by G. P. Hudson
He turned back to his console, calling up a damage report on the enemy cruiser. None of the missiles found their target. Only the energy weapons and pulse cannons hit, causing significant damage. Not enough to destroy her, but it was a start. How much more can she take? A few more rounds should break her apart.
“Juttari battleship is firing missiles,” said the tactical officer. “As are the cruisers on our port and starboard flanks.”
They’re moving in for the kill. “Deploy countermeasures. Reload missile tubes and continue firing on the lead cruiser.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The Juttari battleship spewed forth a daunting array of missiles, while the cruisers launched their own salvos. The Vanguard fired off dozens of its own drones to distract the enemy rockets converging on it. The countermeasures raced off into a myriad of different directions, buying the Vanguard time as it ran the Juttari gauntlet. The incomplete point defense shield proved to be her Achilles heel, however. The point defense shield destroyed most of the Juttari missiles, but the rest found the gap. Several missiles followed each other through the opening and plowed into the Vanguard’s hull in successive waves.
The first two missiles compromised the thick armor, leaving a major vulnerability for the third to exploit. The impact sent shockwaves throughout the massive battleship. Pierce gripped the sides of his console to brace himself as a fourth missile found its mark.
“Reading multiple hull breaches,” shouted Hurley. “Deploying emergency containment fields.”
Pierce watched as the Vanguard fired another round of missiles at the enemy cruiser blocking their way out. Come on. Get through. The cruiser deployed more decoys to distract the missiles, but again they couldn’t deceive all of them, and several Vanguard missiles continued toward their target. Pierce cringed as the cruiser’s point defense shield destroyed each and every one. That’s ok. I’m not done with you yet.
“Retarget energy weapons and pulse cannons,” ordered Pierce. “Focus on the lead cruiser’s railguns. I want a hole in that point defense shield.”
“Retargeting, Sir.”
Come on, give me something to shoot at.
“Battleship is firing more missiles,” said the tactician.
“Deploy countermeasures. Keep firing on the lead cruiser.”
“Captain,” came a voice from behind Pierce.
He wheeled around to see a Diakan in a military uniform standing a few feet away. Pierce knew enough about the Diakan military to recognize the rank. In Diakan terms he was the equivalent of a major.
“Captain,” said the Diakan again. “You have to jump away.”
“What? Who are you?”
“Major Ilthos. I am the leader of the Diakans on board this ship.”
“With all due respect, Major, the Juttari are invading the Sol System. We’re not jumping anywhere.”
“Captain, if you remain here you will be destroyed.”
“Then we’ll go down fighting,” snarled Pierce. “If anything we can buy the fleet some time.”
“Unacceptable.”
“Excuse me?”
“You cannot allow the Vanguard to be destroyed.”
Several more missiles got through the Vanguard’s defenses and penetrated its hull. The impact sending Pierce hopping sideways several steps before he regained his balance.
“More hull breaches,” yelled Hurley. “Attempting to contain.”
“Captain, the jump technology is too important. It must be saved,” said Ilthos with as much emotion as a hunk of wood.
“Jump technology? Are you joking? Earth must be saved. That’s what is important.” Pierce turned to the tactician. “Fire missiles.”
“Belay that order,” commanded Ilthos. “Prepare to jump.”
The bridge crew looked at Pierce and the Diakan, momentarily unsure of who to obey.
“Diakan oversight on this mission is clear,” said Ilthos. “If the Vanguard is at risk, I am authorized to take action. Captain, you will comply, or you will be relieved of duty.”
Pierce bristled, but Walsh had explained that the Diakans had oversight power. They could veto his order, maybe even take his command. He considered their situation again. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and understaffed. They didn’t have a hope in hell of winning this battle. This was the only human ship with a jump system. As much as he hated to admit it, the Diakan was right.
Forgive me, Jessica.
“Jump status?” said Pierce, still glaring at the Diakan.
“Jump system is online. We are jump ready,” said the navigator.
“Initiate jump.”
Chapter 3
“Jump complete,” announced the computer.
Everyone stared at the viewscreen. Silence. No words. No enemy ordnance pounding the Vanguard’s hull. No alarms. Just the serenity of the surrounding stars impassively marking the passing of the eons.
“Report,” said Pierce.
“We have landed in the Glies system, fifty light years from Earth,” said the navigator.
Fifty light years. Incredible. “Why did we jump here?”
“This is the location of the first jumpspace beacon deployed by the Hermes. It was preprogrammed into our systems.”
The Hermes. Our mission. Does it still matter? I have to get back to Earth. I have to save Jessica.
“We need to keep jumping, Captain,” said Ilthos.
“What are you talking about?” said Pierce, becoming increasingly agitated by Ilthos’s interference.
“I’m talking about the mission, Captain. We have to complete the mission. I’m also talking about the Juttaari. They will follow. We have to stay ahead of them.”
“The Juttari are busy attacking the Sol System, which is exactly where we need to be.”
