Marduk remained silence for a long moment. He must learn how to shut his mouth. With a regretting look, he turned to his tactical display and sent the orders to the two-thousand meters long battle carrier Ascendant Ripper and the one-thousand and two-hundred meters long heavy battlecruiser Behemoth Ascending. “Orders sent, High Commander. Escort cruisers Bastion, Khoda and Qwarda will join the two ships. Six hours for departure at current speed.”
“Very well,” Enki said in satisfaction. He will finally get his revenge against these humans.
Enki was at the last battle over four-hundred years ago. His fleet was annihilated in a matter of seconds. At that moment, Thubans war-fleets didn’t possess an energy screen. Other Draconian fleets did have them and very powerful ones, but Thubans only preyed in lesser civilizations with no technological development. That was the case of Terra, semi-sentient creatures who served as food and slaves.
Enki escaped in the last moment in a cargo ship full of gold. That gold, and the previously extracted, valued in the trillions of draks, served him to upgrade with better weapons and technology his new fleets. Thubans were very aggressive. It was their way, but they could be very patient if revenge was involved. This was the case and the Starhumans were about to pay for their outrageous meddling.
“High Commander, I detect a vessel coming toward us,” Sensor Officer Okyd reported.
“What type?” Enki asked.
Okyd gazed at the High Commander in disbelief. “It’s a freighter.”
“Is it armed?” Enki said, his eyes showing confusion.
“Unarmed,” Okyd added.
“Why would they send an unarmed vessel toward us, that’s suicide!” Marduk muttered.
“We’ll find out soon,” Enki replied, his eyes focusing on the inbound vessel.
CHAPTER THREE
One million kilometers away from Jupiter, the Atlantean freighter Agincourt was approaching the Thuban battlefleet.
“Status?” Captain Nardoll asked, sitting in his chair at the freighter’s Command Deck.
“Approaching the enemy fleet at ten per cent sub-light. Estimate contact time in fifteen minutes. Without visual we won’t be able to send a message as the enemy is behind the planet. Sensors scans determined the will be out of the curvature of the gas giant in few more minutes,” XO Deinn informed, touching several icons in his viewscreen.
Nardoll nodded. “Place the ship near Europa. If we are attacked, perhaps, the moon could serve us as protection.”
“Sir, we don’t have an FTL drive. If something goes wrong, we are as good as dead,” Deinn said, his eyes showing concern.
“Those damn politicians always sending others to do their goddamn job!” Navigation operator Gosar moaned, chewing a bit of tobacco. That was one thing Terra possessed, a high-quality tobacco plant and another he really loved it, cannabis.
“We serve to our worlds, Gosar, don’t start with one of your political rallies about workers’ rights and pay checks,” Captain Nardoll added, knowing Gosar was right but he was the Captain and he needed to maintain order in his ship.
The Agincourt was an old ice-hauler that captured ice from the rings of Saturn and delivered it to Mars to be consumed. Mars did have water beneath the surface, but it was primarily salted, and it was difficult to extract it. Hauling water was much easier and economical.
“Our race lost its vitality, bloody machines and AI’s do all the work, leaving our people complacent and bored with arts and science. Even having a child isn’t natural anymore!” Gosar continued his claims against the Atlantean politics and laws.
Captain Nardoll shook his head, nodding in agreement with Gosar. It was better agreeing with a fool than arguing. “You are right, when we get back to Mars, you can write another letter to Governor Padis about your claims.”
“To the Governor?” Gosar said with a laugh. “I will present myself in the Government Palace in Atlantis! I will shake that place until they open their shit-full-covered eyes! Did you see in what kind of places they live? Huge palaces with all kind of foods and luxuries while we are here eating dry food and sleeping with giant space rats! Those damn rodents are enormous because of the lack of gravity! We don’t even have a gravity generator! My bones are getting so damn thin as pap!”
“The only thing will shake it’ll be your body after being stunned by a combat robot, you idiot!” XO Deinn said, gazing the political agitator. “Go back to work, we are nearing short communication range, or you will be deducted a month of your wages!”
