A Faded Star

by Michael Freeport

  “Keep at it, Miss Simmons.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Mister Patho, what's the range to beta one?”

  Aden said, "Looks like the drones are coming into his weapons range. I'm getting an energy surge from both beta one and beta two. Sir, they are firing on the drones and alpha. Weapon intercept time eleven seconds."

  "Weapon analysis, sensors?"

  "Sir, looks like directed energy pulses. Our interceptor charges should be effective against them." Interceptor charges from both the Rampart and the drones she carried were simple waves of focused particle energy designed to disburse more powerful energy charges like a refracting lens.

  "Good. Miss Hanlon-” Stokes was interrupted as the Rampart shook from the first hit getting through to the hull. Stokes continued, “Hanlon, update command on our situation, tell them that we have come under attack from an unknown hostile force, and we are defending ourselves."

  Kri said, "Sir, beta-one has altered course to intercept us. It looks like they decided alpha isn't a threat, and we are.”

  Stokes nodded to himself. The tactical situation was developing far faster than command could be updated. The ship shook again from another hit to the hull. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before giving further orders. He knew his next actions would be closely inspected for errors in judgment and compliance with procedure. Satisfied that he had given the matter a suitable ten or fifteen seconds of thought, he glanced up to see that almost the entire bridge crew was looking back at him. "Focus on your jobs. We'll see ourselves through this one way or the other." Stokes put on the impassive face of command he had long since perfected. "How does the intercept pattern look, Mister Patho?"

  "Sir, beta one and two are firing on the drones, but not much is getting through. The interceptors even on salvo mode are enough to intercept better than ninety percent of the incoming fire. Recommend we switch to single fire and let the on board computers run the intercept algorithms."

  "Agreed. Reset main battery for maximum offensive engagement. I don't want to run the risk of either of these guys getting out of the system and reporting what's going on here."

  Aden Patho tapped a pair of controls. "Main battery is charging, sir. Ready to fire in twenty seconds."

  "Very well, Mister Patho. Fire on beta one at your discretion."

  "Aye, sir." Patho paused for the slightest moment. "Firing." The main gun rang out with a shriek of discharging energy. Rampart lurched from stem to stern and every energy source on the ship momentarily flickered as she fired her first warshot in anger. Lights came back to full brightness after only a barely perceptible time period. On the main plot, the energy reading on beta one flickered for a moment and then went to zero. "Target destroyed, sir. Main gun recharging, ready to fire in twenty seconds."

  The second ship twisted suddenly and began to open range on the Rampart. The thrust the ship was generating was far in excess of what the Rampart was capable of. Stokes started forward in his command chair. “Flank speed, helm.

  “Aye, sir,” the helmsman replied instantly, while dialing the engine command to flank. The answering chime from the dial indicated the engine room had received the order.

  “Mister Patho are you going to get a shot?”

  “No, sir. I'm trying to chase him down with the drones, but he turned too early. The main gun will not be charged before he's out of effective range.”

  “Order the drones to attack his engines.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  The main plot showed the developing situation in excruciating detail. The alien ship was out-accelerating the Rampart by almost two to one. The drones chasing it were scoring hits but nothing vital seemed helm began.

  Kri said, “Sir, some kind of debris or something is separating from the alien ship. It is coming directly back toward us. It may be from damage the drones are inflicting.”

  Hanlon shook her head. “No. Look at the spacing between the objects. Too regular to be debris from battle damage. They may be some kind of mines. Sir, I recommend evasive maneuvers to avoid whatever those objects are.”

  Stokes nodded. “Helm, begin starboard roll with a radius of three hundred meters.”

  “Starboard roll with a radius of three hundred meters, aye sir.”

  The Rampart began to corkscrew around its base course. The change in vector was enough that any object would pass inside of the corkscrew pattern the ship was making. The maneuver also allowed the alien ship to pull further ahead.

  Kri said, “Sir, the objects are maneuvering to intercept us. I recommend a more radical course change to avoid them.”

