The Garoden War. (SpaceFed StarShips Series) Book 6. An action-packed follow-on story that sees the Earth's Space Navy in action.: ‘Into the Fire.’

by Gerry A. Saunders

  Frank attempted to picture the brain pattern. Then staggered, mentally, as the companion brain met his.

  ‘Ba Cago,’ it appeared to say, as it realized another mind had touched it.

  “Blanket-fire,” Frank involuntarily shouted out, as Charlotte translated ‘Ba Cago’ for him.

  Then, feeling giddy, he immediately broke contact with the Garoden’s second brain.

  “All ships. Move away. Fast. They’re about to hit us by laying down blanket-fire,” he ordered and felt Andromeda backing off straight away.

  ‘Too late,’ he thought, as he saw the Argonaut and Michigan’s Icons on his screen as they began to move away from the two massive Garoden vessels.

  Then, a volley of short duration particle beams erupted from both of the Garoden ships. The beams, spreading out in a random fashion, stabbing out into the darkness of Space, and searching for something to hit.

  Frank gasped, as a part of the Michigan suddenly flickered into view on his screen. One of the alien ship’s particle-beams had penetrated her shield and fried some of her stealth mosaics.

  The Michigan’s Antimatter weapon was too far offline to be able to hit the Garoden vessels. So the ship opened fire with her own particle beam weapon, in a futile attempt to fight back.

  Seeing this, the Garoden ships then concentrated their beams towards the visible part of the Michigan.

  “What the hell is Captain Campbell doing?” Frank almost shouted in bewilderment, as he saw that the Michigan’s Icon wasn’t moving.

  “They're trying to replace the sequencer unit that initiates both the Skippa and warp drives. It was overloaded during the alien’s hit,” Andromeda informed him.

  “They won’t make it in time,” Susanna said, and sighed, aware that there was only one likely outcome.

  “Andromeda, can we do anything?”

  “Sorry, Frank, we haven't the power, or equipment, to help.”

  The Starcruiser Neutron was two light-minutes off Andromeda’s bow and reacted straight away.

  “Bob,” Captain Sherman shouted out. “Plot an intercept with the Michigan. Quick,” he ordered.

  “Ben, Tell Captain Campbell to lock-down as soon as we touch.”

  “What? Do you really want us to commit suicide?”

  “No, Ben. Just do it!” he snapped.

  “Bob?”

  “Nearly done.”

  “Bob. We’re out of time,” Sherman warned.

  “Got it,” Bob said, hitting the engage power tab on his console. The Neutron’s massive power unit then engaged, and the ship surged forward.

  Sherman immediately overrode the tactical computer control, and manually guided the Neutron along Barlow’s coordinates.

  Then hit the contact tab for their tech-lab.

  “Tom, Stewart,” he yelled, “Track the Michigan. Just make sure we both stay cloaked.”

  No one acknowledged him.

  “Come on. You’re our warp and stealth technology boffins, damn it. It’s about time you earned your keep. Just watch our backs. Do it now!”

  “We’re on it, Captain,” Tom confirmed.

  “Good. Keep your comms link open,” he warned them.

  “Bob. Run our shield at maximum. Now.”

  “Are we going to try out my theory?”

  “Yes, the Michigan's shields are suspect anyway. Come to that so are ours.”

  “Sir, you do realize that they may be able to detect the electrical density change, as our shield strength shifts to the maximum. Don’t you?”

  “I’m counting on it, Bob,” Sherman grimly replied.

  That made Bob nervous, but he remained silent. After all, he knew his captain was probably the best tactician he’d come across.

  The Neutron was now fast approaching the Michigan, and Sherman could see that both of the Garoden vessels were firing short bursts of particle beams at the Michigan’s uncloaked section.

  “None of their cylindrically shaped missile type things have been launched yet,” Bob said, breaking the silence.

  Sherman didn’t answer. He just concentrated on swinging his ship round, to be able to stop at the exact position he needed to be, alongside the Michigan's hull.

  “Incoming,” Bob yelled. As some of the alien’s weapons fire switched target and came their way, having detected the Neutron’s screen density change. Flashes of purple-blue light flared around the Neutron’s protective screen.

  Then the Neutron made contact with the Michigan's hull. Just a meter from Sherman’s intended position. Barlow was impressed at Sherman’s accuracy.

  “Barlow, lock us…Tom, stealth wing out now,” Sherman ordered.

  He felt a slight jolt as both ships magnetically locked together. While at the same time, the stealth wing’s extended mode light illuminated on his screen.

  “We’re covered Captain,” Stewart confirmed over the open channel.

  “Look out, something’s coming our way,” Bob yelled again, as he pointed at his tactical display while fearing they were on a suicide mission after all.

  “I see them,” Sherman confirmed.

  Then Andromeda’s voice rattled through their comms. “Two missiles. Contact, thirty-five seconds.”

  “Tell me something I don’t already know,” Sherman growled.

  “Tom, are you and Stewart ready with that new warp system?”

  “Yes, we’ve set to jump one light year. Just hit the warp extra, and we’re gone.”

  “Hmm, a bad choice of words, Tom,” Bob grumbled.

