“Now, as we approach the alien vessel, I need you to get directly behind it.”
“Sir, not to question you, but isn’t that dangerous?”
Ashley nodded. “It is if the pilot isn’t incredibly careful. You’ll need to allow yourself to get close enough to them that there’s no chance they could detect you, but not so close that our hull gets damaged by their engines.”
Letting out a sigh, Gonzales said, “It won’t be easy, sir, but I know I can do it.”
Ensign Tran of the tactical team looked up from his console.
“Admiral, why would we get so close to them when we already know they’re a lot stronger than we are?”
“Ensign, have you ever served in a submarine?”
“No, sir. I served on a destroyer.”
“Well, there’s a tactic used on subs. It’s called riding the baffles. It’s where one submarine rides so closely in the wake of another sub that their scanners can’t pick them up. With any luck, the aliens won’t be able to see our energy signature as long as we stay close.”
Over the next few hours, the Explorer kept inching closer to the alien vessel. Soon, they were mere yards behind them.
“Would you look at that?” said Lieutenant Commander Holt. “It would be so easy to shoot a few missiles at them from here. We’d probably have them destroyed before they could even get turned around.”
Ashley stifled a laugh.
“Easy there, cowboy. Don’t forget that the last time we faced off against them, they almost destroyed us.”
After hearing the Explorer was less than an hour away from having Earth within visual range, Ashley ordered all hands to battle stations. Every member of the crew knew what that meant, and every member of the crew intended to be as prepared as possible.
In the engineering section of the ship, the crew rushed about, checking all the equipment. If something wasn’t in perfect working order, they did all they could to take care of it.
In the medical bay, the medics prepared to take care of any injuries the crew might incur during battle. Crewmen stuffed bags with gear to make the medics mobile so they could move from patient to patient.
In cargo bay two, the remaining crew of the Martian lander received supplies to help brace themselves. Instead of fearing another encounter with the aliens, they looked forward to it. If the Explorer could take on the alien vessel and win, they wanted to see it.
In the armory posts, crewmen busied themselves loading missiles and torpedoes in the launch tubes. They left no chance of the crew letting tactical go without enough weapons to face the enemy ship.
On the bridge, the staff checked over all the consoles. Once they checked everything, they checked it again. Under the watchful eye of the admiral, they weren’t going to leave any room for error.
Harris, back at his post on the bridge, turned to the Admiral and gave the announcement everyone waited for.
“Admiral, we’re within range of Earth.”
Chapter 15
Faceoff
Ashley’s breathing quickened.
The alien vessel sat mere yards ahead of the Explorer. Unless she guessed wrong, Ashley felt certain she and her crew would engage in battle with the ship for a second time. While the Explorer still lived on, it bore the scars of the previous battle as a reminder of the alien vessel’s power.
“Gibbs,” Ashley said, just louder than a whisper.
The commander stood on his feet.
“Gibbs, I need you to get to the docking bay. I want the Guardian and Protector ready to get in the air in just a moment.”
The commander nodded and ran off the bridge. All the while, his heavy magnetic shoes made a sharp pounding noise.
Where the alien vessel headed was still in question. At the very edge of the front viewport, Ashley and her crew could see a blue line growing in size.
Ensign Tran glared at the viewport. “What’s their plan?”
No one gave an answer.
Both ships slowed to a mere crawl.
“Admiral, I’m picking up a transmission,” officer Card said.
“Is it for us?”
“No, sir. I think it’s for the aliens.”
“Play it for us.”
The radio crackled into life. In several languages, including English, a calm voice said, “Unknown vessel, please identify yourself and provide your place of origin.”
Ashley looked to the tactical team on her left. She planned to tell them to be prepared for anything, but just seeing the way they sat, she knew they already were.
When the alien vessel didn’t respond, whatever transmitted the message repeated it several more times and in several more languages.
Out of nowhere, the message cut short. Ashley turned to Card with a confused look on her face.
“I’m trying to figure out what just happened, sir. It’s not looking like the cut out was intentional.”
“If it wasn’t intentional, then what happened?”
The admiral wasn’t left wondering for long.
On the port side of the alien vessel, a large chunk of debris flew past.
“We’re trying to figure out what that was,” said a member of the scanning team.
Ashley and Lieutenant Harris looked at each other, as if confirming what they both thought they saw.
“Don’t bother,” said Harris. “That was New International Space Station.”
Suddenly, the alien vessel shot forward and veered off to the right, leaving the Explorer to see the full extent of their attack on the space station.
“Just like the Fu Zing,” Ensign Tran said.
Ashley sprang onto her feet and began barking orders. “Get Protector and Guardian in the air! I don’t care how they do it, but tell them to keep the aliens distracted.”
From the top of the Explorer, the two smaller ships pulled away. Before they could receive the command, they fired upon the aliens as they sped past it with one on each side of the enemy craft
“Tactical, fire at will! If you see an opportunity, I want you to take it.”
Holt and Tran were already biting at the bit for an opportunity to attack the vessel that defeated the Explorer before. Now turned loose, they went at the attack like animals.