Gosar nodded. “Aye, XO, as you command! But remember, one day the machines will take over us! They don’t need us because we are just a bunch of lazy sacks of bones and meat!”
One thing was sure, Gosar loved money more than anything else. It was a way to shut his mouth, threating him with a wage’s deduction.
◆◆◆
Minutes passed and the Agincourt was in communication range with the Thuban fleet. Tension grew across the Command Deck of the old ice-hauler.
“Do you think they are going to shoot us down?” XO Deinn asked the Captain.
Nardoll was intensely reading the message he needed to broadcast to the reptilian fleet. It was a truce treaty. For Nardoll, that message meant one thing; Government didn’t believe they could win. “Let’s think positively,” He whispered, unsure of what to say. Then, he pressed the comm bottom of his panel. “Here we go. Captain Nardoll of the ice-hauler freighter Agincourt to the Commander in Chief of the Draconian Fleet. This message is on behalf of the Atlantean Government. Do not shoot us down. We are an unarmed civilian vessel in a diplomatic mission. The Atlantean Government proposes a truce, a cease of hostilities between our races. An agreement can be reach if we follow the path of peace,” Nardoll read, with an assuring voice, but not believing a word of it.
Gosar gazed at the Captain in total disbelief. “A fucking truce? Are they bloody serious? Where the hell is the fleet? Or the Lyrans? Those damn arrogant idiots don’t see beyond their belly bottom!”
“Shut up man!” XO Deinn said angrily. “Shut the fuck up!
◆◆◆
High Commander Enki was laughing out loud in his Command chair. Starhumans always tried to negotiate if they were in the losing end. That message made the High Commander to be certain of his victory. “Fool Vegans!” Enki said with a grin in his face. “Destroy that vessel, that will be our answer to their foolish pleas.”
“As you wish, High Commander,” Marduk replied, pressing the missile launching bottom in his tactical display. “Missiles launched. Three minutes for impact if they don’t use that moon to hide.”
◆◆◆
In the Command Deck of the ice-hauler Agincourt, Captain Nardoll was in shock and fright. Four missiles left the tubes of what it looked as the flagship of the enemy fleet. “Move us out of here! Take the ship behind the moon!” Nardoll shouted, his frighten face turned pale.
“Course set. Hold tight as this will be a high G manoeuvre!” XO Deinn said with a frantic voice. He took the controls of the ship in manual and the Agincourt began descending, seeking protection behind the icy moon.
“I curse our damn government!” Gosar said, checking his navigation screen, just to see the four missiles were in different trajectories, surrounding the moon. “We are dead!”
“Come on, you damn old piece of wreckage!” Deinn shouted, his chest feeling a tremendous pressure, over eight G’s while moving the controls of the ship to descend toward the moon.
◆◆◆
In space, around the moon Europa, four Thuban missiles were approaching the Atlantean vessel Agincourt. Each missile took a different path to ensure the ice-hauler didn’t escape. The freighter, in evasive manoeuvres, was descending toward the south pole of the moon, gaining speed in a slingshot procedure. Suddenly, all missiles failed in their mission; destroy the Atlantean vessel as they flew by the moon and exploded because they lost their target.
“Yeah!” XO Deinn screamed in jubilation. “We lost them!
&n
bsp; “Take us out of here, full sub-light speed,” Captain Nardoll ordered in relief, but still worry in how they would be able to escape.
When the missile locked alarm stopped sounding in the Command Deck of the Agincourt, another danger appeared. Just in front of the ice-hauler, a one-thousand and two-hundred meters long battlecruiser stood still over the south pole of the moon, waiting for the Atlantean vessel to show up; it was the Behemoth Ascending.
“Where the fuck that thing came from?” Gosar said, his breath quickened.
“Evasive manoeuvres, now!” Captain Nardoll ordered. It was too late.
Bright blue and white beams were fired from the Thuban battlecruiser just to tear apart the Starhuman freighter. In a second, the Agincourt was destroyed, sending debris against the icy surface of the icy moon, Europa.