“Captain, the Space Force is fully capable of defending the Sol System. The Juttari jump ships will try to destroy the Vanguard first. Only then will they turn their attention back to Earth.”
Pierce glared at Ilthos. “Commander Hurley, how long will it take to repair those hull breaches?”
“Despite being short staffed, we do have all our repair drones, but the damage is extensive. We’ll need at least three days to seal all the breaches.”
“What about weapons? How long until all our weapon systems are online?”
“At least two days.”
“I thought you said thirty minutes?”
“That was for the point defense rail guns. They only need minor work. To have all our weapon systems online will take a minimum of two days.”
“That’s unacceptable,” snapped Pierce. “The Vanguard should have been ready for battle.”
“With all due respect, Captain, we weren’t supposed to leave space dock for another couple of weeks.”
I need to calm down. “Of course, Commander. I understand,” Pierce said in a conciliatory tone. “Dispatch repair teams-”
“Contact!” announced the tactical officer. “Reading one… no… reading four Juttari warships off our starboard bow. They’re firing weapons.”
The drumming began again in earnest.
“Captain, you need to jump now,” said Ilthos.
Pierce stared at the Juttari ships on his viewscreen and knew Ilthos was right. They had to jump. Farther from Earth. Farther from Jessica.
“Initiate jump,” ordered Pierce.
One second the Juttari warships were moving into formation, the next they were gone.
“Report.”
“We have landed in the Valen system, one hundred light years from Earth,” said the navigator.
“Reading all clear. No contacts,” said the tactician.
“Are we still following the Hermes beacons?” said Pierce.
“Yes, Sir,” said the navigator.
“Plot new coordinates for our next jump. I want to head in the same general direction as the Hermes, but I want to land a few light years away from the beacon.”
“You think the Juttari are following the same beacons?
” said Hurley.
“Don’t you?” said Pierce.
“Makes sense to me, Sir.”
“Coordinates loaded, Sir,” said the navigator.
“Hold position. Let’s see if the Juttari crash the party again.”
They didn’t have to wait long. Within moments the tactician announced new contacts and the four Juttari warships appeared on the viewscreen.
“Initiate jump,” said Pierce.
Seconds later the warships were gone. They were now one hundred and fifty light years away from Earth, in an empty region of space. No nearby stars, or planets. The perfect location to lie low and nurse the Vanguard back to health.
“Hold position. I want new coordinates plotted and ready, just in case. Commander, dispatch repair crews immediately. Let’s get this ship back in fighting shape.
“Yes, Sir.”
Pierce turned around to find the Diakan gone. Scanning the bridge, he found Major Ilthos conversing with another Diakan, both of them standing over a station apparently going over data. At least he knows when to back off.
Pierce turned back to his console and brought up the crew manifest. It actually wasn’t as bad as he first thought, but not good either. They had close to three fifths of their crew on board, including most of the senior officers. They would prove their worth, he was sure. Plenty of double shifts waited for them. Engineering was fully staffed, which made sense. He was happy to see that he had a full contingent of Marines already on board. Two hundred battle ready leathernecks. You can never have too many Marines. Medical was understaffed. That would be a problem. It was likely already a problem after what they just went through. He figured he should head down there and lend a hand.
“Commander, you have the bridge,” said Pierce. “I’m going to pay a visit to the sick bay.”
“Yes, Sir,” said Hurley, his face as hard as ever. “You should probably get those injuries looked at.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Your shoulder wound, Sir. Energy weapon wounds can leave nasty infections if they’re not treated. I don’t know that there’s much to be done about your nose.”
“Yes, of course.” Pierce had completely forgotten about his injuries. Now, with Hurley’s reminder, he became keenly aware of the throbbing pain in his shoulder. He also had a pounding headache. I hope it’s not another concussion.
Pierce wondered about Earth as he left the bridge. Did the fleet hold off the attack? If there were no more Juttari jump ships, he figured they stood a good chance of defending the Sol System. The whole Space Force fleet was built with defense of the system in mind. Space Force was full of veterans. Everyone except the new recruits had served during the wars. He hoped it would be enough. Still he couldn’t shake the gnawing guilt he felt for leaving the battlefield.
I should’ve put a bullet in that Diakan’s skull. The anger festered inside him, and he struggled to contain it. What would happen if he returned to Earth? He could do it. The crew would probably back him. He couldn’t imagine anybody on board wanting to leave the battle. What could happen? Would he really be charged for coming to Earth’s defense? He commanded a battleship, for crying out loud. Something Space Force could use right now. Or was he being emotional? There was certainly some of that. His home was being attacked. His wife was alone and in danger. She didn’t even know what had happened to him. If it weren’t for the attack he would’ve had time to talk to her. To tell her about the mission and say goodbye. As it was, he just disappeared without an explanation. What if she thinks I’m dead?
