by I G Hulme
“All of them?” asked Grayell. “What about the ones nearest to us, this far out from the way-station?”
“All of them,” replied Mellarnne.
“Okay, match their course and speed — don’t give the Lumina any reason to alert their suspicions. How far out from that new ship are we?”
“Still two hours at our present speed.”
“Well, it looks like there’s no way out for that ship, whoever they are,” said Grayell solemnly. “But it might just give us a chance to slip away if they cause a distraction. Are we coming up on that planetary cluster? Anything there that might help us?”
“We’re still an hour away at our present speed,” replied Mellarnne, bringing up a new view of three planets orbiting a blue sun. “So, we haven’t been able to get much detail on the passive scan, but there are a couple of hopeful signs.”
“What have we got?” asked Grayell, leaning forwards, his face bathed in the golden glow of the projections.
“Three planets. Two are barren, no atmosphere or moons. The other one is a gas giant.” The display zoomed in on the planet farthest from the sun. Its surface was a bright swirl of purples and pinks. “It has fourteen moons and two ring systems, but, this is interesting here.” The display zoomed in again until the surface of the gas giant filled the projection high over their heads. Dwarfed by the planet’s surface was a cluster of specks glinting in the sun’s cold rays, too distant to make out clearly.
“Looks like a small planetary collision,” said Mellarnne. “A rocky moon struck by an asteroid perhaps — anyway it looks like the best place to hide. There’s a localised debris field that appears dense enough to give some shielding from Luminal scans.”
“That’s it,” whispered Grayell. “That broken moon. Great work ‘Larnne, it looks perfect!”
“So now what?” asked Ryann as Mellarnne zoomed back out on the scanners. The bright specks of the Luminal fleet were converging inexorably upon the lone vessel, which remained motionless at their heart.
“We wait,” replied Grayell, spellbound by the scene. “The second they open up on that ship we take our chance and change course for that broken moon. But nothing more than is necessary — same speed — let’s pray that they don’t notice.”
“The course is keyed in. Just give the command,” said Mellarnne in a grim voice.
They waited, barely daring to breath as a thousand points of light slowly converged upon the lone vessel.
The closest must surely be coming within weapons range, thought Ryann, but still the scanner image of that ship hadn’t moved.
He wondered whether they might have been disabled when they were knocked out of hyperspace, or whether there was simply nowhere to run. From every direction hundreds of Luminal warships bore down upon them.
He glanced up at the view screen along the front wall of the bridge. It still showed a serene image of space beyond their ship. The distant sphere of the gas giant was visible off to their left, the swirling pastel hues of its surface beautiful to behold. And alongside their position were the distant shapes of Luminal battleships travelling silently with them, their numbers stretching out into the distance. The nearest vessel was so close now that Ryann could make out the lights glittering beneath the surface of its semi-transparent hull. It gave the impression of some enormous city behind those heavy plates of armour.
He steadied himself as a tremor ran through the control room. He glanced across to his father and went to speak, but before he had chance, the sound of an alarm split the air.
“What’s going on?” demanded Grayell.
“Some sort of electromagnetic turbulence — I’m not sure,” replied Mellarnne, studying the scans.
“Sir, the view-screen!” called one of the officers, and Ryann looked up in alarm.
Static distorted the image, but through it he could clearly see arcs of plasma playing over the Luminal ships in a dazzling light show. Green and blue trails of energy coruscated up and down their dark hulls.
The control room shook once again and Ryann had to steady himself against the display table. A low boom reverberated throughout the ship, a long drawn-out sound like some monumental fanfare of deep trumpets.
“What the hell’s going on?” yelled Grayell as the whole deck pitched and shook. “Mellarnne, are the Lumina engaging that ship?”
“No! They’re almost upon it, but it hasn’t moved an inch!”
“Now’s our chance!” called Grayell, hanging on to the table as another blast ran through the ship accompanied by an ominous creak of strained metal. “Turn on a heading for that broken moon! Do it now!”
Ryann saw the incandescent shapes of the Luminal craft sweep away as the helmsman changed course for the gas giant. The great orb of the planet was growing ever larger in the view-screen now, but the broken moon and its debris-field were still only bright specks in the distance.
“How long until we reach the debris-field?” yelled Grayell. Ryann could see the shimmering arcs of plasma playing over their own shields now, partially obscuring their view; it had a deadly beauty to it, as though the ship were encased in its own aurora.
“About seven minutes!” replied Mellarnne, his face ashen. “But this energy disturbance is growing fast — it’s already off the scale! It runs the entire length of the Luminal fleet!”
“Are they creating it? Is it a weapon?”
Mellarnne went to speak but another shockwave almost knocked him off his feet.
“I have no idea what the hell it is!” he shouted at last.
“Sir! One of the Luminal craft is changing course towards us!” called out an officer across the bridge as the ship continued to pitch and shudder. “It’s still some way off, but it’s accelerating fast, moving through the rest of the fleet.”
“Aw hell! They’ve spotted us!” cursed Grayell. “Bring it up on-screen!”
Sure enough, one of the Luminal ships was banking over, sweeping around towards them. Electricity played over its hull and it left a bright trail of ionising plasma in its wake.
