“Traders looking for new trade routes,” commented Commander Wisthom shaking his head in doubt. “That still doesn’t explain why they’re out exploring with such a heavily armed ship. If there were a civilian ship with them that handled the first contact situations, I could understand it better.”
“I agree,” replied Admiral Streth taking another sip of his coffee. “We must remember that they are an alien culture, and they may do things differently than we do.”
“I suppose,” replied Commander Wisthom cocking his eyebrow. “I just wish this was over. I also wish we could get a look inside their ship.”
Hedon agreed. He had suggested to the Hocklyns that some of the negotiations could be held on their ship, but they had politely refused. They had claimed that their atmosphere was slightly different from what humans were used to and could cause some unhealthy respiratory complications.
Hedon had wondered if that was true, or just an excuse to keep the humans off of the Hocklyn ship. He had also refused to show the Hocklyns around the Vindication. Senator Jacksom had suggested this privately, but Hedon had politely told him no. Surprisingly, the Hocklyns hadn’t made this request. He had half-ways been expecting it.
They were interrupted as Major Garner’s voice came over the com system. “Admiral Streth and Commander Wisthom, please report to the Command Center.”
The two looked at each other and then both stood up. “I wonder what’s going on?” spoke Commander Wisthom setting down his cup of coffee. It wasn’t like Major Garner to page him unless it was something serious. The major was an extremely competent officer.
“I don’t know,” Admiral Streth replied as he started for the door. He had a sinking sensation that it involved the Hocklyns. He wondered if Senator Jacksom had insulted their guests somehow.
Several minutes later, the two entered the Command Center and immediately noticed a heightened feeling of tension amongst the crew.
“What’s going on?” demanded Commander Wisthom striding over to Major Garner who was standing by the plotting table.
“The Hocklyns broke off negotiations suddenly. They are returning to their ship,” his executive officer replied.
“Do you know what happened?” asked Admiral Streth with growing concern. He should never have left Senator Jacksom and his aides alone with the Hocklyns, not even for a short time. He wondered if the senator had managed to offend the Hocklyns in some way.
“No, I just received a report from one of the marines stating that the Hocklyns suddenly left the conference room for no apparent reason and departed on their shuttle.”
Admiral Streth stepped over to the com system on the command console and activated it. “Senator Jacksom, this is Admiral Streth. I need you to report to the Command Center immediately.”
“The Hocklyn shuttle has reached their ship,” Clarissa reported. “I am detecting a buildup of their energy screen.”
Admiral Streth looked at the main viewscreen for a moment before reaching a decision. “Commander Wisthom, move the Vindication back one hundred kilometers from the Hocklyn vessel. Also, have the Avenger move closer for support. I don’t like this at all. Something’s going on. Maintain Condition Two for now until we find out what’s happened.”
Orders were quickly passed, and both ships began to move into their new orbits. The hatch to the Command Center opened and a marine allowed Senator Jacksom to enter.
“What’s going on?” Senator Jacksom demanded in an aggravated voice.
He had just been preparing to work on his latest report detailing today’s meeting with the Hocklyns. This trade agreement with the Hocklyns could result in a significant boost to his political career. Perhaps he could even move into the inner circles of the Federation government on Tellus in the home system.
Admiral Streth took several steps toward the senator eyeing him suspiciously. “Why did the Hocklyns leave the negotiations so suddenly? I thought we had several more hours of negotiations scheduled for today over the trade items.”
“I don’t understand, Admiral,” Senator Jacksom responded with a heavy frown. “We finished the negotiations for today. We accomplished everything we set out to do.”
“Finished, what do you mean finished?” Admiral Streth demanded his eyes narrowing. There was no way those negotiations could have been done so quickly. Something wasn’t right and he needed to find out what it was. He had a chilling feeling that time was swiftly running out.
What had the senator done? When he had left the meeting, he had understood it would last for several more hours as the two sides went over potential trade items. They were close to working out a tentative trade agreement, but there were still several sticky issues that needed to be resolved.