  Stokes studied the plot for a moment. “Helm, begin point to point drive calculations for the following coordinates.” He then sent a group of numbers to the main plot.

  “Aye, sir.” The helm began working the jump calculations as fast as he could.

  “Miss Hanlon, run concurrent calculations. I want to jump at the soonest possible moment.”

  “Sir, we will lose our drones if we jump before we can recover them. Should I bring them back aboard?” Patho said.

  “No, it's a short jump. We can re-establish telemetry links when we come out of the jump ring. They'll have to fend for themselves for a moment or two while we get ahead of this ship.” Stokes' voice rattled off the orders with a certainty that came from long experience in command. His eyes searched the tactical overlay on the main plot, looking for the slightest advantage he could wring from the situation.

  “Sir, some of the objects have entered close range of the ship. They may be able to make contact once we steady on course to jump,” Kri said.

  “Defensive batteries target those mines or whatever they are, give them maximum priority,” Stokes said.

  Patho worked his console with frantic fingers. Defensive batteries fired continuously, attempting to hit the tiny objects before they were able to come in contact with the hull. “Some of them are going to get through, sir, unless we make a big course change. Whatever they are, they are incredibly capable of adapting to our maneuvers.” He paused for a moment. “Sir! Two... no three of the objects have made it to our hull.”

  “Put them on the display.”

  The image that appeared on the main plot was breathtaking. The creature it displayed looked like a four meter tall crab. It's outer shell iridescent blue and black with reflections of the stars and guns going off around it. It stood on four long, slender legs covered in round protuberances. Across it's chest was a heavy harness covered with equipment. The arms, if they could be called that, were hulking, tipped with meter long claws that looked like they could take the leg off a man without even noticing.

  “Sir, it's moving towards the air lock.”

  Stokes nodded. “Are we ready to jump?”

  “Ten seconds, sir,” Hanlon responded.

  “Jump as calculated, exec.”

  “Jump as calculated, aye sir.” Hanlon turned to the helm. “Helm, jump ship.

  “Jump ship, aye ma'am.” The helm replied and slid the jump lever forward into the interlock socket.

  The main plot flickered and updated. “Jump complete, all systems report normal, sir,” Hanlon said.

  “Very well, did that creature survive the trip?”

  “No sign of it, sir. Nothing along the outer hull. Beta two is headed directly towards-” The ship jumped violently as a salvo of incoming fire burst through the still recalibrating defensive batteries. “Us.” Hanlon finished.

  Damage alarms droned. “Damage to sensors and communications,” Kri said. “We're still in the fight.”

  “Mister Patho, would you be so kind as to bring that ship down.”

  “Aye, sir. Main gun charging. Ready to fire in twenty seconds.”

  "Very well, Mister Patho." Stokes watched the countdown quietly. The drone data flickering and showing that every attack was intercepted without difficulty now that the drones were protecting just themselves and not the entire Rampart. He couldn't help but get a nagging sense
of wrongness about the whole situation. It was going far too well for Rampart.

  Patho reported, "Main battery ready to fire on beta two, sir."

  "Fire on beta two, Mister Patho."

  "Aye, sir. Firing." Again the lights flickered, and less than a second later, all energy readings from beta two dropped to zero. "Looks like the hull is mostly intact on beta two, sir. We may have some salvage."

  The bridge was suddenly filled with the sound of the emergency announcement circuit coming to life. A man's voice shouted out of the speakers. “Boarders! A monster is aboard the ship at-” the voice cut off in a long scream.

  “Where did that report come from,” demanded Stokes.

  “Looks like crew berthing just aft of the forward reactor,” Hanlon replied.

  “Alert the Marines. Begin a stem to stern search of the ship.” Stokes was about to give more orders when the ship shuddered. More damage alarms began to wail. “Damage report.”

  “Explosion in the mid ships weapons bay. The entire area decompressed to space.” Hanlon scrolled along her panel for a second. “Also looks like the marines have located a third intruder. It appears to be headed for the aft reactor. The marines have engaged it just outside the wardroom.”

