrammed. Now all Vanguard ships were broadcasting the signal at low power, the theory being that this created an invisible shield around the ships, protecting them… in theory.
However, there had been no time to program the code into Miranda’s Wraith or the Confederation ships. Hence Jon’s explicit orders for the Confederation ships, and why Miranda’s ship was tucked in tightly behind the Eternal Light.
Unfortunately the plan had also assumed that Harkov would commit the entire Imperial Fleet to the attack. Checking the sensor’s display, Jon unhappily identified two heavy cruisers and a light destroyer still in formation around the Imperial Star. Fortunately all were large warships, possessing heavy guns, designed for engaging and destroying similar sized warships. None of the ships were specifically suited to the engagement of fast moving fighters or bombers. That was the purpose of the fleet frigates and fighters, both of which now had been decimated. One bomber, with the heavy torpedoes that it carried had a chance, a small chance none the less, to make it through to the massive capital ship and fire its deadly payload.
Of course Vanguard did not have any bombers, and as for torpedoes, well Vanguard possessed only a single one, currently nestled safely, deep in the womb of the Eternal Light. Then again Jon assumed they would only need one, after all, there was not going to be a second chance. As the Eternal Light breached the fifty-kilometre barrier from the Imperial Star, Jon pushed the engines harder; they had to go faster, faster…
Jon was taken aback for a moment by the chime of an incoming communication from the Imperial Star, so intent was he on the shuttle’s rapid approach towards the fleet. Deciding what the hell, after all one or both of them was almost certain to die within the next few minutes.
“So I see that once again, it finally comes down to this, you and I, Commander,” Harkov’s gloating voice filled the cockpit of the shuttle.
“Doesn’t seem like that from where I am sitting,” Jon retorted. “You seem to be the one on a Star Carrier, surrounded by cruisers and destroyers. However, if you want to face me personally, feel free, get in a shuttle!”
“I am quite comfortable where I am Commander, I just wanted to wish you a goodbye. I would like to be able to say that is has been nice knowing you, but frankly it hasn’t. I told you that you were a nonentity when you were last on this ship. An irritating pest, that just constantly refuses to die, and what have you achieved? Your precious Emperor dead. Your fellow Praetorians gone. Your glorious Empire now just a footnote in history. So please enlighten me, while you still have a few breaths remaining. Just what have you achieved?”
“I plan on fulfilling an oath that I made after the Praetorians gave their lives to allow Sofia and me to escape; to preserve the Empire. What you could never understand was that the Empire was not a thing, an object for you to smash and destroy, in a childish temper tantrum. It was an ideal, and if just one person lives, holding that ideal true, then the Empire lives on through them.”
“Then your Empire dies with you!”
“No, the Empire will continue long after I am dead, it’s ideals of peace and justice will continue, but I’m going to do what I swore an oath in front of all that I would do. I am going to defend the Empire from those that would seek to destroy it…Even if that costs me my life. I’ll look forward to seeing you in hell, Harkov!” With that Jon closed the communication channel.
*****
Growling in frustration - once again Radec had the final word! He turned to his Captain and grinding his teeth ordered. “Captain, you know what happened to your predecessor for failing to destroy that ship. I expect you to succeed where he failed. Kill Him. Now!”
“All missiles have long since been reprogrammed Admiral, that same trick will not work twice.”
“Then fire!” Harkov hissed.
“All ships, commence firing!” the Captain ordered
*****
As the Eternal Light breached the thirty-kilometre barrier the first missile lock warnings sounded. Moments later the missile lock’s shrill warning, changed to a shriek, as the first missiles left their launch railings from the Imperial Fleet.
“Would it have been too much to ask for them not to have fixed that problem?” Jon asked rhetorically, activating the shuttles own active countermeasures.
Within a few moments, additional missiles had been launched from the cruisers and destroyers. In total the ships sensors reported almost thirty incoming missiles! While the cruisers and destroyers guns were ineffective against the small, fast moving target of the shuttle, the missiles were just as deadly. Unfortunately Jon had no plan, no surprise, no white rabbit to pull out of his hat this time. The minute that Harkov had failed to commit the entire fleet Jon had known that the plan was doomed to failure, but what other option was there?
Suddenly, the light from outside the cockpit was blocked as a dark shadow loomed over the Eternal Light. So intent was Jon in reaching weapons range of the Imperial Star that he had completely forgotten about Miranda trailing behind in her Wraith.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jon demanded, unconsciously emulating Harkov’s very words only minutes before.
“Helping you!” came the terse reply.
“You are only going to get us both killed!”
“Who was it said, ‘better to die with honour than live the rest of your life as a coward’?”
Jon narrowed his eyes angrily. “Somebody has been telling stories that they should not be! Anyway I was far younger back then, I had no common sense whatever!”
Miranda laughed heartily over the communication channel. “In that case you have not changed one little bit!”
