The Last Prophecy (The Death Prophecies Book 6)

by Saxon Andrew

  Timmy snarled, “FULL SPEED COMMODORE AND DON’T CHALLENGE MY ORDERS AGAIN!!!”

  George’s eyes flew open and he turned to the pilot and said, “Set a course for Earth and all ahead maximum speed.” What was going on with the Admiral? He had never seen him react like this.

  The Homosassa went to flank speed and Alexandra’s eyes opened wide, “Follow the Flagship!” What was Timmy doing? She couldn’t ask and maintain communication silence. She saw the giant Carrier opening the distance between them and she said, “GO TO MAXIMUM SPEED!!” The Alexandria’s giant thrusters ignited and the Giant Carrier flew far behind the Homosassa trying to keep up. What was he doing?

  • • •

  Kamela opened her eyes, “The Commander of this attack is the Flasher who came to investigate the two ships we destroyed. It was his idea to attack Earth.” Steve looked at her and Kamela could see the smoldering rage in his eyes, “Admiral, he has no ill will toward humans and his plan is a good one. We should have anticipated this happening.”

  “He’s nothing more than an aggressive alien that has no regard for any life but his own species!” Steve snapped back.

  Kamela hesitated and then said, “How does that differ from any other predator civilization. Quite frankly, how does that really differ from our own philosophy?”

  “We didn’t destroy the Darkness when we had every right.”

  “Did you not do that because the Darkness was a buffer at the black hole in Andromeda?” Steve stared at her and knew she could hear his thoughts. He did not destroy the civilization because they didn’t betray the Colonies to the Builders. But…their being at the black hole in Andromeda made the decision easier to make. Steve turned and stared at the tactical monitor. The Flasher’s plan was easy to see unfolding. The lead fleet of a hundred thousand warships was far out in front of the following two hundred thousand warships that were moving apart from the main formation and forming up into four equal groups of fifty thousand warships each. He didn’t need Kamela to tell him that those four groups would assemble outside of scanner range and rush in and surround any ships that attacked the warships above Earth. It was a remarkably good plan and he didn’t have the necessary forces to counter it.

  • • •

  Heinrik looked at China on his monitor, “What’s going on! Why were we ordered to battle stations and then told to stand down?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “We should ask.”

  “Outgoing communications from the colonies are forbidden. If Admiral Connor wants us to know, he’ll tell us.”

  Heinrik shook his head, “I don’t like this. Something serious is happening.”

  “We have to follow our orders.”

  “I know, but I don’t have to like it.” China shrugged.

  • • •

  Timmy sat in his chair and heard George say, “We’re stopping the ship just inside the orbit of Mars to start our passive scans.”

  Timmy looked at George and nodded as he jumped up and headed toward the exit, “The ship is yours, Commodore.”

  “Wait, where are you going?”

  Just before Timmy disappeared through the exit he said, “Keep her safe, George!” Timmy ran to the tubes and leapt into one of the carts. He hit the button for the landing bay and the cart took off screaming down the tube line five miles to the giant landing bay. Timmy jumped out of the cart and sprinted to the first Attack Fighter on the rails. He entered the port and said, “Everyone off!” The three members of the crew stared at him in stunned silence. Timmy’s eyes narrowed and he said, “GET OUT OR REPORT TO THE BRIG NOW!” The three jumped up and left the fighter. Timmy shut the port behind the exiting crew, went to the command chair, and plugged his armor into the chair’s leads. He activated the communicator and said, “Captain Torenson, open the launch port.”

  “But, Sir. What are you doing? I’ve not been authorized…”

  “Captain, you will open the port on the launch tube or I’m going to blast it off and when I get back I will Court Marshal you for insubordination!!”

  Torenson looked at the officer manning the keyboard that controlled the launch ports next to him and nodded. The launch tube’s port opened and the attack fighter disappeared through it in an instant.”

  “TORENSON, WHO AUTHORIZED THAT LAUNCH!?”

  “Commodore, Admiral Hart has taken an Attack Fighter and launched.”

