《Chronicles of Sol: The Fall》


 Prologue

    Several figures stood clustered together in a wasteland. The ground was charred, and pockmarked with recent craters. Ruined masonry and broken roads dominated the area, while a lonely temple stood not far from where they stood. It was the only structure to have survived the recent battle here. A battle they had all been participants in. Although to be more accurate only one of them really fought, the others ended up being mere spectators sheltering in the temple as they watched two powerful god-like beings fight it out. One of which, shockingly enough, had been their friend. A young girl they had grown up with. That same friend who goes by the name of Arlie had apparently been far older than they ever imagined, and at the end of the battle they had plied her with questions. Questions that had led to her making a comment that flipped their worldview on its head.


    Arlie looked over her friends'' faces. As the shock of her statement wore off, she noted they were brimming with curiosity. She smiled to herself, and considered where to begin. It was not a short story, not at all. It was a tale that spanned decades of time. A tale rife with conflict about a universe embroiled in war.


    She sighed, ¡°I guess I will have to tell you the story then. The fall of the first humans, and how that led to the rise of the gods was many eons ago. I¡¯m not entirely sure where to begin, but perhaps a bit of background would be in order. First we should change the venue, my own home will be a more comfortable place for this¡±


    Arlie changed the venue for them via portal before she began her story. Once everyone was comfortable, she smiled, and said.¡°Before our story begins there are a few events I should describe. The first humans had never been the most unified of people. Reaching the stars did not magically end old conflicts, those things took time. It took three world wars, and a century of fighting between Earth¡¯s various colonies before a union was formed. In the final years of the colonial wars it was ultimately the fleets of the United Earth Federation that unified the colonies and brought an end to the conflict. For the first time in a century, Humanity was looking forward to an era of peace. One that proved ultimately not to be.


    ¡°On March 3rd, 2 BDE on the Solean Calendar, or March 3rd 156 CSD on the Old Calendar, humanity made first contact with an alien race. That race was the Cathamari, an aggressive warlike species that was seeking to expand its influence into humanity¡¯s sphere. They were not interested in peace, and demanded humanity''s immediate unconditional surrender. Humans were never the sort to just take things like that lying down. A battle broke out between the ships that made contact that day.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°On the Human side there was only the Torpedo Cruiser TFS Hammerhead, the namesake ship of the Hammerhead class. It was built by Titan colony and at the time had been on patrol near Titan when four Cathamari cruisers had warped out near it. Her sister ship TFS Mako was also already enroute to the site of contact, but she would not arrive until after the battle. It didn¡¯t help matters that humans had not yet learned how to travel faster than light. So all of their ships were limited to sublight speeds.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean humanity was to be underestimated though. The Hammerhead was a very respectable ship. She featured a very sturdy and potent powered armor system and a formidable battery of high-yield fusion torpedoes. In that first battle, she was able to prove that humans would not be the easy conquest the Cathamari expected. The Hammerhead¡¯s formidable armor easily absorbed the first shots from the Cathamari¡¯s feared Ravager Class Battlecruisers. Those ships featured potent plasma cannons, high yield plasma torpedoes and were protected by energy shields. Against a race limited to sublight speeds they thought a mere four of them could take the entire system. They were wrong.


    ¡°The resulting battle between the five ships lasted nearly fifteen minutes, and ended with the Cathamari losing three of those mighty battlecruisers, and nearly losing the fourth. Only a lucky hit saved them from defeat. One of their torpedoes had managed a lucky penetrating hit to one of the Hammerhead¡¯s magazines. The resulting detonation crippled the TFS Hammerhead, but the Cathamari were not able to sink her. With the Mako due to arrive in about a minute, the last Cathamari ship took the opportunity to retreat. Limping back home on auxiliary power and severely damaged. That day Humanity proved itself, and the Cathamari learned not to underestimate them. It was the beginning of a war that would rage for the next two years. A war Humanity knew that it would not win unless it cracked the FTL barrier, but a war they would fight nonetheless.


    ¡°That war ultimately ended on May 23rd, 001 SDE or 158 CSD on a day that would later become known as the Day of Sorrows. After two years of war, humanity had been pushed back to her final bastion, Earth. For months they were able to repel numerous assaults against the Lunar Perimeter, while they worked on their most important project. A new, more advanced ship that would win the war for Humanity. On that fateful day, however, the Cathamari attacked in force, a massive fleet outnumbering the defenders ten to one attacked.


    ¡°The Lunar Perimeter was a formidable defense. The Star Tech stations, originally high-energy research stations, had been converted into an array of powerful defense satellites outfitted with an antimatter particle beam that could destroy most Cathamari ships with a single hit. Numerous torpedo platforms, hangers, and mines made up the rest of the defensive network. Combined with the remaining colonial and Earth fleet ships, it was not an easy bulwark to get past. The Cathamari lost over half their fleet punching through the barrier. Soon the skies over Earth were filled with intense fighting as the two sides fought. At some point in the fight Cathamari ships began to bombard the planet. A decision that would have consequences for both sides.¡±


    She paused for a moment, ¡°This brings us to the start of our story. On that fateful day in question, I was not the person I am today. At the time I went by the name Jac Countryman, and I was about to board the EFS Enterprise, back at Star Tech HQ...¡±

 Chapter One The Battle for Earth

    Countryman hurried down the corridor. The ground suddenly shook around him, but he was prepared. Stopping to brace himself as the ground shook. He sighed, and continued on his way. He knew what was going on up there. The fight wasn¡¯t going well, and several Cathamari ships had begun attacking the planet. Star Tech HQ was likely identified as a priority target. It was an important facility afterall. Alarms blared as he moved down the corridor. The base would be fine for a few minutes longer, thanks to the heavily reinforced construction of the facility. In fact he calculated they had a little over half an hour before the surface levels of the facility failed, and a bit longer here in the lower levels. It was here that Earth coordinated its development of advanced starship technologies. The facility even had those new-fangled planetary shields. They had come out of the Mercury project, but had been found to be useful for more than just blocking radiation. They weren¡¯t enough to stop the Cathamari plasma projectiles, but they did reduce their effective power a little. As such, all key ground facilities had them now. They just did not have a cost-effective version for use on ships, like the Cathamari did.


    Rounding a corner as the facility shook again, he reached the hanger, and hurried inside. He was greeted by the sight of a massive ship. Earth¡¯s most advanced starship, first of her kind. The EFS Enterprise and she was a beauty. The huge ship featured an elongated saucer with an indented hull. At the rear of the hull, a swept-back tower led to a disk-shaped secondary hull. Sweeping down and back from the secondary hull to the level of the primary was a set of connecting struts that linked to the nacelles. A second set of thick struts linked back to the primary hull. The massive ship itself was resting on a series of massive landing struts that kept its bulk above the reinforced hanger floor.


    The ship itself was five thousand and twenty meters long. It sometimes boggled the mind that the ship was even capable of sitting on the ground much less able to be ground-launched. The secret to that ability however lay in her primary sublight drives. The ship was powered by a series of Pulse Wave engines. A reactionless drive technology based on a substance called Rydium. The accidental discovery of Rydium in 76 was momentous, and the substance itself soon found applications in propulsion, weaponry, and armor. Modern armor in fact relied on it for its very operation. The pulse wave engines that provide thrust for the Enterprise employ a Rydium based core that is bombarded with a series of particle streams. This produces a series of em and graviton-based emissions that a specially designed chamber focuses into pulse waves. These spatial-gravitic pulse waves have the benefit of partially nullifying the mass of the equipped ship and allow for the impressive maneuverability of human-built ships.


    An Ensign greeted him as he entered the hanger, then she promptly asked, ¡°Your credentials please.¡±


    He had to respect her for still doing her job despite the circumstances. He showed her his credentials. She smiled as she looked over his credentials, although he noted a hint of worry in her eyes. It seemed she was trying to distract herself from the shaking. ¡°Ah! Commander Countryman. Captain Reynolds was just asking for you. You better go see him, I think he is over by the main ramp supervising the loading of supplies.¡±


    He smiled, trying to help distract her from the bombing, ¡°Thank you Ensign. I¡¯ll go see what the Captain wants.¡±


    Countryman hurried along towards the ramp. Occasionally having to brace as the ground shook from the continued bombardment. Sure enough, he found Reynolds supervising several workers doing the last-minute loading of supplies and equipment. They were taking just about everything they thought they could use. As they were evacuating the base as well. Star Tech HQ was a facility they could not risk falling into Cathamari hands.


    Reynolds noted his approach, ¡°Ah, Commander, I was just looking for you.¡±


    ¡°I heard. How may I be of assistance?¡± said Countryman as he noted the captain¡¯s expression. He seemed rather stoic and unconcerned by the bombing, but Countryman noted a slight bit of concern in his eyes. He hid it well, which is good given his position.


    Reynolds shifted his stance, and schooled his features, ¡°I¡¯ll get to that in a moment. I am curious though, do you have any idea why command assigned me a scientist for a first officer?¡±


    ¡°Beyond the fact that I designed the Enterprise? Well, there is the fact that I was the lead engineer supervising her construction. Not to mention I also have prior command experience. Command figured you would need someone familiar with the ship to advise you as well.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well I haven¡¯t had a chance to read your file, but it was rather thick. I guess an old fossil like you gets around.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°I do, but when you have lived as long as I have, you do get around.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it will take some getting used to having a first officer older than I am.¡±


    That was something Countryman got a lot. Since he was a hundred and ninety-one years old, Countryman was used to often being the oldest person in the room. His age was only possible due to modern medical technology and his status as a cybernetically enhanced human. He could expect a few more centuries of good health in fact, thanks to that status. Not that most people would notice his enhanced status. His only visible sign of enhancement were his eyes, and that was only if you looked closely.


    ¡°Anyway, we will see how good of an officer you make for me. In the meantime, I could use a rundown on my new ship. Command seems to have been slow getting me the files on it.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°I can do that alright. The EFS Enterprise is the newest and most advanced ship we have. First thing I would like to point out is that we haven¡¯t had the time to optimize her systems or make sure everything is running to spec.¡±


    ¡°Noted, I was already told that the armor is only operating at forty percent effectiveness. Then he gave Countryman a look. Anything you can do about that?¡±


    ¡°I might be able to. I¡¯ll have to be in engineering for that.¡±


    ¡°Then go ahead and get started on that, after we get aboard. But first, give me that rundown.¡±


    Countryman nodded and got started, ¡°The Enterprise makes several important improvements over older ships. Thanks to the Warp Three project and the Carrington project the ship is outfitted with a new first-generation warp drive. The warp drive is a new, mostly experimental, faster-than-light drive that functions by folding space around the ship. This process creates an intense spatial bubble around the ship that also has the side benefit of ripping apart any large debris that passes into the bubble and redirecting energy weapons fire as well. As such combat at warp speed won¡¯t be possible Although the bubble won¡¯t stop translight particles from interacting with the hull. At lower speeds we can tune the warp field to deflect most of those particles, but tuning the field loses effectiveness as speed increases. For most impacts however our hull plating should prove more than sufficient.¡±


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°Noted. Anything else I need to know about this warp drive?¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Yes. The engine is only rated for a cruise speed of warp three which is about ten times the speed of light. If I had more time I have ideas that could, in theory, get that up to warp four, which is about a hundred times the speed of light. A much better speed for interstellar travel.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. At ten times the speed of light it will take months to travel between systems. At a hundred it would be reduced to weeks.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Yes, that covers it. Anyway, the warp drives energy requirements required the Enterprise to mount a much more powerful power plant than previous ships. She is powered by a dual-core antimatter reactor and eight primary fusion generators. This also provided her more power to spare for defensive systems than previous ships her size would have had. While officially she is classed as being a Heavy Cruiser, she has the size and armor of a battleship. In fact she should prove harder to damage than most battleships. She features an improved variant of the standard Overlord armor. She features 12 meters of uniform armor thickness covering all sections, the plate is standard Titan alloy but we replaced the old shock gel with a new version that has proved able to disperse and absorb nearly fifteen times more energy than the previous generation of shock gel. This improvement was needed to absorb translight impacts, but it also greatly extends how long the Enterprise can hang in a firefight. As it also helps absorb the explosive shock of torpedo hits, and high energy kinetic impacts.


    ¡°The armor also features an improved energy absorber scheme, and dispersion field set up. The new absorbers should be able to absorb twice as much energy as the old, and will shunt it into the armor integrity field more efficiently. Tests indicate that this has greatly extended the resilience of the armor.¡±


    Reynolds nodded. The captain was likely just as familiar with Overlord armor as Countryman was. The AIF (armor integrity field) was an energy field that was run through the plates and was directly responsible for maintaining the armor¡¯s integrity. A field that was generated by circuitry that was directly integrated into the plate. The AIF was largely why the armor was able to resist Cathamari plasma weapons instead of being vaporized with each impact. The dispersion field, on the other hand, worked to scatter incoming energy weapons fire forcing it to hit a wider area. Not only reducing its penetrating power but also allowing a greater number of energy absorbers to absorb the energy of each hit. Allowing more energy to be shunted to the AIF or if the field was already saturated to a series of capacitors. In theory, the armor¡¯s absorbers could be used to power any system on the ship. In some cases, that energy was also used to speed up weapon recharge rates.


    He was also likely familiar with Titan alloy and the armor¡¯s composition so there was not much need to go over that. Titan alloy was based mainly on titanium but contained a few other metals in its makeup. The most notable element was the presence of Ryduim in the alloy which magnified its responsiveness to the AIF field. Increasing its resilience while being actively reinforced. Each plate was also treated with a special reflective polymer compound that not only helped absorb sensor pulses but was also very resistant to thermal gradients. That material combined with the dispersion field made it very difficult to detect the Enterprise without a spatial sensor array.


    ¡°I take it the enhanced dispersion field is also more effective at scattering incoming energy projectiles?¡±


    ¡°It is alright. We noticed a ten percent improvement in field tests. Although at the moment we still need to optimize the systems. It won¡¯t function at full potential until we make those optimizations.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡±


    ¡°For sublight propulsion, the ship is equipped with five primary pulse wave engines and a pulse detonation drive. She can outrun most modern cruisers on sublight easily, and can outmaneuver any ship the Cathamari throw at us. As for weapons, the Enterprise is outfitted with two primary heavy cutting beam arrays. Her main battery contains eight banks of heavy particle cannons, and she has a secondary battery of medium particle cannons. She also features fore and aft RF torpedo launchers. For engaging light craft, she is outfitted with triple tube photon missile launchers. She does have one weapon I think will interest you. She has been outfitted with a new weapon system that was found to be rather effective at defeating Cathamari energy shields. She is equipped with an array of Electro cannons.¡±


    ¡°Electro cannons? I can¡¯t say I am familiar with that weapon.¡±


    ¡°It was originally developed for the Carrington project. As the goal of that project was to capture a Cathamari ship intact, they needed a weapon capable of disabling them. The Electro cannon fires a highly charged electrostatic plasma pulse that can overload energy shields and disrupt ship systems. It proved invaluable for the Carrington project, and should prove quite useful to us as well. The only problem is its range is a bit limited. It has a range half that of our standard ship-to-ship particle cannons.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°That does sound useful. Especially since our particle cannons aren¡¯t that effective against those shields of theirs. Any other useful new weapons?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°The Enterprise replaces the older fusion torpedoes with the new photon torpedoes. Like old gen designs the new photons include a shield penetrator allowing them to occasionally bypass Cathamari energy screens, but the new photon warheads are twice as powerful as standard mark five fusion torpedoes.¡±


    ¡°What is the shield penetration rate on these new photons?¡±


    ¡°38% an improvement of 2 percent over the old mark fives.¡±


    Reynolds looked over the ship. ¡°Not much but that helps.¡±


    ¡°Every bit does. The Enterprise as you may have noticed has its own hangers and is designed to carry the new X-1204 starfighter, but right now we only have four squadrons of this new fighter. She was supposed to have more, but production of the remaining fighters has not yet been completed. We might be able to complete them later however. As the Enterprise has been outfitted for a long-term mission, she is equipped with Nano-fabricators.¡±


    ¡°That reminds me, what mission was she designed for?


    ¡°Long-range exploration and tactical assault. To that end, she was outfitted with everything needed for an extended duration mission. Advanced self-repair systems, nano fabricators, extensive cargo bays, internal hydroponics, water reclamation. We intended for her to be able to sustain herself as long as needed. In theory, she could operate in deep space indefinitely. At least as long as she had fuel and materials for spare parts that is, and since we couldn¡¯t guarantee that she would always have access to a port. We outfitted her with an industrial bay able to not only manufacture anything she needs, but also refine raw ores and process fuel. We even designed her with eight repair arms able to repair hull damage to not only herself but any friendly ship assigned to her battlegroup. She has four docking arms for that purpose as well.¡±


    ¡°You planned for just about any situation didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°One more thing you should note. The Enterprise is carrying a small supply of antimatter bombs. Intended for use in planetary bombardment.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡± Then he glanced at the workers. ¡°Looks like we are about done here. We better get inside. I haven¡¯t been to the bridge, has there been any change to that module?¡±


    ¡°No, it is a standard bridge module. Located near the top of the primary hull, and protected by reinforced bulkheads and secondary plating,¡± said Countryman. That was the usual spot for the bridge as well. While it might have been better protected deeper in the ship, in practice the deeper parts of the ship were better utilized for more sensitive components. Such as the main capacitors, the reactors, and magazines. Fuel pods were also kept deeper in the ship leaving less space for the bridge. The reason being that these things could explode if hit, or ignite, which could mean the whole ship.


    ¡°Great. I wouldn¡¯t want to have to learn a new bridge design.¡±


    The bridge, like all human bridges for decades, was split into two levels. The upper command balcony contained the captain¡¯s chair. While the lower level was where the control banks were located. A 360-degree view screen gave the crew an all-around view of the ship¡¯s surroundings. Near the front of the bridge was the helm, towards the left was the main tactical console, and the sub-tactical consoles. On the right were the engineering displays, and bridge consoles. Towards the rear were the operations, and science consoles. In the center was the strategic operations display. Behind the command balcony was a small hallway that led to the officer¡¯s conference room, and the captain¡¯s ready room. There was also a lift access point in that hallway.


    They parted ways soon after entering the ship. Countryman did mention before heading for Engineering that he had not had time to go over every system. There was much left untouched.


    <hr>


    Countryman arrived at Main Engineering a few minutes later. The room was located on deck 96. He was promptly greeted by the chief engineer, a young woman named Megumi Richards. She smiled, ¡°Ah, sir. Glad to see you made it aboard. Have you spoken with the Captain?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Yes, I did. He is preparing the ship for launch. I am down here to assist with getting the systems optimized. We need to focus on getting the armor ready for battle, we are going to need it.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Richards gestured to the consoles, ¡°I figured that would be the case, and I already got started.¡±


    Countryman nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work. See if we can¡¯t get that armor efficiency up above 40.¡±


    The two soon were sitting together at one of the console banks working away at getting the systems up and running.


    <hr>


    Reynolds settled into his new command chair. His talk with Countryman had been interesting. He had not been entirely truthful about Countryman''s file. He had actually read the highlights as soon as he got it. That man¡¯s file had so much black ink in it that there was actually not that much for him to read. Hell, the man¡¯s security clearance was higher than his own as well. Much of his work over the last century seemed to have been classified above his personal clearance level. Not that Reynolds knew what to say about that. What he really wanted to know was why the man held the rank of commander, and not admiral or higher. He had the clearance for it. Hell Reynolds suspected the man knew more about both the Carrington project, and the Warp Three project than he did. Both projects he was only recently granted clearance for.


    In fact he had been briefed on some of the older projects like the Warp one project. That had been started on Mars some fifty years ago, but it had failed to produce a viable interstellar drive. After numerous setbacks and failures, the project was shelved. It wasn¡¯t until five years ago that the project was deemed viable again. A year before first contact with the Cathamari, the first successful warp one engine was created, but this was deemed too slow for interstellar travel. This led to the start of the Warp three project whose goal was to create an engine capable of sustained travel at warp three. As it was determined that while warp one or two would be acceptable for interplanetary travel, interstellar would require at least warp three. The Warp Three Project was greatly accelerated thanks to the Carrington project which successfully captured a number of Cathamari ships for study. Including the all-important drive components. While no fully intact engine was ever acquired, much was learned from the fragments.


    He glanced at the helm officer, a young man. ¡°Initialize the engines.¡±


    As the officer started, he glanced at operations, ¡°Is everyone aboard?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. All departments report fully manned. All personnel accounted for.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Secure all hatches,¡± he glanced at the engineer on duty, ¡°Energize the plating.¡±


    He leaned back, and turned to his own displays. Looking them over. He had a general ship¡¯s status display, and database access right here at his console. He started a few pre-launch checks of his own. Noting a few systems that Countryman hadn¡¯t mentioned like the Mag Tractors which seemed standard. Most ships had them anyway so nothing special there. He also noted the Energy Web projectors which were standard on most military ships. Energy Web projectors created a net of high-energy particle streams around a ship and were controlled by computer. They were a very effective missile and torpedo interception system, and could even be mounted on starfighters. He was glad to see it. Cathamari torpedoes were among the few weapons that could penetrate Overlord armor.


    He then opened the database entries on the weapon systems to retrieve exact figures. Something Countryman hadn¡¯t gotten to. The weapons on the Enterprise had higher effective ranges and yields than their counterparts on other ships in the fleet. A benefit of her improved power plant configuration. She also had much improved capacitors, able to store more energy. Looking through the entry on the cutting beams, he noted that the particle emitter had been redesigned to allow for a higher yield particle stream. According to the notes on the file, he could expect not only increased firepower but improved armor penetration. Reynolds was quite familiar with the cutting beams. They fired highly accurate sustained particle beams that could carve through ship armor. They also out-ranged standard particle cannons by a fair measure, but like the standard particle cannons, they were less effective against shields. Standard practice was to use them to sweep the hull of an enemy ship after her shields had failed. This would allow them to breach multiple compartments in short order. Not only damaging whatever was in those compartments but also opening them up to space. They were also more accurate than standard particle cannons, which made them useful in precision strikes. Such as a targeted strike on a target¡¯s reactor.


    Standard particle cannons fired focused particle pulses. He noted that the ones on the Enterprise featured an improved cooling system, and were modified to take advantage of the increased power generation. They featured a higher rate of fire, and higher particle density. As such they would fire faster, and hit harder. Particle cannons excelled at chewing through armor, and ship hulls. They didn¡¯t have the range of sustained beam weapons or the accuracy though. The real advantage of pulsed weapons was that they fired faster, and required less robust cooling systems. That made them cheaper as well. Each shot also technically dealt more damage, but in practice beam weapons were more damaging. A fact that made one wonder why the Cathamari didn¡¯t use sustained beam weaponry. At least he did until he read the files on the Carrington project. A study of their weapons revealed that their cooling systems were crude, and their plasma weapons produced a lot of heat. The short answer was that they simply couldn¡¯t make a sustained beam version of their plasma weapons.


    Still, despite their crude cooling systems, the Cathamari plasma cannons were impressive. They fired a concussive plasma pulse that struck with significant force. Smaller ships could not hold up long under a barrage from those cannons, but the Enterprise had enough armor to render them ineffective. At least once it was properly optimized. At 40% effectiveness, they might prove a threat, but unfortunately, they could not stay here long enough to optimize it.


    Turning from the database, he checked on his officers. The helmsman reported that the engines were in the final stage of initialization. That meant they could lift off soon. He did a quick check with the other officers, and then called engineering. While also noting that his second officer Greyman wasn¡¯t on the bridge. Countryman answered after a moment.


    ¡°Engineering. Richards is busy at the moment, what can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°Was just checking how things are going down there. Made any progress with the armor, and have you seen Greyman?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I have seen our second officer. He is helping out down here. As for the armor, we have made some progress. We have increased the forward armor efficiency by about 2 percent. Not much, but it should help a little.¡±


    ¡°That is good. I was looking through the database and noticed mention of a shield system on the Enterprise. Anything you can tell me about that?¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°I¡¯d leave it alone for now. They aren¡¯t rated for combat. The shields are experimental, and designed to provide supplementary radiation protection. Useful if we get too close to a star, but won¡¯t help much in battle. They won¡¯t have much, if any, effect on Cathamari concussion plasma weapons. The power would be better put to use elsewhere in a fight.¡±


    He nodded. That sounded reasonable, ¡°I see. I¡¯ll let you go then.¡±


    Closing the channel he turned back to the bridge. To oversee the rest of the preflight checks. After a few moments, they were ready. He gave the orders.


    ¡°Retract all landing struts, and open the bay doors.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    On the screen the massive bay doors above the Enterprise retracted. Water began flooding into the hanger. Rushing to fill the underwater hanger. In seconds it would be flooded. Already ocean water was pouring over the hull. No one was worried about the water though as the hull was sealed and it wasn¡¯t going to care about a little water. He waited for the doors to be fully opened. Then he gave the order.


    The ship rose from the ground. Easily rising out of the hanger, and cutting through the water with ease. In mere moments she broke the surface of the water. A rain of plasma struck the surface nearby, and stray bolts even hit the ship. It shuddered on contact with the bolts, but the plating seemed to be holding.


    He noted two other ships breaking the waves nearby. Both of them were smaller than the Enterprise. They were destroyers. He had been briefed about them. They were also products of the warp three program, and they were classified as X-1212. They were designed as escorts for the Enterprise, but only these two ships had been completed. That was about all he knew about them though. As his briefing on them had not covered much about them.


    Checking the database as they ascended, he noted that they had a single cutting beam array. A single Electro cannon array, a few medium particle cannon batteries, fore and aft torpedo launchers, and they were equipped with fusion mine dispersers. He noted a lack of missile launchers or light ship weapons meant for engaging light craft. That was the normal role for an escort destroyer. These two ships were clearly not intended for that role. They might have been ¡®escorts¡¯ but they were clearly attack ships, and armed accordingly.


    He also noted the size of the ships, and their armor. Both destroyers measured 970 meters in length, and they only had three meters of armor. They could have benefited from more armor, but so could the Enterprise. Unfortunately, there were factors about modern powered armor technology that limited the thickness. The last thing he noted was the names of the ships, the EFS Coto, and the EFS Umikaze.


    He put those thoughts and considerations aside moments later. As the Enterprise broke free of the atmosphere. He was greeted to the sight of stars, menacing Cathamari ships, and the furious exchange of weapons fire. Directly in front of his ship was a Cathamari destroyer with its distinctive predatory design. With its triangular forward section, followed by a rounded body from which a set of predatory wings swept back. It resembled some kind of alien bird swooping to attack. It was firing on the planet. From which vibrant streaks of blue were flying up to meet Cathamari ships. Occasionally, a blue stream of particles would strike a ship in orbit as well. As planetary defense batteries were actively firing on attackers.


    He ordered the destroyer targeted. Moments later the hull of the Enterprise lit up, and she unleashed a fury of blue particle bolts. Charged particle bolts streaked across the short distance in an instant.


    Bolt after bolt crashed into the targeted destroyer''s energy screens. They glowed a vibrant red with each bolt that struck. They flickered with each hit, and then one went through. The bolt of energy that penetrated the screen slammed into the hull, and tore right through the plating. A small explosion followed, and then the energy barrier failed completely.


    Seconds later the Enterprise sailed past the wrecked hull that resembled nothing more than a very holey piece of swiss cheese. Her mangled hull was already starting to break up as gravity pulled it into the atmosphere. The Coto, and the Umikaze sailed right past it seconds after the Enterprise.


    Her entry onto the field was not unnoticed. As two cruisers broke off from a nearby Earth cruiser. An Osaka class by the looks of it. An older class that had served since the colonial wars. It was originally designed as an escort cruiser, and was armed accordingly with a large number of light particle cannons. It did carry a cutting beam, a few torpedoes, and some heavy particle cannons though. The class was remarkably sturdy, even if it did have only five meters of armor. However, in recent years it was slowly being replaced by the newer Tokyo class which was better equipped for engaging ship-to-ship.


    The ship in question had taken a beating. Its hull penetrated in a number of locations, and from the looks of it, she had lost her main drive. She was still fighting though. A blue beam streaked across space to strike one of the cruisers pulling away from it. A quick glance at his screens gave him the ship¡¯s name, the EFS Bismarck.


    Glancing at the operations officer, he requested, ¡°Status of the Bismarck!?¡±


    ¡°She has taken heavy damage to the primary hull. Main drives are out, hull plating has failed, and she appears to have lost power to several decks. She does still have power to her main weapons though.¡±


    Reynolds took note of that, while also considering the threat of the approaching battle cruisers. The Bismarck had taken quite a bit of damage, but she wasn¡¯t completely defenseless yet. Although she won¡¯t last much longer without aid. The cruisers now on intercept course for his ship were still outside of effective engagement range, and that gave him a chance to look them over. At a glance he recognized them. They were Battle Claw class battlecruisers. A newer class that were heavily armed with large banks of Cathamari torpedoes.


    He made a quick check in with Countryman. ¡°How is that armor coming?¡±


    ¡°Slowly. Optimizing armor requires a lot of calculations, even for me.¡±


    ¡°Well you better hurry up because we are going to need it in about 30 seconds,¡± replied Reynolds.


    A sigh came over the line, ¡°I need more time than that.¡±


    Reynolds closed the channel. They were probably going to get a little singed. Thankfully his own weapons have greater range than those on Cathamari cruisers. He would be getting the first shot.


    He turned to tactical and gave the order. As the cruisers were in range. Several streaks of blue light rippled from the hull of the Enterprise. As the launchers fired in quick succession. A volley of photons closed the distance with the first cruiser in a matter of seconds. A series of bright flashes lit up the skies as they impacted the cruiser¡¯s shields. The shields flared with each impact, but a few got through.


    The cruiser survived her armored hull having withstood the volley. The cruiser was not undamaged though, as she had taken a couple of hull breaches. More importantly she had taken damage to her shield grids, and her shields were flickering. Leaving her open to a follow-up attack.


    The damaged cruiser unleashed her payload of torpedoes, just as the Enterprise fired. Vibrant blue energy slammed into the cruiser seconds later. Her damaged shields absorbed some of the barrage, but numerous particle bolts slammed into the hull.


    The red-orange bolts of plasma that the cruiser had launched meanwhile impacted a web of glowing red energy projected around the hull of the Enterprise. A few of them got through this web however, and slammed into the hull. The ship shuddered under the impact. While the second cruiser unleashed another payload of torpedoes.


    He ordered immediate evasive actions this time, and tactical was ordered to fire on the second ship. The first ship was still intact, but she had taken heavy damage. He deemed her no longer a threat. He figured the other two ships could finish it off. Allowing him to focus on the other ship.


    Two blue beams slammed into the second cruiser¡¯s shields followed by a heavy barrage of particle bolts. The shields flared brightly but held under the barrage. While a number of the reddish torpedoes sailed under the Enterprise missing their target. They fired a volley of their own torpedoes at the cruiser. As the ship shook under the impacts of the torpedoes that did find their mark.


    He cursed when he heard a hull breach reported. They were taking damage. Nothing serious, yet. He wished Countryman would hurry with getting the armor to full strength.


    His volley of torpedoes quickly found their mark. Striking the second cruiser amidships. Most simply exploded on contact with the shields, but several struck the hull. The resulting flash of energy was brilliant, but the cruiser remained intact. Albeit barely. The second cruiser lost shields, and took heavy structural damage.


    He was about to give the order to finish it off, when blue energy slammed into its hull. The Umikaze had opened fire on it. A quick glance at the screens showed that they had finished off the other cruiser. They had made quicker work of it than he thought they would.


    He glanced at his screens. There weren¡¯t any more Cathamari ships in the immediate vicinity. There were a few cruisers not too far away, but they were presently engaged. According to the IFF, the vessels involved were the EFS Paris, the EFS Aksay, and the EFS Maryland. They were engaged with nine Cathamari ships. All the ships involved had taken damage.


    He glanced at the operations officer, ¡°Order the Umikaze and the Coto ahead to aid the cruisers Paris, Aksay, and Maryland. Then open a channel to the Bismarck.¡±


    She nodded, and after a moment, the Bismarck¡¯s captain appeared on the screen. He seemed relieved.


    ¡°Thanks for the assist. A few more minutes and those cruisers would have had us.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Glad we could help. May we be of further assistance?¡±


    The other captain shook his head, ¡°We will be fine. My engineers tell me they will have main drives back online in about three minutes. Hull plating might take a little longer, but this little corner of LEO is clear.¡±


    He wished the other captain luck, and closed the channel. Before ordering a course towards that nearby engagement he had noted moments before.


    By the time they had swept in, the Umikaze and the Coto had already sunk a ship each, and the three cruisers had finished off a third. Now only six Cathamari vessels remained in this little corner.


    He targeted the nearest with a volley of torpedoes. It was already damaged, and the handful that made it through the shields proved fatal. The ship went up in a brilliant fireball that left only mangled Duranium behind. The act no doubt drew attention, but the battered ships here could not put up much of a fight.


    In just a couple of short minutes, the other cruisers went down. Leaving him a moment to assess the ships they had just rushed in to assist. Thankfully without taking another hit. Countryman was still working on the armor.


    ¡°The Maryland reports critical damage, they are abandoning ship, sir. The Aksay reports moderate damage, and the Paris has taken heavy damage. Her engineers report they can have her combat-ready again in about twenty-three minutes.¡±


    He acknowledged that, and then his operations officer reported, ¡°Aksay says they are taking on the survivors from the Maryland, and will stay here to guard the Paris. The Bismarck has signaled that she is en route here and will be available to help protect the Paris if the Cathmari try to attack this area again.¡±


    That was good news, and left them free to assist elsewhere if needed. Although he would prefer to stay in this little corner while Countryman finished with the armor. He had gotten it up, but they were still far from optimal. It was better progress than normal, but that didn¡¯t make him feel better about how long it was taking.


    Before he could much consider what course of action to take next. His operations officer suddenly reported, ¡°Sir, we are receiving a distress call from the Baltimore. They report they are taking heavy damage, and are in need of immediate assistance.¡±


    He ordered a course set immediately. While in his mind he recalled the details of the Baltimore. She was a Tokyo class heavy cruiser. The ship had a crew complement of over a thousand, and he was familiar with the captain. Captain Mary Williams, a downright pain in the ass. At least she was good at her job, but she wasn¡¯t all that popular among her fellow captains. She was especially unpopular among those who were cybernetically enhanced. She made no secret of her distaste for cyborgs and had a tendency to antagonize anyone who was enhanced. He made a mental note to keep her and Countryman apart. Those two would not get along. Maybe he would get lucky, and she would already be dead when he got there?

 Chapter Two As the Battle Continues

    While the Enterprise was rushing to aid the beleaguered EFS Baltimore, another ship, the EFS Yamato was making its final stand. The Yamato was the largest ship Earth ever built. It was named after a famous ship from the second world war, but its service record had proved to be far more impressive. The ship, having fought in several major battles in two wars. The Third Colonial war, and the Earth-Cathamari war. The ship was a massive 9700 meters long. She was outfitted with twelve meters of Overlord armor, the same as the Enterprise, although that counted for more due to her size. But also less due to her weaker powerplant. The ship was also heavily armed with over a hundred torpedo banks and numerous ship-to-ship particle cannons.


    The Yamato shuddered under another torpedo barrage. Returning fire with one of her own. She had recently been resupplied with the photon torpedos to replace her armament of mark fives. Blue streaks of light rippled from the hull of the Yamato in rapid succession. Targeting three Cathamari cruisers and a battleship. The barrage struck all four ships. Their shields flared but failed to stop all of the torpedoes. A fair number interacted directly with their hulls, inflicting severe damage. Two of the cruisers were destroyed outright in an instant, while the third was crippled.


    The battleship was only moderately damaged and returned fire. Angry red plasma streaks slammed into the hull of the Yamato one after another. Ripping chucks away with each impact. Her hull plating was barely functional at this point, and she was outnumbered. Her escorts had already gone down in the fight leaving her alone, and taking heavy damage.


    She changed course and returned fire. A mixed barrage of heavy particle fire, and beam weapons focused on the battleship. While she targeted a second squadron of cruisers with her torpedoes.


    The battleship¡¯s shields flared brightly, but held under the barrage. Not surprising, since the Cathamari battleships boasted powerful shields, and enough armor to keep them alive even after taking numerous torpedo hits. Although it was important to note that they carry more armor today than they did two years ago. A change the Cathamari made after encountering humanity¡¯s shield penetrating torpedoes for the first time. A weapon that humans developed as a counter to Cathamari energy screens.


    The cruisers were not so lucky. Of the six in the squadron she fired on, only two survived, both crippled. Easily finished off by precision strikes from the beam array.


    <hr>


    The Battlemaster growled, as his ship shook. Another cursed volley had penetrated the shields. He glared at the ship on his screen. It was massive, three times the size of his own, and a true menace.


    The massive alien dreadnought had already taken heavy damage, but it was still fighting back. Her numerous torpedo turrets allowed her to target multiple ships simultaneously with each volley, and she backed that up with a heavy battery of high yield particle weapons. Weapons that were still operating even as her hull fractured, and plasma fires erupted. Even from here, he could see she was venting burning plasma.


    His tactical officer shouted, ¡°Sir shields are at 23%¡±


    He cursed. Those shields were the only thing keeping them alive.


    The Battlemaster gave the order. ¡°Helm, Withdraw!¡±


    He didn¡¯t like the order, nor did his crew. There was no helping it though. They could not afford to lose another battleship. They had lost too many this day already.


    <hr>


    Aboard the Yamato, Captain Drakes watched the battleship break off with relief. There were still cruisers left, but the Yamato might just pull through this. Assuming engineering could get those plasma fires under control. Otherwise the ship might just burn down.


    <hr>


    The Enterprise found the Baltimore on its last legs. The heavy cruiser had lost its main drives, and was adrift. Her hull plating was failing, and she was taking heavy damage. The mangled wrecks of several other cruisers were nearby. Reynolds did note that one other ship was in the area. The Yorktown, a Charleston class light cruiser. Ships of the class were lightly armed with only a few particle cannons, and light torpedo turrets. They made up for their light armament with their spacious hangers. That one cruiser could carry over a dozen squadrons into battle.


    The Yorktown itself had already taken some damage. She had a few hull breaches, but appeared to be in better shape than the Baltimore. As the Yorktown was actively engaging in maneuvers. She also had a few active fighter squadrons in the area, but they were busy defending their own mother ship. As such, the Baltimore was on her own against a dozen battlecruisers.


    Despite its heavily damaged state, the Baltimore was still fighting back, firing on her attackers using the last dregs of energy she could. The Yorktown might be alright for a few minutes, but the Baltimore wasn¡¯t going to last much longer without help. He didn¡¯t think the Yorktown would either, as it was also outnumbered and engaged with a half dozen battlecruisers itself. The Baltimore would need help more urgently in his opinion though.


    Reynolds checked in with Countryman. ¡°How is that armor coming along?¡±


    ¡°I have it up to 53% efficacy. I wouldn¡¯t recommend getting hit, but that should protect us from their torpedoes as long as field strength stays above 85%¡± replied Countryman.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Reynolds replied, before closing the internal channel. That was going to complicate things, but it was better than nothing. Now he just needed to draw their attention away from the Baltimore.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    They were just now entering torpedo range. He gave the order. The hull glowed briefly as glowing blue streaks shot out in rapid succession. They crossed the distance in seconds, and struck the nearest cruiser. Most of the volley detonated on contact with the shields, but a few got through. They struck the hull on the forward dorsal. When the light cleared it revealed a ship adrift. Her shields were still up, but her forward triangular hull segment was gone. The ship was spinning, and venting atmosphere.


    The strike had the effect he wanted, the remaining eleven battlecruisers had broken off their attack on the ailing Baltimore. They were now on a direct course for the Enterprise. Operations then reported, ¡°The Umikaze, and the Coto have signaled that they are breaking off to assist the Yorktown.¡±


    He acknowledged that, and noting that torpedoes had reloaded, gave the order. A second volley fired to strike the closest battlecruiser. He didn¡¯t like the odds, but he felt his destroyer escort had made the right call. They did need to split their forces if they were to save both remaining ships in this area.


    The battlecruiser he targeted attempted immediate evasive action. Careening up and away from the volley. The blue streaks of his photons turned to intercept. They were guided warheads, and well within effective range, it was a pointless maneuver. The torpedoes quickly cut up, and struck the ship ventrally amidships. There was a massive flash of light, and the ship was sent spinning right into the wrecked remains of an Earth cruiser¡¯s primary hull. Her shields flickering.


    He was promptly informed, ¡°Direct hit confirmed. Reading heavy damage to her primary shield grids, and propulsion matrix. She is venting atmosphere.¡±


    Reynolds smiled, he was sure that had shook up the scaly bastards. After what they had done to the colonies, they deserved it, and a hell of a lot more. In any case, that cruiser would be out of the fight for a while. He still had ten other cruisers to worry about, and they were now in range to return fire.


    The whole squadron opened up with a full volley of torpedoes. Numerous red bolts of plasma energy separated from the cruisers on a course right for the Enterprise. He ordered immediate evasive action.


    The ship turned hard to port. The crew didn¡¯t really feel it though, thanks to the inertial dampers, a device designed to protect the crew from the effects of high g maneuvers. They were invaluable gizmos that had been incorporated on ships for decades. Just as useful as the grav plating that kept his feet anchored to the floor.


    The Catharmari torpedoes, being plasma based, lacked the tracking his own photons had. Over half of them missed the ship sailing wide of the hull, and into space. Dissipating harmlessly when the containment failed. A few tracked the ship, and hit the Energy Web. The defensive system destabilizing the containment, and releasing the plasma prematurely. The ship shook under the shockwaves. Shockwaves he barely felt.


    He noticed the ones that actually struck the hull far more. The ship shuddered slightly with each hit. Thankfully none of the hits breached the hull, but the effects were felt. As each drained a chunk of the AIF. It would regenerate given time, or more power. He was going to keep an eye on it, because if they took too many hits too quickly the hull would start taking damage. Countryman had already warned him that the armor wasn¡¯t fully effective yet. It didn¡¯t help that the ship had been launched ahead of schedule. If it hadn¡¯t, the system would have been ready when they launched. That premature launch did play into why he ended up in command of the ship though.


    Reynolds gave the order to return fire. The arrays lit up and a hail of particle bolts, beam strikes, and photons rippled from the hull of the Enterprise. All heading for the lead ships in the formation. Already those same targeted ships were unleashing a second volley of torpedoes. The fight was on.


    <hr>


    Countryman tapped away at the console inputting new parameters. As he loaded a new set of figures into the computer. It was slow going but they were making fair progress on optimizing the armor. Out there he knew the battle was raging. Reynolds seemed to have it handled though. He was a good man, and seemed to have a good sense of what was needed.


    Suddenly the ship shook. He noted several more sections of the hull light red, as the engineering display warned him of new hull breaches. They must have been hit again. He cursed, he had told Reynolds they couldn¡¯t afford to take too many hits. Every breach compromised the armor and reduced its overall integrity. Too many hits and his work would be useless.


    In the background, he heard Greyman grumbling about something. Likely to do with the engines, as Richards had him monitoring the main drives. As for Richards, she was still helping with the armor. She had a good head on her shoulders and seemed to grasp the complicated math behind the armor better than he did. Regardless she could not match his speed with the equations. Although he did have the advantage of having a computer in his head. Sure, the computer was old, but it was more than adequate for helping speed the process.


    Richards glanced away from her console. Shouting at someone to dispatch damage control teams to deck nine. Countryman smiled to himself. She was also good at keeping track of the damage as it came in, and dispatching people where they were needed. He was glad to have her. She was a good engineer. Although that wasn¡¯t the only reason he was glad to have her here. Afterall for many years the young engineer was someone he had been looking out for. Not that she knew it. The last time he had seen her she had been a small child. She likely doesn¡¯t remember him. Perhaps he should talk to her about that?


    Not now of course. It wasn¡¯t the time. Finishing yet another set of calculations and implementing them in the ship¡¯s computers. Just before the ship shook yet again. With yet more red spots showing up on the hull. He blinked when he noticed one red mark on deck one, near the bridge.


    Worriedly he brought up the computer¡¯s report on that hit. Emergency bulkheads were in place. The computer reported partial decompression, and more importantly life sign readings. That meant people were still there. He sighed with relief.


    Turning over his shoulder he shouted, ¡°Greyman try and contact the bridge.¡±


    Nearby he heard Richards ordering damage control and medical personnel to the bridge.


    <hr>


    Meanwhile aboard the Yamato, Captain Drakes was giving the one order no captain wanted to give. They had fought off the attackers, but the plasma fires were out of control. Emergency bulkheads had been dropped to keep the fires from spreading to the magazines, but that was a stopgap. Plasma fires burned very hot, and would eventually burn through. His ship was burning down around him.


    It was a shame, the Yamato was a good ship. At least he would be able to content himself with saving his crew. They had some time before the fires reached something volatile. With a heavy heart, he left his command chair. Following his officers off the bridge. He had an evacuation to supervise. On the way out, he sent out one last communique to the fleet. A call for assistance in evacuating the Yamato.

 Chapter Three Aftermath

    Countryman stepped back from the console. He had just finished routing the sensor feeds to the console. Allowing him to see what was going on outside. Fortunately, the Cathamari weren¡¯t about to press the attack. He was reading only two other ships out there, and they were busy fighting the Yorktown, the Coto, and the Umikaze. It seemed the hit to the bridge had just been an unlucky hit. If Reynolds survived that impact, Countryman made a note to give the Captain a stern lecture. Countryman could forgive him for simply being young though. He would learn from this mistake.


    He looked over at Megumi. ¡°I¡¯m going to transfer extra power to the hull plating. Keep an eye on things here.¡±


    She nodded, as he rushed over to the main power distribution console. It took him only moments to shunt power from the engines to the hull plating. They weren¡¯t actively maneuvering and that extra power might protect them from any stray shots. A glance showed an instant effect as the extra power increased AIF regeneration, and pushed the AIF back to 83% field strength instantly. That might be good enough. He headed back to the armor substation, and glanced at the feed.


    On-screen both remaining Cathamari cruisers were breaking off. He felt relieved to see them going. It would give them a much-needed reprieve. Countryman went right back to work on optimizing the armor.


    <hr>


    Reynolds groaned as he heard the bridge door open. Those cursed lizards had hit the bridge moments ago. The armor had thankfully absorbed most of the blow. Didn¡¯t make the results hurt any less.


    Someone stopped by his side. It was a young woman in a medic¡¯s uniform. She checked him over, and then pressed an auto-injector to his neck. Instantly the world mercifully faded to black as the pain faded.


    <hr>


    Countryman took the incoming hail. He had been monitoring fleet communications. As it turned out, the Cathamari were retreating in full force. It was starting to look like they had won, but one look at the sensors told him of the cost.


    After a moment an older woman appeared on his screen. She looked a little haggard, but given the state of her ship, he wasn¡¯t surprised. The Baltimore was still intact, but that was about it. She had taken heavy damage, her main drives were gone. Power had failed on several decks, and half the ship was vented to space. That only scratched the surface of how much damage she had taken. The ship would need at least a month in dry dock undergoing repairs to be battle-ready again, probably more.


    She sighed, ¡°Thank you for the assist, Enterprise.¡±


    ¡°Glad to have been of help. Do you need any further help?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Main power is out, and auxiliary power is failing. It¡¯s only a matter of time before life support fails. Do you have room for a few hundred evacuees?¡±


    He nodded ¡°We do. I¡¯ll alert the main port hangar bay. We stand ready to receive you.¡±


    The channel was closed soon after that. He immediately went to work on making sure that the bays were ready to receive survivors. With the Cathamari retreating, that gave them time to pick up the pieces. At least in the meantime. Later they were going to have to have a meeting between the remaining captains, and high-ranking officers. That was something he was not looking forward to.


    He sighed, and got out of his chair at the armor substation. Reynolds was in the medical bay and that meant he had to go down and greet the people coming abroad. He glanced over at Megumi, ¡°Think you will be okay without me for a while?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t go as quickly, but I think I can manage.¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman arrived in the bay a few minutes later. The bay doors were open, so he could not enter the hangar proper, but there was a control station that provided a full view of the bay. He settled into the room and observed as the shuttles from the Baltimore landed. A couple of escape pods were also being maneuvered into the bay. Special mag tractors were actively aiding the ships into landing in the bay.


    Mag tractors were the closest humanity had ever developed to the tractor beams seen in centuries-old science fiction. The mag tractor fires a special grav disk that locks onto the hull of a targeted ship. Once secured to the hull, an electromagnetic towing beam is locked onto the targeted ship. The disk is what allows the beam to lock on, and without the beam, would do nothing. Once locked, the beam basically functions just like the fictional tractor beams. He knew of a few projects that were working on getting rid of the disk, but they had not made much progress.


    The beams were very useful in hangar operations and towing as they were already. Getting rid of the disk would be helpful, but not as much as force field technology would be. A technology that humanity had not yet cracked. Force fields would allow them to create an atmospheric shield around the bay door, which would allow them to open the bay without depressurizing the hangar. It would be a real boon to open bay hangar operations.


    Not to mention it would mean less waiting for him. He watched the consoles. Waiting for the shuttles to land. Staying out of the way of the hangar crew. A few of which were out on the deck in pressure suits. Armored pressure suits to be specific. They weren¡¯t all that different from the personal armor used by the ship''s marines in fact. It was a common practice for them to be armored. It was very useful in the event of accidents, or unexpected boardings, for example.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to wait too long before the last shuttle landed. Through the viewport, he watched as the massive armored bay doors closed. The mechanisms allowed them to close surprisingly quickly despite their size and weight. The exact mechanisms were highly classified, but they worked in part through the use of miniaturized pulse wave thrusters. In addition to traditional mechanical mechanisms. When combined with an antigravity field, it allowed the doors to close very quickly indeed. It was needed though, because experience had shown that a ship¡¯s hangars were very vulnerable to enemy fire when open. Being able to close them quickly if a hostile ship moved into position to fire on the hangars had saved quite a few carriers.


    The Enterprise not only had the benefit of fast hangar bay door mechanisms. Her hangar deck was also reinforced. Internal armor was common on modern ships, and was also present in the hangar. That plating was more substantial than the plating found elsewhere, since the hangar plating was meant to stand up against ship weapons. That wasn¡¯t the only protection added to the bay, much of the protections were meant to ensure penetrating hits to the hangars were contained to only the hangars.


    The moment the doors were fully closed, the system began to repressurize the bay. He watched the bay monitor controls for a moment, and when the bay was pressurized, headed for the door. He had some newcomers to greet.


    <hr>


    After greeting a number of frightened young officers and crewmen from the Baltimore, he was soon met by a familiar face. It was the older woman he had talked to on the comm.


    She smiled, ¡°Thank you for taking us aboard,¡± she paused glancing at the markings on his uniform, ¡°Commander. Where is your captain?¡±


    ¡°The bridge was hit, and he was injured. Captain Reynolds is currently in the medical bay. As first officer I am currently in command.¡±


    She said ¡°I see. I¡¯m Captain Mary Williams, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Commander Jac Countryman, I was in charge of the Warp Three project until recently¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    She gave him a look, ¡°Never heard of it.¡± Then her eyes narrowed, ¡°You, on the other hand, I have heard of. Can¡¯t say I liked everything I have heard about you.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone does. I¡¯ll let your people get settled. We can talk more later.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I pray your Captain recovers soon.¡±


    Countryman noted the phrase. That wasn¡¯t a common expression these days. It told him much about her. ¡°He¡¯ll pull through. I know it. Now if you will excuse me, I have other duties to attend to.¡±


    With that he left her in the hangars. He had a feeling she was going to be trouble. He made a note to keep an eye on her at all times. Countryman did not get to be a hundred and ninety-one without a keen sense of who his enemies were. She wasn¡¯t an enemy yet, but she might be. Best to keep an eye on her.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped onto the bridge. Damage control teams had installed a temporary patch to seal the breach in the hull, and the emergency bulkhead was retracted back into the floor. The patch was quite visible on the left side of the bridge, and he could see a break in the viewscreen on that side of the bridge. It was annoying but he could live with it for a few hours or days if needed. It was only going to be there until they got around to fixing the exterior hull damage. The fix was also very simple, easily done with an experienced work crew. They could have it done before the day was out.


    He crossed the short distance from the upper deck entrance and settled into the command chair. Someone reported that he was on the deck. He glanced at the young ensign at the Operations console.


    ¡°Status?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Preliminary repairs have been completed. We are ready to get underway at any moment now.¡±


    ¡°That is good. What about the Cathamari. Any sign of them?¡±


    ¡°Several ships are still on long-range sensors maneuvering through the minefields. They don¡¯t appear to be heading back this way yet.¡±


    He nodded, that sounded good. The longer those reptiles stayed away, the more time they would have to pick up the pieces. Speaking of pieces, there were no doubt numerous ships in the area in need of assistance. When he inquired about that, she reported back that they were indeed picking up distress calls from multiple ships. The nearest was from the EFS Essex, a Charleston class light cruiser.


    Countryman glanced at the young woman who took the helm, and ordered a course set for the Essex. He tried to ignore the reddish swirling clouds that were engulfing the Earth. He knew what they meant, but like everyone else he was trying not to focus on that. In the meantime, he had wounded ships to aid. That would give everyone something to think about for a while.


    As they headed for the Essex he mentally reviewed what he knew about the ship. It was a standard Charleston class cruiser. It was a smaller cruiser class with a crew complement of nearly five hundred.


    He also kept an eye on the sensors, but they reached the EFS Essex without incident. The ship in question had taken heavy damage in the fighting. That was obvious just with a visual inspection. Her hull was breached, and she was venting drive plasma.


    He ordered a scan.


    His operations officer took a few moments to run a scan of the ship, before reporting, ¡°She has taken heavy damage to her main drives, and engineering sections. I¡¯m also reading a reactor leak that has completely irradiated her rear sections. I¡¯m also reading moderate damage to her primary hull...¡±


    He cut her off, ¡°Any lifesigns over there?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes sir. I am reading concentrations in the forward sections of the primary hull. Looks like most of the crew survived.¡±


    That was good news, now they just had to get them off the ship. That would be the hard part. The vast majority of the hangar bays on a Charleston class cruiser were located in the aft bays. There was one shuttle bay located to the fore, and a few docking ports designed for small ships. He accessed the scans from his station to look at them directly. Where he noted more bad news. The forward shuttle bay had been destroyed, and the primary hull damage had vented a number of sections between the crew and the forward docking ports. That was going to complicate things. He sighed.


    ¡°Hail the Essex.¡±


    After a few moments his operations officer looked up, ¡°No response sir.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t surprising, but it was worth the try. First order of business would be to deal with that leaking reactor. He didn¡¯t trust it, and already had a plan. It was located in the secondary hull. If all else fails he would be able to sever the connecting links, and then tow the manned primary hull away from the leaking reactor. Buying them more time to evacuate the crew. There was also the fact that the reactor module itself was designed to be jettisoned in the case of emergency. Standard procedure for a leaking reactor was to jettison the reactor if shut down procedures failed. Both could be done remotely. Although not from the Enterprise. They would need the ship¡¯s prefix code for off-ship systems access.


    Unfortunately those codes were known only to the high admiralty, and they had lost contact with fleet HQ. They wouldn¡¯t be able to get them. It might be possible to guess those codes but it would take too long for that. Fortunately there was a way to get that system to activate. Since the crew wasn¡¯t responding to hails, perhaps the ship¡¯s computer would.


    He moved down to the operations console. ¡°Try contacting the ship¡¯s computer. Send our fleet id code, and a request to shut down the main reactor.¡±


    She nodded, and after a moment there was a response. A simple text, requesting authorization. He smiled, that he could do. His clearance codes would be sufficient.


    ¡°Let me take care of that.¡±


    He input the codes, and watched the computer respond. The ship immediately attempted to shut down the leaking reactor. After a few minutes it reported failure, and then immediately without asking, initiated the auto-eject sequence which jammed. The mechanisms had taken damage which the computer promptly reported. The ensign at operations stared at her screen. ¡°What did you send the computer?¡±


    ¡°My Alpha One-One clearance codes¡±


    She blinked, giving him an odd look. ¡°Alpha One-One? How the hell does a commander have that clearance level?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Well Ensign. I am not just any commander. I¡¯ve been working on one top-secret project or another for decades. Some here on Earth others out in the Colonies.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Countryman stretched, then turned to tactical. The young woman manning the station now noticed his attention, she smiled, ¡°I have the cutting beams charged and standing by sir. Would you like me to start?¡±


    He liked her. She anticipated his command, but didn¡¯t do anything until he was ready for her. Countryman nodded. She turned to her console. On screen he watched as a continuous blue beam shot out to strike the Essex. Even with her hull plating offline, it was going to take awhile. Titan alloy was remarkably resilient even without an active structural reinforcement field. Although the mix of titanium, artificial polymers, rydium and circuitry was actually rather heavy. That was its only real downside, it was a very heavy material to build a ship with.


    He headed up to his chair. Since he had time, he was going to check the crew manifest. As commander, he needed to know who the officers were. Now seemed like a good time.


    <hr>


    The Essex rescue went smoothly after that. He learned that the officer at Operations was named Misaki. While the tactical officer was Kaori. They both had promising records. They were good choices in his opinion for bridge crew. Sure, they were back up officers, but that doesn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t have them moved up to primary bridge crew. There were a few openings now. Although the captain would have final say on that.


    The reactor separation had gone smoothly on their end, and it had been a simple matter to tow the primary hull away from the severed secondary hull where the leaking reactor module was located. Getting the crew off had been a little involved, but nothing unexpected cropped up. They ended up rescuing over three hundred people, which was a majority of the crew.


    After that, the Enterprise visited several more stricken ships rendering aid, before coming across the Yamato. The massive ship was burning when they found it, the hull rupturing. However, the crew had already evacuated and were awaiting rescue in either escape pods or shuttles. Making it a simple job of recovery for the Enterprise. It had taken a couple of hours for his pilots to collect them all, but they ended up rescuing a substantial portion of the crew. Including the commanding officer, Captain Ashley Drakes.

 Chapter Four The Meeting

    First Officer¡¯s Log May 27th 158 CSD:


    It has been four days since the Cathamari breached the Lunar Perimeter and assaulted Earth.  We have spent much of that time rendering aid to stricken warships. That hasn¡¯t stopped people from talking about what happened to the planet. Hard for them not to notice, especially with the total lack of communications from Earth. It saddens me as well, just looking at the planet. It has been four days and the planet is still shrouded with plasma clouds. As far as we can tell the planet has been rendered uninhabitable, but our sensors have been unable to scan the surface. The intense plasma storms wracking the upper atmosphere have complicated efforts to determine exact surface conditions. Preliminary indications are that the surface has been irradiated, and if that is the case, all life may be gone. I doubt that, but there is nothing we can do to help them. Our resources up here are strained as it is. I¡¯ll be attending a meeting in a few hours to determine our course of action going forward.


    Countryman stepped into the war room. They had gathered officers from the remaining ships here, and several vessels that had been abandoned. Normally they would have just used the conference room on deck one for a meeting like this. Given the number of officers involved in this meeting, they needed the extra space that the war room provided. Looking around the room he spotted a few familiar faces but most were officers he hadn¡¯t worked with. He had taken the liberty of reading files on everyone, so he knew who was in the room.


    Countryman headed for his seat, and noted the presence of Captain Reynolds. Four days had been enough for him to recover from his injuries in the medical bay. Countryman¡¯s seat was next to his. As was natural, but Countryman noted an oddity. Reynolds had taken Countryman¡¯s assigned seat and left his own empty. When Countryman came near, Reynolds gestured for him to sit in the chair for the ship¡¯s captain, and Reynold¡¯s mouthed, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you during the meeting.¡±


    Something was up. He could tell. His instincts told him so, but they also told him Reynolds wasn¡¯t hostile. He let this slide. A few minutes was nothing.


    It was not long before the meeting opened. Reynolds, as hosting captain, began the meeting. ¡°Alright people, we have much to discuss in light of Earth¡¯s current condition.¡±


    Drakes said, ¡°Yes, we do. I think we should start with a general review of what we have.¡±


    Countryman had already done that, ¡°I¡¯ve compiled a manifest on what we have.¡±


    Drakes nodded, ¡°Thank you, Commander. Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    He went over it with them. Only a small fraction of the fleet had survived the battle, less than two hundred ships. All of which had sustained damage of one degree to another. Only three of those ships had FTL capability. Just over half the surviving ships were supporting minimal crews while the rest had taken on survivors. The Enterprise was the largest of the surviving ships, and she had launched with a minimal crew. Most of the officers meant for the ship had not arrived. The same could be said for Coto and Umikaze. Hell, both destroyers were being commanded by officers that weren¡¯t originally slated for command at the moment. They hadn¡¯t been expecting to launch for another three weeks, but the crews were slated to start arriving yesterday. Not that it mattered anymore.


    Moving on from ships he stated, ¡°Now about our supply situation. We have nearly fifty thousand people scattered between the ships and stations. We only have enough food and water for six months. Now, the Enterprise is equipped with a hydroponics bay, but first growth hasn¡¯t even been started. Thankfully, we do have some seed supplies on board.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that sounds like a problem. Might I suggest we check the Lunar surface domes? They were hit as well, but not as heavily as Earth. There may be some surviving supplies or better yet, an intact hydroponics facility.¡±


    ¡°I was getting to that. I did a few system scans, there are several intact hydroponics facilities, and a few thousand life signs still on Luna. Star Tech One is also still intact and manned. We can find some vital supplies there as well.¡±


    Drakes nodded, ¡°Sounds like we have options. Now, I guess the next order of business to consider is what we do long term.¡±


    Reynolds interjected, ¡°I have been thinking about it, and I have spoken some with my first officer on this. We have come to the conclusion that we can not stay here long term. Earth can no longer sustain us. Mars might work, but if the Cathamari return we would be hard pressed to defend it. Not to mention most of the surface was irradiated when the Cathamari bombarded it six months ago. As for Venus, the terraforming project was never finished, and it¡¯s not ready to support human life.¡±


    Williams said, ¡°You are suggesting we leave the system aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Drakes responded, ¡°That is exactly what he is suggesting.¡±


    A young woman, an officer off the Baltimore named Sanchez interjected, ¡°We can¡¯t! Earth is our home!¡±


    Second officer Greyman chuckled, ¡°Where would you suggest we stay then? Luna?¡±


    She looked away sheepishly.


    Countryman interjected, ¡°Most of our ships aren¡¯t equipped for traveling between stars. We will have to leave them behind. It might get a bit cramped aboard the Enterprise, but I think we can modify the ship to accommodate everyone. We will just have to convert a couple of auxiliary cargo bays into living quarters.¡±


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°The ship is big enough, might stretch the regenerative life support systems a little, but that can be fixed. We can reduce the strain a bit by making use of the Umikaze and Coto. Both ships will also need modification to accommodate additional people. Even better is the fact that all three ships are not only equipped for interstellar travel, but equipped with a warp drive. That means they can make the journey between stars in a matter of months, instead of years.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°I have ideas on how to improve the drives already, and the Enterprise does have lab space onboard. We can work on that enroute.¡±


    A so far silent young woman that Countryman was quite familiar with looked up, ¡°Yes, I recall. I¡¯m already working on those ideas.¡±


    Countryman smiled. The young woman was named Ruri, and frankly, she was a genius. She had been invaluable to the Warp Three project. She was here as chief scientist for part of the Warp Four project. When they had started the warp three project they knew it would be too slow for the admiralty, but the best way to improve upon the engine was to study it in actual use. That was part of why they put labs on the Enterprise. The fact that she was intended in part as an exploration vessel also played into the decision. In the end, they managed to fit onboard some nice state-of-the-art labs that may prove even more useful to them than they previously thought.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Williams frowned, ¡°That sounds nice, but where exactly would we go?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°That is the question alright. Logically the first place to go would be Proxima Centauri, it¡¯s the closest star to Earth. I can¡¯t think of a better place to start a search for a new homeworld.¡±


    He looked around. Everyone had blank looks on their faces. After a moment Drakes interjected, ¡°Well that does sound like a plan. The start of one anyway. Searching for a new homeworld. That could take a lifetime, and preferably somewhere the Cathamari won¡¯t be expanding too soon.¡±


    Reynolds interjected, ¡°Yes, we are talking about a journey that could take years. Finding a suitable world may prove difficult.¡±


    ¡°Fuel would be a major concern, with such a long journey ahead of us we will need to take measures to ensure our fuel supplies last.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°There are a few things we can do to minimize fuel consumption right away. Dimming the lights to minimal levels and hard locking them to turn off when not in use would save a fair amount of energy. More energy can be saved by running everything on auxiliary rather than the mains while on sublight. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, it sounds like you know what to do with that. So perhaps we should just leave it to you.¡±


    Reynolds leaned forward, ¡°That reminds me. Another important point we need to discuss is leadership. Since we only have three ships capable of making this journey, it becomes very important to consider where we put people. Of the few command level officers we have there are only two that have any experience with these three ships. My first officer Countryman is frankly the most experienced with these new ships. As such I feel it best that he be field promoted to captain, and take my place as captain of the Enterprise. While I will transfer my command to the Coto whose crew would benefit from my leadership. The Umikaze also needs a more experienced captain, and I think the best person for that job would be Captain Drakes, formerly of the Yamato.¡±


    Williams¡¯ face turned red and protested, ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t put that Cyborg in command of the force flagship, are you nuts!? What if that computer in his head short circuits? There is no way we can trust a walking computer with our lives. Not to mention we already have other experienced captains of command rank left. No need to promote the machine.¡±


    Reynolds gave her a look, but it was Drakes who said, ¡°It sounds to me that you are actually mad to be passed up for a command. However I actually agree with Reynolds, Countryman is the most experienced with the Enterprise. It would be best if he was in command here.¡±


    Countryman was a bit surprised by this. He wasn¡¯t expecting Reynolds to just hand him command of the Enterprise. Although now that he thought of it maybe he should have realized. The seat thing was a bit of a giveaway for that.


    She glared, ¡°I doubt that, and if Captain Reynolds isn¡¯t confident in his own skills, maybe you should give the command to me. I would make a far better leader than the damn machine.¡±


    Great, day one and he already had a political enemy. He already planned to keep an eye on Williams, but it seemed she was ruled by her emotions. She would need to be carefully watched.


    Countryman sighed and leaned forward. ¡°I think your own response runs counter to that.¡±


    She just looked away in a huff, and then Reynolds asked if there were any other objections. There were none, and just like that Countryman ended up declared the new captain of the Enterprise. With Reynolds moving to the Coto, and Drakes taking command of the Umikaze.


    Williams wasn¡¯t happy about that, but the rest of them simply moved on. ¡°Alright, I guess we have a rough idea of long, and short-term goals. Anything else we need to discuss?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°There is. We only discussed immediate goals. There is also the matter of the ships we are leaving behind, and what we can¡¯t take with us.¡±


    Everyone around the table nodded in agreement, and it was Greyman who voiced what was on their mind, ¡°Yes we can¡¯t leave anything intact for those scaly bastards.¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t just mindlessly destroy what we can¡¯t take. It might prove useful if we ever come back.¡±


    ¡°Star Tech One is still intact, and that station was fortified when it was militarized. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to turn it into a storage site.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but would it not be vulnerable, dumped here in orbit. Surely they would find it here?¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°We could always move the station. Besides, we wouldn¡¯t be able to go to warp until we clear the debris fields anyway.¡±


    The debris fields Countryman was referring to were the extensive ship graveyards that filled the system. Many of them were booby-trapped and concealed radiation generators and mines.  In fact, the minefields set up in the system were extensive. Two years of war had left the system a navigator¡¯s nightmare. The current state also forced the Cathamari to navigate the system at sublight speeds throughout much of the system. Human ships were faster at sublight and harder to detect so the debris fields also opened the Cathamari up to ambushes. Especially if they weren¡¯t traveling in a pack.


    ¡°The debris fields? Well as I recall those thin out considerably once you get past the asteroid belt. So that leaves us with a few places to hide it.¡±


    Reynolds leaned forward, ¡°The asteroid belt actually would be perfect.¡±


    Greyman stated, ¡°Yes, it would. There are still parts of the belt with traps and defenses left over from the old Martian Perimeter. Traps the Cathamari never cleared out. We leave it in one of those zones, and chances are it will be left alone for decades. Especially if we leave it in the middle of a radiation field.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good place, but does anyone here happen to know the codes for the generators?¡±


    Countryman was about to answer, when Reynolds said, ¡°We won¡¯t need those codes. The Enterprise is equipped with radiation shields that should protect us.¡±


    Countryman quickly confirmed that, ¡°Yes, and so is the Coto and the Umikaze.¡±


    ¡°Should? Do you mean they are untested?¡±


    Countryman shook his head, ¡°They have been tested actually. In the lab, and in the hanger. They will work.¡±


    ¡°So you scientist types finally cracked energy screens? How do they compare to Cathamari shields?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Uh poorly. These weren¡¯t made for battle, and they are related to the Mercury Project. Something most of you should be familiar with.¡±


    They nodded, and one said, ¡°That was the project about setting up a colony on Mercury wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not quite, but close enough. Anyway, the requirements of that project required the development of a shield that could protect against extended radiation exposure. Especially the intense thermals of the sun. We made the first breakthrough with that over a decade ago, but the first radiation shields were bulky and energy-hungry. Making it prohibitively expensive to mount them on ships, and only ships like the Yamato could have mounted them. It wasn¡¯t until about a year ago that the technology progressed to the point that it could conceivably be mounted on a ship.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. So why hadn¡¯t they been mounted earlier then?


    Countryman shifted his stance, ¡°Limited value in being placed on ships has resulted in few ships being equipped with them.¡±


    ¡°Although helpful for us, if we are going to drop the station in the middle of a radiation field. Now we just have to decide what we are taking, and what we are leaving behind.¡±

 Chapter Five Overdue Conversation

    Countryman left the meeting with new markings on his uniform and a busy schedule. He was intercepted on the way out by a familiar young woman. It was Megumi Richards. The engineer he had been working with on optimizing the armor a few days ago. Since then, they had both been busy and not had much time to really talk.


    She smiled, and Countryman tried not to think about the woman she reminded him of. She had her mother''s hair, and her mother''s gorgeous red eyes as well. It took a force of will to suppress the feeling the very sight of her evoked. Yet he managed, but he had many years of experience burying his feelings. It was a skill that he had needed many times over the decades. ¡°So uh sir. I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but you aren¡¯t that Countryman are you?¡±


    Countryman blinked, and then chuckled, ¡°If you mean the Countryman that once dated your mother? I am that person. I¡¯d been meaning to talk to you about that. There is a lot we have to discuss.¡±


    ¡°So you really are him! I just never thought I would get to meet you in person. You know mom talked about you often, but for some reason, we never met.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°that is a long story, and given the hour I am sure you are as hungry as I am. Join me in the mess hall, and we can talk about it over a meal.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°We¡¯ve barely met, and you are already asking me out.¡±


    Countryman chuckled. He said nothing though, and gestured down the corridor. The war room wasn¡¯t far from the tram lift. Capital ships like the Enterprise needed the tram lifts to move personnel around quickly. Without them, it would take much longer to get where you are going on a ship this big. The tram lift was basically a combination between an elevator and a cable car. Although no cables were used. Instead, it used a grav rail to guide the car, be it vertically or horizontally. It was also fast, very fast, and quick to accelerate as well. As such the tram lifts had their own inertial dampers to protect the occupants.


    The mess hall was a short hop for the tram lift. The Enterprise actually had several mess halls. He led Richards to the officer¡¯s mess on deck five, the same deck both of them had quarters. The deck was reserved for officers, and even included the captain¡¯s cabin.


    Stepping into the mess hall, the pair was greeted by rows of tables and chairs. All of which were anchored to the floor plates. The chairs themselves were anchored on rails so that they could be moved. The far wall was the divider between the mess, and the kitchens. Evenly spaced were several windows with counters. In front of which officers were lined up waiting their turn to order. Posted on screens above the windows was today¡¯s menu. Several options were available to choose from. Countryman picked a line, and they waited their turn to order. It moved quickly, so it wasn¡¯t long before they were sitting down to eat.


    Megumi opened her mouth to speak, but Countryman was already speaking. ¡°By the way, this isn¡¯t actually the first time we met. You met me once before, not that you would remember it, you were only three at the time.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°We have?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± he paused, and let out a breath, ¡°What do you know about what happened between me and your mother?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I guess she never told you that. Did she at least tell you about how we met?¡±


    Megumi nodded, ¡°Oh yes. It¡¯s one of her favorite stories. As I recall she met you on Mars. At the Martian Academy of Applied Technical Sciences, you were there at the time looking for applicants for some project at the time.¡±


    ¡°Yes that is right. She actually impressed me then, and I snapped her up. She was invaluable for that project. Hina was quite something back then, quite the firebrand actually.¡±


    Megumi shifted in her seat, and asked, ¡°So how did mother and you end up dating?¡±


    ¡°That was her idea actually. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was working that day trying to figure out what had gone wrong with our latest iteration of a new thruster assembly when she asked me to dinner. That was honestly when our relationship started. It was slow at first, but it really did seem to be going somewhere.¡± he sighed, ¡°Then it didn¡¯t¡±


    Megumi frowned. She had asked her mother a number of times but never got an answer for this. Maybe Countryman would answer, ¡°What happened? Mother never told me why you two broke up.¡±


    Briefly she noted a flash of emotion on the older man¡¯s face. A mix of pain, anger, and something else. It vanished as soon as it appeared, and after a moment he lifted his arm. It suddenly opened up the skin splitting into plates as they retracted backwards to reveal an entirely mechanical arm beneath. An energy cannon emerged above the wrist on the forearm, but what she locked onto wasn¡¯t the cannon. No her eyes focused on the band mounted to the emitter diode. It was a clean silver band with a glittering gemstone on it. It was a ring, and clearly not a cheap one either. Her heart fluttered when she saw it. Megumi had a feeling she knew who it was meant for.


    With sadness in his voice, Countryman said, ¡°I was going to marry her. I spent nearly half my life savings on this ring.¡± he paused a tear forming in his eye, only to vanish. He choked down something, and then said, ¡°Only when I went to propose I found her in the arms of another man. She had passed me over for someone a hundred years younger.¡±


    Megumi kind of regretted asking now. ¡°I, uh, see.¡± she frowned, ¡°I know you have been around awhile. I¡¯m sure you have fascinating stories to tell about old ships like those from the first colonial wars.¡±


    Countryman gave her a look. ¡°I see what you are doing. I¡¯m not a young man though. I can handle a little pain. Besides you deserve to know what happened between Hina and I. Not to mention it plays into why she came to visit me that day you and I met.¡±


    ¡°How does my mother betraying you play into that visit!?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°She came that day to apologize to me, and she also wanted to know for certain who your father was.¡±


    Megumi blinked, ¡°She did? So who is my Father anyway? She never told me about that.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Countryman picked at his fish, ¡°She didn¡¯t? Who did she tell you your father was?¡±


    Megumi sighed, ¡°Actually she deflected the question every time I asked. DO you know who my father is?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Of course I know who he is.¡±


    ¡°Well who is my father?¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time for that question. Perhaps I will tell you later when the shadows of sorrow and defeat are no longer looming over us.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°that is a poetic way to describe the current situation. I can wait, but I expect you to tell me eventually.¡±


    ¡°I plan to tell you. You deserve to know. It¡¯s just that now is a bad time. Trust me.¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°Anyway I would love to hear some of your insights on ships from previous eras. As an engineer I am sure it will be fascinating.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Changing the subject again are we? Well, no matter. I do have a few insights alright. The ships used in the first colonial war aren¡¯t much to talk about. They lacked many of the things we are used to today. No grav plating, no regenerative life support, no inertial dampers, and that is just for starters. The ships didn¡¯t have pulse wave drives either, and as such relied on nuclear powered ion engines instead for thrust. While better than old style chemical thrusters, they still left much to be desired. As such, those ships were slow and unresponsive. At least by modern standards.¡±


    ¡°I have heard about that.¡±


    ¡°Yes I am sure you would have. Anyway those old ships achieved gravity through large rotating rings. Those rings did a good job of that, but they were also bulky, and fragile.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I have seen a few in museums. I think a few were still in use out in the asteroid colonies.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Not as warships, I can tell you that. The rings made putting any kind of armor on those ships complicated. It doesn¡¯t help that they are basically fodder for any half-decent missile weapon, or any weapon really. There is a reason ships of that type aren¡¯t used much anymore.¡±


    Megumi nodded, ¡°I guess there is. You know, I never really get to see those old ion engines outside of museums.¡±


    ¡°Well you aren¡¯t missing much. They were rather bulky, but they were more efficient than older chemical engines. They were what made the colonization of the system feasible. Although if you asked me, I would say the most significant invention of the past century was grav plating.¡±


    ¡°Grav plating? Really I know it is convenient, but is it really that significant?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Oh yes. Humans don¡¯t react well to long term exposure to microgravity. The grav rings were our first clumsy solution, but they had so many problems. Especially on a warship, where they caused even more problems for ship engineers, and their crews. Ships of that age simply couldn¡¯t take hits, and the grav rings were a major part of that. Much of that was due to the limitations of the rings. They were large fragile devices that needed to stay in motion to function. Armor helped, but it could only do so much to compensate for the inherent structural weakness of the ring model.¡±


    Megumi nodded, ¡°I have seen a few diagrams. Those ships did have rather complicated internal mechanisms, and those rings do look fragile alright. Although I believe some of the later designs featured a hardened ring design.¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°Yes the Olympia class cruisers were the last ship class of that age to use a ring design. They featured a reinforced and armored three-ring design around a central cylindrical hull with a forward hammerhead section. Unlike most ships of the age, those cruisers could take a hit, but they quickly fell out of favor with the major fleets after grav plating came by. The cruisers in service ended up sold to smaller colonies that could not afford newer ships.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of grav plating, you never did fully get into why you think it was so important.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? The advent of grav plating allowed military ships to get rid of those fragile rings. This also allowed for more rugged and resilient ships to be built. Although the different colonies had different ideas on how a ship should be built without rings. Not only were ships sturdier, but grav plating was cheaper to install and maintain than the older rings.¡±


    She put her plate aside, ¡°I guess you are right about that. I think that also played into the proliferation of energy weapons as well.¡±


    ¡°It did alright. Mars started the trend when they first added lasers to their ships to carve through heavy ship armor. The other colonies soon followed, and before everyone knew it every ship had replaced their railguns with a battery of high-energy lasers. A fact that prompted the colonies to develop defenses specifically against lasers. Luna started putting ultra-reflective polymer coatings on their hulls, while Mars developed polarized hull plating. It kicked off a bit of an arms race, in fact.¡±


    ¡°That I am familiar with. Most of the technology on this ship is a direct result of that arms race. It¡¯s why we were able to give as good of a fight as we did to those scaly bastards.¡±


    Countryman stood up, ¡°Yes, it was. The rest was actually developed during that war. Although work on this ship did begin before that war, by a few years actually.¡±


    She stood up as well, and commented, ¡°That much is obvious. The Enterprise may not be as big as the Yamato, but she is close enough in size to be compared. Although most of that time would have been development. The actual construction would have taken only a few months.¡±


    ¡°A year and a half actually. We laid down the starframe seventeen months ago to be more specific. Theoretical groundwork for the ship began much earlier though. Your mother and I actually worked on the initial concept for the ship together.¡± said Countryman as he walked off.


    She stared at his retreating back, and then muttered, ¡°That would have been decades ago.¡±


    In her mind that statement raised some questions. Although the only person who could answer them just walked away. Glancing at her timepiece she realized she had somewhere to be. Likely why Countryman had left. She headed off, while thinking about what the ship was originally conceived to be. Megumi figured it was likely originally conceived as a ship of exploration. Decades was a significantly longer development period than most ships had. As most ships were taken from concept to completion within five years. Although larger ships were known to take longer. Even with the larger ships they typically weren¡¯t much longer than five years.


    <hr>


    After leaving the mess hall Countryman headed up for the bridge. It was time they started on gathering what supplies they could from the remaining facilities in Earth orbit. What was left of the Lunar colonies showed promise based on long-range scans. There were also the dead wrecks of quite a few ships from both sides to search for supplies. They needed everything they could get for this journey. Fuel, food, water, spare parts, all of those would be needed. The more supplies they could gather and store before they started their journey, the better their chances.


    Thankfully, this would be a simple task. He was more concerned about the journey ahead. If the Cathamari were any indication, it was a hostile universe out there, and they would only have three ships. Three ships upon which the fate of humanity lies. They would have to be cautious. Stealth would be key, and thankfully their ships were naturally hard to detect. It was a side benefit of their armor scheme, it was known to disrupt sensors. Primitive sensors like radar could not even penetrate that disruption. That benefit combined with the relatively low natural power signatures of their ships, allowed them to evade detection in most cases. That low power signature was deliberate on their own part though. A century of constant warfare between the colonies had taught them well. Once he was done with the Enterprise, it would be even harder to detect than normal for an Earth ship.


    That was the other thing he had to worry about. Optimizing the ship¡¯s systems for fuel-efficiency. Thankfully that was an easy task, just time-consuming. The protocols for it already existed in the ship¡¯s computer, it would be a simple matter to switch the ship over to using them in favor of the standard protocols. Might require a few small code changes to the protocols as well, but they were there. That was a huge time saver for him.

 Interlude Earth Weapons: Cutting Beams and Particle Cannons

    The cutting beam is a sustained particle beam designed to carve through ship armor from range. Cutting beams were developed by Earth as a counter to the armor employed by Colonial warships and were found to be reasonably effective at penetrating most armor types.


    The weapon generates a fair amount of heat and requires a fairly substantial cooling system in order to maintain the beam. Like most of Earth¡¯s energy weapons, the cutting beam employs a Ryduim based cooling system. The system makes use of a special heat sink to absorb the excess heat of the weapon, this heat is then transformed by a Ryduim based energy transformer system into usable energy that is shunted back into the weapon¡¯s capacitors.


    This setup provides several key advantages. Not only does it deal with the heat build-up of the weapon, but it also puts to use energy that would otherwise be wasted. In a sustained beam weapon like the cutting beam, it also substantially increases the firing time of the beam. Thereby increasing the overall damage output of the weapon. At least, it does so for as long as the cooling system can keep up with the heat generated by the weapon. Current generation cutting beams can be maintained for only 34 seconds, but thanks to this cooling system they can be ready to fire again in only four seconds.


    As for the particle beam itself, it is composed of highly charged particles. Due to the charged nature of the particles. A spatial lensing field is used to maintain beam integrity. The use of this field greatly extends the range of the beam by preventing beam diffusion due to the mutual repulsion of charged particles. The particles themselves are accelerated to lightspeed by a series of particle accelerators and will impart significant energy upon contact with the target. Much of that damage will be thermal in nature, but the molecular integrity of the target will also be affected.


    In practice, cutting beams are best used to sweep over the hull of a ship. This allows them to cut a swath of damage across multiple compartments. Especially since they can cut through most forms of armor very quickly, allowing them to rupture the hull in very short order. A beam being swept over the hull of a ship will end up venting multiple compartments to space, and cook anything it hits. In addition, these beams can cut deep into a ship, and in some cases have been known to cut ships in two. Although they have been known to struggle against energy screens. Regardless of this constraint, they have been found to be a very effective and feared weapon in the arsenal of any ship. Factors that have greatly contributed to their popularity as a ship-to-ship weapon, and why most Earth vessels carry them. Only ships too small to mount an array do not carry the weapon. Due to the bulk of the weapon, and required cooling systems the weapon can only be mounted on ships frigate sized or larger. Light craft such as corvettes, shuttles, and fighter craft are unable to equip sustained beam weapons. At least, not with current-generation technology.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    The Particle Cannon is a directed energy weapon similar to the cutting beam, but instead of a sustained particle beam, it consists of a focused particle pulse. This weapon doesn¡¯t need as robust a cooling system as the cutting beam. That doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t benefit from using the same cooling setup. The lower heat generation of the weapon does allow designers to save space on cooling systems for particle cannons. This lowers the overall bulk of the weapon, allowing it to be fitted on smaller craft. As such particle cannons can and often are miniaturized to be fitted on even the smallest spacecraft such as starfighters.


    On a particle cannon, the Rydium absorber cooling array is used to shunt the waste heat back into the capacitors as well. This substantially improves weapon recharge times, allowing for quite a rapid fire rate. While also reducing the strain on the ship''s generators for successive shots.


    The particle cannon also makes use of charged particles, and a spatial lensing field is used to ensure bolt integrity is maintained after firing. These bolts however lack the range of sustained beam weapons. They make up for that with a faster rate of fire. The damage caused by a particle bolt is often fairly similar to that of a sustained particle beam, but much more contained.


    The common practice with these weapons in ship-to-ship is to use them to bombard a target with a heavy barrage of fire. Taking full advantage of their high rate of fire. Like all human weapons, they are extremely effective at punching through most forms of armor. A barrage from these cannons will reduce most targets to swiss cheese in very short order.  They are noticeably less effective against targets protected by an energy screen. That doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re useless. As enough hits against a screen in a short enough period of time can overwhelm the shield, and cause it to fail. Allowing the weapon to shred the unprotected hull.


    Particle cannons are very popular with human ship captains and can be found on virtually all their spacecraft from starfighters to capital ships. As they make a very effective weapon in the human arsenal. One that is as fearsome as it is deadly.

 Chapter Six Settling In

    Reynolds stepped off the lift. He had just arrived on the Coto minutes ago. Countryman had thoughtfully given him a pad with everything he would need to know on the ship. Some of that he already knew from reading the database on the Enterprise. Regardless, he found it fascinating reading. He had just been reading up on the new photon torpedoes that were replacing the mark fives he was familiar with.


    They used a laser-initiated cascade fusion detonation core. That allowed a variable detonation yield. The figures he read indicated that they were markedly more powerful than older mark fives. He was most fascinated by the warhead itself. Upon detonation, the cascade fusion core unleashes a powerful photon pulse hence the name. The photon pulse is composed mainly of high-intensity gamma rays. It is also the main vector of damage for the weapon.


    The torpedoes thankfully didn¡¯t require a major change to the launchers for use either. The designers had made them that way on purpose. As such he wasn¡¯t going to have to get used to some different launcher mechanism. Earth ships used a type of rapid-fire torpedo launcher that had proved quite effective in battle.


    RF torpedo launchers used a magazine system that allowed them to quickly unload a volley on a target. Automated systems were used to load the system, and it was designed to cycle between several mags. That way the first mag could be reloading while a second mag was firing the next volley. It took the system a few seconds to load a mag, and a few seconds to switch them as well. Continuous fire was still a long way away, but it gave them an advantage. They were able to fire a volley of five torpedoes every six seconds with this set up. Equating to fifty torpedoes a minute. Assuming a ship had the space to spare for the bulky reload mechanisms.


    Capital ships like the Yamato often carried specialized torpedo turrets that allowed them to target multiple ships without undue maneuvering. The Coto didn¡¯t carry any turrets, while the Enterprise¡¯s launchers had been limited to a fore and aft firing vector. Most ships her size would carry full turrets, but that wasn¡¯t the case with the Enterprise. Likely because the space had been needed for other systems. Although she did have turrets for the smaller photon missiles. They were based on the same technology but designed for engaging smaller ships such as corvettes and fighters. Also of note is that photon missiles didn¡¯t use catapults in the launchers like the torpedoes did. This meant they got all their speed from the onboard thruster assembly.


    He put thoughts about torpedoes, and missiles aside, and stepped into the bridge. His bridge. He hadn¡¯t just given his command to Countryman because he thought he would be a better captain for the Enterprise. Reynold knew he would be, but that was not just because the man was more familiar with the ship. It was practically his child, the man was clearly in love with the ship, even if he tried to hide it.


    Any good captain loved his ship like nothing else. He knew it, and the brief time he had aboard the Enterprise had been enough for him. His heart told him the ship was never meant to be his. During the battle however, he had noticed the Coto. She called to him. He felt at home on her bridge, this was the ship he was meant to command. Even if he had not been here more than an hour, he already knew.


    A young ensign announced his entry to the bridge. A woman slipped out of the command chair, and turned to face him. ¡°Ah, Captain Reynolds. I am glad to see you made it aboard safely. I am your first officer, Commander Taylor, at your service.¡±


    He shook her hand, and said, ¡°Nice to meet you. I presume you were in command during the battle. You showed promise.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. I have the general readiness report available for your review.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Let''s hear it then.¡±


    ¡°We are currently at condition blue. Damage control teams have completed repairs to the ship. We finished repairs to the last hull breach an hour ago and tested the replacement plates. Engineering teams are currently converting secondary cargo bays, four and five into secondary crew quarters. We expect them to be finished by tomorrow, in the meantime most of our extra passengers will have to find accommodations elsewhere. I have the quartermaster dealing with that.¡±


    He interjected, ¡°Yes that is a problem. Have you taken into account that we will be expecting more passengers over the next few days?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes. I have the engineers drawing up plans for converting two more secondary bays into living quarters. I also have them working on beefing up the life support systems to handle all the extra people. Although we might be a little lacking in privacy, when all is said and done.¡±


    He just shook his head, ¡°I figured. With all the extra people we will have to use a more communal set up than we are used to. We¡¯ll adapt and get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, I would like us to get underway. Our orders are to sweep the debris fields for anything we can use, and for any survivors that we may have missed.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. I will alert the engine room.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    <hr>


    Countryman watched his crew work, as the ship pulled into a lunar orbit. They had made for Luna as their first stop. The two destroyers and the remaining sublight ships were out sweeping the debris fields. They may be planning to abandon those ships, but since they were not leaving yet, they might as well use them. The ones that still had working engines, and sensors that is. Using those vessels in this manner would speed up their search for usable supplies, and survivors that were missed in the initial sweep.


    He was here to locate survivors of the attack on the domes when the Cathamari had penetrated the Lunar perimeter a few days earlier. Well, locate survivors, and gather anything they could use. However, Countryman also wanted to erect a memorial to honor all their fallen, all their dead in this war. It would even serve as a record of what happened here. On the screen, he could already see the scarred Lunar surface. Numerous shattered domes and scorched lunar surfaces dotted his view. One that was no longer marred by a gap. Repair crews had thankfully finished their repairs to the Enterprise. Even from outside one could no longer tell that the hull had been breached. The damaged plates had been replaced with new ones. The gel layer was restored, and the circuitry as well. As for the damaged materials, those had been removed during the repairs, those had been taken below to be recycled. A nano dissembler would be used to take them apart. The materials would then be used as feedstock for the nano-fabricator A device that could be used to produce any spare part they might need. It functioned through the use of nanomachines, and it was essential to producing hull plating at a reasonable cost.


    Nano-fabricators were invaluable to modern factories. Most ship components were actually built from the ground up at microscopic level by nanites. Those tiny little machines could produce quality ship parts in very short order. By using nanites in this matter they cut the cost of building overlord style hull plating by more than eighty percent. As much of the cost for those plates actually came from the difficulty of integrating the required circuitry. A task made trivial by nanites who can put the plating together in seconds layer by layer. They can even do it with precision and more easily than by any other method.


    At the moment, the ship¡¯s onboard foundries were already being put to use to convert scrap into easily stored salvage cubes. It was the best way to store the vast amount of useful scrap around them.


    As the crew reported a stable orbit, Misaki suddenly looked up from her operations console. ¡°Sir, we are receiving a hail from the Lunar surface.¡±


    He had assigned Misaki to the regular bridge crew since he took over. He liked the young woman and her professionalism. She also delivered her reports in a clear, and pleasant voice.


    ¡°Onscreen.¡± he ordered. Instantly on the forward viewscreen, a disheveled young man appeared.


    ¡°Enterprise, are we glad to see you. We could use your assistance.¡±


    Countryman said, ¡°We are here to assist. Stand by for immediate evacuation.¡±


    The man seemed relieved, ¡°Thank you Enterprise. I¡¯ll inform the others you are here. I am sure they will be relieved to be getting out of here as well. Dome four failed yesterday, and I don¡¯t even want to guess how much longer this one will hold.¡±


    Without even closing the channel the man ran off. Countryman sighed, ordered Misaki to close the channel, and then said, ¡°Start scanning for landing sites. I would like to start this evacuation asap. I also want to know how many people are still down there.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Already started sir. It seems a fair number of the locals made it to emergency bunkers. I¡¯m reading nearly twenty thousand life signs down there.¡±


    That was a dishearteningly small number. The lunar colonies had been thriving, even with the war. Luna had a population of a few million. Although most of them had been living in the main domes, and those had been destroyed in the bombardment. Unfortunately, as small as that number was, it was almost too many for the poor Enterprise. Thankfully they were already at work making sure the ship could accommodate as many people as possible. With that number, the poor ship was going to be packed, and privacy was going to be a rare luxury. Not much he could do about that without more ships. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t just sit here and build a new one. That would not only take too long, but if they stay here too long the Cathamari may come back to finish them off. It was too risky. They could do it elsewhere. As in theory, with a few modifications, the Enterprise could build them additional ships if needed.


    Something he figured they would need eventually if the journey lasted more than a few years. People were going to hook up afterall, and he was not going to stop them from having kids. In fact he was going to encourage them. With so few humans left, their race was on the brink of extinction. There were less than a hundred thousand humans left, when just days ago there were billions. At least, that he knew for sure about. There may be more stranded on Earth, but he had no way to confirm that. Even if he did, there was no way to safely transport them off the planet. Not to mention their resources were going to be strained already. Spreading roughly fifty thousand people across three ships was not going to be easy.


    He let out a breath, ¡°We better get them up here then. As soon as you find a good landing site, start dispatching shuttles. Send down some marines, and make sure they are armed. Preferably with a weapon that supports a stun setting. We are going to need it, with all those frightened colonists.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes, sir. Would you like me to send some engineers down as well?¡±


    He replied, ¡°I would. They will need to shore up the domes. That will give us more time to get the people out, and whatever we want to take with us. I would also like them to erect a memorial down there for us. Something to honor the dead, and mark what happened here.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°That sounds nice. I think it would serve morale well. We could all use a chance to mourn our dead.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡± Countryman tapped his display sending a file over to her. ¡°Give them that. It¡¯s my design plans for it. It should only take us a few days. We are going to be here that long anyway.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Will do, sir.¡±


    Countryman turned his attention to his displays. This was the boring part of command. The waiting for things to be done. Countryman knew that it was best to be bored though. It is when things get exciting that you have to be worried.

 Chapter Seven Projects

    Ruri smiled as she slipped into her lab. These new labs aboard the Enterprise were well equipped. She actually liked the way they were set up, and the lab computer was powerful. Already she had it running a few simulations on the warp engines. She wasn¡¯t going to review those yet. Besides until they actually got underway she wasn¡¯t going to be able to make much progress on the Warp Four project. She understood they would need it, especially now.


    She had other things she wanted to work on right now. Ruri had ideas she wanted to keep working on. In her lab, back on Earth, she had been working on compressing the particle stream generated by a particle cannon. To be more accurate she was trying to improve upon the compression of the particle stream. Current generation particle cannons fired a focused particle bolt, and the process of focusing the particles into a tightly focused stream did compress the particles to a degree. Just not enough to be considered a truly compressed particle bolt.


    Compressing a particle bolt further would have advantages. Particle cannons were moment of impact weapons. They did all their damage on impact with the target rather than over time like a particle beam. A compressed particle bolt would be able to carry more energy to the target with each impact. In other words, a compression chamber would increase the yield of the cannon. Her work so far on a compression chamber left much to be desired, her last attempt hadn¡¯t worked out as well as it did in the theoretical model. The chamber did its job just as the math indicated. The problem was that the chamber was unable to withstand the stress for more than a couple of shots. As such she had gone back to the drawing board. She needed to figure out a way to reinforce the compression chamber so that it could handle the stresses involved in firing a compressed particle bolt.


    The particle cannon wasn¡¯t the only project she had been working on. In fact Ruri had been doing a lot of work with Rydium Cooling arrays, trying to improve upon them. The applications for an improved version were numerous. There was a lot of stuff on a ship that generated heat that needed to be dealt with. The weapons, and the engines both came to mind for that. In fact Rydium based cooling arrays were the preferred method for that since those arrays were quite efficient at converting waste heat into usable energy. That waste heat had to be dealt with somehow or it would harm the ship. Recycling it was not only effective, but it reduced fuel costs across the board.


    What she was trying to do with the cooling array was to miniaturize its components without losing effectiveness. In fact that particular project was something she had been working on with Countryman. It was critical to several military projects that Star Tech had been working on. One of the most important being the miniaturization of the cutting beam so that it could be fitted on a corvette.


    The single most important reason for the project actually had to do with the warp drive. During the initial testing of the warp program, they had actually tried three different cooling schemes. The first scheme employed a radiator array, that would bleed the excess heat into space, where it could not harm the ship. It was found to be very effective at dealing with heat buildup and was easy to implement. The second approach tested employed a series of rydium cooling arrays, and liquid cooling to draw the heat away from the drives, and convert it back into usable energy. This approach was not as effective at dealing with heat buildup, but it was significantly more fuel-efficient. It was also worth noting that it was still able to deal with the full output of the drives.


    The final approach tested was a hybrid approach. That method was found to be rather complex and took up the most space. It was ultimately not used, and the Enterprise ended up going with the second design. The reason for that lies mainly with the intended mission profile of the Enterprise, which would have required her to spend extended periods in deep space with little to no access to friendly ports. As such the more fuel-efficient scheme was most attractive. The hybrid scheme was dismissed due to the added complications it would have added. Not to mention another factor that led to the rejection of the other two approaches was that radiators would have required creating an opening in their armor to function properly. A factor that would have invited enemy fire to their engines. Modern armor was very resilient, and their use of reactionless sublight engines allowed ships to have armor covering every square meter of the hull.


    Although it was important to note that modern ships did have emergency venting ports and special hatches over the viewports. Both potential weaknesses if left open. Something similar could likely have been done with the radiator design, but since the cooling array design was proven able to deal with all of the heat output of the engines there was no need. At least for the current limits of the technology. At higher speeds they might encounter a few problems.


    The very importance of the cooling array to the warp four project was why she was going to be working on it today. The lab was in fact perfect for that as well. She had her own terminal with a dedicated lab computer and database access. A side room contained a small nano fabricator that would allow her to produce prototypes for physical testing. Speaking of testing most of the lab space was actually designed for that, and could be reconfigured easily if she need it changed. If she wanted to test a weapon the labs even featured reinforced internal plating. Although some testing would be best done off ship.


    Ruri didn¡¯t even look into the testing area, but headed for the terminal. Where a younger woman was working. Although as she neared the Terminal Ruri noticed she wasn¡¯t actually working.


    She glanced at the screen and noted that it was a game. One that she recognized. The game was actually fairly old, but it had seen a bit of resurgence in recent years. Perhaps that was because it struck a chord with modern humans who could sympathize with the characters. In the game, Humanity was also facing a desperate war against all odds. In the case of the game, it was an overwhelmingly powerful alien alliance instead of warlike space lizards. Of course, since it was a game Humanity doesn¡¯t lose. They manage to get lucky and make peace with the aliens. She knew many would have preferred the fantasy to the reality of today.


    She chuckled, ¡°Enjoying your game?¡±


    The girl hit the menu, and the game paused. ¡°I have the computer running some simulations. So I decided to play a bit while waiting for the computer to finish.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I see. The game was an interesting pick though.¡±


    ¡°I kind of like the universe. Not to mention its fun to play as an armored super-soldier fighting against all odds.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°I guess it is. Although if you want to be a real one you could sign on as a marine.¡±


    The girl shook her head, and giggled as well, ¡°Maybe but it wouldn¡¯t be quite the same. I wouldn¡¯t be enhanced like the chief is in the game. Although maybe a bit better protected.¡±


    Ruri nodded. Modern soldiers were equipped with a personal version of overlord armor that also functioned as an exosuit. Being an exosuit, the armor actually assisted the wearer with physical tasks like lifting or running. The suit wasn¡¯t made of titan alloy though, as that was deemed too heavy a material. Instead, they used a special polymer blend that was quite sturdy, and much lighter. Just not as strong as Titan alloy.


    ¡°Sure you won¡¯t be genetically enhanced, but those personal suits do come with mechanical assistance.¡±


    The girl smiled, ¡°They are impressive alright. Although I think we can do better.¡±


    Ruri inquired, ¡°Better? Does that mean you have ideas on how to improve it?¡±


    Ruri mentally reviewed what she knew about the armor. It protected the wearer from small arms in much the same way modern ship armor protected the ship. The outer layer was a laminated polymer plating floating on top of a gel layer. That was followed by a layer of nano weave. The nano weave was made from artificial polymers and was a lot like the kevlar of old. Employed in the body armor for much the same reason, but did the job much better. There were several layers of gel, and nano weave employed, along with thin polymer plates. It resulted in a reasonably thick suit of protective armor. Those layers were laced with protective circuitry. Circuitry that served the same purpose it did in ship armor. The suit also had sophisticated sensors that would monitor the user¡¯s health, the status of the armor, the status of any weapons the user had, and more. All of which would be displayed to the user in a heads-up display contained in the helmet. The armor also had a sophisticated medical system that would deploy stimulants, and medical nanites as needed.


    It did a remarkable job of keeping troops alive. Not only did it keep them alive and well, but it also helped them fight. Thanks to the use of suits like these human ground troops could easily outperform those of the Cathamari. Ruri didn¡¯t think much could be done to improve it, but she figured she would hear what the young woman before her had in mind.


    The girl nodded. ¡°I know, its proven technology. Highly reliable. Able to protect the wearer from virtually anything short of a tank shell, and magnify the user''s strength to the point that they could lift a tank single-handed.¡±


    Ruri giggled, ¡°A light tank maybe. The mechanical systems top out around twenty tons. I don¡¯t think I need to remind you how much a modern tank weighs.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t. The Rex weighed 208 tons as I recall. I think those new Raptors we have stowed weigh less, but not by much.¡±


    Ruri answered, ¡°The Raptor weighs 185 tons, which as I recall is actually a bit more weight than her antigrav suspension is rated to handle. Not much can be done about it though since most of the weight comes from the meter of armor she carries.¡±


    The girl nodded, ¡°Yeah that sounds about right. Anyway, as for the personal armor. I was looking into the power systems. I think they can be improved. A new high-density power cell was developed a few months ago. I was looking into using those new cells to design a new power pack for the armor. I¡¯m hoping to extend the operational life of the armor.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Sounds like a sound theory.¡± she reached the console and tapped a few keys bringing something else up. ¡°Although most would be looking at micro fusion.¡±


    The girl nodded, ¡°Yes, but reducing the size of a micro-fusion generator to the point it could be fit into a suit of personal armor has met a few roadblocks. The new power pack idea is much more feasible.¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°It is alright. I¡¯ll let you work on it. I have something else I would like to work on.  I¡¯ll be using the other terminal.¡±


    The girl nodded and went back to her game. The computer hadn¡¯t yet finished the other girl¡¯s simulations. Soon Ruri was listening to the sounds of kinetic and energy-based weapons in the background, while she was typing away at the other terminal. Already imputing data for her own simulation. It was time she got to work on that improved cooling system. The scientist in her couldn¡¯t help but think of other things as well now. Other projects she would like to work on. There was always something new to fascinate her.


    <hr>


    The young man shifted as the shuttle set down. He gripped his rifle and stood ready for the door. He was one of the marines for the Enterprise and was down on Luna to help with the evacuation. Command had forced him to leave behind his trusty XR-471. The standard-issue XR-471 was a great weapon that he like most other marines loved. It was a charged particle weapon with two distinct firing modes. In the first mode it fires deadly charged particle pulses. These bolts are highly accurate and could do considerable damage even at range. Not to mention they could penetrate most forms of armor.  It could fire roughly twelve hundred bolts a minute, and the power pack stored roughly 240 shots worth of energy. The weapon also had a secondary short-range fire mode where the weapon fires a wide area particle pulse much akin to a shotgun blast. This pulse isn¡¯t as effective against armored targets, but it could clear a room of lightly armored targets easily.


    Thanks to command however he wasn¡¯t carrying that weapon. As the XR-471 like most human-built weapons lacked a stun setting. Instead, he was carrying the LPR-117, a light particle rifle. It didn¡¯t have a shotgun setting. It too could fire charged particle pulses, although not as powerful as those fired by the XR-471. Its real value was its secondary firing mode. In that mode it fired an electrostatic particle pulse that was designed to incapacitate the target. A single hit wasn¡¯t going to kill anyone, but that didn¡¯t mean the stun setting could not kill. In fact, it was a well-known fact that multiple stun impacts to a single target could kill. The pulses weren¡¯t pleasant for the unfortunate on the other end either. They were known to cause a fair bit of pain, and some subjects were known to experience something called stun sickness.


    The weapon just didn¡¯t feel right in his hands though. He missed the weight of his trusty XR-471. He sighed as the door opened. The squad commander signaled for everyone to leave. Where they found the locals were already swarming into the recently pressurized bay. They were raising a mighty clamor. So much so it was hard to hear what they were saying, but not too hard to figure out that they were rushing to be first off the moon. This wasn¡¯t going to be a fun mission. He just hoped he would not have to shoot anyone today.

 Chapter Eight Lunar Evacuation

    The marine waved another person aboard the shuttle. It was a young mother carrying her daughter. That had set the tone for many of the survivors here on the moon. Most of the survivors were women and children, more children than anything else though. It painted a bit of a picture on what happened here on Luna. Just a picture, nothing more though.


    He gestured for the next person in the line to step forward. It was a young man this time. His partner with the datapad inquired, ¡°Name?¡±


    The tired, and dirty young man replied, ¡°Hikaru¡±


    His partner tapped that in, and didn¡¯t bother to ask for a family name. They would get that later. ¡°Thank you. Any dependants with you?¡±


    ¡°No sir.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, you may board. The quartermaster will ask you more questions when you arrive on the Enterprise, and get you settled.¡±


    As the man boarded, another woman stepped forward. Behind her was a young girl, maybe around twelve, shyly sticking to her. Both of them were barely dressed in torn clothing, and covered in soot and dust. It was a sight the Marine had seen too many times. On too many colonies, too many places.


    His partner maintained his professionalism and asked for her name. She gave him both her family name, and her personal name. Along with her daughter''s name without being asked. Names that were promptly added to the passenger manifest. That was all they were making right now. A proper register is what the quartermaster would be making later. As he was the person responsible for finding a place for everyone. That was a job the marine did not envy. There was not anyone on the ship that envied that job. Things were already getting cramped aboard the ship, and now they were going to be worse. Thankfully, someone up top was thinking, and working on making sure there was space for everyone. Otherwise, he would be worried about them hot bunking. That would not be fun, and it would also be ridiculous for a capital ship the size of the Enterprise. She was 5020 meters long, had 194 decks, and the saucer was 3800 meters wide. The ship was originally designed to carry a crew of 5000 and some 15000 troops. That meant roughly 20000 people at most, and they were about to take on that intended number, in refugees alone. After they had already taken on survivors from the fleet, and according to rumor were going to be taking even more. The marine had to wonder how many more the ship could fit. Although since he wasn¡¯t an engineer, he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    What he could be sure about was how many more people would fit into the shuttle. The shuttle already had more people than recommended aboard. Although they could fit a few more. It was a short hop to the Enterprise from here, and they could deal with being packed to the bulkheads for a little while. It helped that the survivors had precious little to bring with them. Only what little they had carried with them into the shelters. Still, these folks could be considered the lucky ones. As many never made it to the shelters, and some of the shelters were even destroyed in the bombardment.


    The young lady and her daughter boarded, and the next person stepped forward. This time it was just a young girl looking frightened and holding what little luggage she had. Her clothes were also filthy, and torn. He even noted a few minor injuries. His colleague took a slightly different approach, while he kept an eye on the crowd.


    The armored man knelt, ¡°Well hello there sweetie. Where is your mother?¡±


    She cried. It took a bit of coaxing, but they quickly learned that she hadn¡¯t seen her mother or father since the bombardment. Nor had she seen anyone she knew. The poor girl couldn¡¯t have been more than ten, but it seemed she might be an orphan. He sighed, thanks to the war there were too many orphans. His colleague did get her name and personally escorted her aboard. He memorized the name, making a mental note to look her up later. The young marine wanted to make sure orphans like her were taken care of. Then an idea occurred to him, maybe he should adopt one like her. He had always wanted a family.


    His colleague came out of the shuttle signaling that she was secure before closing the hatch. The shuttle was full. That meant it was the hard part. People, especially refugees like this, wanted to get off-world as quickly as possible. Seeing the shuttles leave was always painful, as they feared being left behind. First, he was going to need to clear the hanger. He discreetly double checked that his rifle was set to stun.


    ¡°All right everybody back. Clear the hanger, nice and orderly.¡±


    That was when everything went into chaos. A few refugees decided to rush their position. Likely thinking they can get on one of the already packed shuttles bound for the ship before they could take off. One of them charged him, he fired. A crackling blue pulse slammed into the man. He crumpled. Elsewhere a few more flashed as others were stunned.


    The demonstration of a few being shot was enough to quiet the crowd, and after that clearing the bay went smoothly. The young marine ended up carrying the man he shot to safety. It was that kind of day. He slipped into the shuttlebay¡¯s overlook, an area designed for people to wait in and watch the shuttles leaving and arriving. Especially since Luna didn¡¯t have an atmosphere so a place like this was needed for people waiting for a decompression cycle to complete. Thankfully the air pumps could do that fairly quickly.


    <hr>


    Battlemaster¡¯s Log ISD 1412-34.6:


    It has been a few days since the disastrous battle at the Human world of Earth. Of a fleet of sixty thousand ships only seven hundred remain. Most of which are heavily damaged. A fact that has greatly slowed our progress out of the system. I have been stuck babysitting some of our damaged battlecruisers. As boring as it is, this has given me more time to consider what I will say when we finally get back to the Empire.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    As the last Battlemaster of the fleet, I will have to take responsibility for this failure. Unfortunately, the one truly responsible for this failure had the audacity to die under the guns of an Earth cruiser. Depriving both me and the Empire of the chance to punish him for his stupidity. We were supposed to take the planet, not bombard it into extinction. The Great Warlord will not be pleased when he hears that billions of new slaves were killed instead of captured. Thanks to this failure we have wasted two years on this campaign and have little to show for it.


    The Battlemaster paced his bridge. The last few days had been trying. This damn system was a nightmare to navigate. Thankfully they hadn¡¯t been harassed by any surviving Human warships, but they had been plagued by other problems.


    A warrior looked up from his console. ¡°Sir, the Kresh¡¯mal is reporting engine trouble.¡±


    Speaking of problems it looks like another happened. At this rate, it will take them weeks to reach the asteroid belt, and months to get back to the Empire. It didn¡¯t help that it was virtually impossible to make the jump to warp in the Inner system due to the extensive debris fields.


    He lashed his tail, and glared at the console. That was not the first ship to suddenly report problems. ¡°Define engine trouble,¡± he barked at the young warrior.


    ¡°Her combat damage was more extensive than previously thought. Her primary thruster manifold has failed.¡±


    He cursed. Thanks to this vast debris field, that piece of hardware was key right now. The debris meant that they were constantly making course corrections to avoid collisions. The manifold itself was a type of thruster assembly used with their hyper plasma engines to vector thrust where it was needed. The use of manifolds allowed a ship to mount fewer engines without compromising speed or maneuverability. Leaving more space for other systems. It also allowed the engines themselves to be mounted deeper, but if the manifold failed those engines would be useless.


    Although it was better that the manifold failed now than if that happened while they were in deep space. If it had happened at warp, their options would have been fewer. Failing at warp would have been more likely though. That was because the spatial fields used to fold space also generated a pressure wave that would act upon a ship traveling at warp. This wave acted as a counterforce against forward momentum forcing a ship to continuously use her main sublight drives. A factor that forced modern ships to carry large amounts of fuel so that they could safely make the trip between stars. It reminded him of another reason for this war.


    Human sublight engine technology was vastly superior to their own. Not only were ships equipped with it faster, they were also more maneuverable, and expended significantly less fuel. The Great Warlord had wanted the secret of those engines for himself. Of course, after two years, they now knew how they worked. Unfortunately replicating those drives had proven impossible. They required a substance that was impossible to synthesize, and the Empire knew of no natural source. Obviously, the Humans must have the technology to synthesize this ¡®Rydium¡¯ as they call it, but no such technology had been acquired during the campaign. Now there was likely going to be no chance going forward for it. Thanks to that idiot who had the audacity to die.


    He glanced at his view screen, his tail lashing again behind him. There he spotted the wrecked remains of a Human carrier. It was a massive hulk of a ship that dwarfed his own battleship by nearly double. The humans were good at large-scale ship construction like no one else. Many of their ships tended to be larger than their Cathamari equivalents. The Battlemaster knew the ship was likely boobytrapped but it also represented the only known source of Rydium left. Who knows, it might even have an intact engine onboard. It wouldn¡¯t be compatible with his ship, but that could be fixed with a few modifications. The main problem was that the engine wasn¡¯t designed for Cathamari power grids, an adapter would be needed to convert the generated energy into a form the engine would accept. It was the same for all human technology. A fact that was only to be expected, they had developed completely independently of each other afterall.


    Dreading the answer he inquired, ¡°how long will it take them to repair the manifold?¡±


    ¡°They say they can¡¯t. Insufficient spare parts to repair the damage.¡±


    His tail lashed, he had been afraid of that. Unfortunately, spare components were something they were running low on. There was only one thing they could do. They would have to sweep the debris field for compatible parts. Not an easy task mind you since the Humans have a tendency to booby trap these fields. Anything they didn¡¯t take would almost certainly be trapped, and they were very creative when it came to traps.


    He was going to lose quite a few brave souls, but he had no choice. The human ships around here likely wouldn¡¯t have what he needs, but there are a few Cathamari wrecks mixed in. One of them may have an intact manifold. If it does, it¡¯s likely trapped. He prayed his engineers were up to the task or they would be forced to abandon another ship. He gave the order.


    <hr>


    Countryman smiled as he listened to the latest status updates. Other than a few minor incidents the evacuation was proceeding well. If things continued this well, they would have the colony evacuated by the end of the day. Even better was the news that they had recovered an intact gene bank on the colony. One of the local genetics labs had escaped the bombardment unscathed, and it had a complete gene bank. The lab had a number of useful pieces of equipment as well, that he had ordered transferred aboard ship. It might prove useful to them on the journey. Even if it didn¡¯t, he knew that they would want to introduce earth fauna and flora to whatever world they ultimately selected. That lab had been studying new cloning techniques for the rapid growth of animals and flora for the Venus Terraforming project. Countryman considered it being intact a stroke of good fortune. It would be of great value for any colonization plan. Although he could think of a few other uses.


    Then his mind considered the orphans and children they were bringing aboard. The orphans would need someone to look after them, and the kids something to do. Hmm, it might not be too difficult to put in a school. Figuring out where to put the orphanage might be a little more difficult. He decided to talk to Megumi Richards about that. Together they would be able to come up with something. This was something they would need to take care of quickly. Another question that occurred to him was who would be teaching the kids. Maybe Greyman would have a few ideas.


    As for the Memorial project. His engineers had already begun work turning one of the ruined domes into a Memorial. One that would not only honor their fallen, but leave a record of what happened here behind. The crew had also heard about it, and from what he heard. Many of them approved of the Memorial being made. He was glad about that because he knew morale was going to be low. After the defeat that had been handed to them, there was no way it was going to be anything but low. Little things like a Memorial would help. As captain, it was not only his job to keep them alive, but to make sure they were as happy as could be given the circumstances.

 Chapter Nine Departure

    The young woman smiled to herself as she walked down the corridor. Today was a good day. Command had given her a promotion, and new orders today. She was now officially a ship leader, and she was heading to take command of her new ship, the IKS Teketh. She was an ¡®Honor¡¯ class Heavy Cruiser. The ship was a modestly sized capital ship with a decently sized crew. Main power was provided by two antimatter reactors, with several fusion reactors placed throughout the ship for auxiliary power.


    The ship was a real beast, she had nine plasma beam arrays. Along with 24 plasma cannon banks, and eight banks of spatial torpedoes. Her main ship-to-ship weapon were the plasma beams. They fired a focused phase-coherent plasma stream that could punch through shields and carve through ship hulls. They were deadly weapons and gave most Krall ships a decisive advantage in battle. Few races outside of the Imperium had access to sustained beam weaponry.


    They were supplemented with the plasma cannon which fired contained plasma bolts that were known to explode on contact with shields, armor, or hull. They could also detonate when the spatial containment field collapsed. They were versatile weapons useful for engaging both light craft, and capital ships.


    The final weapon her ship carried were the spatial torpedoes that employed a spatial flux warhead. They generated intense spatial fluctuations on detonation that would rip a ship apart. They worked really well in combination with the plasma beams. As a single warhead could destroy a battleship. A few well-placed hits from the beam arrays could knock out the shields of a target leaving it quite vulnerable to a spatial warhead. As the torpedoes did little against a shielded hull.


    For protection, her new ship was plated with only a ¡®meter¡¯ of Duranium plating, and she had type III shields. Most heavy cruisers had type IV which are stronger, but the Honor class Heavy Cruisers were designed for extended range. As such, they carried extra fuel pods and had weaker shields. Not that it mattered, the Krall had some of the best shields this side of the quadrant, only Valorian Omicron shields were stronger. The Type III shields her Teketh was equipped with would be quite sufficient.  Against most threats, they should buy her more than enough time to charge her Inversion Drive, and jump out of the system. Assuming the other side didn¡¯t have something to keep her from making the jump.


    The Teketh was equipped with a class IV Inversion drive which is among the fastest drive types in the fleet. With it she could jump a distance of several lightdays in an instant. Although it would need to cycle before she could jump again. Speed was a function of jump range and cycle speed. Krall ships could jump vast distances in an instant, but the drives were slow to cycle. It took time for them to cool and recharge. Standard practice was to let the drive recharge for about a day after each jump, but if needed, they could jump faster than that. The Class IV drive could recharge in two hours if needed. With that cycle speed, they could reach 1800 times the speed of light, and the engine could safely cruise at that speed. It was actually rated for it, but most Inversion drives couldn¡¯t handle the stress of that many repeated jumps. It also wasn¡¯t the most pleasant for the crew, hence the standard practice of waiting a day. That practice however cut the ship¡¯s speed by a factor of twelve reducing it to a cruising speed of 150 times light speed. Which was fast enough most of the time. More than enough to get where you wanted to go.


    Both the Valorians, and the Cathamari, for example, were typically limited to speeds below 150C. So even with that limitation of waiting a day, they could outrun them handily. Although she had heard rumors that the Valorians were developing a new engine capable of sustained travel at warp five which is a thousand times the speed of light. If that was true it would give the Valorians a decisive tactical advantage against most other powers in the quadrant. Not that they would use it. They were not a warlike race, unlike the Cathamari who were aggressively expanding their territory. The Valorians were traders, and they sure got around. Over seven thousand systems were part of their confederation, and their ships could be seen trading with just about every power in the quadrant.


    She turned a corner, and was greeted with a sight of her ship through the viewports. She wasn¡¯t far now, soon she would be taking command of her ship. She had been ordered to take it to the Iskel sector. Tensions with the Cathamari were on the rise, and she had been ordered to investigate their activities in that part of the galaxy. She had heard rumors that the Council was planning to declare war in fact. It was about time too, since the Cathamari had invaded and conquered over a dozen species in the past five years, and those were just the ones she knew about. Many of them either ended up slaves or refugees fleeing into the territories of other powers. Although some of these refugees ended up taking up piracy or other acts of desperation because of the Cathamari. Something needed to be done.


    <hr>


    Countryman waited for Greyman and Richards to respond. The Evacuation of Luna was almost complete. The Quartermaster was doing a good job of getting everyone settled, and he had taken the time to discuss his ideas with them.


    Richards nodded, ¡°A school won¡¯t be too difficult. I could repurpose one of the smaller cargo bays for that. We would lose more storage, but I have to agree we do need a school. Especially if this journey is going to take years. The kids will need something to do, and we do have to think about the future.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Greyman said, ¡°Yes we do. I concur about the school. I can think of a few spaces on the lower decks that can be repurposed into storage if we need it. A school matters more than a few supplies though. Not only will the school give the kids something to do, but they will need the education. In fact I would recommend one focused on teaching them ship systems.¡±


    Countryman shook his head. ¡°Better to maintain a general education at first. We can let them start helping out with various departments when they get older. Let them learn on the job.¡±


    Richards interjected, ¡°We have plenty of time to figure that out. We do need to design the school, and figure out who we are going to have teaching the kids.¡±


    Greyman responded, ¡°That part is easy, we have plenty of people aboard with nothing to do. Ask around, someone will volunteer. Although I do have someone in mind that might enjoy the job.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Glad you two agree on this. Now about that orphanage, what do you think?¡±


    Richard sighed, ¡°That one is a little harder. I¡¯m just not sure where to put one. Although I do agree we need one.¡±


    Greyman suggested, ¡°We are already converting a couple of cargo bays into living quarters. Why not cordon off part of one bay for the orphanage. It might not be ideal, but it would be better than nothing.¡±


    Richard nodded, ¡°That might be the best we can do for now.¡± she paused, ¡°Although I think I can do better than simply cordoning off a section.¡±


    Countryman said, ¡°I would be surprised if that was all you did. I¡¯ve seen what you are doing with the bays. That was a rather smart use of the space both horizontal and vertical.¡±


    She smiled, a clear sign of pride in her eyes, ¡°Had to be, given the fact that you want us to house and support nearly fifty thousand people. Speaking of which, I would like to expand the main hydroponics bay. We will need the extra space to feed everyone.¡±


    ¡°Permission granted. Just don¡¯t go overboard, we still need space to put everything.¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it. Although as it is, I fear we may end up eating protein paste.¡±


    Everyone grimaced. That stuff was easy to make and had a high nutrient value. Unfortunately, it lacked flavor, and the texture was like a soggy cracker. No one liked that stuff. ¡°I hope not, but if we do, I hope someone can find a way to make it palatable,¡± said Greyman.


    Countryman replied, ¡°We¡¯ll just have to get creative then.¡±


    They just gave him a look. ¡°Lets really hope it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡±


    After a moment of mutual silence. They started to discuss something else. ¡°Anyway I think I can get both the orphanage and the school done before the end of the week.¡±


    Countryman was happy to hear that, ¡°Glad to hear it. I¡¯ll let you go ahead and get started on that.¡±


    While Megumi was turning to leave, Greyman said, ¡°If you will excuse me. I will go ahead and get started on the personnel hunting.¡±


    Megumi was slipping out the door, as Countryman nodded. ¡°Of course. I have some things to get to work on myself. I wish you luck.¡±


    Greyman turned to leave. Countryman was not kidding about having things to do. Running a starship had a lot of paperwork involved. Especially right now, with all the reports that were crossing his desk. Including updates sent by the Coto and Umikaze. Both ships had found more survivors on their sweep of the debris field for things they could use. Although, so did quite a few other ships.


    They were almost done with their tasks in fact. They would be meeting him here at Luna in a few hours. By then they should be about done, and ready to depart. They would make a brief stop at Star Tech One first, and then they would be lugging the station with them across half the system. They had already chosen a site for stowing the station. It could easily be hidden in Mining Sector twenty-three. That location had a large number of active radiation field generators and several minefields. Enough of a deterrent to ensure few would look there. The station still had active weapon emplacements as well, including a high yield particle beam weapon. It would be a simple matter to set it to automatically fire on anyone who did penetrate the perimeter. With all the traps no one would think much of a ship going missing here. Factors that should keep the stash they were making safe from scavengers, not completely, but as safe as could be.


    Hopefully, they would not need what they leave here, but if they do come back, doing this would leave them a cache of useful supplies. Supplies that they would likely need if they were coming back here. Especially given the current state of the system. It was the best they could do with the station and the stuff they could not take with them.

 Chapter Ten Discontent

    Willaims sighed, as she watched the latest shuttle come in. They were almost done with the Lunar evacuation. Something the damn cyborg ordered, although all of the fools thought it a good idea to just abandon their home. Sure, all they had left were ruins, but it was their home. They should be staying, and they sure as hell shouldn¡¯t be listening to a damn machine. She wished Sanchez hadn¡¯t backed down during the meeting. That girl had ended up ruining any chance she had at persuading them to stay here and rebuild. Honestly, Luna was intact enough that given a chance they could rebuild right here. The domes might be in bad shape, but she would bet that there was enough left of the tunnels to support a colony. Even if there wasn¡¯t, modern tunneling techniques were quite advanced.


    They could easily dig out a new tunnel network in a matter of days. Reinforcing it within weeks. This could be done thanks to a number of very potent tools. Years ago the tool of choice was the mining laser. In recent years that had been supplanted by resonance particle beams, which could bore through solid rock more quickly and easily without a marked increase in energy cost. These beams functioned on much the same principle as a cutting beam, but they had been modified to introduce a resonant shock pulse. The beam also had its energy much reduced so it didn¡¯t superheat the rock, the rock was still heated but it was more pulverized than vaporized. If needed, those beams could be set to a higher energy setting.


    Just one of those could let them dig out some very deep bunkers, and she would much rather make one last stand on Luna than be caught dead out in deep space. However, that is what everyone else wanted to do. They wanted to abandon their home, the cradle of humanity, and journey out to who knows where. Worse, they elected to give total control to that machine. She didn¡¯t trust it, but she didn¡¯t know how to make them see what she so clearly saw.


    She let out another breath. At the moment she couldn¡¯t think of anything she could do to fix things. However, that didn¡¯t mean no one else saw what she saw. At the very least, Sanchez might see what she saw in that machine. She had the sense to recognize how foolish it is to leave behind their home, for the uncertainties of deep space. With only three ships that didn¡¯t seem very smart to her. One wrong encounter and Humanity would be finished. In her mind, they had a better chance digging in under Luna¡¯s surface.


    The choice however had been made. There was no changing that, but one thing needed to be changed. That cyborg should not be left in command. Reynolds would have been acceptable, but it was clear he had no confidence in himself. Drakes proved himself no leader when he simply accepted what the others proposed. She would have to step up and make sure everyone lived. The question was how was she going to get them to see that she was the right person for the job?


    She was going to need support, there was no doubt about that. Turning from the viewport, she left to go gather that support. She had a few ideas on where to look. Williams knew she would have to move carefully or the change in leadership she knew needed to happen would not take place. As it is, that machine could not be allowed to be the sole arbiter of power. Anyone with sense knew that cyborgs could not be trusted.


    <hr>


    The young woman stepped out of the office. Leading her daughter along with her. She had just finished a meeting with the ship¡¯s quartermaster.  It had been... different than she had expected. The quartermaster had first asked the two of them a fair number of questions. Apparently, the destruction of the colony had included the governmental offices, as such they now needed to register with the quartermaster. He had given both of them an id, and a single set of clothing each. However the two of them got only one bunk, they were expected to share the same bed. That wasn¡¯t all, the quarters she had been assigned were also assigned to several others. She had been assured they were all women, and that more quarters were being prepared. Those quarters would open up in a few days, and that he would get her better accommodations when they opened up.


    There were a few good things to come out of the meeting though. The clothes for one, she certainly didn¡¯t want to keep walking around in torn clothes. More importantly she had been told where she could get a nice warm bath. It was a public bath meant to service multiple crewmen, but it was a bath nonetheless. Something they could both sorely use. Neither she nor her daughter had one since the Cathamari bombarded the colony.


    The bombardment she remembered was terrifying, seeing those plasma weapons penetrate through reinforced domes, and solid rock. It had left her worried if anyone was going to make it. She hasn¡¯t even seen her husband since that day. The woman feared he was dead, but at least she still had her daughter. Not everyone could say that.


    She navigated down the busy unfamiliar corridors as her daughter hugged her tightly. She smiled to her herself. She decided to count herself lucky that she still had her daughter with her.


    The young mother smiled to herself when she spotted the baths ahead. If the directions were to be trusted, this public bath was also not far from her new quarters. Although she hoped that she would get better ones soon. Having to share with strangers didn¡¯t appeal to her. Not that it could much be helped. She remembered something she had been told when she came aboard. For the foreseeable future, this ship was going to be her home. Everyone on the shuttle had seen Earth from the viewports. It was so strange seeing it shrouded in those swirling reddish clouds. Anyone could tell the world was dead. Even worse, however, was that they had nowhere to go.


    From what she had heard, the only thing humanity could do to survive was to seek out a new home. She had learned enough about astronavigation in school to know how slim their odds of finding a new home was. Worlds like Earth were rare. Modern terraforming techniques would allow them to choose less friendly worlds, but that was only if they had the time and resources to implement terraforming. Anyone could tell that they were talking about something that could take a lifetime if not more. She was not yet sure how she felt about possibly spending the next hundred years or so stuck on a starship.


    A female officer was standing outside the bath. She smiled when she spotted them, ¡°Ah, you two have good timing. It¡¯s girls only for the next hour.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She frowned, the quartermaster didn¡¯t make mention of this. ¡°Girls only?¡±


    The officer nodded, ¡°Never been on a starship before I take it? Space is always at a premium, even with ships this big. So they save it where they can. You will see what I mean when you enter, but to make things short the baths aren¡¯t divided for men and women. So instead we have to schedule things. We have men only, mixed, and girls only hours. Right now it¡¯s girls only.¡±


    She nodded. The mother thanked the officer, and then proceeded inside. She was greeted with a small locker/ changing room. Beyond which the bath could be seen. It was a modest affair, the tub took up half the room. The other half of the room was a large group shower. Both were fit into a room that took up roughly twenty-five cubic meters of space. Large enough to service multiple people at once. She did note the lack of dividing curtains or anything to provide real privacy.


    In the changing area, in addition to the lockers, she also noted a bin in the corner. It had the age-old recycling mark. Along with a sign that read ¡°Old Clothing only.¡± She had actually expected an item like that, and her current outfit belonged in that bin. It was torn, and burnt. Although that didn¡¯t mean it needed to be trashed. It could be recycled, thanks to modern technology just about anything could be recycled. Especially on a starship where they recycle everything. Even back on Luna a lot of stuff was simply recycled.


    The pair quickly claimed a locker using their new ids, and placed their new stuff inside. She locked it with her palm print. Allowing her to keep everything in there for a short period. After that, the mother and her daughter tossed their ruined clothing into the recycling bin. Not much point hanging onto outfits that were so badly damaged. The new standard-issue military clothing would do for now. Although she would need to get new clothing later. It didn¡¯t help that she had nothing. Some people were lucky enough to have a few things with them. All she managed to hang on to was her daughter. That was all that mattered to her, so she could live with that.


    Entering the bath proper, they both showered first. Before taking that soak they both wanted. It wasn¡¯t long however before someone else spoke to them. As they weren¡¯t alone. The person who spoke to her was another young mother who had her two daughters with her. Before she knew it they were sharing their mutual frustrations with current events, while their daughters got to know each other. Playing in the bath. It was kind of nice to see that. Children could bounce back and find joy in little things. It warmed her heart a little to see that, and the conversation was nice as it let her vent.


    <hr>


    Sanchez slipped into the lounge, it was one of several on the ship. Capital ships like the Enterprise often had multiple recreational areas. Crew morale was important, and that meant having a place where they could relax during their off-duty hours. This particular lounge was for officers, it was smaller than the general rec rooms on the lower decks for everybody else. This gave it a cozier feel especially when one paid attention to the furniture. Like all ship furniture, it was bolted to the floor, but it was also thickly padded. Designed to look and feel cozy.


    The room had a half dozen tables scattered around the room. Each with a handful of chairs. Against one wall was a bank of computer terminals. There was another wall covered with cabinets that would be stocked with various board games. The games themselves were much the same as what could be found on the lower decks. The only real difference here was the atmosphere.


    There was also a large screen on the left wall. A sofa and a few armchairs were positioned in a semi-circle around it. It was currently off, and there were several controllers securely placed in a transparent cabinet. They would allow a group to play a video game together on that screen. That screen was also used for group movies here in the lounge. The ship had a massive digital library of movies and shows that could be played on request. You name the movie or show, and they probably had it. Although there were titles they didn¡¯t have.


    Sanchez wasn¡¯t in the mood for that. Instead she simply found a chair and relaxed into it. Already lost in thought. Right now, the world around her had gone nuts. Earth was a dead world shrouded in radioactive plasma storms. The moon had been bombarded, months earlier they had lost Mars, forced to evacuate the remaining colonists here to Earth and Luna. Now, thanks to those scaly bastards, the upper officers had decided it best they abandon the only home they had ever known.


    Sure, that meeting had been what felt like weeks ago, but was in fact not. The world around her seemed to be going nuts. It scared her. The idea of going out into the great unknown and leaving everything behind scared her more. Just there was nothing she could do about it. No way to wrest control of this crazy reality. Not any more than the little control they had.


    All this amazing technology surrounded her. Weapons that could lay waste to entire worlds with punitive ease. Armor that rendered ships immune to all but the most powerful of weapons. Reactionless engines that allowed ships like this to not only be launched from the ground, but to maneuver in ways not thought possible a few decades ago.


    Medicine was also highly advanced. They could cure any number of maladies both physical and mental. Lose an arm? You could have it replaced with a cybernetic prosthetic, or if you were willing to wait, they could grow you a new one. A cold? There were any number of highly effective treatments that could cure it inside a day. Cancer? Targeted nano therapy. Got blown up? Well as long as your brain is intact and they get to you quickly enough you could be reconstructed in a nanite bath with cloned tissue or cybernetic replacements. Often a combination of both. Just an example of how medicine had benefited from the century long Colonial wars. They had learned a great deal about treating battlefield trauma, both physical and mental. Although some of the techniques for the latter were a little controversial.


    Hell they could even prolong life. Nanites were used for a form of targeted therapy that could repair damage on a cellular level. These nano-cellular treatments were used to repair genetics that occurred during cell division. Thanks to these treatments the human lifespan had effectively been doubled. Although with cybernetic enhancement a person¡¯s lifespan practically doubled again. Actually it was more than that. She had heard somewhere that computer modeling and simulations indicated that modern cyborgs could theoretically live to be nearly a thousand years old. While normal humans would only live to be a couple hundred years old. Although that might be wrong given how medicine was always improving it could in fact be longer.


    That thought brought her to a stop. She could conceivably end up spending over a hundred years trapped on this ship. Going from one star to the next on an endless search for a new homeworld. Something only possible because of the amazing technology around her. Technology that failed to protect what mattered most. Their ancient home, the cradle of their civilization. The birthplace of all humanity, that now laid in ruins below. She didn¡¯t even realize it, but something in her broke. She was crying before she was even conscious of it.

 Interlude Shields

    Energy shields are fantastic devices designed to protect the hull of a ship or a ground-based facility from all manner of hazards. Be they a meteoroid impact, weapons fire, solar flares, radiation bursts, or whatnot. Whatever the hazard these energy screens need to be able to hold up against it. To that end there are a number of different devices that could be considered a shield. The two most common forms are absorption shields, and deflector shields. Both of which are staples of science fiction everywhere, and to many of the more advanced races in the universe science fact.


    Absorption shields are the most common form of energy shielding to the point that they are considered the traditional form of protection by many races. These shields function by absorbing incoming weapons fire, and then radiating it away harmlessly. Too much energy directed at the barrier in too short a period has been known to overwhelm the barrier causing it to collapse. Allowing hostile energy to interact directly with the hull of a protected ship.


    Shields of this type are known to glow when hit by weapons fire. This is due to how they operate, and that glow is actually the shield radiating a portion of the energy they just absorbed away as light. The energy radiated by these shields can take many forms and not just light. Some advanced shield designs make use of special radiators to radiate that energy into subspace also known as hyperspace. Due to the nature of subspace, a ship could radiate more energy at once by taking advantage of a subspace radiator.


    This brings us to several important factors that govern the performance of energy shields. The most important of these factors are capacity, regeneration, and mitigation rates. Capacity is how much energy a shield can absorb before it fails, and is directly related to the field strength of the shield. Regeneration is how quickly a shield can recover from overload, and replenish lost field strength. Field strength is often lost with every impact from energy weapons. As a small part of a shield is typically lost absorbing the energy of the attack. This is not the case however with kinetic weapons which have no real impact against an energy shield. Torpedoes and missiles on the other hand will have the same effect as energy weapons when they detonate on contact with a shield. As for the mitigation rate that is how quickly the shield sheds incoming energy thereby protecting the ships, and preserving shield capacity. It is also important to note that many shield designs can continue to mitigate damage even after reaching saturation, but any hit not mitigated will strike the hull with reduced strength. Human radiation shields function in much the same manner as this but have no ability to absorb incoming energy to be radiated later. Only mitigate it.


    Moving on, we have deflector shields to cover. These shields do not attempt to absorb incoming energy but instead, try to redirect it. Most deflector designs are not capable of redirecting an energy bolt but are very effective at redirecting the trajectory of physical projectiles such as a meteoroid or railgun round. There are many types of deflectors but they all share the idea of redirecting a projectile before it can impact the hull. Many of them are used mainly by warp-capable races for navigational purposes as they work wonders protecting ships from translight impacts.


    The degree a deflector will redirect a shot can be determined by several variables. Those variables are the velocity of the projectile, the angle of impact, the mass of the projectile, and the strength of the deflector field. Since ship designers can¡¯t control the other variables they focus on the deflector strength. The stronger the field, the greater the potential degree of redirection. A strong enough field and you could redirect a projectile right back at the source.


    Now on to deflectors, there are several types of deflectors. The first and earliest type of deflector that a civilization could discover is the electromagnetic deflector. Which produces an electromagnetic field around a ship. Deflectors of this type are effective against some energy weapons such as lasers and charged particle beams. They are also effective against a wide array of projectiles. However, magnetically inert projectiles are known to ignore the field.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Another type of deflector is the gravitic field deflector. Deflectors of this type use artificial gravity fields to redirect projectiles before they can interact with the hull. They are markedly less effective against lasers and charged particle beams, but they can interact with all physical projectile weapons and energy weapons. They are much more effective against physical projectiles than energy weapons. Most deflector shields employed by races in the universe are of this type as they make superb navigational deflectors.


    Moving on from deflectors, we can cover the other devices that can be considered shields. First on that list is cloaking shields. Cloaking shields are a type of energy shielding designed not to protect the hull from weapons fire, but to hide it from sensors. To this end, they are designed to absorb and redirect sensor pulses. Light waves are redirected around a ship. The end goal is to make the ship in question invisible.


    These cloaking screens are energy-intensive often requiring a large chunk of the equipped ship¡¯s energy reserves to function. The larger the ship you are trying to cloak the more energy required to hide it from sensors. In addition, these screens are known to be sensitive to charged particles. These particles can become lodged in the screen, temporarily rendering the shield useless. Making the equipped ship highly visible to sensors. Since most energy weapons generate charged particles in one form or another these weapons can¡¯t be fired while a ship is cloaked. Torpedoes on the other hand can be launched without disrupting the cloak.


    These factors contribute to the fact that most cloak-enabled ships are often employed in roles roughly analogous to those of submarines employed in Earth¡¯s navies since the twentieth century. Cloaked ships excel at battlefield recon, and they are very good at slipping behind enemy lines where they can inflict considerable damage. A few well-placed torpedoes fired from under cloak can sink unsuspecting warships, do considerable damage to orbital shipyards, and even sink merchant shipping. Stealth vessels can also deploy minefields where they will interfere with enemy supply lines, and insert covert forces where they can inflict considerable damage.


    All of that means that even with the limit on energy weapons, that cloaking technology becomes very widespread soon after discovery. Few powers would choose not to invest in this area because of the immense tactical advantage that cloaking technology offers. Of course, naturally, they will also invest in detection methods to illuminate cloaked ships in their territory.


    Many powers also invest in correcting the weaknesses of cloaking technology. Some powers have even succeeded in creating cloaking shields that don¡¯t fail when the energy weapons are fired. The bigger weakness is their energy-intensive nature which is the first weakness most powers invest in correcting. Producing less power-hungry cloaking shields allows for more energy for other systems such as the engines. Which brings to the fore another major point about cloaking shields. Most ships under cloak are forced to travel at lower speeds due to the high energy requirements of the cloak.


    Last on the list of shield types I would like to cover is the Interception shield. Shields of this type aren¡¯t like other shields in concept at all. The Earth energy web is an example of this shield type. They employ an ai-controlled web of intersecting high-energy lasers or charged particle beams projected around the ship like a bubble. The web of beams is achieved using an array of high-intensity beam emitters and powerful electromagnetic field projectors. Any physical projectile attempting to pass through the web will be burned up in very short order. Missiles and torpedoes will either disintegrate or explode on contact with this web.


    Energy weapons however will pass right through this web completely unaffected. In addition, these shields are also energy-intensive and not a hundred percent effective at screening incoming weapons fire. The barrier can¡¯t be maintained indefinitely either as the emitter arrays need time to cool between each discharge. Regardless they make a very valuable anti-missile system for Earth ships. Although they are not a replacement for point defense systems more of a supplement. A very potent supplement indeed that is very effective against missiles and torpedoes. However, since the web can¡¯t be projected very far from the hull, its of little use against fighters. Well, unless the pilot happens to be suicidal that is. This is why point defense systems are still required on Earth ships such as the photon missile systems on the Enterprise which are designed to fire missiles specifically designed to be effective against small fast targets such as fighter craft and corvettes.

 Chapter Eleven To New Beginnings

    Countryman settled into his command chair. The last of the Lunar evacuation had been completed. Not everyone was happy with what was going on, and he had already noted Willaims trying to gather allies. Already he was considering his options, but in the meantime, they had to get underway. They had afterall not only finished the Lunar evacuation but also the Earth orbit sweep. A final census revealed that between their three ships they had a little over fifty thousand people. That was all that remained of the human race, at least as far as they could confirm.


    They were almost ready to leave orbit as well. The ships not able to make the journey had been stripped of anything they could use and scrapped. It was the best they could do with them. Star Tech One had been loaded down with everything useful that they could not take with them, and they were making ready to tow it. Something the Enterprise was perfectly capable of doing at sub-warp speeds. It was not something the ship could do at warp. A previous experiment had tested the possibility of FTL towing and found it not possible with current technology. FTL towing required the warp field to be expanded to encompass a second ship. That presented a whole slew of problems that with their rudimentary understanding of their own drive technology they could not even begin to solve. There were other problems with the idea as well, but the big one was expanding the warp field. If they could solve the numerous engineering challenges with expanding the warp field the other problems would be simple in comparison to solve.


    The matter of warp towing was largely mute, however. The debris fields that were a testament of the ferocity of the war, also meant that warp travel was impossible in the inner system. It wasn¡¯t until you got past the asteroid belt where the fields thinned considerably that warp speed was feasible. A journey of several weeks, and then crossing to the next system Proxima Centauri which was only a short hop from Alpha Centuari was a journey of a few short months. To be more accurate factoring both the sublight and FTL portions of this trip in they were talking about a trip that would take about five months. By which point they would have burned through most of their food supplies, but by then they should also already have their first yields from the Hydroponics bays. Speaking of the bays, they were now also home to some fish along with the surviving growth they had found in several of Luna¡¯s surviving hydroponics farms. Finding those fish was nice, very nice as it gave them more variety than just vegetables. They were still lacking in meats, but there was little he could do about that.


    So while supply wise he could say they will be fine for those five months. There was a great deal that could go wrong in those five months. The morale problems alone would be enough to deal with, but on top of that, he had a dissatisfied and emotional captain to deal with. He knew her type and had dealt with them before. Countryman was going to have to kill her, but he couldn¡¯t do that now. Right now that would cause more problems than it solved. Politics, he hated that game, but it was the game being played now. Worse he also knew that sooner or later she was going to mutiny. He was already watching her, and she was already making moves to garner support. Naturally, he was also making moves. Better ones. The child she was hadn¡¯t even noticed that he knew what she was doing. He already had an idea of what made her tick, and knew what best to do. At least in the short term, he was going to make moves to both placate and stymie her, while carefully gaining and positioning pieces to ensure her mutiny when it did happen failed with minimal damage. As he would not be able to kill her until after she made her power play.


    Glancing at his display he figured it was about time. He wasn¡¯t one for speeches, but it seemed appropriate that he say something. This was going to be the start of a journey that would either save the human race or if he makes the wrong move end it. In any case, it was a journey they had no choice but to make. If they stayed here they were vulnerable to future Cathamari attacks, and they no longer had the resources to withstand another attack. As he saw it, and anyone else with sense they had a better chance out among the stars. Somewhere out there they would find their Haven, their safe harbor where they may recover and rebuild. One day he promised to himself that they would come back. Even if he wasn¡¯t here to see it he would make damn sure their descendants would be able to reclaim their ancestral homelands. It was their birthright afterall. He finally after hesitating long enough told Misaki, ¡°Open a channel to all ships, all decks.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡± she paused to tap away at her console, ¡°Channel open.¡±


    He sighed, and after a moment he began to speak. Demanding the attention of all that heard his voice. ¡°I am sure by now you all know what happened just a few days ago, and have heard the rumors. I am afraid some of them are true. Our ancestral home, the birthplace of our race, and civilization is gone reduced irradiated ruins. Shrouded in clouds of death, and surrounded by the wrecked hulks of our shattered fleets. I am sure many of you think this is the end the last page in our chapter of history.¡±


    He paused but only for a moment before continuing, ¡°I promise you this is not the end, but merely a new beginning. We will survive, we will adapt, we will thrive out there among the stars where will find our Haven, and rebuild. It will be our refuge our sanctuary and when we are ready we will return to reclaim our birthright. Even if we don¡¯t live to see it, our children will reclaim our homes. I promise you that we will return even if it take a lifetime, even if takes a millinia, even if takes ten thousand years we will return to reclaim our home. I promise you that.


    ¡°As for the Cathamari they will rue the day they burned our worlds. I promise you that we will find their world out there among the stars and burn it to ashes. Even if it takes me a lifetime I will make sure their world burns for this vile act. But today a new dawn begins, a new chapter in the history of the peoples of Sol. Today we journey out into the stars to find a new home, and we shall not break, we will persevere and succeed. To new beginnings to a new dawn.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He closed the channel. Countryman turned his attention to the helmsman a young woman of Japanese decent. Her name was Eri, and she had a promising record having piloted a few ships before. Countryman gave the order, ¡°Engage towing beams, and bring us about to heading one-zero-four mark two-six. Ahead one-half engine power.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Aye sir. Engaging towing beams. Bringing us about to heading one-zero-four mark two-six. Ahead one-half engine power.¡±


    Her hands moved with grace over the controls of the helm, and the engines hummed under the young lady¡¯s command. The ship eagerly responded to the command, and their journey began. As it did Countryman promised to himself that he would make sure they returned in ten thousand years no matter what. It was going to be centuries before the planet was habitable anyway. They were not going to return in his lifetime, but he knew things could be done to ensure that they would return when the planet was habitable again. In fact based on his math that would be in almost ten thousand years. In his mind there would be no better time to return then on the ten thousandth anniversary of the day Earth was lost to them, on the twenty third day of May. His other promise however, that one he already had ideas on how to achieve. First he would need the coordinates of their homeworld, which thanks to captured star charts should not be too hard. He may lack exact coordinates, but they had a rough idea of where the Cathamari bases were. Thankfully the maps indicated no presence in Alpha Centuari and her nearest stars like Proxima. That meant nothing, but hopefully they would be safe there for a while. They did need time to pick up the pieces, and work on improving their warp drive technology. Hopefully the system would be the safe harbor they needed for that.


    <hr>


    Richards shifted, as she monitored the engines. The familiar hum of a working pulse wave engine filled her engine room. She was currently down in main engineering watching the monitors. It was her job to make sure everything was in working order. There was actually a lot of work involved but most of the time she had little to do. Like right now, where all she had to do was monitor the read outs. She only needed to act if something went wrong. The ship¡¯s computers could solve most problems on their own though. Still it was always best to have a human eye on things.


    The Enterprise actually had two engine rooms. This was one located in the bowels of the primary hull, which was the traditional engine room. This room was responsible for most of the primary systems including the main sublight drives. The other engine room was located in the secondary hull. That engine room housed the antimatter reactors, the drive core for the ship¡¯s warp drive, and was designed to monitor and control the ship¡¯s warp engines. Of which the ship had four. They were designed to operate in pairs, as the ship¡¯s size meant no single engine could generate a field large enough to encompass the whole ship. The ship¡¯s computers were responsible for controlling the field and ensuring the two engines operated in sync.


    The ship only needed two of its four warp engines to achieve warp speed. While it is possible to use all four engines at once, in previous trials they found that there was no real benefit to doing so. As such the second pair of engines while identical to the primary set were backup drives. Installed for system redundancy. Although she recalled that Countryman had originally designed the ship to carry six of these engines, but that third set never made it into the final design. If they had those third-tier backup engines would have been mounted in the primary hull, at the widest point of the saucer.


    Since they were not all four engines were located in the nacelles along with a number of secondary maneuvering engines. The nacelles were not a new feature to human ship design, previous generations of ships had used them to mount outboard maneuvering engines. It was found that the use of nacelles to mount these engines substantially boosted ship maneuverability. It had to do with exactly how the pulse wave engines they used worked.


    During the warp project testing, they had found that placing the warp engines in these nacelles was actually ideal for the formation of a stable warp field. Since they were already going to be there for the sublight maneuvering engines it proved a simple change to ship design to make room for the warp engines. The nacelles did end up being larger relative to older designs, however, as the warp engines required a significantly more robust cooling system. As they produced a rather massive amount of heat during operation. Dealing with that heat had in fact been the largest engineering challenge they had to solve during the Warp Three project.


    Her mind soon wandered from the ship¡¯s many engines to that conversation she had not all that long ago with Countryman. Some of what he said made her wonder. He had known her mother, and knew who her father was. Yet she still didn¡¯t know for sure who he was. Only that Countryman didn¡¯t think now was the right time for that. She had a few ideas about what that meant. With everything she knew it was possible that he was her father. She just wasn¡¯t sure if that was the case. It was certainly within the realm of possibility, but there were other possibilities as well.


    Without more information, she could never be certain what theory was true. The real question was what would convince the captain to tell her. She was drawing a blank on that. The fact that she barely knew him made it hard to know what would convince him to tell her. Lacking such information she ultimately soon drifted from the topic.


    She was a bit startled when a female voice spoke up behind her. It was Williams, who she had seen in the officer¡¯s meeting. ¡°So what do you think about that Cyborg?¡±


    She gave the woman a look. This officer was rather lacking in respect. It made her wonder how this woman ever made captain. She certainly wouldn¡¯t have made the rank in peacetime, she knew that for sure. ¡°I think you need a refresher course on military discipline and the importance of respect. That is what I think. Now get out of my engine room before I call security!¡±


    Williams huffed and was rather indigent but thankfully she did leave. Richards watched her go and turned back to her work. Not before noting the incident in her log. She also made a mental note to inquire about how such a disrespectful woman made it to captaincy. A part of her was glad she wasn¡¯t the captain, as being under a woman who would behave like that would be intolerable.

 Chapter Twelve The Officer’s Council

    It had been a few hours since they had gotten underway. At the moment not much was going on, and that allowed Countryman to retreat to the relative privacy of his ready room for a very important chat. He had something in mind that would help him temporarily placate Williams which would give him a little breathing room, but if it was to work properly he could not be the one to propose it. He had noted her rather emotional bias against anyone cybernetically enhanced. It seemed she saw him and people like him as less than human. It was a belief that she wasn¡¯t alone in, but it was a minority belief. One that was especially rare in the military as both the fleet and the marines recognized the advantages.


    Neither group required their members to be enhanced, but they did recognize the advantages. Few people had enhancement to the degree that he did. Although there was a story behind his enhancement one that dated back to the beginning of modern cybernetics. It was on the eve of the third world war in fact. The war that left the colonies suddenly bereath of Earth¡¯s support and guidance. It left a political vacuum that ultimately plunged the Colonies into war. It was the beginning of the Colonial Wars a series of violent space wars that lasted a century.


    It was little surprise that happened after world war three. Over nine billion people were killed in the conflict. The devastation was widespread, entire countries were wiped off the map, and no major city survived the conflict. Only craters were to be found where once famous influential cities had once stood such as Rome, London, New York, Jerusalem, Tokyo, Washington all destroyed. Thankfully the weapons of choice for the Third World war weren¡¯t nuclear weapons like all had feared during the cold war. No, by the time the war came around far more devastating weapons had been devised, that lacked the nasty drawback of fallout. These weapons were called Orbital Slammers, an early precursor to the modern particle cannon. They were large orbital weapons platforms that could vaporize cities with the equivalent of a two hundred megaton particle blast. That was twice as powerful as the most devastating nukes ever devised.


    The story of how he ended up enhanced is related to how this devastating conflict actually kicked off. At the time, the world had been embroiled in intense political tensions between two major alliances. The Western Coalition, and the Eastern Alliance. It was during this period of high tension that the Star Tech Stations were first built. Although at that time only Star Techs One, Two, and Three were built. The others were built later. These stations were designed then for high energy research, to be more specific they were working with improving upon earlier research into antimatter. Due to the requirements of these new experiments, it was concluded that it would be safer to do this research in orbit.