“You will be quite pleased, Admiral,” Senator Jacksom responded with a broad smile. “The Hocklyns gave me the location of their primary trading world nearest to the Federation, and in return I gave them the location of all four of our primary colony worlds. They will be sending a trading fleet to each of the four systems with potential trade goods we might be interested in.”
“You did what?” roared Admiral Streth, his anger boiling over and his eyes growing wide in disbelief. “Did I understand correctly that you gave the Hocklyns the spatial coordinates to our four main colony systems?”
“Why yes, Admiral,” Senator Jacksom replied with a confused look on his face. “I thought it was a very good deal. It will help to expedite our trade agreement. They also gave me the location of one of their main trading systems. I don’t understand what your problem is with that.”
Admiral Streth turned to the two marines standing at the door. “Take Senator Jacksom into custody and put him in the brig. I am charging him with violating Federation security. If he resists, shoot him!”
“What?” Senator Jacksom stammered, his face turning livid. “I am a Federation Senator, you can’t do this!” He swallowed loudly and looked around the Command Center as if searching for help. No one would make eye contact.
“You may have just given the Hocklyns exactly what they were after all along,” Admiral Streth responded, his eyes gazing piercing at the senator. “Didn’t it ever occur to you that this entire trading story might have only been a ruse to allow them to learn the location of our home worlds? You have just furnished them with that!”
Senator Jacksom turned pale as the two marines stepped forward, grabbed him by the arms, and started to escort him out of the Command Center. “I didn’t know,” he muttered shaking his head in disbelief. “You must be wrong. Surely the Hocklyns are only harmless traders? They gave us the locations of one of their systems also.”
“How do you know the location is real?” demanded Admiral Streth sharply, his eyes biting into the senator. “It could lead to nowhere!”
“Admiral,” Clarissa interrupted her eyes narrowing and her normally calm voice sounding concerned. “The Hocklyn’s energy screen strength has just increased exponentially. From the readings our sensors are showing, their screens are much more powerful than our own. I am also detecting active targeting scans emitting from the Hocklyn vessel.”
“Get him out of here,” Admiral Streth ordered as he turned to face Commander Wisthom. “Commander, I want the Vindication and the Avenger at Condition One. Standby for combat maneuvers. Communications, send a flash FTL message to the StarStrike. Situation volatile. Implement jump.”
Klaxons sounded loudly, and red lights flashed as the crew raced to action stations. The Command Center came alive with intense activity as the crew prepared for battle. The atmosphere in the Command Center had suddenly gone from routine to one of growing apprehension.
“Sir, we’re being jammed. All long-range communication is compromised,” the communications officer reported. “We have short-range communications only.”
“Get a shuttle out,” ordered Admiral Streth knowing the situation was about to get desperate. “Full sublight until they can contact the StarStrike. I want them to broadcast continuously once the shutt
le leaves the flight bay. I want both fighters to fly escort for the shuttle.”
“Yes, sir,” Major Garner responded as he activated his mini-com and passed on the orders.
The Vindication and the Avenger moved closer together and then turned broadside toward the Hocklyn ship. Railguns rotated and turned to target the Hocklyn vessel. Crews on both ships were at full alert and holding their breath waiting to see what happened.
“Shuttle and fighters have left the flight bay,” Clarissa reported. “I am detecting small craft launches from the Hocklyn ship.”
“Fighters,” the sensor operator reported as he used the short-range scanners on the small craft. “They’re heading toward our shuttle and the fighters.”
“Damn, they're fast!” spoke Major Garner, watching the Hocklyn fighters on the sensor screen and then glancing down at the plotting table. “They’re going to catch the shuttle and our fighters before they can clear the jamming.”
Admiral Streth activated his mini-com, which was tied in to short-range communications so he could talk to the Avenger. “Commander Standel, launch your fighters and help cover that shuttle. It’s imperative that the shuttle gets past this jamming so it can send a message to the StarStrike.”
