Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 1 - Purple Blood

by David Buck

  Apinal reassured Shafinal and ensured the vision feed from the scout ship was activated as she straightened up in the command chair. The lack of a Vorinne overseer onboard was unexpected but not unusual, for she knew that the ship had been built to be operated by a handful of Quixxe and a Vorinne overseer.

  Apinal kept her voice impassive as she responded to the urgent message from the Vorinne lead cruiser and allowed for the time delay for the message to return.

  ‘Scout ship Blue Lightening, Quixxe slave Apinal responding to commander of lead Vorinne cruiser. Mistress, please refer to the message detailing my orders from my master Lord Malang’troh.’

  Apinal knew that the secret to dealing with a bored Vorinne patrol was to appear to be totally uninteresting herself, as after all she was only an ageing Quixxe female slave. She knew that the scout ship itself was a different matter and her false orders had allowed for that fact. Her suspicions were justified as the Vorinne commander eventually responded without bothering to even introduce herself.

  ‘Slave, it is un-usual that no overseer is onboard your ship but I see you are heading back towards the central systems. The design of your new scout ship is interesting and ordinarily I would like to be shown around. However the orders from Senior Lord Malang’troh prohibit me from doing so. You may now resume your journey and remember to adhere to local star system navigational rules.’

  Apinal politely thanked the Vorinne commander for her instructions and now gave precise instructions to Shafinal after the link was disconnected.

  ‘Keep to the current course and speed at all costs, but also keep alert for other ships and collision risks. We cannot afford any mistakes especially at this stage.’

  Shafinal gave a measured reply even as she kept her eyes firmly on the navigation console.

  ‘Yes mother, the ship status is green across the board and there are no current hazards.’

  Apinal knew that Vorinne discounted the piloting skills of the Quixxe, but she realised that her race’s now hidden talents had served them well so far in their escape attempt. Deshinal and her two brothers now returned from the rear compartments, and Apinal had the sense to ensure the communications link would only broadcast sound if they were hailed again.

  After several hours, Shafinal began angling over towards a very different hyper drive location point, even as she noted that the two Vorinne cruisers were now at the opposite end of the star system. Another two hours passed, and the Quixxe could see that the two cruisers had remained almost stationary, as they appeared to be talking to a Cephrit long distance freighter. Apinal considered this development to be a stroke of luck, as the Cephrit had only recently resumed trading in any volume after the end of their war with the Tilmud.

  Apinal was just starting to relax and congratulate herself as the scout ship made a small course change, when a squawk of alarm came from Shafinal.

  ‘Mother, a small message probe entered the system not far from the cruisers. The Vorinne have moved away from the Cephrit freighter and they are heading this way at speed.’

  Apinal looked over the time and distance calculations with only mild concern. The Blue Lightening had too much of a start on the much slower cruisers and even at their current pace they could not be stopped before they entered hyper space. After half an hour, the audio message from the Vorinne commander boomed through the speakers in the scout ship, followed shortly afterwards by a powerful active scan of their ship.

  ‘Vermin slave; you will immediately surrender the scout ship and submit yourself to Vorinne justice under the edicts. You can plead guilty and then be sold to the Zronte to avoid charges of insurrection.’

  Apinal was ready for this demand and wasted no time in making her reply, even if she was careful to avoid insulting the Vorinne.

  ‘Mistress, we seek profits not insurrection, for we have a buyer for this ship and seek to flee these worlds.’

  Apinal noted with satisfaction that Shafinal had marginally increased speed on the scout ship, but had the presence of mind not to attempt to cloak the ship or increase the speed to the maximum the ship was capable of performing. She knew that their official orders stated the ship was not yet capable of being cloaked and it only had a top speed not much higher than the speed they were currently travelling at now. Rhadinal helped Shafinal locate the relays they had installed in one of the rear compartments and in moments the two Quixxe engineers had reconfigured the ship to allow cloaking and a much higher speed.

  After another thirty minutes, the scout ship entered hyper space and vanished in a brief flash of light. The Quixxe allowed themselves a few moments to relax before their ship entered the next system. Much later, the two Vorinne cruisers slowed as they approached the hyper drive point, before they too followed into the next star system.

  The Vorinne commander was dismayed by the results of the active scan even as she attempted to contact other Vorinne ships present in the new system. The Quixxe controlled scout ship had simply vanished in this system, with a recent report of a brief flash of light over near a hyper drive point heading towards the Deltas Vass systems. The commander thought it likely that the Quixxe had organised a buyer of the stolen ship via the Deltas Vass and sought to hide on their worlds as a part of the reward. She now prepared a message probe of her own to send back to Lord Malang’troh’s administrators and she then considered how he would react to her failure.

  ***

  The Fenshilla commandant stood motionless and tried to remain calm as the first reports of the star system were relayed back to his fleet by cloaked scout ships further inside the system. He gave a shiver of fear as he remembered the last visit to his base by Battle Lord Temeroth before his fleet had departed several days ago.