    However, the very existence of these stations became a source of contention. Some sources believed they were looking into antimatter to develop a new form of mega weapon, antimatter weaponry. Naturally, there were accidents aboard the stations, and one of them was particularly bad. It didn¡¯t destroy the station, but numerous researchers were killed or wounded in the blast. He had been among the wounded, as he had been aboard that station when it happened.


    His injuries had been rather severe, and to save his life they had turned to cybernetics. Countryman wasn¡¯t the only one to be enhanced that day. They had replaced his ruined limbs and damaged organs with cybernetic devices. Over the years that followed he had enhanced, and upgraded the technology under his skin. He sighed that same set of injuries had also meant that he was not present when the war happened. Instead, he had been on Luna in the hospital recovering during the entire nine days of the Third World War.


    Countryman put thoughts of all that aside and opened a channel. Moments later he was greeted by Reynolds''s familiar face.  He smiled, ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking it is about time we convene a second officers meeting. We have much to discuss. Speaking of that discussion, I have a proposal for you to make.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°You want me to propose an idea of yours? Why?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Short answer is politics.¡±


    Reynolds scoffed, ¡°I hate that game.¡±


    ¡°So do I, but unfortunately that game is already being played here. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t just nip the problem in the bud, as people would react poorly to that without proper justification. Hence the game being played.¡±


    Reynolds sighed, ¡°I see. So I take it for some reason this proposal can¡¯t come from you?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Williams would be why. She has this irrational distrust of me and people like me. Her opinion of you isn¡¯t ideal, but the idea would be better received regardless if it came from you.¡±


    Reynolds just shook his head, ¡°I seriously hate this game, but it seems you know how to play it. Let''s hear that proposal.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Well the politics thing is an occupational hazard. I¡¯m afraid we will all have to learn the ropes soon now. It comes with the new territory. That brings me to my proposal. We have a surplus of officers with nothing to do. I propose that they be reformed into an advisory council that will meet regularly to debate fleet policy. We can debate what else they might do in the meeting proper, but I need you to put forward the initial bones of the idea.¡±


    ¡°I think we should at least have a proper idea of what they will be doing before we propose it in this meeting. Are they just a council of advisors or will they also act to implement policy?¡±


    Countryman shifted in his seat, ¡°Good questions. We are basically talking about creating a government of sorts. If we were building a colony this would be easy, but we aren¡¯t. Not until we find a new world. In the meantime, our people look to the officers for guidance and leadership. That means we need to get our leadership in order.¡±


    ¡°I agree, and having a bunch of officers with nothing to do won¡¯t work. From the sound of it, they will be managing the civilians then. That should also help with our workloads. Allow us to focus more on the normal duties of commanding a starship.¡±


    ¡°Exactly the point.¡±


    He frowned, ¡°So, may I ask how this would help with the Williams problem?¡±


    ¡°One she has nothing to really do. This would keep her busy, giving her less time to plot. Second, it will placate her somewhat since her biggest problem right now is that we didn¡¯t give her a captaincy. I went and read her file. Honestly, she should have been an admiral by now, but she has been passed up for promotion thirteen times. A fact that hasn¡¯t sat well with her at all. It explains some of her outbursts and her recent behavior. This isn¡¯t my only solution for her. She gave me some ammunition recently that I plan to use to put her in a refresher course.¡±


    Reynolds chuckled, ¡°What did she do?¡±


    ¡°Seems she tried a probing question with my chief engineer earlier today. Richards put her on report for being rude, and lacking proper military discipline.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Williams doesn¡¯t sound ...¡±


    ¡°Very smart?  Seems to be that she is rather emotional. If she was thinking more clearly, she would be more of a threat than she is right now. I doubt she will keep making mistakes like that. She doesn¡¯t strike me as that stupid.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Reynolds replied, ¡°hmm, she does seem rattled right now.¡±


    ¡°I figure she will calm down soon enough, but sooner or later she will try to mutiny. Preferably when she does it will be on our terms so we can control the damage and fallout. It sucks that we have to even think about this. We are on the brink of extinction and some people can¡¯t help but play power games.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is unfortunate. I agree we do need to make sure if a mutiny happens it will be on our terms.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Great. We can coordinate our efforts. The main thing is that we will need to keep an eye on Williams and anyone she recruits as well. We also need to ensure the loyalty of our marines and officers in key positions. That means enacting policies that keep them happy and earn their respect. I would suggest taking some time to talk to them. Making friends with a few of them and even solving their problems would go a long way. It will make it harder for her to gain allies, and solidify our own support. As a side benefit, this should also help with crew morale. The happier the people are, the better.¡±


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Not long after that, the two signed off. They come to a few agreements, but the upcoming meeting was where things would really happen. One thing was for sure, they would need to ensure internal stability if they were to have any chance of success. Williams and those like her would have to be dealt with, and if he played his cards right the damage she does will be minimal.


    <hr>


    Three days later:


    Countryman settled into his seat for this second meeting of officers. Around him everyone else was finding their seats, so he took the moment to order his thoughts. This meeting was very important for the future of his people. This meeting was to set in motion his plans for his admittedly small fleet. Three ships didn¡¯t exactly constitute a fleet though more like a small task force. Although the label mattered not. What did matter is the issues they were here to discuss. As this discussion was going to shape their future. More hopefully it would proceed as planned and at least temporarily nip their stability problems in the bud. He doubted it would stop things merely act as a stopgap.


    When everyone was settled he leaned forward and began the meeting, ¡°Glad to see everyone here. Today we are here to discuss issues that went unresolved in the last meeting. The most important of which is the fact that we have a number of command-level officers with nothing to do. Any suggestions on what you can do to help the fleet?¡±


    A number of suggestions were put forth right away. Including a suggestion from Williams. Just as the officers were starting to debate the suggestions. Reynolds put forth Countryman''s idea. A more permanent advisory council.


    The room went silent instantly, and soon it was actively being debated by the numerous officers at the meeting. They quickly and extensively debated the council and what duties it would have. The officers almost as fast had a general consensus on what such a council would do. Not just advising the senior captains leading the fleet, but also debating fleet policies. With approval from the senior captains, they would implement policies.


    Williams frowned, ¡°Interesting. This idea has some merit. I just have one question. How much autonomy will this council be given to complete its duties?¡±


    Countryman internally smiled but kept a stoic expression on his face. Williams was biting. ¡°Presumably enough to complete their duties.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Who will be on the council?¡±


    Reynold stated, ¡°Command level officers mostly. Ones without duties elsewhere.¡±


    It seemed to Countryman that things were going well. Sure putting Williams on this council would give her more power, but it would also place her in a position where he could better control her actions. That was what was important. Controlling her actions. It was all part of the game.


    <hr>


    The Battlemaster felt pleased with the recent news. They had been able to locate and retrieve the parts they needed to fix their damaged cruiser¡¯s propulsion manifold. Not without cost as he had lost a few skilled crewmen, and engineers. Losses he wasn¡¯t pleased about, but overall they had come out ahead.


    They were now able to get underway without having to abandon another ship. Something he was loathe to do. He stretched and made his way down the bridge. When suddenly the warrior monitoring the sensors looked up.


    ¡°Battlemaster. We have detected a few human ships¡±


    He frowned, ¡°Shields up. How long before they attack?¡±


    The warrior gestured at his console, ¡°Might be a while, I think it better you see this for yourself.¡±


    He approached and looked over the warrior¡¯s shoulder to study the console. It displayed tracking data, and sensor information on a small task force of human ships. The lead ship was identified as a battleship class unknown. That was worrisome for a number of reasons. Likely the ship class was new, and that meant possibly superior to previous battleships they had engaged. His engagement with their dreadnought during the Battle of Earth merely highlighted the problems they may face.


    Human vessels tended to be larger, and carry more weaponry than their Cathamari counterparts. More troublesome was their incredible structural integrity and strong armor. They were able to take a beating, and live to tell about it. Worse their ships were often more agile, and maneuverable than Cathamari equivalents due to their advanced sublight engines. Victory against the Humans was largely a matter of achieving numerical superiority. Even with superiority in numbers, victory could not be assured without limiting their ability to maneuver, so as to force them into range. Catharmari weapons were thankfully superior to human weapons, and their torpedoes were quite effective at inflicting considerable damage to those sturdy hulls of theirs. That was if they could score enough hits, and the only way to do that was with heavy volley fire. It was the only way they could get enough torpedoes past those weird energy screens of theirs to have a meaningful effect. It would be so much easier if they could penetrate that armor of theirs with plasma cannons, but even the heavy cannons on his own ship couldn¡¯t do that. At least not with their capital ships, or to be more specific any ship bigger than a destroyer. Something about their armor meant that the bigger a ship was, the harder it was to damage.


    Thankfully the force spotted only had the one battleship. They had enough numbers even damaged as they were that they would be able to defend themselves. The other two ships appeared to be either destroyers or cruisers. They weren¡¯t sure which yet, but if they were a cruiser they were a light cruiser. That would mean fighters, while destroyers would mean heavy torpedo armaments, and human torpedoes were not to be underestimated. They may lack the power of Cathamari plasma torpedoes, but they made up for it. They had the ability to bypass shields and were longer-ranged with superior guidance making them hard to avoid.


    What made him blink though was the final item on their sensors. It was one of their cursed Battlestations, which they were towing through space. It was comical really, the Battleship was towing the station which was more than twice its size, and wasn¡¯t even being slowed. They were moving on a course parallel to his own and moving twice as fast. He quickly began to do some calculations on the console and quickly determined that they be overtaken near the system¡¯s asteroid belt, where the Humans had previously established a defensive perimeter, one that they had broken through nearly a year ago.


    It was almost certain they would engage each other, and he was going to have to come up with a solution to that Battlestation. Those things were fucking nightmares to get past. Heavily armored, protected by energy screens, and outfitted with an insanely powerful antimatter particle beam weapon. Thankfully that weapon took several minutes to recharge or they never would have been able to breach the Lunar Perimeter.


    The smart thing would be to avoid battle with that small force entirely. They appeared to be at full strength, and his own force was damaged. Most of them were low on torpedoes, and some of his ships no longer had shields. The grids had taken too much damage to function. Those shields were also their own best tactical advantage as human weapons struggled to penetrate them. In other words, the ships without shields would be little more than cannon fodder easily wiped out before they could have much of an impact on a battle. Unfortunately, the Human vessels were faster, and their sensors were comparable to his own. Since he could see them, they could no doubt see him. If they chose to engage they would be able to catch him./


    He turned to the helm. Ordering them to adjust course, and hope the Humans were not interested in battle. Given the intensity of the battle at Earth he felt it was a good bet. Then an idea occurred to him. Together they didn¡¯t stand much of a chance of fighting off those ships with them carrying around that battlestation, but if he split his forces there was a good chance at least some of them would make it out of the system. How many depends on whether or not there were more Human ships in the area. The Battlemaster was willing to bet that the answer was no. Idly some part of him wondered what they were planning to do with that station in the first place.

 Chapter Thirteen The Hunter, and the Hunted

    Countryman settled into his command chair. He had been suddenly pulled from the meeting by officers on the bridge. Long-range sensors had detected the surviving elements of the Cathamari fleet.


    He had already reviewed the logs. It was quite clear that they had been spotted. If he had to guess the active towing beams were responsible for raising their visibility to the point they could be seen. The Cathamari didn¡¯t look like they were about to engage. Instead, they had scattered into several smaller battle groups and were making out of the system at their best speed.


    Countryman considered his options. They could just ignore the Cathamari, but they may end up spotting what he does with Star Tech One. If he reduced speed he could allow them to leave the system accosted. That would remove the risk, but it was an action that would not exactly meet with much approval. Giving chase however wasn¡¯t something he wanted to do, and while he could send the Coto, and Umikaze that would mean splitting forces. Those ships were also aiding the towing so sending them off would reduce his effective speed.


    His mind then settled on the two dozen X-1204s that he had. The Enterprise was designed to carry more, but those were all she had been loaded with. The X-1204 was the latest in space superiority starfighter, the design while technically still experimental was already put through extensive testing. It was even slated to replace all current-gen space superiority fighters.


    The new fighters were modular, allowing them to swap out loadouts depending on mission profiles. In all configurations, they were configured to carry up to four forward-facing particle cannons. They were excellent main weapons useful both for strafing runs on enemy capital ships, or for dogfighting hostile fighter craft. She had armored drop bays in her wings that could be outfitted with photon missiles for engaging other craft. Under the nose, she had a pair of micro-torpedo launchers compatible with photon torpedoes. Naturally, these torpedoes were a good deal smaller than those used on ships. Regardless having a few torpedoes was useful for attacking larger craft.


    The Twelve zero Four featured light overlord armor and a dual-core pulse wave engine configuration. The armor wasn¡¯t much as the ship was designed more for agility than taking hits. The armor was enough to shrug off most fighter weapons which were the biggest threat. For missiles, she had an energy web to destroy those missiles she failed to evade. Something they were very good at thanks to their powerful engines, and she even had a pulse detonation drive to allow her to greatly accelerate or decelerate when needed. The ship was powered by a fairly powerful micro-fusion plant and featured compressed fuel cells. Allowing the fighter to function for several days without needing to return to the carrier. The ship was even designed to take care of the pilot for that period.


    Internally, the pilot had a small single-man cockpit and a rear engineering bay that could be accessed from the cockpit. The purpose of the bay was to allow the pilot to make emergency repairs if needed. The pilot''s chair was designed to double as a bed, and a small cargo bay could store water, and rations for the pilot. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable, but it worked.


    The more he thought about it, the more he felt sending the fighters would be the best bet. They were extremely agile, their small size would allow them to pass through sections of the debris fields that his ships couldn¡¯t. They would also be able to move faster, and they were even designed for stealth. He glanced at Greyman. ¡°Prep the fighters. Their orders are to intercept and destroy as many Cathamari ships as they can. Focus on the groups closest to Mining Sector twenty-three.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Aye, sir. Should I order a heavy torpedo loadout?¡±


    Countryman confirmed that. With a heavy torpedo loadout, they would be carrying no missiles, in favor of more torpedoes. Useful for engaging capital ships. It would be nice if they could fit Electo Cannons on the 1204¡¯s but the weapon wasn¡¯t suitable for deployment on fighters. Not yet anyway. The loadout would reduce their options against fighters, but the Cathamari were not big on the use of fighters. They did use them, but not as much as they did at the start of the war. The reason for this was that their fighters could not mount energy shields. They simply couldn¡¯t miniaturize the technology to be fitted on fighter craft. Whereas human overlord armor could be, which gave the UEF a significant advantage.


    <hr>


    Down in the starboard hangar, an exercise in controlled chaos was underway. The bay was filled with engineers busily going about the arming and fueling of two dozen fighters. Others were getting the catapults ready to launch the fighters. Like any ship designed to carry fighters, the Enterprise carried fighter catapults designed to accelerate fighters to combat speed. These systems were invaluable for combat hanger operations, but unlike sea carriers weren¡¯t needed for the ships to launch. Hell, they didn¡¯t even need a runway as there was no minimum speed needed for a successful launch. Ships could accelerate in the void if needed. For combat however that was less than ideal as being slow right out of the bay could make you a sitting duck for enemy fire.


    In the locker rooms, the pilots were busy donning their armored flight suits. While the fighters had independent life support systems, it was standard practice for pilots to wear these suits. The provided the pilot additional protection and would allow them to eject if needed. Where they could be recovered later. The suits came with their own life support systems and a nutrient pack. A pilot could be kept alive for days by the suit if needed. Even better the suit was equipped with a pair of small thrusters and a navigational computer. Allowing for limited flight, at least until the power pack runs dry.


    The pilots had already been briefed on the mission. Due to the distance, they were expected to spend three days with hard burning to make the needed intercept. Four battlegroups had been identified as primary targets with a single squadron assigned to each target. Two more had been identified as secondary targets for each squadron.


    Thanks to the distances involved resupply would be spotty. It would take less time to get back to the carrier, but doing so would give the Cathamari more time to escape. That was why they were being outfitted with a maximum torpedo loadout. Allowing them to hit more ships before they were forced to return for resupply. The micro torpedoes on these fighters wouldn¡¯t hit as hard as those found on starships, but that didn¡¯t make them useless. Afterall these torpedoes were only about a quarter the size of the torpedoes used by capital ships. Of course, while they were called micro these torpedoes were roughly in line with those used by seagoing vessels and fighters during WWII in terms of size. Modern ships being larger than their seagoing counterparts of that age typically mounted larger weapons. This included torpedoes and there were plenty of benefits. A larger warhead could deliver more energy on impact, and penetrate the heavier armor carried by modern ships more easily.


    To make the smaller photon warheads on fighter torpedoes effective against capital ships, they were made shorter ranged out of necessity. Less fuel meant less range but also meant they could not make corrections as easily. These torpedoes still had enough for limited guidance which allowed them to qualify as a torpedo, and not a bomb or rocket. A bomb was little more than an unguided warhead, while a rocket was an unguided warhead with an engine.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Torpedoes were guided catapult-launched projectiles typically used for anti-ship roles, while missiles were guided projectiles typically used for engaging lighter craft such as fighters. Missiles were typically not catapult-launched and often received the entirety of their speed from their onboard engine and were typically shorter ranged than a comparably sized torpedo with a smaller warhead to boot.


    Of course, none of the pilots were really thinking about the weapons or the mission. A few of the female pilots were instead remarking on the design of the locker room, which used curtains to provide privacy. ¡°I know space is at a premium, but you would think ships as big as this one would have something better than privacy curtains.¡±


    ¡°You would, but apparently not.¡± replied a second pilot.


    A male pilot called through the curtain, ¡°I don¡¯t see the issue. Seems to work fine from where I am standing¡±


    ¡°Of course, it works fine from where you are standing!¡±


    Another man interjected, ¡°Stop teasing the ladies about the curtains, and get dressed!¡±


    The first pilot pouted, ¡°See that is exactly why we need something better. The men enjoy ogling us through the curtains too much.¡±


    The second female scoffed, ¡°I can¡¯t see them, can you?¡±


    The curtains were actually quite thick. Thick enough that you couldn¡¯t see through them, although they only covered a small area around each locker. Enough for people to change with some privacy, but not much more. The girls couldn¡¯t even see each other because of the design.¡±


    The first sighed, ¡°What I wouldn¡¯t give for a more private locker room design.¡±


    In response, the second female pilot replied, ¡°Well don¡¯t get your hopes up. I doubt we will see such a thing in our lifetimes.¡±


    That killed the conversation in the whole room for a moment before someone said, ¡°All the more reason to tear those scaly bastards a new one.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to see their world burn too.¡±


    ¡°At the moment I will settle for seeing the bastards that did it burn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let''s go burn their ships.¡±


    Not long after that, they finished getting ready for battle. They sealed their lockers and the pilots filtered out into the bay, where the engineers were jockeying the fighters into the catapults for launch. When not in use they were typically left moored in special docking bays, so that they would be out of the way. In fact, a few X-1205 combat shuttles could be seen moored in docking ports on the ceiling. The X-1205 had been designed alongside the X-1204. It was part of the twelve hundred series project. In fact, the Enterprise was line item X-1250, hence its fleet registry as NX-1250. Although not every line item in the project had made it to prototyping. Some were rejected in the simulation phase.


    The X-1205 which they weren¡¯t taking with them for this mission was a multi-role combat shuttle. It could be configured to carry twenty soldiers and a tank into battle, or outfitted to carry bombs. For protection is sported a decent 55cm of armor. The shuttle carried four forward particle cannons of a heavier type than the 1204, and two dual particle cannon turrets for its own protection. Giving the craft a total of eight particle cannons. Given its modular design, the shuttle could be outfitted with missiles or torpedoes if needed which added to its versatility. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t intended for extended-range flight like the X-1204 was. They weren¡¯t as agile either, but that didn¡¯t mean they were slow. They were still quite fast, and maneuverable. It might be possible to fit them with extra fuel cells, and other equipment needed for extended flight, but they didn¡¯t have a module for that on hand. As such they were not taking them with the squadrons.


    Given the mission honestly the best ship to bring would be a heavy bomber. The Enterprise had been slated to carry a few squadrons of the X-1208, a fighter craft specifically designed to carry a loadout out of photon torpedoes, and photon bombs. However that fighter had still been waiting for final approval before production when they had been forced to launch prematurely. There wasn¡¯t any point in grumbling about might have beens, and complaining about what they didn¡¯t have.


    The pilots clambered into their fighters, and sealed the armored cockpits. While Earth had access to transparent polymors that could be used in the construction of windows, they were found to be weaker than Titan alloy even after enhancement. It was why armored hatches dropped over the viewports of the Enterprise before battle. For visibility the pilots were given a holographic display that projected all the data they would need. The ship relied heavily on its sensors for flight data. That is not to say there are no traditional fighter viewports, there are. Its just the fighter uses the same type of sliding armored hatch to protect them as the Enterprise.


    In moments the fighters were ready to launch, and engineers had cleared the bay. Everyone did last minute flight checks, while the bay depressurized. By the time the doors were open all the pilots had signaled that they were battle-ready. The catapults lit up with blue-purple light, and seconds later the fighters were zipping out of the hangars at high speed. The pilots didn¡¯t feel the high-g acceleration at all though thanks to the inertial dampers on their fighters. Their skilled hands simply guide the accelerating craft away from the ship, and into their assigned squadrons. Six ships to a squadron with four squadrons total. Each squadron set course to intercept their first assigned target. The hunt was on.


    <hr>


    The Battlemaster watched the strategic master display. His tail moved as he noted the enemy battlegroup. He knew that they could see him, but so far he had noted no reaction to his splitting his forces. His instincts told him that they were already in a battle, but at this range actions could take days to see results.


    He was looking for any sign of what they were up to. The warrior at sensors was acting as a second set of eyes looking for anything. When suddenly he noted an energy spike from the battleship. It lasted but a moment before vanishing. The Battlemaster couldn¡¯t see them, but he knew what that meant. Fighters, they were launching fighters for a first strike attack.


    He turned to the comms. ¡°Alert all battle groups to be on the lookout for hostile fighters.¡±


    The warrior immediately openned comms to signal his new orders. His tail lashed, as he considered what this meant. He hated dealing with Earthling fighters they some of the most agile craft he had ever faced. Thankfully they weren¡¯t as frustratingly durable as their capital ships. His plasma cannons could in fact destroy them. Although some types could take a few hits before they were destroyed. Their small size made scoring those hits frustratingly difficult as well. Worse they typically outmatched his own fighters in a battle. A factor that led to them not using them much here. The craft were found more effective on other fronts.

 Chapter Fourteen Fighter Strike

    The Battlelord watched his screens, his warriors maintaining vigil. The Battlemaster had alerted them three days ago to an impending fighter attack. So far there was no sign of it, and he wasn¡¯t expecting it for another day. He based that mainly on previous encounters with human fighter craft. Still, the humans had shown to be quite clever with technology, so he had already deployed fighter screens with what few fighters he had and was keeping an eye out. The fighters likely wouldn¡¯t serve as much more than an early warning, but that warning alone might save them. As it was half the ships in his battlegroup were without shields, and vulnerable to attack. That was nine cruisers that he needed to protect, and those thirty fighters he had deployed might mean all the difference between losing all of them and losing only half of them.


    Suddenly, the signal from one of those fighters just vanished. Followed by two more without warning. He blinked, his tail lashed. They were here. He growled, ¡°Battlestations. Full sensors!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t see them, yet. In a few moments that will change. The battle had begun. His blood stirred. He was going to enjoy this fight. The Battlelord relished the challenge that fighting the Humans always brought. This little backwater had proved to be one of the most interesting fronts in recent memory. Forging many a battle-hardened warrior.


    <hr>


    The pilot checked her screens. They had split formation as soon as they came upon the Cathamari battlegroup. Nine of the ships were running with shields down, the other ten had them up. A fighter screen was also actively patrolling around the perimeter. Serving as extra eyes for the battlegroup no doubt. They weren¡¯t much of a threat, but a few of her wingmen were already taking them out. Her fighter and one other ignored the screen and slipped into their formation.


    If they were going to be running with shields down, they might as well take advantage. Remove them from the fight so that they had fewer guns to worry about when they make their attack runs on the remaining cruisers.


    The agile craft responded to her every input with responsive ease. They slipped unnoticed past several shielded cruisers. The first target came into sight. Her hull scarred and breached in several places. The pilot noted the damage and smiled to herself. This ship had taken a beating back at Earth, maybe it had even fired a few of the shots at Earth


    She lined up for a strafing run since it had no shields, there was no point wasting torpedoes on it. Her targeting scanners quickly identified key targets for her. Along with identifying weaknesses created by previous hits. The cruiser had lost a few armored bulkheads to penetrating torpedo hits. Damage on the port side was especially severe, and the armor protecting critical systems on the port side was virtually gone. With deft movements she programmed her targeting computer for the attack run. It would adjust the fire of her particle cannons automatically to maximize damage. All she would have to do is fly the ship, and give the order to open fire. The computers would do the rest. There were manual options if she so desired, but modern computers made great assistants. There was no reason not to use them, in fact, the abilities of the modern computer factored into why the X-1204 was a one-man craft.


    Under her fingers the ship sailed into a run on the port side. The particle cannons unleashed a series of vibrant blue energy streams into the already scorched hull of the cruiser, as they sailed mere meters from the hull. A few cannons fired wide of her ship as she zipped by faster than they could track her. Small explosions marked her passage as the energy bolts tore into the unprotected hull.


    As the ship broke clear of the cruiser and came about, her sensors informed her of secondary explosions. Her single run had hit several vital targets, including several systems responsible for maintaining the containment bubbles around the antimatter fuel pods. Matter and antimatter were now freely mixing on the hostile cruiser. The result was an impressive fireball, one close enough that her ship¡¯s hull warmed from it. She was far enough however that the defensive systems could easily handle what energy reached her fighter. It did make her more visible briefly but that wouldn¡¯t matter.


    <hr>


    The Battlelord felt insulted, and his tail lashed the deck plates as he stared at the fuzzy sensor returns. Human ships were notoriously difficult to detect, especially the small ones. It was the damn distortion fields they generated. They made getting a clear sensor return on those ships impossible. The warrior at sensors had managed to locate the attacking fighters. A mere six ships. A single squadron of attack ships, that was all the humans had sent to attack his battle group. That number was insultingly low.


    Yet they had already destroyed half his fighter screen, and destroyed two cruisers. All in the short time it took to compensate for their distortion screens and locate the enemy. He glanced at the weapons master, and said, ¡°Alert all gunners, they are free to fire at will.¡±


    The weapons master went to work. While he considered how to keep those six ships from destroying his fleet. The number might be low, but they were the most agile fighters he had ever seen from the Humans. A clear step above any ship they had employed before. This was going to be more of a challenge than he thought. He could feel his blood pumping.


    <hr>


    Plasma bolts sailed past the hull, and harmlessly into space. The ship twirled and dived out of the line of fire like an elegant dancer on the stage. The plasma little more than fireworks to delight the eye. A rapid barrage of blue bolts were let loose and slammed repeatedly into the hull of a nearby cruiser. Each one tore into the unprotected hull with fury. Chunks of metal disintegrated and the hull ruptured. Small objects that weren¡¯t properly secured, and air blew out into the void. One of the bolts tore into a magazine, and a small explosion lit up the stars. When the dust cleared the front half of the ship was nothing more than mangled duranium, while plasma fires were erupting from the rear.


    One more ship had been removed from the battle. The fighter that killed it, under the deft hands of its pilot slipped away from the wreck. A Cathamari fighter sailed close and unleashed a barrage of plasma. Several orange-red bursts of plasma washed over the hull with no apparent effect. With swift movement, the 1204 flipped without changing flight direction and unleashed a burst of charged particles in retaliation.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The hostile Cathamari ship exploded an instant later when the bolts perforated her hull. Allowing the other fighter to slip away into the void. Avoiding a hail of plasma from the nearby cruisers. One of them launched a few plasma missiles, aimed at the fighter.


    In response the ship accelerated shooting right past the missiles. Towards the firing cruiser. Twirling out of the arc of several guns, she unleashed a powerful glowing blue burst. The firing cruiser¡¯s shields flared an instant later, and then an explosion struck the hull. Her shield grid then flickered, and a small arc failed. The 1204 sailed right through the freshly opened gap in the shield grid, and unleashed another barrage of charged particles. Rupturing the hull violently as she flew past, and frying shield emitters in the process as well.


    Seconds later the ship broke away from the cruiser, which had already lost half its shield grid on the starboard side of the ship. A second fighter was already taking advantage of the broken shield grid to unleash a devastating second strafing run on the hull. Violent charged particle bursts tore into the wounded hull. Several small explosions marked the strafing, as the ship zipped past the hull.


    A couple more elsewhere, marked the missiles launched earlier detonating while still in flight. They had been unable to catch any of the agile fighters, and had lost containment of the plasma. A fiery fireball was all that marked their end.


    While in the distance a much larger fireball overshadowed those of the missiles detonating. Another cruiser elsewhere had just lost containment. A brilliant fireball lit up the sky in a glorious display that marked her end.


    <hr>


    The Battlelord growled. The battle was going poorly. The damn humans were mocking him, they had sent a mere six ships. Their strategy was also predictably textbook of them. After crippling his fighter screen, and taking out any cruisers without shields as the opening act, they moved on to the cruisers with shields. Working in pairs they were targeting the shield grids with their torpedoes. The goal being to create an opening so that they can slip under the screen and strafe the unprotected hull. That was textbook for them, and that was what they were doing here. The only oddity was that they didn¡¯t have a capital ship nearby waiting to open fire the moment the shield grids failed.


    You would think with this being textbook that he would have a ready counter. He did not. The best counter was missiles. A coordinated barrage of heavy missile fire had proved most effective in the past. Fighters would have been preferred, but frankly, since shields at least Cathamari shields could not be made small enough to fit on a fighter. He did know of races that could mount shields on fighter craft, both the venerable Krall race and the cowardly Valorians possessed the technology for it. Both races that the Empire had poor relations with. Otherwise, they might have considered trying to purchase the technology from the Valorians. The Krall were not an option for that, since they closely guarded their technological secrets.


    On his screens he watched another cruiser go up. At this rate, they weren¡¯t going to last. They had scored a few hits on the fighters attacking them, but nothing particularly damaging. At most they had scored a few glancing blows that did little to actually damage the attacking craft. The problem was that they were too agile, his gunners simply couldn¡¯t adjust the turrets fast enough to track them. While the missiles, most of these new fighters could simply outrun them. Worse he didn¡¯t have many of them in the first place. Most of the ones he had previously carried had been used during the battle at Earth.  That forced him to rely primarily on his gunnery.


    He shouted new orders. He an idea that might change the course of the battle. Suddenly his ship shook. The Battlelord growled. He  glanced at engineering. ¡°Keep those shields up.¡±


    There was some grumbling from the engineer. Then the ship shook again. A shout from on of the consoles, said, ¡°Shield failure, port side shield number six.¡±


    The engineer shouted, ¡°Already on it!¡±


    He growled, his tail lashing the ground as he knew what that would mean. As long as that gap was open they were vulnerable. A violent shaking and loud groaning merely confirmed his fears. Glancing at a nearby display console entire sections were rapidly turning orange. His ship was dying, worse the spreading grouping of orange lights was heading right for the bridge. A sudden his, and creak was his only warning before a particle bolt passed right in front of his face by less than 10 centimeters.


    The bridge lights flickered as emergency forcefields engaged. The Battlelord glanced up, at the armored bulkhead the bolt had passed through. Along with four other decks, and the plating on the outer hull. The penetrative power of the alien particle cannons was impressive, although thankfully they weren¡¯t as destructive as a concussive plasma pulse. If they were he would have been dead. No question about it. That was the least of his worries at the moment though. The blaring alarms behind him were more worrisome. As the screens started flashing engine overload warnings. He shouted more orders just as the ship shook again, and his world went black.


    <hr>


    As the command cruiser went down the battlegroup broke up. The fighters moved to chase them down. A couple of them had taken hits during the fighting so far, but nothing major. Nothing that penetrated the armor. The four remaining cruisers were nothing more than targets for these advanced fighters. It was shaping to be an impressive first debut for the X-1204. It helped that this battlegroup was lacking in proper anti-fighter weaponry.


    Elsewhere other battlegroups were being attacked with similar results. Although one of them had fared a little better. That group still sank, but they did have a light cruiser with plasma flak arrays which proved better able to score hits on the 1204s, and even managed to inflict enough damage to force one to return to base. The others destroyed the cruiser before it could do more damage to the squadron. That one fighter however would be down for the rest of the fight though. As chances were that by the time the engineers back on the Enterprise were able to fix the damage the fight would be over. Even if it wasn¡¯t it might not be able to make it back to the line before the Cathamari were able to make the jump to warp. Once they did that, the fleet would never be able to catch them. While they could run circles around them on sublight, the same could not be said for warp. Cathamari ships had been observed regularly moving faster than warp four, a speed they hadn¡¯t yet cracked. While in theory, the engines on the Enterprise could briefly reach that speed no ship not even in tests had yet reached warp four. It was a barrier they were still working on.


    Regardless the hunt was still on, and they had more ships they planned to hit before the Cathamari made it past the debris fields. It might have been pointless, but each ship they sank helped morale after the pounding they had taken at Earth.

 Chapter Fifteen Battle of the Belt

    The Battlemaster studied the strategic display. The human fighter craft had hit his battlegroups hard. Splitting up his forces had made them vulnerable to small ship attacks. This became especially pronounced due to fleet-wide supply shortages, and the fact that he was lacking in escorts. Most of the cruisers and destroyers outfitted for engaging small ships, had been destroyed in the Battle for Earth. It didn¡¯t help that the Humans liked to hunt down escorts with prejudice.


    The recent engagements merely highlighted the weaknesses his battered and beaten fleet had as a result of that battle. His battlegroups making their way out of the system had too many heavy warships and not enough screening vessels. That lack of screens had allowed a mere 24 of these earth fighters to sink over a hundred of his ships in a span of three days. Although thankfully it wasn¡¯t entirely one-sided. At least six of those fighters had taken enough damage to be forced to turn back, and two more had taken moderate damage. None had yet been destroyed. It didn¡¯t help that they were so damn agile. A marked improvement over the fighters they were used to engaging.


    He had a few engineers and warriors work on putting together an analysis. Something to give him an edge. Even if it didn¡¯t help now, if they came back it might be useful then. Although that analysis was rather sparse. They only had a rough idea of its size and armament. It was fairly large for a fighter more than twice the size of the ones he had at his disposal. Each fighter appeared to carry four rapid-fire short-range particle cannons that were devastatingly effective at shredding an unshielded hull. Armor did little to stop those charged particle pulses from ripping right through it. Supplementing that was an arsenal of shield penetrating photon torpedoes. It was an effective combination, and the fighter was frankly a beautiful war machine. In many respects, he wished he had a few of his own.


    Unfortunately, much of the technology that went into that alien fighter was either baffling or impossible to replicate. The armor that Earth ships so commonly used was a bit of both, to be honest. They understood some of the concepts, but they could not replicate the materials. That wasn¡¯t the only problem they had. Engineers had tried replicating the circuitry, but that proved too costly. How the hell, the Humans managed to produce the armor so easily was a question they had hoped a conquest of their homeworld would answer. Instead, that question was going to be left largely unanswered. There wasn¡¯t much left here, and it was doubtful much of anything valuable was left. Few warriors would be happy sifting through all this booby-trapped debris anyway.


    <hr>


    Countryman leaned over the strategic display. His fighter craft were returning. As a first strike they had been quite successful, sinking just over a hundred Cathamari cruisers, and a few destroyers. It was one of the most successful fighter attacks in recent memory. Normally it would require a much larger fighter fleet to score similar results. A very good display for the X-1204¡¯s first sortie. It was already proving itself a worthy successor to the SF-1137 Nighthawk. They had recovered a few of those and had them in the launch bay. At the moment he was mainly holding the Nighthawks they had recovered in reserve. They might prove useful for now, but he planned to build more 1204s when the opportunity presented itself, and those Nighthawks represented materials that could be used to build a few. Hell since they were both developed by Star Tech Industries they shared some compatible components.


    Countryman glanced at the junior engineer who was talking with the hangar. They were already doing damage assessment as the fighters were landing. ¡°How are they looking so far?¡±


    The engineer sighed, and he nervously turned towards Countryman. ¡°A few of them took quite a pounding. Might be um a while before we can launch them again.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Its fine. I was only counting on the one sortie, in the first place.¡±


    His attention was already turning towards the remaining Cathamari battlegroups. Only one of them was in any position to be a threat. The other ships were going to make it out of the system no matter what he did. They were already close enough to the belt, that they would be able to clear it and go to warp before he could intercept.


    As for the last group, it was quite close to his intended destination. It had been hit by a squadron, but they had been forced to pull back when they ran out of torpedoes. Although not before sinking two cruisers, and an escort destroyer. He had actually expected that to happen before they had sunk so many ships, but over half the ships had apparently been without shields. Having lost their shield grids either during or some time after the battle at Earth.


    He tapped on that last group looking at Greyman standing opposite him at the console. ¡°This group will have to be dealt with before we reach our target destination.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°I agree sir. However I don¡¯t see many options, we can wait for our fighters to be rearmed, refueled, and send out the remaining squadrons.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Risky. We can have that done inside an hour, but it will take about a day for them to intercept by then they will be practically inside the belt. It won¡¯t be hard for them to defend long enough to make it through the belt into clear space where they can make the jump to warp speed. I¡¯ve already done the calculations, I estimate if we launch a fighter attack we will inflict roughly thirty percent casualties before they escape.¡±


    Greyman frowned, ¡°I guess we will have to detach the Umikaze and the Coto then.¡±


    Countryman gave him a look, ¡°Actually I was thinking of using the Enterprise herself. Now that we have had time to get her systems optimized there is very little risk in the option. None of those ships are carrying weaponry able to breach our armor.¡± he paused and pulled up the scans the last fighter attack had brought back, ¡°The only weapon of thiers I was worried about was their torpedoes. Thankfully our sensor scans indicate those ships have barely a dozen warheads each. That isn¡¯t enough to deplete our AIF or breach our hull even if we go in with the Energy Web system off.¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Greyman gave him a look, ¡°I get all that, but as it is we are providing most of the towing force for Star Tech One.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that isn¡¯t needed anymore. Certainly not this far out from a gravity well. Not unless we need to change course. The Umikaze and the Coto can do that if needed. They have enough engine power to redirect the station on their own if needed.¡±


    Greyman sighed, ¡°So you want to send the Enterprise. Can we get there in time? We aren¡¯t as agile as a fighter. It will take us longer to intercept.¡±


    ¡°No it won¡¯t. We will have to burn hard, and use the warp engines. Consider it a partial test of the drives as we won¡¯t be exceeding warp one. It won¡¯t be needed, and I would rather not reveal that we have the ability to exceed lightspeed. Its crucial to my current plans that they don¡¯t know.¡±


    Greyman nodded. ¡°I understand that. So how exactly does this use of the warp engines play into things?¡±


    Countryman explained it briefly. The idea wasn¡¯t to exceed light speed here, but rather mimic the acceleration curve of a more powerful engine than the Enterprise actually had. Using the warp engines would also reduce the strain on the dampers for the needed intercept profile.


    <hr>


    The Battlemaster frowned when he noticed the Human battleship break off and vanish from his screens. That wasn¡¯t good they were about to attack. He was certain of it. The battleship not being near the station opened it up for attack, but his ships were too scattered and out of position for that.


    His tail lashed the deck. His mind found no actions that could stop that ship from making a final attack on his fleet. Only one battlegroup was in intercept range, the rest would make it safely out of the system with him. At least barring any more accidents, or engine failures.


    <hr>


    The breakaway from the task force went as planned, and the Enterprise burned hard to reach the needed speed. Her warp engines were used to help speed the intercept. Within moments of breaking away they were moving at relativistic speeds. Allowing them to close more quickly than any fighter would have been able to intercept. They used the Pulse detonation drive to break and shed speed when they got close a couple of days later.


    <hr>


    The Battlelord blinked, his tail lashing the deck plates. A few days had passed since the fighters had hit his group, and then suddenly pulled back. Likely they were out of torpedoes or something like that. Whatever the case, given his lack of supplies, and depleted weapon banks that was a blessing. His cannons were nearly dry, and they were almost out of torpedoes. As for missiles, he was completely out, a couple of his ships had a few, but his had none. No one had enough for a proper fight against either fighters or capital ships.


    Now his sensors were reporting that the damn battleship that sent those fighters was now less than two hours out. It would be another six before they reached the belt. It seemed they were all going to die. He was going to make a fight of it first.


    <hr>


    The Enterprise swept in on the battered battlegroup from above. The ships scattered turning in several pairs their weapons were already charged and ready to fire. They were clearly attempting to encircle the ships. Their petty maneuvering mattered not.


    Countryman had already identified his first target, a large cruiser that appeared to be in charge of this group. With a single order from him, the ship surged forward almost seeming to teleport into weapons range of the ship. An array lit up a blue lightning-like bolt of energy surged across the void into the first cruiser.


    It shields flared brightly like a small sun, and released a small shockwave as they failed. The crew was given very little time to react to their shields overloading before the Enterprise fired again. This time from her beam arrays. Two bright blue beams of energy swept across the hull of the cruiser. The hull buckled rapidly as the beam passed over it. Melting right through plating and hull, severing power conduits and rupturing compartments.


    The other ships opened fire on the Enterprise as she came about still unleashing a steady stream of energy into the first ship. While a second ship was targeted, another lightning-like energy bolt leapt from her hull to strike another poor cruiser. Its shields flared brightly, but there was no shockwave this time. They held... barely. The follow up barrage from the Enterprise¡¯s heavy particle cannons proved too much for the strained energy screen. The ship was reduced to a floating mangled wreck seconds later. Just as the Enterprise stopped firing into the first ship.


    That first cruiser was still intact and in one piece but every compartment had been vented to space. Her crew either dead or dying. It was nothing more than a dead hulk now, floating salvage. Two ships were down now, fifteen more to go.


    Of the remaining fifteen one of them was trying to make a break for it, accelerating towards the belt at full throttle.  The Enterprise fired a volley of torpedoes at it. The glowing blue bolts careened across space, and stuck the fleeing vessel astern. The impact penetrated the shields, and triggered a brilliant fireball. Leaving behind only mangled wreckage. Fourteen ships were left, and that quickly fell to twelve.


    As at the same moment, the Enterprise unleashed two lightning like blasts into the grids of nearby cruisers. One to her port, the other below her to starboard. Both were firing torpedoes when the blasts hit the shields. The overload proving enough to disrupt containment on the warheads. The result was too briliant flares lighting up space and knocking both ships about. Neither was destroyed, but the crews certainly felt the blow. It left them disoriented and unable to react as the Enterprise opened fire on them both with her particle cannons. Leaving them as nothing more than mangled wrecks.


    That number fell by one more when one of the cruisers, changed course, and increased speed. It was not an attempt to run, it was a collision course. The Enterprise reacted by opening fire, A lightning like discharge struck the shields of the cruiser. They flared with the brightness of the sun for a brief instant before unleashing a small shockwave. Leaving the ship vulnerable to a barrage of particle fire shredding the hull. The mangled wreck of the cruiser than slammed into the Enterprise at speed. The effect? Nothing the wrecked debris of the cruiser simply bounced off the armor of the larger ship, the energy of the impact dispersed by the FTL rated shock gel, and absorbed to be shunted to armor integrity. The excess shunted to structural integrity, and the weapons. None of the energy was even felt by the crew of the Enterprise. It amounted to little more than an act of futility.


    The remaining eleven ships went down one by one. None of them lasted more than a few seconds against the Enterprise. Not at close range where she could use her Electro Cannons. The weapon was able to rapidly strip them of their energy shields, often in a single hit. Although some cruisers were able to resist that first hit, well barely in the case of those ships. Within minutes most of the cruisers were little more than mangled wrecks, but two of them were much more intact. Their hulls were vented to space, but otherwise they were intact.

 Interlude Earth Vessels: Fighter Craft

    Fighters have been part of humanity''s militaries for centuries now. The first entered prominence in the first world war. The planes of that age were made of lightweight materials, and weren¡¯t particularly fast. Not to mention humans were very much still learning the value of airpower in that time period. As such that age saw many crazy designs, and ideas that did not last. By the second world war, humans had very much gotten a handle on what a warplane would look like, and what it could be used for. Although these craft were still not particularly fast, not by modern standards anyway. That changed with the advent of jet engines which dramatically increased the speed and range of aircraft. It was by far one of humanity''s greatest breakthroughs in aviation technology and revolutionized the field.


    When humanity started colonizing the stars, it wasn¡¯t long before the need for armed space vessels became apparent. The first attempts at armed spacecraft were large slow, and unwieldy ships that were also fairly fragile. The chief cause of this was the need for large gravity rings which hampered warship design. It wasn¡¯t long before warship designers were looking at fighters and carriers. Carriers had largely displaced battleships after the second world war, and in space it was looking like carriers might prove even more vital.


    It wasn¡¯t long before humanity had its first space carriers. They were slow unwieldy ships but they weren¡¯t intended to intercept or directly engage other ships. Instead they would like older carriers rely on fighters for their main offensive arm. This brings us to Earth¡¯s first space superiority fighter, the SF-302. Developed by Star Tech Industries, the 302 was the first successful space fighter attempt, but not the only one developed at the time.


    The SF-302 featured twin nuclear-powered ion drives for her main propulsion unit and four chemically powered booster rockets. This made her quite agile for the era. For armament, she was outfitted with short-range railguns and missiles. The craft was compatible with several different missile types, and could even carry nuclear missiles. It was able to intercept and outrun most spacecraft of her age. It proved to be a very prominent craft during the early years of the first Colonial war.


    Many pilots consider this age to be a golden period for space fighters. However, fighters like the SF-302 were small, lacked artificial gravity, and dampers. They were also short-range and could not travel far from their motherships. The lack of dampers also limited their agility in a dogfight to what a crew could handle.


    The advent of gravity plating and inertial dampers did much for fighters. Just as the development revolutionized capital ships, fighters also greatly benefited from the developments. It was in this time frame that Star Tech Industries put forth the SF-543 Falcon.  It was the first major fighter to employ a pulse wave engine. It had only a single crude laser-based engine, and two ion drives for propulsion. Chemical rockets were not included in the design. The craft was supplied power by two small nuclear reactors. Like the older SF-302, she was able to carry missiles, but in addition, she carried two torpedo ports located under the wings port and starboard. The Falcon did not carry railguns like older fighters. Instead, she was outfitted with two high-energy linked laser cannons. They could fire intense short-duration laser bursts rated at several terajoules each, and could melt through armor fairly quickly. Being energy weapons also meant they didn¡¯t require physical ammunition allowing more space for other systems.


    The Falcon quickly became a major part of the Mars Colonial fleet. Her engine configuration gave her unparalleled mobility, and she quickly became a favorite of pilots everywhere. Her success in the Mars colonial fleet soon garnered attention, and other groups were soon looking to produce similar fighters of their own. By the time war broke out, she had several rivals looking to be tested. That war proved to highlight everything the falcon did right, and what was done wrong. Lessons that were put to use in later pulse wave engine equipped fightercraft.


    Of course, I am sure none of you are really interested in such old fighters. So lets move on to the SF-1137 Nighthawk. The Nighthawk was developed by Star Tech Industries late in the Third Colonial war as a space superiority fighter. Outfitted with an armored and modular hull, she could carry several loadouts depending on the needs of the mission. Typically the Nighthawk carried four wing-mounted particle cannons, and two nose-mounted cannons for ship-to-ship dogfighting and strafing attacks. These cannons were rated to fire high-intensity charged particle bursts equal to several hundred terajoules. Each cannon could fire just over two thousand pulses per minute and could inflict considerable damage to anything unlucky enough to be at the other end of the emitter muzzle.


    The armor configuration of the Nighthawk prevented the use of external hardpoints for attaching mission hardware. As such her missiles are loaded into internal bays and deployed by armored drop bay launchers in the wings. The craft also mounts two sideloaded and armored torpedo ports located at the base of each wing. The ship could carry up to a dozen missiles, and a half dozen torpedoes. Some configurations could allow it to carry more torpedoes or missiles depending on mission requirements.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The Nighthawk employed twenty centimeters of overlord armor, and an energy web grid for protection. It also employs ECM and a streamlined hull. The fighter presents a rather minimal sensor profile allowing her to evade detection from most scanners. This is even further helped by her low energy signature that is achieved thanks to a special coating in the hull plating that is designed to minimize her energy emissions.


    Propulsion is achieved via a single dual cored particle pulse wave engine. This one engine gives her armored frame impressive agility and speed. A pulse detonation drive allows it to rapidly accelerate to maximum speed in mere seconds or shed speed when needed. The pulse detonation drive is a modification of the pulse wave drive that allows the engine to temporarily overcharge, and produce a massive burst of thrust in a short period. This cannot be sustained for long, and the drive must be allowed to cool afterward. As such the drive cannot be used in rapid succession.


    Power for the ship is provided by a single micro-fusion reactor. The reactor is tied directly into the main engine, and shunts excess power into two primary capacitors from which all other systems draw power. The weapons or armor can very quickly drain power not used by other systems during a battle. That energy can also be used by the pulse detonation drive for a brief speed boost or rapid directional change.


    The Nighthawk itself proved to be a very effective fighter during the third Colonial war, and its modular design allowed it to be easily updated to better fare against Cathamari ships. The war however did reveal its limitations. The launcher configuration wasn¡¯t designed for volley fire which limited its ability to take advantage of shield penetrating munitions. In addition, the craft suffered from a limited range. Field modifications were able to extend this, but it was never intended to stray very far from its mother ship. In addition, field experience found that it was not easy to conduct emergency repairs in the field.


    The X-1204 was designed by Star Tech Industries as a successor to the highly successful Nighthawk. One intended to overcome the shortcomings of the older fighter. They went with a dual-engine design this time as while the Nighthawk was agile they felt they could produce a faster more maneuverable starfighter. This one was intended for deep space missions, and the second engine would provide redundancy in addition to more thrust. Power was again provided by a micro fusion reactor. This reactor was again directly tied into the engines, and two primary capacitors. This time however there was also a direct tie in too the main weapons. Allowing the cannons to recharge more quickly.


    The 1204 was outfitted with a new generation of fighter particle cannon rated to deliver 4184 terajoules of charged particle energy with each bolt. That gave them the nickname megaton cannon. Each of these four cannons was rated to fire 2500 bolts per minute and has an effective range of ten kilometers. They are utterly devastating against unshielded targets, able to shred armored hulls very quickly.


    The twelve zero four uses the same armored missile setup as the Nighthawk, but she does not use the same torpedo set up. Instead of being mounted under the wings, her torpedoes are mounted on the nose of the craft with a belly loaded bay. Her wings have also been changed a bit to allow the wing magazine to be linked with the belly magazine. This allows her to carry more torpedoes at the expense of missiles if a mission calls for it. Testing found this set up works better for torpedo heavy loadouts. Moving the launchers also allowed for a configuration that supports volley fire, but came at the cost of two cannon mounts.


    Changes to the shape of the starframe allowed the craft a heavier overall torpedo loadout and increased range. Some of the requirements resulted in the 1204 being larger than her predecessor making her one of the largest starfighters to ever be designed by humans. Although not the largest fighter ever built, and still smaller than most combat shuttles. As such no major redesign of the hangars used by capital ships would be needed to support the new fighter. Although some minor adjustments were needed.


    The 1204 features thinner armor than that of the Nighthawk at only 12 centimeters, but that 12 is supplemented with the same improvements found aboard the Enterprise resulting in roughly similar protection. The armor is uniformly thick on all hull sections. The hull is reinforced to protect vital sections. The fighter also features an energy web grid, ECM, and a sensor-absorbing hull. Energy signature has been minimized to reduce detection via a special hull layer.


    The fighter has been designed for multiday deployments. Allowing her to be sent on missions a considerable distance from the mothership. The ship features high density fuel cells, that allow her to store more fuel in less space. The ship can carry more fuel than she is likely to use in any given mission profile. The cockpit has been designed as a multipurpose space that is both a living quarter and a control station. A small engineering bay, and cargo bay are located behind the cockpit, and can be accessed via the cockpit without leaving the craft. The cargo bay is designed to store supplies to last a pilot for several days. There is also a basic toilet on the craft, but not much else in terms of facilities.


    It remains to be seen how effective the 1204 will be. It was designed alongside several other fighters, and shuttles that also remain largely untested, but we will not cover them today. Enough time has already been spent on space superiority fighters.

 Chapter Sixteen The Belt

    She sighed, as she listened to the latest announcement. That cyborg was certainly busy. It was clear propaganda, but attractive propaganda. It was going to be harder to get people to see what she saw. Cyborgs could not be trusted but for some strange reason, few people seemed to understand that. It was so plainly obvious to her that they were less than human, and that computer in their head made them dangerous.


    At least now she had a position that would help her mitigate the damage. She could bide her time, and wait. Sooner or later that machine would slip up, and she could take the reins to fix the damage he had done. In order to do that she would need friends. Unfortunately, she had made a mistake earlier approaching Richards. It had put the machine on alert, and now she had extra training to deal with.


    She thought about the meeting. It had been finished without the machine thanks to the current situation pulling him away, but that hadn¡¯t helped her with her own case. Williams had tried to make her case about why he should not be kept in command after he left. The others weren¡¯t the most receptive to it, unfortunately. It was painfully obvious that right now he had more friends on the newly formed Officer¡¯s Council than she did. The question was how to fix that?


    <hr>


    Ruri blinked and rubbed her eyes. She even pinched herself before looking again. This had to be a dream right? There was no way this happened! It wasn¡¯t even her birthday! Hell Christmas was a long way off as well. Yet no matter what she did the sight before her eyes remained unchanged. The port hanger was filled with salvage taken from the two most intact Cathamari cruisers. What she was most stunned about were the components right in front of her. She was familiar with some of them, having worked with broken and sometimes fried pieces of these magnificent devices.


    Right before her eyes was in fact not one, but two fully intact Cathamari warp engines. Something she had never been able to lay eyes on before, they had captured plenty of Cathamari ships. However the engines were usually damaged in some fashion, and the shield grids were always fried to hell. The same was true here, no shield grids in perfect condition for her. These warp engines however were in remarkably good shape. As neither cruiser took much damage to her drive sections, even though the one had been completely vented by cutting beam.


    She glanced at Countryman who had brought her down to see this. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Two engines in practically mint condition. This will be invaluable towards furthering our studies on warp propulsion.¡±


    ¡°I know. If things go to plan you will have a few months to study them before we reach Proxima Centauri. We will be staying in that system for a few more months to work on finishing the Warp Four project.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°That would be great. Being able to work on this in peace for once would be a welcome change.¡±


    She glanced at a crewman and said ¡°I want this transferred to lab 15, and be very careful about it. I want you to treat it the same way you would treat your fine china.¡±


    The young woman nodded, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it ma''am.¡±


    That crewman turned to direct a few other crewmen to start work on moving the salvaged engines to the lab. Lab fifteen was one of the larger labs on the ship, and was one of the few big enough to actually house those engines. They weren¡¯t small components afterall. As such she had chosen one of the bigger labs that rivaled a cargo bay in size. Those large labs were even designed with this in mind, and certain experiments would require a lab of that size anyway. When not in use the lab could be repurposed as well. Most spaces on a ship were designed to be either multipurpose or easily converted. Very few sections were dedicated to serving only one function. The fact that the Enterprise was a capital ship, and a large one at that didn¡¯t change that fact.


    Countryman commented, ¡°Lab 15? That is a good choice for the project.¡±


    ¡°I thought so myself. I¡¯ll find some good engineers and scientists to begin work on the engine. In meantime I would like to continue my work on the cooling systems.¡±


    Countryman seemed curious, ¡°Hmm? Anything you care to share on that.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°The biggest limitation of warp drive would be the amount of heat it generates. As we get faster that heat is only going to increase. We will need a more effective cooling system if we want to sustain a cruising speed of warp four, and frankly, no Cathamari engine will help us with making a better cooling system.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I doubt it would, they use a rather bulky radiator setup for cooling instead of the absorber arrays we employ.¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°Yep different systems and all that. Besides I don¡¯t want to copy their drives all that closely, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, they aren¡¯t particularly efficient.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    She knew what he was talking about. The Cathamari engines were faster than theirs, but they were lacking in fuel efficiency. A factor that quickly became apparent even with the partial drives they had studied before. They knew enough about their engines to have a rough idea of how far they could go without refueling. Calculations varied depending on which assumptions the person in question made when making it, but they had determined a maximum range between eighty to a hundred fifty lightyears. She figured the actual range was somewhere in the middle.


    While their own version was still mostly experimental preliminary testing had already found it to be much more efficient than that. There were two major factors contributing to that. Warp engines achieved FTL through folding space, but there was also the sublight component. Ships at warp still moved through normal space, and thrust was provided by the sublight drives. The warp field surrounds the ship with a bubble of distorted space and this produces a pressure wave on the hull as she travels that would act to slow the ship. Forcing the main drives to produce thrust continuously in order to maintain speed.


    Cathamari sublight engines were horrible fuel guzzlers, and they used up a lot of fuel because of that. Earth¡¯s pulse wave engines were much more efficient and didn¡¯t use anywhere near the fuel they did. The Cathamari drives also lost energy due to their radiator setup. They also configured their drives differently. Part of that was largely due to the differences in ship design and propulsion between the two races.


    Ruri had done the calculations of the end result, but conservative estimates put their own range with the same amount of fuel at roughly two thousand lightyears possibly more. The Enterprise was currently carrying significantly more fuel than that. She was designed with four primary fuel cells that ran the length of the saucer, and two more fuel cells in the secondary hull. All six were high-density cells that could store a significant amount of fuel that using conservative energy usage calculations would allow for a range of some five thousand lightyears.


    ¡°No they aren¡¯t. Although more than enough for interstellar travel, I just think we can do better. In fact, we already are at least at warp three and below. I figure an improved cooling array would let us do the same at warp four.¡±


    ¡°I concur, and that technology is used with a lot of other systems onboard. Including the weapons and the hull plating. I look forward to hearing the results of your project.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°speaking of the weapons, I¡¯m also working on improving the compression of our particle cannons. It would improve the particle yield of the cannons, and hopefully, make them more effective.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. If I have time I might just stop by and take a look at what you have then. In the meantime I¡¯ll leave you to your projects.¡±


    She nodded, and turned to observe the crewmen working to move the salvaged engines. They seemed to be doing alright and were treating it carefully. That was good it meant it would reach the lab in as good of a condition as the team who removed them left them in the bay. She figured it was time she got back to the lab herself. Her projects were not going to complete themselves.


    <hr>


    Countryman left Ruri behind happy with the results of their recent salvage operation. The rest of the fleet by now were getting close to Mining Sector 23. If the Enterprise left now they would catch up with them at the same time they were arriving. That would be important because the Enterprise would be needed to help maneuver the station through the dense irradiated debris fields in that region of the belt. Not only was that sector home to several large mineral-rich asteroids that had once been home to prosperous mining colonies, but it was the site of several major battles during the war. As such the wrecks of quite a few capital ships, littered the areas. Ships that had hence been trapped and the area was even mined. Not to mention the debris was used to conceal quite a few weapon platforms. Those weapon platforms included some fairly high-yield energy weapons and fusion torpedo launchers. They were automated, but not something to worry about, the friend-foe recognition protocols would identify them as friendly ships.


    As for the Cathamari, he had already observed their remaining ships making the jump to warp. At least all of the ones in sensor range had made the jump. If any were left in the system they were outside his scanner range, and therefore no longer a threat. Especially since that meant they would not be able to see what they were doing. Star Tech One was now safe from prying eyes. He would have been happier if they could get rid of the entire fleet, but this was good enough. At least for now.


    Them not being around also meant that they would be free to make the jump to warp without prying eyes. They would be able to reach Proxima without incident which he felt was more important. As the Cathamari not knowing they could travel faster than light meant they would be less likely to go looking for them in nearby systems. It was the Cathamari coming back looking for another fight that worried him most. This whole war was such a pointless waste of life in his opinion. Peace however was never an option, not with those lizards. Every attempt to end the war had failed. Enterprise was now their last hope, and as he saw it they were going to need more time to make sure she was properly ready for the demands of finding a new homeworld. A world far enough from Cathamari space, and isolated enough that they could defend it and rebuild.


    At the moment none of that mattered merely dropping off that station, and getting underway. The sooner they were underway, the happier he would be. So many problems so little time. Perhaps things will change soon, and he will be able to properly plan their journey. They needed to consider where they would go after Proxima after all.


    <hr>


    As it would turn out, their visit to the belt went as planned. The Enterprise caught up with the other ships just before they arrived, and together they guided the station into the irradiated region of the belt. The shields did their job perfectly and protected the crews of all three ships from the harmful effects of the radiation generators trapping the zone.


    They were there for only minutes, just long enough to maneuver the station into position and leave it behind on an automatic defensive setting. As soon as they were on the other side of the belt, and in the clear they ran one last sensor scan. When it returned with no ships in range, they made the jump, their destination, the nearest star to Earth, Proxima Centauri.

 Chapter Seventeen Breakdown

    Captain¡¯s Log July 12, 158 CSD:


    Like the day before our trip is proving fairly uneventful. Then again when you are stuck traveling at a mere ten times the speed of light it takes a while to get anywhere. The sheer boredom outside the hull is a welcome change to many, however. Its nice not having to constantly look over our shoulders worried that a pack of Cathamari attack cruisers might be lurking nearby. This has given many time to unwind, but that isn¡¯t to say things are completely uneventful. Just this morning I received a report that Logistics misplaced some 40 tons of potatoes. We have also been receiving a large number of complaints from the civilians. The current rationing system doesn¡¯t seem to sit well with them. It doesn¡¯t help that supplies keep going missing. I wish that 40 tons of potatoes was an isolated thing, but its not. I suspect that we have a few thieves stealing more than their fair share of supplies.


    Shipwide I have received a number of security breach reports as well. As such security is already stretched thin maintaining order on the ship. It doesn¡¯t help that we have more people aboard than the ship was ever intended to carry. Dissatisfaction is high in most areas especially with accommodations, and the current rationing measures. The lack of things to do means that many of these unsatisfied people have little more to do than sit on their hands and complain. We¡¯ve already put a number of them to work in the foundries turning what resources we have on hand into things we need. I have quite a few people working on filling out our inventory of X-1204 starfighters, but the factories are full right now. While plenty of other people just have nothing to do. I plan to bring up the current issues with idle hands in tomorrow''s council meeting. I hope it goes well, and that we can come to an agreement on what they can do.


    <hr>


    Countryman tapped a key on his console, and leaned back. He was currently in his ready room, and had just finished the daily paperwork involved with running a ship. That meant that for the moment he was free.


    Greyman was currently on the bridge overseeing the officers on duty, but since they were travelling at warp there wasn¡¯t much to do. Other than monitor the sensors, and make sure the ship stayed on course that is. The navigational computer is supposed to do that, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. Especially since they had never gone this far at warp before. The conditions of the war had forced them to limit their testing in order to maintain the secrecy of the project. As it was they had already travelled further than any test ship, but so far they hadn¡¯t had any issues with the drives.


    He stretched, and stood up out of his chair. Perhaps it was time that he had that conversation with Richards. Then again it was probably too soon. While people had time to process what happened he knew many were still emotional. It likely played into the litany of complaints and security issues he had to deal with. Didn¡¯t help that his security forces were undermanned, and streched thin. They needed more trained people to fill the ranks. He had a few ideas on that, and planned to bring them up in the council meeting tomorrow.


    Heading for the door, he had already decided where he would go. The conversation with Richards would definitely still be premature, and since he had time he might as well go check in with Ruri. Her current projects sounded interesting, and he wanted to see what she had so far. The success of those projects may prove vital to their own survival as well. So checking in was quite important.


    Stepping out into the hall, he nodded to the two guards on duty. They were standing in front of the bridge doors controlling all access. It was standard procedure for all secure areas to have guards posted, and even stretched thin he made sure that procedure was followed. There were guards posted at the lower access to the bridge as well.


    The guards acknowledged him, and he turned away from the bridge towards the lift. It required an access code to take someone to this area. Just one more security measure in place for protecting the command level. Such measures were also used with other critical areas, such as engineering, and the security stations. Even the brig had guards posted at all times.


    Entering the lift, he activated it, and set his destination for the lab deck. Technically there were two decks with labs in them, but the deck he wanted was deck 23. The labs Ruri was working out of were on deck 23 that included lab 15. There were some labs on deck 102 that were also large enough for that project and arguably closer to the main hangers. Both of main hangars located port and starboard towards the rear of the ship were on deck 98. There was also a large forward cargo hanger on deck fifty. A heavy tram lift system was used to move cargo such as the Cathamari salvage from the hangers to any storage bay on the ship. The larger labs like lab 15 were also connected to the heavy cargo lift system so that large equipment could be moved in and out. So where the lab was in relation to the hangers didn¡¯t really matter all that much.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the lift to reach deck 23, and he stepped off the lift into a busy corridor. That had become the norm for every deck on the ship. With so many people aboard there was always a few people rushing somewhere in the corridors. Some of them were just lazing about with no where to be, but that was not the case here. Everyone on this deck had something to do.


    He found Ruri in lab 15, leaned over a console, and covered in grease. Her clothing torn. He sighed, it wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen her in this state. She still looked fairly young thanks to having regular access to nano-cellular treatments. Those treatments not only helped extend life, but they kept people looking younger. It didn¡¯t help that she was actually quite cute, not that she was aware of that. At least this time, her clothes were still covering the important bits. He had walked into the room to find that wasn¡¯t the case before.


    He sighed, ¡°Still completely oblivious to your own state of dress, are we?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°huh?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°never mind that. Make any progress with this?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°A bit. I¡¯ve been poking around while the computer works on my latest simulation. I found something interesting.¡±


    ¡°Something interesting? What did you find?¡±


    ¡°It has to do with their drive configuration. Having only worked with partial engines before we had to fill in much of the blanks ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I know that. What does that have to do with their engines?¡±


    ¡°It seems their engines employ an extra drive core, that our own don¡¯t have. I was actually trying to determine what purpose that extra core serves when you walked in. Every simulation I have run indicates that the extra core is entirely superfluous, and simply serves to drain extra energy to maintain the warp field. The only thing it does is improve warp field stability, but we haven¡¯t had any problems with that in any test.¡±


    Countryman blinked, ¡°Improve field stability?¡± he glanced at the engines, ¡°We use a dedicated computer system to constantly monitor and adjust the field as needed. Ensuring a stable warp bubble. So yes this extra core isn¡¯t needed, not with our drive configuration. Cathamari computers are not as efficient as ours, perhaps they actually need the core.¡±


    She gave him a look, and then her eyes widened, ¡°I completely forgot that their computers are utter shit. I was using our own field control models.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    She quickly turned to the console and input new parameters for a simulation. Pulling data figures from the database to get a more accurate read. The simulation started and after a minute spat out the results.


    She blinked, ¡°Well imagine that. It does serve a function on their ships. Thanks to their shit computers they need it alright. Without it their warp field might destabilize and tear the ship apart.¡±


    Countryman read the two simulations she had run. It seemed they really did need that third core, but it was also an added inefficiency in their drives.


    ¡°Anything else we missed?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°It was nice finally getting a look at spatial coils that weren¡¯t burned out. Nothing too much was missed, but a few interesting elements presented themselves. I have a few ideas now on improving our own spatial field generators. It would allow for a much denser warp field. That would allow for a higher spatial folding rate, and more speed. It will also increase the heat generation of the drive though, so we will need to upgrade the cooling systems.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Any progress on that?¡±


    She nodded, but before she could elaborate the ship suddenly shook. The familiar background hum of the main drives suddenly cut out with it. He accessed the internal comm panel, and hailed the bridge.


    Greyman appeared on the console a second later, Countryman demanded, ¡°What happened!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet sir. We dropped out of warp. The Coto, and the Umikaze have reversed course to join us. I was just about to contact engineering, and ask why we dropped out of warp.¡±


    He nodded, closed comm line, and turned towards Ruri. ¡°I guess we will continue this conversation later. I¡¯m going to head down to engineering to see what is going on.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll come with you. I would like to know as well.¡±


    He gave her a look, ¡°maybe you should change your outfit first.¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°Who cares about that!¡± before rushing for the door. He sighed, and followed her out.


    <hr>


    The pair arrived to find engineering an exercise in chaos. Despite all the activity Richards noticed their entrance, and made her way over to them. Her gaze briefly rested on Ruri, but she didn¡¯t comment on her state of dress. Instead she focused on Countryman, and said, ¡°I guess you are here about us dropping out of warp?¡±


    He nodded.


    She sighed, ¡°Remember that problem three days ago with the port engine? Well we have more trouble on the port side. This time the whole cooling system went down, and engine temps spiked well into the red.¡±


    Countryman nodded. He was well aware of that issue three days ago. The main port engine had suddenly stopped transferring energy correctly, and the warp field started to destabilize. Automated systems kicked in, and switched over to the back up engine. They hadn¡¯t had any issues after the switch over. As he recalled the investigation into the failure was still ongoing, mainly since they couldn¡¯t physically inspect the engine while the ship was travelling at warp. There was a catwalk in the nacelles to allow engineers to access the engines, but even with the cooling systems those nacelles could get very hot. It just wasn¡¯t safe to enter the nacelles while the engines were running. Although as he recalled the preliminary indications were that it was a failure in the primary field generator that caused the issue.


    ¡°I take it we are already venting drive plasma in an attempt to bring the engines back down to a safe temperature?¡±


    ¡°We are indeed sir. The venting cycle is almost complete, but after that it will be another two hours before the engines are cool enough to allow a physical inspection. At the moment I am organizing teams to go in there as soon as they are cool enough.¡±


    ¡°I see. Any idea on how long it will take to fix the engines?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not make any guesses without a physical inspection. It really depends on the extent of the damage. If the damage isn¡¯t too extensive we could be underway in about two days, but it is likely worse. In the event that the engines are totaled and we have to rebuild them it will take two months to fix the damage. Hopefully they aren¡¯t that bad.¡±


    He agreed it would be best if they were not that bad.


    Ruri interjected, ¡°It might not come to that. We have two perfectly good Cathamari drive assemblies sitting in my lab. Those parts aren¡¯t too different from our own, they can be adapted easily enough as replacement components.¡±


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you studying those?¡± inquired Richards with a frown.


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Yes, but I only really need the one. It won¡¯t be big loss to donate one of them for ship repairs if I have to.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°We will keep that in mind then. In the meantime it would be best to see how extensive that damage is.¡±


    <hr>


    As the Coto came out of warp, Reynolds shifted in his seat. His gaze was immediately drawn to the Enterprise. More specifically he noted the orange-blue cloud spreading from her port nacelle. It didn¡¯t escape his notice that the venting ports on the port nacelle were open. He sighed, and hopefully asked, ¡°That isn¡¯t what I think it is, is it?¡±


    His operations officer replied, ¡°Unfortunately it is. Sensors confirm the Enterprise is venting drive plasma.¡±


    Reynolds stifled an urge to curse. If they were venting plasma that meant the engines overheated. He had spoken with Greyman briefly, but the commander had not known why they had dropped out of warp. That was a few minutes ago, when the Enterprise had suddenly dropped out of warp on them. They might be here a few days.


    He glanced at his first officer, ¡°Tell Mika, she can go ahead and get started on that inspection she wanted to do.¡±


    The commander nodded, and went to do as asked. The inspection Mika wanted to do was for the warp engines. They hadn¡¯t yet had to switch over to the back-ups, but the main warp engines have had a couple of hiccups lately. The main reason they hadn¡¯t dropped out of warp before was that noone wanted to be just sitting here in deep space. Besides none of the issues that had cropped up had been all that serious. It seemed something had happened on the Enterprise to force the issue.


    As his first officer was carrying out his orders, he told his operations officer. ¡°Open a channel to the Enterprise.¡±


    Greyman¡¯s familiar face appeared on the screen moments later. It seemed Countryman still hadn¡¯t returned to the bridge. Although Reynolds doubted he was being lazy. If his ship was experiencing a similar problem he knew where he would be, and it would not be the bridge either. He would be in the engine room. Any captain who truly cared about his ship would be there, at least in his opinion.


    ¡°Let me guess, Countryman went down to engineering.¡±


    Greyman nodded, ¡°Last I checked yes. I believe he and Richards are busy organizing repair crews.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that your port nacelle is being vented. Any idea how bad the damage is?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately not. We won¡¯t really know until we can get in there, and we won¡¯t be able to until the nacelles cool down enough. That is going to take awhile since the cooling arrays went down, at least two hours.¡±


    He took note of that. It wasn¡¯t going to take that long for his engines to cool enough for that inspection Mika wanted. By then, she would likely be done with the inspection. ¡°I see, well contact me when you have an update.¡±


    He closed the channel, and then turned to his officers. Ordering them to maintain active scans of the area, and begin a patrol. He doubted anyone would show up, but it was best to be cautious. Especially when they were stuck here due to an engine failure on the flagship. A glance at his screens showed that Drakes had the same idea.

 Chapter Eighteen Inspections, and Crawlspaces

    Richards double-checked her gear and then stepped out of the locker room. She had changed out of her regular uniform, and into a skinsuit with a tool belt. It hugged her form much more closely, but didn¡¯t have any lose fabric that could get caught. It was also made of materials that would protect her skin better from the heat still present in the nacelle. It was cool enough that they could get in there to start working, but not still warm enough to be uncomfortable.


    Stepping out she found both Ruri and Countryman were dressed and ready to join her. It was nice to see Ruri looking more properly dressed. She had not said anything, but her previous dress had been rather inappropriate. She wondered what the scientist had been doing to have her clothes so dirty and torn.  Although thinking about it, she was probably crawling about that Cathamari engine or something like that.


    Countryman approached her, and said quietly, ¡°I suggest you keep a close eye on Ruri. She has some very interesting luck with clothing.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You saw how she was dressed earlier? I guarantee you that by the time we are done, she will have done the same thing with that skinsuit.¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re joking. These skinsuits are practically indestructible.¡±


    Richards wasn¡¯t joking. The suits were made from artificial polymers that were highly resistant to damage. If you tried to cut them with a knife it would dull the blade before the fibers tore. Not only were they resilient against being torn or cut, but they also had excellent thermal resistance.


    He chuckled, ¡°Trust me, that girl will be coming back with a torn skinsuit mark my words.¡±


    On impulse, she said, ¡°I bet she won¡¯t.¡±


    Countryman¡¯s laughter deepened, ¡°I¡¯ll take that bet. If I lose I¡¯ll tell you who your father is today.¡±


    She responded, ¡°And if I lose I¡¯ll owe you a favor.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Alright now with that settled, lets get headed out to the port nacelle.¡±


    She nodded, and the three of them headed off to the port nacelle. The nacelle could be accessed via a passageway located in the armored connector struts. Those heavily reinforced struts contained more than just a passageway. Fuel and power conduit lines were run through them as well, and those lines were rather substantial. As such those struts were quite thick almost fifty meters across. So they looked more fragile than they were. Not to mention there were two sets of struts linking each nacelle to the ship. One is attached to the secondary hull, the other is linked to the primary hull. They were going to enter via the connection to the primary hull, as it was closer to their position. Given the length of it, she was glad that the passage included a tram system. So did the nacelle, but it needed it given each nacelle measured one thousand six hundred meters in length. Quite a few engines were fitted in that space, along with a very robust cooling system, and even a couple of fusion reactors. Reactors that were dedicated to providing power to the local sublight engines, while extra power was supplied via the power conduits running through the linkage struts. Those conduits supplied power from the main reactor directly to these engines including the warp drive.


    <hr>


    Richards crouched to study some of the damage on the floor. They had reached the back up drive which had been active when the cooling system had failed. Everywhere she looked the effects of superheated plasma could be seen. The damage at first glance was extensive.


    Ruri was already crawling into the engine via an access junction. With her smaller body, she had little difficulty crawling into the tight space. She was kind of glad the science officer wanted to come along, but she had no doubt that she was mainly here to satisfy her own curiosity. Regardless she would be useful with that small form of hers.


    Behind her Countryman was inspecting one of the coolant lines. It had apparently ruptured allowing coolant to leak into this section. Emergency baffles had already engaged to cut off the flow of coolant. Those lines were what cooled the heat sinks responsible for keeping the engines cool. They then transferred that heat into a series of absorber arrays that converted the excess heat into usable energy. Energy that was used in systems all over the ship which helped reduce the strain on the ship¡¯s reserves increasing range.


    As for the area of the floor, she was studying, it had been melted through. Beneath the floor here was one of the primary power conduits that ran the length of the nacelle. It fed power to the engines here. All 22 of them. Each nacelle housed twenty secondary sublight engines, and two warp engines. The conduit was rather substantial, but it had to be given that this was a main lead. It had a counterpart above her head, and there was another pair on the other side of the engine Ruri was crawling into. This part of the conduit was shot burned through by superheated drive plasma. That might be a problem. It depended on the condition of the other three main leads. Only one of them was actually needed to supply power to the engines here.


    She sighed, and looked over, ¡°Looks like some drive plasma burned through this conduit down here. How are things looking over there?¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Bad. Coolant line is shot completely. It will have to be replaced.¡±


    From the Engine, Ruri called, ¡°The main spatial coils have been fused. They will need to be replaced. Everything else looks salvageable.¡±


    ¡°Salvageable? How badly are the other components damaged?¡±


    ¡°The field regulators are undamaged, but everything else has taken some degree of thermal damage.¡± she paused, then resumed, ¡°Looks like there are some ruptured plasma conduits in here as well. Those will have to be replaced as well.¡±


    She mentally noted that down, while already starting to get an idea of what kind of repairs this section needed. There was thermal damage in this whole area, although thankfully it was confined to this part of the nacelle. As this was where most of the heat was being generated when the cooling system failed that made sense. Although coolant ruptures elsewhere released superheated coolant into other parts of the nacelle. It was looking like they were going to be here for a few days. At least it wasn¡¯t a full rebuild. Although she would still need to hear the report on what the other port side warp engine looked like. It likely wasn¡¯t melted like this one, but it had failed a few days ago. Something had gone wrong with it.¡±


    Richards stood up, and turned around to note that Countryman had turned her way. As she stretched her muscles a little she noted something. She knew full well how she looked in this skin suit, but unlike other men she had worked with he didn¡¯t even react. Richards wasn¡¯t sure what to think about that one. On one hand she wasn¡¯t being ogled, but on the other she worried it meant something more.


    Ruri popped out of the engine, and saw her face. ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    Quietly she whispered what she thinking, and Ruri frowned, ¡°Does that really matter?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Asking Ruri is a waste of time. To answer your worries, I do find you attractive. I¡¯m just very good at controlling myself. I¡¯m probably better at it then your average Vulcan in fact. Not to mention such behavior wouldn¡¯t be appropriate.¡±


    She sighed, now that she was thinking about it Countryman was right, ¡°I guess you are right about that.¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°Although now that I think about it we might have to reexamine those rules. As it is we have a great deal to consider if our species has any chance at all.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t mean!?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°We will have to reexamine our customs and cultural beliefs. Not all of them some of them make perfect sense, and should be left as is.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I guess we will.¡±


    Ruri looked between the two of them clear confusion on her face, ¡°So what are you two talking about?¡±


    Countryman explained it to her, ¡°We are discussing the future. As a species we are nearly extinct, and we need to encourage our remaining members to reproduce.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I see, I see. It would be a bit of a disruption, but get me pregnant then.¡±


    Richards turned red, and Countryman shook his head. Richards couldn¡¯t believe it, especially when she started stripping right there. That act made her start, but thankfully Counryman stepped forward to stop her. What he said didn¡¯t register with her, but it work. What did register was something utterly unbelievable that she noticed when Ruri started stripping. Something she had been too distracted to notice earlier.


    <hr>


    Elsewhere in the nacelle a different group was checking out the main warp engine. A smaller woman crawled out the engines internal access spaces, and shook her head to the team lead, ¡°Its shot. The primary spatial coils will need to be replaced. Looks like a stress fracture. Thankfully damage is confined to the coils, should be easy enough to fix.¡±


    ¡°Some good news about that then.¡± she said, then she continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure they will want to anaylze the scans you took before attempting any repairs. Lets head back.¡±


    The smaller woman nodded, and stowed her hand scanner. It was an invaluable tool for any engineer. It used an array of sensors, and a micro computer. Components that worked in combination to give an engineer detailed information on the state of any component that they scanned. Maybe not as detailed as the more powerful sensors in the ship¡¯s main sensor array, but detailed enough to get the job done. Her scan of the engine revealed everything missed by the suite of monitoring sensors installed in the engines. Combined with her visual inspection they had a really good idea of what happened with this engine now.


    It would have been nice if the monitoring sensors were able to conduct that kind of analysis. They weren¡¯t, mainly since the extreme temperatures produced by the drives prevented the more sophisticated sensors from functioning properly. The type of sensors in her scanner would have been cooked by the temperatures produced by the engines. More rudimentary sensors while not able to produce the same level of detailed date were sufficient for most purposes at least in regards to monitoring the engine. While also being able to handle the high temperatures.


    The temperatures could spike high enough in fact to burn through the hull. The only thing keeping that from happening were the suite of monitoring sensors, and the cooling system. That system was what kept the temperatures at optimal levels. Levels that were still too hot to allow any human within this housing. One of the reasons why the nacelles were chosen to mount the warp engines was because of the high temperatures they produced. There were also other benefits to placing them here in regards to elsewhere.


    She was glad that there wasn¡¯t much thermal damage up here, given that the cooling system had failed. Most of that damage was about eight hundred meters aft of this compartment. It seemed that placing them so far apart had worked as intended. As this engine had survived the failure of the back-up drive largely unscathed. Other than the damage that force them to switch to aft located secondary warp engine, there was no damage to this drive. At least none from the cooling system failure. She figured things would look a lot worse towards the rear of the ship.

 Chapter Nineteen Repairs, and Modifications

    Countryman waved a hand in front of Richard¡¯s face. It seemed she froze up when she noticed that Ruri had torn her skinsuit while moving around inside the warp engine, and doing her inspection. Even now her one breast was rather poorly covered. Countryman had been ignoring it, he had seen more of her before. She wasn¡¯t the most guarded afterall, and he had seen her in more badly torn clothing before. It was a talent of hers. He never met anyone else more skilled at ruining a good set of clothes, and she didn¡¯t even try either.


    After a moment, Richards finally said, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve known her for years, and I have yet to see her not ruin an outfit. It doesn¡¯t help that she is kind of careless, and well you saw.¡±


    She did, that she did. That was very blunt and forward of her. This wasn¡¯t even the place for it, and she wanted to do it right here. Richards doubted her presence even mattered to Ruri. ¡°I guess I did see.¡±


    At that moment Ruri came over, and waved the scanner she was holding. ¡°I think its about time we head back. The other team should be done by now, and we will have plenty of data to study.¡±


    ¡°We do, and it would be best we get onto that. Let''s hope whatever caused this will be easy to correct.¡±


    That was a sentiment they all shared. With that in mind the trio hurried along. They would then send in teams to start repairs. Nothing major would be done however until they finished analyzing the data they had collected. Afterall they needed to look into whatever problems allowed both the primary and backup drives to fail. While this had only happened on the port side, it may be a possible indicator of future problems to come if they don¡¯t find what the cause of these failures was.


    <hr>


    Ruri stretched as she stepped away from the console. Richards and Countryman were both working on nearby consoles with her. The three of them had been busy in this room working for the last few hours. Analysis of the damage had long since been completed. Now they needed to figure out what changes to make to not only fix it but prevent it from happening again.


    They had found two problems the first in the primary spatial coils. The materials simply couldn¡¯t handle the stress of prolonged operation. Changing the material wasn¡¯t an option. The other options capable of producing the desired effect were either weaker or were not on hand. They had chosen the material they did because it had the best results in initial testing, and was easily procured. The coils in Cathamari engines had a very similar composition. So there was another solution. They had to reinforce the coils.


    The other problem was in the coolant lines. This time it was a structural defect, that had gone undetected. It allowed a line to rupture and led to a catastrophic failure of the whole system. That single point of failure honestly shouldn¡¯t have caused the whole system to fail, and it wouldn¡¯t have if things had gone as planned. Unfortunately, while they did have redundancies in the system those proved meaningless since the line ruptured just right. That rupture released destructive superheated coolant into the surroundings and damaged a second line, which released more. The emergency systems meant to contain this kind of damage couldn¡¯t react fast enough, and the backup drive was damaged. While the emergency systems did correctly disengage the drive it wasn¡¯t before damage to the drive was incurred.


    What this ended up revealing were limitations in the cooling system. At the moment she was using this chance to improve it. They needed to reinforce the whole system. It needed to be more robust, and they needed to improve redundancy. Not to mention increase the reaction time of the emergency systems. They needed to be able to respond to and contain damage before it could spread like this.


    As for the spatial coils, they were looking into using structural fields to actively reinforce the coils. A dynamic SIF for the coils might just be what they need. In fact that was what Countryman was working on with Richards, while she focused on the cooling systems. At the moment she had the computer testing her latest revised configuration for the system. The last couple of them fell short, but she had a good feeling about this one. They had already been stuck moving at sublight speeds for the last two weeks, she didn¡¯t want to be here for another two weeks. The sooner they were back at warp the better.


    Looking over she notice a smile on Countryman¡¯s face, and Richards also seemed happy leaning over the same console. She moved over and glanced at the console. It was a stress simulation involving an unusual coil configuration. Then she noted the speed, warp 3.5, and the day on the monitor day 247. There was another one next to it same day, but the stress test was showing a speed of warp four. Glancing at Countryman she inquired about the results.


    Countryman glanced at her, ¡®Yes we are getting some rather promising results. At least in simulation.¡± he brought up a diagram of a warp engine, and pointed to a new addition, ¡°this is our design for a dynamic structural field generator. We placed it here just behind the primary coils, and we modified the coils slightly introducing a point zero one percent mass of Rydium to the composition.¡± he tapped the console and brought up another simulation, showing a simulated test at warp five, that was a thousand times the speed of light. Well beyond what they thought they could reach with their current engine design.


    She commented, ¡°Warp five? Why run a simulation at that speed?¡±


    ¡°Curiosity mostly. This test however shows that at least in theory the coils can handle the stresses of prolonged use at those speeds. Of course, the real challenge will be keeping them at optimal temperatures, and besides these are based on the limited figures we have now.¡±


    She was intrigued, and asked, ¡°True. How high did you take the simulations?¡±


    Richards answered, ¡°We ran stress simulations up to warp seven. So far our fix seems to work, but the energy draw for it increases with speed. Thankfully the cost for it is negligible, in fact, we can draw all the power for it from the hull plating during warp. This is especially so at higher speeds where the frequency and energy of translight impacts increase.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Countryman interjected, ¡°How about on your end? Things going well with augmenting the cooling system?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°The last simulation fell short, but it was a step in the right direction. I¡¯ve made a few changes, and am running a new one. It should be finished in a few minutes.¡±


    Countryman gave her a look, ¡°define fell short.¡±


    ¡°I managed to solve the single point of failure issue, but the new design can¡¯t handle heat any better than the old one. I¡¯m running a simulation on a modification that I feel can handle the heat better.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Richards stepped away from the console and stretched. ¡°I could use a walk, and I know the teams are itching to get to work on fixing the nacelles.¡±


    <hr>


    Elsewhere, Operations officer Misaki was staring out the viewports of one of the starboard observation lounges. There wasn¡¯t much to see with the ship crawling along at .8C. The ship could be going faster, but not by much more. Not until the warp engines are fixed. So they were now effectively months out from Earth, and years away from their destination.


    Behind her she could hear a couple of crewman grumbling about the failure. They were trying to be quiet about it, but she could hear them quite clearly. Then again she had a good set of ears.


    Misaki didn¡¯t blame them for being upset. She didn¡¯t like being stuck moving at a crawl in the middle of nowhere. On the other hand, it was welcome change to the constant threat of Cathamari attack. Since they left the system they had seen no sign of those genocidal lizards. She cursed their black little hearts, and thanked their luck on not seeing them out here.


    The door opened, and she looked over to note that it was Williams walking into the room. She didn¡¯t like her, and had half an urge to shove the arrogant older officer out an airlock. Misaki pushed that urge down again, and focused on the starscape slowly crawling by outside the viewports. She knew she could have changed what was being shown. The viewports could be closed, and a series of projection screens activated. Screens that were controlled from a neighboring room that had access to the sensors, but she could also pull imagery from the ship¡¯s database. That was mainly since these observation lounges weren¡¯t just for looking at the stars, they were also designed to serve as theaters. Hell if need be a few of the local weapon banks could be controlled from those stations. Although there are small control rooms nearby dedicated to that purpose as well. Ships like this had quite a bit of redundancy.


    Behind her she could hear Williams inquiring, ¡°How do you two feel about the captain and this situation he got us into?¡±


    She sighed. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had overheard that woman talking to a disgruntled crewman. Misaki knew full well what she was doing. Trying to undermine the captain. They were nearly extinct and here this woman was trying to foment a rebellion just because she didn¡¯t approve of the captain. It was sickening to her. Misaki headed for the door hoping for somewhere more peaceful. This room had lost its appeal. Not to mention if she stayed there was a chance she might do something... unfortunate.


    <hr>


    The trio leaned over the console, the one that was running Ruri¡¯s latest cooling system simulation. One advantage of modern computers were how fast they were. Humanity was really good with computers, especially micro computers. It helped that Humanity had already moved past electronic computing. It had limitations, ones that had quickly become apparent when computing hit a wall in the early twenty-first century. They solved that wall, but did eventually hit a second in the mid-twenty-first century. One that required alternate solutions to solve. Quantum computing was looked at but ultimately rejected. It worked quite well for certain types of specialized computers but for the general computing needs of humanity it was not what they needed. They had tried quite a few replacements in the years since and for decades they had been employing optical computers. Optical computers were superior to quantum computing in many respects, but they were harder to program. At least that used to be the case. They had solved that issue years ago. Although they had hit a wall recently with Optical computers, and had started looking into Positronic computing.


    The simulation they had been running on the ship¡¯s optical computer network had only recently been completed. The results made Ruri smile. ¡°Looks like my improvements did the trick. Its not much but if the simulation is right we will be able to cruise as warp 3.1 without much issue.¡±


    Warp 3.1 would represent a doubling of their top cruising speed, a significant improvement. Well not exactly a doubling, that translated to 19 C, compared to the previous ten C that was a very good improvement, but still a long way from their goal of warp four which equals 100 C.


    Countryman nodded, ¡°it does. Although I would prefer to hold off on testing that.¡±


    Richards overlooking the modified specs, ¡°I can have this done in about three days. Five at the most. I¡¯ll go get started. I already have teams ready to work on both nacelles.¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and send the specs to the Coto, and Umikaze.¡±


    They both left the room. Ruri watched them go, and considered the simulation. It showed promise, and she was looking forward to seeing the data from their use. It would be invaluable to her own projects. By the time they reach Proxima she just might have enough data to take these modifications further. Perhaps even to the coveted goal of warp four. If the simulations were believed they greatest limitation to their current drive design was heat dissipation, but she knew there was one more not addressed. The spatial generators were based off the Cathamari engines, and could in theory breach warp five, but they would need to be redesigned to produce a spatial field powerful enough to generate the needed spatial folding for anything greater than warp five point two. Although most were of the belief that warp five would be plenty, and it probably would be. At 1000 times the speed of light they would be faster than any Cathamari ship, and it would dramatically expand the number of stars they could visit in her lifetime.


    There might be other problems with their design to iron out, but she had no doubt she could solve them as they cropped up. Instead of joining them she headed off to her other lab, she had more simulations she wanted to run, and she had left the computer working on her compression problem. She wanted to review the data on that.


    <hr>


    As it would turn out, it would take the fleet another week to make all the needed modifications to their engines. They had run into a few hiccups, but nothing major. As soon as the warp engines were ready all three ships went to warp, resuming their heading for Proxima. Thankfully they would suffer no further problems on the way to Proxima, not with the Engines anyway.

 Chapter Twenty Discussion of New Measures

    Countryman made his way down the corridor. That meeting to discuss their security and logistic issues had ended up postponed after the drive failure. Now that they were underway again they were about to meet again. Arranging these meetings was always interesting.


    The reason for that was the difficulties involved with communicating between ships at warp. Human ships were capable of several methods of communication, but they were all restricted to sublight speeds. For centuries the radio has been the preferred method of communication, and for most purposes, it works quite well. Although not so well for secure communications, military ships have tight-beam photonic radios for that purpose. Not only are they more secure, but they can support high-bandwidth communications. Making them quite the useful addition to a ship¡¯s comm array.


    Now when two ships traveling at warp attempt to communicate with each other, they quickly run into several problems. The main radios are not able to connect with each other, nor the photonic ones. The reason for this is twofold, first, the spatial field responsible for the space warping effect that allows for FTL travel disrupts those signals. The second major problem is that the transmissions are slower than the ships.


    One method considered for solving this was courier vessels, but they ran into problems with that idea. First passing a ship through the warp field of another was very tricky, they were not even sure it could be done. Not to mention failure would mean complete destruction of the ship trying to pass through the field. In addition, the warp drive technology had so far eluded attempts to miniaturize it to the point it could be fitted on a shuttle. As such courier ships were out. Even after subsequent trials found that the warp field could be tuned to allow a transmission through the field since it would still require a ship to come close enough for the fields to come in contact.  Of course, that meant that starships in tight formations could communicate with each other. Yet that presented other complications, as formations that tight at those speeds could mean disaster if any error was made.


    There was one technology that could allow a transmission through the field with a looser safer formation, and the distance between the ships mattered little. It was a technology explored during the twenty-first century, but its limitations prevented it from achieving any form of widespread use. It was able of a very limited form of FTL communication. These comms had to be specially tuned to each other, and once tuned could not be tuned to another one. In addition, these comm units had to be in physical contact for the tuning to take place. Although since they were the only method they knew it was the one they had to use. Unfortunately, it was also limited to simple text-based communication since it wasn¡¯t able to support the kind of bandwidth needed for more complex communication. Factors that prevented it from ever entering any form of widespread use. In fact, the tech had been languishing in disuse since its discovery over a century ago. Although that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t used, it was. In fact there were a number of labs that had been working on improving it, but every avenue pursued had failed. It was now largely considered a dead-end technology, a barely useful curiosity, but nothing more. One that they would gladly discard if they ever figured out a better solution to faster than light communications.


    Then there was gathering for these meetings. That presented another issue, unlike in certain science fictions Humanity had not discovered a viable method of teleportation. Transferring personnel between ships could only be done at sublight speeds via shuttlecraft. That is why Reynolds and Drakes came aboard just before they had gone to warp. They would need to stop again later so that they could go back to their respective ships. The transfer could be done fairly quickly in fact as with centuries of experience they had gotten very good using shuttlecraft to transfer people between ships. The Enterprise had the two main hangers, the forward cargo hanger, and several smaller shuttle bays all capable of receiving ships. She also had a number of docking ports that would allow ships to dock with the hull. Most of those were on the belly of the ship near the troop and manufacturing bays which took up most of the lowest decks. Like any good warship capable of landing it only made sense to have those bays there, it also helped to have the manufacturing bays in the belly of the ship, as it added with repairing other ships when needed. Those thoughts reminded him of the war machines they had stowed in the lower decks. The Enterprise was carrying some 1200 tanks, and 80 heavy walkers. He had no idea if they would ever use those.


    They were carrying Raptor Class Main Battle tanks. It was designed as a successor to the highly successful Rex. The Raptor had already proved itself on Mars in the final months before they were forced to evacuate the colony. The Rex had been very effective against Cathamari ground troops, but the Raptor was absolutely devastating. As for the heavy walkers, they were carrying the Scorpion class battle walker. It was more than just a walker though, it was also a submarine. The vehicle was designed to be dropped from orbit preferably into an ocean. It was no light weapon system either, it was built for breaching heavy fortifications, and was outfitted with quite a few heavy weapons. Not to mention it was heavily armored. They too had been used to great effect defending Mars from Cathamari ground assaults.


    Reaching the door, he headed into the meeting room, where the last of the officers were already sitting down. It was time for this long-overdue meeting to start. The whole drive issue had led to them postponing it, but that had left the issue unresolved. As such a few more security breaches and reports of missing supplies had crossed his desk. Most of it was food, but a few crates of clothes had also been misplaced. Both were issues. They need that food to last them a few more months. As the food growing in hydroponics is not yet ready for harvest. As for clothing, it was a limited resource. At least for the foreseeable future, they had no space for the plants usually used for that. The same could be said of the artificial polymers often used for making clothes. Along with a lot of other things. Everything was finite now, without new sources of critical resources they would eventually run out of things they need. Food, water, and air shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem as long as they ration, but the most critical resource for them is fuel. At the moment they had plenty, but it was finite. They had no ports from which to refuel, and as such they would have to harvest it themselves in deep space. Since they ran on deuterium that shouldn¡¯t be too hard. It was abundant on water-rich worlds, but it could be found elsewhere as well.


    Settling into his seat he started the meeting and presented the issues at hand. The ones he felt they needed to discuss. The civilians, the issues with the current rationing system, the security concerns he had, and the current levels of unemployment. There were simply too many people with nothing to do, and as Earth found out during the era of fools that was a recipe for disaster.


    Drakes leaned forward, ¡°Yes I have noted much the same issues on my own ship. It doesn¡¯t help that the civilians we rescued aren¡¯t used to military rationing. In fact they call the current measures draconian and complain about them at every turn. It doesn¡¯t help that we have to ration access to everything from food, and clothing to the use of shipboard utilities.¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t blame them. Its the civilians from Luna who put forth the most complaints, and frankly unlike those from elsewhere they haven¡¯t had to deal with supply shortages before. Well not in recent memory anyway. It doesn¡¯t help that the current rationing system is completely foreign to them.¡±


    Williams interjected, ¡°Yeah the thing about rationing is that it has never gone well with civilians. I¡¯ve been looking into the problem, but with so many people its hard to keep track of who is supposed to get what. The computer helps to a degree, but many people are also complaining that it is not enough.¡±


    Countryman said, ¡°perhaps a system more familiar would work?¡±


    Reynolds leaned forward, ¡°care to elaborate on that?¡±


    Operations officer Misaki nodded, ¡°I would like to hear more about that idea as well.¡±


    Drakes and Williams followed by expressing interest in the idea as well. Richards didn¡¯t say anything but her body language indicated that she was listening. Ruri was the only one who didn¡¯t seem to be the least bit interested in the idea. Countryman knew that she was listening though.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t used to a military rationing system, and it shows. Perhaps a rationing system that works much like currency would be easier for them to adapt to. We will issue single-use credits on say a monthly basis. These credits will naturally expire at the end of each cycle, which forces people to use them and not save them. They will be allowed to ¡®spend¡¯ them on what they need. The council will set their value, and the amount people get.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, I can see the merits. In some respects, the system would be simpler than our current system. The first question to consider is what value we are going to set to these ¡®Ration Credits?¡¯¡±


    ¡°That is as good a name as any for them. As for value, I was thinking of setting the value at one meal costing one credit. I figured it would be easier for us to determine the value of the credit if we based it off the cost of a meal.¡± said Countryman.


    Williams scoffed, ¡°With that idea we might as well base it on the value of shit.¡±


    Greyman gave her a look, ¡°Don¡¯t be like that.¡± turning towards Countryman the first officer said, ¡°I actually think that is a fine idea. Besides there isn¡¯t much else we can base it off of.¡±


    Drakes interjected, ¡°So which meal of the day would be the one credit? Most people are given two small portions, and then one large portion over the course of a day.¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°I¡¯d base it off the large one.¡±


    Williams scoffed, but was cut off before she could finish her remark.


    ¡°That might work. So if the large dinner portion is a credit, than that would make standard portions half a credit. Budgeting that most people would spend two credits a day on food. Assuming they are sticking to the basic menu. Other items would cost more to have on their plate.¡±


    ¡°Sounds about right. Using that as a base it should not be too difficult to determine the cost of other things like basic utilities, and goods. We might have to adjust it a little.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°38. The magic number is 38 credits a day for a comfortable living, at a minimum they can get by with 22 credits. That is using the two credits a day on food as the basis, and taking into account that we are talking about a zero-sum currency.¡±


    Williams frowned, ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain it for those us who don¡¯t have a computer for a brain?¡±


    Ruri interjected, ¡°Its not to hard to guess. I suspect around ten of those daily credits he mentioned would be for access to the basic utilities. That doesn¡¯t cover officers like us, the utilities provided in our quarters cost the ship more to maintain. I would guess around 30 credits for those. However there is about 15 credits I¡¯m not sure about with Countryman¡¯s calculation, and they would have to be something people use on a daily basis.¡±


    ¡°I have noticed an number of people using the terminals in their quarters for access to the ship¡¯s data net mainly for the games or movies in the library. While I have nothing against it, the traffic has been getting rather heavy. Something that isn¡¯t exactly ideal, but the ship¡¯s entertainment resources are limited so I don¡¯t blame them for doing this. However we will need to limit this, placing a daily ration credit cost on using the terminals for that, should help reduce the load.¡±


    The ship¡¯s optical data net was able to handle the load. However the ship¡¯s computers were a vital resource, used by any number of systems. Systems that were constantly communicating, a starship required a fair amount of interconnectivity to function. Not to mention they were vital to current projects, and as such limiting access only made sense. Then there was the security concerns that the widespread access to the library was presenting.


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°I agree that does need to be restricted.¡±


    They spent the next few minutes, hashing out details on the new system. They talked about everything, considering and debating how much things would be worth. They also discussed how much people would get, and considered workplace incentives as well with the new system. Before long they had hashed out the groundwork for  a system they all believed could work. Allowing them to move on to other considerations.


    ¡°As for security, I think our biggest issue is a lack of personnel. We simply don¡¯t have enough trained security officers.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Thankfully I think the solution is simple. We should start recruiting, there are plenty of people with nothing to do. I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t have problems finding recruits.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°No the real problems would be in training. We technically have the facilities for it, but a shortage of people with experience training personnel. There are a few people but not enough for the volume of recruits we will need trained.¡±


    ¡°There are some officers I can think of that would like more to do. We can have the few instructors we do have train them as instructors.¡±


    Countryman nodded, and the discussion continued. It didn¡¯t take them long to hash out the details for a new training and recruiting program, so they moved on to revising security measures. They did need to do something to keep more supplies from vanishing, while the new rationing measure being put into effect were meant to solve the other problems. Before long they adjourned, with most of them finding the meeting particularly productive.

 Interlude The Cathamari Empire

    The Cathamari are a relatively young race who achieved interstellar travel roughly one hundred years ago. The Catharmari themselves are a cold-blooded reptilian species. Mature male specimens can reach over two meters in height, although the average male stands shorter at one point eight meters. Their bodies are covered with natural armor in the form of sturdy scales and are very muscular. Their six-fingered hands conceal sharp claws, and they have similar claws on their feet. They also have a long thick tail that they can also employ as a weapon.


    It is also worth noting that they are inherently aggressive predators, and this has shaped their culture. The male is physically stronger, and more imposing than the female, and as such Cathamari females fill a lower caste role in their society. In their cultural view, the strong dominate the weak. A view that also plays into their interstellar policies, and they are rarely at peace because of this. Their empire is well known for taking slaves and operates heavily on slave labor.


    Technologically their race has focused heavily on brute force solutions to problems. The Cathamari are particularly good at finding new ways to kill. Their weapons design is crude by the standards of other races, but remarkably potent. Being such a war-focused race they also understand the value of defensive technologies. As such when the opportunity presented itself they stole shield technology from another race that had the misfortune of being not far from their homeworld. That race was the Gari¡¯ma. They achieved space travel at roughly the same time as the Cathamari, but their technology took a somewhat different route.


    Today the Gari¡¯ma homeworld is yet another conquered planet in the empire, and her people slaves. Well, those unfortunate enough to remain on the colonies or the homeworld. A number of ships did escape carrying refugees to other worlds. Their story unfortunately is not unique. Quite a few other races suffered the same fate to the Cathamari, but there were a few words that managed to resist the Cathamari.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Most notable of those races was the Di¡¯kra Confederation, who were the greatest rivals of the Cathamari Imperium. At least they were until about ten years ago. Roughly ten years ago, the Cathamari developed a new weapon the Concussion Plasma Cannon. It gave them a decisive firepower advantage over their rival and allowed them to destroy several key fleets. Those key victories allowed them to conquer the Confederation, and unfortunately for many worlds ended up freeing much of their fleet. In recent years they have begun expanding into new sectors, seeking new enemies to conquer. Among the worlds that became victims of this new wave of expansion and conquest was Earth, the homeworld of the human race.


    Internally the Cathamari Empire is ruled by the warlords, with the Grand warlord standing at the top. Being a male-dominated species, leadership positions are filled solely by men. They believe only the strongest and most capable warriors should lead, and this is reflected in their rights of succession. It is also played why the Empire isn¡¯t the most stable civilization in the region. Largely playing into why they didn¡¯t reach Earth sooner or conquer the galaxy yet.


    Succession in the Empire is determined by the warlords, and their sons vying for dominance often through battle to determine the succession. They must either kill or subdue all other challengers for the throne before they can take the mantle of Grand Warlord ruler of the Empire. Since the Empire reached the stars there have been seven large scale civil wars, and nearly ten successions. Something the Di¡¯kra often took advantage of, and played into how they managed to avoid being conquered for so long.


    Of course, in addition to frequent civil wars, the Empire is also plagued with the occasional slave revolt. Unfortunately for the slaves, they have never succeeded in being more than a minor nuisance. Still, even minor nuisances can have an effect. These revolts have often impaired their impressive war machine. In many respects, its a miracle the empire has stood as long as it has.

 Chapter Twenty-One Proxima

    Captain¡¯s Log November 9th, 158 CSD;


    We are now on the final approach to Proxima, the nearest star to Earth. Despite a few delays, we are arriving around when I first figured we would. The warp drive failure did set us back, but Ruri convinced me to push the engines harder, and the increased speed allowed us to reach the system as originally planned. It matters not, but in a few days, we can begin a survey of the system. More importantly, Ruri has a few projects ready for prototyping. Including a modification of our warp drive configuration. With several months use of data, and several inspections showing the effects of use. She already has an idea of what we can do to push the engines towards our goal of warp four. In fact she is already making promises about warp five


    I¡¯m optimistic about that, as well. Ruri bases this on the fact that the Cathamari drives we based ours on by all rights should be able to breach warp five. The problem with their drives is that they are inherently inefficient, abhorrently so. They also suffer from the same heat problems ours do, and we found that they likely also suffer from similar coil stress. Ruri¡¯s more recent reports from those salvaged drives found that they solved their coil stress problem differently than we did. They employed a redundant coil system, that allows them to switch coils every so often to avoid them burning out or fracturing. It does make their engine modules larger than ours though. Anyway, her current project reports expect it would take about a month of trails to reach warp four, and another five months tops to complete her research on warp five. After that any further research into warp drive technology would slow dramatically.


    In other news, her work on compressed particle weapons is also ready for field tests. She has several prototypes ready for field testing. She wasn¡¯t comfortable trying to test these weapons in the lab, so that project has been stuck in the simulation phase for a few months now. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find some barren rock to field test these new particle weapons on. If they work as planned, we will be implementing the upgrades. As much as I would like to hope we won¡¯t need them, experience has taught me that we will. Especially with the Cathamari as an indication. It is a hostile universe, and we will need every advantage in order to survive. Allies would be nice as well, but I won¡¯t bet our future on that. I must put my faith instead in the only things I can the Human spirit, and our natural ingenuity and adaptiveness. Not to mention when diplomacy fails, the only thing left to rely on is a healthy set of weapons and good armor.


    As for Proxima, and Alpha Centauri, we expect the survey of the systems and the testing to keep us well occupied while we work. There are a few planets in orbit of Proxima, one of which may be habitable. While Alpha Centauri also has a candidate. Of course, this is based on long-range observations, and scans. A scout ship was sent by Venus colony a few years back, and there is a possibility that it made it to the system. If it did, they would be about halfway through their expected survey by now. While we have no plans to settle the system any data they do have on the system will be invaluable. Since we plan to stay for a few months, finding local resources we can harvest would be critical.


    The ship itself, is a Newton class science vessel. Its a mere 340 meters long, with 22 decks. Designed for a crew complement of around 220. For defense, it carries two banks of outdated particle cannons, they aren¡¯t particularly powerful guns either. The class wasn¡¯t built with combat in mind. In fact that also shows with the armor. The ship is protected by a mere half meter of polarized titanium hull plating. That is honestly not much of a protection, enough to protect against lighter threats like pirate ships, and marauders. Any real warship could easily destroy a Newton.


    What the Newton lacks in defense capability she more than makes up for with agility. It was one of the fastest ship classes of its day. Able to easily outrun most foes, thanks to a particularly powerful and robust engine configuration. Not only could she outrun them but she also had stamina. The ship featured extended fuel cells, that gave her a superb range. There was a reason the ship was chosen for a years-long scientific mission to a neighboring star. It was one of the few ships that could not only make the trip but make it back. Afterall at sublight speeds, you were talking about a trip of over a decade. Not an easy or quick journey to be sure, but certainly a feasible one.  Although the trip was certainly not an idea that was widely entertained. Many felt that such a trip was premature and too risky. Still, the idea did find traction among the people of Venus colony, and they ultimately funded the mission. Providing both a ship and crew to the service of those interested. To be honest I was among those opposed to sending a ship to Proxima at sublight speeds. As I saw it, FTL technology was just around the corner, and that in all probability we would have the technology and be able to make the trip there, and back before the sublight vessel could complete the mission. As it turned out I was right, to a degree.


    <hr>


    Eri¡¯s practiced hands flew over the controls. While the procedure had been utterly new to her a few months ago, it has become somewhat familiar now that she had done it so many times. They often dropped out of warp for brief periods during the journey. Mostly so that the officers could meet and discuss matters that affected everyone. To her, it seemed that after a few months people were starting to settle in. Figure out their rhythm and whatnot. The children even had a school, not that it kept them out of trouble. They still found time to do things they weren¡¯t supposed to be doing. In fact, to her, it seemed the children were the ones who had best adapted to the change.


    The ship dropped out of warp, and following procedure, she double checked the sensors. Before reporting, ¡°We are secure from warp speed sir.¡±


    Behind her from the balcony, Countryman said, ¡°Good. Begin active area scans, and then set course for the nearest planet, ahead one half engine power.¡±


    She acknowledged and repeated the order.  Before carrying it out. It was standard procedure, and something she was trained to do. It was second nature to her now. On the bride, almost every station had access to the external sensors. Operations or science was supposed to do the more detailed scanning, but at the helm she could initiate active scans as well. Tactical also had the option to initiate a scan. There were merits to this set up. She tapped her console and started a scan. Within moments, the ship¡¯s sensors had picked up and registered the local objects.


    There were a few objects nearby. The Coto, and Umikaze naturally showed up on sensors, both ships a little over a thousand kilometers away. A bit closer on the scans was a lone chunk of ice, but it wasn¡¯t yet close enough to a star to start producing a vapor trail. A quick extrapolation of its course showed that in a few months it would be. Further out were other chunks of ice, but nothing really interesting. They were on the edge of the system, the more interesting items would be closer in. Still chunks of ice were useful, water was a valued substance with many uses. They had plenty now, and the reclamation systems made sure they always had some available. Still the ice chunks around here might be useful. She made note of them.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The nearest planet was over two hundred thousand kilometers away. It was smaller than Earth but bigger than Mars. Preliminary readings indicated it wasn¡¯t habitable, but that was no surprise. There was only one planet orbiting Proxima that had any chance to be habitable. This was not that planet.  There were other planets with a chance of habitability in the system, but they were around the other stars. A rather significant distance from here. As for that first planet, it was the furthest out from Proxima and was little more than a ball of ice, and rock. A more detailed scan may reveal more about it. She set a course so that they could conduct those detailed scans. It would be a few hours before they reached the planet, unless they increased speed.


    The leisurely approach was perfectly fine in her mind though, and it was what the captain wanted. It wasn¡¯t like they were in a rush to get anywhere. Hell the only schedules they had to keep were their own. The captain was now the unofficial ruler of the human race, and was the only higher power they answered to. There was a certain freedom to their current existence. Reporting that they were underway, she returned her attention to the sensors. Studying the incoming data from their first active scans of a new system.


    All previous surveys of this system had been done from lightyears away. Those sensors had never been able to give them a detailed analysis of the system. It gave them a rough map of the system, and a general idea of what resources maybe in the system. Much more could be answered now that they were actually here. The Alpha Centauri system was a trinary system containing three stars, the one nearest Earth was Proxima the star they had recently came out of warp near. Proxima had five planets, and an asteroid belt.


    Interestingly the complex gravity of the system had resulted in significant asteriodal regions. These regions were denser than Sol¡¯s belt, and frankly populated with a larger number of large asteroids. Preliminary readings indicated high metal contents, very high metal contents. The largest and densest region of asteroids was located between Proxima, and Alpha Centauri AB.


    As for Proxima¡¯s five planets, none of them were gas giants. The two closest ones were composed of rock and ice, while the other three were just rock. Although that didn¡¯t mean they had no water. Preliminary reading indicated that the second planet conventionally labeled Proxima Centauri b had subsurface water. Its surface was dry, and barren. No atmosphere had survived. That was actually expected most modeling of the planet indicated it would have none, while it did have its own magnetic field it was weak. Too weak to have protected the barren rock from its host stars stellar winds. The presence of subsurface water however meant this world was a terraforming candidate. Creating an atmosphere was well within their means, they had started doing that for Luna using a mixture of magnetic fields and artificial gravity generators. The project had ended up on hold however due to the Cathamari war. It was no cheap endevour. Much the same could be done for Proxima Centauri b. Just she saw no reason for them to even bother with the effort.


    While too far out to get any readings, she had read up on what the knew about Alpha Centauri AB. The two stars were named Rigel Kentaurus commonly abbreviated as Rigel Kent, and Toliman. Kent had nine identified planets, three of them in her habitable zone. Again no gas giants. While Toliman had seven identified planets two of them were in the habitable zone. As usual for this system there were no gas giants. That lack of gas giants had contributed to the large number asteroids and planets in the system. What this meant was that there were a lot of places in the system that might have resources. Not to mention plenty of space to test new warp engine configurations. This system may prove just what they need to complete the warp project. Not to mention she had heard there were a few other projects that need testing, and this system would be great for it.


    <hr>


    The ship leader leaned over the console. It had been several months since she took command of the IKS Teketh. She was quite the ship, and her mission to investigate Cathamari activities in this sector had proved interesting so far. It might have been easier with a cloaking device, but those things were still relitvively new. They hadn¡¯t yet entered widespread use,a nd the Teketh was never equipped with one. Even if she was the ship was far larger than anything they had cloaked before. Those things took a lot of power to function, and the bigger the item you were trying to cloak the more energy it took. Now since smaller ships also had weaker powerplants, this meant when one did the work that there was a sweetspot for cloaking devices.


    Fighters, shuttles, corvettes, and other small ships didn¡¯t have the power generation for it, even though their smaller size reduced the energy needed for the cloak. While heavy cruisers, and battleships were simply too large for it. The amount of energy needed was more than they could generate despite their impressive power plants. Frigates, and Destroyers however were sitting in the golden zone, their size was just right to support the power plant for it, and the cost wasn¡¯t too high either. As such it only ships of that size that had cloaking.


    Of course she had a feeling that she was sent because they didn¡¯t just want ot investigat the Cathamari activities. They wanted to show the flag, and remind the Empire they were here. While other concerns had kept them occupied in recent years, it was time that the Imperium started paying attention to this region again. Especially with how the recent wave of conquest from the Empire was leading to widespread instability in the region. Refugees were fleeing the fleets of the Empire in droves. These poor refugees were lucky if they found a world any world to take them in. Forcing large numbers of them to resort to piracy just to survive. The rise in piracy was causing problems in numerous sectors throughout this part of the galaxy.


    At the moment she was noting Catharmari fleet movements in this sector, and the locations of a few supply bases. The positions of these bases indicated they were staging grounds, and she had marked out two systems that seemed likely to be the target. The first was a lone yellow star, while the other was a trinary system. She felt the lone star was the more likely target, due to preliminary readings. However she noticed several warp signatures approaching the trinary system. She ordered a course set there to investigate. The signatures she wanted to investigate were Cathamari, but she noticed something else as well.


    It had only popped up seconds ago. She doubted the Cathamari could detect it, their sensors were primitive. The real question was why she didn¡¯t pick this up earlier. She knew not who else was there, but it seemed at least one ship was already in the system, and they were not Cathamari. Although the only reason she could detect them was due to their active scanning pulses. Her FTL scanners could pick up the spatial scanning pulses even from here.


    Her helmsman looked up, ¡°We are ready to jump, ship-leader¡±


    ¡°Initiate jump sequence.¡±


    Her order was acknowledged, in a few moments the Teketh would make the first jump to that system. She would arrive roughly around the same time the Cathamari fleet did. She was curious to learn why that fleet was headed that way. No point speculating yet, she would find out soon enough when they arrive in few weeks, sooner if she pushed. Although there was little reason to do that.

 Chapter Twenty-Two Scans, and Testing

    Countryman made his way down the corridor. He had been called to the Forward Hangar. Since it wasn¡¯t being used for cargo at the moment, Ruri had appropriated the hangar. He didn¡¯t blame her it was designed to allow smaller cargo freighters to dock, and offload cargo. It also had the needed equipment to stow a number of cargo shuttles, and conduct repairs on any small craft docked here. Of course, since it could dock a small cargo freighter, that also meant frigate-sized ships could dock here. Well, not all frigate-sized ships some of them wouldn¡¯t fit here. Regardless the bay was more than sufficient for what Ruri needed it for.


    She was using the Forward hanger to build her prototypes, and the first warp four test ships were ready for launch. These test ships would like the ones that tested the original drive for the Enterprise would be unmanned. Not to mention unarmed, but they did have some protective armor. Just enough to protect them from translight impacts. As he recalled she planned to build six test vehicles for the warp engines.


    There was also a series of test vehicles that she was building to carry her prototype cannons. This other set of ships wasn¡¯t being fitted with a warp engine. They were little more than a gun with an engine. Each weapons test ship would be powered by a small fusion generator, and controlled remotely. An onboard computer and sensor system would record test data and transmit it back to the Enterprise. Ruri had five compressed particle cannon prototypes and two more for a compressed particle beam weapon. The beam weapon required a larger test vehicle. Thankfully since she wasn¡¯t building a full array, but rather a single collimated emitter for the test she wasn¡¯t going to need a frigate-sized ship for this. Rather it was mounted on a corvette-sized test vehicle, although there wasn¡¯t room for anything more than the weapon and a minimal engine system. As the single emitter design only saved so much space. On a capital ship like the Enterprise arrays were in fact more space-efficient than single emitter cannons.


    Regardless he was interested in the upcoming tests. Right now the ship was making some very intensive scans of the nearby planet. It was a rocky, icy world. More ice than rock really. A few minerals of interest, but it wasn¡¯t much to talk about. He figured it would make a good test site for Ruri¡¯s new weapon prototypes. The planet itself massed roughly double that of earth, with about sixty percent of that mass being ice. For weapons testing, that composition was largely irrelevant. If anything that large amount of ice would simply make it more visually impressive.


    He entered the bay, and surveyed the armored cargo hangar. It was quite large with the main entrance on deck fifty, but it was actually several decks high, both above and below the entrance on deck fifty. On the lower levels were large cargo lifts designed for transferring cargo into the ship. There were processing facilities near the bay for processing any fuel or ore brought back by cargo and mining shuttles. Above his head were the stowage docks. That was where cargo and mining shuttles would be stowed when not in use. On the flight deck he noted the collection of test ships, all of them complete. What really caught his attention was the presence of an extra one. It didn¡¯t have any nacelles so he figured it was a weapon test ship. While a nacelle wouldn¡¯t be needed technically for the warp test, since they were used on the Enterprise it would be better for testing purposes to mount the warp engines on the test vehicles in the same configuration. It also saved them materials not bothering with outboard engines on their weapon test vehicles. Those ships were really barebones anyway. Just a weapon, and the bare minimum of an engine they needed.


    Ruri was near the extra one seeming to inspect the engineering work. Countryman made his way down some stairs, toward her position. She noticed him approach, and when he got close greeted him happily. He idly remembered what she did in the nacelles the other day. Dealing with that had been interesting. He pushed the matter aside, as that was not what they were here to discuss.


    He returned her greeting, and then said, ¡°So what is with the extra test vehicle?¡±


    She looked at it, and then turned to him, ¡°As I was working on the compression weapons, I realized the same principles could be applied to our mining equipment, particularly the resonant particle beam. I would suggest testing this one last. If my math is right, its going to have some rather spectacular results when fired at the planet. Its not powerful enough to destroy it, but it could be if scaled up. At this size it will make a rather impressive crater.¡±


    He looked it over, ¡°Interesting. I take it, it operates much like standard ones with comparable range limitations. Likely not all that effective against an armored hull either.¡±


    She replied, ¡°That would be correct. The structural fields used to enhance the integrity of a ship¡¯s superstructure and hull would largely nullify the destructive effect of the resonance pulse. As such it won¡¯t be much different from firing an ordinary compressed particle beam at a ship.¡±


    Countryman was familiar with resonance pulsed beam devices. They had been used for centuries now. They used a tuned resonance pulse to break down the structure of targeted matter. The pulsed beams were particularly effective mining tools due to their ability to bore through kilometers of solid rock in seconds. At full power, these devices were absolutely devastating. They were not just useful tools for mining, but they could be devastating during an orbital bombardment. Research had even been conducted to see if these could be made into some type of particle disruptor-type weapon. Not much ever came of it, however. The advent of structural integrity fields pretty much killed the project in its infancy. The reason being how the weapons work. In short they take advantage of structural weaknesses in the target to inflict their amazing damage. Structural fields nullify those weaknesses. Although ship armor does benefit more from them if no weakness is present in the first place. As such a great deal of effort is made to ensure there are no microfractures or similar defects present when the plating is installed.


    He nodded, ¡°that does sound like something to test last alright. How about the other prototypes?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I am about finished with them. They should be ready for testing soon enough. I mainly wanted to show you them before we launch them into space.¡±


    He looked over them. Before giving her the go-ahead. Already knowing where this was going. She led him to each prototype and allowed him to inspect them, while giving him a rundown of what she had done. She explained how each weapon ship was testing a different compression module design. Ruri only had two designs for the compression particle beams. She didn¡¯t share the specifics, but she mounted one of them on the resonance beam ship, saying its characteristics indicated it would be better suited to the resonance beam model than the other. Countryman figured she was likely right about that.


    <hr>


    The Enterprise after finishing her scans of the planet she was orbiting, launched the test ships. The warp ships, quickly went to warp after leaving the hanger. They were programmed by computer to make a run, and they were given coordinates for a rendezvous with the ship in two weeks. The sensor data on those tests would have to be physically collected later.


    For much more immediate results, the other ships would do nicely. Countryman went ahead, and let people know they were testing weapons, and informed them of which viewports would give a good view. He figured plenty of people would enjoy the fireworks. Even if the only thing that happened was a test ship exploding. That wasn¡¯t very likely, though. Ruri had done extensive simulation testing beforehand, and they had a pretty good idea of what would happen. Within a margin of error naturally. Simulations were only as good as the data you had.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The first armed test vehicle approached the planet, about ten minutes after he made the announcement. Kaori at tactical remotely controlled its targeting systems and programmed a bombardment. The drone obediently followed the new programming and charged its sole compression particle cannon.


    In moments a volley of vibrant blue energy bolts was shot out from the drone. Each bolt slammed into the surface at the speed of light, delivering a highly concentrated charged particle bolt into the icy surface. Each impact was powerful, and vaporized ice and rock shot up in reaction. The gases shooting up into space seemed to glow. Ruri leaned over the bridge science console, eagerly reviewing the data as it came in.


    It was not long before the drone finished its firing sequence, and Kaori announced that its capacitor had run dry. Given its rudimentary power plant it would take a few minutes to recharge. If the drone was actually intended as a military weapon and not a disposable test bed that would have been a problem. The recharge time was fine, and while that one was charging they could test the second design.


    Again Kaori programmed the second drone, and that drone began a bombardment of the surface. It unleashed a fury of vibrant particle pulses into the surface. Jets of superheated rock and water erupted below. Ruri monitored the data, as it came in. When suddenly the drone stopped firing. Kaori looked up, ¡°Automatics kicked in, and stopped the firing process. She was building to an overload.¡±


    Ruri who was reading the data, commented, ¡°So far both drones fired slower than standard particle weapons, but exhibited a significantly higher particle yield. The second one was particularly powerful, but that overload might be an issue. Something to look into.¡±


    He nodded. Countryman was reviewing the data from his own console. That second design had promise for a particularly powerful particle weapon if they could solve the overload issue. In the meantime, he ordered for the next test to begin. The results were fairly disappointing compared to the last two. While test four wasn¡¯t visually different from test number one.


    The data told a different story about that. It delivered a similar impact with the same rate of fire. Although by some quirk consumed a couple terawatts less energy. That seemed notable, so they made note of it. Before moving on to the final test for the pulse fire compressed particle cannons.


    The last one fired a rapid-fire volley that was almost as fast as normal cannons. The yield shown left much to be desired as the particle yield showed only a modest improvement over current-gen cannons. Compared to some of the previous tests, it wasn¡¯t all that impressive. This last one had been Ruri¡¯s attempt to accelerate the recharge cycle to more conventional levels. Afterall with conventional particle cannons, they could fire so quickly most targets were quickly reduced to swiss cheese. The reason for this was that they were already fairly powerful, and supported quite a rapid fire rate. None of the test designs could match that rate, but boasted higher yields. Allowing them to inflict more damage with each hit. Two of the designs looked promising for initial development, while one of them showed promise if they could work out the overload problem.


    They moved on to the two drones with beam weapons. The first one charged up, and unleashed a focused cutting beam into the ice. The blue particle beam slammed into the surface with force. Jets of ice, and rock vapor shot up into the sky, as it swept over the surface in a line. The reading showed that it was delivering a much improved yield per second. Cutting deeper into the ice than older designs would have. Including the ones of the Enterprise, which were not all that different from standard designs. Merely modified to take advantage of the more powerful power plant the ship had access to. These were a clear step forward.


    This became even more apparent when the beam finished its first cycle. The beam had fired for a full 48 seconds. That was longer than what current-gen cutting beams could be sustained for. After a mere two seconds compared to the standard four, the drone started firing again. He blinked.


    Ruri looked up from her console, ¡°This one I was particularly proud of. I used the improved cooling scheme, and the compression modules I was working on for it. Its working exactly as the simulations indicated. The improved cooling scheme keeps the weapon nice, and cool. Since it is continuous rather than pulsed the compression module has little effect on the recharge rate. I had to modify the particle accumulator to operate at a faster rate in order for the module to work properly. The weapon actually generates more heat per second than our current cutting beams, but thanks to the improved cooling scheme the weapon is no larger than a standard cutting beam. In fact its actually slightly smaller. As for the next design, I went a somewhat different route with that one.¡±


    He saw what she meant minutes later when they started the test. The second beam drone powered up, and unleashed a powerful purple energy beam into the surface. It tore into the ice with ferocity sending up huge jets of vapor. The beam terminated after mere seconds. The drone remained silent for a while before firing again. Each strike was short but intense.


    ¡°With the second design, I focused on increasing the particle yield as much as possible. The result is an extremely potent particle beam. Although it can¡¯t be maintained as long. Can¡¯t much argue with the result. It is worth noting that both designs delivered the same amount of energy every time they fire, but the second design needs a full ten seconds to rest. While the first can fire again after two. Honestly the second would be more powerful, but its also much more stressful on the emitters.¡±


    He nodded, he could see that. The second design was able to deliver more energy in a shorter period despite that longer recharge period. The data however indicated that the emitters were prone to burning out with the second design. Countryman felt the first was for the moment the better design. The second clearly needed more work before it was ready for implementation, but both had their advantages.


    ¡°Pocket that second one for now. We will be using the first one for now. Don¡¯t abandon the second though. I want you to start looking into ways to improve it. Ten seconds is alright, but I think you can do better on the recharge cycle. The emitters on the other hand will need to be greatly improved first. I¡¯m not going to take a weapon that risks burning out in the middle of a battle.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°I was thinking along the same lines honestly. In fact, I am already looking into a way to combine the two designs. That way if needed you can supercharge the beam arrays to deliver a more potent energy stream if needed.¡±


    That sounded agreeable. He would check in on her later to see how far along she was on that modification project. It seemed like it might be rather important. In the meantime, it was time they conducted the final test of the day.


    On his order, the final drone charged up and focused its single beam emitter on the pockmarked surface of the planet. A pulsating resonance beam fired into the surface of the planet. Unlike the others, it didn¡¯t use a sweeping pattern but instead stayed focused on one spot. Ice and vapor erupted, from the point of impact, but nothing seemed to be happening. Not at first, suddenly the ice began to crack around the point of impact. After a couple of moments that cracking expanded. Erupting with more outgassing. The process rapidly accelerated after that, as the ice began to disintegrate. Followed by increasingly more violent eruptions of steam, and shattered rock. With a seeming suddenness, a massive region the size of a continent erupted in a violent shower of steam and shattered rock. Just moments before the beam terminated. The result of that brief firing was a crater the size of Asia now marked the side of the planet. It was also quite deep, not deep enough to expose the core, but the mantle was exposed now. An impressive demonstration, but as a weapon it left something to be desired. He already had a few uses for it in mind.

 Chapter Twenty-Three Survey

    With the weapons test, out of the way, they moved on to scanning the other planets orbiting Proxima. While they had no plans to colonize the system, that didn¡¯t mean a survey would be pointless. With the current plan to stay in the system while they work on perfecting their warp drive design, they were going to be here for a few months. Since they were going to be here that long, it was only natural that they would conduct a survey of the planets and asteroids in the system. Afterall, conducting research was not free, at the moment those projects were being paid for with the materials they had on hand. They were going to need more resources, for numerous purposes. Fuel would be the most critical, as the other resource needs could at least in part be met with recycling.


    Countryman stretched, the hours were getting late. It was almost the end of the day shift, and the bridge crew was understandably getting tired. At the moment, they were on course for the next planet on their survey. They had only done the one, and that one planet had ended up being a test target for experimental weapons. Ruri was no longer on the bridge, and was down in her lab analyzing the data. They had come out of that test with some promising designs, yes. However they weren¡¯t going to be rushing the most promising ones into service. Last he checked in on her, she was consulting with Richards on what could be done with the more promising designs to improve them. He figured in a few weeks they would be ready for a second test, with more promising designs. Countryman had given her a few ideas on the direction. With the beam weapons, the first design showed a lot of promise, but it lacked the power of the second. He had suggested largely keeping the first, but making a few modifications so that the beam could be supercharged to fire a more powerful burst when needed.


    As for the standard pulsed particle cannons, they were following much the same line of thinking. The second design she put forth had a lot of power, but it had an overload problem as well. Still there was something to be pulled from that design, while they focused on using the fourth design as the base. Although the idea of a supercharger wasn¡¯t new. It was only recently that it showed any promise of coming true. It seemed the key to it was developing a proper compression module able to focus the energy stream into a more powerful burst. Since these weapons were losing rate of fire with the addition of a compression module, he also asked her to look into a modification to increase that. For certain applications, a rapid rate of fire was more important than a high yield. Flak projectors, for example, were a perfect example of this, they were short-range particle cannons modified to fire very rapid bursts over a wide area. The flak projector was in fact the modern version of CIWS, and they used computer control to put a large number of low-yield particle pulses in the path of incoming missiles, and fighters. They were often combined with energy web projectors to provide a potent protection against missiles and fighters.


    Of course the flak projector was not the only point defense role weapon a ship would carry. At longer distances, light missiles and particle weapon mounts were used. In the case of a particle cannon, again a high rate of fire was valued. The Enterprise didn¡¯t carry dedicated particle cannons for that role, although she did have a few strategically positioned flak projectors. Instead she carried a secondary battery of dual-purpose medium particle cannons, supplemented with a large battery of photon missiles. The reason for this was that fighters were perceived as the greater threat, especially in light of the effectiveness of energy webs at dealing with missiles. In any case since those medium guns were dual purpose, they needed their fire rate, but also would benefit greatly from the increased punch the new modules would provide.


    It was the heavy particle cannons in the main battery that would need the high power the compression module provided the most. They were intended for use against other capital ships, and would need all the power they could get to penetrate capital-grade defenses. While Cathamari armor wasn¡¯t known for being able to defend against a particle barrage all that well, the same could not be said about Human armor. The guns on the Enterprise were actually unable to penetrate the heavy armor found on human capital ships like the Enterprise. Well not the heavy battery guns anyway. The cutting beams could, but they had to remain focused for extended periods to cut through. The chief reason for this was the energy field running through it and enhancing its integrity against attack. Penetrating overlord armor could only be done in one of two ways, overwhelming the field with a localized attack or draining it with a heavy bombardment. Pulsed particle weapons were incapable of the first, while beam weapons could do it if enough emitters were focused on the same point. The only other weapon capable of doing it with a localized attack was a torpedo. Of course the armor was designed to largely prevent a localized attack, so most often a heavy bombardment would be required. In fact it was much the same with Cathamari energy screens until they developed shield-penetrating torpedoes.


    Misaki looked up from her console suddenly, ¡°Sir, long range sensors are detecting another ship.¡±


    He leaned forward, ¡°Can you identify it?¡±


    ¡°Not from this range.¡±


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Countryman sighed, that wasn¡¯t unexpected, ¡°Where is it? What can you tell me about it?¡±


    She studied her console again, and reported, ¡°The ship is in orbit of Rigel Kent II. Sensors indicate she is approximately 350 meters in length. The image is fuzzy, but it appears to have a saucer-shaped primary hull with two outboard naccelles. I think we are looking at an Earth vessel, but I don¡¯t recall any mention of ships sent out this way before.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°So they did make it¡±


    Misaki frowned, ¡°Who made it?¡±


    Countryman leaned back, ¡°Years ago before the Third Colonial war in fact Venus colony funded a sublight scientific expedition to Alpha Centauri. A single Newton class vessel was chosen for this mission, and sent out this way.¡±


    He turned his gaze towards Eri at the helm. Countryman said, ¡°As soon as the local scans are finished, and we have rendezvoused with the test ships, I want an intercept course plotted.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Aye, sir. Plotting an intercept course for after the planned rendezvous with the test ships.¡±


    Eri immediately began working to plot the course. While they won¡¯t need it till later, it would be useful to have it done now. They might revise it later, but having it done now would save time regardless. As it would mean less time spent just sitting there while they plotted a safe course through the asteroids. Not that the Enterprise really cared about a few collisions with large space rocks, she actually didn¡¯t. If she went through those at warp speed the field would shatter the asteroids, well actually more like rip them apart. The remaining debris would either bounce off the hull or be tossed harmlessly into space. At sublight speeds the rocks wouldn¡¯t be broken up before impact, but they would still bounce off the hull. Perhaps even shatter on impact with the ship¡¯s armored hull. There was a reason pure kinetic weapons fell out of favor. Why the different colonies adopted energy weapons for punching through armored ship hulls. Well part of the reason anyway. There were so many little factors that played into those weapons falling out of favor. Although that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t used, just not in space. In any case, just because they could fly right through that asteroid field without a care, doesn¡¯t mean they would want to. It was easier to go around large objects than through them.


    His mind drifted to consider what that ship may have found. They had been here awhile longer than his ship had. Given their speed, they would have arrived months ago. That much extra time meant more time to scan the planets, and assess what resources were actually here. Of course the ship also had a couple hundred more souls aboard. Given how few of them were left, every soul mattered. Speaking of how every soul mattered, they had already begun implementing measures to increase birthrates. Children were the future, and if his people were to have any chance they would need to replace their numbers. It was his job to make sure those children had a future. A place to live. That ship would be a great help towards that goal. Not only did it have a few souls that they needed to take with them, but data that may prove invaluable.


    It wasn¡¯t much longer before the relief shift arrived. As the duty officer took command of the bridge for the next few hours, Countryman headed down to the lower decks. Not to his quarters, that was his final destination, but he had a few places he wanted to visit first. Since they left he had taken up the habit of going on long walks. It gave him a chance to interact with people, and he encouraged people to come to him during these walks. The best way to learn about issues before hand was frankly to talk to people. If you didn¡¯t talk to your people you were a poor ruler, who was out of touch with the issues that actually matter. Not to mention it certainly helped with the morale. The fact that he was out and about actively talking with people, and solving issues may have played into that.


    <hr>


    Williams watched Countryman walk by. The machine was honestly somewhat predictable. Confirming that he was on his walk, and engaging with the people. She turned away. Williams wasn¡¯t going to stick around and watch. The machine wasn¡¯t going to do something new. She knew him well enough now to know that. This gave her some time to talk to her few friends. Not many people seemed to see what she saw. Being on the council helped her position, but frankly she didn¡¯t like it. That machine had too many friends there. He was practically allowed to do whatever he wanted. If he proposed something, it was almost certain they would agree with it.


    If Williams had her way he would be gone already. She would have put that machine where he belongs, where he can¡¯t do any harm. At the moment however all she and her friends could do was try and limit the damage he was doing. A few of her friends were on constant look out waiting for the moment he did something they could use to get rid of him. In the meantime she was looking at other means. It was going to take some time. Especially since she can¡¯t just assasinate him. Sure he was vulnerable every time he took a walk, but that did not matter. Not without the proper support anyway. Support she currently lacked, and she had to move carefully or any plan would be doomed to failure.


    Turning a corner, she reached the door she was heading for. Williams quietly slipped inside where her most trusted friends were waiting to discuss the truly important matters. Little did she know her meetings weren¡¯t as secret as she thought.

 Chapter Twenty-four Horizon

    Richards shifted in her seat, as she studied the ship they were approaching. Ruri wanted her to look over some data from the warp tests, but at the moment the Newton class vessel was more interesting. The long-range scanners may have helped them detect the ship, but the initial scans had left much to be desired in terms of resolution. They were much closer now. Close enough to take more detailed scans. It seemed while the ship had managed to make it here, she was not unscathed.


    The other vessel had sustained some damage to her primary hull, most of it located around her aft quarter. There was also extensive scorching on her port nacelle. From the look of it, the damage did not appear to be the result of combat. More likely it was the result of an accident. One that seriously damaged the engines. Richards honestly doubted that ship would be able to leave orbit again under its own power. The main drive and secondary port engine both appeared to be no longer functional. That meant that all of her propulsion power was being supplied solely by the starboard engine. That engine was never designed to be anything more than a supplemental maneuvering drive. It was nowhere near as powerful as that primary drive. Honestly, she was impressed they managed to get into a stable orbit with only one basic maneuvering engine.


    As for what caused the damage, she had a pretty good idea of what happened. The damage seemed consistent with the port side reactor module overloading. Emergency systems had kicked in, and overcharged structural integrity near the module. Thereby preventing the overload from claiming the ship. This also acted to contain the damage to the aft quadrant, but the overload must have ignited the fuel lines. Not to mention it appeared that the overload also damaged the main drive. As for the deuterium fire, the crew obviously managed to contain and put it out. However judging by the scorching on the port nacelle, they failed to prevent it from spreading to the portside engine. That fire also burned through the hull in several places.


    Richards wasn¡¯t going to even guess what happened to allow that in the first place. There were a number of possibilities. It could have been human error, or it could have been caused by a simple burnout. Of course, with the second there were redundancies to prevent a burnout from leading to an overload. In any case, if she was going to guess her bet would have been poor maintenance. At sublight speeds, it would have taken them years to get here. That was enough time for some of the components to wear out. Although even with poor maintenance the computer should have detected the problem and automatically shut down the reactor before an overload could occur. Honestly, the overload was likely a combination of factors. Perhaps a mixture of poor maintenance, and human error. In any case, that simple overload meant the ship they were approaching had no chance of making it back home on its own.


    With a bit of practiced ease, she ran another scan on the ship. They were just getting into the range of the bio scanners. She wasn¡¯t all that surprised when this scan revealed minimal power and no life readings. Also revealed was that all of the escape pods had been launched, and the shuttle bay was empty of landing craft. The crew must have abandoned the ship after the achieved orbit. Richards was not in any way surprised about that. The Newton class was never designed for an atmospheric landing in the first place. They were built in space and expected to spend their entire service life in space. Planetary landings were never part of their intended mission profile. That didn¡¯t preclude a landing though. It was possible to land a Newton class, but it would require some very delicate piloting to do it safely. In their case however with only one working engine, there was no way to land the ship safely, and it surely wouldn¡¯t make its way back up again afterwards.


    While a safe landing may have been out, the escape pods were designed to make planetary landings, and so were the shuttles. Using both they must have evacuated the entire crew to the surface and left the ship up here in orbit. Why they just leave if there was up for debate, but they had.


    In the meantime, she might as well try and determine what was salvageable. Although they might consider repairing the ship. They weren¡¯t comfortable sticking around but if they had had the time, they could have upgraded some of the sublight-equipped ships with warp capability. The Newton class wasn¡¯t particularly durable, she had a rather basic armor scheme. A couple of well-placed shots from the Enterprise¡¯s secondary battery could easily destroy it, and the ship was barely bigger than a frigate. Still, it was a ship, perhaps it would be useful for scouting ahead. However, if they were going to fit it with warp capability, they would have to do some work. Warp required a beefier power plant than any sublight vessel was likely to have, and the Newton class was no different. It was powered by two fission generators and a single low output fusion generator. Even all three working together couldn¡¯t generate enough energy to sustain warp one, much less an interstellar velocity like warp three.


    That meant overhauling the power systems and upgrading the reactors. There wasn¡¯t a lot of space for that in the primary hull, so chances were they would have to tack on a secondary hull. Now they were already getting into the territory of a major refit, and she wasn¡¯t even done with the work needed. Neither nacelle could fit a warp engine or the needed cooling systems. Hell, most of the space was already consumed by the two outboard maneuvering engines already there. As such the nacelles would need to be enlarged to fit them. Larger nacelles mean that the connection struts would have to be reinforced. In addition, the hull plating was never designed to withstand translight particle impacts. Bringing forth yet another upgrade that would need to be done. Then the structural integrity field grids would also have to be overhauled in order to ensure that the hull could withstand the translight stresses.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Overall, after all that work is said and done. The result would have been a major refit, that would take them two months minimum to handle. Although in her opinion it would not go that smoothly. At most it would take six months to complete the kind of refit work the ship would need for FTL capability. So she would naturally budget four months for such a project. Of course that just factored in the time to do, that didn¡¯t even touch on the costs. With everything else they had competing for the very same resources. Chances were that the captain might decide it was better to simply salvage the vessel. In fact that is what she would do with it, salvage it for parts. Easier, faster, less costly, and frankly it was debatable if refitting the ship would provide any benefit at all. They didn¡¯t really need a science ship. Not in her opinion anyway.


    She started to compile a report. The format was simple, the first page would be the summary with all the critical information, and her recommendation. The rest of it would be the detailed information. It was how she was taught, and it made sense honestly. She outlined its condition. Before quickly summing up what it would cost to refit the ship. Like any modern ship it featured a very modular design, restoring it operation condition would be simple. They would simply swap out the damaged modules for newly built ones. The Enterprise had all the facilities to build the needed modules. The real question was cost. A simple repair was a minor refit in any case, and she outlined the cost for that. She also outlined the cost for upgrading the ship for warp capability, and that wasn¡¯t a minor refit. It was far more involved than simply swapping out old modules for newer ones. It was also much more costly, and with all the other items already on the budget, she doubted they could afford it. As such she finished with a recommendation saying that considering the current budget situation she believed that they would be best served by scuttling the ship. While also listing what materials they would be able to salvage from the ship. There was actually a fair amount they could use. Modern armor was still made with a titanium base, and they could pull a lot of that from the ship. Already being processed would save them a lot of effort in making the alloys they need. They could make a lot of spare hull plating out of that ship.


    <hr>


    Countryman settled into his command chair and studied the ship on his screen. He had already read the report on it that Richards had submitted. It was informative, but it had lacked any mention of the ship¡¯s name. Her power levels were minimal, and her transponder was off. Then again so were theirs. Those things had their uses, but they did crap all for maintaining any form of stealth. Not to mention drew power that they didn¡¯t really need to use. So they were off.


    Now that they were in visual range, he could make out a name. Unlike the black and silver paint scheme of warships, the Newton class ship before him used a grey paint scheme. Emblazoned in bold black text across the dorsal fore section of her saucer section was her name VFS Horizon below that was her registry, VFR 22470. The Horizon just hung there in a stable orbit as they approached, although since it was unmanned there was no surprise there. He already had Misaki scanning the surface for the crew. It didn¡¯t take much imagination to guess where the crew went. With their ship damaged, and unable to make the trip back they likely went to the surface. The planet was no garden world, much of its surface was inhospitable desert, but it could support a small colony. There were quite a few sites down there with potential for such a tiny colony. Much of the habitable region on Rigel Kent II was in a narrow band of the Northern hemisphere starting just below the ice caps.


    That region had water, and sparse vegetation. More than enough to support some two hundred colonists. There was enough supplies and equipment taken from the Horizon to provide the infrastructure they would need to support themselves. The planet would require a fair amount of terraforming and investment in infrastructure to support more than a minimal colony. Assuming they had the time and resources for that. Given that they weren¡¯t staying, it was an investment that they were not going to make. An investment they could not make, it made no sense for them to invest when they were not going to be here more than a few months. The Horizon herself was more valuable to them than whatever colony her crew had established. The question, however, was what to do with the ship? Richards thought it best to have the ship scrapped, and he could see where she was coming from. There was an argument to be made for attempting a refit of the ship. An extra ship could improve their odds, but could they afford it? It was a lot of work, and her refit projections didn¡¯t even cover upgrading her weapons. They only covered what it would take to give her warp capability. It was cheap by any measure, be it manhours or material resources.


    Thankfully he didn¡¯t have to answer that question right away. They had a crew to locate, and a colony to evacuate. It was a small one no doubt, but those souls mattered. He could not leave them here so close to the Cathamari border. There were both practical and moral reasons not to abandon them here. At Earth there may have been people left behind, but he had no way to confirm that. The plasma storms had made it impossible to scan the surface with any reliability. Even if he could have confirmed their presence evacuating them may not have proved feasible. There were limits to how many people a starship like the Enterprise could take on. However, he felt they could afford to take a couple hundred more on. With time the ship could support more but eventually, they will need more ships or a bigger ship. A problem that would have to wait.


    Misaki looked up, ¡°Sir, we have located the Horizon¡¯s crew. 212 life signs. They have set up a small settlement in the northeastern hemisphere. Looks like they have been there a while.¡±


    She tapped a button, and orbital imagery appeared on the forward screen. It displayed a collection of metal structures, a perimeter fence, and several fields. The settlement was built on the bank of a river one that was supplied water from the ice cap to the north. The settlement barely qualified as a village, but it seemed they had done alright for themselves. He smiled, ¡°Send a shuttle down the surface to make contact with the crew. I also want an engineering team sent over to the Horizon.¡±


    Richards had made a good report, but it was based solely on remote scans. They were highly detailed yes, but they still needed a physical inspection of the ship. He shifted in his chair already knowing that the next few hours would be an exercise in patience.

 Chapter Twenty-Five Skirmish

    The ship leader studied the sensor readings. In a couple of minutes, they would be making their final jump. The Cathamari were nearly to the system they were heading to. Assuming their jump math was right they would enter the system just outside of the Cathamari fleet¡¯s sensor range. That would give her enough of a margin to spy on them, and figure out what they were up to. Her long-range scanners were able to give her a rough number of how many ships the Cathamari were sending here, but no information on their types. In interstellar warfare most battles were isolated skirmishes with only a few dozen ships to a fleet. It wasn¡¯t even unheard of for the skirmishes to be smaller either. The reason for this was that space was vast. Sure the large empires maintained massive fleets containing thousands of ships, but most battles didn¡¯t involve that many ships. One of the rare exceptions to the rule was when several primary fleets were gathered to defend or assault a core world. Important planetary systems like Kraylus, the Krall homeworld were veritable fortresses, and it would take a full fleet at the minimum to take a world like that. It was not uncommon for a significant number of ships to make such worlds their homeport, so a standing garrison of ships ready to defend these worlds was also the norm. As such it was at such worlds where the normal rule of only a few dozen ships at the most being involved in a battle no longer applies. Instead, you can expect the number of ships involved to number in the hundreds or in some cases thousands.


    It is with this in mind, that the number of Cathamari ships she saw approaching the system became odd. It was uninhabited, with no infrastructure or fleet bases of any kind. The system was also of limited strategic value. Yet the Cathamari had sent a force of three hundred and seventeen ships to this system. True she did not know how many were actually warships, but that was a fair number of ships.


    Speaking of ships, she had been looking over intelligence reports. The Cathamari had dispatched at least nine large fleets to this sector over the last two years. However, her long-range scans had only been able to account for barely seven thousand ships. That was a smattering of what they had sent to this sector. It begged the question, where are those missing ships? The ship leader did have an idea. Knowing them, those fleets were sent here for war, but with whom was the question. Intelligence knew of no power in this sector that could compete with the Cathamari. Certainly not on the kind of scale needed to wipe out so many ships.


    Her helmsman informed her, ¡°Ship leader. We are ready to jump.¡±


    She braced herself, and gave the order. A moment later her world lurched, the screen turned black, but only for an instant before the stars presented themselves again. Then the ship shuddered, a screech sounded, and the alarms wailed.


    Her Battle-leader shouted, ¡°SHIELDS!¡±


    The Ship-leader had no need to look at her screens to know what was happening. They were under attack. Worse they had been hit while their shields were down. She cursed, and glanced at a nearby screen, only to feel another curse coming on. Thirteen hull breaches, heavy damage to their main drives, and secondary shield grids. It seemed they were going to be stuck here fighting.


    The shields had thankfully come up quickly enough, and now they had some breathing room. Breathing room that her battle-leader was already using to take stock of their situation. As ship leader, it was her job to lead the ship, except during battle. Men had a better head for combat, so it was her Battle-leader¡¯s job to lead during battle. Their system might differ from that of other races, but it was one that worked for them.


    She spared a glance at the sensors. Eight Cathamari battleships were currently bombarding their shields with little effect, along with a several dozen cruisers. The rest of the fleet was outside weapons range. She noted a few of those ships didn¡¯t look like warships, they had enlarge cargo modules, lacked armor, and mounted few guns. That gave her an idea of what they were here for. The system must be of greater value than she thought, they were here to establish a base. Most of the ships were likely here to secure the perimeter around the base. Unfortunately, the Cathamari must have predicted their arrival. They had ships positioned near all of the most likely jump-in points for them.


    The ship-leader glanced at her engineers, and ordered damage control teams dispatched. Her battle-leader was there to take care of the attackers, she was going to make sure they could keep fighting. One time was ordered to inspect the drives, they needed to know how bad they were hit. She wasn¡¯t too worried about the ships outside the hull though. Their shields were vastly superior, and the Cathamari would have a hard time getting through them. At least for the next few hours, a heavy bombardment would eventually bring them down. On the screen she saw several bright orange-red beams ripple from the hull of her ship, the Teketh. The energetic plasma streams, slammed into the hull of a nearby battleship. Her shields flared brightly, even as some of the plasma penetrated the defensive screens to strike the hull. It wasn¡¯t enough to destroy the enemy capital ship, but it certainly did some damage. Those beams were strong enough to destroy lesser ships outright. The focused plasma beams were so powerful in fact that no shield could fully protect a ship from the beam. Not even the renowned Valorian shield generators could produce one, that could fully stop those weapons.


    She didn¡¯t focus her gaze on the battle for long though. That was for the men to be worried about, not her. She had more immediate concerns to deal with anyway. A younger engineer was already approaching her data pad in hand, likely a report on the damage from that first strike while their shields were down.


    <hr>


    The Warlord on his flag ship cursed, his incompentent battlemasters had failed. Still his plan hadn¡¯t failed entirely despite that. The Krall were well known for the strength of their ships. None could match their warships in single combat, but they were not without weaknesses. The first was that every time the Krall made a jump, they left a powerful flare that showed up on any hyperspace scanner. Unfortunately it only showed where they were when they jumped, not where they went. Still it was enough if you were clever to figure out where they were going. The other weakness was not so well known, but it was known to most Cathamari of warlord rank and higher. Krall warships could not use their famed shields while making a jump. It made them vulnerable for a brief period before and after a jump. A weakness he had taken advantage of.