“Message received, Admiral,” Commander Standel replied. “Our fighters are ready to launch and will be out of the flight bay momentarily.”
“Load all heavy and secondary batteries with armor piercing rounds,” ordered Admiral Streth. “Standby to fire on my order.”
“Detecting more active targeting scans from the Hocklyn ship,” Clarissa reported with a look of worry crossing her face. “Their remaining hatches and weapon ports are opening. Inbound weapons fire detected!”
The Vindication shook as weapons fire from the Hocklyn ship impacted the ship’s energy screen. Alarms sounded, and the lights flickered. Admiral Streth could feel the ship shudder slightly from the impacts.
“Energy screen is holding,” Major Garner reported from the plotting table. He looked up at the screens above him. “We are being hit by some type of energy weapon, much more powerful than our lasers. There is also some high-speed projectile fire from what are obviously railguns of some type. Our energy screen can’t hold up to this for long!”
“Return fire!” barked Commander Wisthom glancing at Admiral Streth who nodded in agreement. “All railgun batteries fire armor piercing rounds. Standby for missile launch. I want a full spread from our Shrike missile pod. Helm, turn us eighty degrees starboard, flank speed.”
The ship shuddered again and red lights began flashing on the damage control console. “Section twelve reports major damage to the hull armor and loss of pressure in adjoining compartments. We have a fire in section four, and two of our defensive railgun batteries have been destroyed,” the damage control officer reported. “Damage control teams are en route.”
“Their weapons are penetrating our energy screen,” reported Major Garner worriedly as he listened to several reports over his mini-com. “The screen is being weakened in some areas by multiple hits.”
“I am detecting a missile launch from the Hocklyn vessel,” Clarissa reported with growing concern in her voice. “It’s aimed for the mining installation.”
“What type of missile?” Admiral Streth demanded, with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The two cruisers were too far away to intercept the missile. He hadn’t expected the Hocklyns to attack the mine. Those were defenseless civilians, why attack them? The miners posed no threat to the Hocklyns.
“It’s nuclear,” Clarissa reported as she tracked the missile. “The mining operation will not survive.”
“That’s an unprovoked attack upon civilians!” Commander Wisthom protested angrily. “There’s no reason for that! What kind of people are these Hocklyns?”
“Hocklyn ship is maneuvering. It’s turning its bow toward us,” warned Major Garner.
“Trying to bring their primary energy weapons to bear,” Admiral Streth guessed. “All batteries continuous fire, target the center of the Hocklyn vessel. We need to knock their screens down!”
“Nuclear detonation detected,” reported Clarissa as the viewscreen switched to show a view of the mining site as seen from space. A fiery glow of raging destruction covered the former location of the defenseless mining operation. There was no chance anyone could have survived.
“Damn them,” muttered Major Garner his eyes showing anger. “Those civilians never had a chance.”
“Shrike missile pod firing,” the weapons officer reported.
From the Vindication, twenty-four missiles blasted away from the large hatch, which contained one of the Vindication’s two Shrike missile pods. It took the deadly missiles less than ten seconds to travel the one hundred kilometer distance between the Vindication and the Hocklyn vessel.
The Hocklyn vessel released a series of interceptor missiles and weapons fire, taking out sixteen of the inbound missiles. Small bright explosions littered the space between the two ships. The other missiles impacted the Hocklyn’s energy screen, driving it back against the hull and causing it to waver in a few areas. Several armor piercing railgun rounds penetrated the weakened screen and struck the hull, causing moderate damage to those sections of the Hocklyn ship. The rounds tore through the hull armor, leaving gaping holes and a burning red glow.
“We hurt them that time,” Major Garner reported as he studied his screens and read the data coming across.
“Our fighters are engaged against the Hocklyn fighters. It’s six against four,” Clarissa reported as she watched the dogfight that was now raging in space several thousand kilometers away from them. “The shuttle is accelerating away from the battle and is still broadcasting. We just lost one of our fighters.”