  But Captain Sherman wasn’t listening anyway, and just hit the Warp extra tab.

  -Ω-

  “What the…? Where did that ship go?” Verice asked.

  ‘Two ships,’ his companion calmly corrected him.

  “Yes…, alright,” Verice angrily replied.

  Griken, on hearing Verice snap disagreeably at his companion. Was taken aback by his evident displeasure. But he kept quiet, having noted that Verice was deep in thought and looking sour-faced.

  Verice was annoyed, and thinking about Companion brains in general. His companion had been implanted in his head when he was a teen. At the time, he had found it easy to get used to using it. And over time, it had become a vital part of him, as it was with all ranking Garodens.

  Nevertheless, in principle, he didn’t like the idea of a companion brain. He had grown to believe that it had made the Garodens much too reliant on their Companions, for their own good. So, now, he was always very careful not to convey his real feelings towards his companion.

  More recently, he had also come to feel that the Companions were beginning to question the commands given to them, too often. In fact, the more he thought about it, he was sure that they were becoming less efficient. Perhaps, even complacent.

  Then he remembered the time when his companion had felt an intrusion as if something had mentally touched it. This made Verice wonder if there were other forces out there.

  Forces that were equal to theirs and that were able to affect how their Companion brains operated.

  He thought about that a bit more, then decided. No. The intrusion had gone because the Garodens themselves were mentally stronger and had forced it out.

  “Griken. Where are our missiles going?” Verice snapped.

  Griken studied his tracking data, before answering.

  Chapter 25

  Quad-Sync, again

  Frank, the Michigan, and Neutron have both jumped,” Andromeda confirmed, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Charlotte, can you try to destroy the Garoden’s missiles?” Frank asked.

  “You’d better, otherwise, they might get lucky and hit the Argonaut or us,” Susanna matter of factly stated.

  Both Charlotte and Cindy concentrated, but the missile’s guidance brains didn’t seem to have any sensitive areas that the two of them could manipulate, or exert any control over. At least, not at the moment.

  “No luck, Frank. Our best bet is to try and influence the brain you touched e
arlier. Try picturing the one that you told us felt your presence,” Charlotte urged.

  “Better still, let’s Quad-sync, then try,” Cindy suggested.

  “Agreed, Susanna. Anchor us as before,” Charlotte ordered.

  “Why am I always left behind?” Susanna muttered to herself.

  Once ready, the three of them slowly moved their combined mental probe out and towards the Garoden ship. With Susanna acting as their anchor.

  Even though their quad-sync had become much stronger now. They knew they still had to increase the level more this time, as the ship was much further away than before.

  Then their quad-sync probe touched the alien ship’s living stealth coating and passed through without interference.

  Frank felt the other three minds join him, as he tried to picture the brain pattern from memory, then find it again. He knew now that the Garoden’s primary-brains showed in his mind as amber glows. With the second brains being duller than the others.

  Gradually, an image came into his mind, and the three slowly moved their quad-synced mental probe out and towards this Garoden brain.

  ‘I’ve got it,’ Frank said as he guided them on, knowing this was the brain he’d touched before.

  The selected brain sparked with a million tiny points of light as they closed in on it. With all of their minds concentrated on finding something that resembled, an Abort or Self Destruct command.

  Science officer, Griken’s companion brain, suddenly realized that it had been compromised, and tried to shut itself down.

  ‘Envasto,’ his Companion mentally screeched.

  ‘Intruder alert,’ Charlotte translated.

  Then Charlotte immediately raised her mental level far higher, drawing Cindy and Frank’s levels up to hers.

  With this combined mental power causing the second brain to remain active.

  ‘Yow Capris’ Griken’s companion sent.

  ‘I am compromised,’ Charlotte again translated. ‘It’s okay, he’s ours,’ she confirmed.

  Charlotte sent the message ‘Abito fishtic,’ mentally ordering the second brain to send an Abort signal to the missiles.

  Then smiled to herself, as she realized the alien’s brain had complied, and the self-destruct command had been sent to them.

  Susanna, holding the mental link between herself and the other three, felt the missiles detonate, way out in empty space.

  ‘Done,’ she triumphantly stated, mentally superimposing the information on their link.

  In the meantime, Frank, having already sensed triumph, threw caution to the wind. To him, this alien’s primary brain seemed to be much more intelligent. So he concentrated, trying hard to memorize the brain’s pattern, and was pleasantly surprised when he succeeded.

  Emboldened by his success, he decided to memorize the other primary brain that was close to the first one.

  Once again, he was successful, but only just in time, as the brain became aware of his contact.

  ‘Withdraw,’ Charlotte mentally snapped. Prompting Susanna to pull them out, fast.

  -Ω-

  Griken had heard and felt his companion’s first warning. But, he hadn’t registered anything himself, until the alien mentally touched his mind.

  Fear flooded him, as he realized that who, or whatever, it was, might attempt to control him. Then he saw Viceroy Verice’s face take on a look of horror.

  In a strange way, he felt pleased. Knowing that Verice had also been violated by these supposedly simple aliens.

  But the fear both Garodens felt quickly turned to hatred, as they realized that the alien’s mental intrusion had intentionally gone.