“How long until they’re in weapons range?” croaked Grayell, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of alarms.
“Two minutes tops,” replied Mellarnne.
“Any of the other ships deviating from their course?”
“Not yet, they’re all still converging upon the lone ship — they should be in range of it by now. Should I increase our speed, try and outrun them?”
But Grayell didn’t reply. He looked as though he had seen a ghost. He just stared transfixed at the Luminal ship as it bore down upon them.
“My god, it’s the Defiance,” breathed Ryann in disbelief.
Sure enough, the shape of the vessel, right down to the markings upon the hull, was identical in every way to their own ship.
“It’s the Luminal ship that we based the Defiance upon,” croaked Mellarnne in horror. “Grayell, should we increase our speed?”
And still Grayell couldn’t reply; it was as though he was paralysed at the sight of the other vessel.
Ryann turned to his father.
“Dad, that’s the ship isn’t it?” he said in a leaden voice. “That’s the ship from Station City-7 on Islanotis — it’s the one that destroyed our homeworld.”
CHAPTER SIX
NEMESIS
Grayell didn’t speak for a moment. All he could do was stare at the markings on the Luminal battleship, the ship that had destroyed his homeworld of Islanotis and left him believing for so many years that his son had been lost.
“Grayell! They’re almost in weapons range!” pleaded Mellarnne. “Should we increase our speed?”
“This is our chance to get that ship Dad.”
Ryann’s voice was full of hatred. He felt all the memories rising up inside him like a great wave. “We can destroy it — we may never get the chance again!”
But still Grayell didn’t respond. He just stared on in horror.
“Dammit Grayell!” shouted Mellarnne. “Helm! Full
speed! Maintain our present course!”
“No! Cancel that order!” roared Grayell in blind fury. Mellarnne stared at his old friend aghast.
“We can’t fight that ship!”
“Keep us steady,” murmured Grayell.
“They’re in range,” croaked Mellarnne. “At least power up the damn shields!”
“No, don’t do anything to make them more suspicious. They don’t know what we are! Keep our shields down, do you hear me!” Grayell’s voice was rising and there was a crazed look in his eyes. He clung to the scanner table whilst the Defiance shook in the electrical storm.
All about the system, Ryann could make out the same arcs of plasma shooting out across the void in a breathtaking display.
“They’re right upon us!” called out Mellarnne, and indeed the battleship almost filled the view screen now, like some dark bird of prey hanging amid the light-storm.
Ryann was transported back to that moment on Islanotis Station City-7, when he had faced that very same ship. He felt the familiar tension rising within him as when he had waited, his Raven sheltering in the mouth of the station’s launch-tunnel while the battleship prepared to annihilate him.
“What are they doing?” asked Mellarnne, his words barely audible above the low booms and tortured creaking of the hull. Behind the Luminal, Ryann could see the great sphere of the gas giant steadily filling the view screen. They were close enough now to see the broken moon, three-quarters of a sphere floating serenely within a great field of debris. It seemed tantalisingly close, but blocking the way was that Luminal ship.
Another wave of plasma rolled over the Defiance’s hull, shaking the control centre.
“Energy surge from the Luminal ship!” called out an officer. “I think they’re trying to hail us!”
“Put it over the speaker — and shut those damn alarms off!” replied Mellarnne.
Instantly, the room fell silent. Only the creaking of the superstructure could be heard as the electrical storm continued to play out all around them.
Ryann strained his ears as a stream of static came over the speakers. And then, a sudden alien roar split the air. It sounded like some great bellowing of trumpets that echoed all throughout the ship. Low moans and rumbles shook the hull like some monstrous whale song, but Ryann thought that he could make out words drifting in and out. It was a deeply unnerving sound that seemed to resonate from within him as much as through the comms system. It sounded to Ryann like a thousand voices all crying out in unison, but just for a moment he caught one above all the others, a woman’s voice calling out:
“This is first officer… …the Battleship Oak… Please… He’s here! He’s always here! You have to —”
A great blast rocked the Defiance and the lights dimmed for a second before being replaced with the red glow of the emergency lighting.
Ryann stumbled and felt his father grab his arm to steady him. He glanced up but Grayell was staring transfixed at the view-screen. Ryann followed his gaze and could scarcely believe what he was seeing.
The Luminal ship was suddenly obscured, lost in the shadow of some gargantuan shape that dwarfed even this behemoth. Swirls of dark clouds formed, and arcs of plasma streaked out across the void. It was as though space itself was being torn open, as a ship bigger than anything Ryann could comprehend dragged itself ponderously into being.
“Proximity alert!” called Mellarnne as the chaos of alarms erupted once again. “Full reverse engines! Hard to starboard! Mark one-seventy!”
The Defiance shuddered and her drives groaned under the strain as a monstrous dreadnought broke out of hyperspace directly in their path.
“Shields! Get our shields up!” cried Grayell as the control centre bucked and heaved.
Even as the great vessel was tearing itself free from the boiling hyperspace cloud, Ryann saw a hundred beams of light released from rows of turrets all along its sheer sides. The shots flew across the void in silent streaks, and there was a moment’s calm before they impacted upon the Defiance’s hull.
