by Sid Kar
As Starship Conquistador escaped out of the star system accelerating rapidly at thousands of light speeds, Megaship Maverick and the entire Mercurian Fleet descended upon Rainmar. The Starfirian battleships that had survived the earlier encounter had either made their way back and were being furiously repaired and rearmed in the orbit or were scattering hither thither in all directions outward in space.
As the Mercurian Fleet got closer towards Rainmar suddenly eight brilliantly intense rays of Rose red color shot out from Rainmar towards the Mercurians.
“Spacecutter Rays!” Lewyn said, “Eight of them at one place!”
“Doesn’t surprise me, that if they could give or sell one to their faraway protectorate of Nestorians, that they can mount multiples at their major military base,” Valorun said, “Capitan Rols, execute the Oblong Maneuver,” Valorun ordered.
“Already on it,” Rols replied.
Megaship Maverick and the rest of the Mercurian spaceships started turning with reference to its horizontal axis in an oblong shaped path around a central point even as they moved forward. The Spacecutter Rays were the only energy weapon that could move significantly faster than the speed of light. However, the Mercurians knew that one weakness of its construction was that it was hard to trace an oblong path in space with these Rays.
Nevertheless, they were very deadly because they concentrated such massive amounts of energy at one point in space that they could even the strongest of spaceship shield and hull in an instant. The only saving grace was their diameter at the point of impact was very small but a few seconds of Spacecutter Rays aimed at a spaceship and they could open a big hole and in a couple of minutes they would slice the entire spaceship itself in half.
Mercurian Fleet had not arrived within range to launch accurate rockets but they had to keep advancing forward even though many of their spaceships were being slashed and sliced and rendered ineffective by the Rays.
It was difficult to maneuver within the confines of a large fleet and Mercurians lost over fifty spaceships while closing range and even Admiral Valorun was losing patience. He had never faced an enemy that could concentrate that many Spacecutter Ray Stations at one place except for their own Empire.
“Begin rocket firing, target the Ray Stations as the top and the only priority till their complete destruction,” Valorun issued a fleet wide order.
Tens of thousands of rockets launched from the Mercurian fleet and in retaliation the orbital weapons platforms of Rainmar and the surviving Starfirian battleships launched their own rockets. The Mercurian rockets did not hit the spaceships or orbital platforms but instead dived into the atmosphere where they were met with thousands and thousands of counter rockets followed by intense laser firing from the ground batteries. They managed to destroy two Ray Stations in the first barrage. Meanwhile the Starfirian rockets went ahead and struck multiple Mercurian spaceships and destroyed a few.
“Ignore the Starfirian firing,” Valorun broadcasted to his fleet, “We must destroy Ray Stations. Fire rockets at will till their complete destruction or till the rocket arsenal reduced to 30% of capacity.”
Mercurian Fleet fired barrage after barrage of thousands of rockets and by the time they had managed to destroy all eight Ray Stations, another fifty Mercurian spaceships had been shattered by the Rays and around thirty by the Starfirian rocket firing.
“Press attack full ahead at the orbital Starfirian fleet and space defense stations, Valorun broadcasted, “But no one will pursue the fleeing enemy starships. Our mission is the conquest of the planet.”
“Now the fun begins,” Vice Admiral Lewyn said as Maverick approached an orbital battle station now visible on the screen with the red planet in the background.
“There is no fun here,” Valorun scoffed, “Brave men are dying on both sides, many of them painfully. That could be you, Vice-Admiral.”
Lewyn stayed quite with a stern expression on his face but he could not deny he was getting more excited by the moment.
With the danger from Spacecutter Rays over, the Mercurian Fleet once again closed ranks in a battle formation and flew straight towards the planet’s defenders. The overwhelming firepower of Mercurian Fleet now concentrated solely on the battle stations and the starships eviscerated them in the first round of the rocket strikes.