  George’s eyes went wide and he reached for the communicator. Why would the Admiral take an Attack Fighter? He almost keyed the microphone but then remembered, Timmy’s mother, Fleet Admiral Hart, was on Earth. He put the microphone down and looked at the tactical monitor. He should have taken the Carrier in closer, it was faster than the Attack Fighter. He would have moved in closer if he had known what Timmy was planning. He was going to arrive at Earth just ahead of the incoming giant Flasher Warships. George wanted to go in and cover the Admiral’s escape but knew that Timmy wouldn’t want him to risk the ship and he had to respect that decision. Timmy’s last words were to keep the Homosassa safe. The Alexandria came roaring up and he heard over the short range communicator, “Timmy, what’s going on?”

  George pressed the short range frequency and said, “Admiral Bell, Admiral Hart has taken an Attack Fighter and is headed toward Earth.”

  “WHAT!?!”

  “Sir, his mother is on the planet.”

  Alexandra closed her eyes and lowered her head. She had her answer. Timmy was going in to try and save her. She looked at the monitors and saw that it was going to be close, if not impossible, to pull it off. Her heart went into her throat and she sat back in her command chair. The Flasher Fleet was moving at high speed from directly above Earth and would be there quickly. “Come on, Timmy! Get out of there!”

  • • •

  Timmy watched the monitor and saw the incoming enemy ships moving into formation above Earth as he flashed into Earth’s atmosphere at massive speed. The only thing that prevented the Attack Fighter from burning up in its descent was the DE Force Field. He lifted his wrist unit and prayed as he pressed the send button. The unit beeped over and over as he flew toward the planet’s surface and began reducing speed. “COME ON!! ANSWER!!” He shook his head and then pressed another button. Two beeps later, Scott appeared on his wrist unit’s display, “Timmy, what…”

  “WHERE ARE YOU?”

  “Uhhh, we’re in the boat next to the Gazebo headed out into the river.”

  “STOP THERE AND DON’T MOVE!!!”

  “What’s going on, Tim?”

  “JUST DO IT!!!” Timmy changed course slightly and the Attack Fighter flew in at a steep angle toward the resort on the Crystal River. He hit the forward thrusters and pushed the handle fully forward. The three hundred foot long attack fighter jerked to a sudden stop just above the water directly above a boat floating next to the sea wall beside the white gazebo. He dropped the ship into the water and kept the entry port a foot above the surface. He set the thrusters to hover and he rushed to the port and threw it open. Scott and Amy were staring at him from the boat next to the port, “GET ON BOARD…NOW!!”

  Amy’s eyes were narrow as she said, “What’s going on Timmy, we have to put the boat away and…”

  “SHUT UP AND GET ON BOARD!!!” The boat was right next to the open port and Amy started to speak again but Timmy grabbed the handle next to the port, reached out and grabbed his mother by her shirt, and snatched her into the port. He extended his hand to Scott and he grabbed it and jumped into the port. Timmy slammed the port shut and ran to the command chair.

  Tim had thrown his mother into the port and she landed on the floor and slid three feet, “TIMMY!!!”

  Timmy buckled into the command chair and yelled as he took control of the Attack Fighter, “BUCKLE IN TIGHT!!” He activated the lower bow thruster and the nose of the Attack Fighter lifted and went vertical. Scott lifted Amy off the floor and walked her to one of the chairs as she was screaming at Timmy. He leapt into the other chair and suddenly, a
brilliant white light illuminated the inside of the Attack Fighter as a mile wide, brilliant, red beam came out of the sky and hit the Crystal River Nuclear power station six miles away. Timmy pushed the thruster handle fully forward and energized the DE Force Field. The small ship leapt forward and Timmy flew it directly above the giant shockwave that was screaming toward them and into the atmosphere at the speed of sound directly above the blasted power station.

  Amy was struck silent by the brilliant light that came through the forward viewport. She felt the ship rock violently as it moved through the air that was blasted away from the nuclear explosion. She looked through the rear viewport and saw the giant blast roll out from the power plant and blow away the towns of Crystal River and Homosassa. A moment later, the armor shielding covered the viewports forcing her to look at the three wall monitors to see what was happening.