    He had noticed them closing, so moments before they were expected to jump, he rushed his ships into an ambush around the likely jump points. The Warlord had even told them where to shoot to hurt them most. They should have destroyed the ship in that first volley, but hobbling them worked almost as well. Unfortunately they had not knocked out the weapons, or main shields. The ship had barely any engine power thanks to the first strike, but it could still strike back. As any hunter could tell you a wounded foe was most dangerous, especially when cornered, and the Krall were most certainly cornered.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    At the moment he was planning his next move. He had plenty of ships, but only his cruisers and battleships had a chance of lasting for any length against the firepower commanded by that one cruiser. Thanks to the war with the Humans they had a learned a few things about armor. That war had certainly challenged what they previously thought they knew about armor. Not to mention helped them develop better armor, armor he was now relying on here. His shields could never fully block the output of the Krall ship¡¯s plasma beam cannons, but they could weaken the output. Those shields when combined with heavy armor could protect a ship from those beams. At least as long as the armor held.


    Th warlords smiled, his teeth showing in a predatory manner when he noted something. A fluction in their aft shields. He growled, ¡°All ships focus fire on their port aft shield quarter.¡± He figured it might just do something.


    <hr>


    She braced herself as the ship shook. The attacking ships had unleashed a heavy payload of torpedoes and plasma cannon fire. Alarms blared, and nearby a warning light hovered about the aft shields, specifically the port aft shield. It turned red, and then she heard something.


    The ship stabilized, and someone shouted, a report about a hull breach. The next report made her curse, ¡°Sir, that last hit completely destroyed the main engines, and the Inversion drive. We are dead in space.¡±


    She turned to an engineer, ¡°Deploy damage control team, and get that shield quadrant back up, now!¡±


    Behind her, she could here he Battle-leader shouting orders to focus fire on any ship attempting to fire on their aft quarter. They were taking too much damage to that section, and she was glad he recognized that.¡±


    Then she remembered something. There were signs that at least one ship not Cathamari was here. The ship-leader turned to the comms, ¡°Send out a short range distress call, all frequencies.¡±


    The woman there nodded. Perhaps understanding what she wanted. Even if the other ship could not understand Krall codes, perhaps it would get their attention. Hopefully they would be able to help them fight of the Cathamari. Glancing at the screens, the sooner they got here the better.¡±


    <hr>


    The Warlord felt elated when a warrior informed him they had sent out a distress call. It was short range. They must have hit them harder than he thought. Thankfully there wasn¡¯t anyone in the area that could respond, and this meant he had them. As soon as that pesky shield of theirs failed he would claim the honor of being one of the rare few to have defeated a Krall cruiser in battle. With something like that under his belt maybe he could gather enough support to take on one of the High Warlords, or perhaps even the Grand Warlord himself.


    He leaned forward his tail lashing, ¡°Charge the main cannons, and bring us into range. Order all ships to double their fire.¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman was monitoring the reports of the evacuation. They hadn¡¯t yet transferred anyone aboard, but progress was moving about as swiftly as could be expected. Naturally a few of the people down there actually wanted to stay, while others were beyond elated to know that they could leave the planet. The news about Earth was not so well received though. It was met with skeptisim and doubt. That was understandable and expected. If they had not seen it for themselves, they might not have believed the events that had taken place. Even the evidence they had was being doubted. It would take time to convince them. Getting them all ready to move was expected to tka e a few days more.


    The Horizon on the other hand, work there had gone nicely enough. They hadn¡¯t yet decided what to do with it. The meeting on that was scheduled for tomorrow. In the meantime, they were poring over what they had taken from the ship¡¯s databanks. The Horizon had actually completed a full survey of the system, including detailed analysis on all of the planets. Rigel Kent II was not the only habitable planet in the system. Tolimon III was also habitable, but it was no garden world either. Three more planets, had conditions that made them prime terraforming canidates. The system was also rich in resources, most importantly they had identified several large asteroids that were rich in the minerals they needed. It would be easy to harvest what they needed from those rocks, and process those into things they could use. Things they would need for their research, and maybe even upgrades. At the moment the main focus of their research was the Warp Four project, but they were also researching other projects. Such as weapon upgrades. Everything they were doing had a cost associated with it, even if they had a fair amount of lab space, and a powerful system of computers to aid their research.


    Suddenly a female voice informed him, ¡°Sir we are picking up weapons fire on long range sensors.¡±


    He looked towards the source and noted it was Kaori who had been watching the sensor displays with nothing better to do, ¡°Can you tell who is shooting?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°The majority of weapon signitures are Cathamari. The other source is unknown.¡±


    Misaki looked, ¡°We are also receiving a comm burst. The computer can¡¯t decipher it, but its coming in on all frequencies. Its coming from whoever the Cathamari are shooting at. It might be a distress call, but I can¡¯t say for certain that it is.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Apraise the ground teams of the situation.¡± he turned to Eri, ¡°Set a course for the battle, Maximum warp. Charge all weapon banks, full power to armor.¡± Glancing to Misaki he ordered, ¡°Alert Coto, and Umikaze to follow us. We will need to investigate this. The presence of the Cathamari in this system can not be overlooked.¡±


    He left unsaid the obvious. The Cathamari being here would likely force them to cut short their activities in this system. He hoped this wasn¡¯t a prelude to them setting up a permanent base here. In any case, they would likely have to speed up their business in the system, and depart. It was a shame as well, they hadn¡¯t even finished breaching warp four. Well at least the weapons research was proceeding faster, but they hadn¡¯t yet incorporated those upgrades into their ships. They were still working on finalizing the next set of designs. It wasn¡¯t long before all three ships, set off on full tactical alert, red lights flashing to let people know their alert status. Normally those lights would be blue, but during a tactical alert they were red. Although they weren¡¯t going to be arriving at the battle site for a few hours, even pushing the engines into the red it was going to be a few hours, as they couldn¡¯t risk pushing the engines much faster than warp 3.4. That was 46 times the speed of light, but it was not a speed they could maintain for long, and was certainly not a speed they would travel between systems at. For a short intercept like this one though it was the highest speed they could safely attain. They would have to slow once on the intercept however, and allow the engines to cool. Either that or they would have to dump drive plasma the minute they arrived.

 Interlude The Krall Imperium

    The Krall are a species with no exact equivalent among species on earth. They have generally reptilian characteristics, but they also share traits with mammals including the ability for live birth, and the feeding of young via nursing. Physically they are bipedal with a size range similar to that of Humans, but the size difference between genders is a bit more pronounced. Males are typically taller and larger than the average human male, while females are often smaller than the average human female.


    They evolved on a world not entirely dissimilar to our own with similar gravity and atmospheric conditions. However their homeworld is notably warmer, and much of the surface is covered with lush vegetation. Resulting in a mix of swamps, jungles, and rainforests covering much of the more hospitable regions of their home planet, although its not without its grasslands and deserts.


    Appearance-wise, they appear generally human-like, with scales covering much of their bodies. They have a short snout on their faces, that is even shorter and softer in the females. Their legs are sturdy and built for running. They have three fingers on each hand, and the same number of toes on their feet.


    Krall society is noted for having a very strongly defined set of gender roles. Unlike other cultures however no gender is set above the other. They just have a strong belief that women are better suited to certain tasks, while others are best done by men. This strong set of gender roles is quite prominently obvious in every aspect of their society. The sciences, engineering, and many intellectual positions within society are dominated by women, whereas men often favor more physical pursuits.


    As a people, they highly value honor and strength. They believe in a strict code of morality and conduct that has guided their people well for thousands of years. It has been the cornerstone of their society for many generations. The result of this code is that the Krall are not only a highly accomplished society, but also a very respected one.


    They are not without enemies, they have a few long-held rivals near their borders. Rivals that have kept much of their attention in recent years, but a changing political landscape has allowed them to turn their attention elsewhere. As such they are starting to pay increasing attention to the relatively young civilization of the Cathamari. As the aggressive expansion of the Cathamari in recent years has been alarming to certain circles of the Krall leadership. It is likely that a Krall-Cathamari war may begin within the next few years as tensions between the two powers rise. Already skirmishes have been noted between the two sides, while ships from both sides attempt to show the flag so to speak.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The Krall Imperium itself is ruled by a group of eight individuals known as the Imperial Council. Four seats of this council are reserved for men, and the other four seats are reserved for women. The council is where all matters concerning the Imperium as a whole are debated and resolved. The reason for the split is because the Krall believe that no decision can be made without equal representation of both sexes. They also have an elected position called the council chair which is filled by two people one male, one female. These two must debate, and vote in the event of a tie on the Council. In ages past, the role fo the chair used to be filled by the Imperial family, and often still is. However, they gave up sole control of the chair position many centuries ago.


    Speaking of family, the Krall like humans form family groups. The structure of these groups is somewhat different though. Krall are allowed as many mates as they like, but it is important to note that Krall females are extremely loyal, and once they have picked a mate they almost never select a second. In fact, it is the females who chose the mates, not the males. Males often compete to attract mates. The most popular males often end up with several females vying for their attention. When this happens those females often end up sharing that male. Sometimes even to the exasperation of the male. The Krall believe the ideal household is one male, with three female mates. Naturally, their family structure can get a little complicated. Especially when one factors in their birthrates. Krall families can grow to be quite large, especially since they can be rather competitive.


    Moving on, the Imperium is quite accomplished with the sciences. The Krall are generally ahead of most of their neighbors in terms of scientific advancement. With quite a few potent and unique technologies at their disposal. Krall weaponry is particularly advanced, as they are one of the few powers in the quadrant to field continuous beam weaponry. They are also the only power to field the devastating spatial torpedo, a very potent torpedo weapon. Of course, weapons aren¡¯t their only advancement. The Krall being accomplished scientists have excellent sensors and powerful computers at their disposal. The most potent example of their scientific advancement is the Inversion Drive, a very unique FTL drive. The differs greatly from the more common drive types employed by other races such as the hyperdrive, and warp drive. Like hyperdrive, it makes use of hyperspace to function, but it works very differently. Instead of opening a window into hyperspace allowing a ship to enter hyperspace, where it can travel at higher speeds. The Inversion drive creates hyperspace inversion that effectively catapults the ship from one point in space to another. Transit time is virtually instant, but the process also sends up a hyperspace flare revealing the location from which the ship made the jump. The drive must then cycle before the ship can jump again. Regardless of its limitations, the drive does make Krall ships the fastest in the Universe, and they can move ships even faster through their territory thanks to the Inversion gates, specialized structures, that use Inversion drive technology to transport ships great distances between any two of them.

 Chapter Twenty-Six Cathamari Dreadnought

    The Ship-leader braced herself as the ship shuddered from another hit. A shout informed her that the port shields were failing. After hours of battle the shields were heavily drained, their main batteries were completely drained, and they were running on fumes. At this very moment, she had a team of engineers trying to coax more power out of the main reactor.


    She glanced at the screen and watched the cursed dreadnought firing another volley. It was the largest and most powerful ship the Cathamari had in the system. Likely it was also the flagship, her shields and armor were strong enough to resist the Teketh¡¯s plasma beam weapons, and the cursed ship bristled with heavy plasma weapons. Numerous superheavy concussion plasma cannon mounts, and heavy plasma torpedoes made up the bulk of that ship¡¯s armament. She was built to be a heavy hitter, and it showed.


    The ship shuddered again, and she was informed of yet another hull breach. Emergency force fields were holding... for now. They weren¡¯t going to last much longer, and it looks like whoever else was in the system must have ignored their distress call. Otherwise they would have been here by now. They returned fire, and one of the battleships hounding them pulled back.


    Her Battle-leader cursed them, and she didn¡¯t blame him. With their engines down, they could not chase down the Cathamari ships. As such they were free to move out of range whenever they took too much damage. Allowing them to recharge their shields, and patch their battle damage without interference. Despite this, they had managed to take down quite a few ships including three of their battleships.


    Then suddenly, the retreating battleship exploded. No one shot at it. There was no sign of weapons fire at all. Only a sudden flash, and then boom. Her Battle-leader clearly noticed, and so did everyone else. With renewed vigor, they unleashed another volley of fire on nearby ships. The Ship-leader however turned to the sensor officer, ¡°What happened? Why did that ship explode?¡±


    The younger girl at the console furrowed her brow and tapped the controls. Quickly bringing up the playback, she played it in slower motion with enhanced imagery on the monitor. The Ship-leader watched, as the ship pulled away. Then she noted it was approaching a small disk-shaped object maybe a metras in length. They were perhaps a Metrasi from it, when suddenly the object flashed, and shot towards the battleship. The shields flared, and it passed right through them, and struck the ship amidships penetrating the hull.


    She blinked, that was obviously a mine. Space mines were not a weapon she encountered very often, and certainly not something she would expect to find here. It also begged the question? Why were the Cathamari only hitting them now? There was only one answer that made sense to her.


    ¡°Scan the area for more mines and run another scan for cloaked ships.¡±


    Her sensor officer¡¯s brow furrowed more, and after a moment it turned into a full frown. She tapped a few more keys, and then changed the scan parameters, ¡°Hmm, weird. I can¡¯t find any mines or cloaked vessels. Give me a moment.¡±


    She played with the sensors for a few more configurations, and then suddenly three new ships, and hundreds of mines appeared on their screens. Although the images were fuzzy. With a triumphant grin, the sensor officer looked up, ¡°They weren¡¯t cloaked at all! The mines and the ships are outfitted with some kind of dispersion plating. Our normal scanning beams were simply being dispersed by their armor. Doesn¡¯t help that their energy signatures are also fairly low. Give me a second to clean up the images.¡±


    The sensor officer tapped a few more keys, and then the images cleared up. She leaned over the shoulder of her officer, even as the ship shook under an impact. Her gaze focused on the big one, it was actually bigger than the Cathamari dreadnought, and it had been completely invisible to their sensors just a moment ago. Not to mention it was well inside her weapons range, and it was almost between her ship, and the dreadnought. The alien vessel was of a design she had never seen before, and it looked heavily armored. Not to mention it bristled with weapon ports.


    The other two ships were much smaller, and they were actively deploying mines around the battlefield. It seemed clear they must have arrived minutes before, but none of them had engaged the Cathamari yet. Instead, the aliens had surrounded the entire battlefield in all directions with a thick layer of mines. Why, she wasn¡¯t sure. Suddenly behind her, her Battle-leader interjected, ¡°Interesting. Clearly these aliens, don¡¯t want anyone to escape.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The only reason to deploy a minefield, around the entire battlefield would be to prevent ships from retreating. They must be quite confident as well, if they plan to engage with only three ships.¡± Then he pointed at the alien dreadnought, ¡°Anyway, I suspect that ship is about to open fire.¡±


    She frowned, and looked at the images again, ¡°On who?¡±


    ¡°Flagship most likely. With so few ships, it would be the best target. In fact we should probably help them.¡± He turned to the tactical officer, and shouted new orders. This time refocusing their entire battery of weapons on that one ship.¡±


    Orange red plasma rippled across space to strike the Cathamari dreadnought. Her shields flared a bright red, but some of the plasma got through with little effect. Then the aliens fired. Lightning like energy discharges rippled off the hull of the alien dreadnought. Each one struck the shields of the Cathamari flagship, which flared brightly with each strike. The ship immediately returned fire on the aliens, and every battleship and cruiser firing on the Teketh switched targets to the alien warship. Just moments before a shockwave emanated from the dreadnought, her shields had collapsed for the first time in this battle.


    The aliens quickly followed up with a second weapon, two sustained beams of blue energy lept from her hull, and slammed into the side of the Cathamari battleship, raking over the hull of the ship. Her armor however seemed to be holding up even without the shields helping repel attacks. Her sensor officer commented, ¡°Cathamari armor integrity is dropping rapidly. I don¡¯t think it will be able to repel those beams for long.¡±


    She barely noted that, more focused on the fact that the aliens were using a sustained beam weapon. Those were remarkably rare outside of the Imperium, very few powers had access to that kind of weapons technology. It was something that gave them an advantage on the battlefield. Idly she also noted several smaller Cathamari ships, and the civilian ships attempting to flee the battle area. Only to be destroyed when they attempted to cross the minefield, the ships were swarmed by the mines before they could even form a stable warp field. Their shields and hull plating proved to be of little help against the high yield photonic explosives. As they passed through shields easily, and punched through the armor. How those mines were punching through armor, she didn¡¯t know. Not enough data.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She was more focused on the two dreadnoughts duking it out though. The alien dreadnought was also firing more lightning like discharges, and pulsed energy bolts into the Cathamari ship¡¯s hull. The reinforced plating seemed to be taking the barrage, but even she could tell that it was losing integrity. Especially when it buckled in one spot, and a beam punched through as it raked over the hull.


    At the same moment, the alien dreadnought was firing on several other ships, with much more effect. A battleship just below her, had lost shields. A massive volley of blue energy bolts were tearing into the ship with violent impunity. Its hull already had more holes in it than the Teketh, and she had lost track of how many hull breaches they had sustained. Quite a few of the bolts were going right through the ship in question. She watched one bolt penetrate right through the upper deck armor, travel through half the ship, through the bridge near the center of the ship, and out the other side. It didn¡¯t even care about the reinforced bulkheads around that part of the ship, or the internal plating. Seconds after that, the ship exploded in a brilliant fireball as her reactors finally lost containment. That explosion was soon followed by another elsewhere as a cruiser went up with equally devastating results.


    Another battleship nearby was simply floating adrift, her beam weapons shifting to a new target. She didn¡¯t even need to scan the wreck to know that battleship was completely vented to space. Its still had some power, but there was no one alive over there to operate the remaining systems. That ship made evident real quick why the other Cathamari had tried to run.


    Glancing at her sensor officer, she asked, ¡°Why is the flagship¡¯s armor not failing, while those battleships barely last a second after losing shields?¡±


    ¡°Its plating has been reinforced by structural field generators, and its been polarized. In fact elements of the scheme seem to mimic that of the alien dreadnought, which I might point out is also fighting without shields. Her armor seems to be unaffected by the Cathamari weapons. As for the alien weapons, their main weapons appear to be charged particle cannons. The polarizing field protecting the Cathamari flagship seems to help repel these charged particles, but its already starting to fail.¡±


    That much was obvious, and she could already guess, where all those unaccounted ships disappeared to. It seems the Cathamari had found another enemy in this sector. One that she hoped would prove their friend. Thanks to her own mistake, and damage they had sustained it would be best to avoid hostilities. If anything they needed their help. Their engines were shot, the entire assembly would need to be replaced. The Teketh was in need of a refit at the minimum, but she knew her vessel. It would not be scrapped if they got back to port. The key part being getting back to port, and without engines that was no easy proposition. They needed a tow. Not to mention while they were stuck here there was a chance another Cathamari fleet would come out this way. It would actually be really nice if the aliens could provide them with one.


    On screen, she watched as the flagship was attempting, and failing to put distance between herself, and the alien dreadnought. The larger alien warship appeared to be the faster ship, because she was actually closing the distance. As her main guns continued to discharge into the failing plating of the Cathamari warship. The hull was already starting to rupture in fact. While the alien dispersion plating remained fully intact, no signs that it was even being strained by the Cathamari guns.


    Her attention turned elsewhere noticing the other two ships, were using their mobility to make hit and run attacks. Clearly they were not relying on their armor, but their speed. The Cathamari were helpless against them as well, unable to close the distance enough to properly fight back. A few of them had ended up wandering into mines trying. Of course during this whole part of the battle the Teketh wasn¡¯t idle either. A number of destroyers had wandered into range of her plasma beam cannons and were presently being shredded with rapid impunity. Their shields and armor proved to be insufficient protection against the powerful beam weapons. A single hit was all it took to leave one crippled, a second invariably finished a destroyer.


    Her attention wandered back to the flagship, her armor had buckled, and her drives had failed. Several blue energy beams raked over her hull, lacerating large sections of the ship. Venting entire compartments to space, cooking systems, and severing power conduits. While lightning-like discharges continued to be fired into the hull. The guns on the flagship had already fallen silent, as she was not shooting back. Instead, it seemed she was helpless to defend herself as she was systematically carved apart by the sustained beams cutting into her hull. Bodies could be seen being blown out to space as well, as new compartments found themselves open to space. In fact emergency forcefield systems did not seem to be engaging, at all either.


    She glanced at her sensor officer, who anticipating the question, ¡°Those lightning guns for lack of a better name, seem to be ionic in nature. They have completely disrupted every system on the dreadnought, weapons, shields, sensors, structural integrity, engines, you name it, its offline. Its effectively been disabled.¡±


    In other words, they had already rendered the Cathamari ship helpless, and they were still firing at it. There were other disabled ships in the area that weren¡¯t being fired on, but in every case sensors indicated no life signs aboard. That showed a pattern. While it was not one that sat well with her, it was a pattern she at least understood. These aliens offered no quarter, no mercy. A fact that only became more evident when one of the surviving battleships started launching escape pods. Those pods were immediately targeted and destroyed by one of the smaller vessels. All of them, in rapid succession.


    At that moment, she noted her Battleleader no longer giving orders, from behind her he commented, ¡°Brutal isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°War often is. Still for your first battle, you are doing quite well.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡±


    ¡°You are indeed. Anyway, this battle is almost over. I hope you paid attention when the instructors taught you how to negotiate. We are going to need these aliens to remain friendly.¡±


    She nodded, and said, ¡°I know. Just the battle doesn¡¯t look over.¡±


    ¡°Trust me it is. The Cathamari recognize that as well.¡± he pointed at the screen, ¡°See some of them are already trying to brave the minefield, rather than stay and fight.¡±


    He was right. Quite a few ships had gathered into a group, and were pushing into the field. Guns firing ahead, aiming for the mines. They were small, hard-to-hit targets, but they were scoring hits. The mines however seemed able to take a couple of hits before exploding. As such quite a few were still getting through the flak screen, where they swarmed the ships. The entire group went down one by one over the course of a few minutes. None got through the field. There were simply too many mines, and not enough guns to protect them.


    She turned her attention elsewhere and noted that the alien dreadnought had stopped firing on the Cathamari dreadnought. The massive ship was still intact, but predictably there were no longer any life readings on the massive warship, nor did the ship still support an atmosphere. It had been entirely vented to space.  The remaining half of the Cathamari fleet was in total disarray, they had no coordination at all. Vessels were fleeing, afew were working together, but it seemed to have become every ship for itself.


    In very short order after the dreadnought went down, the remaining two hundred ships sank. Their crews were annihilated, there were no Cathamari survivors. The aliens had offered no mercy, no quarter. They did not take prisoners, they simply destroyed them with impunity. When the last Cathamari ship went down, the alien dreadnought turned towards the Teketh. Closing to ten thousand Metrasi, and coming to a halt dead afore. Moments later, the comm console lit up, and her communications officer informed her, ¡°We are being hailed, short-range sublight band.¡±


    She gestured to the main viewscreen, and said, ¡°On screen.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Seven First Contact

    Countryman studied the ship they had just rescued. According to the Cathamari database they had created from ships they had captured, it was a Krall cruiser. A race that Humanity had never encountered before. There were some notes in there about the Krall, but he chose to take them with a grain of salt. As they seemed to be colored with a bit of propaganda. The ship itself had rugged durable lines, with a trace of elegance. She looked to be a ship of war built to take a pounding and dish one right back. The ship had a roughly triangular shape, with a rugged heavily armored forward hull, that bristled with beam arrays. Followed by an armored but narrower rectangular hull section that soon flared into a wide armored rear segment with backswept wings. Angled backward, a heavily armored tower rose towards a small disk-shaped segment. A set of rectangular engine pods were mounted at the ends of the two wings. It didn¡¯t take much of a glance to tell that the ship favored a forward firing arc, but she did have beam arrays that could fire in other directions.


    It was no surprise then to note, that the rear sections were heavily decimated. The ship''s bridge appeared to be buried in a reinforced section just above the main engineering, which placed it near the base of the armored tower at the rear. The disk at the top of the tower appeared to be one of the ship''s primary sensor clusters, but it also mounted an omnidirectional beam array. Not to mention a shield generator, one of several generators that made up the aft shield grid. There were other less prominent projections that also mounted similar sensor clusters.


    The bridge did not appear to have been hit, but her engines were clearly gone. Her shields were failing, and damage had been sustained to much of her hull. Half her weapon systems were down. The damage was fairly heavy but honestly didn¡¯t look irreparable. If they could get back to port, a skilled yard crew would be able to repair her and get her battle-ready in a couple of weeks. Her hull did appear to be modular, which would simplify the repair process.


    The Enterprise came to a stop in front of the ship, and Misaki began hailing the ship. It wasn¡¯t long before they responded. Automated systems began exchanging lingual code data. The systems found a common language both races knew and using that language as a reference point created a translation matrix. An instant later, an alien female appeared on his screen. Her figure seemed generally reptilian, but the fact that she had pronounced breasts did not escape his notice. That was a mammalian trait, so she likely wasn¡¯t a reptile. Perhaps something else. She had a soft and short snout, purple and silver scales dotted her face. She was wearing a ship suit that didn¡¯t do much to conceal her figure, and made her modest breasts stand out a little more. In a strange way, she looked kind of cute.


    He introduced himself, ¡°I am Captain Countryman of the EFS Enterprise, and you are?¡±


    ¡°Ship-leader Tika, of the IKS Teketh.¡± her expression shifted, ¡°We are grateful for the assistance, but...¡±


    ¡°You are wondering if you could trouble us for more help? We might be able to assist you in that regard, but our material resources are a bit limited. Not to mention we have to leave this system before the Cathamari miss that fleet. Best not to stick around too long.¡±


    Her face took on a bit of a frown, ¡°I have the feeling we have different ideas on my problem. I was actually wondering if you would be able to give us a tow. We have a port in a more friendly area of space where we can hold a nice conversation, its about 27 lightyears away.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Well if you don¡¯t mind the trip taking thirty-three years, 273 days, and eighteen hours we could do that.¡±


    Her frown deepened, and she didn¡¯t seem to know what to say at first. Then finally she asked, ¡°Why would it take that long?¡±


    ¡°Simple, we can¡¯t tow things at warp. That is how long it would take to tow your ship 27 lightyears, assuming an average velocity of .8c. That''s kind of why I wasn¡¯t even going to offer a tow. I was offering to help fix your engines.¡±


    She gave him a skeptical look, ¡°After what the Cathamari did to them, they would need a complete rebuild.¡±


    ¡°Something we can do. If we had the materials, and the blueprints for a new engine module.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I see. Although you mentioned your own resources were limited, and then there was the bit about not wanting to stick around. I¡¯m not sure it would be right to impose like that. Anyway, my people do know a fair amount about warp propulsion systems, even if we don¡¯t use them ourselves. I think my engineers might be able to help modify your systems to allow for warp speed towing.¡±


    Countryman blinked, that might be useful. ¡°Interesting might be worth discussing. While you are at it, maybe some of you could consult with my own scientists. We¡¯ve been conducting warp engine research, and anything you might be willing to give us on the subject would be much appreciated.¡±


    She took that in, and after a moment, ¡°It might be better to discuss such things face to face.¡±


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°Sure, we can do that. Would you like to discuss things on my ship or yours?¡±


    She glanced off screen, and after a moment the alien captain, replied, ¡°It might be more comfortable if we meet on your ship. I¡¯m afraid my conference room is in shambles.¡±


    ¡°Certainly. We will standby to receive your party. My operations officer will send you docking instructions for your shuttle.¡±


    A moment after that, they closed the channel. Countryman smiled. It seemed things were going well enough so far. Although both sides were understandably a little guarded. It was a first contact situation, and with that came a great deal of unknowns and uncertainties. Neither side really knew much about the other, and were understandably not sure about what they could reveal. Glancing at his display, he was glad to see both destroyers had already gone to warp. They needed to get back to Rigel Kent II and complete the evacuation. They were also ordered to scuttle the Horizon. It seemed they no longer had time to debate what to do with it. As such he had made the decision preemptively to scuttle the ship. They needed to be out of the system by the time the Cathamari miss that fleet. Thankfully since the Cathamari were limited to about warp four it would be weeks before a second fleet could arrive, but the sooner they left the better. Heading for a Krall port actually sounded like a good place to go, but how good remained to be seen. This face to face meeting would give him a better chance to gauge what kind of people they are. Something more reliable than a few Cathamari library entries.


    <hr>


    Tika let out a breath, as the channel closed. While brief their conversation had certainly raised a few questions, and painted a brief window into what kind of people these aliens were. While hard to tell thanks to the dim lighting on the alien bridge, they looked a lot like Valorians, but she had never seen one with that skin color. She rather doubted they were some offshoot of Valorian though. The Enterprise conformed to a very different design philosophy from theirs.


    Turning from her screen, she noted her sensor officer looking like she had something to say. She gestured for her to go ahead.


    The younger girl smiled, ¡°While you were talking, I managed to penetrate the energy field keeping us from scanning their interior. That ship is actually rather fascinating, and I believe we misidentified it earlier. Its definitely not a dreadnought like we first thought. It has the size and defenses of one, but an interior scan shows its clearly intended for a different role.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°I believe their offer to repair our engines was actually genuine. Internal scans indicate that their belly contains a wide array of industrial equipment, factories, refineries, processing plants. Along with deployable docking arms, and even a few robotic arms of the type you might find at a shipyard. I don¡¯t believe she was designed as a dreadnought, but rather a mobile fleet support ship. Just she is much better armed than any such vessel I have seen before, in fact, the Enterprise has the capacity of a medium carrier, and enough firepower to outgun most heavy cruisers.¡±


    ¡°I see. I guess that explains a few things about her. Anything else I should know?¡±


    ¡°My bio scanners indicate there is almost fifty thousand of them over there. I suggest you be careful.¡±


    ¡°I see, well, if things go as planned this will just be a nice friendly chat.¡±


    The sensor officer, glanced at her console, ¡°Well thankfully they seem to be in the same mood. They have powered down their weapons, and their energy signature dropped like a rock when they did.¡±


    She stretched a bit, as she considered who to take with her. Her Battle-leader may be a male, but he was also more experienced then her, it might be useful to have a man''s perspective as well. So she definitely should take him. Maybe one more male. He wouldn¡¯t be much use, but it would make the crew feel better if she went over there with at least one bodyguard. It wasn¡¯t the wisest choice, but choosing their ship for the meeting had been a calculated move. If she had wanted more neutral ground, she could have suggested a planet in the system. There was one not to far from here with a breathable atmosphere, but choosing their ship sent a message. One that indicated that they were willing to trust these newcomers. These discussions were going to shape future relations between the Krall, and these aliens for whom she had no name yet. Then again, she had not yet given them the name of her people either. Something to resolve when they met face to face. There was also something else she would need to do before she went over. Her translator implant would need to be updated with their lingual code. There was no such thing as a universal translator. Computers during first contact would exchange lingual codes, and produce a translation. Allowing conversation to take place, but this process took time. Having a common language both computers recognized could speed up the process, and that happened here since they both knew Cathamari lingual code.


    Translator implants were a fairly common piece of cybernetic technology that would translate spoken alien languages into something the user could understand. However they could only do that if they had the requisite language pack installed, and they did not allow you to speak with an alien, only understand them. If the alien also had an implant or the less invasive translator earpiece, they too would be able to understand you. Thereby allowing a conversation to take place. It was a very useful piece of technology, but actually learning the other language would go a long way. Nuances and complex concepts could become lost in translation.


    It didn¡¯t take her long to decide who she would bring with her. Among the people, she would bring was not just the Battle-Leader and a male guard. Given the state of her ship, the chief engineer would have to stay behind to direct repairs, but she was going to be bringing an engineer along. One of her science officers as well would be needed, and her sensor officer came to mind for that role. As she was leaving the bridge her sensor officer, said, ¡°hmm, I think I figured out why their ship is the way it is. I don¡¯t think she can go much faster than 20 times the speed of light, which would explain why it took so long for them to respond to our distress call. Their ships are incredibly slow, at least when it comes to FTL travel.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll keep that in mind when we talk to them.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Eight Exchange

    Tika stepped off the shuttle. It had been a short trip, followed by a wait while the bay pressurized. That wasn¡¯t something she was used to, but it did allow her to discuss things with her party. One thing they had noted, was the Enterprise had deployed a number of small shuttles. Lightly armed with only a couple of short-range particle cannons and protected only by some thin dispersion plating. They weren¡¯t designed for combat though, they featured some fairly robust engines, and came standard with some rather primitive tractor beam systems. So primitive they required a special disk to latch onto a target''s hull in order to establish a lock. Still it was better than grapplers. Most cultures moved past that tractor beam type within a decade or two after discovering it.


    They could probably help them improve their tractor beams, but their main goal was to get them ready for warp towing. Not to mention they planned to offer help in upgrading their engines. Warp three was barely sufficient for interstellar travel, and it would take over a year to get back to port at that speed. Months at warp four, but it would also take a couple of months for ships to get out here to tow them back. Getting them to warp four minimum would allow them to get home faster than waiting for tugs. Not to mention they were vulnerable here. The Cathamari had fleet bases a lot closer, and a second attack would doom them. The aliens didn¡¯t want to stick around either, and she had a feeling they too didn¡¯t want to deal with another Cathamari fleet.


    A few armored men greeted them as they stepped off, and the alien captain Countryman stood not far away, waiting to speak with them. She looked around and noted that this smaller upper deck shuttlebay they had been directed to was as dimly lit as their bridge. You would expect it to be well lit, so perhaps they were nocturnal? Valorians like the Krall were diurnal, so this was just more evidence they weren¡¯t Valorian. She approached the captain and introduced herself again before saying, ¡°It occurs to me I neglected to mention who my people are. I represent the Krall Imperium, and you?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I represent the People of Sol. We would rather not discuss it, but it would be hard to hide it. What you see around you is all that is left of our civilization, thanks to the Cathamari. We came here hoping to have some time in relative peace, but it seems that was not to be.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°You did?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°As far as the Cathamari are aware we have no ability for star travel. That was an illusion we were hoping to maintain. This system was just far enough from our homeworld to provide some safety, and allow us to work on certain projects before we set out looking for some new world to call home.¡±


    Realizing what he was saying, she said, ¡°That fleet showing up, ruined those plans of yours. Well, you helped us, and it would not be right to leave you with nothing. I think we are in a position to help each other.¡±


    Countryman gestured for the door, ¡°I was thinking the same. Let''s sit down before we discuss the particulars. I¡¯ve prepared a conference room where we can meet, and convened a few of my officers for this discussion.¡±


    She nodded, and allowed him to lead the way. Two of his guards joined them, and they headed out of the dimly lit shuttlebay, into a dark corridor. Lit only by the occasional overhead light, and blue light strips set in the walls. The lighting was frankly terrible, but it was enough to see where they were going. The lighting was a little better near each door, just enough that they could clearly see the alien script labeling the doorways. Tika finally decided to comment on the lighting. Countryman soon replied.


    ¡°As I said, our resources are limited. I know you scanned my tanks. What you saw is all the fuel we have. The lighting is part of our conservation measures. It might not seem like much, but dimming the lights helps a lot. More than most would think in fact, especially on a ship this large.¡±


    So perhaps they weren¡¯t so nocturnal as she thought. Although she wished they had thought to turn the lights up a little. It would have been a little more comfortable. As it would turn out the conference room while still dim was better lit than any other room she had seen.


    <hr>


    The conference went well enough. At least from Tika¡¯s perspective. She ended up meeting their chief engineer and head scientist. Lovely young ladies, that certainly knew a thing or two about their subjects. Surprisingly Countryman seemed to know as much as those two. The meeting had ended a while ago, and she had headed back to her ship. Her sensor officer had stayed with them, and she was sending a few engineers over to consult with the human engineers. During the meeting, she had learned that they called themselves human. Talking with them, and getting a look at some of their technology gave her a rough idea of where they were in terms of development. If the Cathamari had not attacked them, they likely would have developed into a power that might have rivaled the Imperium. As it was they were already on par or ahead of many of the local powers. The Enterprise itself was quite impressive, if slow by current standards. Something they could fix. What the Cathamari did to these people was frankly detestable. No wonder they offered the Cathamari no mercy, no quarter. Tika likely would have done the same if she had been in their place.


    <hr>


    Richards showed the Krall girl, she had been escorting into the engine room. On the way here, she and Ruri had been conversing with the Krall officer on the finer points of warp theory. The Krall had agreed to help them enhance their engines. Something they were already doing, but with outside input they would likely be done in a fraction of the time. Now that they were on the clock she knew that was going to be important.


    Stopping in the door, she told the Krall, ¡°This is the main engine room, we have a second in the secondary hull that is directly responsible for the warp engines. The main drives and most of the other systems are controlled here. That module over there, is the main fusion reactor for the primary hull, and supplies power directly to three of our five primary sublight engines. There is a second reactor that supplies the power to the other two, and each engine has its own back up reactor. Anyway, we can get to work on the mag tractors from here, at least for anything that doesn¡¯t require a physical alteration to them.¡±


    The Krall girl nodded, looked around, and then her gaze focused on a console. Richards blinked when she realized that she had left it open earlier. Right on the screen was the data for Ruri¡¯s latest compression modules. They hadn¡¯t been tested yet, and Ruri wanted her input on the designs. The girl took a look at them, and said, ¡°These look interesting, are they prototypes?¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Richards sighed, ¡°A proposed revision for prototypes we tested not that long ago. Ruri here wanted my input before she went and built them.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡±


    She glanced at Ruri who nodded, and Richard said, ¡°go ahead.¡±


    The girl tapped away at the console, looked them over, and then made a few alterations. ¡°I think those minor changes will improve the performance. Still, the base design was actually rather impressive.¡±


    Ruri beamed, ¡°You liked my work?¡±


    ¡°Its some of the best I have seen outside the Imperium. Its very impressive coming from someone so young.¡±


    Ruri giggled, ¡°I¡¯m not as young as I look. This year was my ninetieth birthday.¡±


    Richards blinked, she had no idea Ruri was that old. She certainly didn¡¯t look or act that old. It seemed the Krall girl was surprised as well, ¡°90? You have lived that long?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°We can live to be much older. The captain is a hundred ninety-one years old, making him the oldest living member of our race. Both of us have several centuries to look forward to, in fact.¡±


    ¡°I uh, see. I thought since you looked so much like a Valorian that you were no more than twenty cycles. From the sound of it your species lives much longer than they do.¡±


    ¡°Valorian?¡± they both inquired at once.


    ¡°The Valorians are a species that looks very much like your own, except their skin is typically a light shade of blue. Other colors are possible, but the beige tones of your race is not one of them. Anyway, they share a border with the Imperium. They are one of our more peaceful neighbors. If you ever find yourself in need of something, it might be a good idea to look them up. They maintain a number of ports, that welcome just about anyone, as long as you have something to trade.¡±


    Richards said they would keep that in mind. That might prove useful. The Krall seemed like they might just be that much-needed ally they needed, but more friends would always be good. Not to mention, if these Valorians proved to be the friendly traders the Krall claimed they were, they might prove to be good friends as well. She then approached the console, and brought up the warp drive, and the mag tractors. The two systems they actually promised to help with.


    The first thing the Krall woman commented on was the cooling array, ¡°That is a rather unusual cooling system you have there. Never seen anything like it. Definitely not the norm, most would just use a radiator to deal with the heat output of a warp drive.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Yes, the Cathamari used them, and so did some of our earlier prototypes. Unfortunately, radiators are rather inefficient and fragile. That fragility can be compensated for to a degree, but frankly, many of us just didn¡¯t like having to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°So naturally you created a pure heat recycler cooling set up. I do have to congratulate you on your ingenuity. Other races use heat recyclers, but always in conjunction with a radiator.¡±


    Richards commented, ¡°You seem to know quite a bit, given your position.¡±


    The Krall girl giggled, ¡°I guess, until you realize that being the sensor officer on a starship means a lot of analysis work. That includes looking at alien technology, and determining what it does. I¡¯ve ended up learning quite a lot about disparate alien technologies. Its why I chose to be a sensor officer. I like looking at alien ships.¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°Anyway, we should get started on the engine it won¡¯t be long before your fellows show up, and it would be nice to have everything ready when they get here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we should. There are a few things to note as well. I can see a clear Cathamari influence in the design, but the engine is quite different from theirs as well.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Well naturally. We were already experimenting with warp drive before we ever encountered the Cathamari. Being able to study captured Cathamari components, merely accelerated the program. Not to mention we had to adapt their design to our own.¡±


    That launched a discussion, that the other Krall ended up joining when they arrived. Richards managed to keep up, but only because she was well versed in the subjects. Within hours, they started discussing the problems they faced going at higher warp factors. The engine itself all agreed was able to go faster, especially thanks to the adaptive structural field generator compensating for the effects of coil stress. The problem was in the cooling system. The Rydium based array, was not something they had seen before, but the Krall had knowledge of a quite a few disparate cooling methods. With their help, they were able to redesign the cooling system, the rydium based components remained largely the same. The configuration was altered a bit so that they could function better with the new Krall-human design for the rest of the cooling system.


    Stepping back from the Console, the Krall sensor officer smiled, ¡°I think that will work. All we have to do now is test it. If it works, we will have created the galaxy¡¯s first warp five stealth engine!¡±


    Richards blinked, she knew their simulations showed the system handling heat up to warp five, but she wasn¡¯t sure what she meant about stealth. Ruri beat her to asking the question though.


    She sighed, ¡°I should have guessed. Once Interstellar travel comes about, its not long before techniques to track those ships moving faster than light come about. With warp ships, the best way to track them is by energy signature. Hyperlight sensors capable of picking up, and relaying energy signatures at faster than light speeds are required. Radiators dump a lot of excess heat into space in the form of light, which these sensors can easily pick up. Your ship on the other hand while slow can¡¯t be tracked at all in this manner, and if our upgrade works, you will be competitive with most of the local powers in terms of speed. Along with being immune to normal tracking methods. There are others that can detect a ship moving at warp though. So not completely invisible yet, but getting there.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, we mainly chose using a heat exchanger cooling setup because it is more efficient at least in terms of fuel consumed, and being a fully internal structure also made it more attractive to us. I am sure you noticed, but we don¡¯t have energy screens to protect our hull.¡±


    The Krall sensor officer nodded, ¡°Yes, I did. That dispersion plating you have is quite remarkable.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Nine Warp Five

    Williams cursed. That damn machine was letting aliens near the engines. If the Cathamari were any indication, you can¡¯t trust aliens. He should have destroyed the other alien ship, not stuck around to help them. Hell, they shouldn¡¯t have been out here in the first place. Thankfully there were a few people who seemed to understand. Unfortunately, they were all a vast minority, and none of them were in a position to really do anything about it.


    She cursed again, as she remembered the news. Sanchez her aide had just informed her that their damage control plan had failed. The young man they gave the job to had even gotten himself arrested. Worse, it had happened quietly with no one even noticing. If it wasn¡¯t so laughable an idea, she would have assumed that the machine had somehow known about their plan. That was ridiculous, she and Sanchez were the only two people who really knew what the plan was. She had taken every precaution, even checking for bugs. She also highly doubted Sanchez would have told him. Sanchez hated everything going on here as much as she did. Williams had made sure of it. Yet somehow that machine knew enough about their plan to stop it without anyone noticing. Almost as if nothing actually happened.


    Glancing out the viewport, she glared at the alien ship simply sitting there. She knew that like the Cathamari it was simply a menace hiding a knife. These Krall simply had more guile than those scaly brutes. She just had to get them to show it if plan A failed. Perhaps they needed a new plan. Then maybe people would take these threats all around them seriously. Just she wasn¡¯t sure what else she could do. Ah she would figure it out, but in the meantime, she had to figure out how that machine had known what she was up to. It was the only explanation for how badly her first plan had failed.


    <hr>


    Tika watched her screens. It had been a few days since the battle, and the meeting. The Humans however seemed to be quite industrious. She had monitored several tests of the new configuration, and they were already almost done modifying their engines to the new specs. In the more immediate vicinity, they had cleaned up all evidence that a battle had taken place. Every Cathamari ship in the area had been broken down and processed. In fact, if she looked out the window, she could see the makeshift cargo barge, they had put together to stow most of the salvage on. Anything they couldn¡¯t fit in their own cargo holds was stowed on that barge.


    The barge wasn¡¯t anything special. It was nothing more than an assemblage of bulkheads and hull plating that he had been put together to hold its dense cargo of salvage cubes. While it had no engines of its own, or any life-support either, they had outfitted it with a couple of fuel pods, a reactor, and structural integrity generators. They had also bothered to armor it, a light layer of their dispersion plating around the entire thing about a half meter thick. Apparently, they put the plating on it to protect the barge from possible translight impacts.


    Apparently, these humans never heard of deflectors. Their ships didn¡¯t even have deflector shields, either. As such their solution to the problem of translight particle impacts was actually rather unique. Instead of fitting their interstellar ships with a deflector, they went the more complicated and expensive route of giving them armor that could easily withstand those impacts.


    Speaking of their armor, it was reasonably impressive. Very strong, and quite resilient. It was not however invincible. It had only seemed that way at first, since the Cathamari had used up most of their torpedoes on the Teketh. Keeping the shields up had not been easy because of that. Even with the shields up they had taken hull damage, and hull breaches. Mainly due to the Cathamari focusing their attacks on any grid that showed signs of failing. It was a testament to her crew''s skills that they had survived as long as they had. Although they likely wouldn¡¯t have lasted much longer, if the Enterprise hadn¡¯t intervened. The suddenness of her intervention may have also caught the Cathamari off guard as well. It certainly left them in a bit of disarray, allowing the Humans to inflict a fair amount of damage, and then the Cathamari flagship went down just as they were starting to reorganize. Perhaps if the Cathamari had been able to coordinate their own attacks more effectively they might have done better.


    In fact they had out of curiosity run a few simulations, and learned a few things about that dispersion plating in the process. While a ship¡¯s best and most potent defense is to simply not be where the enemy is shooting, shields and armor are what a ship relies upon when she does take a hit. That plating makes for a potent defense, comparable to the defensive shields of the Valorians, who excel with energy shields like no one else does. Like any shield it could also be overwhelmed with a heavy bombardment. The plating relies on an energy field being run through the hull to maintain armor integrity, and with each hit that field slightly depletes. Enough hits in a short enough window will deplete the field, and the ship would start taking damage just like any energy shield. The other option just like a shield would be a potent focused attack, something the armor was specifically designed to prevent. The best bet for that would actually be a torpedo, and that is something the Humans seem aware of. As all three of their ships have potent point defenses, and an interception grid. Overall, she would rank the Humans as defensively competitive with the major powers, their weapons while also impressive actually marked lower. Their particle cannons, and beam arrays while intriguing were more in line with what the Krall were using about five hundred years ago.


    Their torpedoes and mines were more interesting due to their shield penetration ability. She knew there were certain people who would be quite interested in her scans of those devices. The Krall had no real equivalent to that modification for their own projectile weapons. The warheads were also interesting, they were using a fusion-based cascade detonation warhead, in other words they were photon warheads, designed to unleash a massive photon burst upon detonation. The key to that detonation actually lay in the casing which was composed of specially selected polymers and a metal lining. When the fusion core undergoes a cascade reaction the casing breaks down unleashing the photon burst. The resulting yield is several magnitudes greater than any fusion-based weapon she had seen before, and rivals an antimatter warhead in terms of yield. The yield seems to be variable, but those mines had each detonated with a force equal to several ¡®gigatons¡¯. That massive yield was why that first battleship simply exploded after being hit by only one mine, and if it hadn¡¯t gone through the shields in their weakened state the ship would have been crippled by that blast. Their torpedoes exhibited a lower maximum yield, but that was largely due to the fact that they mounted a much smaller warhead. That made them no less impressive though.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Seeing those weapons, and what they had done with simple fusion based explosives. It made her wonder what they could do with an antimatter warhead. Given what they had, she figured she would likely find out in a few years. They already have the technology for one. She had no doubt the results would be impressive. Maybe they would even devise something that could rival her own spatial torpedoes. Those were some of the most powerful torpedoes known to Krall science. The warhead didn¡¯t exactly detonate though, instead it generated an intense spatial distortion field that ripped ships apart. In many respects spatial warheads were terrifying weapons, but they struggled to penetrate energy screens. The humans however had shown her both a solution to that, and a counter. They were clearly a race worthy of respect, and already she could see they were destined for great things. A race that would if given the opportunity make an excellent ally or terrible foe. With the bonds forged here today, she was going to bank on the former. In addition she planned to do what she could to give them the opportunity to rebuild, and one day become the major power they were meant to be. Tika already had a few ideas that the port she had mentioned would provide the opportunity for.


    <hr>


    Countryman settled into his command chair. He had recently finished his paperwork, and it was fast approaching time to depart. The test ships for the new warp configuration had as promised actually reached the coveted speed of warp five. Interactions with these Krall had certainly been a great boon. It gave him hope for the little bit of input they had given Ruri for her weapons project as well. They had not yet tested the proposed modification to the experimental compression modules, but that was largely due to the hurry they now had to get underway. The prototypes were already completed however and sitting in his launchbay waiting for testing. He planned to have that done later when the opportunity presented itself.


    At the moment, the Umikaze was taking up position to tow their new salvage barge. It was more stuff than they could take with them, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to leave it here for the Cathamari to find. Not to mention when they got here to find and empty system it would leave them with a bit of a mystery on their hands.


    At the moment, however, he was much more looking forward to the moment they made the jump to warp speed. In many respects, this was something he had been working towards for much of his life. Not to mention this was going to be a truly historic occasion, and it would mark the Enterprise as one of humanity''s first warp five starships, alongside the Coto and Umikaze. A thousand times the speed of light, it was like a dream come true, and it would open up the galaxy. Warp three was barely sufficient for interstellar travel, and while it did expand their range of travel immensely it was limited to the local sector. Warp four was much faster, and would allow them to explore more than just one small sector of the galaxy in their lifetime. Afterall to travel twenty lightyears at warp three would take two years, at warp four you could do the same in just 73 days, which is a little over two months. At warp five that same twenty lightyears could be crossed in a week. A mere week for twenty lightyears. That made the prospect of finding a new world that suited their needs infinitely more likely. It would have taken lifetimes crawling along at warp three. At warp four, they stood a chance of finding one in their lifetime, but at warp five the number of systems they could visit in a year would be greatly expanded. Giving them a much better chance of finding a new world to call their own in their own lifetime, especially when one considered that modern humans could easily live to be a couple hundred years old, and if the math was right he would likely be around a good deal longer.


    The prospect of traveling at warp five reminded him of his own youth when he once dreamed of exploring the galaxy, and now suddenly that dream was very real. It would take a lifetime to truly explore the galaxy, especially at warp five. The galaxy was a hundred thousand lightyears across and encompassed over a hundred billion distinct star systems. Given it would take a century just to cross from one side of the galaxy to the other at warp five, he would never be able to explore its entirety, not in his own lifetime. That didn¡¯t make this moment any less momentous though. Thanks to a little help from the Krall, they now stood a chance of finding a new world to call their own. One that would be safe from further Cathamari aggression, at least until their empire expanded some more, or they developed better engines. Hmm perhaps there was a way to buy more time, they had enough junk, and knew a fair bit about Cathamari design. They also recovered a few intact transponders. Already a plan was forming in his mind, although he would certainly want a more intact Cathamari hull than they currently have. That would help, in addition, he would need some more components for this plan, components that he had every reason to believe he could obtain from the Krall. They were heading for a Krall port afterall, and if there was a military port in the system, chances are there was a civilian one nearby as well. They certainly had enough junk to trade.


    Finally, he received the report he was waiting for. He gave the order, and moments later they took the crippled Teketh in tow and made the jump to warp speed. He watched the speed indicator on his own side console, as the ship rapidly accelerated. He couldn¡¯t help but smile when they reached warp five without issue. A whole wealth of systems were now open for them to explore.

 Chapter Thirty Illeria

    The Krall base commander watched her screens. One of her own ships, the Teketh was being towed into port by an alien vessel. One of a design she had not seen before. There were three of these ships that she could see, although it had taken some clever work to actually resolve them clearly on the scanner. The aliens used some kind of dispersion plating to protect their hulls, but it also had the benefit of disrupting scanning beams. As such sensors had to be adjusted to compensate for the effect. If weren¡¯t for the fact that two of the ships were actively towing something, she never would have seen them, and technically they weren¡¯t even cloaked.


    Honestly, she was quite curious what exactly transpired for the Teketh to end up being towed back to port by aliens, but neither the aliens nor the Teketh were currently able to respond to her hails. Not in a real-time conversation anyway. The Teketh¡¯s long-range communications array had taken a hit, Cathamari plasma torpedo from the looks of it. The array was partially intact, and she was able to send messages. The receiver array was the part that was utterly destroyed. Her commander had thoughtfully sent her a report, but that was no substitute for a proper conversation.


    As for the aliens, they didn¡¯t have any long-range communication arrays in the first place. She had tried hailing them, only to end up feeling foolish when her sensor officers informed her that they were limited to short-range sublight bands only. A rather novel experience for her. Faster-than-light communications were rather widespread among cultures capable of faster-than-light travel. There were like drives a few different methods for achieving it, but such communications were a vital necessity. Thankfully most cultures tended to use similar methods for it. Hyperspace communications also known as subspace communications was by far the most common method for achieving faster than light communication. It was compatible with most sublight bands, but the transmissions themselves were sent through hyperspace, and since a signal could be sent at layers deeper than any ship could reach, the transmissions were several orders of magnitude greater. The most advanced hyperdrives in the quadrant were currently limited to about eight hundred times the speed of light, but a hyperspace transmission could travel at more than a thousand times that speed. Allowing for largely instantaneous communication over vast distances, assuming you were in comm range of course. Like any signal, it was subject to degradation. The Imperium maintained a network of repeaters and so did everyone they knew of. Those networks were what insured real-time communications were possible from one end of the Imperium to the other.


    Obviously, these aliens hadn¡¯t yet developed that technology. She doubted they would take long to figure it out though. It was one of those techs that quickly came about once a civilization started traveling the stars. Communication was so vital to a civilization that naturally everyone would be looking to solve the slow speed of radio and photonic communications, at least by interstellar standards. Hell even before cracking the lightspeed barrier many civilizations were already looking into that. Especially if they already had a second colony in their own home star system. Even on a local system scale, sublight communication bands while faster than a courier ship would still take minutes, or even hours depending on how far away the recipient is from the sender. For most colonies that would be closer to the minute''s scale, but some colonies might be hours away from the homeworld for a comm signal. Not only did that mean real-time communication wasn¡¯t available, but in an emergency that slow communication could be a problem, especially for an outer system mining colony which would likely be hours away for a comm signal, and then even longer for a ship to actually arrive to provide aid. For spacefaring powers, it was quite obvious how insufficient a sublight comm system was for their needs, as the problems found on the local scale became exacerbated when you moved on to interstellar scales.


    Regardless it was something to note, and it certainly placed another card in her inventory. She had no doubt that she would have to deal with them in the diplomatic arena. Since they were towing one of her own ships back to port it was evident enough that they were currently friendly, and had a sense of honor. Still, it was always best to act with an element of caution when meeting new civilizations. The academy still taught them about an incident during the early days of interstellar exploration. One where a small misunderstanding ended up sparking a war that lasted thirty years, and cost the lives of millions on both sides. A war that could have been avoided if they had been more cautious. Thankfully such incidents were rare, and the Imperium had learned from that encounter. Unfortunately, this encounter was happening more quickly than she would have liked, but there was little helping that. It just meant that she was going to have to be more careful. Hopefully, Ship-leader Tika could tell her what she would need to know to avoid any such misunderstandings. The Imperium had enough enemies, they didn¡¯t need to be looking for more.


    Glancing at the plot, she noticed that they were still too far for a proper conversation on short-range sublight comms. Close enough to connect, but there would be a very noticeable time delay. A few minutes now, but that was infinitely better than the hours it would have been when they first came out of warp on the edge of the system. They were moving at sublight speeds, but it was honestly at a fair clip. Not many ships would move at .8c for in-system transit. It spoke volumes that they weren¡¯t even decelerating yet. She had a feeling they weren¡¯t going to decelerate until they were practically on top of the port. Their engines however were rather unique so it was hard to really gauge what they could do. She did note that they were reactionless and emitted a faint graviton reading, perhaps some kind of anti-gravity engine. Although completely unlike any anti-grav engine she had seen before. The dispersion plating was more interesting. The enhancement field that ensured it maintained integrity actually had a rather high graviton reading count. That was interesting since it implied these aliens were using the graviton particle as part of a structural field. It was a novel and very different approach to structural fields.


    It was also interesting since their technology might yield clues to solving a problem that had been stymieing the Imperium¡¯s shield generator research for a little over a decade now. The Imperium was trying to produce a graviton-based shield matrix. A decade ago a novel prototype demonstrated the potential of such shielding. The prototype was able to completely protect the hull of an equipped vessel from battleship-grade plasma beam cannons, weapons that would normally rip through a shield with pure brute force. Unfortunately, it suffered from an abysmal recharge rate, the cause of this was difficulties faced with sufficient particle generation. The original prototype had required a starbase level power plant just to charge the matrix.


    Pushing that thought aside, she glanced at the plot again, and this time her eyes glanced over a report. She had skimmed it before, but she grabbed it again and started reading her mind once again working on the implications. Their weapons were interesting, but she had a feeling the Teketh¡¯s crew hadn¡¯t fully realized how special the particle cannons on those ships were. The cannons themselves weren¡¯t what piqued her interest but rather how they dealt with waste energy. It was a very remarkable system, even in the scans that was evident. Even if some elements weren¡¯t entirely obvious. From the look of things, they designed their system to shunt the entirety of the waste heat back into the primary capacitors, thereby reducing the amount of energy lost. Krall ships also made use of heat recyclers, but they couldn¡¯t produce one able to take the full heat of each shot. That waste heat had to go somewhere, and they used a subspace radiator to dump excess heat into hyperspace. Subspace radiators were nifty little devices able to get rid of vast amounts of energy by radiating it into hyperspace. They even used a few dedicated to the shield grids, which vastly improved the mitigation rates of their shields. Naturally, those radiators were heavily classified and the specs for them were closely guarded.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    The Valorians knew about them and were heavily interested in purchasing them, but at the moment the technology was not for sale. Besides the Valorians already had potent enough energy shields, they didn¡¯t need to have them improving them further with subspace radiators. Although they didn¡¯t want the tech just for the shields, but also their engines. The Valorians had a very efficient design for their warp drives, and it worked beautifully. It was a very elegant design, but like any warp drive the higher you pushed it the more heat the drive produced. The Valorians had been trying to breach the warp five barrier for decades now. Their ships were among some of the fastest in the region, but they capped out at warp four point eight two.  That made them slightly faster than the fastest hyperdrives in the region, and much faster than most Krall ships normally traveled. Although they could travel faster if they wanted to.


    Glancing at the plot, she smiled when she noticed they were now in proper hailing range. The ships were also starting to decelerate, and with that reduction in speed came a spike in graviton emissions, a massive spike. That was interesting, and it seemed to conform to her earlier thought that their engines were some kind of anti-gravity engine, although not completely. The emissions were not pure graviton, but something else was mixed in as well. The resulting pulse waves from the drive were applying a fair amount of thrust as well. The ships had already cut their speed in half, and they had only just started breaking maneuvers. She hoped her officers were taking notes. In the meantime, she opened a channel to the Teketh first. Ship-leader Tika may have been thorough with her report, there was much left unsaid that was of more interest to her than the straight facts left in the report. She wanted her impressions and insights into these aliens. It was vital to the success of the battle she was about to undertake. A battle of wits more than anything else, but a battle nonetheless. One where argument and the strength of one¡¯s word held paramount. As such, no weapon would suit her better on the battlefield than knowledge, and Tika was the one who held the knowledge she so sorely needed.


    <hr>


    Countryman shifted in his seat, glancing between the screens and his console. At the moment they were conducting final approach maneuvers and awaiting for docking instructions from the Krall starbase they were approaching. At the moment the starbase was talking to the Teketh, which was honestly expected.


    There was also some traffic in the area, not particularly heavy with about four hundred military ships in the system total at least that he could see. He had also noted the presence of several large vessels that he believed were freighters. The Starbase was the main orbital structure over the second planet of the system, which even from here looked to be fairly Earth-like, albeit warmer. Preliminary readings indicated vast swamps, and jungles covered much of the surface. There were a few deserts in the dryer equatorial regions, but no major settlements were there. The planet had quite a few large cities, and scans indicated a population of just under two billion. Thanks to Tika he knew a bit about this world. It was called Illeria, and it was one of the younger colonies in the Imperium with the first settlement being founded only thirty years ago. The Starbase and orbitals are more recent construction, built due to concerns over Cathamari aggression in the region, and the rising tensions between the Imperium and the Empire


    Illeria is a modest colony, but she is the largest of the Krall settlements in this sector. Not to mention the center of their local military operations. The planet was chosen to be the center of those operations for two major reasons, first, it was already a major trade center which meant an existing supply chain was already here. It even apparently already had something called an ¡®Inversion Gate.¡¯ Honestly, it sounded a bit like a stargate, but it wasn¡¯t. It was more of a catapult, with the second gate serving as a targeting beacon. Ships would arrive in the general vicinity of the gate, but they do not actually come through it. The gate didn¡¯t sound like the safest thing, but apparently, there was some mechanism at play to ensure a ship didn¡¯t emerge into real space in the same location as another ship. It was an interesting piece of technology, and apparently not the only stargate-esque piece of technology out there. Tika¡¯s people used Inversion Drive, and both Humans and Cathamari used Warp Drive. There was another drive type out there called hyperdrive, and it was reasonably common just like warp drive.


    Hyperdrive functions by making use of a domain called hyperspace but it was also called subspace. The domain of hyperspace conforms to somewhat different physical laws, that diverge more from normal space the deeper you go. The fastest hyperdrive equipped ships go no deeper than the third layer allowing for travel at about eight hundred times the speed of light. The stargate-esque hyperdrive technology is called a hypergate. Most hyperdrives are actually rather bulky, which prevents them from being mounted on anything other than a large capital ship. Hypergates are a workaround, they allow smaller ships unable to mount a hyperdrive to enter hyperspace. They can then travel to any other system that also has a Hypergate, and exit into normal space via that hypergate. This tech is closer than an Inversion Gate to a real stargate, but again it wasn¡¯t really one, since the speed of ships using them is no different than a ship equipped with a normal hyperdrive. In fact, they were usually slower than ships that actually had a hyperdrive. Not to mention the requirement of a gate both for entry and exit also limited their usefulness. Despite that, they were used extensively, especially for intersystem trade. Both types of gate were something he wanted to have a look at. Even if they weren¡¯t true stargates, they were still intriguing.


    Misaki looked up from her console, and informed him, ¡°We are being hailed by the starbase, sir.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°On screen.¡±


    The forward screen view then shifted to display a Krall female, an older one by the looks of it. Although that was mostly a guess on his part. She smiled, or gave her equivalent of one, and said, ¡°Greetings, and welcome to Ileira Starbase. I must thank you for your assistance, and I invite you to a discussion aboard our humble station.¡±


    He replied, ¡°Your welcome, and I accept your invitation.¡±


    She seemed happy to hear that and then informed him, ¡°I¡¯m sending navigational instructions over to you now. You are clear to dock at capital dock four, I¡¯m also sending a couple of tugs. They will take over towing of the Teketh, and tow her into berth so my engineers can get started on her repairs. I look forward to meeting you in person.¡±


    They exchanged a few final pleasantries, and then closed the channel. Sure enough docking instructions were sent. He planned to follow them, and ordered Eri to follow the course they sent. Before they had been keeping out of the traffic on their own, but now that they had instructions it was best to respect common courtesy and follow them. True to the station commander¡¯s word a couple of tugs were heading out their way as well. It seemed this meeting was going well so far, and as long as he kept Williams from doing anything stupid it would continue to go that way. They needed an ally and from what he could tell the Krall might just be the ally they were looking for.

 Interlude The Age-old Argument Energy Weapons vs Kinetics

    In space, there has always been some debate on which would be the dominant form of gunnery. However starting with mankind''s expansion into the Solar system in the mid-twenty-first century, and culminating with the Colonial Wars that ancient debate has now been answered. Energy weapons have largely replaced old-style mass driver weapons as the main guns of starships. Even alien races such as the Krall and the Cathamari don¡¯t employ such weapons on their ships, and favor energy-based weaponry instead. While some science fictions would have you believe that such weapons would remain effective in space, and could even dominate, the reality is they aren¡¯t such dominant weapons. They do have their advantages, but their conns as well.


    One major advantage kinetic weapons have over an energy projectile is that they do not suffer from dissipation. This means that once fired a round could travel pretty much indefinitely. This only affects their maximum range, however, and in no way impacts their effective range. Still against a large, slow-moving target, this means you can shoot from practically anywhere and still expect the round to hit. Especially if you can accurately predict where the round will land. Against smaller more agile targets, however, it means little.


    This brings us to one of the first conns. Kinetic rounds are actually fairly slow by space standards, and ships are quite fast. Engagements often occur in ranges in the tens of thousands of kilometers as well. This means it can be quite difficult to score hits reliably against a moving target such as a ship. Anything more than ten seconds travel from the firing ships is generally considered to be outside the effective range of a weapon, and hit chances are largely negligible even with computer aid.


    More to consider is that the rounds for a kinetic weapon take up physical space. In addition, to be effective against a starship, these rounds have to be fairly large, and a ship would also need to carry a fair number of them. That means they end up being rather bulky weapons without even considering the weapon itself. Modern kinetic weapons employ electromagnetic coils to accelerate projectiles to c-fractional velocities, these coils draw power from a series of capacitor banks which draw power from a primary reactor. This grants significantly more power to the weapon than any chemical propellant, but it also makes it larger. So in the end these weapons are fairly bulky.


    Not to mention they are also expensive to operate. Each round fired has to be manufactured, and there is a cost associated with that. The energy cost of firing the round however is actually negligible, and the same is true of firing an energy weapon. Where a single round from a mass driver can cost upwards of several thousand credits and takes up a fair amount of physical space, while an energy round is only a few dozen credits and takes no space. That doesn¡¯t even factor in the logistical considerations or the fact that an energy weapon simply has higher endurance during a battle.


    Those weren¡¯t the only nails in the coffin of mass drivers. The other nails have to deal with advancing defensive systems. As ships advanced, they started mounting ever-increasing defenses against kinetic impacts. Structural fields, optimized armor schemes, and in the case of alien vessels even deflector screens. These mounting defenses made it increasingly harder for kinetic weapons to actually have a major impact without them being prohibitively large and/or fast. Worse these every evolving defenses require elaborate penetrator mechnisms to deal with. A fact that greatly increases the individual cost of each round. As a result of all these most kinetic weapons are largely useless against ships, even when inside their honestly short effective range. Those that aren¡¯t are often prohibitively expensive. Energy weapons on the other hand can penetrate these defenses much more easily and more cheaply. Not to mention they are much easier to maintain on the logistical side of the equation.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Energy weapons on the other hand can be fired as long as a ship has fuel, with the main limiters being how quickly the ship¡¯s reactors can recharge the capacitor cells, and how quickly ship systems can dissipate heat. Properly maintained an energy weapon can fire virtually indefinitely. In addition, they can also fire faster while delivering similar or greater firepower when compared to kinetic rounds. While they lack the range, they do make up for it with a superior velocity, and consequently a larger effective range envelope. Since they don¡¯t require bulky magazines or mechanical reloading systems they are also smaller even after factoring in the needed cooling systems. Even better the capacitor systems for them aren¡¯t much larger than those already used for kinetic weapons. The result is lower logistical strain and footprint for these weapons. Not to mention a quantifiable increase in firepower.


    Of course, energy weapons haven¡¯t completely replaced projectile-based weapons. A projectile can travel much further than any energy blast. As such many ships carry a complement of torpedoes and missiles to supplement their primary energy weapons. Unlike kinetic rounds, these projectiles are guided, mount their own engines, and carry a destructive warhead. They can hit agile targets from well outside the main gun ranges of most warships, and deliver the highest destructive force of any known weapon, which justifies the high logistical cost of these weapons. Make no mistake they are expensive weapons, more expensive than kinetic weapons, but unlike kinetic weapons, they have not been rendered obsolete and impotent by the advent of energy weaponry. Although that isn¡¯t to say there aren¡¯t certain niches where a kinetic weapon might prove advantageous, orbital bombardment is one where their supreme range becomes inherently beneficial for example. However, in such a role, it is often easier to make use of readily available space debris and a tractor beam to accelerate that debris towards a target. There is little reason to waste valuable space actually carrying rounds, and a dedicated kinetic weapon for that purpose.


    In conclusion, kinetic weapons fell out of favor due to diminishing effectiveness, space concerns, logistical concerns, and economics. While missiles and torpedoes remained effective due to the use of warheads, and guided engines, allowing them to continue to inflict considerable damage. Especially since warhead technology was able to improve and keep pace against improving defenses whereas pure kinetic rounds were not. Energy weapons ended up rapidly filling the gap left behind by kinetic weapons falling out of favor. Well at least in space, on the ground they still have a few niche uses, even if they have been largely supplanted by directed energy weapons.

 Chapter Thirty-One Talks

    Countryman made his way down the dimly lit corridor. The docking had gone without issue, and they were now docked at the alien starbase. To allay security concerns, he had extra guards posted at the main airlocks, and the security doors were sealed. The Enterprise like any warship also had remote turrets installed to defend key checkpoints, including hidden pop-up turrets near the airlocks, and even in the hangars. Although the pop-up turrets in the hangars were of a heavier caliber than found elsewhere, as they were expected to engage more than just hostile infantry. He doubted things would go that badly, but it was nice to know that they had extensive protections against boarding actions. Even if they were arguably rare. To his knowledge, teleportation technology did not exist, and the Krall certainly didn¡¯t seem to have it. Which implied that it might either be beyond them, never occurred to them, or impossible. As the Krall seemed to be the most advanced race he had met, and he doubt option two was the case, it must be one of the other two. In any case, since teleportation didn¡¯t exist that meant that in order to board another ship, shuttles or docking would be needed. Cutting through the hull would be difficult, so the easiest way in would be through the airlocks. Those airlocks did have emergency external controls, which could be locked down during an alert by any security station. Even so given enough time, a determined boarding party could get through either by hacking or blowing the outer hatch.


    At the moment, he had his troops on standby, and the airlocks locked down. He knew that the Krall seemed to have a code of honor, something Tika and her crew exhibited, but that didn''t mean he was going to blindly trust them. It pays to approach with a measure of caution. He expected the Krall to be doing the same. Afterall how this meeting goes will determine the future of Krall-Human relations, and hopefully, get Countryman the ally he believed they sorely needed. Already he had a mental list of things he wanted to acquire in this meeting. The most important item on that list would be star charts, he had a few charts from centuries of astronomical observations, and what they had stolen from the Cathamari. What they had gleaned from observation was of limited use, and the Cathamari charts largely told him where not to look. Not to mention it was an incomplete map, not every system the Cathamari had explored or owned was on it. As those ships had only had local star charts limited to the regions near Earth. This system wasn¡¯t even on those stolen maps. So they were of limited usefulness to him as well.


    Charts weren¡¯t the only thing he wanted to acquire from the Krall. He also wanted to see if he couldn¡¯t get an FTL radio. At least a few in fact, and maybe a few probes. Information on Cathamari fleet deployments if possible would also be useful. Items needed for his plan, one that would improve morale, and severely weaken Williams''s infant movement against him. One more vital since she was starting to move with more caution. Not enough to keep him from tracking her movements and what she was doing. It was a violation of privacy, but she was his enemy. Only a fool would turn a blind eye to the enemy, especially one that would gladly sink a dagger in your back if you gave them the opportunity.  Then again, he was also planning to kill her. The only reason he had not done so already was due to the current situation aboard the ship.


    There were a few other useful items he would like to obtain. Mostly items for either his plan or for longer-term goals. In the meantime, however, he was mentally double-checking his equipment. His uniform was actually a form of light armor, unlike the more intimidating suits worn by ship¡¯s security and the marines, this armor was unpowered. It was made of resilient polymers and would stop both ballistic weapons and directed energy weapons. The polymers were the same sort of derivative used in modern overlord armor, and were layered with active gel layers placed between layers. Against ballistics it would stop most weapons even high caliber sniper rifles, but the armor was less effective against energy bolts. It would stop most low to mid yield directed energy bolts. It would likely save his life if he was hit by a bolt, but it was also an unassuming piece of armor. One light enough not to impede him as well. Not to mention he didn¡¯t actually need the enhanced abilities better armor would give him. He was already faster and stronger than most marines thanks to his enhanced body. It was an advantage of having all four limbs replaced with cybernetic limbs. In the years since he had augmented his implants with internal armor as well, and the cannon on his right arm was an addition of his own as well. The computer in his head had also been upgraded a few times as well.


    The cannon he carried had originally been an E-11. A popular concealed laser wrist cannon model, at least it was about eighty years ago. The casing of his own wrist cannon still greatly resembled that old cannon, but it was a very different weapon under the hood. It was now an EX-94 Mod C. It was a high-powered concealed particle cannon, highly accurate with decent range, but a rather low fire rate. The Mod-C afterall was not that dissimilar to Ruri¡¯s current research project, it was a compressed particle cannon afterall, but of a less advanced design. It took much longer to charge each shot, but that made it no less devastating. Especially in his hands, he didn¡¯t need a rapid-fire weapon. The slow rate of fire was perfectly fine for him, especially when you consider the bolt was strong enough to punch through most light to medium infantry armors, and could even penetrate light vehicle armor. His little wrist cannon actually packed a punch comparable to most modern anti-material rifles. As such a single hit was more often than not also the kill shot.


    His mod C was actually one of the earliest prototype designs for a compressed particle weapon. As such Ruri¡¯s compressed particle weapons research wasn¡¯t the first one, but she had never claimed it to be. It was something for her to reference though, so in many ways, he had an ancestor to the weapons she was working on now. Regardless in his mind, it was an excellent weapon when firepower and accuracy mattered more than a quick rate of fire.


    He checked his cannon, making sure it was properly charged. He kept it with a charged power cell at all times, but it was good to make sure before going into an unknown situation. Running a quick diagnostic he also cycled it through its firing modes. The weapon had three distinct firing modes, standard fire mode, heavy fire mode, and stun. That made it a rather unique weapon as most particle rifles and other weapons didn¡¯t have the option to fire a non-lethal projectile. The standard fire mode was designed to fire a three-shot particle burst, that was effective against most targets. Especially effective against armored infantry, but it wasn¡¯t the best option for attacking a vehicle. That was what the heavy fire mode was for. In that mode, it does not fire a burst, but instead, it fires a maximum compression high-yield particle bolt. A bolt that can penetrate lighter vehicle armor, such as the armor found on armored cars, and some lighter tank models. It wasn¡¯t a mode he had used out of target practice, however.


    Satisfied the system was working. He shelved the checklist. It was not something he wanted to use, but it was nice to have if something went wrong. For that reason he was also bringing two guards along. In addition he was taking Williams, mostly to keep an eye on her, but she would provide a viewpoint for her minority group. The other officer to take had been a little more difficult, Greyman as first officer would have to stay here to watch the ship. Misaki and Richards weren¡¯t options either. Misaki because she was so young, and Richards due to her position as Chief Engineer. Kaori was the Chief Tactical Officer and would be needed if combat occurred, even if that was unlikely. Drakes, and Reynolds were needed on their own ships. That left him with a few choices. Ultimately he elected to take Eri his favorite helmsman with him. She wasn¡¯t perfect, but would be among the best of his available picks.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Reaching the docking port where the station gangway had connected, he was glad to see the four he selected waiting for him. Williams gave him a glare when she saw him. She didn¡¯t like him, but at least she was professional enough to follow orders. Even if all that meant was an uneasy peace between the two of them. A few extra guards were also nearby keeping an eye on the airlock.


    Williams with a displeased tone said, ¡°Next time you do something stupid, could you find someone else to drag along?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Stupid is a matter of opinion. From your perspective maybe this is, but sooner or later you will realize how important this little meeting really is. Still I can¡¯t blame a child for missing...¡±


    Angrily she cut him off, ¡°CHILD! I¡¯m a grown woman! How dare you call me a child.¡±


    Eri giggled, and shook her head.


    Countryman sighed, ¡°From where I stand you are just another overgrown child. I guess even today I still have more pruning to do.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Pruning? I don¡¯t even want to know what that mechanical mind of yours is thinking, but leave me out of it.¡±


    He gave her a look, ¡°You would probably be more at home during the Age of Fools. A lot more people back then thought like you do. At least they did until the ground fell out from under them. Why don¡¯t you try to learn from those idiots, and grow up?¡±


    Williams glared more deeply, and said, ¡°I guess a fossil like you would know, seeing as you were alive in that age.¡±


    He very much was. Countryman even helped end that age, although no one did more than the man that became known as the Demon President, he played the role of villain, but it was a villain the world sorely needed. While some of that man¡¯s acts like the purge of congress were widely detested, they certainly yielded results. By the end of that era, corruption was widespread, the economy was crippled, and the middle class had virtually disappeared. The demon president was elected near the end, and after he purged congress he moved on to purging both major political parties. Even making affiliation with those parties illegal by executive order. People may have vilified President Trump, but that man was a true villain. It was also under his tenor that the second American civil war had occurred.


    He pushed the thoughts aside, ¡°Oh, yes I was around. It certainly wasn¡¯t the most pleasant era, but we can continue this later.¡±


    She continued to glare at him but said no more. They didn¡¯t have to like each other, but he wished she wasn¡¯t so abrasive. It made it hard to restrain himself from shooting her. Still years of practice let him do that. Honestly, he shouldn¡¯t have engaged with her, but what was done was done.


    <hr>


    Tika watched Countryman¡¯s company filter in. She had been called here to be an advisor to the station commander. Mainly since she had the most experience with humans, even if she would have preferred being with her ship right now. The Teketh needed her, and yet circumstances brought her here.


    Suddenly the weapon sensor alarm went off. Countryman had just stepped through and his two guards were still standing outside. She blinked. Why did it go off on him? She saw no sign that he was carrying a weapon.


    A nearby guard, said, ¡°Um, sir. Normal courtesy is to leave weapons outside of the meeting chamber. I am going to have to ask you to leave your weapon with your gaurds.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°That might be a little difficult.¡±


    Then to Tika¡¯s utter stupefaction his right arm opened up, skin covered metal plates retracted backward revealing alien cybernetic machinery. She had seen a prosthetic of this manner before, but never something so sophisticated. She also spotted the weapon in question, a small wrist cannon about half the length of his fore arm, as it extended out of the arm to provide a clean line of sight. ¡°As you can see, the weapon in question is physically part of me, and cannot be easily removed.¡±


    ¡°That arm is rather impressive,¡± interjected Tika.


    ¡°Thank you. Glad to hear that, since much of the work is my own.¡±


    Tika noted the one woman gave him a seemingly hostile look, but she ignored it. It wasn¡¯t her problem. ¡°Your own work?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. The initial work was done by the doctors on Luna, but that was decades ago. Since then I¡¯ve made upgrades to the various cybernetic implants they installed. Anyway I know we didn¡¯t come here to discuss my implants.¡±


    ¡°No we did not,¡± said Tika. She was curious now about his implants. A moment later the station commander said, ¡°Yes, well we should get started, and let him keep his weapon.¡±


    Tika would have said the same thing. From the looks of it, the cannon was completely integrated into his forearm, leaving no easy way to remove it. Some of the components might be more removable, but it was clear that the cybernetic components required special tools. They would likely need to removed the whole arm, and frankly that would not be right.


    It took only moments for them to settle around the table. The station commander leaned forward slightly, and asked something, ¡°For the official record, what would you want us to refer to you as?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°That has actually been a matter of debate for some time. At the moment we are largely split between two names, the Sol Refuge, and the Sol Remnant. Both names are popular due to being more inclusive of the colonies, and we do have people from the colonies and not just Earth among our number.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that can be a tough one, but I would suggest Refuge. The connotations are better.¡±


    Tika noticed the woman, glare at the station commander, while the younger female officer beside Countryman said, ¡°That is the argument I made as well.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°I guess the decision has been made then. We will be referred to as the People of Sol, or the Sol Refuge.¡±


    ¡°In that case, lets begin the first official diplomatic meeting between the Krall Imperium, and the Sol Refuge.¡±


    What followed were a series of introductions, before things turned to the mundane of diplomatic discussions. There was a lot to talk about, but eventually, things moved from simple diplomatic discussion to something far more important. The negotiation of a treaty outlining their formal relations, and discussions of trade opportunities. Naturally the People of Sol wanted a chance to stand strong on their own, something the Imperium could respect. It would do what it could to help, but its own resources were stretched protecting its own interests. Still there were a few things they could do. More than simply providing star charts in fact, they could also offer safe harbor if it was ever needed.

 Chapter Thirty-Two Interruptions

    The shiplord studied his screens. While not the most glorious of missions, he had been sent on one of vital importance. The Krall were fairly strong, and they needed an edge in case of a full-scale war. Otherwise, they would surely lose, even a lowly shiplord like himself could see that. The Humans had been tough in many respects fighting just one of their ships was like fighting a weaker Krall vessel. The best comparison was that a Human heavy cruiser was roughly equal in terms of combat ability to a Krall light cruiser. They only ¡®won¡¯ that war due to having superior numbers and faster ships. At least in terms of faster than light travel. If that war had gone as planned they would have had what they needed to fight the Krall on more even terms, but since the blasted Battlelord in charge of that fiasco had screwed up, and wiped their homeworld out they now needed to make new plans. Hence why he was out here, in an under-gunned freighter with second-hand components, and a stolen hyperdrive.


    His mission was a simple raid, on this Krall outpost. They were here to steal anything they could get that might even the playing field. At the moment, he was making the plan of attack, and one element that was sure to complicate things was sitting right there in a capital ship dock. It was a rather distinctive element with a black and silver hull, saucer-shaped primary hull, and outboard nacelles. The disk-shaped secondary hull was new to him, but he must not have seen ships with them or later models had gotten rid of it. He suspected the latter honestly. The ship was in all likelihood decades old, although he had never heard of encounters with their ships this far out. It was well known that they didn¡¯t have the ability to travel between stars, not within reasonable timeframes anyway given their lack of an FTL engine.


    Regardless he had to wonder what a Human ship was doing docked with a Krall outpost. It garnered questions, and more importantly complicated things. If it was an older vessel as seemed likely, its armor, engines and weapons would all likely be weaker than its size would suggest. Regardless, it was certainly going to be a complication. Human ground troops were notoriously hard to kill, and strong. If they intervened to help the outpost his mission might fail. His freighter was built for speed and had been deemed fast enough to get away, but that was against Krall ships, human vessels were notably faster on sublight. On sublight humans were among the fastest in the known galaxy. They might be able to run down his lowly freighter as he makes his escape.


    It just meant that he would have to adjust his plan of attack, but he also needed to make sure that one battleship wasn¡¯t the only ship in the area. Their ships were also well known for not showing up on sensors unless you compensated for their dispersion plating. Unfortunately the only method to do that also cut sensor range in half, so unless you had reason to suspect they were there, you usually weren¡¯t scanning for them. More bad news was that no scanning method, at least none that he knew of could penetrate their hulls. As such he had no way of knowing just what that ship was equipped with. He could guess, based off observations, but that would be inaccurate.


    Given its probable age, it likely carried a mixed battery of laser cannons, low yield particle cannons, and a heavy battery of fusion torpedoes. It likely didn¡¯t have the newer shield penetrating weapons, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. Especially given his lowly freighter didn¡¯t really have much in the way of shields, armor, or weapons. He did have a few decoy drones meant to draw attention away from the ship, so they could make the jump to hyperspace. Once in hyperspace, it would be clean sailing back to Cathamari space. He ordered a few brief scans, as they made their approach. Honestly, that one capital ship was a minor complication, it was any other ship that may be in the system that worried him more. Although there were a few ships whose brave shiplords had volunteered to provide a distraction that would be arriving soon. Those ships would likely die in the mission, but there was no helping that.


    <hr>


    Countryman stretched, the meeting had been dragging on for a while. They had largely finished negotiating the key points, but everyone was getting a bit tired and hungry. It was time they adjourned for a break. Williams stormed off on her own, the moment they declared adjournment.


    He sighed, and then told the one guard to go after her. It would be best if someone was around to keep an eye on her. Tika who was nearby frowned, ¡°My translator must have malfunctioned, I didn¡¯t catch that.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Likely not. Its programmed for American English, and I wasn¡¯t speaking any dialect of English when I spoke to that young man. My orders were given in Japanese, his home tongue.¡±


    Tika frowned, ¡°You two don¡¯t speak the same language?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°Technically we do since I just spoke to him in Japanese. Although it is true that we don¡¯t have a unified language. The majority of the people onboard however speak either American English or Japanese. A few other languages are spoken as well, but if you know just those two you can speak to just about anyone. That used to be true of our homeworld as well.¡±


    ¡°It was?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Various dialects of English had spread around the world and had been a major trading tongue for generations. Japanese spread to much of the Asian sphere and the colonies more recently. Largely a consequence of our third world war which happened over a century ago. Quite a few major languages fell into obscurity and while others rose to prominence thanks to that war. Hell a few dialects of English also vanished during that war.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Tika shifted her stance, ¡°Interesting. I would have expected given your developmental age that you would have shifted towards having only one global language, perhaps with a few regional dialects, but one language nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°We were working on that actually, when the Cathamari showed up. You see until just a few short years ago, we were a fractured people under several different flags. The end of the Colonial wars brought all of us under one flag, but the UEF council was still debating between which of the three most widespread languages of English, Japanese, and Russian would be picked as the basis for that. English was the odds on favorite for that given it was the preferred language of the Military, but several large colonial elements were pushing for Japanese. With yet another set of elements pushing for Russian. Now the arguments are rather moot given what happened.¡±


    Tika nodded, ¡°I see. That actually gives me a rough idea of where your civilization is in its development. It sounds like you had a rather late unification, but that comes with its own advantages.¡±


    Suddenly several alarms went off all at once, ending the conversation. Countryman blinked, ¡°That wasn¡¯t me this time was it?¡±


    Tika shook her head, ¡°No that isn¡¯t the weapon alarm.¡±


    Before they could speculate further, an announcement came over the intercom, ¡°Intruder alert! Repeat this is an Intruder alert. Cathamari boarding parties have been spotted on levels six, seven, eight, thirteen and twenty-nine. Non-combatants are requested to secure themselves at the nearest security bunker...¡±


    It went on. Countryman had heard enough and turned to Tika and Eri. The remaining guard was still standing just outside this room. ¡°Sounds like our meeting might be postponed a little longer.¡±


    ¡°It does. I suggest we make our way to your ship, its not too far from here. Not to mention closer than the nearest security bunker.¡±


    Countryman opened his arm, arming his cannon. ¡°Now I am wishing I had thought to bring another weapon.¡± He looked at the guard, ¡°Chief take point, I¡¯ll watch our rear.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± replied the guard. It made the most sense for him to take point since he had a weapon. As for why Countryman called him Chief, that was his rank. The Marines and Navy used slightly different ranks, but they largely overlapped, and that particular rank was used by both. It was also labeled as R4 which went to show it was a fairly low rank, he wasn¡¯t even considered an officer, as the lowest officer rank was R6 Ensign. Not that rank mattered much here. What did was who had what. Tika wasn¡¯t armed, her fellows had left earlier just like Williams had. Although they had been a bit nicer about it. Eri also wasn¡¯t carrying a weapon, and like him, she had a basic armored uniform. It would protect her vitals, but it didn¡¯t have full coverage. As such only he, and the guard had any weapons, especially since he sent the other guard after Williams. As such between the four of them here, they had only two weapons, and only one of them had full combat armor. The marine had an XR-471, a good reliable, and very deadly particle weapon. While he was carrying a modified EX-94. They might be okay, but it would be best to avoid battle, especially since half their number wasn¡¯t even armed. Not to mention only one of them had decent protection. Unless...


    He turned to Tika, ¡°Out of curiosity, is that uniform of yours armored, or do you have a personal shield of some kind?¡±


    She adjusted her stance, ¡°Technically yes, but its not much of a defense. I wouldn¡¯t want to rely on it. As for a shield, I¡¯m afraid not. Combat wasn¡¯t high on the list of things I expected to deal with today.¡± She stroked her snout, ¡°Hmm, there is an armory between us and your ship. It would be a bit of a detour, but it is much closer.¡±


    ¡°Good to know. Might be a good idea to stop by, and borrow a couple of rifles. While the announcement didn¡¯t mention anyone on this level, that could change quickly. Not to mention I would feel better if everyone had a weapon at the minimum.¡±


    ¡°I understand, and I would like to know what Cathamari are doing on the station.¡±


    ¡°I would as well, but we don¡¯t have time to speculate.¡±


    They quickly agreed and made their way down the corridor. As Countryman had ordered the guard took point, while he brought up the rear. While the other two were in the center. If Williams hadn¡¯t run off, Countryman likely would have been in the center with them, but there was no point considering what-ifs or complaining about what was already done. Not right now, not when there was a possibility of combat. Instead, they made their way down the corridor in silence, while keeping an eye out for hostiles.


    The corridors on the Krall station were utilitarian, with metal floor plates, and ridges every few meters. Those ridges provides a bit of cover if they needed it, but some could also be found in door wells. They had plenty of light thanks to three parallel light strips mounted flush with the ceiling. It differed a bit from human construction, but it wasn¡¯t completely alien. Given that both species were bipedal it made sense that their structures would be reasonably similar. Albeit with differences meant to accommodate their physiology. In any case, he was taking note of potential positions with which to take cover in the event of a firefight.


    It was a good thing he was doing that, because they rounded a corner, and came face to face with a squad of Cathamari troops. Four of the scally bastards in full combat armor, and armed with plasma rifles. They quickly dived into cover, just as plasma splashed over their previous positions. Countryman took cover on the left side of the corridor, and popped off a shot as he slipped into the covered position. A concentrated bolt of charged particle energy shot across the corridor. The blue bolt struck a Cathamari square in the chest. It burned right through the armor, and right through the chest to splash against the wall. The material melted, and the bolt sailed through the wall, and out of sight. With a thud, the dead lizard hit the floor, while he switched settings. He didn¡¯t want to cause a hull breach and hopefully, that shot didn¡¯t hit anyone else on its way through the station.

 Chapter Thirty-Three Firefight

    Tika stared at the hole in the corridor wall, then glanced at the dead body of the Cathamari Countryman had killed. The massive reptile¡¯s torso was utterly destroyed, she could smell the burnt flesh from here. The gaping hole in his body was charred black around the edges, but everything that should have been in the cavity was gone. Vaporized by the blast. Much like the treated duranium plating, the corridor wall was made of. The same grade of duranium used in starship armor. Treated duranium was quite resilient against both kinetic and energy-based weapons. It was one of the few materials able to resist a direct hit from a plasma bolt, and yet that same material had a hole blown through it from a small wrist-mounted particle cannon.


    She glanced at Countryman, a part of her in disbelief that he would carry a weapon like that around. Fully charged and battle-ready no less. That wasn¡¯t your run-of-the-mill personal defense weapon, that was clearly a weapon of war.


    Tika then noted the guard firing his weapon, an accurate burst of particle bolts slammed into the side of a Cathamari soldier as he was ducking into cover. The bolts tore through his armor, and melted flesh. He was dead before he even hit the ground. His two remaining buddies made it into cover.


    Almost instantly they began shooting her way, and she ducked more fully into cover. A series of plasma bolts splashed onto the duranium plating behind her, and a couple struck the ridge she was using for cover. Countryman fired a burst from his cannon, but she did not see what the result of that burst was. Ahead she heard the guard discharge his rifle as well. Not that she could see the effect from her position, she was tempted to peek but remained hunkered down behind the wall ridge.


    Plasma bolts came back from the Cathamari positions and splashed against the corridor. She just hoped they did not have any grenades. Tika knew enough about ground combat to know how deadly a single grenade could be. Even if it didn¡¯t kill them, a well-placed grenade could prove decisive here. Thankfully one never came, instead she heard one last discharge from the guard up ahead. A scream followed, and then Countryman announced, ¡°All clear.¡±


    She slipped out of cover, with him. He went straight for the first Cathamari that he had killed. He tossed the Cathamari¡¯s rifle to the side, and pulled at his belt, removing it. Tika noticed four round objects attached to it. Countryman handed it over to her, ¡°These are Cathamari plasma grenades. Just press the button on the top, and roll it towards your target. They are bit too large to be thrown, at least for us. It has a short timer, and can¡¯t be disarmed once armed. So be careful with these.


    She glanced towards the rifle, it looked rather large and bulky. ¡°What about that rifle?¡±


    He shook his head, ¡°We can¡¯t really use it, well I could, but I already have a weapon. Its actually heavier than it looks, and not designed with either of our species in mind. I¡¯m better off sticking to my wrist cannon, and the chief over there would prefer sticking to his trusty XR-471.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she replied, before curiously trying to lift the rifle, where she discovered it was indeed quite heavy. She could barely lift it, and the design felt awkward in her hands. It would not be easy to operate this, not at all. Tika dropped it, and secured the belt she had been handed to her waist.


    Nearby, the Human female officer, Eri commented, ¡°That is why I didn¡¯t try either. Cathamari weapons are notoriously heavy, especially those Juggernaut rifles, which these four were equipped with.¡±


    As the other two searched the bodies for anything else they could use, Tika inquired, ¡°Juggernaut rifles?¡±


    Eri responded, ¡°We have a designation for every weapon, ship, and vehicle we have encountered.¡± she tapped the rifle, ¡°We designated these heavy plasma rifles, as Juggernaut Plasma rifles.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you know a thing about these, although I thought you were the helmsman.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I am, but I was briefed on Cathamari weapons, especially those I might encounter. Anyway, the Juggernaut rifle fires a concussive plasma charge and is effective against lightly armored and unarmored infantry. It has a fairly slow recharge rate, and can only fire about eight hundred bolts per minute.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°That¡¯s faster than my wrist cannon can fire, and you haven¡¯t even mentioned the best feature of that weapon.¡±


    Eri nodded, ¡°I was getting to that.¡± she then pointed at the large round projection mounted on the side of the weapon, ¡°This is a force shield projector. It draws power from a dedicated power pack. It acts much like the energy screens protecting Cathamari ships, but it only protects a limited frontal arc. Not to mention it does not last long either, since it has fairly high power requirement, especially when under strain.¡±


    ¡°Yep, the short duration of the shield and the high weight of the mechanism make it a bit impractical. Still intriguing, might lead to something more useful.¡±


    Tika looked towards Countryman, as he retrieved a bladed weapon from one of the corpses, ¡°Do you mean you are actively studying these?¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Actively? No. Were we? Yes. We still have an inventory of captured rifles in lock up, and other little items we found intriguing. Our resources force us to pick and choose what projects we actively invest in. Forcefields and Energy shields may be useful, but there are quite a few other things with more immediate value to us. Although now that our warp research is complete, perhaps we can reexamine the value of forcefield research.¡±


    ¡°I would recommend looking into it. In fact with that trader¡¯s license, you negotiated for, you could buy some generators from us, and they will serve you much better than that junk you got from the Cathamari. They aren¡¯t very good at making energy shields, theirs are frankly rather weak.¡±


    ¡°They are, and I presume you are about to tell me about how yours are the best in the galaxy?¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Surely not. I wish, but the galaxy is a big place. We have some really decent tech, but when it comes to shields at least in this part of the galaxy, it''s the Valorians who come out on top. For now at least.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°I believe you mentioned them before. They are a race of peaceful traders with ports throughout the quadrant, are they not?¡±


    ¡°Largely yes. Given the reach of their Confederation, you will come into contact with them eventually, but like any group, they do have their belligerent elements. I¡¯ll give you what files I can on them later. Although I don¡¯t think their ships will be much threat to yours.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that into account, and thank you in advance.¡±


    The conversation died quickly after that, as they finished sweeping for things they could use, and made their way down the corridor. The Cathamari were on this level so reaching the armory was more important now than before.


    <hr>


    Countryman checked their rear, as they made their way down the corridor. They had avoided a couple groups of Cathamari and passed a squad of Krall security. Since leaving behind that first firefight. The armory was just up ahead, and then they would be able to acquire some more weaponry. It would give them a better chance of reaching their target destination safely.


    According to the Krall security troops they had passed the Cathamari were everywhere. Dozens of boarding parties, on multiple levels. Worse they were spreading out, and security was spread thin trying to contain them. Unfortunately, the troops didn¡¯t know anything more useful like how they got on board in the first place. Well it wasn¡¯t his problem, although he was certainly paying for someone¡¯s mistake, and he had no doubt that particular person was going to face some consequences as well. If he was in charge and someone allowed a security breach like this, he would demote that person and send them back to boot camp for extra training. Not to mention placing a permanent black mark on their record. Naturally, that was for a first offense, if it happened again? Well...


    His line of thought was terminated, when the guard at the front reported, ¡°Armory is in sight, sir. Unfortunately, it looks like the Cathamari got here first, there are six of them at the door. One of them looks to be setting a breaching charge.¡±


    They needed into the armory, themselves so avoiding battle wasn¡¯t an option. Mentally he tallied what they had, and ordered the chief to use one of his grenades. He had a few, four standard-issue Electro-pulse grenades. When detonated they released a powerful electro-plasma pulse, not dissimilar to the discharge of an electro cannon. It would disrupt any technology in the blast radius, and was quite effective against organic targets as well. They were better against armored or shielded opponents than other grenade types, not to mention they were effective at stopping vehicles.


    In addition he was carrying two laser grenades. These little devices, fire high intensity linked laser pulses in all directions upon activation. Very deadly, and very effective against lightly armored or unarmored targets. In practice, they were a lot like frag grenades, but they weren¡¯t single-use. Neither was the pulse grenade, both used a rechargeable central power cell. They could be easily recovered after use and recharged even in the field. Still there was a use for conventional explosive grenades, and they still used a few of those. He hadn¡¯t brought any, but they had picked up a few Cathamari plasma grenades.


    The Cathamari plasma grenade was a large clunky grenade that unleashed a powerful plasma detonation when used. All three could be used to clear the area up ahead, but the laser grenade was likely the best choice. The pulse grenade might end up frying the door, and would certainly fry anything the Cathamari were carrying. Items they might be able to use. While the plasma grenade might damage the door.


    The chief tossed one of his laser grenades around the corridor, and towards the Cathamari clustered near the door. It landed near them bounced twice, and went off in the middle of their formation. In every direction, it unleashed angry purple bolts of laser energy in every direction. It fired continuously at a rapid rate of fire for several seconds and fell silent when it depleted its power cell. For nearly eight seconds they heard the distinctive whine of high intensity laser fire mixed with the screams of dying lizards.


    Tika was the first to look out as she had moved up, and she gave what must have been the Krall version of a whistle. ¡°What kind of devious weapon was that?¡±


    ¡°Laser grenade, its a very effective anti-personnel weapon as you can see.¡±


    Her expression could only be described as incredulous, which looked somewhat interesting on her alien face, ¡°You did that with lasers!?


    Countryman discharged a blast, into a Cathamari that popped his head from cover. The pulses struck him in the face before he could even react. Without even mentioning that, he said, ¡°Well yes. While not as powerful as a particle beam, a laser beam is still lethal. Not to mention its much simpler and easier to miniaturize a laser system than a particle weapon. Its really not all that complicated either.¡±


    She looked over the result, while the chief retrieved his spent grenade. It hadn¡¯t been shot at or anything, so it was recoverable. He could recharge it from his main power pack, and it could be used again. That main pack was also what powered his armor, but thankfully they could recharge it from all the power cells the Cathamari left lying around. He had recovered a few from the last squad they fought, and there might be a few intact ones here. He glanced back at Tika, ¡°Anyway, the Chief and I will watch the door. Take Eri with you and see if you can¡¯t requisition something we can use.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Four In Defense of the Outpost

    Greyman shifted in his seat, as a Cathamari energy bolt slammed into the shields protecting the dock. If he had not seen it happen, he never would have known they had been shot at. That was one of the advantages of being docked at this moment. The Cathamari had brought in a full fleet. They had just suddenly swept into the area from behind one of Illieria¡¯s three moons, and they outnumbered the defenders nearly seven to one. Not far from the outpost the Coto was currently engaged with several Cathamari cruisers, she was doing okay, and thankfully she was also being supported by a Krall destroyer.


    As for the Umikaze, she had had the misfortune of being right in the path of the fleet when it appeared. As such, the Umikaze along with a couple of patrol cruisers that had been in the area had been among the first ships engaged. The Umikaze ended up taking several heavy hits. Nothing too crippling, but enough that her captain had been forced to withdraw. As such that ship was currently moving away from the station, and consequently the battle at Warp Two. Drakes reported that they had taken several hits to the main drives, and power transfer conduits. He estimated it would be a couple of hours before they were combat-ready again, and that didn¡¯t even cover patching the ninety-seven hull breaches they took from Cathamari torpedoes.


    As for the two patrol cruisers that had been with her, one of them had been destroyed in that brief bout. The other had been disabled, but captain Drakes had managed to pull her out of the fight, and the ship was still being towed by the damaged Umikaze out of the combat zone. It was in worse shape than the Umikaze as well. It had taken heavy damage after its shields collapsed, and it had lost all maneuvering power. Most of that cruiser¡¯s weapons were also down. Apparently, that ship would need at least six hours to patch its primary systems up to the point that her battle-leader would feel comfortable taking the ship back into battle.


    He glanced back to the ships firing on the station. A few beam batteries were firing back on those ships with some success. Enough that the smaller ships were wisely staying out of range, only the larger ships would brave the range of those starbase defense batteries. They had to given the shorter range of Cathamari plasma weapons. That also meant they were braving the range of the Enterprise¡¯s guns. Not that it mattered, thanks to the Enterprise being inside the capital ship dock, she was protected by the station¡¯s shields. They were really good shields as well, so they made up for the not being able to manuever. However those same shields more so than the dock itself prevented the Enterprise from firing on the Cathamari ships. They blocked weapons fire going both ways, the station¡¯s weapons could fire unhindered, but his could not. Below he had Ruri working on the problem.


    Suddenly she looked up, a smile on her face. ¡°Got it!¡±


    ¡°You do? Great! What took you so long?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Unlike the Cathamari, the Krall use a rotating band modulation for their shields. It complicated figuring out their exact shield configuration. Anyway, you can fire torpedoes now. We now have full shield penetration against Krall shields, at least for this station. I¡¯ve already uploaded the new shield penetration algorithms to the targeting computers. I¡¯m afraid the particle weapons won¡¯t be so easy, however. Not without physical alterations to the emitters themselves.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Torpedoes will do nicely.¡±


    Greyman hadn¡¯t expected anything more. He also knew a bit about how those weapons worked. The torpedoes used an adaptive modulated energy field, that allowed them to bypass energy shields, but only if they were correctly modulated. Each torpedo had a small microcomputer and onboard sensor array designed to determine key characteristics of a target¡¯s shield. Allowing them to adapt, and bypass an energy shield, but it was still a bit of a best guess process. Those sensors were short range, and unable to fully analyze a targeted ship¡¯s shields. That is why torpedoes were fired in volleys, and designed to communicate with each other. Allowing them to hit with a spread of their best guesses, and in most cases a third of the hits would strike the hull. Sometimes more, sometimes less.


    The Enterprise had more powerful versions of the same dynamic energy sensors the torpedoes carried as part of her sensor array. Again they were short range, just a few hundred kilometers, and they rarely came into play during a battle. However, if they could get close enough for a complete scan, they would be able to determine the exact shield configuration of any target, vastly increasing shield penetration rates. Although getting into range for such a scan, was easier said then done, especially given modern combat ranges. As those sensors had a range of a few hundred kilometers, but the main guns on the Enterprise could accurately hull a target from tens of thousands of kilometers away, and the torpedoes had more than twice that range. Even more if it was a slow moving target such as a planet or starbase, although the torpedoes were by standard practice normally programmed to self destruct after traveling more than eight light-seconds.


    Greyman shifted in his seat, and noted a ship closing on the starbase, in a perfect position for the forward launchers. He gave the order to fire. Seconds later, a full volley of glowing blue bolt shot out of the launchers, and sailed through the station shields, a brief flash of blue light marked each passage through the invisible defensive shield. It didn¡¯t even flare in response the the torpedoes passing through, a sign that not a single one detonated against the shield. If it had they would have been rocked by their own weapons fire, and they might have even damaged the dock. Greyman smiled, although he had never doubted the result, not with a scientist of Ruri¡¯s caliber doing the work.


    <hr>


    The station commander stepped into central operations. When the meeting had adjourned, she and her two guards had headed back towards here to begin with. While Tika had stayed behind to talk with the Humans. Hopefully she was alright after the Cathamari boarded. She had been fine thanks to her guards. Still it had been an experience getting back to her post safely, she found the timing of this irksome, and suspect. It couldn¡¯t have been a coincidence, could it? She doubted the humans had anything to do with it, but them attacking during  a meeting with them? She could think of only one explanation, there was an agent here on the outpost helping them, and the moment she had a chance she was going to find that agent. Someone helped them launch this attack, and there was no way she was going to let this slight go unpunished.


    Those thoughts halted when she noticed the screens. A display showed capital dock four, and a Cathamari battleship on attack vector towards the dock. Suddenly the Human ship, the Enterprise fired. Glowing blue bolts sailed into space. Her first thought was utter disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe they would be so stupid as to fire while inside the shield perimeter. However what happened next was mystifing. The blue bolts hit the shield perimeter. The glowing bolts briefly flared brighter, but that was all that marked their passage through the shield perimeter. The shields didn¡¯t even flare, and the bolts sailed towards the battleship unhindered by the shield.


    Seconds later they reached the battleships, and a massive flash of light and flaring shields marked them striking the battleship. When the screens cleared it revealed that the ship ahd taken damage. Her shields were flickering, and scorching marred her hull along with several new hull breaches. It opened fire, unleashing its own volley of heavy plasma fire, indicating that while damaged the ship was very much still a threat.


    An instant later the ship, thrusted hard to move away from the station. While the Enterprise fired again, glowing blue bolts sailed from her hull. Passed right through the station shields, and on towards that wounded battleship. She noticed a clear attempt at evasive maneuvers, but the bolts tracked the ship, and struck her. A glorious fireball marked her demise, and left behind twisted wreckage.


    Somewhat stupified, she turned to one of the sensor officers on duty. It was one of the privileges of their command structure. She could let the men fight, and they can analze the mysteries their opponents bring to the field, or in this case their ally. Before she could really voice the question the sensor officer told her, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡±


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t know how they are passing through our shields?¡±


    ¡°No, that part is easy. I know exactly how it is passing through. I just don¡¯t know how that is possible.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Care to enlighten me?¡±


    The sensor officer glance to the screen, and brought up the sensor data. ¡°Their torpedoes are using a modulated energy field to pass through our shields, and its also why their torpedoes glow. The baffling part is how they are passing through our shields. Somehow they are able to match the modulation of our shields, exactly, and I have no idea how they are doing that.¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    That she understood, the Krall were well aware of how a correctly modulated energy field could allow a projectile to pass through a shield. The same could be done with most energy weapons. This principle was even exploited, allowing the station to fire its main weapons without dropping shields, and it would even allow them to launch shuttles, fighters, and even docked vessels while the shields were up. However that was only possible because the computer was telling the ships, or weapons in question what they needed to know to pass through. That information required constant communication since the shields were on a rotating modulation to prevent an enemy from doing exactly the same thing. Still it brought to mind an idea of how they might be doing it.


    ¡°Do they have an active data connnection with our main computer?¡±


    The sensor officer shook her head. ¡°No, I checked. We aren¡¯t actively exchanging data with them.¡±


    That was concerning. The Humans may be their allies, but if one race could find a way to penetrate their shields like this, perhaps another more hostile one could as well. In a way, she was grateful that the humans had revealed a vulnerability in their current defense systems. Now she just had to figure out how they were doing it. That way they could guard against it in the future, at the moment, she didn¡¯t need to do anything about it. If anything stopping them would prove harmful, and in more ways than one.


    ¡°I see.¡± she then leaned over the sensor display. She noted that the Humans seemed to have a fair number of torpedoes to expend, and could reload those launchers quite quickly. She had quite a few launchers mounted fore and aft. She had twenty forward launchers and a dozen aft. All of them were triple-tubed. Each individual tube seemed to fire a volley of five torpedoes every six seconds. That meant their forward launchers could put three hundred torpedoes in the void with each volley. In a minute, they could fire three thousand shield penetrating photons. That was quite impressive, and she had to wonder about their torpedo bays. As they were putting a lot of torps in the void. In fact, they had already been firing for over a minute, and sunk several Cathamari battleships, a couple of cruisers, and even hit a few destroyers that were outside the station¡¯s main gun batteries. She wasn¡¯t sure about the effective range of those weapons, but it seemed that they could track and hit targets up to about a third of light second out, perhaps more depending on how much maneuvering was required. Not to mention they were fast, very fast traveling at just under .7c. Few ships could outrun them, and it would be hard to outmaneuver them even with their rather limited guidance thrusters. Not that they needed much in space, a small nudge meant alot.


    Then she turned her attention more closely to the readings of the Enterprise. The first thing she noted was the armored weapon ports, hidden below the main belt of the armor. Her gaze was soon drawn to a number of armored turrets, that didn¡¯t mount particle weapons, but instead contained tubes not entirely dissimilar to the launcher ports currently hurling torpedoes at Cathamari ships. She pointed them out.


    ¡°I think those are short-range missile launchers, notice the clear lack of a catapult? They aren¡¯t meant to accelerate large missiles to C-Fractional Velocities. They are clearly designed for smaller warheads and a smaller overall missile. Based on readings from their torps, and the launchers we can make a few estimates. Given what space would be needed for propulsion, fuel and guidance, anything they put in those tubes would not only have a limited range, but would be ineffective against capital ships. They are likely intended for engaging hostile starfighters, and corvettes.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. A point defense missile array...¡± she trailed off as she noticed something else. She pointed it out and said, ¡°What are those?¡±


    The sensor officer frowned, then her eyes widened. Widening more a moment later as she focused on scanning them. ¡°Dynamic energy sensors. Really good ones, by the look of it, and they seem focused on our shield grids right now.¡±


    She blinked. Her attention had been drawn to them at first because they seemed oddly active, but now she was giving them a closer look. They were part of a distributed sensor array, the ship had several primary and secondary sensor clusters. In fact small armored sensor clusters were everywhere on the hull. Every single cluster contained a mix of different sensors spatial, optical, dynamic energy scanners, thermal, and more. Many of them were quite sophisticated and much better than you would expect from a warship. In fact this same sensor array wouldn¡¯t look too out of place on a science ship.


    Before she could think much of that, the sensor officer said, ¡°I think I have figured it out.¡±


    ¡°What did you figure out?¡±


    ¡°Those sensors, are how they are getting torpedoes through our shields. They are using them to determine our exact shield configuration, and keep up with our rotating modulation.¡±


    She blinked. It turned out to be a remarkably simple answer. If somewhat unusual, most warships didn¡¯t have sensors capable of that. The solution was obvious, but not one to implement right away. Her attention turned back to the battle, her curiosity satisfied.


    The Enterprise was still hurling torpedoes at any ship unfortunate enough to wander into range often with deadly effect. Those photons while not as powerful as a spatial or plasma warhead were very effective, especially if they scored a hull penetrating hit. Even if that hit didn¡¯t destroy the ship, a single hull penetrating hit often left the crew either dead or severally debilitated. Not suprising given that the photon burst of the detonation unleashed a massive number of gamma rays.


    Elsewhere her one destroyer had dropped out of warp and appeared to be rendering aid to that patrol cruiser she towed out of the battle zone. At the moment neither ship would be of much help given their battle damage. As for the other destroyer, the Coto that ship was taking advantage of her mobility to protect several civilian ships caught in the battle zone. She was not alone in that effort, but her powerful sublight drives allowed her to move to trouble spots more quickly than their own escort ships. It helped that the Cathamari suffered from terribly inefficient engine layouts, that relied more on brute force than anything else.


    Her gaze watched the plots, as the Human destroyer swept in from above on a cruiser moving to attack a large freighter. She came in fast, closing to knife range in an instant, and unleashed some kind of charged plasma pulse. It manifested itself as a bolt of lightning, that struck the shields of the cruiser. A second soon followed disrupting systems across the hull, moments before she raked the hull with a sustained particle beam. Compartments ruptured and vented into space. While her internals were cooked, and the armor vaporized. In seconds the cruiser was nothing more than a lifeless wreck, and the destroyer was vectoring away at high speed towards another destroyer that was entering a position to threaten a transport.


    The Cathamari destroyer got into position first, and fired. Several high-intensity plasma pulses headed right for the transport, even with its shields up she knew that transport could never withstand a direct hit. It wasn¡¯t designed with that in mind. The shields simply weren¡¯t strong enough, and the hull wasn¡¯t heavily armored either.


    She watched helpless as several hundred people faced imminent death. The Coto was coming from the opposite side of the transport, and passed over it. Her vector brought her between the Cathamari plasma torpedoes and the transport. Suddenly she slowed massively, as the torpedoes were now sailing right towards the Human destroyer. What happened next was a bit of surprise. A grid of blue beams manifested around the Coto in a bubble, concentrating between the torpedoes and her hull. There was quite the gap between her hull, the grid, but the reason for that became apparent quickly.


    The torpedoes struck the grid, as it rapidly altered itself for maximum interception, while particle flak was emitted from projectors on the hull. When the plasma torps hit it moments later most of them detonated when their integrity was disrupted. The resulting shockwaves shook the ship, but a few did get through. Striking the armored hull of the destroyer with minimal effect.


    Her sensor officer let out a sigh of relief, and then commented, ¡°I guess that explains their odd point defense setup, even explains a few of those armored emitter ports on the hull.¡±


    She nodded, and watched as the Coto, quickly moved to engage the Cathamari destroyer now that her torpedoes had been dealt with. The ship moved towards the destroyer with a very aggressive posture and unleashed a heavy payload of torpedoes on the destroyer. Then she vectored away, as if the target was already dead. Her course taking her to another area, where another transport was under threat. Her escorts being overwhelmed by the number of attacking Cathamari ships.


    As it turned out, that destroyer was indeed dead. Her attempts at evasion proved fruitless, and the majority of the torpedoes slammed into her stern penetrating the shields. The ship went up in a massive fireball, that soon cleared to reveal the mangled remains of what had once been a proud destroyer. Now the rear section was nothing more than bits of charred metal. While the forward section was twisted but vaguely recognizable. Also heavily charred. That one Human ship seemed quite lethal.


    It seemed the battle in space was going well. So she turned her attention to the security monitors, to see how things were going inside the station. Only before she could the station shook, she had to steady herself, while shouts of alarm resounded. It seemed something had happened, and it took her only moments to find out what. When she did, she felt pale.

 Chapter Thirty-Five The Docks

    The deck shook just as he was about to fire. Almost causing his shot to go wide. His quick augmented reflexes allowed him to compensate and three blue bolts of concentrated particle energy slammed into his target a moment later. The burst burned through the massive alien lizard leaving charred flesh in its wake.


    Thankfully it was the last one here. Giving them a bit of a breather. Since hitting the armory they had been making their way towards the Docks. Only running into the Cathamari twice since then not counting this squad. It helped now that both Eri and Tika were outfitted with plasma rifles. Krall plasma weapons were somewhat different from Cathamari designs. Tika had introduced them as the Kesi-7. It was a reliable rifle favored by ship security and marines, and as such she was somewhat familiar with it. It fired a variable yield phased plasma pulse. It featured both single fire, and burst firing modes. As for the yield, it had several variable settings. At setting one, it would stun the target. Setting two was also meant to stun, but intended for larger targets and may kill a smaller target outright. Setting three was the final stun setting, and intended for really large targets such as an elephant, at least that is how he understood it. Right now Tika and Eri had their rifles set to setting three. At that setting it was quite lethal to the Cathamari, and was not powerful enough to blow out any bulkheads. It had five more yield settings above that setting, and three of those were powerful enough to blow out the bulkheads. Apparently the highest setting could even vaporize a person.


    They seemed to be an impressive set of small arms. Thankfully the Krall weren¡¯t built too differently from Humans so, they were also able to use them. Cathamari weapons were awkward to use, not to mention heavy. Likely a consequence of the fact that the Cathamari were enormously strong, and could lift those heavy weapons easily. If they were allowed, he would like to study one, but he had little doubt that Ruri was taking detailed scans of everything they could see. He already had detailed scans of the IKS Teketh, and they had scans of his ship. So in that regard they were coming away fairly even, although he suspected they got the better deal.


    After one last glance down the corridor, he inquired, ¡°Anyone have an idea of what shook the station?¡±


    Tika looked around, ¡°Not sure, but that felt like an explosion, and a fairly powerful one at that.¡±


    He agreed, but no one else seemed to know what caused it. Although he had a bad feeling about that explosion. Thankfully the dock was just a few meters further down the corridor. It did however seem, that this squad wasn¡¯t the only group of troops in the area, as he could hear the sound of particle fire, and Cathamari plasma weapons. Some of his marines must be engaged defending the docks.


    They hurried down the corridor, aas safety wasn¡¯t that far, and turned a corner that led them right into the large bay that linked to the gangway to the Enterprise. At a glance he noticed several barricades had been set up, and he also saw a few heavy gun positions set up. The advent of modern infantry armor had rendered the machine guns of old obselete, but by no means was their role rendered obsolete. The ability to rapidly lay down fire was still highly valued by militaries everywhere. The HPL-400 was the current weapon of choice for this role, it had two distinct firing modes, and was a versatile heavy ground weapon. Often mounted on vehicles or ground-placed emplacements. There was also a lighter version of the weapon that was meant for use as a heavy squad weapon.


    The HPL 400 in its primary firing mode could unleash a highly accurate and deadly stream of particle fire, while its secondary firing mode was slower, and unleashed a powerful anti-tank particle pulse. It could fire 2400 bolts per minute, which is twice as fast as an XR-471, and each bolt is also slightly more powerful than that of XR-471. In secondary mode it fires at a mere 450 bolts per minute, but the focused particle stream is much more powerful and able to punch through tank armor. Although its only a threat to lighter tanks, and it is outperformed by more specialized weapons in that role.


    At the moment he could see three positions that had been set up to cover the entrances to the docking bay. Each one behind a barricade that would protect the marine manning the weapon. He aslo noted flanking those marines, were another set of marines wielding MPL-400s the lighter cousin of the HPL-400. The MPL-400 was a heavy squad weapon, it fired weaker pulse at a lower but still respectable 1800 bolts per minute, and it also featured a heavy anti-tank pulse for its secondary firing mode. Again it was slower in that mode at 337.5 bolts per minute, but the yield was still quite respectable.


    From what he could see, they were using the weapons to suppress several squads of attacking Cathamari soldiers. Although they were still managing to shoot back, but were unable to close enough to use their grenades. He even noted a few marines closing on the positions of those pinned troops, using anything they could to conceal their movements. At the moment the position facing them was suppressing another squad of Cathamari that they had come up behind. Countryman checked his weapon, he still had a few shots left, but the power cell was running low.


    He took position, and fired into the back of a Cathamari soldier. The chief fired at a second. In a couple of seconds the flanked squad was dead, and the path forward was clear. For the moment anyway, that could change quickly. Especially since he didn¡¯t know how many of the scaly bastards had managed to get aboard, but from what he had seen so far it must have been a fair number, possibly a full contingent if not more. He had little doubt someone was going to lose their job over this. As this wasn¡¯t a small security breach.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    In the meantime, he signaled for the group to move forward. He figure now was the best chance they were going to get, and he would rather not risk another group of the scally bastards coming up from behind them. Especially not in the same manner his own group had just come up on some of the lizards.


    They hurried across the gap to the barricades, passing the heavy duty crates the Cathamari had been using for cover. They were pretty shot up, and might not have held up much longer anyway. They were filled with burn holes from particle blasts, from the looks of it, the nly reason they hadn¡¯t failed early was due to the cargo, some kind of rock.


    Tika must have caught his questioning look. ¡°Erudite Ore. Not very useful in its raw state, but when refined its quite valuable. Used in ship armor for obvious reasons, but its not as wide spread as Duranium or Tritanium due to its rarity, and the cost to manufacture. It does alloy quite well with Tritanium however, so many capital ships use Tritanium-Erudite alloy in their hull plating, especially heavy combatants.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Those scaly bastards should consider themselves lucky that stuff was in those crates.¡± replied Countryman while making a note to see if he couldn¡¯t acquire some of the stuff. They had some stuff to trade, although he planned to review what they had. It might prove useful in producing an enhanced hull alloy, and that might prove useful. Of course they might have to find their own source of the ore to really make use of anything using it. Afterall it sounded like this ore was both rare and expensive. With that in mind, they might have a hard time acquiring the ore, and synthetic production might be out of the question. It would depend on the requirements for that.


    As they were reaching the barricade, she stated, ¡°Not really. Illeria is the foremost producer of the ore in the sector, and the fifth largest supplier in the Imperium. Just one more reason why this world is important.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Before their conversation could continue, a Marine with a commander¡¯s marking on his armor approached. ¡°Ah, sir! Glad to see you made it back. General Forest was starting to get worried, and was organizing a search party.¡±


    He looked arround, and saw the general in question, in his armor exiting the gangway with a few marines. ¡°I can see that. Has Williams made it back yet?¡±


    The marine shook his head, ¡°No we haven¡¯t seen her.¡±


    ¡°I guess that party may still be needed. I¡¯m going to go and talk with the General.¡±


    The Marine nodded, and let him go on. The General was the head of his marine contingent, and was one of the highest ranking people on his ship. Technically he outranked everyone else, and had previously been assigned to Star Tech HQ. Given the importance of the facility a general had been assigned to command the local contingent. That garrison now made up the troop complements of his three ships. Well most of it, they had picked up a few marines from other ships as well.


    He reached general Forest a moment, later. The general noticed his presence, and said, ¡°Glad to see you made it back alright sir. I was just about to send these marines here to find you.¡±


    ¡°I heard. I¡¯ve also heard that Williams hasn¡¯t made it back yet.¡±


    ¡°You want me to go find her? Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, as much as I would prefer otherwise, it would be better if she made it back alive. We have lost too many to the lizards as it is, and we don¡¯t need another burial.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make sure she gets back here alive.¡±


    Forest quickly organized his squad, and headed out. Countryman would ahve preferred he stayed here, but he knew Forest. He was a lead from the front kind of guy. It was also why, the General had a special suit of armor. His black and silver suit of heavy personal armor was the best mankind could produce. Like most examples of marine armor it functioned like an exosuit, enhancing the wearer''s speed, and strength. However it had a few extra layers of protection, and a much more robust power pack, one able to store more energy for the armor. As such he could be int he thick of battle, but would be better protected than the average marine. When one consider that the average marine was already a nigh unstoppable force on the battlefield, this armor made its wearer a natural juggernaut among juggernauts. It also had a few extra gizmos, some of which were being phased into standard marine armor. One of those was the integrated wrist cannons, complete with their own power cells. Those cells were rechargeable and designed to be field swappable if needed. The cannons were intended as a quick back-up weapon, and those marines that had them loved them. His own EX-94 was a modification of the cannon Forest had, and he had two of them. Forest had the base model, but it was still a potent side arm.


    Among the other gizmos he had, was a set of micro-pulse wave thrusters. On the ground they gave him an assisted jump, but in microgravity they allowed for limited flight. They were not recommended for extend use, due to their power draw. Still they were quite useful, and had been included on other models of armor. They were even being considered as being made standard. Due to the mobility advantages, they provided. His best gizmo was the full tactical heads up display, and the robust comms system installed in his armor. That was what allowed him to lead from the front, and keep in contact with the rest of his units.


    Seeing the defense was going well, he turned to Tika, and Eri who had caught up with him. The chief having joined his fellows already in defending the docks. ¡°Let''s head on inside, and get to the bridge. Hopefully Greyman knows more about what is going on.¡±


    Tika and Eri nodded, and he led the way into the ship.

 Interlude Space Age Weapons Mounts

    The idea of mounting weapons on ships is not new. In the classical era, ships would carry catapults and ballista. Although bowmen would make up a good chunk of a ship¡¯s firepower. Mainly since those weapons were not intended for an anti-ship role, they were more often used against naval forts. By the fifteenth century, ships began experimenting with cannons, and that included experiments with them as an anti-ship weapon.


    These weapons were originally mounted broadside in gun ports. Ships would often mount a fair number of them since early cannon were not particularly accurate.  These mounts were initially unarmored, but as guns improved it became increasingly necessary for armor on gun ports. This led to the practice of casemate weapon mountings. Casemates were particularly common with ironclads, but were rather quickly replaced with revolving turrets.


    On naval ships, armored turrets mounted along the centerline were found to be quite advantageous, especially given the accuracy and range of the guns of that era. It allowed ships to mount fewer heavier guns, and still focus the majority of her firepower on a single target. Turrets are also great for secondary weapons, and anti-air gun mounts. One of the biggest reasons for ships to mount their main guns in turrets on the centerline was actually weight and stability in rough seas. As armor improved bigger and heavier guns were needed, especially given the increasing ranges of naval combat. This was why ships moved away from carrying large numbers of cannon, to a smaller number of larger guns.


    While spaceships aren¡¯t identical to naval vessels, many of the lessons learned with naval ships still apply. Weight is still very much a factor for starships, especially those built to land on a planet''s surface, but many space-age warships are actually built in orbit and never intended to land on a planet. This largely negates weight as a consideration, but not entirely. As thrust to mass ratios very much still apply, even if it is largely about horsepower for water bound naval ships. Mass distribution relative to propulsion is particularly important so that you don¡¯t end up flying weird. This is where stability comes into play for starships. So while not every problem is identical, and some even change form. There were lessons to be drawn from traditional naval design. While others could be learned from traditional aircraft.


    It was due to the nature of the problem, and the similarities with traditional wetwater naval ships. That when a space warship was first proposed as a counter to the recent problems with space piracy that the first thing engineers looked at were the turrets traditionally employed by naval ships. While it made little sense to copy one exactly, they still provided insights into what was needed. A gun turret needs to be able to rotate, allowing a gun to adjust its angle towards a target. It also needs to be able to elevate the gun. Armor is needed to protect the weapon, and any crew that may be inside, although that part is usually not the case with space age turrets. Remote computer systems allow the gun crew to be safely elsewhere. In fact some turrets are controlled entirely by computer. Regardless, the turret would need to be protected from enemy fire. In space a turret has to consider both horizontal and vertical traverse in order to track potential targets. Where a turret is placed is also very important. In naval warfare, turrets were intended to support each other as a major part of a ship¡¯s broadside firepower. In space there is no reason for this consideration not to apply as well. Although there is no reason to restrict that fire to just the broadside.


    Early interplanetary combat vessels employed turret-mounted railguns as a major part of their armament. How exactly these turrets were mounted differed from ship to ship. Largely due to different engineers having different ideas on how to mount a turret on a spaceship. At sea, the main guns of a ship would have been focused primarily on a horizontal firing arc, and the turrets were by tradition mounted centerline on the deck. This as discussed earlier provided a few key advantages. However, that setup didn¡¯t make sense for a spaceship. First off, a spaceship has no waterline to consider, this means that she can mount her guns both on the dorsal as is traditional, but on her ventral as well. In other words, she has more space for gun mountings, especially when one considers the reduced weight factor, especially for ships not intended to land.


    What this means is that for starships, available volume matters far more than the weight of the weapons. Unlike a seagoing vessel being heavy on one side isn¡¯t as big of a problem for a ship built in the vacuum of space. Although still very much a problem of a different sort. Weight distribution may not mean much for the stability of the ship, but it does greatly affect maneuvering. It is also important to note that it makes little sense to mount all your weapons on the top of a spaceship, as such they are often mounted on not just the dorsal, but also mirrored in their mountings on the ventral. As mentioned earlier another factor to consider is the importance of gun elevation and its role in available fields of fire, which is even more important for the heavy anti-ship guns of a spaceship than a naval vessel, the reason for this is the three-dimensional nature of space combat. Starships do not fight solely on a horizontal plane, but also on a vertical plane.


    More to consider is the shape of the ship. Due to the requirements of their intended domains, the two types of craft are shaped very differently. Ships at sea were shaped by the dictates of the oceans, and their weapons were affected by the nature of the waters and the gravity well they were within. Starships don¡¯t have to contend with these factors. As such shaping them like a naval ship makes little sense. The shape of a starship can be quite varied depending on what you are going for. Still there were lessons to be learned from naval turrets, and they offered a basis for how to design a turret for a spaceship, even if the domains of combat were very different. Main gun naval battleship turrets, while designed for large heavy guns, were not suited to the demands of space combat. Some elements of the designs were useful, but most engineers were more interested in the close-in armaments of more modern naval ships. The close-in, or anti-air armaments of naval ships were intended for greater elevations than main guns, and rapid tracking. Scaling the designs up, and reinforcing them to mount heavier guns allowed for a promising early mounting of space age guns.


    These early mountings were not perfect, but they evolved from there. The limitations of early designs quickly became apparent to designers as soon as these first ships went into battle, and the engineers quickly learned what worked best. Everything was worked on, from how ammunition was stowed and loaded, to how the turret was protected from weapons fire. Even the shape of the turrets changed as the era moved on. Designers even experimented with different ways to protect the turrets while not in use. Turrets were naturally armored to protect them in battle, but as was often the case they typically had less armor than the main hull of the ship. This was especially true of smaller turrets intended to track agile targets such as missiles or fighters, as the extra mass of armor meant a more robust system would be needed to rotate the turret.


    One popular idea for protecting a ship¡¯s more vulnerable turrets was to stow them beneath the armored belt of the hull, when not in use. This had a few advantages, but to really take advantage of this, the turret would require a mechanism to allow for rapid deployment for when they are needed. Several different such mechanisms were experimented with during this age.


    The rise of energy weapons during the Colonial Wars led to a revolution in space age turret design. The key to this revolution lies in how energy weapons differ from guns. With guns, the entirety of the gun itself had to be mounted in the turret. Only a handful of components could be offloaded into the hull, namely ammo storage, and the capacitors for the acceleration coils. As all space age guns were either rail or gauss style cannons. Chemical drivers were largely obsolete. With lasers however, the only thing that really needed to be in the turret was the emitter array, while everything else including the laser beam generator could be safely placed inside the hull. As for particle beams, they too could load more components inside the hull than a comparable railgun could. They did need more than a laser namely, the particle accelerator, the emitter assembly and spatial lensing generator. The accelerator is by far the largest of these components, but thanks to modern techniques it¡¯s no larger than the coil mechanisms of a gauss cannon. The emitter also didn¡¯t need to be as large as the bore of a railgun of comparable yield. These factors all contributed to turrets being smaller.  Smaller turrets could track faster, due to having less mass when compared to a larger turret. This is particularly useful when aiming at a small agile target such as a fighter or corvette.


    It was also during this age that ship engineers experimented with spinal-mounted weapons. This allowed for a much larger weapon than a ship could otherwise carry to be mounted on a starship. While these weapons required the entire ship to face the target, this was found to not be much of a problem when used as a heavy anti-capital ship weapon. Particularly on smaller more agile ships, such as fast attack frigates. Such ships had to be built around the spinal weapons however, but could punch far above their weight class thanks to the large spinal weapon. Some capital ships also featured such weapons. Not all, due to the structural requirements of mounting a weapon in this fashion.


    The advent of continuous beam weapons brought about the ability for a new type of weapon mounting. Array mounting. The idea behind array mounting is to use a series of linked beam emitters in armored strips, rather than mounted on a turret. This completely eliminates the mechanical component of adjusting your aim. Instead, as the beam is fired it can move from one linked emitter to another, allowing the beam to be sustained longer than would be possible with other mountings. This also aids with the cooling of these weapons, but the greatest advantage of an array mounting is for beam output. The larger the array is the greater the overall power output of the beam weapons. This gives the beams incredible sustained stopping power. Assuming of course you can meet the power demands of the system. The setup does hinder the tracking of small agile targets, especially at close range, but at range it matters little. The strips are also designed so that the emitters can refocus within a limited arc in order to maintain target lock. Array mounted particle beams have been found to be very effective anti-ship weapons, able to carve ships apart at range with precision accuracy.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    For the Enterprise, her cutting beams, as you may have noted, are mounted in an array mount. Being anti-ship beam weapons, this is the prefered mounting for them. However array mountings do take up a fair amount of internal volume. Not to mention turrets are better for tracking small, fast moving targets. The Enterprise mounts her other energy weapons in a series of pop-up ball turrets that contain particle cannons in a focused-pulse emitter configuration. In this configuration they are designed to fire short, but intense, energy pulses, rather than a sustained beam. Each turret can mount several cannons with this emitter configuration. There are several advantages to mounting multiple cannons in the same turret rather than mounting a single larger cannon in a turret. Multigun turrets allowed a ship to mount more cannons with fewer turrets taking up less space. A single larger more powerful gun is also not necessarily superior to several smaller guns. On the Enterprise her main antiship cannons are mounted in quad turrets, while her dual-purpose medium cannons are mounted in dual turrets.


    The choice of mounting those medium guns in dual turrets is largely due to their multipurpose nature. They need the power to be a threat to capital ships, and the tracking for smaller faster targets such as fighters and corvettes. Limiting the number of emitters to two per turret allows for a smaller turret, and as mentioned before, smaller turrets can rotate more easily due to their lower mass. Something that is key for their dual-purposed role, however, it is important to note that they lack the tracking to accurately track missiles.


    Also you may have noted a lack of turrets not listed as pop-ups on the Enterprise. This is largely due to the considerations and requirements needed to be met for an interstellar vessel like the Enterprise. The Enterprise relies on her hull armor to protect the ship from hyperlight impacts. Her turrets have armor independent of the main armor on the hull, but that armor is also thinner and therefore weaker than the main hull plating. Therefore they are better protected from hyperlight impacts stowed inside the hull. Her heavier gun turrets may mount fairly thick armor as well, but even with those turrets the protection is notably less than that of the main hull. This is largely due to mass limitation, and the need for these turrets to be able to track targets. As such all of her turrets do benefit from being stowed beneath the main armor during transit. Even better, the mechanisms have been optimized to allow these turrets to be deployed quickly when needed.


    As you may have noted, for protection against missiles, and torpedoes the Enterprise relies mainly on her energy web, but she also has a grid of armored emitters placed all over the hull. These emitters aren¡¯t designed to move or track at all, instead they fire a wide area burst of particle flak. The idea is to flood a vector with particle energy, in order to detonate or burn up any warhead that got through the energy web. These flak projectors are very short range, and require a grid of them to properly cover the hull. Since these emitters are configured for wide area flak pulses a simple armored gun port is often sufficient, but they can also be mounted on turrets. A single one can cover a fair chunk of the hull, although some overlap is required for best coverage. As such, these flak projectors are mounted in armored ports every twenty meters. Additional turret mounted projectors are also strategically placed to provide additional redirectable flak coverage where needed.


    That brings to mind another item of important note, turret positioning. People have been trying different solutions for gun mounting and positioning since the age of sail. There is a reason for this, since where you put your guns matters. Turrets allow guns to fire in any direction they are pointed at, but your own hull can and often does limit their arc of available fire. Other turrets can also interfere with that arc of fire. As such the game is to place your turrets so that they have the greatest angle of fire with the least interference, while also keeping them in a location that doesn¡¯t cause other undue problems for the ship. One solution for this that appeared in the age of the battleship was superfiring turrets. This placed the turrets on different elevations, so that a turret behind another one could fire over that first turret. On naval ships this meant that the foremost, and rearmost turrets would be close to the deck, while turrets towards the middle of the ship would be raised above them.


    Starships are not shaped the same way naval ships are, and fight on a more three dimensional field of battle, but turret position is still very much important. As the more turrets that can fire on a target, the more firepower you bring to bear, and the quicker it can be destroyed. On the Enterprise, her turrets are mounted close to the hull, so that they can be more easily retracted and deployed. As such the shape of the hull itself is more important for maximizing the arc of available fire. That shape is also important for the hull armor, and how it affects overall protection. As such her hull was shaped to maximize protection without compromising her available arcs of fire. Her guns are laid out in a spoked wheel formation that provides a superb arc of available fire, and takes advantage of the hull curvature to put them in naturally superfiring positions. Due to the elongated nature of her saucer¡¯s curvature, the majority of this firepower can be directed forward, port, or starboard, and to a lesser degree dorsal and ventral. With her aft quadrant being rather weak, in overall firepower. This was actually intentional, and has been the norm for human designed ships for decades.


    Moving on, we have so far covered guns, and energy weapons, but have yet to cover missiles and torpedoes. Before we really get into how they are mounted, we should take a moment to look into what these are. In space the two are largely similar devices. They are guided projectile weapons with a warhead. That warhead being what provides the majority of their firepower. So what is the difference? Well that lies in their construction. Missiles feature a full propulsion system which is what gives them the majority of their speed and energy. This gives them excellent tracking and range, and longer range versions are often aided by a catapult launch. Torpedoes on the other hand feature only a minimal thruster assembly, and must rely on a catapult to reach speed. Although this does come with a few advantages.


    Since a torpedo doesn¡¯t have a full engine and everything that entails it has more space compared to a missile of similar size for its payload. As such torpedoes generally hit harder than their cousins, and since they do have some engines they can still guide themselves to the target. It¡¯s helped even further by the fact that in space, a small nudge can mean a lot. Naturally a small agile target would be able to outmaneuver a torpedo volley, but a larger target such as a cruiser? They might be able to avoid one or two, but certainly not the entire volley.


    Moving on this would indicate that missiles tend to lend themselves to tracking faster and more agile targets. You would be right with that, and it shows in the weapon choices of ships like the Enterprise.


    Now then, how are these weapons mounted? Well like the guns, designers drew from older wetwater ships for initial designs. Especially for larger ships, while smaller ships drew from aircraft. Anyway, as both groups of design sources would show there are two general ways a missile or torpedo could be mounted. Internal, or external. Aircraft due to their size are an excellent example of this. On an aircraft you may have noted that many designs mount their missiles to external hardpoints often on the underside of the wings. While others have internal bays in which to stow missiles.


    On ships, an example of internal mounting is the Vertical launch cell. The entirety of the mechanism is located inside the hull, with only an armored hatch on the deck indicating the presence of the missile system. When fired, the hatch opens allowing the missile to pass out into open air, while the launcher system itself is located entirely within the hull of the ship.


    Missiles can also be mounted on turrets which is an excellent example of external mounting for a ship. Naturally, turret mounted missiles are smaller and therefore shorter ranged than their internally mounted counterparts, and therefore lend themselves to different roles.


    On the Enterprise we can see examples of both types of general mounting. Her torpedoes are internally mounted, with the warheads being stored in large dedicated torpedo bays. Internal mechanisms transfer torpedoes as needed into a rotating set of magazines, which load into the launcher before being fired. The launcher itself is a powerful catapult that accelerates the projectiles to C-fractional velocities. On the hull, the only evidence of their existence is a small armored launching port. This port even includes an armored hatch to protect the torpedo tubes, and is designed to open just before the torpedoes fire, and quickly drop back into place after they have been fired. This mounting works great for these anti-ship warheads.


    It would not work so well, for her photon missiles. Those are short-range warheads intended for fighter defense. Instead of being mounted in fixed mount internal tubes, they are instead mounted in armored turrets. Each armored turret features three tubes, and is designed for volley fire just like the torpedo launchers. They do not however include a catapult, as it was deemed not needed given the shorter engagement ranges of these warheads. The turrets themselves, like her other mountings, are designed to be retracted below the main hull armor when not in use.


    They are not ball-shaped like her other turrets however. Ball-turrets are great because they allow for a high incidence of fire, and can be easily armored. Unfortunately the photon missile system doesn¡¯t quite fit that well in a ball-shaped turret. The problem being the magazine loading system employed. As such they are mounted in a more rectangular turret housing that is limited to a lower incidence of fire when compared to a ball turret. Thankfully the guided nature of the projectiles they fire make up for this limitation, as they only need to be pointed in the general direction of the target. The missile itself will take care of the other variables, and there are a fair number of those.


    Moving on, ammo handling and firing. Each turret stows her missiles, in a missile bay located below the armored hull. This provides extra protection for the volatile projectile weapons. An automated loader system loads them into a rotating magazine system as needed, with each mag being fed into the turret, as the last one is removed. This allows for a rapid reloading of the turret. Allowing a single turret to deploy more missiles in a shorter window of time. Like the torpedo launcher this process takes approximately six seconds, and allows each tube to fire a volley of five tracking warheads. As such a single turret can fire fifteen warheads in rapid order.


    Like her gun ports, the location of her missile turrets is quite important. They are distributed across the hull to provide antifighter coverage, with extra turrets concentrated around vital areas, including the bridge, hangers and main sensor array. Again they need to be placed in positions to support each other, and they very much are. Each is carefully positioned to maximize coverage, so as to ensure that any attacking small craft would be inside the firing arcs of several turrets. Allowing them to overwhelm hostile fighters and bombers.

 Chapter Thirty-Six The Battle Comes to a Close

    The station commander studied her screens, as several ships came into range. Beam weapons fired to deter them, with the predictable result. A couple sustained moderate damage, and pulled back. The rest continued into the teeth of their defenses. She had every reason to be worried however, that explosion had knocked out the main shields. The station had armor, and the hull was reinforced, but those capital ships had enough firepower to destroy this outpost now that the shields were down. There were secondary shields to protect vital areas such as ops and the docks, but they had also been sabotaged. As such there was no safe place left on the station. It might be safer to relocate to either the IKS Teketh or the EFS Enterprise, but there wasn¡¯t time to reach either ship. If there was she would have preferred the Enterprise right now. The Teketh had superior technology and defensive systems, but she was in bad shape. Not to mention, her engines were non-functional. The Enterprise on the other hand was over-engineered so even without shields, she could easily withstand a barrage of plasma torpedoes. Even better she had functional engines.


    Of course, there was a reason for the EFS Enterprise being so over-engineered. Her armor and structural systems were that way because her builders had evidently never heard of a deflector. As such in order to withstand the rigors of star travel they needed a robust hull, and armor able to withstand those translight impacts.


    The fact they could make such armor was downright impressive, and at the moment it meant right now that the Enterprise was the safest place to be. With the Teketh following in second place. As while damaged the Teketh still had a functioning shield grid, and right now those shields were up. With a small gap to allow entry via the dock gangway. People were already evacuating to the ship, but there were Cathamari interfering with that operation. Elsewhere internal screens showed that similar attacks were occurring near the few civilian ships docked at the station. Her own security forces were pressed defending those docks, and key areas such as ops. As such the Cathamari pretty much had free run of the station. Although there were a few firefights elsewhere, and the Humans were defending capital ship dock four themselves, freeing up a few security units to defend other areas.


    Glancing at the monitor, she noted that Tika was at that dock now, and a few human marines were heading off into the station. She glanced back at the ships approaching and wasn¡¯t sure that was a good idea. She doubted the Cathamari would actually try to destroy the outpost while they had people aboard, but that wouldn¡¯t preclude them shooting at it. Not to mention the station was crawling with Cathamari soldiers. Although it seemed some of them were starting to pull back towards the docks. Why she wasn¡¯t sure.


    Her attention went back to what was happening outside the station. She was worried about that, especially since most of their defense picket was occupied protecting the civilian ships in the area. The rest had been forced to pull out of the combat zone to make repairs or had been destroyed. On the flip side, they had destroyed about a third of the attacking Cathamari fleet so far. They would likely win the battle, but they might lose the outpost. That was a thought she didn¡¯t relish.


    That thought fell from her mind, moments later. On her screens, she noticed that the Enterprise was opening her gunports, turrets were deploying across the hull, and focusing on the approaching ships. She had previously noted the particle cannons on the Enterprise. Although she knew little about them, beyond what they could discern from sensor scans and what had been reported by the Teketh. They were somewhat different from other designs she had seen, but they still drew from familiar principles. Although she couldn¡¯t be certain of their exact capabilities. The reports only told her so much. To be truly certain more data was needed.


    In seconds rapid pulses of focused blue particle energy began to flood the void. As the Enterprise started firing on the Cathamari ships, which were not yet able to fire back. Her own station weapons had been hiting them and inflicting some damage. The Enterprise focused her heavy barrage of particle fire on one of the lead ships whose forward shield was starting to fluctuate.


    The bolts slammed into the forward shield with a veritable hail of heavy fire. The first hits were absorbed, but she could tell that they wouldn¡¯t hold long under the strain. As the sustained volley was quickly straining the shields. For nearly a minute the weakened forward shield held under the strain and then buckled. Blue energy punched through the shield and tore into the hull. Ripping right through her armor as if it was tissue paper. More followed, as the shield collapsed entirely. In seconds the once-proud dreadnought was little more than a floating wreck, her hull pockmarked with holes and heavily charred. The Enterprise shifted her fire to a second ship, one her own guns quickly started to focus on. She blinked, and glanced at her battle-leader.


    He said nothing, but clearly noted her look. She trusted he knew what he was doing. Glancing back at the screens, she noted the ship was already dead, and their combined fire was striking a third. That third ship was taking heavy damage, her shields buckling, and bolts were tearing through her hull as if it was tissue paper. However, the Cathamari were now entering range to shoot back. Something they promptly did with focused concussion plasma fire. Clearly aimed at her station, or to be more precise her main gun batteries. They weren¡¯t even firing on the Enterprise, not yet anyway.


    At the same moment, the Enterprise lobbed another volley of photons at the Cathamari. This time aimed at a battleship, that had the misfortune of wandering into her firing arc. She watched the plots, taking brief glances at internal security. Where she noted that the Cathamari were intensifying their attacks on the human held capital ship dock four, whereas they were pulling back in other areas. The only other area they were concentrating was freighter dock twenty three, which was a few levels above capital ship dock four.


    The station shuddered as the Cathamari plasma projectiles struck the hull. The damage was thankfully rather contained, but she watched as numerous weapon emplacements were knocked offline, and power was disrupted to several key systems. The tractor beams, and internal security grid were among the systems affected. In seconds her station had been rendered toothless, and the Cathamari suddenly had access to areas that had previously been secure. Not that the grid had prevented them from reaching secure areas before. The loss of the shields underscored that fact quite nicely.


    Now toothless, there was nothing left her battleleader could do, not that she could see, but the Enterprise was still clearly fighting. Although the Cathamari were lasting longer now that the station was no longer coordinating its fire with the human capitalship. Already she could see them vectoring towards the docked capitalship. When her battle-leader suddenly said, ¡°The Enterprise, we need to release her.¡±


    Turning she frowned, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Enterprise, needs to be free to maneuver. Release the docking clamps.¡±


    ¡°Huh, but what about...¡±


    ¡°They will be fine. Right now that ship needs to be free to maneuver.¡±


    <hr>


    Tika stepped off the lift, into a dimly lit corridor. She had not been to this part of the ship before. Countryman had said they were heading to the bridge, but this didn¡¯t look like the bridge. All she saw was a short corridor. At the far end of the corridor, she could see two armored men gaurding an armored blast door. There were two other doors in the corridor, that also looked like security doors, but not as heavily armored. Even so the doors seemed substantial, at least in the dim light.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Countryman and Eri made for the door on the other end of the hall, rather than those in the middle, and she followed. They came up to the guards, and Countryman spoke briefly. The guards nodded, and activated something. A scanning beam went over the three of them. It lasted but a moment, and then the guards opened the door.


    The armored door slid silently into the floor. It took only a couple of seconds, but she quickly noticed that the door was actually rather substantial even for a blast door. It was perhaps a meter thick, and clearly it had been reinforced. It would be no easy task to cut through such a thick door. Thankfully the mechanisms could open it fairly quickly, it only took seconds, and after stepping through she noted it was just as fast to raise it back into place. She felt no need to ask about what she had seen. It was clear that she had just been brought into a secure area.


    Looking around, she noted that she was on the upper level of what was clearly the ship¡¯s command center. From here she had a commanding view of the bridge, there were a few controls up here concentrated at the only station up here. At eye level in every direction were a series of view screens that provided the illusion of a three hundred sixty degree window. Looking around, she could see the battle in the distance. The station, and the ships moving in to attack. It seemed there was more going on than just the soldiers on the station. Exactly what she didn¡¯t know, given that she was largely out of the loop. She did notice that at least her ship looked alright.


    Countryman approached the chair, where a man had been sitting. He stood up, and handed Countryman a padd. Something Countryman looked through quickly, a smile briefly graced his face. He took the chair, while briefly conferring with the other man, while Eri made her way down a series of steps to the lower level. The man followed her down a moment later, and Countryman took command of the ship.


    She stepped up just behind him, just as it was reported that the Cathamari were firing torpedoes. Tika could see it on the screens, and to her it looked like they were unleashing the entirety of their payloads against the Enterprise. Great swaths of angry red bolts were careening towards the ship. It was a frightful display of firepower.


    Countryman was immediately giving orders to the crew. ¡°Divert all available power to the hull plating, and structural integrity fields. Secure all turrets. Alert all hands to brace for impact, and set energy web projectors to in-dock defense mode.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem all that worried, but that was a lot of firepower. They were clearly firing as many warheads as they could at the Enterprise. Countryman turned to her, and said, ¡°You might want to brace. I¡¯m afraid the Enterprise is about to get its first real test of her defense systems.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem that worried about it.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°largely because I¡¯m pretty sure of the result. The ship will survive this volley, your dock might not be so lucky. I¡¯ll do what I can to make sure it remains intact.¡± Then he pointed behind her, ¡°there are some seats hidden in the walls over there, you can brace yourself there¡±


    She turned around to see two benches folding out of the wall on either side of the blast door. She even noted the presence of a proper shock harness. Glancing back, she noticed that Countryman was securing himself in one, while giving additional orders. Including some very detailed orders about what to do with the structural integrity field generators. Some of which went beyond her understanding of the system. It seemed he was better versed on the technology than any male she had met before, and most females as well. Tika wasn¡¯t sure what to think about that. They hadn¡¯t really known the humans long enough to really understand their culture. Besides, while gender roles were rigid and strong in Krall society, that didn¡¯t mean they would make the same sense for an alien one.


    She pushed those thoughts aside, and secured herself in one of the available seats. The harness required some adjustment, but thankfully Krall and Humans were similar enough in morphology that she could use the harness. The design while different was also somewhat familiar. No real shock there, races with similar morphologies developed similar tools. This was especially true of simple tools. A harness definitely fell on the simpler side of tools.


    That line of thought fell quickly to the side, as the enemy torpedoes began hitting the screen. An angry web of high-intensity particle streams projected safely away from the hull, and in a manner that avoided damage to the docks. The ship began to rock, as shockwaves struck the hull. Wave generated by the torpedoes losing containment, and suddenly detonating on contact with the energy web. Thankfully they were in space or the rather minimal rocking they were feeling right now would be far worse. The lack of an atmosphere took most of the force out of those premature detonations.


    Tika observed from her seat as the alien point defense grid, intercepted and detonated the Cathamari torpedoes kilometers from the hull. Some of them got through, but it was a fraction of the truly massive number. The ship rocked all the harder with each one that got through the interception grid. The number that got through was quite small at first, but the numbers quickly rose. Each time one got through the resulting hit rocked the ship hard, and she was quite thankful for the shock harness. It helped keep her in her seat. Although she wished the humans would invest in better inertial dampers. Not that anything could be done about that. Not right now anyway.


    Down below she heard someone shout, ¡°AIF integrity at thirty percent, and falling!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t sure what that meant, but she doubted it was good. The Cathamari were continuing their rather heavy bombardment, and she didn¡¯t see an end to it in sight. At this point the screens were so clogged with hits, she couldn¡¯t even see what the Cathamari were doing, but she had a feeling they had fired more torpedoes.


    Countryman gave a few orders, including an order to return fire with the main beam arrays. That made some sense to her, especially since one of his previous orders was to secure the turrets. That likely meant retracting them back beneath the main belt of armor where they would be better protected.


    The result of those orders, she could not really see. However from what she could see, it seemed the ship was holding up fairly well. At least until another shout reported that the AIF had fallen below twenty percent.


    Moments after that shout, another reported, ¡°Hull breach! Deck nine, section 33 alpha! Emergency bulkheads, responding. No casualties reported!¡±


    That was the first. Several more followed in the space of a few minutes. Countryman shouted a few orders, and then he turned back to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we are fine. I suspect their tubes will be empty soon.¡±


    She thought his words were mostly empty assurances, but it was nice to hear someone say that. Especially since she was beginning to worry about whether or not the ship would hold up. Afterall, the officers below were reporting a rather regular stream of new hull breaches. However true to his word, the bombardment let up, and came to a stop moments later. Revealing the Cathamari capital ships, at close range. Now firing only their main cannons.


    One of them seemed to have lost shields, as a sustained beam of blue energy tore through her hull. One of the local defense cruisers came into view firing on the ships from the rear. The Cathamari returned fire with limited effect and began moving off. Countryman gave the order to deploy the turrets, and open fire. Moments later, she saw a few flashes of light flash, as they warped away.


