by Lori Beery
“So, why not just do that?” inquired Jacarr.
“Because we need practice defending a ship using ‘catch and release’ and ‘disassemble’ methods,” I replied. “– Plus I want to see if they will stop of their own accord or make us stop them.”
“This is going to be a lesson?” burst Lucera incredulously.
“Of course,” I responded. “Situations like this may come up a lot while we are out here. I would like us to excel at our techniques.”
Chapter 20
Finally, the time arrived. Stage three, the comet colliding with rock two, was achieved successfully. We waited for stage four, the death of the pirate probes, to be realized. We had less than sixty deci before that happened. During this waiting period, I teleported the probe crystal to the nuclear reactor. I positioned it so it was well-hidden, but still able to destroy the reactor. I would test the durability of the scan-scattering material that encased the engine room.
A time check showed we had twenty deci left to wait. I directed my Hexacle to surround the crystals so that Lucera stood by the first one. I moved behind her and laid my hands gently on her shoulders. “Relax,” I told her. “Please remember to draw your power from the first crystal.” She nodded. I activated all three crystals while she steadied her breathing. I squeezed her shoulders gently. “That’s good,” I said. “Take the image from me but wait to execute until we know the probes are gone.” She nodded her understanding. I felt her take the image and hold it in her mind.
“The probes are gone,” announced Dulain.
Lucera drew a big breathe and executed the image. The replica materialized behind the Paradise far enough back so as not to activate proximity alarms. I signaled the other members of my Hexacle to sheath the Paradise in wards. I took control of the replica. I adjusted its course and speed to match that of its original. When I finished, I looked down at the crystals. They all glowed. Although the first one was visibly dimmer than the other two. When I brought my attention back to Lucera, she beamed with delight. “Excellent job, Lucera,” I praised her. “Dance over and drink down a ‘healer special’.” She giggled and skipped over to the crate where we had placed our drinks. As she drank, Dulain cupped his ear and pointed to the booth. Crewman Owens held aloft the communications device. I adjusted the ward so we could hear.
“Hexator Nickoli,” called the Captain through the device.
“Yes, Captain?” I responded.
“It appears you were successful,” he told us. “The replica is behind us and we are reading three-hundred-twenty-five life signs aboard her.”
“Order filled,” I said. “Please feel free to alter course. I will be sending two of my Hexacle members to the bridge shortly. They will help us coordinate our actions with yours.”
“Understood, Hexator,” he acknowledged. “Course change beginning now.”
“Thank you, Captain,” I commented. When I turned to Lucera and Beltrain, they were already putting on their ward-skins. They soon finished. “Link with me,” I invited them. They complied. I adjusted it so we could easily exchange thoughts and personal sensory data but not so close that we were in each other’s skins. ‘Ready?’ I asked mentally.
‘Yes,’ they responded in unison. I watched through their eyes as they made their way through the ward and out of cargo bay four. I readjusted the ward so sound would not carry through it. Before too long, they were on the bridge. They stationed themselves behind the Captain’s chair and began their assignment.
Meanwhile, the remaining members of my Hexacle linked with me. Again, we tuned the links for easy thought and sensory data exchange. This would allow each of us to shift our awareness and not distract one of the other members from their assigned task.
The Paradise finished its course change. I sped up the replica with a short burst to correct for it having been behind the Paradise. It was now right where it should have been if the replica was actually the Paradise on its original course and speed. It was time to wait again. This time we waited for the pirates to spring their trap.
‘So far so good up here,’ reported Beltrain. ‘There is some kind of fine dust that is thick as clouds along our route. We will be making contact very soon.’ What Beltrain described was like a huge, fine, dust cloud. It didn’t strike me or Marleah as being just rock dust. A quick scan of it revealed tiny machines.
‘Beltrain, Lucera construct a big ward shield that will push that dust out and away from the ship’s path,’ I directed. ‘Don’t let any of it come in contact with the Paradise, not even her shields.’