Maverick for its part was fired upon by an orbital station but its rockets were easily countered by Maverick’s counter rockets and its own counter strike with a multitude of rockets destroyed half of the battle station and Maverick did not go around but followed through on its vector of collision and shattered the remaining half of the significantly smaller orbital station on impact and continued onward with a tapestry of scattered but immaterial dents on its hull.
Maverick’s command room cheered as they felt their nerves jump when the impact generated multiple vibrations.
“We should set fire to their atmosphere with Burner Chemical Rockets,” Lewyn suggested as the Mercurian Fleet descended into the atmosphere and land, oceans, mountains and tall buildings became visible on the visual displays.
“I have never liked the filthy chemical warfare,” Valorun shook his head in negative, “Definitely not on a planet with potentially huge civilian population.”
“But if they don’t surrender…” Lewyn asked.
“We shall see then…” Valorun shrugged. He knew that most other Mercurian commanders would have used the insanely dangerous Burner chemical that could set fire to an entire planet’s atmosphere causing a runaway conflagration to force a surrender. A spacefaring civilization could at least survive if they surrendered within a few hours when Mercurians would then pour a neutralizing agent to cause a reverse reaction to restore the original atmosphere composition. But in the past, a few less technically advanced civilizations had been scorched and decimated who did not possess the know-how to build protective structures. Currently, the Mercurian Admiralstad did not allow a general use of this weapon but it had been authorized against Starfire Empire’s planets.
“But it would be of no damned use against these Starfirians,” Capitan Mylan pointed to a couple of screens. Valorun could not believe what he saw next.
The entire planet’s buildings and structures started disappearing in the ground below rotating around their vertical axis as if being pulled down by giant mechanical screws as was indeed the case. In their place instead, sprang up tens of thousands of enclosed, reinforced fully metallic windowless buildings – tall hardened bunkers – rotating upwards and their roofs opened revealing rocket or laser batteries. The entire one billion plus civilian population had literally gone underground while only the Army officers and soldiers remained upon the surface to carry on the fight.
And the next moment tens of thousands of rockets launched upwards from the bunkers gunning for the Mercurian Fleet now descending towards the planet. Mercurian spaceships scrambled to accelerate back out in the space while firing lasers and counter rockets but many were hit and some were destroyed.
“Destroy the rocket and laser batteries,” Valorun ordered.
Mercurian Fleet opened up with its own rockets and lasers and started toppling one tower after another with intense firing but the rockets and lasers fired from Rainmar also took their own toll and Mercurian spaceships were being downed at regular intervals. The entire planet was covered with hail and rain storms of rockets and lasers for the next few hours as the battle raged unabated.
“Mercurian Fleet, pull out to the standard siege orbital,” Grand Admiral Valorun finally ordered.
“Why settle in for a siege when we are on the verge of taking over the enemy planet?” Lewyn asked.
“I have had enough of destruction for one battle,” Valorun replied, “Besides I have just realized a crucial fact. This starfleet base planet had rearmed their surviving starships to their assumed full capacity. It must have rocket factories buried deep inside the surface and destroying the surface bunkers alone will not lead to our takeover.”
The Mercu
rian Fleet pulled out quite rapidly and settled into an orbit around Rainmar far in space. The firing from the planet tapered off as it was not easy to target spaceships in space from planetary rockets meant for short range strikes. Valorun declared a halt to firing from his own side as he wanted to give rest to his troops and carry out maintenance and repair and tend to their dead.
The Mercurian Fleet settled in for a long siege.
Amidst the wreckage of spaceships and battle stations floating all around the space surrounding Rainmar, a single spaceship moved slowly towards the Mercurian flagship Maverick and quietly attached itself to its hull with magnetic force. This was the Mystery class spyship piloted by Stardjacker Capitan Norvyk. He would scan the hull for optimal intrusion point later, first he had to ensure he wasn’t detected. The space battle had ended but his personal battle was about to begin.