Jon was distracted momentarily by her laughter, trying to remember who it reminded him of… Suddenly he remembered Elsie’s last words, before she had turned her ship back around to face the incoming Imperial fighters. Jon thought that Elsie probably would have liked Miranda, in some ways they were very similar. It was only then that it occurred to Jon how similar the situation was, once again he was speeding towards the Imperial fleet, towards the Imperial Star and Harkov. Jon wondered if people who said that life came full circle were possibly correct. But looking at the empty copilot seat next to him reminded him that this time things were very different. This time there was no Princess seated next to him, no duty to get her to safety. No, this time escape was the very last thing on his mind…
Jon’s thoughts were interrupted by the bright light of a missile igniting, underneath the wing of Miranda’s Wraith and rapidly accelerating ahead of the two ships, another missile followed another missile, until the entire missile complement of her ship was expended. With the missiles gone, Miranda began to manoeuvre her fighter away from the shuttle, to give her own guns clear fields of fire against the incoming missiles.
Checking his sensors for the incoming missiles Jon was surprised to note that they had now formed two distinct groups, puzzled by this strange behaviour, until he realised that one group was heading slightly off-course. It was only then that he realised that the missiles had
split their targets, when launched Jon and Miranda had been so close that the missiles had mistaken them for one target, now that they were closer and the two ships had manoeuvred apart, the missiles had locked on, one or the other ships. Already Miranda had diverted 50% of the incoming missiles! Unfortunately that did not bode well for her, as by doing so she had placed her ship and herself in extreme peril!
A string of bright explosions ahead, demonstrated that at least some of the missiles launched by Miranda had reached their target. Checking the sensors, Jon was faintly surprised to note that a further ten missiles had been destroyed, this of course still left twenty incoming missiles, split fairly evenly between the two ships. Still too many, too many by far…
Having been accelerating constantly since departing the station, the ‘Light was traveling at almost three kilometres per second, the incoming missiles travelling almost twice that speed. Hence the combined intercept time was measured in seconds, and before Jon realised it, the ships computer had already locked the shuttles rail-guns on the closest missile and the ship shuddered as the shells were ejected at a rate of almost a hundred rounds per minute. With the first incoming missile quickly vaporised, the guns were turned onto the second missile, then the third. Meanwhile Jon kept a anxious eye on the ship’s ammunition level, that was being depleted at an alarming rate, unsure what would happen first - that the guns would run out of ammunition, or all the incoming missiles would be destroyed. The answer soon became apparent when the ships guns fell silent, their magazines spent…
A quick glance at the sensors, was enough to confirm the truth, the guns did not get them all, for three missiles remained, on-course for the ‘Light. With an impact time of less than a few seconds, there was no time for regret, no time to reflect on a wasted youth, no time even to curse Harkov one final time. Instead the ‘Light was totally consumed by the bright light of the exploding missiles…
…As the ‘Light glided through the exploding missiles, intact, unharmed. To say that Jon was stunned would be an understatement. What had happened, had they all malfunctioned? Impossible…
An exuberant laugh, and the sight of Miranda’s Wraith once again forming up on his wing, gun-barrel’s still spinning, solved the puzzle. “I told you this ship excelled in the offensive department,” Miranda quipped. “You should think about upgrading.”
“The ‘Light and I have been together a very long time, we’re both too old to upgrade. Miranda?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for staying.”
The channel was silent for a moment, as the two ships sped onwards together, barely a metre apart. Finally Miranda replied, “You’re welcome.” The silence over the channel lengthened until Miranda shattered it with the question that she had been dreading. “So you’re really going to do this? You’re really going to take on Harkov, by yourself?”
“Yes,” Jon replied softly. “But not for the reasons that you think. I will be the first to confess that nothing would give me greater pleasure than sending that bastard on a one-way ticket back to hell. But that is not the main reason. We don’t have the forces to take on the ‘Star directly. It could destroy every ship we possess, Vanguard and Confederation before we even got within weapons range. It would tear Terra Nova apart, bulkhead-by-bulkhead and there is nothing we could do about it. If I don’t stop Harkov now, here, then he is going to destroy everything, everyone that we care about, if for no other reason than to spite me. I cannot let that happen, I will not, not while I still draw breath.”
Miranda nodded her head sadly, having known that it would finally come down to this. Brushing away the tears from her eyes, she gasped. “Jon I…I…I’ll miss you…” At the same time cursing her own weakness, that she could not even confess her true feelings, not even now, when presented with her last chance.
“I’m proud to have known you Miranda Sun. You would have made a fine Praetorian - proud, courageous… fearless. Now I’m going to give you one last order, and I want you to follow it. Not because I am your boss, or your superior, but as your… friend. Turn back now, please.”
Miranda took a deep breath and gave the ‘Light one final look; her original opinion had been correct, she was a fine ship. With that she turned her own ship around, leaving the ‘Light to make its final journey… alone.