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Well, I think that could have gone better.¡± He turned to her, and said, ¡°In the meantime, we might as well lick our wounds, and figure out what they went to such trouble to steal.¡±


    ¡°Steal?¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Seven Trades, and Licking Wounds

    The station commander set aside the report. It had been a few hours since the attack. Long enough to take stock of things. The station had taken a fair amount of damage, but her docks were thankfully rather unscathed. Most of their ships in the system had also sustained damage. Of the four hundred and fifty-seven warships that had been in system at the time of the attack, nearly a hundred had been lost, but there were roughly eight hundred destroyed Cathamari ships still in the system. They had also captured a few disabled warships, and now had some prisoners to deal with. They were to be transported elsewhere, and were to be interrogated.


    As for the Humans, their small fleet was now in geosynchronous orbit not too far from the station. All three of their ships had taken a fair amount of damage and were sporting fresh hull breaches. She suspected the damage looked worse than it actually was. Part of that assessment came from a conversation with Tika who was currently on the Enterprise, and apparently, she had taken a couple of military-issue plasma rifles with her. That was something they would like to have back, and was certainly not something they would have allowed the humans to have under normal circumstances. Not this soon into the relationship anyway. No point complaining about what had already been done however. If anything, this might be a good chance to see how their relationship might unfold.


    In the meantime, she had other things to worry about. Things more important than a pair of rifles. Namely, she had a few meetings with civilian leaders, she had an investigation to conduct, and she needed to get started on repairs. Thankfully the homeworld was sending a relief force to Illeira, and it would be here in a few days. That force would contain fresh ships to replace their losses and reinforce the local garrison. Along with materials, and manpower to assist with restoring the outpost to full operational capacity. By far the best news she had was that thanks to the efforts of the local defense force, and the aid of the EFS Coto there had been no civilian casualties. Her sistership the Umikaze had helped get a cruiser out of the line of fire, and saved her crew as well. She had not noticed, but she had after licking her wounds jumped back into the battle. Rescuing several more stricken cruisers from the line of battle, and while she didn¡¯t succeed she had attempted to stop the Cathamari freighter from escaping.


    It might have been different if she had released the Enterprise after the shields failed, but she had not. As a result, the Cathamari had bombarded the ship to prevent her from engaging their freighter. The very same freighter that had delivered their strike force to the outpost, and got away. They were still taking inventory, but they already knew they made off with a number of items including at least one shield generator, and several plasma cannons. In fact if it wasn¡¯t bolted down they took it, and even some things that were bolted down had been ripped right out of the walls. In fact, they had even cleaned out several of the station''s armories.


    They were going to have to chase after that freighter but at the moment they didn¡¯t have any ships to send. Imperial Fleet Command had already been appraised, and they were sending five ships to chase after the freighter. The lead of that group was the IKS Rikar. She was somewhat familiar with that ship, it was a Warhammer Class heavy battleship, she was somewhat smaller than the EFS Enterprise. However she was much better protected and armed. The Rikar was 4233 meters long with three hundred and twenty-two decks, and a span of 2207 meters.


    Her armament included twenty-eight heavy plasma beam arrays and eight plasma cannon banks. She also was armed with spatial torpedoes mounted fore and aft. Those weapons alone were respectable, but that didn¡¯t cover her full armament. She also carried Ion Pulse cannons, two full banks of standard cannon, along with a dual spinal mounted Ion Pulse cannon.


    Ion Pulse cannons fired an ionic particle pulse that wrecks havoc with shields and systems, not unlike the lightning weapon the human ships carried. Although based on somewhat different principles. Many races had some kind of weapon for disabling ships, and the Krall answer was the Ion Pulse Cannon. The spinal one, on the Warhammer class battleships however is what happens when the technology is taken a step forward. That massive cannon was designed not to disable ships, but to knock out planetary defenses, and that was something it did very well. The weapon could bring down planetary shields quickly, allowing for orbital bombardment, and the landing of troops in short order. It is worth noting that while designed for use against planetary shields, the cannon was effective against ships as well, especially other capital ships.


    That armament alone was impressive, but to top it all off. Warhammer class battleships were some of the most heavily armored ships in the Imperium. The hull plating was layered and many meters thick. The outermost layer was Erudite-Tritanium alloy, followed by several layers of Tritanium plating. The hull itself was also reinforced to take a beating, and key sections featured internal plating, and secondary shields to protect them. The main shields were class V, able to take just about anything the Cathamari could through at them. If just one such battleship had been on station here, the attack would have gone very differently. The Station commander did not know when the ship would arrive, but when she did it would be good for morale. She hoped it got here sooner or later.


    <hr>


    Countryman meanwhile was studying the latest reports to reach his own desk. Williams had survived, but not in one piece. The Marines had brought her back missing a few. Technically they could have brought her back missing more and she would have been fine. At the moment however, she was in the medical bay undergoing regenerative therapy, where her ability to cause trouble would be limited. Of course while he called it a medical bay it was more of a hospital. The medical bay ran from decks thirty-nine to forty-two and took up a fifth of the area available in each of those decks. As a result they had a medical bay able to treat thousands, effectively. He was glad they did because it gave them the capacity to provide health care for the fifty thousand plus people under his care. In addition to battlefield injury treatments. Given that she took a plasma bolt to the gut at some point, Williams would likely be in the nano-bath for a few days.


    He was more concerned with the other reports. Most specifically the damage reports, and the repair estimates. The Umikaze had sustained just over one hundred and seventy hull breaches, she had lost main port engine, and sustained internal damage to several modules. Power was out of twelve decks, and she had lost several turrets during the engagement. Her superstructure was largely intact, and injuries aboard ship were thankfully rather light all things considered. No fatalities, but there were some injuries severe enough to require a nano-bath. By far his biggest concern were actually the hits she took to her port nacelle, while most of the damage was confined to her sub-engines there, she had lost one of her four warp engines. That was a precious piece of hardware not easily replaced. Building a new warp engine was no easy task, and that item alone would take days. They were not easy to build, and frankly required some materials that were hard to come by. At least they had what they needed on hand, and from the sound of it the drive wasn¡¯t too badly slagged. They might be able to salvage something from it.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The Coto on the other hand had also been engaged and sustained a fair amount of damage. Most of it was thankfully surface damage, so her repairs would be less extensive. She had sustained just under a hundred and twenty hull breaches. Along with some internal damage, and a few of her gun ports had been destroyed. Nothing truly vital had been damaged, and as a result, they estimated they could have the Coto fully repaired in about a day. Most of that repair time would be with repairing the damaged internal modules. Like her sistership, there were no fatalities but there were some injuries. Just those people unfortunate enough to be in those sections that were breached.


    As for his own ship, the Enterprise. They had taken a fair amount of damage, and ended up expending a rather large amount of ordinance. His engines thankfully weren¡¯t damaged, but his torpedo reserves were depleted to roughly twenty percent. They would need to replace those warheads. That wasn¡¯t going to be easy since they were talking almost thirty eight thousand torpedoes, and photons required a very special casing material to function properly. The rest of the torpedo on the other hand was made of materials readily available. At least they were in a friendly enough port, he figured they may be able to acquire what they need here. Although if he had to, there were a number of disarmed mark-fives sitting in his cargobays. Enough to refill his torpedo bays, but those would be markedly less effective than the photons they had originally been armed with. If he could get that casing material he needed, it would however be a simply matter to convert those warheads into photon torpedoes.


    At the moment, they just didn¡¯t have any of it onboard. A fact that would complicate the rearming of his ships. Repairs on the other hand would be less of a problem. They had suffered extensive outer hull damage, but very little internal damage. They were going to have to replate large sections of the hull, but that wasn¡¯t going to be too difficult. It would only take a couple of days, before they were repaired, and the two hundred something hull breaches they had taken to be patched. There was one turret that was going to need replacing, but all of the others were intact. Securing them had kept them safe from the bombardment. Honestly the most extensive repairs would be for the Umikaze, as both of their other ships could be fixed within hours while the Umikaze would require about a week to complete repairs.


    Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and he placed the reports to the side, and bade the other person to enter his ready room. After a moment, Greyman walked in. His expression was rather neutral and gave away little about why he had bothered him, but Countryman could guess by his mannerism that it wasn¡¯t more bad news or anything truly urgent.


    Before he could prompt his first officer, Greyman informed him, ¡°Sorry to bother you, but we have a Krall freighter parked off our port bow. It seems the local corporations are grateful for our assistance, they have offered to trade with us at a discounted rate. In addition they also offered to assist with our repairs.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. If they are offering it would be rude to refuse them. Some help would be appreciated, and there are some items I am looking to acquire. So we should at the least take a look at what they have.¡±


    He had already reviewed what they had available to trade. They had quite a bit of Duranium but that stuff wasn¡¯t of much use to them. True it was natively stronger than titanium, but it alloyed poorly with Rydium. As such, it made poor material for overlord type ship armor, and could not be enhanced anywhere near as much as titanium could be. That meant they had a large number of salvage cubes, many of which were still stowed in their makeshift cargo sled. They could likely sell those for a fair profit, and get much of what they needed. Salvage cubes weren¡¯t the only things they had to sell. Their recent harvest had gone well, and they had plenty of food supplies. Including seed. They could trade some of that as well. While they did have some of the traditional luxury crops such as Martian Chocolate, they also had plenty of food crops such as corn, tomatoes, and potatoes. All of which could be sold at a premium if they had to, and they did have a fair surplus. Some of which was being processed into protein paste since it would keep better, and could be stored more easily as a paste.


    He figured he could sell off some of that excess food for vital supplies they needed. Perhaps even fill a few of the shortages they were dealing with. Coffee for example was something they had a rather severe shortage for. It was one of those plants they didn¡¯t manage to find seed for, and as such their only supply were now a dwindling cache of dried and ground coffee. Little surprise however that they only had dried coffee. It was one of those plants grown mainly on the homeworld. Mars had briefly tried to grow its own, but something about the soil made the coffee taste weird. At least according to every source he had spoken to. He didn¡¯t drink the stuff so he simply took their word for it.  Although he did note that Martian coffee was popular in certain circles, mainly as a luxury good. Unfortunately, they had none and were making due with what substitutes they had access to. Perhaps, the Krall had something that the people would be happier with.


    With those thoughts in mind, he headed off to meet these merchants, and see what they had for sale. He was certainly interested in doing business with them. Countryman had a fair list of things he would like to acquire. Among those items was a sample of Erudite, a probe with faster than light drive or communications, a Krall FTL radio would be nice as well. He also needed a few star charts, preferably including the exact coordinates of the Cathamari homeworld, and maybe they even had a reasonably intact Cathamari cruiser. Although he would not get his hopes up for that. Then again there were a few wrecks here, so they just might. At the very least he wanted a nice isolated system where he could easily get his hands on one. He needed that cruiser for his plan, and this meeting would be where he could make it happen.


    <hr>


    As it would turn out Countryman was actually able to get a fair amount of the items he wanted. While he didn¡¯t get the cruiser, he did get the star charts he needed, and an idea of where he might be able to obtain one. More importantly, he got the probe he needed. It was the most vital item of the puzzle, and one they could not produce themselves. Ruri would no doubt be quite happy with the sample of Erudite he got her, it was not much, but enough to make a study.


    Along with a fair number of useful supplies, all for the cost of some food, and a sizeable number of useless salvage cubes. For some reason, the Krall merchants had been particularly interested in corn. They bought it from him at a rate that made it look like a luxury food crop, more than ten times what it was normally worth. He made note of that little fact, perhaps corn was more valuable than they thought? Due to that apparent value, he had been able to trade it for all sorts of interesting trinkets some of which might have been less than legal on the civilian market.

 Chapter Thirty-Eight Erudite?

    Countryman made his way down the corridor. His mind wandering over the last three days. Tika had gone back to her ship, two days ago. They had sent a shuttle for her, and also politely asked for their rifles back. Ruri had already taken the opportunity to run a few scans of them, and since they need the Krall more than their stuff, they had sent them along with Tika. After that, they had dealt more with their merchants than the local military groups. As it turned out they had a few products worth a pretty penny that they could trade for useful stuff, and those merchants were more than willing to come out to see if they could not get some of those items.


    Because of that, they were well on their way back to being fully armed. While repairs were proceeding apace due to their ability to get critical materials more easily. Although some items had to be manufactured, and that was what took the most time. They had already completed repairs on the Enterprise, and the Coto. While they had delayed starting work on the Umikaze while they manufactured the replacement parts she needed. They were going to begin repairs on the Umikaze today. To be more specific they would be stripping her damaged armor, and outer hull repair. By morning tomorrow, they would if things went to plan be ready to install her replacement engines.


    At the moment however, he was more interested in what Ruri wanted him to see. Since she wasn¡¯t able to proceed with her weapons research just yet, she was instead conducting an initial study into Erudite. The material already interested him due to its properties, and if it panned out it might prove useful in the production of next-generation armor. Something that would hold up better under a heavy bombardment. Of course there was also the mention about the stuff not being cheap, and it was not. The small amount they had obtained had cost them a fair bit. A reflection of how it wasn¡¯t a cheap material. Mostly due to its apparent rarity.


    Turning a corner, he consider the other bit of news over the last few days. It was very good news in fact, they had had their first birth since the fall of Earth. It was a healthy young girl. Something that had been shared with the general public, as it gave them something to celebrate. With their numbers so low, each new birth was something worthy of celebration. In fact he had thrown an official festival to celebrate this first birth one that was still going on right now. Morale was up across the board thanks to this new festival. In fact it seemed to be just what the people needed, something to celebrate, something to tell them that life goes on. It also led to people loosening up, and a spike in pairs. He suspected that they might be seeing a spike in births in about nine months. As it was they did have a few more expectant young mothers due over the coming weeks.


    Speaking of those mothers, he had been talking with them, and had arranged things so that they would have quarters near each other. That would allow them to support each other, and place the young kids in an area where they could easily meet up with others there own age. It was something all of them agreed would be nice, not to mention good for their kids. On Countryman¡¯s end it had not been easy to arrange this, but he had managed to get it done.


    Finally reaching the lab in question, he put those thoughts aside, and made his way into Ruri¡¯s lab. Where he found her bent over a table, her lab coat dirty and torn. He ignored the fact that he could see her underwear, and approached the table. It wasn¡¯t the first time, and certainly would not be the last. In fact her careless nature was why over the years he knew her, he had to protect her from those that would take advantage. Discretely, he adjusted her damaged lab coat to cover her, and said, ¡°So what did you want to see me about?¡±


    She looked up from the console, she was writing notes on, and said, ¡°This Erudite you got me is quite the interesting stuff.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you already completed the analysis. What can you tell me about that Erudite?¡±


    She picked up a sample container, and replied, ¡°I have. It has a very unusual molecular structure, but it is composed mostly of elements we are familiar with. I¡¯ll put the exact compoistion in my written report. What I will say is that the elements making up its structure are all present in forms we are not familiar with. The result of unusual processes not present on Earth.¡± she paused, placed her sample in a scanner, and then continued after the display came on displaying the structure of Erudite.


    ¡°As such this Erudite could not have formed on Earth. If it had we likely would have used it for quite a few applications. Its unusual molecular structure makes it very resilient against energy weapons. As you know, a particle beam not only imparts significant thermal energy to the target, but also disrupts the molecular integrity of the target. Not to the point of actually breaking down physical matter like a disrupter, but enough to matter. Our armor makes use of structural fields to resist this effect, but this Erudite stuff does it naturally.¡±


    He looked over the scan, and said, ¡°A material that naturally retains integrity after being hit by a particle bolt. The potential for armor is...¡±


    ¡°Revolutionary I know.¡± she interrupted, ¡°I¡¯ve already conducted a few simulations, and small-scale lab tests. Even better the stuff seems to alloy nicely with the materials we already use in our armor. Still working on the optimal formula, but from the look of it we can at the very minimum double our armor integrity by including this stuff in our armor.¡±


    ¡°Interesting.¡± he knew a fair amount about modern armor. The plates used a very specific alloy that when subjected to a structural reinforcement field was almost indestructible, at least as long as the field remained above a certain level of strength. It was also specially coated to protect the plates from the extreme heat of modern energy weapons. Plasma for example could burn incredibly hot, and can burn through most materials almost instantly. Particle beams while not as hot could do the same with just a little bit more time, It was why each plate was treated with layered thermal coats. Coats that were separated by layers of Titan alloy. Not to mention the circuitry integrated into the plate to allow the structural field to more efficiently augment the integrity of the plates.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Anyway, what kind of thermal resistance does this new stuff have?¡±


    She tapped the keys bringing up the data of her analysis. ¡°It also has some really good thermal resistance.¡± he read the exact figures off the screen, ¡°As you can see, its can naturally resist a plasma bolt, much better than most other known materials. Although as you can also see, its not as impressive against kinetics as titan alloy, the alien Duranium is far better at that than this stuff.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Although I doubt the Krall much care about the poor performance against railguns. Most everyone out here uses energy weapons, and even if they did use kinetics its doubtful such weapons could penetrate those sheilds they were using.¡± replied Countryman. He had read Ruri¡¯s report on Krall shields. Unlike Cathamari shields, Krall shields functioned on a rotating band modulation. That key difference also made them much more resistant against shield penetrators. Then there was the fact that shields could block a physical projectile more easily than an energy bolt.


    ¡°There is that alright. Still no point talking about things we both already know. Anyway since it isn¡¯t perfect, I think it would be best as part of an alloy. Which is why I have the computer running alloying simulations right now.¡±


    ¡°Interesting but they would be of limited use without a source of the stuff.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°I know. I¡¯m already looking into methods of synthetically producing the mineral. I have another monitor running simulations on that right now. Nothing to really show for it yet, but we might have something soon enough. In the meantime, I have an update for the scanning protocols. Once installed our sensors will be able to identify natural deposits of Erudite. Might prove useful in finding a natural source of the mineral.¡±


    ¡°Good to know. We could certainly use better armor. As strong as our armor is, it doesn¡¯t last long if the field goes down. Keep on this, it could save lives.¡±


    She nodded, and turned back to her work. Countryman glanced back at her monitor with data on the substance. It was quite an impressive mineral, and if they could synthesize it or produce it in any significant quantity, they could use it to enhance their armor. They had already had to patch the plating more than he would like. Especially during this last battle, while they had the materials on hand, and they can be acquired easily enough it would be better if the plating hadn¡¯t been breached in the first place. The properties of this Erudite certainly showed promise for ship armor. It would be better able to withstand the rigors of space combat than anything else they knew of. Assuming they got the mix right, although even pure it would hold up better against energy weapons.


    In any case, he looked forward to whatever she came up with. Although they still needed to find somewhere to test those prototype weapons she had developed. Those also showed alot of promise, and while technically they might be able to test them here, he would much prefer an isolated backwater. She had already dismissed him, and gone back to her work, so he headed out of the room. Already mentally going over the star charts, they had obtained. There was already one system on those charts he wanted to visit, it was home to a Cathamari colony, and outpost. The system was not heavily populated or of much strategic importance. According to the notes, it didn¡¯t even have a standing garrison. Apparently, only a single cruiser was responsible for patrolling that entire sector, and that system was included on the list. Information on exactly what defenses the outpost had, and the configuration of that one cruiser was unfortunately not available from the channels he had access to.


    <hr>


    The stars resolved themselves after a moment, and the ship-leader was greeted with the view of Iliera. Evidence of the recent attack could still be seen, and already her officers were conducting scans. Her task force was assigned to chase after the raiders, they should be able to overtake them, and destroy the freighter carrying stolen Krall technology.


    As her eyes studied the screens, she noted three ships of a type she wasn¡¯t familiar with. They were marked as friendlies on the local defense net, and she could see a freighter near them, with shuttles being exchanged. However, her gaze was drawn to the capital ship.


    At this very moment, a smaller ship either a cruiser or destroyer she wasn¡¯t sure was docked beneath it. Several robotic arms were deployed around it, while focused cutting lasers carved into her hull, targeted at damaged sections of hull plating. As each section came loose, a precise application of a tractor beam was used to separate the plate from the hull. A series of tractor projectors were then used to guide the damaged plate to a recovery bay in the belly of the ship above. It wasn¡¯t all that different a process from what was done at their own shipyards. The only major difference was that the tractor projectors would fire a strange disk at each section before activating the beam. She figured it must serve some purpose in the function of their tractor projectors.


    Her battle-leader suddenly spoke up behind her, ¡°I doubt they are planning any trouble or expecting any. From the look of it, no one else is either, which may be why they felt comfortable enough to conduct hull armor repairs.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I gathered that myself. I was just studying them. I hear those aliens assisted in the defense of our outpost here. So it wouldn¡¯t make much sense for them to start something after that. Still, I would like your men to stay on alert. There is nothing to say those cowards won¡¯t make another attack, and we will be stuck here for a few hours anyway, while the drive recharges.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°I already have them on standby. We will be ready to fight at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Good.¡± then she turned to another officer, to inquire about tracking data. They needed to know what course the raiders left on. Its why they had come here. The new aliens were a curiosity, one she would like to know more about, but unfortunately, it was going to have to wait. She had a mission to complete, one vital to the security of the Imperium. Especially now that war with the Cathamari Empire seemed to be inevitable.

 Chapter Thirty-Nine Plan underway, and a Council Meeting

    Williams made her way into the council meeting. It had been a couple of days since she had been discharged from the ship¡¯s medical bay. Certainly not an experience she would care to repeat, she cursed that damn marine for being incompetent. She would have had the man fired for that, but unfortunately, she did not have that power. It rankled her that he wasn¡¯t even reprimanded for failing to protect her. Apparently, General Forest considered simply bringing her back alive as sufficient to consider the task successful. She had tried to talk sense into the man but to no avail.


    Putting that aside, today''s meeting was nothing special. They had discussed the topic before but hadn¡¯t made any final decisions. They were simply going to continue the discussion on the creation of a new calendar one that marks the loss of their homeworld as year zero. Honestly, she didn¡¯t much see the point of this and didn¡¯t care if this went through or not. She had bigger things to worry about, and a calendar wasn¡¯t going to do damage like many of the other things proposed in these halls. She cursed that damn machine and his minions.


    Stepping into the chamber she found that everyone else was already there. She headed towards her seat, mostly disinterested in this meeting. She had a later one, that was far more important to her. It was a meeting with her allies, as they had some damage control to do of a different sort. Recent events had dealt a major blow to her movement. It might take months to recover, especially since the lower morale had been better for her movements. It was unfortunate, but if the people being unhappy would help her make them realize that machine needed to be put out of power, well then she will have to make sure they stay unhappy. More radical measures would be needed clearly.


    How radical was the question? She considered a few ideas, and shelved them as the meeting went on. Occasionally responding to the others in a somewhat distracted manner. Before she even realized it, they had come to a final agreement on this new calendar. Including how they were going to implement it in full. She didn¡¯t even notice when the subject shifted to discussing the creation of a more unified language. That topic was far more important, but also one not so easily finished in a single meeting.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped out of the meeting. It had gone well enough, but he could not help but notice how distracted Williams had been. Something was up with her, normally no matter the topic she would try to take control of the meeting, but she had doen no such thing today. Since he was already keeping an eye on her he had an idea of why. That other meeting she had taken great pains to arrange in secret must be rather important to her. He was going to be keeping a closer eye on that one. Keeping that woman in check was starting to look like a full time job.


    In the meantime, he had things to do. It was time they got underway. He already had a destination in mind, the star system of Iridia. There was a Cathamari colony there, but from what he knew the system being of no strategic import had minimal defenses, and relied on only a single cruiser to deter pirates, and the like. That cruiser of course was largely why he was heading there, while it patrolled the entire sector it would eventually visit that system. As for the colony itself, it would certainly make an excellent target for some weapons testing. Thankfully he had picked something up that would ensure the colony would not be able to get a warning out.


    Although if he wanted to he could wipe it out without them even knowing he was there. The Enterprise was afterall currently carrying ten antimatter bombs, each one had a massive yield of 100,000 megatons. That was an extinction level event. Of course while he called them bombs, they were actually designed to be fired from the torpedo launchers. What made them bombs was the fact that the projectiles in question were nothing more than an antimatter warhead. They carried no engines, no fuel, no guidance systems, nothing more than a warhead. In other words, they were classed as bombs since they were high-yield unguided munitions intended for planetary bombardment. They were the most powerful weapons ever built, but largely experimental. Of course he had plans for all ten of those warheads, and a minor colony didn¡¯t rate such a valuable weapon.  Especially given they were not easily replaced.


    Modern technology could produce antimatter in useful quantities easily enough. So getting the antimatter for the warheads wasn¡¯t too hard. It was the bulky containment system that made them hard to replace. They required materials not so easily acquired or produced. At the moment, he had just those ten warheads, and once they were gone they could not be replaced. Well, not for the foreseeable future anyway. Not to mention, they had other items to spend their limited resources on. Items that were more important than a few bombs, afterall those bombs while powerful were not of much use outside of a few limited roles.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He pushed those thoughts aside. Stepping of the lift, he made for the bridge. In a few more minutes they would be underway, and in a few weeks they will have arrived at their destination. They might be able to get there faster, but he was in no real hurry. Although he would have to keep his goals secret from Williams and her group for  a while longer, lest they try to sabotage his plans.


    <hr>


    Tika watched as the Enterprise and her two escorts went to warp. She didn¡¯t know where they were going, but she wished them luck. She was a bit jealous that they had already finished their repairs, while she was still stuck here waiting for her own ship to be fixed. The damage to the Teketh however was failure extensive, and thanks to the attack it had been moved further back in the queue, while other ships were placed ahead of her own. It sucked, but she understood why they had done that.


    Maybe she should have taken the humans up on their offer to patch her ship up. She sighed, although that didn¡¯t sit entirely right with her. It just wasn¡¯t right to tax their limited resources like that. Although another department would have berated her for letting them get a look at Krall systems like that. Even if they had been allowed to purchase quite a few examples of Krall technology. None of it was military grade hardware, at least she didn¡¯t think so. She would later learn that a few less than reputable merchants had taken advantage of the recent situation to sell some stolen military grade hardware to the humans in exchange for a few salvage cubes and corn.


    At the moment however, she was stuck here waiting for her ship to reach the head of the line and be repaired. While other ships were prioritized for repair ahead of her own. She turned away from the screens, and considered what she would be doing in the meantime. There were things to be done even with her ship stuck in dock and needing a refit.


    <hr>


    Captain¡¯s Log December 22nd, 158 CSD; or should I say year zero SDE?:


    The recent council meetings have been about changing the calendar. I¡¯m trying it out now a bit in my log. Other than a few council meetings not much has happened since we left Iliera. We crossed the Krall Cathamari border without incident, and we should be arriving in the Cathamari border system of Iridia sometime today.


    From the star charts we have an idea about the system. It¡¯s primary is a K-type star. Being a K-type star it is perfectly capable of supporting habitable worlds, although the overall system will be a bit cooler than Sol. That was reflected as well in the orbital positions of the local planets. It had two habitable worlds apparently, but only one of them supported a colony. The first habitable world was fairly close to the primary, and was a dry arid world. It had limited water, and few resources with which to support a colony. The planet also had a fairly thin atmosphere. Most of what water that world did have was locked up in ice caps.


    The other planet, the one that did support a colony was further from the star. It had a more terrestrial environment, supporting vast oceans, and fertile continents. Being somewhat earth-like the planet would likely have been ideal for a human colony if it wasn¡¯t for the problem of already being home to a Cathamari one. Not to mention this system was far too close to Cathamari space. It was a shame, but at least the world would serve a purpose. We can use it test our new weapons, especially since we can not allow the colony to remain.


    We might be in the system for a while, afterall. We need that cruiser, but we don¡¯t know when it will arrive in system. It could be hours, or possibly days. Hell from what I heard it might even be months, hopefully not that long. There is just no way to know when it will arrive in system. We weren¡¯t able to find a patrol schedule for it on the market.


    Countryman closed his log, and sighed. There was much left unsaid in the log. He glanced at the date, and considered the importance of one such date coming up. It may have lost its religious meaning over the centuries, but it was still a widely celebrated holiday. One the ship was preparing to celebrate again. As the earlier festival a few weeks ago, had indicated they very much needed that kind of celebration, and he was planning to make it a far larger holiday. The working title was the ¡°Year¡¯s End festival¡±, and it was planned to start on the 25th, and end on the first day of the new year. It would be reason to celebrate family, life, and the simple fact that they had survived another year. The end of each year was now something much more precious than used to be, especially now that their race was so close to extinction. Each life was worth so much more now that there were so few of them.


    Slipping out of his chair, he made for the door. They were about to drop out of warp, and he wanted to be on the bridge when they did. That wasn¡¯t far away, since at the moment he was in his ready room, which was located on the same deck, and just a few meters aft of the bridge. Just across the hall from a conference room in fact, and sharing an access corridor with the main lift, and the upper level entrance to the bridge.


    Leaving his ready room, he turned right, and greeted the guards who opened the door for him. He passed into the bridge and took over command of the bridge from his first officer, just moments before Eri reported warp out. They had arrived at their destination.

 Chapter Forty Eye for an Eye

    Two days had passed since they had arrived in system. Time enough for them to have conducted some initial reconnaissance of the system. The charts allowed them to narrow the number of areas in need of initial scouting. Still they had made use of micro-jumps and fighter deployments to do most of the work. As such they were already putting together a decent picture of the conditions in the system, and what defenses or lack thereof were present.


    The colony of Iridia had a population of just under eight million. Those eight million lived in several scattered settlements along the equatorial continent. Two larger settlements were roughly city-sized and appeared to contain the only real infrastructure on the planet including the local spaceport. However the colony was largely defenseless. Other than a few emergency bunkers there was nothing on the ground really worth noting. It was largely a farming colony with vast fields, and numerous small farming towns scattered across the surface.


    It gave them a lot of inconsequential targets to shoot at for their weapons testing. Still the system did have some defenses, just not on the planet. There was a small orbital outpost above the planet, it had a few docks, and was protected by a reasonably strong shield. It was not heavily armored nor did it feature much structural reinforcement however. Making the orbital somewhat fragile when the shield was down. The outpost did carry a few heavy concussion plasma cannons, and some pylon mounted torpedo launchers, but those were only for its own defense. They would not allow a single stationary orbital to project the power needed to defend a colony. The secret to that was the four large hangers present on the orbital, hangers that had room for thousands of fighter craft, and dozens of short-range scout ships.


    Most of those craft were kept stowed in the bays at all times, but there were also a few that were on clear regular patrol patterns. Since the colony was of little strategic import, they must be around to deter pirates, smugglers, and other illegal activity. It was quite clear that the defenses were not intended to withstand any kind of serious assault. As it was, they could wipe out the outpost with a single well-placed volley of torpedoes, and that volley could be fired from well outside the orbital¡¯s own weapon¡¯s range. In fact, that is exactly what they had done, they had fired a volley of mark fives at the station, keeping their more valuable photons in reserve. At the moment those warheads had not yet reached their target, but they had been aimed at the hangers, so he expected quite the fireworks display when they did go off.


    The handful of patrol craft that would survive that display would be of no real threat to them and could be easily mopped up at their leisure. Cathamari fighters and scout ships were unshielded, and their armor was not anything worth mentioning. As such they could be easily ripped apart with a single hit from a particle cannon. Such as the dual-purpose medium particle cannons the Enterprise carries.


    At the moment, he was waiting on the bridge for confirmation of a hit to come in. Ruri was down below at the bridge science station ready to conduct her tests the moment it was clear. The plan was to jump into orbit and deploy the test drones the moment the station was confirmed destroyed. The remaining ships would at the same time be dealt with by the Coto, Umikaze, and the fighters already deployed in the area. Keeping them off the drones should be trivial, but just in case he had a few fighters in reserve, and he planned to have the photon missile batteries on standby to engage any Cathamari ship that got too close. It occurred to him that this just might be the first time they actually use the missile batteries since the ship had launched.


    Before he could much consider that line of thought, his screen lit up with a series of flashes in the distance. Quickly those flashes were followed by a rapid series of small flashes that built up. In seconds a massive fireball erupted flaring with the brightness of a hundred suns. The orbital had been hit. The light of that attack was just now reaching them, but they had hung close enough that the delay while noticeable wasn¡¯t large enough to hinder their plan.


    Kaori at tactical was already reporting the hit, ¡°Reading multiple confirmed hits, and secondary detonations. Target destroyed sir, no survivors.¡±


    A second later, operations officer Misaki confirmed the readings. The orbital was indeed destroyed. He gave the order, and moments later they made the jump into orbit. In an instant, they were in low orbit of the colony, and the drones were being unleashed, while elsewhere the other ships were sweeping the area to clear it of remaining Cathamari ships. Countryman ignored those, and moved down to the lower level, while the drones were launching.


    They had fewer prototypes to test this time, but the same number of drones. For the standard pulse cannons, they had with some help from the Krall settled on just two designs to test. There were only slight differences in the two designs, and those changes were largely related to the power configuration. The last set of tests had been quite helpful in that regard.


    As for the Compression beam weapons, they only had a single design to test. They had designed their only prototype of a compressed cutting beam with the lessons of the last test in mind. Like the last prototype it featured a much improved sustained beam yield, but it also featured a supercharger. Allowing it to fire a more powerful, but shorter beam if needed. In fact while all three prototypes promised increased performance, they also featured the new supercharger modification allowing them to put out a more intense blast in a shorter time period.


    Based on simulated data this would come at the cost of an increased heat build-up. As such while a supercharged blast would hit harder, they can¡¯t quickly follow up with a second. Instead the weapon will need a little extra time to cool. It also increased the energy draw of the weapon, meaning it would aslo deplete the capacitors more quickly. Regardless the ability to unleash a more potent blast when in a pinch would be invaluable. He could already think up quite a few uses for the new supercharger weapons modification that the new compression modules allowed.


    As the drones entered position to fire, he monitored the status of the only ships able to interfere. Small patrol ships that could have deterred the usual threats this colony would have been faced with, but not any proper fleet or in his case a small task force. At the moment those forces were diminishing rapidly in number. They were being devastated, by the superior ability of his 1204 starfighters. No real surprise there, given that human fighter craft had always been superior, perhaps not in armament, but certainly in armor and mobility. The great design trio was mobility, protection and firepower. Something ships always strove to have the best balance of. Overlord armor provided substantial protection, while pulse wave engines offered nearly unparalleled mobility, allowing human fighters to pull ahead in two of the key areas. Cathamari plasma weapons were far more potent, and they could mount a fair number of useful toys. However they lost in protection due to their inability to mount shields, and the substandard armor they carried. While with mobility they lost due to the terrible efficiency of Cathamari plasma engines.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    As such it was quite clear that the Cathamari pilots were not able to effectively make use of their superior firepower, and were being steadily wiped out. Every few seconds a few of their ships would blink out. He watched one fire missiles, only for the warheads to be outmanuevered. Then seconds later that fighter¡¯s would-be target counterattacked with a burst of highly accurate particle fire. The ship blinked out, and her wingman followed an instant later.


    Countryman turned his gaze awy from the central strategic master display, just as Kaori was reporting the drones were in position to fire. He glanced towards Ruri who signaled that she was ready to monitor the incoming data. He gave the order to fire, and then moved towards Ruri. He planed to be near her and monitor the datafeeds as they came in. Datafeeds that were already coming in by the time he had reached the console bank in question, and it was only a few steps from the master strategic display. It took only a couple of seconds to cross that short distance, but that was enough for the first shots to be fired.


    One of the smaller settlements, a village had been the first struck. A barrage of fiire from a particle cannon outfitted drone rained down upon the defenseless village. Powerful bolts struck the village in rapid succession. Cathamari architecture was somewhat different from Earthen architecture, likely due to their biology, and culture. Above ground they built small stone work structures, that led into underground warrens. It was those underground warrens that compose the real bulk of their homes and buildings. Not surprisingly all of those warrens were connected to even deeper emergency bunker, which was little more than a reinforced network of tunnels, and rooms. No shield, but the tunnels were hardened with reinforce concrete, and duranium plating.


    This construction gave them more protection against orbital bombardment than a human town, but that was meaningless against the drone¡¯s particle cannons. Powerful charged particle streams burned through kilometers of rock, concrete and metal with each strike. Not even the underground bunker held long. It took barely anytime for that one drone to wipe out the entire village, and its inhabitants. The morality of this attack was fairly murky, and they didn¡¯t even have the defense of being able to claim they had no choice. They did, but they were not the ones to start this war nor were they the first to wipe out defenseless colonists. Morally there was no justification for this attack. It was an attack of retribution pure and simple, but it was also one that would play into a larger plan. A plan of vengeance, afterall, they took an eye so they must pay the same in kind at the very minimum. He was going to take one of theirs.


    He glanced elsewhere, noting one the beam drones wiping out another settlement. A focused beam of energy cut across the small town in question. Rock vaporizing instantly under the extreme heat of the beam. The process releasing toxic gasses into the town. Fortunately for the inhabitants, most of them were being vaporized by the high-intensity particle stream boring through the town. The gasses only killed those unfortunate enough not to be vaporized instantly, and even then it would have taken longer than the village had left.


    The beam crisscrossed the town several times, each time it passed it left a kilometers deep meters wide canyon in its path. In minutes the town was gone, her population dead, and the drone moved on to another town where she demonstrated her supercharger. Powerful, but short beams ripped the next town apart. It was longer between shots, and the shots weren¡¯t as long, but the damage was something special. They penetrated the crust, releasing the molten magma beneath. Pressure from below forced that molten rock up through the fresh cracks, and into the town. Needless to say local life readings disappeared very quickly after that.


    It wasn¡¯t the only town facing sudden volcanic activity. Elsewhere another town was experiencing such activity as a drone with a compression particle cannon fired supercharged particle bolts down into the town. Each pulse of purple energy slammed explosively into the ground, and yet still penetrated through kilometers of crust. Allowing magma to well up thanks to fresh breaches in the crust. Life readings however disappeared before the magma reached the town.


    <hr>


    The Battle-Lord shifted in his stance, as the ship came out of warp. He was looking forward to the scheduled stop at Iridia station. It was one of his favorite stops. Iridia was not the only world he visited regularly, but it was by far the most peaceful. There was even this cute young lady at the station that he liked to visit.


    That line of thought quickly came to an end when he realized something was wrong. They should already be receiving calls from the orbital. Not only that but there was always constant chatter in the system. It was too quiet.


    The next thing he heard was, ¡°Master! The Colony!¡±


    He turned his attention to the readings, and he felt the blood drain from his scaly face. His tail slammed the deck plates hard, and he growled. Sensors were picking up massive amounts of weapons fire in the vicinity of the colony, and he could also see the floating wreckage of the orbital. It was under attack. For a moment, he said nothing too shocked to see this. It was so far outside his expectations, that it took him a moment to comprehend what he was seeing, and that proved to be a moment too long.


    ¡°Shields!¡±


    The ship shuddered before his crew could even acknowledge the order. The lights flickered, and there was a shout, ¡°hull breach! Deck 37, engineering level!¡±


    Another shudder followed and the lights went out. After a second they kicked back on. He had a feeling what that was, he shouted an order to get the shields up.¡±


    Moments later, he received a report, ¡°Sir, whoever it is, knew exactly where to hit us. We have lost main power, weapons and shields are down. Main engines are offline, we are adrift, and auxiliary power is failing. I estimate the reactors will fail in the next twenty minutes. Worse, we lost life support with that second hit, we are shallow breathing right now.¡±


    He cursed, while unlocking the local equipment locker, ¡°Arm yourselves, and grab an enviromental suit. Prepare for boarders.¡±


    The battle-lord knew not who attacked them or the colony, but he had a strong feeling that whoever it was intended to board. One back up by the fact they likely could have destroyed his ship instantly, but instead they had disabled his ship. Knocking out the primary systems was a clear precursor to a boarding action. A glance at the system display showed that they had been hit in several places with two volloys. All of them focused on the engineering level. Those hits had been very precise, doing minimal damage. Just enough to knock out their primary systems, and disrupt their main power conduits. He noticed the main reactor was still online. If they could patch the conduits they might be able to restore main power. Even better it looked like the shields themselves were undamaged. If they could restore power, they would have an easy time getting the shields up. Weapons would not be too difficult either, but the engines on the other hand had taken heavy damage. The fuel and power lines had been severed. That would take longer, and they might not have the time to fix it. A series of alarms going off seemed to support them not having time. They had been boarded.

 Interlude Earth Vessels: X-1205 Heavy Combat Shuttle

    When the 1200 series of space vehicles was proposed alongside Earth¡¯s warp development program, it was only natural that a new combat shuttle would be created along with that program. While her immediate predecessor was by no means obsolete, it was sometimes not quite up to the tasks demanded of it during the war with the Cathamari. As such the idea of putting forth a more mission flexible shuttle to replace it was put forth for the 1200 series of spaceship designs. However, she was also selected as a testbed for certain experimental technologies, specifically those being developed by the most ambitious arm of Earth¡¯s warp program. Given the fall of Earth, that project is no longer in the works, but it is possible that it would be revisited later.


    The requirements put forth when the X-1205 was first put on the drawing board was for a highly durable but mission flexible shuttle capable of performing a wide array of roles. Allowing a capital ship to consolidate most of her auxiliary craft needs into a single vessel.


    In order to achieve those requirements, a highly modular hull would be required. As such, the hull of the 1205 was structured so that she could be easily reconfigured. The use of a modular hull was also projected to ease the cost of refits and extended the longevity of the class. This modular hull was also reinforced so that it could withstand not only the rigors of combat, but the stresses of star travel.


    While there is no way such a small ship could traverse the immense distances between stars. There is no reason it would not be able to travel at faster than light velocities, and such a drive would vastly extend its mission radius. As such it was little wonder that a project to develop a shuttle-sized warp drive was in the works, but as stated above that ambitious project wasn¡¯t even in the prototype phase when the fall of Earth occurred. Regardless the shuttle¡¯s hull was designed with such a drive in mind.


    Her robust hull is reinforced by four primary heavy-duty structural field generators giving her incredible hull endurance. This hull is further protected by third generation Mark III Overlord hull plating fifty-five centimeters thick. This plating could be thickened if the mission requires it. The shuttle also features an energy web grid providing her additional protection from missiles, and torpedoes.


    Being modular the ship is designed for quite a few different mission loadouts. From armored transport to medium bomber to gunship she can be outfitted to suit a wide variety of mission profiles. The ship by default typically carries four forward-mounted particle cannons, and two dual turrets mounted port and starboard. The ship can be outfitted to carry missiles, torpedoes, bombs, and additional turrets depending on the requirements of the mission. The ship has several mounting hardpoints for these turrets, and the hull plating is designed to be easily displaced to allow a turret to be mounted on these hardpoints.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    These extra mountings are located on the ship''s dorsal, and ventral. With two of them on the dorsal, and the last one located to the far rear on the ventral.  That ventral mounting is also compatible with a mag tractor projector and is typically used to mount a mag tractor rather than a full turret. If used to mount a turret, it is worth noting that the turret would thanks to its position not be able to fire on targets in front or above the craft, but it could fire on ships below, behind, and to port or starboard.


    As for the dorsal turrets, they are positioned on the centerline of the hull. Thanks to the contours of the hull, they are naturally superfiring, but only the rear turret can fire on aft targets. If all turret positions are filled, she can fire four turrets forwards, four aft, four port, and starboard. Along with four towards targets above the ship, but only three can fire on targets below the ship. This gives it a really good set of gun arcs when configured as a gunship.


    Her rear bay is particularly important for her modularity. By default, the rear bay is designed to safely house troops and vehicles for ground insertion, or troops waiting to be inserted to an enemy vessel. There is even a special airlock on the ship¡¯s ventral complete with an integrated plasma cutter to allow the ship to insert troops into a hostile alien vessel. Making it quite useful for boarding actions, even when no convenient entry points are available. Naturally and for obvious reasons, if a convenient entrance point already exists for insertion it would be preferred to use that over cutting into the hull. As it would be faster, still experience has shown that having the option to cut into the hull is better than not having it at all.


    Being a fairly large shuttle, the 1205 actually has room to transport twenty soldiers and a tank. Specifically, when configured as a transport her rear bay was designed to house the Raptor class tank, but it could carry other vehicles in her rear bay. It could not however transport a Scorpion, those massive walkers were too large to be transported via standard shuttlecraft and required a specialized dropship to be deployed to the surface. That was especially true on planets lacking in significant seas or oceans. It was also why the Scorpion was designed to double as a submarine.  As a water landing was much preferred for those heavy ground weapons. Even with the limitation of not being able to carry scorpions, the 1205 remains an effective and versatile space to ground transport. That meets her ambitious design requirements while proving able to match her immediate predecessor in all areas, and even exceeding it in some areas. It was even capable of tasks that her predecessor simply couldn¡¯t handle. Making the ship a welcome addition to humanity¡¯s arsenal of vehicles.

 Chapter Forty-One The Cathamari Imperial Battlcruriser Drakul’s Sword

    The soldier checked his gear, as he loaded up for the mission. Captain Reynolds had disabled a cruiser that had warped in while the Enterprise was bombarding the planet with those drone prototypes of next-gen weapons. His team and several others were now preparing the board the disabled cruiser, and eliminate the crew. Personally, he suspected the capture mission was for the science division, as he had seen the scans. The cruiser had lost power, but her main shield generators were still intact. Something he knew they had never gotten a good look at. Something to do with how that system usually got fried long before a ship became disabled.


    Finding his rifle in order, he started checking over his armor. Making sure it was combat ready before he put it on. It had a few scratches and marks from previous battles, but it was very much still in combat order, and his rank markings have remained quite legible. Even if they weren¡¯t much-needed thanks to the built-in hud. The hud was standard issue, and gave the wearer ready access to tactical data, including several short-range scanners that allowed a small mini-map in the corner to give him data on both enemy and friendly positions. The hud would also give him data on his weapon¡¯s status, and provided a targeting system that would allow him to accurately aim without bothering to look through the sights of his weapon. Speaking of weapons, like all suits his contained a built-in weapon. Two of them, one of them was a back up wrist cannon, while the other mounted on the otherside of the same arm was a plasma blade.


    The most important little item on the hud was linked to sensors that monitored his armor and his health in real-time. He would always be able to tell at a glance the status of his armor. In fact, there was even a warning alarm that would sound if his AIF was low, and a second one for depleted. That section also monitored his available power levels, so that he wouldn¡¯t be caught unaware if the power pack failed. That was very important since modern armor was largely junk once the power failed. In fact, it was so heavy that without power the suit couldn¡¯t even be moved, it relied on an internal exo-frame to augment the wearer. An odd contradiction of words, but accurate. Still even with that limitation the suit was incredible as it effectively turned the wearer into a super-soldier. A walking juggernaut that would be nigh impossible to stop. Kind of like that sci-fi shooter where you play as a super-soldier. Only everyone can use this armor, and not a rare group of genetically augmented soldiers as was the case with the special armor in that game.


    Of course even today that game still had a highly celebrated cult status, and it had spawned countless series, and movies as well. Putting thoughts of that aside, he donned his armor. A process that quite simple, you simply stepped into it from the rear, and the armor would close and seal itself behind you. The augmented suit wasn¡¯t something that could be put on easily without some kind of assistance, and the suit came with that built-in. His suit secure, he settled his helmet on, and ran one last check. Finding everything optimal, he grabbed his equipment. Settling several grenades on his belt, a few spare power packs, a plasma cutter, a couple of breaching charges, and even a spare medkit. While the armor contained its own internal medical system and was even able to inject him with a dose of nanites if needed, it was standard practice to carry a medkit. All in all his kit weighed a few hundred kilograms, of course, that was including his armor which weighed about half a ton, hence the need for it to augment the wearer. Otherwise, no one could use it without being some kind of genetically engineered superhuman.


    Not that he felt the weight of it right now, and too think it could have weighed a lot more if they had used the same materials the ship¡¯s armor was made from. Knowing how good this armor was made him feel quite safe. Combined with his trustworthy XR-471 and a few grenades, and backed by his bodies and he was an unstoppable force. The armored Marine left the room to join his squad, it was time to kill some scally bastards.


    <hr>


    CIS Drakul¡¯s Sword 12-24-000 SDE, 1537 hours:


    The Marine step through the breach in the hull, and took a quick glance around. While his buddies worked their way in. Their shuttle had landed on the hull just a few meters aft of this breach. One of the Coto¡¯s torpedoes had blown open the hull here, and vented this section to space. That made this a very convenient entry point for boarding the ship. He noted an emergency bulkhead to his left, and another further down the corridor to the right. Both impeding further progress into the ship. Thankfully they could just blow them open, especially since neither one was a blast door, and their armor contained its own life-support systems allowing it to function as a spacesuit, and not just really good personal protection. Although that function was mission vital to many operations, and as such was practically a design requirement. Most models of combat armor included independent life-support systems.


    He signaled the entry was clear, and his fellow marines worked their way in. While he set a breaching charge on one of the two bulkheads. Someone else set another on the one opposite. They had a few squads here so they would be splitting up, heading both directions. They had a few key targets to seize, even if they were about to be largely useless. They needed to take the bridge, main engineering, the armories, and the local security stations.


    The crew would likely already be on alert, and ready to put up a fight, but not everyone necessarily was equipped for outer atmosphere combat. There was a good chance that many of them were still getting into environmental suits able to protect them from the harsh environment of space. As such simply blowing emergency bulkheads like this would work to their advantage.


    As soon as everyone was in position, they detonated the charges. Blowing open the bulkheads, and allowing the air to rush out into space. A quick glance down the now open corridor showed it was clear, but he noticed a second bulkhead now dropping.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised, that was why they needed to reach a security station, to override the bulkhead controls. They only had so many breaching charges, and a plasma cutter was much slower at getting through these emergency doors. The marine signaled, and the whole squad rushed to get under the door before it closed.


    He dashed across the corridor, and ducked into a slide just before hitting the closing bulkhead. A quickly glance revealed the rest of the squad made it before the door closed. They will need this open later. He glanced at the mission clock they had about twenty minutes before the cruiser¡¯s remaining power systems failed. By which point the emergency systems would likely fail, but not all of them. Mechanical systems, or those with their own emergency battery. Those emergency systems likely wouldn¡¯t fail.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    That was why they needed to take a security station. From one of those stations they would be able to override the emergency protocols. The doors according to the briefing required power and therefore had their own batteries. They could maybe rip them out, but would be better if they simply disabled the protocols remotely.


    The group made their way down the corridor, each of them keep an eye out for contacts. Ahead of them a door opened, and a lizard stepped out. He was in full body armor, and armed. All he saw was a pistol, but he might have more. He fired, a quick burst aimed center mass.


    The burst punched through the armor, and vaporized flesh. The lizard flopped to the ground with nothing but a charred hole where his belly used to be. The intense heat of the energy bolt even cauterized the wound, and as such he wasn¡¯t even bleeding. His life reading remained, however, so one of his buddies shot him again this time the burst disintegrated the lizard¡¯s head, killing him.


    That fire attracted some buddies, as a few more popped out of rooms to engage them. Each of the hostiles took cover where they could, but it did them little good. As his squad advanced, and took them out in rapid short order. These Cathamari weren¡¯t even equipped properly. As such they represented no threat at all. All they had was a standard ship security package, which translated to low yield plasma pistols, some combat armor, and a couple of grenades. Some of them had a proper combat knife in addition to the rest of the kit, but that didn¡¯t mean anything. Most combat knives didn¡¯t do so well at penetrating modern armor. The laminated polymors while not as tough as a laminated titan alloy plate were still able to deflect a blade. At least a normal blade that is. His plasma blade could do it though.


    <hr>


    Reynolds shifted in his command chair as he listened to the reports from the boarding parties. They had breached, and were now encountering some minor resistance. The Cathamari were attempting to defend their ship, but honestly they weren¡¯t equiped to fight off so many marines.


    Already several groups had achieved their first stage objectives. It seemed they would have full control of the cruiser soon enough. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure what Countryman wanted this cruiser for, but he was glad to report that their primary objective would likely be secured.


    Especially since his marines were mving through the ship so quickly and efficiently that the Cathamari were struggling to slow them donw. Holding their ground or conducting sabotage wasn¡¯t possible. They couldn¡¯t even blow the ship up in time, especially with the systems failing.


    He of course had a few teams moving to secure the Cathamari antimatter storage pods, and main reactors. Anything that might contain antimatter needed to be secured to ensure that the antimatter wasn¡¯t released or lost. If an incident happened with that volitile fuel they may lose the ship. That was one of the big reasons he was not about to simply declare the boarding action a success just yet, even if things were going quite well at the moment.


    Of course it helped that they had caught the cruiser unawares, and even better they were not equipped for heavy ground combat or this sort of boarding action. All they had were a few plasma rifles, and a fair number of plasma pistols, along with some anti-personnel grenades. Some had combat knifes, and armor, but here was a clear lack of heavier weapons. The armory kit they were working on was actually pretty tyical of early war Cathamari cruisers. Then again the ship itself was also from a class he hadn¡¯t seen since the early months of the war.


    In fact it was of the same class as those first cruisers encountered by the infamous TFS Hammerhead. It was a Ravager Class battlecruiser, a respectable ship on paper, but vessels of that class fared poorly against comparable human equivalents. The Hammerhead for example had nearly destroyed four of them on her own, and it was only by a fluke accident they managed to criple her. If not for that lucky penetrating hit, they would have lost all four of them, and subsequent battles proved that. It was why in the later months the backbone of the Cathamari invasion was not the Ravager class, but the Battle Claw class Battlecruiser.


    Both designs look similar at first glance, but that is only on the surface. The Battle Claw trades a large number of heavy plasma cannon banks for a much larger torpedo bay, and additional launcher tubes. Her shield grids have been reinforced, and she mounts thicker armor. In addition, her engines have been modified to give her more thrust. In many respects its quite obvious that the Battle Claw is based on and likely intended as a successor to the Ravager. As such it is perhaps not surprising that surviving Ravager cruisers ended up in unimportant border systems as patrol ships.


    <hr>


    The Battle-lord, looked away from the blast door securing the main entrance into the bridge. It had been roughly fifteen minutes since they had confirmed intruders aboard the ship. In that time, he had lost over half his crew and three quarters of the ship. Whoever these aliens were, they moved fast, and were very deadly. It didn¡¯t help that they were clearly better equipped as well. Not that there was any helping that. Command always outfitted him with outdated second hand equipment at best, and never anything really useful either.


    He was actually lucky that he had a case of rifles to hand out to his troops. Not that he much trusted his luck. The whole fact that he was here, waiting for hostiles to breach his bridge just showed how unlucky he was. Speaking of the hostiles, internal sensors showed a cluster of them just on the other side of that door. Along with a few of his own ship¡¯s security.


    Before he looked away again, that cluster of friendlies all vanished at once. At the same moment he heard a rapid whining sound, rather distinctive in fact. It sounded like rapidfire lasers being discharged in very quick succession. Although the sound was a bit muted thanks to the door, although not completely. He looked back at the door, and tried not to stare at the hole in his blast door. The one a blue bolt had come through moments ago. Thankfully no one died to that, but one of his warriors did get grazed in the arm. The battlelord had made note of this incident already, and already planned to berate the fool who installed substandard blast doors in his ship. Assuming he got through this, which he very well might not.


    Suddenly the blast door disintegrated. Superheated fragments of the substandard security door rained outward into the room. No one was stupid enough to be in line to be hit, protected by what cover was present on the bridge. He himself was using a console, which held up well enough. He held his fire. For a moment, until he saw movement. Then he opened up with his pistol, the others followed suit.


    Blue bolts came back from the attackers that he still couldn¡¯t see clearly. He never did get a chance to. He ducked behind the console, just before a few bolts sailed over his head. Before he could count that blessing he was greeted with searing pain in his belly. He glanced down, his belly was gone, nothing but a charred hole. He looked towards the console that was his cover, and their was a gapping melted hole through it. The world faded away. His last words a curse about substandard shipbuilders.

 Chapter Forty-Two Eye for an Eye, Phase Two

    Countryman settled into his seat. The first phase of this operation had gone well. They had tested their weapons, and the results were excellent. Excellent enough that he already had Megumi drawing up plans to update their arsenal to include the new Compression Particle cannons. These new Mark Two Particle cannons were a major step forward in firepower, and they had even gotten some data on their performance verse shields. As a few bunkers had managed to get shields online during the bombardment. As it turned out, the additional power of these new weapons helped them against shields. Particle cannons remained ineffective, but they were more effective than before. That modest improvement would be of great help to them, for any future engagements.


    The new mark II beam weapons were just as impressive. A solid improvement in most metrics over the older mark ones. They would take more power to operate, but the Enterprise already had the power generation for that. Largely due to the significant demands of the warp engines, and as a result they still had a fair amount of excess power to play around with. They had used a fair amount of that with boosting the armor, and weapons already, but they had pushed them to their limits and still had an excess of power. So the increased power demands wouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue. Not during combat anyway.


    For the moment, that wasn¡¯t going to be the topic of discussion. Instead they were going to discuss what they were about to do with the captured cruiser. Well to be more accurate, they were going to discuss the refit project. Not that everyone knew that quite yet. Afterall he hadn¡¯t shared his plans for it with the council. Only two other people knew, and that was because they were the only ones he deemed needed to know. Ruri and Richards, as the two of them had the skills and knowledge to reconfigure the cruiser for her new mission.


    That new mission was naturally the complete destruction of the Cathamari homeworld, which was also the center of their civilization. Not to mention home to their leadership. It seemed only fitting since the damn bastards saw fit to do the same to humanity''s own homeworld.


    Megumi looking around the table, pressed a button after he gave her the signal. A hologram of the CIS Drakul¡¯s Sword was projected above the table. It was a complete projection of the ship in its current state.


    She smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is familiar enough with the Ravager class, but for those that need it, I have distributed some reference material. Each of you should have everything we know about the ship class in front of you.¡±


    Countryman listened along. The material in question was indeed in front of him. He didn¡¯t need it, as he already knew how its systems were configured. Along with what weapons it carried. It was a battlecruiser, a ship type not employed by Earth or its colonies. Not for decades. Humans did experiment with that classification of ships, both during the naval era and during the colonial wars. The concept behind them was rather simple, take a capital ship hull capable of mounting high caliber weapon systems. That way it could mount the kind of firepower a battleship might have. These ships would also need to be fast, so they would carry powerful engines, but they would only be given a moderate level of protection. As such they would not be suited to duking it out with other capital ships, particularly battleships and dreadnoughts. Instead, they were well suited for cruiser hunting, and counter raider activities among other roles. Also like battleships, they were useful in a bombardment role.


    As battlecruisers go, the Cathamari Ravager was actually fairly small with a length of 1240 meters, a span of 842 meters, and forty-seven decks. She was designed for a crew complement of almost eight hundred. The ship actually had a fairly significant propulsion system which after accounting for the various components such as thrusters, the warp drive, the power modules, and fuel storage took up roughly forty percent of internal hull space. However, those same systems also made them fairly fast. They were almost agile enough to keep up with Earth vessels.


    Her armament was fairly substantial with seventy-two banks of heavy concussion plasma cannons supplemented by a series of forward plasma torpedo launchers. She also carried four torpedo bays allowing her to carry a fair number of those powerful warheads into battle. That armament could be quite devastating against any ship lacking in sufficient protection.


    Of course, being a battlecruiser, her protection was fairly lacking. At its thickest, her hull plating was only two meters thick. The ship¡¯s main defense was her shield generators, but the shields weren¡¯t that strong. A concentrated torpedo barrage was often quite effective at bringing them down. Regardless that was the one system they didn¡¯t really have a good understanding of. They had managed to take a look at every other system present on Cathamari ships but the shield generators. All they had were fried fragments, which gave them a rough idea of how it worked, but there were still a few unanswered questions regarding sufficient shield generation.


    Williams interjected, ¡°Why are we even talking about this? Just send it to Ruri, and let her study the shields. That is why we took it afterall?¡±


    Countryman shook his head. At this point, there was no hiding his plan any longer. Not on a starship like this, where privacy was a luxury. Besides the rumor mill would be working overtime soon enough. ¡°No, while intriguing, we didn¡¯t take the ship so we could study her shields. We took the ship because we needed the hull itself.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°While an extra ship might help our crowding issues, I don¡¯t see how a Cathamari hull would be of any real use to us. It would be more useful to study the shields.¡±


    Richards tapped a key. ¡°Actually the hull is very useful for one mission in particular, that Ruri, Countryman and myself discussed earlier. Now that we actually have a hull, we can put it into practice. I with Ruri¡¯s help have already devised a refit plan. One that takes into account what resources are already available in the local area of the system.¡±


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Ruri interjected at that point, ¡°As you can see, we have reconceived this battlecruiser, as an interstellar missile. We will reinforce the bow section, and reconfigure it to carry a primary warhead. It will also carry several smaller warheads intended to separate before contact with the target. Those warheads we already have on hand which will make things easier. As for the main warhead, we will have to construct one, but that shouldn¡¯t be too hard seeing as the Cathamari have brought us the materials.¡±


    Reynolds stated, ¡°I see. Although as intriguing as this project is, what use is it to us?¡±


    Countryman smiled, he had been waiting for that question. ¡°There is one world, we now have coordinates for that would all agree would best be gone. Cathamair, homeworld of the Cathamari people, and the seat of their empire. I plan to destroy it, and now that we have captured one of their cruisers, we can do just that.¡±


    Ruri said, ¡°We can alright, and since this is going to be a one way trip, it frees us to remove certain limitations from the Cathamari warp engines. Using what we learned from our own warp research and interactions with the Krall. I have calculated that we can get that cruiser to exceed warp factor seven, possibly even reach warp eight. The engines will burn out by the time they reach Cathamair, but we don¡¯t need them to last any longer than that. Although I will point out that pushing them that far will cause the ship to light up like a flare. Just about no one will miss that ship tearing through space at such speeds.¡±


    Richards nodded, ¡°Yes it would be quite visible, but no known Cathamari ship could intercept it. Not at those speeds. It will reach Cathamair long before they could gather enough ships for such a mission in the first place, especially after we are done augmenting her defenses.


    She paused, and then continued, ¡° We can¡¯t do much about her shields, but we can certainly upgrade her armor, and propulsion systems. We can also make some modifications to her cannons, can¡¯t do much to improve their power, but we can improve the cooling systems. Not to mention, our particle cannons have better focusing mechanisms, with a bit of work we can adapt those to improve range. We think we can double their fire rate, and improve their range by just shy of twelve percent. That combination of upgrades when combined with the AI control system we plan to install would practically guarantee she reaches her target.¡±


    Williams scoffed, ¡°Are you idiots? Cyborgs are bad enough, but we all now how dangerous AI is. Just look at all the disaster stories. Better to steer clear of that entirely.¡±


    Countryman gave her a look. ¡°Most of those are fictional worst-case scenarios, and honestly not that big of a worry. The rest are the results of coding errors, human errors. Besides, we have been using AI on missiles, and ship weapons for hundreds of years without issue. It will be fine.¡±


    Greyman finally spoke, ¡°I concur. Your antiquated concerns are somewhat missplaced. The real question is where we will get the materials for our enhancements.¡±


    Misaki who Countryman had make scans of the system earlier, interjected, ¡°The planet is actually fairly rich in key minerals, but I also found an asteriod belt rich in the minerals we would need. It may be easier to harvest from that belt. It would also be out of the way in case someone else comes along while we are busy.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°good that will help with putting it together.¡± then he looked at Richards, ¡°How long do you think it will take you to refit that cruiser?¡±


    ¡°Given the extent of the modifications, I would say about a month maybe a little more. No more than two months. Given that length of time, we might as well get started updating our own armaments during the same period.


    Ruri, who had been looking at Misaki¡¯s survey readings sighed, ¡°Unfortuantely this system doesn¡¯t have any of that Erudite the Krall introduced us to. I would love to continue working with that stuff. It would prove invaluable for making better armor. I¡¯m already working on an Erudite variant of our titan alloy, but I have hit a wall. I need more of the mineral to progress.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°We can start conducting some long range scans for the stuff. It will give us an idea of where to look at least.¡±


    Drakes interjected, ¡°As soon as we are refitted, the Umikaze could aslo conduct some scouting missions for it.¡±


    Reynolds also promptly volunteered his own ship for the job. In any case, they were likely going to need more of that mineral. Given its properties and the value it presented for ship armor, research into that substance may prove invaluable. Not to mention that project could save lives. Hence its a priority. Of course, they would be free to move, and Countryman hadn¡¯t even mentioned the probe he acquired the one he would send along to confirm the results. Mainly since he didn¡¯t want Williams to know everything.


    What followed was a final discussion on the subject. As they worked out how viable such an undertaking was. The answer was quite viable. They would be forced to use some of their own technology for the project, but the beauty of employing antimatter would ensure that the cruiser would be vaporized on impact. Tracing the attack back to them would prove to be quite difficult. Even better such an attack was likely to destabilize the Cathamari Empire.


    <hr>


    Williams stepped out of the meeting, not entirely happy with how it went. While she was all for Cathamair being destroyed in this fashion, she didn¡¯t want such a thing to happen while Countryman held the reins. She cursed. That damn machine probably planed this to solidify his hold. If he succeeded, it would be a huge setback to her plans. And this wasn¡¯t just one more in a long line of setbacks. No this one would likely set her back years, and undo much of what progress she had made. She needed to figure out how to stop this mission from succeeding or her plans for six months from now would be jeopardized. The simple solution was to blow it up, but as anyone could tell you antimatter was volatile and dangerous. That stuff detonating while the Enterprise was in close proximity could seriously damage or even destroy the Enterprise. As such if she decided to blow it up, she would have to be very careful with how that sabotage was conducted. Very careful indeed.


    She sighed, she had some thinking to do, and some planning to do. If she was going to take the simple option, she would have to consider how she would rig it to blow, and even get someone in a position to do that. That problem showed up with several other solutions to the issue, as many of them would require sabotage of one form or another. It seemed sabotage might be the answer, she just hoped security wasn¡¯t too tight.

 Chapter Forty-Three Refit Underway

    Countryman stared out the viewport lost in thought. From his present position, he could see the captured cruiser being worked on. It had been a few weeks since they had started working on the refit project. Ruri had taken advantage of the opportunity to take a look at the cruiser¡¯s shield generators. While they had known a fair amount about Cathamari shield technology, there were still details that eluded them. Details that were now illuminated thanks to Ruri studying the physical generators.


    Those systems made use of an exotic energy particle that had previously been unknown to human science. These particles called Sega particles were of interest to them in a number of fields, but since they couldn¡¯t produce the particles themselves research had been slow. Ruri however had identified the component that generates those particles.


    Shifting his stance a bit, he considered what being able to freely study those particles could mean. Since sega particles were critical to the operation of both Cathamari, and Krall shields from what he could tell, knowing more about them would aid them in improving their weapons to defeat these shields. Not to mention it would also open the door to developing true combat shields. As these particles were key to making them hard rather than soft like all current generation human shield systems. Still while this was a major step forward, he had little doubt that they would not have shields right away. It may be a few years before such systems are actually viable. It didn¡¯t help that they had a rather limited budget for research, but thankfully they had the facilities for it.


    However honestly in his opinion, shields were a low-priority research item. There was another project that would be far more important to their long term survival. Especially given their long-term goals, and frankly three ships was just not enough. Worse, their population was limited. That made meeting the crew requirements of additional ships difficult beyond a certain point, especially when one considered the lack of trained personnel. Thankfully modern ships thanks to AI control systems required a mere fraction of the crew they would otherwise require. The Enterprise for example absolutely dwarfed the battleships from the naval era but required the same number of crew to operate at the very minimum. More were required for optimal function. Switching more systems over to AI control would help, but only by so much. Frankly ships, especially combat vessels needed crew for basic functions, such as maintenance, and damage control. Not to mention crew were very important for internal security.


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object staring at it. It was something he had access to but had not yet shared with anyone else. This small object contained a prototype, an evolution in artificial intelligence. Although it was still not quite ready for what they needed, but it already displayed vastly improved learning abilities compared to older AIs. If they could work out the kinks, and using advancing cybernetic technologies they would be able to build artificial crew. If successful fleet size would only be limited by their available resources. In other words, it would be a function of industrial capacity and supply.


    That would be key, as increasing the size of their fleet would dramatically expand their reach. As they were already fast enough to reach any number of systems within a reasonable timeframe, but with more ships, they would be able to explore more systems at any given time.


    In fact, as he saw it research down this line was now a necessity. They needed this research. Without it, they would have little chance of rebuilding their civilization elsewhere. As they were too few to defend any world. It would take centuries to recover, and decades for them to move away from the brink. In a few decades, if his programs bore fruit they would be in the low millions by then they might be able to afford a larger fleet.


    He sighed, they really needed additional ships now, but frankly this AI he was holding wasn¡¯t ready. The android bodies needed for his plan, could exist now, but the AI needed to make them work just wasn¡¯t ready. Both the software and the hardware needed to run the kind of AI needed required work. Perhaps a decade if not more, but this chip contained the key to make it possible. All they needed was time.


    Countryman looked out at the cruiser undergoing refit. If it succeeded in its mission. This entire region would destabilize. The Cathamari ruled their empire with an iron fist, and he was about to shatter that fist as if it was made of glass. Civil war would be the inevitable result, and he had little doubt that their neighbors would interfere. This system would not escape the inevitable conflict. Having studied the star charts they had purchased, he had noted a region that showed promise. It was on the far side of Valorian space, a race they knew only by reputation.


    He had plotted out a few routes, but all of them would require crossing some portion of Valorian space, and take years to reach. It would have the benefit of putting the Valorian Trade Confederation between them and the Cathamari. Something he considered to be quite the boon. Especially since they were a peaceful people according to reputation.


    Hearing footsteps, he turned from the viewport to see Ruri. She looked quite happy. There was an extra bounce in her step, and frankly, she seemed quite excited. ¡°Ah, I was just about to look for you. Something happen?¡±


    She nodded excitedly, ¡°Long-range sensors have identified a system that shows high concentration readings of Erudite. If it pans out we will have more than enough to fuel my research.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Interesting, Where is this system?¡±


    ¡°Its marked on the star charts as Delta IV. The system is not controlled by any powers according to the charts,¡± she said as she pulled out a pad with a copy of the star charts on it. She pointed the system out, and Countryman noted a few details.


    ¡°Hmm, I see that is about twelve lightyears from the Valorian border, and the system itself looks fairly unusual.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I read some notes about it. Apparently, the unusual gravity of the Delta IV system has resulted in some rather dense debris fields and other anomalies. It makes navigation in the system difficult, and FTL drives do not function inside the system. In addition, shields and sensors are severely impacted by local conditions. We don¡¯t have to worry about the shield problem, but our sensors will be affected.  Even if the Erudite was not there, we should still visit the system given its unusual characteristics.¡±


    ¡°It might give us some peace to complete some vital research projects. Speaking of such projects,¡± he handed her the chip. ¡°Take this. Its the latest in AGI research. This will be your highest priority to complete, even that Erudite armor is of secondary importance. Well possibly with the exception of subspace communications.¡±


    They had acquired a subspace radio from the Krall, and he had assigned a few scientists to replicate the technology. It would be of great value to them, in his opinion. It might even solve many of the complications they had with communicating at warp, but to do so they would need a few more radios, the one they had was not enough.


    <hr>


    The pirate captain made his way down the corridor towards his bridge. He was looking forward to the visit to Iridia. While the system wasn¡¯t a good raiding target, he had found it to be a great place for shore leave, and more importantly since it was an agricultural colony a good place to buy food. His clan had a strong understanding with the local leaders, and as a result knew when the local patrols would be around. By now the local patrol should have left a few days ago, so they would be clear to land on the colony, sell some of their loot off, and buy food for the rest of the clan. Everyone had to eat afterall, and thanks to their understanding with the local leaders they got a good deal for bulk purchases here. Everybody won here, the colony got access to goods they normally wouldn¡¯t have access to, he got cheap food, and on a good day some extra coin as well.


    Thanks to that fat convoy they hit the other day, he had little doubt today was going to be a good day. Afterall, who was going to ruin the good deal they had going on here? No one in their clan would he knew that. There weren¡¯t many good places near their base in Delta IV to offload cargo, and Iridia was the best for that. Especially since most of their targets were in Valorian space, so the best places to sell was going to be in Cathamari space. Sure there were a few Krall outposts nearby, but they were more heavily patrolled and the locals less willing to turn a blind eye. Although that didn¡¯t prevent a black market from forming.


    Reaching the door to the bridge he stepped through. The first thing he noted was the familiar swirling clouds of hyperspace. The next was the younger woman turning to his entry, she spoke, ¡°I was about to call you to the bridge. We have nearly reached Iridia, and Daka tells me we should be dropping out of hyperspace in a few minutes.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Good, I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m tired of seeing hyperspace clouds.¡±


    She smiled, then giggled, ¡°Yeah, they are cool at first, but get kind of boring.¡±


    The captain settle into his chair, and the two chatted briefly until the ship dropped out of hyperspace. When it did the room went unnaturally silent, as everyone stared at the scene reflected on the screen. The colony... it was gone. They couldn¡¯t even see the surface, but instead all they saw were dark clouds.


    ¡°... What.. What happened... to the... um.. Colony¡± he sputtered out.


    Silence was his only answer until the young lady at sensors, said, ¡°Its... its been... destroyed. Sensors, um, indicate signs of a heavy bombardment. The surface has been... cracked. No life signs, atmosphere toxic.¡±


    He waited for her to compose herself further before asking the big questions, ¡°Who did this? Any sign of survivors?¡±


    She studied her console for a few minutes before replying more clearly, ¡°I am afraid not. The planet was subjected to an extensive bombardment by particle weapons, and the local orbital is simply gone. There is no sign of any survivors, and if anyone did survive the bombardment they would have been killed by the toxins released from the surface being cracked. I don¡¯t think anyone escaped either, as I¡¯m not picking up any engine trails leaving the planet. I am picking up a few decaying plasma trails from a few Cathamari ships, but all of them end abruptly.


    ¡°As for who did this? I can¡¯t say, the computer doesn¡¯t recognize the weapon signatures. Hell I can¡¯t even find any engine trails from the attackers. Hopefully whoever it was isn¡¯t still around, I doubt we would last long against someone with the firepower to do this.¡±


    He had to agree with the sentiment. In fact he would like to get out of here as soon as they could possibly leave. However, they couldn¡¯t leave quite yet since the hyperdrive needed to recharge. It would be another thirty minutes before they could make the jump to hyperspace. So instead he glanced to the side, ¡°Alert the crew, and raise the shields. I want to be on alert in case the aliens who did this are still around.¡±

 Chapter Forty-Four Pirate Encounter

    The captain glanced at his screens again. The whole atmosphere on his bridge reflected how he felt, but there was little that could be done about that. It was hard not to feel this way after your routine trade run turns into whatever this is. They couldn¡¯t even get what they came here for now seeing as Iridia was now a dead world with a toxic atmosphere. There was nothing of value here anymore. Not for them, and certainly not for anyone else. Not unless they had the credits to dump on an expensive restoration project.


    Behind him he could hear a couple of his subordinates talking. It was hushed, but he could hear it clearly enough. They were worried about whoever did this, but he had to wonder. Why? Why attack Iridia of all places? More importantly, why would it be bombarded and not invaded? Now that he has had time to process this event, these were the questions he was asking himself. It just made no sense to him, there was nothing to be gained from laying waste to an unimportant backwater like Iridia. Yet that is exactly what has happened here, and it utterly ruined what would have been a very good day for him, and the clan. Now they would have to find somewhere else to offload this cargo they took from that Valorian convoy they had hit.


    That was going to take a while, especially given that his hyperdrive was only capable of about 200c, which was faster than most Valorian freighters, but it wasn¡¯t all that fast. Still it was more than enough for him, most of the time that was. Now he was faced with the prospect of spending weeks hunting for a new friendly port to sell his goods at. He had a couple of ideas for that, but those alternates were affiliated with other clans. As such, they weren¡¯t exactly friendly to ships of his clan. Unfortunately they would have little choice now that they had lost their most important trading partner, worse none of their other partners had much food to spare. So they would need a new agreement with some minor agricultural colony, and soon. Before another clan war breaks out. Those are never fun, or of much good to anyone.


    His line of thought was ended when suddenly someone informed, ¡°We have company, eight ships closing fast.¡±


    He glanced at his screens and saw them. Fighter sized, but of a design, he had never seen before. They weren¡¯t yet in combat range, but they would be soon. He ordered everyone to prepare for fighter combats, before glancing to the lady at sensors, he asked her, ¡°Anything you can tell me about those ships?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°The computer doesn¡¯t recognize them, and I am reading nothing on their hulls. No shields, no weapons, no life readings, no propulsion, no nothing. Not even a plasma trail.¡±


    He glanced at the screens, the craft were clearly accelerating, and certainly looked menacing. Yet he knew nothing about them, and apparently, his sensors could not grant him any intel on them. He didn¡¯t like that. Not easy to fight an enemy you knew nothing about, and he had a hard time not considering them an enemy. Most everyone out here was an enemy afterall, and something told him these aliens weren¡¯t going to be peaceful


    When they entered weapons range moments later that feeling was rewarded with a volley of particle bolts, strafing his active shields. Thankfully he was ready for battle, and they didn¡¯t need to last long, just long enough to make the jump to hyperspace. Accompanying that first volley was a comm burst in Cathamari. "Pirate vessel, power down immediately or be destroyed."


    It seemed that these aliens knew who he was. Yet he knew not who they were. It wasn¡¯t entirely surprising, while his ship was not broadcasting the clan flag, it was recognizable. Not to mention he knew his ship had a bounty on it, and that bounty was posted on quite a few nearby worlds. Most of those worlds were in Valorian space, but he was also wanted by Krall authorities. Along with a few minor powers in the region. Although he should have been safe here since his ship didn¡¯t have an active bounty with the Cathamari.


    <hr>


    The pilot studied the pirate vessel. Someone during all the trading with the Krall had thoughtfully obtained a guide on local alien vessels, including ships with active bounties. That guide also mentioned what to look for in identifying a pirate. The clan mark emblazoned on the side of the ship was the only real tell, as they didn¡¯t look all that different from a regular ship.


    The ship was a cruiser, with a rather sleek streamlined hull. Smooth round lines, and shaped roughly like a squished cylinder, with the rear flaring out to make room for several very large and prominent engine clusters. The bow of the vessel featured a long protrusion heading downward. That protrusion had a split in the middle to make room for a long barrel running through it, one that ran the length of the underside of the ship. This split in the lower protrusion met, and merged with a large bulbous structure at the end of the protrusion. That bulbous structure appeared to be the ship¡¯s primary navigational array, and mounted the forward deflector generators.


    The ship had several other similar, if smaller clusters mounting secondary navigational arrays. In addition the ship had an active shield grid, that seemed to be more advanced than what the typical Cathamari cruiser carried, and as a result more powerful.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She also noted its armaments, a series of particle and ion cannons, along with a few laser banks. Those lasers seemed to be her primary anti-fighter weapons, and therefore the only real weapon to worry about. That spinal gun looked intimidating, but it was an Ion Pulse gun intended for use against large ships, not small agile fighters like her 1204. It was much the same for the other heavier guns that equally lacked the tracking to fire on fighters.


    Entering weapons range, she joined the rest of the flight, and fired a half powered warning volley into the cruiser¡¯s shields, while the lead fighter sent out a comm pulse in Cathamari. The pulses struck the shields of the target with the expected result, no damage. That volley however wasn¡¯t meant to do damage, but get their attention. Something it did quite well seeing as a moment later, they got their reply in the form of several laser blasts fired in their direction. None of them scored a hit on any of the eight fighters in the wing. She sighed, and following instructions, split off with one other. It was time to start her attack run.


    With skilled movements, her fighter rolled into an attack run, as she armed torpedoes. Using her active sensor data, the onboard computer would program those weapons with the data needed to penetrate the shields of the cruiser. At the same time, she locked onto her first target, a series of shield emitters on the port side of the ship.


    Several laser emitters rotated to fire on her fighter. Warnings blinked on her hud about being targeted and even highlighted which turrets were targeting her fighter. Her training kicked in, and she vectored her thrust hard to port, just as the lasers fired. Angry red energy pulses sailed past her fighter in the blink of an eye and headed off into the void, a clean miss. She maneuvered back on angle for her attack, and seconds later fired her first photons at the cruiser. Blue streaks leapt from her craft, to strike the cruiser. They sailed right into the shields, and one of them detonated on impact with the shield, the alien defense screen flared a golden yellow for an instant. The other projectile however got through, and exploded against the hull of the cruiser, rocking the alien ship, and damaging her shields in this region.


    <hr>


    The ship shook, and someone called out, ¡°We just lost the number seven shield!¡±


    Before he could respond to that, the ship shook again, ¡°The number twelve shield has failed!¡±


    He shouted, ¡°Remodulate the shields to compensate.¡±


    Then he glanced at the engineering display. This wasn¡¯t a case of the shields failing, they were taking hits to the hull. In other words they had lost those shields to battle damage, and this fight had barely begun. On the same display, he noted the time left before they could jump, four minutes, seventeen seconds. That was how long they would need to last before they could make the jump to hyperspace. Maybe he should have invested in a faster charging hyperdrive?


    Turning to his weapon¡¯s master, he shouted new orders at him before telling the lady at the helm, ¡°Increase speed, and try to keep those fighters away from our shield emitters.¡±


    She nodded. Her hands moved to execute his orders, and he felt the ship start to roll, moments before it shook again. This time thankfully without someone reporting another failed shield grid. He glanced at the clock, still feeling worried, but he was sure his ship could hold it together. The question was how much damage was he going to take in those few minutes.


    Glancing at the tactical displays, he smiled when he saw his lasers finally connect with one of the fighters. The high energy bolt of photons struck it cleanly center mass. No shield appeared to intercept the hit, but to his surprise the fighter survived the strike. Seemingly without damage. He had to wonder who these aliens were. They had a wealth of technology outside of his experience, and none of it made sense to him. In any case, it made it all the more important that he got back to the base, the clan needed to know that they had a new enemy.


    <hr>


    Her hands flew over the controls, as the ship came out of a role, and slipped through an opening in the cruiser¡¯s shields. It had taken a few hits, and several passes over the hull but they had finally done enough damage to create a gap in the shield grid. Locking her cannons on targets as she saw them, she began firing as the 1204 she flew zipped over the surface of the alien cruiser, hovering mere meters from it.


    Angry blue bolts of energy tore into the hull one after another, rupturing compartments, and breaching the armor. She detected several energy fluctuations, and then suddenly the cruiser rolled. She had to change course to avoid a collision with either the ship or its shields.


    Her energy signature was also spiking big time. The pilot had no doubt the cruiser was about to do something, but they had never seen anything like the readings they were getting. She set her sensors to record, and locked onto a few new hull targets.


    A renewed volley of powerful compressed particle bolts ripped into the unprotected hull of the cruiser. Moments before her shields in this sector failed. That was her main target, as the Coto was sitting just outside of weapons range waiting for the shields to fail. The pilot didn¡¯t think the cruiser had detected the destroyer either, so when it moved in to attack it would be quite the surprise.


    What happened next betrayed her expectations. Warnings rippled across her hud, seconds before a swirling blue, red, and purple energy vortex opened right in front of the cruiser. At the same instance, she accelerated full throttle straight for the vortex. The pilot and her wingmates, fired into her hull, dealing a fair amount of damage. Not enough to stop it however, and the ship disappeared from her screens, an instant later. The vortex vanished the instant it was through. She did not know how, but the cruiser had somehow escaped.

 Chapter Forty-Five An Escaped Ship, and a Mission Underway

    Countryman studied the document before him, while he waited for news from the Coto. They had left to engage an interloper, along with a few fighters from the Enterprise. More than enough to destroy a single cruiser. Down below the refit on that cruiser they had captured was going very well, and they should be able to send it on its mission soon enough. At the moment he was free, so he figured he would catch up on some reports. At the moment he was looking at the more detailed version of the Ruri¡¯s study on the Sega particle and the generator mechnaism. It was an interesting read, but there wasn¡¯t all that much or real note. The Sega particle had some interesting properties, properties that not only helped harden a shield, but aided in its primary function of absorbing incoming energy and radiating it away harmlessly as light. Those same properties that were so useful in energy shields, did have a few other applications. Ruri had made note of those, and had a rather detailed theory on its applications for laser weaponry.


    She had detailed out a full design, and proposal on the prototyping of a Sega based laser. Like other modern lasers, be they industrial or military her design was a high energy linked laser design, where several smaller laser generators were linked together to generate a high intensity photon stream. HELL type lasers were very easy to scale up, and were quite reliable. The design type could be applied to quite a few different beam generation schemes, and was able to produce beams of remarkable strength. This Sega based version if the figures she had calaculated held true would keep to that trend, in fact it would produce fairly powerful beams an order of magnitude greater than current generation beams. This would be quite useful, especially with energy webs. This was due to the defensive devices typically being laser based, rather than particle based. That was not however the only major application for a better laser, as they also had a number of industrial applications. They were often used in the creation of certain materials, some of which were hard to obtain by other means. In addition they had applications for refining certain materials as well. Not to mention their obvious uses in power generation, specifically in fusion generators. To be more specific, they were used to initiate the fusion core of certain reactor schemes, but once the core started the process was largely self-sustaining. This was due to the use of high intensity artificial gravity fields to compress the super-heated deuterium plasma created by the laser intiators. Those fields were often combined with electromagnetic containment fields, and the reactors heavily sheilded for obvious reasons.


    He quickly approved her research proposal for a Sega based laser. While their resources were limited, he found it hard to find reasons not to look into this. Who knows, they might even find a few unexpected applications. That was the case with the research project that led to the accidental discovery of Rydium, and that led to numerous developments, such as their armor and their engines. Although part of that was due to Rydium¡¯s relation with the Graviton particle. That particle is an interesting exotic particle, that is most well known for its gravitic properties. Its widely used in artificial gravity applications, but it is also a byproduct of the operation of pulse wave engines. Natural gravity, like that from a planet or star however is in fact not caused by the graviton particle, an interest discover that contradicts the theories that predicted the particle. Just one of the many little interesting characteristics of the particle. Although it was something they were still studying, as the particle wasn¡¯t fully understood.


    Setting that aside, he pulled up the next report. This one was not from Ruri¡¯s lab, but one of the other scientists on the ship. She had been working on adapting the new high density energy cells that were developed for the electro cannon, for use in portable power packs. Mainly for the Archer series power pack used to power modern marine armor. To be more specific, she was working on the standard issue Sierra Three medium powered assault armor. More commonly refered to as the S-III. The S-III was a third generation powered armor system and highly reliable. There wasn¡¯t much that could be improved. Not with current gen technology, the biggest limitation to it was actually power. There were any number of things they could do to enhance the suit¡¯s abilities, but they all had a detrimental effect on the suit¡¯s battery life. The obvious solution would be to pack a miniture reactor in the suit, but there were a number of roadblocks with that idea. They had run into problems with safely miniturizing the reactor, and generating sufficient output to power the suit. It was why, the suits were powered by high density Archer power packs.


    According to her report, the young lady had succesfully adapted the newer generation cells to work in the older Archer-series format. The overall effect, according to her intial tests, was a dramatically increased battery life. In addition since the cells matched the older format, there was no need for extensive modifications to fit the new cells. Based on her preliminary results, the batteries lasted more than three times as long, as the old power pack. That potentially translated into days worth of extra power, especially since the suit could already operate for several days under ideal conditions between charges. Although in practice, it was often measured in hours.  That got him thinking. If they really did last that long, they should also be able to deliever higher energy outputs for longer as well. If that was indeed the case, he glanced at the closet, perhaps the mark IV might not be such a pipe dream afterall.


    The Mark IV was something he had worked on personally. It was the next generation of powered assault armor, and featured a number of improvements. The most notable was the newer synthetic muscle fibres, which promised to double the users strength when compared to the previous generation, and triple their speed over last gen models. There were also a number of improvements made that improved the protection of the suit, making the wearer even harder to kill. Unfortunately, the project quickly ran into a massive roadblock. While all of the improvements made did in fact work as intended, they also required more power than could feasibly be provided by a portable power cell. As the suits drained their batteries far too quickly when tested in combat conditions. Whereas Mark III suits could last hours, the Mark IVs would last minutes. Mounting a larger power pack helped, but doing that also increased the weight of the armor, and made it bulkier. Mounting an internal reactor could have solved that, but it was something that was beyond current-gen technology.


    In the end, they had shelved the mark IV project. The data was carefully archived, and the prototypes were placed in storage. There was naturally a plan to come back to the mark IV concept for implementation when power technology advanced sufficiently to power the suit. Several projects had in fact been started after the mark IV to develop a smaller micro-fusion reactor small enough to fit inside a suit of armor with a power output high enough to power it. None of those projects had succeeded, not yet anyway. Althought those projects did close the gap enough to produce the micro reactors used in ground vehicles such as the Raptor, so progress had been made.


    Countryman made a note to stop by her lab, to see her demonstrate the new powerpack. He added a few notes about the potential of the new cells, and outlined a few projects that might be worth looking into if the cells really did work as she advertised. He had little doubt they would.


    Suddenly a bell chimed, alerting him to someone outside his office wanting to speak with him. He tapped a key switching his monitor, to show the hall sensor feed. Seeing who it was, he opened the door, and allowed them in. Naturally, he was able to do that without even leaving his desk.


    As the other man walked, in he said, ¡°Greyman, what do you have to report?¡±


    The man sighed, ¡°That pirate vessel escaped. As for how we aren¡¯t entirely sure.¡±


    Countryman wanted to say that was surprising, but frankly it wasn¡¯t. He glanced at the pad Greyman was holding, ¡°Is that the Coto¡¯s report?¡±


    Greyman nodded, and handed it over. Countryman quickly transferred the data to his console, and look it over. It seemed the battle was about to end when the alien pirate cruiser simply vanished in a swirl of reddish light. It was almost reminiscent of a doorway opening in space, and swallowing the ship. He tapped a few keys, and brought up the sensor analysis which was far more interesting. He also noticed something real quickly. It helped that he had recently read a report that showed data on very similar waveforms. He pulled that up, and compared them side by side. The scale was very different obviously, but they had remarkably similar waveform signatures. He showed this to Greyman


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    His first officer blinked, then frowned. ¡°Um, what am I looking at?¡±


    ¡°The comparison between the Coto¡¯s sensor logs, and our own measurements of that subspace radio we acquired from the Krall. I would wager, what we are seeing was a large scale subspace window. In other words, they used something we theorized about over a hundred years ago, I think we just encountered a hyperdrive.¡±


    ¡°Hyperdrive? I¡¯m not all that familiar with that drive concept.¡±


    ¡°I would imagine not.¡±


    Greyman gave Countryman a look, ¡°Should I feel insulted about this expected ignorance?¡±


    Countryman laughed wryly, ¡°Not really. Hyperdrive isn¡¯t well known in modern parlance, although that was not the case two hundred years ago. As a concept, it already existed when I was born, but it never really went anywhere.¡± he paused, ¡°Any way that doesn¡¯t really matter. As for what hyperdrive is? The short answer is a drive that takes advantage of sub-spatial domains to achieve faster than light travel. Doing so allows ships to leave normal space entirely, and therefore they are no longer subject to the special rules of relativity. Warp drive on the other hand operates in normal space and achieves faster than light speeds through spatial folding. Making the two very different, and mutually exclusive concepts. We actually explored both before ultimately focusing our efforts on warp drive which we believed was more feasible. Evidently, both were, although the Krall with their Inversion drives proved that there were drive types out there that we never considered.¡±


    ¡°I see, but what are we going to do about this?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°The only thing we can do. Double the patrols, and keep an eye out for any more interlopers. Deploy a net of gravity mines as well. They proved effective at disrupting Cathamari warp drives, and might do the same with these hyperdrives.¡±


    Greyman nodded. Gravity mines were rather simple devices using artificial gravity technology to generate a strong gravity field. They were something they had devised after noticing that Cathamari ships didn¡¯t really use warp speed near strong gravity sources like planets. They were often hidden in debris fields, and combined with more conventional mines. The combination had proven quite effective at stopping their ships cold. Hopefully hyperdrives would also prove vulnerable to the devices. Unfortunately they weren¡¯t quite as disposable as they used to be, so he would have to recover them before they left the system. That FTL jammer that he bought back in Illieria would undoubtedly work against it, as the Krall he bought it from advertised it as effective against all ¡®known¡¯ FTL drives. He figured that meant all drives known to the Krall, and it did at least work against warp drives. They had already tested it, and found it had a range of about three astronomical units. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t use it right now, since it was currently in pieces. They had taken the device apart so that they could study it. So the old solution of gravity mines was the only thing they could do right now.


    <hr>


    February Third, 001 SDE 1730 hours:


    Countryman shifted in his seat, as he felt the ship rumble. The last few weeks since the pirate encounter had been quiet. Other than Williams being up to her usual pain in the rear antics, he had nothing to worry about. The cruiser they had captured, had finished its refit, and was now being launched. In a moment he saw it on his screens, as it cleared the hull of the Enterprise. Her thruster ports lacked the normal glow, but that was largely since the original engines no longer existed. They had ripped them out in favor of their own technolgy. It gave the menacing ship a rather eerie quality. That was just one of the enhancements they had made.


    They had upgraded the armor with their own alloys, and armoring techniques. Her shield grid was left in place providing her extra protection. As for her weapon systems, they had enhanced the cooling systems for her primary cannons, and made modifications to the focusing mechanisms. The result was a significant increase in rate of fire, and a modest increase in effective range. They had more than doubled the rate of fire in fact, while the range had been increased by about fifteen percent. It just went to show how crude, the Cathamari cooling solution had been, and as for the focusing mechanisms? That was just laziness, they could have been easily stronger with just a little more work. Increasing the sheer power of those cannons, however had proved to be something they could not do.


    Not for a lack of trying, but the Cathamari had designed them for sheer power to begin with, and there wasn¡¯t much that could be done to improve that. Aside from the obvious solution of simply making them bigger. That applied to many a weapon, the bigger it was the more power. The problem was they were already fairly large guns to begin with. Each cannon was supplied by a fairly large plasma chamber, and several very powerful plasma generators. The generators rapidly filled the chamber with a subcritical mass of superheated plasma. This was then forced into the acceleration chamber, where a concussive energy discharge was fired into the plasma mass. This forcibly compresses the plasma and accelerates it to an impressive 105,000,000 meters per second. Roughly a third of the speed of light. These compressed plasma bolts strike their targets with considerable force. Most targets couldn¡¯t hope to survive a single volley. So increasing the power likely wasn¡¯t needed. Especially since, the Cathamari shields, were not really able to withstand their own plasma cannons, their hulls even less so. Increasing the fire rate did provide an advantage since the weapon was rather slow to fire. Now it had a rate of fire competitive with most human ship to ship energy weapons.


    They had considered adding a few of these weapons to their own armaments, and while certainly powerful, and a worthy addition. Their circumstances made adding them not exactly a benefit. Cathamari concussion cannons, had less range than particle cannons, were less accurate with slower bolt velocities, and most importantly were not energy efficient. They cost more than seven times as much energy per shot to fire. That was the big one, that high cost to fire played into why they were not going to use the alien weapons. They did however archive the research on them, in case it proved useful at a later date.


    Her torpedoes on the other hand, while similar to her cannons differed in a few key aspects that made them difficult to improve. Honestly it looked like a rather uninspired and frankly stupid solution to a problem. The torpedoes generated the plasma, and accelerated it much the same way the cannons did. The key difference was that a shielded casing sat in the middle of the concentrated plasma. This device generated the containment field that kept the plasma contained and was responsible for guidance. It achieved course corrections by releasing small bits of plasma in controlled bursts to alter the direction of the torpedo. The inclusion of this device is what gave the Cathamari torpedoes their range, and guidance abilities. Yet it was also its greatest limitation. For obvious reasons, they got rid of that casing, and instead used projected spatial fields to guide the torpedo. This allowed them to greatly increase the yield of the torpedo by a factor of nine, and the projected fields were harder to interfere with when compared to electromagnetic fields. Although the range wasn¡¯t as good as the Cathamari version. In any case, the would hit harder, and faster with the changed guidance mechanism.


    As for the cruiser, they had replaced the entire command deck with bank after bank of computer cores. That was part of the automation process, that ship out there was fully automated now, and programmed with its mission. Including directives to neutralize any threat to its primary mission directives. For that mission, the cruiser was carrying an FTL drive-equiped probe that he had acquired from the Krall. It even had a subspace radio, which could be used to beam back images to the Enterprise. That was important, since he needed that data for physical confirmation of the Cathamair¡¯s destruction. Something that would be virtually assured if the cruiser actually struck the planet. Afterall it was carrying enough antimatter explosives to vaporize a continent and everything else that entailed.


    The ship maneuvered around several asteroid in the area, as he watched it. Just before it left the visual range of his sensors, there was a brief distortion and a flash of light. The cruiser had jumped to warp, he immediately glanced at his screens. The ship disappeared almost as soon as he spotted it on the long-range sensors. The vessel was rapidly gaining speed, and soon it would be tearing across space.

 Interlude Earth Weapons: Ground Weapons

    By now we should be somewhat familiar with humanity''s ground weaponry. At least a few of these items, but there is still much to explore. Even items we have seen have details left to explore. There is a lot left to learn about the XR-471 for example, a popular and potent energy rifle in heavy use among the armed forces of the Enterprise.


    The XR-471 was originally developed and manufactured by Star Tech Industries for use by Earth¡¯s marine corps in 127 CSD, although development on the weapon began before that. The Rifle was at the outbreak of the third colonial war in 129 CSD distributed to various colonial forces, where it saw extensive action among front line units. It quickly gained popularity among both Earth and colonial militaries. As such demand for the rifle quickly exceeded production. By 135 CSD production had been outsourced to other manufacturing and development agencies, who promptly produced their own variants of the popular rifle.


    Today, the rifle is roughly thirty years old, but remains a very effective, and popular weapon among humanity¡¯s armed forces. It''s not hard to see why it remains so popular either. The rifle features a very rugged, and modular design that provides several advantages. Its casing is a lightweight, but very durable titanium-carbon alloy. Its key components are reinforced as well, and the result is an energy weapon that you can drag through the mud, and then bash someone over the head with it as if it was a club, and still be able to fire a deadly particle bolt.


    Not only is the weapon durable, but its modular design allows it to be easily maintained, and upgraded if needed. This ease of upgrade has contributed to its popularity and service length. The weapon itself is largely based on the same technologies behind starship particle cannons. The main barrel of the weapon contains a linear particle accelerator of approximately 75 centimeters in length. Mounted just below the rear end of this particle accelerator, is the particle accumulator, which supplies the weapon with charged particles, the weapon¡¯s ammunition. Its location here is mainly to reduce the overall length of the weapon, so that it can be more effectively used in close quarters. At the end of the barrel is a variable particle stream emitter, which can be configured to fire the bolts as either a focused particle pulse or a wide area particle blast. Just behind this emitter, and ringing the accelerator, is the spatial lensing generator, which in conjunction with the emitter focuses the bolts. All along the barrel of the weapon is a series of heat sinks that pull heat energy to a series of Rydium-based heat recyclers that reduce waste heat, and help prevent the weapon from overheating.


    The weapon is supplied power by an Archer-9 series compressed power cell located in the stock of the weapon. This provides the energy the weapon needs to accelerate the charged particles its fires to lightspeed. These power cells supply enough energy for approximately 240 shots. In theory, there is enough power for 260 shots, but in practice like most energy weapons, the XR-471 begins to misfire when the battery drops below eight percent capacity. As such it is heavily recommended that the user swaps power packs when the weapon power indicator hits the red zone.


    The underside of the weapon features ergonomic grips made of an improved synthetic rubber-like polymer and laced with interface circuitry. This allows the user¡¯s heads-up display to be fed vital weapon data while wielding the rifle, which in overall form is modeled after traditional kinetic weapons for ease of use. Data fed to the hud includes targeting data, a battery level indicator, a weapon heat indicator, a firing mode indicator, and even an estimate of remaining shots in the battery.


    The topside of the weapon features a digital readout of the same data it would feed to the user¡¯s hud. This readout serves mainly as a backup, but is also useful if the user is not equipped with a combat helmet. Also found on the top side of the weapon, is the XR-471¡¯s targeting sensors. These sensors support several targeting modes for different ranges. The weapon features zooming up to five times magnification for longer range shooting and is pinpoint accurate up to its maximum range of three kilometers, although it would require a scope upgrade for shooting at that distance. As the weapon was designed and intended for use at short to medium combat ranges, the default scope is often more than sufficient. Although the weapon does have sniper variants for longer-range shooting.


    The weapon features a cycling rate competitive with that of traditional ballistic rifles. Able to fire 1200 bolts in a minute, and featuring single shot, burst, and fully automatic firing modes. Its firepower however is much more impressive, as it vastly outperforms comparable ballistic weapons. Chemical firearms in the 5.56 to 7.62 range exhibit an energy delivery between 1.5 to 3.0 megajoules. Later railgun and gauss gun designs with the same ammunition range exhibited much higher outputs typically on the order of ten times greater. These particle bolts on the other hand are much more destructive with a yield measured in gigajoules. Its the low end, but that means little.


    The XR-471 fires a potent charged particle pulse afterall, and the high energy of that pulse can inflict horrific wounds. The intense thermal energy of the pulse not only causes severe particle burns in the target, but it has also been known to cause flash vaporization. Hits with this weapon can blow off limbs, and burn right through most forms of body armor. The beam can tear through inadequately protected flesh in an instant, this is due to the particle stream not only vaporizing the flesh but also the particles disrupting the molecular integrity of whatever they hit. As a result the target almost literally disintegrates from the blast. Naturally, this means that if you put a bolt in someone, they are down for the count. Especially considering a direct hit with an XR-471 is almost always fatal. Often instantly so, and it happens so quickly the target doesn¡¯t even feel the hit.


    The LPR-117 is a light particle rifle originally developed on Mars, by Mars Sec. It was intended mainly for use by police forces. The weapon is quite popular not only with police forces, but also with the security crews of many a starship.


    The weapon features a similar overall profile to the XR-471. This allows it to be effectively used in close quarters, as well as at longer ranges. The weapon is effective at short to medium combat ranges. At first glance it also shares many of the same features of the XR-471, although it has a somewhat sleeker design.


    It features an ergonomic grip with armor interfaces, allowing it to feed data to the user¡¯s hud. The weapon also has a digital display on the top of the rifle relaying the same information. Allowing the weapon to be wielded with or without armor. It also features a fire mode selector, and supports both single shot, and burst firing modes. In addition, it has a stun setting, unlike most human weapons.


    When set to stun, it fires a slower, charged particle pulse that will disrupt the target¡¯s nervous system. This pulse has to be carefully calibrated to have the proper effect, and the rifle mounts special sensors and components to ensure it has the desired result. Stun bolts have the effect of incapacitating the target, but it is important to note that multiple hits on stun can in fact kill. Due to how the weapon works, targets may experience pain, and nausea after being hit. In severe cases, they may even experience a condition known as stun sickness.


    Power is supplied to the weapon via an exchangeable Marsec-4 energy cell. These cells provide enough power for approximately three hundred shots or more depending on the setting. Like other weapons, the weapons may begin to misfire when the battery drops below eight percent. The Marsec series of energy cells are not compatible with Star Tech Industries¡¯ Archer series of energy cells, and as such the XR-471 and the LPR-117 cannot share power packs.


    Next up the LP-1230 developed by Star Tech Industries in 155 CSD for use by Earth naval forces. Unlike the previous weapons this is a pistol weapon and as such features a much lower profile. It is notable however due to its inclusion of a stun setting, something not often found in human weapons, and especially not in pistols.


    Like many other human ground weapons, it is a linear particle accelerator weapon. As such it features many of the same components. These include the particle accelerator, the emitter, the particle accumulator, the spatial focusing generator, cooling array, and the power cell. Being designed as a one-handed side arm, however, means these components needed to be packed into a much smaller form. The main barrel for example which mounts the accelerator itself is only 12.7 cm in length and runs almost the entire length of the weapon. Mounted at the end of the barrel is the emitter, spatial generator, and targeting sensors.


    At the rear of the weapon, is a small digital display that relays critical data to the wielder. While the grip of the weapon features the same type of interface circuitry found on the XR-471. Also found in the grip is the weapon¡¯s main power cell, a replaceable, Archer-2 power cell which supplies enough energy for about eighty shots before the weapon will begin to misfire. Do note that the Archer-2 is designed specifically for the smaller form factor of a pistol, and is not compatible with rifles like the XR-471, nor can the pistol use the larger power packs mounted by energy weapons like the XR-471


    The LP-1230 is most notable due to its two distinct firing modes. In mode one it fires a short, but fairly powerful particle pulse. This pulse is deadly to most targets, especially those with inadequate protection. It does however lack the penetration of heavier weapons and as such struggles against any decent form of protection. Regardless it is quite impressive for a sidearm, and quite deadly. In the primary firing mode, it can fire at a rate of 950 bolts per minute, allowing it to deplete its power cell in very short order. As a result, it is recommended that operators fire the weapon in single or burst fire selection mode.


    Its best and most notable feature however is firing mode two. In this mode, it fires a low power sustained charged particle pulse designed to disrupt the target¡¯s nervous system. In other words, the LP-1230 is a pseudo beam weapon in this mode. That doesn¡¯t make it a true beam weapon, as the sustained pulse lasts no more than three-tenths of a second. Like other stun weapons, this beam has to be carefully modulated to achieve the desired effect. This modulation is controlled by the microcomputer located behind the digital display. In this firing mode, it takes .3 seconds for each shot to complete, and an additional tenth of a second to recharge. Allowing it to fire at a rate of 150 pulses per minute


    The HPL-400 is another weapon that we have encountered before. It is a heavier weapon, and this shows both in its usage and design. Its larger, heavier construction makes it rather awkward for unarmored infantry to transport. The weapon is mainly used as an emplacement weapon while her lighter cousin,which is almost identical in design, is used as a heavy squad weapon.


    Weapons like the HPL-400 are notable largely due to their versatility since they are effective against both infantry and armored vehicles. The weapon is due to its size and weight typically used either as an emplacement or a vehicle weapon.


    You may also recall that it has two distinct firing modes. The first being a rapid-fire lower power mode akin to that of a machine gun, while the other fires a high power pulse intended for use against armored vehicles. The key to this ability is found in the weapon¡¯s barrel, where unlike other designs, she mounts multiple particle accelerators. These can be used either in sequence or parallel. When used in sequence the weapon fires more quickly, but the bolts are notably weaker, while when used in parallel the bolts are stronger.


    To be more specific the weapon contains three accelerators, of approximately 127 cm in length. These three accelerators are fed particles, by a heavy particle accumulator mounted directly to the rear of the accelerators. This accumulator has to be heavier and larger than those used in other weapons of similar size in order to adequately supply charged particles to the linear accelerators needed for operation. These charged particles after being accelerated are all fed to the same emitter. This is achieved through the use of a specially modulated spatial lensing field. The spatial lensing generators located just behind the emitter aperture are specifically designed for this task, and controlled by a microcomputer to ensure they reliably produce the desired result. Thanks to this setup the weapon can fire standard particle bolts at a rapid 2400 bolts per minute, while her cousin can fire bolts of similar strength at the respectable rate of 1800 bolts per minute. When firing heavy armor penetrating particle bolts, the weapon is significantly slower firing at a mere 450 bolts per minute, and in the case of her cousin 337.5 bolts per minute.


    The weapon can be powered by either the Archer-15 powerpack, or through a direct energy feed. When powered by an Archer-15 powerpack, the HPL-400 has enough power for 300 anti tank pulses or 900 standard bolts before you have to switch powerpacks  Her cousin the MPL-400 can also use this powerpack, but it''s typically used in conjunction with the Archer-12 powerpack, which is lighter.


    Another weapon to explore is the LRB-1247. This weapon is a charged particle weapon developed by the Luna Military and Industrial Technologies Development Complex in conjunction with Star Tech Industries. Designed to fit in a rifle-sized form factor, and intended for use as a long-range anti-material rifle. This weapon is primarily distributed to sharpshooter units.


    The LRB-1247 features a high-capacity particle accelerator 95 centimeters in length. To feed this accelerator it has a powerful accumulator mounted in the stock of the rifle, right next to the Archer-12 powercell it is designed to use. The rifle is however compatible with Archer-9 cells as well, but use of an Archer-12 cell is preferred. The rifle can fire 74 times using an Archer-12 powercell before needing to replace the power cell.


    The weapon features powerful optical targeting sensors, controlled with a digital zooming scope that supports up to a hundred times magnification, and it can fire with pinpoint accuracy with little regard for conditions that would typically hamper traditional sharpshooters. Largely due to how negligible those factors are for a particle stream traveling at lightspeed. It is important to note that particle stream drift can occur at extreme ranges. Although most shooters won¡¯t be shooting at distances where that matters, and given the speed of the beam won¡¯t need to lead the target either like they would with a traditional ballistic sniper rifle.


    Being an anti-material rifle, the LRB-1247 fires a high-intensity sustained particle pulse in the gigajoule range. This makes the weapon a pseudo-beam weapon as well. This pulse can burn through most known materials in very short order, making it very effective against infantry, and vehicles. Being a high-yield weapon the LRB-1247 is extremely lethal, and a single hit from the weapon often proves fatal. The beam is capable of penetrating any body armor known to the human race including their own in a single shot, which makes the weapon one of the deadliest weapons, outside of WMDs, ever created by the human race.  Especially when one considers that the beam can also penetrate a wide array of vehicle armor, which makes it very useful against lighter vehicles. As heavier vehicles like tanks, and walkers often have armor strong enough to resist a hit. In fact most can take multiple hits without failing. This sustained pulse takes .3 seconds to complete, and the rifle needs 1.8 seconds between shots to dissipate excess heat. That means that the rifle can fire approximately twenty-eight and a half times per minute.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Moving on, vehicles. Humanity has a few vehicles regularly employed for ground combat. Let''s take a look at a few of those. We have a few notable ones to look at.


    First up, the ARV-22 Sentry. The ARV or armored reconnaissance vehicle is a three-man jeep designed to be fast. It features an angular armored design, with four repulsor engines allowing it to hover a meter off the ground. It features a small cabin in the front with space for a driver, and a passenger. While the rear compartment contains the gunner¡¯s seat, and the vehicle''s cargo module.


    The ARV-22 has an armored turret that can be fitted with a few different weapons, but it is most commonly fitted with the HPL-400. Powered by a direct energy feed to the vehicle¡¯s micro fusion plant, a gunner can fire as long as the vehicle has power. As a result they don¡¯t have to worry much about ammunition. They do have to watch the heat, as the HPL-400 has been known to overheat during sustained bursts. Something most energy weapons have a problem with, and like every energy weapon it is designed to shut down and vent excess heat to protect critical components if it gets too hot.


    The vehicle itself was manufactured by Star Tech Industries for the Earth¡¯s armies, and soon became quite popular. The troops loved its fast, rugged, and durable design. While not the most comfortable, its crew cabin was reasonably well protected by some light armor, armor that could stop most small arms. The protected turret was useful, as well for engaging infantry, other light vehicles, and even some aircraft, making it quite versatile. Between its speed and protection, very few of these vehicles would fail to make it back from a scouting mission, and they were often found to be useful in other roles. As such they were well worth their cost.


    The ST-42 Scout Tank, is another armored recon vehicle, but it''s also a light transport and infantry support vehicle. It''s designed for a two-man crew, with a rear bay able to transport up to six soldiers onto the battlefield. Although, thanks to modern AI it is possible for a single individual to operate the vehicle, but two is preferred for the obvious advantages having a second person brings.


    The ST-42¡¯s main weapon is a 55-millimeter photon shell cannon mounted in a rotating turret. That brings us to discuss a ground weapon so far not seen. The photon shell cannon is an example of ballistic weapons technology. It uses a series of high-power electromagnetic coils to accelerate a 55-millimeter slug to high speeds, the exact speed is determined by the targeting computer shortly before firing, but the slug can reach hypersonic velocities. The use of a variable projectile launch speed allows the weapon to employ ballistic targeting solutions not otherwise available.


    The weapon itself gets its name mainly for the primary shell it is designed to fire, which is a high-explosive, shield and armor-piercing round, abbreviated as SPAP-HE. These rounds are designed to penetrate both armor, and energy shields, such as those found on Cathamari tanks. Each round also contains a small warhead designed for a cascade detonation, that releases a high-power photon burst upon detonation, not unlike the warheads of a photon torpedo. It can also fire SPAP rounds which lack the powerful photon warhead. However, they can be quite deadly given the velocities the gun can fire its rounds at, but only if they actually penetrate the armor and/or shields of their target.


    That brings to mind an important point, in doctrinal usage of the two rounds. SPAP-HE is the primary round for good reason. The first and obvious reason is that they are more valuable for indirect fire, something the 55-millimeter gun is perfectly capable of performing. However it is important to note that like their ship-mounted counterparts, shield penetrating rounds are not a hundred percent effective at penetrating shields. In addition Cathamari tanks are often heavily armored, and their mainline tanks have sturdy frontal armor able to deflect the high-velocity SPAP rounds the ST-42 is able to fire. As such, against these vehicles, the SPAP-HE round would be more effective, as even a non-penetrating hit could inflict significant damage. As such, SPAP rounds which are cheaper, are typically reserved for low value targets that would not typically warrant the expenditure of the more expensive SPAP-HE shell. Both shells are used with largely the same philosophy as their spaceborne counterparts.


    In addition to her main gun, she also mounts two anti-tank missile launchers on either side of the turret. They are equipped with an autoloader that will automatically reload them after firing, as long as the tank still has missiles in its magazine. She can stow up to 12 anti-tank photon missiles, along with sixty shells for her main gun.


    The ST-42 does have one last weapon, a coaxial particle cannon. This light coaxial cannon draws its power directly from the vehicle¡¯s micro-fusion plant and was designed specifically for the ST-42. It features a fire rate of 2200 bolts per minute, and is effective against armored infantry, and light vehicles. It is of limited use against some aircraft as well. The cannon exhibits a yield comparable to that of the HPL-400 in her slower secondary firing mode, and as such very effectively chews through most light to medium vehicles. This weapon is not effective against mainline tanks such as the Raptor or the Rex. To save turret space the weapon¡¯s accumulator is mounted inside the hull. While only the accelerator and focusing components are mounted in the turret.


    Another thing to note is that the ST-42 employs a hoverframe suspension of the same type as that employed on the larger, and heavier Raptor class MBT. This suspension is rated for one hundred and eighty tons, a weight that the ST-42 doesn¡¯t even come close to. As a result her engines are able to get her up to impressive speeds, and she can change direction practically on a dime. It also means that the ST-42 can if needed transport some fairly heavy cargo. While she may be underweight, she doesn¡¯t carry any other weapons beyond those in her turret. This is largely due to the fact that she is lacking in internal volume to mount additional weapons. Especially so in her turret, which is completely packed with weapons, and autoloader systems. Like most modern tanks, her turret is unmanned with the crew safely secured in the hull of the vehicle.


    The Rex is an older, and obsolete mainline battle tank, designed before the third Colonial War. The massive tank weighs over two hundred tons. Much of that massive weight comes from the thick coat of heavy armor she features. The rest of it comes from her main cannon, powerful 155-millimeter gauss cannon, designed to fire hypersonic AP rounds. The cannon could also be loaded with powerful high explosive shells. During the Cathamari war, this gun was later modified to use first generation SPAP ammunition. The gun however is not compatible with photon shells, and therefore the Rex cannot carry SPAP-HE ammunition. Not the modern version of it anyway.


    Unlike other human combat tanks of her age, she uses a tracked suspension system rather than a hoverframe suspension. The main reason for this, is that when she was designed hoverframe suspensions were capped at 55 tons, and her two hundred and eight tons was significantly more than what it could handle. That kind of weight remains taxing for a tracked suspension as well. As a result, the tank employs anti-gravity generators in her design to offset her weight, thereby reducing her effective weight. Even with these generators, she remains quite heavy. Like many other ground vehicles, she is powered by a micro-fusion generator, which powers everything from engines, to weapons. That includes her armor. For protection, the Rex employs gen two overlord armor plating one point two meters thick. This protection is fairly uniform in all directions, and is supplemented with an energy web system.


    In addition to the main cannon, the Rex has two other weapons worth noting. The first is a coaxial heavy anti-tank particle cannon designated the RPL-243. The RPL-243 fires a powerful particle pulse able to punch through most forms of heavy vehicle armor, and has a fairly rapid recharge. As a result it supports a fire rate of 1100 bolts per minute. A truly outstanding fire rate, for what is primarily an anti-vehicle weapon.


    The Rex also has a pintle-mounted HPL-400. While the Rex may not really need its secondary firing mode, the HPL-400 does help protect the vehicle from armored infantry. Like all modern pintle-mounted weapons, it is controlled remotely from inside the hull, and as such no-one needs to expose themselves to hostile fire in order to operate the weapon. The same is true of the turret, which uses automated systems that allow the crew to safely operate the weapons from inside the hull.


    The Raptor is one of humanity¡¯s newest tanks designed as a successor to the highly successful Rex class main battle tanks. Developed by Star Tech Industries during the Cathamari war, she takes advantage of several key technological developments. She uses a unique dual-suspension system featuring both tracks, and a hover frame system. Understandably this comes with a certain degree of complexity added to the design. It does however allow the tank to take advantage of both suspension systems. The dual suspension also helps her deal with her weight problem, as the Raptor when fully loaded weighs one hundred and eighty five tons, five tons over what her hoverframe suspension is rated to handle, but under what her tracks can handle. Not only can the tracks handle less weight, but they are more fuel efficient than a hoverframe. As such, they are ideal for situations where endurance is needed.


    The hoverframe on the other hand, allows the tank to hover over the surface, and retract its tracks into the hull. This removes a vulnerability in the armor, while also improving the maneuverability of the tank. Hover engines also allow the tank to easily move over terrain that would have otherwise stopped the vehicle, such as a river. These advantages make the tank more agile in combat, and as such the hover engines are preferred in most combat scenarios.


    For protection, the Raptor features one meter of generation three overlord armor uniform thickness over all surfaces, with the hull and turret featuring the same level of protection. She is also further protected by an energy web grid, and her plating is coated with a special refractive thermal coating. It also has hardpoints for attaching supplemental plates or other defensive mission kits.


    Her main cannon is a 155-millimeter short-barrel photon shell cannon. It is mounted in the turret, and draws its power directly from the Raptor¡¯s twin micro-fusion reactors. Providing it the power needed to accelerate the heavy SPAP-HE shells to hypersonic velocities. To compensate for the shorter barrel, she employs a much denser coil setup than normal. The dense coil setup allows her to better accelerate the projectiles, but it does increase the heat generated requiring a more robust cooling array. This increases the amount of space the weapon takes up in the turret, and prevents the tank from mounting a larger gun. The shorter barrel does however better allow the turret to maneuver in tight spaces, and thanks to several classified components has a negligible impact on long range firing accuracy. The tank actually has superior accuracy compared to older tanks, with longer barreled guns thanks to her powerful targeting computer.


    Her coaxial is the RPL-257, a heavy anti-tank particle cannon designed as an improved version of the older RPL-243. It fires a heavy particle pulse a few gigajoules more powerful, and features an even faster recharge. Allowing it to fire 1250 bolts per minute, and making it a very welcome addition to humanity¡¯s arsenal.


    The tank also carries four dual hull mounted light anti-infantry particle cannons, and a dual pintle mounted light anti-infantry particle cannon. These cannons are computer controlled, and very effective at protecting the tank for hostile infantry. They are also of use against certain types of aircraft.


    The Raptor has already proven herself a very effective successor to the Rex. Her powerful main gun, and agile dual hover engines make her quite the threat on the battlefield. She can accurately bombard targets from a far, or maneuver through the tight spaces of an urban battlefield. She is particularly effective in any role that requires agility, and protection.


    The last vehicle, and the last item we are going to cover is the Scorpion class battle platform. This mighty war vehicle has the dubious distinction of being the single most expensive piece of ground equipment ever produced, but it is also amazingly cost effective. The Scorpion is an all-terrain and submersible heavy walker developed by Star Tech Industries. As a walker, she takes advantage of a walker frame suspension which has the highest weight limit of any suspension system. Although walkers aren¡¯t known for being particularly agile, not in the way hover vehicles are. They do make up for it with being able to carry heavier armor, and weapons. Not to mention they can be quite a bit larger than any hover or tracked vehicle thanks to the advantages of their suspension system.


    The Scorpion, like most heavy walkers, is designed to fulfill multiple key roles, and is modular allowing her to be quickly specialized for whatever role the battlefield may require her to fit. She can be outfitted with artillery allowing her to bombard enemy fortifications from range, or outfitted with anti-air weapons to provide AA coverage. They can also be configured to serve as mobile command posts or outfitted with troop pods allowing them to serve as a heavily armored transport.


    Being a heavy walker, with a large frame it may come as little surprise that she has a rather significant amount of armor. The hull is protected by 4.2 meters of uniformly thick gen three overlord armor. Her six legs not only have similar protection, but are internally reinforced, which makes them quite thick. This also helps ensure the vehicle remains stable on her feet, while also protecting an obvious weakness. The vehicle also has energy web projectors that help protect her from hostile missile weapons. Naturally this level of protection factoring with her size gives her protection comparable with a small starship. Thankfully she doesn¡¯t weigh as much as one, but she is still a very heavy vehicle in the several thousand tons range. In fact she weighs enough that the Scorpion makes use of six heavy duty anti-gravity generators to nullify a major portion of her weight, reducing her effective weight to around two thousand tons. Without them she would weigh a hell of a lot more.


    The vehicle has a number of weapons onboard by default, her primary weapon however is the heavy particle lance mounted in her tail. Taking advantage of her powerful fusion generators, and some heavy-duty particle accelerators, to produce an extremely potent sustained particle pulse. In other words, the weapon is a pseudo-beam weapon. The pulse lasts seven-tenths of a second, and takes five point three seconds to recharge for the next shot. That allows the weapon to fire ten times in a second. The main cannon is extremely lethal, able to do serious damage to frigates, and heavy walkers, and can outright vaporize most tanks. Only the Raptor, and the Rex class MBTs have been known to be able to withstand a direct hit. All other tanks simply melt under the firepower of this powerful cannon.


    She also carries two superheavy particle cannons forward mounted on two rotating turrets. They do not have a full 360-degree targeting angle, but they can target a fair area around the walker. These weapons are for use mainly against tanks, and other walkers, and while not as potent as the main cannon, are very effective in that role. They fire around three hundred bolts per minute. They perform poorly against infantry targets however.


    The Scorpion also has eight torpedo tubes mounted forward. They are intended mainly for use when she is submerged, but they can also be used when she is on the surface or on land.


    The walker also has twenty four dual turrets placed along her hull. Sixteen of these turrets carry two HPL-400 particle cannons for use against infantry, and light vehicles. The remaining eight turrets carry dual RPL-247 particle cannons for use against armored vehicles.


    While not always onboard, the Scorpion also has hard points, allowing her to mount four triple-barreled 178-millimeter photon artillery turrets. These turrets allow her to hurl massive 178-millimeter SPAP-HE shells from long range. Given that these rounds can reach hypersonic velocities, she can effectively barrage a target from nearly five hundred kilometers away. Like all modern projectile weapons, the barrels support variable launch velocities. A very useful feature.


    The same hardpoints that can mount the artillery turrets on the Scorpion can also be configured to carry flak projectors and light surface-to-air missile launchers. Useful for air defense, and a common addition to Scorpions outfitted for use as a mobile command post. A role the Scorpion is actually fairly loved for, due to its robust construction, high degree of protection, and reasonably large interior spaces. It is meant to safely carry a couple hundred soldiers in addition to her crew afterall, by default, and that same space could be repurposed to make room for a nice command center. Complete with a holographic tactical display, and all the comm gear a frontline commander would need.


    The Scorpion has already proven herself during her years of service. She was originally developed by Star Tech Industries on a commission from Earth¡¯s government. The battle platform first saw action during the third colonial war, when Earth invaded Mars. She proved to be a very effective weapon there, and she later proved herself again in the defense of Mars against the invading Cathamari. Very few of these expensive walkers have ever been lost in combat. With the combined total of Scorpions lost numbering just under one hundred vehicles. Star Tech Industries produced nearly ten thousand of the things since they entered service. Although with the fall of Earth, that has obviously changed.

 Chapter Forty-Six Reports...

    The councilwoman sighed, as she tossed another report onto the growing pile of read reports. It was just one more in a long list of reports that she had to go through. If there was one thing she really hated about this job it was all the paperwork. She glanced at the clock, and let out another heavy breath. It wasn¡¯t nearly late enough in the day, and she really wanted to be somewhere else right now. There was a reason for that. Her daughter was participating in a play today, and she really wanted to be there to see it. She had even pulled a few favors so she could get out of here early. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t the chair, so she was still stuck coming in today.


    She pulled another report. No, it was actually another request from the military for more funding. She stamped it, denied, and moved on. There were better uses for Confederation funds, than the military anyway. Besides, many would say they had too much funding already, and she personally agreed. Moving the request aside, she grabbed the next item, a report on planned military actions to counter pirate activity in the Soelis sector. The seventeenth patrol fleet was planning to sweep the Delta Four system. She made note of this, and set it aside. This was just one example of them having too much funding. As they clearly had enough funds to waste on countering pirate activity, when they should be leaving that to local police forces.


    Before she could much think on why, there was a knock on the door, before a younger woman walked in. ¡°Mistress. Sorry to disturb you, but I have a new report for you to review, and it was marked Urgent.¡±


    She sighed, and held her hand out, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll look over it.¡±


    The young woman handed her the report, and she glanced at it. Noting the classification on it. She sighed, it was one of those reports. Hopefully it was something that could actually wait. She glanced at the clock, because if it wasn¡¯t this was really unfair. In fact she almost felt like crying, as she opened the report on her monitor. It was a report from her interests among the Rydia Clan. One of several small powers controlling Delta Four.


    Apparently they had encountered a few strange ships, and the planet Iridia had been bombarded, the surface cracked. Who the ships belonged to, and why they had destroyed the Cathamari colony there remained unknown. Her contact had forwarded everything he did have on the alien vessels.


    She brought it up, the pirate cruiser¡¯s sensors were honestly crap. The feed on these alien ships was practically meaningless. Based on size, and shape they were clearly fighter craft of somekind, but the cruiser had detected no mothership for them. She had never heard of fighters able to traverse interstellar distances without a mothership, so there must have been one somewhere in the area. The lack of data the pirate cruiser has on the fighters suggests an answer however. The pirate cruiser simply couldn¡¯t detect it.


    Flicking through the data, she sighed. Beyond them being fighters, and what weapons they were observed using, there was not much else to tell about them. They were armed with some kind of particle weapon, nothing too interesting about that. Their other weapon was far more interesting, it was some kind of shield penetrating torpedo. It used a photonic warhead, that unleashed a massive photon burst on detonation, and the cruiser had taken a pounding from these warheads. Unfortunately the sensor data the cruiser had on them, was rather limited so she was unable to determine how they were penetrating the shields of that cruiser. Worse the photon bursts, had saturated the area with radiation that had ionized the cruiser¡¯s sensor clusters which had further hampered data collection.


    Overall this was the most useless report, she had ever seen. Other than data on two weapons, she had nothing. No discernable data on how the ships moved, no data on their shield configurations, no data on their armor, no power signitures, no nothing. She sighed, wiped the report from her computer, and secured the pad. Glancing at the clock it was time to leave. This report was going to have to wait. There wasn¡¯t much she could do about it anyway. The loss of one Cathamari planet wasn¡¯t all that important, and while intriguing there was not much to say about a few mysterious alien ships. Besides her daughter was far more important than some little conflict in the middle of nowhere.


    <hr>


    Cathamari Deep Space Monitoring Outpost G2117-A:


    Alarms blared, and the sole occupant of the outpost, grumpily rolled off his bunk. He glared at the cursed alarms, and complained aloud about them going off in the middle of the night. Of course the only one he had to blame about them going off was himself, as he was the one who had programmed the conditions under which they would go off.


    He lumbered out of the room, trying not to let the alarms grate on his ears, and made for the control room. Thankfully it was only a few meters down the hall in this tiny outpost. The whole station only had a few rooms, and they could be counted on one hand. There was his bedroom, the control room, the general purpose room, a single cargo bay, and a small shuttle bay. All of them located on a single deck, and connected via a single central corridor. None of the rooms were particularly large, and this tiny outpost was his domain, here he was lord. Not that he had anyone to rule over, it was rather lonely here. Not to mention quite boring, so boring in fact that he had taken up a few hobbies to pass the time. As it was honestly quite rare for the alarms to go off, as the sensors almost never picked up anything worth his attention. As such even while he was annoyed that the alarms were going off, he was also curious as to what set them off.


    Throwing open the hatch to the control room, his large form lumbered across the tiny room, to the single bench set before the bank of control consoles. Pressing a switch, he disabled the alarm, and quickly brought up the logs. The sensors had logged an anomaly. He blinked, when he saw it, and looked again. The figures didn¡¯t change, and yet it was not possible.


    He ordered the computer to confirm the readings, and it quickly reported the same figures. According to this, long range sensors had detected the Drakul¡¯s Sword on a direct course for the homeworld. Now normally that ship even with that course should not have triggered the alarm, what had was its anomalous speed reading. The ship was lit up like a beacon on the sensors, and putting out more heat than it had any right to be emitting, and tearing through space at an unbelivable warp eight point two. That was simply not possible for the ship, even with the drives redlined at a hundred and fifty percent the vessel would not be able to breach warp five, and yet here it was moving at warp eight.


    Just to be sure, he ran the scans a third time, and yet the impossible remained. He had the Drakul¡¯s Sword moving on a course for Cathamair at a velocity in excess of warp eight, well beyond what her class three warp drive should have been able to achieve. No ship in the fleet could move that fast, not even if they redlined the drives well into burnout territory. He knew that quite, well. Among the hobbies he had picked up since he got stuck here was reading, and he had read just about everything in the library. Any subject that caught his interest, and that included warp theory. Thanks to that reading, it was painfully obvious to him that the Drakul¡¯s Sword had been modified in a fashion not known to Cathamari science.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Turning, he forwarded his scans, and sensor reports to fleet command, and slumped on his bench. Already he was trying to wrap his head around how such a speed was possible. He did keep an eye on his screens though, he was kind of interested to see how this played out, and with the Drakul¡¯s Sword traveling at warp eight he wasn¡¯t going to have to wait long


    Already he could see a few ships moving to intercept, but they were restricted to speeds around warp four, they were never going to catch the Drakul¡¯s Sword. They were simply too slow, and the distances too great, even with favorable positions they were not going to be able to close the gap quickly enough before the ship slipped the net. The only ships that had a chance of meeting the ship in battle were those attached to either the Home Fleet or the Grand Fleet, both of which called Cathamair their home port, and as such often had elements in the system. The two fleets had a fair number of ships, and at any given time about ten thousand ships were on station to help defend the homeworld. It was afterall the seat of the Grand Warlord, and needed to be protected from other warlords seeking to overthrow the current Grand Warlord.


    At least that was normally the case, but he knew that the current Grand Warlord had engaged in quite a few campaigns that had proved quite costly. The campaign to conquer the humans for example was among the most costly in recent memory with horrendous casualties, but there were a few other campaigns that had come close in losses sustained. He knew that ships from the Grand Fleet as a result of this had been stationed along the borders with the Krall, especially given the rising tensions. Even on this remote little station he had heard that a war with the Krall was almost inevitable. Still even with the recent movements of the fleet the garrison was quite substantial with several thousand ships in system to defend. If he had to guess the home fleet would likely intercept the Drakul¡¯s Sword at Cathamair. He would not have too long to wait for the answer, it would be there in just a couple of hours, a distance that normally would have taken weeks to cross.


    He was still there, a couple of hours later when the Drakul¡¯s Sword finally arrived. No one had requested anything from him in that time, much less thought to speak to him, as he monitored the vessel. He had noted that it had been hailed a few times, but no reply had come forth from the ship, as it hurdled through space at mind-boggling speeds, and left a heat wake that could easily be seen from three sectors away.


    It dropped out of warp fairly close to the planet, and its heat signature remained very high. Not surprising given the sheer heat the ship had been generating, and he knew that this signature meant the engines were likely running at temperatures several orders of magnitude higher. It was a miracle that hadn¡¯t slagged themselves during the trip, and how they had withstood that kind of heat was equally mind-boggling.


    Almost instantly after arrival, the Home Fleet began transmitting telemetry allowing him to view what was going on, even if it was more for the benefit of warlords, and fleet leaders in the area.


    The fleet had positioned two hundred cruisers between the Drakul¡¯s Sword and the planet, with another three hundred moving into position to intercept. Those two hundred already in position had four hundred additional ships of destroyer or frigate class positioned to support. Utter overkill for a single vessel, but he felt it appropriate. Given what was done to her engines, it made one wonder what had been done to her other systems. It turned out to be the right decision.


    The fleet wasn¡¯t even in weapons range, when the Sword opened fire with her primary plasma cannon banks. Angry bolts of red plasma soared across space in a surprising hailstorm of fire at the nearest ships in the path of the Sword. Evasive maneuvers were attempted, but the Sword¡¯s gunners had obviously predicated the maneuvers. Deadly plasma slammed into thirty ships almost simultaneously, with the same destructive force expected of their weapons, but at greater ranges than the norm. All of those ships were destroyed in an instant, but the others had gotten into range. They began firing. What followed was not what he would have expected.


    As expected, the Sword¡¯s shields failed with the first few hits, but shockingly her armor withstood the impacts of the plasma barrage, and she returned fire with unerringly accurate plasma barrages. She was even firing them faster than her opponents could. In seconds, she had blown past the initial force of defenders, most of them either destroyed or disabled.


    Ahead of her was only a single orbital, and a dreadnought, the CIS Warlord¡¯s Dominion the pride of the fleet. He knew little about it, except that it boasted extremely strong shields comparable to those found on the smaller Krall cruisers. It was heavily armored and had enough firepower to rival a medium-sized fleet. It was a ship that outmatched the Sword in almost every category, but the smaller ship was far more agile.


    The Dominion opened fire on the sword first, a massive hailstorm of plasma enough to surely destroy the smaller ship. At least if it hit, it didn¡¯t, and yet it should have. Instead, the Sword in a maneuver that shouldn¡¯t have been possible for her, rolled hard to port. The roll maintained its heading and yet took the ship out of the path of the hail of plasma. Then the sword opened fire, a volley of plasma torps fired straight at the Dominion.


    The larger ship wasn¡¯t agile enough to dodge, but its shields should be enough to take the hit. At least they should have been. The torpedos struck the ship amidships. A massive fireball erupted on impact, and the shield flared brightly, before collapsing. The Dominion returned fire with equally minimal effect before the Sword knocked her out of the fight with several surprisingly accurate hits to her engineering section, and the ship went dark.


    The orbital never got to fire a shot, it was destroyed by a heavy barrage before it even had a chance to fire on the Sword. Mere seconds later the Sword slammed into Cathamair, at near-reletivistic velocities. It struck the planet less than fifty kilometers from the capital and then detonated in the largest energy burst he had ever seen. A massive fireball, and a wave of debris were catapulted into space in the same breath as the continents of Krathis, and O¡¯kuli were vaporized along with a good chunk of the surrounding oceans. In orbit, hundreds of ships, both military and civilian were destroyed by the shockwave. A massive chunk of superheated rock, slammed into the disabled Dominion and cleaved through the ship, then several smaller rocks bombarded the two halves moments before something exploded claiming the rear half of the ship. The forward section careened into space, along with debris from Cathamair.


    Ships on the other side of the planet, however, were shielded by the bulk of the planet from the blast, but the people on the surface were subjected to violent earthquakes, that shook cities and settlements across the globe. Coastal cities even experienced violent tidal waves in combination with the earthquakes. While the planet itself was shifted violently onto a new orbit, one further from the sun. When the dust settled, the devestation was massive both in space and on the ground. He was too busy staring at the devastation to even notice, the rather tiny spike, as an inversion drive engaged, and a tiny probe exited the system. The radiation burst of the blast even served to hide the comparatively smaller burst of the drive.


    He like many sat shellshocked at the footage. Cathamair was devastated, billions lay dead, the leadership of the Empire had been decapitated. Who had done this, no one could say for sure, but news of the event would zip across the sector, with unheard-of rapidity. Before the week was out it would spread across the quadrant, but there was no way to hide an event of this magnitude.

 Chapter Forty-Seven News of Cathamair

    Tika was looking over the latest status reports, as her ship the Teketh was getting ready to depart. The refit was about finished, and they were taking on supplies for a new shakedown cruise to make sure the new engines were up to spec. If everything went to plan, they would be joining the seventh fleet which had been tasked with monitoring the Krall-Cathamari border. With rising tensions, and recent border incursions and skirmishes it was only a matter of time before a formal state of war was declared. In her opinion they had less than a month before the war would begin. Likely sooner given current events.


    Suddenly the door to her office slid open, as the chime went off, and a flustered junior crewwoman ran in holding a pad. ¡°Ship-Leader! Have you heard the news?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°what news?¡±


    ¡°Cathamair! Its gone, someone blew up the planet!¡±


    For a moment or two she just stared at the junior crewwoman, as her mind worked to catch up. Then wanting to know if she heard that right, she slowly repeated, ¡°...Someone destroyed an entire planet? A heavily defended homeworld no less?¡±


    The crewwoman nodded, ¡°Slammed their ship right into it, and boom no more Cathamair. It¡¯s on all the holofeeds.¡±


    Still not quite believing it, she turned to her monitor, and closed the status reports. Before accessing the holofeeds, where she soon got a somewhat different story. One a little more believable but still quite shocking. Someone had indeed crashed their ship into the planet, at near-relitivistic velocities no less. The ship must have been carrying a massive quantity of antimatter with it as well, as the devastation is unreal. Two continents and much of the surrounding ocean vaporized, and a large chunk of molten debris was catapulted into orbit where it slammed into ships, stations, and satellites. Initial casualty estimates sit at nine billion dead. Rescue efforts are underway, but there is no infrastructure in place for evacuating an entire planet. Even worse, the planet is experiencing severe geological disturbances as a result of the impact. Not to mention they are on the clock now, as the remaining continents won¡¯t remain habitable for much longer.


    Preliminary reports of the incident, indicate that the crash was deliberate, but no one has come forth admitting responsibility for the incident. The ship that crashed into the planet was apparently a modified Cathamari cruiser. Exact modifications are sketchy, but apparently, they upgraded her systems well beyond the normal specs, enough that she was able to blow past the entire Cathamari fleet. Even more eye-raising, was the speed the ship had been traveling at on her course to Cathamair. Tracking data had picked the ship up even here in Krall space, as it tore its way across space at the mind-boggling speed of warp eight. That raised serious questions, as all but one of the warp-capable races known to the Krall had not yet breached the warp five barrier. That one remaining race was the Humans, a race they had personally helped breach the warp five barrier. She knew that quite well, since it was her decision to help them. Yet, while she could certainly assign motive to them for this attack, Tika had a hard time believing they could do it.


    She leaned back, and thought more about it. Her eyes widened as she considered what she knew of their technology. Their ships likely couldn¡¯t exceed warp six, but if they were willing to burn out their drives they might be able to go faster. For how long was the question. This had been a Cathamari ship with radiators, that had evidently been left in place, but if that system had been augmented with human heat recyclers... They just might have been able to do it. In fact they were likely the only ones able to carry out an attack like this. In other words, this whole incident was technically her fault, since she had been the one to help them develop the engine technology for this.


    She glanced up to realize the Junior was still here. She dismissed the other woman, even as she wrapped her mind around the fact that she was now indirectly complicit in a war crime. Thankfully it was one that most people would likely let slide since the Cathamari were not well liked. What this meant for the war, remained to be seen, but she doubted the Cathamari would be able to effectively wage a war. They had not only lost their homeworld, but the entirety of their central leadership. They were an empire with no ruler, and no one to take the reigns. Civil war was the inevitable result. Letting out a breath, she started typing a report to the council. A part of her just wanted to hide what she had indirectly aided, but she knew it was better that the council knew.


    <hr>


    The Councilwoman smiled to herself, as she walked into the building. Yesterday had been great, mostly. After getting out of her work early, and sending that useless report up the chain, she had gone to her daughter¡¯s play. It had been fun, her daugther being young wasn¡¯t anything special, but she played her part well. At least until she got into a fight with another student. Dealing with that wasn¡¯t fun. Nor did she enjoy having to replace a perfectly good outfit since it had been ripped up in the fight. It wasn¡¯t exactly wearable after that. Her daughter was past the age of needing spare clothes all the time, so the councilwoman hadn¡¯t brought any with her. Didn¡¯t help that her costume was merely extra elements added to the outfit, she had gone to school in.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Overall though it was a good day, and she had enjoyed it. It was something she needed, a welcome break from the dull monotony of endless reports and paperwork. Now it was back to that norm. More than half of it was stuff of little conseqence. Who cares if piracy is on the rise in the border regions? As long as the core trade routes are safe, those systems are of little consequence. Besides there are more important things to worry about closer to the core anyway.


    Her thoughts were broken moments later, when she stepped into the council building to find it in a state not the norm. Where normally everyone would be going about their jobs looking a little bored, today it was anything but. As aides, receptionists, and office workers ran about the building. Rushing this way, and that with stacks of pads, and a noisy din echoed through the building. Everyone even seemed strangely worried. It was unsettling.


    Before she could much think about the weird state of things, her own aide came out of a room. She seemed flustered and worried. ¡°Mistress! Have you heard?¡±


    ¡°Apparently not. What on Valoria is going on here?¡±


    The aide sounding almost fearful replied, ¡°Cathamair was attacked. No one knows by who, but...¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°I think it better if you see it for yourself,¡± replied the aide, while pulling out a data chip. She continued, ¡°here is today¡¯s holofeed recording.¡±


    She took it from her aide, and made her way to her office. The councilwoman did not forget to thank her aide for the recording, either. Settling into her seat, she inserted the chip, and loaded up the video. She often had her aide record the morning holofeed, since she rarely had time to see it while at home. As such the recording started off, as any normal one does. Before suddenly being interrupted with an urgent report. What followed was video of a horrific attack. This was far worse than any pirate attack. Not only that, but among the estimated nine billion dead was the Cathamari Grand Warlord. That did not bode well. The Confederation had several very profitable trade agreements with the Cathamari leader. They were bringing in much wealth, and luxuries to the core. The Cathamari had been one of their most important trading partners. Negotiating that contract had been a point of pride for her faction, and had given them a great deal of political clout, not to mention filling their coffers with valuable credits. Which in turn allowed them to fill key positions, and advance their agendas. One of their rivals must have been behind this attack. She had a few ideas of who. Perhaps it was time to speak with a few of their contacts? Something would need to be done in answer to this, and a little bit of controlled piracy never hurt... Thanks to her lacking technical knowledge it never occurred to her that her rivals couldn¡¯t have been responsible for the attack.


    <hr>


    The Pirate captain directed his crew, as they scurried about making repairs. The clan leaders had not been happy, when he came back without offloading their goods, or with any food. Not that there was anything he could do about that. It wasn¡¯t his fault that the Cathamari pissed off some mysterious group of aliens. Can¡¯t really make a deal, if the planet you planned to sell your goods at had been bombarded into extinction now could you?


    Hearing footsteps, he turned to see one of his crewman approaching. She was carrying a datapad, and had a rather odd expression on her face. Handing him the pad, she said, ¡°Seems our new friends have been busy.¡±


    He cocked his head questionably, taking the pad, and he reviewed the video on it. Busy indeed, and he had to agree. While no one had yet admitted responsibility, he knew the Cathamari had many enemies. Not to mention after encountering those newcomers, and the way they nearly destroyed his ship. He couldn¡¯t help but think of them. No one else had the ability to carry out an attack like this. Although he could not say for sure it was them. While yes, they had cracked a Cathamari colony world, just about anyone could inflict that level of damage. The clan had about a hundred cruisers like his and several hundred destroyers. Just one of those ships could inflict considerable damage to the surface of a world, the nature of the damage depended on the weapons aboard. He wasn¡¯t armed right for cracking a world, but his cruiser could glass a planet in theory. It was just a huge waste of time and money for him to do that. There wasn¡¯t any benefit to it, not for him or any of the clan.


    ¡°Yes it does seem they have been busy. Make sure everyone in the clan sees this video. It might be best to steer clear of the Cathamari Empire for the next few months. Then again a Civil war might represent an opportunity. Regardless that will be something to discuss. I¡¯ll go talk to the other captains, and organize a clan meeting.¡±


    She nodded and rushed off. Things were going to be busy around here. There was little doubt about that. He also knew there was still the question about what those mysterious friends of theirs were going to do next. He knew next to nothing about them, and they had already proven hostile especially to the Cathamari. If he had to guess, they might attack a few more Cathamari colonies. So there also that angle on the concept of avoiding Cathamari space, as those aliens were dangerous. Not to mention the clan was ill-equipped to defend themselves from those aliens. They had a lot to discuss, a lot to think on, and on top of that they needed to find new friendly ports. Preferably one that pays well, and has reasonably priced goods to purchase. A clan doesn¡¯t run without supplies afterall, and that was what a good port was for, and they had just lost their best port for food.

 Chapter Forty-Eight Discussions en route

    Countryman made his way down the corridor to the lab. The Enterprise was now en route to the Delta Four star system. That was good since they would want to steer clear of Cathamari space for awhile. Especially given that they would be descending into civil war soon if they haven¡¯t already. The probe had done its job well and brought back high-quality sensor data on the impact. It was hard to determine exact casualties, but they estimated roughly nine billion dead, with millions more being blasted with lethal levels of gamma radiation. Probe reading indicated a massive gamma burst unleashed by the detonation, and that wasn¡¯t the only type of radiation released. They had packed the cruiser with anti-hydrogen, and as much hydrogen as they could spare. Not all of that anti-hydrogen had interacted with its counterpart. The result was incomplete matter-antimatter annihilations on a large scale, which consequently unleashed a large burst of exotic radiation. Along with some other nasty effects, associated with incomplete annihilation reactions. As a result, large chunks of the surface had been rendered radioactive, and radiation readings were off the scale when the probe departed. Combined with the orbital shift, caused by the sheer energy of the impact and subsequent detonation the planet Cathamair would soon cease to be habitable. Projections indicated that the planet would be subject to severe geological instability, and violent weather for the next few years until it stabilized in a new orbit. When it did, it would no longer be the second planet from its sun, but the fifth. During this time, global temperatures would plummet, and the oceans will freeze over. Eventually, the planet will be largely glacier with vast ice sheets covering its surface. Geothermal activity however would provide enough heat for a subsurface ocean to remain for quite some time.


    While intriguing they were not going to be able to really stick around and study the results of their handiwork. It was enough however to know that the Cathamari had also lost their world. Earth had been avenged, and the mood aboard ship was already improving thanks to the news. They may have lost their world, but they had struck back. Not only had they struck back, but they had also done so effectively and without any loss of life. It was unfortunate however that the destruction wasn¡¯t more complete, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about that. If he had been willing to take the risk, and invested in that Resonance Pulse weaponry that Ruri had outlined as being possible if they scaled up their mining technology. They could have destroyed the planet, but that would have been far more risky. As it would have required more than one ship to have any chance of success, and he sure wasn¡¯t going to risk the fleet against the superior numbers of the Cathamari defense forces. Not if they were going to be outnumbered to that degree. Especially not without a way to even the odds, and they were currently lacking that.


    As it was, the cruiser missile had faced quite a few ships. Thankfully, it only had to blow past them, not destroy them all. It only destroyed or disabled those actually in its way, which had included one very large Cathamari ship. A dreadnought from the look of things. He already had people analyzing that battle, and working to improve the automated combat algorithms they had devised. They might prove useful in other applications afterall. In fact he knew they would, especially when combined with the AGI systems he had Ruri working to complete. Modern AI was truly powerful, and very useful with numerous applications, but it was still inherently ¡®Dumb.¡¯ It worked really, really well in the applications it was specifically designed for, but outside of that? Not so well. This wasn¡¯t much of an issue for say a chess program, but it did present certain limitations for military applications. Now that their numbers were so few, the only way they would be able to defend themselves once they settled a new world, would be to supplement their numbers with machines or clones. Both presented their own advantages and issues. Of the two, he would vastly prefer the former.


    Putting that aside, he was almost to the lab. He was looking forward to seeing the new power cells. They too had numerous applications, and he already had ideas of what he wanted the young researcher to work on next. The Mark IV suits, naturally, but there were other applications that could use the more powerful energy cells, she had adapted for use in the S-III.


    Reaching the lab, he stepped inside. Unlike with Ruri, the occupant here was actually properly dressed. Although, he wouldn¡¯t say she looked presentable either. She had a few stains on her lab coat, and her hair clearly needed to be brushed. Other than that she looked alright. She noticed him as well, and smiled. ¡°Glad to see you, sir.¡±


    He replied, ¡°I read your report, ready to demonstrate those cells?¡±


    She nodded, and said, ¡°Yes actually.¡±


    There was a bit of excitement in her voice, as she activated some equipment, revealing two suits of armor, and a few turrets. Along with what looked to be an Archer-30 power pack, the kind used to power most current-gen powered assault armor models, including the S-III which was the most common model. Although the Archer-30 was typically used in light to medium armor suits. Heavier suits required a beefer pack for viability, and often used the Archer-35, but some models used twin Archer-30s instead.


    She turned back to him, ¡°I sent you my preliminary testing data.¡± She picked up the power pack, walking to the suit on the left. ¡°I just need to install a fresh pack, in this suit, and you can see the difference. As you know, the Mark III system is quite remarkable, providing excellent protection from a wide array of battlefield threats, and enhancing human capabilities to their limits. A single soldier in Mark III armor is often said to be worth a hundred ordinary troops in basic combat armor. However, the Mark III does have one notable area that can be improved upon, its power systems. The suit is only useful as long as it has power, and becomes useless once the batteries die. A reactor might solve that problem, but we are still a long way from that. We can however extend the power supply by using better batteries, as my demonstration will prove.¡± she told him while installing a fresh power pack into the battery port.


    Exchanging batteries was a simple procedure, all one had to do was open the armored power port. Pull out the old pack, and swap in the new one. A special tool was needed to open it of course, but it was meant to be quick and easy. The tool was often included in the kit of field technicians. Although the cells could also be recharged by connecting a power source to the suit¡¯s charging ports. Recharging was often the preferred way to go, but sometimes in the battlefield, it was better to simply swap power cells. As it could take a few minutes for the power pack to fully recharge, even with modern rapid-recharge technology. Time was often critical on the battlefield.


    Stepping away from the suit, after sealing it up, she returned to the control bank behind a blast shield. It was transparent so you could see through it, but it wasn¡¯t made of glass. Instead, it was made of a highly robust and transparent synthetic material. A material also used in starship construction, most notably in the construction of viewports. The material was a compressed nano-composite of synthetic polymers and laced with metals such as titanium. The resulting material was not only transparent but virtually bulletproof. It could stop any man-portable ballistic weapon, and when reinforced by a structural field it could do the same with most energy blasts. That was because the material was not only remarkably strong, but it had highly desirable thermal resistance properties, as such it did not melt easily.


    The blast shield here was nearly 8 cm thick. An age ago that was considered the norm for stopping small arms, but this wasn¡¯t bulletproof glass. This material was far superior and could stop tank shells. Not the super high-velocity guns mounted on modern tanks, but lower velocity AP shells could be stopped by that. The blast shield was especially impressive when reinforced by a structural field, but it had to be in order to withstand the destructive potential of modern small arms, such as the XR-471. The power of weapons like the XR-471 is simply a reflection of the impact the powered assault armor program had on weapons technology. With each new generation of powered assault armor, more powerful weapons came to counter them, and with each advance in weapons a new generation of armor had followed. A cycle that came to a crawl a few years ago due to power limitations. Regardless advancements continued to happen. Advancements that also necessitated improvements to lab safety mechanisms to ensure the researchers didn¡¯t get themselves killed when testing anything involving destructive energy. This blast shield was just one of the more recent examples.


    Breaking him from his thoughts on the blast shield, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going to demonstrate the advantages the new cells provide the armor. The turrets here are equipped with standard particle weapons, equivalent to the XR-471 which was designed to penetrate the S-III. I¡¯ve programmed the turrets to stop firing once the AIF fails. I¡¯ve also programmed a firing pattern, that will allow the field enough recovery time to ensure that failure would only happen if the power cells reach critical levels. Thereby making this a test of how long the battery can last under fire.¡±


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He nodded, understanding what she was going for. The XR-471 was indeed designed to penetrate modern powered assault armor, and it did it fairly well. A single high-intensity particle pulse from the gun wouldn¡¯t, but a sustained burst would rapidly drain the AIF, once that failed all it would take is one hit to kill the occupant. It wasn¡¯t the only weapon designed to deal with armored infantry. There was also the LRB-1247, it was a sniper¡¯s weapon an anti-material weapon, and it was one of the tiny handful of infantry weapons able to penetrate the armor with AIF enhancing it. It could do it in one hit, but it would often take the full 3 tenths of a second discharge to kill. That meant there was enough time for a soldier to escape certain death. At least in some cases. Of course, while the armor was good against most threats on the battlefield, there was one notable weakness. Shock protection, the system designed to protect the wearer from concussive force, and physical impacts could be overwhelmed. There were even a few weapons designed to exploit that, the LFI-47 Concussive shock grenade, was one such weapon. It relied purely on the concussive force of detonation to kill. It packed a remarkable amount of compressed explosive and could kill armored infantry, although the kill radius wasn¡¯t that large about three meters. Of course, that was against armored infantry, that radius was much larger against unarmored infantry.


