“Who? What happened to turn your war to their favor?”
“He brought one of those things with him.”
“He has a crystal like mine?”
“Yes, yes, that’s right. Just like yours.”
“What is his name?” Jhahnahkan asked fearing the answer.
“He goes by the name, Uttarak.”
* * *
The Carrier Remedy
Year: 2983.9
R’ihia turned her fighter toward the primary moon, Minos, when five fighters exited the carrier and gave chase to R’ihia. She noticed the fighters behind her on the rear scanner and took evasive action. Still just minutes away from Minos, she began moving the controls from side to side and up and down maneuvering her fighter in an undistinguishable pattern, hoping to keep her pursuers backed off enough to keep their distance. Even though she knew their weapons would be useless while in the range of the dampening cylinders, they could use their ships to ram her and knock her out of commission. She waited for the right moment and then pulled up on the controls, circling around the approaching fighters and then shot down straight to the surface of the moon. She dove down as fast as she could as she headed down to the surface, leveling out just in time. One of the fighters didn’t make the maneuver and littered the surface with its debris as they slammed into the moon.
She continued to fly as low across the crater torn moonscape as she dared to the surface as she headed toward the south eastern mountains. But first she had to outrun the four remaining fighters before she got to the valley. She felt that she was nearing the limits of the weapon’s dampening field and armed her turrets, pointed them behind and pulled the firing trigger. Nothing, she thought, not quite there yet, keep trying.
R’ihia was an accomplished fighter pilot and could easily outmatch most other pilots in the fleet, but she was also aware that she needed to keep as focused as much as possible in order to reach the North Base to bring in reinforcements. She had to fly flawlessly through the canyon before they would reach the North Base, but needed to gain more distance or they would end this before she would truly become free.
She fine-tuned her engines to produce as much speed as was possible to try and keep enough distance between her and the approaching fighters. She pushed the engines as far as she risked, any more and she could blow a power coupling and then they would easily catch her.
She continued to pull the firing trigger on the rear turret as she came up close to the edge of another crater. She lifted up just a bit before flying down the sides of the crater. The weapons began to fire part way down the side of the slope; her aim was dead on to the lead fighter in pursuit. The now three remaining fighters darted up and around the debris from the lead fighters disintegration and quickly returned on course in pursuit of R’ihia. The last fighter giving chase was not as lucky as his wingman, as one of the pieces from his fallen comrade’s ship bounced up and into the fighter’s main engine causing an explosion and flames that lasted only moments in the small atmosphere that remained on Minos. The ship fell to the bottom of the cavern and skidded on the surface and came to a stop as it began to lean sideways. The pilot cussed her and threw his fist in the air as the two remaining fighters continued the chase.
She was tempted to turn and face the two fighters. She would have loved taking them out and then returning to the base in honor. But she was so very close to the base, she decided to push on and hopefully lose them in the mountainous valley.
They opened fire on R’ihia’s fighter as she darted about missing each of their strikes. She approached the upward slope on the other side of the crater and gently pulled up while keeping as close to the surface as she could. The other fighters were not quite as brave and flew at a slightly higher altitude making firing at her ship and hitting it next to impossible. It was clear to them that she knew what she was doing so they used as much caution as they could afford.
She rose out from the side of the crater and gunned it to a narrow opening in the mountain valley wall. She rolled ninety degrees in order to make the entrance and with grace, she flew between the two walls and now to her perspective, she was flying along another surface. The fighters mimicked her maneuver and entered the walls in pursuit and began to close the gap.
Now she was in full range as was apparent by their weapons fire. With not much clearance, R’ihia had no room to dart and miss their weapons fire. Her shields held for now and she only needed them to hold for just a little longer.
She reached over and typed in an access code into the transmitter and punched the transmit button sending a code to the North Base that she was in need of emergency assistance and to lower the barrier.
The fighters exited one and then the other two, not close behind. She righted her fighter and prepared for the fun. She wished she could see the faces on those two pilots in a moment. She continued on her flight path straight toward the side of a great mountain, and then the mountain vanished revealing the North Base. The main complex lit up as gun turrets came to life.
She smiled at the welcome sign of the base appearing and that she would be home in moments. She thought of the things she would do once she landed; slam a stiff drink and eat some real food.
The closest fighter got a lucky shot and penetrated her fighter’s shields. Her panel lit up with red flashing warning lights on the board. Her onboard computer attempted to compensate and divert power back into the shields, but with the relentless barrage of weapons fire her ship couldn’t take the beating as the shields continued to fail.
Her engine was hit. She tried to pull the emergency ejection lever, knowing she was moments from death. Her fighter slammed into the surface of the moon creating a huge explosion and then she faded to blackness.
She tried to feel herself, but could not move. Afraid to open her eyes of what she might find, she began to squint. But the more her eyes opened, the more she discovered that she was not where she should be.
Her eyes came into focus and there was Rivynon holding his crystal above her head with a smile on his face, “There now,” he said, “that was not so bad now, was it?”