‘Erecting now,’ replied Lucera.
‘Jacarr, KwinJai, collect as many of those molecular machines as you can within a ward bubble,’ I directed. ‘They may come in handy later.’
‘For sprinkling on those pirate rocks,’ suggested Jacarr.
‘That’s a possibility,’ I responded.
I shifted my awareness to the pirate base and the small-body field surrounding it. Dulain and Marleah joined me. We noticed no activity. There were, however, vessels positioned just within the outside rim of the field. Their activity suggested they were replacing the lost probes. They were actively running sensor sweeps along our heading. They were a little closer to the pirate base than the pirate probes had been. Perhaps they didn’t have time to get that far. It did appear they gapped the distance between the location they inhabited and the next set of probes. Other than that, we noticed no other activity.
Before the replica got that close, we would have to deal with the mess our comet created. There were rock bits and powder scattered across our course. This time the material was just space rock pieces. I directed Dulain to construct a thin ward just outside the ship’s shield. He did as I asked. The strengthened shield easily pushed the debris out of the way.
I checked in on Lucera and Beltrain. They were doing just fine. The two of them had kept the molecular machines from touching the Paradise. Currently, the course ahead was clear. Jacarr and KwinJai had successfully gathered a large number of the machines. The question was: How would we best use them? As Jacarr mentioned, we could disperse them on the pirate rocks beside the planetoid. The machines might be able to disassemble the scan-scattering material that shielded them. We could scatter them behind the replica as the pirates sprung their trap. Anything coming from behind us would encounter the machines. Unless of course they had a ‘friend’ command that would render them useless against the pirates.
‘KwinJai and I will see if we can disable or change the frequency the machines use,’ Jacarr sent.
‘That’s a wonderful idea,’ I responded. ‘Go for change if possible.’
‘Will do,’ Jacarr affirmed.
Again we waited. We had ninety deci before we were even with the furthest ‘probe’ vessel from the base. The pirates could spring their trap at any time. My guess was they would wait until we were as close as our course would bring us. We calculated that gave us almost a turn to wait.
As we passed the sentry ships, Beltrain announced mentally, ‘We are reading a signal being sent toward the base. It appears to be a course confirmation on the replica. The ship is receiving a hold position message.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘Jacarr, how are you and KwinJai coming on the machines?’
‘We’ve found the emitter frequency they’re using,’ replied KwinJai. ‘Hopefully, it won’t take us to long to change it. Any requests?’
‘Surprise me,’ I replied.
The deci counted down. We were quickly approaching a turn. In about twenty deci we would be at our closest point.
‘Hexator!’ broadcast Dulain. ‘Doors on the back rock just opened! Fighter sized vessels are streaming out. They appear to be headed… away from us.’
‘Stay with them,’ I told him.
‘They have cloaked,’ he remarked. ‘Ion trail indicates they are headed toward us along our heading.’
‘Status with the machines?’ I requested.
‘Finishing,’ Jacarr replied. ‘We need
just a few more sub-deci.’
‘When you have made the change, disperse them along our back trail,’ I instructed.
‘Finished,’ said Jacarr. ‘Dispersing now.’
The molecular machines appeared along the route behind us. Just as the machines began materializing, the fighter sized ships uncloaked.
“This is Captain Lawrence of the passenger cruiser Paradise,” broadcast the captain. “State your intentions.” Although these words were indeed spoken by the captain, I channeled them to emanate from the replica. The vessels made no reply. Instead, they opened fire on the replica as they passed over it.
‘Shield power is falling,’ reported Marleah. ‘One more pass will collapse it.’
‘Shield report noted,’ I responded.
‘The fighters are sending distress calls to the pirate base,’ Lucera sent.
‘Do they say what is happening to them?’ I asked her.
‘I am unsure,’ she replied. ‘They say they have run into some… sandys? And that they are not recognizing their code.’
‘Ah – so that is what they are calling the molecular machines,’ I stated. ‘Issue assistance offer. Channel it through the replica.’