    He put thoughts of that aside and focused on the test as it started. The turrets activated and started to bombard the two suits with a barrage of fire. His eyes quickly picked out that they were equal barrages in strength, and following the exact same firing pattern. One designed to deplete the batteries and not the AIF field. As such, every few moments there was a pause just long enough to allow the field to rapidly recharge. In effect this simulated heavy combat with the soldiers taking cover only to let their AIF recover, and only briefly. He checked the sensors, noting that there was a measure of battery level for both suits. Their AIF¡¯s were performing almost identically, there was some variance, but nothing unexpected. It was well within expected operating parameters and would not affect the test. As for the batteries, there was a difference between the two already, but nothing large enough to be considered definitive. Suit A had a charge of 99.99999% while suit B had a charge of 99.99998%. While measurable, it was a very small difference in charge, well within the margin of sensor error. It would be at least a few more minutes before they could collect any meaningful data, and they would have to repeat the test a few times to be sure. He expected that she had already done that, as he could pick out signs of previous tests in the testing chamber.


    Countryman looked forward to reading that data, but said nothing as he monitored the test. It took time, but before too long the sensors began recording meaningful data. The AIFs of the two suits cycled a few times in that interval as their batteries drained at a fairly rapid pace, although not as rapid as real combat of this level since they were not actually moving. That wasn¡¯t required however for the test. As this was enough to gauge what they were testing. It was a forming trend in the data, but that was what they were looking for, trends. In fact in research that was often everything, the trends in the data were often what they used to make their conclusions.


    <hr>


    By the end of the test, and after reading the results of her other tests, he concluded much the same as she did. Her adapted power cells were working very well. They would indeed triple the average battery life of mark-III suits. Not only that, but they did seem to have what was needed to support the Mark IV suits, which were long overdue for implementation.


    Turning to the young lady, ¡°I agree these new cells are ready for widespread implementation. Might be nice to adapt them to other form factors, as I can see uses for them in other applications. I would however like you to work on the Mark-IV series of Powered Assault Armor.¡±


    She blinked, then frowned, ¡°Mark IV? What would I even improve? Where would I even...¡±


    He cut her off, ¡°I see where you are coming from, but frankly the only thing you will need to work on is the power systems. As much of the research has already been done.¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°Already been done? Wait you mean the Mark-IV already exists?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Implementation of the Mark-IV is long overdue. Development of the Mark-IV actually started over fifteen years ago, but it ran into a snag, and was ultimately shelved about ten years ago. That snag was power, many of the improvements required more power to run, and that ate up battery life to the point that the suit had an unacceptably low battery life. None of the available solutions came with acceptable compromises, and as such the project was shelved. Some of those improvements tested in the project were however added to the Mark III designs, as part of the last minor generational upgrades.¡±


    She frowned, and then after a moment asked, ¡°...What did you improve? The Mark III is already a superior combat suit. It enhances the wearer to the limit of what the human body can withstand and provides excellent protection from a wide array of battlefield threats. Practically turning anyone wearing one, into a walking tank. Only limit is that it requires the wearer to be in superb physical condition, and it also has to be calibrated to the wearer.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°All very true, but its protection does have one notable weakness. Like any protection, if you throw enough energy at it the suit fails. High energy explosions however have been known to be particularly effective. We devised a complicated system based on the inertial dampers found in fighters and starships and implemented it in the armor. This not only augments the shock protection of the suit but also allowed us to augment the wearer further than was previously possible. At least without other forms of augmentation being used first. Most of which are risky, expensive, and often illegal.


    ¡°The resulting suit, the Mark IV would have had the same impact on modern warfare that the Mark I had over a century ago.¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°That would be a mighty leap. As I recall, the Mark I was so revolutionary that its precursors were immediately rendered obsolete.¡±


    She was referring to the Gen Zero platforms, commonly referred to as Powered Combat Exoskeletons. The Powered Combat Exoskeleton had been an important advent for the battlefield, and its development led to two major branches of battlefield equipment. Those items being Powered Assault Armor, and Combat Walkers. Most people didn¡¯t really think of the old gen zero precursors as Assualt Armor, but rather a precursor to modern combat walkers. Largely due to them being most similar to light combat walkers. Just smaller, as they sat between light combat walkers, and Powered Assualt armor in terms of size.


    ¡°That covered what happened quite well. The old platforms before the Mark I were useful, but they were never widespread. The Mark I powered assault armor was the first armored combat suit, that was not only effective against most small arms, and augmented the wearer at an affordable price. An unfortunate reality, that lives were often assigned a price tag. The Mark I however was cheap enough for mass production, allowing entire battalions to be outfitted with it compared to older platforms which were simply too expensive for such widespread use. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t long before every army was trying to produce as many units of armored infantry as they could. To the point that many thought tanks and other heavy vehicles would be rendered obsolete. They weren¡¯t, although there were changes in usage.¡±


    The younger woman nodded, ¡°Lines up with what I read. I¡¯m not all that familiar with gen zero equipment though.¡±


    He waved his hand, ¡°Not really needed nowadays. Anyway, I¡¯ll send you the only mark IV prototype we have. It shouldn¡¯t take you too long to get it working.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°If the only problem is power. I think you might be right there. I¡¯ll likely be done in a week or two.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°My estimate is two months, but that is because technology has advanced since the suit was made. A few of the other systems could be further improved over the existing prototype. The gel layer for example. We developed a far more potent shock-absorbing gel for the Enterprise, and it didn¡¯t exist when the Mark IV project was in the works. That can be exchanged. Some of the other systems could be tweaked as well, but since the bulk of the work is already done it should not take you and your team that long to complete.¡±


    The young woman blinked, ¡°...Team? ..I don¡¯t.... Wait!!? You are promoting me!?¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Congrats, you are now a project leader. I have Ruri organizing a list of candidates for you to choose from for your team.¡±


    Moments later, he left the young scientist behind, who seemed to still be processing the fact that she was now officially a project leader.

 Chapter Forty-Nine The Delta-Four System

    Pirate Havens: Many an Interstellar nation has to deal with piracy. Especially those with prosperous trade routes, and given the length of these routes, it is almost impossible for a force to patrol these routes adequately. As such Pirate Havens often spring up near or along trade routes. These havens are outposts from which Pirates would raid lightly defended colonial targets or more commonly hit commercial ships. Anything they steal, they take back here. At least until they go sell it somewhere else for a profit. Given the clandestine and illegal nature of piracy, Pirate Havens are often located in areas where a base could easily be hidden. Debris Fields, Asteroid Belts, and Nebulas are all prime locations for a hidden base.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped into the lift. He was on the lower decks and had been for the best couple of hours. Nothing unusual for him, since he enjoyed spending time where he can making rounds of the ship. He often spent that time talking or even just listening to people. Actually, it was often listening more than talking, but it was important. Very important. As a leader, he needed to know his people if he was to lead them. He knew from history, that leaders who disconnected themselves from their people often ended up with skewed views of reality. That often led to mistakes, and even problems being ignored. He had no plans to let that happen, not to mention he was also constantly dealing with Williams and those who agreed with her. That was why two armored guards stepped into the lift with him. One going in first, and the other behind him. They were unfortunately needed because of Williams. Sure he was cybernetically enhanced, able to hit harder, and faster than the average human, and armed with a very powerful concealed weapon. That didn¡¯t mean he was invulnerable. A particle beam to the chest was just as lethal to him, as it was to any other human, and he wasn¡¯t going to put an assassination attempt past that woman. As such he always kept these two nearby when visiting unsecured sections of the ship. It was also why he never went anywhere without his uniform on. It was a form of light armor afterall.


    Putting that aside, he had learned of a few problems that he could take care of easily enough. That was why he did this, by talking to people he was able to learn what they needed taken care of, and get it done. It also helped improve morale, since those under him appreciated an active leader who actually cared about their welfare. Something he did indeed care about. As that directly related to his most important concern, humanity¡¯s continued survival. He had the short term covered, but in the long term they would need more ships. Producing those additional ships would require time, and materials they didn¡¯t yet have. The key words being yet. Now that the Cathamari were dealt with that would soon change. Delta Four their current destination presented a few opportunities, but it wasn¡¯t a place to spend too much time in. It was too close to Cathamari space. Certainly not a place to be building a fleet.


    For that, he had a few ideas. There were a few star sectors, that according to the charts were largely unexplored, and unclaimed by major powers. The nearest was not far from the Valorian border, and the quickest route would require passage through Valorian space. A race he had plans to make first contact with, at first opportunity. Based on reputation, they were rather peaceful traders, and that hopefully meant it might be possible to trade with them. If so their territory would become a source of friendly ports. Something quite valuable. As friendly ports had their uses, but for building those extra ships a friendly port was not required. In fact it was preferred to do that in an isolated and uninhabited system. Hopefully one with an asteriod belt rich in key minerals such as titanium. The element was used heavily in the creation of Titan alloy, and since that was the primary material used in the construction of human vessels having a ready source nearby would aid in building new ships.


    As for what kinds of ships to build he already had a few ideas. Large capital ships would be useful for certain roles, but at the moment all of those roles could be fulfilled by the Enterprise. However putting all your eggs in one basket wasn¡¯t a good idea, so a sister ship to the Enterprise would be a good idea. The majority of the ships he wanted however would be destroyer-sized. Given that they likely would not be able to maintain a large fleet, he would need ships able to fulfill multiple roles. A destroyer could do that easily enough without being too large to be easily maintained. The main roles he would want them to serve in was escort and scouting duties. The Coto and Umikaze while good ships weren¡¯t exactly what he was looking for in that capacity. They were built mainly as attack ships, not escorts. Not to mention they didn¡¯t have much hanger space, and most scout ships had a small hanger for fighters. Fighters made excellent scout craft, and their small size made them harder to spot when compared to say a frigate or destroyer. As such in the Colonial Wars, and the Cathamari war, recon vessels would carry scout fighters. They were useful in certain situations, and could even help protect the scout if she was discovered. With FTL, they became even more useful. As the mothership could warp in, deploy scouts then depart the system. Then return to collect them at a preset rendezvous at a later date.


    Speaking of fighters, he was quite happy that the time spent on refitting that captured cruiser had also given them the time to fill up the empty fighter racks in the hangers. The Enterprise now had her full complement of fighters. They had decided to stick solely with the versatile X-1204, rather than build some of the other fighters she would have received if not for her early launch. The result of this production run was a complement of sixty X-1204 space superiority starfighters. Perhaps not the most balanced complement, but the fighters were modular, and multi-role. They could fulfill most tasks required of small ships. Although the ships did lack the firepower to be effective against most capital ships. That was a minor problem in the scheme of things. Especially given the main roles he envisioned those vessels fulfilling. Besides if they really needed something to fulfill a bomber role, the X-1205 could easily be outfitted for that. Just in case, he had the parts for it stockpiled since they had the chance. The Assualt shuttles were afterall designed as a modular multi-role platform. They could be a transport, a gunship, or a light bomber depending on loadout. Not to mention he had three hundred and forty of those versatile shuttles. With the rest of his hanger space filled up with other shuttle craft types, and dropships.


    Of those other ship types, he had light personnel shuttles. They were smaller shuttles designed for a pilot, co-pilot, and six passengers. They were lightly armored, and armed only with a single pair of light particle cannons. Shuttles of this time were intended to ferry crew between nearby ships, and were not intended to face combat. The ships were only armed due to a policy that required all military ships to carry at least one weapon. Enterprise carried about twenty of these, along with ten of a more heavily armored variant that was intended for officer use. Both types were quite small, and quite fast as well. Although he likely had more of those than he needed.


    He also had a number of heavy cargo shuttles, although he had a few of those outfitted with mining equipment. Those would be critical to his plans to build a fleet, and he had fifty of those. They were well armored, reasonably maneuverable, and armed with three medium particle turrets for self-defense. Since they were designed for moving heavy cargo from planetary ports to capital ship, and vice versa they were reasonably large. Large enough to fit a Scorpion in its hold.  Which made them the largest and heaviest auxiliary in his inventory.


    The Dropships on the other hand, sat between the cargo shuttles, and the 1205 in terms of size. They were designed to carry missiles and had four quad particle turrets for protection. They were designed for delivering a large number of troops to the surface quickly and efficiently. Their hold was large enough to carry half a dozen tanks, and a platoon of armored infantry. He had about twenty of those. They were not all that important to his plans, but their size made them useful for more than just delivering troops. He figured he could use a few of them to aid with mining operations. Something they would be doing a bit of in the system they were coming up on.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    All in all, he had five hundred auxiliary vessels. A good force for a ship that was not a dedicated carrier. A force he had plans for when he entered Delta Four. The system according to long-range scans had deposits of Erudite, a potentially valuable mineral. He was going to need to send out mining teams to collect the mineral, along with anything else they could stockpile. Of course while the charts listed the system as uninhabited he was not going to trust that. The system was ideal for a pirate haven, and not far from Valorian space. He wasn¡¯t sure about trade routes, but he suspected there may be a few in the region. As such there may be some activity of a clandestine nature in the system already, and if so he was going to need to know about it.


    For that reason, he intended to send the 1204s out on recon after they entered the system. They were to scout the debris fields near their entry point for signs of alien activity. He had sixty fighters which would normally be divided into four or six ship squadrons depending on the mission. For this he would split them into two ship formations, a lead, and wingman. Doing so would allow the fighters to be split into more groups, and allow them to cover more ground. The faster they scouted the area, the better. He could have sent along a few light shuttles, as they were fast enough to serve as scouts, but he felt it better not to risk those lightly armored, and barely armed shuttles.


    Once the area was secure, and they had found deposits, he would set up in a defensible location. The fighters would be retasked with patrols, and the Coto and Umikaze would be tasked with eliminating any remaining threats. He would also start sending out mining teams. Each team would be granted two cargo shuttles outfitted with mining equipment, a dropship, and a 1205 in gunship configuration. The cargo bay on the dropship would be useful for storing extra ore, while both the dropship and the 1205 were well armed. They could protect the more vulnerable cargo shuttles from hostiles. He also planned for them to remain relatively close to the patrols, allowing for rapid response from the fighter patrols. Just in case however he wanted two squadrons held in reserve on the Enterprise, and he was only planning to send out ten mining teams. Not their full complement. It would be easier to protect them if only ten were out at a time, but it also allowed them to stagger the mining schedule. He could split them into two shifts that way. Two rotating shifts, but the plan was also open to be changed depending on how things worked out.


    He would not have too long to wait before he knew how things would proceed either. Seeing as they were only a few minutes out from the Delta Four star system. The lift finally reached deck one, and he allowed his processors to ramp down, returning his perception of time to normal. Stepping out into the short, dimly lit corridor that led both to his office, and his bridge. Specifically the upper command level, rather than the lower level for the rest of the bridge crew. The entrance to that was on deck two. He made his way to the armored door to the bridge, which was being guarded by another pair of guards. They nodded to him, and admitted him on to the bridge. The other pair stayed with the lift, and headed down after he entered the bridge their job done.


    <hr>


    Minutes later the Enterprise, the Coto, and the Umikaze dropped out of warp on the edge of the Delta Four system. It was an unusual trinary star system that was marked with gravitic anomalies. Those anomalies resulted in unusually dense debris fields, and vast asteroid fields. The system lacked large planets, but as confirmed on long-range sensors it did have a few small planets and a handful of dwarf planets.  The entire system was engulfed in a dense dust cloud, which severely reduced visibility, hampered sensors, and disrupted shield generator systems. In many respects, it sounded like a great place to bunker down for a while. They didn¡¯t use shields, and the detection issues could be solved by making use of fighter patrols. Something he already planned to do. The biggest factor of interest was that the system prevented faster than light drives from functioning properly. As such ships traveling the system would be restricted to sublight speeds. All of this combined to make the system a very attractive place to be. It was like the system was tailored to give him an unparalleled advantage against any attacker.


    As the crew reported the ship secure from warp speed, he took a glance at the screens on his personal monitor. It was attached to the arms of his chair, and gave him access to a wide array of useful data. He noted the positions of both the Coto, and the Umikaze. There had been some positional drift, and they were out of position. Thankfully not too far out, only a couple hundred kilometers. Practically spitting distance in the void. He also noted something else. Something his operations officer noted as well.


    ¡°Contacts!¡± shouted Misaki at the ops console. He had seen them as well. Twenty-nine ships on outbound vectors. They were in loose scattered formations if you could call those groupings a formation. If anything they seemed to be in their own little groups. Four ships here, two ships over there, and three ships in that group over there, and so on. Perhaps there were more, but not in sensor range of the Enterprise. Something she quickly elaborated on. Then she mentioned that some of them had changed course, and were now on intercept vectors.


    ¡°Sound General Quarters, and scan those ships. I want to know what we are dealing with,¡± ordered Countryman. Idly he noted the blue alert status lights switch to yellow. General Quarters was the second highest stage of alert a warship could be ordered into. At this very moment, crewmen were reporting to their battle stations, the armored viewport hatches were closing, emergency bulkheads were dropping into place, and all weapons were warming to standby modes. The gun ports would remain closed, and the turrets stowed, but they would be ready for use at a moment''s notice. In effect, they were battening down the hatches and getting ready for a possible battle. The only stage of alert that was higher, was Battlestations. Often also referred to as Red Alert.


    ¡°They are all fairly small ships, the largest one is about three hundred meters long. They are armed with a mix of laser, ion, and particle weapons.  Nothing big enough to punch through our armor, and I¡¯m not reading any active shields either. None of them look to be a threat,¡± said Misaki. She paused then said, ¡°Markings on the hulls seem to indicate pirate vessels.¡± She blinked, ¡°The nearest one just sent us a message.¡±


    He signaled to her to let them hear it. Thankfully it was a multilingual burst, and they sent it with a few they knew, ¡°Pretty brave of you to come here, stranger. Heave to and prepare to be boarded.¡±


    He sighed, it seemed that these pirates weren¡¯t that smart, or emboldened by their numbers. If he had to guess it was likely the second. He doubted they really knew how much the Enterprise alone outmatched them. Especially given that their hull was naturally shielded against sensors, and with the dust cloud disrupting sensors complicating things? They likely couldn¡¯t tell what his ships had. Countryman leaned forward, ¡°Battlestations!¡±


    The alert lines, then turned a bright blood red, and sirens sounded for a moment. ¡°Target the lead pirate, and fire a beam across her bow. Then open a channel.¡±


    A brief beam lanced out from the lateral beam array and grazed the hull of the lead pirate ship. The intense particle stream melted a line in her armor from stem to stern. The damage was fairly minimal since this was simply an aggressive warning shot, and nothing more. The moment the channel was open, he spoke ¡°Actually I think it is pretty brave of you to challenge a clearly superior foe. Stand down or be destroyed.¡±


    They did not stand down.

 Chapter Fifty Securing the Delta Four System

    Pirate Raider: Smaller vessels, typically built for speed, and featuring a fairly large cargo hold. Many of them are converted civilian vessels armed with whatever weapons were available. Some however are purpose built by the more established pirate, and therefore better equipped for the task. Pirate Raiders are very effective ships when it comes to their main role. Hitting trade routes, and making off with valuable cargo. Common weapons typically found on pirate raiders include laser cannons, particle cannons, ion cannons, ion torpedoes, and low-yield plasma cannons. Rarely they can include more exotic weapons, but never anything powerful enough to actually harm the heavier capital ships such as heavy cruisers or battleships.


    <hr>


    Countryman shifted in his seat, as he surveyed the debris. Twenty-nine raiders had been reduced to expanding clouds of debris, and it had barely been a minute. No new contacts were yet on sensors, but their range was severely reduced so that did not mean there were no contacts. In this thick cloud of dust, they had a sensor range of less than a hundred thousand kilometers. That wasn¡¯t much in space terms, especially when you factored in that was the range of the long-range sensors. The short-range scanners were having just as much trouble with this soup and were now limited to just a few thousand kilometers. Weapon ranges were unaffected, and now he had to deal with the fact that he could shoot further than he could see. It used to be the other way around. Normally at this point, he would give the order to resume normal operations, but he would rather remain in a state of heightened alert. They were not alone in this system after all. So instead, he gave the order to drop back to general quarters, and the alert lights shifted from red to yellow. Across the hull, he knew the turrets would be retracting back into their gun ports.


    Turning in his seat, he gave his next order. It was time to launch their scouting mission. With reduced sensor range those fighters would be his eyes. Thankfully communications were not affected the way sensors were, which meant they would prove effective at locating threats before they got too close to the fleet.


    ¡°Aye, sir. Both main hangers report ready, and are opening the bay doors. Fighters will be in the void in four minutes.¡± reported Megumi.


    Countryman nodded. That was about what he expected since he had not ordered a hot launch, but a standard one. As such that time table included the decompression cycle for the bay which would take a little over three minutes to complete. It was one of the little complications in spaceborne carrier operations. One that slowed operations, and certainly made it interesting to deploy fighters in battle. If he had ordered a hot launch his hanger crews would have skipped the decompression cycle, and simply opened the doors. That would lead to the bay explosively decompressing, as the air would rush out into space. It would also allow fighters to be deployed more quickly, but they would also lose valuable air. The life support systems could clean, and recycle their air, but it could not replace air that was lost.


    There were of course tricks for speeding up spaceborne carrier operations. The most obvious was open bay operations. The idea being that instead of closing and recompressing the bay you leave it open. This is actually great when the carrier is not under fire, or in danger of hostile attack. By eliminating the cycling of the bay doors, and leaving the bay in a state of vacuum, it became possible for simultaneous launch and recovery operations. However, if the carrier was under threat, this wasn¡¯t so good. Open bay doors left the hangers vulnerable to hostile fire, and created an obvious weakness. Now while the Enterprise featured reinforced, and armored hangers that didn¡¯t mean they wanted people firing into the hangers.


    The other big trick for speeding it up, was to simply leave the bay in vacuum, but otherwise conduct business as normal. That meant they were still cycling the doors after recovery or launch of fighters. They just weren¡¯t doing the lengthy atmospheric cycling process. Obviously, the cycling of doors did slow bay operations a little in terms of launch and recovery, but it also left the bay protected from potential hostiles when they weren¡¯t actively deploying or recovering auxiliary craft. Since he planned for a lot of activity, he wanted to bay to stay in vacuum for the foreseeable future. Deck crews and pilots would just have to operate in their vacuum suits. Something they would be wearing anyway. Open bay operations were not an option in his mind, since this soup prevented them from knowing for sure about possible threats to the ship. It was better that the doors stayed closed as much as possible. At least until the system was secure. In the meantime, it was time for every commander''s favorite game, the waiting game.


    Greyman came up the stairs, ¡°I guess this curbstomp, answers our question about anyone being here.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°We all agreed there was a decent chance of it. The only variable we couldn¡¯t account for was trade routes, but everything else painted the system as a great place to hide and if needed fight. Prime territory for a pirate haven. Thankfully most of them seem stupid.¡±


    ¡°Not all of them, just that one group. One of them tried to run the moment it saw us, and most of the others were ignoring us. If not for that one group, I don¡¯t believe the other ships would have attacked us.¡±


    Countryman nodded, as he recalled the target practice exercise. ¡°Yes you may be right about that. That does seem to have been the case, not that it matters, they are all dead now. Hopefully we were fast enough that they were unable to get a signal out.¡±


    Greyman concurred, but Countryman had a feeling that one of them may have. While that curbstomp had been dreadfully short, it was still long enough for someone to have hit the comm. With twenty-nine ships there was a good chance that one of them thought to warn anyone else that may be in the system.


    <hr>


    The pirate captain shifted as he watched the short video. It wasn¡¯t much, just a short bit of transmission that one of their raiders had managed to make. A burst transmission containing their final logs. Roughly fifty ships belonging to various clans had been in that area, most of them on outbound courses. Twenty-nine of those ships were gone, completely silent. No one was able to raise them. The rest, like startled rodents, were making best possible speed away from the... massacre. It wasn¡¯t a battle, not at all.


    He glanced at the ship on the screen, uncomfortable. They had no readings, none at all to tell them who built it or what it was carrying. It reminded him of those alien fighters that nearly wrecked his ship. He had been lucky to get away, and now these strange ships were here.


    His clan leader commented, ¡°Trust those fools in clan Rish¡¯nak to get everyone killed. That was clearly a battleship, and not a mega-freighter. What were they thinking?!¡±


    ¡°No idea. Glory? Fame? Riches? You can never really tell with that group. Then again not everyone in our line of work is smart. Many aren¡¯t that bright.¡±


    His leader laughed, ¡°Yeah, well that ain¡¯t us. Anyone who actually makes it, needs to be smart. Anyway, start packing. I don¡¯t know what that ship is doing here, but I would rather not stick around and find out. I¡¯m going to get this old bucket ready to jump, and make sure that pack of bitches you call a crew gets your cruiser secure in the hangar. I don¡¯t want to leave our best ship behind, even if it is in bad shape.¡±


    He nodded, and watched, the wily Mishran clan leader leave the room. He glanced back at the screens. It seemed they were doing, a lot more running these days, and to think they had finally found a comfortable place. After the Cathamari had conquered his world, his crew had been left adrift. They had initially gone like many others to the Valorians. Unfortunately they had been unwelcome. It was the Mishran clan leader who had just left, who provided their salvation. Whereas the Valorians had either been indifferent, unwilling to help poor refugees, or in some cases outright hostile, the Mishran had provided them a home. This colossal old mega-freighter turned mobile pirate base was that home.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t that surprising, that they had. The Mishran while largely regarded as a race of brigands, pirates, and mercenaries today, were not always so. Many centuries ago, they had been a proud accomplished people with an empire of their own, and a strong warrior culture. They had been some of the most fearsome warriors in this part of the galaxy, but they had also been accomplished artists. Then everything had fallen apart around them, when a devastating plague had swept across their world. It was a truly frightful plague. It was made all the worse because it did not kill people, not directly anyway. It killed plants, but if that was all it did things might not have been so bad. A byproduct of it killing the plants was an incredibly potent toxin harmful to everything plants, people, microbes. Anything living was killed by this toxin. Worse the plague spread to worlds beyond the Mishran empire before a solution of sorts was found. Unfortunately the worlds already touched by the plague were left dead, unable to support life. The surviving Mishran fled into other empires where fear left them largely unwelcome. Many were eventually forced into piracy, and before long many of them became generational pirates. He found it uncomfortable with how closely their situation mirrored that of the ancient Mishran. Even if the cause was different. He slipped out of the room, to get his crew moving.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    <hr>


    The young woman checked her fighter over. They were still a few weeks out, but she wanted to make sure her craft was ready to fly. In fact, she was looking forward to being able to fly it. There was nothing she loved more than flying her fighter. In the cockpit, she was in her own special little world. The damn comm broke that illusional a little, but she could turn that off.


    Checking her fighter also gave her an excuse not to be in the briefing, like everyone else in the crew. The captain had called a crew conference. Where basically anyone not manning an essential post was expected to show up. Honestly, she just thought it was an excuse for the captain to talk people¡¯s ears off. That man sure loved to talk. Although she had to wonder how a man ended up in a captain¡¯s post to begin with.


    Men in officer¡¯s positions were not all that common in the Valorian navy. Most officers were women. This fact had led to all sorts of gossip about him. With quite a few sordid theories. She wasn¡¯t sure, she believed them, but given what happened at their last mission. Along with the one before that, and the one before that. There might be something to it. The man was an utter incompetent, and it was only a matter of time before he got them all killed. She just knew it. That was why, she and half the crew along with her, had applied for transfers. The other half were either too enamored with him, or just as inept as he was. She sighed when as if to prove her point, she found a power coupling for the pulse cannon had been forced back in backwards.


    This was why she liked to check her fighter over herself. The fucking maintenance staff was utterly incapable of doing their jobs right. There was little excuse for how bad it was. How they ever managed to get through training, and be posted to a ship was beyond her. She wished she could be on any other ship, but this one. Give her a ship, where the staff actually cares, and where things were actually done right. Unfortunately, her transfer request had been denied, again.


    Grabbing a tool, she started working the power coupling out. This wasn¡¯t at all what she had imagined when she joined the navy. Her family had been in the military for generations. Her sister had said there were a few bad ships, but she had had a generally good experience in the navy. In fact because of her family, she had even been promised a slot on a good ship. So she had joined, gone to the academy. Not the nicest experience, she most remembered those days they got packed into aging transports like sardines. Worse, there was only one toilet for a thousand cadets, and not a single shower. Well not any working showers anyway. On the flip side, as bad as that was, she did have some genuinely good experiences at the academy. It was where she had found her love of piloting.


    So how did she end up in this tub? With an utterly inept crew, and a questionable captain? She asked herself that all the time, but the answer was a simple and unfortunate accident. Honestly she wasn¡¯t entirely sure on the details, but her sister¡¯s ship had a reactor breach during routine maintenance. Her sister had the unfortunate luck of being aboard at the time, and was among the dead. That had pretty much killed her slot as well. As for the rest of her family? Her mother had passed years ago, heart condition, incurable. Her father? Who knows. Her other sister? Long term exploration mission, hadn¡¯t heard from her in years. Her aunt? Well, alive and present, but they didn¡¯t have the best relationship. Which covered a few of her other family members as well.


    Sighing to herself, she cursed her terrible luck. Not for the first time, she wished her sister hadn¡¯t died, and not just because of the way it had screwed over her life. She genuinely missed her sister as well. Hard not to since, she was the only family that truly cared about her. With a loud pop, the power coupling finally slipped out of the housing. She assessed the damage, and cursed the mothers of the maintenance crew. They had done a number on this. Not for the first time, she questioned how they even managed to get their jobs. Grabbing another tool, she went to work fixing the housing best she could.


    A few minutes later, with the housing repaired, and a new coupling in place. Properly installed this time, she slipped into the cockpit, and ran a diagnostic. As she started that up, to see if the computer could find anything else the stupid maintenance crew had broken, the comm beeped. That made her jump, and she looked up to see it was receiving a wideband, general distress call. Curious, she flipped a switch, and the transmission began playing.


    ¡°... to anyone hearing this. This is the Bel¡¯krak, we are under attack. Require immediate assistance...¡± he broke off, as an explosion came over the channel, quickly followed by a few loud shouts from people in the background, then the man continued, ¡°Hull breached, severe damage, all systems failing. We never even saw them...¡± those were his last words, as another explosion came over the channel followed by the distinct static of an active transmitter being destroyed. The ship had likely just been destroyed.


    She checked the recorder. It had been recorded, so she sent it along to the captain and then checked the database. Where she learned that the Bel¡¯krak was a pirate ship, one with quite the bounty on it. Last known position, the Delta Four system. The very same system they were heading for. Their next mission was in that system, a sweep for pirates. It seemed someone was doing their job for them. She hoped this wasn¡¯t a bad omen for the mission, but a sign that just maybe won¡¯t go horribly wrong like their last one had, and the one before that. She just had little hope for it, not with the inepts she was surrounded by.


    <hr>


    Reynolds watched the enemy ship go down on the screen. It was a cruiser, although not a big one. They had engaged it mainly due to it being too close to the Enterprise. Over the last few hours, they had located and engaged nearly a hundred ships. Most of them were small raider-sized vessels, but a few were larger like this one. These alien pirates tended to either run on sight, or attack. Nothing in between. Rather than risk an attack, they had started shooting first.


    ¡°Target destroyed sir. No further contacts spotted.¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye out.¡± Reynolds figured there must be a pirate port somewhere around here. The system was practically crawling with pirate ships. Definitely enough to support the idea of this system being a Pirate Haven.


    He glanced at the tactical map he had displayed on his command console. On it the positions of the Enterprise, her fighters, and the Umikaze were being tracked. Along with any new contacts found. They were a bit spread out at the moment. Not much he could do about that, they had spread their forces out a bit to maximize visibility. They were not too far apart to prevent them from aiding each other, either. So it wasn¡¯t a problem. Although a few extra scouts might help. Unfortunately while the Coto was a good ship, she did not carry fighters. She didn¡¯t even have fighter racks. So while she technically had the hanger space to allow a couple of them to land, and refuel she had nowhere to stow them. At least not without doing some work adapting her shuttle racks to stow fighters.


    That meant neither his ship nor Drake''s ship could contribute fighters for recon. They did have personnel shuttles, which could fulfill the role. With a little bit of modification naturally, but no one wanted to risk them with such a dangerous mission. While modern overlord armor was fairly robust, those ships were so tiny. Their armor barely better than paper. He knew why, those shuttles thanks to their small size had very limited power generation, which meant weaker armor. They also had less surface area when compared to a larger vessel, which meant less area to disperse the energy of a shot over. In other words, the absorbers were less effective on such a small ship. Worse the plating was pretty thin, which further limited what it could do to protect the ship. Those shuttles were never really intended for battle, and their armor wasn¡¯t rated to protect against anything bigger than a fighter¡¯s cannons. They were fairly agile however and could give most opponents the slip. That speed was part of why he was still considering it, even after his discussion with the other captains. Sixty fighters was a good number, but it wasn¡¯t enough for this. They had gaps in their screen, the sheer scope of the space they were searching too vast.


    Once again he mentally reviewed their inventory, while giving his next order. There wasn¡¯t much to do beyond proceeding to the next waypoint and monitoring incoming sensor data. That gave him ample time to think. The Coto had very limited hanger space, and her designers had chosen not to fill that limited space with fighters. Still he did have a few ships. About twenty light personnel shuttles, five of which were the more heavily armored officer varients. He also had two dropships, and ten X-1205 combat shuttles, and that was it. A grand total of 32 ships, a mere fraction of the five hundred the Enterprise boasted. Which was again a mere pittance compared to the true carriers of the fleets. Most carrier classes had hundreds of fighters, the mighty Lincoln Class Supercarriers had an impressive inventory of seven thousand, and five hundred fighters alone. That didn¡¯t count the other auxiliaries a ship of that type could carry. A fact that really put his tiny inventory in perspective. Of course, it wasn¡¯t fair to compare his inventory with the supermassive Lincoln class carriers. Those ships were huge almost six thousand meters long, and with nearly a thousand decks. They were larger, and had more tonnage then most battleships.


    Suddenly his operations officer looked up from their console. ¡°The Enterprise reports, they found a source of Erudite on the dwarf planet in grid 37 alpha.¡±


    He smiled, it seemed they were going to find their goal more quickly then they thought. Her next words notwithstanding, ¡°Unfortunately it seems there is a pirate base built right on top of the largest deposit.¡±


    He doubted that was a coincidence. It was apparently valuable to the Krall, and likely other alien races as well. Valuable enough perhaps, that a few of the more enterprising pirates may have started their own mining operation. Before he could much think on that however, a new contact appeared on the screens. It was a big one, tonnage readings roughly on par with that of a Lincoln class carrier, and a similar bulky profile. In addition it was being escorted by a fair number of smaller vessels. About thirty cruiser-sized contacts, and nearly a hundred fifty raider-sized contacts. A force large enough to be a threat if they attacked.


    He gave the order for tactical to target, that ship. A second later the Coto rocked, slightly as something struck the hull. It seemed they could see him, and had already opened fire. A statement confirmed a second later.


    ¡®That was a nuke, hull plating is holding, radiation levels well within tolerance.¡±


    He had questions about pirates shooting at him with nukes, but this was a situation where it was better to shoot first, and ask questions later. He responded accordingly, ¡°Return fire! All batteries! Fire for maximum effect.¡±


    A second later he heard the familiar whine of particle cannons discharging. On the screen, he could see the energy bursts depicted leaping out across the void to strike the attacking pirate force.

 Interlude The Valorian Trade Confederation

    The Valorian Trade Confederation is one of the largest spacefaring powers in the quadrant. It encompasses hundreds of inhabited worlds and several thousand systems. They are as a result the premier major power of the quadrant, while not as advanced as the more venerable races in the galaxy such as the Krall, they are technologically competitive with those races. They are particularly renowned for their expertise with energy shields. As a result of that expertise, their ships possess the strongest shields in the quadrant. Not only do their ships have strong shields, but many of their colonies and outposts do as well.


    The Valorian Trade Confederation has been spacefaring for several centuries and has long-standing relationships with many of its neighbors. Their economy is built heavily on interstellar trade. They maintain numerous trade routes with their neighbors, which bring much wealth into the Confederation. As such they are one of the wealthiest races in the galaxy.


    The Valorians themselves greatly resemble humans but do feature a few key differences in physiology, and this isn¡¯t just skin color. The conditions of their homeworld played some part in that. Much of it starting with the skin and just beneath. They have blue skin, although rarely it can be of other colors such as light purple. Their skin is especially adapted for colder worlds, and they don¡¯t require thick heavy clothes to protect them from the effects of a snowy winter. On the flip side they don¡¯t do so well in warm environments.


    Of course, while they resemble humans it is important to note that they evolved on a homeworld a little different from Earth. They are also typically smaller than humans, this especially shows with Valorian males who are much smaller than human males. There are other notable differences many of them internal, but we are not going to cover them all here.


    The Valorian Trade Confederation is ruled over via an elected council. Each of the major worlds is entitled one councilor on the council. This body controls all major decisions for the Valorian people and their subjects. The head of this body is referred to as the Chair, but in practice is only supposed to vote in the case of a tie. Unfortunately in recent years corruption has spread rampantly through the council as they have usurped funds from various other government organizations to fuel their pet projects.


    The biggest victim of government corruption has in fact been the Valorian Star Navy. They faced consistent annual budget cuts over the last century, and often times portions of their budget have gone ¡®missing¡¯. All of this can be traced back to corruption on the council. Unfortunately little has been done about that, and the military has been forced to make do with a shrinking budget too small to adequately fund a navy capable of defending the vast Confederation. As such the navy has been forced to make a number of compromises. Compromises reflected in the current configuration and load out of the Valorian navy, which lacks large-scale capital ships. The largest ship class regularly fielded by the Valorian navy is in fact a cruiser, specifically, it is the Protector Class heavy cruiser.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The Protector class is certainly formidable, but its design reflects the limited budget of the Valorian Star Navy. First its defenses, the ship is protected solely by a class III Omicron shield generator, she features no armor, minimal hull reinforcement, and a lack of point defense systems. As a result, the ship relies almost entirely on her strong shields to protect her from enemy fire.


    Like most Valorian ships, the vessel makes use of a Plasma Oscillation drive to produce highly efficient hyper-ionic thrust. The result is one of the most fuel-efficient main sublight drives in the galaxy, not even Human pulse wave engines can match the fuel efficiency of this sublight drive. With the limited budget of the Valorian navy this type of drive is highly attractive as it can save them significantly on fuel costs. In practice once launched, a typical Protector Class cruiser need only visit port for refueling once every fifty-seven years, and that is with factoring in the energy expenditures the ship may encounter during her lifetime. Hulls of this type are expected to serve the fleet for about a hundred and fifty years and designed accordingly. Which barring losses helps reduce the number of replacement vessels they need.


    Another example of the limited budget makes itself known with their torpedo bays which are incredibly tiny for a ship in the two thousand meter class, at a mere eighty torpedoes tops. As such Valorian ships carry the fewest torpedoes of any spacefaring power on their ships. In stark contrast to the humans, who have the largest torpedo bays of any spacefaring power. Another thing to note, is that while the class does carry fighters, its hanger bay is quite small, and only supports about a dozen.


    Valorian fighter craft have also suffered from this limited budget. While all Valorian fighters are capable of mounting short-range plasma missiles, they typically do not. They are also typically unarmored and protected solely by a fighter shield generator.


    In recent years, the navy¡¯s budget problems have become glaringly obvious. Especially as refugees from states conquered by the Cathamari flock into Valorian space. Stability in the Confederation has taken a nosedive. As crime rates, especially piracy has gone sharply up. Much of this piracy can be traced to those refugees. Worse many refugees have clashed with the locals of the worlds that have taken them in, and many of those worlds are now unsafe. With rising crime, and a general clash of cultures.


    Perhaps not surprisingly, the Valorians have been becoming increasingly xenophobic of late, and are especially distrustful of refugees. This is not the case for all of them, and many still accept foreign traders at their ports. In any case, entry to Valorian space is something best done cautiously. Not to mention with the high piracy rates, it might be best to be prepared for battle at any moment.

 Chapter Fifty-One The Valorians Arrive

    The young woman stretched a bit, before clambering into her fighter. She had already fixed everything the staff screwed up, but that didn¡¯t stop her from starting the standard pre-flight checks. As she started those, she considered what they had found already. They had entered the Delta Four system an hour ago, and already they had found something. A ship, or what was left of it. Preliminary indications was that salvagers had already beaten them to the wreck. Her sheer size however meant that a fair amount was still here. That ship had a number of other nearby wrecks as well. All were destroyed by the same weapons. Weapons whose signature did not match any known weapons configuration. The only thing they knew for sure so far was that some kind of particle weapon had been used.


    That played into her initial mission. She was to do a close sweep of the wrecked mega-freighter and her escorts. See if there were any clues about what happened here. The young woman couldn¡¯t help but think about that cruiser whose distress signal she had picked up. Some part of her told her this wreck, and what happened to that cruiser were related. It certainly seemed likely, since that distress signal came from the same system. Something was happening here. Not to mention things seemed far too quiet in the Delta Four system. She knew from the records that the system was often crawling with pirate ships. It did not help that none of the previous sweeps had been able to clear the bases deeper in the system. They knew where they were, but reaching them was impossible. A simple case of not having the right equipment, and thanks to those corrupt politicians on the council getting it was impossible. Rumor had it, they had slashed the budget again. It was probably true, her sister had told her all about the drama in the upper circles in regards to military budgets. Since there was little she could do about it, however, she chose not to dwell on that issue. Instead, she considered what they knew so far about recent system events, which was admittedly not much.


    She did know a bit about the wrecked freighter. Its transponder while not actively transmitting was still powered, and responded to an inquiry request. As such, they knew the wrecked ship had originally been the Majestic Queen. A Merchantman class mega-freighter that was built at the New Valoria Merchant Yards. That was a hundred and twenty-nine years ago, and she served in the Valorian merchant fleet for thirty-seven years before she was captured by the Mishran Pirate lord Yishak in the Dalmine sector. He rechristened her, the Mi¡¯Shar Ni¡¯qal. Roughly translated that meant Mishara¡¯s Bounty. In other words, he had named her after their dead homeworld. Perhaps in honor of its memory or something. She didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t care to speculate. What the young woman did know was the ship had been retrofitted while in his care into an impressive mobile pirate base. The venerable Merchantman class was still in service today, thanks to their excellent capacity, superior reliability, and highly efficient engines. They were a little slow by modern standards, and their defenses were lacking. They featured rather poor shielding for a ship of that size, lacked armor, and had only a single bank of type I plasma pulse cannons. As a result they required escorts to protect them from pirate attacks.


    The Mi¡¯Shar Ni¡¯Qal may be the same class, but she had been outfitted with armored plating. Additional gun batteries and missile ports had been added. Her sensors had been upgraded with modern military-grade high-resolution scanners, and she had been outfitted with a more powerful shield system. The end result was a ship able to actually defend itself against military vessels, although not anything in the same tonnage class. No surprise there, but it was strong enough to take on a cruiser namely the older ones, and with escort it was a tough nut to crack. The vessel and even more so its captain had a very high bounty. Not surprising given its long career, and the fact that both Yishak and more recently his son had given the Valorian navy the slip quite a few times. Facts that led her and everyone else to wonder. Who had managed to do them in? Already the rumor mill was churning, and they had barely been here an hour.


    Her pre-flight checks came back. Everything checked out, she was good to go. She signaled. In front of her ship, the hangar doors were opening, while the air shield had engaged. Maintaining the air pressure in here. It was holding, which was good since the local dust cloud was known to interfere with shield systems. The data sent from the ship to her fighter did confirm some interference, but not enough to prevent it from doing its job. She was happy about that, because she could not imagine doing hanger operations without one. It was just too integral to modern hanger ops. Checking the data link, she pulled the modulation info she needed and adjusted her own fighter shields to match. They might be near useless in this soup, but in the bay that won¡¯t be a problem. More importantly, they were critical to allowing her ship to bypass the air shield. In fact they would even allow her to pass through the ship¡¯s main shields as well. A fact that would allow her to land her ship safely, even while her carrier was under fire.


    Her shields matched, everything she needed to know fresh in mind, she manipulated the controls of her lancer fighter, and a second later the ship was in the void. Her computer instantly warned her that her shields were being disrupted reducing their effective strength to about forty percent of normal. Their combat efficiency had dropped proportionally. As such she would have to worry about hits penetrating the shields if she came under fire. Something to worry about, and it also meant she would have to keep a closer eye on debris. That was a large reason for why previous sweeps had been unable to clear the pirates. The debris fields in this system were fairly dense, and without appropriate equipment, they could tear capital ships apart. Her fighter was small, and fast, and could navigate those fields. Although she would have to keep a close eye on her limited and hampered sensors. Especially in the debris fields which were prime ambush territory.


    The artificial debris field created by these wrecked hulks was no different. So she kept a close eye on her scanners, her best friend. Nothing else would help her more, not her plasma pulse guns, not her four plasma missiles, and certainly not her shields. Her engines were excellent. They gave her the agility she would need to avoid any threat this system might throw at her, but only if she saw it coming. That was why her scanners were her best friend.


    Under her fingers, the agile lancer, slipped around a chunk of the melted battle plate as she proceeded into the expanding debris field. It was time to find some answers. Suddenly her scanners picked up an energy burst near Kiri squadron. Followed by chatter.


    She quietly listened, as the Kiri squadron worked out what in Valoria happened. Just to be safe, she started charging her pulse cannons. Best to be ready. Moments later, she learned what happened. Kiri squadron had triggered a mine and lost three fighters. Pilots included. That was not a good start to a mission. If anything that was a bad omen, a very bad omen. Losing ships before you even saw the enemy was never a good sign. She started scanning for mines and figured she would wait until later to ask the important questions. There were quite a few questions to ask when you encounter a mine. Especially since they are almost useless in space, and she didn¡¯t know anyone who actually used them. Even if they could be fairly powerful, the problem was that they were situational weapons. There was also the question about why someone would mine a debris field. Who even does that?


    It wasn¡¯t long before she had her first clue. If she had not been looking she would have missed it. A small disk-shaped object on her short-range scanners. It was sensor shielded, which gave it a blurry profile on her sensors. Not to mention its minimal energy signature. The object¡¯s sensor profile was so small, she almost thought it was a sensor glitch, but a recalibration of the scanners brought it into tighter focus. A few more adjustments to compensate for the sensor shielding, and she knew what she was looking at. A mine. A weird one at that. It had a few systems with no discernible purpose. The warhead was more interesting. It was a fusion-triggered cascade detonation core, which in other terms meant a photon burst warhead. More commonly referred to as a photon warhead. What made this one interesting was that it used a laser-initiated fusion core to achieve detonation. Most photons actually used a small amount of antimatter to trigger the cascade detonation needed to unleash a photon burst. Her fighter computer indicated this unusual little mine had a surprisingly high yield as well. More than enough to overwhelm the shields of her tiny little fighter. It had enough firepower to do serious damage to most cruisers, and even some battleships, and it was uncomfortably close.


    This mine was also a major clue, as it significantly narrowed the pool of suspects. Photons were a fairly common weapon, but the use of a fusion core rather than an antimatter solution to trigger the cascade detonation was highly unusual. It was also surprisingly clever, as it solved all of the issues that photons normally had to deal with. The ones that were just inherent to antimatter weapons. By making it a nuclear weapon instead, the designers of this weapon had simply done away with all those issues wholesale. The biggest one was that antimatter weapons were prone to going off if anything disrupted the containment field. A fusion core had no such problem, especially a laser-initiated one. Making it a prime choice for a mine.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mentally she reviewed everything she knew about photonic, and nuclear weaponry. Nuclear weapons were remarkably stable. You could drop them from orbit, shoot them up with ballistic rounds, set them on fire, and so on. All without worrying about them going off. Photonic weapons on the other hand made use of a special material. One that when bombarded by the destructive energy of a high energy detonation such as a nuke, catalyzed into a photonic burst. It was that factor about the mines that would complicate her disarming the weapon. If it was just a normal nuclear mine she could just fire her pulse cannons at it, and be done with the weapon.


    The devious thing about a photonic mine was that if you fired a plasma weapon at it was that it would go off. While that would not trigger the fusion core, it would superheat the special casing, causing it to undergo a catalytic reaction, and trigger a massive photonic burst. That would be the case with just about any weapon that generated enough heat to superheat the material. If she wanted to destroy the mine, her best bet would be a disrupter. A disrupter weapon would not superheat the material, but instead, it would disrupt the mine¡¯s molecular integrity. The result would be the mine disintegrating, rather than vaporizing. Thereby preventing it from undergoing a photon detonation. Problem was, she didn¡¯t have one. That left her with precious few options for disarming or safely destroying the weapon That did not mean no options, however.


    She was quite glad she paid attention back when her weapons instructor had taught her all about the pulse cannon. More importantly what the older woman had taught her about its less commonly used functions. The Pulse cannons actually gave her a couple of options. They could be configured to fire something other than a plasma pulse, such as an electromagnetic blast, or an ionic shot. With her limited data on the mine, she couldn¡¯t be sure which was better, but if she had to guess an ionic shot would be more likely to succeed. She programmed her fighter¡¯s guns with deft movements to emit an ionic pulse while opening her comm channel. Informing her ship that she had located a mine, and was now attempting to disable it. To be on the safe side, she gently pulsed her thrusters in reverse. It seemed wise to err on the side of caution and keep her fighter outside of the blast radius of that mine. The young pilot was thankful that her pulse cannons had much better range than the plasma weapons used by other races, and because of that she knew she would be able to fire an ionic pulse from outside the blast radius of the mine.


    It only took her a few moments to get into position and ready her cannons. Driven by a strong feeling of unease, she had also programmed her cannons to quickly revert to standard shot after the first pulse. In that mode, it would simply fire a contained energy envelope of high-energy plasma. Enough to superheat the mine, and cause it to detonate. It was a backup plan, in case her first plan went terribly wrong.


    She let out a breath and pressed the firing trigger. An instant later an ionic surge lanced out of her fighter. Leaving a wake of ionized dust particles, and making her weakened shields flicker. It also created a brilliant flaring light show as it crossed the short distance to the mine, as the ionized particles in the dust cloud released a vibrant aurora of color. The display was as beautiful as it was dazzling, but she ignored it. Focused instead on her readouts. The pulse hit the mine, and ionized its systems. In theory that should have fried anything sensitive in the mine, unless it was shielded against ionic pulses. If it was, it was also likely shielded against emp as well. The small size of the mine would suggest not, but her readings quickly suggested otherwise. As the mine suddenly began moving, heading right for her. With a nice little energy blip to indicate the sudden acceleration. One that also highlighted four more mines now heading right for her. How she didn¡¯t know, but she wasn¡¯t going to spend her time questioning why a few mines with no discernable method of propulsion were now moving right at her. Instead, she implemented her back up plan with a slight change. Instead of her cannons, she dropped all four of her missiles and kicked her engines into high gear. It was time to get out of here. At the same moment, she kicked on the comms. To warn everyone else about the fact that a few mines were about to explode. Internally she was praying that she would make it out of this alive.


    <hr>


    Williams stared at the porthole, as she considered recent events. They had been fighting alien pirates quite a bit over the last few weeks.  Below was a world, that formerly held a pirate stronghold. It had been located right on top of a rich vein of that weird ore Ruri wanted. So naturally, that machine had launched a ground assault. That vien was now exhausted as they had mined it clean, and that wasn¡¯t the only source they were collecting from. The mining shuttle she could see on final approach was just one example of that.  Honestly, she did not have too much of an issue with this, she might have done the same. Even she understood the potential that unassuming mineral possesses. What it could do for ship armor, or even combat troops was well worth the effort to obtain.


    If anything she was irked, that Countryman was the one spearheading this little operation. There was one thing she did have a fundamental problem with. Pirate encounters had dropped drastically over the last few days. It was to the point that many believed the majority of the local pirates had either been cleared out or killed over the last few weeks. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure about that since they had only destroyed about three hundred pirate ships in open combat. It went up a little more if you counted ambushes, but not much. They had glassed a few pirate bases as well. Given the size of the system, those numbers felt small to her, very small. That factor played into why she wasn¡¯t happy with that machine¡¯s most recent decision. While it was true maintenance was overdue, she felt now wasn¡¯t the time for an overhaul of the hull plating. She felt vulnerable knowing the armor was currently offline, and even missing in a few places while engineers crawled over the hull conducting maintenance on their primary defense against hostile fire. Worse they were in the middle of a system flooded with thick dust that interfered with sensors. This just didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to her. At least he had the good sense to maintain patrols around the Enterprise to keep an eye out for hostiles. Williams didn¡¯t like to admit it, but it wasn¡¯t like a better option was available. It wasn¡¯t like they had ready access to a starport able to do the work for them in relative safety.


    Behind her a door opened, and she looked over to see two engineers in their skintight maintenance suits. While Williams understood why they were made that way, it didn¡¯t help her dislike of the skinsuits. Especially with how they emphasized and highlighted a wearer¡¯s assets. Rather than let what they were wearing distract her, she turned back to the viewport. The view wasn¡¯t all that great thanks to the dust, but at least the dust looked pretty enough. Especially after an energy burst ionizes some of the particles in it.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we are finally doing this. In fact with what I am seeing, I think we should have stopped for maintenance earlier.¡±


    The other one then commented to the other, ¡°No joke. Have you seen the primary relays for section 52 gamma?¡±


    There was a pause, ¡°Not really, why?¡±


    ¡°They are a hair short of fried. It¡¯s a miracle they didn¡¯t fail.¡±


    Williams blinked. She wasn¡¯t all that familiar with the engineering specs of the Enterprise, but she knew enough to know that a relay failure could be problematic. There were backup systems, of course, which mitigated the problems. Curious as to the extent of what they found, and what exactly this damage meant, she turned back towards the pair, and tried to ignore how little those skinsuits left to the imagination.


    <hr>


    Countryman set aside, the latest mining reports, and pulled up the next in a long stack of reports. At the moment he was taking care of important paperwork, but he was also keeping tabs on his force distribution. The Coto was currently taking care of a newly found pirate facility, while the Umikaze was out supervising a salvage operation. He had sent three squadrons with each ship for recon, with the rest maintaining patrols in the local area. It was the best he could do in terms of an early warning system, and he felt this was their best opportunity to conduct some over-due maintenance. It was even more urgent given all the abuse the hull plating had been taking lately. Not to mention how often they had to patch the plating as well. He hoped the Erudite would help reduce the number of patch jobs they were needing on a regular basis. Titan alloy was really good material for modern armor, but its protection against directed energy weapons left something to be desired. The overlord armor scheme compensated for that and did so really well, but it could be overwhelmed, and as they were finding, there were plenty of aliens out here with weapons that could do that.


    Suddenly the intercom activated, ¡°Sorry to bother you sir, but long-range scanners are picking up energy bursts in proximity of that capital ship the Coto sank a few weeks ago.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow a bit surprised they were able to detect anything that far out. Those must have been fairly large energy bursts. The only thing he could think was that their mines were going off. They just might release enough energy to be detectable out here, especially if multiple went off at once. He tapped the comm, ¡°Alert the patrols and light a fire under the maintenance teams. I want the hull buttoned up asap.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Two Contact gone Purple

    The aging commander shifted in her seat. This mission was one she planned to be her last. It was about time for her to retire, and she wanted a good success on her belt before she did. That had played into some of her decisions when organizing this latest sweep of the Delta Four system. These pirates had been especially problematic in this region not just with internal trade, but external trade as well. Not that the council seemed to care about that, but they were safe off in the core worlds. Completely isolated from the rampant piracy affecting the border worlds, and showered in the lavish luxuries those worlds had to offer. Which was also why they didn¡¯t much support the military taking any actions to combat piracy, despite the fact that things had gotten so bad in recent years that the local police forces were overwhelmed. It was bad enough that many merchant companies had to hire mercenaries to bolster their escort forces or risk losing entire consignments to pirates. In some sectors, that wasn¡¯t enough, and instead they had to pay protection money to the large more successful pirate clans to keep the raiders away. Clearing Delta Four would alleviate many of these problems, and make trade safer and more prosperous in this region.


    Of course clearing, Delta Four was no easy prospect. The fleet had swept the system several times before but never did full clear it of pirate hideouts. There was a reason for that. The pervasive dust clouds, the dense debris fields, and the gravitational anomalies in the system made it a nightmare. Not only in a navigational sense, but also from a combat perspective. Since shields did not function effectively here, those debris fields represented a clear danger to large capital ships. A danger made worse by the unusual gravitational forces at play in the system.


    The fleet commander however had accounted for that. Her fleet was reasonably large, but the mainstay of her force was the Ophera Class Light Carrier. It was based on the Defender series of light cruisers and was often mistaken for one. The ship wasn¡¯t as well armed, but it still had a respectable armament. Ophera class light carriers were armed with two forward plasma torpedo tubes and one aft. She also had four Type III ship-to-ship plasma pulse cannon banks. The Type III Pulse cannon was one of the heavier types of pulse cannon used by the navy. Compared to other plasma weapons used by other navies, it had a comparatively low yield, but it more than made up for it with exceptional range and rate of fire. Something that played into the strengths of the unassuming Ophera class. Ships of the class were built for speed and featured class two shields. Being agile, with strong shields, combined with a rapid-fire long-range primary weapon system already made it quite a threat. It paired that lethality with decently large hangers, allowing it to carry and support nearly five hundred strike craft. Although in practice they were rarely ever fully loaded. The council being a major factor in why. Most only had about a hundred strike craft at their disposal at any given time. A factor that played into her current force composition as well.


    She had managed to assemble a force of two thousand ships. A rather impressive force outside of the core worlds, especially given how little money the military got these days. The core of that force was the eight hundred light carriers she had brought. Thanks to those carriers she had a massive 93600 strike craft at her disposal, and that was from the carriers alone. She also had about two hundred light cruisers, which had a few strike craft of their own. They were defender class vessels to be specific, the very same hull the Ophera was based on.


    Defenders didn¡¯t have much hanger space, but they were agile with good shields. Although that was about all they had going for them. The class was generally considered outdated. Not much surprise there since the original version of the class was first commissioned almost five hundred years ago. Its longevity as a class had nothing to do with it being an outstanding ship, it was effective thanks to being agile with good shields, but anyone can tell you it has its flaws. The fact that its generally outgunned by pretty much any other light cruiser class out there being one of the big ones. The real reason it has lasted so long, is that the ship is actually very cheap to build, its moderately effective, and most importantly a lack of funds to spend on developing new ships. Regardless it was a reasonably solid ship, and far from useless. In the right hands it was an effective ship, especially if played to its strengths. It was fast, and it could take hits. Its firepower left something to be desired, but you could compensate for that. Her plan was to combine them with jammers and keep them on the perimeter. Their speed would allow them to chase down, any ship attempting to flee. While their power was a little lacking, it was more than enough against pirates.


    The majority of her remaining ship slots were filled with ¡®Patroller¡¯ frigates. While not the official name, their common usage had led to the nickname. They were fairly small, and lightly shielded. However they were surprisingly powerful for such a small ship, namely due to the presence of a single dual plasma torpedo launcher forward mounted. A factor that let the little frigate punch above her weight class, especially if her commander made full use of her powerful sublight engines. The ship was the fastest frigate class in the fleet, and that potent speed was paired with a healthy set of sensors. Factors that played in her often being used to patrol trade routes and border sectors.


    Those frigates and the fighters were key to her plan to clear this sector of pirates. Those frigates were the largest ships, she felt could safely navigate the denser debris fields in this system. Which would make them key to reaching those pirate bases hidden deeper in the system. They would also provide potent fire support for her fighter force. That was important since they would need to spread out to properly sweep the system.


    Something they had already started. In fact she was currently monitoring the various deployed fighter groups as they scouted the debris fields. Fields that now included a few destroyed pirate vessels including a mobile base ship that she had once pursued before. It was the fighters there that drew her most interest, and she had a few screens dedicated to displaying the data feeds from those ships in her command center.


    She was even listening to one of those feeds. Over the comm came, ¡°...I¡¯ve located a mine, and am sending my scan data.  Recommend all fighters clear the area, I am going to attempt to disarm the mine.¡±


    The fleet commander monitored the scan data, as it came in. Giving the scan image a quick cursory examination. She had too much to consider to give it more attention than that, but she did note a few things. It was a fairly sophisticated, and rather alien piece of military hardware. Often times things like this would give hints on who made it, and this seemed to be no exception to that. It was certainly the most unique piece of hardware she had seen. Problem was it was too alien, some of it even looked totally nonsensical. That certainly said something, since she knew a thing or two about weapons design. Not only had she studied it back at the academy, but she had learned a few things over the course of her decades-long career.


    Tapping the comm, she hailed the fighter, ¡°Acknowledged pilot. I advise you exercise caution when you make the attempt. I am seeing a lot of unknowns in this scan.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I plan to make the attempt from just outside the projected blast radius as a precaution.¡±


    That sounded like a good precaution so she approved it. While monitoring the tac plots. On those plots, she could see the other fighters clearing the area. Leaving only the one pilot who had found the mine. She quickly checked her records and found the pilot¡¯s name and record. She was Sali of Clan Arimae. Her academy record was exceptional, really exceptional. She had even been marked as requested before she even graduated. Another mark showed that the ship that wanted her was later lost with all hands in an accident. The ship she was on right now however had a rather poor track record overall. The only real merit of note for that cruiser was her captain was well connected to several prominent and more importantly wealthy clan families. If she had been younger, she would have used her connections to snatch that pilot for herself. Instead, she made note of her. She had a cousin about ready for a command of her own. This Arimae would be an excellent addition to her crew.


    While she was thinking about the pilot¡¯s future, she heard her call out over the comm. It was the common pilot speak for active missile or mine weapon. Shortly followed by a massive energy burst that vaporized a good chunk of the debris in that area. Including possible clues about who destroyed those ships.


    She hit her comm after a moment. Calling for pilot Arimae to respond. There was a delay, but after a couple of moments, there was a groan followed by a response. ¡°I¡¯m fine. A little shaken, but alright. My shields on the other hand got a little cooked. Running diagnostics now.¡±


    Feeling a bit of relief to hear they hadn¡¯t lost another pilot to the mines. She moved on. It was time for the important questions. ¡°What happened out there, pilot?¡±


    ¡°I attempted to disable the mine with an ionic pulse.¡± the commander raised her eyebrow. That wasn¡¯t something most fighter pilots knew how to do. All the more evidence that Arimae was wasted where she was. Arimae continued, ¡°Turns out the things are not only shielded against ionic pulses but programmed to respond to them. Five of them activated at once, and then shot right at me.¡±


    She interrupted, ¡°Wait!? Shot right at you. I saw no evidence indicating...¡±


    The pilot finished cutting her off, ¡°That it had a propulsion system? I didn¡¯t see any either. Yet apparently they are leap mines. Don¡¯t ask me how.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll inform the other pilots of that. Anything else you want to add?¡±


    ¡°Not much more to say about the mines, other than the fact that they explode when hit with plasma.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± she replied while glancing at the mission clock. Enough time had passed, so she inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the status of your fighter?¡±


    ¡°Most of the systems seem okay. Looks like my shields were cooked pretty bad, but they aren¡¯t gone yet. They might be able to take a hit or two. Structural integrity is reading nominal, and my engines are fine. I am however out of missiles.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged, be careful out there pilot.¡±


    <hr>


    Sali closed the channel. Then she let out a breath, and briefly celebrated the fact that she made it through that without dying. Unfortunately, it nearly burned out her shields and left her out of missiles. Thankfully everything else was perfectly alright. Glancing at her scanners, she noted things were rather clear. Then she briefly went over her logs but found little of note. There was nothing to indicate what kind of propulsion those mines had used. Most plasma and ion engines for example left an ion trail that could be tracked. While chemical engines left their own kind of trail. Yet no such trails existed in her logs. Absolutely nothing.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Rather than dwell on the problem, she instead decided to ping the beacon for her carrier. She needed to get back, so that her shields could be patched, and her missiles rearmed. After a moment, she noted the location of her ship. It was not where it had been when she left. Rather instead it had repositioned to a location deeper into the system. A debris field suspected to contain one of the larger pirate bases. Muttering to herself she said, ¡°What in Valoria is he doing over there?


    Regardless of her questions, she set a course. It would be several minutes before she would be able to rendezvous with the carrier.


    <hr>


    Countryman settled into his command seat, as he watched the alien ship approaching. It was a rather elegant-looking vessel. The hull had a blue tinge to the metal. It had a large spherical forward hull section that connected to a thinner boom section, that looked deceptively thin, that widened into a large secondary hull. The lower half of that hull was a rounded half cylinder, with the top being wide and flat. With a smaller rectangular structure mounted on the top. Melded at the port and starboard sides of the ship was a pair of angled rectangular nacelles. Overall the ship was much longer than it was wide, with a length of 1200 meters. It was only about 400 meters wide with space for about sixty decks. He did note a few weapon ports.


    The ship had been spotted on approach. Thankfully they were nearly done buttoning the hull up. With the last of the mining shuttles deployed docking just five minutes ago. All of the viewports were closed as well. The armor itself was coming online now, but it would be a few minutes before it was fully charged. A glance to his display showed the plating at four percent charge and climbing. Not enough energy to really harden the armor against anything, but being armor it still had some resistance to weapons fire.


    He looked away from the display, and down towards Misaki his operations officer. Who was dutifully trying to raise the alien ship. So far to no avail.


    ¡°Still no response on any frequency.¡±


    Countryman glanced to Eri. ¡°Move us off. One-quarter sublight thrust.¡± then looking at Kaori his tactical officer, ¡°Maintain a weapons lock, but keep all weapons in standby mode.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir,¡± were the responses. Countryman recognized that this wasn¡¯t a pirate vessel. He was hoping to establish proper first contact. As he based on what he saw believed this to be a Valorian vessel. The Krall database did give some info on their ships, and general design characteristics. This alien ship certainly matched those characteristics, and quite closely as well.  As such he figured it best to avoid hostilities, and establish proper contact. Yet the alien ship was curiously silent. Not a single hail returned, not even a signal that they were receiving the hails.


    Facts that made him a little concerned. A concern that was justified a moment later when a series of red energy pulses erupted from the hull of the alien cruiser. He didn¡¯t even feel it, but without looking he knew they had just taken a few hits.


    ¡°Direct hit, port side aft quarter. Minor damage, no penetration.¡± came the rapid fire report.


    His response was instant, ¡°Target their weapon arrays. I want them disabled now!¡±


    Kaori responded instantly, ¡°Aye, sir. Returning fire, targeting weapons only¡±


    An instant later, a blue beam lanced out from the Enterprise. It lanced across the short distance, and struck a vibrant purple energy barrier. It held for a moment, flickered, and then failed locally. The beam ripped through the hull like wet tissue. Flames erupted as the beam tore deep into the hull before ceasing. Not even a full discharge, a second followed an instant later. Striking a second location in rapid succession. No third strike followed.


    ¡°Target disabled, sir, but I am reading some rather severe fluctuations in her power grid.¡±


    Countryman glanced at the ship. On screen, he could see a few fires on the hull. Plasma fires. Not the best sign, considering they weren¡¯t shooting to kill. He turned his attention back to operations. ¡°Hail them again, see if they are more willing to talk.¡±


    They weren¡¯t, strangely. As no response was forthcoming. Moments later, the fires on the other ship expanded, something exploded triggering a series of secondary detonations. The ship went up like a thousand firecrackers. A few escape pods were launched but none were able to safely clear the hull.


    Kaori voiced what they saw, ¡°Target destroyed, no survivors.¡± Unlike with the Cathamari there was no joy, no excitement in those words.


    <hr>


    Sali cleared a rock just in time to witness her carrier open fire on a massive ship of alien design. It dwarfed the Profit¡¯s Bounty by more than five times her tonnage. She starred as the red energy pulses of the carrier¡¯s pulse cannons raked the armored hull of the alien ship with minimal effect. It didn¡¯t even penetrate her thickly armored hull. All the barrage did was melt a few shallow furrows into the hull, and leave a few scorch marks. Nothing that looked truly serious. Yet enough to provoke a response. The alien ship returned fire, two precise strikes from a lateral beam array. They punched through the shields and tore into the hull.


    Sali noted where each strike landed, the primary plasma manifold, and the backup manifold which supplied power to the main weapons. Being primarily a carrier the Profit¡¯s bounty only had those two manifolds supplying power to the weapons. Those were disabling shots, but she did notice signs of plasma fires erupting. Emergency containment systems were obviously not responding. Her readings indicated power fluctuations in the main power grid as well. Perhaps secondary damage to the main grids? Then she saw escape pods, moments before the ship went up in a series of devastating explosions. None were able to clear the hull. They ruptured, exposing their occupants to the harsh environment of space. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that poor maintenance of critical systems was to blame for her going down.


    Before she could think more on that, or even decide her next course of action. An alarm went off. Alerting her to a pair of alien fighters on an intercept course. With no time left to even think about what her damn fool of a captain was thinking, she reacted. Her training kicked in, and she beamed her logs back to the fleet. At the same time, she pushed the throttle to full. She was alone against two alien fighters, her wingwoman having remained with the squadron rather than stick with her. Perhaps that was a mistake, but there was no time to regret it. Her training told her it was better to keep her distance, and avoid an engagement if possible.


    The aliens seemed to have other ideas. A gut feeling, made her roll her fighter to the left. Just in time as well. A series of blue energy pulses tore through the space her little fighter had occupied a mere second before. Close enough to graze her shields, and trigger a shield warning on her overtaxed and barely functioning shield generator. These aliens were fast. In fact she felt they had the edge over her fighter in terms of agility. They were clearly gaining, and no move she made seemed to throw them.


    Zipping around a convenient rock planning to use it, to gain distance. She instead found herself unable to make any distance. Instead, they closed, and only a quick roll saved her from the next volley of deadly blue bolts. She knew a single hit could spell the end of this fight. Running wasn¡¯t working. She worked the controls and spun the craft around. Seeing a shot, she returned fire. Red plasma pulses raked the hull of the lead alien fighter with little effect. The other one let loose another series of pulses.


    Her ship shook slightly, as they grazed the hull. Her shield alarm blared warning her, that she had lost shields. They were cycling, but for the next few seconds, she was vulnerable. There was nothing between her fighter and death now. Thankfully that was the worst of the hit. Nothing vital had been hit, but the hull had taken damage. She made a mental note to be more careful about exchanging fire, while shifting into her next maneuver. One that got her behind one of the two alien fighters, giving her a good line of fire. She unleashed several quick barrages before breaking off, to avoid fire from the other one.


    She did score a few hits in those brief moments, but nothing that seemed to actually do any damage. It seemed those fighters had strong defenses, and her pulse cannons were woefully inadequate. Unfortunately, she was out of missiles, and she was really regretting using them on those mines. Not that she had much time for that. Her focus was more on staying alive. Thankfully that alien capital ship wasn¡¯t firing at her, or she might have been in real trouble. As it was the only thing keeping her alive were her skills and instincts as a pilot. Another volley coming uncomfortably close to actually doing more than grazing her fighter reminded her that it was only barely. There was also this nagging feeling that they weren¡¯t seriously trying to kill her. Something a scan she managed to make seemed to support. Both fighters carried missiles, and torpedoes in addition to those cannons they were shooting her with. Not that she had time to wonder why they weren¡¯t using them.


    Coming out of another trick maneuver, she fired a quick volley. Scoring about a dozen close misses, and a few glancing hits. At the same moment, she took a glance at her tac-plot. Mainly to check the positions of her foes, but she did note that the capital ship was now uncomfortably close. Close enough that she could clearly see it on optical sensors if she looked towards it, without enhancement. Not only that she could make out details on its darkly colored hull, such as the open hanger, and the turrets aimed toward her. Not that she had any time to consider what that meant. A lightning-like discharge suddenly hit her ship. For a couple of seconds, everything went dead and then rebooted. Long enough for some kind of projectile turret to fire on her ship. Several disk-shaped projectiles hit her hull while the shields were cycling again. Rather than penetrate the thin skin of her fighter, they adhered to the surface. A few more bounced off her shields as they finished cycling, and restored the thin protective barrier, her taxed shields was giving her. Not that the barrier was going to do her any good against something already inside the shields.


    <hr>


    The fleet commander checked over the last data burst from Sali of clan Arimae. The pilot had sent it with a code Contact: Purple tag. Something that caught her attention particularly for what it meant. It referred to a first-contact situation where things had gone wrong. A quick review of that burst showed she was entirely right. On it she saw an alien capital ship, its posture and movements didn¡¯t seem that aggressive. In fact it was moving off slowly. No comm bursts were detected coming from either the capital ship or the carrier Profit¡¯s Bounty. She had no idea what that ship was doing there. It wasn¡¯t even supposed to be in that debris field. Her plan called for a fighter and patrol boat sweep of that field, in about three hours. Unfortunately it seemed she would never know what that damn fool was doing. As he opened fire on the alien capital ship. An act she just couldn¡¯t wrap her head around. That ship was huge, and while its shields were down she knew its sheer size alone was a natural protection. The minimal damage of the barrage was therefore not that shocking. What was shocking was the return fire.


    The alien vessel responded with two precise beam weapon discharges. Pinpoint targeted. Outside of the Krall Imperium she had never seen anyone use continuous beam weapons. A glance around her combat information center, and noted no one else seemed to realize the significance. They seemed more appalled by what followed. Minutes after the hits, the ship exploded in a spectacular display. It was clear that the crew did not abandon ship quickly enough, and no one survived the destruction of the carrier. Well aside from Sali who had not been aboard.


    She had a feeling that wouldn¡¯t last long thanks to the idiot. She barked out orders, sending several squadrons, and a few frigates to the area. With any luck, Arimae would be able to hold out until they got there. More importantly, she was hoping that she could establish communications before things get too hostile. As such the forces sent were given orders to attempt contact before they engage. It had been nearly seven hundred years since the last time the Confederation fought a real war. In recent memory the most they had to deal with were pirates, and the occasional border skirmish. Seven hundred years of peace, that was not something she wanted to end. Not right now, and certainly not with her name attached to it. Especially not when she was so close to retirement. Besides she knew better than anyone else that the fleet just wasn¡¯t prepared for war. Too many ships in their fleet were outdated undergunned designs. With very few exceptions, the ships in the fleet relied on strong shields, and decent agility to win in battle. As most ships in the fleet were undergunned, with few heavy weapons if any. In fact the only ship class they had, that couldn¡¯t be classed as undergunned was the Protector Class heavy cruiser. A good ship, and one of their newest. However they had few of them outside of the core worlds. Certainly not enough to be used in any meaningful way. Deep down, she knew a battle here could potentially cost the Confederation dearly.

 Chapter Fifty-Three The Battle? of Delta Four

    The ship captain shifted forward, as her frigate came around a large asteroid bringing into view the wreck of the carrier Profit¡¯s Bounty. The ship was nothing more than expanding debris. Beyond that wreck, somewhat shrouded by the prevalent dust clouds was the dark black and silver hull of a massive alien capital ship. Easily on par with a mega freighter in terms of size, but clearly designed for battle not trade. Her shields were still strangely down. The hull was armored, but she didn¡¯t think much of that. If they did end up fighting, her pulse cannons should be able to shred that pretty easily. It was a well-known fact that armor meant little to plasma weapons. Her sheer size on the other hand might provide a defense, especially since pulse cannons weren¡¯t that potent. They were fast firing, had good range, and were very efficient weapons, but compared to other plasma weapons they did leave a little to be desired in terms of firepower. Thankfully that only ever came into play when the opponent had a decent shield system or in this case, so much mass that their size became protection in and of itself.


    It took her a moment to spot, the single lancer fighter in proximity to the alien capital ship. The ship had an open hangar bay, which if her sensors were right didn¡¯t even have an active bay shield. Not even an air shield. It was simply open to vacuum. She didn¡¯t dwell too much on that, as her focus was on the several deployed tractor projectors locked onto the lancer. The lancer¡¯s shields were flaring brightly in response to multiple tractor beam locks. Her engines were burning hot, fighting the beams. However it was a losing match, the projectors were pulling the struggling fighter into the bay at a slow, but steady pace. Not only that, but she was informed that the fighter¡¯s engines were overheating, they only had about two minutes before they were forced to shut down the engines or risk them burning out. That didn¡¯t count the worse possibility of course. Overheated engines also had a chance to overload, which for the poor pilot would be instant death.


    Her orders were to attempt contact, but seeing this sight made following those orders hard. So instead, she ordered a targeted strike on those projectors. In her mind, the pulse cannons would burn through the armored casing, and free the fighter. That would give the pilot a chance to get away, and she could always try hailing the aliens later. What happened instead contradicted all her assumptions. A series of red plasma pulses sailed across the void. Cutting through the distance between her tiny frigate, and the massive alien battleship. Scoring multiple strikes against the active projectors, and a few splashes against the open hanger deck. Not a single plasma strike so much as scratched the alien plating, and the projectors continued reeling the captured lancer in. As if the whole incident hadn¡¯t even happened. To add insult to injury, the alien vessel ignored the attack. Its only action being to start moving away slowly. She had seen mega freighters moving more quickly, so she doubted that was the limit of its sublight engines. Even with shields down, they didn¡¯t even rate her tiny frigate a threat. She would prove them wrong.


    An instant later, she and several other frigates launched plasma torps at the alien battleship. This evoked a response, but not much of one. She had again targeted the exposed hanger, but more specifically the tractor projectors. In response, the alien ship began a lazy roll. She watched as its starboard side raised in the roll, and quickly vanished as the ship revealed its massive armored belly. Where its side had been rather narrow, its belly was a huge target. A target her torpedoes splashed against moments later, again with no evident effect. Then several turrets popped up out of the belly and spat blue energy at the nearest frigates. Energy that didn¡¯t simply splash against shields, but punched right through with enough energy to then pierce the entire hull before striking the opposite shield from inside.


    Seeing that, she ordered immediate evasive. Unfortunately, it was too late. A pulse was spat at her ship, and her helmsman was a hair too slow. Her ship shuddered under the impact, the lights flickered, and alarms blared. The damage reports poured in. ¡°Direct hit, sections thirty one through forty-two, decks one through eight destroyed. Main power is out, shields and weapons are offline. Life support is out on deck two. Emergency systems on deck three not responding. The crew reports they are manually sealing the bulkheads. Plasma manifold failure on deck four, we have lost all but emergency power on decks four, five and six. Emergency force fields have responded, and bulkheads are dropping automatically on those decks.¡±


    In addition, she was receiving casualty reports from those decks. By the time those finished pouring in, she had thirteen dead, and nine more injured. Two of those seriously. That was 22 casualties out of a crew of 79. That was not going to look good on her record. Worse that had happened from a single hit. A single hit with enough force to rip right through her ship with the shields at full power. Granted, they were weakened by the cursed dust that fills this system, but still. Worse she felt like they were playing with her. It was painfully obvious that this was a complete mismatch. They were outgunned, the alien armor was somehow able to resist plasma weapons. A fact that boggled the mind. Worse, thanks to the local conditions her shields offered no real protection against the alien vessel¡¯s weapons.


    On screen she watch the ship¡¯s lazy roll continue. Before long it returned to its previous orientation revealing her hanger doors were closing at a fair clip. The lancer was now securely nestled in the bay, her shields no longer even flaring while several beams continued to hold it. No further shots seemed to be coming her way.  That was a good thing, they couldn¡¯t take another hit, not like that one. Glancing to her ops officer, she ordered, ¡°hail them.¡±


    After a few moments the younger officer replied, ¡°I¡¯m not getting anything on the standard frequencies. Not even a simple receipt acknowledgment.¡±


    Processing that, she turned her attention to the alien vessel for a moment. It was moving slowly out of view. In a few more moments it would be out of visual range. ¡°Try the non-standard frequencies. Perhaps they aren¡¯t using the usual subspace frequencies.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    A few more moments passed before she was informed, ¡°Still nothing sir.¡±


    The ship slipped out of sight as an asteroid drifted between her ship, and the alien vessel. Her mind was already working on the lack of response. Either the aliens used some other means of communication or they weren¡¯t worth talking to. She didn¡¯t know which was worse.


    <hr>


    Several hours later, VCS Salari¡¯s Treasure:


    The ship shuddered. Something groaned, and the grav plating flickered. They had been hit, she knew it. Seconds later came the report, ¡°Shields critical! Hull breach deck seven.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t ready for this. Hell she shouldn¡¯t have even been in command. Unfortunately, her captain was now in the medical bay with severe burns. Plasma burns to be more specific. A cursed plasma fire had erupted on deck seven and unfortunately spread to the bridge before it could be contained. Decks five, six, seven, and eight were all scorched from plasma fire, and that wasn¡¯t the worst of things. Still they were in better shape than some of the other ships in this formation. Those ships were nothing more than flotsam.  As for that new hull breach, she didn¡¯t much care, that deck was already thoroughly destroyed. Not to mention sealed off, no one was on it. So in many respects that was the best place to take a hit right now.


    She ignored the hit, and instead ordered, ¡°New heading, zero one seven, mark one zero nine. Increase speed.¡± she paused, ¡°Tactical return fire, aft tubes.¡±


    The ship¡¯s frame shuddered thrice a moment later as the aft plasma torpedo tubes fired. Normally you wouldn¡¯t even feel those launchers firing, but with all the damage they had taken. It was little surprise to find that little things like the inertial dampers were malfunctioning. In fact, she could even feel the ship accelerating somewhat. Thankfully the dampers were still partially nullifying the force of the ship¡¯s engines.


    She kept an eye for a moment on the display before ordering, ¡°Hard to port full burn!¡±


    An instant later four blue streaks rippled out of the clouds, just as she expected. They streaked by their previous position and then curved around. One of them closing on the nearest unfortunate ship, the VCS Bounty of Urko. The projectile streamed towards the ship at high speed, bypassed her shields like they weren¡¯t there, and slammed head-on into her bow. The projectile detonated with a massive photon burst, the hull simply disintegrated in the blast. The flash cleared to reveal the front half was simply gone, while the rear was reduced to mangled metal. There were no survivors.


    An instant later there was a second detonation, this time it was a frigate. Nothing was left, except a few bits of mangled metal. Those accursed projectiles were damn deadly, and utterly terrifying. They could pass through shields like they weren¡¯t there, and a single hit was often fatal to the unarmored hulls of their ships. As such she was more than happy that none of those were hitting her ship. She would much rather take another hit from those cursed particle weapons. At least they weren¡¯t one-shot wonder weapons.


    She gave another order, ¡°Starboard turn, twelve degrees one-quarter thrust.¡± At the same moment, she noted her tactical officer order fire on one of the missiles. Pulse cannons were fast firing and fairly accurate, but those projectiles were slippery. As such it was little surprise that most of the shots were wide. Only a couple of them actually got close. Neither missile actually took a hit. Thankfully for the crew of the VCS Jewel of Neyla the missile closing on her actually detonated on her shields, and not her hull. Her shields flared like a small sun before collapsing, but the ship was alive. Her crew was not yet dead. How long that would last was anyone¡¯s guess. At the moment it wasn¡¯t something she had the time to waste on considering. If anything her whole focus was on keeping her damaged cruiser alive. How things had come to this, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure. A part of her mind was however still working on their inability to establish contact with these aliens.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Ahead the clouds of dust parted enough to reveal an alien vessel comparable in size to her own cruiser. Actually, it was a little smaller. She barked out another course correction this time a dorsal correction. The commander knew her ship was no match for that alien warship. A ship she believed to be a heavy destroyer. Its weapons certainly matched that kind of role. It was heavy on torpedoes, armed with a limited array of pulse particle cannons, and a deadly beam weapon. The first two she had answers for, the third not so much. It would be great if she could take them out before they fired, but there was no real chance of that. A factor underscored by the total lack of effect her plasma torpedoes had on the other one. The one that was chasing them.


    A glance back, showed the torpedoes had hit, but scored no damage. Her attention shifted quickly back to the new threat. Her mind already trying to work out a solution. Good news the new ship wasn¡¯t targeting her. Bad news, it was targeting the VCS Jewel of Neyla. That ship had been built specifically for Neyla of Clan Urko, and was the flagship of their fleet. If that ship went down... She didn¡¯t want to think about it.


    Elsewhere she saw a bright flash light up the clouds. The source of the burst was outside of her sensor range, but she had the sinking feeling that another ship had met its end. How many more would die in this ¡®battle¡¯ she didn¡¯t know. All she knew was that they were just poorly equipped to face this foe. Not even their plasma torpedoes seemed able to pierce their armor, which was ridiculous. She ordered yet another new course, and tactical was ordered to continue defensive firing on any torpedoes. The commander just wasn¡¯t sure what else she could do. If only they could communicate. Perhaps then they could stop this bloodshed. She blinked.


    Communicate, that was it. The aliens had to be communicating somehow. Their actions certainly seemed coordinated, not to mention they had fighters. Everything they did pointed to actions done in concert. That required complex communication, there was no way around it. So how were they doing it? Why couldn¡¯t they detect these communications? Perhaps the answer was simple. Maybe they just weren¡¯t listening in the right range. The question then became what range was the right one? She just hoped she could find it quickly. Another flash on the screen signaled another ship going down. They were dying too quickly. The commander quickly relayed her ideas to the ops officer.


    As for the Jewel of Neyla. She noted the vessel engage in several maneuvers that helped shake off the majority of the fire directed at her. Returning fire with several ineffective pulse battery barrages, and a few heavy pulse cannon shots. None of it seemed to have an effect. These aliens just seemed unstoppable. One of the alien destroyers fired her beam weapon just then. A blue beam lanced across space, and raked the hull of the Neyla. Her shields flared brightly, but thanks to the dust were unable to fully stop the beam. As it tore a deep rent into her hull from bow to stern. The ship thankfully survived, but that was more thanks to her size than anything else. The Jewel of Neyla was a heavy cruiser, and outfitted accordingly. Unfortunately, the damn dust rendered her best defense rather weak.


    She decided to buy more time for the Jewel of Neyla. She gave an order to come about. Soon locking the forward tubes on the first alien destroyer. It might not have been the best idea, but it did have an effect. As soon as they had a good angle, she gave the order to fire. She emptied the last of her plasma torpedos into a single barrage. Angry red streaks of superheated plasma streaked out of the launchers, sailing across the distance, and then for the first time in this fight since it broke out fully four hours ago, she actually witnessed a shield engage. A red bubble of angry lines appeared around the destroyer, and six of her ten torpedoes detonated against it. Their fragile containment fields being disrupted by the barrier. The other four penetrated to splash harmlessly against her armor. That made her blink. She had not seen them use shields of any kind before. What had changed? Unfortunately, she had no data to answer that question, and no scan was going to help. The alien hulls were sensor shielded, and that shielding was far superior to what their mines had. As such they were unable to compensate for that. It was just a case of where they were lacking information they needed, and could not obtain it.


    Not that she had much time to wonder about that. The alien ship retaliated firing several bursts of particle fire from her main batteries. Her own shields flared, and her ship shuddered under the barrage. As her helmsman initiated a series of rapid evasive maneuvers. She could feel each shift as her malfunctioning dampers strained to deal with the changing vectors. Vaguely she noted the reports, as they took multiple hits.


    Suddenly someone shouted, ¡°Shields have failed!¡±


    The ship shuddered, hard an instant later. Throwing an unfortunate technician to the floor. Her own harness kept her, and anyone in one where they were. Not that it was much help, her shields were gone. There was nothing else between her ship, and death. Several more shudders, and shakes told her they were taking hits. With each one damage reports poured in. So many she was quickly losing track of the damage. Despite their best efforts the port side of her ship was ravaged. Numerous bolts tore into her hull, leaving entire decks in shambles. If not outright destroyed.


    Moments later, the hits stopped coming, and the ship moved off. Targeting several frigates that were trying to use the debris as shields. It didn¡¯t seem to be doing much good. As the alien weapons easily tore through the debris and still had enough punch to hit hard. The limited shields the frigates had were not much help either. That dust didn¡¯t help things at all. Not that she could much worry about them. She had more immediate concerns.


    The ship may have moved off, but she had taken a lot of damage. At least this had given the Jewel of Neyla the chance she needed to escape the combat zone. As for her own ship, she was effectively out of the fight. Hell, she wasn¡¯t even sure what was holding the ship together. She just hoped whatever it was didn¡¯t give out. Not only were all her primary systems down, she had taken major hull damage. Several decks were effectively destroyed, and half the ship was vented to space. Luckily her emergency systems were miraculously still working. Her biggest worry were the plasma fires on the engineering level. Damage control teams were already working to contain those, but if those fires reached the main reactor they wouldn¡¯t have a ship. A similar issue would happen if they reached the antimatter fuel pods. There were also some other items that would be problematic if the plasma fires reached them.


    As such she turned her energy to helping direct the damage control efforts. Over the next few minutes, they vented certain sections and shut off fuel lines. Preventing the fires from spreading too far. Before too long they were able to contain the plasma fires, and keep them away from anything that would explode, or in the case of antimatter react with matter in mutual annihilation which was effectively the same thing. Thankfully while plasma fires were known to burn very hot, and wreak havoc on anything they touch, they also burn out quickly. Once cut off from fuel, they quickly went out. Often leaving lesser fires started by the rampant plasma fires, which quickly cooled and starved after the sections were vented.


    Just as she was starting to sigh in relief, feeling that her ship was out of the worst, her operations officer suddenly looked up from her console. A look of excitement on her face. ¡°I have it!¡± she shouted.


    ¡°Have what?¡±


    ¡°I found it, the frequencies they use.¡±


    The commander smiled. That was exactly what they needed. The battle was going poorly. Sadly she had a feeling this was her ship¡¯s last mission. It was likely headed for the scrapyard after this. It likely wasn¡¯t the only one headed there. The battle had moved on from this part of the system, but her ship wasn¡¯t the only one left adrift here. A few of which were now smoldering wrecks. There were also a number of escape pods floating around the area as well. Not that she could do anything about that. Her engines were out, and her hanger bay had been slagged. A plasma fire had burned through the main hanger and destroyed the few shuttles she still had. As for the handful of strike craft she had, those had been lost earlier. It didn¡¯t seem anyone else could do anything either, but they would be fine. Escape pods were designed to keep their occupants alive for a while. Several months actually. Although the life support would run out before they ran out of food or water. As they had supplies for about six months, but the life support would deplete in about three months.


    Elsewhere flashes of bright light continued to light up the clouds. Be they from mines or torpedoes she could not tell. It was a sign that the fight continued. Now that they knew what frequencies the aliens used perhaps, she could put an end to this. Although it wasn¡¯t really her place to do that. ¡°Send them to the Jewel of Neyla.¡±


    ¡°Done, sir.¡±


    The commander felt some relief hearing that. Then she asked something. ¡°What do they use anyway, and why did it take so long for us to find it.¡±


    The operations officer replied, ¡°Turns out they were using sublight communication bands. Primarily tight beam high-frequency radio. Not something we normally use, much less monitor. Outside of laser comms, we don¡¯t really use any form of sublight communication. Our alien friends however don¡¯t seem to use any form of FTL communication.¡±


    She blinked. That explained everything. Suddenly the alien silence made total sense. They were silent because they couldn¡¯t reply. Worse her own people hadn¡¯t even thought to listen to the sublight channels. They had merely assumed that the aliens also had faster than light communications. An error that had likely resulted in this battle. One they clearly hadn¡¯t been prepared to fight.


    Her line of thought was broken moments later, when she was informed that a ceasefire was now in effect. A glance to her screens showed the bright flashes come to a sudden end. It was quite suddenly, eerily quiet out there. Nothing but smoldering ships, floating wreckage, and the occasional disabled ship or lifepod. That was all that existed within the scope of her sensors. Not one source of wreckage however belonged to an alien vessel. Everything here was of Valorian origin. This was the most one-sided skirmish in living memory. So much so that she had a feeling the council would not believe it even happened. While many would likely try to cover this up. Idly she wondered how many lives were lost here? How many lives were wasted in a battle that likely could have been prevented? How many would not be remembered? Duty made her put aside those questions. There were still things she needed to do aboard ship. If she could, she was also going to recover those escape pods, and she certainly needed to figure out how since she had no engines and no shuttlecraft. That was going to be interesting.

 Chapter Fifty-Four Rough Start

    As the channel closed, the fleet commander settled back and let out a breath of relief. That had went better than she had feared. Almost immediately she could hear a bit gossip break out. She hushed it, but knew it would be discussed later. While many starfaring species shared similar morphologies, it wasn¡¯t often one encountered another species that resembled another with such uncanny similarity. They had certainly not seen one that so closely resembled their own race before. Although they had met other ¡®humanoids¡¯ that came close. Prior to meeting the People of Sol, the species that most closely resembled Valorians was the Wovnar. They were an aggressive carnivore species. They were built much like Valorians, but their limbs were covered with fur and ended with claws. They had the pointed ears of a canine, sharp teeth, and an excellent sense of smell. Physically they were also much stronger than Valorians. As for these new aliens, it was hard to tell through a screen, but the man she had encountered seemed older perhaps on the late side of middle-aged. He also seemed larger, and stronger than the average Valorian male. That man certainly had more muscle, although he didn¡¯t seem brutish either. In fact, she had the distinct impression that he was smarter than she was. There was just something about him that radiated a wealth of intelligence and wisdom. Her gut even told her that he was actually older than he looked. Older than her, in fact. If true that would mean these aliens lived longer than Valorians.


    The average Valorian could live up to a hundred and twenty years. Her old bones were nearly a hundred years old. Hence her desire to retire. She was getting too old for this. If he was older than her, and still looked that young then these aliens could likely live twice as long, perhaps longer. That was a train of thought she wasn¡¯t going to entertain.


    She was just thankful the aliens were reasonable and wore clothes. The Wovnar certainly didn¡¯t. In fact, that species wasn¡¯t all that easy to get along with. Not because they weren¡¯t friendly, but rather due to their strange customs. She hoped these aliens weren¡¯t that... uninhibited. It would make them easier to get along with. Then again things were already off to a rough start with them. How things go after this remained to be seen, but it wasn¡¯t going to be her problem. She was retiring. Without that final victory under her belt she wanted, but frankly, she could live with that. Now she just had to pick up the pieces. Then she would be retiring. After a failure like this, that was assured. At least she won¡¯t be retiring in disgrace. Neither the admiralty nor the council would want to publicize this skirmish. Her retirement was going to be a quiet affair, and frankly, after what happened that sounded nice.


    Glancing at the screen she watched the clouds swirl and part. Revealing the alien battleship slip into view. Its dark armored hull was far more intimidating than its lines would suggest. It was a ship that concealed its fangs and hid its true power. That was not all that ship hid. Her hull was shielded against sensors, had minimal emissions and practically no energy signature. It left one to wonder what else that ship concealed. Personally, she doubted these aliens had revealed all their cards, and what cards they had revealed were intriguing.


    She had a feeling the intelligence folks would be orgasming over the ship. It was a wealth of things to analyze. Unusual armor, non-conventional sublight drives, shield penetrating torpedoes, and who knows what else. In her case, she was just glad it was no longer shooting at her. Now the last hurdle, was the face-to-face meeting they had agreed to. It was going to be on the alien ship, and her group wasn¡¯t allowed to bring weapons. The aliens had accused them of being too ¡®trigger happy¡¯ to be trusted with weapons. Little surprise there since it was her own subordinates shooting at them that triggered this whole incident. Although she wasn¡¯t going. Not because she didn¡¯t want to go, but rather her old bones were protesting. She just wasn¡¯t as spry as she used to be. It would be better to leave it to someone she trusted. Who better than someone of her own clan, there was one person, in particular, she had in mind. Commander Reia of Clan Urko, had proven an able captain and was one of the more competent officers under her. She hoped Reia would succeed in smoothing things over.


    <hr>


    Reia tried to stay composed, as her small shuttle approached the massive alien vessel. She had left her wrecked ship behind when she would have rather been aboard. There was so much to do, but she had been ordered here. It was just hard not to think about what she could be doing back aboard the Salari¡¯s Treasure.


    The pilot of her little shuttle followed the flight instructions they had been given, and they came up on the alien battleship. She had not personally seen it before. It was an impressive ship, a mighty behemoth. It featured sleek, yet rugged lines. She noted the thick armor and the turrets that were tracking her little ship. One wrong move and they would be dead.


    An alert suddenly sounded, and before she could even check her console her pilot informed her. ¡°We are being scanned, high intensity. They aren¡¯t even being subtle about it.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t that surprised. Reia had been informed about weapons being prohibited. They were likely being scanned for weaponry. Thankfully they hadn¡¯t brought any. The rules however didn¡¯t prohibit personal protection, so she had brought a personal shield belt with her. Along with a second for her pilot. The shuttle had been hastily disarmed of its two pulse cannons, but she had left the shields in place.


    A second later, she noted the turrets lowering back into the armored hull, and she let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she was holding. It seemed they had passed the first inspection. However, a second later, the comms sounded with the distinct four-tone alert that indicated they had just received a message. Her pilot informed her, ¡°They¡¯ve requested that we drop shields before they open their landing bay.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    It was risky, but she did not believe they were in danger of being shot at. Not anymore. As it turned out, she wasn¡¯t entirely correct about that. An instant later, after the shields dropped several projectors popped out of the alien hull, and fired some kind of disk-shapped object at her hull. It adhered itself to the shuttle without inflicting any damage, and an instant later several tractor beams engaged.


    Reia blinked. She had encountered similar devices before. It was indicative of a less advanced towing beam technology. Although much better than the grappling cables that preceded it. Reia however knew better than to simply assume their towing beams were primitive. As it was merely indicative not definitive proof. She did note down the observation. She knew any little detail could be important. That was why she planned to keep her eyes open. Her opponents would be doing the same.


    Moments later, guided by the alien tractor beams, her ship set down within a small aft-facing hanger. It was obviously not a primary hanger. It was small and lacked many of the features expected of a main hanger. It took her a moment to spot the two elevators. They were well concealed. Other than those, there was no evidence of ship storage. Based on the size, she figured it was mainly used for shuttles like hers. The bay was also fairly well decorated. Likely meant to receive dignitaries and the like. Yet that hadn¡¯t kept them from mounting weapons in the bay. She noted four turrets deployed from the ceiling and the floor. Two above, two below. They looked like smaller versions of the turrets she had seen tracking her ship from outside. Each appeared to carry a tractor projector, and what seemed to be two particle emitters. They were well placed to cover the hanger while it was open, and if she had to guess the weapons on them were specifically designed for use against light craft. It also gave the aliens an extra advantage in this meeting. Just one more sign of how thin the ice they were walking on was. Treading lightly was the key here.


    With that in mind, she moved to disembark. Her pilot stopped her. ¡°Sorry sir, but we can¡¯t leave just yet. The bay isn¡¯t pressurized.¡±


    She blinked having not expected the bay to be unpressurized. ¡°Not pressurized? They aren¡¯t using an air shield?¡±


    The pilot shook her head, ¡°I saw no sign of one.¡±


    Reia had missed that. Perhaps she had been too distracted by other details. That made her wonder what else she may have missed. Sure it could be argued that she simply wasn¡¯t used to hangers that didn¡¯t use air shields, but that was a poor excuse for overlooking something so important. Afterall walking into an unpressurized bay was often fatal. Thankfully not immediately so. Between the swelling, and lack of air death came from mere seconds of exposure, but seconds was more than instant. That gave you time to do something, assuming you kept your wits and didn¡¯t panic, such as close the hatch. In fact, she would have been able to do that before the air even finished rushing out.


    With nothing else to do, she waited. Picking out details of the bay. While it cycled. Thankfully the alien bay pressurized quickly, and it was only a couple of minutes before the bay was safe to enter. That actually impressed her a little, but she did idly wonder how much they had spent on the associated systems. Most Valorian bays could not cycle this quickly. Not due to a lack of technology, but rather the reliance on air shields meant that fewer credits need be spent on air pumps. Leading to less powerful airlocks, that took longer to cycle. However with an air shield that didn¡¯t matter much. Before she left, she did check the air, and was happy to find that it was breathable. Not only that, but it was not a pure oxygen atmosphere. The composition mimicked a planetary one. She noted that done, it was indicative of a fairly advanced life support system.


    With the bay safe, she disembarked along with the pilot. Where she was soon greeted by three people entering the bay. All three were in armor, but the one had his helmet off. Allowing her to see his face. The features were rugged, but he seemed to look remarkably like a Valorian. Albeit with a skin color not possible for their species. It was a light beige with subtle undertones. Her gaze was drawn to his eyes, the eyes of a battle-hardened warrior. One who looked both of them over. She felt small, and exposed in front of his gaze as if he could see right through her. In a way his gaze reminded her of her old drill instructor, and he did not seem impressed.


    One of the others pulled out a small device. Consulted it, and then said something to the warrior man who seemed to be in charge. After a moment he approached, ¡°Welcome aboard the Enterprise. I¡¯m General Forest, and you are?¡±


    She stepped forward and introduced herself, ¡°Commander Reia of Clan Urko, first officer of Salari¡¯s Treasure. I was entrusted with this task by Admiral Neyla.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well if you would follow me, I¡¯ll lead you to the conference room. The captain has quite a bit to discuss with you.¡±


    <hr>


    The Conference room was on another deck, but it didn¡¯t take long to reach it. She entered to find only one person waiting for her. An older man, who looked quite intimidating in the dim lighting. It seemed a constant in the areas she had visited. This ship was not as well lit as Valorian vessels. Perhaps, these aliens were nocturnal, rather than diurnal like her own people. It would explain why the lighting was so dim. It also explained their skin to a degree, but she had a suspicion that their sun had a different spectral spectrum.


    He stood, smiled, and greeted her upon entry. ¡°Ah, you must be the Valorian representative. I am Captain Countryman, commander of the Enterprise, and you are?¡±


    She reiterated her introduction and was soon shown to a seat. Her pilot settled into position near the door. Not that mattered much without a weapon. This battle wasn¡¯t going to be won with guns, but with words. They were already on bad footing so everything she did mattered.


    He started things off, ¡°Your admiral already explained some things, but it is still somewhat surprising that a people with such a peaceful reputation could be so trigger happy.¡±


    ¡°That was a mistake. One I am sure will be investigated thoroughly. We would not want a repeat of this incident.¡±


    ¡°Ensure that it is. In the meantime, we have to discuss what happens now.¡±


    What followed proved to be less rocky than she expected. The aliens did demand some compensation, but nothing outrageous. She did consider inquiring about the pilot she knew they had captured, but after what happened she didn¡¯t think they were in a good position to request her back. After being spanked that badly, she was happy to get away with what they did get. However, one item bugged her enough that she did ask it.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you don¡¯t seem to have an air shield, nor did you much use shields in the battle.¡±


    ¡°If you are asking if we have shield technology, we do. Although as you can see our armor is vastly superior to any energy shield. Personally, with a few exceptions, I think it makes far more sense to invest in superior armor technology, over shields. Sure the armor costs more to install, and repair, but the protection offered more than makes up for it. On the other hand I have to ask, why your people didn¡¯t include armor on your ships? Everyone else put at least a token level of hull plating on their ships, except you.¡±


    She scratched her head, ¡°I know its kind of stupid, but most Valorians don¡¯t think much of armor. A plasma bolt can burn through most materials with such ease, that armor is often considered a waste of credits. Shields on the other hand can stop plasma bolts easily. Combined with that cultural perception is the fact that our military budget is crap.¡± Her skin flushed instantly when she realized that she had let something slip that she probably should not have.


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Well you should consider yourselves fortunate that you could afford a minimal military budget. Most aren¡¯t that lucky in this hostile galaxy. War, unfortunately, seems to be all too common here.¡±


    She blinked gave him a look, and said, ¡°that¡¯s the thing we can¡¯t! Yet the council just keeps spending their money on pet projects. I don¡¯t...¡± She stopped herself, as she realized her emotions had once again made her blab about things she probably should not be talking about.


    Countryman smiled and shook his head. ¡°Your training may need some work, but I think I understand. It isn¡¯t my concern though. Worry not, the People of Sol have little interest in invading the Confederation. Perhaps if history had been different, but the past is the past. The path once walked cannot be changed. We will be here a while longer, if you need assistance picking up the pieces caused by your own rash actions we will be willing to assist. However, we are not going to be staying for very long. Perhaps a month at the most. We have mostly achieved our objectives here. Next time I hope we meet under better circumstances.¡±


    With that he signaled to a guard and she was escorted back to her shuttle. Her pilot when they got back, commented, ¡°I have a feeling that we are lucky.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are. I¡¯m not sure why, but we lucked out. I just hope that luck holds.¡±


    As they took off, she was already writing up a report. Reia already knew what she was going to say. Most of it was going to be facts, but at the end she was going to include what her own instincts were telling her.


    <hr>


    Ruri smiled to herself as she set the alien pistol into the drone¡¯s hand. It was a simple drone designed for exactly this sort of test. She needed something expendable to fire the pistol. While none of the scans had indicated any sort of self-destruct or real security measures on the alien weapon. She knew it was best to be cautious.


    The weapon had been acquired from that alien pilot they had captured during the battle. It was certainly an interesting item to study. It was a remarkably light hand weapon, and its ergonomic design would make it easy to use. The casing of the alien plasma pistol was composed of a lightweight polymer that was reasonably durable. It would hold up quite well against the elements, and protect the more vulnerable components. Not as well as the materials used in the construction of human weapons, but she suspected the material was chosen more for its weight than anything else. The polymer was incredibly light. Allowing them to reduce the weight by nearly a third compared to other materials. It played a major role in why the weapon weighed about half the average for side arms of this type.


    Satisfied the weapon was secured, she slipped behind the blast shield and started the test. Sensors were already set up to automatically record all of the data. A second later, a few pulses were fired into the first target she had set up. While entirely artificial, the dummy was made of gels and artificial tissues that mimicked an actual living creature. In this case a human target. The plasma rounds slammed into this facsimile with deadly force. Each hit not only charred synthetic flesh, and bone, but vaporized small chunks of the target. Inflicting horrific, even fatal wounds.


    The next target was the same type of dummy, but this time it was dressed in standard issue light infantry armor. The kind typically employed by security officers, militia units, and police forces. The armor didn¡¯t offer the protection that medium or heavy varients provided, but that was due to its focus on mobility. Users had full range of motion, and the low weight was also appreciated. There were also light armor variants favored by spec ops forces, but those had fancy gadgets not relevant to the test.


    The bolts slammed into the lightly armored dummy leaving only light scorch marks to indicate a hit. At first, there wasn¡¯t any notable effect, but after a while the armor started to weaken. In the end it took 46 hits before the armor weakened enough for the bolt to have a chance to pen, but in the test it was not until the 57th hit that one actually pierced the protective plating. That didn¡¯t look good for the alien plasma weapon.


    Her next test target was another armored dummy, but this time in the medium armor favored by the ship¡¯s marines. As it turned out the pistol was wholely unable to penetrate the armor. It ended up depleting its plasma cell, and the armor was unmarked. The AIF barely weakened. It was evident that this pistol simply wasn¡¯t powerful enough to penetrate medium armor. As such, she scrapped the other tests and moved to analyze the data.


    Something she was still doing, sometime later when she suddenly became aware of Countryman standing behind her. Turning around, she noticed him looking at her clothes with a familiar look in his eyes. He sighed, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to recycle that lab coat?¡±


    She looked down. Ruri was wearing one of her favorite lab coats, it was a bit worn. Starting to show its age, stained, and patched. A couple of those patches had come undone while she was working. Ruri replied, ¡°Yeah, you did. What about it?¡±


    He sighed, shook his head, and then said, ¡°Only you would need an explanation for why a lab coat so worn, and torn that it doesn¡¯t even cover you properly needs to be tossed out.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Its not that bad. I can get a few more months out of this.¡±


    Countryman just gave her a look, ¡°I can see your bare breast sticking out. It needs to be replaced.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need to look to know that he was right about that. Ruri didn¡¯t need a bra since her boobs weren¡¯ that big. A blessing to be sure. As for why her boob was sticking out, well she had tossed her shirt somewhere, she wasn¡¯t sure where. Didn¡¯t remember why either. There were more important things on her mind. The patch on her coat had also torn recently, so her boob was sticking out. Not much of a problem really. ¡°I guess, but I¡¯ll just patch it back up later. It will be fine.¡±


    He let out a breath. Reached over, and adjusted her lab coat. Clicked his tongue, and then just suddenly ripped it off her. Walking over to a locker, he opened it. Pulling out one of her spare lab coats. ¡°With me around yes. If I wasn¡¯t always looking out for you. Put this on, and I¡¯ll recycle this old thing for you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can still use that.¡± she protested, as he tossed her the spare coat. Ruri caught it, and he just gave her a look. A moment later, he left the room. Leaving her standing there half naked, and holding a spare coat. Not entirely sure what had happened either. She did note that he locked the door behind him, as well.


    She moved to chase after him, dropping the coat. Ruri had to get that coat back before he tossed it. Reaching the door, she tried to unlock it, only to find that he had code-locked the door. She needed the right authorization code to open it. A code she did not have. However, that wasn¡¯t going to stop her. She had broken a few of his codes before. Enough to know that his codes often followed one of several patterns. Ruri got to work.


    About five minutes, later she was sure that she had found it, when the door suddenly unlocked. Countryman walked in a moment later, without her old coat. He sighed and closed the door behind him. Relocking it as well, his fingers a blur of motion as they input a new locking code. ¡°Not going to get dressed?¡±


    She glanced down and remembered that she hadn¡¯t put the spare coat on. Ruri looked around for it, found it, and then quickly put it on. It seemed he had already finished taking it to the nearest recycler. She sighed, no point complaining about it now. Such a shame too, she really liked that coat. Not that it stopped her from doing so. Turning back to him, she gave him a look, and started complaining about him throwing away her favorite coat.


    At first he said nothing in response to her outburst. Instead he merely stood there and listened. Just when she stopped to take a breath, however, he suddenly pulled her into an embrace. Where he began to stroke the top of her head in that way she really liked. If she had been a cat, she would have been purring under his touch. Instead, she flushed a little but relaxed into it. She really loved this when he did it. Not that she would ever tell him that. After a while, he finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to do that. I¡¯ll get you a new one.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say anything, while her heart reacted strangely. After a moment, she said, ¡°I think we should talk about why you came here in the first place.¡±


    He just chuckled, and then allowed her to move away. He smiled, ¡°Well, I was just going to check on what progress you made studying that pistol.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about done with that actually. I was going to move on and study the other little items we obtained next.¡±


    ¡°I see. Anything you care to share?¡±


    ¡°These Valorians have some interesting weapons. Its plasma based, but of a very different breed when compared to Cathamari weapons. Where Cathamari weapons can be best described as a blunt instrument, this thing isn¡¯t. It¡¯s a well-optimized and remarkably efficient design. The plasma cell stores enough condensed plasma for a surprising three hundred shots. That stored plasma is kept in an inert state, until you arm the weapon. Once the safety is released, ¡°she pulled up a diagram of the weapon, ¡°inert plasma will be drawn out of the cell and intro the main plasma chamber at the rear of the weapon. Here the plasma is superheated, and imparted an ionization charge.¡±


    She pointed out the chamber on the diagram, and then said, ¡°When the trigger is released, a small portion of the plasma is allowed to escape into the acceleration chamber where it is accelerated to about three tenths the speed of light. Exiting that chamber the forming plasma pulse is wrapped in a low-level containment field, and projected from the weapon via the emitter here. The whole process takes a fraction of a second. Allowing the weapon a fairly rapid rate of fire. It can fire 1247 pulses per minute, and based on my testing its effective against unarmored infantry. The bolts don¡¯t fare well against armor at all. As it is ineffective against lightly armored opponents and utterly useless against opponents equipped with medium armor or better.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Not the best weapon, but possibly an effective sidearm. Anything else of note?¡±


    ¡°I ran a few other tests. Its properties allow for a few interesting secondary fire modes. It can be set to fire an ionic pulse, instead of a normal plasma pulse. The pulse can fry unshielded circuitry, and stun organic targets. Our armor is already shielded against this type of weaponry, and as a result this mode is also ineffective against armored targets.¡±


    ¡°Very interesting. Not having an effective option against armor, may indicate the designers never considered an armored opponent. Then again it is a sidearm.¡±


    ¡°I believe it would be much more effective against energy shields. Simulations indicate it is, but that fighter in our hanger bay gives us a chance to actually test that.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that fighter, and knowing you I believe you have already taken a look. Anything interesting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve not had the time to get into its guts, but I have had the computer analyze some internal scans of the vehicle. It does have a few notable features. Most notable is the fact that it has energy shields. I¡¯ve had difficulty estimating the exact strength of those shields, but they don¡¯t appear to be weak. Her engines also appear to be fairly powerful, which plays into the observed capabilities of the fighter.¡±


    He interjected, ¡°I recall, it performed comparably to ours in the battle.¡±


    Ruri replied, ¡°I think that was more due to the pilot than the plane. With the exception of the energy shield, the ship is largely inferior to our equivalents. The plasma drive produces a fair amount of thrust, more than our own do, but it is quite inferior at vectoring that thrust. This gives them an excellent top speed, but our fighters will be far more maneuverable than theirs. In addition, our twelve o fours outgun the Valorian fighters. That fighter only has two pulsed plasma guns, and two missile launchers for armament. Her missile bays are also puny, with only enough space for four missiles on the craft in total. By default, the 1204 was designed to carry eight but can be configured to fit more missiles. I see no evidence of a modular weapons bay on the Valorian fighter, however. So that leaves me to conclude that four missiles is their maximum loadout.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he glanced at the diagram of the alien fighter that she had pulled up while talking. After a moment, he asked, ¡°any notable weaknesses in the design?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°At first glance? Just one. It seems her only protection seems to be her energy screen. The fighter has no armor, nor does it have any apparent missile defenses. No chaff, no energy projectors, no ECM, nor does it have an Energy Web. They must be rather confident in that shield as even the Cathamari included missile protection on their fighters. It was primitive and ineffective, but they included it.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave you to your research. I have other items to check up on. Talk


    to you again later.¡±


    With that he left the room.

 Chapter Fifty-Five Questions

    The young woman awoke with a scream. She didn¡¯t even notice her surroundings. In fact, she couldn¡¯t. Her world was on fire. The slightest movement felt like every inch of her skin was her clit, and it was being stabbed with burning needles or worse. There was nothing but the pain. Her head throbbed with it, destroying any thought before it could really form. Her very mind was being overwhelmed by the intense pain.


    Voices, alien, indistinct briefly pierced the veil of her world of pain. Yet in her agony, they meant nothing to her. They were just one more note to her torment. Suddenly there was a prick against her neck, but she didn¡¯t even notice overwhelmed by the fire. The rush of ice flooding her veins, however, she noticed. Like lightning, it shot through her bringing relief with it. The ice rushed through her system putting out the fire burning through her.


    Soon the pain transformed from thought-breaking agony, to unbearable, to merely bearable. As the pain lessened, she began to take in her surroundings. The room she was in was unfamiliar and rather dimly lit. The ceiling, rather alien. It was a smooth sturdy looking ceiling without any decoration. It was merely a solid slate-metal grey in color, which made it rather boring to look at. The low lighting left shadows, but they weren¡¯t all that interesting either.


    She tried to move only to find that she was restrained. Becoming more aware of her body as the pain lessened further, she began noting that her arms and legs had been restrained to a firm bed of some kind. Not only that, but someone had gagged her as well. Her head was also resting in some kind of brace that left her stuck looking at the boring ceiling.


    Her mind quickly started putting pieces together while she tried to figure out how this had happened. The last thing she could remember was being engaged in battle with aliens she had never seen before. Her fighter had been ensnared in a tractor beam. What happened after that?


    At first, she was drawing a blank, but then her mind dredged up what happened. She sank into the memory.


    <hr>


    Sali glanced at her displays as her fighter touched down on the alien hanger deck. Her mind already working on how she was going to get out of this. The alien tractor beam was draining her shields. They had come back up after her hull had been peppered with those alien disks. Yet they did nothing to help against the tractor beams, if anything they seemed to be amplifying the beams. Turning them off, however, did not seem to be the solution. As they were the only thing left between her, and the aliens. Several armored alien figures were already moving outside her fighter.


    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t just sit here in her fighter. The hanger doors were closing behind her, already. Not that she could do anything about it right this moment. She couldn¡¯t even leave anyway thanks to that tractor beam. Something Sali knew she would have to deal with if she was to have any chance of getting out of here. Not that she relished her chances of that. They were low, and she knew that. Especially given the state of her fighter¡¯s engines.


    Glancing at the fighter¡¯s engineering display, she was reminded of fleet policies. Her hands flew over the controls, as she shut down the safeties, and ramped up the output of her reactor. An overload warning flashed, along with an estimate of how long she had before it actually blew. The countdown displayed a time of about ten minutes before the reactor went critical. More than enough time actually, since if she was still here in ten minutes that meant she had failed. Time was not her ally here, as she already knew what she would need to do.


    Pulling her Pulse pistol out of its compartment, she double-checked its plasma cell. While mentally going over her objectives. She needed to locate the hanger controls, open the door, and disable tractor control. After that, she would need to find a ride. Her fighter wasn¡¯t going to leave this bay, trying to fight the alien tractor beam had nearly burned out the engines, and gotten her nowhere. Thankfully there seemed to be shuttles stowed in racks above. If she could get one of them down on the deck, it might just be her ticket out of here. That was the big question, and frankly, she knew her chances were low. Very low, but she had to do something, and she didn¡¯t have a better plan.


    A flicker outside was the indicator of her shield failing. The hanger doors had already closed, a glance at the scanners showed that the air in the hanger was thin but breathable. That was good, but she didn¡¯t need to breathe the alien air. Her uniform was vacuum rated, just in case she needed to eject for one reason or another. Securing her helmet, Sali hit the release, and the hatch of her canopy popped open and slid back.


    Several aliens had taken up positions around her fighter already. She released a few quick pulses in the direction of one of them. While in the same motion, she jumped down hitting the deck. Sali had little chance staying in the cockpit, and she knew it. The hull of her fighter was paper thin, and she knew most side arms could pierce it. Her own pulse pistol could do so. If the shields had still been up, it would have been a different story, but they had failed while she was preparing. They did their job though. Buying her just a bit of needed time.


    Alien energy bolts came back in her direction. Thankfully none of them hit her, but she knew just one hit could be her downfall. Worse the entire hanger was lacking in cover. Something she needed. She returned fire, several red pulses scoring direct hits on an armored figure for no visible effect. She cursed and dived into a roll as she saw him bringing his weapon to bear. A blue flash passed by her too close for comfort.


    Her roll had gained her some distance but unfortunately didn¡¯t grant her any cover. That was the big problem here. Worse the aliens were the only ones with any cover thanks to the barricades they had brought with them. It didn¡¯t help that her only weapon was a low-powered pulse pistol. A grenade or a rifle would have been quite welcome here, but she didn¡¯t have either. She fired another volley of angry red plasma pulses in their direction and took another roll towards some crates she had spotted. The only cover anywhere close to her fighter. They were going to have to do.


    Suddenly like lightning flashing through her she felt like someone had set her on fire, stabbed her with a rain of constant needles, and then rubbed her sensitive flesh with sandpaper. Her vision darkened, and the world vanished in darkness. What happened after that, Sali didn¡¯t know.


    <hr>


    She could already guess a bit of what happened. That sudden spike in pain must have been a hit. Since she was still alive, it was likely a stun blast, and not a particularly gentle one either. That hurt like nothing else she had ever experienced. Just thinking about it made her shudder. It was not a pleasant memory.


    It did seem that she had been captured, however. Since she was still here they must have discovered that her fighter had been set to overload, and taken care of that as well. Otherwise, she should have been dead, not restrained to a bed. Suddenly she heard something, a bit of a clanking sound. A moment later, a surprisingly familiar face appeared in her vision. It was a woman, who looked a lot like a Valorian but couldn¡¯t be. Her skin was the wrong color, and she had never seen a Valorian with hair that color either. No Valorian had pale white skin, and brown hair.


    She had an alien device in her hand, that she ran over her. After a moment, she looked at a display attached to the device. It must have been a scanner of some kind. The woman seemed to like the results and put it away before pulling another item out. This while unusual in design was immediately recognizable to her. An auto-injector. She hated those things. Her restraints however meant that she couldn¡¯t get away, and it was pressed against her neck. She felt a sharp prick, and a tingle, as a feeling of ice rushed through her veins. A few aches, she had been ignoring vanished as the ice rushed by. A sensation that distracted her for a moment. As such it took her a moment longer to notice that the alien woman had removed her gag.


    Then the alien spoke in an unfamiliar tongue. Thankfully something translated her words into understandable Valorian basic, ¡°Sorry about the restraints and the gag. They were unfortunately needed to ensure you did not injure yourself. I¡¯m afraid you didn¡¯t react well to being stunned and have stun sickness. I¡¯ll be giving you regular injections for a while to counteract the effects, but you are recovering nicely. I think you will be back to normal in a couple of days, but if you experience any dizziness, hypersensitivity,or sudden and severe headaches I want you to report them to me immediately.¡±


    Finding the restraints released as well, she rubbed her jaw which was a little sore from the gag. After a moment, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and nodded. She noted they had changed her clothes, but didn¡¯t pay much attention to that yet. Instead, she took the opportunity to look around. She had definitely been captured, as the room, she was in was clearly a cell. One wall was a grid of metal bars, the rest smooth polished grey metal. She was resting on a padded shelf. To her left was an open passage into what looked to be a bathroom. Only thing there was a toilet, and a sink, however. It was tiny, and there wasn¡¯t space for anything more. The woman in the cell with her from the sound of it was a doctor, and she was now that woman¡¯s patient. Just outside the cell, she could spot the armored forms of two guards. They were wearing the same type of armor that the aliens she had fought in the hanger were outfitted with. Each of them held an alien rifle firmly at the ready. Their body language conveyed readiness to respond at a moment''s notice.


    Her cell door was open as there was a wide gap in the metal grid but now didn¡¯t feel like the time to escape. Her muscles had felt like jelly, and it had taken genuine effort just to sit up. She felt kind of weak, and she wondered why. Sali was hesitant to ask why, but her doctor was perceptive and ran the scanner over her again. ¡°I¡¯ll have the gaurds get you something to eat. I think the weakness you are feeling right now is temporary and should pass. If it persists let me know.¡± she paused and pointed to a small panel on the wall inside the cell. ¡°Just press the white button on that panel, and I¡¯ll be here if you need me.¡±


    The panel had two buttons on it, and curious she asked, ¡°What is the other button?¡±


    ¡°That is the emergency panic button. Don¡¯t touch it unless you have an emergency in here.¡±


    She nodded and leaned back against the wall. Her mind already making notes on her circumstances. Sali wasn¡¯t yet working on a plan to escape just yet. At the moment, she wasn¡¯t in a position to even try, and frankly, she was lacking too much information for even a one percent chance of an escape. Not to mention with how she felt it was doubtful she would make it more than five feet out of the cell before being caught. They wouldn¡¯t even need those rifles they were carrying. So no she didn¡¯t fancy her chances, and being shot once was more than enough for her. Not to mention she knew being shot again would likely prove lethal, as she wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with what stun sickness was.


    The doctor left, and she noted the door slid closed. The two sides of the grid simply slid together and mated forming a solid wall. There was clanging as they joined, and then the entire thing crackled for a second. It was a charged wall. That was interesting to note and might be an obstacle later. For a few moments, she simply lay there slumped against the wall, until she mustered the energy to move. As she did so, Sali began to notice her outfit in more detail. As she had noted earlier she was no longer in her pilot¡¯s uniform. Instead, she was wearing a plain white shift and nothing else. It was all she was wearing at the moment, and it was kind of short ending halfway down her thighs. Which might not have been too much of a problem, but she didn¡¯t even have any underwear. The only question about that in her mind was; Why?


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Seeing there was no answer for that, she tried to stand up. Only to find that she was unsteady on her jellied legs. Forcing her to use the shelf for support. Maybe trying to stand wasn¡¯t the best idea, and she was tempted to let herself simply collapse back onto the padded shelf. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable bed she had been on, but some of those beds at boot camp had been pretty bad. She did not give in to that temptation however and made her way around the cell. Her legs alone didn¡¯t give her enough support, so she ended up leaning on the walls, as she explored her small cell. As it turned out there wasn¡¯t much to miss. Her attached bathroom was little more than an open nook. It didn¡¯t even have a door, the door to her cell was a charged metal grid leaving her with zero privacy. That grid didn¡¯t even provide the illusion of privacy since not only could she see out into the hall, but someone in the hall could see in. As she had noted from the bed, the bathroom did lack a shower. It was also super tiny, with barely enough space for the toilet, and the tiny sink in there. The sink did have water though. Only one temperature option, cold. Only other thing of note was that there was a small shelf on the right side of the cell, next to the door. It ran right up to the grid, but a touch revealed that it didn¡¯t carry the charge the grid did. Overall her brief exploration didn¡¯t reveal much of anything she could not have found from the bed.


    Moving around did however highlight how much getting shot had messed her up. Ruining any delusions she may have had about escaping quickly. If she was having this much trouble moving around her small cell, escaping the ship was out of the question. That one percent chance was actually more of a big fat zero. A thought that made her morale plummet.


    With a bit of difficulty she made it back to her shelf and practically collapsed onto it. Her jellied limbs were screaming at her now. She really hoped the doctor was right, and this was just temporary. That bit of exercise might have helped, however. Not long after she had settled onto the bed, there was the distinct sound of the door opening. She looked over to see that her food had arrived, as a guard entered carrying a bowl. Something that was quickly handed to her, and the guard departed. Sali took stock of her meal, which was apparently a soup.


    She wasn¡¯t sure she should trust an alien meal, but a rumble in her belly told her she was hungry. It wasn¡¯t like she had any other options either. With a bit of hesitation, she gripped the spoon and was pleasantly surprised to find the alien utensil fit comfortably in her hand. While many alien races had similar tools, they often had slight differences thanks to differing morphologies. That wasn¡¯t the case with these aliens it seemed. Ignoring that, she spooned up a bit of alien broth and a chunk of... something. She had no idea what.


    Cautiously she sniffed at it, and found it smelled somewhat pleasant. Sali took the plunge and finally took a bite. Instantly the flavor hit her tongue. It was a mild flavor, and she actually liked it. Although she would have liked to know what she was eating. Sali took another bite. Soon followed by another, as she realized how hungry she really was. The logical part of her mind told her that the food was likely safe anyway. No point going to the trouble of taking her alive only to poison her. That didn¡¯t make sense. Not to mention she had been scanned a few times, so they should have an idea of her physiology and what she can eat.


    The bowl was empty far too soon, and she started at the empty bowl forlornly for a moment or two. Glancing at the shelf by the door, she had an idea of what it was for. With a sigh she stood again, and carefully made her way over while carrying her empty dish. Placing it on the shelf, she went back to her shelf-bed. Where she curled up, and lost herself in thought.


    <hr>


    Over the next few days, she soon settled into a bit of a routine. She was given three meals a day, and an injection with every doctor¡¯s visit. At the end of the day someone would come by with a bucket and rag. The closest thing she was given to a proper bath. Tooth care was provided thankfully as well. Overall she was well taken care of, but there was a distinct lack of things to do. As a result once she started feeling better, she found herself working out just because there was nothing else to do. Well aside from watching the guards, or chatting with the doctor on her visits.


    At the moment, she was doing none of that. Rather instead she was just finishing up her business in the tiny toilet closet when she heard the door open. Something she was surprised to hear. Breakfast hadn¡¯t been that long ago, she had already had her doctor¡¯s visit for the day, and she knew it wasn¡¯t yet time for lunch. Right now was the brief window she often had to use the toilet without the guards standing right outside her cell door. A factor that gave her a small illusion of privacy. So the door suddenly opening now was rather unusual.


    She turned to see, an older man standing at the door. He was also a fair bit larger than her, but what she was most drawn to was his dark eyes. There was something about them. What she wasn¡¯t sure, but there was something there. Then he spoke, and to her surprise, there was no translator echo. He was actually speaking her tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Countryman. I¡¯d planned to have this meeting earlier, but you weren¡¯t exactly up for a chat the first time I came visiting. I see you seem to be feeling much better now. Do you feel up for a walk? We have much to discuss, and I am sure you have a few questions of your own.¡±


    She blinked and said nothing. At least not at first. It took her a few moments to process just what he had said. When she did, she realized. A walk? As in leaving this cell? With barely suppressed excitement, she nodded eagerly, ¡°Yes! I feel up for a walk.¡±


    She cursed herself for that. Sali knew it was not good to show her excitement like that. He chuckled and then gestured towards the door.


    With a sense of trepidation, she approached it, and then for the first time since she woke here on the alien ship, she stepped out of her cell. The corridor she was in was lined with cells. The cell opposite hers was empty, but that wasn¡¯t the case for all of the cells in this corridor. There were people in some of the cells they passed on the way out of the cell block. Her gaze briefly paused, and she came to a stop outside of one cell in particular.


    Countryman noted her look, and followed, ¡°Ah, those two? They were up to some naughty pranks and were caught. Nothing too serious, but they get to cool off in this cell until their parents come to pick them up.¡±


    She took a second look at the pair of young girls in the cell. Children really, and she noted that they did seem better dressed than she did. In fact they were only ones she had passed so far not stuffed into a simple white shift. That didn¡¯t entirely answer her big question about her outfit. Not to mention now she had another. She chose not to ask about her missing underwear. The mere thought of asking that made her blush.


    ¡°Why are their kids on the ship in the first place?¡±


    Countryman looked at her. ¡°Well now is as good a time as any I guess. The short answer is that there is no better place for them.¡± he paused and gestured around, ¡°The long answer is that you are looking at the last of a civilization. As a people, we are nearly extinct, and the Enterprise is among the last of our capital ships.¡±


    She blinked, that was not something she had expected to hear. Her surprise must have shown because he explained further, ¡°You see we have been at war with the Cathamari for years now. While one-on-one our ships are superior to theirs their fleet is larger than ours, and until recently they had another major advantage. We leveled that one and evened the playing field, but by then it was too late. Our colonies lie in ruins, and our homeworld is a wasteland. Its what brought us out here, but we aren¡¯t really here to discuss that just yet. Rather, I¡¯d like to talk about you.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Me? What is there to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Well what to do with you for example. No formal state of war exists between our two peoples, and you were captured in a skirmish initiated by your people. Not only that, but you did attempt to blow up your fighter in my hanger.¡±


    Sheepishly, she glanced at the ground. That in hindsight might not have been the best idea. She was not sure what she could do better, but Sali knew that didn¡¯t look good. Countryman continued, ¡°Complicating matters is that not only is there no state of war, but we don¡¯t have any treaties either.¡±


    ¡°I uh, see. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll just let me go?¡±


    Countryman gestured through a door, a blast door that was open now. With guards on either side. She passed through, waiting for his answer.  ¡°I considered it, and if your people had inquired I might have given you to them for the right price. I¡¯m afraid they did not, however, which leaves me with the question of what to do with you.¡±


    She felt herself shrink in her frame. That didn¡¯t sound like good news. Sali didn¡¯t know what to say about that either. So for a few minutes, they walked in silence. Passing out of a security checkpoint, and into a series of armored corridors. They were dimly lit, just like the cell blocks. With the blue light strips running the length of the corridor. Broken only by the occasional doorway. She was led down the corridor, and past several turns in a fairly straight if slightly curved path to a large door on the right.


    Countryman opened it, and gestured for her to enter. She stepped in, and took a look around. The room was almost empty with only a couple of guards in the room. The guards being everywhere was something of a constant since she had left her cell. The far wall of the room was a series of viewports, that gave an excellent view of swirling dust clouds, and large asteroids. The view was familiar, they were still in the Delta Four system. She also noted that the room had a few chairs, and tables set up all facing the viewports. It seemed to be an observation room.


    Countryman found a nearby chair, settled into it, and gestured for her to sit. Sighing he began, ¡°Now we are going to have a trial in a few days to answer that question about your fate, but frankly its just a formality. You and I are going to be spending the days up until the trial deciding just that.¡±


    Frowning, she looked at him, ¡°Just a formality? Something that important is going to be decided beforehand?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°While not always the case for the last century its been common practice for trials to be decided before the actual trial itself. Now your case is a little complicated, but its not going to change the process. A couple of other people will be joining us later to discuss your case, but today its going to be just you and I. I felt that would be better.¡±


    ¡°I, um see.¡± she sighed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just leave me on some planet with some supplies and a beacon? Or better just take me to a border world. I can make way home on my own. As you said, our peoples aren¡¯t formally at war.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but you did try to blow up my hanger, and frankly I don¡¯t plan to enter Valorian space for a while. As for leaving you stranded, that doesn¡¯t sit right with me.¡±


    Sali looked away. It had been worth a shot, but he didn¡¯t seem receptive to either idea. That left her wondering what to do about the bad situation she now found herself in. ¡°So what are you going to do with me then?¡±


    ¡°Well, we can always use more hands, even if the ship is somewhat overcrowded. I can think of a few things for you to do. In the meantime, why don¡¯t you tell me a bit about yourself?¡±


    That was a rather hard-to-answer question. There was quite a bit, she wasn¡¯t yet willing to reveal, but she did give him her name. As that didn¡¯t seem risky to share, and she shared a couple of other details, but not much else. It was the beginning of what turned out to be a fairly lengthy discussion, and overall it was a welcome break from the boredom of the cell. Honestly, she was very disappointed when the conversation came to an end and she had to return to her cell. Sali wasn¡¯t sure she hid that all that well.

 Interlude Valorian Weapons: Plasma Pulse Cannons

    While the Valorian Confederation has not engaged in a full-scale war in centuries, their fleets and ships are not without weapons. As even in peacetime, they need good weaponry to defend their precious trade routes from pirates and raiders. The Valorians unlike the Cathamari do not value brute force weapons solutions. Instead, they focused on producing a highly efficient, and cost-effective weapon that could easily be mass produced and supplied to their fleet cheaply. The result of this was the Plasma Pulse Cannon. A weapon that could easily be reconfigured to suit different roles, and was both cheap, and effective.


    The Valorian pulse cannon is a surprisingly effective, and elegant weapon. It fires an ionic plasma pulse. This pulse begins life as inert plasma, which is superheated and imparted an ionization charge. A discreet amount of this plasma is injected into an acceleration chamber where electromagnetic coils accelerate it to c-fractional velocities. The exact speed depends on the model of the weapon with the heavier ship-to-ship varieties achieving speeds in excess of .8c.


    The ionized plasma pulse exits the acceleration chamber at these high speeds and is wrapped in a low-level containment field. This field ensures the plasma bolt maintains integrity as it careens across space. The field does the job incredibly well giving these plasma pulses an impressive range. Not only that but the weapon actually supports a rather rapid fire rate, unfortunately, the containment bubble has a rather low integrity which limits the amount of plasma each bolt can contain. Furthermore, the plasma density of the projectiles is also rather low. As such while these weapons have great range, and possess a rapid firing speed it suffers from a rather low effective yield. Being a plasma weapon, its performance against armor is decent, but against powered armor, it suffers from extremely poor armor penetration. The weapon is however quite effective against shields and can bring shields down very quickly. It can also make short work of an unprotected hull thanks to its high accuracy, and rapid fire rate.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The weapons characteristics and widespread usage in Valorian ship design has impacted Valorian tactics. In combat, Valorian ships prefer to engage at range. Pelting their foes with rapid barrages of low-impact plasma fire. While relying on their powerful shields to tank enemy return fire, and using their fast engines to maintain distance.


    This is a strategy that the pulse cannon is well suited to. It also plays well to the Valorian military strengths. In addition, the cannon¡¯s plasma projectiles can be modified to have additional effects while in the field. These are simple to implement, and skilled users can make and revert the changes in seconds.

 Chapter Fifty-Six Fate Undecided

    Sali shifted a bit on her shelf. Her mind however wasn¡¯t really on her surroundings. Instead, she was thinking about what she had learned last night. Nothing too helpful right now, but she had learned a few things thanks to that walk with the alien captain, Countryman. It seemed to her that if she was going to make it home, it was up to her. No waiting for rescue, and there seemed little hope that these aliens would just release her. Countryman had said a few things that made that prospect seem unlikely. From the sound of it she was in a bit of a bind. One she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how she was going to get out of.


    If she was going to see her clan again, her home she was going to have to escape. The big question was how. Getting out of the cell was actually the easy part. She actually had a couple of ideas for that. It was staying out of the cell, and avoiding recapture that was going to be the hard part. Her walk may have given her some information, but it also showed her just how difficult an escape would be. The brig on this alien ship was actually fairly large with dozens of cells, and those were just the ones she had seen. There were regular patrols, guards were everywhere, and there were checkpoints. Along with strategically placed blast doors. Getting out of the brig would be no easy task. Even assuming that she managed that, there was getting off the ship as well. The problem was she didn¡¯t even know where the brig was in relation to the hanger. From there the problems stacked up even more badly the more she thought about it. There were just too many variables, too many things that could go wrong. She sighed, at the moment that was just asking to be shot. At the moment things were bad, but she knew they could always be worse. Sali just wasn¡¯t ready to take a risk, the odds just didn¡¯t stack in her favor either. Not yet. Maybe later, when she actually had a plan that might stand a chance of success.


    A sound distracted her, and she rolled over looking towards the door rather than the shadowed wall. The grid split open to admit a familiar face. It was the doctor. Sali¡¯s gaze locked onto the medkit on the other woman¡¯s hip. The kit she knew carried an injector. She pushed herself up, but she was kinda wishing that she could skip this part of her day. Sali could do without the daily injections. She hated needles. Something that just made the whole prospect of another injection unappealing.


    The woman smiled, ¡°Good morning, how are you feeling?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Well enough I guess.¡±


    The doctor pulled out her scanner, and said, ¡°Hmm, I see. Well, just let me make sure.¡±


    Sali glanced at the guards. It wasn¡¯t like she had much choice. She¡¯d tried to say no to an injection before. That had ended with her being handled like a child and given an injection anyway. She told herself that things could always be worse. ¡°Can¡¯t we just skip this? We both know you¡¯re just going to give me another injection.¡±


    The doctor chuckled and used the scanner. ¡°Afraid not.¡± After a moment, the doctor¡¯s smile widened, ¡°besides you seem to be recovering very nicely. I think this will be your last injection.¡±


    She gave the other woman a look. That was okay news, but not what she wanted to hear. Sighing she stuck out an arm, as the doctor pulled out the cursed injector. Only to comment, ¡°I don¡¯t need your arm. Show me your neck.¡±


    Glancing at the guard one of which had stepped closer, she tilted her head presenting her neck. All the while feeling especially vulnerable. As usual, her attempts to get her to use that damn thing on her arm instead didn¡¯t work. A moment later she felt the familiar sting of the needle, and almost flinched from it. It was followed by the equally familiar rush of ice through her veins, and tingling on her neck.


    The doctor pulled it away, smiled, and said, ¡°Alright we¡¯re done, here. Now that wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡±


    Sali didn¡¯t reply and wasn¡¯t happy being treated like a kid here. As such she chose not to dignify that with a response. Even if these alien needles strangely hurt less than the ones she was used to, she still didn¡¯t like them. Instead she deflected the question with something she was wondering about.


    ¡°You know the Captain paid me a visit yesterday, and indicated that he¡¯d be giving me another one. Any idea when that might be? As he did not say.¡±


    The doctor shook her head slightly and gave her a look. ¡°Well, he is a busy man. So not really. He likely plans to show up when he has time to spare, but since I don¡¯t know his schedule?¡± she shrugged, ¡°It could be whenever. For all I know it could right now, or late in the evening.¡±


    She glanced at the floor, ¡°I see.¡± She had hoped the doctor might give her a better answer. As his timing yesterday had been a close call for her. If he had been seconds earlier... she did not finish that thought but turned slightly red at the mere thought of what nearly happened.


    <hr>


    Countryman put aside the latest report. It was a scouting report that had confirmed that the last Valorian ship in the system had pulled out. The Enterprise herself had moved deeper into the system and into a region of the Delta Four system that was outside of the reach of Valorian ships. Still even though they couldn¡¯t be touched here, it was nice knowing they were officially gone. Mining had gone well, and they had collected a fair amount of that Erudite stuff. Over the last few days they had been working on optimizing their formula for it, and just yesterday he had approved a production run for Erudite enhanced plating. Unfortunately projections indicated they only had enough to realistically outfit one ship with the plating. The Enterprise naturally. Of course while they were at it, it was high time they actually got to work updating her particle cannons. Something they hadn¡¯t quite had time to do before, but now they could do it in safety.


    Well as much safety as they could ensure given the circumstances. He already had a refit schedule drawn up, and the big ticket item was actually the armor upgrade. Replating the ship would take time, but they had drawn up a plan to keep the time they were vulnerable down. Right this minute new Erudite enhanced plates were being made, and preparations for a rapid swap along with it. The actual rearmoring was scheduled for next week, but the first crews were already at work updating the main guns to the new configuration.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    That was only for the Enterprise, however. The destroyers Coto and Umikaze were not scheduled to begin upgrades quite yet. Instead they were assigned to patrol for now. Along with a fair number of fighters. The fighters thankfully didn¡¯t need to be fit into the refit schedule since they had already been outfitted with the upgrades. It had been far easier to find time to upgrade them. No real surprise there.


    He stretched and closed his apps. Before logging off of his monitor. That report had been the last item on his morning agenda. So now he had some time. He had been considering the problems that came with young Sali. He¡¯d had her captured in hopes of establishing contact with the Valorians who had been rather trigger happy, and as it turned out weren¡¯t even listening for his hails. Now that she was here, she was his problem. He had a few ideas on that. Especially since they could not simply let her go. Killing her wasn¡¯t the solution either. Of course there were other considerations as well. Most importantly he had a feeling that she would prove useful. Her piloting talents were extraordinary. Not to mention having spoken with her, he had found her to be quite intelligent. Although not so good at hiding her feelings. She seemed young to him, and somewhat inexperienced. He had a feeling this may have been her first assignment or close to it.


    Glancing at the time, it was about time he went to meet her. Take her for a bit of a walk, and chat. There were a few things he still needed to discuss with her. After that it would be her first meeting with the council, the people who would in part be deciding her fate. In some ways he felt sorry for her. Fate had not been kind to that young woman, he could see it in her eyes. There was a deep sadness there, and her imprisonment wasn¡¯t the cause. He was sure of it. Why she was so unhappy, he knew not. It was something he wasn¡¯t going to ask her either. At least not anytime soon. Perhaps later once their relationship had improved.


    He slipped out of his ready room, and signaled a pair of guards to follow him. As he headed for the lift that was so conveniently placed near his ready room. They joined him in the lift, and silently took up positions while he input their destination on the lower decks, the brig. Like any ship, the Enterprise had one, and reflecting the size of the Enterprise she had a reasonably large brig, that was split across three decks with about three hundred and fifty general purpose cells, and a few high security cells. It was honestly not enough, not nearly enough. Although that was because neither he nor any of his fellows had anticipated their exact situation. With so many people aboard it was inevitable that some of them would break the rules. Thankfully they hadn¡¯t yet had to deal with any serious crimes, but there were enough that the cells were seeing regular use. Recent measures have helped, but only so much. At least he had a few empty cells, which had allowed him to stick the young Valorian Sali in a private cell. He had a feeling she would not have taken to sharing a cell all that well.


    The lift didn¡¯t take long to deposit him near the brig. There was no lift directly to the brig for security reasons. Not that it bothered him. Setting the pace, he made his way towards the main security office that was not only the main entrance to the brig, but also a major checkpoint for those coming and going.


    When he arrived he nodded to the pair on duty, and moved to the monitor room off to the side. A room he had made sure young Sali didn¡¯t see yesterday, even though they had passed through this very room. The room was manned by several technicians when he entered, whose job was to keep an eye on the various security feeds. These techs were assisted by an AI designed to look for red flag anomalies and highlight them for the techs. The monitors drew their feeds from a series of concealed internal sensor nodes that ensured there was nothing a prisoner could not do without it being observed and recorded.


    He took up position near a monitor, and used it to check in on the prisoner he planned to visit. Countryman had noticed what nearly happened yesterday, and while neither of them had said anything, he had found that she was rather easy to read, and clearly bothered by that. Honestly it made little difference to him. However he didn¡¯t want her to be uncomfortable around him. He had plans already for her, and was already working towards them. It was just going to take time. On the monitor he found her doing sit-ups in her cell, which was maybe not the best choice. Although it wasn¡¯t like she had much else to do.


    He sighed, and made his way out of the room. The guards quickly admitted him to the cells proper, and he made his way through the row of cells towards the back of the brig. Sali¡¯s cell was located towards the rear of the uppermost cell block, the other two cell blocks could only be accessed via either the lift or stairs located inside the brig. With the high security cells being located in the lowermost cell block. Sali didn¡¯t warrant extra security, so she was located up here in the general area. Although her current status also meant that she wasn¡¯t yet allowed to mingle with the general population. Something he hadn¡¯t yet talked to her about. The brig actually had a rec yard for prisoners to mingle in.


    <hr>


    Sali pulled herself up into a sitting position. She had been doing this repeatedly for a few minutes, but this time she froze rather than letting herself fall back. She felt herself flush slightly as she noticed Countryman standing just outside her cell door.  With a clear view no less. Maybe this positioning wasn¡¯t so well thought out...


    Once again he spoke to her in her own tongue. Reminding her of the fact that she had never asked him how he had learned Valorian. ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted her as if he hadn¡¯t just seen what he had seen.


    ¡°Um, how long have you been there?¡±


    ¡°Not that long, two minutes and fourteen point seven seconds before you noticed,¡± he replied.


    She blushed her mind completely skipping over some of what he said. Instead she realized that he had seen. Sali, her face purple, ¡°You, you saw!¡±


    He nodded, ¡°I did. Anyway, care for a walk? We have a few things to discuss.¡±


    Sali blinked. That wasn¡¯t fair. Changing the subject like that. Getting off the floor, she glared at him, ¡°Yes I¡¯d like a walk, but that doesn¡¯t...¡±


    He sighed, cutting her off. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s get going, as we have a lot to discuss, and not a lot of time.¡±


    With that Countryman turned around and walked away. Just as her cell door opened. Sali just sat there not entirely sure what happened for a moment. Then after a moment, her eyes widened and she jumped off the floor before rushing off after him. She wasn¡¯t going to be left behind in that cell. Any chance to get out was worth it.

 Chapter Fifty-Seven Idle Days

    Williams stepped out of the meeting and sighed. Things had not gone so well. The meeting had been about the alien prisoner they had picked up. Williams knew they couldn¡¯t really afford to keep prisoners, yet not one of her suggestions had been taken seriously. It irked her to no end how little she was listened to. Sure it was only one prisoner, but what if they took more? Every additional person was another mouth to feed, another strain on their resources. There was a limit on how many people their resources could support.


    Sure the life support was regenerative but it could only clean so much air at a given time. In addition, while they had a hydroponics bay, it took time to grow food, and there was a limit to how much could be grown at a given time. Those resources in her opinion should be reserved for humans and humans alone. The Cathamari were proof that aliens couldn¡¯t be trusted. In her opinion, they should have crushed the uppity Valorian fleet without mercy. Not let them go, and certainly not take prisoners. Not that anyone listened


    This had been the final meeting before the trial. In other words, this was the meeting where they officially decided her fate. That girl wouldn¡¯t be informed until the trial. The meeting had been interesting, even if it had gone all wrong. The young Valorian woman Sali was difficult to classify given the total lack of prior relations, the lack of any formal treaties between their two races, or even a formal state of war. She was however a captured combatant, who had attempted to detonate her fighter in the hanger bay. There had been a lot of debate on what to do with her, and what was the appropriate actions in regards to the poor girl. What they did, in the end, didn¡¯t sit right with Williams. Of course, the entire question was a difficult one to answer from both moral and practical perspectives.


    She pushed the matter aside for now. Williams figured she would correct their errors on this later, once she had fixed the whole matter about that machine being in command. This whole incident was just one more item in her mind in a long list of reasons why that thing should never have been allowed command. Not that anyone was listening. She would punish them for that failure. In the meantime, her big problem was actually getting command. Something that was increasingly becoming apparent that she would have to outright seize from that machine. At the moment she was not even close to ready for that. It would take time for the pieces to fall in place for her mutiny. At the moment, her hand was rather empty she needed more cards if she was to stand a chance.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped off the lift. While the meeting for Sali¡¯s fate was over now, he still had a rather busy schedule. Which is why he was now down here on the lower decks. Not to see Sali quite yet, but rather for two other reasons. Both of which could be done at the same location. He needed to check up on the ship¡¯s factories and see how progress was going with the Erudite enhanced plating production run. The Erudite-enhanced plating was not all that different from the normal plates. The main difference was that erudite had been added to the Titan alloy they normally use. In the optimized mix, they maintained all of the elements already in titan alloy with the same amounts and ratios to each other. They ended up adding ten point four six seven percent by weight Erudite to the alloy. The result was an even heavier alloy, but it did demonstrate vastly enhanced resistance against energy weapons such as plasma and particle weapons. Given this similarity to the standard Titan alloy, it was officially listed as Titan-Erudite Alloy variant. The alloy being somewhat heavier than the standard version meant that the weight of the Enterprise without cargo would increase. That base weight increase was something he was going to have to keep in mind as it had certain implications. Small ones, but still notable. He felt the trade-offs were worth it though, especially on a heavier capital ship like the Enterprise. Smaller vessels like the Coto, and Umikaze however were probably better off with standard plating.


    The other item on his list was to talk with the factory manager. Sali was going to be assigned work in the ship¡¯s factories, at least for now. That might change later when they review her case in five years. Until then she was going to be working down here during the day. Not only would that give her something to do, but it would mean one less idle hand. It wasn¡¯t the only thing he had to do in regards to the young lady. Sure some of it could be delegated, but he would rather do it himself.


    One of the big tickets would be completing Sali¡¯s registration as a resident. Given her status, he was able to unilaterally do that for her. Especially since she had no recognized rights. That was largely due to the fact that they had no prior contact with her people and not to mention they had little prior contact with alien races. With only the Krall being friendly. That had played into their previous policies regarding the Cathamari. It also meant there weren¡¯t any precedents of alien races having recognized rights or much of anything else either. Something he was going to have to fix. Sali being here was also going to be useful. As he knew his people needed more contact with aliens. Which brought to mind another reason for why he was putting her to work in the factories. A large number of prisoners also ended up working there, but so did a good number of civilians. The job was worth a fair number of ration credits, and thanks to the widespread use of nano construction techniques and anti-gravity technology it wasn¡¯t too strenuous. That made it a fairly attractive job. Sali however wasn¡¯t going to be getting any credits out of the job. Although she won¡¯t need them since her needs were going to be taken care of. In fact he had made that his responsibility, after all it was his orders that led to her being aboard.


    Countryman made his way down the corridor while putting those thoughts aside. His mind moved on to their course. His mind recalled what he knew of those star charts they had obtained. There was a sector of space on the far side of Valorian space that he was interested in. The fastest route would be to head straight through Valorian space, but with recent events, he felt it best not to enter their territory. That left him with two other routes. One of them would involve traveling through Krall space. Nothing too problematic there. The problems came later, as actually reaching the sector would involve crossing a region of space labeled as the Velosa cluster.


    The Velosa Cluster was a rather vast stellar region dominated by dense nebula, and subject to dangerous interstellar phenomena including plasma storms. Navigation in the region was reportedly difficult at the best of times, and the weather was known to sink ships. It sounded like a region best avoided. Something the Valorians seemed to agree with since their space surrounded the cluster on several sides, with core sectors on either side of the cluster. Yet they had no claims to the systems actually in the cluster. The Krall also had a border with the cluster, yet they too had made no attempts to expand into it either. Having seen the warnings he thought it wise to avoid the cluster himself as well.


    That left only one other route to the sector he had in mind. It involved going around the vast perimeter of the Valorian Trade Confederation¡¯s territory. Even then they would still encounter outposts, and colonies beyond the core territories of the Confederation. Not only that but the route would involve passing through regions of space that were politically unstable and rife with dangers. War was a constant in those sectors of the galaxy, and because of that the region had rampant issues with piracy and marauders. It was dangerous, but those were dangers he felt more comfortable facing. They were alien, but not beyond his ability to predict or defend against.


    One thing he did have to consider was that in either case they were talking about a journey of years. With that second route, it would be years from any remotely friendly port. As such they would have to be certain that their supplies could last. Especially since there was little guarantee that they could find a safe harbor from which to resupply.


    That thought made some of his current projects far more important. Putting that aside, he had arrived at his destination. He reached out to a panel, and pressed the chime button. Alerting the occupant inside, to his presence. He centered his thoughts on the conversation ahead, as the voice of an older woman bade him to enter.