“What did you do to me?!” She spat. “Where am I?”
“You are in the medical bay of the Remedy, my dear.”
“But, how? I escaped!” She wept in panic.
“I planted the thought deep in your mind and allowed you to believe you had escaped,” Rivynon explained. “You do not think we would have been so lame as to actually let you get away before telling us where your base was located now did you?”
“The Base!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, my dear!” Rivynon laughed, “You led us right to the base and even gave us your access codes just before I made your little vision end.”
“You used my fantasy of escaping to make me give up the location!” R’ihia said as she deflated.
“And with three days to spare too.” Rivynon mused to the others, “You see my dear, I had to get you to give us the location before six weeks from the truce. That was one of the conditions; turn over all prisoners within six weeks.”
He turned to the doctor, “Get her cleaned up and ready for departure. She’s on the next shuttle. Take her to the Kalentun.”
She depressed onto medical table with a cold feeling of defeat in her heart as she knew she would face death at the hands of her captain.
Rivynon punched in the security code into the console and instructed his communications officer on the bridge to relay the coordinates and access codes to the rest of the fleet.
Arriving at his bridge, Rivynon commanded the carrier to break orbit and head to the coordinates he had programmed at the medical bay console.
“Open a channel to the Griffin,” he ordered, “Captain Susumu, come in.”
“This is Susumu of the Griffin, go ahead.”
“Captain, I request you take your ship and follow me, we are going to Minos. The North Base must be exposed.”
“How are you so sure these coordinates are accurate?” Susum
u questioned, “What is your source?”
“R’ihia, first officer of the Kalentun has been our prisoner.”
“Explain!”
“R’ihia was dispatched by the Kalentun and infiltrated our ship just before the attack on Jhahnahkan’s ship’s arrival,” Rivynon answered. “She was, shall we say, persuaded into revealing the coordinates.”
“We must get approval of this action from the council before we proceed!” Susumu urged, “If you are correct about this North Base and its location, they will be found out.”
“No!” Rivynon demanded, “Jhovahkan is in charge now that Jhahnahkan is departing for Zelinite soon. This will never be brought out as long as he is in command!”
“Rivynon, do not do this!”
“We are leaving orbit as we speak,” Rivynon said turning to his helm giving him the ok to engage course, “With, or without the help of the Southern fleet.”
The Remedy turned and left formation within their high orbit and headed toward Minos. The large fleet carrier lazily bounded around and fired thrusters making a yellow and orange glow behind them as they sped away.
The Griffin turned to join them and was shortly followed by the Eastern which also changed course and matched speed with the Remedy.
“You are not going in there alone,” Susumu replied, “If you are right, you will need backup.”
“Much obliged,” Rivynon thanked, “Arm all weapons and prepare for battle.”
“What about the dampening field?”
“I am convinced that the Base is located just beyond its effectiveness.”
“So how did she come to tell you?” Susumu asked.
“That does not matter, what does matter is that she told us the location and access codes.”
“I hope you are right.”
“I understand that if I am wrong, it will cost me my commission, but if I am right, certainly a promotion.”
“Risk takers usually succeed.” Susumu said, “I will stand by for instructions.”
It only took a few minutes for the ships to be in position just in front of the mountains that pointed directly to the North’s Base location.
Rivynon waited for the Griffin and Eastern to fall into formation with them before punching the codes to reveal the base before them.
“Sir,” the helm reported, “they are at our flank.”
Rivynon hit his hand on the transmit button sending the access codes out to its destination. He waited for a few agonizing moments, long enough for the captain of the Griffin to begin to doubt his friend, when the terrain began to change in front of them.
The mountains changed from their grey rocky appearance to a metallic shape that revealed a hidden base. There was a massive iron worked structure that encompassed three construction bays for additional ships and from the looks of it; there was a completed carrier in the closest bay to them. The other two bays had a destroyer variation being constructed and they were over half way completed.
“I’ll be dammed,” Susumu said in amazement, “Those little bastards do have a hidden base.”
Rivynon smiled as he called the Kalentun to inquire as to why they had lied about having a base. “This must be reported to the council at once!”
The north fleet leader remained quiet as they discovered their base had been compromised leaving the Northern Fleet red faced.
Rivynon stood on his bridge, his arms crossed and beaming with satisfaction.
“Sir, R’ihia has departed for the Kalentun with escort,” his com officer reported.
“Very well, she was very useful to us,” Rivynon said with a sick smile.
“Sir,” Torbik, his first officer said, “Are you not worried as to what she will tell them?”
“No…” Rivynon said coldly as he held his finger over one button on his console, “Not at all.”
He lowered his finger and gently pressed the glass button and the bridge filled up with light by an explosion just off their port bow.
“I was not about to let them dishonor her death.” He smiled, “I just removed the burden from them.”
The others looked on in fear at what their captain had done.
“Now she can finally be free.”
* * *
Chapter 9
Revelations
Leif Erikson – Ackturrian Orbit
Year: 2983.9
“Sir!” Lanatek reported, “We are showing an explosion on our scanners on the back side of Minos!”