  “Very well, Miss Hanlon.” Stokes turned his attention. “Mister Kri, go back over the sensor logs with Miss Simmons and find out how many of those things could have made it aboard the ship.”

  “Aye, sir.” For a moment the only sound in the bridge was the quiet tapping of panels and breathing. Kri looked up from his panel. “Sir, it looks like three at the most. The rest were gunned down by the point defense turrets.”

  “You are certain, Mister Kri?”

  “Yes, sir. Only three made it close enough to touch the hull.”

  “Very well.” Stokes addressed Hanlon. “Shipwide, exec.” Hanlon activated the shipwide announcement circuit and gave Stokes a nod. “This is Commodore Stokes. We have been boarded by a hostile alien force. One has presumably destroyed itself in the midships weapon bay. The second is pinned down at the wardroom, and the third is just aft of reactor one. Marines are to repel boarders. All small arms trained personnel report to one of these areas with arms and combat armor to combat the intruders.”

  Pounding feet could be heard in the passageway just outside the bridge as people ran for the nearest small arms lockers.

  “Sir, report from the aft marine party,” Hanlon said, “Looks like the one outside the wardroom has been killed.” The ship shook violently as another explosion went off. Yet more damage alarms sounded. “Sir, the alien exploded once it was down. We lost the wardroom and some of the officer berthing areas.”

  “Get the forward team to drive the last intruder to a nonvital area. If that thing goes off near the forward reactor, it could cause catastrophic damage. Evacuate all non-combatant personnel and anyone not in combat armor from the area. Move the uninjured combat armored marines to the forward intruder.” Stokes' voice crackled with the authority of command.

  “Aye, sir.” Linis' eyes narrowed in concentration. “Area is clear of potential casualties if we have another decompression. The intruder looks to be moving aft. Sir, it is coming in this direction.”

  “Very well. Grab a weapon, everyone.”

  Each bridge station was equipped with a small firearm, mostly in case of mutiny or prisoner escape. Sharp clacks of metal against metal filled the bridge as everyone retrieved their weapons and checked the charges. The whine of one millimeter lasers could be heard from the passageway along with unintelligible shouts of the Marines engaged with the intruder.

  The sound of gunfire died down for a moment. Everyone on the command deck began to relax, thinking the intruder must have been stopped. Suddenly, the bridge door burst inward from its frame.

  Standing in the doorway was a massive crab-like monstrosity. Bodily fluids oozed from multiple injuries along its shell. Almost as one, the members of the bridge crew opened fire. Smoking holes opened across the front of the creature. It took three steps and snatched up the helmsman in one massive claw. The man screamed as he was ripped in half by the pincers. The man's scream became a sickly gurgle as the last of his breath drained from him. Blood sprayed across the port bulkhead of the bridge. Simmons shrieked at the sight and dropped her gun, diving under the secondary science console. The gunfire intensified as the intruder took another step and then collapsed.

  Stokes shouted into the sudden quiet, “Evacuate the bridge immediately!” He waived his arms wildly at the rest of the bridge crew. Patho snatched Simmons from under the console and carried her out of the bridge under his arm as if she were a child. Stokes followed close behind the pair, ensuring no one remained on the bridge as he left. Combat armored marines were in the passageway outside of the bridge and closed ranks behind the fleeing bridge crew. A massive explosion shook the ship as the fallen crab detonated. Debris and super heated air rushed through the passageway. Everyone was thrown to the deckplates.

  Raising his head and shouting into the ringing of his ears, Stokes demanded, “Anyone hurt?”

  A chorus of no sirs followed the question. Stokes scrabbled and found himself being helped to his feet by Hanlon. Patho looked into Stokes' eyes and said, “Are you alright, sir?”

  Stokes shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. “I think so. Just stunned from the blast.” He turned to look over the rest of the bridge crew. “Report to the secondary bridge.” He reached out to a bulkhead mounted comm panel and activated the general announcing circuit. “Damage control teams report to the main bridge to run bypass and battle damage assessment.”

