by Gary Caplan
Ares kept watch as both Sheppard and Natarris sat relaxed and seemed to be in a deep trance yet still aware of things around them. Both Sheppard’s and Natariss’s uniforms’ health monitors did send some strange readings, and to keep occupied Ares accessed the warning link and used her commlink to quietly notify the monitoring clinician on the Phoenix what was happening. As she watched she sensed something like getting goosebumps on the back of her neck but wasn’t sure what it meant. After roughly an hour had passed, she noticed both were starting to wake.
Natarris stood first and said, “I saw a form made of metal and part crystal but did not recognize it.”
Sheppard replied, “So did I. It struck the tree and lost cloak for a moment. It reminded me of layered glass. It then continued down the path.”
Sheppard looked around, and most of his crew were finishing tasks. Some crew members had already headed back to the vehicles that brought them to this area.
Natarris pulled out his commlink and opened the device to a drawing application that allowed sketching. “Let us try to make an image of what we can remember.” They both used the device for a few minutes to sketch out an image. Together they were able to make a more complete drawing.
Shortly after that Sheppard and Ares received an active alert from the Phoenix. The alert indicated that the first torpedoes were sighted, and they began to strike an asteroid mining facility.
Sheppard looked at the report and said, “The first wave is in this system. It’ll be two hours or less before the ones sent to this planet get into striking range. Time to go.”
Sheppard arrived back at the operations and landing site with less than thirty minutes until probable first impact. However, things would be different now as there were several squadrons of attack fighters from the task forces of the Sixth Fleet patrolling near the Treeton system’s inhabited areas and around the orbital space station to try to intercept the long-range torpedoes. There were already several fighters in planetary orbit. He noticed that Commander O’Brien and most of the others had just taken the transmat platform back to the Phoenix. Also the shield facing the transmat station had to be down for the transmat process to work properly. Now, with the presence of the smart cloaked torpedoes, the shielding systems had to be up.
Sheppard decided to go back up in one of the two-man T-20s as the pilot was going to coordinate refueling and rearmament station on the surface. This starfighter had two seats in an L-shaped configuration. Sharon had rejoined Sheppard for a walk back to the vehicles that took them all to the operations base. Taylor joined him as passenger in the navigator seat. As he prepared for prelaunch, Sheppard got on the comms and heard Lieutenant Corwin giving a briefing to his wing squadron. Corwin said, “We have a window of opportunity to see the torpedoes once they move into the atmosphere, as the friction should cause enough heat exchange for us to target that zone of thermal change.”
Sheppard smiled. “It’s good Corwin is taking point here.”
Sharon helped him with the prelaunch preparations.
Sheppard said, “Well, I am sure we can get back to the Phoenix without too much trouble, and I get to clock in some hours with this starfighter. I want to keep up my starfighter flight privileges.” Sheppard smiled as he finished. In the past he had told Sharon before that he liked the freedom of the starfighter and would take opportunities to continue using them even at his present rank.
Sharon said, “It’s fine. Besides, the transmat facility is crowded now bringing supplies here, and if the station is too near an antimatter shock wave, it will not work as safely for living personnel transport.”
Sheppard finished his prelaunch check and activated the communication channel to the starfighter squadron to give them some advice, just in case. “This is Sheppard. Remember, usually you can see a flare as the enemy torpedo enters the atmosphere. It does not last long, so don’t always use the instruments to scan for heat exchange. Once they get to a certain altitude, they slow and their chameleon fields make them look like a patch of sky, or maybe here more of a green patch. Sheppard out.” Sheppard tapped off speaker mode as he turned to the side, and smiling as he looked at Taylor, he said, “Well, Sharon, I hope your secured in because we’re about to go.”
She smiled back as she activated the sensor station. “You don’t plan on any heroics, do you Rob?” He looked back at her as calmly as he could and tried to make the growing-serious situation lighter.
The starfighter started moving upward, and Sheppard completed the launch and started an ascent upward. He took the time to locate the Phoenix and was about to plot a return course when he heard the sensor alarms from the station Sharon sat at.
As Sheppard piloted the starfighter higher, Sharon said, “Sensors are detecting heat signatures. Oh—and one is close to us.”
Sheppard saw in the sky a telltale thermal wake as the cloaked torpedo descended. Another, closer, T30 four-crew starfighter moved to intercept—but a small missile detached from the semicloaked Varlon torpedo and headed for the T30. As Sheppard watched he grew apprehensive his squadron member was in danger. The missile was fast and struck the T30, causing damage and forcing it to veer out of an intercept course, smoke trailing its course. Sharon noticed it too and called some navigation telemetry to Sheppard.
“Well, it looks as if we better try,” said Sharon.
Sheppard briefly nodded. “I did not really plan for combat now, but the ground population will need help, and I am actually quite a good combat pilot.” He smiled confidently and set course to intercept the torpedo. He said, “The Varlon must want any defensive forces we have damaged and have sent some torpedoes with countermeasures to interfere or cause damage to our defensive forces so the main torpedo can make it to the target.”