CHAPTER FOUR
On board of the one-thousand and two-hundred meters long heavy battlecruiser Behemoth Ascending, Third Commander Dracko was visualizing the tactical information displayed in the view screens. It showed that the fourth planet only counted with a dozen patrol ships lightly armed and a few ground energy cannons on the surface. Life sensors indicated that the population was being evacuated into underground bunkers, easy targets with the new nukes they carried aboard.
Before arriving at Mars, the enormous battlecruiser nuked mining outposts in the asteroid belt. After destroying the Vegan freighter, High Commander Enki ordered to search thoroughly all moons and planetoids between Jupiter and Mars. Ceres was bombarded, destroying all the posts in its surface. It was vital to destroy all signs of a Starhuman civilization.
Sensor Officer Uzug turned his gaze with narrowed eyes toward Third Commander Dracko, his expression showing concern. “Third Commander! Over a hundred fighters are in space rapidly approaching our fleet! We didn’t detect them all!”
The battlecarrier Ascendant Ripper possessed over two-hundred and fifty Raptor fighters and fifty small precision bombers Tyrannous. They could do an easy job to ensure none of the Vegans fighters made it back.
Dracko nodded, drawing a sharp breath. “Krigi, launch the fighters and attack the enemy ones, after that, send the bombers to target the dome cities, infrastructure and telecommunications. I don’t want any of those civilians surviving the attack. Place some cluster tactical nukes in those damn cannons,” he said in a raspy and deep voice. His yellow reptilian eyes turned red, showing no mercy.
Tactical Officer Krigi sent the orders, after touching several icons. “Fighters and bombers launching, Third Commander. Combat range in eight minutes. Two minutes for nukes. Locating cannons now,” he reported, his claws touching the semi-circular holographic display in front of him, showing red icons for enemies and green ones for friendly forces.
Third Commander Dracko was of Thuban-Ciakar descendant, an aberration according to Empress Ishtar that vowed for purity in the races. Thubans didn’t believe in such purity and they were always trying to improve their race using genetic manipulation. He had the skills for scavenging and pirating of all Thubans but the ferocity and ambition of the inhabitants of Ciakar, capital of the Draconian Empire. He has a powerful tail, lethal in CQC, one of the gifts inherited by the Ciakan blood.
“Are we sending ground troops, Third Commander?” First Officer Anamesh asked.
Anamesh was a warrior caste, and he was impatient to rip apart some humans. The warrior caste on board of the Behemoth Ascending had also a lethal and long tail added by genetic manipulation. It was one key advantage in close quarter combat that made these Thuban warriors a deadly war machine, but not the only advantage; he was wearing his battle armour vacuum suit, a powerful device that enhanced their strength by two-hundred per cent and it was almost impervious to most known weapons.
“In time, Anamesh, at the appointed time. Let’s not precipitate with the Vegans. They always seem to have some hidden assets,” Dracko replied, knowing the strong Officer was already feeling the taste of human blood in his mouth.
All Draconian were in some extent addicted to human blood. They found the taste of it very exquisite and the most important thing of all; the human hormones like adrenaline and cortisone made all of them high, being these products in high demand in the butcher houses across the empire.
◆◆◆
At the situation room in the Atlantean Government Palace, Commodore Valentis watched with concern the latest reports. “The Agincourt has been destroyed,” Valentis reported, not showing concern about it. He was sure of that outcome.
“Twenty-three enemy ships had attacked some cargo ships transporting raw materials to Mars and nuked our mine outpost on Ceres,” Sensor operator Allumin reported, with fear in his eyes and drops of sweat falling on the holographic command table. “They have set course for Terra and they are almost in engaging range of our small fleet near Luna.”
Atlas nodded, his gaze lost again in the shrews. “Set all units in maximum alert and prepared to engage combat. We must save this planet and all its inhabitants. We must not perish as this is our home now,” said firmly Consul Atlas gazing at every member of the security cabinet. Their forces were not that great as the enemy ones, even if their technology was superior, but after all, they weren’t a violent race and at this moment a very complacent one. “Order our fleet to engage the enemy to test their weapons and pull back to the defense grid. Activate the Goliath cannons on Luna.”