“Admiral!” a member of the sensor team shouted out. “We’ve got to get out of here. I’m detecting a large surge of energy near the back of their ship. We’re not sure what it is, but I wouldn’t stick around to find out.”
“Then we won’t,” Ashley whispered. “Harris, get us out of here.”
The pilot nodded, but didn’t answer. His eyes and all his focus honed in on the controls before him.
Once again, the pilot let his fingers dance on the controls, astounding his co-pilot and the rest of the crew. The ship jerked this way and that, but each move came precisely as planned and carried out by Harris.
“Harris, what are you doing?” Ashley’s question turned to pleading. “Can’t you get us out of here?”
His voice was low, but Harris responded, “I can, but they’ll target us again. I’ve got to wait for the right moment.”
“Robert…”
“Please, Admiral, trust me. Just this once.”
Ashley forced herself to sit. Fumbling for the belt of her harness, she secured herself to her seat and prepared for the worst.
A piercing bright light flooded the command bridge.
“Harris!”
“Not yet.”
The light grew brighter still until a slight trembling of the Explorer joined it.
“Now,” Harris said as he hit a few more buttons, sending the Explorer shooting out ahead of the alien vessel.
Behind the enemy ship, a tidal wave of white energy shot out. None would say it, but everyone on the bridge knew that they wouldn’t have made it if they had been in the path of the energy.
From the front of the alien ship, six ports grew bright with a familiar light.
As much as they tried, the tactical team couldn’t get enough
of their weapons to face the enemy.
“Harris, get us away from here,” Ashley said.
“With pleasure.”
The Explorer jumped out a considerable distance from the enemy, but it wasn’t far enough to save them from the threat the weapons posed.
Out of nowhere, the Guardian dashed between the Explorer and its attacker. Missile after missile fired off, and each targeted the weapon ports precisely.
Before they could fire, two of the six ports went dark. They wouldn’t be hurting anyone else. For the help the Guardian provided in the battle, it paid a hefty price.
The remaining four weapons shot the Guardian, slicing right through it. Large pieces of the hull fell away as if cut off with a sharp knife. Still, the Guardian lived to fire again.
Without regard to the small ship in front of it, the alien vessel plowed into the Guardian. The impact caused a flurry of sparks and sent the Guardian hurtling off to the side.
As the crew of the Explorer looked on, they couldn’t help but hope that their shipmates would continue flying around in the fight. No matter how much they wished to see it happen, the Guardian kept floating. One by one, the lights from the inside of the ship faded away.
Her face flushing red with anger, Ashley forced herself to breathe. Her father taught her long ago that she should never react to any situation with anger. As tempting as it was for her to do, she wouldn’t go against that advice.
“Harris, I want you to turn the ship around.”
“I’m sorry, sir. Do you mean you want me to head toward them?”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
With expert skill, Harris turned the Explorer in a wide arc, and then thrust forward toward the enemy ship.
Ashley couldn’t take her eyes away from the front of the alien vessel. Her scanning team loudly warned that the ship was preparing to fire their weapons again, but she didn’t need them to tell her.
Four of the six weapon ports glowed once again. The two the Guardian took out remained useless.
“Tactical, fire on their weapons. Concentrate your fire on two of the four remaining ports. I want you to try and knock them out.”
Speeding toward the enemy ship, the Explorer showed no signs of stopping. The alien ship, charging its weapons, would not back down. From a safe distance, the Protector did its best to draw enemy fire, but it didn’t seem to be doing any damage.
The energy weapons pulsed, and Harris panicked. He jerked controls to the side and prayed for the best.
With a bright explosion, one of the four remaining enemy weapons disappeared. The other three added to the flash of light by shooting out and biting into the hull of the Explorer.
On board, unprepared crewmen flew into the walls. The ship shook violently as it left small pieces flying through space.
A glancing blow. A painful blow, but still just a glancing blow.
Regaining control of the ship, Lieutenant Harris slowed just in time to see the enemy vessel shoot off toward the moon.
Tactical officer Holt was almost disappointed. “Where do you think they’re going in such a hurry?”
Ashley’s heart sank.
When they took their leave, the enemy vessel left the Explorer a present. An all-too-familiar cylinder glowed softly and started to spin.
Chapter 16
Drastic Measures
With the bridge of the Explorer quiet, Ashley screamed on the inside. She spent less than a second looking at the EMP bomb, but it felt like an eternity. She knew her crew waited for orders, but she didn’t have any to give.
The admiral simply did not have any options. The bomb would explode before they could move out of the way. Firing at it presented too much risk.
“Gibbs,” Ashley whispered.
As if calling him to her aid, Ashley was amazed to see the Protector fly low over the Explorer’s hull, and into the bomb, never slowing.
The voice of Commander Gibbs filled the command bridge.
“Good luck, Admiral—”
It sounded as if the message would continue, but the blast of the EMP bomb cut it short. Thanks to the speed of the Protector, the blast happened far enough away that it didn’t affect the Explorer.
The Protector didn’t fare as well.