    He entered the room to find the surprised face of the factory floor manager. It seemed he had managed to surprise her with his visit. He had sent notice that he would be here today, but perhaps she had not yet read it. She was an older woman, she looked even older than he did, but was actually younger, although only by a couple of decades. The two of them were among the oldest people on this ship. Although he honestly didn¡¯t know the woman all that well. His impressions of her however were quite favorable


    She composed herself quickly, and said, ¡°Captain! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?¡±


    ¡°I sent a memo outlining that, but I guess you haven¡¯t read that. I actually came here for several things. First I would like to discuss the Valorian prisoner, Sali of Clan Arimae. We¡¯ve come to a conclusion on her upcoming trial.¡±


    ¡°Ah, forgive me. I¡¯ve been behind on my paperwork lately, and things have been hectic lately. I must have missed the memo. As for the other thing, I presume you want to assign the young lady to work down here?¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Yes, I believe she would do well down here.¡±


    She turned to her monitor and pulled up a few sheets. ¡°Hmm, we do have a few open positions. We don¡¯t have enough people for all the work we do down here, and I could use another hand moving materials where they are needed.¡±


    Countryman smiled and took one of the available seats. This discussion was going to take a while. Although not too long, and it would get one more item off his list of things to do.


    <hr>


    Richards made her way down the corridor. She was on her way to the brig. Recently she had been talking with Countryman and had learned a few things about their prisoner. Now seemed to be a good time to introduce herself, and also she was hoping to pick the girl¡¯s brain. Valorian technology was different from their own, but interesting. She figured the girl might have some insights into things they hadn¡¯t considered. Ruri had a few things as well that she would like to know. Although it wasn¡¯t a huge priority.


    Part of why she was down here was that she had a little time. At least until the computer finishes that diagnostic of the shield array that she had requested, which might take some time more than usual. The demand for computer resources was fairly high at the moment, and the shields weren¡¯t exactly high priority. They weren¡¯t going to need them until they started work on replating the hull. So she had time. As for why she was running the diagnostic, well the shields were not working correctly. They were powering up. The shield matrix was also forming, but energy wasn¡¯t consistently reaching all of the emitters. As such gaps were formed in the shield matrix, most notably in the forward shields.


    That was going to be a problem later, since they were fairly close to one of the local suns. Close enough that radiation levels were high in this part of the system. Without those shields, external work crews could be exposed to fatal levels of radiation while working on the hull. People inside the hull not so much, but a replating job of this magnitude would require external work crews. The repair arms were meant to make such tasks easier, but they didn¡¯t eliminate the need for human hands. Not entirely anyway.


    Thankfully for the rest of the ship, removing the hull plating even without shields won¡¯t cause a spike in internal radiation levels. That was because the radiation hull lining was positioned underneath the armor, and it was only the outermost layer. It also wasn¡¯t on the list of things to be altered during the refit. Well minor refit anyway.


    Reaching the cell, she found the young woman Sali. The Valorian was laying on her shelf bed, eyes staring at the ceiling. She seemed a little lost in thought and practically jumped a moment later when her cell door was opened. The girl rushed to her feet perhaps a little too quickly, causing her shift to ride up a little. Sali blushed deeply, bringing red to her light blue face and turning it to a decidedly purple tinge.


    She giggled, ¡°Might consider moving a little slower next time. Unless you plan on flashing everyone that comes to visit.¡±


    Richards didn¡¯t know it was possible, but the girl blushed far more deeply. Her emotions were very plain to read. She muttered something as well, but Richards wasn¡¯t sure she heard that right. In any case that didn¡¯t seem to be something to press right now. Instead she ignored it.


    ¡°Anyway, that wasn¡¯t why I came here. I¡¯m Megumi Richards, and I believe you are Sali correct?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Um, yes. That is me. Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Actually I figured you could use a friend, and came to introduce myself.¡±


    <hr>


    Sali shifted in her seat. The alien woman Richards was interesting. She had brought her out to the observation lounge for a chat. There wasn¡¯t much to see out there, it was just the usual swirl of dust and clouds. At least at first. Something bright and hazy could now be seen in the distance. Not that she was focusing much on that.


    Instead, she was having a surprisingly pleasant chat. One completely unrelated to her present circumstances. It was a welcome distraction, and helped her keep her mind off the farce of a trial she knew was coming up. Sali knew by now her fate had been decided, but no one had informed her of it. She had tried asking Richards, and it seemed she knew, but wasn¡¯t allowed to reveal it.


    She wasn¡¯t entirely sure how it happened, but at some point the conversation had drifted to their schooling days, and they had been swapping some stories. The alien¡¯s school days stories were also surprisingly relatable. The culture may have been different, but there were enough similarities. That last one Richards had shared had been interesting. Although she was glad she didn¡¯t have someone like that boy in her own school.


    Richard sighed, and leaned back. ¡°He might not have been so bad if his parents hadn¡¯t died in that accident. I think he mainly did all that for the attention. I had my mother, and my friends, but he had no one.¡±


    Sali gave her a look, ¡°Um, what about your father?¡±


    ¡°I never knew my father. Mom always had a look of regret every time I asked her about him, and then she would deflect the question.¡±


    Sali sighed, ¡°I see. Sometimes I wish things had been better with my father, and I very much had the misfortune of knowing him.¡±


    A frown graced the alien¡¯s face, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My father took a turn for the worst after mother died. It was a heart condition, incurable. My father took it hard, very hard. He was never the same after that.¡± she sighed, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from him in years. My sister used to say it was for the best, but I still wish I could see him again.¡±


    Richards was silent for a moment, ¡°he doesn¡¯t sound like a very good father, but grief does things to people.¡±


    Sali nodded, and agreed. She had seen people change after being stricken with grief. Not only her father. ¡°Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like if mother hadn¡¯t died. Its a pointless fantasy though, its not like a cure for her illness actually existed.¡±


    Richards frowned, ¡°Maybe not. What kind of condition was it?¡±


    Sali confused recalled what she knew of her mother¡¯s condition.


    Richards replied, ¡°It really is a shame our two races didn¡¯t meet earlier.¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°Huh? What do you... You don¡¯t mean!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we could have cured your mother. I¡¯m not all that well versed on the details, but our medical science is quite advanced. We could have easily cured that condition.¡±


    Sali sighed, ¡°That would have been nice. It¡¯s too bad we didn¡¯t meet under better circumstances, but I guess that is just my luck. It seems my luck is just terrible.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Perhaps not. I kinda wish I had a chance to grow up knowing my father. At least you had the chance to know him. I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Sali could understand that, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if maybe the alien woman¡¯s father had died. Something she must have muttered aloud.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not dead. I know that much. The captain knows who he is, but won¡¯t tell me. Although I think I have an idea of who he is.¡±


    Sali gave her a look, ¡°you do?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I suspect that my father is the captain.¡±


    Sali blinked. That wasn¡¯t an answer she suspected. ¡°Why?¡±


    Richards replied, ¡°Well I don¡¯t have any proof but I do have some clues...¡±


    She was interrupted by the door opening, and a young boy rushed in. ¡°Ma¡¯am! You aren¡¯t going to like this.¡±


    Richards looked at him, and sighed, ¡°Not going to like what?¡±


    ¡°That diagnostic you ordered is finished.¡±


    Sali noted the shift in her features, ¡°How bad?¡±


    ¡°The relays are shot, and there are burnouts across half the grid. It will take days to fix.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±


    Richards turned to one of the guards, ¡°I want a full investigation. Look for evidence of sabotage.¡±


    Frowning Sali interjected, ¡°Um, why the suspicion about sabotage?¡±


    None of them seemed to pay attention to her and ignored the question. Instead, she found herself ushered out of the room, and back to her cell moments later. Making a rather eventful end to something she had been enjoying, and leaving her with a fair number of questions.

 Chapter Fifty-Eight Trials, Refits, and Setting Sail

    May 20th, 001 SDE, EFS Enterprise Delta Four Starsystem:


    Sali shifted in her seat. It was finally time, her trial. It was going on around her right now. Today was the day her fate would be declared, and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how to feel about that. Once again she was cursing her luck, as she considered where she had ended up. She was on an alien capital ship surrounded by aliens that were understandably unhappy with her, and her people. That brought to one mind one emotion she knew she was feeling, among the muddled mess of emotions welling up within her.


    The trial itself she knew was also a farce. Her fate was already decided, but at least she would finally know what it was. At least for now. Sali wanted to get off this ship, but the question of how still eluded her. There were just so many variables to account for, and she just wasn¡¯t even ready to try. Even if she was, she still had no idea where to find the hanger. Any chance to succeed would require learning where that was, and finding a ship. That was only half the battle. Assuming she somehow managed to escape, elude the guards, locate the hanger, and get off the ship, she had more problems to deal with. There were so many problems with that sequence that she often found it almost paralyzing. It was why she hadn¡¯t even tried yet despite being here for days. Of course, the biggest problem she had was a simple one. Valorian shuttles and fighters were sublight-only craft, and she had no reason to expect the alien ones to have a faster-than-light drive.


    She sighed and pushed that line of thought aside. Not for the first, she looked around the room. While half listening to the ongoing trial. Like everywhere else, the lighting was fairly dim, but it was bright enough that she could see across the room. Not without shadows draping over the room, however, and with all the people here, it gave the whole room a rather unsettling air.


    Glancing to her side, she noted the woman sitting next to her looking a little bored. Her name was apparently Ruri. Sali remembered what she had seen when the captain had been leading her here to the trial. He had stopped on another deck to collect Ruri. What happened had been a little shocking. They had arrived to find her practically naked, wearing only some underwear, and a torn lab coat. Sali had ended up watching, as she was lectured, and treated like a child. Countryman had actually forced her into a bathroom, to bathe, while he found her something presentable to put her in. He wasn¡¯t even fazed by her bad state of dress. It was like he expected it. The conversation she had afterward, seemed to confirm it.


    Sali was currently settled into one of several seats on a raised dais at the end of the room. A giant monitor was above her, and a podium was up front. It was not the kind of design one would expect for a courtroom. In fact, the room looked more in line with a briefing room, which is what she thought this room was. At the moment, someone was speaking at the podium and she was seated in one of the chairs behind it. Countryman was seated on her other side. There were also a few guards positioned around the room. Each of them was outfitted in that distinctive armor of theirs and holding a rifle.


    Suddenly, she was addressed and called to stand in front of the podium. Slowly, with a bit of trepidation, and perhaps something else, she moved to the indicated position. She had a feeling what this was. It was the dreaded moment, they were about to declare her fate. They had already done everything else in this pointless farce. As much as she hated to admit it, this declaration did matter as it would set the tone for her immediate future. At least until she figured out how to get out of here. Something she was going to do, she swore it to herself. Even if things hadn¡¯t been perfect, she was going to make it back home.


    She took up the position, and she was promptly addressed. ¡°You stand accused, and found guilty of participating in an unlawful, and unprovoked attack against the People of Sol. For that crime, you are sentenced to fifteen years of basic labor in the ship¡¯s factories subject to review in five years'' time.¡±


    She protested and was soon escorted back to her cell. Where she was left to stew, and ultimately cool off. It wasn¡¯t until the next day that she began her ¡®new job.¡¯


    <hr>


    May 28th, 001 SDE:


    Countryman slipped through the door and crossed the short distance to the command chair. He had just completed his inspection of the work done over the last few days and more importantly left another trial behind. This time it was one related to an investigation into the cause behind some rather extensive damage to the forward shield generator. It seemed Williams and her cronies had started messing with minor systems to inconvenience him, as it was indeed sabotage that caused the damage. Unfortunately, they only caught the saboteur and he hadn¡¯t revealed anything about his friends, who had gone to ground. No matter his trial alone helped mitigate the rather minor damage the sabotage had caused.


    What was far more important was the fact that the minor refits had been completed. They took longer than they needed to, but that was largely due to the rotation schedule they had implemented. One that had thankfully proved unneccessary. Of course the refits while technically minor did represent some fairly large performance improvements for the weapons array, and the armor on the Enterprise got a significant upgrade. In addition during the refit process, they had completed their study into the Krall subspace radio technology, and upgraded their comms accordingly. Nothing that would class as major though. For that it would have to be something like a massive reconfiguration of several decks or something like that. Countryman figured it would be many years before the Enterprise would need a major refit. The ship was still young afterall. It was only a year old, afterall, and it was designed for an extensive service period. Like most capital ships she was intended for a service period of about a hundred years, and an expectation of one maybe two major refits during that period. Thankfully the war didn¡¯t prevent the ship from being built to that standard. If anything they built her better than average. As they wanted to be certain that the Enterprise would hold up against anything they might encounter out here. Even if the current mission wasn¡¯t exactly what they had envisioned for the ship.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The refits anyway hadn¡¯t just been completed they had gone well. They had found a few abandoned pirate bases with reasonably intact defenses, that had made excellent test targets. The locations had been thoroughly glassed by the intense heat and energy of the particle bolts. Bolts that had melted deep craters into the ground. There was nothing left of those abandoned bases now. It had made for a good test of the upgraded weapons though.


    Putting that aside, it was time to depart. They had been here too long, it was time to say goodbye to this system. Settling into his chair, he looked over the bridge. Moments later he gave the order. With that order, they set forth on a course out of the system. It would be days before they actually reached the edge of the system however, and made it to warp since they were fairly deep in the system. That very position had played a role in keeping them safe. So this was a minor inconvenience.


    <hr>


    June 4th 001 SDE, Valoria, Tagresh City:


    The Councilwoman sighed, as she looked out the window. Her office was placed in a location that gave her a rather scenic overview of the surrounding area, and most notably the coast. She could see a few ships moving in and out of the age old harbor. It had been part of the city for decades. Tagresh had been built up around that harbor. Long ago it had once been the thriving center of trade, and had made Tagresh one of the wealthiest cities in all of Valoria. Today that harbor was a mere shadow of itself. It was no longer graced with massive trade ships, and the bustle of a thriving sea trade. Instead it was graced with tourists. Most of the ships that came and left were cruise ships that gave the folk guided sea tours. Although there were also a fair number of private yachts that made the harbor their home port


    It also certainly made for a great view, something she much enjoyed. In addition it was also much quieter than the starport which could not be seen from her window. That was in the other direction, and located on the opposite side of the city.


    She centered herself with the view, and after a moment she asked, ¡°Is this report accurate?¡±


    She was of course referring to the reports from the seventeenth fleet which had returned to port in shambles late yesterday afternoon. They had taken a beating. A severe beating that didn¡¯t often come to ships of the Valorian navy, espeicially not with their powerful shields. Of the two thousand ships that made up the 17th patrol fleet, about half of them were gone. The others had taken heavy to moderate damage. They had barely a third of their normal effective combat strength. Its arrival in such a state was not good news in her mind. If anything if this report was accurate, it was the opposite. Worse if that report got to any one of her rivals, it could ruin her and her party. It didn¡¯t help that she had lost all contact with her contacts in the Rydia clan.


    Her aide nodded, ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±


    She sighed, and glanced at the combat record playing on the monitor. It was set to loop, and it was replaying now. She had already seen it. The record reminded her of that one report she had seen from the Rydia clan. They had only sent her info on the alien fighters, but the 17th fleet had actually encountered something bigger than a fighter. Capital ships, and from the looks of it, only three. A mere three vessels had proven sufficient to not only best a fleet 2000 strong, but cripple it. Part of that was clearly the local conditions favoring the aliens. Yet it did give some data on them to study.


    The alien ships were agile, very agile. Some of the fastest she had seen. Not only that, but their engines had no apparent thruster ports. A reactionless drive, maybe, which gave them an edge. They could not only match valorian ships in speed, but they could turn faster. Something the battle had made quite apparent.


    The battle had also given her a fair amount of data on the alien weapons. Worse, the alien torpedoes were now confirmed as able to penetrate Valorian energy screens. Often with devastating results, an indication of their destructive power. A single warhead was so lethal, that a single direct hit was sufficient to destroy a cruiser. The mines the aliens had made use of were similarly lethal with equally spectacular results on impact.


    Their other weapons were not so noteworthy. Deadly to be sure, absolutely devastating against a target without adequate shielding, but at least they were something they knew how to defend against. The alien torpedoes not so much, especially since the report didn¡¯t give much data on how they were penetrating the shields. The alien particle weapons were also observed doing it, but that was brute force. Made easier by the environment weakening the shields. The torpedoes clearly didn¡¯t use that method, but the exact particulars escaped them.


    ¡°Has the 17th fleet shared this with anyone?¡±


    ¡°No, mistress. They have been in isolation since their return.¡±


    She nodded, at least something hadn¡¯t gone horribly wrong. ¡°Good, news of this can¡¯t be allowed to spread. Draw up a falsified report about them running into a plasma storm or something, and classify the whole incident. Make sure everyone understands that this is classified. Also get me Irnas from the Balynik clan, I have a job for him.¡±

 Chapter Fifty-Nine Outpost in Distress

    August 14th 001 SDE, EFS Enterprise, Dalmine Sector Neutral Space:


    Sali shifted her stance as she maneuvered the large grav-sled down the corridor. It was comically large, and if it weren¡¯t for the combination of antigrav engines, and auto stabilizers there would be no way for her to move it alone. Yet that was what she was doing. In fact she had been doing this a lot lately.


    By this point in time, she had no idea where the ship was. She did know they were currently at warp. High warp by the feel of it. It was different, but she had been on ships long enough to recognize an active warp drive. Unfortunately, that knowledge didn¡¯t do her a lot of good.


    She sighed, the job on the other hand did do her some good. It had given her a chance to interact with a few of the aliens. More importantly, it had allowed her to explore. To a certain degree. Her movements were, unfortunately, being monitored, and there was always a guard around. Still she was starting to get an idea of where things were. She even knew where to find a hangar it wasn¡¯t one of the main bays, but she had been there a few times moving cargo now. With that knowledge, she was starting to put together a plan that might stand a chance of success. Now she just needed an opportunity. At this point she felt getting off the ship might be the easy part, it was avoiding recapture that might be the problem. Figuring that out wasn¡¯t so easy. It didn¡¯t help that she had zero access to any system that might conceivably be used to send a message. If she had someone waiting for her that would make things much easier. That was the real trick, but there was precious little she could do on that front.


    Making a turn, she noted the large door up ahead, her destination. It was actually a part of the ship, she had not yet visited. So she was paying attention. Honestly she didn¡¯t even know what she was transporting. She had picked it up from the factory level as instructed and was bringing it here to deck 97. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure where on the deck she was, but she knew she was located aft.


    Reaching the door, she let go of the grav-sled, and made for the door. Pressing her palm against a scanner, she waited. After a moment, there was a chime, followed by a computerized voice, ¡°Temporary access, granted. This pass will expire in three minutes.¡±


    She sighed, grabbed the sled, and started moving it through the freshly opened security door. It was not the first time she had made a delivery to a secure area, and this was the norm. For scheduled things like this, the computer would grant her a temporary pass. Staying past its expiration, however, wasn¡¯t a good idea. As the computer would immediately notify security. Leading to nothing but trouble. Unfortunately, she had the misfortune of knowing that firsthand. As she had made the mistake of letting that pass expire once. Security had arrived very quickly, after that, and she was escorted back to her cell. There were even consequences after that as well. It was why it was an experience she didn¡¯t care to repeat.


    Assuming the damn door cooperated with her, but after a moment she got the container through and made her way into the room proper. Where she noticed a piece of alien technology she hadn¡¯t seen before. It was massive dominating the room. Only reason she hadn¡¯t noticed earlier was that she wasn¡¯t looking.  Two domes faced each other, one on the floor the other on the ceiling. A tapered cone extended from the centers of these two domes. Floating between the ends of the two cones was a massive glowing sphere around which a large horizontally orientated ring seemed to be floating. The glowing sphere rippled and roiled like living fire. She recognized it instantly as a ball of superheated plasma.


    A lump formed in her throat a moment later, as she realized there didn¡¯t seem to be a containment field around that plasma. None at all. The sphere rippled, and a prominence suddenly shot off it towards the ceiling. What followed wasn¡¯t what she expected. Instead the prominence arced, curving into the ring. Where it rippled across its surface and dissipated harmlessly. She realized a moment later that her heart was beating rapidly.


    Forcing her eyes from the giant death trap, she noted the few people, and an obvious place to set down her container. Most of the people here were simply monitoring equipment, but there was someone working near an open panel as well. Sali didn¡¯t pay them much mind. Instead, she did what she needed and got out of there faster than she normally would.


    She practically rushed out of the room, and made her way down the corridors. It wasn¡¯t until a few minutes later that she stopped. Those aliens were crazy. That thing was a fucking plasma reactor. She had never even heard of one being placed on a starship. In many respects they were more dangerous than an antimatter reactor. As it was far more difficult to keep burning plasma contained. She had no idea how that plasma reactor was contained, but frankly she did not want to be anywhere near that thing. Sali wasn¡¯t going to trust in alien technology she knew nothing about.


    Putting that aside, she looked around, and quickly realized she didn¡¯t recognize her surroundings. She wasn¡¯t in one of the main corridors, and there was no one in sight. Not even a gaurd. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, and somehow she had also lost her watcher. The corridor she was in right now was a smaller narrower passage, but it didn¡¯t look all that different from any other. With regularly spaced doors, armored walls, dim lighting, and steady blue lights running the length of the corridor. They were always, a steady blue, and then suddenly they weren¡¯t. They turned red as she was looking around, the hum of the warp drive ceased, alarms rang, and a computerized voice made an announcement. She didn¡¯t understand every word, as she had only picked up a small handful of alien words so far. Something about this felt very ominous.


    <hr>


    Neutral Trading Outpost, Jewel of Dalmini, Dalmine sector 1457 hours:


    ¡°Shields Critical!¡±


    ¡°Hull breach, level fourteen!¡±


    ¡°Sir! New contacts!¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The outpost commander bit back a curse. Today was not a good day, not by a long shot. It didn¡¯t help that she was woken early to this. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for raiders to attack transports, and freight conveys near the outpost. An attack on the outpost itself was something they didn¡¯t normally do. This wasn¡¯t a raider attack, she was sure of it. Something told her it was only meant to look like one.


    She certainly didn¡¯t need more raiders. Focusing on her terrible tactical situation, she shouted back, ¡°Divert additional power to the shields! Take it from life-support if you have to, but don¡¯t let those shields fail!¡±


    Turning she ignored the hull breach, and trusting in automated measures to deal with it, said, ¡°Can you identify those contacts.¡±


    ¡°Negative, sir. No match in the database.¡±


    She immediately requested they be placed on screen while glancing at the tactical plot. Several raiders had changed course. They were now moving towards the new contacts. That could mean one of two things. She had her preference on which.


    Her main screen crackled, fizzed and soon displayed a somewhat grainy image. Three alien vessels could be seen, in a loose formation, along with two raiders approaching. The big one appeared to be launching fighters. A carrier perhaps? No, the lines were more suggestive of a heavy combat vessel, and it was huge. Perhaps a Battlecarrier? Not that she had time to speculate. All that mattered was determining if these were new foes or potential friends. Obviously, she hoped for the latter. Maybe they had come in response to her distress call sent hours earlier. Something she deeply hoped was the case, but she wasn¡¯t going to hold out for it. With her luck, they might have been behind the whole attack.


    A thought that immediately proved suspect. One of the raiders, a destroyer-sized ship was closing on the port side of the big one, when suddenly a blue energy beam lanced out from the alien capital ship. It raked across the hull of the raider from stem to stern. Shields flared, and buckled. The beam tore through deck plating, hull, and superstructure like tissue paper. Fires broke out, and several internal explosions ripped through entire sections of the ship, as she was effectively bisected by the alien beam weapon.


    In an instant, she was nothing more than floating wreckage, as lifepods were being launched. Pods the aliens promptly ignored, instead turning their terrible weapon on a second target, another destroyer, with equally deadly results. Something that garnered the attention of several of the larger raider ships firing on her outpost. A fact the commander was quite grateful for given how strained her shields were.


    Something reflected in her next order to tactical, ¡°Let them go, focus your fire on the remaining ships.¡±


    At that moment she noticed, the raider flag open fire on the alien flag. Both ships were of similar tonnage. The raider flag was outfitted with high-yield plasma mortars, a potent weapon that they shouldn¡¯t have even had access to. The plasma mortar was a short range plasma weapon intended for use against heavy capital ships, outposts and starbases. It fired ¡®heavy plasma shells¡¯ which were dense plasma rounds contained by an energy envelope. The resulting heavy plasma bolt or shell as it was often referred to had a destructive power comparable to the inelegant concussion plasma cannons the Cathamari liked to use. With much better range as well, unfortunately, it was also somewhat inaccurate, especially at range.


    Potent orange-green bolts of deadly plasma ripple fired from the raider¡¯s menacing hull. Yet the aliens seemed to take no evasive action, and to her surprise, she was informed that they hadn¡¯t raised shields either. Perhaps they could not? Some ships, especially those with older technology were vulnerable just after completing a jump. Yet what followed was shocking.


    The bolts slammed into her hull, splashing the armored alien hull with deadly plasma. Fire roiled across the surface of her dark hull, in an impressive display. The fire soon dimmed and vanished, leaving behind a pristine, unblemished hull. The alien hull plating had held.


    She returned fire, and began a maneuver where the commander noted that the alien¡¯s hangar bays were closed now. Bolts of blue energy rippled from weapon ports that she hadn¡¯t noticed before. Shields flared in response and held against the alien weapons. Not much surprise there, both ships were of similar size


    Moving away from the two titans duking it out, she glanced at her ops center. ¡°Shield status?¡±


    <hr>


    Ship Unknown, Location Dalmine Sector, en route to the Jewel of Dalmini, 1515hours:


    She leaned over the tactical display. They were still a good three hours out, but they were close enough now that long-range sensors could give them data on the battle unfolding at the Jewel of Dalmini.


    The outpost was a Neutral outpost of Valorian make and origin. Manned by Valorians, but open to races of all sorts. It often served as both a center of local trade and a neutral meeting place for local powers. Why anyone would be attacking the outpost, she didn¡¯t know. Raiders typically waylaid ships leaving or approaching the outpost. Occasionally they might skirmish with the local fleet but never had they directly attacked the outpost before.


    What she could see on the display had her worried. There was no sign of the two hundred ship fleet assigned to protect the outpost and patrol local space. Instead she saw about eighty ships of raider configurations, and very fuzzy images indicating the presence of alien ships. At least one appeared to be of battleship tonnage. She wasn¡¯t sure of the exact numbers since they only appeared on sensors when they fired. From this range it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. However that didn¡¯t prevent her from noticing that the outpost¡¯s shields were strained, readings indicated they were close to failing.


    She turned, ¡°Increase speed!¡±


    ¡°Sir! I must protest. Our drive is already at maximum, any more could burn out the drives!¡±


    She glared, ¡°I said increase speed. Burn them out, but we need to be there now! INCREASE SPEED!¡±


    ¡°...Aye, sir. Increasing speed.¡±


    She heard the hum of the warp drive increase, and the deck began to vibrate a bit. That hum quickly transitioned to a slightly ominous sound, but she knew the ship could take it. Her ship had a maximum safe cruising velocity of warp 4.2, or 280 times the speed of light. She watched the speed indicator as the engines were pushed. Warp 4.3, 4.4, 4.5. It crept up there quickly before leveling off at 4.56. That was about at hard as the engines could be pushed. Unfortunately even at over six hundred times the speed of light, it was still going to take over an hour to reach the outpost. She just hoped they could hold out until she got there. A sentiment not shared by her chief engineer who was giving her some rather angry looks.

 Chapter Sixty Incident at the Outpost

    Sali made her way down the corridor. The deck shook under her feet, and the dimly lit corridor felt ominous in the red light. Worse she had little idea what was going on, but it didn¡¯t take a genius to know it wasn¡¯t good. The shaking gave her a few ideas, but she really didn¡¯t like not knowing.  It just made this whole situation worse. Mainly since she couldn¡¯t stop speculating about what was happening. It didn¡¯t help that she was hopelessly lost. She couldn¡¯t even stop and ask for directions since the corridor was just like the last completely deserted. It was made even weirder since she had found her way back to the main corridors. Normally there was always people rushing through these passages. Yet now they were deserted and empty.


    The hall shook suddenly with enough force to make her stumble. Whatever that was must have hit the ship hard. There was a door nearby so she tried it. ¡°Access denied¡± responded the computer after she palmed the panel. She sighed and bit back a curse. That fricking little message was irritatingly common. Every fucking door, every fucking one denied her access. It felt like the entire deck was restricted or something. Where was a lift, or maintenance tube when she needed one? If she could find something familiar she knew she had a chance to get somewhere safer. In fact, this might just be her chance to escape, if she could just find her way off this damn deck.


    Again the deck shook, but not as hard as the last time. Sali glanced at the next door on the other side of the corridor from this one, and decided to try it as well. Palming the door panel, she was greeted with a beep, and then the sturdy metal door slid aside. A surge of endorphins rippled through her as she was met with success. Finally, a door that didn¡¯t deny her access.


    She slipped inside and felt a surge of disappointment. The room was somewhat familiar. She had seen another one, on a different deck. Countryman liked to take her to that one for his long chats with her. It wasn¡¯t a lift, nor was it a maintenance tube. Sali had found herself in an observation lounge. Complete with chairs, tables, and an excellent view of sealed viewports. From the looks of it, the outer hatches had been sealed.


    How the hell did this help her? Sighing she entered the room anyway. She noted it had two entry doors, and at the rear between them was a console overlooking the whole room, and the viewports. The room shook, and she bit down another curse. She decided to check out the console. It was probably useless, but who knows maybe she could find a map?


    Unfortunately, the controls were in the alien script, and she couldn¡¯t exactly read their language. There were a few prominent controls on the left-hand side of the console. So she tried the first one. It triggered a computerized response, but she only understood the first two words, ¡®request denied.¡¯ The rest might as well have been unintelligible gibberish for all the sense she could make of it. So she tried the second one. Suddenly a ring of light glowed around the far wall, a moment before it morphed into a holographic projection.


    It was a starscape and at first it wasn¡¯t much else. Until a pirate raider drifted into view. A moment later blue bolts pelted the small raider amidships. The bolts originated from just above her viewpoint. Shields flared, and buckled. Moments before the ship was reduced to a chunk of floating debris with more holes in it than a piece of insect-infested fruit. Then for good measure, a coherent blue energy beam raked the hull of the raider bisecting the stricken ship in an instant.


    Before she could even blink at the destruction, a second raider appeared her torpedo tubes aglow. She fired. Bolts of orange-green death seemed to fly right at her. Just as they seemed to impact, she felt the whole room shake. It seemed she now knew for certain what the fuck was going on. It was a fucking battle!


    <hr>


    The constant din of reports echoed through the bridge. As officers relayed critical combat information. Idly he noted a security alert on his console. He checked the alert, while giving his next order.


    ¡°Bring us about to bearing one zero seven, mark two eight. Increase speed to three quarters sublight. Return fire, secondary batteries.¡±


    The Enterprise was currently engaged with several ships including the ¡®raider¡¯ flag. Although it was pretty obvious that this was no raider. It was too well equiped, and her crew was obviously more disciplined. A pirate group would have run by now. Instead they were still here. There was something more to this little distress call than things appeared at first glance.


    He wasn¡¯t too worried about the raiders though. Their weapons weren¡¯t quite big enough to penetrate his armor. Although they did have powerful shields and good armor of their own, especially the larger ships. The flag was particularly noteworthy since she had shields that rivaled the outpost, and her armor was tritanium-erudite alloy. He already knew that erudite wasn¡¯t easy to come by, and tritanium wasn¡¯t cheap either. This left him with questions, but thinking about them now was not going to mean much.


    A glance at the screens showed the small fry that had fired on them moving off, after taking a volley from his secondaries. It had sustained moderate damage and lost shields. Effectively knocking the raider destroyer out of the fight. He turned his focus to the flag.


    The Enterprise and the Raider flag had been exchanging fire for the last few minutes. While he could have just used the electro-cannons, he was hiding that card up his sleeve. It wasn¡¯t one that he wanted to display. Especially not while aiding an alien outpost. Besides this was a good test of the weapon¡¯s upgrades. As such he was relying on mainly particle cannons, and beam weapon mounts. The torpedoes were useful, but they weren¡¯t easily replaced. They had been focusing their fire on the raider¡¯s port aft quarter. Something the raider had caught on about and was attempting to avoid getting hit there now.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The raider fired her thrusters, hard. Pushing her onto a new trajectory. He gave an order to stick with them, and waited. A moment or two, until his instincts told him it was time. ¡°Main batteries, fire for effect, maximum yield.¡±


    His orders were echoed, officers relayed information, and the guns fired. A barrage of vibrant purple energy shot forth into space with a vengeance. Normally it was blue, but the color shift was just a sign that the guns had been supercharged. Dense particle streams slammed into the raider flag¡¯s aft port quarter. The weakened shield flared brightly and flickered. Moments before it collapsed. Letting the remaining bolts pepper the armored hull of the warship. Armor melted, and was scored by the barrage, but for the first time, an alien armor scheme actually survived a particle barrage.


    No Cathamari armor had ever withstood his particle cannons, and that was without the upgrades. It didn¡¯t fare as well as proper overlord armor, but it did hold. A ripple of surprise went through his bridge crew. He did not let that surprise shake him, ¡°Target their primary distribution manifolds and fire.¡±


    An instant later blue energy streams slammed into their hull, and punched through. Several precision strikes hit and penetrated in sequence, and the ship went dark as power was disrupted all over the ship. ¡°Target disabled, sir. Shields, weapons, and engines all offline.¡±


    ¡°Good. Put the Coto on overwatch. Vent them, and then prepare to harvest that hull plating. I imagine it might be worth a look.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    <hr>


    The commander felt a bit of relief when she was informed that the shields were now at twenty percent of nominal strength. That wasn¡¯t perfect, but they were no longer critical. It helped that the majority of the heavy-hitting raiders were now engaged with the three alien ships. Ships that were giving the raiders quite the fight. It was quite impressive, especially now that it was evident that the newcomer aliens were without shields. Their armor however was something special however.


    She glanced at the screens and then had to look again. Only to confirm what she had seen. The alien flag was now solidly ignoring the remaining raiders. Several raider cruisers were disabled, and over half the smaller ships were scattered wrecks. The remainder continued to engage. Something the commander had to wonder about. At this point, it was obvious that they were outmatched. Hell, it was so obvious that the alien flag felt comfortable enough to be conducting a salvage operation in the middle of a battle.


    On the screens, she watched as steady blue energy streams burned through the raider¡¯s hull plating at a modest clip. Projectors peppered her hull plating with low-impact projectiles, that simply adhered to the hull, and moments later a series of towing beams would be used to lift the plates away. Pulling them towards a hangar bay, that would open quickly to admit the salvage, and close before anyone could take advantage. It was an efficient process, that was rapidly disassembling the raider.


    A destroyer did attempt, several torpedos slamming uselessly into the recently sealed doors. Before the destroyer could get out of range both the alien flag, and one of her destroyers ripped her apart with accurate particle weapons strikes. Several hits struck the poor destroyer amidships, penetrated meters into the hull, and disrupted primary containment. Antimatter leaked, and the ship went up in a glorious fireball with the intensity of a small sun. A glorious mix of orange, blue, red, and even green light flared around the dying ship. When it cleared half the ship had been vaporized the rest was nothing more than shredded and scorched debris. Debris that was promptly targeted, and collected by the alien flag.


    She glanced at her science officer, who without needing prompting informed her, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there isn¡¯t much I can say. Their hull is shielded somehow against sensors.¡±


    The commander chuckled, ¡°Knowing you, that didn¡¯t stop you. What did you find?¡±


    ¡°I was able to get a surface level scan of their armor. A somewhat fuzzy surface-level scan mind you. Its composed of a previously unknown titanium-based alloy.¡±


    ¡°Titanium? Not the most common choice for ship armor,¡± she commented. As she recalled what she knew about shipbuilding materials. One of the earliest materials looked at was Titanium due to its excellent material properties and relatively low weight. Its still popular in several applications, and even shipbuilding, but not often used as armor. Duranium was actually the most common pick for armor. As its properties were more desirable, it weighed about the same, and it was reasonably easy to produce.


    ¡°True. Anyway to answer your real question I don¡¯t think they have much reason to be worried about the Raiders. Especially seeing as the raider weapons have been unable to pierce that plating of theirs.¡±


    ¡°I see. In case they don¡¯t turn out to be friendly do you think any of our weapons could pierce their armor?¡±


    ¡°Our pulse cannons certainly don¡¯t stand a chance, but the Concussion cannons do.¡±


    She filed that mentally. The commander was familiar with the weapon. They were large bulky power-hungry devices often only found on outposts, starbases, and the like. Although it wasn¡¯t impossible to mount one on a ship, but only large capital ships would have both the volume and power capacity for a concussion cannon. Her outpost had four of the weapons. Class IIs as she recalled. The weapon as she recalled fired an extremely powerful concussive blast of exotic energy generated by intense spatial flux. Smaller vessels were often ripped apart by the force of the concussion blast. Larger vessels fared better, but that was only while their shields were up. Once they went down the weapon would rip them apart in very short order.


    Facts the raiders had been aware of as well. Her outpost originally carried four of the powerful cannons, but three of them were offline. Disabled by concentrated fire from raider plasma mortars, and ion barrages. The only operational one wasn¡¯t even facing the bulk of the battle.


    She turned to a passing engineer, ¡°I want the work crews to concentrate on the main cannons. Just in case we need them.¡±


    The engineer nodded, and rushed off to inform the chief about the order. She turned her gaze back to the battle. It had moved away from her station giving her a bit of a reprieve. This time she noted several raider ships breaking off in groups. It seemed they were retreating. The aliens did not pursue, and moments later the remaining raiders made the jump to warp speed.

 Interlude Earth Vessels: NX-1200 project; X-1212 Destroyer

    The X-1212 was part of the twelve hundred series of starship designs that was started as part of Earth¡¯s warp project. More specifically the X-1212 was a product of the warp three program. The demands of warp travel required more powerful energy sources than previously employed in ship design. The X-1212 was among the first in a series of new ships designed to utilize the highly experimental warp engine and take advantage of the increased power generation provided by the antimatter reactors required to power the warp drive system.


    Before we fully explore what the X-1212 is it would be best to explore what precisely a destroyer is. In the modern space age, destroyers are medium-sized spaceships often employed in a variety of roles including the escort of capital ships such as carriers, battleships, and heavy cruisers. Destroyers themselves however are not classed as capital ships.


    Features common to most destroyer types include large torpedo bays and powerful primary engines. Destroyers may include fairly powerful sensors in their design as well, especially if they were intended for an escort role. Escort destroyers also often carry an armament heavy on light weapons, as they are expected to act as heavier screening vessels to protect capital ships.


    The primary role of destroyers however has always been attack. A well-designed destroyer is intended to slip into range unleash a payload of torpedoes and slip out. Their large torpedo bays and high speed lend themselves well to this manner of attack and make any destroyer a potent threat to enemy capital ships. Possible hull codes attached to a destroyer include DD and DDE. These codes are indicative of their role.


    The X-1212 was designed primarily for offense. She features highly efficient main engines and powerful secondary drives that give her a potent mix of fuel efficiency and power when she needs it. The ship is as a result very agile, yet capable of long-range missions. While her 24 rapid-fire frontal torpedo launchers and eight aft allow her to deploy a significant payload of deadly torpedoes in short order. The ship was designed to fire the new photon torpedoes, but her launchers remain compatible with older missiles such as the mark five fusion warheads.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    She is not all torpedo and engine, however, as she possesses a fairly balanced weapon array that includes a few particle cannon banks, and a single particle beam weapon array. Along with an Electro cannon array, and minelayer capability. Her particle cannons are medium mount dual purpose guns intended for use against both other large ships and small auxiliary ships such as fighters. This weapon loadout is heavily favored for engaging other starships, and capital ships. As such the 1212 does suffer somewhat when faced against large numbers of small agile attack ships.


    The 1212 class of destroyers is 970 meters long with thirty-eight decks. She is intended for a standard crew of nearly six hundred individuals. That doesn¡¯t count her onboard marine complement which was originally slated to be around two thousand. Like many destroyers, she was given landing capability, and during ground assaults was intended to act both as a source of reinforcements and close aerial support. The last year however has required some modifications to increase her crew capacity, and both currently operating 1212 class destroyers have these increased accommodations.


    Her large torpedo bays have the capacity to carry an impressive seventy-five thousand ship-to-ship warheads. Allowing for nearly fifteen minutes of continuous fire with her torpedo launchers. Each high-yield warhead supports a variable yield of up to 512 megatons. Making the 1212 a significant threat on the battlefield.


    Defensively the 1212 is outfitted with the latest in Overlord hull plating. The overlord scheme is highly effective at protecting against most known weapons. They have only three meters of armor, which by modern standards is somewhat thin. Especially for their size class, but they make up for the thin armor with superior power generation which helps compensate for the thinness of the plate, and makes her far more resilient than her immediate predecessor the venerable O''Brien class Destroyer. The ship upon which the 1212¡¯s design was based upon. Although the 1212 features a number of improvements and is a fair bit larger than her predecessor.

 Chapter Sixty-One Encounter at the Outpost

    Sali turned away from the holo-display that concealed the closed viewports in this observation lounge. The shaking had stopped a while ago, and there was not much to say about the battle. As the battle seemed to have ended. With a sigh, she glanced at the doors. Coming in here had been a mistake. As the doors had locked behind her, and the computer was denying her exit. In other words she was trapped in here.


    Another sigh escaped her. Honestly being trapped in here didn¡¯t make much difference. Being stuck here wasn¡¯t all that different from being utterly lost. She just wasn¡¯t looking forward to when she was missed and someone came looking for her. She couldn¡¯t imagine that being pleasant. Sali shuddered just thinking about it, as her imagination conjured up all sorts of scenarios. Each one worse than the last. A couple of them however were just pure fantasy and she knew it. She quashed them and wandered the room again. Honestly the worst part of this was the waiting.


    It seemed her life had devolved into being trapped in one form or another. This alien vessel had simply become her prison. What joy that one was. She glanced back at the viewport and noted the station glimmering in the light of a distant sun. Sali recognized the design, it was a Valorian design often favored for remote outposts, and trade stations. Seeing it was like being stabbed in the gut. Sali slumped into a nearby chair. Already she was cursing herself for coming into this room. Not only that she was berating herself for getting lost in the first place. That failure of hers had cost her. She had lost her best chance to escape since she had got here.


    The Valorian girl had this feeling that she might not get another one. Even if she hoped that feeling was wrong, she knew that getting off this ship wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Getting off however was actually the easiest part, it was staying off that was not going to be so easy, and the answer to that problem was sitting right out there in plain view. Practically taunting her with its presence, and here she was trapped. Locked in this room with no way out. It didn¡¯t help that she was lacking in both tools and knowledge. A fact that had stymied her attempts to unlock the doors.


    Suddenly she heard a noise. Her attention was drawn to the doors. Where two armored figures were now entering the room. She sighed. It seemed her taste of freedom was over. Sali considered trying to fight them, but her gaze fell over their rifles. The impulse vanished as quickly as it formed. Besides there wasn¡¯t much she could do against two fully armed and armored opponents when she herself was practically naked and unarmed.


    With a sigh, she stood up. ¡°I, uh... got lost.¡±


    Neither one said a word and merely gestured toward the door. She complied and allowed them to escort her out of the room. Inwardly she was hoping for another chance, and she promised herself she wouldn¡¯t squander it when it came.


    <hr>


    She shifted in her seat as her ship dropped out of warp. Behind her she could feel the displeasure of her chief engineer. Her decision to increase speed wasn¡¯t exactly popular with the engineering staff. Quite a few members in her crew agreed with them, and she did have to admit that it seemed risky.


    The outpost glimmering in the light of distant stars, however, proved her right. They had gotten here before it could be destroyed. At least she thought so for a moment or two. As the view stabilized she began to pick out the lack of weapons fire. There was debris scattered around the system. The wreckage of destroyed ships. Some of it raider, some of it Valorian. No active raiders were in sight, nor did she see the mysterious aliens. Not at first.


    It took a moment but a ship suddenly appeared on the screens as it began tearing into the wreckage of a raider. Several more popped on screens, all of them shuttle sized as they zipped around a frigate-sized chunk of ruined starship. Focused cutting beams tore it apart and tractor beams collected the wreckage with remarkable speed and efficiency. It took only minutes for the wreck to be disassembled and collected.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long before another piece of raider debris was attacked in similar fashion. It seemed the mystery aliens were still around, and conducting salvage operations. Worse they didn¡¯t seem to be showing up on standard sensor scans. Some kind of stealth technology perhaps? That was concerning, and made her feel uncomfortable.


    ¡°Status of the outpost?¡±


    ¡°The station has sustained moderate damage. Her shields are up, and at 69%. Weapon systems are on active standby.¡±


    She noted that, and also mentally noted the absence of the fleet that was supposed to be protecting the outpost. Although at least some of the ships had been here, she could see the debris of destroyed Valorian ships. It seemed they had arrived too late to join the battle,  and she had pushed the engines so that they could get here in time.


    The commander let that hang for a moment before asking the dreaded question, ¡°Drive status?¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Her glaring chief practically spat out the report, ¡°Dead. You burned them out.¡±


    She understood her chief engineer¡¯s displeasure over that, but thankfully there was an outpost here. The commander made a mental note to have a chat with her chief engineer later.


    She filed the condition of the engines mentally, and gave her next order. ¡°Hail the outpost.¡±


    A moment later a middle-aged woman appeared on the screen, her appearance somewhat dishevelled. The station commander perhaps. The other woman smiled, ¡°Am I glad to see you.¡±


    While she already had an idea she inquired anyway, ¡°I rushed here as quick as I could. Faster than my crew would have liked in fact. What is your status, and is there anything I can do to assist?¡±


    ¡°Well enough considering. The remaining raiders jumped away awhile ago, and we¡¯ve used the time to begin repairs to the defense grid.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I notice your shields are still up. Expecting more trouble?¡±


    The station commander shrugged, ¡°Not really,¡± pausing she waved a hand out there, ¡°but I don¡¯t exactly trust my... new friends¡±


    Glancing at her screens, ¡°Yes, I can see why. Hard to trust someone when you can¡¯t see them¡±


    The other woman blinked, ¡°You might want to adjust your sensors then. Something about their armor interferes with standard scans, but they aren¡¯t invisible. Just hard to spot.¡±


    ¡°I take it you can see them, then?¡±


    ¡°You would be right about that. My science officer adjusted the sensors to pick them up. Its a small fleet, but they challenged the raiders and came out of the fight without even scratching the paint.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± she replied not entirely sure what to make of what she was hearing. Changing the subject a bit, she inquired, ¡°Have you spoken with the aliens?¡±


    ¡°Briefly. Not much to share about the exchange. They offered further assistance. I refused, and then they inquired about purchasing local star charts. They also inquired about the local political landscape.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Sounds like they might be new to this area, and looking for information on what to expect.¡±


    ¡°I got that impression as well. Why else would they be asking for that kind of information? Although that information is readily available on the market anyway, so I sold it to them. I kind of hoped they would leave as soon as they got it, but as you can see they are still here.¡±


    ¡°Want me to try and scare em off then?¡±


    ¡°I would advise against that. That armor of theirs is quite strong. I don¡¯t think anything short of a Concussion cannon could penetrate it.¡±


    She laughed, that sounded like a fantasy. No armor short of maybe neutronium could withstand a plasma round. It was one of the reasons why plasma was such a popular choice for ship weapons. Kinetics were largely useless in space aside from niche roles. Kinetic rounds didn¡¯t stand a chance against energy screens, and they ran aground of both economic and logistical issues. Energy weapons were significantly cheaper to fire, and easier to keep supplied. Plasma rounds became so popular since they were cheap, easy to supply, and very effective against both energy screens and armor. The high energy of the rounds could quickly overwhelm shields, and the extreme heat of the plasma rounds allowed them to melt through armor in an instant. Neutronium was the only material known to actually withstand plasma, although a few materials were known to be resistant. The problem was that all of those materials were somewhat exotic and expensive. Neutronium was especially expensive, and difficult to work with. Outfitting a single cruiser with Neutronium plating cost about the same as ten thousand cruisers of the same configuration minus the fancy armor.


    She waved dismissively, ¡°I see. Well in that case I¡¯ll just keep an eye on them.¡±


    A moment later the channel closed. She settled into her chair, and glanced back at the screen. The aliens were still conducting salvage, but she noted the amount of debris had shrunk considerably. It seemed they were very efficient at the job. At this rate there would be no evidence a battle even happened before the hour was out. Sooner perhaps given how quickly the debris was being taken apart and stowed within alien cargo holds.


    She glanced at her own science officer. Who said, ¡°Give me a moment, I¡¯m almost done adjusting the sensors.¡±


    She smiled, it was nice that at least some of her crew were efficient, and didn¡¯t even need to be asked to do something. She knew some commanders could get prissy about that sort of thing, but personally the commander liked it when her orders were anticipated and carried out like this.


    A moment later, the screens shifted. Three alien ships appeared along with quite a few small craft. All of them clearly engaged in salvage operations. The commander felt much better now that she could see them. Thankfully there weren¡¯t any of them uncomfortably close to her own cruiser. She kept a close eye on them, as they worked. It wasn¡¯t long before they were finished. They collected their small craft, and then jumped. She glanced at the screens, and noted the heading. The aliens were heading into a region of space often avoided as it was best described as politically unstable. War between minor spacefaring powers was common there. Merely traveling through the region was dangerous. Although something told her those aliens would be alright.

 Chapter Sixty-Two Hostile Territory

    First Officer¡¯s Log,  27 August, 001 SDE:


    The Enterprise is currently at high warp. We are traveling in a region that is considered rather dangerous and is often avoided. Although that doesn¡¯t mean no one is out here. Since we left that outpost we helped almost two weeks ago, we have picked up ninety-six distress calls. All from ships attempting to brave the region for one reason or another. More than half of them were armed merchant vessels attempting to sell to the warring factions. Only to have been hit and robbed by raiders. Although not every distress call was legitimate, we did attempt to respond to all of them.


    Not everyone on the ship agrees with the policy, but I understand the logic behind it. Perhaps it would be better to ignore the calls, but morally this was the correct call. Not to mention it creates a reputation, something we as a race do not really have out here. Something that will change soon enough. People talk, and I have no doubt that we have been seen enough times that news about us is starting to circulate. It would certainly save us some of the trouble we have been dealing with. Reputation is a valuable tool, one we sorely need. Countryman and I both agree on that point. Besides given our numbers we could use all the tools we can get.


    In other news, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on Williams lately. I¡¯m not sure what she is up to, but she is doing something. Countryman doesn¡¯t seem worried, but I can¡¯t help but worry. I fear she may be trying to instigate a mutiny, and that is something we can ill-afford. As a species, we must stand strong, united or I fear we may cross the brink and perish. I can only pray that we will find that sanctuary we need. Something I fear would never happen if Williams was allowed to have her way.


    <hr>


    Greyman logged his log, and sat back in his office chair. As first officer he was afforded an office although not as nice as the one the captain had, It wasn¡¯t even on the same deck as the bridge, but rather it was attached to his quarters. Still that wasn¡¯t too much of a problem. Honestly he kind of liked it. Certainly helped him do his job.


    Speaking of his job it had certainly gotten busy lately. Especially give that this region of space was rather hostile. Thankfully most of the people here were not too dangerous. The Valorians had strong shields, and fast ships, but their ships were often undergunned. As for the raiders, they came in two types. The lowly pirate clans whose ships were often crewed by those fallen on hard times, and were desperate. Those ships were outfitted with whatever they could get their hands on, and due to a lack of credits those ships were often poorly maintained. The other type of raiders were those that had succeeded. Vessels from those people were better organized, better equipped, and better maintained.


    Honestly the second type of raider was often more of a threat to the Enterprise then the occasional Valorian ship. Although the raiders were not the biggest danger in the region. That honor went to some of the locals. One of the more powerful local races were rather... xenophobic almost religiously so, and highly militaristic. They would attack anyone they met on sight, seeking blood. Diplomacy seemed to not be an option, and their ships were powerful. Although thankfully they had not yet had a direct confrontation. Witnessed them in action, but nothing more. It was enough to make Greyman wary of them. Especially since the ship destroyed had been a Valorian cruiser. Sure it was undergunned like all Valorian ships seemed to be, and its armor non-existant, but the ship had very strong shields, and good engines.


    If it had been just one ship against that Valorian cruiser, perhaps they could have escaped. It was not. They had faced off against seven. Seven well armed, and very deadly ships. Ships armed with a mix of high yield disrupter cannons, and short range plasma throwers. Overall design was very brutal with a high focus on mobility and firepower. That one cruiser stood little chance against the alien battlecruisers.


    He put those thoughts aside, and slipped out of his quarters. Greyman had a destination in mind, on the lower levels. He wasn¡¯t going to find Williams down there, but he was going to find one of the people she was talking to. A younger man that raised a few flags in his mind. He planned to investigate. Of course he couldn¡¯t just head down in his uniform, so he had dressed casual. Not an easy task, seeing as when he had boarded this ship in what seemed like a lifetime ago, he had only brought a few uniforms. Acquiring some casual clothing was not effortless as there was a bit of a cloth shortage on ship. Agricultural space was at a premium, recycling could do only so much, and as for synthetic materials it was the same story. It didn¡¯t help that demand vastly exceeded production. They projected that things would change in a few years, but in the meantime new clothing was hard to aquire. It had cost him a fair number of his monthly credits, but he had a few casual outfits now.


    Putting that aside, he made his way to the lift. Before he got there he encountered the captain, who noticed him, ¡°Ah, Greyman! Have some free time I see. If you have the time, there is something I would like to dicuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Something to discuss?¡± he frowned. Not sure what this would be about.


    ¡°Yes, something important, but not too urgent. Can¡¯t talk about it here though.¡±


    Greyman glanced around. The corridor was rarely the place for a discussion, and there were a few poeple walking by. They were already drawing attention. ¡°Yes this doesn¡¯t seem like the place for an important discussion, but may inquire about what?¡±


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°The future. I¡¯ll see you in my private office later. Come by around 2100 hours?¡±


    ¡°I see. I should be free then. See you then.¡±


    <hr>


    Greyman settled into his seat. It seemed he was just in time as the conversation at the other table was getting interesting. They were in a smaller mess hall that offered a cozier environment. Originally meant mainly for higher ranking personnel, but was now being used as a restaurant for civilian use. It was a decision meant to make them happier, and it certainly helped. They had also turned a few observation rooms and a couple of unneeded meeting rooms into theaters. Honestly, the Enterprise was starting to feel like a city, a giant flying city armed to the teeth with deadly weapons and covered in heavy armor, but a city nonetheless. They certainly had most of the amenities, and the longer they were here the more it would begin to feel like a city.


    He didn¡¯t dwell on that, but instead listened to the others talk, while waiting for his food. The young man he had come here to spy on spoke, ¡°That woman is an idiot.¡±


    Another person chuckled, ¡°Yeah, well at least she is a useful one.¡±


    He replied, ¡°Yes more so than that machine. I mean seriously what the hell are we doing just slinking around? The Enterprise is more than a match for any ship for at least twenty lightyears.¡±


    ¡°...What are you suggesting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying we should strike. We should seek out a world and take it for ourselves. Its the only way we would ever have a new home of our own.¡±


    ¡°And how pray tell are we going to hold it?¡±


    That was something Greyman wondered about as well. His reply left him with serious questions. He wasn¡¯t just going to ask the young man about them. If anyone on the ship could definitively answer those questions it was most likely going to be captain Countryman. The captain had that unusually high level of security clearance, and had been around for a long time. Who knows what he had heard and seen in his nearly two centuries of life.


    What Greyman heard next brought him out of his wondering for a moment, and nearly made him laugh. It seemed the young man had dreams of empire. A laughable notion if he had ever heard one. Any dreams humanity may have had about building an empire died with Earth. It would be centuries before their numbers recovered to what they had been before the war. Decades before they could even concieve of engaging in what he was suggesting. No mater how powerful their ships were, they could never crew enough to matter. Numbers were often just as important as quality. One ship alone could do many things, but to effectively defend a planet you would need more.


    Still while the man was obviously a fool he had friends. Greyman wasn¡¯t going to simply dismiss the idiot out of hand. He was going to have to do something, but first he wanted to speak with the captain. Thankfully he had a good idea about an opportunity for that. Especially since the captain wanted to speak with him about something.


    <hr>


    She stretched a bit. The young officer had been staring at the monitor for hours, and she was getting bored. As time-consuming as this was someone had to do it. Every battle fought had to be analyzed. Any anomalies tagged and categorized. It was critical to their campaign. Their people would never be safe if they don¡¯t deal with the despicable creatures that surround their worlds. Something these creatures had already proven when they tried to burn Imatria nearly two hundred years ago.


    Her line of thought was broken suddenly when the computer flagged a new anomaly. A rather unusual one. The young officer leaned forward and went to work unraveling it. She noted the flagged region of space, it looked mostly normal. Mostly something was off. It took her a moment to realize that a shadow seemed to hide in the blackness blocking the light of their home star which should have been visible in that region.


    She ordered the computer to isolate that section and enhance. The resulting image a moment later was a strangely blurry region of blackness. That was odd. Why was space itself blurry? Where was the normal starlight as well?¡±


    She tapped keys on the console attempting to adjust the filters and enhancements. Each move caused the image to resolve itself a little more. Slowly she felt a weight grow in her chest, and slowly sink into her belly.


    It was slow but eventually, a ship resolved itself in the image. Someone else had been at the skirmish in sector 73-11. Worse their ship had apparently been cloaked in some fashion. Worryingly if what she saw here was correct the vessel in question was a capital ship a big one at that. In the 5000 Metaras class. She was huge, and utterly invisible to sensors.


    For a moment or two she simply stared at the thing for a moment or two. The design was alien completely alien. It likely belonged to a race not known to them. Yet cloaking technology wasn¡¯t entirely unknown to them. If these aliens could cloak ships that big they must have an energy source of unparalleled ability. That thought left her deeply worried for her people especially since she knew how most of them would react. This was going to have to be handled discreetly.


    She pulled out a memory stick and copied everything she found onto it. Next she proceeded to erase the entire scan log from the system memory. She even checked the backups just in case the system had backed itself up since she started working. Thankfully it had not. Pocketing the memory stick, she logged off and went to find her mentor. The only person she felt could be trusted with the contents of the memory stick. He would get it to the right people. Make sure this was handled the right way.

 Chapter Sixty-Three Preparations for a Distant Future

    Location Unknown, September 4th 001 SDE:


    She followed the path to the berth, as instructed by her mentor. He had agreed with her about this incident needing to be handled with discretion. That was part of why they were here. They knew too little about these strange aliens other than their apparent stealth capabilities. As such her mentor had gone and organized a ship and crew for an intel-gathering mission.


    He hadn¡¯t told her much about the ship in question but she knew a bit. It was an older vessel that had been refitted not too long ago with some modern equipment. Not every system had been upgraded but the ships main engines had been retrofitted and she had been outfitted with the latest in scanning equipment. Unfortunately, not much had been said about her defense systems or weapons and that left the young officer rather worried.


    A worry that only grew when she rounded a corner. That turn had brought the ship in question into view. Its docking berth was rather busy as the dock workers loaded the vessel with supplies. Her gaze however was drawn to the small ship''s main guns. Weapons that were quite visible to her. They didn¡¯t even look like the business end of a disruptor cannon. Instead the ship¡¯s topside was crowded by three turrets, each one containing three hollow metal tubes extending out of the armored casing of the turret. Her heart sank a little. Unless she was mistaken the ship they were taking was armed with outdated kinetic weapons rather than energy weapons. She hoped that wasn¡¯t the case.


    There were numerous reasons for the prominence of energy weapons, and one of the big ones was their not being very effective against an energy shield. When a projectile encounters a shield one of two things will happen. It¡¯s either harmlessly redirected into empty space or flash vaporized. In either case, the impact on the shield is negligible. In the first case, a small chunk of the shield¡¯s energy is briefly drained as it redirects the projectile. In the second case, the shield takes a hit from vaporizing the projectile and absorbing the released energy. The amount absorbed however is remarkably small, largely due to the unfocused release of energy caused by the projectile disintegrating. As much of it is harmlessly sent off into space, and not into the shield. Energy weapons are much more effective at bringing down shields since even if the hit doesn¡¯t penetrate the shield much more energy is actually directed into the shield. Enough hits and the shield would be saturated. Once that happens the defensive screen would collapse leaving the hull unprotected.


    She found her mentor directing the loading of the ship a few minutes later. She frowned, ¡°Um those barrels in the turrets. They aren''t what I think they are, are they?¡±


    He gave her a look, ¡°Unfortunately they are. Good news is, I managed to get us some shield-penetrating shells to use with them. Wasn¡¯t cheap though, and doesn¡¯t solve the other problems. Thankfully the ship does have a few laser turrets to go with the useless main cannons.¡±


    ¡°Are they as out of date as the main guns?¡±


    He laughed, ¡°Thankfully no. I actually managed to find someone who could upgrade them on short notice. We actually have some decent lasers on this old boat.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound too bad. Lasers often got a bad rap as being weak, but that wasn¡¯t actually true. Sure particle cannons, disruptors, and plasma guns could all outperform them in terms of raw damage output, but lasers excelled with range and accuracy. So while they couldn¡¯t hit as hard as other weapons, they would often hit first and more often than some other energy weapons. In effect they simply filled a different niche from the other types of energy weaponry.


    In this case the lasers would give them a nice, and effective long-range weapons option if needed. While the guns could be used against anything that got too close. She did have other questions. The ship was clearly armored, and from the look of it there had been some recent hull work done.


    ¡°What about defenses?¡±


    ¡°This ship, the Bok¡¯Wa was originally outfitted with polarized hull plating. She was later upgraded with some early deflector screens before being retired. Unfortunately, at some point in the past her central shield generators were stripped from the hull. The rest of the grid is still in place, but...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless without those generators.¡±


    ¡°Afraid so, and no one has any surplus generators lying around. We might have to acquire a couple later. Good news is, I was able to find some components that should beef up the outdated polarization system, including a couple of surplus structural integrity field generators. They are civilian models, but still better than what this ship was originally fitted with. I had them installed and tested yesterday. We might not have a working shield grid, but that old armor thanks to my upgrades is almost as good.¡±


    She was silent for a moment. Practically speechless as she processed what she was hearing. She might have even dropped her bag in surprise. ¡°...So in other words, you basically took the oldest ship you could find, and outfitted her with whatever spare parts happened to be lying around?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Hmm, yep pretty much.¡±


    ¡°Great...¡±


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise, Deep Space, August 27th 001 SDE, 2100 hours:


    Greyman knocked on the door to Countryman¡¯s quarters. It struck him this was the first time he had come to his superior¡¯s quarters. So he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to expect. The older officer wasn¡¯t given much time to think on that before the door slid open, and Countryman bade him to enter from his seat on a sofa.


    Greyman stepped in and looked around. As a high ranking officer Countryman like Greyman had multi-room quarters. From the blueprints, her knew it wasn¡¯t many, just a foyer, an office, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a multipurpose room. In fact the floor plan was identical to his own set of quarters, and while their quarters weren¡¯t particularly large for a starship this was considered quite luxurious. Although the Enterprise was a big ship, a very big ship with more room to spare so in some respects this oculd be argued as downright cramped. He did notice that Counryman¡¯s foyer was a bit bigger than his. Not much maybe just one more square meter, but certainly not more than two.


    His foyer had two sofas, a long table between them. Along with end tables on either end of the tables. All of which was placed in a seating area at the rear of the foyer. Closer to the Entrance the walls were lined with display shelves. Shelves that quickly caught his eye. Not because of the shelves, but rather what was on them. They were filled with aging peices of electronic history. Pieces he had only ever seen in a museum. Iconic gaming consoles from the early days of game on one shelf. Iconic portable consoles on the next. A third had an array of ancient laptops. It felt almost like stepping into a museum. The fact the shelves were sealed, and the objects secured only reinforced that feeling.


    He also wasn¡¯t the only one Countryman had arranged to meet in his quarters. Interestingly enough both Ruri their chief science officer, and Richards the Chief Engineer was here.


    ¡°I guess this must be really important or this is a weird double date. Anyway what is with the museum display?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Its not a weird date, and as for the display. Well, I¡¯m a bit of a collector. Always have been. As you can see I collect a lot of old electronics. Some of which are quite hard to obtain nowadays given that the items in question are about as old as I am. I am quite proud to say that each and everyone of those consoles is fully functional. I even have a library of games for them. Not a massive one, but a few select titles for each one. I keep those along with my book collection in my library.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    He blinked, ¡°You know I don¡¯t have much thanks to our unexpected depature. How do you still have your collection?¡±


    ¡°I never go anywhere without it, and I was always going to be onboard as an adisor. So my stuff was already aboard. Anyway we aren¡¯t here to discuss that.¡±


    He glanced around. It was a nice collection. Everything looked well maintained. Back on Earth this would have been worth millions possibly more. Yet here it was on the Enterprise. Greyman had to admit this was not something he would have even expected to find on this ship, but as Countryman had said that wasn¡¯t why they were here.


    ¡°Alright, so why are we here. I think you said something about the future?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°I did. It¡¯s something that has been on my mind for a while.¡±


    Richards interjected, ¡°I think its been on everyone¡¯s mind, but would you care to be more specific?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Now that you three are all here, yes. I¡¯ve been thinking ahead. When we find our new home we are going to have to defend it, and frankly three ships won¡¯t be enough. In fact it might be better to have more ships before than. Although building new ships isn¡¯t something we can afford at the moment. I think we should start planning future ship construction for when we actually aquire the needed resources.¡±


    Richards nodded, ¡°Understandable. Although that might be years. The big problem is crew. It takes a lot of people to properly man a starship. That¡¯s going to constrain us, and force us to use smaller hulls. Especially given our numbers.¡±


    Greyman concured, but Ruri said nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. That is why I already have Ruri looking into AGI technology. I gave her everything I had on the subject, which does include some of the latest research.¡±


    Greyman frowned, but he noticed Richard¡¯s eyes widen in recongnitions.


    ¡°Are you sure that is safe?¡±


    ¡°What if I may ask is AGI?¡±


    ¡°Artificial General Intelligence. Its a type of AI, the kind that could potentially emulate human thought. In other words, AGI is the key to a truly sapient AI.¡±


    Greyman blinked, ¡°Correct me if I am wrong, but isn¡¯t such an AI extrodinarily dangerous?¡±


    ¡°It can be, but recent research suggests despite fears of past research that such problems can be avoided. Not to mention I feel this line of research is now neccesary to our survival.¡±


    Greyman glanced at Ruri, ¡°Is he right about that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into the materials he gave me. They just might be. I think we could have sort of usable AGI framework in the next five years. I¡¯ll have to be careful though, and rushing this will be bad. AGI can be very dangerous if incorrectly coded. Countryman gave me a very interesting bit of framework to use as the core kernal of this AGI framework. A moral code for machines as it were.¡±


    Greyman blinked, ¡°A what?¡±


    Richards said, ¡°All AI be they a ¡®dumb¡¯ or ¡®smart¡¯ AI must follow certain core commands. A moral code framework would likely be a set of central protocols that the machine must follow. I¡¯d be very interested to know what that might look like, and how you wrote it?¡±


    Ruri looked at Countryman who anwered, ¡°Its based on the same sort of organic code used for mind machine interfaces or to be more accurate its based on the same sort of cybernetic framework used to allow my cybernetic brain to interact with my organic one.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± replied Greyman not sure if he should comment on what exactly he had just been told.


    Richards spoke up for a moment, ¡°What exactly are you planning to do with AGI anyway?


    ¡°If it works out? We can build synthetic crew to help bolster our numbers and operate our ships. Although based on projections and what Ruri has shared with me, leadership positions would still have to be filled by organics.¡±


    ¡°That might do alright. It would be of great help. Although that still supposes we have ships to crew, which we don¡¯t exactly have.¡±


    ¡°True. that was something I wanted to discuss. More so than the bit about AGI. Now that we have been out her for over a year, we have learned a few things about starship design. I think we can afford to spend some time designing those hypothetical ships.¡±


    Greyman nodded, ¡°I see, but if we came into more materials why not just build more X-1212 class destroyers? The two we have right now have already proven quite useful, and they are much more feasible to build than another Enterprise as well.¡±


    ¡°Useful perhaps, but they don¡¯t perfectly fit our needs. They are a start though.¡± Countryman reached to the side, and pulled something out of a drawer. A moment later they were looking at a holographic projection.


    ¡°May I present project Saber. The goal of this project is to produce a next generation destroyer escort who will be vital to accomplishing our mission of finding a new homeworld and defending it against threats. As you see by my preliminary work, the hull is largely based on the 1212, but I¡¯ve made it smaller.¡±


    Richards leaned in, and looked over the early work Countryman had done, ¡°I see you¡¯ve given it particle flak batteries, and somehow fit two full beam arrays on this smaller hull.¡±


    ¡°Well, its not much smaller. Still, as effective as photon missiles are at fighter defense, they aren¡¯t cheap, and as we have found replacing warheads is costly out here. An energy based defense grid while not as effective would be far cheaper. Still this is largely just early groundwork.¡±


    Greyman nodded, ¡°It is. What¡¯s your timetable for this?¡±


    ¡°Given that I only plan for the four of us to work on the project, and I have another ship in the works as well? Eight years. Slow I know, but its not a time critical project. Not to mention its just a thought exercise at this point, and as we all know we don¡¯t exactly have the materials to go building new ships with just yet. In a few years, we might have better prospects for that.¡±


    There was a murmur of agreement, and then Richards asked, ¡°What is the other project?¡±


    Countryman pressed a button, and a different ship was projected. This blueprint was also very incomplete, but it was a start. In fact it was even less complete than the first. ¡°Project Battlehawk. She is more ambitious than the Saber project.¡±


    Greyman looked it over, and Richards commented, ¡°Ambitious indeed. Can we even build a capital ship out here?¡±


    ¡°We have all the equipment for it. The real challenge is getting the resources and crew to man it. Regardless I don¡¯t see ourselves building very many of these cruisers. Not until we find our new home, but once we do they will be our key to defending it. Hence the requirements I wrote out for them.¡±


    Greyman nodded, ¡°Yes a few of these would be of great help for that, but I take it the Saber project is the priority yes?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°We will need them first. Especially since they will be our mainline vessels for the foreseeable future.¡±


    After that the conversation drifted in discussing the details of these future ships. They had discussed many important things today, and Countryman had only started work on what may eventually be their future fleet. He hadn¡¯t even started on some of the other ship types they would need. That night proved to be a long one. None of them went back to their own quarters until the next morning in fact.

 Chapter Sixty-Four Empty Prospects

    EFS Enterprise, October 17th, 001 SDE:


    Sali set the cart down and stretched a little. Things had been rather quiet lately, but that didn¡¯t mean she was without things to do. There was always something needing doing aboard this ship. The incident notwithstanding she still found herself working menial jobs aboard the ship. Thinking of the incident, that was something she found rather... embarrassing. She had the perfect opportunity to get off this ship, and she had squandered it by getting lost. At least they hadn¡¯t punished her for that. In fact, the guards were still telling jokes about it much to her chagrin.


    Sighing, she turned away from the cart, and made her way out of the room. Her task here was done. She¡¯d brought the full cart her to the cargo bay, so now she had to collect an empty one, and head back to the factories. Where someone would be waiting for her with a cart full of crates. It was kind of boring, but at least she didn¡¯t really have to think about the work she was doing. Not to mention it could be worse, they could have just left her in that cell with nothing to do.


    Getting her empty cart she made her way back towards the factory, and let her mind drift to other issues.  Strangely enough escape wasn¡¯t on her mind at the moment. Besides she just didn¡¯t see it working out. Not right now, too many eyes, too many unknowns. More importantly, she had already worked out her plan for that. So here she was stuck playing the painful waiting game. Time would eventually grant her another chance, another opportunity to get off this ship.


    Instead, she found herself day dreaming about other issues, and trying not to think about how long she''d been here. It didn¡¯t help that she had lost count of how many days had passed since her capture. Sali just knew that it had been long enough that she was starting to get used to her life here.


    The trip back wasn¡¯t too long, and before she knew it she was dropping the empty cart she had grabbed off. A young man with a pad was waiting for it. ¡°Great work, Sali. I¡¯ll mark this off. You can head back up to the cell block, you¡¯re done for the day.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Already? I didn¡¯t realize it was that late.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Actually we are letting you off early, today. Things are winding down for the day a bit early.¡±


    ¡°I see. Any particular reason why?¡±


    ¡°Just the usual reasons. Now get going before the boss starts nosing around. As much as I¡¯d like to chat...¡±


    She nodded and left the room. He was one of the few people she could talk to. Unfortunately, the boss was a bit strict, so that meant she didn¡¯t have much time to chat. It made it difficult to gather information on anything. Worse no one ever told her anything on this ship, and it was always dark. She didn¡¯t even know where in the galaxy they were.


    Sali made her way to the lift, where a guard followed her aboard. Escorting her back to the cell block. Something that reminded her of another fact. She didn¡¯t always see them, but she was always being watched. They rarely let her go anywhere without supervision, and it was often hard to tell when she was being supervised and when she wasn¡¯t. Something that was going to complicate escape.


    In the meantime, she got to enjoy being back in her cell early today. While that was okay, she hoped it wouldn¡¯t be a regular thing. Oddly enough Sali kind of liked spending her days doing menial jobs. It was no replacement for the joys of flying, but it was infinitely better than rotting in her cell all day.


    <hr>


    Countryman shifted in his command chair. It was late in the evening, nearing the end of his shift. Today they found themselves in an uncharted system. They were conducting a basic survey of the system, while Richards did some basic maintenance on the warp engines.


    The system wasn¡¯t all that remarkable with one exception. It had two large gas giants, and six rocky planets orbiting a binary. One of those planets was habitable, barely. It was a hot barren world dominated by vast stretches of desert broken only by the occasional mountain range. Volcanic activity on the planet was also high thanks to local gravitational conditions. The planet had hundreds of active volcanos. As a result, the atmosphere was barely breathable and choked with toxins. Surface water was practically non-existent, but scans did pick up a few large subsurface deposits, which played into the planets unique weather patterns.


    What made the planet so notable however was that its geological conditions resulted in its upper crust being remarkably rich in valuable mineral formations. Some of which they could use. Technically they could use all of them, but they had to pick and choose what they take. They also had to work out a mining plan, as the geological activity would complicate mining efforts. In every sense of the word. Still, they had found a few promising sites with low-risk factors. No reason to get greedy.


    At the moment he had department heads working out exactly what they needed, what they could use, and what they could do without. The Coto had been sent out to the larger of the two gas giants. That gas giant was notable only for the high concentrations of deuterium in its upper atmosphere. As such he had ordered Reynolds to conduct a fuel run. To help refill their tanks. Fleet fuel reserves were actually sitting pretty well at the moment, as they hadn¡¯t even touched the reserve tanks. That was no reason not to pass up a perfectly good chance to refuel. The last year had shown that refueling opportunities were precious few and far between. Especially out here where friendly ports weren¡¯t easy to come by.


    As for the Umikaze, he had assigned that ship to keep an eye on the perimeter. Honestly they just didn¡¯t have enough ships, but there was little helping that. Maybe if they had stayed in the Sol system a little longer things might have been different, but that was risky. Even in hindsight, he agreed with it being a risky. It would have taken far too long to refit those sublight ships for warp travel. Part of why they had been forced to pass up that other opportunity at Alpha Centauri.


    Suddenly he heard footsteps, and looked over to see Greyman coming up the stairs with a pad. ¡°I have the requested report on our supply needs, sir.¡±


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Anything of note?¡±


    ¡°We are low on several forms of carbon. Which shouldn¡¯t be a problem as we have already identified a few rich carbon deposits including diamond.¡±


    Countryman nodded. Diamond had its applications mostly industrial, but it was used in other applications. Although the other carbon forms would be more useful for their purposes. As carbon was a very useful element with a very wide array of applications.¡±


    ¡°Noted, anything else?


    ¡°A few items of note actually.¡± replied Greyman as he hand Countryman the pad, ¡°The planet is rich in several minerals key to the production of Rydium, which we have a severe shortage of thanks to all the recent hull repairs. Engineering also reports that the Rydium crystal core for the number three engine is degrading, and needs to be replaced.¡±


    Countryman looked up from the pad, ¡°Did I hear that correctly? The crystal core for the number three engine is degrading?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately yes. Engineering believes it was an undetected manufacturing defect.¡±


    ¡°It would have to be. Those crystals are rated to last fifty years without being replaced, and that crystal is barely two years old.¡±


    It was quite shocking honestly to hear one was degrading. They went through a rigorous three-month testing period intended to detect defects and flaws in the Rydium-infused crystal lattice. It was practically unheard of for a defect or flaw to go undetected after going through the testing. Propulsion crystals needed to be precisely calibrated and shaped before being installed into an engine. The slightest flaw could have serious consequences if it wasn¡¯t detected. They were lucky that only issue they had was a degrading crystal.


    ¡°I concur, it does seem unlikely to be anything else, but I¡¯m having security review the sensor and maintenance logs for the engine just in case. I can¡¯t ignore the possibility of sabotage.¡±


    Countryman gave him a look, ¡°I highly doubt that. Although if a second degrading crystal shows up it might indicate otherwise.¡±


    ¡°The rest of the list is fairly normal. Items the various departments would like on hand for equipment repairs and maintenance.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. I want the factory level to make ready to produce a replacement crystal,¡± he said while mentally raising the priority of obtaining certain materials. Particularly carbon, as it was suddenly several levels more important. Carbon was one of the materials typically used in the construction of a Rydium crystal lattice. They did not use pure carbon, but a mix of carefully selected minerals infused with Rydium to produce a propulsion crystal. Due to certain realities of the process a Rydium propulsion crystal was remarkably valuable. They were the single most expensive crystal on the market back when Earth was still around. Now they were virtually priceless. Especially seeing that the Enterprise had the only foundry capable of producing one.


    He glanced back over the survey reports, while Greyman said, ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it. Quick question though, do you want me to make sure the Valorian prisoner miss Arimae doesn¡¯t see us making it?¡±


    Countryman gave him a look, ¡°They don¡¯t use family names like we do. Arimae is her clan name, and in their culture its correct to refer to her either as Sali or Sali of Clan Arimae. As for your question, there is no point in restricting her from observing. That wouldn¡¯t tell her much of anything about it, in the first place. In fact you might as well have her assist.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°you might be right about that.


    <hr>


    The young officer stepped away from her console, and tried not to show her frustration. It had been months since they left port, and they had to even find the elusive aliens they were looking for. Evidently, they were pretty much impossible to find when they didn¡¯t want to be found. That spoke volumes about their stealth technology.


    She sighed, although that didn¡¯t mean all their prospects had come up empty. They had managed to find signs of where they had been. Even learned a few things about these aliens, but nothing really substantial. They didn¡¯t even know where they came from. What they did know were little hints gathered from their behavior.


    The aliens did show up on occasion, which had given them chances to gather insights on their behavior. Unfortunately they had yet to directly observe them. A big part of the problem was that they were fast, very fast. The Bok¡¯wa had an upgraded hyperdrive capable of roughly six hundred times the speed of light. An impressive speed by any metric, one competitive with most major powers like the Valorians whose ships were often slower than that. Yet that wasn¡¯t fast enough. The aliens from what they could tell seemed to use warp drive technology. As such they couldn¡¯t directly compare their own hyperdrives with the alien drives, but speed was a metric they could compare. If they could get an exact reading that was, they couldn¡¯t. From observations based on data that was sketchy at best they had concluded these aliens could travel at roughly 1000 times the speed of light. If true it would mean the aliens had somehow cracked the warp five barrier, something the major warp drive using powers had not done.


    Thankfully their typical cruising speed seemed lower than that, but it hadn¡¯t helped them with catching up to these strange aliens. Catching up to them was in fact their only current goal. To that end she had been using their sporadic sightings, and locations that she suspected they had been to reconstruct their course. Using that data she was hoping to project their course ahead, and predict where they might go. The idea being that if they knew where they were going, they could get ahead of the aliens, and observe them.


    Which brought to mind why she was feeling frustrated. By the great divines these aliens were endlessly frustrating to track. Worse they apparently couldn¡¯t fly straight. As near she could tell they had a rather winding course that sent them to countless systems. Most of them worthless, uninteresting or unremarkable. Yet they never seemed to enter a system that was actually inhabited. If anything they would go out of their way to avoid such systems. Although they did apparently answer any distress call they picked up. That was where she had obtained most of her sightings, and that fact also complicated projecting their course.


    ¡°No luck?¡± asked her mentor as he walked into the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± she sighed, ¡°The computer has identified three possible general headings for them, and identified nearly two hundred likely systems on those headings for them to visit. ¡°


    ¡°I see. Well sometimes there is no obvious path, and one must make a choice. This may be one of these times. Pick one.¡±


    She blinked, glnaced back at the monitor, and sighed. After a moment she pointed at a system. One not too far from the last sighting, and in line with the heading she felt most likely. For some reason it just felt right to pick that system.

 Chapter Sixty-Five Idle Projects

    EFS Enterprise October 21st, 001 SDE:


    Williams leaned back a bit, as chewed on what she had just heard. Her friend was getting up, and heading off. It seemed the number three engine had developed a problem with its crystal core. Worse Greyman was now looking into things for signs of sabotage. He wasn¡¯t going to find anything, because she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to have one of those invaluable crystals sabotaged in the first place. No this was perhaps a sign that she had been moving too quickly. Just in case, she was having her own people look into members of her group. Just in case one of them happened to have come down with a case of extreme stupidity and sabotaged a vital system. At least the problem was caught without incident and Richards had the good sense to look down the engine. Unfortunately now they were down an engine. A main engine at that.


    Williams had studied the ship, and knew that losing one engine wasn¡¯t crippling, but it would affect their maneuvering capabilities. The Enterprise had five primary engines, and each engine was paired with two secondary engines. That was in the main hull. The outboard nacelles each contained twenty sublight maneuvering engines and two warp engines. Not counting the warp engines that gave the Enterprise fifty-five sublight engines. The power of those engines wasn¡¯t equal, however. The massive main engines provided the majority of the ship¡¯s thrust. As Williams recalled it was about sixty percent or was it seventy percent of the ship¡¯s overall thrust? She wasn¡¯t entirely sure. She knew the secondary engines provided a good chunk as well. Although Williams not being an engineer was unsure of their exact specs.


    She did know a few things, like that each main engine had three cores. Each core would contain a single crystal each, and the cores were designed to work in concert to produce the spatial pulse waves that were responsible for thrust. However, it was technically possible for the engine to function without all three cores. It was not by any means recommended to operate the engine without all three cores. The exact particulars of why, eluded her, but she knew enough to know that until that was replaced they were down an engine. Worse she knew that was going to take awhile. Manufacturing a propulsion crystal was no simple task. It was a slow exacting process that took months. Thankfully once produced a crystal typically lasted fifty years before it had to be replaced.


    Queitly she muttered, ¡°I really hope Greyman is wrong about this being sabotage, but I can¡¯t discount it.¡±


    Finally, she got up and headed off to do her usual duties. Internally she was hoping this was just a rare case of a manufacturing defect escaping quality control, and not some moron doing unsanctioned sabotage.


    <hr>


    Sali stepped out of the shower and was greeted with a blast of warm air. On her bare wet flesh, it felt rather cold, but it dried her body quickly. Honestly, she would have preferred a towel or something. Anything else, but at least she had access to a shower. When she had first gotten here, they would bring her a bucket and a rag. This was better, and while the water wasn¡¯t hot, it wasn¡¯t cold either.


    She stood there for a moment longer than perhaps needed. Just long enough for the air to start feeling warm on her naked skin. Then she stepped out of the jet. Nearby was a specially designed locker. She palmed the palm pad on it, and it dropped a shift into a small bucket at her feet. Sali picked it up, and slipped it on. Like every other one it was too short, but by this point she barely minded that. Not that she cared to admit it, but she was getting used to wearing what basically amounted to nothing. As these shifts didn¡¯t exactly do the best job of keeping her covered.


    Sali didn¡¯t let her mind dwell on her outfit. There wasn¡¯t anything she could do about her clothing anyway. Not right now anyway. Instead of worrying about what she was forced to wear, she made her way out of the showers. Her eyes were greeted with a few other prisoners, mostly young women moving around the cell blocks. There weren¡¯t any men in sight, but that was because this was a girls-only section of the brig. Not that it meant much given what they were all wearing. She put that out of mind, and turned left towards the checkpoint that would lead her out of the brig. While she didn¡¯t have a clock, she had other means to keep track of time. Sali knew she was expected there. It was time to head down for more work in those dark factories. Most likely simply moving things around with no idea why.


    Her trip out of the brig went much the same as it always did, and before she knew it Sali found herself on the lift heading to the factories. A lift that all too soon delivered her to the dark lower levels of the ship. Not that the brig was any brighter, or anywhere else she had been on this ship.


    As she stepped off the lift, she was greeted by a familiar young man. He smiled, ¡°Glad to see made it on time. Things are going to be getting interesting soon.¡±


    He gestured for her to follow, and she did. ¡°Interesting? Something going on?¡±


    ¡°Something, alright. We had a rather unexpected production order come in. You and I are going to be transporting a lot of Rydium to bay nine over the next few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Rydium? What is that?¡±


    ¡°A very special material. You¡¯ll get to see some later when we start loading carts up with the stuff.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Care to tell me what all that Rydium is going to be for?¡±


    ¡°Not really. All I¡¯ve heard is something about making a Rydium crystal. That would explain why the order is expected to take four and a half months though¡±


    This was sounding interesting, and no one had come over to break up their chat. Sali decided to press her luck. Maybe learn something interesting. ¡°What would such a crystal be used for anyway?¡±


    The young man was quick to reply, ¡°Rydium Crystals are mainly used in propulsion, but they do have other applications.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Did I hear that right? That wasn¡¯t a translator malfunction or something? Did you say propulsion?¡±


    He nodded, ¡°That sounds right.¡±


    That just didn¡¯t make any sense to her. ¡°How the..¡± she stopped herself took a breath, and in a lower tone of voice asked, ¡°How exactly would that work? I¡¯ve never heard of crystals being used in propulsion.¡±


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    He chuckled, ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t have. We don¡¯t use traditional reaction control systems though. We use a reactionless drive system. I¡¯m not an engineer so I can¡¯t really tell you how it works. Only what I¡¯ve picked up over the years.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    He led the way through a door into a room, she had previously never been allowed in. The gaurd simply let her follow him in however without a word. Regardless she felt a little uneasy here. As she looked around, she noted it was a full factory floor. Technicians were monitoring the machinery, and moving things about. It was a rather odd floor though. She saw no signs of the typical conveyor lines. Instead the place was filled with large transparent cubes filled with some kind of liquid and surrounded by much strange machinery. Inside she could see objects forming. Most often a simple cube, that after a few moments would be moved into a short tube that led to a dishcarge port by unseen force. Once in the discharge port the object would be removed from the liquad by robotic arms, and placed onto a collection tray. Where it would be gone over by technicians before being loaded onto one of the grav carts moving around the floor.


    She missed a step, and just starred at the work.


    ¡°Never seen a Nano-Fabricator before?¡±


    ¡°Nano-Fabricator? What is that?¡± What she was seeing, and the name gave her an idea, but it just seemed so fantastical.


    ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. The controlled application of nano-technology for the manufacture of just about anything. Anyway, we need to head this way¡± he said point towards a door. She followed a long, and even picked up her step as she remembered that she had a job to do. They couldn¡¯t spend too long talking.


    They fell silent for a moment, as he led her through the factory deck. Before she knew they were entering a room filled with strange machinery, a collection tray, and a docking port for a grav cart. Waiting for them was an older woman, the boss. Sali felt a lump form in her throught. This didn¡¯t seem good.


    The boss smiled when she spotted them come in, ¡°Ah good. You are one time. Sali I have some news for you.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°I do indeed.¡±


    Sali had no idea what this could be about. What she was told next was quite surprising. ¡°Your request to learn our langauge was approved. Although the requested teacher was denied. Instead you will be reporting to Samantha Greyman after your shift here. She will be teaching you.¡±


    Sali frowned. She never made such a request. Although it wasn¡¯t entirely unwelcome news. It was rather annoying having to talk to everyone with a translator. The boss left before she could really question what was going on.


    She didn¡¯t even realized she had asked until it was answered. ¡°Who is Samanta Greyman?¡±


    There was an odd tone in his voice that she couldn¡¯t quite place, and frankly was too distracted to really notice, ¡°She¡¯s the first officer¡¯s wife, and she is in charge of the ship¡¯s schools.¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman slipped into the door. Ruri had asked for him to meet her in her lab. She had said that she had something to discuss with him.


    He found her leaned over a console, and for once her outfit was actually intact. That was one worry off his mind. You would think that at her age she would be more aware of socially acceptable dress, but she wasn¡¯t. As such he always had to look out for her.


    She looked up, as he entered, ¡°Ah, glad you could come see me so quickly¡±


    ¡°I was free, so I figured I might see what this was about.¡±


    She gestured at the console, ¡°I was given a rather interesting demonstration on orbital mining dynamics.¡±


    ¡°Orbital mining?¡± he frowned, ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few proposals for that sort of thing before. What makes this one special?¡±


    Ruri tapped a few buttons, and a monitor lit up. Its display filled with complicated data, and an orbital dynamic. ¡°This one doesn¡¯t require any hardware we don¡¯t have. Aside from a few minor modifications. Although it might be more accurate to call it aerial mining, with an orbital hub.¡±


    As he started looking it over, he replied, ¡°Interesting, might be worth testing it here. Depends on the requirements and specifics though.¡±


    ¡°These techniques could also be applied to asteroid mining. The idea is that we outfit our mining shuttles with mining lasers. They can fly over the area, and use the mining lasers to dig into the surface. Mining lasers have limited range and aren¡¯t able to strike the ground effectively from orbit, but with recent advancements, they have a range of around two or three kilometers depending on the design. That is more than enough for low-altitude mining flights to do some work in the air.


    ¡°The next part does require something more involved than upscaled shuttle mounted mining lasers.¡± she tapped a few keys and brought up a schematic, ¡°My source of this proposal ambitiously marked this as the Mag Tractor Mark II. She modified it using a specially modified Rydium crystal to produce a far stronger beam. Allowing it limited use against objects that previously would have required a mag plate to grab.¡±


    Countryman looked it over. He could see that it was a significantly stronger beam alright. Still not powerful enough to ensnare a starship without the beam stabilizing effect of an attached mag plate, but an improvement nonetheless. If he had to guess based on the specs here it could probably ensnare a light fighter or shuttle without assistance. Heavier craft with the stronger engines could likely escape the beam, but might be slowed for a moment or two. ¡°This does seem to have certain applications alright. I do have to ask though. How easily can we produce the required crystals for the modified beam?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully the crystals are fairly small and don¡¯t have the strenuous requirements of propulsion crystals. It should take a week for each crystal to be shaped, and another to test. Like every other type, barring defect they should last decades once produced.¡±


    Countryman nodded. That meant that it would only take a couple of weeks to produce all the crystals they needed. ¡°Get these specs sent down, and have them make a test batch of fifty modified mag tractor projectors. That should be more than enough for a first stage trial.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll have them sent down.¡±


    Countryman knew that with current extraction rates they were still going to be here in a few weeks. They needed a fair amount of certain materials, especially since he wanted them to stock spare Rydium crystals for the engines just in case. Something they had launched without. Given how deep the main engines were inside the hull, it was beyond rare to need a spare. It used to be that ships never needed to carry a spare. Afterall even in the worst case scenario, which was already an extremely unlikely possibility, a friendly port was a single distress call away. Where they could soon be fitted with replacement crystals. Their new situation in the depths of space changed that, and now that they had a chance it was time to have some on hand just in case. This incident was a good example towards why, since a single failure meant they were now down an engine. Thankfully they had plenty of extra engines to pick up the slack, so they if they needed to they could still leave the system. It was fortunate the incident happened now when it was easy to fix and not at an inconvenient moment.

 Interlude Earth Vessels: Heavy Cruisers

    In this interlude, we are going to explore the term heavy cruiser and take a look at a few of the ships that have been given the designation Heavy Cruiser. In general heavy cruisers are often considered to be the smallest of the true capital ships, and are often grouped alongside other capital ships such as battleships, and carriers as major combatants. Dreadnoughts and the like are often classed as super-capital ships. Vessels we aren¡¯t going to be looking at just yet. Rather we will be looking mainly at heavy cruisers.


    The first question to ask is what exactly is a heavy cruiser? Well to answer that we must first consider what a cruiser is. Cruisers are typically the general purpose workhorses of the fleet. They are often larger and heavier than destroyers, but in general, that is about it. The term cruiser actually encompasses a wide variety of different ship types. From mainline combat vessels to rearline support ships all of them fit under the umbrella of cruiser. So what is a heavy cruiser? Well in short they are the largest, and heaviest of the ships classed as cruisers. Most heavy cruisers are mainline combat ships and outfitted accordingly. They feature a strong mix of weapons, sturdy armor, and a decent engine to create a strong balanced mix of firepower, mobility, and protection.


    That leaves us with the question of what exactly does all that mean? What exactly is a mainline combatant in space combat? Well, in short, such a vessel is one meant to dish out damage, while possessing enough mobility to be tactically and strategically viable, and still being durable enough to take hits. However not all ships classified as a heavy cruiser fit this balanced definition, not in full anyway. Some ships previously classed as a heavy cruiser over the years would not be classified as such if built today either. In many respects, however, the heavy cruiser, is a smaller cheaper alternative to the mighty battleship, and is often employed in much the same set of roles which typically include ship-to-ship combat, and orbital bombardment/orbital support. In smaller fleet groups, they are often employed as flagships, while in larger ones they are often used to support the battleships.


    Weapon-wise, there are few restrictions on what a heavy cruiser may carry. They are typically equipped with a mix of weapons including at least a primary, and secondary battery of direct fire weapons such as railguns, lasers, or particle cannons. At least one weapon for point defense either missiles or lasers. Typically its a combination of laser and missile. Most cruisers also have some torpedo tubes for long-range ship-to-ship combat. In addition, most heavy cruisers have at least one hanger and often have at least one fighter wing. There are exceptions to this, however.


    Now let''s take a look at a few of the ships, classed as a heavy cruiser over the years. The first up is one of the oldest the Olympia class. A ship whose importance stems from its being one of the earliest major combat vessels designed for space combat, and one of the most successful. It is also notable for being the last major combat ship to use a gravity ring system. The ship class measures an impressive 470 meters in length which makes her one of the largest combat vessels of her age. A good chunk of her bulk however could be attributed to the massive rotational ring system employed to provide the ship with artificial gravity. An absolute necessity for large vessels of the age, and especially so for ships expected to serve on long deployments.


    However those systems while crucial to their operation were also a major vulnerability. They were massive and fragile. Easily damaged in combat, and worse they also restricted the armaments that could be mounted on a ship. Furthermore, they also restricted the firing arcs of what weapons the ship did carry. Not only that, but the rings also complicated the matter of placing adequate armor on starships such as this.


    The Olympia despite these complications did manage a decent armament and had decent armor on her most critical sections. Enough to help her last longer in battle than other ships of her size in that period. Her weapons included several mounted railguns, forty strategically positioned point defense laser cannons, and a powerful battery of 40 nuclear missile tubes. As a result, she was a potent combatant in her age. Not only that but she was quite the popular ship class among fleet commanders and captains. So popular that every colonial fleet supported their own variant of the cruiser. The ship class served with distinction throughout the first colonial war, and also served quite well in the minor conflicts that predated the war.


    Moving on, the oft-forgotten X-444 later designated the Pyke Class was designed as part of the four hundred series by Star Tech Industries. At the time this ship was being designed STI was based on Mars, and as such Star Tech Industries had access to certain developments that otherwise would not have been available since the Pyke was designed during the interwar period between the first and second colonial wars.


    By modern standards, she isn¡¯t considered to be a capital ship, but she comes close. The Pyke measured an impressive 1250 meters in length and featured artificial gravity technology. Allowing for the bulky rotation rings found on older ships to be removed. Also featured on the ship was one of the earliest examples of pulse wave engine technology. In fact, it was the earliest production model of laser-based pulse wave engines. That fact alone makes the Pyke worthy of note.


    Unfortunately, it had a remarkably uneventful service period and the rapid march of technology, saw the ship passed by in just a few short years, by the much more memorable X-545. A ship that was developed to replace it just five years after the first Pyke was launched.


    The Pyke employed a reinforced titanium armor scheme that featured a fifteen-meter belt that covered all critical areas. Her primary armament consisted of one hundred and two high-energy linked laser batteries. She also carried nearly a thousand-point defense laser cannons. In fact she was one of the first capital ships to not feature kinetic weapons as part of her armament. She did feature ship-to-ship torpedoes that employed fusion warheads.


    By the time the second colonial war came around the ship had already been replaced, but a few examples of the class did see action in that war. Often attached to reserve units. Those ships did serve well on the line.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    The X-545 also known as the New York class was developed by Star Tech Industries as a successor to the Pyke class of Heavy Cruisers. Lessons learned from the development and service of the earlier Pyke class along with lessons learned from other 400 series ships were used in the design of the X-545. The X-545 however is most well known for being the first combat ship to employ polarized hull plating. Like the Pyke she featured an all laser primary armament. The ship was also a bit larger at 1300 meters in length.


    The X-545 New York is one of the most distinguished classes of ship to have served in the Second Colonial War. With ships of the class being involved in all major battles. The Polarized plating she was equipped with proved quite effective at protecting her from enemy laser weapons and was sturdy enough to deflect the kinetic weapons in use at the time with a fair degree of reliability. As a result, it was very rare for a New York class ship to be sunk. Ships of the class were often named after notable leaders hailing from the city after which the class was named.


    Skipping ahead, the most notable ship that laid the format for modern heavy cruisers would perhaps be the X-899 codenamed Shadowstalker. The ship was 1900 meters long which makes her a bit smaller than most modern heavy cruisers which are typically around 2200 meters in length. The vessel featured overlord hull plating of eight meters in thickness, and she was among the first cruiser classes to employ a beam array. This was NOT a particle-cutting beam like those found on modern ships, but it is a particle-based beam weapon. The weapon in question is an early precursor to modern cutting beams. It fires a comparatively short four-second pulse of charged particles.


    That weapon alone is not what makes the Shadowstalker notable. It also tested a sophisticated new generation stealth system which helped conceal a ship by reducing its energy leakage to nearly zero and modulating the armor¡¯s dispersal field to better disrupt incoming sensor scans. The result was a ship largely invisible to most detection methods.  A fact that led to some role confusion among strategists attempting to use the ship effectively.


    Many tried to treat her like a stealth cruiser, but that was not what she was. She was a full line vessel and armed accordingly. In addition, her armor was much superior to previous generation armor even if it was only six meters thick, which was thinner than most heavy cruisers of the age. A fact that also gave her an edge in maneuverability. The Shadowstalker was fast, durable, well armed, and hard to find. She served with distinction in many of the small conflicts that predate the beginning of the third colonial war, and she is also noted as being the last STI vessel designed while the company was still based on Mars. All of the later ships in the 900, 1000, 1100, and 1200 series of starships designed by Star Tech were done at her headquarters on Earth, which was interestingly enough also where the company was originally founded. That return was merely a sign of how well Earth had recovered from WWIII which was the cause of the company moving to Mars.


    The next two cruisers to cover are the Osaka class, and her successor the Tokyo class. The two ships are remarkably similar externally. On the inside they are quite different. Technically they are both 1100 series starships developed by Star Tech Industries for use by Earth¡¯s fleet. The Tokyo is the newer vessel and was an updated design intended to serve as a stopgap until the new 1200 series of ships was employed.


    The Osaka was originally developed based on requirements for a fast durable cruiser. One well equipped to engage smaller light vessels while still retaining enough punch to take on other vessels of the line. Her primary ship-to-ship weapon was her cutting beam array, which was very effective at slicing through armor. To support this weapon, she also carried eight banks of heavy particle cannons, which could shred most ships in seconds. Her secondary battery consisted of twenty-four dual-purpose light particle cannons. The ship was outfitted with short-range missile launchers, and ship-to-ship torpedoes as well.


    During her service period, her agility and the power of her cutting beam made her quite effective against most other human vessels of the age. The class was even instrumental in Earth¡¯s conquest of her colonies and the reunification of humanity. However, against the Cathamari the ship proved to be somewhat ill-equipped to fight the ships the Cathamari employed. In particular, her main weapon the cutting beam proved ineffective against shields, and unlike other heavy cruisers of the time she did not have enough torpedo tubes to overwhelm them with missiles. Her particle cannons were somewhat effective, but she found herself lacking in sufficient punch.


    The Tokyo was designed to overcome these shortcomings and featured several iterative improvements on the design. Her main battery of particle cannons were increased in yield by twenty percent, and the number increased. These gave her a much heavier volume of fire for use against capital ships, but reduced her ability against smaller ships. Weapons alone were not the only improvement. Her armor while at first glance was unchanged, actually included several minor improvements that increased overall integrity by five percent, and reduced the effectiveness of Cathamari plasma rounds by twelve percent.


    The biggest change however was her engines. The Tokyo featured a significant reconfiguration of the Engines. The Osaka class employed three main dual-core particle pulse wave engines, each one supported three single-core secondary engines. The Tokyo however was configured to act as the test bed for the same engine configuration being planned for the then-upcoming 1200 series vessels including the Enterprise. Where she now featured five tri-core main engines directly linked to two quad-core secondary engines.


    Naturally, this new engine configuration took up more overall volume in the hull and required more power. As such a few design trade-offs had to be made. The Tokyo ended up sacrificing reserve troop quarters, and her secondary torpedo bays to fit these beefier engines. Most would argue that the result was well worth it, however, as the Tokyo enjoys phenomenal agility on the battlefield. As a quick and dirty cruiser designed and commissioned under wartime conditions, the Tokyo proved remarkably effective, while her older sister class Osaka remained useful in certain roles.


    With that, we have taken a look at a few of the more notable ships to have been classed as a heavy cruiser. A few of which are by modern standards no longer considered capital ships, well true capital ships anyway. This brings to mind the current size requirements for that. To be considered a true capital ship, a ship must be at least 1500 meters in length, and at least half that in span. It must also have at least fifty decks with further requirements on tonnage, armor, and weaponry. Requirements that we need not go into right this moment. Now that we have looked at a few heavy cruisers we should now have a general idea of what these ships are and their role in battle. They are often the core of many a fleet, and the backbone of a navy. They might not have the prestige of the larger battleship or the venerable carrier, but they get the job done, and they do it well.

 Chapter Sixty-Six Orbital Mining Dynamics Phase I

    November 8th, 001 SDE:


    Countryman paced the lower bridge. For once he wasn¡¯t up on the command level, but in the lower area where all the controls were located. At the moment not much was happening. The test of the shuttles outfitted with the new mining equipment had begun just a few short hours ago. The significance of this was something Countryman understood very well.


    Standard practice for extracting minerals from a planet or asteroid that doesn¡¯t yet have existing infrastructure was pretty textbook. A mining shuttle would land near the area of interest and deliver a crew and equipment to the surface. They would set up a camp and start digging in the area. Gathered ore would be loaded onto a shuttle, and then taken to a ship in orbit for processing. Naturally, several shuttles would service each camp, and they would need a fair number of ground-based crews to maintain volume. Most of those ground crew personnel would be technicians there for on-site monitoring of mining robots typically used for the actual mining of ore.


    This little project was a remarkable leap forward in orbital mining techniques. Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t yet do it all from orbit, but this little scheme had the advantage of eliminating the need to establish ground-side mining camps. Something like this could be done with asteroids already, but that had been with a few caveats. Even there the new mark II mag tractors would solve problems, and increase production efficiency. Hell, this would even be useful for salvage operations.


    Countryman had plenty of reasons for hoping this would meet expectations. Being able to mine more effectively with no ground-side infrastructure would hopefully increase yields, reduce the time needed for a mining operation, and reduce the number of people needed for the job. Freeing up crewman for other tasks. The biggest one of those being the time needed to complete an operation. The sooner they had what they needed and could leave the better. So far this system had been calm, and they had been here without incident. It was anyone¡¯s guess as to how long that would last.


    That thought must have been a bit of a jynx. As Misaki suddenly looked up from the Ops console, ¡°Hyperspace window detected. Bearing 31 mark seven. Distance 1.27 million kilometers.¡±


    Countryman blinked. That was a drive system they had only encountered relatively recently, and knew little about it. They couldn¡¯t even track ships in hyperspace yet. Detecting a hyperspace window, however, was something they could do.¡±


    Countryman glanced at the tactical display. He quickly found it, and noted the nearest ship. It was the Coto. She was on a return course to the Enterprise after spending the last few weeks harvesting deuterium. They had taken their time so as do the mission safely, but thanks to that they were now in prime position to intercept.


    ¡°Alert the Coto, and standby to begin recovery operations.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me how many ships are coming through?¡±


    Misaki shrugged, ¡°I cannot be sure, but I believe it is just one.¡±


    A moment later that statement was confirmed as a single ship exited the vortex. A medium vessel from the look of it in terms of tonnage and size. The unidentified vessel measured about seven hundred meters long, and spanned two hundred at the widest. Long range scans indicated it had about twenty decks. Countryman looked over the tactical scans, and scoffed. It didn¡¯t look like much. Interestingly enough it was protected by polarized hull plating, thirteen meters thick. He also noted evidence of a shield grid. That was unusual. He had never seen an alien ship with powered armor of any form, and here he saw both shields and powered armor on a ship. Quite intriguing.


    Her weapons however were completely unremarkable. It had multiple high-energy laser batteries of a configuration not dissimilar to those used on Colonial ships near the end of the second colonial war, but from the look of it they would deliver a yield of a few dozen terajoules higher with a slightly higher recharge rate as well. That made them somewhat interesting, but he had seen more powerful laser cannons mounted on civilian vessels and some of the converted vessels that had been pressed into the fleet to help bolster ship counts during the final months of the war.


    The other weapons on the alien ship weren¡¯t even worth mentioning. Its main batteries appeared to be a number of gauss cannons 1200 mm guns no less, but frankly that was the only thing to note about them. There wasn¡¯t much to really say about such weapons. They weren¡¯t particularly effective against modern starship armor anyway, and that was assuming you hit. Something that was already unlikely given their rather short effective range, and low relative speed.


    It was an odd ship to be sure, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a threat. The design was hard to place as well, but he noted a few aspects that left him concerned. He figured it best to err on the side of caution and be ready in case a battle broke out. Not to mention he had no way of knowing if there weren¡¯t more ships waiting in hyperspace to drop in unannounced. Of course, he didn¡¯t even know if hyperspace allowed such a tactic. Until recently the domain of hyperspace was only a theory, an old one but theory nonetheless. One that until some aliens used it against them in the middle of a battle they had never been able to prove. The Krall FTL jammer is supposedly capable of jamming hyperspace. The particulars of that they were still figuring out, especially since htey were still studying the hardware. In fact at this moment it was probably in thirty or so pieces in one of the shipboard labs.


    ¡°Send the Coto to intercept, and investigate these newcomers. Set all decks on alert, and deploy the reserve squadrons.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir¡±


    <hr>


    The young officer watched the sensors as the ship returned to normal space. They had checked several systems on this course, and honestly, she wasn¡¯t expecting anything different this time either. The aliens were likely already long gone if they had been here in the first place. With these aliens, she knew it would be largely impossible to tell. They didn¡¯t really leave fingerprints about their presence behind. If anything the usual marker of them having been somewhere was an odd lack of evidence when you knew there should be evidence of something having happened.


    Behind her, she could hear the crew securing the ship from hyperspace. For a moment or two, the sensors were blind as they crossed between hyperspace and normal space. It was a well-known issue with hyperdrives, and a weakness often exploited. It always made her nervous, as for a brief moment they were completely blind. The other issue was that transitions were also notorious for disrupting a ship¡¯s shield grid. A problem she didn¡¯t have to deal with since they didn¡¯t have working shields in the first place. Unfortunately for her that just made her more nervous about each jump.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The blindness lasted for only a moment, as normal space resolved itself. Along with a warship on an approach vector. They didn¡¯t look to be readying for battle. Their energy readings were minimal, no sign of weapons charging or shields being raised. No sign of any kind of energy buildup at all, and she was clearly accelerating, yet there was no sign of engine exhaust either.


    ¡°Contact, sir. One ship bearing 116 mark three on approach vector.¡±


    Her mentor responded instantly, ¡°All hands set condition orange.¡±


    As the others began polarizing the armor, energizing defense fields, and bringing the weapons to hot standby mode. He turned to her, ¡°Can you identify our contact?¡±


    ¡°It looks to be our mystery friends sir.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°You mean we actually caught up with them?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it sir.¡±


    ¡°Full scan. I want as much information as you can get about them.¡±


    ¡°Sensors are having difficulty penetrating the hull. I¡¯m getting minimal readings from her, but she is bigger than us. Length: ¡®nine hundred, and seventy meters¡¯. Estimated tonnage of nearly ¡®three-quarters of a million metric tons¡¯ I¡¯m reading numerous gun ports, fore and aft torpedo launchers. Her hull is heavily armored. No discernable method of propulsion. She¡¯s a predator, sir.¡±


    He leaned over her console looking over her readings, and chewed over her report so far. ¡°Yes, she does look like one. Those lines are very aggressive. Clearly built for war., but it doesn¡¯t look like she is targeting us, just yet.¡±


    A moment later the other ship¡¯s movements changed. The aliens slowed dramatically and changed course. Bring themselves into a parallel course about ¡°50,000 kilometers¡± distant. That put them well outside of the range of the main guns, but they were inside laser range. The young officer suspected that the aliens could also shoot back at that range. An instant later her console beeped.


    ¡°High intensity scanning beams. They seem to be just as curious about us, as we are of them.¡±


    Her mentor nodded, ¡°they do. Open hailing frequencies. Let¡¯s see if they respond.¡±


    She pressed a few buttons on her console and opened a channel. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, then something locked onto their signal. Almost instantly her computer started speaking with an alien one. Well attempting to, it took a few minutes of exchanging data before they locked onto a language they both understood. It took a few moments more after that as they generated a translation matrix.


    As she waited for the computers to figure out a translation matrix, she decided to run a system wide scan. It likely wouldn¡¯t bring up much, but perhaps she might learn a bit about why they were here. At first that scan didn¡¯t reveal much, until she noted an anomaly. It took her a moment to resolve what she was looking at.


    As it turned out, it was the big ship, and a second smaller one not far from her. Along with a number of smaller craft conducting operations in orbit of the only remotely habitable planet in the system. Not that anyone would want to set up a colony there. It was barely habitable, and the planet was somewhat unstable geologically. That didn¡¯t mean no one was interested in the planet. The planet was minerally wealthy, and she knew that several powers were interested in establishing a mining outpost here.


    What had really drawn her attention were the energy bursts, on the planet itself. It took her a couple more moments of enhancing the images to resolve what she was seeing. ¡°Well, I think I found out what they are doing in this system.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Already? We haven¡¯t even spoken with them,¡± responded her mentor.


    She placed her scans on the main screen. ¡°Looks like they are conducting some kind of operation on the planet. Those shuttles are unleashing focused energy bursts. Some kind of resonant particle burst. Not dissimilar in profile to modern mining lasers, but with much greater range. I think we are looking at some kind of aerial mining operation.¡±


    Her mentor frowned, and blinked a few times. Utterly silent without a word as he studied the scan. Images of the alien ships were somewhat fuzzy, but it was nice to see their adjustments to the scanners did help penetrate whatever stealth mechanism they were using. Not completely but enough that they could see the ships, but only with active scans. Passive scans revealed nothing.


    After a moment, he finally said, ¡°You know I never thought I would hear the words aerial and mining used together quite like that.¡±


    ¡°Nor did I.¡±


    The science officer at that moment interjected, ¡°If I may. The concept isn¡¯t entirely alien. We explored it ourselves after the advent of tractor beam technology. The idea does have its limitations. The biggest one being the method being of little use against deeper mineral veins. Honestly the concept never gained much traction, and was largely abandoned.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well evidently these aliens are using the concept.¡±


    ¡°Or at the very least experimenting with it. That planet would be a prime candidate given the rich surface-level deposits that make the world such an attractive mining target.¡±


    In any case it gave them something to ask the aliens about. As for the planet itself, honestly they didn¡¯t care if the aliens were planning to strip mine it or something. It was well beyond the current borders of the Commonwealth. Besides they had enough wars as it is. Hell keeping those damned Valorians out of their territory was trouble enough. They didn¡¯t need those walking contradictions peddling goods in their territory.


    Before she could think too much further on the meeting, the console beeped. She glanced over and noted the translation matrix had been completed. She even noted the computer logged using Valorian, Cathamari, and interestingly Krall lexicons as references for creating the new translation matrix.


    She informed her mentor, and a moment later they established a channel. A dimly lit alien bridge was soon revealed on the forward viewscreen. The most notable source of light was a pair of horizontal yellow bars in the background. What really caught her attention was the alien prominently positioned on the screen. Her first thought was that she was looking at a Valorian, but something struck her as wrong about that. It took her a moment to realize the skin color was all wrong, and while it was hard to tell he was notably larger than most Valorian males. Yet he was clearly male.


    Perhaps a distant relative, a cousin species? No that couldn¡¯t be. Their languages shared no common roots. It was only used as a reference since both computers understood the languages in question. There was no such thing as a universal translator, but computers could certainly build translation matrixes in remarkably short order. The more understood languages known by both the faster for such a matrix to be built.


    ¡°I¡¯m Captain Reynolds of the Sol Refuge destroyer, EFS Coto, and you are?¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Seven Unexpected Encounter

    Reynolds shifted in his command seat, as he studied the alien bridge. It seemed a little crowded, unorderly, and frankly old. He had but a moment ago introduced himself, and his people as the Sol Refuge. Honestly that was overstepping things a little. They hadn¡¯t officially named their little group just yet. In fact, there was actually a bit of debate on that in the council meetings. The subject had cropped up a few times, more than a few times actually, but other than floating a few names around none of them had yet to actually stick. Names like the Sol Remnant, and Sol Refuge had both been floating around for a while. In fact they kept coming back to those two names, even as others were proposed. Pretty much all of them included the name Sol, rather than Earth, Terra, and the like. That was deliberate. There was a reason they often refered to themselves as the People of Sol. It was because as a people they better identified as all coming from the Sol System, but not all of them identified as being from the same planet or in some cases moon. Many of their number were in fact refugees from the colonies, and many of those had grown up in those colonies. Only seeing Earth for the brief time before the Cathamari rained destruction down upon the cradle of humanity.


    As for the aliens, they seemed roughly humanoid. Close enough that he could tell the difference. A green-skinned man with some impressive horns was the one who finally spoke, ¡°I¡¯m Chief Investigator Oran commander of the Chi¡¯ran Commonwealth expeditionary vessel CCES Bok¡¯Wa. I can¡¯t say that I am familiar with the Sol Refuge.¡±


    Reynolds felt his expression darken a little. They knew a little about the Chi¡¯ran Commonwealth. They were one of the bigger players in the area, and rather xenophobic from what they had seen. The Chi¡¯ran were quite aggressive at defending their borders and from what he could tell didn¡¯t negotiate. ¡°I can¡¯t say that entirely surprises me. We are rather new to the area, but we have heard a bit about the Chi¡¯ran Commonwealth. Your people seem to be rather xenophobic.¡±


    Oran sighed, ¡°Yes there is a strong trend of xenophobia among our people. I can¡¯t say I entirely agree with it, but I do understand it. Let¡¯s just say we have been burned a few times too many while dealing with aliens. We¡¯ve learned to be more cautious since then. Perhaps you understand what I mean? You have apparently met the Cathamari afterall.¡±


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°Oh, yes we are quite familiar with the Cathamari, unfortunately. Not exactly a subject I would care to discuss on a first meeting.¡±


    ¡°Nor would I. Plenty of more pleasant topics to discuss. Such as what you are doing in this system, captain? Unless I am overstepping my bounds?¡±


    Reynolds waved that off, ¡°Not really. We aren¡¯t planning to stay if that is what you are worried about.¡±


    ¡°I see, so if may ask what are you doing in this system?¡±


    ¡°Replenishing our stores before we move on. We¡¯ll be gone in a few weeks at the latest.¡±


    The alien nodded, ¡°In that case, you might want to be aware that planet is highly desired by a few of the local warlords. If they catch you mining it, there will be some trouble.¡±


    Reynolds shifted into his seat. It sounded like a threat, but with the tone, it felt more like a friendly warning. ¡°I will keep that in mind, Investigator. I take it you don¡¯t have an issue with us mining the planet?¡±


    ¡°Not particularly. The Commonwealth doesn¡¯t really have an interest in this system. We have other concerns anyway. Namely all the warmongering warlords on our borders, and the rather unwelcome Valorian intrusions into our space. I¡¯m mainly here to see where you fit in the grand scheme of things, and determine if we should be concerned about you or not.¡±


    Reynolds nodded along, ¡°Your honesty is appreciated, Investigator. Perhaps we can discuss things somewhere more comfortable. If you would match my course, we can escort you to the planet.


    <hr>


    Deep Space, November 8th, 001 SDE, 1423 hours:


    The ship shuddered under the impact of another hit. The commander cursed, wishing she hadn¡¯t taken this job, but focused on the report. ¡°Aft Shields at 43 percent.¡±


    ¡°Maintain course, return fire aft pulse batteries!¡±


    She focused her view aft. They had been engaged by three Chi¡¯ran destroyers. She hated the entire sector, but the Chi¡¯ran were the worst of the lot. They were the most dangerous of the local races, and an utter menace to trade. She hated fighting them, and at the moment they were outmatched. The enemy had a three-to-one advantage in both numbers and firepower.


    Her ordered barrage struck the forward shields of the destroyer that was hot on their tail. They flared bright purple in response to the impacts of the low-yield plasma rounds.


    Her tactical officer reported the hits. More importantly, she noted the enemy¡¯s drop in shield strength. ¡°Aft torpedoes, fire!¡±


    Plasma torpedoes were powerful, but they didn¡¯t have a lot of range. Thankfully that wasn¡¯t a problem at the moment. Several bright red bolts of light streaked out, expanding as they crossed the distance. The torpedoes slammed into the Chi¡¯ran shields with tremendous force. The defensive barriers glowed bright and then flickered. They were failing. One hit got through, and exploded. An impressive fireball flared up blocking her view of anything else.


    Her ship shuddered again, ¡°Port shields, 12%!¡±


    That was the problem, the other ones. They were on the fucking port shields again! She glanced at the tactical chart and growled out her next order, ¡°Hard to port, return fire all port side batteries! Divert auxiliary power to the shields.¡±


    She glanced at her console, and watched the power kick in, boosting the shield strength, but what they really needed was a chance to dump all the energy the shields had absorbed since the fight had started. The ship turned hard as her crew carried out her orders, and angry red little bolts zipped across the distance to strike the other destroyer.


    Her shields flared brightly but held. Her tactical officer reported the effects of their torpedoes. As it turned out, they had failed to destroy the Chi¡¯ran destroyer, but they dealt heavy damage to her bow sections, in fact, she had lost half the bow. It had vaporized by the impact of the torpedoes. Thankfully that was a mission kill, and the ship was moving off. She was now facing off two against one. Speaking of that where was the third Chi¡¯ran destroyer?


    Her question was answered all too soon.


    ¡°Sir! Hyperspace window, dead ahead!¡±


    ¡°Evasive action!¡±


    She watched as the other ship reemerged into normal space, narrowly avoiding a collision, and opened fire with a full volley of disrupter and plasma fire. Her ship shuddered, and several alarms blared. ¡°Forward shields, 41%, port shields are gone! Hull breaches decks four, six, and eight. Sections 13 through 63 on deck four are gone. Sections 31, 53, and 82 on deck six. Section fourteen, through twenty on deck eight. Emergency forcefields are in place and holding.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    That was bad, they needed to protect the port side even more now. At least for a few seconds so that the port shield generators could cycle. That would take about fifteen seconds, but in a battle that could be an eternity. At the moment she would have liked nothing more than to run, but the damn Chi¡¯ran were jamming them. Something she could have been doing, but they needed all the power they could get for the shields and weapons. At least she had thought so. Now she wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°Bring us about to heading 119 mark 12!¡±


    She waited as her crew swung the ship around to the new heading. Lining them up so that the forward launchers could fire. The moment they had an angle, she gave the order. Bright red plasma bolts screamed out of the launchers. The Chi¡¯ran ship attempted to evade with a hard vectoring to starboard. Causing two of the torpedoes to sail off into space harmlessly. The rest slammed into destroyer #3¡¯s shields with tremendous force. They flared brightly, but held barely.


    She gave the order to fire with the forward batteries before the enemy could change their position. Even as destroyer #2 was coming in for another attack on their port shields. She noticed it, and glanced at her console. The port shields hadn¡¯t recovered yet, but they were close. The commander was worried about it, but if this gamble paid off, they could even things out.


    From her position, she watched as a flurry of red plasma bolts from the pulse batteries slammed into destroyer #3¡¯s failing shields. Their low yield meant little, and the number of hits quickly added up. The shields flickered with each hit and soon failed. Multiple bolts splashed against the destroyer¡¯s armor. With a number penetrating the armor to damage the hull.


    The other destroyer fired. She gave her next order. Her cruiser rolled as the thrusters fired full. Rapidly the depleted port shields were brought out of the angle of fire, presenting the enemy with her ventral shields which had so far been untouched. Deadly disrupter bolts slammed into her ventral shields, and the ship shuddered under the impacts.


    ¡°Ventral shields, 89%.¡±


    That would have been worse if the enemy had used their plasma throwers. Thankfully they hadn¡¯t. ¡°Return fire, all ventral batteries!¡±


    The pulse cannons spat deadly red spheres of plasma downrange at the attacking destroyer. Scoring a few hits on her shields. Nothing serious. As for the other ship, she had taken a few hits to the hull, but the damage was fairly minimal. There was some damage to a few key systems, but nothing crippling. #3 came about and returned fire.


    Deadly disrupter bolts raked over the shields of her cruiser. Just as the port shield finished cycling no less. That was a bit of good news, but they were still in trouble. Worse, she was almost out of torpedoes. Her ship was an up-armed variant of the military¡¯s Ophera class light cruiser. A variant that gave her more torpedoes to work with but of the two hundred torpedoes she left port with she only had about twenty left. Ten for the aft tubes, and ten more for the forward tubes. The aft ones were about loaded, but the fore tubes would take a bit longer to be reloaded. She knew she would need to make these count.


    Feeling much better about her chances now, even with the caveat of being almost out of torpedoes she gave her next set of orders. The aft torpedoes would be finished loading in just a few seconds, and she wanted to take advantage. ¡°Engineering, vent some drive plasma, and introduce a level one instability to the aft shields.¡±


    Her crew gave her a look of confusion but followed her orders. She wanted it to look like some previous damage had resulted in their aft shields weakening suddenly. The enemy had been going after her port shields moments before with a dogged vengeance. She was going to use that tendency against them.


    Almost instantly, the #2 destroyer changed course, bringing it right onto her aft vector seconds later. Her cruiser shuddered as several disrupter bolts slammed into the aft shields. She gave the order to return fire with the aft batteries but held the order for the torpedoes. They weren¡¯t yet in position.


    Meanwhile, the #3 destroyer was coming about. While discharging another volley of disrupter bolts. Each strike shook her cruiser. Internally she was praying the shields would continue to hold. Suddenly alarms flared, as the #3 destroyer¡¯s missile tubes discharged a volley of plasma missiles in rapid order. The distinctive green glow of Chi¡¯ran plasma missiles dotted her screen as they careened towards her ship.


    Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have any options for the missiles, but to hope the shields could take the hit. She smiled to herself when the ship on her tail entered the perfect position. About time too since her sheilds were straining fast thanks to the intentional weakness she put in them. She gave the order.


    The tubes flashed as large spheres of red death were spat at the attacking destroyer, and she was too close now to evade. Instead as if to spite her, the Chi¡¯ran ship launched her missiles.


    ¡°Quick stabilize the shields! Increase speed!¡±


    The shields stabilized quickly, but they were not going to lose the missiles. As her torpedoes slammed into the #2 destroyer, the missiles from both destroyers collided with her shields. Her ship was rocked hard and the simultaneous detonations saturated her sensor feeds. They had been hit on multiple quarters as the missiles had attempted to hit all of her weakened shield quadrants.


    ¡°Aft shields have failed!¡±


    ¡°Forward shields failing!¡±


    ¡°Starboard shields have failed!


    ¡°Dorsal shields at 21 percent¡±


    She cursed, that was a bad hit. She had pretty much lost three of her six shield quadrants, and that fourth wasn¡¯t doing much better. That left her with only two decently strong shield vectors. A moment later, she received the report on the #2 destroyer.


    The other ship had lost forward shields, and taken damage to her bow. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t enough to be considered a mission kill. The ship returned fire with another volley of disrupter bolts.


    Her ship shuddered. She didn¡¯t even wait for the damage report, ¡°Return fire all batteries! Helm bring us about to heading 223 mark 90, show em our belly.¡±


    Red plasma pulses found their mark on the relatively unprotected hull of the damaged #2 destroyer, as they came about. Entering the new bearing, and rolling to present their ventral shields to the enemy.


    Suddenly an explosion rocked the #2 destroyer, and the ship went up in a fireball. With a bit of pride her tactical officer shouted, ¡°Target destroyed, sir!!!¡±


    That left her with one more ship to worry about. A ship that was coming about on a new heading. Disrupter batteries firing. Her ship shuddered under the impacts, but thankfully her port shields were taking the brunt of the damage. Hopefully it would stay that way a moment longer.


    She gave the order to return fire. Shields flared brightly as red pulses raked the final destroyer. One of them flickered and gave out allowing her plasma bolts to rake the hull again.


    She glanced at her console. The forward tubes would be loaded in three seconds. Unfortunately to use them would mean presenting the enemy with a failing shield. It might absorb one or two hits before going down. That wasn¡¯t a lot. However the captain was going to roll the dice.


    ¡°Bring us about, hard to port.¡±


    The crew seemed worried but complied. The ship swung to port. Her ship shuddered as the destroyer took advantage, and bloodied her ship was a barrage of disrupter fire. She gave the order the instant she had an angle. Along with another to bring them to a new line with stronger shields to show.¡±


    A few moments later, her torps hit with impressive force against the destroyer. Her shields flared brightly and buckled. When the light cleared, she had taken a fair amount of damage, but wasn¡¯t dead.


    The destroyer responded by firing another volley of missiles before making the jump to hyperspace. She cursed, and attempted evasive action. Perhaps it helped, as they were still alive after the missiles hit. It seemed the battle was over though.


    ¡°Damage report!¡±


    An instant later engineering relayed a report of all the damage they took. It was bad, very bad. The shield grid had taken the brunt of the punishment, but their hull wasn¡¯t in good shape either. Worse, they had lost warp drive, and several of their cargo bays had been vented to space. They had lost several months'' worth of supplies and a few fuel pods. Even more bad news the main communications array had been destroyed during their exchange.


    Now they were stranded in deep space with heavy hull damage, and only a few weeks worth of supplies. ¡°What about the distress beacon?¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t take a hit, but...¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± She really did know the problem. The beacon only had an on, and off switch, and once on would transmit a broadband general distress call. Just about anyone could pick it up. Unfortunately it wasn¡¯t like they had much choice.


    With a sigh, she said, ¡°Activate the beacon.¡±

 Chapter Sixty-Eight Distress, and Negotiations

    The young officer looked out the viewport as the pilot brought them in. Their new friends had selected a nice spot on the nightside of the planet for their meeting. Below them, she could see the ground zipping by as the shuttle came in for a landing at the site. Already a few alien shuttles had landed in the area, and a temporary structure had been erected. From the look of it some kind of prefab building they must have had on hand.


    She rather approved of their choice of location for the meeting. It would be a much better location than any of the ships in orbit. It was neutral ground. Better yet this location was far enough away from the volcanos that the only thing they had to worry about was the air. Being on the night side meant the temperatures would be much more bearable as well. Thanks to its twin stars, and position in the system the planet could reach rather scorching temperatures during the day. It was still warm during the night, but not scorching.


    As they drew closer the aliens activated a few guide lights. That was welcome as it helped illuminate their landing site and approach vector. The ground had been smoothed recently, and now resembled polished glass. Although for only a few dozen meters around the landing site, beyond that point the ground was the usual rocky soil that dominated this particular desert. Much of the planet was covered with dry, cracked rocky soil. There was some sand in some regions, but there wasn¡¯t a lot of water on the planet. Not on the surface anyway, pretty much all of it was locked up in underground reservoirs.


    If she had to guess the aliens had used a controlled application of their particle-based mining lasers or something similar to glass this area smooth. How they cooled it, she wasn¡¯t sure, but it did make for a nice landing area.


    The shuttle set down on the glassy ground with a slight thunk. It was time for the first face-to-face meeting between the Sol Refuge, and the Chi¡¯ran Commonwealth. She felt a little uncertain about this. It was hard to say what would come out of this meeting if anything at all.


    The first people off the shuttle were the few security officers they had brought along. They were to make sure the area was secure and hopefully prove to be absolutely unnecessary. It was a good day when the security troops weren¡¯t actually needed. From the looks of things, the aliens had the same thought. She noted several alien soldiers moving about, all of them equipped with some kind of full body armor. Along with a rifle.


    The troops they had brought with them were equipped with disrupter rifles, light combat armor, and a personal shield. So not that different really from what the aliens had brought. Although they had clearly given their troops heavier armor. A fact that made her slightly worried.


    Nothing happened as the troops interacted however, and the clear signal was given. She slipped off the shuttle with her mentor. Ready to get this meeting underway.


    <hr>


    Countryman shifted in his seat. The meeting had been underway for a few hours now. Neither side knew much about the other. So much of the discussion had really been probing. He had learned a few things from their answers however, and he suspected they had learned a few things as well. He had been speaking with the two aliens before him, a younger woman, and a man that seemed to be late middle ages. Although it was hard to say for sure if that was the case. They were dealing with an alien race afterall, and hell thanks to medicine it was already difficult to tell within their own race. He was nearly two hundred years old already, and Ruri wasn¡¯t young either, even if she looked it.


    It was easy to think of her as quite young given her appearance and behavior. Especially her childlike innocence around certain things. Altough she has been like that for as long as he could remember, and he had met her many years ago when she was a young girl on the cusp of womanhood. Even then her spark of brilliance shined through, even as she proved... rather dense when it came to certain things.


    Putting that aside, he focused on the conversation at hand. As the older man decided to ask, ¡°I recall that Captain Reynolds mentioned you were familiar with the Cathamari. I was curious as to the extent of that familiarity if I might be so bold to ask.¡±


    Countryman shifted, and sighed, ¡°We are more familiar with them than we would like. To be specific we fought a war with them for a little over two years until it ended rather suddenly.¡±


    The woman interjected, ¡°let me guess, they just withdrew after their homeworld got attacked by forces unknown.¡¯


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Something like that. We did well enough in that war, one on one our ships always emerged victorious, even as the enemy learned our weaknesses. Especially since we had learned theirs, allowing us to maintain a degree of advantage, even grow it in some cases. Regardless we are rather done with them, and would rather not be anywhere close to them.¡±


    ¡°I see. Does that have anything to do with what brought you out to this sector.¡±


    ¡°If you are wondering we are just passing through. We have no plans to remain in this sector.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    He blinked. Countryman had given a non-answer to the question, but it was enough. Thankfully the older alien changed the subject, ¡°I see. Well out of curiousity have you had much contact with the Valorians?¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°A little, but enough to know that some of them don¡¯t live up to their reputation. They can be awfully trigger-happy. Especially for a people so renowned to be peaceful traders. You would think they would try harder to establish contact, and not be a shoot first ask questions later kind of people. Know what I mean?¡±


    They both shared a look, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We encountered a mid-sized fleet of around two thousand ships in the Delta Four system. While we were trying to establish communications one of them took a pot shot at us, and it wasn¡¯t too long before things devolved into a full on skirmish. We won, and we only had the three ships we have here for that battle. Although it helped that the Valorains are so overly reliant on energy shielding, and their ships tend to be rather undergunned.¡±


    The two aliens exchanged a look, and spoke quietly. Perhaps trying to have a private conversation, but his ears picked it up. His implants even translated it for him to understand. In short it seems they didn¡¯t believe him, and thought his statements were exaggerated. He didn¡¯t care to disillusion them of that impression. They weren¡¯t going to be staying in this region, not for much longer anyway.


    Suddenly the door opened, and a young man entered. Countryman looked up, as the man handed him a pad. In the same moment, the Ensign informed him, ¡°The Enterprise has detected a distress call. The ship sending it is about twenty light years away.¡±


    Countryman listened and considered. At that distance, it would take them a week to reach the ship sending it. Assuming a consistent travel speed of warp five. If they were willing to push the engines a little they might be able to get there a little faster. Countryman glanced at the padd it contained a copy of the received distress call.


    He glanced at the coordinates, and then looked at the two debating aliens, ¡°How fast is that ship of yours?¡±


    They blinked, ¡°Not quite as fast as your ships seem to be, why ask?¡±


    ¡°Just curious,¡± he turned to the Ensign, ¡°I¡¯d like the Coto dispatched to investigate. Tell him speed is a priority, but don¡¯t cripple the ship getting there. We¡¯ll head out that way as soon as we are done here.¡±


    The ensign nodded, and left the room quietly. Before long the discussions resumed. Although as it turned out little would be decided here, but they did end up exchanging some information. Countryman ended up exchanging tactical data on Cathamari ships for data on the local powers, along with some data that the Chi¡¯ran had on the current state of the Valorian Trade Confederation. It painted a picture not entirely unfamiliar to Countryman. It reminded him of the twilight years of the Age of Fools. A picture of a government disconnected from its people the events surrounding it, one rife with political corruption, and those who weren¡¯t corrupt were seemingly inept and unable to act in any meaningful capacity.


    Things sounded far worse away from the core, where crime and riots were rampant. Made worse by waves of alien refugees bringing with them their own values, and beliefs. Not all of them could integrate in any meaningful way into Valorian society. Piracy had risen sharply across much of their territory as well, and both the military and local police forces seemed unable to counter the rising piracy. The picture painted effectively revealed a society built on a foundation of tissue paper and held together with glue and paper clips. Yet despite this, they seemed intent on ignoring the state of their confederation. Some of this data indicated they were still attempting to expand their trade network and their influence into surrounding sectors. Even in sectors like this were they able to find a profitable market. Here it was apparently mainly with mercenaries. All of this was concerning. Best not to widely publicize this not yet. He would make sure key officers on the council were made aware of this, but no one else. If the Valorian Trade Confederation were to collapse it would likely be the precursor to a galactic war. That was something to worry about, and certainly not something they wanted to be caught in the middle of.  It seemed they might be on a shorter clock then he thought for finding that new homeworld. Although first, this information would have to be corroborated.


    <hr>


    The captain slumped into her wrecked office. It had been a few hours since the beacon had been turned on. In that time, they had seen no sign of the surviving Chi¡¯ran, or any response from their distress call quite yet. Those facts left them with more time to assess their own situation. The damage to the warp drive was extensive, both of the main engines required to form a stable warp field had been slagged by Chi¡¯ran disrupter fire. The main sublight drives had taken several hits, but they had still been working. Key word being had. A plasma conduit had ruptured not that long ago, and it had taken damage control teams over an hour to contain the leak. Unfortunately not before plasma burned out half the engines, and breached the hull.


    She was really regretting taking this job. Of course, it wasn¡¯t entirely her choice. She was merely part of the company, but she could have turned down this recon mission. What were they even out here for? She knew a bit about what the job was. Locate an alien species, observe them, and if possible acquire samples of their technology. She knew several corporations back home wanted those samples desperately. What little she knew about these aliens underscored why. They had several unusual examples of technology including shield penetrating torpedoes, and much more interesting an unusual method of propulsion. One that seemingly didn¡¯t use traditional thruster methods. Such a reactionless engine had untold advantages and represented a significant chance for profit. Assuming one could find these aliens, but it seemed they were rather elusive.


    It didn¡¯t help that they eluded normal tracking methods entirely. The company had reason to believe them to be somewhere within this sector, but the area they were searching was massive. Over fifty lightyears across. That didn¡¯t sound like much, until you considered how long it took to cross just one light year. At warp four that would take about three and a half days. Of course her ship could travel faster than that, but it was still not a quick journey. Well her ship used to be able to travel faster than that. Now it was a floating wreck. A part of her hoped one of the other ships in the company weren¡¯t too far out from her position and would respond before the Chi¡¯ran came back to finish the job. Not to mention they only had so long before their supplies ran dry.

 Chapter Sixty-Nine Deep Space

    EFS Coto, Deep Space, November 15th 001 SDE:


    Reynolds shifted in his seat, as he copied his log onto the ship¡¯s computer. They had made reasonably good time over the last week. This was their first mission without support since launch, which meant they were on their own for this. A fact that made the crew a bit uncomfortable, but it was a distress call they were investigating. Given the distance there was a good chance that they would arrive too late to actually assist, but it wasn¡¯t so far out of their way as to not be worth it. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the wisest move, however, it was the moral option. Not to mention many among their number felt that there was no point to survival if they forgot their humanity. That was why Countryman had dispatched him ahead of the fleet. Balancing morality with practicality the correct move had been to send the Coto alone. Reynolds knew full well why. Captain Drakes had far more combat experience and was the superior battlefield ship commander when compared to Reynolds. As such if the Enterprise came under attack, Drakes would be the better captain to have on hand to help defend their most valued vessel.


    Reynolds had also followed the orders, and pushed the engines a little to exceed warp five. They did make several warp pauses on the way to allow the engines to cool, and prevent them from overheating. As such they ended up cutting only a mere four and a half hours off a week long trip. That wasn¡¯t much, but it might mean all the difference for a ship in distress. They were still reading the distress beacon, but that wasn¡¯t necessarily a good sign. It was entirely possible that they would arrive to find a dead ship, and that the beacon was merely an automated distress beacon. It would not be the first time, that had happened nor would it be the last. Even in that case, the trip was often still worth it, as it would be an opportunity to collect alien artifacts. Artifacts that could prove the key to unlocking alien technologies, and opening new doors to their endangered race. On the other hand if the arrived early enough to help it provided a chance to make friends, potential allies that they sorely needed. As such while this was a risk, he felt like many on his bridge, and like many on the Enterprise that coming out this way to answer a distress call would benefit them far more than simply ignoring the beacon.


    His log loaded, and his thoughts organized the captain focused his gaze onto his side console. They were mere minutes from their last warp-out point. He had chosen their final drop-out coordinates to be some distance from the beacon. That would give them a chance to assess the situation from afar, as the distress call gave them no details on the nature of the problem. However he didn¡¯t want to be so far out that they would need another warp jump to reach the target in short order. With that in mind he had chosen a position a hundred thousand kilometers from the stricken ship.


    A moment later his helmsman informed him that the were dropping to sublight. As they did, the stars resolved themselves, and he came face to face with a battle. One Valorian cruiser venting plasma was dead ahead. Eight ships of various configurations and armaments had engaged them. The cruiser seemed largely dead in space, but her shields were up, and her crew was shooting back. It did not however seem like they would last much longer.


    <hr>


    The commander coughed, smoke was billowing into the bridge from somewhere. She had ordered someone a minute ago to lock that down. It was from a fire that had erupted on one of the lower decks. It was just her damned luck that pirates had found them first, a whole squadron of them.


    Someone shouted, ¡°Aft shields twenty percent!¡±


    That was much better than any of the other shields. Thankfully the pirates weren¡¯t focusing on any one shield, but they had brought most of her shields down to minimal levels. The deck plates swayed under her, as a torpedo slammed into the port shield bringing it down to eighteen percent. She turned to tactical intent on barking her next order, only to pause at the sight on screen.


    From seemingly nowhere an alien cruiser materialized sweeping in from her port flank. A beam of blue energy leapt from her hull and raked across the largest of the pirate vessels, a massive cruiser in the two thousand meter class. Something most pirate groups wouldn¡¯t have, a sign of how successful this one was. The beast of a pirate ship dwarfed every ship here, including the newcomer. Yet that didn¡¯t seem to matter, as the violent energy tore into her shield. It flared brilliantly as the beam raked over the defensive barrier. It flickered briefly, but that was enough for a portion of it rip into the hull of the cruiser. It cut through the hull plating as if it wasn¡¯t even there. Punching through several decks, and tearing deep into the ship. Numerous power disruptions, and grid failures rippled through the ship, and the shield failed. As the beam was still raking across the hull. Without the defensive barrier the ship was bisected in seconds.


    As the alien cruiser zipped by the wrecked pirate cruiser, she fired four quick bursts of light from her aft weapons array for good measure. Each slammed into the stricken pirate vessel in rapid succession, and erupted into brilliant flares of light. She recognized the hits instantly. Those were photon torpedoes, a type of warhead that used cascade detonations to unleash massive photon bursts. A very deadly type of warhead, with much greater range than plasma torps, and better accuracy to boot since they could be guided.


    The alien vessel didn¡¯t stop with that cruiser. Her beam array fired again this time targeting an unfortunate converted frigate that happened to be nearby. The poor ship didn¡¯t even last five seconds before the beam had bisected the ship. Unlike the cruiser, that frigate didn¡¯t even have the shield strength to stop the beam. Only weaken it a bit, if it weakened the beam at all. As the stream of energy had simply burned right through those shields in an instant, and sliced though the hull like it was nothing.


    Simply watching this reminded her of the one time she had seen a Krall ship in action. It had been a lot like this, an engine of destruction simply sweeping anything aside as if it was nothing. That Krall vessel hadn¡¯t been any bigger than the alien cruiser here either. In fact it had been smaller. Her previous order lay forgotten as she simply starred at the screen. It took another hit to the shields to remind her she was in a battle, yet words continued to escape her as the alien cruiser cut down another pirate ship in mere moments.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    On screen she watched as two of the remaining pirate ships turned and fired their weapons upon the alien cruiser. One of them fired ionic pulses from a series of ion batteries they had acquired somewhere. A useful weapon, especially against civilian vessels who often didn¡¯t have hardened shielding. The vibrant energy pulses found their marks, slamming into the alien hull with little apparent effect. Not even the flaring of a shield to deflect the ion bolts. An instant later the plasma rounds fired by the other ship struck with equal effect.


    The cruiser responded by firing a focused beam on both ships at once. Two intense streams of blue energy split from either side of the alien saucer. Raking the hulls of both pirate vessels, and in seconds two more ships were gone. In minutes a battle that had lasted a few hours already had been drastically changed. Half the pirate vessels had been destroyed. When moments before they had seemed likely to be the death of her, even if normally they would never have been a threat to her ship.


    The effect of four ships dying in so spectacular a fashion proved to be just enough to frighten the remaining pirates to flee. Four flashes of light signaled the abrupt departure of the remaining pirates. It seemed her ship may finally be safe.


    She slumped into her command chair. As the tension left her bones for a moment. Her gaze never left the alien ship as it came to a rest in front of her ship. At this point it would be most appropriate to open a channel. Unfortunately, her comm array was still in tatters, and she didn¡¯t even have the main comm dish. The secondaries? They were intact, but unfortunately, no power was getting to the system. Damage to the power grid was responsible for that. That didn¡¯t mean she was without options for communication however. She did still have the option to attempt signaling. How well that would work was up in the air.


    The captain sighed, and turned to her engineering officer, ¡°Reset the sh....¡±


    Several flashes of light signaled the sudden arrival of three company vessels. All of them uparmed light cruisers of the same type as hers. Which meant larger torpedo bays, and more launcher tubes. Along with a few other optimizations to make the ships better suited for combat. The base model Ophera was in her opinion rather underpowered. The hull had excellent potential, but it just wasn¡¯t being fully utilized. Of course that was just because of how tiny the military budget was. As a company they had much more money to outfit their ships with, and thanks to their government contracts they could obtain military grade equipment.


    In some respects it was nice to see them, but she wished they had not shown up at quite this moment. Earlier or later would have been better than now. This could be a problem. ¡°Signal the lead ship!¡±


    Her operations officer nodded, and attempted to signal the lead. Only before any acknowledgment of the hail could be made, all three company ships opened fire on the alien vessel. Red plasma pulses sailed past her damaged hull, and splashed over the alien hull. The alien armor held up against the barrage remarkably well.


    She watched them increase speed, and return fire. A powerful stream of blue energy zipped past her hull, and slammed into the lead cruiser of the company task force. Unlike the pirate ship¡¯s that vessel''s shields actually seemed to hold. The beam was maintained for a surprisingly long time, however, nearly a minute as the company vessels continued to bombard the single alien cruiser. She did not join them in opening fire.


    Instead she focused on trying to signal her allies. Yet they kept ignoring her. Merely continuing to attack the alien cruiser, which luckily only seemed to be armed with that strange beam weapon, and a few torpedoes. At least that seemed to be the case, until suddenly a number of turrets popped up on her armored hull. Dual-mounted energy guns swiveled about on their armored ball mountings and opened up unleashing a barrage of rapid-fire blue energy pulses. Bolt after bolt of blue energy slammed into the lead cruiser¡¯s shields with visible effect, but they were holding.


    The lead cruiser increased speed. Closing into torpedo range, and fired. Angry red bolts of plasma sailed out of the launchers at high speed. They stayed compact for a few seconds before the containment began to fail, and the torps swelled in size. Only to abruptly balloon in size when they got close to the alien ship, and engulf it entirely.


    A beam of blue energy erupted from the fiery cloud, and slammed into the lead cruiser as she was coming about. Her shields flared brightly, but held. In the background, she idly noted one of her officers report that the cruiser¡¯s shipwide shield strength had dropped below 75%.


    That number put into perspective how strong that ship was. It was heavily armed, and seemingly immune to plasma weapons. As it sailed out of the plasma cloud without so much as a single scratch on her black and silver paint. She glanced at the operations officer, who shook her head. Still no response to their signals.


    The alien cruiser came about, and suddenly it spat out several bolts of light. She recognized those. They had fired torpedoes. The lead ship was the target. A ship that ignored the projectiles, and opened fire with a barrage of plasma from the pulse cannon batteries. There was no discernable effect on the alien hull plating, but the effect of their torpedoes was shocking.


    The projectiles struck the shields of the lead cruiser, but one of them actually got through. It slammed into the hull amidships and detonated with deadly force. A massive flash of light dominated her screen, and when it cleared she was staring at the shattered hulk of what had once been a company cruiser. Now it was a lifeless mangled wreck, blown into multiple large chunks of floating wreckage. It was a shocking display of power. One that seemed to have worked, as both of the other ships ceased fire immediately. Even signaling their surrender.


    She sighed, and turned back to the engineering officer. Feeling much more comfortable now that people seemed done shooting at each other, ¡°Reset the shields, and ready the port shuttlebay to receive guests.¡±


    The officer nodded and executed the command. In moments her shields dropped but remained in a hot stand-by ready to be raised at a moment''s notice.

 Chapter Seventy Skirmish Resolved

    Reynolds shifted in his seat after the Valorian units had stood down. He had not planned to destroy their local flag vessel, but they had refused all prior hails. Not only that, but his weapons hadn¡¯t been doing much against their shields. That torpedo wasn¡¯t even set to maximum yield when he fired it. It had been intended to cripple them, not destroy them. At least the effect had gotten their attention. He made a mental note that Valorian hull construction was far more fragile than he had thought. Although he figured it would be best to make an investigation before he made conclusions.


    He sighed, and then gave the order, ¡°Open a channel.¡±


    An older woman soon appeared on the screen. He noted her expression. This wasn¡¯t going to be easy. ¡°I¡¯m captain Reynolds of the EFS Coto. I¡¯m afraid this incident could have been avoided if you had been a little less trigger happy, and answered our hails.¡±


    ¡°You attacked our ship! We detected the weapons fire, how else were we supposed to respond!¡± replied the angry Valorian.


    ¡°The wreckage in the area would likely disagree with you, and have you actually spoken to the crew of your disabled cruiser?¡±


    ¡°No, but it was...¡±


    He hit the mute for a moment. Great, a bunch of morons were in charge here. He unmuted it after a while when she seemed to not be spitting venom. ¡°I see in that case, I suggest you speak to the crew of that cruiser, and we can resume this discussion later when cooler heads can prevail.¡±


    He signaled for the channel to be closed, and the alien face vanished from his screen. He glanced down at the helm. ¡°Move us off, 20,000 kilometers. I leave the direction to your discretion.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. Moving us off.¡±


    As the ship moved off, giving the Valorians some space. He stood, and headed down towards operations. It was time to update the Enterprise on their status.


    <hr>


    The commander slipped into her damaged shuttle bay. The air shield shimmered in the distance. It flickered a bit, but the air was staying in the bay. She hoped the thing would continue to hold. It didn¡¯t help that the bay doors had a hole in them, but this bay was the only bay that was in a remotely usable state. The other shuttlebay was in utter ruins.


    She glanced out to the stars, and watched the familiar form of a light shuttle as it angled for final approach into the bay. Onboard was an engineering team, and the captain of one of the other ships out there. A captain she needed to have words with. Especially after being forced to watch that tragedy that had occurred so recently. A senseless loss that never should have been, and clearly could have been avoided.


    The shuttle seemed to take far too long to land. When it finally did however the engineering team were first off the shuttle lugging with them boxes full of spare parts and equipment. The minutes seemed to tick off before the captain of the other ship showed herself. The moment the commander spotted the other woman she felt a headache coming on. It was one of the three sisters of the Laretta clan. They were rather insufferable at the best of times, and often left her wondering how they got commands in the first place.


    The other woman spotted her quickly, and rushed over. She beamed, ¡°Bow down before me for I have rescued you!¡±


    She gave the insufferable larger woman a look, as she glared up at her. The fact that she was so short irked her, especially when dealing with these three sisters. ¡°YOU!? Rescue me!? As if.¡±


    She sputtered, ¡°What? I¡¯ve clearly rescued you. My eloquence even drove off those strange aliens.¡±


    Maybe it would have been better if the pirates had finished her off. ¡°You moron! They haven¡¯t even left. I think they just moved off cause dealing with you is so so...¡±


    ¡°I would have thought you would be more grateful!¡± interrupted the utter moron.


    ¡°Grateful!? Why would I be? Are utterly blind? No wait don¡¯t answer that. Of course you are blind. If you hadn¡¯t noticed by the other wrecks around, that ship just protected us from pirates, and you MORONS decided to attack them. If you three hadn¡¯t done that...¡±


    She trailed off, as the older and taller woman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean protected you!?¡±


    ¡°Those aliens weren¡¯t attacking us. They were helping us! If you morons had taken a moment to assess the situation or better yet paid attention to us signaling you to stop, you wouldn¡¯t have lost a ship!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking right!? We detected plenty of weapons fire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and there are five now six destroyed ships floating out there. One of those is my kill from a week ago, when I first sent out the distress call. The remaining were all kills from the alien cruiser you unjustly attacked.¡±


    Her eyes went super wide, and she rushed off. The commander sighed, as she felt her head throbbing. It was always a pain dealing with those sisters. As tragic as that ship being lost with all hands was, the aliens might have done her a favor. Now she only had two of them to deal with. As she left the bay, she idly had to wonder how the insufferable woman could behave like that after one of her own had died. Of course it was possible that ship wasn¡¯t commanded by one of the Larreta sisters. She doubted that, since those three had always operated as a pack. Although now that she thought about it, they weren¡¯t without their own internal divisions.


    Then again, she sometimes fought with her own sister. Reia was a lot of fun at times, but she could also be infuriating at other moments. It had been awhile since she had last spoken with her sister now that she thought about it. Maybe she should contact her. Given the state of her ship she would soon have plenty of time to talk with her younger sister. Not that anyone would have guess since she happens to be so much shorter than Reia. It was infuriating, but she often ended up being mistaken for a little girl. Not because she looked young per say but largely due to how small she was. Not that her clan genes helped her out much, they largely helped her stay young looking. A fact that hadn¡¯t helped her wth dating, but it wasn¡¯t her fault that she could pass for a young girl so easily. She put that aside, as she walked down the corridor and tried to ignore her lingering throbbing headache.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    <hr>


    Countryman pressed a button, and leaned back. He had been busy the last few hours, and now the computer was saving, and logging all the reports he had reviewed. A process that would take seconds, but also meant he was done with his office duties. For a moment or two he just enjoyed the chair, as he drifted over what he had to do for the day. There was the usual rounds on the lower decks, but he hadn¡¯t planned to do that for a couple of hours. In fact he had finished all of the reports a full two hours earlier than he had expected. A fact that left him with a bit of free time. Well he did have a few projects sitting on the back burner. Perhaps he could spend some time doing those?