Pleased that Miranda had changed course, away from the guns of the approaching Imperial Star, Jon looked down to his own solitary missile. While his ship might not have the guns, or missiles or fighters of the huge capital ship ahead, deep within the belly of the shuttle was a weapon that was far more deadly.
“You’ve had your shot Harkov!” Jon muttered aloud in the cockpit, referring to the barrage of missiles that they had just flown through. “Now it’s my turn.” With that he tried arming the sole missile carried by the ship; however the weapon stubbornly refused to activate. Instead the following simple warning was displayed on the console.
“Deployment of this Weapon System requires joint Fleet Admiral or Higher Authorisation.”
Which ordinarily would be quite a problem, as there was only one Admiral currently in the vicinity and Jon was absolutely certain that he would not authorise this. However, Jon was no lowly foot soldier, in his past he had ordered Fleet Admirals with the ease that another would order drinks. Jon had spent over five years at the right hand of the Emperor, first as a soldier, then as a trusted confidant, and finally? As a friend or something more? Jon’s feelings towards the Emperor were confused; the man had given him a purpose in life at a time he had none. However, Marcus had also taken the most precious thing in his life from him and Jon had no idea how to forgive him for that.
As if it had only been yesterday, Jon could recall with crystal clarity kneeling in front of his Emperor, late one night, his words still ringing through his head.
“My Praetorian, sometimes you have to sacrifice a few, to save the many. You know this painful fact, better than most. You are my right hand, the sword of the Empire! But sometimes even your sword will not be sufficient. Hence I bequeath to you a gift, something that few know exist - A sword unlike any other. A sword that will set the heavens alight, a sword made from the very essence of the creator himself. Take note my Praetorian, and remember…”
How could Jon ever have forgotten? For that secret, shared in confidence, so long ago, was seared across his consciousness, like words of fire. Unseeing, lost in the past, Jon entered the code bestowed upon him by the Emperor, a code that he promised himself that he would most certainly never, ever use. Upon entering the code, the computer wavered for an agonising long moment, as if the computer itself was contemplating the destruction about to be unleashed. However, eventually the warning message vanished from the console and the symbol representing the sole weapon remaining on the ship blinked from a safe green, to an angry blinking red. The red box now encasing the symbol with the word ‘ARMED’ seemed superfluous. Jon took a moment to gaze at the symbol, surprised. If he had been ever been completely honest with himself, he doubted that it would ever actually work.
The alarms that suddenly commenced to sound across the ship dispelled that thought quickly enough.
*****
Harkov could only stare at the tactical display in complete, utter, disbelief.
What does it take to kill this man?
Harkov remembered back in the days of the Imperial Fleet, that this man’s name was only spoken in hushed whispers. Even back then, people spoke of the Praetorian Commander as being… different, somebody that the Creator had plucked out of obscurity and personally blessed. At the time Harkov had dismissed the rumours as childish superstition, but how many times could one man cheat death?
“I’m not impressed Captain,” Harkov uttered in a chilling voice. “One man, a single ship, which the combined might of this entire fleet seems incapable of crushing.” Harkov was already drawing up a mental list of replacement captains, how was it possible that he was continually surrounded by incompetents?
“It’s a minor
setback, nothing more Admiral,” the Captain said stiffly. “There was a second ship in close proximity to Radec’s ship, their combined point defence weapons simply over-whelmed our missiles. The second ship has now retreated and our computers estimate that his ship’s ammunition magazines are now empty.” The captain shrugged unconcerned, “a second salvo will finish the job.”
“And what of the threat that Radec poses to this ship?” the Admiral demanded, furious by his captain’s flippant tone. Wondering if cutting out his tongue would improve the situation.
“What threat? It’s a single shuttle. This is the Imperial Star - your flagship is invulnerable. Our own point defence guns would annihilate any missile or torpedo that it could launch, long before it could risk the ship. It’s just a question of what will take out the shuttle first, our guns or the next missile salvo; Radec is already as good as dead, he has only bought himself a few more minutes of life…”
“Sir!” the tactical officer called across the bridge. “I am picking up some strange energy signatures from the shuttle.”
“Define strange?” Harkov demanded crossly, seriously it was long past time for another reshuffle of his command staff...
“Ugh, I’m not sure Admiral, there was a sudden energy spike from the shuttle, as if some system suddenly went active. The energy spike has disappeared now, but the shuttle is now emitting some strange high-energy particles…. Oh great Maker….” The officer shouted, stumbling away from his console as if it suddenly had become red hot. “It’s a nuke! He’s got a god damn nuke on that shuttle and Radec somehow JUST ARMED IT!”
Every head turned to face the tactical officer, every eye focused on the screaming officer, a deathly silence fell across the bridge, as nobody knew what to do or say. However, the silence only lasted for a moment before complete pandemonium erupted on the bridge. Everybody was shouting at once, some demanding confirmation, others shouting for orders. Furthermore some of the officers just closed their eyes and started praying to their own personal deity.
