The First War

by Reg Franklin

  “Deploy our ships now! I want every Earth vessel erased from existence, is that clear?!” Slamming his fist onto a communications console, he snarled at the repair teams. “I want that cannon ready to fire in the next five minutes or I will personally come down there and rip your hearts from your chests!”

  “Al-all ships deployed, engaging enemy fleet…” Dalth stuttered, still recovering from the psychic backlash unleashed by the Emperor.

  Calixta was picking herself up from the floor; having been closest to him, she had taken the brunt of his psionic fury. “My...love…?” she whispered. Blood was trickling from her eyes, red tears staining the deck plate.

  Stragdoc’s head twisted to face her, and then he jumped over his seat and picked her up gently. “I’m sorry, Calixta, I didn’t mean to…”

  She smiled, the damage already repairing itself. “Not...your fault...”

  On the main screen, Psi-Omegan vessels were moving en masse towards both of the Earth fleets. Ships began exploding in the cold vacuum. The Red Talon itself began shaking imperceptibly under impacts from the rear. “All defensive batteries open fire!” Dalth ordered, glancing back at the Emperor clutching his bride.

  The defensive guns did what they could, but there was a problem. In his supreme arrogance, Stragdoc had neglected to allow the cannons to rotate towards the rear, expecting only to be possibly facing vessels coming directly at him.

  His mind had ignored the possibility of a sneak attack, and it was costing the dreadnaught.

  Calixta suddenly sat up in Stragdoc’s arms, rage boiling in her eyes. “She’s coming.,” she hissed. “Stay here, I’ll finish her.” Scrambling out of her husband’s reach, she ran for the hall, knowing instinctively where Jennifer would be.

  ---

  This time when Tazer Squadron exited FTL, things were hardly serene. Faced with the glowing propulsion system of the massive vessel, Chris barked the command to open fire. Rockets and laser cannons filled the space between them and the massive vessel, doing significant damage before large squadrons of ships deployed from Red Talon’s flanks, flying straight at them.

  “Engage the enemy, but keep the pressure on that ship! Make sure they don’t get a chance to fire that cannon again!” Chris barrel-rolled to avoid an incoming blast.

  “Roger that, Tazer One!” The acknowledgements came fast and hard as his teammates dodged the enemy fire, returning it where they could.

  “Try to save your ordinance for the big guy, regular weapons against the small ships!” Chris launched another salvo into the Talon’s flank. Inwardly he was nervous: he was not sure that they had enough firepower to down the thing.

  -Don’t worry; I’m going to finish this.

  A voice in his head, strangely familiar. “Ashpool?” he whispered.

  -I’m going in, if you can provide some covering fire.

  Looking to his right, he spotted an unfamiliar ship streaking towards the Psi-Omegan monster’s hangers. “Guys, that ship could use some help getting in! Cover her!”

  “Who is that, Tazer One?”

  “Doesn’t matter. A friend. Make sure it gets inside!” A Psi-Omegan vessel shattered under his guns. Several other ships going after Ashpool’s vessel equally disintegrated.

  -Thanks. Be careful out there.

  “You too.” He said aloud, not sure that the woman could hear him as her ship flew into the docking bay.

  A new voice over the comms. Hasegawa. “Captain, who was piloting that ship?”

  “Classified, sir.” Chris replied lamely. “But the pilot is the one who gave us our shot at stopping that thing.”

  “I...see.” A pause. “I seem to be someone’s choice of target, I need assistance.”

  “You got it, Admiral, on my way. Tazer Two, Tazer Four, let’s do it!”

  They raced towards the Admiral’s location, just in time to see his vessel crack like an egg under Victor Karman’s cannons.

  31.

  Her ship had barely hit the deck when Jennifer burst from the hatch. Sprinting for the corridors, she caught bewildered looks from the various technicians and crewmen she passed by.

  End this. End this. End this. Her thoughts formed a constant litany as she ran full force. He had to die, there was no other solution. With Paul gone, there would be no driving force for this war.

  Her mind was locked onto the strongest psychic image she could sense, it had to be him, had to be. She turned corridor after corridor. Was he leading her somewhere? Jennifer was beginning to doubt that she would be able to find her way back to the hanger; but that was all right as long as she took him down first. So long as she fixed her mistake, it would be all right…

  The last door she went through slammed shut behind her. She skidded to a stop. There were vast windows or screens in this room, affording an impressive view of the ongoing battle outside. Vessels on both sides were destroyed, but the Red Talon’s presence was certainly deciding the battle.

  Bookshelves lined one of the walls not given over to the awesome view; a large oak desk in front of them, barren but for a deck of cards.

  “Welcome to my home.” Jennifer whipped around to see Calixta facing her, gun in hand. Her appearance was equal parts surprising and shocking; namely her physical appearance, for there were twin trails of red down her face.

  “Thank you?” Jennifer's reply was lame as she raised her hands, but she was confused. Hadn't she been tracking…?