    There was that space combat simulator he had been working on. Although it had ended up sidelined. Hmm, as he recalled he¡¯d finished the engine some time ago. That still left him quite a lot of things to do. The idea had been to create a very realistic space combat game that put the player in command of a single ship. The game would randomly generate a mission, and parameters including opponents based on the root library files, but it would also have a number of pre-generated missions, and a campaign of his own design. The game would have a number of difficulty levels from trivial to impossible, and when he said impossible he meant it. The highest difficulty was meant to be an unwinnable scenario. Although creating one that could challenge him that way might prove difficult. His enhanced mind could think far faster than the average human. So while he wasn¡¯t necessarily smarter his cybernetically enhanced mind did enjoy certain advantages in combat.


    He reached for his console, and tapped a few keys opening up his private files. The entire library was encrypted, but it only took him a moment to unlock it with his passcodes. Seconds later he was encrypting his projects library. Nothing unusual there, he was used to working with multiple layers of encryption and security. His old job had required a lot of it afterall. Just the dangers that came with the territory afterall. A territory he was glad he no longer had to deal with. Being the Captain of the Enterprise, and commander of a three-ship task force was often comparatively simpler to his previous tasks. Even if it was somewhat different.


    Pushing the past aside, he browsed through his various project files. Some of them long closed. He had another library of files with projects that had been submitted to him by others for review as well, but that was not the library he was looking through. All of his project files employed alpha-numerical codes. There was a certain amount of meaning to those codes, but not many would be able to decode them. He scrolled through the long list of codes. Spotting a few old projects that might interest Ruri, and marked the files to be copied to a stick. It was not long before he found the item he was looking for. Although he could have navigated straight to the item in question, as he had its code memorized.


    Pulling up the project in question titled XCS-4132184-2187-517-A. There was still lot of work to do, and with a bit of thought, Countryman started work. He wasn¡¯t ready for a combat model quite yet, so instead, he started work on ship models. A complex procedure especially for him, but made far easier by his ability to directly interface with computers. Within seconds a model began to take shape, soon resolving itself into the form of an older sublight destroyer.


    Before he could really get into finishing his model, however, there was a ding at the door. Countryman looked up, and after a moment urged the unexpected party to enter. He blinked when he noted who it was. She had never once come to his office before. So this might prove interesting. The woman didn¡¯t have a weapon on her so that was a good sign, but he would have been alerted if she was making any moves. Long before she got here. Still he did have to wonder what her angle was.


    ¡°Something I can do for you? Short of tossing myself out an airlock that is.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°As much as that would do everyone a favor, that isn¡¯t why I am here. I think we both know I never would have made it to the door if that was why I here.¡±


    ¡°True, you wouldn¡¯t have. So what is on your mind?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Greyman has been looking into the engine failure searching for signs of sabotage. Something I certainly hope isn¡¯t the case, but...¡±


    ¡°You were wondering if I may have heard something about plans to sabotage a core crystal?¡±


    ¡°Something along those lines, yes. We both know that you have an extensive intelligence network on this ship. God only knows how you managed that, but you always seem to be at least one step ahead of me. Makes me wonder if there is anything that happens aboard without you knowing about it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. Well, you don¡¯t get to be my age without learning the game and learning it well. If it makes you feel better, no I didn¡¯t hear anything about sabotage.  At least not anything involving a primary system. Anything else?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes one more thing. During my own checking, I came across mention of something called Project Daffodil know anything about it?¡±


    Countryman frowned, ¡°Daffodil? People still remember that? I haven¡¯t heard that name in nearly eighty years.¡±


    ¡°So you do know what it is about,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course I do. I helped shut that project down, and good riddance as well.¡± then he sighed, ¡°Since you are asking, it was an experiment in cybernetic mind control techniques. Real shady shit, and not sanctioned either. The project never quite worked out, but it did reveal a few of the dangers revolving around cybernetic brain implants. I sincerely hope that whoever mentioned that to you isn¡¯t planning to revive that kind of research.¡±


    Her expression shifted her eyes wide, and looking as if she swallowed something horrible. ¡°...You''re joking right?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I wish I was. I wish I was, but unfortunately, some people are monsters. The kind that would perform unsanctioned experiments like that.¡±


    Countryman wasn¡¯t entirely happy to be reminded of that experiment. It was one that never should have taken place in the first place. He still felt sorry for some of the victims. People, some of them even children that never really recovered from what was done to them. That incident was also why brain implants were the most heavily regulated of all cybernetic implant types. There were especially strict rules for both the implantation and removal of those implants. Removal was especially important given what was learned after they had extracted the malfunctioning Daffodil implants. In some cases it was found removing them caused more harm than leaving them would have caused. Many of the victims ended up needing implants just so that they could function after that.


    His guest frowned, ¡°Why do I get the feeling that there is something you¡¯re not telling me about this?¡±


    ¡°Be glad I¡¯m not telling you everything. Project Daffodil was a tragedy, an utter travesty that never should have been allowed to take place, and trust me ignorance on that monstrosity is best.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I see. In that case, I think I have a few heads to crack.¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that!¡± replied Countryman. Feeling a little weird about the fact that he meant that. That was one thing he didn¡¯t want to see surface again. Not to mention he was more than happy to let Williams take care of the dirty work on that one. In the meantime, he figured he would recheck the ship¡¯s library security profiles.

 Interlude Theories on Planetary Invasion

    In the current age, the concept of a planetary invasion is not entirely foreign to Earth¡¯s space navies. While such an undertaking represents a significant challenge for any navy, the concepts behind it, and the broad details of the execution are age-old. With small-scale examples dating all the way to the age of antiquity, but mind you those are amphibious landings and not planetary landings.


    Another important thing to note is that planetary invasions like their historical counterparts can come in several forms. Depending on the objectives behind the assault in the first place. There are several different types of invasion, a full assault is the most commonly considered form, but there are also raids and other types of smaller-scale operations.


    Regardless of form and planning, all invasions can be boiled down into several key phases. The first phase after an invasion has been planned and launched is not landing troops on the planet but obtaining orbital control. The particulars of this can vary depending on what exactly is defending the planet. A minor farming world on the edge of an interstellar power and a scant population might not rate much in the way of orbital defenses. Such a world might not have more than a single cruiser and maybe a small station in orbit to protect it. While a core world with a massive population in the billions, and dotted with large cities and industrial centers would likely be well defended. It would likely have a fleet on station, along with orbital platforms, and perhaps even a mighty starbase. All as part of its orbital defense.


    Regardless of the level of defenses in place, the first thing an invasion fleet must do. Is to sweep these defenses aside, and obtain orbital control of the planet. This would allow the next phase of the invasion to begin. Which is again not landing troops.


    A defended world like a core world would likely have numerous bunkers, and ground installations equipped with ground-to-space weaponry. It may even be protected by something like a planetary shield. These defenses must be neutralized before the wide-scale deployment of troops to the surface can begin.


    There are several options an invading force may choose in eliminating these defenses. The first such option is planetary bombardment. This is not dissimilar to shore bombardment as used by historical wet water navies in numerous invasions throughout history. The idea is to bring to bear naval artillery to level or soften up enemy defenses before you land your forces. The exact application of bombardment can vary again depending on objectives and goals. Be it limited restricted bombardment or widescale bombardment. Of course its also worth noting that this phase can begin while the first phase is underway if you are planning to use bombardment.


    If for whatever reason bombardment is not on the table for dealing with enemy defenses. The next big option is the deployment of special forces units to the planet. The objective of such forces is to locate and sabotage defensive installations, to allow for the widescale deployment of ground forces.


    The final option is certainly not preferred for most cases, and that is to simply ignore the defenses, and attempt a major landing while under fire from enemy guns. This can have a number of drawbacks but is an option if for whatever reason neither options one or two were viable. Just note that for some invasion types this isn¡¯t an option at all, and it would be very odd to see outside of a full-scale assault.


    What all of this means is that once you have orbital control, and key defenses are neutralized or ignored as the case may be. You can finally land troops on the planet. The first goal of landing is often the establishment of a beachhead or beachheads as the case may be. The purpose of these beachheads is to create a secure location from which additional forces and supplies can be landed or in certain scenarios a secure location from which forces and supplies can be removed from a hostile world.


    It is also in this phase that the invasion¡¯s form is most notable with the greatest differences between goals becoming evident. In an all-out assault for control of the planet forces once grounded would attempt to capture and hold key objectives. These may include major cities, and strategic military sites such as local starports, or ground bunkers.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A raid of course would be much different, as the goal is not to hold territory. Holding the planet might not be the goal either. Once troops are on the ground and a beachhead is secure the goal is to acquire the objective, and get out. As such maintaining control over key objectives is not needed only acquiring whatever personnel, equipment, or supplies they were sent to capture.


    Regardless of objectives, the general tools for an invasion of any scale remain the same. The most critical of which is a means to transport your troops, weapons, and supplies to the field of battle. Without these means, it doesn¡¯t matter how great your weapons are, or how well trained your troops are, as they won¡¯t be able to fight, and you have no business planning a grand invasion of another world.


    As such let''s take a look at the ships used for this goal. Transit between systems can take weeks or even months depending on your drive technology. As such interstellar vessels tend to be fairly large. Giving them plenty of room for all the supplies needed for such a journey. It also means that many capital ships have room to carry a complement of troops and equipment, and the largest often carry a fair number. However, you might want a dedicated ship for this role. In other words a troopship.


    A troopship is a reasonably large interstellar vessel perhaps the size of a cruiser and dedicated to carrying troops, equipment, and supplies to the field of battle. They are not intended to engage other ships in battle, but they may be armed for their own defense, and to provide fire support to friendly ground forces. How heavily armed a troopship is may vary depending on the naval doctrines of the fleet they were designed for. Their primary role however does limit how much they can carry in terms of weapons, as they are often filled with a lot of empty space for troops, equipment, and whatever supplies they may need.


    For the delivery of troops to the field of battle, a troopship can either land itself or insert troops via smaller auxiliary craft. For the initial phase of a battle, trying to land the troopship is often a dangerous and tricky proposition, and therefore secondary vehicles such as gunships, and dropships are important. Given this intent, many troopships are outfitted with sizeable hangers for such ships to which a force may attach fighter units that can be useful for a number of purposes. From defending the ship in space combat to providing air support for ground troops.


    Dropships on the other hand are smaller vessels typically short-range shuttles not capable of interstellar flight. They are designed to insert troops in potentially hostile situations. They are often armored and depending on size and design can drop anywhere from a single squad to a small company onto the ground. Most dropships are between those two extremes in terms of capability. With the typical dropship being able to carry at least one armored vehicle and at least two squads. Groups of vessels like these would be used to ferry troops to wherever they are needed and are useful at all stages of an invasion.


    Another important item to mention are orbital drop pods, which are expendable single-use vehicles intended to deliver a single occupant or a small number of occupants to the surface. These are most often used during the early phases of an invasion to deliver special forces akin to paratroopers as used in historical invasions like the famous landings of the second world war. These troops are meant to sow chaos, capture or destroy key objectives, and even sabotage defensive installations such as planetary shields or surface-to-space guns. Also of note, some variants of the drop pod archetype have been adapted to deliver armored vehicles to the field of battle. Some vehicles are also designed with this type of insertion in mind.


    With that, we have covered but a small portion of the immensity of a planetary invasion. Yet all of the key points have been covered. Allowing us to break down an invasion into seven general phases. Some of which may or may not apply depending on your invasion type and goals.


    Phase one: Planning


    Phase Two: Orbital Assualt


    Phase Three: Tactical Bombardment/ Special Forces landings


    Phase Four: Beachhead Landing


    Phase Five: Main Assualt I.E the part where you secure your objectives


    Phase Six: Occupation/ withdraw depending on invasion type


    Phase Seven: Conclusion

 Chapter Seventy-One Long Distance Call

    She blinked a bit at the light pouring in from the doorway. It took her a moment to recognize her surrounds, and a moment longer to realize someone was jostling her. Sleepily she replied to them, and they stepped back. A moment later as her memories were flooding back to forefront of her mind, her officer said, ¡°Sorry to wake you, but you said to inform you immediately once long range communications are restored.¡±


    She nodded, but there was an entirely seperate question on her mind. The young captain didn¡¯t recall going to bed, much less heading to her quarters. The last things she remembered was dealing with that headache inducing pain in the ass. Vaguely she did recall a plan to stopby the medical bay. ¡°How did I...¡±


    Prempting the question, ¡°Uko called me down to sickbay to carry you back to your quarters about nine hours ago. Apparently you passed out in sickbay.¡±


    She nodded along listening, and then her eyes widened. She did what!? Crap of all the shitty places to pass out. It had to be sickbay, and then there was the bit about nine hours. That was way to long. Why the hell were the still letting her sleep? Questions that were clearly plastered on her face, as her officer sighed, ¡°Sorry captain, Uko¡¯s orders. I¡¯m afraid you are off-duty until she clears you.¡±


    The commander sighed, of course she was. Never mind that there was an alien ship out there. One who they were on shaky ground with now, thanks to a few utter morons. Never mind that her ship was in shambles and needed her. Uko had effectively grounded her. Well at least the comms were up again.


    ¡°I see. Guess I¡¯ll have to stop by sickbay later.¡±


    ¡°Uko did say she had to talk to you before she allowed you to return to duty.¡±


    She acknowledged that, and the officer left. Leaving her with some free time. Espeically seeing how she was apparently barred from duty. She glanced at her private terminal. She should probably head straight for sickbay, but she also wanted to chat with her sister. Slipping out of bed, she decided on a course of action, and discarded her clothes. Reaching into her closet she pulled out a fresh uniform, and paused breifly considering a shower. It had been awhile since she had showered. Maybe the water system had been fixed by now?


    With that thought in mind, she checked out her attached bathroom. A luxury, afforded to officers such as herself, and was pleased to find that someone had indeed found the time to fix the water. A fact she took advantage of with a quick shower. Honestly she preferred bathes, but she didn¡¯t have tub. So a shower would do. Not to mention on ships having a tub was a rare luxury. Especially on cruisers like hers, although she had heard that a few captains had spent the credits to install one on their own ships.


    Clean, and dressed, the captain slipped out of her quarters and into the hall. Where signs of battle damage were immediately visible. Just down the hall, she saw a work team conducting repairs on a power conduit. One that had been damaged earlier. By now much of the debris that had littered the corridor after the hull had been breached just thirty meters down the hall from her quarters had also been cleaned up. So it looked better than it had. Although she could if she looked down the hall see right out into the stars. Only a shimmering blue barrier stood between her, and the vacuum of space.


    Turning that way, she noted a work crew on the hull outside the breach. Several of them were manuevering a large metal plate into position. Evidence that work crews were already hard at work patching the holes in the hull. With progress like that, she figured it wouldn¡¯t be long before they could get underway. She took it as a sign that her ship¡¯s internals were finally starting to shape up again. With that thought in mind, the commander made her way down the corridor. Soon she reached the lift, the system was a little iffy lately, with some sections down completely. It might be better to just take the ladder. A quick inquiry revealed, that they had just taken the entire system offline for repairs, and it will be down for the next six hours, at least. So she took the ladder.¡±


    <hr>


    It took perhaps a little longer than it should have, but she made it to sickbay quickly enough. Uko was at her desk, in the office, and urged her in with a friendly smile. ¡°Ah, captain glad to see you. You know you gave me quite the scare when you passed out like that right in the middle of our conversation.¡±


    She didn¡¯t exactly remember the conversation, but now she felt a little worried, ¡°...I did?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Worried enough that I gave you an emergency check-up just to make sure nothing was wrong. Thankfully that was the result of exhaustion, but I do have a few concerns,¡± Uko paused, with a look that caused a pit to form in her stomach, ¡°One of them rather serious.¡±


    That did not sound good. Not at all, in fact now she was very worried, ¡°Serious!? But, but I feel fine!¡±


    Uko sighed, ¡°Thankfully we caught it early, but its going to require an agressive treatment plan. I¡¯ve already scheduled emergency check ups for the entire crew as well. In a way, I think you passing out on me was a blessing.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    If she had been worried before, now she no longer had words to describe the swirling pit in her stomach. With a quiver on her lips, she asked, ¡°Caught what!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear you¡¯ve contracted Xesh¡¯ran Rosh,¡± replied Uko.


    She blinked, a frown on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve what?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re more familiar with its other name, Flesh Puppet Disease.¡±


    The young commander felt herself pale, her wide eyes looking for any sign this might be a joke. When she found none, the pit in her belly exploded, ¡°Please tell me you are joking.¡±


    The doctor¡¯s face said it all, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. The good news is we caught it early enough that its still treatable. Bad news, treatment is only effective in about 30% of cases.¡±


    There was one lingering question in her mind. How was this even possible. As her legs turned to jelly at the life devestating news, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Given your rather non-existent sex life as evidenced by your body, I¡¯m pretty sure you were infected from contaminated food or water. I¡¯ve already got a team looking through our food and water supplies to find out which stocks were contaminated.¡±


    Great, she hated being reminded of her sex life, or lack thereof. In light of everything else, it seemed a small thing to have mentioned. ¡°I,... I.. I see. What are my chances?¡±


    ¡°We caught it very early. None of the parasites have had a chance to make it your brain, and there are barely any in your blood. Most are lodged in your intestinal track, which means your odds are actually pretty good. Given the nature of your condition I went ahead, and immediately gave you your first treatment before I sent you down to get some rest.¡±


    Normally she would have felt violated by a statement like that, but she knew Uko was just looking out for her best interests. So she just listened as Uko continued. Informing her that her treatment options weren¡¯t optimal here, nor was this fully covered by her company health policy. Which meant her savings just went down the drain. It seemed she just couldn¡¯t quite catch a break. Although she was still wondering what her chances were, a question that Uko seemed to be avoiding, which didn¡¯t bode well, ¡°and my chances are?¡±


    Uko sighed, ¡°As good as they are going to get, a fifty-fifty chance that we can cleanse your system of the parasites before it becomes too late. The ones in your tract will be easy to deal with, its the few in your blood that present the issue, and I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the equipment for the preferred option, which leaves me only one option, and I¡¯m afraid they are quite resistant to the usual anti-parasitics.¡±


    She blinked, this was all bad news, ¡°Does anyone else happen to have it?¡±


    Uko frowned, ¡°I checked, its not exactly a common item to carry on hand, but then again I only spoke to the doctors of our ships. I don¡¯t know about the aliens. They are still here, we could check with them, but I might want to point out that some aliens have a policy of destroying any ship carrying those infected with Flesh Puppet parasites.¡±


    The commander thought about it, and how they had swept in like knights of old. ¡°Risk it. Go ahead and talk with their doctors. In the meantime, I think I¡¯m going to talk to my sister.¡±


    With that she left the bay, but the pit in her belly wasn¡¯t going away. Before she even realized it she had made it back to her terminal, and was staring blankly at it.


    <hr>


    After hesitating awhile, she finally made the call. There was a bit of a wait before Reia¡¯s familiar face popped up on the screen. Reia smiled, ¡°Neira! How are you doing!? I heard you recently got a high paying commision. Mission going well?¡±


    Reia¡¯s smile suddenly vanished, and even though she hadn¡¯t said a word, it seemed she had picked up on something. ¡°That bad? Care to tell me about it.¡±


    Neira nodded, and after a moment she started. Soon she was practically gushing about how everything had gone wrong. Even mentioned how she got rescued from pirates by the very people they were sent to look for. Worse, someone had messed up, and now she was infected with flesh puppet parasites of all things.


    Reia blinked, ¡°What sector are you in right now!?


    ¡°Star sector, 497-11-234A, why?¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°hmm, that¡¯s not too far from where I am. What are you¡¯re exact coordinates?¡±


    Not sure where this was going, she gave them. Reia smiled, ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon!¡±


    Then she closed the channel. Leaving Neira staring at the screen not sure how her sister would see her soon. If she had caught that right, she wasn¡¯t even in the sector, sure she was by the edge, but even if Reia pushed her ship¡¯s engines to the limit that would still take over a month. Not unless she was capable of warp five, but she knew no ship capable of that speed. Tapping her console, it shifted to an external view, and she noted the alien cruiser in the distance. Well it wasn¡¯t like she was going to be going anywhere, soon. Given the damage to her warp engines it would take two weeks, maybe a little longer before they could get her engines into a workable state.


    Suddenly her console beeped, an incoming message, it was from the alien cruiser. With a sigh, she accepted the call. Not sure who routed it here, but a moment later an alien man appeared on her screen, he gave her a smile she thought was meant to be reassuring, ¡°I¡¯ve been informed about your second problem. I¡¯m afraid my ship has rather limited medical abilities, and we are unfamiliar with this flesh puppet disease. Regardless we will try to provide assistance, and I was recently informed that the Enterprise has completed her objectives and is now en route to rendevous with us. She will be here in about a week, and she has a full hospital.¡±


    Not sure what to say in response, she ended up replying with an automatic, ¡°understood.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Two Medical Assistance, and Second Meetings

    Countryman glanced at the navigational readout. They were coming up on the Coto¡¯s position, and while they couldn¡¯t actually see the ship in question on sensors, they could see its friends. Countryman knew why they couldn¡¯t see the Coto, it didn¡¯t have an active transponder, most military ships were designed with one meant to be turned off, and since leaving Earth they¡¯d never really had reason to turn one on. Perhaps at this moment it might have been different. Still not being able to see them did go to show how well their measures to avoid detection were working. At least at this range.


    The screen updated as he was looking at it, and two new contacts resolved themselves on sensors. One was a very fuzzy image about where he expected the Coto to be. It seemed they were now close enough to detect his destroyer. The item was very clear, and someone was already reporting it.


    ¡°Sir new contact on long range sensor. They seem to be on course for the Coto, speed warp four point nine five.¡±


    There was a bit of surprise in the tone of the report, and Countryman couldn¡¯t say he wasn¡¯t either. That was the closest he had ever seen an alien vessel go to warp five. ¡°Full active scan, I want those reading confirmed.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. Full active scan,¡± replied Misaki.


    Greyman interjected, ¡°Sir, may I remind you that if we use the active scanners our current position is likely to be revealed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± replied Countryman, ¡°but I think the sensor data will be worth the risk.¡±


    A moment later the long range scanners went full active, giving him a great deal more detail on the alien ship. Data that was promptly repeated.


    ¡°Reading indicate a small Valorian capital ship in 1500 meter range. Engine temp exceeds ours by a factor of four point seven three. I¡¯m detecting primary warp field fluctations as well, indicating a slightly unstable warp field. Based on these readings they are pushing their engines beyond maximum safe limits. I don¡¯t believe they can sustain their current speed for much longer, but their engines should hold long enough to reach the Coto.¡±


    ¡°I see, any sign that they picked up our active scan?¡±


    ¡°No, not yet. Although I did use a high intensity beam, there is a good chance they picked it up.¡±


    <hr>


    Reia leaned over the science console, staring at the readings. They had just been scanned by a high-intensity long-range beam. One whose origin seemed startling, as it had suggested a ship moving at warp five point two, which was impossible. No ship alien or otherwise had breached the warp five barrier. Her cruiser was equipped with an experimental engine designed to change that, but even then they hadn¡¯t quite managed it.


    ¡°It might have been a ghost, sir. I¡¯m not seeing any ships on the heading indicated by the probe.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t think you will.¡±


    Reia accessed the console, and adjusted the sensors, then sent out a high intensity active beam. Coming up with nothing, but a few ghosts. She let out her breath, ¡°nothing, either they changed course, or increased speed.¡±


    She made another guess and tried again with a high-intensity narrow scanning beam. This time two fuzzy contacts appeared, speed warp five point five. They were almost on top of Neira¡¯s position, less than two minutes, and as she watched their speed ticked up another tenth.


    Seconds ticked by as she studied the readings, thermal output of both ships was incredibly low, warp field fluctuations however were present, and the fields were a bit unstable. Indicative of a drive beyond safe cruising speed, but not yet at maximum output.


    She glanced to her chief engineer who was monitoring engine readouts, ¡°Think we can push the engines a little harder? Say actually breach warp five.¡±


    The woman sighed, ¡°A day ago, I would have called you crazy, but I think the engines can handle it. The only question is whether or not the computers can keep up with the field fluctuations. If not...¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she turned to the helm, ¡°increase speed, warp five.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir,¡± increasing speed.¡±


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Reia turned back to the console and watched as the two alien ships suddenly decelerated warp five, warp four, warp three, warp two. They were dropping warp factors, and fast. It was clear they were dropping out of warp, and it seemed their destination and hers were one and the same. She glanced at her own engine readings and watched their speed slowly tick up, and then after a moment it finally hit warp five, and held.


    She felt like shouting, but the real trick was seeing if they could maintain it. That was the real challenge, the real limiter of warp five travel.


    The clock seemed to tick by far too slowly. It had taken too long already to reach this location, but she found it nice that by some coincidence she had been on deep space testing in the same region. Although something told her it likely wasn¡¯t. Some hand was at play here, whose she didn¡¯t know. Not that she didn¡¯t have ideas. She knew a bit about the mission her sister had gotten wrapped up in, but she knew her sister and wasn¡¯t too worried. Not until she learned what had happened that was. Now she was quite worried, but for a different reason entirely.


    Thankfully they did eventually reach their target. Coming out of warp she was greeted to the sight of a small gathering of ships in deep space. Three familiar alien ships, still quite imposing, along with three Ophera class light cruisers. One of them looked like it had been through hell. Its hull was a patchwork of patched hull breaches, but Reia recognized it. It was her sister¡¯s ship. The damage looked worse than she had heard from her sister. It seemed maybe that she should have been more worried about her sister than she had thought. From now on, she decided she wasn¡¯t going to let that girl out of her sight. No matter what that meant. Little did she realize how that was going to decide her fate.


    For a moment longer she surveyed the area, noting several wrecks were in the region. Destroyed ships from a previous battle. At first glance there was little to note about the wrecks. She also noticed that a number of shuttles were moving about the area, including several of an alien design. Turning to her operations officer she ordered, ¡°Hail Neira¡¯s ship.¡±


    The young ensign at the console nodded and openned a channel. A moment later, a young woman appeared on the screen. She was familiar, but not the person she was looking for. ¡°Captain Neira mentioned you were coming this way, but she didn¡¯t say you would get here so quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well I was close and may have pushed these engines a little to get here as quick as I could. Where is my sister? I would like to talk to her.¡±


    ¡°She transferred over to the alien cruiser, Coto a few days ago, as per their request. Along with all the other infected. I believe she¡¯s being transferred to the big ship now.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, thank you.¡±


    Reia signaled for the channel to be closed, and took a look at the big ship. She recognized it, she had been aboard before. It was the Enterprise, and honestly she hadn¡¯t expected to enounter them again. Especially not that soon, and the ship certainly got around. After that incident, she had been given posting testing new generation warp drives, and been transfered to this command via hyper gate. Hyper gates were based on hyperdrive technolgy, but allowed ships with no ftl ability of their own to travel between any two of them. Since the courses between them were well charted, they were also faster than warp. Allowing travel at about eight hundred times the speed of light, but they were also fairly expensive to maintain, so only the most important worlds had a gate. This project if successful would completely eliminate the need for hyper gates, and if this little adventure was any indication they were close. However it seemed these aliens had beat them to this milestone. Evidently they were more advanced than she thought. How much so remained to be seen.


    ¡°Hail the Enterprise,¡± she ordered.


    A moment later a familiar face appeared on the screen. The face of a man she had spoken with before. He recognized her, ¡°Reia of clan Urko, was it? I presume congratulations are in order for your apparent promotion.¡±


    ¡°I uh, guess. I heard my sister, and the other infected were being transferred to your ship¡±


    Countryman was quick to reply, ¡°Ah, yes. Nasty thing that parasite. My doctors have had some time to review your own research on the subject. The Coto doesn¡¯t have the proper facilities for this, but the Enterprise does. If you¡¯d like you can come aboard and observe.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯ve already developed a cure?¡±


    ¡°Technically you did, we just have an extra card up our sleeves to make it viable,¡± replied Countryman.


    Now she had a funny feeling about this, ¡°What exactly does your plan entail?¡±


    ¡°It might be better to discuss this in person. I¡¯m sending you landing instructions, and feel free to bring a doctor along with you.¡±


    With that he closed the channel, and now she felt a pit in her belly. Something was wrong, she knew it. Exactly what, she wasn¡¯t sure. Unfortunately there was only one way to find out. Head on over there. She had been there before, so she did have an idea of what to expect.


    ¡°Get a shuttle ready, and make sure the pilot knows that these people don¡¯t use air shields. That¡¯s going to make boarding interesting. I¡¯m going to go talk with Yula, I have a feeling that she might want hear this. Not to mention she might have a few insights that I won¡¯t about whatever these aliens are planning.¡±


    With that she left the bridge, but she could not help being worried. Part of it was that this was her sister, but she couldn¡¯t help thinking there was something more to this. Pushing those thoughts aside, best she could Reia made her way down to the medical bay to have a little chat. After that it would be a trip to an alien ship in the hopes of linking up with her sister. Although she couldn¡¯t help thinking that something was going to go wrong.

 Chapter Seventy-Three Rendering Aid

    Stepping out of the shuttle, Reia looked around at the familiar hanger bay. It was the same bay as last time, and right on cue, she noticed Countryman entering the bay. With him were a couple of armored figures, and a Valorian woman in a medical uniform. A moment later another woman appeared also in what seemed to be a medical uniform, this one an alien.


    When they got close enough to speak, she immediately inquired, ¡°So what exactly are you planning to do to my sister?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly the best person to explain, but I¡¯ve read what the doctors have to say. Your flesh puppet parasite is quite remarkable. Extremely resilient, hard to kill, vulnerable only to a few select forms of radiation, and with a defense mechanism that makes it hard to remove by surgical means. As it releases a potent neurotoxin when in distress, which also nullifies a few of the other options we may have had. Thankfully not all of them, but it does complicate the recovery process.¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°As you found its vulnerable to select forms of radiation. Unfortunately, the doses required are quite fatal for the host as well, but importantly they aren¡¯t immediately so.¡±


    A gasp was followed by Yula shouting, ¡°You¡¯re going to irradiate them! You can¡¯t! the cellular damage would be extensive, and irreversible. It would condemn them to a slow death.¡±


    ¡°For your medical science perhaps, not to ours. Although judging from your ship, it might not be out of the realm of your medical science for much longer.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°my ship? How does that factor into that statement?¡±


    ¡°Well its only part of the equation. The kind of computing power needed for high warp opens a few doors that would otherwise be closed. We¡¯ve had that kind of computing for nearly a century now, and it revolutionized every field from industry to medicine. From the looks of things you are just now figuring that kind of computing power out.


    Her frown deepened, ¡°and how does that connect to helping my sister?¡±


    ¡°As I said its part of the equation. We can repair the radiation damage because we have practical medical nanites, able to repair cellular damage. Of course, the nanites alone aren¡¯t enough. For that we will also need to collect tissue samples,¡± elaborated Countryman.


    Reia glanced at Yula, and then looked at the other medical officers. ¡°Um, what exactly is he hinting at?¡±


    ¡°Cloning technology from the sound of it, combined with nanotechnology. If they are proposing what I think they are, it could work. Treatment would likely take weeks though. Cloning new tissue, even forced cloning of new tissue can take a while.¡±


    ¡°We like to clone undifferentiated tissue cells when possible, when combined with nanites they greatly accelerate regeneration.¡± clarified the young woman Countryman had brought with him.


    Countryman interjected, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this discussion might go on all day, and I believe you would want to be there for your sister. I think she might also appreciate the support your presence would bring¡± he paused turning to Yula, ¡°Before we go however, why don¡¯t you turn over that scanner you used to scan me.¡±


    Reia blinked, scanner? She hadn¡¯t seen one, but before she could inquire Yula sighed and produced one. ¡°I presume those implants of yours alerted you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? No, you aren¡¯t as stealthy as you thought.¡±


    ¡°Implants?¡±


    Yula informed her, ¡°He¡¯s cybernetically enhanced, extensively enhanced. From the look of it, its been a while. As the degree of intergration between the mechanical and the organic is incredible. I never seen anything like him.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Kind of rude to share that without permission.¡± Then he turned, ¡°Anyway, you are right I was enhanced a long time ago, a very long time ago. One hundred and two years ago in fact. Well for most of it. I was already old then, so I did have a few implants already.¡±


    Reia frowned, ¡°Wait! How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m one hundred, and ninety-two years old. So yes, I¡¯ve been around. I don¡¯t exactly look it though now do I?¡±


    ¡°Um, no you don¡¯t but how?¡±


    ¡°I presume you live longer than your ancestors did, right?¡±


    She nodded.


    Countryman then replied, ¡°its the same with us. As our knowledge of medicine improved, our ability to extend life improved with it.  Nowadays its not uncommon for us to live for two centuries, perhaps longer.¡±


    ¡°Two centuries is normal!?¡±


    ¡°Barring accident, yes, and with a little bit of luck perhaps your sister will have a chance to live a long healthy life, perhaps even reach two hundred years. By the way you couldn¡¯t have hoped for a better medical facility in this sector. The facilities here on the Enterprise are state of the art, superior even to many ground based facilities.¡±


    ¡°You sound rather confident of that.¡±


    ¡°Well, we have been in the sector awhile, and while we do tend to avoid inhabited systems, that doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t learn things about the locals. Technologically speaking the most advanced race local to this region of space is the Chi¡¯ran. Their ships are quite impressive as well, able to compete with those of major powers. We¡¯ve had precious few dealings with them, but we do know a little about them. In our first meeting they actually shared information on their medical prowess. Enough for us to know what kind of equipment their hospitals might have, and for this treatment they would be missing a few items that we have. Items that make all the difference.¡±


    ¡°I see. I guess we are lucky you were nearby.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but if I don¡¯t miss my guess your people were looking for me?¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been around, and it wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out. The ¡®why¡¯ of it, I don¡¯t know yet, but I have my suspicions.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± then she sighed, ¡°Frankly every faction probably has an interest in you after the incident at Delta Four. My sister and her company were hired by a faction interested in peaceful exchange. Although I¡¯ve heard some rumors I don¡¯t like.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Not entirely unexpected. We made quite the impression that day, part of why we are out here. Figured it was best to delay contact with your people and let things cool off a little. Which might take a little longer, given recent events. The Coto did destroy one of your cruisers recently.¡±


    Reia sighed, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a military vessel, but you might be right. Your choice of assisting us would soften things, but I have no doubt others may wonder how much of a threat you might be.¡±


    The alien doctor interjected, ¡°that might be a bit of a heavy topic for right now, and we are almost to the lift as well. It will only be a short hop to the medical bay your sister is in from there. Who I believe would be most eager to catch up with you before her procedure.¡±


    Reia sighed, ¡°yes about that I realize I forgot to ask. What are you going to charge her for it?¡±


    ¡°First we have little use for Valorian Credits, and second this is a humanitarian mission, not a chance to make a quick buck, third you have nothing we need. Therefore we have no reason to charge any of you for the service, but if you are offering we are always interested in information, star charts, planetary surveys, and mineral reports on local star systems. That sort of thing.¡±


    Reia took note of that as the group made their way to the lift.


    <hr>


    The lift soon deposited them in the medical bay of the Enterprise. Reia looked around. The place had the same armored walls she saw everywhere else. She also noted what appeared to be emergency bulkheads as well. Those also seemed everywhere. Why these aliens liked to armor the interiors of their ships she wasn¡¯t sure, but that didn¡¯t seem important at the moment. Putting that aside, she noted the layout. It quickly became apparent that this medical bay was huge. With room after room filled with alien medical equipment. They passed massive rooms filled with strange pods, and alien surgical bays. Near the entrance, and where the lift was Reia had spotted an office. There was even someone at a desk in front of the office, taking care of reception duties. Given the apparent size of the place that seemed rather needed.


    People were certainly using the receptionist¡¯s services, as there had been a line when she came in. They had however skipped the line, and headed straight into the sprawling medical facilities. As they passed what looked to be an isolation ward, she asked, ¡°Is the Enterprise some kind of battleship/hospital ship hybrid?¡±


    Countryman quickly replied, ¡°No. Officially the Enterprise is classified as a Heavy Fleet Support cruiser. Her armament and equipment largely matches that role, and her size was a consequence of her design requirements. We needed a lot of space for everything required of her. The result however was a ship with the firepower of a heavy cruiser, the protection of a battleship, and the ability to command, and support a small flotilla indefinitely. We have no need for a port, since we have the capability to produce anything we need.¡±


    Remembering Delta Four, ¡°Um, I think you have a good deal more firepower than the average heavy cruiser, as you performed on par with a battleship from my perspective.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but with the exception of the beam array the Enterprise doesn¡¯t carry battleship caliber guns.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± replied Reia, but honestly that left her a little worried. If they weren¡¯t packing battleship caliber weapons, she shuddered to imagine what their idea of battleship caliber could do. Whatever that meant.


    Putting that aside, she focused on the massive medical area. The place was huge, and seemed to be layed out in a grid, which did make sense. The sheer size did leave room for a rather winding path through the area for them to take. It seemed they were not going the direct way to her sister, which was fine since it gave her more to look at.


    ¡°Out of curiosity what medical displines are you equipped for?¡±


    ¡°All of them,¡± replied both Countryman and the alien doctor instantly. Completely in sync as well.


    She blinked, ¡°I guess you have the space for it, but does that include things like cosmetic surgery?¡±


    The doctor replied, ¡°As the captain mentioned we have practical nano-technology. It changed surgery completely. If you would like, I could make some adjustments to your form as a demonstration. Nothing too fancy, perhaps I could remove that scar you are trying to hide with that make-up?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just mention that aloud.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a rather obvious scar, and while you did a good job, any one who really looks at your face would notice.¡±


    Yula sighed, ¡°I was trying not to say anything, but they do have a point.¡±


    Reia shrank a little, ¡°I guess, but I would like to see my sister first.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll make the arrangements, and don¡¯t worry it will be quite quick. We will be done in just a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯ll make a choice later. First my sister.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t long after that they finally reached the room her sister had been put in. First thing Reia noticed upon entry was that she was not in uniform. Rather instead she was wearing a short gown, a medical gown from the look of it. The color was wrong, and the style wasn¡¯t the norm. Yet it was clearly loose fitting. Not to mention it looked easy to remove. Obviously meant to allow easy access to the body when needed.


    Neira smiled upon seeing her and hopped off the chair she was sitting on. Running over to give her hug. ¡°I didn¡¯t really expect to see you so soon.¡±


    ¡°I came quick as I could.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you could make it, in time though. The doctors are about ready for the procedure.¡±


    Reia frowned, ¡°Um sis, are you sure about that?¡±


    Neira nodded, ¡°I am. They¡¯ve already done all the prep work. Tissue samples, bloodwork, precautions against infertilty. The doctors both here, and on the Coto were quite honest with me about this. I know what they are going to do, what the side effects may be, and the risks. My chances are good. I¡¯ll be fine, and besides many of my crew are going through it as well.¡±


    ¡°I see, but ...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine sis, and afterwards I think I¡¯m going to start looking for a new job. This one just doesn¡¯t seem worth the pay anymore.¡±


    From the door Countryman said, ¡°Interesting. Out of curiousity, how familiar are you with the local regions up to those on the far side of the Velosa cluster? Particularly the Brathra, and Dathaxi regions.


    The two of them looked at Countryman. Reia voiced the question first, ¡°That is a rather long way from here. Why the interest in those sectors?¡±


    ¡°That information is rather confidential, but what I can say is that we are interested in charting those sectors.¡±


    Reia blinked. That seemed like a rather out of the way area to go for a charting mission. That region was beyond the borders of the Confederation, largely uncharted, and home to few interstellar powers. Although what was charted did show some promise, it was too far from civilization to really be a profitable investment.


    ¡°Seems like a rather out of the way place to be interested in. I do have some familiarity with the regions between here and there. Not all of it, but there is a hypergate about a hundred light years from here in nuetral space that could cut a few years off the trip. Assuming you could find a navigator familiar with the Bo¡¯sh Ni¡¯kik Ti corridor. I¡¯m afraid not many people are familiar with it outside the Ik¡¯til Hives.¡±


    ¡°Ik¡¯til?¡±


    Reia answered that one, ¡°They¡¯re an insectoid species with a knack for hyperspace navigation. They have the fastest hyperdrives in the entire sector, but their a rather reclusive race. They keep to themselves mostly, and rarely engage with others. Most races chose to leave them alone. As they can be dangerous when provoked, very dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, how many years do you think this might cut off the trip?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± responded Neira, ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with how fast your ships are. But assuming a competive speed of warp four, about three years. The corridor allows travel at about one thousand times the speed of light...¡±


    Countryman cut her off, ¡°in that case, we won¡¯t need it. The Enterprise is able to cruise at warp five without issue.¡±


    ¡°I see, well I guess I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    The conversation shifted after that, and not long after Reia found herself sitting off to the side, as Neira¡¯s procedure began. Only there to offer comfort. It would only be later that she would learn that Neira¡¯s recovery would be the real test. Something that would likely take weeks.

 Chapter Seventy-Four Journey to Cantra

    The warlord shifted in his seat, as he watched his crew work. At the moment he was waiting while warriors loyal to him gathered supplies for their trip. Recent developments meant that his yard here at Demair was no longer secure. He had lost a few holds key to its defense, and worse one of the worlds that supplied his shipyard here had been taken by his rivals. It was a minor setback, but one that would delay his plans. Unlike these upstarts, he¡¯d been planning a bid for the throne for years now. He had been gathering forces for some time, but the loss of the homeworld had occurred perhaps a little too early for his liking. Still it was clearly a sign that he was right, he was meant to be Grand Warlord, not these upstarts, and not that useless buffoon who until just a few months ago had held the post. Soon his flagship would be finished, and with the Grand Warlord¡¯s Throne he will beat down his rivals, and then he would turn to the Krall, and defeat that ever-persistent thorn in their side. First, he needed to move the ship to a new more secure yard where the final construction could take place. While the ship was mostly operational, a few systems were not, and others weren¡¯t yet able to function at full potential.


    To that end, his allies in the VTC had secured him a port, and technicians at Cantra. The final components had even been built by Valorian engineers. All he needed to do was reach the system safely. However he knew speed was of the essence. He had little doubt his rivals may have caught wind of his plans. They had caught and executed a few spies, but at least one had escaped. Nothing he could do about that, except reaching Cantra quickly. Once his ship was fully operational nothing would be able to stop him. He was sure of it.


    That was why he had gathered his fastest ships, he needed to get his flagship there quickly for the final component installation. Once there it would only take a week at the most for the finishing touches, and then he could strike back at the upstarts.


    Footsteps behind him signaled the arrival of his personal slave. He turned to her, as she cowered before his magnificence. ¡°...My lord, the troops have finished preparations for your departure.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. We leave at once¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman watched Reia¡¯s face as she was informed about how long it would take for her sister to recover.


    ¡°I see, but I guess a few weeks for recovery should have been expected.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but we haven¡¯t yet discussed your sister¡¯s ship. FTL capability has been restored, but frankly the ship is still in shambles. She needs time in a yard for a refit.¡± Countryman left out that he could do that. They weren¡¯t willing to waste resources repairing alien vessels when it wasn¡¯t needed.


    Reia nodded, ¡°Cantra. Its an open port on the Confederation border. There is a yard there, and more importantly medical facilities that could actually care for the people recovering. Unfortunately its a fair distance from here about four and a half months at warp four.¡±


    Countryman frowned, ¡°Anything closer?¡±


    ¡°Not really, there are a couple of small military outposts, and maybe a few yards owned by mercenary companies. Cantra however is our best bet. It would also be the only port in range where your ships would actually be welcome. Cantra is an open port, ships of all kinds are welcome there.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. Anything I need to know about the system?¡±


    ¡°Cantra is a major port, tens of thousands of merchant vessels from various interstellar powers pass through the system every month. As a result, the planet supports a well-developed orbital marketplace, and extensive planetary starports to manage the flow, and sell of goods. The local shipyards are predominately owned by various merchant companies and will sell slips to anyone with sufficient credits. In fact the yards at Cantra are the most renowned in the sector, and several neighboring sectors as well.


    ¡°Of course with all that traffic, and a major yard there as well. Its perhaps no surprise that things can get tense at times. Its not unheard for multiple rival groups to be in the system at the same time. As such, the navy does maintain a peacekeeping garrison there at all times.¡±


    ¡°Good to know, ¡° replied Countryman as he was checking their star charts. It was not too difficult to locate the system in question. The system was a little under 40 light years away. At warp five that would have only taken two weeks, and not over four months to reach. Unfortunately, they were going to have to take things slow. Neira¡¯s cruiser had sustained heavy damage, and even with the repairs, he doubted the ship could handle the stresses of being towed at high warp. Hell the damage to the star frame was quite extensive, and with that compromised he wasn¡¯t sure it would take being towed very well. It was doubtful it could even reach warp four on its own. Then he continued, ¡°Although 40 light years is a fair distance to travel with a badly damaged cruiser in tow. I think it would be a good idea to shore up her structural integrity before we depart.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°Yes, the Guilded Heart is in bad shape. I agree we should.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll send some work crews over to install some additional bracing, and shore up her Structural integrity field grid. That should help ensure she can reach warp four again, at least long enough to make 40 lightyears.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°40? I haven¡¯t even given you the coordinates.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well that system is public information, and we¡¯ve acquired a number of star charts from various sources. All of the ones that cover this area of space list the system, rather prominently,¡± he pressed a button, and a second later a holographic chart of the local sectors appeared. Cantra was marked as a bright dot with bold text floating above it.


    ¡°I see, but why did you offer my sister a job if you already had these charts?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Knowledge is one thing, understanding is another. Not to mention they aren¡¯t complete. I didn¡¯t know about that hyperspace corridor for example, and while it might be useless for us, its still an object of interest. One worth a fair amount of scientific study, but perhaps not at this time.¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°it is, and I do know there is always a few ships out there making studies of that corridor. Hyperspace is a complicated, and bizarre realm, one that we don¡¯t fully understand, and my people have known about it for centuries. Long enough to develop practical uses for the domain.¡±


    ¡°Yet you are still uncovering new mysteries. I see. All the more reason to procure a few advisors from other races.¡± he glanced at the clock. ¡°Anyway its about time for lunch. Are you hungry?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I guess, but are you sure the food here is safe?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. We¡¯ve already checked, and I have a complete list of what items you can, and can¡¯t eat loaded to memory.¡±


    Reia frowned, ¡°Already? That is impressive.¡±


    ¡°Well, we did the work before. Just reapplied it for our new guests.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± her gaze at the ground, and somewhat different tone in her voice.


    He stood up, and guided her out of the room. Changing the subject a little, ¡°The mess hall is this way, and at the moment there are a few options available.¡±


    ¡°Um, is this okay? I¡¯m not going to hurt your supply margin am I?¡±


    ¡°The Enterprise only left port 18 months ago, and she was designed to be largely self-sustaining. We grow all our food here aboard ship. We actually have some rather extensive hydroponics facilities right here on the Enterprise, and at the moment we are producing at a surplus.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°I guess that should have been expected. Many capital ships, especially ones this large include their own farming facilities. Nice to hear that you are producing at a surplus, but does that mean you are undermanned?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Goodness no. If anything its the other way around, we have no shortage of personnel or supplies. Of course the Enterprise was designed with extended deployment in mind.¡±


    ¡°Well most capital ships are, especially if those with their own hydroponics bays.¡±


    ¡°True enough. A ship like the Enterprise could be deployed away from port for months even years at a time. I imagine its the same for other races.¡±


    ¡°Usually, my ship is fairly bare bones amenities wise. We lack most of the items needed for lengthy deployments. We can stow supplies for a year maybe two. How long can the Enterprise stay away from port?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically? Indefinitely. In practice? I have no idea. Food is largely a non-issue, we can produce what we need. Water is much the same, we can recycle, and purify what we need or if needed harvest from whatever source might be available. Fuel is perhaps the largest limiter, but our tanks can store enough to meet our needs for decades.¡±


    ¡°I see, sounds like you are better equipped than most.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but equipment only counts for so much. You can only prepare for so much. We do what we can, but there is always the one thing you may have overlooked. One thing we have been looking for out here, is new friends. There is something to be said for strength in numbers.¡±


    She nodded along, but said nothing. The rest of the journey down to the mess hall was in silence. Once there he introduced her to one of his favorite meals. Nothing complicated, a lightly breaded and seasoned fillet of fish fried in oil, and served with a side of potatoes that had been cut into strips, seasoned with salt, and deep fried in hot oil. A dish that had originated in the Isles of Western Europe, once the homeland of the British people, and the seat of power of the United Kingdom. That dish was the humble ¡®fish and chips¡¯ and it was one dish that they produced all the ingredients they needed locally. As they raised fish and even grew potatoes aboard ship. In fact fish was the only source of meat they had in their diet outside of synthetic sources. A shame really since humans are omnivores. Meaning a balanced and varied diet was needed for a healthy life. Even if humans could survive on almost anything, but a balanced, and varied diet was best. A fact that had forced them to get creative with what they had left.

 Chapter Seventy-Five In the Wind

    Captain¡¯s Log January 1st 002 SDE


    Today marks the start of another new year, another year since we lost our homeworld at the hands of the Cathamari. I still see that pain in the faces of everyone. Yet time and action has helped soothe that wound. It seems that more and more people are beginning to call the Enterprise,... home. Its a good sign really, and with it morale soars. Seeing as it is a new year, we have scheduled festivities throughout the day, and I have invited our Valorian guests to attend. Perhaps the festival will help raise spirits and promote relations. With any luck, perhaps by the end of this trip to the open Valorian port of Cantra, we can say that the wounds formed by the admittedly disastrous first contact at Delta Four will have been smoothed over. Although since we are plodding along at warp four it will be a while yet before we reach the system. As we have only been traveling towards it for 32 days. Its been interesting to take it slow again, but we did spend all those months plodding along at warp three just to reach Alpha Centauri, a distance a tenth of what we had been faced with when we started this trip. A distance that we had already traveled by more than double in just a month. A distance that had taken us half a year to travel at warp three. That difference simply underscores the difference that a single warp factor could make. A fact that makes quite apparent how fast warp four really is, even if it feels so slow after we have been zipping along at warp five.


    The average person aboard ship doesn¡¯t seem to really notice the difference, and frankly, I can see why. We have no set destination, no schedule to keep either. What does it matter if we reach our destination in a year, a month, or a week? It changes nothing. As until we find our new home, this ship is our home, and we all know we won¡¯t find our new home at Cantra. What we will find is up to debate, but I have my hopes. New friends, and perhaps a shorter route to the region I believe we may find our new home. If we do find our new home that much sooner because of this little trip, it will be worth it. Of course, when we do find it, we will have to defend that. Projects Saber, and Battlehawk would be so much more valuable that day.


    <hr>


    Tika slipped into the seat at her bedroom desk. Blearily she blinked away the sleep. It was the middle of the ship¡¯s night, and she was most unhappy about this. The monitor on her desk blinked, and beeped incessantly at her. Across the screen was emblazoned a logo, one that even in her half-awake state she recognized as important. It depicted an ancient bird, wielding two swords, and positioned defensively around an egg. An egg that looked quite like the homeworld. The background was a field of purple and gold. A ribbon wrapped around the egg was emblazoned with the fleet motto.  It was written in an ancient Krall dialect, but the meaning still rang true today. Tika didn¡¯t consider the words, however, instead, she focused on what seeing that logo meant. It meant this message came straight from the Office of Imperial Fleet Command.


    Without thinking about it, Tika pressed the accept. Instantly the monitor shifted, and an older woman appeared on her screen. A woman old enough that her scales had lost their luster, and her features seemed somewhat haggard.


    Before Tika could say a word, the woman was speaking, ¡°I see I caught you at a bad time.¡±


    ¡°Well it is the middle of ship¡¯s night. I was asleep, but what can I do for you Fleet Leader...?


    ¡°So it is, but might I suggest that you put on a top before we continue?¡±


    Tika blinked. For a moment the statement didn¡¯t quite register. Then she looked down, and was greeted with the sight of bare scales, and a rather free pair of boobs. Uncovered, and unconstrained by cloth. Her scales didn¡¯t cover them entirely either. Tika blushed deeply, as she realized that she had done something so... inappropriate. She didn¡¯t often wear much when she went to bed. Flustered, she rushed to her closet to grab a top, and slipped it on. The entire time she was much more aware of her breasts, and how they moved as she did.


    Tika pushed the feelings aside, and settled back in the chair. Trying not to feel underdressed at the moment, but it was kind of hard when the only thing she was wearing aside from a loose top was the panties she liked to wear to bed. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    The older woman waved it off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Not the first time I¡¯ve seen somthing like that, and it¡¯s not why I called.¡±


    ¡°I see. What can I help you with Fleet Leader?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Mid Fleet Leader, Temura, and unfortunately I have a mission of some urgency for you. We are redirecting you to Cantra.¡±


    ¡°Cantra?¡± she frowned. Tika was familiar with the system. It was an open port on the edge of Valorian space. A rather distant system as well. ¡°Why? I¡¯m not even remotely close to that system.¡±


    Temura sighed, ¡°Yes, but your ship is the only one capable of reaching the system in time, and powerful enough for the task at hand.¡±


    Now she was worried. Powerful enough? That didn¡¯t sound good. ¡°Um, powerful? What exactly is going on?¡±


    ¡°Some rather concerning developments have been reported to my office lately.¡± she paused, ¡°I¡¯ve sent the relevant information via encrypted data transfer to your ship. I suggest you review it on the way. In the meantime, you are to change course immediately, and make best possible speed for the Cantra system,¡±


    ¡°I see. I would like to know why I am being redirected though.¡±


    ¡°One of the Cathamari warlords has built himself a new ship, using a mix of Cathamari, and Valorian technology. Along with a few components stolen from us. I believe you may recall a certain incident at Illeria? I believe you were present at the time?¡±


    Tika nodded, ¡°I thought the IKS Rikar successfully intercepted and destroyed the freighter carrying the stolen equipment.¡±


    ¡°She did, but not before some of those components were transferred to other vessels. All but one of those was intercepted and destroyed by the crew of the Rikar. Unfortunately, its the one that escaped that is the problem. You will see what I mean when you review those documents, but suffice to say your mission is to intercept this new Cathamari dreadnought and destroy it before the warlord can complete it. We have learned he is heading for Cantra where his allies in the Valorian confederation are awaiting him with the components needed to complete his ship. He must be stopped, if not that ship could end the Cathamari civil war in a matter of weeks, and...¡±


    ¡°And then he would set his sights on the conquest of his neighbors. Possibly even us. I understand.¡±


    Moments later the mid fleet leader signed off, and she just stared at the screen for a moment or two. Before reaching for the comm, where she promptly ordered a new course for Cantra best possible speed. It seemed they were going to be pushing the engines, and crew to their limits. She was not looking forward to this. A few moments, later a bit of nausea underscored why.


    After that passed, she accessed her monitor and dug up the new files she was asked to review. It took a moment for the computer to decrypt them, and then she was presented with intelligence on a truly massive warship, grandly named as the  Grand Warlord¡¯s Throne. Obviously meant to serve as a symbol, and be a singularly potent warship all the same. Sixteen kilometers long, outfitted with a hybrid drive system that made it faster than any other Cathamari ship and protected by Valorian energy shielding. Then she noted the armor, it looked somewhat unusual with enhanced structural fields. In fact, it seemed not dissimilar to what she knew of human armor. As it was protected by dedicated structural field generators and had a high-intensity energy field running right through the plating which generated a strong polarization effect. One that could be tuned to help repel charged energy blasts such as enemy plasma rounds. It didn¡¯t have a dispersion field though, so it was perhaps inferior. It was an impressive 470 meters thick, however. Problematic, but she felt the shields would be more trouble.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Her biggest worry was the weapons. It was heavily armed with tens of thousands of weapons mounts. Numerous heavy plasma cannon emplacements, heavy plasma torpedoes, plasma missiles, and most interestingly a spinal mounted plasma lance. If the intelligence listed here was correct that weapon alone represented enough firepower to vaporize most capital ships in use by the major powers. What that meant to the galaxy at large was nothing good, not in the hands of a warlike race, especially not one as war-hungry as the Cathamari. Thankfully the weapon was not yet complete, and it required an example of Krall technology to function. If they destroyed this ship, the Cathamari would likely not be able to replicate the weapon. Regardless she had to agree the existence of this ship was a concerning development.


    <hr>


    Sali entered the work floor. She had been working here for months, now. At least she thought it was months, it certainly felt like it. Hell for all she knew it could have been years. It was kind of hard to keep track of time, on this ship. Yet she had been here long enough to know what was normal, and what she saw wasn¡¯t normal. Normally this floor was bustling with hundreds of aliens, now only a few dozen were working here.


    Not really expecting an answer, she asked out loud, ¡°Where is everyone?¡±


    Behind her the guard answered, ¡°Today is the first day of the new year, everyone not here is out enjoying the festivities. The people still here are the ones who couldn¡¯t get out of work for the day, or needed the higher payout that working today gives.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she replied and mentally noted that the job normally paid. Not that she saw anything from doing this. Although maybe they were paying her, and she didn¡¯t know it. Sali didn¡¯t much care either way. She wasn¡¯t planning to stay for her full sentence anyway. From the sound of it right now might be a prime chance to escape, but she had no idea where they were.


    After a moment, she inquired, ¡°So its the dawn of a new year? How long have I been here?


    ¡°It¡¯s been over seven months since you got here. Why ask?¡±


    She blinked, she¡¯d asked the question before and never gotten an answer. Maybe she just never found the right person to ask? Regardless the question had been answered. Seven months, seven whole months, and she was still no closer to finding a way off this damn ship. She¡¯d seen a few opportunities to escape custody, but without a plan to avoid recapture she had ignored them. That was the bigger issue in fact, avoiding recapture. She had learned a few things, by asking around or simply listening. Most people wouldn¡¯t answer her questions, but she might find the answer by simply listening to people. Although that didn¡¯t help her answer every question she wanted to know the answer to. There was much that remained unknown, like where they were in the galaxy.


    ¡°Seven months!? Its been that long?¡¯


    ¡°Longer, but yes. Now why don¡¯t you hurry along to your station? You do have better things to be doing than asking questions, and you can save the questions for lady Greyman.¡±


    She sighed, nodded and headed along to her station. It seemed her opportunity to learn more had dried up already. As for Lady Greyman, she didn¡¯t much answer her questions, unless they were related to the lesson. She was also perhaps a little strict, but Sali had to admit that she was learning from those lessons. Sali did still have questions about how that all started, and as of yet no answers. Regardless she was glad for the lessons, as they helped her understand the people around her. Some of them anyway. Her vocabulary wasn¡¯t very expansive, and as it turned out her alien captors were multi-lingual, and lady Greyman had only taught her one language, one she hadn¡¯t even mastered yet either. Part of why eavesdropping only got her so far.


    As she reached her station on the floor, she pushed those thoughts aside. With a sigh, she picked up a cloudy grey brick, that was quite heavy in her hand. Very heavy in fact, and the brick was quite small barely larger than her palm. Sali knew what this brick was too. It was unrefined Rydium. What the aliens did with the stuff, she had a vague idea as well. Somehow it was used in propulsion, but the principles behind that escaped her. She didn¡¯t really know what other applications it was used for. What she did know was how to safely handle it, and transport it.


    Carefully she transfered the first brick into a ready cart, and then the next. It wasn¡¯t even a grav cart she was loading, but a small hand cart with wheels. Every couple of minutes alien machinery would deposit a new brick on the surface of her station. Having done it often enough it only took her a couple of minutes to load up the cart, but it seemed unlike usual no-one was coming along to collect it.


    With a sigh, she started to push the cart. It wasn¡¯t like Sali could mess up the destination. It was locked into a guide track on the floor. Not to mention the Rydium wasn¡¯t going to a spot all that far away. It kind of sucked, having to push this cart without anti-grav assistance, but apparently anti-grav carts and large quantities of unrefined Rydium were a bad mix. In what way she had no idea.


    Thankfully her destination was close, and she delivered the load to a large open pool. One in which a massive crystal was forming. It was one of several such pools in this area. Around it a few workers were monitoring the pool. Occasionally a brick of material would be added to the pool, and it would dissolve near instantly. Not every brick added was Rydium, but no matter the material it would dissolve in seconds. The sight was kind of scary, so Sali simply left the cart, and grabbed an empty one on a track meant for her station. Moving away from the pool quickly. It just seemed so scary, even if she had been told that it was safe. Sali wasn¡¯t going to trust those words. Even if she couldn¡¯t come up with a reason for why they would lie to her on that. Even with that in mind, she just didn¡¯t want to be near an open pool filled with a liquid that could break down solid metal bricks in seconds. Her common sense screamed danger with that. So she quickly hightailed it back to her station, to load up another cart.


    <hr>


    Reia watched as the guard she had been following tapped a button on the panel besides one of the doors in the hall. She had been invited by Captain Countryman to a dinner party, and since the fleet was on a warp pause for the day, it seemed like a good idea to attend. From the sound of it this one was going to be all day due to the festivities that the People of Sol were engaged in for the day. She took it as a sign that as a whole their people placed great importance on their new year. Not a very alien concept mind you, as back home they had new years festivals as well. In fact they were huge, and the markets would swell with special products for those festivals. Even if their original meaning had long been lost.


    From what she had seen since she had come aboard today. It seemed to be a very different affair, but it was a celebration nonetheless. One that seemed to come with everything such large festivals entailed. She had passed a few couples obviously flirting, and spotted a couple that seemed to be sneaking off on her way here.


    Her mind didn¡¯t dwell on that. Instead she was wondering about this dinner party, as the invite did not say much. Countryman didn¡¯t even say who was attending. A swishing sound resounded as the door slid open, and her sister was standing there to greet her. Reia blinked, having not quite expected her sister to be the one to greet her.


    As she entered the room, she noticed the other guests. Countryman was behind a counter, holding a black pan, a steaming pan whose underside seemed a little pitted. He smiled, ¡°Ah, you are just in time, the fish is about done.¡±


    She looked around, ¡°Not a lot of people here for a dinner party.¡±


    There really weren¡¯t a lot of people in fact, aside from herself, her sister, and Countryman only two others were in the room. ¡°Well I only invited ship captains to this party. I figured it would promote a cozier environment in which we could actually talk.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± then her gaze turned to the pan. Before she could comment or say anything really Countryman was speaking.


    ¡°Chef Simons does a decent job, but unlike me, she doesn¡¯t really know fish. Not the way I do. You are in for quite the treat. Pan-seared trout, lightly seasoned served with rice, and a lemon butter sauce. I¡¯ve had this recipe for decades, and I¡¯ve refined it over the years. Had to make some adjustments since I don¡¯t have access to real butter anymore. It would have been so much better with that, but its alright without.¡±


    She frowned and muttered a bit to herself as she picked out the details. Countryman must have heard her as he clarified.


    ¡°The butter is resequenced nutrient paste, as for the other thing. I¡¯ve been cooking most of my life. My father taught me, and while I¡¯m not the most talented person to ever grace the kitchen, I¡¯ve been around long enough to learn a few tricks. Simons is talented, but she is still quite young. I¡¯m sure in a decade or two, she will be able to outdo me, but that¡¯s not today.¡±


    Reia frowned, ¡°Resequenced?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an expert on many things, but that is not one of them. You¡¯d have to ask someone else to clarify on the process. Although that isn¡¯t to say I don¡¯t know anything about the process.¡±


    ¡°I see. Anyway, I don¡¯t think you invited us to dinner just to chat about this.¡±


    Countryman smiled, as he worked, ¡°Well, there is something I wish to discuss.¡±


    Reia gave him a look, ¡°Are you going to tell me whatever it is that you people are hiding?¡±


    ¡°You maybe, your people? Not so much,¡±

 Interlude Weapon Types: Missiles, Torpedoes, Bombs, Etc.

    Missiles, torpedoes, bombs, rockets, all terms applied to a projectile with a warhead. Each refers to a different form of projectile, but what exactly do those terms mean in space? That is something we will explore today, along with anything else that carries a warhead such as mines. Many of these weapons are logistically expensive, but thanks to several key advantages have maintained relevance even as other forms of projectile weaponry I.E kinetics have fallen into general disuse. At least outside of certain niche applications.


    To understand why we would have to look at the various weapons in this category. The first item on the list might be the one you are wondering about the most. The bomb. Afterall what exactly does that mean in space? Traditionally the bomb is simply a warhead in a casing, often delivered from above, and relying on gravity to deliver them to the target. Afterall bombs have no engines with which to reach a target.


    Naturally the method of delivery has changed with the change in domain, but the bomb remains true to its fundamental core. A high-yield destructive payload secured in a casing, with no guidance or engines of it own. A bomb isn¡¯t much more than a warhead, but many have a few little gizmos to increase their effectiveness such as proximity sensors, or shield penetrators. How then are they delivered if they have no engine or guidance system of their own? Afterall gravity can¡¯t be a valid method of delivery in space, can it? Well yes, and no. In certain niche cases, such as being in orbit of a planet or moon, that method could be valid. Although perhaps not the best option.


    What then is the preferred method of delivering these simple, unguided warheads to a target? The answer is remarkably simple, an electromagnetic catapult a technology derived from railguns and gauss cannons. More specifically the gauss cannon. These catapults are used to accelerate a bomb towards a target, and allow it to be aimed to a degree. The effective range of these weapons isn¡¯t any better than a traditional kinetic weapon, and the rounds are definitely more expensive. Since a warhead costs a good deal more. On the flipside, their destructive power is several orders of magnitude greater lending such weapons to certain roles.


    Those factors bring to mind, what kind of ship would carry them? A capital ship wouldn¡¯t carry them, would they? Well, yes and no. For ship-to-ship combat, a capital ship would have no use for them, as typical combat ranges would exceed the effective range of these weapons. However they are useful in certain niche roles, and since their maximum range is effectively infinite a few options are available that would not be for energy weapons. They are often useful for planetary bombardment, and for striking large slow moving targets from long range. Outside of those few niche roles, there is only one reason for a capital ship to carry them. As a reserve supply for smaller ships.


    The main use of bombs is in fact on smaller ships, specifically fighters, and corvettes. Both of which are small enough, and agile enough to get in close where these weapons are most effective. Bombs are in fact used heavily by small ships as a heavy anti-ship weapon. A few well-placed hits with these weapons can be devastating. Enabling smaller vessels to outright cripple or even destroy ships many sizes larger than themselves. Especially those with insufficient protection.


    Next up, the torpedo. Now what exactly is a torpedo? What does that term mean in space? As it turns out the term torpedo typically refers to a large catapult launched projectile with a limited guidance system, and maneuvering drive combined with a high-yield payload. Such weapons lend themselves to the anti-ship role. They are often found on ships of all size classes and are often used against larger targets that can¡¯t easily avoid them. In a larger context, any guided projectile with a warhead and intended to be an anti-ship weapon has been applied the term torpedo.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Plasma torpedoes have also been given the moniker torpedo. They are large anti-ship weapons, and they do have limited guidance. However, they don¡¯t fit the traditional definition of a torpedo. The reason being that they do not fit the standard definition of a projectile. In fact they are not part of this category of weapon, and instead fit in the category of Guided Energy Projectiles. Which in turn means they are effectively a torpedo in name only.


    Torpedoes often make up the main battery of long-range anti-ship weapons on human vessels, and quite a few alien vessels as well. These weapons while logistically expensive make extremely effective first strike weapons. Able to fire on ships well outside of the effective range for most energy weapons, and thanks to their limited agility, and guidance they have a decent chance to hit. Many of them are outfitted with little gizmos meant to increase effectiveness as well such as shield penetrators, proximity sensors, and more. Like other warhead-equipped projectiles, a single good hit could cripple or even destroy an enemy vessel. One factor to note is that torpedoes are of little use against smaller ships such as fighters, and corvettes which are both highly agile, and easily able to escape a torpedo volley without being hit. Larger ships such as a cruiser however might be able to evade one or two, but not the whole volley.


    Moving on, missiles. In space this term is most often applied to any projectile with a full engine, a warhead, and a guidance system. Missiles lend themselves to being useful against smaller, faster, more agile targets such as fighters, and corvettes. Having a full engine of their own allows them to better track, and adjust in response to the movements of the target, but all the extra systems means less space for a warhead. As a result, missiles tend to have less destructive power than a torpedo or bomb of the same size Like torpedoes, and bombs they can be catapult launched, but unlike those weapons they do not require a catapult to be launched.


    Missiles are typically used by ships of all sizes, and often used for engaging smaller vessels. Although some missiles are actually intended for use against larger vessels. They make both an effective first strike weapon, and a potent defensive weapon against enemy fighter attacks. Missiles are also commonly found in fighter loadouts for use against other fighters. It is worth noting however that missiles are the most logistically expensive weapon in this category of weaponry.


    Up next mines, you might not think there is much to cover here, and to some degree you would be right. These weapons at their core are no different from their naval counterparts, albeit more expensive. Whereas naval mines were relatively inexpensive, the nature of space makes a space mine a bit more expensive to manufacture. Mines aren¡¯t of much use if the enemy sees them before they can strike. Internally the mine has evolved, it isn¡¯t just a warhead cast adrift in the void and waiting for the enemy to strike. The modern space mine is equipped with a stealth coating, proximity sensors, a shield penetrator, and a leap drive as standard toys to ensure their deadliness.


    Now you might ask what a leap drive is. The answer is simple, its a potent if rudimentary single-use engine. Once a mine detects a target in range, this small engine can catapult the mine towards the target. Allowing it to careen into hulls that may have otherwise slipped past the mine unscathed.


    These weapons have become somewhat niche in their use, but the deployment of a minefield remains a potent method of area denial. In addition, they can even be used to deny an enemy a retreat if one has a chance to prepare for a battle before it starts. Like most examples of weapons utilizing a warhead, they are also somewhat expensive logistically.

 Chapter Seventy-Six Space Storms, and...

    She blinked, ¡°Wait!? You actually are going to reveal what you have been hiding?¡±


    Countryman began plating dishes and replied, ¡°Only what is relevant to our discussion. Now the other day I offered Neira a job. I never did discuss, why we were interested in those two regions. I mentioned we were interested in charting the regions, I never said why.¡±


    She nodded, and than glanced at Neira who seemed to be listening. Who then interjected, ¡°I had been wondering what your interest in that region is. There is not much out there.¡±


    Countryman pressed a button, ¡°Computer access file KSD3-2Alpha-21851205-Beta389-Delta. Display star region Brathra.¡±


    Instantly several projectors activated, and displayed what was clearly a map, with Krall symbols over it, along with alien ones that seemed to have been added.¡±


    Reia studied it for a moment, then frowned, ¡°Why are you heading out to chart the region when you already have a map of the region?¡±


    ¡°We purchased a number of charts from the Krall. Its why we became interested in the region in the first place.¡±


    ¡°I see, but your own chart shows there isn¡¯t much here.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°I disagree. There aren¡¯t many powers in the region, but the Krall identified a few systems that are resource-rich, and have marked a few habitable worlds. Although their details on those systems are not quite as detailed as I would like.¡±


    Reia still not sure where this was leading, ¡°and that plays into your interest why?¡±


    ¡°The area is prime for a colony, assuming we can find an ideal world, that is.¡±


    ¡°A Colony? That area is...¡± she trailed off, her eyes widening, ¡°Wait!? Are you running from someone?¡±


    ¡°Running? No. Creating a buffer? Very much so.¡±


    Her sister interjected, ¡°A buffer, against who?¡±


    ¡°You both should be familiar with the Cathamari, yes?¡±


    They both nodded, Reia interjected, ¡°The Cathamari? I don¡¯t see it. Sure they are aggressive, and tend to invade just about anyone, but they¡¯ve never really been a threat to us. After the...¡±


    ¡°From your perspective maybe. Sure our ships are generally more powerful than their Cathamari counterparts, but they are also expensive. Not to mention that we as a species were never as numerous as they are. Yes we could win just about every battle, but until that little civil war of theirs broke out we were losing the war.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. How could you be losing if you were winning?¡±


    Countryman sighed, as he began setting plates on the table ¡°Battles alone don¡¯t win wars. As a...¡±


    Before she could really think about what he was saying there was a sudden tone, followed by a voice from an unseen speaker. A speaker who interrupted before he could finish a sentence. She felt herself turn pale when her translator spat out a translation.


    ¡°Sorry to interupt your dinner, sir, but long range sensors have picked up a class seven Neutronic Wavefront.¡±


    Countryman frowned, ¡°Can we evade?¡±


    ¡°Negative, the storm is closing at warp seven, and the front covers an area of several lightyears. Even redlining the engines will not get us away before it hits.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I see. Bunker down the hatches, and cancel all scheduled shuttles. Recall any auxiliary ships, and reposition the fleet. I want the Enterprise between the storm and the Guilded Heart, then shut down all engines, and divert the power. I want the hull plating overcharged, and all shield grids energized.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°Shield grids!?¡±


    Countryman ignored her, and continued, ¡°I want both the Coto, and the Umikaze to do the same. In addition I want all departments to report to code green stations.¡±


    An instant later the horizontal light bars on the walls turned from a steady blue to an ominous green. What that meant worried her, but then she remembered she had something to do. A class seven Neutron Wavefront was no joke, in addition to the spatial turbulance, and roiling plasma that came with the storm, it also came with extremely high levels of neutron radiation. Radiation for which the storm was named. She pulled her communicator off her belt, and contacted her ship, she glanced around to see the other captains doing the same.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    <hr>


    Sali looked up as she heard footsteps. Before she could identify whoever was coming however, she watched as the alien lights turned from blue to green. The shift in color made the entire room seem more ominous. It was a bit frightening, even if she didn¡¯t know what that meant. A siren sounded, and a call for departments to report to code green stations followed soon after.


    To herself she muttered, ¡°Code green, what the hell does that mean?¡±


    A familiar voice chuckled, ¡°Glad to hear your English is improving. Not sure where you picked up that idiom though. Been talking to Williams?¡±


    She turned around to see that it was lady Samantha Greyman, her language tutor. Sali didn¡¯t know who Williams was, but she had heard the phrase used a few times, and honestly she made a point to avoid using her own language. No one here spoke it, and she wanted to get conversational quick. Forcing herself to use their language, helped. ¡°Um, who is Williams?¡±


    ¡°Not anyone you need to worry about. Although if you do meet her, I suggest you keep your distance. She can be a bit... She trailed off, and before Sali thought to say something, Samantha changed tracks. ¡°Anyway, to answer your first question code green is bad. In fact I think now would be a good time to teach you a bit about alert statuses. Since you are here you need to know what the colors mean.¡±


    ¡°I guess, replied Sali, as her hand was grabbed, and she was led away from her station.


    ¡°Now first, Blue is the color you want to see. It basically means that everything is normal. Yellow is a bit of a mixed bag, it basically means that we are expecting trouble. So it can be bad, but sometimes the trouble will pass and the lights will go back to blue with nothing happening. Red means Battlestations, you don¡¯t want to see that. Now on to the more exotic ones, Green is really bad. Its basically a radiation warning. Orange is also really bad. In general, refering to a biohazard.¡±


    ¡°Radiation!? Are we safe? Does that mean we are being exposed to potentially lethal levels of...¡±


    Samantha cut her off, ¡°Relax. Panic won¡¯t help anyone, and I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    A moment later, the older woman opened a wall locker and pulled out a pair of armbands with a circular device casing mounted on them. Samantha glanced at them and let out a breath, ¡°At the moment levels are still normal, we are fine.¡± Then Samantha handed one to her, telling her to put it on. Sali glanced at it, and complied. It seemed to be a radiation monitor.


    ¡°I presume this thing will warn me, if radiation levels spike?¡±


    ¡°It will, and it won¡¯t be hard to miss.¡±


    She glanced at the device. It was nice to have something warn her, then she glanced at the lights. A part of her had to wonder why the lights were green in the first place Before she could think much more on that, Samantha began explaining other colors.


    ¡°Not all of the exotic colors are bad. The last important one that I haven¡¯t mentioned is purple, which is a color you will hardly ever see. Its a landing alert, and an indication that the ship is attempting a landing.¡±


    Sali blinked, ¡°Land!?¡± she replied with wide eyes, ¡°How? This ship is... huge. How could it land?¡±


    ¡°The Enterprise was built with landing in mind. She has a series of dedicated anti-grav generators, along with key structural supports both powered and un-powered that allow her to land, without sinking into the ground or collapsing under her own weight. So yes, its very much possible for the ship to land. Although as I said you won¡¯t see a landing alert often.¡±


    Sali nodded.


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get your lesson out of the way. We don¡¯t have to worry too much about the green alert, our monitors will warn us if the radiation rises to concerning levels. There are also first aid kits everywhere, and the medical bay will be on standby just in case.¡±


    ¡°That does sound reassuring. I¡¯ll trust you on that.¡± replied Sali just before they left the room.


    <hr>


    Reia turned from her comm, and noted that Countryman was done giving orders. With a sigh she asked, ¡°So what next?¡±


    ¡°Well with a storm there are only two things you can do get out of its way or hunker down. Since we couldn¡¯t do the former, we did the latter. Now we just wait, and hope it doesn¡¯t bash us to pieces. In the meantime, we might as well eat, and perhaps pick up where we left off.¡±


    Settling into her seat, ¡°Yes you were telling me about how battles don¡¯t win wars.¡±


    ¡°Yes well, we never had the numbers the Cathamari have. While individually our ships were superior, they were also expensive to replace. So while we won nearly every engagement, the losses we sustained were difficult to replace. While on their side, they always had more fresh ships for the battle. It was easier for them to absorb the losses. They were wearing us down by attrition. Now that they are occupied elsewhere, we have decided it is time to rebuild.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I see, so that is why you are interested in those sectors. Not much competition there, some untapped resources, and there are unclaimed habitable worlds out that way. Its also outside the reach of the Cathamari Empire.¡±


    ¡°Well the problem with Empires is they tend to expand. Sooner or later we will fight them again, I have little doubt about that, but next time we will be prepared. In the meantime, locating a suitable world for my people is the goal.¡±


    Reia considering what she had just heard, made a decision. Given what they had done for her, and her sister she owed them. It was a debt of the kind that was hard to repay. They had saved her sister¡¯s life. She could pay them for that, but it would feel... empty. This felt like a far more proper way to help them, but just as she was about to pledge her support, her sister beat her to it.


    ¡°I will help you, I know a few worlds that might be suitable.¡±


    With a sigh Reia said, ¡°I will also offer my assistance.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°I am glad to hear that.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Seven A Turbulent Day in Deep Space

    Countryman stepped out of the room. He felt good about the recent meeting. It wasn¡¯t much but every ally secured was important, and he had a feeling those two would prove helpful to their cause. Those two at least seemed to be trustworthy. The Confederation as a whole was more of a question mark. The Valorians were known to be peaceful traders, but he already knew that some of them were trigger-happy. He had spoken with a few of them since he picked up the current host of ships he was escorting to Cantra. It seemed they had their own issues to deal with, and from the sound of it the government wasn¡¯t all that keen to act. Piracy apparently was a big concern to many of the Valorians he had spoken to, but outside of the core sectors little had been done about it. He¡¯d found their feelings on this somewhat mixed, and honestly given their backgrounds it was not surprising. Reia¡¯s crew were frustrated and wanted to act driven by worry about their clans, while Neira¡¯s crew had a more mixed opinion. On one hand they were worried for their clans, but on another, they were enjoying the influx of contracts the piracy brought with it.


    The floor shook underneath him, reminding him of his more immediate concerns. The storm was already raging full force outside his ship. They were bunkered down to wait it out, and while Countryman had every confidence in the Enterprise being able to survive that did not mean he was not worried. It would not do to outwardly show it, however. He started for the bridge. It was about time he checked in with the bridge crew, and he needed to see how the ship was holding up. The shields were being tested in a way they hadn¡¯t, and the ship was being buffeted by the raw fury of space storm. In many respects, this was a true test of what he had built.


    Reaching a lift, he keyed in his destination, and soon he was being carried at a rapid pace up to the bridge. It took only moments for the lift to deposit him in the short corridor behind the bridge on deck one. The corridor that contained a single conference room, his ready room, and the upper deck of the bridge. He headed straight for the bridge, and nodded to the pair on duty guarding the entrance.


    Sweeping into the room, he quickly took his station, and immediately took stock of the situation. Neira¡¯s damaged cruiser was holding up well in the Enterprise¡¯s shadow, and Reia¡¯s ship was fine her powerful shields holding against the fury of the storm. His attention quickly focused on what he was most worried about, the shield grid. It was indeed being strained to its limits, and as he feared radiation levels aboard ship had spiked. They were however well within tolerable limits, as between the shields, and the hull lining most of the radiation was kept at bay. It was however something to keep an eye on, but at these levels they had nothing to worry about. Aside from a few effects from prolonged exposure, but that was treatable. In fact medical was already distributing inoculations for long-term radiation exposure.


    It was looking like they might be fine, honestly. The ship shuddered, and the shields flickered. Assuming those energy screens held, they were blocking a huge portion of the neutron radiation the storm was bombarding them with.That was the big worry, they needed the shields to hold, a thought that felt weird since usually it was the armor that mattered not shields.


    <hr>


    Reia made her way down the hall. The captain¡¯s dinner was over, but thanks to the storm she could not return to her own ship. That left her with a bit of a conundrum. What was she going to do with her time? The floor shuddered under her feet, a reminder that the ship was in the full fury of the storm by now. How well it would hold up, she didn¡¯t know. Space storms have claimed many a ship in the past, and even modern Valorian ships have occasionally been destroyed by a strong storm. A brutal reminder of how dangerous the great frontier of space could be, yet it was also a realm of untold wealth. New worlds, and new civilizations brought forth new ideas, and new riches to fill the coffers of the clans.


    She didn¡¯t know how the people of Sol had approached this problem however. Reia knew they relied extensively on the hull armor of their ships, which she did admit was remarkably effective. Far more effective than any other armor scheme she had ever seen. Even the more advanced powers like the Krall lacked armor as effective as theirs, but she knew nothing about their shields. That left her with questions of how well those would protect the ships.


    Rounding a corner she came upon a pair of alien girls deep in a conversation. One of them looked younger, and was rather petite perhaps a 150 centimeters tall. She had long black hair that she wore loosely, and a cute face. She wore a torn and patched lab coat, and a dark shirt under that. None of which really hid her figure, and Reia noticed that there was a patch in her shirt which just barely prevented her modest chest from being exposed to the air.


    The other woman was gorgeous with piercing red eyes, and fiery red hair. Her figure was a bit more full overall, and she was clearly more atheletic as she was toned, yet not overly so. The result was a rather striking impression.


    ¡°What? Where is this coming from!?¡± shouted the redhead.


    ¡°Well, Jac  said that if I really wanted a child I would need a plan to care for it, and he is right I¡¯m not really mother material. Ideally the father would raise it, but Jac would be way to busy for that with running the ship and all that.¡±


    Reia blinked, What had she just walked in on?


    ¡°So naturally you thought of me, as a babysitter?¡± said the redhead.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Well of course, you have plenty of free time when you aren¡¯t working on the ship, and you get along with Jac, and I. Not to mention you used to do babysitting for a living, you¡¯re perfect!¡±


    The other girl turned red, ¡°That was years ago! I did that for extra spending money, not cause I wanted to!¡±


    The black hair girl pouted, ¡°Please! Do it for me!¡±¡±


    She sighed, and then shook her head, ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t know what to do with you. Can we talk about this later? Preferably when the ship isn¡¯t being battered by a storm?¡±


    As if to underscore her point the ship shook.


    ¡°Oh, it will be fine. The real concern is us, and weather or not the shields hold. I¡¯m sure they will,¡± the ship shook, ¡°mostly sure anyway.¡±


    Reia couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°I have been wondering about those shields, anything you can tell me?¡±


    The younger girl looked over, frowned, ¡°One of our guests yes?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Reia.¡±


    ¡°Ruri, and I can tell you some. They aren¡¯t a critical system, nor are they classified. At least no one told me they are.¡±


    The other woman interjected, ¡°They aren¡¯t, and if you will excuse me, I¡¯d like to run some checks on the forward shield generator.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°Forward generator!? Don¡¯t you mean forward generators?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer, as she left. Ruri on the other hand did, ¡°No that is quite correct, the Enterpise has a grand total of two shield generators, one forward, one aft. Each one is linked to a series of emitters that were integrated into the hull plating to produce an energy field around the hull and produces a shield bubble that extends about 250 meters away from the hull.¡±


    Reia felt a lump form in her belly, ¡°TWO!? You¡¯re joking right!? Please tell me this is a joke?¡±


    Ruri cocked her head, ¡°Why would I joke?¡±


    ¡°A ship this size shouldn¡¯t have a mere two shield generators, the general rule of thumb is that a ships should have at least three generators per facing to ensure sufficient system redundancy. A ship this size has more than enough volume to mount the required number of generators, where as a corvette or frigate might have to make do with few generators.¡±


    Ruri blinked, ¡°That would make sense if the shields were a primary system, but they are more of a novelty than anything else.¡±


    ¡°A novelty, not a primary system? How could such a valuable system be relgated...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed, we don¡¯t exactly use shields the way you and the Cathamari do. They are useful in certain niche applications, but if you must take a hit you are much better off with good armor. Shields are way too easy to defeat if you know what to do about them.¡±


    Reia frowned, she had heard shields described in many ways, but never easy to defeat. ¡°Easy? A good shield can stop just about any attack, and protect a ship from the hazards of deep space such as this space storm.¡±


    Ruri chuckled, ¡°Well it is true that standard ship to ship particle cannons aren¡¯t particularly effective against an energy shield, but there are other ways to deal with them. In general that falls in two lines of thought, penetration, and disruption. Well techinically there is a third, overwhelming firepower, but thats not really a solution.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I¡¯m familiar with those three lines of thought. Penetration doesn¡¯t really work, without knowing the exact modulation of an opponents shields, and as for disruption, Ion cannons are quite good at disrupting early shields, but later designs have been hardened against them. Against any modern ship they are virtually useless. Only real way to deal with an energy shield is to overwhelm it with high energy weapons fire, plasma weapons are a prime choice as they are particularly effective against both shields, and hull.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°that does line up with the Cathamari school of thought on the subject. We disagree. An ionic blast is good for saturating a shield, especially if it hasn¡¯t been hardened against such a weapon, but there are other ways to disrupt a shield. As for penetration, we have a few tricks for that. Its not too hard to get a torpedo through a shield.¡±


    The ship rocked, and Reia commented, ¡°What other ways?¡±


    ¡°A specially charged, and calibrated ionic plasma stream can overcharge, and disrupt the integrity of a high intensity energy field such as a shield causing the generators and emitters to shutdown or overload. In either case, the shield will collapse leaving the outfitted ship vulnerable to standard ship to ship particle cannons, torpedoes, and other weapons.¡± replied Ruri.


    The ship rocked again, and she stood there staring trying to comprehend what she was talking about, ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°Well if you don¡¯t understand, perhaps it would be better if you saw the weapon in action?¡± she sighed, ¡°Of course knowing our luck that will be sooner or later.¡±


    Reia had questions, but before she could ask the lights turned red. A siren blared, and the ship shook hard. An announcement followed, ¡°ALL HANDS report to Battlestations. I repeat all hands report to Battlestations. This is not a drill!¡±


    The ship rocked, and Ruri grabbed her arm. ¡°Come along, this way. Can¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡°What in the galaxy is going on out there? Who would be shooting at us in the middle of a storm?

 Chapter Seventy-Eight The Harbinger

    The Battlelord leaned forward as the reading came in. He grinned, his teeth showing as he reveled in their luck. They had come across a human battlegroup in the storm, which seems to have masked their approach as well. Even better they had managed to unleash a full volley of torpedoes on the battleship without those pesky missile defense systems of theirs engaging. A hit like that was sure to inflict crippling damage, possibly even destroy the ship in question.


    Only reality didn¡¯t always conform to one¡¯s expectations, ¡°No damage my lord, enemy hull plating is intact. No energy fluctuations, nor breaches. Not so much as a scratch. Our torpedoes had no effect!¡±


    That was nonsense, it didn¡¯t make sense. A hit like that should have had an effect. A moment later someone reported, ¡°Confirmed, no damage.¡±


    ¡°Any response from the enemy yet?¡±


    ¡°Negative, I¡¯m reading zero emissions of any kind. They haven¡¯t returned fire, yet either.¡±


    It occured to them that the storm might be affecting them in someway. How he wasn¡¯t sure, but it seemed odd that they had not yet responded to his attack. A moment later, he got his response.


    <hr>


    Countryman observed the ship that had attacked them. It was of a design he recognized, even if he had not personally witnessed one in battle. Predatory hawkish lines, a forward-swept hull, red and orange painting, and markings no human would fail to recognize. It was a Cathamari Harbinger, a fast recon cruiser often used as a precursor to a major assault. It featured powerful engines, a sturdy hull, decently strong shields, and a powerful set of sensors.


    He mentally reviewed everything he knew about the ship class. There was a reason they were often a precursor to a major assault. Ships of the type were built for combat recon missions of the type the Cathamari often engaged in. Harbingers were tough, and fast. They used their sensors to identify targets, but he knew they were also used to hit weaker targets to soften up an enemy prior to the main attack.


    A single cruiser of this type was no match for any of his ships, but while the Enterprise had withstood the first attack, they were not in a position to return fire nor could they quickly change position. Not only were they shielding an allied vessel with their bulk, but the engines were cold. It would take time to restart the engines. He sighed, and the weapons were not charged either, it would take time to charge the capacitors, and get the weapons ready to fire. A matter of minutes for both, but those minutes could be too long. Especially if the harbinger decided to attack one of the more vulnerable Valorian vessels. Something that might be likely to sink such ships were often a precursor to an invasion. To his knowledge the only major worlds within striking distance of this position were Valorian.


    That didn¡¯t mean he had no options however. He glanced at the tactical position. Excellent, the enemy position was perfect. He smiled, ¡°Get the pilots to their fighters, I want them in the storm ASAP. Have medical standing by for immediate radiation treatments.¡±


    Misaki replied, instantly, ¡°Aye sir! Deploying fighters.¡±


    Behind him a door opened. Without turning he said, ¡°Come to learn what is happening.¡±


    ¡°Who would be attacking in the middle of a storm?¡± asked a familiar voice.


    ¡°The Cathamari, so far we only have the one scout ship on sensors, but there may be more.¡± he replied turning to see the pair that had entered his bridge. Ruri had no doubt been the one to authorize Reia being here. Although Countryman wasn¡¯t sure how wise that would be.


    Reia frowned, ¡°You don¡¯t sound particularly worried.¡±


    ¡°One ship isn¡¯t much of a threat, they would need to pack something bigger in their torpedo tubes honestly if they actually wanted to be a threat.¡± he sighed, ¡°Although that¡¯s for us, your ships are decidedly more vulnerable, especially your sister¡¯s ship.¡± said Countryman. Leaving unsaid that their current invulnerability was largely related to the fact that the hull plating was in an overcharged state, and being further bolstered by energy taken from the raging storm outside these bulkheads. He also left unsaid his worries about the fighters he was about to launch. The X-1204 had been designed with the interstellar capabilities of the Enterprise in mind, and included a starship grade hull lining to protect the internals, including the cockpit from radiation. Unfortunately the ship was too small to mount a shield generator. That meant those pilots were going to be exposed to some of the radiation out there, the storm was putting out far more radiation than the liner could absorb and block, but that liner did stop enough to prevent it from being instantly fatal. According it his mental calculations those pilots would have about three hours before radiation levels in the cockpit reached fatal levels, after leaving the safety of the ship¡¯s shield that is. In theory that was more than enough time, but in practice who knew.


    Misaki looked up, ¡°Port and Starboard hangers each report a dozen fighters ready to launch¡±


    ¡°Deploy fighters. Have the rest readied for standby,¡± ordered Countryman.


    Reia blinked, ¡°Fighters? In this storm!? Are you crazy, the storm would shred such small ships.¡¯


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Fine!? I wouldn¡¯t deploy our Lancer fighters into this, and they have some of the best fighter shields in the quadrant.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t either, but our 1204s are built differently. We don¡¯t have the fancy energy shields your people do, but what we do have is a superior understanding of structural fields, and reinforced hull design. The 1204 makes use of a DYNAMIC structrural integrity grid, and overlord scheme armor. That structural grid is designed to redirect structural field energy where needed to counter stresses on the hull. Combined with our reactionless drives, and an intertial damper system the combination of these systems allow for the incredible agility of our fighters. As a side benefit, it also makes our fighters quite durable. They can take a bit of a pounding.¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    She blinked, ¡°Wait you mean they actually can survive in that?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Not as well as the Enterprise, but yes.¡±


    <hr>


    The Battlelord shifted in a bit of disbelief. On his screens, a massive hanger door slipped open on the port side of the human battleship. Several energy spikes registered on the scanners, as fighters slipped into the stormy void. They were launching fighters, in this storm. Something he didn¡¯t consider as viable. Why they were doing it, he wasn¡¯t sure, but it was clear they had overstayed their welcome.


    ¡°New course one nine eight, by two six. Increase speed, flank. I want all missile tubes loaded and ready to fire at a moments notice. Spool up the warp drive, and prepare for immediate withdraw.¡±


    His warriors gave him looks, but they will thank him later. Assuming they get out of this. His ship had been outfitted with the latest technology, but that didn¡¯t mean it was equipped for this kind of battle. It wasn¡¯t, aside from a few light missile tubes, and several light plasma cannon batteries, he was lacking in anti-fighter weaponry. More importantly his ship was an advanced scout, their first duty was to report back anything they may find. Especially if it was important, and while he doubted the two Valorian ships the Humans seemed to be escorting would understand the significance of a Harbinger cruiser in this area, he knew the Humans would. Afterall, the Cathamari Empire has been at war with the Humans for almost four years now, even if the war has been cold for nearly two now. Outside of a few minor skirmishes as he recalled.


    The presence of these three ships here was a threat to the mission he was scouting for. If his master was to realize his destiny, the planned raid on the Cantra system would need to go off without a hitch. He had failed to destroy that battleship, so naturally he needed to report it was there. He blinked, as a thought occurred to him. Perhaps that was a good thing? Maybe they could make use of this ship being here?


    <hr>


    She studied her readings, as her fighter screamed through the stormy weather on an intercept course. It shook, buffeted by a bit of turbulence in the stormy space weather. A glance at her system¡¯s display told her that the fighter was fine. Hull plating was at full strength, in fact the AIF was overcharged taking more energy from the storm than it was losing. Hull integrity was just fine as well.


    Her gaze glanced back at the sensors. The cruiser was moving away from them at full speed, but while she was quite fast for a Cathamari ship, the alien cruiser was still quite a bit slower than her fighter. They were gaining, and making good speed.


    The pilot double checked her weapons display, and began prepparing for her attack run. All four cannons were charged, and ready to fire. She was outfitted with a standard space superiority weapons package, however. There had been no time to rearm for a bomber mission profile. As such she only had six torpedoes total. The same was true of her wingman, thankfully there was just the one ship, so it was likely sufficient.


    She let out a breath, but she wanted to make each one count. No point wasting torpedoes. They were not easy to replace, as ammunition was expensive. It was something her fellows were worried about as well. Wasting torps, only to later end up being short when they needed them.


    A beep, singnaled that they were in weapons range. She held her fire waiting, as they closed the distance. She wanted to make the first hits count.


    Idly she listened to the chatter, as her wing shared combat information. The distance ticked down, and her combat computer relayed targeting data to her hud. The moment seemed to stretch on forever, when suddenly she recieved the signal to fire. With practiced ease she depressed the triggers. The ship shuddered, and the distinct whooping whine of the catapults firing echoed through the cockpit. As a pair of glowing blue bolts carreened out into the stormy void lighting up the swirling colors of the storm. The sight was incredible, an awe inspiring vista of deadly colors. One she simply didn¡¯t have the time to admire. She made a mental note to download her sensor logs later.


    Under deft fingers she nudged her 1204 into an attack vector. The torpedoes sailed through space, several other lights signalling the pressence of projectiles from other fighters. A bright flare of redish light came from the Cathamari ship as her shields engaged. A few bright flashs followed at the torpedoes exploded with impressive force. Her fighter shook as another wave of turbulance shook the small craft. Her gaze glanced at the scanners, and she smiled when she noted shield fluctuations.


    With a simple nudge, her fighter sailed into a gap in the shields. Her computer lit up targets, and she fired. Vibrant blue bolts screamed out into space, and rained fire upon the cruiser. Each blast ripped into the alien hull, as fiery plasma erupted under the guns of her fighter, and several others.


    Reaching the end of the run, she pulled up. Coming out of the run. She ran a scan, as she came about for a second pass. Suddenly space seemed to distort, and a bright flash signaled the cruiser making a jump. The pilot sat there for a moment staring at the empty space previosuly occupied by the enemy cruiser, her target was gone.


    <hr>


    Countryman cursed, and Reia gave him a look. ¡°Um something wrong?¡±


    ¡°That was a Harbinger, and now there is a good chance they will report our position.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Maybe but space is vast, and we aren¡¯t going to be staying long.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. That was a Harbinger, a Cathamari advanced scout. They are almost without fail, a precursor to a major assualt. If one is here, that means a Cathamari Armada is not far behind.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°An Armada? Here? That doesn¡¯t make sense, there isn¡¯t anything here. Outside of Cantra that is, and its an open port. We aren¡¯t even at war with them.¡±


    ¡°And we are heading right for Cantra as well,¡± he turned, ¡°Tell Megumi that I want the warp engines warmed up and ready to go as soon as possible. Get a team of engineers over to the Guilded Heart to shore up her structural integrity grid.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir!¡±


    He turned back to Reia, ¡°I¡¯ll need to talk to your sister.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°We are going too slowly, we will need to make better speed to Cantra if we are to warn them.¡±

 Chapter Seventy-Nine The Storm Subsides

    Reia watched the frenzy on the bridge. The crew were carrying out his orders. Readying the ship for a faster pace to Cantra. She had a few questions, but one seemed far more pressing. ¡°Um how exactly do you intend to get us there faster?¡±


    ¡°If you are worried that I am going to leave your sister¡¯s ship behind. Don¡¯t be, I plan to take them along.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I was listening, but I don¡¯t see how you plan to...¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡± he turned to look at her, ¡°well there are a few technologies I can employ easily enough. Getting her hull to hold together for the trip will be simple enough, we simply need to overhaul the structural integrity grid. Shore it up, and switch it over to a dynamic load configuration. Getting that cruiser to a point where it is able to sustain a velocity above warp four long enough to reach Cantra would be the real trick. Given the ship just wasn¡¯t designed with high warp in mind.¡±


    ¡°Not for anything more than short bursts. Otherwise the drive would burn out. I guess we might be able to get up to warp four point two if you can get the SI grid strong enough to handle the strain that would put on her damaged hull.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Well we have some experience reconfiguring ships to go faster than they were originally designed. That includes ships of alien origin. Although it helped that Cathamari engines are with only minor modifications easily able to sustain warp six. Their ships, not so much.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Cathamari engines can sustain warp six? That doesn¡¯t sound right. Why...¡±


    ¡°Why are they stuck at warp four like you are? Well that has a lot to do with their sublight engines and limitations in their radiator-based cooling system. Thanks to those issues, their drives tend to slag themselves when pushed to higher warp factors, and even if you got them up a factor or two they would burn through all their fuel in the blink of an eye. Lot of brute power, not very efficient.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve seen some of their tech on the market. That covers most of their stuff, including weapons. Although I do have to wonder, why were you messing with Cathamari engines?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Well, our own warp program was behind that of the Cathamari when we made first contact with them roughly four years ago. Our ships could outrun them easily on sublight, but when it came to interstellar travel they had an edge. Particularly in speed. Studying their drive technology accelerated our own program.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°You mean you cracked warp five by reverse engineering Cathamari tech?¡±


    ¡°To a degree, we had help.¡±


    ¡°Help?¡±


    ¡°We learned a few things from the Krall. None of which will apply to what we are doing right now.¡±


    ¡°I um see,¡± replied Reia.


    Countryman stood up, ¡°Anyway, I have a few things to do.¡± he sighed, ¡°Ruri why don¡¯t you keep our guest busy for a bit?¡±


    <hr>


    Reia stepped off the lift with Ruri and looked around. She had not been in this part of the ship before. There were a few people around, but the place wasn¡¯t too crowded. Ahead of her a couple of young women pushed a giant cart down the hall, and into a wide doorway. The process made seemingly effortless by the anti-gravs the cart was using.


    ¡°So what part of the ship are we in?¡±


    ¡°The labs, its here that we conduct research, and numerous projects are being run at any given moment.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°So why did your bring me here?¡±


    ¡°Its the best place on the ship, and I thought you might enjoy helping me with a little project.¡±


    ¡°Project? What kind of project?¡±


    ¡°Just a little side projects that is more for fun, than anything else. I have been working on an old XM-10 Gauss Rifle. They aren¡¯t exactly in common use today, so I had to replicate the template in a fabricator. As for what I am trying to do with it, I¡¯ve been modifying it to use more powerful modern powercells, and added a micro-fabricator, and feed assembly to the rifle.¡±


    ¡°A fabricator? What for?¡±


    ¡°The idea of combining a fabricator with projectile weapons isn¡¯t new. I¡¯m just building a proof of concept for a miniaturized fabricator design. Won¡¯t bring Gauss rifles back into common use, but there are other weapons that would benefit.¡±


    ¡°I see, so what did you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Practice fire with the weapon, and tell me what you think. I¡¯ll have the computer fabricate an unaltered model so you have something to compare it to.¡±


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    This did sound like a bit of fun. ¡°Might be interesting, sure we can do that.¡±


    Ruri led her to a nearby lab, and led her inside. Where she noted something that resembled a satellite stuffed into a corner. ¡°So whats with the junk in the corner?¡±


    Ruri sighed, ¡°Ah, that? Nothing much, just a modified particle cannon. Just a word of warning, I wouldn¡¯t use that if I were you.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It was one of several designs I worked out months ago, but rejected. That particular cannon produces lethal quantities of epsilon radiation when it fires. As a result, it rather fails as a weapon. Can¡¯t very well use a weapon if it hurts the user, as well as the enemy now can you?¡±


    Reia gave it another hard look, and asked, ¡°And you just have it sitting there?¡±


    ¡°Well, I did mount it into a satellite, figured it might be useful on an unmanned weapons platform. If not, the components are perfectly good. We can put it to some use, elsewhere.


    ¡°I see,¡± she puased, ¡°on a different note, what else can you tell me about this XM-10 Gauss Rifle?¡±


    As Ruri opened a side door in the lab, she began, ¡°It was originally designed as a counter to first-generation powered assault armor designs. As the first generation armors became increasingly prevalent among the infantry, a lack of effective infantry weapons to counter armored troops became problematic. The XM-10 was one of several weapons put forth to fill this role, and while effective she was eventually supplanted by portable infantry energy weapon solutions.


    ¡°The weapon features a ten-round portable magazine or can be belt-fed. It fires hyper-velocity armor piercing fifty-caliber slugs...¡±


    ¡°Fifty caliber?¡± interuppted Reia the term meaning very little to her.


    Ruri didn¡¯t say a word merely stepped into the side room, and came out holding what was clearly a kinetic penetrator round. ¡°This is a fifty caliber armor penetrating slug designed for use in the XM-10, it features a standard iron-nickle core encased in a triploymer-titanium alloy casing designed to withstand the extreme stresses of hypervelocity. As otherwise the round would simply distintergrate before reaching the target.


    ¡°That is fairly big round,¡± commented Reia.


    ¡°Well you would need something like this against first-generation powered assualt armor, anything smaller would not be able to penetrate the armor. Not in practice anyway, in theory if you could get enough velocity yes, but there is the whole problem with round disintergration. Achieving the velocity needed? Doable, ensuring the round doesn¡¯t disintergrate before reaching the target not so much. The fifty caliber round being larger can pierce the armor at a lower velicity, and therefore won¡¯t disintergrate before it strikes the target.¡±


    Reia scratched her check, and then said, ¡°You know my people also moved away from supplying ground troops with kinetics, but for a different reason. The proliferation of personel shielding significantly improved the life expectancy of troops on the ground. Kinetics aren¡¯t known to really fair well against shields, and while personal shields have atmospheres to contend with that doesn¡¯t really change things, in fact it makes things harder for kinetic weapons.¡±


    Ruri blinked, ¡°Haven¡¯t really seen any personal shields myself. The Cathamari don¡¯t use them, and with the exception of a few actions against pirates we haven¡¯t fought any ground campaigns with anyone but the Cathamari. Although, I think I recall some footage our marines brought back detailing Krall personall shields in action.¡±


    Reia frowned deeply, ¡°Um, how do you have footage of Krall shielding, if you haven¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Fought them? We were docked at one of their outposts, when a Cathamari raiding force attacked. Naturally a few of our marines ended up in the battle, aiding the Krall.¡±


    Reia note that down. She figured it might prove important later.


    Ruri slipped back into the small side room, and came out a moment later carrying what was clearly an alien rifle. It was almost comical watching her carry the thing, given her tiny frame. The weapon was bigger than she was, but she surprisingly had little difficulty with it. ¡°Ready to play?¡±


    Reai looked around, ¡°Where are we going to shoot this thing anyway? All the walls around here look the same as everywhere else.¡±


    Ruri giggled, ¡°Right here. The walls here like everywhere else benefit from internal overlord plating, which is rated to stop small arms. In fact they are rated to stop quite bit more than small arms. We could set a nuke off in here, and most of the ship wouldn¡¯t notice, and the damage would largely be contained to this compartment. Might damage the neighboring labs if the warhead was big enough, but not much more. Internal armor serves quite well to contain the effects of armor penetrating hits, and greatly improves ship survivability.¡±


    Reia gave the walls a second look, they did seem quite sturdy and rugged in terms of construction. The idea of internal plating wasn¡¯t one she had often come across though. It was just so expensive, yes it did increase ship survivability, but internal force field generators were much cheaper and could accomplish much the same thing. Not only that, but they could replace emergency bulkheads as well. She had to wonder how much did the Enterprise cost.


    ¡°A little over six billion credits, another thirty if you count the development costs, and another twenty if you factor in labor.¡±


    Reia blinked, not realizing she had asked aloud. For a moment she just stared, ¡°...um,... isn¡¯t that number... a little low?¡±


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t exactly use traditional labor techniques like you and the Cathamari do. If we did, ships like the Enterprise would be prohibitively expensive. Overlord armor alone is notoriously difficult to produce with traditional techniques. Modern fabricitors on the other hand can produce it at roughly a tenth of the cost it would normally require, and in a fraction of the time.¡± she puased and gestured into the room. ¡°I can show you with that rifle, right now in fact.


    <hr>


    Countryman glanced out the view screen. The storm was starting to fade. The shields had done their job, and held. The hull was as he suspected perfectly fine, even with the Cathamari shooting at them. In fact thanks to the storm, those plasma weapons had done even less than they would normally have done. It was a shame they had escaped, but prepartions to get underway were going well.


    The report he was holding right now, was a progress report. The Guilded Heart had been shored up, and a few minor modifications to the warp drive were in place. They could travel at warp four point four six. Not quite a match for the Enterprise, but it would allow the fleet to reach Cantra faster. Hopefully it would prove fast enough, but he had a feeling it might not be enough speed. He just hoped he was wrong.

 Chapter Eighty Cantra

    Captain¡¯s Log April 4th, 002 SDE


    Its been several months since our encounter with the Harbinger. We have made good speed for the Cantra system, and are now on final approach. I¡¯ve ordered several long-range scans of the system, but nothing concrete has been detected. The system does seem to be quite busy, and we have picked up a few high-energy signatures. Nothing that resembles weapons fire. Thankfully enough. Unfortunately, that does mean the situation is largely unknown. We can¡¯t be sure if the Cathamari are already in the system, or if we beat them there.


    Regardless of the case, we are set to find out in just a few short hours. In the time that we have left until arrival, I have ordered preparations for full combat readiness. Already I have crews searching the ship to secure any lose items, while engineering is conducting last minute diagnostics of all combat systems, making sure they can operate at peak performance. Just in case, the system is already a host to a hostile force, I plan to go in with weapons on hot standby, and all tubes loaded. At this very moment, the main weapons are currently charging, albeit slower than they would otherwise given the heavy demands of the warp drive. Not to much slower though, since we have a fair amount of energy to spare since we aren¡¯t running the drive at full power. Both the Coto, and Umikaze were ordered to do the same. This means if we are attacked the instant we drop out of warp, we will be able to fight back.


    <hr>


    The warlord shifted. They recently arrived in the Cantra system, and he had made contact with allies in the system. Already a small fleet of cruisers were coming out to meet his ship, they were bringing with them key supplies and personnel required to finish his new flagship. Unfortunately it seems he had arrived sooner than expected, and the mooring for his ship wasn¡¯t quite ready. Not entirely unexpected, ships as large as the Grand Warlords Throne weren¡¯t exactly common. Outside of carriers and some dreadnought lines it was rare for ships to exceed ten kilometers.


    His ship was the largest ever built by the Empire, and it was a kingdom unto itself. As things should be. Tactically it was a force to be reckoned with, and once it was finished his ascension to the throne would be assured. He smiled to himself as he had little doubt that his rise to power was just about to begin. Soon he would unite the empire under him, and then his enemies would tremble before him.


    One of her more valued subordinates walked up to him, a report in her hands. He gave her his best smile. Most men would have just taken one as cute as her, but he wanted to break her down and get her to come to him. Deep down he knew it was working, ¡°Something to report?¡±


    ¡°Sensors detected a small task force drop out of warp in grid 78,¡± she reported as she handed him the pad.


    He frowned, that didn¡¯t sound unusual. ¡°I see, doesn¡¯t sound weird. Many ships come out of warp in that grid. Why mention it?¡±


    ¡°Three of them appear to be human, preliminary scans indicate their armor as it full power, and all weapons charged.¡±


    He figured than answer was no, but decided to ask anyway, ¡°Any sign the Valorians have noticed that they are ready for battle?¡±


    The aide quickly replied and confirmed his suspicison. Not much surprise there. Human ships were hard to detect, and it was even harder to scan through the interference generated by their powered combat armor. Armor that was quite impressive in its own right, to the point that he had spent considerable funds producing a working system based off it. The armor of his new flagship was basically an inferior version of theirs, but that made it no less impressive. His tests found his plating to be quite resiliant, and combined with the shields he very much doubted any power could bring down the Grand Warlord¡¯s Throne. Especially once the final installations were completed.


    He glanced out the humans, and let out a breath. The warlord felt that the last grand warlord had seriously mishandled the war with them. Their homeworld never should have been destroyed, nor should a battle have come to pass there. The first few engagements of that war proved that they were adept warriors. Their technology alone did not explain their ability to last for two years against the might of the empire. They were cunning, and naturally adept at warfare. Ingenious in their use of even outdated arms or weapons previously dismissed to inflict considerable damage on Cathamari fleets.


    Personally he would have offered them a position in the Empire after those first few battles. If they had rejected that, so be it. It was their funeral, but no such thing had been done. Now it was far too late for any such thing to happen. It was a shame, but any surviving human fleets would have to be destroyed. If humanity was allowed to rebuild they would surely strike at the Empire and given their skill in battle they could inflict considerable damage.


    However he was a guest of the Valorians at the moment. That meant he had certain considerations to keep in mind. It was quite rude to start a firefight in your host¡¯s backyard. ¡°Bring our defense systems online, and bring all weapon banks to standy by. DO NOT FIRE at the humans. Keep an eye on them.¡±


    Confusion shone in her eyes, ¡°That doesn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain my orders! Carry them out!¡±


    ¡°Yes! My lord!¡± she replied rushing off to do his bidding.


    <hr>


    Reia shifted in her seat, as she monitored the readings. So far it seemed that the Cathamari in the system were not making a move, but it didn¡¯t escape her notice that they were getting ready for battle. There was a feeling of tension in the air.


    At the moment she was also mulling over her recent conversation with her science officer. The question had been on her mind for days, but she had only consulted her science officer a few hours ago. Reia had not been able to work out how so large a projectile could have been useless against infantry armor. Against shields the answer was obvious, the size of the round mattered little in that case. A shield would either destroy the projectile on contact or harmlessly redirect it. Often with negligible impact on the shield itself. With armor, she wasn¡¯t so sure. Armor could bounce a projectile thereby protecting what was beneath, but what physics were at work to stop a large high velocity round she couldn¡¯t imagine.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Her science officer suggested the answer lay in the hull plating protecting the human starships. Their new friends apparently didn¡¯t have a deflector, and their hulls while at warp were practically vibrating with energy. It was weird since normally only the frontal quadrant of a ship needed to be protected from translight particles, and ships that forwent deflectors usually relied on shields. In such cases, only the forward shields would be taxed by translight particle impacts. Deflectors usually only covered the frontal quadrant, but some ships had more expensive omnidirectional ones. Regardless at warp she wouldn¡¯t expect the entire hull to show such energy fluctuations. It suggested that the energy was being transferred across the surface of the entire hull. Where it soon vanished. The exact mechanics at work were unclear, but it showed they had an understanding for redirecting energy. Where they were redirecting it? They hadn¡¯t answered that one, but she did agree it suggested an answer for how infantry armor could resist such a weapon.


    Thinking on that problem just didn¡¯t bring a definitive answer. Not to mention it wasn¡¯t realy the time for it. She glanced at her communications officer just as the younger woman looked up. ¡°I managed to raise the starbase, but they are quite skeptical of what we have to say.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°I would too, but that Harbinger had the humans real spooked. I have no reason to believe they would lie about something like that either. Not to mention I don¡¯t think they would have hurried us here unless they had reason.¡±


    The officer pointed out the giant Cathamari ship, ¡°Maybe they saw that vessel, and wanted to fight it?¡±


    Reia scoffed, she had been on the Enterprise bridge, and while the language was unfamiliar she could understand enough from their consoles to glean what they could see. ¡°Their long-range sensors aren¡¯t any better than ours. I think they spent a few more credits to get a higher degree of resolution, but not enough to see the Cantra system in any kind of detail. Not at that range anyway.¡±


    Her officer opened her mouth to reply, but before any words could be spoken several alarms went off. The proximity alarms. ¡°Multiple inbound Cathamari warp signatures right on top of us!¡±


    ¡°Helm! Evasive!¡± she shouted. Not even using time for a proper order. Seconds later several flashing lights signaled the arrival of twenty Cathamari battlecruisers in close proximity.


    Before she could properly register that, the ship shuddered. Lights turning purple. It took her a moment more to register that they were under attack, but her training had kicked in already. She was already shouting orders.


    ¡°Auxiliary power to the shields. Increase speed! Bring us about to heading one eight zero mark two four. All pulse batteries return fire!¡±


    ¡°Sir! The capacitors aren¡¯t charged! We can¡¯t return fire for another two minutes!¡±


    She growled, ¡°Take power from life support if you have to, but I want those batteries firing now!¡±


    A moment later she heard the familiar whine of several pulse batteries firing. She took a glance at her screens. Noting the other ships in the group were already engaged. The Enterprise seemed to have drawn most of the attention, her own ship was only under fire from four of the ships. She also noted that there were ships warping in all over the system. Often right on top of military vessels. Not all of them were lucky to have had their shields up like she did.


    She didn¡¯t focus on that. Just as she was about look away from the sensors, she watched the Cathamari fire torpedoes at the Enterprise. Before any of them could make contact, the alien capital ship seemed to shimmer moments before it teleported above the cruisers that fired upon it. Its beam weapons firing. Powerful blue energy streams tore into four cruisers from above simultaneously. Their shields flaring brightly as the sustained beams ripped into their shields.


    Reia turned away, she had her own problems. As the most recent shout emphazised. ¡°Sir! Port shields Failing!¡±


    ¡°Roll the ship! Protect our flank!¡± she responded. Part of her was worried the other shields would start failing soon as well. Her shields were good, but Cathamari plasma cannons were powerful. Able to drain shields in very short order, thankfully their range was quite limited. Unfortunately she had the misfortune of a battlegroup warping in on top of her.


    The ship shuddered. A new alarm blared, and someone reported, ¡°Hull breach! Deck seventeen section four. Emergency force fields holding.¡±


    She noted that, as her eyes once again scanned the tactical plot. The four battlecruisers firing on her were still far too close to comfort, but she saw something. ¡°Tactical! Aft torpedos! Full spread!¡±


    An instant later her aft launchers roared, spitting out fiery death. The deadly plasma spread out, and slammed into two cruisers at once. Light flared as the plowed into the weaker energy shielding of the Cathamari ships. Moments before burning into the hulls. Her ship rocked as the rounds exploded unleashing shockwaves.


    As the figurative dust cleared, she was treated to the sight of one kill. The other cruiser she hit had lost shields. Her tactical officer anticipating her orders concentrated fire on the wounded cruiser. Numerous plasma pulses raked the armored hull of the battlecruiser. Vaporizing chunks of armor and surface mountings with each impact, yet the armor did its job. Keeping the unshielded ship protected. Just long enough for it break off, and reposition behind another cruiser whose shields were still up. Allowing the shields to reset.


    Not getting the kill might bite her later, but she sighed in relief. That one ship dead, and the other moving off had dropped the presurre considerably. Moments later they were able to put some distance between them, and the battlecruisers. Enough that she felt like she could relax. Cathamari ships weren¡¯t that dangerous at range, only up close where they could use their superior firepower to its full effect.


    She glanced back at the sensor screens. The system was in chaos, thousands of Cathamari ships had warped in. They were even engaging the Cathamari ships that had already been in the system. Worse, she notice Valorian ships firing on Valorian ships as well. It was complete chaos. Closer to her own ship, the Enterprise had already destroyed four Cathamari battlecruisers. Both of her escorts had scored one kill as well. As for her sister¡¯s ship? Despite the damage her crew had managed to score two kills and her sister wasn¡¯t even onboard. Neira was still on the Enterprise, she had recovered mostly, but the doctors were still keeping her for observation. In her mind that made the Enterprise the most important ship here. Still she was feeling good about their little group. Of the twenty ships that had attacked them nine had already been destroyed leaving eleven ships against their five which was much better odds.

 Special Interlude The Enterprise: A Tactical Overview

    The Enterprise at her core was designed primarily to be a support vessel, but not just any support ship. She is far more than a simple fleet tender, she was designed to maintain, repair, and supply friendly vessels in the field. In other words, she is effectively a mobile port, and many of her internals align with this intended role. Her lower decks are given over to factories, expansive hydroponics bays, and refineries. Allowing her to process materials in the field, and produce whatever may be needed to fulfill her role. Docking pylons and extendable arms beneath the ship enable larger vessels to securely dock with the Enterprise for dock-level repairs in the field. Her hangers are large enough that some smaller ships can land inside the ship for repairs, but unlike most large repair ships she doesn¡¯t include a dedicated frigate bay. Her forward cargo dock, however, is large enough for a single frigate to securely dock inside the protective belt of her armor.


    Of course, while she is a support vessel, she is not left unprotected. The Enterprise is in fact well armored with 12 meters of battleship grade, erudite-enhanced titan alloy armor in an Overlord configuration. This armor alone is an impressive defense against a wide array of threats. Overlord armor is configured in overlapping plates, and layered with shock gel which un-augmented provides a very effective defense against kinetic impact. The armor doesn¡¯t leave it at that, as a powerful structural field is run through the plates. This field does two things first it significantly strengthens the titan alloy that the armor is composed of. The second is that the field absorbs a portion of any incoming energy directed at the armor. The combination of these two factors can completely nullify most weapons, but to further defeat incoming weapons fire that plating has two more advantages. Those being integrated energy absorbers that absorb some of the energy of incoming weapons fire be it energy based or kinetic and shunt it back into the armor integrity field or store it for later use. The other advantage is a projected dispersion field around the hull that attempts to disperse incoming energy blasts, which often results in energy shots striking a much wider area of the hull than they would otherwise.


    This dispersal effect caused by the dispersion field has a few key advantages. By forcing incoming fire to spread out, the incoming energy blast is effectively weakened. Its penetration power is dropped significantly, allowing the armor to better absorb the blast. This also allows the integrated energy absorbers to absorb more of the energy behind that shot, as more of them will be able to act upon the blast.


    So what about a kinetic impact? In that case, the dispersion field has no effect. Instead, the shock gel comes into play. On impact with the armor, two components will act to prevent penetration and disperse the energy of the round. The first is the AIF which actively absorbs a portion of the energy and ensures the plates remain unharmed. At the same time, the rest of the energy is absorbed by the shock gel, which radiates the energy out across the surface of the hull and away from the interior, while energy absorbers act to convert the shock into usable energy. Of course that is assuming the round actually hit.


    The traditional method of penetrating this kind of armor is in fact a torpedo. A large, heavy warhead with limited guidance intended for ship-to-ship combat. Torpedoes can bypass that dispersion field easily, and they can unleash a much more powerful burst of focused energy than any kinetic round. A single armor-piercing torpedo is sufficient to cause a localized failure of the plating. A fact well known to the designers of the Enterprise. To protect against this kind of attack the Enterprise has been equipped with an Energy Web array, which projects an AI-controlled web of high-intensity energy beams around the hull of the ship, just far enough out to detonate incoming warheads before they could do serious damage. Such beams have also been known to disrupt the integrity of plasma torpedoes causing them to lose containment.


    More recently, however, human vessels have been employing sustained energy beams to carve through overlord armor. These beams work because they can resist dispersal just well enough to have a localized effect. Given enough time they can burn through even the massively strengthened plates of the Enterprise. Beyond preventing the enemy from maintaining a sustained burn at a single point, no solution to this problem yet exists. Thankfully with the exception of the Krall no such weapons exist in the hands of aliens. At least not any yet encountered by humanity.


    Even in the event of a penetrating hit however, the Enterprise has a strongly reinforced superstructure. Internal plating, emergency bulkheads, blast doors, internal structural fields, and integrated internal energy absorbers. All of these work together to insure no single hit would cripple or destroy the ship. Critical areas are further protected by significant internal protections to bolster local resilience, and the ship has a high degree of system redundancy. Allowing the ship to continue to be mission functional even if over half the ship has been destroyed.


    Moving on, the ship is not limited just to defense. As the Enterprise is outfitted with a fair number of ship-to-ship gun batteries, torpedoes, and missiles. Her primary weapon is two modified Star Tech Industries XPCB-222-B Mark I Heavy Cutting Beam Arrays, recently redesignated as Mark II. The heavy cutting beam is a weapon designed to slice through armor, and hull with ease, and is often used for slashing beam attacks, but it can also be used for a focused attack on a single point. The Mark II version as developed and implemented by researchers on the Enterprise features improved power, and firing cycle times, along with a powerful supercharger, that allows the ship to fire a shorter more intense burst for brief intervals. Factors that add to the flexibility of the weapon. It is also important to note that this same weapon in the mark I version was used on Earth¡¯s Starlight class of battleships as their primary weapon as well. Cutting beams are very effective against armored, and unarmored targets, but have some difficulty with shielded targets.


    The next weapon in her load-out is the XDPC-347-C Heavy Directed Particle Cannon, again this weapon was developed by Star Tech Industries who was the primary contractor in the construction and development of the Enterprise. This weapon has recently been modified and redesignated as Mark II by Enterprise researchers. The Mark II version features a reduced fire rate of 2000 bolts per minute, but its yield is much improved. The significantly higher particle density allows it to deliver much more energy per shot, and if needed the weapon can be supercharged to unleash several high-intensity shots in a very short period. Unfortunately, the weapon will overheat after such a burst, and must be allowed to cool before it can fire again or damage will be incurred to the weapon.


    These heavy anti-ship guns are mounted in quad-turrets, and she has eight banks of them, which gives her a total of 1600 heavy particle cannons mounted in 400 turrets. These turrets are mounted on the ventral and dorsal sides of the primary hull in a spoked wheel formation, and laid out in naturally superfiring positions. Enabling the ship to leverage a significant portion of her firepower to forward, port, and starboard positions, and maintain strong fire to dorsal and ventral targets. Each turret features both local, and central fire control, and is capable of independently firing on multiple targets or focusing its fire on one target.


    The XDPC-347-C is very effective against most large starships, and capital ships. Its charged particle bursts can punch through most forms of armor with ease, and it can shred unprotected hulls in seconds. The weapon is also effective in a ground bombardment role, and can level cities in very short order. The weapon is not suited however for engaging smaller vessels such as corvettes and fighters.


    The Enterprise¡¯s secondary battery contains the XDPC-128-B Medium Directed Particle Cannon. Developed by Star Tech Industries, and found on most human vessels this weapon is quite suitable for flexible gun mounts. The weapon is mounted in dual turrets and intended as a dual-purpose gun mount. The Enterprise carries 3600 of these guns in 1800 turrets, the majority of these are mounted in a spoked wheel formation on her primary hull. Additional mounts are found on the secondary hull. No mounts are found on the nacelles. The weapons have recently been modified to a mark II configuration, and support a fire rate of 2100 bolts per minute. Rapid tracking and independent targeting are key features of these weapons. They are useful for a multitude of targets from small ships, to enemy capital ships. These cannons are also very useful for tactical ground bombardment. Like other particle weapons they are noted to struggle with energy shielding.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The next weapon in the secondary battery is the XLEPC-05 Mark I commonly called the Electro Cannon. It fires a low-temperature charged plasma stream that resembles a lightning discharge. The stream has a limited range, but is extremely effective at defeating energy shields, and disrupting subsystems. Energy shields hit by the steam have been known to overload, and unleash a powerful energy burst. It has a four-second recharge between bursts. The Enterprise carries 400 emplacements of this weapon mounted along the primary hull. Also of note is that while this weapon has little if any effect against the armored hull of a starship the beam is devastating to organic tissue.


    Finally, we can cover the Enterprise¡¯s defensive battery. These weapons are intended for defensive fire against hostile enemy ships, particularly small light vessels such as fighter craft which could pose a significant threat to the Enterprise. Especially those fighters outfitted for bomber roles and carrying high payload warheads in the form of torpedoes or bombs. In space, a bomb is a high-yield anti-capital ship weapon with no guidance or engine. Much like a traditional kinetic round, but much more powerful thanks to the warhead it is carrying. Something useless for a large ship, but something a small ship that can get in close can use. A ship that could be a threat to the Enterprise. Her secondary battery can fire on such ships, but a more effective solution is often a guided missile. To this end, the Enterprise is outfitted with a number of specialized turrets, each one fitted with three Photon Missile tubes. The Enterprise has twelve Photon Missile banks, with eight hundred strategically positioned missile turrets. Ammunition is stowed inside the hull in armored magazines. She has enough storage for almost 500,000 missiles in armored bays, not counting her torpedoes.


    Speaking of her torpedoes, the Enterprise is armed with fore, and aft torpedo launchers. Each of these launchers is a triple-tubed catapult. She carries 20 forward-mounted launchers and a dozen aft. These rapid-fire launchers can fire a burst of five torpedoes per tube every six seconds. That means she can fire a volley of three hundred torpedoes with her forward launchers, every six seconds. Three thousand in a minute. Her Aft launchers can fire a volley of 180 torpedoes, for 1800 torpedoes in a minute. The ship is designed to stow munitions for up to ten minutes of sustained fire, giving her some fifty thousand warheads in armored bays. A rather small number for a ship of her size.


    The launchers on the Enterprise are designed to carry the Type 57-E TRX heavy anti-ship torpedo mark I, commonly referred to as the Mark I photon torpedo, which features a laser-initiated cascade detonation fusion warhead, and supports a variable detonation yield. Also featured on the torpedo is a mark VII shield penetrator which grants a 38% shield penetration rate. The torpedo can carry fuel for up to 900,000 km and are effective against maneuvering targets for more than five times that distance. Making them the longest ranged weapon in the Enterprise¡¯s arsenal.


    Next up, small craft. The Enterprise has a number of hangars, and support for its own dedicated fighter wing. However, for a ship of its size class, the number of fighters she carries is actually rather limited. She has a complement of a mere sixty fighters, along with a fair number of shuttles. 340 assault shuttles, which are modular, and can be adapted for gunship, and light bomber roles as needed. Along with twenty light personnel shuttles, ten armored personnel shuttles, fifty heavy cargo shuttles, and twenty dropships. A total of five hundred ships. Which is rather small. The Starlight class battleship is a little over half the size of the Enterprise and has a fighter complement of eight hundred and fifty, and she has more than double the total auxiliary fleet. Although that ship class does carry significantly fewer heavy cargo shuttles.


    Regardless the Enterprise was never intended to fight alone, but rather as the centerpiece of a battlegroup. Her vast industrial capacity would allow her to maintain a small battlegroup indefinitely. While her armament and defenses mean there was no need for her to stay on the sidelines during a battle. Ships like the Enterprise even include a CIC, allowing them to serve as a flagship for a fleet.


    Now that we have covered her armaments, and defenses, there is one last tactical aspect to cover. The ship¡¯s main drives. The Enterprise like most modern vessels employs Particle Pulse Wave engines to achieve thrust. These drives are reactionless, and therefore do not need external thruster ports or mountings to function. As such they are located deep within the armored hull of the Enterprise where they not only function better, but also do not compromise the ship¡¯s defenses. Being reactionless also means the drives can vector their full output in any direction. A factor that allows the ship to change directions quickly, and effortlessly. Pulse waves are a spatio-gravitic phenomenon and have a mass canceling effect as a result of their inherent characteristics. As a result, the Enterprise has an effective mass equal to about one-third of her actual mass. What this means is that she has a significantly better thrust-to-weight ratio than her engines would otherwise be able to provide.


    This reduced effective mass is also responsible for the apparent agility of most Earth vessels, which are very agile in the field of battle. To further enhance this impressive agility, the Enterprise is equipped with a pulse detonation drive. The PDD is roughly equivalent to an afterburner and achieves much the same function. It allows the ship to utilize short powerful bursts of thrust on demand. Allowing for incredible bursts of acceleration. A PDD allows any equipped vessel to effectively teleport in a straight line in any direction. This apparent teleportation is achieved by instantly jumping to a relativistic velocity and then decelerating, using a pulse detonation. Without the use of inertial dampers, such a maneuver would not be possible. It must be noted however that such a maneuver is not fuel efficient and can burn through fuel reserves quickly. In addition, the stresses on equipment are somewhat severe. Factors that result in a certain reluctance to use the drive in this manner. The PDD is typically used to get a boost to acceleration when needed, and is not often used for this powerful maneuver.


    The PDD is very useful for combat maneuvers but is useless without the ship¡¯s main engines. The majority of the Enterprise¡¯s propulsive power is supplied by five primary pulse wave engines. These main engines each feature three Rydium cores, which are designed to work in concert. If one core fails the whole engine fails, at least until a new core has been installed. These Rydium cores are critical to the function of the engine since through particle beam stimulation these cores generate the very pulse waves upon which the engines generate thrust. Careful manipulation of the drive chamber modulates these waves to vector that thrust in the desired fashion. The use of multiple cores allows for more powerful pulse waves, and when working in concert with multiple more drive power is achieved. Why then do the main engines use, three and not nine cores? The answer lies in the fact that extra cores do reduce the overall efficiency of the engine. Three is considered to be an optimal balance between power, and fuel efficiency. Another factor to consider is that too many cores results in an unstable engine. The largest most powerful engines have no more than five. No such engine is present on the Enterprise, however.


    She does have a few quad-core engines, designed to provide additional thrust during combat maneuvers. These are the five pairs of sub-engines paired with the main drives. They are high-thrust low-efficiency engines. Useful when the ship needs a little extra engine power.


    Next in the list of engines the Enterprise is equipped with are the forty maneuvering drives located in her nacelles. These small engines are designed for precision thrust, and are used to aid the ship in maneuvers. They are not meant to be the primary vector of thrust. Each one has three cores, but are much smaller than the main drives and produce much less thrust. In a pinch they can also be used to vector additional thrust where needed.


    The inclusion of all those drives covers the full list of the ship¡¯s sublight engines, which comes up to a total of fifty-five sublight engines. If you count her four warp engines, the ship has a total of 59 engines. A number that falls in line with what is required to give a capital ship like the Enterprise the agility she is known for. Thanks to these drives the Enterprise is remarkably fast, and agile able to outrun, and outmaneuver opponents many times smaller than herself. An impressive feat for a ship over five thousand meters long. That speed underscores a bit of the design philosophy behind the Enterprise. She balances the firepower of a heavy cruiser with the protection of a battleship which she combines with an agilty more in line with a ship much smaller than herself. Exactly how much smaller depends on whose ships you compare her to, but with other human vessels, her agility is in line with a fast cruiser. A factor she can use to her advantage both defensively and offensively

 Chapter Eighty-One Battle Of Cantra I

    Countryman shifted his gaze to his personal monitor for a moment. The remaining Cathamari ships were breaking off. Heading straight for the big Cathamari warship in the system. He noted their movements and he also noted what was going on with that large warship as well. It was under attack by ships both Cathamara and Valorian. Neither of which were holding up against its massive firepower, but they were lasting long enough for their goals. It didn¡¯t escape his notice about how the ship was slowly moving in the direction of the Enterprise and those ships that attacked his group were now heading toward it. That was likely no coincidence.


    ¡°Hmm, seems someone made us part of their battle plan but they aint very good at hiding it.¡±


    Greyman interjected, ¡°What do you mean sir?


    He pointed to the screen, ¡°Someone wants us to fight the big Cathamari ship. They are luring it towards us and trying to lure us towards it in turn. They expect us to chase the retreating cruisers.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well since we see it, we won¡¯t fall for that.¡±


    ¡°Regardless I think we should engage that ship.¡±


    Greyman stuttered and blinked, ¡°What! Its three times our size! Look at that firepower!¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I know, and I plan to engage it on my terms. We won¡¯t last long against it at close range, but we can keep it occupied. With the jamming field in the system we can¡¯t run till we clear the field or destroy the source. I¡¯m certain our ships can escape it easily, but our Valorian friends may have some trouble.¡±


    Greyman frowned, ¡°You want the Coto and Umikaze to escort our new friends out of the battlezone while we serve as a distraction?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± replied Countryman while glancing at a monitor. ¡°Okay that is far enough, time for some fireworks.¡±


    He turned to tactical, ¡°Load forward torpedo tubes, target the retreating cruisers, one torpedo per ship, target their primary reactors.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡± was the quick response. No one questioned the number of torpedoes. Normally that would be too few, but they had been fighting them just recently, and as such they knew the shield modulations of those warships. A single torpedo was all they were going to need.


    <hr>


    Reia blinked as she watched several Cathamari cruisers explode after taking a single torpedo each. Their shields flaring to little effect. She had seen human torpedoes piercing shileds before but never so decisively. Usually a couple of them would explode harmlessly on the shields. Yet this time that wasn¡¯t the case.


    Their destruction meant they had a bit of a breather. As there were no other ships in range to be a threat for some time. Especially now that all warp travel had been shut down by system wide jammers. She glanced at her sensor officer. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°If I had to guess, the humans somehow knew the exact shield configurations of those cruisers. All of them. Their torpedoes penetrated the shields, punched through the weaker aft armor before detonating near their primary reactors. The resulting secondary detonations claimed the ships. Clearly they knew exactly where to hit them as well.¡±


    The torpedoes penetrating the aft armor wasn¡¯t all that surprising. It was a common issue many races had to deal with. Not every race was lucky enough to have a reactionless drive system. The need for rear thruster ports imposed certain limitations on providing adequate protection to rear located targets. The more interesting fact was that they not only penetrated the rear armor, but pierced deeply enough into the cruisers to detonate near the main reactors. Then again any detonation near the engines would be serious. Her own ship didn¡¯t have any armor, relying more on the shields and internal forcefields for protection. Internal projector fields could contain a penetrating torpedo hit easily enough and limit damage, but honestly a good shield was both cheaper and more practical than heavy armor.


    Of course the Cathamari and the Krall utilized both but those two powers also spent a great deal more on their military. Something she felt might change soon. The chaos of this battle was already highlighting a number of weaknesses in their current designs.


    She glanced out at the tactical screen and noted an orbital. A trade station to be specific, underfire by several Valorian cruisers and two Cathamari destroyers. Her limited defense grid was returning fire, but her shields were already failing.


    Suddenly a Cathamari cruiser swept in from above, firing not on the station but on her attackers. A cruiser was hit with a heavy volley of plasma torpedoes and her shields buckled. As the Cathamari vessel angled onto a second Valorian Ophera class ship, she fired several heavy concussion bolts at the first cruiser. They slammed into the hull with brutal force and detonated. Engulfing the ship in a bright fireball, at least on her computer enhanced sensor display. When the dust cleared the ship was gone with all hands. The second vessel didn¡¯t fare any better.


    Then the Cathamari ship took a barrage of torpedoes from one of the Cathamari destroyers. The deadly plasma penetrated her shields and damaged her hull. Yet she stayed intact, long enough to return fire. A deadly barrage of heavy plasma cannons ripped the offending destroyer apart and its buddy in short order. Before the five remaining Valorian cruisers opened fire on the cruiser. Her shields were down, but her armor was holding. The pulse fire penetrated more deeply where her armor had already been breached by the earlier torpedo hits. Yet it mattered little. The cruiser returned fire, her superior weaponry making short work of the five Ophera class cruisers. Their superior shields meaning little in the face of overwhelming firepower.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    In moments all five of the remaining cruisers were reduced to expanding clouds of superheated plasma. Leaving the sole Cathamari cruiser the only vessel left standing, but not without scars. She had suffered over two hundred penetrating hits to her hull plating, several of her plasma turrets had been destroyed and her port plasma manifold was little more than molten slag. Leaving her with only half the engine power she was meant to have, and reduced firepower. The orbital on the other hand, along with the thousands of people aboard were safe. Thankfully the commanders of those cruisers were idiots.


    She looked elsewhere. More isolated skirmishes like that were happening all across the system. With Valorian firing on Valorian, Cathamari firing on Cathamari. Cathamari firing on Valorian and vice versa. However the fighting was thickest near the massive Cathamari warship near the local yards. It was an imposing warship, the largest she had ever seen and its firepower. That thing was menace, anything that got close was simply melted by powerful heavy plasma cannons. As if to prove its power a Protector class heavy cruiser drifted into range of those guns.


    Numerous ports glowed with energy before unleashing a deadly barrage which ripped into the powerful shields on the cruiser as if they were little more than paper. They buckled and the ship disintegrated. Leaving nothing more than plasma behind and it happened so fast the crew likely had no time to regret their mistake. They didn¡¯t even have a chance to return fire before they simply ceased to exist.


    It took her a moment longer to notice that dreadnought was slowly making its way towards them. She had barely enough time to notice before she was informed, ¡°Ma¡¯am we are being hailed by the Enterprise.¡±


    ¡°Put Captain Countryman through,¡± she replied while shifting towards the main screen. A moment later the familiar view of his dark bridge appeared. The man himself shrouded a bit in the dim shadows.


    He immediately spoke, ¡°I presume you have noticed that someone seems to be pushing that dreadnought towards us, yes?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather avoid battle with it entirely, but I doubt we will have the chance. Neither your ship nor the Guilded Heart can take even one hit from it and I¡¯d rather not be forced to use the Enterprise to shield your ships from that thing. As such I¡¯d like you to make your way out of the system, best speed. I¡¯ll send both the Coto and the Umikaze to escort you just in case.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Wait what are you going to be doing?¡±


    ¡°Engaging the enemy, we are going to keep them occupied so that you can make your escape. We will rendezvous in deep space later.¡±


    She stood up, ¡°Wait you can¡¯t! There are over 50 thousand people on your ship, many of them civilian colonists!¡±


    He glanced to the side, ¡°It seems we have little choice. I¡¯ve just been informed of sixty eight ships on an attack vector, they will be here in twelve minutes. Leave now before you get caught, we will hold them off.¡±


    The channel closed with that and she glanced to her sensor officer who reported, ¡°Confirmed, sixty eight ships on approach, Twelve of them are Ophera class cruisers, the rest of them are Cathamari Heavy Assault Cruisers. Broadsword type.¡±


    She cursed internally, she knew what the Cathamari called a Heavy Assault cruiser was really more like a small battleship. The Broadsword type featured thick plating, heavy weapons, and a strong engine configuration. They were fast, deadly and hard to kill. A potent combination. They would have a hard time against one, especially in a slugging match, if they could get into a proper skirmish maybe, but there was no way the Guild Heart would be able to keep up or evade that many for long. Not with her battle damage and her own ship might have some trouble against that number.


    She glanced to the helm, ¡°Coordinate with the other ships and set us a course out of system maximum sublight.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    She glanced to the screen. The Enterprise was already turning to engage. Her gun ports open and she was picking up speed as she closed on the nearest ship. Several torpedos already launched at a second vessel.


    <hr>


    The warlord glanced at his screens. The Human Battleship was still out of range, but it was closer now. The battle having drifted towards the position of the newly arrived Human vessels and from the looks of things the thick of the fighting was still moving that way. His counterpart was also sending more ships to engage after his first twenty had been annihilated. Something that surprised the warlord a little.


    Now their battleship had turned to fight the new ships, her gunports blazing with furious fire. The first ships to enter range were bombarded with heavy firepower. One of them was a Valorian ship who had the misfortune of being targeted by a torpedo volley, her shields took seventeen hits but several more penetrated. Unfortunately for them it only took one and all of them were aimed at her primary reactor. The ship went up in a massive fireball.


    The second ship fared a little better. She was a Broadsword cruiser and her shields withstood the initial barrage of heavy particle fire. The follow up seconds later, however, breached the shields leaving her open to their deadly cutting beams which almost instantly raked over the ship. Tearing deep into her armor in seconds. In under a minute the ship was sliced open from bow to stern, yet she still had fight in her. She returned fire with a barrage of heavy plasma. Scoring multiple ineffective hits before a final attack finished her.


    A second set of deadly blue energy streams raked the stricken cruiser, piercing even more deeply into her hull as it precisely cut where the first beams struck. An explosion occurred inside the hull, triggering several more before the ship was torn open with violent energy. The hull simply disintegrated in a fashion that he recognized. Antimatter containment failure. Her main reactor had been breached.


    Then the other ships streamed into range and opened fire. As the Battleship engaged them alone. She was not trying to run. He was impressed and her commander was certainly fearless and while he had heard of Human vessels engaging multiple battlecruisers on their own and winning. It was not with this margin. It was more often to be one cruiser against four maybe as many as eight. Never did it exceed ten, this commander was a bold one.


    And apparently skilled. An instant before the first barrage of torpedoes was about to hit. His ship put out an energy burst and effectively teleported into point blank range of a nearby cruiser. The poor ship was shredded at point blank from heavy particle cannons before she had time to do more than fire a single plasma blast.


    He felt a stirring in his blood at the sight. Now there was a worthy opponent. Someone who might be able to really test his new ship far more than the slag he was presented with in this system. A thought reinforced by the cruiser being destroyed by a single volley from his guns. It hadn¡¯t even required his personal attention. He turned to bark his orders. They were going to engage that ship.

 Chapter Eighty-Two Battle of Cantra II

    April 4th 001 SDE, 1750 hours, six hours after the Battle began:


    The ship shuddered, ¡°Aft shields failing!¡±


    Another shake, ¡°Dorsal shields are gone!¡±


    ¡°Hull breach, emergency force fields holding.¡±


    She cursed, ¡°Return fire!¡±


    Glancing at her screens, she checked on the Guilded Heart. Her shields were down, the ship was venting atmosphere but thankfully she wasn¡¯t taking fire anymore. Unfortunately that fire was now striking her ship and a Broadsword had a lot of firepower. The cursed ship must have been running dark. Of course, the asteroids in the area didn¡¯t help Regardless of why they hadn¡¯t seen it until it had already been in range and their escorts had run ahead to run off a pair of heavy cruisers and their escorts that had been moving to cut off their retreat.


    ¡°No effect! Enemy shields are holding.¡±


    ¡°Helm brings us about, but keep us between that ship and the Heart. Line up the forward tubes.¡±


    ¡°Aye! Ma¡¯am, lining up forward tubes.¡±


    Her ship shuddered and someone shouted about another hull breach. She just prayed the ship would hold together. She glanced at the screens, the Coto was close now. Another minute and she would be in weapons range, another thirty seconds after that the Umikaze would be in range. If not for the system-wide jamming field they could have been in range already.


    Another shudder, she heard a whine in the distance and then someone shouted, ¡°We have lost shields!¡±


    She glanced at the screen, they were lined up. ¡°FIRE!¡±


    The ship groaned as several torpedoes cleared the tubes. A moment later the glowing bolts of deadly red energy struck the cruiser pounding into her ship. Her shields flared brightly and for a moment she stopped firing.


    It took several seconds for the dust to clear and the ship appeared seemingly unharmed. Her gun ports glowed and one of them spat deadly plasma. Her ship shuddered and every alarm on the bridge went off at once. Moments before beams of deadly blue energy slammed into the cruiser one after another.


    ¡°Damage report!¡±


    ¡°That last hit was bad, Engineering reports primary containment is failing. Estimate five minutes to reactor breach!¡±


    She cursed, even as she gave the order, ¡°ALL hands abandon ship!¡±


    Reia hated giving the order but she didn¡¯t really have a choice. The only other option might just doom her crew. As her crew was clearing the bridge, she quickly checked what systems were functioning. She cursed again, the main drives were fried. The ship wasn¡¯t going anywhere. That cut off one option and she moved to appraise the Coto of their situation and ended up noting that the Guilded Heart was launching escape pods. She must have taken more damage than she thought. That wasn¡¯t good.


    It took her only a moment to inform Captain Reynolds and then she rushed off to her escape pod. Taking only a moment to check that everyone else had gotten off. The sensors reported all the other pods had already been launched. Even better she wasn¡¯t reading any life signs remaining on the ship. She was the last one off, it seemed. Last living one anyway. She hit the launch button and strapped in as the pod, engaged its automatic pilot. A basic plasma engine rapidly thrust her away from her dying cruiser and hopefully to a safe distance. Thankfully her pod like all the others contained a basic shield system. It wasn¡¯t much, weaker than those found on most fighters, but it was enough to provide some protection.


    Looking out she watched as the two destroyers ripped apart the Cathamari cruiser in a matter of minutes. The cruiser fought back and scored several hits, but none of them were that damaging. Before long she watched as her own ship went up in a fireball. The shockwave rocked her pod and then moments later her sister¡¯s ship detonated. Not long after that the Cathmari cruiser went dead, she was still there but the ship had been vented to space. Her hull rent open in multiple places. This little bit of battle was done and now she was stuck here in a pod waiting to be picked up


    <hr>


    The young woman sighed as she glanced at the monitor. She didn¡¯t feel all that safe, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do. The local command staff was doing what they could to keep the station intact. Despite the chaos going on out there. Which meant she had precious little she could do but sit here and hope the shields held. The only good thing about this battle is that it had somehow attracted a battleship belonging to a group her company had been hired to investigate. A group they had had little luck even locating.


    So since she had nothing else to do, she decided to watch the alien battleship fight. Not for the first time she watched heavy plasma cannons rake the armored hull of the alien vessel with no evident effect and once again she was left wondering. What in the galaxy is that ship made of!? Neutronium? If so that would explain their lack of shields, but how did they afford to plate the entire hull of a starship with the toughest mineral known to science? That stuff was notoriously difficult to produce and work. Even small amounts of it could cost as much as a small starship just to refine into an alloy. Building a capital ship out of it seemed... far-fetched. She watched the plasma of another hit wash over their hull. Covering far more surface area than it should. Not to mention the way plasma fire got dispersed over their hull was strange. Perhaps it was some other material, but she wasn¡¯t sure what.


    The seeming invulnerability of their hull plating wasn¡¯t the only thing she had noted about them. That warship also had a tendency of avoiding getting hit by torpedoes. The Cathamari had launched countless volleys of torpedoes at them, but rarely succeeded in scoring a hit. Nothing that did any apparent damage either. Most of the time the ship simply wasn¡¯t there to take the hit. These aliens evidently had some way to... teleport on the battlefield. She wasn¡¯t sure that was what they were doing, but it was the only word that fit what she saw. The ship would simply blur before appearing elsewhere.  While she didn¡¯t know how they were doing it, the feat itself was extremely impressive. It gave their giant warship a level of mobility that belies its size. Mobility these aliens were using to the advantage.


    Another big item of note were their torpedoes. She had watched the glowing blue projectiles annihilate cruisers in short order. The only ships that seemed to hold up to any real number of them were Cathamari cruisers but the only ship that seemed immune was that Cathamari dreadnought. It had already absorbed far too many hits to count without any notable damage. Nothing more than a few scratches to the paint and broken shield emitters. The emitters might matter, but the ship had so many that her shield strength wasn¡¯t really affected.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    On the flipside the Dreadnought¡¯s heavy plasma cannons were proving equally ineffective. As for her Starfire Plasma torpedoes, they hadn¡¯t had a chance to prove their worth. Without fail the aliens had evaded every volley. Often appearing right next to some other poor cruiser and ripping her to shreds at point blank. A display that put into perspective how powerful those alien weapons were. Her Particle cannons and beam arrays didn¡¯t seem that impressive at first, but once they got through the shields they would shred a vessel far faster than most plasma weapons. Still she felt her torpedoes were more worrisome.


    On the screen she watched as the ship blurred away from yet another torpedo volley. Reappearing near three Cathamari battle cruisers and directly above an Ophera class light cruiser. All four vessels opened fire with torpedoes as the alien vessel returned fire and for the first time she didn¡¯t dodge. Why she didn¡¯t know, but it didn¡¯t do much anyway. Instead a net of angry red lines materialized in a bubble around the alien battleship. The plasma torpedoes destabilized harmlessly on contact with the barrier. None of them impacted the hull and moments later all four ships melted under heavy sustained particle fire. The Light cruiser taking several sustained beams fired from the battleship¡¯s ventral arrays. Her shields held at first, but the second volley penetrated thanks to a localized failure. The beams tore through the hull, penetrating multiple decks going right through main engineering and out the other side. Seconds later the ship was torn apart by internal detonations.


    The three Cathamari cruisers survived a little longer, but only by minutes. They too were soon ripped to shreds. Even as the ship continued to exchange heavy fire with the Cathamari dreadnought. She even watched as a cruiser drifted into the crossfire between them only to be destroyed in mere seconds. A sight that merely highlighted why ships were avoiding the region of space between these two titans. They were mighty warships that would destroy just about anyone that crossed their paths. The significance of these two ships did not escape her.


    <hr>


    Sali pulled the towel over her frame more tightly as the ship shuddered. On the other side of the glass, the ship¡¯s light flashed an ominous red. At the moment she was quite alone and had no idea what was going on outside these walls. Normally that might have been great for a prospective escape. No one was watching her and the ship was distracted. An opportunity like this was hard to come by, only she was currently naked. The only thing she had was this towel and it was even worse for her modesty than the shift. She missed her shift already too bad it was little more than base elements now. That had been the most terrifying moment in her life. One she couldn¡¯t help thinking about.


    It had only been a few hours ago, at least she hoped it had been. It was hard to tell. She distinctly recalled what she had been doing. As usual she had been working with the alien material Rydium and once again the guy who usually helps by carting the material away from her station to the pool was out. That meant she ended up being the one doing that and as fitting her apparent poor luck the ship ended up in battle while she was working.


    She had been at the pool the large crystal growing in the middle of it, a few others had been working nearby when the lights had turned yellow. Almost instantly the floor manager was shouting orders to wrap things up. So instead of going back to her station where she felt safer, she ended up sitting next to the pool. Slowly adding bricks to the scary waters. Every time they entered the heavy blocks would simply melt away in seconds. A sight that left her a bit uncomfortable working so close to those waters.


    Then suddenly the lights turned red and that whole room shook. Sali found herself tumbling right into the pool. Naturally, she panicked. Flailing about in the water, even swallowing some of it as her clothes disintegrated in the water. How long that went on, she wasn¡¯t sure, but she hadn¡¯t exactly been calm when they fished her out.


    Eventually she did calm down and found herself quite intact. Only to turn entirely red when she realized that she was completely naked and in public no less. Sure it was with strangely colored aliens, but they were so like her own species it didn¡¯t matter. Her skin had flushed a lovely shade of purple as she tried futilely to cover her nudity. As someone, she wasn¡¯t sure who tried to calm her down. At some point she was asked if she had swallowed any and meekly she had said yes. They rushed her here after that.


    Now here she was all alone, with no real idea what was going on. Entirely naked with only this small towel that someone had given her after they had dried her off with heated air. It had been a bit of a whirlwind as the alien doctors dried her off, blasted her with strange light subjected her to half a dozen scans and then stuffed her in here for observation. Even now she wasn¡¯t entirely sure she was going to be okay. Not for the first time she was regretting taking that bath, even if it had been quite unplanned.


    Suddenly she heard voices. It was hard to make out what they were saying, but thankfully they sounded female. A moment later a pair appeared by the door, one of them walked off, while the second a face that seemed familiar walked in. It took her a moment to place her, it was the female doctor she had met when she got here. The one who helped her through her stun sickness. She felt herself relax a little.