Engulfed in a blue sphere of energy, the Protector lost all power. Without the ability to slow the vessel down, Gibbs and his crew hurtled through space at high speed.
Torn, a large part of Ashley wanted to lead her crew to save her first officer and his crew. Another part of her knew better.
“Admiral,” Reynolds looked up from his console, and caught his breath, “I know what you’re thinking.”
Ashley shook her head.
“And I know what you’re about to say. You’re right. Our mission is to stop the alien vessel.”
The admiral and chief engineer made eye contact. It was brief, but Ashley saw that kind of stern, but understanding look Reynolds held in his eyes. The look was the same she received hundreds of times as a child.
“Lieutenant Harris, I want you to pursue the alien vessel. Top Speed,” said Ashley.
“Top safe speed, sir, or the real top speed?”
Ashley couldn’t help but smile when Ensign Gonzales pulled the lever as far back as it would go. The Explorer shot forward. In pulling the lever, Gonzales set the new human speed record.
On the main screen, Ashley saw the alien craft nearing the Chinese lunar colony. She didn’t know what they wanted, but she knew plenty of innocent people lived on the colony. She wouldn’t let them be injured.
“Harris, take us just past the alien ship. Tactical, fire on them as we pass. I want them to follow us.”
Holt stared directly forward before turning to the admiral.
“Sir, we’re getting in front of the weapons that keep tearing us to pieces? That’s really the plan?”
Glaring at the tactical officer, Ashley said, “That’s exactly the plan. Trust me.”
In no time, the Explorer passed the alien vessel and shot off a couple of missiles before continuing on its way.
At first, the aliens didn’t respond. However, they couldn’t seem to resist the open target of the back end of the Explorer. They took the bait.
While the alien vessel was fast, the Explorer was faster. Dropping low to the lunar surface, Harris slowly pulled away until the Explorer went past the moon’s horizon.
“Ensign Tran, I want you to make a large explosion on the surface of the moon. Harris, as soon as we get the explosion, I want you to turn off our current path. Maintain our speed,” Ashley ordered.
When it reached the explosion, the alien ship slowed to a stop. Turning their scanners to the lunar surface, the aliens acted as though they were looking for something.
Already halfway across the moon, Ashley hoped that the aliens fell for her trap. If they didn’t, she was out of options.
“Harris, swing us back around. Tactical, when their ship is in sight, I want you to give it everything we have. Aim for their engine. It’s probably a weak spot.”
Reynolds and Harris smiled. They knew what the admiral was thinking.
“Besides,” Ashley continued, “they almost destroyed my engine. It’s only right that I destroy theirs.”
Harris guided the Explorer behind the alien vessel. When he got close, he hit the reverse thrusters to slow down. He had done all he could.
Holt and Tran let loose with every missile they could fire. Every explosion they saw on the enemy ship made them feel like they had already won the battle, but they wouldn’t stop firing to check.
Finally, the Explorer ran out of missiles and torpedoes. The team that loaded them stepped back, exhausted. The team that fired them stood, curious. Ashley sat, hopeful.
All hope faded when the alien vessel turned to face the Explorer. Already, its three remaining weapons glowed brightly.
Ashley closed her eyes. After her first run-in with the aliens, she knew the second battle would be hard. Even so, she didn’t
expect so much of a challenge. She could only see pictures of her family flash through her mind.
“Admiral, you look like you could use some help.”
Ashley didn’t recognize the voice over the radio as that of Commander Gibbs until the alien vessel suffered more missile blasts to its hull.
“The Protector? How?” Ashley asked.
“Another time, Admiral?”
Harris didn’t wait for orders.
Under the skillful hand of its pilot, the Explorer shot off once again.
“Stop,” ordered Ashley. “Drop the ship down behind one of the craters, but keep a close eye on the aliens.”
Nodding, Harris moved the ship as ordered.
With the Explorer safe, the Protector found a place to hide as well. Gibbs didn’t know what the admiral planned, but knew he wouldn’t have to wait long to find out.
Lifting higher above the lunar surface, the alien vessel did all it could to scan for its enemy. When it still didn’t detect them, it went even higher. They repeated the move over and over again. Finally, they rose high enough to see the very edge of the Explorer hiding behind a large crater.
Three bright lights appeared on the front of the alien vessel.
“Too late,” said Ashley.
The admiral pulled a key from around her neck, and stuck it in a switch in the arm of her chair. Commander Reynolds nodded to her to show he had done the same with his key at his console.
With both keys turned, a panel on the tactical console lifted up and slid out of the way. Now, a flashing red button and a targeting system appeared in its place.
“Lieutenant Commander Holt, fire the nuke.”
After Ashley gave the order, she looked away from the viewport. The missile screamed out of its launcher and plowed into the enemy ship.
A bright flash lit up the bridge of the Explorer like the sun. When the light subsided, a giant shockwave went out. Lunar dust lifted off the surface of the moon and hid everything. When the shockwave hit the Explorer, it almost made it crash. Then, silence.
Everyone held their breath.
Chapter 17
What Makes Us Human
Space Corps - Explorer (Book 1) Page 8