  “Mom, Earth is under attack by the Flashers and more than a hundred thousand of their warships are starting to bombard the planet!”

  Amy was in a state of shock as the Attack Fighter screamed above the planet and Timmy found that the Flashers had begun forming a solid wall of warships above them. Timmy turned the Fighter and flew ahead of the rapidly forming wall of giant warships moving above them looking for an opening in the Flasher Formation to break through. Giant red blaster beams began firing behind the fast moving fighter and Timmy shook his head and said in a calm voice, “Strap in tight. I hope this force field is all it’s cracked up to be.” Timmy opened the air ducts in the thruster channel and the Attack Fighter leapt forward at an incredible velocity in the thin air above Earth just as four giant warships above them started firing their blasters. Timmy weaved the ship from side-to-side but the small ship was still hit by five of the giant beams before it could clear the bow of the leading Flasher Warship above them and flash above it before the gap could be closed. Timmy activated the stardrive and the Attack Fighter flew away from Earth at high speed as he pushed the thruster handle fully forward. They could feel the massive acceleration but…after a moment…it stopped. Scott looked at Timmy, “What’s wrong?”

  “The rear thrusters were damaged by the hits we took getting away. We’re simply coasting now.” The interior lights on the Attack Fighter flashed off then back on. Timmy stared at his control panel and shook his head, “The line feeding the force field has a leak. We’re going to be visible shortly!” Timmy started pressing buttons frantically, “I’ve linked in the blaster’s line to supplement the force field. Power is still dropping but not as fast.”

  Amy said, “Where’s the fleet?”

  “Admiral Connor called them off.”

  “FOR GOD’S SAKE WHY!?!”

  Timmy was pressing buttons on his console and shaking his head, “Mom, there are two hundred thousand Flasher Warships just outside our scanning range waiting to be called in if any of the ships bombarding Earth are attacked. They’ll surround any attacker between them and the ships in formation above Earth. They intend to fire all their beams into the space between them.”

  Amy looked at the main monitor and saw that Earth was completely surrounded by the giant warships and she could see flashes of red light between them. She shook her head and said, “We’re dead if we try to stop them.”

  Timmy nodded, “That’s how the Admiral saw it.”

  “You shouldn’t have come here, Timmy.”

  “You’re the only family I have, Mom, and I’m not giving you up without a fight.”

  Suddenly they all heard, “Admiral Hart.”

  Amy and Timmy both said simultaneously, “Yes.”

  “Excuse me, Admiral Tim Hart. I’m the Bosrean assigned to the Alexandria and it appears your vessel has sustained some damage.”

  “Yes, it has. The rear thrusters are out and I’m going to lose the force field in less than thirty minutes, which will make my ship visible to the Flashers.”

  “Stand-by, Admiral.”

  Tim waited and then heard, “Tim, this is Alex. Brevard is linking our minds so we can communicate directly. I’m moving the Alexandria toward your Fighter and I’m going to move the Carrier’s force field to surround you. However, once you’re inside I’m going to need you to shut down your force field. Evidently your transponder is flashing on and off and we won’t be able to see you.”

  “Standing by, Alex.”

  Alexandra looked at her pilot, “Get moving.”

  “Sir, I have the general location of his ship’s transponder and I’m going to have to move parallel to his course and move sideways to him.”

  “Stop talking and do it!”

  Timmy saw the lights flash off again and take ten seconds to come back on. He heard an alarm and turned it off, “The environmental system is gone.” Suddenly, like turning on a switch, the giant Carrier appeared off his portside. He immediately pressed the button controlling the bleeder valve to the DE Containment Vessels and he could hear it being vented out of the ship. The DE force field immediately shut down. “Timmy, I’m sending a shuttle to pick you up.”

  Timmy looked at his panel and shook his head, “It won’t work, Alex. The exit ports are off line and I can’t open them. On top of that, my mother and her husband are not in armor and if you blow the port, they’ll die in the ensuing hard vacuum. You should also be aware that environmental is off line. We have about fifteen minutes of air remaining.”