Chapter 7: Reborn
Raptor saw the intensely bright starfield of space all around him as he flew at an unimaginable speed past star systems, past entire galaxies and even past galactic clusters. But he could not see himself then suddenly a red dot appeared in front of him and it grew larger by a magnitude each instance. Then it was a large planet. He recognized it because he had visited it on a vacation as a young boy. It was the red planet Aurum. The birthplace of the Aurum Race of which Starfirians were the most powerful nation. He saw himself falling down the thick red atmosphere but he did not feel the effects of the free fall that were very familiar to him through his space warfare training. This he found strange.
Then he saw a large red lightning bolt across the whole of the sky from one horizon to the other. The Red Bolt of Zynod! The Lord of Lightning and the Titan of Thunderstorms. The King of Gods of the ancient Aurums.
He had read his history books and his mythology.
Then the red bolt broke down into thousands even millions of intense red lighting strikes all over the planet and flashes of red, orange, black and purple flashed in front of him. Raptor tried to close his eyes but it was to no avail. He felt himself sweat but again could not see himself.
He looked down on the planet and his sights fell on the Red Steppes of Thorac and saw a large crowd of wild horsemen dressed in Red & Black chanting unintelligibly as they raised their arrows and then fired them at the red lightning strikes.
Ancient Starfirians. His Ancestors. The Steppe Warriors!
He could hear their words now. He knew them by heart.
“VICTORY OR DEATH!” Raptor roared as he opened his eyes wide and sat up in the bed and tossed aside Capitan Alvina who was sitting beside him.
“Raptor!” she screamed.
Raptor turned around at the sound. He felt the electricity running through his body but when he saw Alvina the entire energy rushed to his loins and he grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her towards him. Alvina fell into his arms, surprised, startled, scared but yearning to be seized, saddled and stormed by a man she had fallen in love with.
Raptor turned around and pushed her down to the bed. Then he ripped off her uniform shirt and pants with one yank of his left and right arm. He felt her face and hair with his hands and then furiously stormed inside her.
Raptor dressed himself in his uniform while Alvina watched him lying naked on his bed.
“Do you want help getting dressed, Raptor?” Alvina asked.
“That’s Commodore Raptor for you, and get dressed up yourself Capitan Alvina,” Raptor said, “This is the Starfire Army, not an episode of Seduction amongst Stars.”
“Hey…” Alvina protested.
“I love you and I have always wanted you,” Raptor said putting on his epaulets and insignia, “but Army and War will always come first for me.”
Alvina said nothing but quietly got up and started dressing herself in her uniform but started laughing when she realized and remembered that Raptor had torn it apart.
“Go back inside the blankets,” Raptor said now turning to his boots, “I will have starship guards fetch another uniform for you.”
Alvina slid into the bed but rolled over onto her front and her elbows and watched Raptor silently as he finished up his dressing.
Then Raptor pushed the door open and startled the two individuals sitting outside playing cards on a table and was in turn startled by them himself.
“Toll…” Raptor exclaimed, “Where are my starship guards?”
“Sent them away, but not too far,” Colonel Tollvyk said pointing to the guards at the end of the hallway, “but you are back Raptor…Commodore Raptor.”
“We can’t trust Commander Carvyk not to have any more agents abroad,” Detective Rockvyk said, “We took the role of watching your quarters in our own hands.”
“Detective Rockvyk…” Raptor narrowed his eyes just now remembering the name of the man he knew he had met many times before, “Are we back on Bravo? Toll, what have you told him?”
“A lot you need to catch up on, but first…” Tollvyk peaked over Raptor’s shoulders and his sights fell on Alvina laying on the bed who looked back at him with a smile while biting her fingernail. “Raptor! I am so excited for you. You have your life back and you have Alvina…”
“Let’s take a walk,” Raptor said with a wry smile and shut the door after him. He stopped by the starship guards and ordered them to bring Alvina a new set of uniform and then they headed towards the Command Room. But they didn’t take a hovercraft or even the direct walking route, instead they strolled down a long, empty side hallway with no doors or windows.