  The Zronte had appeared at his most fearsome in his massive red and black combat suit, flanked by his ever-present drone soldiers also in their own nasty looking combat suits. Only the near silent air fans inside the combat suits had indicted the presence of the Zronte, isolated from the rank odour of the Fenshilla, as they impassively followed the commandant around the open areas of the massive pirate base. Afterwards Temeroth had been both curt and direct in his response to the guided tour.

  ‘All the supplied ships and weapons are in satisfactory order and I am satisfied as to your preparations. Now you will travel by type two hyper drive directly to the outskirts of Deltas Vass space, hopefully undetected by the Barus especially. Do not fail me Commandant.’

  The commandant now calmed down and turned his attention back to the reports, which gave a dry description of the unremarkable star system, two K class stars, two small rocky planets and no gas giant. He ignored the description and noticed that no ships had been detected with even recent trails of ships not being present.

  The Fenshilla fleet of the eight heavy cruisers and their smaller escort ships then cloaked as they began the journey to the next hyper drive point along the border of Deltas Vass space. The commandant looked over the map of the nearby star systems and patiently instructed the small number of Fenshilla officers on the bridge.

  ‘The next two star systems are also known Trader meeting locations. We will search them also before we head towards the Posient bulge. Summon the scout ships to dock with the cruisers and we will leave this system. After which we will make the long trip out to the former Dradfer colonies.’

  After further searches of the star system confirmed that no ships were present the Fenshilla fleet entered hyperspace. The commandant finished his watch and took the opportunity to grab his evening meal in his cabin. He decided that he liked his meal, as the cook had aged the Quixxe leg for a week, and it was just right after being only half cooked.

  Several million kilometres away a stealthy Deltas Vass probe uncloaked and raced towards the hyper drive point to the Deltas Vass core systems. In hours the reports of a strange fleet of Zronte ships searching their outer systems was quietly circulating amongst the Deltas Vass military. In less than a day the report found its way to the life chapter matriar
ch, who ensured that the report was leaked to the Blue Jerecab, the Barus, and much later to a Cephrit trading ship.

  ***

  Captain Narindestat looked over the engineering data with annoyance after another long day. The Traders were leaving the Barede system for the inner galaxy shortly and yet the main weapons control systems still refused to perform several diagnostics tests satisfactorily. The Traders were now loading onboard the Resuria two large weapons systems that the Barede humans insisted were now ready for full field testing. Also the empty and silent sneak ships on the docking pylons were showing transient sensor glitches. He was concerned that the ship would never leave at this rate, however his thoughts where interrupted by Lieutenant Garendestat, who was monitoring the communications console.

  ‘Sir we are being signalled by a Maveen probe, apparently the sector delegate, who wishes to speak with you.’

  Narindestat fought down an initial sense of irritation as he took in the significance of the message. Wordlessly he changed the main viewer from showing the Barede world to a collection of Maveen ships approaching the orbiting Resuria. He could see that a pair of gate ships, complete with their probes flanked a sole probe that must be the Maveen sector delegate. In minutes the Trader captain was speaking with the senior Maveen probe, as the probe indicated a series of late changes to the mission.

  ‘Captain Narindestat, attend and pay attention. We have brought forward your arrival at the inner galaxy to meet the Cephrit by several weeks as we now have reports the Jerecab are moving to attack the humans. You are forbidden to travel to the human home world to assist them, and instead we seek intelligence about the inner galaxy.’

  Captain Narindestat fought down his rising rage at the presumptuous nature of the Maveen probe, as long experience with interacting with them had shown him the futility of giving an emotional response. Instead he offered a pithy observation and a direct question that he hoped would deflate the Maveen sector delegate.

  ‘Well the eighteen thousand light year journey to the Cephrit takes months and you want it done in weeks. I assume that you will organise gate ships for us to use to make such a rapid journey?’

  If the Maveen probe was affected by the terse reply it gave no sign as it spoke again.

  ‘You are correct captain, and we seek to use gate ships to transfer your ship to within five hundred light years of the Tilmud outer systems. The first part of your mission is the most urgent and the search for a colony will have to wait until you have followed our orders. We will deploy two gate ships and their probes at a former Tilmud star system and then you will make your way directly to the Cephrit. Afterwards you are permitted to explore the former Dradfer colonies, but be advised that vassal fleets are expected at these systems.’

  Captain Narindestat actually felt relief at this point as he called up a schematic of the inner galaxy he had not used for many years. He studied the schematic for several minutes before he replied to the patiently waiting Maveen probe.

  ‘Sector delegate, the mission will be as you have instructed, however I wish to attach two additional points for you to consider….’

  Narindestat now took his turn to await a response from the Maveen, and he was not surprised to see thin blue communications lasers spring to life between the sector delegate and the two gate ships as they discussed his changes to their plans. After a lengthy wait, during which the Trader captain again looked through the weapons diagnostics for the Resuria, the sector delegate replied with the hoped for answer.

  ‘Captain Narindestat, we caution you that the two additional points you require could see the biggest galactic battle in centuries occurring. However we agree to both of your requests.’