More explosions covered the energy screen of the Hocklyn ship as a missile strike from the Avenger slammed home. Two of the explosions were in the kiloton range. When the explosions cleared several large burn marks were visible on the hull of the Hocklyn ship, as well as severe damage to one small section of the hull.
“That caused more damage,” reported Major Garner watching his screens and studying the tactical data. “Their energy screen is a problem. We need to concentrate the firepower from both ships in one area to penetrate their screen in order to do significant damage. We’re just not hurting them enough.”
“Move us out of here,” Commander Wisthom ordered as he saw the Hocklyns trying to line up for a bow shot at the Vindication. “Maneuver Delta Seven! We need to hit them with our lasers. Helm, get this ship turned now!”
The sublight drives of the Vindication brightened as she began to turn trying desperately to bring her primary lasers to bear. It was a desperate race to see which ship could get their heavy energy weapons to fire upon the other first.
As soon as the order was passed, Admiral Streth looked up at the scanner and sensor screens. They weren’t turning fast enough. The Hocklyn ship was almost in position. Hedon was afraid they were about to find out what type of weapon was on the bow of the Hocklyn ship.
“Hocklyn ship is firing its main energy weapons,” Clarissa warned as the enemy vessel completed its turn. She could sense targeting scanners scanning the Vindication.
A bright glow appeared on the bow of the Hocklyn ship. The Vindication shook violently and then the lights in the Command Center went out. Major Garner was thrown off his feet, and there was screaming in the sudden darkness. Several panels blew out, sending a shower of brilliant sparks cascading across the room. A few moments later, the emergency lighting came on.
“Major damage to primary hull,” Clarissa reported as she used her internal sensors to scan the ship. She could almost feel the pain from the damage since she was monitoring all of the ship’s systems. The AI had its own emergency power system, so it could remain operational in an emergency. “Numerous compartments have been compromised. FTL drive is down. Sublight has been reduced to fifteen percent. Main weapons are off line, secondary weapons are off line. We have num
erous fires raging throughout the ship.”
More Hocklyn rounds were penetrating the severely weakened energy screen of the Vindication, rattling the ship with each hit. More lights on the damage control console turned a glaring red. The ship was starting to come apart around them. Smoke began filling the air in the Command Center, making it difficult to breathe.
Admiral Streth glanced over at the damage control console. Even from his position at the command console, he could see the multitude of red lights. The ship was dying around them! A muffled explosion rattled the Command Center, sending several crewmembers to the floor. Admiral Streth grabbed the command console in order to keep his footing. It wouldn’t be much longer now. He could hear frantic crewmembers screaming and crying for help. With growing guilt, Hedon knew that he should have brought the StarStrike in to begin with. Amanda had been right.
Commander Wisthom was shouting orders over his mini-com trying to find out the status of his ship and get aid to where it was needed. Major Garner was getting up from the floor where he had been thrown. He staggered over to the plotting table trying to make sense of what it was showing.
In space, the Avenger had completed its turn and its two main bow laser batteries fired. Commander Standel knew he had to take the Hocklyns attention away from the Vindication. Two bright orange-red beams of light reached out and touched the bow of the Hocklyn ship. Two small explosions occurred where the beams penetrated the Hocklyn’s energy screen and struck the unprotected hull.
The Avenger quickly followed it up with a missile strike from their remaining Shrike missile pod. Explosions spread across the bow of the Hocklyn ship, but very little damage resulted. It was obvious this part of the Hocklyn ship was heavily armored. The Hocklyn ship maneuvered slightly, bringing its heavy bow weapons to bear on the Avenger. The Avenger went to flank speed and tried to maneuver out of the way, but it was too late. Two beams of violet light shot out from the Hocklyn vessel, penetrating the Federation ship and coming out the other side. The Avenger’s sublight drive died, and the ship lost all power.
The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact Page 5