Slow down, he thought. I’ve got to look at the bigger picture. I’m a Space Force officer, and I need to start acting like one. Think, damnit. The Juttari are hunting the Vanguard. Why? It must be the jump system. Shit. This isn’t just the opening round of a war, this is the opening round of an arms race, and the Juttari want to take the early lead. The Diakan, and the Admiral, were right. I need to protect the Vanguard. I need to find the Hermes. Then there would be two Space Force jump ships. But why only two? Why can’t they build more? Surely the Diakans have the schematics. Why can’t they build a fleet of jump ships to deal with the threat? It doesn’t make sense. There’s something else going on. Something the Diakans aren’t telling me.
Arriving at sick bay, Pierce was shocked at the number of people. The medical team had fallen behind, as there were many injured still standing, waiting for treatment. Scanning the room, he took inventory. Severe burns. Broken bones. Lacerations. Contusions. Thankfully, he didn’t see anything critical. That was good news. He approached a female officer performing triage.
“Where can I find the Chief Medical Officer, Ensign,” said Pierce.
She replied without looking up. “You’ll have to wait your turn like everybody else.”
“Excuse me?”
She looked up and her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, Sir. I didn’t know who you were.”
“That’s okay, Ensign. We’re all under a lot of stress.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Just point me in the right direction and I’ll leave you to your duties.”
“Yes, Sir. He’s right over there.”
The Ensign pointed at a balding middle aged man who was working on a leg injury.
“Thank you, Ensign. Carry on.”
Captain Pierce weaved his way through the throngs of injured until he reached the man. He stopped at the foot of the bed. The man had a nasty cut running the length of his thigh, and the Doctor used a medical bot to apply some type of adhesive to it to close the wound.
The Doctor looked up at Pierce for a moment and returned to the leg. “Good day, Captain. I was hoping we would meet under less stressful circumstances.”
“You look like you could use a hand, Doctor. How can I help?”
The Doctor chuckled. “You can help by getting yourself treated, Captain.”
“I’m fine, Doctor. I can wait.”
“Actually, you’re not fine. Your shoulder has third degree energy weapon burns that need immediate attention, and from the looks of your head you may have suffered a concussion. Wouldn’t that be your fourth?”
Damn it. I shouldn’t have come down here. “You’ve obviously been looking at my medical file.”
“It’s my job.”
“Well you have me at a disadvantage. I haven’t had a chance to look at yours yet.”
“I’m Doctor Jameson. Chief Medical Officer.”
“Doctor Jameson, I assure you I don’t have a concussion. In fact I’m perfectly lucid.”
The Doctor finished sealing the leg injury. “There,” he said to his patient. “That will stop the bleeding. You’ll need a round of biobots to repair any damage to the muscle tissue.” The Doctor then turned his attention back to Pierce. With a scrutinizing expression, he rounded the bed and produced a tiny flashlight. “Let me see your eyes, Captain.” The Doctor flashed the light in his eyes, reminding him of his headache. He then turned the light off and made Pierce follow the small device as he waved it around.”
“Seriously, Doctor. You should be looking after the more serious injuries.”
“You are responsible for command decisions, Captain. I would say the possibility of you suffering a brain injury is very serious.”
Pierce sighed. It didn’t look like he was going to get out of this anytime soon. Doctor Jameson ran the Captain through several more tests before ruling out a concussion. “You’re lucky, Captain, you don’t have a concussion. I should point out that the likelihood of a repeat concussion increases dramatically after your third. You need to be more careful.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
“If you sought medical attention immediately after your first three, they could’ve been treated properly. But you waited, and the damage was done.”
“I was a little busy fighting a war at the time.”
Jameson frowned. “Let’s patch up your shoulder. I’m assuming the battle is over?”
“Yes. We should be fine for a few days.”
“G
ood. That’ll give the rest of my team a chance get on board.”
Shit. He doesn’t know where we are. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Doctor, but the rest of your team isn’t going to be coming on board.”
“What do you mean? Why not?”
“Because we’re one hundred and fifty light years away from Earth.”
Chapter 4
“By the Will of the Great See’er, I call this meeting to order,” said Major Ilthos, scanning his team of Diakans. Each Diakan on the Vanguard possessed their own unique abilities, each one vital to the mission. In fact, he had been surprised at the talented individuals that Diakus had assigned to the Vanguard. He still had trouble understanding it all. During the wars he had actively contributed to the liberation of Earth, and what he saw of the humans was unimpressive. They were a feeble species then, and short of a military that had practically been built by Diakus, he saw no reason to think any different. He saw them as the same wretched people in dire need of Diakan help. But the Great See’er saw things differently, and who was he to argue?
The Diakans seated at the table around him bowed their heads in reverence and replied in unison, “By Her Will.”
“The Juttari have moved to intercept,” said Ilthos. “Does this alter the prophecy?”
“It is a variance,” said Imnos, the Diakan cleric. “A fraying of the string, not a severance.”
“But the Great See’er has not foretold of their actions?”
“The Juttari attempt to manipulate destiny, as do we.”
“Then the Juttari can alter the prophecy.”
“Of course.”