  Then Griken’s companion, having become active once more, issued a series of unrecognizable mental garbage.

  “I suppose your Companion sent the self-destruct command to our missiles, Griken,” Verice stated.

  “It looks that way, Excellency.”

  “Then, nothing is as straightforward as we first thought.”

  After this episode, Viceroy Verice deliberately by-passed his companion brain. Checking instead with the ship’s operations coordinator to find out when the rest of his fleet would arrive.

  ‘One hour and ten minutes,’ came the brain’s reply.

  This surprised Verice. He hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. Not long. Then we’ll bombard space with our weapons fire until we find them, he thought to himself.

  “We’ll stay put and wait for the rest of the fleet to arrive,” he ordered his officers. Then told his companion to relay the order to Captain Stugron.

  -Ω-

  “Captain… The two Solveron reinforcement ships will be Exiting warp…, in sixteen minutes,” Andromeda announced.

  “Well, that’s quicker than Captain Sitrea thought they would arrive,” Frank commented.

  “But, why have they only sent two ships?” he complained.

  “Better than nothing, Frank” Susanna replied.

  Frank tried to remember the last brain he had touched, in detail. “Did anyone get a name or anything else on these brains?” He asked.

  Then Charlotte, surprised them all, by uttering the word, companion, having finally realized that this was what the other brains really were.

  “No,” Cindy said in answer to Frank’s question, surprised that he had asked.

  “Well, I did. I have no idea why. But, the first brain… Yes, I’m sure he was referred to as, Griken.

  The last one I touched, seemed to be authoritative… Yes… Viceroy Verice that was the other brain’s name.”

  “I’ve no translation for either of those two names,” Charlotte replied, sounding disappointed.

  “Do you think they’re important, Frank?” Susanna asked.

  “Maybe… They certainly didn’t like my contact with them.”

  By this time, all four of them were mentally tired. Even so they all realized that they had achieved a great deal.

  Then, Frank, looking at Charlotte and Cindy saw that they appeared to be more exhausted than him and Susanna.

  “Are you two okay?” he asked.

  “Just thinking about the Solveron’s… Commander Sodran’s ship didn’t stand a chance, Frank,” Charlotte remarked.

  “I know, and neither will these two Solveron ships if they try to engage on their own,” he replied, as he saw the Icon for Argonaut's captain suddenly flash on his screen.

  “Connect,” Frank ordered, and contact was established.

  “Yes, Hector, what do you want?”

  “The two Garoden ships seem to be staying put at the moment. I guess they’re waiting for the rest of their fleet to join them,” he remarked, then paused a moment before asking.

  “Is your source reliable, Frank?”

  Frank glimpsed at Charlotte before replying and saw that she was amused by the question.

  “Yes. Very reliable, Hector,” he assured him. Then, wanting to tease him a little added. “Hush-hush stuff, you know.”

  “Bah… I knew there was something unnatural about you two.”

  “Hector. You forgot to mention the two young ladies that are helping us.”

  “Well, we all know their abilities aren’t natural.”

  “Just be thankful that they’re here, Hector.”

  “I am, Frank… But what I was actually calling to talk to you about, is that my Exec thinks we should bring the Argonaut closer to you. Then we’ll be well away from where the next Garoden ships are expected to exit.”

  “Well, as we seem to be the only ships between these Garodens, and DPav4, it makes sense to be together, anyway. So, yes, you’d better join us.”

  “Will do. Let's hope the Michigan and Neutron managed to jump somewhere safe. And somewhere they can carry out repairs.”

  “Agreed. Oh, and Hector, leave our ship-to-ship link open,” Frank ordered.

  Then, wanting to make an announcement tapped his All Crew Icon.

  “Gentlemen. We are expecting the two Solveron ships to arrive in about fifteen minutes. Howev
er, Crillon’s newly upgraded Fleet 5 will take another two days to get here,” he told them, then paused briefly.

  “We think the rest of the Garoden fleet will probably be on us in four to five hours. But, this is just an estimate, so we’ll be updating you as soon as we have more information.”

  He paused again, as Charlotte and Cindy mentally caught his attention.

  ‘Something’s not right with the timing,’ Charlotte sent.

  “What timing?” Frank couldn’t help asking out loud.

  ‘Nothing Frank. Just continue,’ Charlotte mentally urged him.

  He took a breath. Then spoke to his men again.

  “So, I suggest we all take a short break now. You might not get another chance for a while. Oh, and Department Heads, make sure you pass any new ideas you might come up with to Andromeda.

  No matter how implausible they may seem. Thank you,” he finished and tapped the All Crew Icon off.

  ‘Captain,’ Andromeda called.

  “You might as well speak out loud, Andromeda. We can all hear you anyway,” Frank instructed.

  “We have a communication from the Federation.”

  “Read it out,” Frank ordered, safe in the knowledge that only his Earth ships would receive this encrypted message.

  “Message from Earth Council to Captain Richardson. Andromeda, Delta Pavonis.

  11th July 2311. Earth Central time.

  StarShips, Jefferson, Illustrious, and Derringer, are about to leave for your location.

  They should arrive in approximately three and half days.