The Definitive SpaceFed Trilogy (SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy).: A thrilling, action-packed Sci-fi space adventure. (SpaceFed StarShips Series Book 8)
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Both watched Tripicac’s tactical pad’s screen carefully, as it showed an electric blue, globe-shaped space ship. The ship was hovering only a few metres off the ground, with nothing in the area to determine its size, but they could see it was huge. Then they saw some platform-type objects, each with a human form laid on it, and all of them slowly ‘floating’ into the ship.
The scene suddenly switched to an orange ‘thing’ in a metal cave or corridor.
Both Arans and Tripicac swallowed nervously, at the site of the familiar image. “I’ve seen that a few times before,” Arans remarked. “Always with a wormhole, above it.”
Tripicac had seen the blue globe-shaped ship before this upload. But, the images of this orange ‘thing’ made fear flood through both.
“It’s definitely the Solverons,” Arans said. “Agreed?”
“Yes, agreed.”
They both watched in horror, as the last scenes sent back by the Earth drone were shown on the screen.
Seeming to come from nowhere. The large electric blue globe began to crackle as it slowly drifted through a Crillon vessel. The blue globe continuing to pass on through until there was nothing left, but empty space.
“Well. Now I know what happened to Commander Bovonivo and his ship,” said a severely shaken Tripicac.
“Solverons have never been known to attack any ships while they’re travelling through a wormhole. And, providing you don't have to stop more than three minutes in Normal-space, we know you should always be safe,” said Arans.
“Perhaps so, but things change. When you think about it, there's no known way to stop a Solveron ship anyway,” Tripicac added.
“You’re absolutely right,” Arans replied.
“The humans also included a short audio message. I’m not sure how they sent it, but I think they must have used a burst of energy, and hyperlinked the message to sync with my second change of crystal. Very ingenious.
Now, listen to this Arans,” Tripicac said, switching to ‘audio’ on his pad.
“I hope you get this Commander Tripicac. We haven’t tried to send like this before, but here goes.
From the information shown on the images, we believe that the blue globe ship disrupts the molecular co-adhesion of a vessel, or of weapons fired at it.
To explain. When our buoy first registered the Globe, nothing seemed to happen, and we noticed it wasn't crackling.
So, it appears that when the outside skin of the blue globe ship is crackling, this is when the ship is operating its Molecular disruption weapon. As can be seen from the last pictures that we sent.
Therefore, whatever weapon our ships fire at it, the weapon’s molecular-co-adhesion will be disrupted, causing it to fall apart and disappear. Equally, if any of our ships should be unlucky enough to touch the globe vessel ‘whoosh’ a cloud of molecules will signify its end.
We already have our boffins looking at a way to neutralize their weapon and their ship. By the way, we call this species, ‘The Third Player,’ as we have no name for them.
Well, good luck, and if you happen to see Arans and Tarcan remember what we agreed. We all need to work together.”
“That's all there is Arans. Now, tell me what's going on here.”
“When all five of our ships got back, thanks entirely to the humans,” Arans said picking his words carefully.
“We found that one of our battleships and three battlecruisers had been destroyed by a Solveron ship only eight light years away.
Plus, another battleship, and eight battlecruisers, six light years in the opposite direction. And, all of them at the same time.”
“So, there must be at least two of their ships then?”
“Yes, I think so. It also looks like they are becoming increasingly aggressive.
Both Tarcan and myself think this is because of our planet’s sterilization programme,” he said and pausing took a quick look at Tripicac to see his reaction. Re-assured he continued.
“Both of us have argued with the Senate. Asking them to change their attitude and to stop this senseless planet sterilization programme,” he paused again.
“We need help. But the Senators don't agree. We must continue as usual is their only reply. At least, it was until now.”
“I totally agree with you, things are really dangerous now Arans. We’ve lost 13 ships, out of the 19 we had in the human sector, and I need replacements urgently.”
“I understand. The trouble is we have rested on our laurels for far too long and become complacent. With no new ships being built and no new developments. A recipe for disaster if ever there was one,” he finished, then thought for a while.
“You had better come with me, Tripicac.”
“Why? Where are we going?”
“To a full Senate meeting. This afternoon in City Prime at 3 o’clock. We’re going to make them see the human’s video message and listen to our reports. With your experiences coupled with ours, we should be able to make them change their mindset.”
“I hope that we can, Arans. I fear the worst if it doesn't.”
“Same here,” Arans said,” as he looked at the shuttle’s panel. “We should be down on Crilla in fifteen minutes.”
Their home planet was now only two kilometres below, as the shuttle began its final approach skimming over lush green vegetation and the edge of a vast blue ocean. Crilla was almost the opposite of Brendereen and Acarea's planet, in that the water was twice the land mass.