  “Little trick I figured out. Certain animals on Earth increase their mass to scare away their hunters. I simply used the same principle to make you my prey.” Calixta’s aim was steady, Jennifer was concerned. She had never really faced down another psionic before.

  “I’d ask for a tour, but I don't think you're interested in showing me around.” Jennifer cast her mind around, trying to figure out some way to get away from this situation. However, she also needed to satisfy her curiosity. “Why do you want me dead so badly, anyway?”

  “You have to ask?” Calixta snarled. “You tried to kill my love, you humiliated me in Toronto, and to top it all off…” she trailed off, her aim trembling slightly.

  Jennifer saw where this was going and could not suppress a laugh. “He doesn't still love me! That has to be the-”

  “Shut your mouth!” The other woman screamed, unconsciously pushing Jennifer back a few paces with the psychic force of it. “Did I say that? Did I?!” She reached up with her other hand and steadied her aim. “What I was going to say, before you so rudely interrupted, was not that he still loves you….but that he loved you first.” Fresh tears fell from her eyes. “It's stupid. I know that. It's nothing more than petty jealousy. But I also know that I hate you for it.”

  Mother of god, this woman has gone insane. Jennifer thought to herself. Was I this far gone back then? “Calixta...you don't know what he is. He doesn't deserve this blind devotion you're throwing at him.”

  “Really?” Calixta giggled without humour. “He saved me. I was going to die, losing control of my body, trapped in a stagnant carcass of meat, and I shouldn't love him for saving me from all that?!”

  “You can be grateful, sure. But to follow him, leashed as you are now, how is that different? You are still trapped. The cage is gilded maybe, but you still don't have control.” Jennifer lowered her hands. “You do what he says, when he says. He sent you after me, didn't he?”

  Calixta snarled again, throwing her gun away. “No. I wanted you dead for myself.” And she threw herself at the other woman, determined to rip her head from her shoulders.

  ---

  On Earth, Alliance high command was preparing to launch another squadron of fighters, when Admiral Hasegawa’s death was announced. Mitchell Cameron was horrified; Hasegawa had not only been his ally but his friend. “Godspeed, my friend.” He whispered.

  “Sir, a text communication from the vessel, again demanding our surrender.” The communications officer looked haunted by the scale of destruction that Stragdoc had caused so far. Cameron could not blam
e him; the man was a walking war crime.

  “Young man, do you know history?” Cole, the American, spoke.

  “Sir?”

  “World War Two, General McAuliffe? Bastogne?” Cole wore a shark’s grin.

  The officer looked back at him, and started to smile. Cameron and Burvechev stared blankly at each other at the Americans private joke.

  ---

  “Sir, a reply from Earth...I don't get it…” The Red Talon’s communications officer looked puzzled at his commanders.

  Stragdoc called up the message, displaying it on his personal screen.

  To the Psi-Omegan Commander,

  NUTS!

  Earth Alliance Command.

  “Very. Funny. Is my cannon ready to fire yet?!” Stragdoc all but shouted.

  “Five minutes, sir.”

  “Alliance Headquarters is where? Vienna? It's Vienna, yes?” Anger was pouring off the incensed Emperor in waves.

  “Yes sir!” A crewman gasped through the stifling cloud of psychic anger that suffused the room.

  “Move the Red Talon into position, I want those arrogant bastards’ blood atomized the very instant we are able to fire!”

  “With the battle going on, it will be difficult to maneuver around our own ships-” the navigator, Truk, began before Stragdoc grabbed him by the throat.

  “If they're too stupid to get out of our way, let them DIE!” Truk wilted against the barrage of words, and hastily turned to obey his master once he was released.

  Stragdoc stood in the center of the bridge now. I will burn the entire planet if I have to. There are other worlds. Then a fresh psychic shockwave rocked him.

  “Calixta…” He breathed, and barked orders as he ran for the door. “Open fire as soon as we are in position! Issue our ultimatum afterwards, surrender or the planet burns!”

  32.

  Jennifer grabbed the other woman's wrists, keeping her from raking her eyes with her nails, head pounding from the psychic assault being thrown at her by Calixta.

  -HATE YOU HATE YOU HATEYOUHATEYOUHATEYOUHA-

  Jennifer finally got a mental shield in place, getting Calixta out of her head. She slapped the other woman's hands together, still holding tight, span quickly and let inertia happen as she let go, coupling it with a hard telekinetic shove.

  Calixta was propelled into the desk, screaming as she crashed into it. But it was not a scream of pain, or even rage...it was terror.

  “Oh my God…” Jennifer whispered as the other woman fell over, holding her belly. She was not showing yet, but Jennifer couldn't conceive of another reason for the Empress’s reaction.

  “H-how far along are you?”

  Calixta said nothing, but her face became a mask of pain. Jennifer grabbed for a comms panel, screaming for a med team. Yes, she had come aboard to stop Paul, but he was the only one who was truly guilty.

  The child Calixta was carrying was innocent of the crimes of its father.

  ---

  “God damn it!” Chris snarled as Hasegawa’s ship blew apart. He wasted no time in trying to lock onto the Psi-Omegan vessel responsible, but the other pilot was too quick.