Sharon replied, “So you think they did this because not all their last torpedo wave got through the earlier planetary defense and patrol ships?”
“That makes sense,” said Sheppard. “Or perhaps they obtained some surveillance that showed them what happened.”
Sheppard took over the starfighter guidance controls from autopilot and veered the craft to what he discerned as the target. Sheppard activated the particle beam cannon and fired into the area of the torpedo’s wake. He had done this before and was confident. Sheppard said, “Sharon, plot a safe escape course. When I hit this, we have to get out of here fast, and the chase can be slightly disorienting for the pilot focused vectors of his cloaked target.” The starfighter was a few kilometers away from the probable position of the cloaked torpedo.
Sharon replied, “Will do; give me moment.” He closed on the wake and then noticed an escape course from Sharon. Then Sheppard fired multiple pulses of the cannon in the area of the wake, and a flash told him the torpedo had detonated. The shock wave moved and struck the starfighter’s shields, causing a serious amount of turbulence that shook the smaller starcraft violently as it was escaping the edge of the explosion radius.
The comms came on, and a voice stated, “This is a notice to all support craft. There appears to be a greater number of torpedoes than in the previous attack volley.”
Sheppard said, “Well, that was close, but we were able to put some distance between us and the explosion.”
Sharon smiled and replied, “I don’t think the device had time to charge to a full explosion.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Sheppard replied. “These have yields enough to destroy a kilometer radius at least.”
Sheppard continued upward and set a course for the Phoenix in geosynchronous orbit. “I am seeing visual another distortion just now entering the upper atmosphere.” Sheppard was looking above through a head-level display in his safety helmet to enhance his visual range.
Sharon replied, “I don’t see another starcraft on the local sensors close enough to reach it before it gets clear.”
“Okay, well then it’s up to us to remove this threat and support the ground forces,” said Sheppard. He maneuvered the T20 toward the distortion that had now
descended and would be below them in a few moments.
“I have an escape vector plotted for you,” said Sharon.
“Good, it’s time to hit this one,” said Sheppard as he aimed and fired a few blasts of the energy disruptor first. “If I strike right, it might not detonate, but since I cannot see the container of the torpedo, all I have to do is just hit at it.”
Sheppard used the starfighter’s energy disruptor first since it had wider range and might interfere with the detonator. After he saw a flash that appeared to be a hit with the disruptor cannon, he switched to the particle cannon as he moved downward after the torpedo. The particle cannon blast detonated the torpedo, and Sheppard used Sharon’s evasive vector to pilot the violently vibrating T20 away and upward from the blast radius.
Back aboard the Phoenix after a short debriefing, Sheppard headed to his command station. “Sharon, I’ll see you later at a meal break, if we get the chance.”
Smiling, she replied, “Sounds good, and in the meantime I’ll start the evaluation of the Treeton data until I’m needed on the bridge. When they have some time, I’ll coordinate information with Lieutenant Commander Ares, Commander O’Brien, and Fleet Captain Natarris.”
“I think I like it when you take charge,” said Sheppard, smiling as he headed to the tram-lift that would take him to the command office section of the bridge.
Chapter 9
Varlon Arrive
On the bridge of the command dreadnaught, Strike General Selketh of the Varlon Imperium stood from her command station. She watched as her heavy dreadnaught carrier exited hyperspace into the system the strike marshal had decided would be part of the Varlon’s renewed attack on this sector. Selketh was overall commander for the mission. She, like her crew, had changed into her battle armor. This strike force followed a long-range torpedo strike with twice the numbers of autonomous long-range torpedoes as in the previous launch.
Her strike force’s mission was to remove the remaining enemy starships and begin the occupation of the resource world. As this was a large, defended world, she had assembled a complete early strike group with three other dreadnaughts and twelve cruisers of varying types. The Varlon had brought a force with enough power and technological edge to counter over fifty of the Alliance of Worlds battle cruisers. But what greeted her was not what the last report form the cloaked probes had sent. General Selketh’s command station display began resolving targets as simulated starship images and local surroundings in a spherical zone around the strike general’s station. She altered the viewing display by inserting and then twirling one of her tentacles from her chitinous arm, and the display changed to show the calculated velocities of the enemy starships.
“What are those elder civilizations’ starcraft doing here, Captain Commander Felgrooth?” asked Selketh.
“I…those starships were not on the initial system reports and must have arrived recently, General Selketh,” said Felgrooth.
“If they are here to intervene, it could seriously interfere with our occupation. Tactical Officer Melthur, how many ships do we face?” asked Selketh.
The tactical officer moved his dexterous tentacles across the console interface and set the sensors to read the details, then said, “Our scanners show that there are now three complete Alliance of Worlds task force groups of thirty-six starships. They are patrolling between the third planet, a mining colony in this system’s midzone asteroid belt, and a moon of one of the two gas giants, which has a colony.”