Ryann could feel the chain of explosions rip into them, sending the Defiance into a sudden spiral. He stared hypnotised at the sight of the dreadnought as it tore itself free from the swirling vortex. There was something truly awe-inspiring about the vessel. Its hull was a towering fortress that looked as though it had been encased in polished gold. Ryann thought he could discern decorative shapes carved into its surface — symbols and ornamentation, with great friezes of figures entwined in and around the gun batteries. The ship reflected back the shimmering plasma, shining out in the darkness of space.
From the Defiance’s position they had a perfect view as the golden vessel engaged the Luminal battleship in a ferocious display of firepower. The dreadnought’s slender lines were in stark opposition to the squat shape of the Luminal directly in its path.
With a terrible inevitability, the two vessels came closer and closer, locked upon a collision course.
As Ryann looked on in disbelief, the gigantic ship-like prow of the golden vessel crashed into the Luminal warship, cutting through its dark hull like a sword. Explosions erupted all about as both ships fired upon each other at point-blank range.
“Get us out of here!” he heard Grayell scream, but Ryann couldn’t tear himself away from the image of the two great warships locked together.
Slowly, the scene began to recede as the Defiance picked up speed, running desperately for the cover of the broken moon.
The golden ship was out of its dark vortex now, ploughing on through the Luminal craft, cutting a great gouge through its hull. The Luminal was trying to turn, falling away still under a constant, blinding barrage of fire. Hundreds of gun batteries seared the dark ship, now almost torn in two by the collision.
As the Defiance fled, they saw the Luminal vessel attempt to follow them, a trail of smoke and debris streaming in its wake.
And then, as the two vessels receded from view, Ryann made out a scene unfolding all around that he would carry with him until the end of his days.
As far as the eye could see, hundreds more golden warships were breaking through from the void in a dazzling display that split the very heavens. The entire system was lit up as arcs of plasma thousands of kilometres in length tore across space in shimmering colours of every hue.
Everywhere he looked, it seemed as though another dreadnought was dragging its bulk into being, and the blackness lit up with a million streaks of laser-fire. It was as though space itself boiled with energy, as a thousand Luminal ships engaged the unknown attackers.
And then, from each Luminal, swarms of drone ships poured forth, and the heavens shook.
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE HEAVENS ALIGHT
Ryann looked on in awe as the first golden warship came under fire from two Luminal vessels closing in on it fast. It turned ponderously to meet its attackers, a hail of laser-fire issuing from its turrets.
“How long until we make it to the broken moon!” he heard Grayell call, his voice hoarse.
“Coming up on the debris field now,” replied Mellarnne, and Ryann tore his gaze from the view-screen, glancing back over to the scanner projections.
“Get us some cover ‘Larnne!” yelled Grayell, still staring up at the scene above them in disbelief, as across the entire system the heavens boiled.
Everywhere they looked, some titanic battle was underway. Flashes lit up the darkness, and already some of the nearest vessels from both sides were in flames.
“Put us down in the shadow of the broken moon,” ordered Grayell as they passed through the debris field, slipping between great chunks of rock larger than the Defiance herself. As they neared the remains of the moon, Ryann could see that almost a third of it had been sheared away by some ancient planetary collision. An orange glow burned within the heart of the fissure as molten rock spewed out smoke in a plume that rose hundreds of kilometres into space, before falling back to the planetoid in a slow-motion cascade.
“There, get us as close
in to that smoke cloud as you can.”
The Defiance shuddered as the helmsman took the great ship into the weak gravity of the broken moon. The dull glow of the lava fields shone through the rising smoke, filling their view-screen, until eventually they came to a halt, resting barely a hundred metres above the cratered surface.
Ryann stared up at the screen as the battle raged on. The Defiance was shielded from view by the asteroids and now all that he could see were the distant flashes illuminating the clouds.
But then, through the vapours, he made out a dark shape emerging, the silhouette of a Luminal ship approaching fast.
“That’s the Luminal that first spotted us — she’s followed us in,” called Mellarnne. “She’s going to give away our positions!”
Sure enough, as the view-screen zoomed in, Ryann could make out the familiar markings of the ship that had destroyed his homeworld. Only now the vessel barely held together. The great rent where the golden warship had rammed into it belched smoke and flames into the void and much of its hull had been torn away under the constant barrage of fire.
The swirling smoke cleared momentarily, and in the distance beyond, Ryann could just make out the golden craft that had first engaged them. It had completely destroyed another Luminal ship, and the burned-out hulk spun slowly into the darkness. It was turning away, heading off into the heart of the battle.
But, in a last parting shot, as the golden dreadnought headed off in pursuit, Ryann saw a cluster of twenty bright lights detach themselves from its underside. The missiles swung around in a lazy arc, leaving faint blue trails in their wake.
As the damaged Luminal craft limped closer and closer towards the broken moon the missiles converged upon it.
There was a blinding flash of light that momentarily filled the view-screen.
When the light dimmed Ryann gasped to see that the Luminal had completely sheared in two. The smaller section spun off silently into space leaving a glowing trail of debris behind it.