“Helm!” Jhahnahkan ordered, “Change course to investigate. Glenda, what activity do you read?”
“The Remedy, Griffin, and the Eastern broke formation and are positioned in the close area of that explosion,” Glenda reported, “There is chatter all over the channels about the discovery of the North Base, said to be on the back side of Minos.”
“Uttarak,” Jhahnahkan asked, “are you getting this?”
“Yes,” Uttarak replied over the com channel, “It looks like they are about to launch an attack on that base. I suggest we increase speed.”
“I agree my son,” Jhahnahkan said as he motioned Lanatek to carry out that order, “Can you redirect any of those weapons inhibitors to the area?”
“I can spare a few. That should have no effect on the current grid around Ackturra.” Uttarak said with a nod, “I’m working on it right now.”
A few moments went by and a dozen canisters began to fire their engines from strategic locations around Ackturra and formed into one main unit as the twelve canisters combined. It flew out past the Leif and Destiny with great speed as they followed to intercept to hopefully thwart a new outbreak in the civil war.
“Glenda, open a channel to the Remedy!” he ordered with clenched teeth.
“Channel open,” Glenda said exchanging glances.
“Remedy!” Jhahnahkan began, “What’s the meaning of this hostility?”
“Sir,” Rivynon answered, “I have discovered a secret base. The North faction has hidden its location from us.”
“Do not fire on that base!” Jhahnahkan answered, “Do I make myself clear!”
“I understand sir,” Rivynon replied, “But we cannot allow this to go unanswered, we must attack.”
“Glenda, cut the channel.” he said with sorrow, “he has a crystal and it is corrupt. This is what’s feeding this.”
“Are you sure sir?” Lanatek asked.
“Yes, I can feel it. It’s infected.”
“What are you orders sir?” Lanatek asked.
Jhahnahkan sat in his command chair and thought for a moment. “The better question we need to ask is how Rivynon obtained a crystal? The south has been cut off from the crystal caverns. Most southern captains never made it before the civil war outbreak.”
Kate turned to her lover, “Jhahnahkan, if it is true that he possesses an infected crystal, then it is certain he will fire on that base.”
“Uttarak, ETA on your inhibitors arriving at the Minos location.” Jhahnahkan asked.
“The canisters will be in range in two minutes.” The reply came.
“We shall arrive in less than five.” Lanatek added.
“Not soon enough” Jhahnahkan said standing to his feet.
“Where do you think you’re going Jhahnahkan?” Kate said as she too stood.
“I need to intervene… now!” He said standing off to the side of the bridge, “Lanatek, take command.”
Jhahnahkan pulled out his crystal sphere and held it out causing a vortex to open. The crew could see the bridge of the Remedy as he stepped through closing the vortex as he entered.
“Glenda,” Lanatek ordered, “Open a channel to the Griffin and Eastern. Tell them they need to break their formation and vacate the region. We are inbound and intend on taking out the Remedy if it does fire.”
Glenda busily contacted each ship and relayed his message as the Leif Erikson and Destiny rocketed toward the location of the North’s base.
Rivynon studied his command console and noticed that his two comrad
es had begun to break formation, “Griffin! Eastern! Where are you going? Fall back into formation!”
Rivynon panicked knowing he was beginning to lose support for this action and gave the tactical officer his orders, “Open fire on that base!”
Rivynon didn’t waste any time in shoving the tactical officer away from his station seeing he had also lost the support of his bridge crew. He locked his main weapons on the base structure where the completed carrier was docked. As he pressed the fire button, and his ship launched its assault on the base, the helm officer diverted the Remedy from its position attempting to confuse the captain in an attempt to help prevent the attack.
The ships laser turrets fired at the base and exploded on the surface of the structure. The iron works surrounding the carrier gave way and collapsed around the ship. Rivynon fired more weapons and more debris exploded causing damage to the ship now trapped under the massive structure.
The Remedy’s security chief entered the bridge and rushed over to Rivynon in hopes to pull him away from the controls but he erected a shield around himself, using his crystal fragment, which prevented anyone from interfering.
He continued to pound the base with the Remedies weapons making significant damage to the structure and its ships inside.
The base was unable to respond to the threat since Rivynon had entered the security codes to lower all weapons and defenses systems. More of the structure tumbled crushing the two partially completed ships as missiles were launched. They impacted its target which created clouds of fire and smoke. The moon’s surface was scattered with slowly falling debris from the station as more explosions rocked the massive base.
The carrier within the first toppled structure fired up its engines and began to push itself straight up through the collapsing iron structure in hopes to salvage what they could by getting it out of the path of the incoming attack. The carrier armed weapons and activated shields to full power and returned fire on the attacking Remedy.
The weapons impacted on the shields and knocked the ship even more off course. With the helms turn and the weapons hitting the ship they began to list to one side. The shock of the return fire rocked the deck of the bridge which sent all who were standing down to their knees while others still sitting were held in place by the energy restraint systems built into each seat.
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