“With all due respect, because you and your cronies didn’t approve the Cannons project for Luna, our base in there is defenceless,” Valentis added, attempting to make them realize how foolish they’ve been in the past.
“We’ve never thought we could use them one day,” Senator Tyron said, defending the whole cabinet’s position for the last century. “They are expensive!”
“Now, all of you will taste how sour is to lose all of your possession and wealth,” Valentis answered, gazing angrily to the greedy Senator.
“Orders sent,” Comm officer Nara reported.
Commodore Valentis was aware of the Consul’s daughter service in the six-hundred meters long destroyer, the Blaze of Glory. She was a fine Admiral, young according to the fleet’s standards, but she was the Consul’s daughter and that kind of relationship had its advantages. She was the acting Admiral in charge of the fleet, as the actual Fleet Admiral was in Syrius A helping their allies, the Syrians, against pirates. He knew if her daughter was to engage the enemy, she was never coming back home.
◆◆◆
In the south side of Olympus Mons, inside one of the six kilometers high cliffs, a secret hangar guarded over two-hundred new Wasp fighters, equipped with an energy screen, two tactical ten-megaton war-heads and laser cannon. They were deadly and very fast as they were equipped with an anti-gravity and anti-inertia drive. Pilots could turn hundred-eighty degrees in an instant, defying all physical laws.
Captain Masan was checking all systems of his fighter, the Lady Killer. He’s been a pilot for over ten years, flying all over Solaris System. Just a few weeks ago he’s been involved in war games in the asteroid belt against different squadrons from Terra, Mars and Ceres. He’s got the highest score at shooting down small asteroids and in combat simulations which all squadrons participated. Masan was one hell of a fighter pilot, no better in the whole planet. It didn’t mean the other pilots were bad or less competent, but Masan stood out over the rest.
“Next time I will beat you, Masan!” Captain Gaen said with a mocking voice. They weren’t close friends but rivals to be the best. Competition between pilots was a good thing because they were always trying to improve and be better at what they do. “Last time you were lucky. If it wasn’t for that debris field you left a purpose on my way, I would have bitten you; no doubt of that!”
“You flew very well Gaen, no doubt you could beat me, in fact, everyone could do it because we are the best at this,” Masan said, trying not to fall in Gaen’s games for polemic and conflict. “Keep the hard work, mate.”
“We’ll see each other up there next week,”
Gaen added, pointing at him with his fingers.
“Sure, see you there,” Masan replied, continuing his task.
Suddenly the alarms sounded. Red lights flashed all over the hangar. “All pilots to your combat fighters, all pilots report immediately to your combat fighters. This is not a drill. Enemy inbound,” a voice said through the communication speakers. The message kept going on for several minutes.
“What the hell is going on?” Gaen said with a worrisome voice as he ran to his fighter, just a few meters away from Masan’s one.
Masan was quiet. He wondered what was going on. “Enemy inbound? What enemy?” he thought.
Only one option was feasible; the Anunnaki, as he referred about the Thubans, were back.
◆◆◆
Fleet Commodore Toldax appeared at the hangar to address the pilots. He was walking firmly but with a somber gaze. “Everyone, attention!” All pilots squared at him. “At ease. We’ve got one Thuban battlecarrier, a battlecruiser and three escorts cruisers inbound and almost in combat range of our orbital defenses. We have no fleet to defend our world, the few ships we’ve got are aiding the Syrians against pirates. Just four destroyers are in orbit of Terra at this moment to engage a superior force. The enemy outnumbers us in four to one.”
“We can beat those goddamn lizards again!” Gaen said animatedly.
“Yeah we can kill them all,” others continued with excited cheers.
Commodore Toldax took a deep breath. “This fleet is not as the other one our ancestors fought. This one is a fully updated and powerful Draconian battle fleet. The Thubans had spent every single credit they got in four hundred years to develop new technologies and weapons. I fear this time the outcome may differ.”
“What are our orders, sir?” Masan asked, stopping the cheers in the hangar.
Solaris Fall: A Behemoth Ascending Novella Page 3