  “You can’t make it easy, can you?”

  “I try, love.”

  “Stand by.”

  Amy looked at Timmy, “You shouldn’t have come, Timmy.”

  “Would you have stayed away if I were on Earth?” Amy’s eyes softened and she shook her head. Timmy smiled, “That’s what family is all about, Mom; being there when they’re needed.”

  “Timmy.”

  “Yes, Alex.”

  “We don’t have another choice. I’m going to run the ship ahead of you and extend the force field to prevent your being detected. I’m moving the Carrier broadside to your line of approach and you’re going to have to land it in the landing bay.”

  “Alex, the gravity compensators were the first thing to go. This ship is at full mass and we’re moving close to ten thousand miles a second at the moment.”

  “How are your forward thrusters?”

  “Spotty at best.”

  “Do you have another way to do it?’

  “Alex, we’ll hit the landing bay and skip into the far wall.”

  “No, we’ve got the opposite doors to your entry opened and if you go through the Alexandria’s landing bay, the Homosassa has moved in beside us and has her landing bay doors open. You’ll just skip into its landing bay if you leave my landing bay. That gives you a total of eight miles to stop and we’re anchoring reinforced mesh across your line of approach to help slow you down.”

  “Alex…”

  “Timmy, there’s not enough time to do anything else. Start firing your forward thrusters and try to slow your ship down.”

  Timmy took a deep breath and turned around to look at Amy and Scott, “Turn your chairs around so you’re facing the back wall. You don’t have armor and the chair’s cushions will help with the deceleration.”

  Amy looked at Scott and then they turned their chairs around to face the back wall. Timmy activated the bow thrusters and the ship began rapidly slowing down. It slowed to two thousand miles an hour then the bow thrusters went out. “I’ve lost all my thrusters. You’re going to have to maneuver the carrier in front of me and lower it; once I enter the ship you can raise it so I land on the floor.”

  “Does your landing legs circuit still work?”

  Timmy pressed a button and said, “I just felt a vibration. I don’t know how many came down but it felt like they all did.”

  “Two of the three came down, Tim. The forward leg and the starboard leg deployed,” Alex responded.

  “Well, once I hit the deck, they’ll go pretty quickly.”

  “That’s true.”

  “Wait, my upper and lower thrusters are ba
ck on line. Let’s do this now before I lose them. I can get the ship down to the deck.”

  “Moving now!”

  Timmy saw the giant Carrier rush ahead of his ship and turn broadside to his approach. He stared at the giant as it grew larger incredibly fast. The landing bay loomed ahead of him as he gripped the thruster controls. He knew John must have felt like this when he moved in to attack the giant Azura Mothership just before he died.

  Chapter Four

  Steve watched the Flasher Fleet arrive above the Milky Way and then move quickly down toward Earth’s location. The giant formation was traveling at high speed and it arrived at Earth quickly. They remained far out from the giant formation as it began forming a solid wall of warships around Earth. They started their bombardment and Kamela jumped up out of her chair with her eyes wide open and said, “Oh no!”

  Steve and Lani looked at her, “What.”

  “Admiral Hart has taken an Attack Fighter to save his mother and he’s caught under those warships.”

  Steve had completely forgot about Amy and Scott being on Earth, “What’s happening?”

  “Give me a minute. There’s too many thoughts to break through to him!”

  Steve stared at Kamela and then looked at the tactical monitor. The formation had almost completely closed in around Earth. Steve and Lani began hearing Timmy’s and Alexandra’s thoughts as they closed their eyes and listened in.”

  • • •

  Timmy saw the landing bay flash up in front of the Attack Fighter and he saw that he was coming in too low. He was going to hit the hull slightly below the landing bay doors. He hit the lower thrusters and the Attack Fighter moved up slightly and barely cleared the hull as it flashed into the landing bay. It hit the first line of reinforced mesh an instant later and both deployed landing legs were ripped away. Timmy’s command chair was directly above the front landing leg and when it ripped away, it took the supports for his chair with it. His chair shot free of the deck and slammed Timmy face first into his control panel.