“You didn't say why all the ships are powered down!”
“No, I didn't.”
Arans thought a moment. “The Solverons seem to be drawn to power and they're really active now. So, no point in enticing them here.”
“They wouldn’t attack our home planet, surely?”
“Our Senate won't take the risk.”
The shuttle landed, settling down on the ground as its landing legs retracted into the fuselage.
They disembarked and took a hover car over to the Crillon navy's own hotel near the Senate offices in City Prime.
Tripicac’s room was very basic, just a table, bed and bathroom.
No food could be consumed in the room, so he freshened up and met with Arans and Tarcan in the hotel's restaurant, at one o'clock.
Tripicac, like Arans and Tarcan, had been in space for almost four years. And, they had a lot to talk about, before the Senate meeting at 3 o'clock.
They sat at a table and ordered their meal. While they waited, Tripicac showed Tarcan the recording the Humans had given him.
When the pad’s screen finally went blank, Tarcan said, “Horrible. But just what we need to make them change their minds. So, what are our tactics?”
Arans thought a moment, then said. “Tarcan and I are already on their case. So, you can start Tripicac by showing them the human's recording. Then we wade in again with statistics and some home truths.”
They ate their meal, with all three thinking quietly. After the meal, Arans got up, walked over to the pay desk, and put his right eye in front of the scanner. A couple of clicks later, a voice said, “Thanks, sir, your tab has been debited.”
It was now well past two. “Time to go,” Arans said. “We don’t want to be late.”
The seven Senate members were sat on one side of a large oval shaped table. With, Arans, Tarcan and Tripicac, sitting facing them. A large blank screen hung to one side of them.
The Senate members were all pretty well in their eighties. Although this was not a great age, as they would expect to live till they were at least a hundred and sixteen. They were all dressed in scarlet robes and soft hats. On each shoulder, a crest denoted the house or clan to which they belonged.
These Crillons were of the old school. Fixed in the resist change mode no-matter-what. They were all male and had that challenge me if you dare look.
The senator in the middle, Bronico, was the chairman.
“Well!” Bronico thundered. “This had better not be another waste of our time Arans.”
A
rans felt like exploding. 'What an arrogant load of sods they are,' he thought.
Then, to his surprise, Tripicac stood up and waded in. “I thought you were all men of wisdom. You don’t seem to be fit to rule our race!”
All the senators stood up in unison and shouted for Tripicac to go.
He just stood quietly smiling, until they had vented their anger and sat down again.
“See what I mean, you’re a disgrace to us all,” Tripicac said.
Bronico spoke again, barely able to keep his temper in check. “Tame your pet, Arans.”
“No. He's right,” Tarcan interrupted, forcefully. “You can’t see what's staring you in the face. Not one of you!”
“How dare you Tarcan,” another senator said, with a sneer.
“Arans, the meeting is over!” roared Bronico.
“I don't think so,” Tripicac interrupted, quietly, but firmly.
“What?”
All the senators started to stand, then decided to remain seated.
“You see chairman Bronico. Even your fellow politicians realize something is not quite right. Can't you ‘feel’ it?”
“Feel what?”
“Ask them, Bronico,” replied Tripicac, pointing at the other Senate members.
Both Arans and Tarcan looked at each other. Wondering where Tripicac was leading them.
“What the devil are you talking about Tripicac? Arans speak up.”
“I'll let Tripicac continue,” Arans said coldly.
“You still don't get it Bronico.” Tripicac's voice had now turned hard and bitter.
Chairman Bronico slowly sat down. His hands were shaking, and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. He finally understood.
Arans and Tarcan felt a bit nervous of Tripicac's actions. But they knew it must continue if they were to get their senators to act.
“Senators. Look at your screen,” continued Tripicac. “What do you see?”
They all gasped.
“But, all the ships were powered down,” cried one.
“What are you doing Tripicac?” Bronico asked, in a calmer voice. “Why are they powering up?”
“The Crillon Navy has had enough of your disregard for their loss of life and ships.”
“But.”
“No buts Bronico. The Senate will work with us. Or go.”
“But, we are the leaders. Not your pathetic bunch.”
“Oh! I see. You’re hoping your guards will come to your rescue,” Tripicac paused and smiled at them all.
“No, Bronico. All 276 ships are with me now.”
Arans and Tarcan tried to remain calm while hoping Tripicac hadn't somehow taken over their ships.
Tripicac's second in command, Trenma, appeared on the senator’s screen. His face superimposed over the mass of Crillon ships which could be seen moving and taking up new positions.
“All ships are ready sir,” he quietly said to Tripicac.