In short order, we heard the captain issue an assistance offer. Sadly, the vessels all disintegrated before the pilots could reply.
‘Those sandys work fast,’ commented Jacarr.
‘That they do,’ I remarked. ‘Jacarr, KwinJai, assemble as many fighters out of the wreckage as you can. Remember to have them broadcast the new friend frequency to those machines.’
‘We’re on it,’ they chorused.
‘Activity at the pirate base,’ announced Dulain. ‘Can’t pinpoint location. I’m guessing it’s not the planetoid. More fighters are on their way. They are going above the plane of the small-body field –correction: they are also going below the plane. They are all headed straight for the replica.’
‘Report noted,’ I said. ‘I’m bringing the beam weapon online. How goes the assembly?’
‘We have two at the moment,’ replied Jacarr. ‘We are working on two more.’
‘Good job,’ I responded. ‘You might want to ward your work area. This could get… messy.’
Messy was an understatement. The fighters streamed at us from above and below our plane. I targeted the point just before the ones descending began their strafing run with one weapon. I did the same with the weapon in the mirror position. I opened fired. The beam slashed out and tore through about a quarter of their fleet before they pulled back.
‘Getting a lot of chatter,’ sent Lucera. ‘Seems the pirates are shocked that they are being fired on with such deadly force. Seems they were told this would be an easy mark.’
‘They are regrouping,’ called Dulain. ‘Looks like they are breaking into smaller groups and attacking at will.’
‘Shields have collapsed,’ reported Marleah. ‘No damage detected to the replica’s haul.’
‘Noted,’ I responded. ‘Anyone for ‘catch and release – or in this case – redirect?’ I asked. ‘Pick a group and begin.’
I formed my ward into a concave shape. Once I selected a squad, I positioned my ward so that it caught the light energy from their beam weapon and reflected it back into the squad. On the first pass their shields held. I did, however, detect a slight decrease in their shield energy level. Each pass drained their shields more. It didn’t take too long before they had no shields at all. With the next pass, they were deprived of their weapons. This squad didn’t attempt to return to base. Instead they aimed their craft directly for the replica and burned their engines. Their ships crumpled against the barrier I had made of my ward.
I found my experience was not unique; both Dulain and Marleah went through the same thing. The three of us each encountered this event four more times. It looked as though only death would stop them.
‘I guess I enraged them with the beam weapon,’ I commented.
‘No,’ said Lucera. ‘It sounds like this is what the pirate leader ordered. He wants the Paradise desperately.’
‘Have you noticed any signals being sent into space?’ I asked.
‘No,’ she replied. ‘It’s possible I have missed them. I will expand my awareness area.’
‘No,’ I told her. ‘Concentrate on the Paradise and whatever you can pick up between us and the pirate base. We will save the other for a later time.’
‘What are you thinking?’ asked Marleah.
‘I may have made an assumption that is less than completely accurate,’ I answered. ‘It is possible the leader in charge of this base is not the leader of all the pirates. This may be a far larger conflict than I thought.’
‘The docking bay door of the planetoid just opened,’ announced Dulain.
‘Prepare to disassemble those parts necessary to keep critical systems on line,’ I instructed. ‘Jacarr, KwinJai, how many ships do you have ready?’
‘We have eleven each,’ replied Jacarr. Apparently those two had made excellent use of their time while we were dealing with the swarm of fighters.
‘You are a-go to fly against the pirates,’ I directed. ‘That does mean weapons are authorized. Be sure to lead our attackers through the sandys any chance you get.’
‘Will do,’ responded Jacarr.
‘We get to fly fighters,’ remarked KwinJai happily. ‘Can we fly them into the ships as they exit the docking bay doors?’ he asked.
‘Now that’s an idea,’ I commented. ‘Bottle them up in their rock, shoot them out of action, and force them into space rocks, whatever renders their ships useless. See what you can do with a single vessel.’
‘Challenge accepted,’ they chorused.