  “Uh, sir, is that thing moving?” Tazer Two spoke up.

  Chris spared a glance at the Red Talon, sucked in his breath. “Yeah, but I don't think they're leaving the party yet. More likely he’s decided to blast another city.”

  “All squadrons, this is Alliance command.” Cameron’s voice. “We're registering enemy mothership is moving, trajectory seems to indicate…” Silence for a moment, then cursing. “Damn, looks like we’re going to be the target. Anything you can do before that monster opens fire again?”

  “I’ve got an idea, sir.” One of Chris’s ships, Tazer Five. “Might buy you some time.”

  Chris saw the small fighter make for the prow of the vessel, opening fire on the exposed cannon. “All squadrons, break off and open fire on enemy's primary weapon. We can't allow them another bombardment!”

  ---

  I am sorry my love… Was the sole thought in Calixta's mind. She clutched her belly as the cramping began. She had wanted the child to be a surprise for him upon his victory. She thought she had even made cursory mental contact with the embryo inside her, now as life left it she was certain she had. She let out a wail of despair that echoed in the realm of the psychic ether, resulting in a shockwave that summoned her husband from the bridge, and staggered the fleeing Jennifer.

  When the medical team arrived, she had slipped into apparently blessed unconsciousness...except for the string of numbers she was whispering repeatedly.

  “Twenty-one...zero-eight...”

  It was in this state that Paul Stragdoc found her, and not knowing the source of her trauma, snarling, he ran in search of his nemesis. But not before ordering that her every unconscious utterance be recorded.

  ---

  “The armor on that thing’s too strong!” Chris cursed. It figured that the bombardment cannon was shielded, given the power output on the thing had to be immense.

  “Okay, sir, I’ve got one other idea.” Tazer Five spoke up. “Just know sir that it's been an honor to fight alongside you.”

  And with that, guns blazing, Tazer Five flew into the barrel of the weapon.

  ---

  “Weapon repaired, Admiral! We’re over the target!”

  “Then fire!” Dalth screamed. More and more of their ships were going down; taking out their command was the only way she could see taking victory here.

  “Sir, something's not right, there's an energy build-up on the emitters…” A new crewman spoke just before Tazer Five completed his mission, causing the inside of the cannon to undergo a chain reaction of explosions powerful enough to send the Red Talon lurching.

  ---

  The ship’s sudden movement caused Stragdoc to fall face first into the deck, breaking his nose. Blood soaked the lower half of his face as he reached up to straighten it before it healed crooked.

  “Bitch.” He muttered, believing that Jennifer was responsible for the lurch. All his psychic potential was focused on finding her. He dismissed all outside distractions, willing himself to his feet, pinpointing her as the cartilage in his nose began to mend.

  “Got you now.” Stragdoc grinned, the blood staining his cheeks and lips making the smile positively demonic. “Hear that, Jennifer? I'm coming for you…”

  ---

  Jennifer did indeed hear him, having kept a telepathic ear out for his presence. She kept running through the corridors, berating herself for having allowed an innocent to be harmed again. All she wanted was to get off this ship, but she knew that there were other innocents aboard, she needed to evacuate them. That should have been her priority before confronting her nemesis.

  She let her senses roam, trying to find the children, she had to get them away before-

  -The Emperor will save us, right mama?

  -The Emperor is good and kind, he will not abandon us.

  -Let Emperor win against the bad people…

  Jennifer sank to her knees, crying. All those children's thoughts, he had warped them somehow, made them think he was a messianic figure…

  “Why shouldn't I be?”

  Jennifer did not even bother turning to acknowledge him. “Because. You are nothing but a liar. A liar that kills for pleasure.”

  “Oh, please.” Stragdoc snapped, moving in front of her. “All these years, and you continue to delude yourself. You were there when we planned the bombing. You helped plan it out. Did you really think that it was all for show?”

  Jennifer laughed bitterly. “I don't know any more.” Her eyes never left the floor.

  “Then die in ignorance.” He hissed and she felt the barrel of his gun press against her head. Then footsteps running towards them.

  “My lord, we stabilized the Empress but we-”

  “LEAVE!” Jennifer felt the thud in the deck as the force of Stragdoc's command knocked the man down. Then a strange pause, followed by a whisper.
>
  “The baby couldn't be saved? What baby?”

  Jennifer looked up finally, tears in her eyes. Through the haze, she could see him, emotions running wild on his face; shock, horror, fury, bafflement. All Jennifer could say, in a whisper, was “I didn't know, I’m sorry.”

  Then he was gone.

  33.

  “Sweet merciful Jesus.” was all Chris could say as Tazer Five’s sacrifice paid off. He saluted the site of the man's victory. Cracks covered the weapon’s barrel, hot plasma burning through. Minor explosions littered the area, as the energy build up had nowhere else to go.

  “Ok boys, we can mourn Five later, let's finish the bastards off.” Chris breathed.

  “I don't think we need to worry there sir.” Tazer Eight piped up. “They're returning inside the big one.”