“Toll…I can’t thank you enough for saving my life. Even though I don’t know everything that happened, I know you must be involved somehow…”
“Don’t thank. What are friends for and what are fellow soldiers for,” Tollvyk said, “big role was played by Stardjacker Capitan Norvyk and also by Detective Rockvyk here. You should have seen him lay out a Mercurian soldier with his big boot kick to his face. Must have flattened it like a flatland.”
“Detective Rockvyk, I will be eternally grateful to you,” Raptor stopped walking and turned to Rockvyk, “If you ever want to be an Army Detective, I will do everything I can to make it happen.”
“Don’t thank me either sir, you are our hero,” Rockvyk added a laughter, “and I much prefer the independence that comes with being a State Detective. See how I was able to come to Rainmar on a whim from Bravo. Can’t do that in the Army.”
“Yes, that’s where we were, at Rainmar, and we were ambushed by Mercurian troops, right?” Raptor asked.
“Rainmar is under siege by a massive Mercurian fleet,” Tollvyk said.
“What?” Raptor said starting to run, “let’s go to the command room. I want to take control of Conquistador for the battle.” But he stopped when he saw Tollvyk and Rockvyk just stand there nonchalantly.
“Commodore, I am your best friend, but would I be here if a battle was underway?” Tollvyk asked.
“What’s going on?” Raptor asked.
“You were unconscious for many, many days,” Tollvyk said, “Alvina helped nurse you back when they discharged you, safe but still in deep sleep, out of the starship hospital and back to your own room. She watched and cared for you over many days and nights. Meanwhile we have made our way out to the deep space, just short of the Karxian Empire’s space border.”
“We escaped?” Raptor asked.
“We retreated, strategically of course,” Tollvyk shook his head then looked straight at Raptor, “We ran.”
“Ran to fight another day,” Rockvyk added, “no shame in that.”
Raptor said nothing for a few moments then spoke, “Alright, I need to know all the details of all that transpired since I was shot nearly to death. Tell me no further till I have read the official Commodore’s Report.” Commodore’s Report was the report that was prepared for a Starship Commodore of all events big and small if he was absent for any duration from his starship physically or mentally.
“Sure, go ahead, but listen to just one counsel of mine,” Tollvyk spoke slowly a
lmost in a hushed tone, “Do Not Certify VC Barryett’s decision.”
“Decision about wha…” Raptor spoke when suddenly he realized what Tollvyk was referring to and a lump developed in his throat and he tried hard to swallow.
“You know…to retreat from Rainmar,” Tollvyk whispered.
“You would have me throw VC Barryett out of the starship to save myself?” Raptor asked.
“I am begging you Raptor, think strategically, forget Honor and all that,” Tollvyk said, “I like Barryett, but you can’t sacrifice yourself for him. You are a rising star of our Empire, you have won victory over Mercurians, our nation will count on you to lead the charge back to liberate Rainmar, to secure Nestor once again, to throw Mercurians back into whichever pig sty they howled out of. They can’t think that you ran from a battle or they will become discouraged and distraught. I like Barryett, he is generous and sober, not like a hard head cracking crusty boot stomper of a commander. I genuinely do, but his time has long gone. He is a demoted man. No one hangs their hopes on him. No one will find it hard to believe his decision was all his own. And it was. Make no mistake, I am no card player in matters of war and army, I would never advocate or help a lie to frame another fellow officer or soldier. But the decision was Barryett’s. I tried to persuade him otherwise, Rockvyk against me, Alvina against me, I could sense the whole command room against me. But he made the call, the starship commander’s decision. You do not certify.”
Raptor slumped back against the wall with his hands on his head but stayed silent.
“I concur Commodore,” Rockvyk said, “I have no business interfering in Army operations, but I have already made myself a part of it and I am partly responsible for Barryett’s decision as I can be persuasive. As I told him, we needed this Starship as evidence against Commander Carvyk, to prove his treason and expose his conspiracy. And we need you. You can stand against Carvyk, if your reputation remains intact. A war hero alone can challenge his superior officers and still receive the support of the Army and the People. You can’t have any taint on you or Carvyk will hang the whole of it on you. You will never be able to face him down. Please don’t certify.”