Felgrooth said, “That is more than the original report of enemy starship activity previously sent from our cloaked surveillance satellite probes in the system.”
Melthur continued, “Originally our intel showed two orbital defense bases supported by a local alliance patrol task force that had been reduced in numbers from the previous long-range torpedo launches, from seven frigate-class ships and four patrol cruisers to three frigates and one undamaged cruiser. These were starships that were targeted or attempted to stop our long-range torpedoes and were damaged, according to the last surveillance information. Now there are the three new task forces, and there are also three different classes of Hegemony ships and two Cynz heavy battle cruisers.” He manipulated the console to show the ship positions on the tactical display for the others.
“The sensor operator recently found the wreckage of our three cloaked intelligence-gathering probes,” said the captain commander. “This was a recent destruction, likely by the Hegemony or the Cynz shortly after their arrival.”
“Therefore, no further tactical intelligence was submitted by the probes,” finished Selketh.
Captain Commander Felgrooth said, “Several chameleon-fielded sensor drones launched when we arrived are now sending more detailed information. Passive scans reveal a few of the other enemy starships took some damage from our torpedo bombardment. Unfortunately, no critical systems damage as they were not previously designated as primary targets. Also one of the starships in formation with the Alliance of Worlds task force is a Rhyn drone carrier.”
Melthur said, “General, I heard information from central command about those Rhyn that escaped beyond our lines, that they made some sort of treaty with this Alliance of Worlds.”
“Yes, I have heard that as well. Based on these new tactical reports, we do not have the advantage for taking this system now,” said Felgrooth.
Selketh said, “It would be a difficult battle with the Hegemony and Cynz actively supporting this Alliance of Worlds enemy fleet, and they are not hiding their presence. It’s as if they want us to know they are here so that we might decide to retreat and leave this system. However, we also have allies to call upon, and I don’t want to disturb the strike marshal for additional Varlon starcraft just yet. We will send a message to the Accad and tell them of the tactical position we find here.”
Felgrooth said, “Yes, General, that would work. I understand the Accads have some overzelous and aggressive commanders who desire to strike against the enemy at valuable worlds.”
General Selketh began to set strategic positions for her strike force. Because of the other elder-race starships, she would not split into three attack groups with the smaller third attack group to serve as support for the other two. Instead she would split her forces into two groups. Her dreadnaught and the somewhat smaller battle dreadnaught and her six cruisers would head for the enemy task force with the two Hegemony ships. The other battle dreadnaught and six cruisers would head for the planet. She considered how to match her ships one to one against the Hegemony and Cynz. She knew from past battles that her cruisers could easily defend against three Alliance of Worlds cruisers each, the battle dreadnaught could take on three of their dreadnaughts, and her command flagship heavy dreadnaught alone could take on easily four and up to five Alliance of Worlds dreadnaughts or even up to seven of the enemy’s battle cruisers. Selketh linked with her computer and arranged tactical attack models and was happy when she saw the message that the Accad had agreed to send reinforcements to this system. She then said to the bridge crew, “The enemy would start their attack against our fleet, and that would reveal some of their battle tactics as they maneuver for positions. Then the arrival of the Accads would cause them enough difficulty to most probably make them retreat, or in a best scenario help our forces to destroy them all.”
Felgrooth said, “Especially if one of those Kad’jiah Jiyharr-origin-type ships came as well.”
Melthur added, “Yes, the offensive and defensive power of those Jiyharr ships is superior to ours and even any of the usual elder races’ starships here.”
Selketh said, “Tactical Officer Melthur, use the first battle formation I have set out for our ships. Modify it as needed to respond to the enemy’s active starship deployment.”
“Understood, General,” replied Melthur. Selketh went back to her station, which occupied a rather large side section of the bridge, and began running attack scenarios using the virtual battle simulator that projected images of the surrounding space and st
arships.
Not long afterward, the communication channel opened. “Commander Felgrooth, incoming communication from the Accad. It’s their Lord Governor Mor’ag; he wants to speak with the strike general,” said the communication officer.
Selketh prepared her uniform. She had unlatched the top to be more relaxed. When she was organized, moments later, she activated the communication link to Governor Mor’ag. Selketh watched as his reptilian form coalesced in her communication imager. The Accad ships were of an organic style with shades of green and bars of faded orange in the organo-metallic mesh hull, similar to yet somewhat different from the Varlon’s hull.
Selketh, remembering her manners since Mor’ag was her ally and a higher-ranking official said, “Greetings to you, Governor Mor’ag. Thank you for this honor to interact. How I can help you, sir?”
“You are quite polite, Strike General Selketh, unlike your Senator Melkirot. One of my officers notified me that you are about to go against an unusual group of ships that we Accad have encountered before. Some of them are starships that were restored to function by an unknown entity after our encounter with them in a system that Strike Marshal Vodun asked the Accad to assist with in the past.”
Selketh replied, “Yes, I recall a report about some of our starships that were reported as destroyed and then later returned from the Quellus system as if newly built. It was attributed to one of the Ascended.”