  The bridge crew trooped to the nearest lift and within moments were walking into the secondary bridge. Patho sat Simmons gently in the command chair Hanlon would normally occupy. He talked to her quietly for a moment until she shook her head. Simmons then stood and moved to the secondary science station. The rest of crew brought all sensor feeds and systems under their control with shaking hands and furtive looks around the bridge as if another of those monsters might appear at any moment.

  “Status report, Miss Hanlon.” Stokes was starting to feel clear headed again. The aftereffects of the massive adrenaline dump made him feel like every part of his body was quivering. His voice came out clearly despite his shakiness, “Get us a replacement helmsman as well, Miss Hanlon.”

  Hanlon nodded, a smear of blood from flying debris ran down her left cheek. “Aye, sir. A replacement is on the way. Alpha is sitting three hundred meters off our damaged flank, where the mid ships weapons bay decompressed. It looks like he is trying to recover survivors. He is directing a signal at us, similar to the one that the.. what shall we call them?”

  Kri said in a sage tone, “Crabs.” He then paused and gave a hysterical sounding giggle. The rest of the bridge crew smirked or chuckled at their stations, except for Simmons, who just looked at her console with a fixed expression of determination.

  “Settle down folks. We aren't secured from battle conditions yet.” Their reactions made him remember the war. Too much of the war. Stokes sighed. “Now, can we see the signal Alpha is painting us with, Mister Kri?”

  “Ah... yes, sir.” The plot, half the size of the one on the main bridge sprang to life and in front of them was a wave form everyone on Lashmere had seen before. Shaped like an F but with a double curl at the bottom and a long tapering trail from the middle bar that slowly curved downward. Kri spoke into the stunned silence “Sir.. that looks like...”

  “Yes, I can see it, Mister Kri. It looks like the origin tablet. Miss Simmons, is that a comm signal? Miss Simmons?”

  Marli gave herself a shake and began working at her console. A single tear leaked down her cheek, but she kept her hands busy. “Sir, it must be a comm signal. Look at how directional the taper is off axis. Could it be the origin tablet is supposed to be something we... were supposed to get? A signal like this one?”

  Stokes did his best to put his command face back on, but he knew he was not complet
ely successful. He looked at Hanlon. The exec had a nearly expressionless mask on her face and gave him a tight nod. Stokes felt relief that she was holding it together so well, but she was a veteran of the war like he was. “You know as much as I do, Miss Simmons - more, most likely. We'll have to figure this out when we get the immediate situation under control. Mister Patho what is the status of our drones?”

  “Sir, the drones are still on standby. They went into patrol pattern one when we stopped issuing orders, and there were no hostiles left. The autonomous program seems to be working perfectly.”

  "Very well, Mister Patho. Redirect drones for defensive envelope on alpha one." Again Stokes mentally reviewed the situation. Despite the damage she had taken, Rampart had performed well during the brief engagement. "Miss Hanlon, any word yet from command?"

  "No, sir." Linis Hanlon turned and looked at Commodore Stokes. "I'll begin a new sitrep and let them know what has happened."

  "Very well. Also, send another text message to alpha and find out what the heck is going on. We just destroyed two ships and got some big holes in our brand new flagship, and I want to know why."

  "Aye, sir." Hanlon worked the communication console for a moment. "Message coming in now, sir. Reads: I am a scouting ship, was headed here to search for resources for conflict resolution. No data on sentience in this system, please identify your species."

  "Conflict resolution, hm?” Stokes refrained from commenting on getting involved with other people's wars.

  Hanlon responded, "Aye sir. Another incoming text message from alpha. Message reads: My language is completely unlike from yours. Request sanctuary for repair." Hanlon then let out a low chuckle. "Sir we also just received a message from command. It says 'Defend the system per rules of engagement, Attempt peaceful solution if at all possible.'"

  "Very good. Mister Kri, would you take command of the salvage operation. The boat bay chief will be able to check you out a pinnace with a crew of technicians. Also, bring a squad of marines in case there are survivors on the wreck."