‘Winner is the one who does the most damage and has the most fighters left,’ I specified.
‘Agreed,’ they chorused again.
‘The fleet is on its way to us,’ reported Dulain.
Chapter 21
‘Bring the shields down on the biggest ships and try redirecting the fighters’ weapons into them,’ I instructed Marleah and Dulain.
‘Got more clouds of dense dust along our path,’ reported Beltrain. ‘Confirm high concentration of sandys. Deploying shields to push them out of the way.’
‘There are fighters out here too,’ announced Lucera. ‘They are hanging out on the fringe of the dust. They appear to be running passive scans toward the replica.’
‘Jacarr, KwinJai, what did you do to change the ‘friend’ signal on the sandys?’ I asked. They streamed the necessary information along our link. I passed it on to Lucera. ‘This information should come in very handy,’ I told her.
‘Indeed,’ she responded. She proceeded to apply the change to the sandys in her vicinity.
Just when she was almost finished, the fleet arrived. It looked like the pirates had emptied their base. As soon as they uncloaked, they began firing on the replica. The ship rocked with each impact and the energy danced over the ward, lighting it up like an aurora. I was relieved we had sheathed her in a ward. Without it, there would be no replica. That implied the pirate leader had changed his plans. He no longer wished to capture the ship for his use. Instead, he wished to destroy it.
I took advantage of the excess energy by restoring our personal energy levels, a feat I repeated often during the engagement. Once I was done, I began disassembling the part that the Paradise’s chief engineer had indicated was necessary to keep the weapons on line on multiple vessels. It didn’t seem to lessen their firing upon the replica. Of course, that could be a function of the number of ships participating in the attack. I switched to the part responsible for keeping the shields up. When their shields came down, I started redirecting their fire into those particular ships, and they began suffering damage.
My team and I spent turns repeating this action. We attempted to aim our redirected weapons’ fire to deprive our attackers of their weapons, shields, or engines. Sadly, the energy of their weapons was set at maximum. We were too busy defending the replica that
we didn’t seek a way to decrease the energy level. Therefore, our redirected beams overloaded their systems resulting in hull ruptures and containment breeches. The victimized ships either went dead or became dust and radiation. What a horrible waste of life. In any case by the fourth turn of the following day, the replica was no longer being attacked.
‘We are clear of the sandy field,’ reported Beltrain. He had waited to tell me so as not to distract me from defending the replica.
‘Those things are awful,’ interjected Lucera. ‘They melted those ships out there into nothing.’
‘They are efficient little machines,’ commented Jacarr. ‘That could have been the Paradise’s fate had you not reprogramed them.’
‘I know… but they are still awful’, she responded.
‘Hexator, the planetoid’s ion drive is powering up,’ announced Dulain.
‘What’s our distance from it?’ I asked.
‘We are about two and a half light days,’ answered Marleah.
‘I’m going to ignite the crystal,’ I said. ‘Lucera, Beltrain, prepare to deploy a ward to protect the Paradise. We do not want anything crashing into her.’
‘Preparations in process,’ they responded.
‘Jacarr, KwinJai, get clear of the planetoid,’ I ordered.
‘Give us a moment,’ responded KwinJai. ‘We have nearly finished delivering presents to all their bays. Jacarr is on the last one.’
‘Package delivered,’ reported Jacarr. ‘Commence with ignition.’
‘Proceeding,’ I commented.
I reached out to the crystal I had hidden on the nuclear reactor within the planetoid’s engine room. I pushed hard on multiple bonds. The resultant vibrations quickly spread throughout the crystal. The waves were in sync causing them to amplify over and over again. Within short order, the crystal erupted causing micro fissures to occur throughout the reactor. Moments later the reactor itself exploded taking the ion drives with it. The whole of the engine room was expelled through the confluent nozzle. The planetoid was propelled into the small body field toward open space where it lost momentum by the time it reached the field’s rim. It sat, spewing gas into space.