  Narindestat watched as the sector delegate turned and accelerated away into deep space, no doubt going to find the four additional gate ships it would need to satisfy his two additional points. He sent down Garendestat to the main cargo hangar to supervise the loading of the two Maveen gate ships after they had worked out how to fit all the cargo into the ship. After a lengthy discussion with his engineers on the weapons systems, the Trader captain ordered the ship ready for space even as Garendestat confirmed the cargo was all secure. The heavily loaded Resuria then lumbered towards the outskirts of the Barede system and the other awaiting Maveen gate ships.

  A Barede destroyer casually coasted though space nearby, and the commander nervously spoke with both his tactical and communications officers.

  ‘So our mentors and allies know nothing of our own plans for their journey? The sudden arrival of the sector delegate had me worried for a moment.’

  The answers to his questions were both negative, and the commander settled back as his destroyer monitored the Trader ship powering away from the colony. Five hours later a large globe of light enveloped the Resuria as the Maveen gate ships instantly transferred her over five hundred light years towards the centre of the galaxy.

  ***

  Gindane had wasted no time in greeting Omerio after he had come aboard, and she walked directly into the hangar bay even as he walked down the rear hatch of his scout ship. A moment’s surprise for Omerio gave way to a warm smile as he gave her a polite bow that she returned whilst not breaking eye contact with him. He felt awkward for a moment at her direct interest in him due to the social constraints of the Barus race. He also noted that no one else was present nearby as he spoke to Gindane.

  ‘It is good to see you again Captain, now we should not waste any time in discussing the issues the humans are facing as a sizeable Jerecab fleet is nearby.’

  Gindane straightened but gave no sign of resenting his impatience as she replied.

  ‘Yes it is good to see you Omerio, and my congratulations on your promotion. We must get onto this matter urgently and I have several things I need to bring to your attention.’

  Gindane now led Omerio over to the table that had served as the briefing location for the recent human meeting. Wordlessly she handed a data tablet to him even as she used her wrist communicator to request food and drinks for them both. She now ignored Omerio, and instead looked over the holographic simulation for several moments, before she identified several points of interest that she flagged for review.

  Omerio looked tense and she could see that he must be thinking frantically as he made a terse comment.

  ‘Now something does not add up with those human destroyers. Gindane, do you remember the photos of the two downed Trader ships that remained on Earth all those years ago?’

  Gindane gave a wry smile as she found the old report and called up the photos they had obtained from the human media so long ago. The photos had been stored under ‘edict compliance’ as her crew had gone to great lengths to show the Trader sneak ships had their sophisticated sensor arrays disabled. The two Barus officers looked over the photos and Gindane silently hauled up the latest photo of a nearby human destroyer for comparison. Omerio rubbed his bare arms as he gave his opinion on what they had just discovered.

  ‘So if the humans have no advanced sensor technology, why do the human destroyers show the special sensor arrays? Also have the humans ever conducted an active scan of any of these star systems?’

  Gindane looked again over both sets of photos as she replied.

  ‘No Omerio, we did note the human destroyers seem over powered for inline generators along their central hulls, but we assumed that they had inferior shield technology. In hindsight if the Jerecab admiral makes the same assumption then he could be in for a nasty surprise.’

  Omerio now took in the nearby holographic projector and both Barus officers were soon revising the outcomes of the simulations even as the food and drink now arrived. The fleet captain sat back both in surprise and deep thought as he reached for a drink. Gindane also picked up a drink and they locked eyes for a few moments before Omerio spoke again.

  ‘I think the Jerecab are indeed in for a very nasty surprise, as long as the humans are lucky and their resolve holds out. The longer they skirmish here the better the odds ar
e for their survival. Possibly the Cephrit and Deltas Vass fleets will interdict the Jerecab if there is enough time. So we can aid the humans by not being involved directly and by slowing the advance of the Jerecab armada by misdirection.’

  Gindane picked up on Omerio’s viewpoints and now made her own observations.

  ‘We will keep the tactical and weapons appraisals of the humans to ourselves and let the Jerecab deservedly stumble. I will send pairs of research destroyers out to instruct both races to abide by a ceasefire we can mutually declare, as you have a junior flag rank. The human admirals can be summoned back and we will agree on a covert course of action, though they must realise that their own lives and their two ships are at high risk.’

  Omerio favoured Gindane with an open look of respect and admiration that she enjoyed as he replied.

  ‘Well said and succinct Gindane, now before we send for the humans we must be clear what we tell our destroyer commanders. We must appear to adhere to the edicts and the series of steps involved also means we must delay the Jerecab Admiral in his efforts.’

  Gindane now called in her lieutenants and Omerio started off the briefing by mentioning the Cephrit intelligence he had obtained on the Jerecab armada. The junior officers were obviously concerned about this latest news of the threat of the armada, however their excellent training now took over. Gindane had several of them working on different facets of plan, and one of the lieutenants made a short but candid assessment as he looked over the information.

  ‘While we strictly adhere to the edicts, we risk our lives and we will drive the Jerecab mad with frustration.’