Arans saw Tripicac's sideways glance at him, followed by a surreptitious wink. That made him feel a hundred percent better.
All the senators sat, stunned, and watching Tripicac.
“Shall we get onto the important part, which transcends both the Senate and us?”
He placed a small box on the table. Tapped the top, and the human's video recording began to play on their screen.
After a few minutes. When they had absorbed the horror of the images, and, Frank's words were still ringing in their ears. Tripicac continued.
“Bronico. You are relieved as chairman.”
Bronico said nothing, but got up, and stormed out of the Senate chamber, only to be met by Tripicac's guards.
“The rest of you have got five minutes to produce a successor to Bronico. Pick someone now, someone that we can trust and work with.”
Four minutes later. The group of six, now mainly broken senators stopped talking, and one stepped forward.
“I am Kasosko,” he said. Taking his hat off, he flung it on the floor and stepped closer to them.
“What do you need Captain?” Tripicac noted that Kasosko was a little taller than he was, and probably the youngest of the Senator. He certainly showed a better understanding of the dangers ahead.
“Sir,” Tripicac quietly said. “This is not a coup. We don't want to take over the council. We just need to get our shipyards and development facilities working again. We are losing too many ships and their crews.
We need more ships and new types of weapons, to have any chance at all defeating these Solverons and their deadly globes.
We need everything, including the humans,” he finished.
“Then, you will have it all Commander Tripicac,” Kasosko said. “All three of you can supervise the re-start now. You have my word.”
“That's good enough for me, sir,” Tripicac said.
Arans and Tarcan stood up and joined Tripicac. With each in turn, clasping their arms around Kasosko in the natural Crillon gesture of mutual respect.
End of Book 2.
Other SpaceFed books by this Author
.
SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy
A Novel by Gerry A. Saunders
Book 3
2nd Edition
An Alliance at Kepler
Includes new material
Cover Art by Gerry A. Saunders
© Copyright 2014 Gerry A. Saunders
No part of this publication can be copied, transmitted in any form, without the authorization in writing of the author.
Continuing on the action-packed Sci-fi space adventure series.
On their last mission, the Space Federation’s upgraded StarShips had been sent back to space, to search for and destroy the remnants of the Crillon’s Fleet Twelve. The Crillon fleet was thought to be somewhere in the Delta Pavonis star system. It would be a difficult task, considering that, as yet, the Earth Starships were still the only weapon that the non-military Space Federation had that might have a chance against the Crillons.
They had also continued their search for the missing settler ship, the Acarea, which had been launched from Earth almost 200 years earlier. With their interest being concentrated on a planet called DPav4, which was also in orbit around the Delta Pavonis star.
When they finally reached DPav4, they encountered the planet’s inhabitants, who were a human-like species named Pavonisiens. But the Crillons had got there before them and had already attacked the Pavonisiens and destroyed one of their cities and other essential facilities.
The inhabitants lived in fear of the Crillons, who had virtually enslaved them and forced them to work with them on growing the special crystals that the Crillons needed for their warp core drives. So, once again, the humans were forced to fight the Crillons to free the inhabitants. In their ensuing battles with the Crillons, the humans destroyed five of the Crillon ships, with the loss of just one of their own ships, the Javelin.
During their time in the Delta Pavonis system, Frank and his men had also learnt the fate of the Acarea, Earth’s first sub-light settler starship. And, established that the Pavonisiens were, in fact, the human descendants of the crew of the Acarea.
But the planet also held a key to the past, and a frightening glimpse of the future that put fear into both Crillon and Earth forces alike.
Now, a year on. A science Starship named the Argonaut, together with the Repulse, join the other four non-military Starships of the Space Federation, as they leave the Mars space-docks.
Their first stop, Delta Pavonis. Then onto Zeta Reticuli, where it is thought the defunct natural wormhole is in the process of re-establishing.
If the wormhole does re-establish, it will then provide a direct link between Kepler and Zeta. Putting Earth within striking distance for the Crillons.
If this happens, then Earth can never be safe while the Crillons continue on their path of destruction.
Other SpaceFed books by this Author
SpaceFed StarShips Trilogy.
Book 1. Battles at Zeta Reticuli.
/> Book 2. Battle for Delta Pavonis.
Book 3. An Alliance at Kepler.
You can follow on with the story in these next books.
SpaceFed StarShips Series.
Book 4. Death of Time.
Book 5. Acarea. A Triumph or Disaster?
Book 6. The Garoden War. ‘Into the Fire.’
Book 7. The Garoden War. Pt 2. ‘Military Gamble.
(Publishing Early 2017)
http://www.spacefedbooks.com
Content
Content
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22