    The woman smiled, ¡°Well, Sali how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°A little cold and my stomach feels... heavy.¡±


    She reached into the bag she was carrying pulling out a shift, ¡°I can imagine, but the good news is your going to be just fine.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°You will. It will take a few days for all the Rydium and nanites you swallowed to be flushed from your system.¡±


    Taking the offered shift, she dropped the towel as she felt tension she wasn¡¯t aware of drain away, ¡°So I¡¯m not going to melt into a puddle of goo?¡±


    The woman laughed, ¡°Goo? Sali dear who told you that?¡±


    She frowned, ¡°But!¡±


    Controlling herself the doctor interjected, ¡°That wasn¡¯t ever a danger. For safety reasons those nanites were programmed not to break down living matter, but industrial nanites aren¡¯t that smart so they can cause other problems.¡±


    Sali gave her a look, ¡°Other problems?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you need to worry about. We reprogrammed them. They¡¯ll also collect all those heavy elements you swallowed and help flush them out. As I said you will be fine,¡± the ship shuddered.


    Deciding to worry about something else she asked, ¡°So why is the ship shaking so much?¡±


    ¡°Well we are being shot at.¡±


    Sali sighed, ¡°I could guess that. I wanted to know who we are fighting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. Its a bit chaotic out there.¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°Chaotic?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you what I mean,¡± said the young doctor. Who led her out of the room and down the hall. There was a nice monitor in the room and a single bed hooked up to a lot of bulky medical equipment.


    The doctor worked a console and after a couple of minutes. The display shifted from a blank medical diagram of a generic body to an external view of space. Sali quickly noted the massive Cathamari ship that was firing on them. Even the Valorian vessel that fired on that ship. Only to disintegrate in a couple of hits. As she watched the scene only grew more chaotic. Making it hard to tell who was fighting who. As Valorian ships were shooting at Valorian ships. Cathamari ships were firing on other Cathamari ships. Valorians were shoot at Cathamari vessels and vice versa. All in the mix of this chaos, the Enterprise was engaged in a slugging match with a dreadnought and engaging other vessels. Breifly she considered trying to escape, she could see Valorian ships out there and as the view shifted she spotted the familiar world of Cantra. For once she knew exactly where they were, but after a moment she simply sat on the bed and watched. It wasn¡¯t that bad here, and that? Well it was so chaotic she feared trying to jump ship just might get her killed.

 Chapter Eighty-Three Battle’s End

    Tika made her way down the corridor. Moments ago she had been informed that the were ready to make their final jump to the system of Cantra. They already knew that the Cathamari dreadnought the Grand Warlords Throne was in the system. Long-range scans had not been able to confirm it, but other intel assets indicated the ship should have arrived hours before. With any luck they were in a shipyard right now undergoing the installation of those final components. It would make destroying the ship much easier. Even if it would lead to a possible diplomatic incident but she felt an incident would be preferable to allowing this ship to be completed.


    With those thoughts in mind, she passed the blast door and guards the protected the bridge. Joining her officers on the bridge, she was just in time for the familiar gut-wrenching feel of a jump.


    Almost immediately alarms rang out as they found themselves surrounded by ships shooting at each other. The moment she saw that, she shouted out, ¡°SHIELDS!¡±


    Someone complied and the familiar protect screens energies. Just moments before someone took a potshot at them. A barrage of red pulses of deadly plasma washed over the screens to little effect. As the Valorian cruiser zipped by their position. Only for a red-orange plasma beam to strike them amidships. The stream of deadly energy overwhelmed their shields at a localized point and punched through. Tearing into the vulnerable interior.


    She blinked. Why was a Valorian ship shooting at them? They hadn¡¯t fired on anyone, yet. Not to mention they had treaties with the Valorians. Then her gaze turned out to the raging battlefield. It was chaos, with the smoldering wrecks of countless ships floating amid deadly combat between numerous Cathamari and Valorian ships. Although it was hard to say who was fighting who. As everyone was fighting everyone else. However she soon noted one region a little different from the other.


    Just as an officer told her, ¡°I¡¯ve located the Grand Warlord¡¯s Throne. Approximately 250,000 Metrasi from our current position. She appears to be heavily engaged with several other ships including the EFS Enterprise.¡±


    She turned to her sensor officer, ¡°Status of the Enterprise?¡±


    ¡°She is taking heavy fire from multiple sources including the Throne. Her hull plating appears to be holding, but I am reading severe fluctuations in her armor integrity field. I¡¯m not sure how much more punishment she can take.¡±


    Her battle-leader interjected, ¡°Likely quite a bit more. Assuming I understand how their system works. Regardless their presence here is actually good for us.¡±


    Tika turned to him, ¡°It is?¡±


    He smiled, ¡°I took a look at their weapons when I had the chance. Those particle cannons aren¡¯t very effective against shields, but they tear through armor like nothing else. We get the shields on that dreadnought down and the Enterprise will be able to finish them real quick.¡± He paused and turned to the sensor officer, ¡°How is her weapons array looking?¡±


    The sensor officer took a moment to look them over, ¡°Her torpedo bays are heavily depleted. She only has a few hundred left. Main weapon banks are reading below twenty percent, and her fuel reserves are sitting around seventy percent.¡±


    Tika glanced to her battle-leader. Who nodded, ¡°Not ideal, but from the sound of it they should have enough juice left to do some serious damage. After they crack that armor a few spatial torpedoes should do the trick.¡±


    With that he moved off. Already barking orders to direct them in battle. Evidently he had everything he needed from them to enact a plan. She turned to her sensor officer. ¡°How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°His plan? Well Trakas isn¡¯t wrong, their weapons are quite good at cracking armor. I took a look at their weaponry when I was on their ship. Their weapon use a focused stream of charged particles to inflict damage, although not a pure stream. They use a mix of several types, often heavier particles including both protons and neutrons. More interestingly is that there is a small concentration of gravitons mixed into the stream which I think is a byproduct of their cooling system.  The rest of the mix are basic elementary particles nothing that exotic. The high concentrations and the intense charge of the stream does weaken targeted matter. Not like a disruptor would but not dissimilar either. Even with that energy field reinforcing their hull, those beams would do quite bit of damage in short order.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I see and that will let us fire some spatial torpedoes into the hull where they stand a chance of actually inflicting meaningful damage.¡±


    Tika wasn¡¯t wrong about that. She and her battle-leader had been discussing this point a fair amount recently. The Throne was one tough warship. Powerful shields, reinforced plating, and powerful weapons. Spatial torpedoes would do a fair amount of damage, but she just didn¡¯t have enough to ensure a kill. It sounded like the Enterprise would have just the kind of punch to help finish that behemoth. After they got the shields down. It seemed the Enterprise didn¡¯t have an answer for those.


    <hr>


    The ship shuddered as another volley of heavy concussion fire from the dreadnought raked over their hull. The battle had been raging for a few hours. It was perhaps about time that they left but Countryman had spotted the approaching Krall drive signature. They were rather easy to spot when you knew what to look for. If he hadn¡¯t spotted that he would have broke combat hours ago and rejoined his escorts. Both the Coto and Umikaze had already made it out of the system.


    Still this battle had been quite informative. The Valorian cruisers were interesting foes. They had weak weapons, but fairly strong shields. Those shields could take a lot of punishment but he had found that they were not that hard to deal with. Fighting them was like fighting another human ship back in the Third Colonial War and the same stratagems worked against them. He could either fight them off in a torpedo duel which was very effective as torpedoes could bypass their shields inflicting heavy damage to the hull or he could hit them with sustained beam fire. The second option took longer but it was harder to defend against, at least with human ships. Valorian vessels seemed to lack dedicated missile protection of any kind which made them very vulnerable to torpedoes. More so than any human ship. He figured that may change with time.


    The Cathamari ships in the system weren¡¯t much different. They had tougher, armored hulls, but they were slow with weak shields. Those hulls could take a few hits from torpedoes and they did have some point defenses. Mostly larger ships as smaller ones tended to forgo light weapon mounts in favor of more heavy plasma guns. Regardless they remained vulnerable to sustained beam fire, but they could also be overwhelmed with heavy particle barrages.


    It was the damn dreadnought that was the problem. It had all the typical strengths of Cathamari ships. A well-armored hull, and powerful weapons, but it combined them with an extremely strong shield. Nothing he had thrown at it did anything meaningful. Torpedoes were either destroyed by its numerous light guns, intercepted by the shield, or detonated with little effect on its armored hull. He wasted far too many trying to disable its shields but failed to inflict any meaningful damage to the shield grid. He had considered deploying fighters, but he rejected the idea. He just didn¡¯t have enough to justify the risk and he needed far more torpedoes than he had.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Worse that shield was just too strong, his cannons weren¡¯t having any effect. If he could close and use the Electro Cannons they might be able to get through. Unfortunately at that range, the dreadnought''s main guns would shred his armor. As such they were in a bit of a stalemate. Neither he nor his foe could meaningfully damage the other. Although his hull plating was slowly draining thanks to all the extra ships shooting at him.


    Greyman spoke up, ¡°Looks like our friends have shown up.¡±


    Countryman glanced at the sensors, ¡°Ah, the Teketh. I see they fixed her engines.¡±


    Shifting he turned towards the forward screen before giving the order to hail them.


    Tika¡¯s familiar face appeared on his screen a moment later. She spoke up, ¡°You seem to be in some trouble.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Just a bit of a stalemate, but it would be nice if you could do me a little favor.¡±


    ¡°Favor?¡±


    He tapped a few keys on his console, ¡°I¡¯m sending you our tactical readouts of that dreadnought. If you could do something about those shields we would very much appreciate it.¡±


    Hopefully, before they breach our hull, he thought. He may have exaggerated a bit when he called it a stalemate. They weren¡¯t exactly evenly matched. He was at a disadvantage. One far larger than he let on. By all rights that dreadnought should have destroyed them ages ago. He had seen the power of those torpedoes it carried. They were far more powerful than the Cathamari standard. A single hit would have ruptured their hull. Thankfully none had hit yet, but that was more due to him than anything else. He had been using the pulse detonation drive to strategically avoid torpedo volleys, especially from that dreadnought. Of course those torpedoes were fairly fast, so reacting to a launch required a computer to do it. In this case, he had plugged himself into the ship¡¯s mainframe to boost reaction times and manipulate the jumps to be more advantageous than just programming the computer to do it for them. He was a computer too, sort of. It was more apt to say that a good chunk of his brain was a computer.


    He closed the channel, just as the Cathamari fired a number of those torpedoes at him. With a thought, he adjusted the inertial dampers, charged the drive and jumped. This time moving them near an annoying cruiser. Kaori responded immediately to its presence and opened fire on it. It shields already weakened from a previous duel buckled under the barrage. The ship was perforated and vented to space moments later. Remaining life signs blinked out rapidly between the radiation and the lack of atmosphere they had no chance. The wreck taken care of they refocused on the dreadnought. Giving it something to think about, even if it wasn¡¯t much.


    Then the Teketh swept in moments later. Her orange-red plasma beams firing with deadly precision. Striking weak points in the armor he had identified for them and punching through those shields with sheer power. The first few hits appeared to do nothing, at least visually they didn¡¯t. Sensors told a different story. Emitters near each blast overheated and shut down. The primitive imitation AIF system the Cathamari were using drained rapidly with each hit. In moments the impacts began to add up. The plating started to melt and the shield started flickering.


    Countryman glanced at Kaori, ¡°Rearm all tubes with AP warheads.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir! Rearming all tubes.¡±


    Idly he noted that it had been a long time since any of those warheads had been used. The ship didn¡¯t carry that many AP warheads since they weren¡¯t often needed. Most powers relied heavily on shields and didn¡¯t have anything close to decent armor. Obviously if they were going to be facing more dreadnoughts they would need a better armor penetrator on their shield-piercing torpedoes. Not impossible, but that did come with issues. He made a note to discuss it later. Already he had three people in mind for that committee.


    Shelving the idea he focused on the battle. He was glad that he had kept a few AP warheads in stock. They were going to be quite useful soon enough. Unlike the other warheads, AP torpedoes had no shield penetration ability, but they were much better at penetrating armor. Thanks to the armor penetrator at the tip of an AP torpedo those warheads could penetrate even the tough armor of the Enterprise. Making them very effective weapons against armored foes, but they were useless against a shielded target. Well, mostly useless. As the war had demonstrated hit a target with enough warheads and her shields will go down. The Enterprise just didn¡¯t have enough warheads for that.


    The dreadnought started shifting its fire to the Krall in response to the attacks. Her deadly torpedo launchers lit up before spitting their deadly plasma warheads at the Teketh. The ship maneuvered to avoid them but a good number of them still found their mark. Washing over the shields. None of them got through, but Countryman had no doubt those warheads had an impact.


    How much soon didn¡¯t matter as the next set of beam strikes knocked out the dreadnought''s starboard shields. Countryman smiled and gave the order.


    <hr>


    Tika studied the screens. The dreadnought had some fairly good shields but they weren¡¯t able to fully block the output of the Teketh¡¯s plasma beam arrays. The armor was also holding up decently well. Thankfully the Enterprise had given them enough data to not only locate weak points in the armor but a beam modulation that would do serious damage to the energy fields protecting it. Given the obvious parallels between their own dispersion plating that was perhaps not that surprising. It would only be natural for them to recognize any failings in the design. She was glad they trusted her with the data, but she suspected their own armor shared none of these flaws.


    Several direct hits scored the starboard side of the dreadnought. Her shields flickered and wide sections of her starboard shield grid failed. Redundancies would likely kick in shortly but for a brief moment they were vulnerable. Her gaze caught the glow of launcher ports from the Enterprise. Only for them to seemingly spit out... nothing. She studied the screens for a moment but didn¡¯t see anything.


    Then suddenly the dreadnought exploded. Numerous flashes of bright light washed over her hull. Plasma fires erupted and entire sections of plating disintegrated. As the dust cleared, it revealed the dreadnought was still there. Only with two hundred gaping holes in her side. Each one several meters wide. All of them located at key points in her shield grid.


    Several beam arrays from the Enterprise fired cutting into the hull of the dreadnought as she glanced at her sensor officer. Who answered, ¡°Those were photon warheads, but they didn¡¯t have a shield penetrator on them. Its why they lacked the normal glow of the alien weapons.¡±


    She glanced at the damage, ¡°They did way more damage than I expected, given the previous hits the ship took from their warheads.¡±


    ¡°Obviously those were surface hits, these new ones were penetrating hits.¡±


    Tika looked back at the damage. Now that the dreadnought was losing shields, it was melting under the fire from the Enterprise. Her weapons were tearing into that armor with lethal effectiveness. Unlike in previous instances, that dreadnoughts plating was absorbing some hits. She recalled the previous battle she had witnessed and back then their weapons had been going clean through the armor of Cathamari ships and deep into the hull. Often going out the other side or stopping deep inside the hull. Without fail each hit had inflicted serious damage to their target.


    In contrast, this dreadnought was holding up much better. Some particle hits were actually being absorbed while others only penetrated a few compartments before being spent on an armored bulkhead. Regardless the sheer number of hits were adding up. Entire compartments were being shredded in seconds. As the sustained beams from the arrays sliced into the hull digging ever deeper. Towards sensitive compartments and vital systems. Having seen how the Humans dismantle their foes before she knew what they were doing. It was just happening far slower than it usually did. It gave her a much more visceral view of the terrifying prospect of having your ship sliced apart while you are in it.


    Thankfully her battle leader decided to help speed up their demise. Several sudden flashes striking the wounded dreadnought precipitated space tearing in on itself. Intense spatial distortions rippled through the dreadnought. Twisting its very structure in bizarre ways as if it was nothing more than putty in a child¡¯s hands. Particle bolts traveling into the hull were twisted weirdly within the affected zones to strike the ship¡¯s twisted internals seemingly at random. Explosions rippled through the ship. In moments she was being torn apart as the devastating effects of a few spatial torpedoes spelled her doom. Her sheer size however meant that much of the ship was still intact after those torpedoes were spent. Still it was quite obvious the ship was now in her death throes as plasma and particle weapons streamed into her wounded hull.

 Chapter Eighty-Four Death Throes

    A blue bolt slammed into the hull of the Throne. Her shields had long since failed entirely. Vast swaths of her hull were in flames. Plasma fires were ravaging the hull. Huge rents pockmarked her armored plating while other sections were savagely twisted. By now the Krall had clearly spent their supply of spatial warheads on the massive ship. Doing a fair amount of damage in the process but nothing fatal. Regardless the ship was clearly dying.


    Several plasma turrets spat deadly bolts back at the alien ship. Only for them to wash harmlessly over the armored hull of the battleship. Several arrays lit up before six sustained beams lashed out to tear into the Cathamari hull. Each beam burned deep into the hull slicing through entire sections. Bursts of flame followed in its wake as debris and atmosphere jetted out into space often passing through the plasma fires where it underwent flashing. It was a weirdly beautiful sight even as it hid the horrors of war.


    As bad as the damage was, much of it remained confined to the outer sections of the hull. The core regions remained untouched so far but it was only a matter of time before the inner sections were breached.


    Elsewhere a plasma beam sliced through a plasma manifold. A flash erupted as fuel ignited and a new set of plasma fires erupted. Elsewhere several thrusters went dark as the fuel leads had been severed. Without those thrusters, her ability to maneuver was drastically reduced. Elsewhere a particle beam sliced through several delicate systems including an auxiliary plasma feed. Superheated drive plasma erupted from the ruptured feed. Burning through several meters of plating and into a secondary plasma drive. Turning the entire assembly into a burned out husk. Clearly those engines were being targeted.


    The woman turned away. She wasn¡¯t happy about this but she wasn¡¯t sure what she could do. ALL of the company cruisers in the system had been destroyed. Their local yards had not escaped the fires of this battle. Several Cathamari ships had slagged a number of slips from their orbital yards. Including the one that had been prepared for the Throne. She knew the Chief wasn¡¯t going to be happy about this either. They had invested a lot of money and political capital in this endeavor. Only for it to be ruined by an alien battleship and a Krall cruiser. Why the Krall were even here was beyond her. The company made strides to avoid conflict with them. Anyone with a brain did. The Krall were one of the older and more powerful races this side of the galaxy. Although they were far from the oldest or most powerful.


    Thankfully the sheer size of the Throne seemed to be working to its advantage. The ship was on fire with more holes in it than she cared to count and dozens of its systems had been slagged, but the vessel remained largely intact. In addition she had noted neither the alien battleship nor the Krall ship were firing torpedos into it. Perhaps they had run out of heavy ordnance? If so they might retreat soon to rearm. That might just give them a chance to use what few assets they had left in the system to recover the Throne. Recoup their losses. If she could do that, the fallout wouldn¡¯t be as bad as losing the ship outright. Already a plan was slipping into place and with any luck those thorns in her butt would be leaving soon.


    <hr>


    Tika shifted on the screen, ¡°This is taking far longer than I thought it would.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°never borne witness to a duel between major combatants before have you?


    She shook her head, ¡°How can you tell?¡±


    ¡°These things can last days, especially after heavy ordinance has been expended and we are both out of torpedoes. Thankfully we still have options to speed things up.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°I take it you have been a duel like this before?¡±


    ¡°Thankfully no, but I am not unfamiliar with them. I witnessed one myself over 70 years ago when I was in command of a science vessel. The MFS Nebula to be specific. Good ship with some good stories but nothing worth talking about right now. In the meantime I¡¯d like you to cover me, keep the vultures off me.¡±


    Her frown deepened, ¡°Cover you!!!?¡±


    A male Krall leaned in and said, ¡°Can do! What are planning?¡±


    ¡°Boarding action. We have knocked out her shields, most of her weapon mounts and her main drives. Now is a good time to try, she can¡¯t defend against small craft and that means we can get a strike team on board.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± he said, ¡°I presume that means opening your hanger to launch shuttles and given your lack of shields that would open you up to attack.¡±


    ¡°Our main hangers yes, the interior is armored yes but the exterior doors have much thicker armor than the interior. It won¡¯t hold up as well.¡±


    Tika frowned, ¡°Um the ship is on fire. Doesn¡¯t seem that smart to try and board a burning ship.¡±


    ¡°A few plasma fires yes, but they are largely confined to the rear sections. None of them have reached the core of the ship either. My operations officer has already identified nine seperate airlocks we can use to safely board the ship. The larger complication would be the Cathamari defenders.¡±


    The male beside her nodded, ¡°That sounds about right. I presume your plan is to plant charges near anything that might cause a secondary explosion.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Not quite. I do plan to plant charges, but I have another plan just in case. It will be quite the sight.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The man nodded and turned to give orders. It seemed the plan was set.


    Tika frowned, ¡°What other plan?¡±


    Countryman didn¡¯t say. He merely closed the channel. Largely since he didn¡¯t plan to draw any attention to the more... destructive applications of Rydium. Already one of the shuttles for the boarding party was being loaded with that defective crystal from his main drive. They had loaded into a casing rigged to be compatible with Cathamari power systems. Not only that but it was disguised to look like an ordinary Cathamari power distribution module. Once it was hooked up and turned on, the device would build to an overload. Unleashing a powerful shockwave that would rip the warship apart and any ship too close to the dreadnought along with it.


    He turned to Misaki, who promptly reported, ¡°The Teketh has moved into position. We are clear to launch.¡±


    ¡°Good. Inform the flight decks to begin deployment as we discussed earlier.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir! Informing all squadrons that they are clear to launch.¡±


    <hr>


    Two massive hangers slid open. Moments later several energy bursts marked the deployment of fighter craft. Small ships that quickly took up defensive positions as several cruisers moved into weapons range.


    The first of which, a Cathamari vessel drew the attention of the Teketh. Her beam arrays glowed brightly before slicing into the ship with targeted plasma streams. Each one burned into the hull with deadly accuracy as the shields failed to fully protect from the deadly plasma streams. The beams slammed into the hull burning furrows into the armor. None of them did any significant damage but the Teketh wasn¡¯t done. She unleashed a second volley moments later. This time tearing into delicate components as the damaged armor failed. The shields flickered and then buckled. The third set of beam hits tore right through the armor and breached a number of vital systems.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    As that happened a second cruiser moved into range, attempting to line up for a torpedo volley. Only to be intercepted by a squadron of 1204s. Several torpedo launchers flashed and the cruiser was struck moments later. Her shield grids taking several damaging hits. The shields flickered and collapsed. Seconds later her hull was strafed. Numerous small particle bolts slammed into her armor. A moment later the Enterprise fired on the stricken cruiser four heavy anti ship bolts rippled out from a single gun mount. They slammed into the cruiser¡¯s bow tearing through the armor like wet tissue. Entire compartments were breached as the bolts tore through them as if they weren¡¯t there. Moments later violent blue energy burst out of the vessel¡¯s stern. Moments before the vessel exploded.


    Two more cruisers were entering range while the first shuttles accelerated off the deck and into the void. Neither cruiser lasted long against the defensive screen. Both of them were destroyed before they could get into position to fire on the open hanger bays. When the last shuttle was in the void the doors closed.


    <hr>


    The young man rechecked his gear. They had done several checks already but he felt kind of useless here in the back of a 1205. There wasn¡¯t much else to do until they reached the target.


    For this mission, he had gone with his trusty XR-471, along with twelve grenades. Mostly Electro-Pulse grenades, as he quite liked them. Along with a couple of laser grenades and two Photon grenades. The Photon type worked much the same as Photon Torpedos.


    In addition to the grenades, he was also bringing along two Photon Charges. Basically a larger version of the Photon grenade. Except the charge wasn¡¯t meant to be thrown. Both of them featured a small laser-initiated fusion core. Once activated the core would undergo a rapid fusion reaction. The resulting reaction would trigger a cascade reaction in the casing resulting in a massive photonic burst. Anything in the blast radius would be outright vaporized. It could also be argued that Photon grenades were a little too powerful for a boarding operation and in most cases you would be right. They were usually used for ground actions as they were often powerful enough to blow holes in the hull of any spaceship, well any non-human spaceship anyway. He figured he¡¯d toss one in a power conduit or something. On a timer of course.


    Along with all the explosives he had four spare power packs for his rifle which gave him a total of five power packs. That meant he was carrying roughly 1200 shots. More than enough for this engagement. He hoped. It was hard to be sure how many Cathamari they would be facing once aboard but he wasn¡¯t too worried. In addition to that he also had a standard-issue pistol with three power cells and a combat knife. That would be useful for close quarters. Furthermore, he was taking a spare power cell with which to recharge his armor if needed.


    Satisfied with his gear, he looked over his fellow marines. They had crammed twenty-four marines aboard this shuttle alone. Along with supplies and a fair number of explosive charges for the mission. It helped that they weren¡¯t taking a tank along with them. That fact gave more room for the pulse charge, a makeshift charge designed to mimic the effects of a starship¡¯s self-destruct sequence. Something he remembered seeing before. He knew that most disabled ships were scuttled by their crews via a deliberate overload of the main engines rather than allow them to be captured during the war with the Cathamari. This pulse charge looked like a piece of Cathamari tech but it concealed a defective Rydium crystal mounted in a drive that was deliberately rigged to overload in the same manner. He was just glad that his squad wasn¡¯t the one to carry that thing. That task was given to another poor squad. His was merely assigned to sabotage a couple of key power conduits and plant charges near several plasma capacitors.


    Plasma capacitors in his opinion were a good target. Those devices stored compressed plasma which was fed into the ship¡¯s main gun batteries. Gun batteries that were recently silenced by gun batteries on the Enterprise but the capacitors were intact along with the generators which produced the plasma. That meant these capacitors were likely full of plasma with nowhere to go. It would make for a nice secondary detonation after the charges went.


    A light thump moments later let him know that they were docked. After a moment the signal was given and they rushed into a small hanger. Disembarking and joining up with the squads of several other shuttles. He never had to fire a shot as only a couple of technicians were in the room. Both shot by others. In seconds the entry points was secured and several HPL-400 positions were set up to defend their entry point. They would need to hold the hanger for their exit plan. His squad proceeded into the ship.


    <hr>


    He scanned the corridor. It had been a couple of hours since they landed. So far resistance had been light and sporadic. It seemed they had caught the Cathamari defenders off gaurd. This had allowed many of them to reach their goals faster than planned.


    Behind him the team¡¯s combat engineer reported, ¡°Alright charge is set.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Team move out!¡±


    He slipped into formation and took point. Keeping an eye out for threats. As they proceeded to their final objective. A secondary reactor module which supplied power to this deck. To be more specific they were going to plant a charge near the primary distrubution node a few meters from the reactor. As the reactor itself was expected to be heavily gaurded. Nothing a single squad couldn¡¯t break but this mission was about speed. Attacking the reactor would take too long. At least that was what he was told in the brief.


    Peeking around a corner he spotted a patrol. He signaled the squad. As they moved into position he scanned the patrol. There were twelve of the bastards. Four of them armed with Juggernaut Rifles, the others armed with Squealer Rifles. The Squealer was a lighter plasma rifle named for its distinct firing sound. It fired an unusual charged plasma pulse and was one of their deadlier weapons. Especially in close quarters. Then he took a second look at the Juggernauts and realized they were not the standard type, but the Juggernaught-Squealer Variant. That might be an issue. The other patrols hadn¡¯t been so well equiped either.


    He warned the others. As this patrol actually had weapons that could be a threat. Presuming they were actually allowed to score a few good hits that was.


    Popping out of his position, he fired. Scoring a burst in the chest of the first Cathamari and in a smooth motion scoring a second burst in the lizard next to him. Both of them virtual disintergrated as the deadly particle rounds ripped right through their armor and flash vaporized their organs. Charred gore sprayed and surprised shouts echoed. As the Patrol dived for cover.


    His buddy scored two more kills before the patrol was in cover. While someone else tossed a grenade down the corridor. It flashed and lightning bolts surged randomly around the chamber. After a moment they stormed the area. He scored one more kill but the grenade had killed most of them.


    It was a rather easy fight and a poor showing for the Cathamari. He collected the spent grenade and they moved on. Reaching their target proved easy and aside from another patrol on the way back they made it to the ships without incident. As it turned out things went about the same for the other strike teams. Although there was a brief counterattack on the bays where the ships had landed but it was easily repulsed without casualities.


    <hr>


    Tika glanced at the plots as the human shuttles were returning. When her sensor officer reported, ¡°I am picking up a massive graviton surge on the Throne.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Wait what? What kind of surge?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but the signiture is nearly identical to that of the Enterprise¡¯s main drives.¡± she frowned, ¡°Whatever it is, I think its building towards an overload.¡±


    Tika wasn¡¯t sure what to think but moments later she recieved a hail from the Enterprise. She put on screen and Countryman immediately began speaking, ¡°I presume you have dtected the energy build up on the Throne?¡±


    ¡°I have, she replied.


    ¡°Good, we should be safe at this distance, but the fireworks are going to be something special. I recommend you increase power to the shields just in case. I have already ordered additional power to the hull plating.¡±


    She nodded, glanced at her screens and then asked, ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°Five minutes, maybe ten at the most. Its hard to say for certain.¡±


    Tika acknoledged and then turned to give orders. As Countryman closed the channel. Idly she noted the Enterprise reorientate for the first time she was pointing her entire ventral side to the Throne. That struck her as odd as that exposed much more hull area than angling her port or starboard. She barely even noticed as the Enterprise¡¯s shuttles and fighters took shelter above the ship.


    Then the boom happened. In an instant a series of detonations wrached the Throne. Followed by a massive shock pulse which shatterd her starframe. Flinging large chuncks of flaming debris into space as she was ripped apart. The pulse disappated before it reached them but debris and superheated plasma rained down on their positions. The shields held and the Enterprise held up against the barrage as well. Her plating recieving only a few minor scratches. Nothing breached the hull. In a moment the dying dreadnought was gone. Nothing was left of it but burning mangled debris. Elsewhere the fighting was dying out as surviving Cathamari ships were fleeing the system. A few Valorian ships were still shooting at each other, but it was clear the battle was nearly over. It was time to leave but she had a feeling there was going to be fallout from this incident. A lot of it.

 Chapter Eight-Five In the Wake of Cantra

    The battle at Cantra was devastating for the local Valorian forces and the Cathamari. The Cantra defense fleet was hit hard. Over half their destroyers were sunk at the battle. In addition, they lost all 12 battleships and all 20 heavy cruisers assigned to the fleet at the battle. Worse the Flagship the VCS Jewel of Cantra was mauled by Cathamari cruisers and sustained heavy damage. Her flight decks were destroyed and all of her engines slagged. Worse the local admiral died when a Concussion plasma round struck the CIC. Minutes later the main bridge was destroyed killing the Captain. Thankfully the Cathamari were run off minutes later by another Cathamari force but by then the damage was done. The ship was a barely functioning wreck and would require several months of refit. As for the Ophera class cruisers assigned to the fleet only one in seven of them survived the battle.


    These figures grew much worse for the mercenary forces attached to the two Cathamari fleets. With both groups suffering near total loss of their ships. Of the roughly 12000 mercenary cruisers only 1 out of every nine ships survived the battle. Most of which sustained heavy damage.


    The Grand Fleet of Demair was a total loss. All ships in the fleet were destroyed in the battle while his rival¡¯s fleet despite their numerical advantage did not fare much better. Of the five thousand battle cruisers they brought only 93 of them survived the battle. The eight thousand heavy assault cruisers fared better with just under a thousand of them surviving. As for the fleet carriers all of them were destroyed. With one of the carriers even being destroyed by the Enterprise after a navigational error brought her too close to the Sol Refuge Capital ship.


    Of the 80,000 destroyers attached to the fleet barely a third of them survived the battle. Leaving the fleet battered and badly damaged. Yet they were perhaps in better shape than most of the participants. Outside of the forces aligned with the Enterprise and the Krall.


    The Enterprise after sinking the Throne recovered her fighters and then rejoined her escorts before making contact with local Valorian forces in an attempt to offload the survivors they had picked up from several Valorian wrecks including the Guilded Heart. Only for local forces to respond with hostility. Rather than engage the Valorians and fresh out of torpedoes the Refuge fleet departed the system resuming her previous course before the whole detour leading to Cantra. As for the Teketh she departed on her own heading back for Krall space.


    Following the events at Cantra numerous political groups in the Confederation began to take notice of the Enterprise and relations between the Valorians and the Sol Refuge which were already rocky became decidedly hostile. Mere weeks after the battle hunter fleets would be contracted and sent out by various groups in the Confederation to locate and engage the Enterprise. Albeit with some differing goals. Some groups perceived the Enterprise as a threat and wanted her destroyed. While others wanted to capture the ship.


    Valorian-Krall relations also saw a noticeable shift. The previously friendly relations the two powers possessed turned decidedly rocky. Especially in light of the actions of the Teketh at Cantra which were largely perceived to be a violation of interstellar laws and treaties. Cantra was a neutral port, afterall. Some belated complaints were also sent to the Cathamari but few parties were actually interested in pursuing the matter with the Cathamari given the lack of a Cathamari government.


    In turn, the Krall accused the Valorians of interfering with Cathamari succession politics and defended the actions of the Teketh as necessary to maintain the current balance of power. Both sides began military build-ups along their borders. While the Valorian military budget ballooned for the first time in centuries. Something that surprised many in the Valorian military given the government''s usual annual habit of slashing the military budget.


    <hr>


    Captain¡¯s Log April 12th 002 SDE:


    We are currently stopped in deep space while we convene a meeting to discuss the fate of the Valorian survivors we collected during the battle at the Cantra system. Seeing as this meeting will concern them, I have invited representatives to attend the meeting. I left who those representatives will be up to them. Something that feels a bit odd for me. I haven¡¯t seen an actual election of any sort in many years. Not since before the last world war.


    Thankfully the Valorians seem familiar with the process and were able to select several representatives without issue. Something that was likely made easier on ships with a clear and intact chain of command. In which case the captain or next highest officer of rank was selected to represent the crew. In cases where the command crew wasn¡¯t intact, it was typically less clear. Still they managed to select someone for those crews as well. So we will be able to have our meeting on schedule. After that, we will have to assemble a general briefing to the fleet in regard to their choice. Of course, that isn¡¯t the only issue we will have to discuss. There is also the matter of our supplies. We are fine on basics but we expended our entire supply of torpedoes, and most of our defense missiles in the battle. Our fighter supplies are doing better and we can transfer warheads from the Coto and the Umikaze but we still have to do something about the shortage. Not only that but if that throne is any indication our current torpedoes may not be sufficient against future threats.


    Countryman slipped around the corner. Just ahead was the door to the conference room they were using. It was a multipurpose room that had recently been set up for this meeting. The usual room on deck one would be a little cramped given the number of people they were going to be hosting.


    Standing outside the room was a familiar face. ¡°Ah miss Reia. I had heard you had come aboard.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Yeah I did.¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    She slumped a little, ¡°Aside from losing my ship and having no idea what the future holds? Perfectly fine.¡±


    Countryman shifted, ¡°Wounds heal. Ships can be replaced, lives can¡¯t.¡± he glanced up at the ceiling, ¡°Not that words will mean much to you now. It is not every day we are faced with the wound of losing a ship.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Wait? Have you lost your ship before?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°My first command was the MFS Nebula. First of her class, she was a test bed for a number of older technologies. Including Polarized Hull plating and Pulse Wave Engine technology. Only four hundred meters long and armed solely with laser cannons. She had three banks of ship-to-ship light laser cannons mounted in dual turrets and eight banks of ultra-light point defense cannons.


    ¡°Everything was going fine until a fateful day over seventy years ago. To be specific it was late October in the year 89 CSD. By that point in time, the Second Colonial War had been raging for eight years almost nine. We were conducting an extended drive test of the series four Laser Pulse Wave Engine out in the belt when we were accosted by Lunar cruisers. Luna and my benefactor Mars were at war and those cruisers didn¡¯t much care what we were doing.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Reia blinked, ¡°2nd Colonial War?¡±


    ¡°Our people were a bit late to unification. After a disaster struck our homeworld forcing Earth to turn attention inward, the colonies were left largely to themselves. Naturally, they ended up fighting several wars with each other over the course of a century. Three major wars, numerous minor skirmishes and various other military engagements. None of which is relevant to the story.¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Anyway, on that day we were accosted by three Lunar cruisers. Valiant class to be specific. I know that doesn¡¯t mean much to you of course. The Valiants were reliable ships back then but today they are quite obsolete. They featured a Titanium-Aluminum hull that was both cheaper and lighter than a pure Titanium hull. This helped make her surprisingly agile in battle. Her main drive was a phased ion drive that allowed her a top speed of .2 C. Her weapons were a hopelessly obsolete mix of railguns, lasers, missiles and torpedoes.


    ¡°I remember the day clearly. We were in the middle of maneuvers in the belt and had just come around an asteroid when the cruisers moving in formation appeared on sensors. Unfortunately, they also detected my own small science cruiser. They immediately moved to intercept. I ordered a change in course to avoid them and informed them that were on a scientific mission. They didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°My ship the Nebula was faster though. At first we were gradually building distance. The occasional asteroid may have slowed us a little but nothing that would have prevented a clean escape. My opponents recognized that and started firing their long-range missiles at my ship. None of them dealt any significant damage as I had decent point defenses and a good targeting computer. They had enough however to force evasive maneuvers to avoid hits. Allowing them to close to effective combat ranges. That was when they opened up with their forward laser batteries.


    ¡°They quickly scored several glancing hits on my rear armor. I ordered fire returned with my aft cannons. I only had two turrets that could fire aft and they mounted light laser cannons. Thankfully they were quite accurate. My gunnery officer scored several light hits on their forward plating in rapid succession. None of these initial exchanges did any real damage. For several hours we exchanged ineffective laser fire with each other and they fired the occasional torpedo volley at me.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until nearly midnight ship¡¯s time that things changed. By that time they had closed to railgun range. They had opened fire and I had begun maneuvering to avoid the heavy projectiles. My reinforced armor used a polarization matrix meant to repel heavy laser fire not railgun rounds. It was made of a sturdy military-grade titanium alloy that could resist anti-ship railgun rounds, but I didn¡¯t want to test that. My evasive maneuvers also brought more of my main guns to bear. My gunnery officer managed to score a few penetrating hits on the lead cruiser. The first of the battle, but it wasn¡¯t long before they scored a few penetrating hits of their own with their railgun rounds. What followed was a bit of a slugging match, where my greater agility and the lower accuracy of their guns proved to be deciding factors. After three hours of fighting, my ship the Nebula had taken heavy damage. 72 hull breaches, the port nacelle had been destroyed, we had lost life support on six decks. Main power was gone and we were running on auxiliary power. In addition half of our turrets were offline or destroyed.


    ¡°As for the three cruisers, they were all largely intact but they had taken damage to their weapons and engines. I had focused on taking out railgun turrets and thrusters. They were also out of missiles. Given their damage, I was able to escape while they were still making repairs. We later linked up with the battleship MFS Resolve and her escorts. We were taken under tow after that and escorted back to port. Unfortunately, my ship didn¡¯t quite make the journey. During the trip we were engaged by two Lunar Battleships in an engagement that lasted several days. During the battle, my ship was hit by stray railgun rounds. There was an explosion in engineering, followed by out-of-control fires. After damage control attempts failed, we were forced to abandon ship. She went down on November 17th, 89 CSD but thankfully most of the crew escaped. I spent the rest of the trip back in a spare bunk on the Resolve.¡±


    ¡°I see. So how did you deal with losing your old ship?


    ¡°Well for years after the event I kept thinking back to that moment. Wondering what I could have done differently.¡±


    ¡°From the sound of it not much.¡±


    ¡°You would be right. Anyway it is about time we head inside the meeting will start soon.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah I think we have been talking too long.¡±


    <hr>


    Stepping into the room he was immediately greeted by Williams. Who was her typical disagreeable self. She gave him a look, ¡°It was bad enough that you let aliens onboard once but doing it again? We can¡¯t trust them!¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°So you are going to discriminate againt people in need, people we can help just because they are not of the same species as us? Have you thought about how that might sound?¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°Aliens can¡¯t be trusted. We should have left them adrift and YOU should have had them spaced!¡±


    Reia gave the woman a look and Countryman just shook his head. ¡°Try to be civil or YOU will be the one spaced, but don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll give you a blanket.¡±


    Williams sputtered and Countryman walked off. Reia followed a frown on her face. ¡°What was that about?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°That was Williams a constant thorn in my side. I¡¯d suggest you steer clear of her, she¡¯s rather... Well, I think you already have an idea.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah I think I do. Anyone else like her on this ship?


    ¡°Unfortunately yes, but they are a minority.¡± he paused, ¡°Still they might try and cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Anyway,¡± he started as he observed Neira entering the room and heading for them, ¡°Would you like to start the meeting or should I?¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Me? Why me?¡±


    ¡°Well the topic largely concerns your people, I figured it would better if you started it.¡±


    Reia glanced up at the ceiling, ¡°Something about our fate given the hostile response of the Cantra defenders.¡±


    ¡°I could have destroyed them and just landed on the surface to aid your disembark, but that didn¡¯t seem right. Unfortunately, that leaves me with few options. We could try again at a different world. I could leave you on some uninhabited planet or moon, or even more scummy leave you all floating in escape pods.¡±


    Noting his tone on the last one she nodded, ¡°scummy indeed. Glad to see you are disinclined to do that.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be right and if I do leave you on some planet or moon. I will leave with supplies and infrastructure.¡±


    ¡°You know there is also the option of staying aboard.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°There is. I¡¯d put anyone who does to work though.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°I figured you would.¡±


    Not long after that the meeting began.

 Interlude What if Humanity had Won The Battle for Earth?

    The climatic battle at Earth was a disaster for both the Cathamari Empire and the United Earth Federation. Regardless even with the disastrous final results of the battle the Cathamari Empire did pull out ahead in the battle. Following the battle the colony on Luna was abandoned and Earth herself was shrouded in radioactive plasma clouds. The U.E.F ceased to exist as a governing body and what remained of her forces set out into deep space. Meanwhile the Cathamari failed to gain access to unique human technologies and lost a significant number of ships and warriors on this campaign. Not only that significant military resources were expended without any tangible benefit. Examples had to be made to maintain political stability and the whole campaign left them vulnerable, especially in light of rising tensions with the Krall Imperium.


    Now we all know that they lost their homeworld months later in a counterattack and descended into civil war, but how would things have differed if Earth¡¯s navy had been victorious at the Battle?


    The first thing to consider in this case is how the battle would have had to go for that victory. The Cathamari force had a significant numerical superiority with ten ships to every ship the human defenders had but first they had to breach the Lunar perimeter. The perimeter was supported by a number of high orbit converted Battlestations, an extensive minefield, torpedo platforms, radiation traps, and orbital hangers. The perimeter encircled the entire planet and was regularly patrolled by thousands of strike craft and space superiority fighters. With the orbital hangers often having a reserve of thousands more. In addition, the perimeter was regularly patrolled by destroyers and heavy cruisers.


    Of course, the Cathamari had attempted to breach the perimeter before. So they had come prepared. This time they were going to get through. No actions on the part of the defenders would change that. In all honesty the decisive moment would come later. When the local commander ordered the ground bombardment but what if they had followed orders instead? Their orders were for an invasion not an orbital bombardment.


    In this alternative timeline, after the breach of the perimeter and gaining the upper hand against the defending fleet. Vessels started landing troops on the surface. This would have led to heavy fighting on the surface but would have also allowed the surface batteries to engage more of the fleet. Forcing more ships into low orbit to support the invasion.


    Again Enterprise and her escorts the Coto and the Umikaze would be launched early to participate in the battle. The Yamato however would survive the engagement albeit heavily damaged. Post-battle, there would have been heavy casualties and industrial damage. However the U.E.F would remain intact and would have time to rebuild. So what would have happened immediately after the battle?


    Well first would have been salvage operations. The Yamato would have been towed to port for repairs and refit. While that is going on, the Enterprise and her completed escorts would have taken on supplies and personnel before being dispatched to Alpha Centauri under the command of Captain Reynolds. Commander Countryman would be assigned as first officer and advisor. Her mission? To survey the system and establish an outpost in the area for the purposes of creating a forward operating base and a research station to continue the warp research program. In addition if mineral resources proved sufficiently high and accessible they were to build forward shipyards. Additional vessels would be dispatched later when available.


    Due to these factors the Enterprise would arrive roughly at the same time she did in the prime timeline with one brief delay due to engine trouble during the months long trip. No incident of note occurred at Earth while she was away and events in the system would largely line up with the prime timeline. The first notable deviation occurred with the Enterprise¡¯s rendezvous with Horizon. Given her orders after meeting the ship''s commander, and updating her crew on recent events. The Enterprise would dispatch personnel to both the Horizon and the fledgling colony below. With the intent of setting up a proper outpost. While the team sent to the Horizon was to assess the damage and draw up a refit plan to convert the old science ship into a patrol cruiser.


    During these actions she would detect weapons fire on long range sensors and pick up a distress call. After dropping of industrial supplies and equipment she would proceed at high warp to the source. Coto and Umikaze would join her as escorts. Upon arrival, they will find a Cathamari fleet engaged with a Krall cruiser. The resulting battle will thanks to a suggestion from Countryman proceed much the same as it does in the prime timeline and the Enterprise would then make first contact with the Krall.


    The Krall vessel had lost her main drives in the battle but refused the Enterprise¡¯s offer for repairs. Requesting a tow instead. After a discussion with the Krall commander Tika, the Enterprise agreed to offer it in exchange for some technological assistance. With Krall aid the Enterprise received upgrades to her mag tractors and warp engines. Allowing her to cruise at warp five and conduct warp towing. The Krall cruiser Teketh and the Enterprise departed for Illeria not even two days later. Meanwhile, the Coto and Umikaze remained in the system to complete the outpost, but now on heightened alert.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The tow trip was uneventful and the Enterprise and the Teketh arrived at Illeria without incident. Once there the Enterprise docked at the local starbase. Countryman disembarked with Captain Reynolds and met with Tika and the local base commander. Once aboard the first official negotiations began between the U.E.F and the Krall Imperium.


    During the negotiations, a Cathmari raiding party attacked the starbase while several ships engaged the local forces as a distraction. During the resulting battle several civilian transports were destroyed. Marines from the Enterprise aided the Krall with repulsing the Cathamari raiders but despite this their transport got away. The Krall sent a battleship and several cruisers in pursuit. While the Enterprise aided with recovering survivors.


    Not long after a cruiser carrying a Krall delegation arrived. Commander Tika and the delegation requested permission to board the Enterprise. They brought with them samples of subspace communications technology and a request for transport to Earth to continue the negotiations.


    The Enterprise departed the system not long after receiving the delegation. She did not head immediately for Earth but instead headed for Alpha Centauri. The trip was uneventful and she was joined by several new destroyers sent from Earth. She remained only briefly to transfer a few of the subspace communicators to the local fleet. While there she assisted with the final stages of Horizon¡¯s refit and her industrial bays helped produce key components for an orbital station. After two weeks in the system, she departed for Earth.


    Upon arriving in the Sol System she quickly came into contact with a Cathmari Harbinger. The cruiser was one of several sent to the system in the wake of the failed assault on Earth. With rising tensions with the Krall, the Empire cannot afford to send a new fleet, but they felt it well advise to locate and recover any remaining war material in the system.


    The vessel was rather surprised by the sudden appearance of the Enterprise at close range. As a result, the cruiser failed to raise shields in time and was subjected to two hundred and forty-seven penetrating hits from the Enterprise¡¯s secondary battery and four from her main battery. All targeted at key systems, shields, weapons, engines, and life support all failed. With the ship dead in the water and disabled, she was promptly boarded and captured by Enterprise marines. Her crew attempted to erase the databanks but failed. The ship was then left dead in space and lifeless. The hull booby-trapped after the Enterprise crew downloaded all useful military data and stripped the hulk of valuable components. Afterward the Enterprise proceeded to Earth on sublight.


    Upon arrival at Earth, she disembarked the Krall delegation but remained on station in Earth orbit. Bringing aboard science teams to study her engine upgrades and the Krall subspace communications technology. Negotiations would drag on for several months but on March 19th, 159 CSD a treaty would be signed between the U.E.F and the Krall Imperium. By terms of the treaty the Krall would supply military and industrial aid to the U.E.F and help her rebuild. Within two months of the treaty being signed the first Krall vessels will enter the system. However on July 17th 159 the Krall Imperium and the Cathamari Empire would officially declare war on each other. The U.E.F having already been at war with the Cathamari welcomed the Krall as an ally.


    Two days later the Yamato would complete her refit and along with the Enterprise would depart on Operation Deepstrike. The planned offensive against the Cathamari homeworld. They would have two light carriers, fourteen destroyers, four heavy cruisers and six light cruisers assigned to them as part of the force. Meanwhile the Krall were gathering force at Illeria in preparation for a series of strikes along the Cathamari border.


    November 3rd, 159 CSD. The U.E.F fleet under the command of the Enterprise had successfully penetrated into Cathamari space. The exact location of the Cathamari homeworld remained unknown but several colonies had been identified. After bypassing the outpost as Beta Six, they proceeded to the Vela system. Vela was the location of an older Cathamari colony world, several of them in fact. With a combined population of nearly eighteen billion. Less than half were actually Cathamari with many of the inhabitants in fact being conquered slaves sourced from elsewhere. Vela had a number of shipyards and industrial facilities. Facilities of vital military importance but local garrisons were surprisingly light with less than a hundred operational capital ships in the system when the Enterprise arrived.


    In the following battle, the Cathamari forces were easily destroyed and the local shipyards leveled. Before the fleet took up position over the colony Velarna, the largest of the three colonies in the system. Population of twelve billion. For six days, the planet was subjected to heavy bombardment. All vital military installations were destroyed, and most major settlements were leveled. Settlements that without fail had almost entirely Cathamari populations. Very few non-Cathamari died in the bombardment. Then humanity began landing troops.


    As such November 9th, 159 CSD marked the first extrasolar invasion humanity had ever conducted. The Cathamari defenders proved poorly equipped, under trained, and in complete disarray. As a result within three days of the first landings, the entire planet was under the control of U.E.F forces. Freshly freed slaves celebrated in the streets. The news reached the other two colonies in the system within hours. Soon both of the other colonies were facing heavy revolts. Local leaders petitioned the Cathamari fleet for reinforcements. Within weeks, several Cathamari battle groups would arrive to begin their counterattack. The war had resumed and this time Humanity could win.

 Chapter Eighty-Six Planning New Courses and Refreshers

    Countryman shifted in his seat and let out a breath. They had been here for over an hour discussing the fate of the rescued Valorians. After much back-and-forth discussion. His people and the Valorian representatives had come up with a plan of action. They were going to locate a suitable world for them to disembark with supplies but only for those who wanted to leave. All Valorians rescued were going to be offered a chance to sign on as new recruits for the Enterprise. They would have some time to consider as most of the local worlds were already occupied and defended. There were a few unclaimed systems nearby but none with the right kind of world for the plan. Reia had proposed a world about two months travel away but in practice that would likely take longer. They needed to make a stop to rearm and repair.


    Countryman glanced at Reynolds and Drakes for a moment before addressing Richards. ¡°Alright with that out of the way, we should discuss our current situation. How is the plating looking?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I have finished a more thorough sweep of the systems. It seems we took more of a beating than we thought.¡±


    Reia frowned, ¡°Um, should we be here for this?¡±


    He gave a wry smile, ¡°Maybe not, but you are going to be here a while. You do have a right to know what kind of shape the ship you are on is in.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I guess.¡±


    Richards waited and when signaled continued, ¡°The plating itself is fine but we have burnouts throughout the system. Damage that was found to be more extensive than our initial assessment indicated. We lost one out of every six AIF generators, nearly...¡±


    Someone interjected, ¡°Wait! Does that mean you lost nearly a fifth of your shield generators?¡±


    Countryman laughed, ¡°AIF and shields are different things. Both shield generators are currently fine.¡±


    They seemed rather confused and someone said, ¡°What is an AIF, then?¡±


    ¡°Armor Integrity Field Generator. Its what ensures that the hull plating doesn¡¯t disintegrate when hit by say a high-yield plasma burst,¡± said Richards.


    Countryman glanced around, ¡°I take it you aren¡¯t that familiar with powered armor systems?¡±


    There were many blank looks on the Valorian faces. Only Reia and her sister seemed to have an idea.


    Neira spoke up, ¡°Most of us don¡¯t really encounter them. I have some familiarity with polarized plating.¡± she looked around, ¡°but it looks like most of us would need a refresher.¡±


    Countryman nodded and said, ¡°Understood. Now Polarized Plating is pretty basic as far as powered armor goes. We don¡¯t really consider it true powered armor seeing as its only really useful against energy weaponry. Polarized plate takes conventional armor plate and adds a circuitry layer behind the plating. This layer draws power from the ship¡¯s grid and produces a polarization field through the plating. The charged plating acts to repel incoming fire, weakening or in some cases outright nullifying an attack. However, it is worth noting that hull polarization means nothing against kinetic rounds or neutron beams.¡±


    Neira said, ¡°that sounds about right.¡±


    Reia interjected, ¡°Many cultures start there and then move on to basic energy shields.¡±


    ¡°Well we did not. Around that time we started experimenting with structural fields and someone had the brilliant idea to utilize a specialized generator just for the hull plating. The result is what we call the gen one concept. A rather basic powered armor that uses strong structural fields combined with a polarization field. The result was a reasonably potent defense that outperformed other defense schemes of the era.¡±


    ¡°Gen one concept? That would imply at least a gen two.¡±


    ¡°It would, the Enterprise utilizes the gen three concept with a few minor improvements. We did away with polarization fields in favor of high-density electromagnetic fields and graviton layers combined with a dynamic armor integrity grid. Allowing us to shift the density of the armor field to better protect areas that are under attack or adjust it to better withstand the strain of high-intensity maneuvers.¡±


    Several Valorians interjected all at once, ¡°Gravitons!?¡±


    Richards responded, ¡°They are a byproduct of our main drives, we have found them quite useful for a number of applications.¡±


    One of the Valorians, a younger woman leaned forward, ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like to stay.¡±


    A man next to her said, ¡°But just a moment ago you were pushing to be left behind on some moon or planet as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°That was before they mentioned they have easy access to gravitons. Gravitons!¡± she turned to Ruri, ¡°Now where do I sign to get on your staff?¡±


    Ruri blinked. While Countryman mentally reviewed what he knew of the young woman. She wasn¡¯t a captain like some of the others here but a science officer. Her ship had lost the entire command staff and most of the upper-rank officers. Less than a third of the crew had made it off that cruiser before it had been destroyed by Valorian torpedoes. She had been quite lucky after that with her pod drifting right through the crossfire between Enterprise and the Throne before eventually crashing into the Enterprise. Where it remained sitting on the hull until someone went outside to retrieve it. She was one of the few his crew had personally rescued. As he recalled she had introduced herself as Vera of Clan Rel.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Countryman interjected, ¡°Crew assignments are handled by my first officer Commander Greyman but allow me to pre-emptively welcome you to the crew. We can make it official later Miss Vera. I presume you already have a project in mind?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I keep myself up to date on the latest research. There are a number of projects looking into using gravitons for energy shields. The simulations are quite promising. The only issue is generating enough graviton particles.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Get your proposal set and I¡¯ll see what I can do about getting you a lab. May I also suggest looking into some kind of atmospheric shield? Its quite inconvenient having to decompress the hanger bays every time we need to launch or receive a shuttle.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Depends on what I am working with.¡±


    Richards interjected, ¡°Anyway we were discussing the hull plating. As I was saying a number of the generators burned out due to stress. We also have burn outs in a number of other related systems.¡±


    Countryman addressed her, ¡°How long to repair?¡±


    ¡°It will seriously eat into our reserves, and our gold supply will be completely exhausted by the repair. The overall repair will take a week maybe two.¡±


    Reia frowned, ¡°Um, given your lack of a deflector will this damage impair your ability for warp travel?¡±


    Richards shook her head, ¡°No there isn¡¯t enough damage to seriously impact AIF function. There is some loss of function and I would not recommend high warp but we can safely reach cruising speeds without issue.¡±


    Reia interjected, ¡°That sounds nice to hear.¡±


    Williams grumbled something, and then Neira spoke, ¡°Will you have to take the plating offline?¡±


    ¡°Not right now but there will be a couple points where we will have to.¡±


    A door opened and Greyman entered the room. He had left earlier to take care of something. In his hand was a pad, one he did not have earlier. ¡°I¡¯ve received an update on our replacement crystals. They have passed the stage three testing. All of them.¡±


    Countryman blinked, ¡°That¡¯s good news. How long before they are ready?¡±


    ¡°If they pass the final test, I was told they will be ready in two weeks.¡±


    The Valorians in the room were all confused, but it was Neira who spoke up first, ¡°Replacement crystals? Crystals for what?¡±


    Countryman glanced at Greyman and Williams interjected, ¡°Don¡¯t tell them! You have already shared too much.¡±


    Greyman replied, ¡°They would notice anyway when we start conducting tests in two weeks time. Rather hard to hide something like that.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°You might be right about that.¡±


    There was silence in the room for a moment before Richards spoke, ¡°You know I would have expected at least one bad crystal by this point. Its nice that all of them are looking good. We might actually have spares for once.¡±


    Ruri interjected, ¡°If we do, I could certainly use them in the lab. I can think of several projects that would need them.¡±


    Countryman could think of a few as well. That included Vera¡¯s shield project. If she wanted gravitons for it, she was going to need a crystal. It was the Rydium crystals in the drive core that were responsible for the ship¡¯s supply of gravitons. Gravitons which were in turn harvested and stored before being shunted into the ship¡¯s armor grid. The rest were actually used by the engines themselves as part of the pulse wave that provides thrust.


    With that in mind he said, ¡°I can as well. Notably including the project Vera wants to undertake.¡± he looked over the faces at the table and then while looking towards Vera, ¡°The crystals Greyman was talking about are Rydium Crystals, specifically propulsion crystals used in our main engines.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°Wait does that mean you are down an engine?¡±


    Countryman gave a wry smile, ¡°Unfortunately yes.¡±


    ¡°I never would have guessed.¡±


    ¡°Well most of the time you wouldn¡¯t have noticed and even without it we were still faster than that dreadnought. Although, I might have had a couple more options with an extra engine.¡±


    Reia nodded. That did make sense to her.


    Greyman settling into his seat again, spoke, ¡°Have we discussed the torpedo issue, yet?¡±


    Countryman shook his head, ¡°We have not gotten to that one yet.¡±


    Williams interjected, ¡°Why would you want to discuss that anyway?¡±


    Reia gave Williams a look, ¡°I think it fairly obvious why this council would want to discuss that. In the recent battle you expended a rather large number of torpedos and I believe you aren¡¯t exactly close to any friendly ports in the area. Replacing those warheads would obviously be fairly difficult, especially given what happened at Cantra.¡±


    Neira nodded and Vera spoke up, ¡°Speaking of those torpedoes, how were they passing through our shields?¡±


    Ignoring the question Countryman said, ¡°Well yes we do need to replace the warheads we used. Thankfully we won¡¯t need a port. Just time and materials. We have some of the materials we need on hand already.¡±


    Countryman tapped a key and everyone received a list in front of them. ¡°So I presume these are the materials you need?¡±


    Countryman nodded.


    There were some looks and chatter before Reia spoke up. ¡°The Zah system isn¡¯t too far from here. It¡¯s on the edge of Confederation space. Minerally abundant, but there is a problem.¡±


    Countryman frowned, ¡°What kind of problem?¡±


    ¡°The Zah star has an unusual radiation profile, and subjects the entire system to lethal levels of deadly radiation. Worse local conditions in the system have been known to disrupt shield systems, especially in the inner system.¡±


    Countryman¡¯s frown deepened, ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like a very hospitable place.¡±


    Vera interjected, ¡°Its not. Prospectors have been interested in it for decades but local conditions make mining operations needlessly expensive and very dangerous. Ships can¡¯t stay in the system long.¡±


    ¡°Well it might be worth looking at. It really depends on the local conditions.¡±


    They spent the next couple of hours discussing the system before ultimately setting a course.

 Chapter Eighty-Seven The Zah System

    Sali hopped off the bed and sighed, ¡°time to go back to my boring cell?¡±


    The guard chuckled, ¡°Well I¡¯m sure the medical staff would love to have you around a little longer.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Yeah on second thought, let¡¯s go.¡±


    The guard led the way out of her little room in the medical ward where she had spent the last few days since her incident with the nanite bath. An experience she didn¡¯t care to repeat. That had not been fun.


    The man commented, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. Being a patient sucks. As I see it, as long as you don¡¯t need a nanite bath you are good.¡±


    She shuddered.


    ¡°Sorry forgot about your being dropped in an industrial one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. On a different note, you will have a few hours to relax before you need to report to the industrial bay. I think you will be happy to know that the crystals are almost done.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°That sounds good. Just one question, why didn¡¯t anyone install rails?¡±


    ¡°Around the nanite pool? Well, most people don¡¯t fall in and its not dangerous. There is a neutralization field around the pools that will disable any nanite that leaves the bath. Keeps them from doing something they aren¡¯t supposed to.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t help anyone who falls in!¡±


    ¡°To be fair, it doesn¡¯t happen that often. In fact, unless I am mistaken you are the only person since we left port to fall in.¡±


    ¡°And how long has that been?¡±


    ¡°Nearly two years now.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°I see, that sounds good but I still think there should have been a railing.¡±


    ¡°Well you could always put in a petition.¡±


    She laughed, ¡°Yeah like anyone would take it seriously coming from me.¡±


    The guard didn¡¯t react.


    After a moment she gave him a look, ¡°Wait!? You were serious?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I was.¡±


    ¡°But, I¡¯m a prisoner. An alien prisoner with no rights! Why would...¡±


    ¡°Why would anyone listen to you? You still have a voice, use it. Someone just might listen.¡±


    She nodded but really didn¡¯t think it would matter. A moment later they reached the exit to the hospital sector and in silence they stepped into the busy corridors. She watched the traffic as they made for the lift and as they drew close the people walking around thinned but when they turned a corner she encountered a face most unexpected. A Valorian face.


    <hr>


    Countryman shifted a bit on his feet as Ruri nodded, ¡°Yes I can think of a few things we might be able to do. The obvious route would be to try looking into adding a type five armor penetrator instead of the type two. I have no idea how to solve the issues with that though.¡±


    Countryman sighed. He knew exactly what she meant and what those issues were. The type-five penetrator was a torpedo module specifically designed to penetrate modern armor. It was extremely effective at punching holes in reinforced plate thereby allowing the main warhead to bypass a ship¡¯s armored belt and explode inside the hull where it would do more damage. They had been quite common with the old mark II fusion warheads back when they were in common use. Seven years had passed since then and torpedoes had improved a bit. Unfortunately armor penetration was an area in which standard warheads had regressed. This was mainly due to operational issues between the shield penetrator and the more advanced armor penetrators. They didn¡¯t play nice with each other. Torpedoes tested with a type five and a shield penetrator tended to detonate prematurely, rendering them ineffective at best.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve been looking into that as well. Unfortunately, the only solution I could come up with is sub-optimal. It works in simulation but takes up a lot of extra space on the torpedo. Effective yields are cut almost in half.¡±


    Ruri blinked, ¡°hmm, i guess that is an option if we don¡¯t find a better alternative.¡±


    Countryman leaned over a console and tapped in a few commands, ¡°About that, I have a few ideas for improving our warheads.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Ruri leaned in and looked over the file being projected. For a moment or so she simply stared and the silence seemed to drag on before finally she spoke, ¡°Um how long have you been working on this?¡±


    ¡°Since I first saw your design for photon warheads.¡±


    Ruri looked back, ¡°Uh, Jac. If I¡¯m understanding what you did here, this will result in a five-fold increase in the destructive yield.¡±


    ¡°Greater. My simulations show an increase in the maximum yield of nearly seven times. Just shy of five gigatons, which is right in line for some of the most destructive warheads ever devised.¡±


    ¡°Five!? That would make it the most destructive torpedo ever devised, and the first...


    ¡°Multi-gigaton warhead?¡± Countryman shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    Ruri gave him a look, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any torpedoes like that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you recall the experiments with antimatter weaponry?¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°I do.¡± she blinked, ¡°Wait! Are you talking about some kind of antimatter warhead?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°We experimented with several different types of warhead, using small amounts of antimatter. The most destructive utilized a compressed anti-hydrogen charge to ignite a compressed protoplasma casing. The prototypes had a yield of nearly seven gigatons.¡±


    Ruri frowned, ¡°If they are that powerful, why are you refining a photon and not giving me those to work with?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Well for one the prototypes weren¡¯t that reliable. Issues with the antimatter containment bubble that were never resolved. I¡¯m sure you could fix them but there is also the bigger problem. The protoplasma needed for the warheads is difficult to synthesize and hard to comeby and that isn¡¯t the only complication materials-wise. Suffice to say the prototypes were expensive. For the price of a hundred photons, you could have one of these antimatter-plasma warheads. And with our current resources? I¡¯m afraid its even harder.¡±


    Looking over the diagram, she nodded, ¡°I think I can fix the reliability issues easily enough. Can¡¯t do anything about the cost though.¡±


    ¡°Consider it a side project, then, but I want you to focus on the photons.¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t think those would take me too long. Your work is pretty though. Give me the resources and a couple of weeks and I can have the prototypes out for you. That antimatter-triggered plasma fusion warhead on the other hand? Might take longer. I have an idea for what to do about the reliablity, but its going to take a lot of testing.¡±


    Suddenly the intercom beeped. Countryman tapped it and Greyman¡¯s voice spoke, ¡°Sir, the first probes are returning from the system.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll be on the bridge soon. In the meantime, start recovering them as they arrive.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir! Will do.¡±


    As Greyman signed off. Countryman prepared to leave. The probes Greyman had mentioned had been launched not long after the Enterprise reached the edge of the Zah system. They weren¡¯t much to talk about either. Simple class three probes, which had been designed decades ago. Not much had changed since they were first tested, as there wasn¡¯t much point to it The Class III probe was designed as a short range interstellar probe and commissioned as part of a project geared towards interstellar exploration. The idea for the class III was to create a cheap, expendable device to allow a single ship to more effectively scout an entire star system. What they created was basically a flying sensor array, secured in a hardened titanium casing, powered by a couple of high density energy cells and propelled by a simple laser pulse wave engine. In fact class three probes were so simple and cheap that he could build them onboard easily. Even better the materials needed for them were largely easy to comeby. The only hard one was the small amount of Rydium needed for the engine, but given the size of the engine it was easy to produce the needed crystals.


    As such, it only took about 30 minutes to build a single probe if the materials needed were on hand. The Enterprise didn¡¯t have a dedicated probe launcher, but it didn¡¯t need one. It was possible to fit up to five probes inside a modified torpedo casing. The probes didn¡¯t have much range, and were rather fragile, but he could deploy a fair number at a low cost. Making them quite useful to the current problem. They needed to study the system radiation to determine how safe it would be to enter the system to mine. There was no need to be stealthy about their presence, nor were they trying to scout a military installation.


    Thinking about it, he made a note into looking into improving the design of the old class IV probes, those were intended for long range and were actually big enough to carry a small reactor module. A fact that improved their operational time from mere hours to days. A class III could operate for about thirty hours before it simply ran out of steam. The class IV could carry enough fuel to function for over a week before needing to refuel. The difference was that it was more expensive and neither type was a substitute for a proper scout ship. Neither probe had any kind of protection either, not even a stealth coating. Of course they were designed as scientific units not military recon devices. Hmm something to think about there.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped onto the bridge. His balcony was rather empty. Greyman had been left in command, so if he wasn¡¯t up here, he must be down on the lower level. A glance over the railing confirmed that, as he spotted Greyman leaning over the strategic display in the middle of the bridge.


    Countryman made his way down the stairs and approached the display. ¡°So what are you looking at?¡±


    Greyman looked up, ¡°I was looking over the first batches of probe data. Preliminary readings are quite promising. The system is extremely rich in valuable minerals, including exotic materials. The probes even found a gas giant not too far into the system. Its magnetic field could help shield us from the radiation in the system, and its atmosphere is very rich in deuterium. Not only that we have already found sources of gold and titanium as well. The system also had erudite in it. We can build up a supply of that valuable stuff as well.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of the radiation, what is the verdict?¡±


    ¡°Our radiation shields should be able to protect us, but it will drain the shields rather severely. I would not recommend staying in the system for more than a few hours. The star¡¯s output is rather intense.¡±


    Countryman nodded and then recalled the young shield expert they had recently recruited. By now she was already getting to work in her own lab, but she might be useful right now. ¡°Get Vera up here, we could use her opinion.¡±


    He nodded and glanced to Misaki. Who spoke up, ¡°Already on it!¡±

 Chapter Eighty-Eight Replenishment I

    Vera stepped onto the alien bridge. It was like most places on this ship rather dim. This had the effect of making the consoles seem brighter. As the local crewmen and officers manned their stations. She found the people she was looking for standing by a console in the middle of the lower level. She noted the upper level with its rather commanding view. The bridge differed from Valorian design, which favored a single level with the commander sitting smack in the middle of the bridge.


    Countryman noted her approach, ¡°Ah! Lady Vera glad you could make it. We were just discussing ways to extend our shield endurance.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°I¡¯m honored that you would include me in such an important conversation. I¡¯m not sure how much help I could be.¡±


    ¡°You are an expert on shields yes? A fresh perspective alone could be valuable. I know what my own experts would say.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I can understand that, but I¡¯m not that familiar with your shield technology yet. I haven¡¯t even had time to really start reading the books you gave me on the subject.¡±


    Countryman gestured and Greyman tapped a few keys. Almost immediately a projection of the ship appeared. With highlights that were clearly the shield grid. She quickly noted the highlights. Two generators, located fore and aft. More interestingly the emitter grid appeared to be directly tied into the armor systems and the main engines. The connection to the main engines seemed to be shared with the armor systems but it was still there.


    She leaned forward, tapped a few keys and studied them for a moment. This was really interesting. Their approach to shields was very different from what she was used to, but not entirely unfamiliar. ¡°If I am reading this right your shields conform to Dulmar¡¯s theory of triphasic shielding.¡±


    ¡°Dulmar?¡±


    ¡°He was a rather famous pioneer of shield systems from a little over two hundred years ago. The man developed several theories for advanced shielding and developed the first prototypes for Omicron shields. Anyway he also looked into triphasic shielding like you did, and while they showed potential no working prototype was developed.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m guessing his investors didn¡¯t want to fund the project or something?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Dulmar was brilliant, but not every project he started bore fruit. He did publish his theories, but his investors wanted to focus on Omicron shields. Rather than invest in a project that may or may not actually work.¡±


    ¡°I understand that. Anyway, any ideas on how to improve them?¡±


    Vera nodded, ¡°Your shields being connected to your engines means we could easily infuse them with gravitons, but that is more of a combat improvement than anything else. Not to mention your shields don¡¯t seem ready to use any form of shield particle.¡± She paused reached for the console and started tapping away. The alien symbols slowed her down a bit, but she recognized the patterns. The math was the same, the language was not. It only took her a few minutes to create what she wanted.


    ¡°Here this change to the shield configuration should do the trick. I wouldn¡¯t recommend flying into a star, but you can get pretty close now.¡±


    ¡°We could already get close to a star, but you presume you mean we can now get close to the Zah star?¡±


    ¡°If my calculations are right, yes. For about six hours before we have to pull back. I might be able to do more given time.¡±


    Countryman glanced to Greyman, ¡°Add a close flyby of the Zah primary to our itinerary. I¡¯m sure the scans would be most useful.¡±


    Vera blinked, ¡°You want to do a close fly by of the star? Why!?¡±


    Countryman turned to her, ¡°We¡¯ve been doing the same with our home star for decades. The entire reason we developed triphasic shielding is for the sake of our solar research, but we did find military uses for it. Most notable was protecting ships from radiation traps. We made good use of them against the Cathamari for example. Their shields didn¡¯t hold up against radiation as ours did and when combined with weapons fire the effect was most deadly. The Zah star must be fairly unique given the deadly radiation it generates. I can only imagine what we will learn from studying it.¡±


    Shields only for the sake of solar research? That seemed weird to her, but now that she was thinking about it. They were right the Zah star represented a major scientific opportunity. Maybe she would learn something that could be used to make even better shields. It was an interesting thought.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    <hr>


    Sali just stood there staring at the face. She had never met the other woman before, but she did know who she was. Sure they had been in the same fleet, but they were assigned to different captains, different ships. Sali was a fighter pilot at the time, the other woman an officer. Completely different circles, but Sali did at least know the faces of the officers, especially the commanders of the fleet. Still it took her a couple moments to place the face. The other woman was not a ship commander, but a first officer. ¡°Reia? Reia of Clan Urko right?¡±


    The other woman blinked, nodded and then said, ¡°What on Valoria are you wearing young lady?¡±


    She idly shifted the hem of her plain dress, the prisoner¡¯s shift she was wearing. Sali had for the moment forgotten she was wearing it. ¡°Um, a prisoner¡¯s shift?¡±


    Now that she was thinking about it Sali noticed that the other woman wasn¡¯t wearing one. Not wearing one... A feeling bloomed in her belly. Reia was a free woman. Does that mean...


    ¡°Prisoner¡¯s shift?¡± then the woman frowned, ¡°Wait!? Why did that come through my translator?¡±


    Sali sighed, ¡°Cause I¡¯m speaking their tongue.¡± then she gave the woman a look, ¡°What took you so long?!!


    The woman frowned. Then her eyes widened, ¡°Wait, Sali of Clan Arimae?¡±


    ¡°Yeah thats me. Now what took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Um¡± she started but trailed off. After a moment, Sali felt those blooming feelings die.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t here for me are you?¡±


    Reia shook her head.


    She felt herself deflate a little. She glanced back at her escort who was just patiently watching things unfold. Not a word spoken. She took a breath, ¡°If you aren¡¯t here for me, what are you here for?¡±


    Reia deflated, ¡°Well um...¡¯ she sighed, ¡°We were picked up as survivors after the Battle at Cantra. I¡¯m afraid we are just as stuck on this ship as you are.¡±


    Sali gave her a look, ¡°You certainly don¡¯t look like a prisoner to me!¡±


    Reia blinked and opened her mouth, but she was cut off before she could speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for months! Months!¡±  she gestured at her clothes, ¡°I have nothing! And you! You completely forgot about me didn¡¯t you! How long have you been here? Did you even ask about me, or come to see me! I think not! In fact now that I am thinking about it, I recall being told that no one even inquired about me. I¡¯ve been working in their damn factories this entire time! And let me tell you its not fun! They don¡¯t even put rails around their damn nanite pools! One slip and in you go. Not fun! Not fun at all! And here you are in your nice clothes and you didn¡¯t even try to ask about me! What were you even doing?¡±


    Reia let her vent and didn¡¯t say a word. A moment later the guard picked her up and said, ¡°Alright, come along. You need to cool off.¡±


    Sali wasn¡¯t even given a chance to protest that as she was carried away.


    <hr>


    Reia watched Sali be carried away by the armored gaurd. In the process the smaller woman¡¯s dress had shifted just enough to reveal she wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath either. Her words echoed in her head. Reia watched the retreating form slip around a corner, but did nothing to follow. She didn¡¯t know what she was even going to say to the girl. How could she even apologize?


    Sali was right, she had forgotten about her. Worse, she had done nothing to help her. Months ago after that disaster at Delta-Four she had been part of the negotiating team. Now that she was thinking about it, she had actively chosen not to inquire about Sali. In hindsight, that was a mistake and poor Sali had suffered for it.


    Finally after the two had long vanished and several people had walked around her. Reia moved on. Her mind still thinking about the little blow up. What she had even come to this part of the ship for, long forgotten.


    <hr>


    Sali followed the guard through the familiar cell block. It had been a few days since she was last here, but at the moment she found these walls quite welcoming. Turning a corner they passed a cell she recalled passing that first time she left her cell. Countryman had been the one escorting her and he was the one that told her that her fate was to be decided in some mock trial. She remembered feeling very uncertain than. Aside from thinking up escape plans, there wasn¡¯t much to say about that point in time.


    Sali was still considering escape plans, but she couldn¡¯t help wondering if she actually wanted to. Especially after having passed up a potentially prime chance. The ship had been at a Valorian world and they had been fighting. That fighting might have presented a distraction, but instead of trying to give the hospital staff the slip after she had been shown the fighting going on. She had stayed and watched.


    She sighed, as her mind recalled her recent conversation with Reia. Maybe it would be better if she just stayed? What did she really have in the Confederation? Family? Friends? Did anyone ask after her? It really didn¡¯t feel like it. Another breath escaped her. Then again the Enterprise wasn¡¯t that great either but at least she had something. It wasn¡¯t much but she had at least one friend here. Perhaps a few more. Samantha Greyman was a tough teacher, but Sali did feel she was looking out for her. There was also the young man who sometimes helped her at the factory.


    Glancing up, she noted they had reached her cell. She smiled, happy to see it again. Something Sali never thought she would feel, but after a week or was it two in that hospital? The cell seemed welcoming. Maybe she would actually get a decent night¡¯s sleep. More importantly it was quiet, plenty of time to think. Something she needed. Sali headed on in and the guard sealed the grid wall behind her. When suddenly an alert went off. The lights turned green. Again?


    ¡°Green Alert! I repeat Green Alert. All hands report to code green stations.¡±

 Chapter Eighty-Nine Replenishment II

    Vera studied the screen in front of her. It had been a few days since the task force had entered the Zah system. She didn¡¯t really know what Umikaze or Coto were up to, but she was aware the Enterprise had taken up position in an asteroid field about six AU distant from the super gas giant that dominated the outer system. That giant was also very rich in deuterium, a key resource in energy production. Vera had caught glimpses the other day of them setting up an automated surface skimmer to collect it.


    At the moment she was pretty sure their shields were holding, so she had taken time to work on the requested shield project. Atmospheric skin shields. A staple of starship hangers and emergency systems. Yet the Enterprise did not even have them. Thankfully someone had thoughtfully created a translation of the alien shield research in Valorian for her. That was quite helpful and it painted an interesting picture. Much of the alien knowledge was antiquated, but there were a few aspects in which they were ahead of the confederation.


    There was one file in particular, that she found really fascinating, but she also questioned if she was supposed to have that one. It detailed how shields reacted with a charged ionic plasma stream. Along with modulation information and more. It was a completely different approach to ion weapons. The implications of the research were not lost on her. It was a game changer. Perhaps it was a good thing most other races didn¡¯t realize this. Yet she was already thinking about how to improve it and how to protect against it. The defense she believed lay in the aliens'' very own triphasic shielding. Something she was going to need to improve first, as right now it wouldn¡¯t be much of a defense.


    That was a project for later however. In the meantime she was going to work on those shields the humans wanted. She already knew how her people would go about it, but human technology was incompatible with Valorian technology. No surprise there, it would be surprising if their systems were compatible. The main crux actually lay in their power systems, but there were also issues with the alien armor system. Leaving Vera with a bit of a puzzle to solve. Thankfully the aliens were aware of the issues their own armor caused to shields. As they had solved it with their triphasic shielding.


    Tapping a few keys, she brought something up on the second monitor. A rather interesting piece of design software. She was still learning it, but it was leagues better than what she was used to. The aliens didn¡¯t skimp on their labs, and she was happy about that. This lab was small but it was better equipped than any shipboard lab she had seen. Even some planetside labs were outshined by this little lab. With her design software loaded, she started working on the design.


    Rather than try to adapt the alien solution to traditional atmospheric shields, she instead decided to start with the alien triphasic shielding. Using the triphasic core created a few complications of its own, but she had a few ideas about them. She was tempted to try using gravitons, but she hadn¡¯t had much time to experiment with them. Instead, she relied on known particle physics to solidify the barrier.


    Solidifying her first design, she ran a simulation. Only for the computer to throw a few errors at her. Smiling, she looked them over. Running into a wall might be frustrating to some, but to her this was just a new learning opportunity. Vera quickly noted what the computer had found and made some adjustments. Then ran another simulation, which spat out more errors. Expected, she wasn¡¯t going to get things right on a first try or a second. Even with some knowledge to guide her. Vera kept at it.


    She was in the middle of yet another simulation, when there was a ringing. She blinked, that was the door chime wasn¡¯t it?¡± Vera turned to the door, ¡°Um, come in?¡±


    The door slid open and the familiar form of Ruri walked in. They hadn¡¯t interacted much, but Vera had exchanged enough words with the small woman to know she was brilliant and well versed in a number of fields. She smiled, ¡°Ah, Ruri! What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°I have some time. I delivered the prototypes for my own project for testing. Figured I would take a look at what you have designed so far.¡±


    Her smile widened, ¡°A second mind might be welcome. I¡¯m trying to adapt atmospheric forcefield technology to your triphasic shield matrix. I have a rough design in mind already, just need to work out the issues.¡±


    Ruri approached, ¡°Hmm? So what do you have so far?¡±


    Vera detailed her device starting with the broad strokes, ¡°I started with a triphasic shield core and integrated with a sega-based flux-wave particle field generator. Utilizing twined focused emitters on either side of the aperture to create a high density triphasic forcefield. The core is working fine without issues, but I¡¯m having issues with getting a stable field density.¡±


    Ruri looked it over then frowned, ¡°Looks like the main issues are in the power supply. I see you¡¯ve tried to adapt it, but are still running into issues.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I have, the Sega generator doesn¡¯t much like your power systems and trying to get it to work properly in conjunction with the triphasic shield core was also problematic. I seem to have worked that out, but still have issues with the adaptor. I¡¯m not sure why.¡±


    Ruri simply brought up a file in the unfamiliar human language. The alien symbols having not been translated for her. ¡°Give me a moment, I need to find whatever translation matric Jac made.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    A moment later the symbols shifted and a new passage formed on the side in neat readable Valorian. Vera looked at the heading. Sega based particle weaponry and system disruption, she frowned, ¡°Um Sega based weaponry?


    ¡°It likely didn¡¯t occur to you since Valorian power systems are different, and so are Cathamari. Ours on the other hand are vulnerable to disruption by concentrated Sega particles. As for the Krall? They share similar vulnerabilities but have hardened their power systems.¡±


    Vera looked at her blankly, then blinked, ¡°I completely forgot about that. I¡¯m just so used to systems being hardened by default it didn¡¯t occur to me,¡± she frowned then glanced back at the title, ¡°What¡¯s with this article anyway? I can¡¯t imagine Sega particles actually being worth weaponizing.¡±


    ¡°For a traditional particle weapon, no. Adding them to the particle bolt presents only marginal benefits at best. They do present some value but not enough to justify. Their system disruption benefits are interesting, but we already have a general purpose system disrupter, the Electro cannon. All that said, I¡¯ve actually found an area where the sega particle¡¯s properties present some interesting benefits. Its interactions with plasma and electromagnetic fields not only have implications for shielding, but certain energy weapons as well. I¡¯m looking at two different weapon designs right now.¡±


    Vera blinked, ¡°Two? You mean it actually does have the potential to do damage?¡±


    Ruri giggled, ¡°I¡¯ll show you later. In the meantime let''s fix your problem.


    <hr>


    Sali stepped into the bay. The crystal project in the factory was done. She had heard the finished products were being delivered to Engineering for final phase testing but it was unlikely new ones would be ordered. That left everyone in the factory free for new projects. Naturally new orders were already being made for things that thankfully weren¡¯t slow to make crystals.


    She herself had been reassigned which is what had brought her to this bay. A rather familiar bay. It was a massive cavernous room, the walls armored, the floor largely flat, marked only by alien equipment. The doors were heavily armored blast doors, and there were observation windows with blast doors to protect them. Above, she could see anchorages for alien shuttles and strike craft and the far door was a massive external blast door. It was one of the ship''s hangers and she was pretty sure this was the same one her fighter had been pulled into all those months ago.


    Her fighter was nowhere to be seen. Sali didn¡¯t know its fate, but she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it had been taken apart. Perhaps its pieces were laying in some alien lab? She didn¡¯t focus on its fate, but instead surveyed the alien shuttles settled on the deck. There were six large shuttles currently in front of her, their rear bay doors open. Allowing her to see crate after crate full of cargo. That cargo was why she was here. She had been assigned as part of the crew tasked with unloading those shuttles and ferrying their cargo to the refinery.


    With a sigh, she stepped away from the door and followed behind her fellow workers to the shuttles. It was time to get to work. Thankfully she wasn¡¯t transporting Rydium. That meant grav carts! The crates even had proper anti-gravs! No lugging heavy shit around! She glanced at the green lights, a sign the ship was still on green alert. She made a mental note to keep an eye on her radiation indicator.


    <hr>


    Williams starred out of the viewport. The view was strangely pretty. Lights swirled across her view in a strange imitation of the famed Aurous Borielus back on Earth. It was something she had never seen personally, so she wasn¡¯t sure how close it was. Yet for all the beauty she couldn¡¯t help but think what it really was. The intense solar winds of the Zah star carried with them deadly radiation. It was those winds that were striking the shields and responsible for this light show.


    Shields she couldn¡¯t help recalling had been modified based on an alien¡¯s words. She cursed that damn machine. There were too many of those bastard Valorians onboard. The first one was bad enough, but then he had the gall to rescue a bunch of them. They weren¡¯t even worth the trouble. Damn bastards were perfectly happy to take potshots at them. Not that anyone wanted to listen to her. Machines and aliens just couldn¡¯t be trusted and yet no one would listen. It galled her.


    Footsteps echoed behind her. She didn¡¯t need to look to know who it was. Williams had been expecting them. ¡°So how did it go?¡±


    ¡°Well enough. I had a couple of close calls, but I got what you wanted.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°So? What did you find?¡±


    The young man said nothing, merely handing her a datapad. She took it and perused its contents. It irked her that she had to resort to these methods to get information, but some things just didn¡¯t cross the council¡¯s table. One item stood out to her, a listing on advanced weapons developments. Mark II Photons, interesting, but not unexpected. Someone would have tried improving them. It was the item under them that she raised eyebrows.


    She pointed at it, ¡°What do you know of this?¡±


    The man shrugged, ¡°Not much. It¡¯s Ruri¡¯s project. Has something to do with the alien Sega particle, Beyond that, I wasn¡¯t able to glean much.¡±


    ¡°Ruri¡¯s project? Hmm, she seems fairly close to that machine. See if you can¡¯t sabotage that project.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that private meeting I wanted you to arrange? How did that go?¡±


    ¡°It took some doing, but I managed to get you scheduled.¡±


    Her smiled, widened. ¡°Excellent!¡±


    Of course that was only the first hurdle. She needed to move quietly if she was going to get anything done. She didn¡¯t know how, but she was certain that machine had eyes on her. Too many of her plans had gone awry for any other explanation to make sense. She took a breath and centered herself. This plan on the other hand? She had much more confidence in it. It would take time and she needed to set her cards just right. Get to the right people and then the ship would be hers. Like it should have been. Then she could fix everything that machine did wrong. It was just a matter of time.

 Chapter Ninety A Dispute at Zah?

    Captain¡¯s Log May 15th 002 SDE:


    Our operations in the Zah system continue to be uneventful. Something I am quite happy for as it has given us plenty of time to conduct repairs and mining operations without much issue. Speaking of repairs, I have recently been informed that our new crystal has finally been fitted to that engine we lost. Preliminary testing is all good, which means we will soon be able to conduct a proper shakedown of the engine.


    In other news, Ruri delivered the photon torpedo prototypes I requested. I¡¯m glad to have them and plan to test them in a few hours. I already identified a few promising targets in the system that would be good for weapons testing. Hopefully, the testing goes well and we can shift the new mark II¡¯s into production. Of course, testing their shield and armor-piercing properties would be interesting without proper targets, but it won¡¯t be easy to procure those. Even with our guests. So not much I can do about that.


    <hr>


    Countryman sighed as he set down his log. It felt like it was missing something, but he wasn¡¯t sure what. There really wasn¡¯t much to say. Well unless he wanted to include what he knew Williams was doing. She thought she was being sneaky, but he was well aware of what she was doing. Not that Countryman was going to do anything. Her actions were going to help him locate all the rats in the nest. That was the nice thing about rats like her and as long as she thought things were working, she would likely stay under the radar. Something he felt would be good for now. It would at least present the illusion of solidarity and that would help keep morale up.


    He stretched and slipped out of his chair. In any case, he figured it was time he headed below decks. Let Williams play her hand, and in the meantime, he would play his. He knew a nice lounge below that the soldiers on board loved to visit. It was a fun place and he liked trading stories with them. In fact last time he was there he had a chance to help a couple of them out. Minor problems, but they did seem to appreciate the help regardless.


    With a destination in mind, he left his ready room. Pausing outside to let the guards know where he was going. Before heading on down. A smile already on his face as he looked forward to a good time.


    <hr>


    The younger woman stepped onto the bridge of her small ship. She yawned and quickly stifled that before slipping into her chair. ¡°So what do we have?¡±


    A female officer looked up from her screen. ¡°One of our monitors in the Zah system picked something up. After I reviewed it, I felt it important you see it right away.¡±


    Before she could even ask, the feed in question was placed on the forward screen. Almost immediately a somewhat fuzzy image of a darkly painted alien hull appeared on her screen. The paint job was a bit different from the dark paint used on their own hulls, but she could see the similarities. The alien vessel was designed for stealth, like their ships were. She recognized the image as well. The fact the hull was wreathed in glowing energy ribbons certainly helped. Yet somehow the ship was still fuzzy and hard to make out. The Zah star interfering with the alien cloaking systems no doubt.


    The woman blinked, ¡°That¡¯s a Refuge ship. I¡¯ve heard of them, but I don¡¯t think any of our ships have had a chance to assess their abilities.¡±


    ¡°Correct sir, but we do have a few intelligence reports on them. Would you like me to bring them up for your review?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°No need. I¡¯m already aware of their contents.¡±


    The young woman really was. They were kind of limited with a few notations of note. Refuge armor was noted to be very resilient, energy weapons had little effect. They had no known method of propulsion. Carried some kind of anti-missile shield and were equipped with some interesting weapons. Including a sustained particle beam and shield penetrating warheads. All things the Consortium was interested in. ¡°Alert our sisterships and set a course for the Zah system.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir! Contacting the fleet.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir! Plotting Hyperspace course for the Zah system.¡±


    It would take a bit to reach the system. Not too long though since the hyperspace routes in this region were well charted. That would let them reduce the travel time by a few hours. Otherwise they would have been limited to about 800c and they were a few lightyears from the system. At that speed it would take them two days to reach the system, but there was a subspace node between this system and that. It took some doing, but they could tune their hyperdrives to them. Allowing them to use the jump point as if they were using a jump drive. That node would take about four hours to traverse. Sooner perhaps if they overcharge the drives, but she wasn¡¯t sure that was needed.


    To be sure, she pulled up their logs and took a second look at the ship. She soon noted there were three in the system, their shields or whatever were interfering with their cloak making it easier to track them than it normally would have been. The big one was in the middle of an asteroid field. Conducting operations. One of the escorts was not far from it on a clear patrol pattern. The last one was a bit harder to locate, but she soon noticed that it was quite close to the Zah primary. Extremely close. Turning to her officer she pointed it out, ¡°Did you see this?¡±


    The officer looked it over, blinked and then exclaimed, ¡°That can¡¯t be right!¡±


    At that close distance to the star, the ship was surrounded with roiling shields making her shield bubble quite visible. It was apparent that this was a full shield, something not mentioned in any of the intel reports. That left her with questions. Given how brightly that shield was flaring and what she knew of Zah star she also had to wonder, how was that ship still there? That system was dangerous, prolonged stays there were deadly and no one would risk going so close to the Zah primary. That was courting death.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    <hr>


    Countryman settled into the lounge. On the speakers was playing the song ¡°Gotta Nuke ¡®em All.¡± It was interesting if somewhat derivative as the name would imply. Not something he much cared for. Tuning it out, he walked past several boisterous marines and made for the counter, where he promptly ordered a lemonade. While others ordered alcohol, he did not. There were two reasons for that, the first was that he was cybernetic. Alcohol and implants didn¡¯t mix well. In his personal case, it had never much agreed with him in the first place. So giving it up had not been a problem, he never used it in the first place. Besides he much preferred his lemonade and his water over alcohol anyway.


    In a moment he had his glass of lemonade. Something he was glad he could still have, even if lemons were somewhat expensive nowadays. As he took a sip, a larger marine settled next to him. The man ordered a drink, one of those newer concoctions, Shadowed Mist. Countryman didn¡¯t know much about it. As he never paid much attention to those drinks.


    ¡°So, a lemonade sir?¡±


    ¡°Some of the real stuff. Its quite good and its not like I can have the alcoholic version.¡±


    The man chuckled, ¡°I guess but isn¡¯t that quite expensive?¡±


    ¡°Sadly yes. Almost eight credits for a glass.¡±


    ¡°Ouch. Must be nice having credits to waste.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°When you can find the time, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I don¡¯t really envy your job sir. I¡¯m quite happy with mine. I¡¯ll happily take my 75 credits a day.¡±


    Countryman blinked, ¡°75? Putting in some extra hours are we?¡±


    The man chuckled, ¡°Not really. I¡¯m not that stupid. I just take the jobs no one wants to do. They pay well and I can¡¯t really afford extra hours.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Can¡¯t afford extra hours?¡± pausing to take a sip and then glanced around. Anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°Not really, ¡° he sighed, ¡°I¡¯m a single father with a young daughter to look after. I do my best, but it can be trying at times. At least I have a few people I can trust.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Sadly that story seems to be a bit too common. I¡¯ve done what I can for the single parents.¡±


    ¡°Yes and thanks. I much appreciate the daycare you arranged for people like me. I just wish I had more hours to spend with her.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Children grow up so fast. Its best to appreciate the time we do have. Trust me and don¡¯t be afraid to take a day off. In fact do so, your daughter would love it.¡±


    The man blinked, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, just don¡¯t make a habit of it. The system wouldn¡¯t be fair if it punished you for taking a break. Take one.¡±


    ¡°I guess I will.¡± he reached into his pocket and pulled out a photo. ¡°Just need to figure out the best time.¡±


    Countryman glanced at the photo. It was a cute young girl standing in a happy pose with a loving family. He smiled, ¡°She looks quite happy there. Does she have any friends?¡±


    The man blinked, then nodded, ¡°She does, but what does that have anything to do with that question?¡±


    ¡°Well why not plan a get-together? Between her, her friends, and their families? Consider it a bonding moment. It might be good for everyone involved.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that might be an idea. Still not sure when to do it.¡±


    ¡°You could always try next Saturday,¡± replied Countryman. It was currently a Tuesday, so he was really telling the man to wait a few days on his day off. Not many, just enough to get some good planning in and talk with all the parties involved. Something he stated a moment later, ¡°It would give you time to talk it over with the other parties and do some planning.¡±


    ¡°You might have a point there. Thank you sir.¡±


    The man started to get up, having finished his drink. Before he could leave Countryman said, ¡°it was nice talking to you and if anyone has trouble getting a day off. Let me know. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    The man smiled, thanked him again and made his way out of the lounge. Just as someone else came in. The newcomer paused scanning the room, briefly stopping to watch a pair as they competed against each other with an old fashion first-person shooter. It was one of the more popular ones where you play as an armored super soldier fighting an alien alliance. A classic actually and it was gaining a resurgence in modern years.


    After a moment, the newcomer tore their gaze away from the screen and made their way to the counter. ¡°Good Afternoon captain.¡±


    ¡°Good afternoon. Anything I can help you with?¡±


    She settled at the bar seat and shook her head, ¡°Not really, but I¡¯d say you have already helped everyone in this room.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. Not that I can help if people don¡¯t talk to me. Are you sure there isn¡¯t anything you need?¡±


    She turned to order something and then after a moment sighed, ¡°Now that I think about maybe there is something I could use help with.¡± shifting in her seat she moved closer, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you have heard, but a certain group has been loitering around the lab decks. I think they are up to something.¡±


    ¡°hmm?¡±

 Special Interlude The Factions!

    The Sol Refuge:


    Faction Type: Nomadic Remnant


    Governmental structure: Military Council


    Culture Type: Authoritarian, Militaristic


    Specialties: Areas the People of Sol Excell in


    Specialty One: Starship Engineering


    Specialty Two: Particle Weaponry


    Specialty Three: Torpedoes


    Specialty Four: Reactionless Propulsion


    Specialty Five: Powered Armor Design


    Specialty Six: Mobile Repair and Construction


    Specialty Seven: Stealth and Sensor technologies


    Specialty Eight: Deep Space Industry


    Specialty Nine: Nanotechnology


    Unique Technologies: Rydium based Energy Conversion and Absorption Techniques, Rydium Manufacturing, Pulse Wave Engines, Electro Cannons, Energy Webs, Triphasic Shields, Cutting Beams


    Notes: The War with the Cathamari Empire devastated humanity. The Sol Refuge is one if not the only faction to have survived the war. Numbering less than a hundred thousand and with only a handful of ships to their name its a miracle the faction has survived as long as it has. Proving that even faced with adversity that humanity is remarkably resilient and resourceful. Given their low numbers and the fact humanity is nearly extinct its not surprising that the fleet leaders have begun to encourage procreation. In addition, laws have been passed to outlaw abortion and birth control. The first was really just continuing the old laws. As Abortion had been illegal in the U.E.F as well, but that was largely due to it being unneeded. It made it easy for parties to outlaw it, when nanite based birth control ensured unwanted pregnancies were a thing of the past. The second on the other hand was not a continuation of old laws. Nanite based birth control had not only been legal in the U.E.F but readily available. In fact thanks to the U.E.F¡¯s Affordable Care Act, it was available to people of all strata.


    What the people of Sol lack in numbers they make up for with raw ingenuity and resourcefulness. As they search for a new home, they have already begun to develop new techniques to better enable their small fleet to survive without a home port. The Refuge is also notable for their advanced starship construction and design techniques. Refuge ships are extremely robust, able to take brutal poundings and function even while heavily damaged. In addition, their ships are equipped with a highly effective combination of stealth technologies. Making them quite hard to find when they don¡¯t want to be found. If not for their low numbers they would perhaps be a candidate for Major Power status. As it is Refuge starships are on par with the ships of the Major powers if not superior in some cases.


    Additional Notes: This Faction Cannot build Heavy Capital ships (I.E Battleships, Battlecruisers, and Dreadnoughts) In addition, their ability to replace lost vessels is extremely constrained. Making it difficult for them to absorb ship losses. Refuge Ships are more expensive than those of other factions.


    The Cathamari Empire:


    Faction Type: Young Empire


    Governmental Structure: Warlords


    Culture Type: Authoritarian, Militaristic, Expansionist


    Specialties: Specialty One: Concussive Plasma Weapons


    Specialty Two: Hyper Plasma Drives


    Specialty Three: Aggressive Warship Design


    Specialty Four: Robust Low Cost Hull Construction


    Unique Technologies: Human-Inspired Hull Plating


    Notes: The Cathamari Empire is a fairly young Empire. Ruled by the Grand Warlord most of it people are either slaves or soldiers. Naturaly an empire built on conquest is unstable at the best of times, so its not that surprising that the loss of the homeworld has led to civil war. Something many factions are keeping an eye on as a stable Cathamari empire represents a major threat. Their focus on slave labor and war allows them to produce large numbers of ships at low cost. Their warships are decently robust with a focus on heavy firepower. Often devastating in a slugging match, especially in numbers. Many young powers have already fallen to them and refugees fleeing their wars have led to instability across the quadrant.


    Valorian Trade Confederation:


    Faction Type: Established Confederation


    Governmental Structure: Corrupt Confederate Council


    Culture Type: Mercantile


    Specialties:  Specialty One: Shields


    Specialty Two: High-Efficiency Plasma Weapons


    Specialty Three: Low Cost Hulls


    Specialty Four: High-Efficiency Sublight Engines


    Unique technologies: Pulse Cannons, Omicron Shielding


    Notes: The Confederation is one of the more established powers in the galaxy. They have been spacefaring for centuries and haven¡¯t had a major war for many hundreds of years. As a result they have become somewhat complacent and corruption has begun to rot the upper levels of their government. The biggest victim of this corruption is in fact their own navy. As a result the Confederation despites its vast coffers and wealth is militarily weak. Lack of budget means few new ship classes entering the navy and has resulted in a lack of new weapons development. Often the navy has to make do with adapting older designs to suit their needs. Vast territory and poor budget has also forced them to focus on designing cheap, easy-to-mass-produce hulls. These hulls end up being light on armor and structural reinforcement. Another victim of cost cutting, is point defense. Many of their ships are lacking in point defense. Between the lack of point defenses and armor the Valorian ships end up relying entirely on the powerful shield systems, they have for protection. This means they are often quite vulnerable if anything gets past their shields. As they learned when facing Refuge shield penetrating torpedoes.


    Additional Notes: Faction lacks heavy capital ships and has few shipyards able to build large-scale hulls. Making it difficult for them to replace lost capital ships. Valorian vessels are much cheaper than those of other factions.


    Krall Imperium:


    Faction Type: Established Empire


    Governmental Structure: Imperial Council Culture Type: Honorable, Scientific, Defined Roles


    Specialties:


    Specialty One: Plasma Beam Weaponry


    Specialty Two: Robotics


    Specialty Three: Cloaking


    Specialty Four: Multispatial Inversion


    Unique Technologies: Inversion Gates, Krall Plasma Beam Cannons, Spatial Torpedoes, Adaptive Cloaking


    Notes: The Krall are among the oldest of the established powers, but they aren¡¯t yet old enough to be considered an elder race. Remarkably accomplished in the sciences and driven by ancient codes of honor. Their industry makes incredible use of robotics and large portions of their shipyards are automated. Allowing them to produce their advanced starships at a lower cost than many other powers. The Imperium military makes excellent use of destroyers and few powers can match their battleships in combat. As one of the most advanced races, other powers are often wary to get on the bad side of the Krall.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Additional Notes: Highly efficient shipbuilding industry, Cloaked Krall ships can fire torpedoes while cloaked.


    Chi¡¯Ran Commonwealth


    Faction Type: Young Xenophobic Republic


    Governmental Structure: Elected Leaders


    Culture Type: Militaristic, Xenophobic, Aggressive Isolationists


    Specialties:


    Specialty One: Disrupter Weaponry


    Specialty Two: Guided Plasma Weapons


    Specialty Three: Advanced Hyperdrives


    Specialty Four: Advanced Armor


    Unique Technologies:


    Notes: The Chi¡¯Ran Commonwealth is one of the more advanced races in their little corner of the galaxy. Their homeworld is located in the politically unstable Lantaro sector. A sector known for its unruly occupants. Surrounded on all sides by hostile powers, its not surprising that they have begun to fear contact with alien races. They tend to shoot first and ask questions later when dealing with aliens, but some of them do the opposite. One of the few powers to successfully resist an invasion of the Cathamari Empire. Thanks to their constant wars they have developed powerful weapons, shields, and engines. Most notable are their advanced armors, they even developed a crude form of powered armor.


    Reylar Coalition:


    Faction Type: Young Federation


    Government Structure: Military Republic


    Culture Type: Multi-racial, Militaristic, Aggressive Expansionists


    Specialties:


    Specialty One: Gunboat Diplomacy


    Specialty Two: Guided Plasma Weapons


    Specialty Three: Laser Weapons


    Specialty Four: Multi-racial Accommodation and Support


    Unique Technologies:


    Notes: A Coalition of young races centered around the Reylar people. Established in the face of Cathamari aggression the Reylar coalition is a military alliance between several races. The most advanced of which is the Reylar. These races are now sharing military technology and resources and consolidating military power in preparation for a Cathamari invasion. On the same token, they are aggressively expanding into new regions. Seeking new allies and resources against their common rival.


    The Voskar:


    Faction Type: Young Consortium


    Government Structure: Hereditary Rule


    Culture Type: Secretive, Mercantile, Militaristic


    Specialties:


    Specialty One: Cloaking


    Specialty Two: Kinetic Weapons


    Specialty Three: Small ships design


    Specialty Four: Particle Cannons


    Specialty Five: Shields


    Unique technologies: Hypernova Torpedoes


    Notes: The Voskar are a rather secretive race. Not much is known about them as their core worlds are closed to outsiders. Much of their population is made up of slaves, with estimates saying that up to 90% of the population are slaves. Despite the high number of slaves, their civilization is remarkably stable. Slaves are generally treated well and some even manage to buy their freedom. While their core worlds are closed, the Voskar do keep a few free ports, where aliens can visit to trade. At these ports, Voskar mercenary companies are also open for hire.


    Voskar ships are quite different from those used by other factions. The most common example is the Voskar Raider. Ships of the Archetype feature a cloaking device, spinal mounted railgun, high yield fixed particle cannons and rapid-fire defensive turrets. These small ships are extremely dangerous ambush predators, but have poor durability. They don¡¯t fare well in a slugging match. Regardless of these issues, they have built up a fairly powerful fleet and their capital ships are decent. Given their proximity to the Lantaro sector its not surprising that they often patrol that region of space, to keep an eye on possible attacks from their unruly neighbors of course.


    Additional Notes: Faction can fire their railguns while cloaked.


    Toral Confederacy:


    Faction Type: Established Confederation


    Governmental Structure: Confederate Council


    Culture Type: Militaristic, Honorable, Mercantile


    Specialties:  Specialty One: Particle Weapons


    Specialty Two: Superior Capital ship Designs


    Specialty Three: Hyperspace Engines


    Unique Technologies:


    Notes: The Toral are a long-time Rival of the Valorian Confederation. In recent years relations between the two have become rather tense. Unchecked piracy on the border being one of the chief concerns of the Toral Confederacy. In addition several skirmishs have occured along the borders of the Toral and the Valorian peoples. A war may perhaps be inevitable.


    The Malora


    Faction Type: Established Hierarchy


    Governmental Structure: Monarchy


    Cultural Type: Militaristic, Opportunistic


    Specialties:   Specialty One: Disrupters


    Specialty Two: Electronic Countermeasures


    Specialty Three: Disrupter Missiles


    Specialty Four: Ion Cannons


    Unique Technologies:


    Notes: The Malora are one of several races that share a border with the Valorian Trade Confederation. Highly accomplished with sprawling industries and a vast military they are one of the more powerful races in the area. The Malora and the Toral have a long history with each other. One marked with a number of conflicts and rivalries.


    Ik¡¯til Hives:


    Faction Type: Established Hive Governmental Structure: Hivemind


    Culture Type: Isolationist


    Specialties:   Specialty One: Advanced Hyperdrives


    Specialty Two: Hyperspace Missiles


    Specialty Three: Multi-spatial Sensors


    Specialty Four: Hyperspace Communications


    Unique technologies: Hyperspatial Psionic Relays


    Notes: The Ik¡¯til are a hive-minded race of insectoids. Known for the most advanced hyperdrives on this side of the galaxy. Outside of that little is known of them as they tend to keep to themselves. They are also quite peaceful as long as you don¡¯t provoke them. Most tend to avoid them since they are quite deadly when provoked.


    Vok Alliance:


    Faction Type: Young Federation


    Government Structure: Military Republic


    Culture Type: Multi-racial, Militant


    Specialties:  Specialty One: Disruptors


    Specialty Two: Photonic Weapons


    Specialty Three: Aggressive Recruiting


    Specialty Four: Multi-racial Accommodation and Support


    Notes: The Vok alliance formed under the same circumstances as the Reylar coalition. They share similar goals with somewhat different methods.


    Wovnar Queendoms Faction Type: Young Matriarchy


    Government structure: Theocratic Union of Monarchs


    Culture Type: Matriarchal, Religious, Diplomatic, Primal


    Specialties:  Specialty One: Superior Agricultural Techniques


    Specialty Two: Advanced Terraforming


    Specialty Three: Planetary Engineering


    Specialty Four: Bioscience


    Specialty Five: Bioship Engineering


    Unique Technologies: Bio-Shock Projectors


    Notes: The Wovnar are one of the more unique races in this part of the galaxy. They are quite well known for their policies of aggressive defense, they don¡¯t often declare war but they will aggressively defend their territory. In the past they were quite militant. The Wovnar are also highly religious with unique customs and are known for not wearing clothes. A fact that makes their relations with the Valorians somewhat interesting. Unlike most spacefaring powers they also maintain strong beliefs in their gods. These beliefs affect all aspects of their society. They conduct a number of interesting rituals each year. All of which honor their gods. Also of note in regard to their religion is that they value life itself. They also put a great deal of stock in a simple life. The Wovnar are also highly accomplished in the biological sciences to the point that they use it in all aspects of their society.


    Additional Notes: This faction cannot build ships. Instead they grow them. The Wovnar species has an unusually high growth rate, leading to very populous worlds.


    The Wovnar do not adapt to alien environments. They adapt the environment to suit them.

 Chapter Ninety-One Did you feel something?

    Richards pulled lightly on the top of the old conduit and with a soft pop it came out. She was doing maintenance on the relays in this section. Sure she could have given the task to anyone else, but she liked doing things herself whenever she could. It made her feel like she was actually getting things done. Her work crews were still waiting on parts for the armor, so other systems were getting work done. They didn¡¯t need much. The nice thing about modern technology was that it tended to hold up fairly well to the rigors of regular use, but it still needed looking after. Especially after a battle or any other use case where extreme abuses may have occurred.


    With an upcoming engine test in the works, Richards had decided to do a complete diagnostic and inspection of the ship¡¯s engines. She had crews all over the ship conducting inspections, while the computer did its job. That was also what brought her to this little section, of the port nacelle. A diagnostic had revealed that the one engine was getting less power than it should. Barely enough to be noticeable, a power loss of less than a point. One she had traced to this section of conduit.


    Looking over the section she popped out, she visually inspected it and soon found the problem. Some minor scorching on one side of the conduit, previously hidden from her. She looked back at Misaki who she had roped into accompanying her. The younger girl seemed a bit uncomfortable in her skin suit as it clung tightly to her curves and hid nothing. Personally she didn¡¯t think it was that big of a deal, but she found the way the young operations officer was fidgeting quite cute. ¡°Looks like I found the problem. A damaged conduit section that was missed.¡±


    Misaki took it and looked it over. ¡°Wait? Do you mean this conduit has been sitting here unnoticed for two years?


    Richards nodded, ¡°Um yes, just about.¡±


    ¡°So how bad is the damage?¡±


    ¡°Not that bad, that conduit is functional. Just slightly degraded after being cooked. I¡¯ll send it down to be repaired and it will be put back into our spare parts inventory.¡±


    ¡°Its salvageable?¡±


    Richards nodded as she went about replacing it with a spare she had on hand, ¡°Quite. More often than not, replaced parts are patched and put back into circulation. Modern hardware holds up quite well to abuse.¡±


    Misaki started to say something. When the floor shook underneath them. She vocalized her surpise and Richards yelped herself a moment later when her head hit the corner of the access.


    As she rubbed her head, Misaki commented, ¡°What was that?¡±


    Richards frowned, ¡°That didn¡¯t feel like turbulence. I think something hit us.¡±


    <hr>


    Sali lifted a crate and stacked it onto the bed of the grav cart. Next to her a young man she was getting to know said, ¡°So there I was. Big scaly bastard just meters away and all I had was a bolt driver.¡±


    For the past few minutes she had been working while listening to his story. Apparently, he used to be a factory worker on some world called Mars. At the moment he was describing his experience at the factory during the invasion. So far he had told her how his normal day had gone suddenly sideways.


    ¡°So what did you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Well, I only had that bolt driver and he was between me and the exit. I saw him first, but he had actual armor and one of those big plasma guns the bastards like to lug around. So I dived behind a nearby machine. I knew it well enough to know there was an open access conduit in the shadows. I slipped into it and watched him. Thankfully I wasn¡¯t noticed,¡± he paused, ¡°my coworker on other hand wasn¡¯t so lucky. Poor Bob chose that moment to come around the corner. He didn¡¯t have time to even blink before the bastard blew his legs clean off.¡±


    Stepping away to pick up another crate she blinked, ¡°He killed Bob?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no Bob survived, minus both legs of course. Spent two weeks in a nano bath.¡±


    Recalling her own memories with nanites, she shuddered. ¡°Poor Bob.¡±


    As she was lifting the slightly heavy crate full of ore, her new friend said, ¡°Yeah Bob was having a bad day, but the lizard¡¯s day was even worse.¡±


    Holding the crate, she turned to ask what he meant, when the floor shook on her. Startled she dropped the crate and yelped when it landed on her toes.


    A moment later, she was rubbing her toes and inquiring, ¡°What was that?¡±


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Her coworker shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it felt like something hit us.¡±


    <hr>


    Williams slipped into the room. Behind her the guard closed the door giving her the proper privacy for this meeting. It had taken some probing first for her to decided who to approach. Many of the ship¡¯s officers were already firmly behind that cursed machine. Prominent members on the council including Richards, both of the Greymans, Ruri, Renyolds and Drakes. Basically he had full control of the ship¡¯s science and engineering divisions and prominent influence with the captains of all three ships. She had also done some probing with Reynold¡¯s staff, but found no openings.


    It was quite clear that the current leadership would need some... rearranging once she got that machine out of the way. First she would need some more influence in the right place. For that she had first thought of General Forrest, but the man was a firm supporter of that cursed machine. A shame too, since he had quite a bit of influence that would have helped her speed things along.


    Instead she had to work with people much lower on the chain. Since not even first officer¡¯s like Commander Dykes on the Coto would support her. Another shame since if she had an opening there, she might have been able to get more influence in the right place. It was frustrating how well that machine had built his deck. All the best cards seemed to be in his hands, but she had found an opening.


    Smiling, she spoke to the man inside. He was large and didn¡¯t spend as much time as the other marine commanders on the training field. ¡°Commander Jameson, a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±


    He chuckled and gestured for her to sit. ¡°So Commander Williams, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡±


    She settled into the chair, ¡°I want to discuss matters of leadership. Care to share your thoughts on that machine?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°I think he should have stuck to research.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. So you won¡¯t oppose him being removed.¡±


    ¡°That depends. What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    She leaned forward, ¡°Well there isn¡¯t much opportunity for advancement here, and lets be honest you should have been a general by now. Instead you¡¯ve been demoted to commander and stuck here. How would you like to be a general?¡±


    The man smiled, ¡°oh? I¡¯m listening. What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Well, its become abundantly clear that I can¡¯t effect proper change through the usual channels. I was hoping for your support when the time comes.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. Any idea how soon that will be?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid circumstances require me to move carefully, the machine has eyes everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I can wait. Just don¡¯t take too long.¡± he replied.


    She was about to respond when suddenly the floor shook beneath her. The general¡¯s cup tumbled from the table and splashed her with cold water.


    Williams cursed, ¡°What is that damn machine doing now!?¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped out of the lounge. His stay at the lounge had been fairly pleasant and informative. While he had any number of methods to keep an eye on Williams, he still took advantage of traditional sources. It certainly helped ensure he didn¡¯t miss anything. Like her recent meeting with Commander Yuron and the one she was about to have with Commander Jameson. It was only two data points, but those points alone were enough to show a pattern.


    She was trying to take control of the military and that could mean only one thing. Williams was planning a mutiny. Countryman wasn¡¯t surprised, he knew she was going to do so from day one. It was only a matter of time. Countryman considered the implications.


    It was dangerous, but he could ignore her movements. Allow her to position her pieces and start her mutiny. There were certain advantages to that. It would allow him to flush out all potential rogue elements and eliminate them. Still that didn¡¯t quite sit right with him. It was too risky to just ignore, but the idea of allowing her to start her mutiny? There was value in that.


    Countryman had already made a few moves that would help secure his position and weaken hers. There were more moves he could make. It would be best to slow her down, control her movements. Countryman couldn¡¯t allow her to make her move on anything other than his own terms. He smiled. Let her have the commanders. They were unimportant. He only needed a few key officers, but there was more to consider.


    Williams had made a mistake. She just didn¡¯t know it yet. With that in mind, her turned left. Making his way down the corridor. A new destination in mind. He needed to maintain his current level of support. Few regimes lasted long without the people. Something Williams didn¡¯t seem to understand. Maybe if she had another century she might come to see that, but she was too set in her ways. Too far down the trap to turn back. She could do nothing else. It was not the first time he had seen something like this. Sometimes people become too set in a mindset. Trapped by their own codes and moral frameworks, that their own beliefs become a poison not only to themselves but to others.


    This was especially true of certain religions and philosophies. The Age of Fools was one such example where certain destructive mindsets became commonplace. They didn¡¯t seem destructive, in fact, that was their power. These mindsets were incredibly alluring. People all over the world were pulled in by their seductive words and once in they were trapped. Unable to leave and many refused to even see the dangers of the mindset they had adopted.


    Naturally such a state could not last forever and eventually they pushed too far. Driven by the poison they had adopted. What followed was blood and fire. A number of eruptions and purges occured in the later years of the age. In the end, those fools created the state of affairs that led to the third world war and the death of billions. Williams wasn¡¯t around then, but it was all too clear that she would lead them into another age of fools if given the chance.


    Suddenly the floor rocked beneath him. He blinked, as his line of thought changed. Countryman needed to get to the bridge. With that thought in mind, he changed course heading for the lift. Something must have hit them.

 Chapter Ninety-Two Cloak? What Cloaking Device?

    May 15, 002 SDE is historically significant as it represents Humanity¡¯s first encounter with true cloaking technology, but Humankind have long been versed in stealth and counter-stealth technologies. The idea of a cloaking device was never alien to them. Perhaps if it was the result of this encounter might have been different.


    <hr>


    The young woman blinked. The alien hull plating was unscathed, not even a scratch. She couldn¡¯t believe it. Railguns were dated weapons to be sure, and the Voskar were the only power in the region to make widescale doctrinal use of them in the modern age. There was a reason for that, Railguns didn¡¯t perform well against shielded targets and were logistically expensive. Regardless a high-density, hypervelocity round could still do a lot of damage to an unsuspecting target and ships often sailed with shields down when not expecting a battle. The alien ship technically had her shields up, but preliminary observations had indicated these were soft shields. A projectile would have gone right through it and what she saw proved that hypothesis. Not only that, but they had observed the ship take several micrometeoroid impacts without damage.


    That wasn¡¯t too shocking, most interstellar vessels were built to take a certain amount of punishment. It was expected that starship armor could serve as a final line of protection against environmental hazards and weapons fire. It often didn¡¯t do much against the latter, although it did help against torpedoes and railgun rounds. What was surprising was that this ship¡¯s armor was unscathed by a volley of hypervelocity armor-piercing rounds. These were 55.9 cm armor-piercing rounds with a mass of some 3000 kilograms and accelerated to C-fractional velocities. Each round was also filled with a small amount of explosive filler that would detonate with a force of several hundred kilotons after impact. That was a massive amount of energy and no armor she had ever seen could withstand it. Even if it resisted penetration, the subsequent detonation would often fracture plating. There wasn¡¯t any damage at all, to be seen.


    Someone spoke, ¡°Sir, the Refuge ship has powered her weapon systems.¡±


    She blinked, surely they couldn¡¯t see ¡®em, could they? They were cloaked.


    A second later several alarms went off as the sensors reported a high energy burst. Before she could ask, someone answered.


    ¡°That was a high-energy sensor sweep. Cloaking shields remain stable. I don¡¯t believe we have been detected.¡± just as they said that, a second burst occurred.


    ¡°Another sweep, different band.¡±


    The woman turned to the helmsman, ¡°New course heading one one four mark two eight. Increase speed to one-quarter sublight.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. New heading one one four mark two eight. Increasing speed to one-quarter sublight.¡±


    <hr>


    Greyman felt the ship rock. Something had hit them. A conclusion that was quickly confirmed and while he had no doubt Captain Countryman would already be on the way to the bridge, he was in command.


    He gave his first set of orders, ¡°Sound General Quarters. Bring all weapons online and locate whoever took a shot at us!¡±


    Misaki wasn¡¯t here, so her replacement answered, ¡°Aye, sir! Sounding Battlestations. No ships on sensors, starting sensor sweep.¡±


    The man paused, after a moment he reported, ¡°No ships detected, trying a high energy sweep.¡± a pause, ¡°I¡¯m getting something, indeterminate.¡±


    ¡°Try a different band,¡± ordered Greyman.


    ¡°No effect, trying another,¡± a pause, ¡°Again no effect.¡±


    Kaori the tactical officer on station interjected, ¡°Sir? If I may?¡±


    ¡°Go on?¡±


    ¡°Might I suggest something similar to an old-fashioned laser sweep? It would only take a moment to reconfigure the cutting beam arrays to fire a wide-band particle stream. Any stealth vessel would be illuminated¡±


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    She turned to her console and input her commands, after a moment she said, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Commence a lateral sweep,¡± ordered Greyman


    <hr>


    As her ship was pulling away, she noted the ship give out another high-energy sensor burst. On a different band. It was obvious they had overstayed their welcome and if they didn¡¯t get out of here fast, they would be discovered.


    Something she saw was proved when her officer on sensors shouted, ¡°Sir? I¡¯m reading an energy build up across their lateral weapon mounts.¡±


    Her mind blinked. They¡¯ve been discovered already? An order for shields already on her lips, she was surprised again when the arrays fired. The alien ship lit up with blue energy in a wide arc as it swept around the alien vessel. She barely had time to comprehend what happened before the alien ship started shooting.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Shadow Dancer, destroyed. Shadow¡¯s Shield Destroyed, Fist of Mir destroyed,¡± came the automated reports. As she shouted, ¡°Shields!¡±


    Just in time too as a moment later, her shield array lit up like a beacon. The ship shuddered under the impact, but she had no time to ask what happened. As another impact followed by another hit her. The shields straining, under the barrage.


    ¡°Sir! Our shields are buckling!¡±


    ¡°Hull breach! Decks 2, 4, and seven!¡±


    ¡°Plasma fires! Deck 2 section 47!


    The reports kept pouring in. ¡°Emergency jump! NOW!¡± she shouted.


    Something screamed, there was a shudder in the hull. Someone shouted, ¡°Shields have failed!¡±


    The ship literally groaned, as her world distorted moments before every alarm on the ship went off. The next thing she knew, she was picking herself off the floor blood pouring down her face, she croaked ¡°status report!¡±


    It was slow but a moment later someone reported, ¡°Main and secondary shields offline, life support has failed on decks 4, 5,6,7 and 8. Hull breaches on decks 2, 4 seven and eight. Emergency force shields are holding Engineering sections are nonresponsive. All primary sublight drives nonresponsive, main power is out. Main hyperdrive module is offline. Fire control for main guns is offline. Main computer core, nonresponsive. 13 crewman reported dead. Another 27 remain unaccounted for. Minor injuries reported on all decks. Plasma fires reported on decks two and three. Damage control teams are attempting to contain them.¡±


    She was silent for a moment. Finally everything clicked and she had just one question, ¡°By the lords! What did they hit us with?¡±


    ¡°High-yield charged particle bolts, they ripped through our shields and armor like it was nothing. Another a second and we would have been destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Did any other ship make it out?¡±


    ¡°...Negative, I¡¯m not picking up their beacons.¡±


    They were lucky, yet she didn¡¯t feel that lucky. On a different note, they had been able to confirm that this Refuge was a major threat to the Voskar. In under a minute they had wiped out an entire squadron. Nine ships and their crews lost to the void. Her own ship heavily damaged. Yet she was still left with one more question. ¡°How did these aliens see through the cloak so fast?¡±


    ¡°Based on our readings just before they opened fire, they saturated the entire area with highly charged particles. Our cloaking shields lit up like a beacon, anyone would have been able to see us for half a lightyear.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Charged particles?¡±


    ¡°It was a highly intense burst which saturated the cloaking shields so quickly they couldn¡¯t compensate.¡±


    Glancing around her damaged bridge and hearing that, she realized that as bad as this was. They needed to get back and soon. This encounter had revealed a weakness in their cloaking technology. If it wasn¡¯t fixed and others learned of it? It would be bad.  The apparent immunity of Refuge armor to railguns was interesting as well, but not nearly as threatening. The solution was simple, they were going to need bigger guns.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped onto the bridge. The red lights of battlestations were still flashing, but the bridge didn¡¯t seem that crazy. No one was at the command station, but before he could take a step towards his chair he heard, ¡°Scan complete sir. I¡¯m detecting no more stealth vessels in the area.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, stand down battlestations,¡± ordered Greyman.


    Countryman seeing things were already handled bypassed his chair and took the stairs to the lower level where he found Greyman. ¡°So what is this about stealth ships?¡±


    Greyman turned, ¡°Ah, Captain. Ten alien stealth cruisers opened fire on us. I eliminated nine of them but the last one escaped via hyperspace.¡±


    ¡°Excellent work commander. Were you able to identify who they belong to?¡±


    ¡°Afraid not. I have the Krall and Cathamari databases being checked but so far no matches.¡±


    The man at ops, looked up, ¡°I¡¯ve been scanning the ships. Can you believe that they shot at us with railguns?¡±


    ¡°Railguns? Don¡¯t see those that often.¡±


    ¡°Fairly big rounds too, 55.9 centimeters. Much larger than anything we¡¯ve ever mounted on a ship, naval vessels included.¡±


    Countryman nodded, he knew what he was referring to. In the colonial wars the largest guns ever mounted on a starship were only 38.1 centimeters, whereas naval vessels have historically mounted larger. Of course those big guns only started coming in after the advent of gravity plating. Prior to that, they weren¡¯t needed as most ships couldn¡¯t mount much in the way of good armor. As back then ships maintained gravity via bulky and fragile gravity rings. A 12.7 cm round was more than enough back then and easy to adapt to starship mounts since there was a lot of production for such rounds already in place. It was a very popular round for naval vessels. So very little retooling was needed to use the round in space. Not only that, but being smaller meant a ship could carry more of them than a bigger caliber.


    He also knew why they started using bigger rounds. As ships got bigger with thicker armor, the need for a larger shell became apparent. So while many powers started using lasers, other colonies just went for bigger guns. There had been a lot of competition and debate between which was better a laser or a big gun? Well today that debate was now between particle cannons and lasers. Large guns in the end fell out of favor in the same way many old concepts did, economics. A laser or particle cannon just made more logistical sense and they were proving to be just as effective or more so against modern defenses.


    ¡°Well it seems someone found an application for them. Although why not just use a torpedo?¡±


    Greyman shrugged, ¡°I¡¯d ask them, but the only ones still alive got away.¡±


    ¡°Survey the wreckage and then send a salvage team. Perhaps the debris will give us some answers. I for one would like to know why they took a shot at us.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯ll get right on that sir.¡±

 Chapter Ninety-Three Cloaking Fields and New Data

    Sali watched the latest shuttle land. It was starting to become fairly routine. Right now she was in the observation bay with her fellow work crew. This room overlooked the hanger bay and was fairly close to the landing area. Not only that but it was fairly comfy and not subject to decompression. Making it a great place to wait. They¡¯d already carted the last of the previous shipment off to the refineries. Leaving them with a bit of downtime. She¡¯d ended up using it to watch the bay. It was quite interesting, a view into how her people might have conducted hanger operations before they developed airskin shielding.


    Behind her, she heard a ringing sound as someone tried to get their attention. ¡°Alright boys and girls. We have a new shipment coming in. This time from a salvage crew. We are transferring the materials to the lab for study.¡±


    She blinked as she listened. Salvage? Not ore? That was interesting. So she started paying more attention as the speaker detailed the protocols. A review for most of the people here, but something new for her. Sali had never handled salvage before. As such she was quite thankful for the lecture, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t the only one who needed it. That wasn¡¯t too much of a surprise to her. Some of the people here had only recently signed on to the job. Apparently, it paid good credits and for one reason or another, they needed the money.


    Before long the lecture ended and they filed out into the hangar. The bay doors were closed again, the bay once again pressurized. Several shuttles were landed their rear cargo doors open, for ease of offloading and she could see their holds full of debris this time and not the usual mix of ore. Grabbing some gloves, she moved right into her role with no prompting needed. Sali knew exactly where she was supposed to be at this point and soon started talking with a friend as she pulled the first crate of shattered metal off the shuttle.


    ¡°So where did all this salvage come from? I thought we were mining.¡±


    The man chuckled, ¡°Well remember when we were talking about poor Bob and the floor shook?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yeah a crate landed on my toes.¡±


    Thankfully the things were surprisingly light considering each crate was packed with ore. Yet she might as well have stubbed her toe for all the damage that did. It was more surprising at the time than anything else.


    He responded, ¡°Well something hit us then. Its the talk of the ship at this point. Some idiots took potshots at us with railguns. No idea why, it didn¡¯t do them any good.¡±


    She took another look at the debris in her arms. That seemed like a poor life choice. Well it wasn¡¯t her problem. With that in mind, she changed the subject.


    <hr>


    Ruri looked over the screen. This was very interesting. She had been reviewing the sensor logs. It was the best she could do without the debris, which she was expecting soon. Behind her the door opened and she looked back to see several officers entering the room. Including Jac and his new Valorian advisors. Greyman wasn¡¯t here, likely on the bridge, but she was happy to see Richards was here.


    Jac came over, and inquired, ¡°What have you found so far?¡±


    ¡°Not much. There is no exact match in the database, but I was able to identify a possible origin for the vessels.¡±


    As she spoke, Vera looked over the console, she frowned, ¡°Aren¡¯t those Voskar ships?¡±


    Sali replied, ¡°There does seem to be a fair amount of correlation. I suspect we are looking at a newer or less well-known class of Voskar Stealth cruiser. If not for the size, I¡¯d classify it as a Bird of Prey.¡±


    All three Valorians commented, ¡°Bird of Prey?¡±


    Jac told them, ¡°A type of stealth frigate, typically equipped with high caliber spinal mount guns. They are noted for being very agile, stealthy and thanks to their firepower they could hit like a truck. Of course something did have to be sacrificed. Ships of the archetype had fewer turrets and weaker armor, making them poorly suited for slugging matches. They did excel at raider and skirmisher roles however and they were very affordable to build. We employed them in large numbers in the past. I can show you a few designs later, in the meantime we have a few stealth cruisers to discuss.¡±


    Vera commented, ¡°I¡¯m surprised you were able to detect them. Their cloaking shields are renowned as the best in the quadrant. Even our most advanced sensors have trouble penetrating their cloaks.¡±


    Ruri commented, ¡°We aren¡¯t unfamiliar with stealth tech, their approach is... Different, but not without weaknesses.¡±


    Richards looked a little lost, as Jac said, ¡°I noticed, but I haven¡¯t really had time to review what they were doing.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either,¡± said Ruri, ¡°Some kind of energy field surrounding their ships serves to distort light and all known forms of detection. Rendering the ships effectively invisible. Very different from what we do.¡±


    Vera spoke up, ¡°The Voskar cloaking device is widely believed to be some kind of specialized shield. Studies on salvaged examples seem to corroborate this. The device produces a barrier around the equipped ship that selectively distorts light and sensor signals around the ship. Actively preventing detection. We know that the process is very energy intensive and takes up most of their power reserves while cloaked. I¡¯m still interested in how you managed to penetrate it though.¡±


    Jac smiled, ¡°Commander Greyman used a very simple method. A particle sweep. In the past we found that bombarding a vessel with high energy photons or particles will illuminate it. The same was true for cloaked Voskar ships, when hit with a sweep their cloaking fields lit up like beacons.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°You are sharing that with us?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t work on the Enterprise, we stopped using it against modern vessels. Favoring instead modulated spatial pulses which are less likely to be absorbed or dispersed by advanced stealth plating. Still we keep the option since it does have value in some cases as evidenced here.¡±


    Richards finally interjected, ¡°So any idea why they took a shot at us?¡±


    Jac shrugged, Ruri didn¡¯t have anything to say either. It was Reia who gave an answer, ¡°The Voskar are known to launch attacks with little to no provocation, but the Zah system is fairly out of their reach.¡±


    Her sister nodded, ¡°True, but I¡¯ve never known them to attack something so large. Then again most large vessels have more escorts than the Enterprise.¡±


    Richards frowned, ¡°So I ended up hitting my head while buried in the Nacelle systems because someone just wanted to take a shot at us? For no reason!?¡±


    Reia nodded then frowned, ¡°You know what are those Nacelles for anyway? They seem rather vulnerable to weapons fire and odd on a warship.¡±


    Richards replied, ¡°They are actually quite thickly armored. They mount our secondary maneuvering engines and all four of our warp engines.¡±


    Neira interjected, ¡°All four? In two housings?¡±


    ¡°Well we did experiment with mounting warp engines in the primary hull, but that was found problematic. They are very dangerous pieces of equipment. They put out a ton of heat while in operation and require significant cooling systems or they will burn a hole in the hull. Even with the cooling systems anyone close to the engines will find themselves baking. We found it was much safer for the crew for them to be further away. Along with a number of other practical advantages.¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°I understand. Plenty of similar cases in our own ship design. Just perhaps not as distinctive as yours. Although I do have to ask, what were you doing in there?¡±


    ¡°Maintenance, with the engines offline now is the perfect time to do some work in there. Its not exactly a good idea to try and work on them while they are running. If you know what I mean.¡±


    Vera commented, ¡°I think we all do and we seem to have drifted from the main topic.¡±


    ¡°Yes the Voskar. Seeing as they took shots at us, anything we need to know?¡±


    Reia seemed about to speak, but Neira spoke up first, ¡°I¡¯ve had a few dealings, often as a competitor for one contract or another. I have fought a couple of their ships. For the most part, Voskar ships ain¡¯t that impressive. Weak shields, and outdated weapons. Well mostly outdated, they do have one weapon of note.¡±


    ¡°What weapon is that?¡±


    ¡°Their Hypernova torpedoes, but I wouldn¡¯t worry about them.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°The Hypernova torpedo is very powerful, it creates a powerful multispatial shockwave on detonation. One powerful enough to crack a planet. They first tested the devices almost a century ago and within a year they were at war with the Krall Imperium. A year after that, they signed the Treaty of Avaris. That treaty ended that war, but its terms also restricted both the development and usage of Hypernova torpedoes.¡±


    Ruri shared a look with Jac and then Jac asked, ¡°Avaris? I¡¯m not familar...¡±


    ¡°I doubt you would, its a Voskar core world, and a hundred years ago the seat of the Voskar government.¡±


    ¡°Their capital?¡±


    ¡°At the time, yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. Sounds like the war didn¡¯t go very well for them.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t, most of their core worlds were occupied within a year. There is a reason most powers have a healthy respect for the Krall. As for the Voskar, they are strong, but they rely heavily on their stealth. Without it, they don¡¯t do well. Since then they have only gotten better with their cloaking devices.¡±


    Jac shifted his stance, ¡°I¡¯ll need what you know on cloaking and their borders. So we can steer clear. I¡¯d rather not deal with them.¡±


    ¡°I prefer to avoid their space when I can as well. I¡¯ll give you what systems I do know. As for their cloaking fields? Not much to say.¡±


    Vera spoke up then, ¡°I can give you what data I have on it. Its not much, but it might help.¡±


    Ruri smiled, she was getting excited. She couldn¡¯t wait to start looking over all the debris and the Valorian data. It was at that moment that there was a knock. The doors opened with a work crew coming in. Bringing with them the first pieces of alien wreckage.

 Chapter Ninety-Four Secrets of the Zah System

    Ruri turned to her console. It had just beeped. They had been studying the debris for the past couple of hours. Well most of them were. Sali and Reia had both been arguing with each other since they saw each other. It had been enough of a drama that Neira decided to leave, but Vera had stayed to help. Countryman was also still in the room, taking some keen interest in the project. She was happy about that. He was one of the few minds that could understand her without her having to dumb things down.


    She smiled, as she saw what came in.


    ¡°Anything interesting?¡±


    ¡°Just an update on the Sega-based weaponry project.¡±


    Vera looked up, ¡°you mentioned that before. What are you doing anyway?¡±


    She tapped a few keys and a simulation appeared up on the bigger screen in this part of the lab, ¡°May I present the Electro-Plasma Torpedo. Utilizing a sega-based flux field and based on electro cannon technology, I have created a new kind of energy torpedo. One highly effective verse shields and unlike standard Electro cannons, theses EP torpedoes can be mounted on a fighter frame. In theory anyway. I¡¯m still working out the details and kinks.¡±


    She paused then pressed a few more keys to present another simulation, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to call this one yet. This one takes a photon detonation, contains it in a flux field and uses spatial projectors to hurl these bolts at a target. Interesting, has advantages. Not as useful as the other. Same vein as the first project though.¡±


    Then she tapped and presented a third simulation, ¡°More interestingly, I have found a way to use sega particles to increase the range of our electro cannons. As you can see here, not only do they have a range increase of about 30%, but they also deliver more energy to the target as the Sega particles help contain the beam and reduce beam power loss. As a result the beam shows a massive increase in effective range, by nearly double.¡±


    Countryman blinked as he looked over her data, ¡°Impressive, how long before you can implement this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to enter prototyping with the final project now. I expect to have a working mark II cannon in six weeks, possibly less.¡±


    Reia and Sali exchanged looks and then Reia said, ¡°You are doing weapons development here?¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°I wasn¡¯t supposed to be here for this was I?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Perhaps not, but nothing to be done about it now.¡±


    Before much more could be said, the Intercom rang.


    ¡°Sorry to disturb you sir, but the Coto just sent in her report from the Zah flyby mission.¡±


    ¡°I take it they found something?¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir and they want to go back, they are en-route for a rendezvous and are requesting that we prepare class seven probes and an insertion shuttle with the same armor rating and enhanced radiation shielding.¡±


    Countryman blinked, but before he could say anything Reia inquired, ¡°Class seven probes?¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°We use a number of different probe types, each divided into numbered catagories we refer to as classes. Class seven probes are designed for the hostile conditions of a stellar environment, specifically that of a solar atmosphere.¡±


    Vera blinked, ¡°The shielding for that would have to be insane, nothing can survive the conditions found inside a star.¡±


    ¡°You would be correct about that. We never were able to actually reach the solar interior, but getting something to survive in the atmosphere of a star wasn¡¯t so impossible. A class seven probe can survive the intense conditions of a stellar atmosphere far longer than any starship. Very useful for stellar surveys, which they are designed for.¡±


    Vera shifted, ¡°How long?¡±


    ¡°For the Zah star? I doubt the Enterprise would last more than twenty minutes inside the lethal zone but a class seven probe would last at least two maybe three hours before her specialized defense systems begin to fail.¡±


    ¡°And they can survive that? Impressive. Why would the Coto want them and an insertion shuttle though? I can guess with the probes, they are expendable, but the shuttle?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Not like they used to be. Class seven probes are expensive and not so easily replaced these days. Same thing with the shuttle they want.¡±


    ¡°So what did they find that is worth that kind of equipment.¡±


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Ruri who had been reading away at her console interjected, ¡°An alien station. They were getting mass reading inconsistencies when they first arrived in close orbit. An analysis of those readings revealed the station in close orbit of the star.¡±


    ¡°A station? Who would...¡±


    ¡°Just imagine the shields on that thing! We have to look!¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°Intriguing. Might be worth a look. With the appropriate precautions that is.¡±


    Reia interjected, ¡°Does that mean you plan to supply the equipment?¡±


    ¡°I will approve it, yes. The mission is risky, but not without potential rewards.¡± then he turned towards Sali. There were things to talk about with the young lady.


    <hr>


    May 18th, 002 SDE, 1340 hours:


    The door slid open silently. Revealing a dark alien corridor. The young man tightened his grip on his rifle as he surveyed the corridor, before giving the all clear. His team had just been deployed from the Coto, which was holding a position above the station. The destroyer would only be able to stay there for a brief time before she would have to withdraw and recharge her shields. Until that time they would be free to communicate with the ship and relay their findings. He glanced at the mission clock, it was 1341 hours now, the ship was briefed as having to withdraw at 1520 hours. A little over an hour and a half from now. Not a lot of time.


    A moment later a second figure joined him at the entrance and looked down the hall. ¡°And I thought the Coto was poorly lit, damn,¡± said a female voice over the comms.


    ¡°Scanners ain¡¯t picking much up either. Looks like the station is in a low-power mode. No lights, no life support, no secondary systems.¡±


    ¡°Great, guess we are keeping the helmets.¡±


    He nodded and glanced back as the rest of the team started boarding. They had brought equipment for this mission. Scanners, portable computer modules, scout drones, and of course everyone was outfitted with personal armor and armed. The weapons were hopefully not needed. Ship sensors didn¡¯t detect any life signs and the lack of life support seemed to support that, but that didn¡¯t mean there were no threats on the station.


    Good thing they thought to bring armor. It certainly made him feel safer and who wouldn¡¯t? Encased in his armor, he was well protected against most threats and he could lift a truck if he wanted. It even came with an independent life support system. Serving to protect him against all sorts of environmental threats and it also meant he didn¡¯t need to worry about the lack of breathable air on the station. Glancing at the scanner, he noted the composition, largely nitrogen and argon with trace amounts of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Temperatures on the station were fairly high, over fifty degrees C. Not that he felt it, his suit kept him at a nice comfortable temperature. Something he was more immediately grateful for.


    Radiation levels were thankfully low. The station¡¯s shielding evidently playing a role. So he didn¡¯t have to worry about that. Between the alien station and his suit¡¯s protection, he would be fine. ¡°At least our suits are keeping us cool, the station is quite warm. I don¡¯t relish the idea of baking out in that heat.¡±


    The woman nodded, ¡°I guess we have that going for us.¡±


    At that moment the team leader interjected, ¡°Okay people, you know the drill. Get into your squads and follow the plan. I want reports every ten minutes.¡±


    A moment later a third person joined him and his little group set out. They were tasked with being on point, which meant scouting duty. Meaning they were the poor sods, elected to take the risks. This was going to be fun! As long as they didn¡¯t get fried, shot at, or something. Picking a direction, the three of them set out.


    <hr>


    The trio pulled open another pair of doors and swept the room. Like every other room on the path, it was dark. One might expect a thick layer of dust as well, but this was a station. Not a ground-side facility, so there wasn¡¯t any. The room was furnished with a table and several counters. Alien machinery occupied a corner. As usual, they saw nothing resembling a chair.


    They took a brief scan and then moved to leave the room. Just as the lights flickered and then steadily came on. ¡°Hmm, looks like someone found the light switch.¡±


    ¡°Seems like it and we might know who in a minute or so. Let''s check the next room.¡±


    As it would turn out the next room was some sort of computer room. With alien consoles and screens. All of them were active, seemed like the lights coming on had revived the consoles as well. They reported the active consoles and soon got to work setting up an interface and attempting to translate the ancient alien language. Something that took time, but thankfully they did have one person with the training needed for the job.


    <hr>


    1510 hours:


    He shifted as he watched the symbols shifting on the screen. By now the console was in thirty-something pieces, while a network of their own devices interfaced with it. The symbols were a mix of alien and familiar. Nothing he could read, seeing as it wasn¡¯t English. Figures the tech they got was better versed in Japanese than English.


    Suddenly the screen flickered and then shifted entirely into the more familiar Japanese. The tech shifted from the floor and started looking over the alien text.


    He took a breath and inquired, ¡°So what did we find?¡±


    ¡°It seems to be an alien lab. Our alien friends were conducting high-energy research. Drawing power from the star and harnessing it for something. Some of the files seem corrupted, there is missing data. I¡¯m going to download a copy of this. It might be useful later.¡±


    He nodded. That sounded like a plan. The man wasn¡¯t a scientist, he was a soldier, but he had been around enough scientists to know a few hot words. High-energy research could be a lot of things, but anything involving stars was big stuff. He figured this could have been someone¡¯s nuclear bomb project. Only with the star aspect, it would make those bombs look like firecrackers. He could just picture the scientists drooling over the data. They had just hit pay dirt, he had no doubts about that.


    Then the comms activated, ¡°Uh, guys? We found something.¡±


    The man blinked. That didn¡¯t sound good. Not with the way it was mentioned. What he learned a moment later only confirmed the feeling.

 Chapter Ninety-Five Ancient Relics

    May 18th, 002 SDE, 1533 hours; Location Ancient Alien Station in low orbit of the Zah star:


    The young man walked into the room, his rifle tightly grasped. All around him were alien pods. Dozens of them, each one a potential threat. The rest of his squad followed behind him. The data they had found had been downloaded as quickly as possible, and they rushed here to assist.


    A young woman approached, ¡°Creepy, isn¡¯t it? All these bird people in pods.¡±


    ¡°Are they a threat?¡±


    Someone else interjected, ¡°The pod shielding isn¡¯t too thick. I was able to take some scans. So far all of these aliens are technically alive, but I¡¯m not sure that means much.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, someone has removed their brains. Some are missing other organs as well.¡±


    He shuddered, ¡°Their brains? Why would anyone remove a brain?¡±


    ¡°I can make a few guesses, but sadly there isn¡¯t any way to know for sure. Of course whoever did this were real bastards.¡±


    The man glanced over the alien bird people in pods, ¡°Agreed, but I think we just found a reason to be far more cautious here.¡±


    A third person interjected, ¡°Which is why I am putting all teams on alert. Anyway I heard your team found something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, some alien research. High energy physics from the looks of it. We aren¡¯t sure what they were doing, some of the data was corrupted, but it involved drawing power from the star.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. You aren¡¯t the only team to find a lab. Several labs have been found, mostly useless, but a few look promising. Do you have the data?¡±


    ¡°We do!¡±


    ¡°Good. Deliver it to the shuttle and maybe grab a few extra sentry turrets while you are at it. I¡¯d like to secure the area, just in case we find something more threatening than living corpses.¡±


    That sounded like a plan. Sentry turrets were exactly as they sounded like. Deployable anti-infantry turrets intended for area denial. They also served to alert forces in the area to unexpected movements. They were fairly simple devices that were lightly armored, and equipped with a modest power pack and a sensor array. A small controller computer and comm array were in combination to the sensors used to identify friendly or hostile targets. The turrets could also be set up for an operator to remotely control them. Armament varied from manufacturer, but they typically carried a light rifle caliber particle weapon mount. The ones on the shuttle, were designed by STI and utilized a stripped-down version of the XR-471. They fired the exact same particle bolt, but lacked the extra features of the weapon. Most notably the secondary fire mode. It did not matter that it only had the primary fire mode though since the turrets were more a surprise weapon than anything else. The light armor was weaker than most infantry armor, but a few well-placed turrets could cut down entire regiments with ease. Especially when combined with a minefield and other battlefield traps.


    His mind recalling that was already hard at work deciding where best to place them. There were a few corridors they had already placed turrets up in. Just to maintain a perimeter, but now that they knew for sure this place may house threats. It was best to be more cautious. At least until their ride home returned. Unfortunately, the Coto had to withdraw to recharge her radiation shields and it would be a few hours before she returned. In the meantime, they had nothing better to do, but continue their exploration. Only with a hair more caution than before.


    <hr>


    1833 hours:


    The man slipped into another lab, rifle at the ready as he scanned the empty shelves and long abandoned tables. He sighed, as he lowered the rifle. As usual there was nothing. The most exciting thing to happen since the Coto left was in the last lab, when someone tripped over an errant tool. An alien wrench or something similar. It was nothing more than a length of solid metal with a couple of odd prongs on one end. No circuitry, no fancy properties. It was just a simple length of alien alloys. One they knew, duratanium. A metal used by several alien races in starship construction and apparently tools.


    Speaking to the rest of the squad, he declared, ¡°Clear!¡±


    A moment later the others filed in, and the tech looked around, she sighed, ¡°Kind of empty isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t most of them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯ve noticed. Wish we could find more artifacts, but it seems the aliens left precious little behind.¡±


    ¡°Aside from living corpses in every other room...¡±


    The man glanced at the door, ¡°What is with these aliens and leaving their still living victims everywhere.¡±


    Sadly no one knew. All they had found were the brainless bird people. Always kept alive by alien devices and preserved for who knows how long. It was hard to say how long this station had been left here abandoned, but the aliens who built it certainly left behind a fair number of artifacts. Most were useless but there were things that seemed promising. Of course he didn¡¯t take anything he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure was harmless. If there was any chance of danger they would leave it where it lay. Those would be left until someone could verify they were safe.


    Turning back the room, the squad began the routine of examining what lay in the room. They found a few items left on the floor, a couple in old metal cabinets and even a still active computer. The computer was most interesting, but much of the data on it was just alien text. He sighed, translating that was going to take awhile. At least now they were getting more of a read on things. He watched as her device started work on translating the text. This time without an uplink to the Coto with which to speed up translation, but at least now it already had a framework.


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Eventually the tech started reading it, once enough had been converted into her preferred Japanese. She was silent for a moment or two before she started sharing, ¡°Looks to be a log.¡±


    ¡°A log? Anything interesting?¡±


    Not really. Mostly just routine lab reports and experiment logs. From the look of it, this lab was working in the biosciences. Huh, this one looks interesting.


    Lab Log 44117-12;


    The Ikir will be arriving soon, is much disappointed with our lack of recent progress. Hopefully he will be better pleased with today¡¯s experiment. A new subject arrived earlier today and we hope she proves more receptive to the treatment. If not I fear for the future of the Regthi. As it is, there is already much talk of abandoning these stars to the [error section corrupted]


    In regards to the subject I have had her prepared for today''s experiment. A series of injections of serum 877g, if she responds properly we should see the expected set of mutations as outlined in report 223-b. Hopefully, without the errant mutation errors we saw with previous subjects. As I believe I have identified the genetic aberrations that caused these errors. If so we could set a higher production rate or [Error section corrupted]


    He frowned, ¡°That sounds interesting, but rather...¡±


    ¡°Uninformative I know. I saw a few others. Sadly some sections are corrupted. Its enough to guess at what they were doing and their motivations.¡±


    He let out a breath, ¡°Yes like some twisted version of ourselves or something.¡±


    ¡°Hard to say what, but I can see what you mean.¡± she glanced at the text, her expression unreadable behind her armored helmet, ¡°We never did, but if we had lost our humanity in the war who knows what we might have done trying to save ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Nothing good, but sadly a few groups did do clandestine and immoral experiments.¡±


    ¡°Sadly true.¡±


    <hr>


    The woman shifted as she watched the screen. Her last three days had been rather... busy. Sleep was hard to come by and keeping the ship from falling apart was a full-time job. Those particle bolts had done a real number on her ship. The hull was barely holding together, systems were barely functioning and worse the ship¡¯s structural integrity grid was constantly on the verge of collapse. It didn¡¯t help that the ship was barely able to handle the stress her own engines were generating.


    At least they were moving, but with the damage they sustained? They were lucky to maintain 12c, barely faster than warp three. It was frustratingly slow and they were looking at a journey of months just to reach port. Assuming help didn¡¯t arrive that is, but thankfully their comm array did survive the battle. Even if they were a limping wreck running mainly on backup systems or whatever they cobbled together, at least they still had some important things like long range communications and life support.


    Ahead of her, she watched the shadowy shape of a fellow cruiser lining up with her own. As her crew worked to match speed and align their hull with the other ship. Even if the other ship would have to do most of the work, they were coordinating to make it easier. A moment later her screen blinked and the other captain appeared on the comm.


    The other captain chuckled with a wry smile on her face, ¡°I¡¯ve helped ships from failed probing attacks before, but they really did a number on you.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Yes, the Refuge are more threatening to us than we thought. We were lucky to get away, but worse than that. The Refuge has revealed a weakness in our cloaking technology.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve reviewed your initial report and so has the admiralty.¡±


    She shifted on her feet, ¡°I see, what did they say?¡±


    ¡°In light of your report, they sent me here in haste to retrieve you, your crew and your ship''s logs. They want to work on improving our cloaking devices as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I see, and what of the Refuge?¡±


    ¡°Ignore them for now. They did read your recommendations on bigger guns and they have a new mission for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait!? What!? I practically lost my ship, what mission could they have for me.¡±


    The other captain giggled, ¡°Considering you were in a complete mismatch? They don¡¯t see it that way. I¡¯m sending the details.¡±


    The channel closed a moment later and she was presented with a briefing on a new mission.


    Slave Captain Turell, our condolences on the state of your ship, but in light of recent events. Fleet plans are now being changed. Your recommendation of up gunning the fleet in the event we face the Refuge is certainly merited. Especially given what it says about possible conflicts with the Krall. To that end, we have a new mission for you.


    A new cruiser is being prepared at the port of Neoda. We want you to take command of that ship for a mission of vital importance. Encoded in this briefing are details on a new Valorian Dreadnought project, the Yinta II. In short the Yinta II is meant to replace the aging dreadnoughts protecting their core worlds and is being pushed by a more warlike faction within the Valorian council. They didn¡¯t have much traction until the recent events at Cantra, but now they are gaining increasing power. Intelligence assets indicate the dreadnought is being built with Cathamari-inspired technology. That technology is of interest to us. Your task will be to insert a special operations team and retrieve samples of the new Valorian weapons tech. As for the project if possible we would also like you to sabotage it, but prioritize retrieving samples over any secondary objectives. Further details will be given to you, upon arrival at Neoda.


    She sighed, that was a fairly important mission. Turell wasn¡¯t sure why they would select her, but she would do her best. With that in mind, she took a moment to review what they sent her on the Yinta. She blinked, the ship was massive. Far larger than any other combat vessel in the Valorian fleet. It was drafted as being 6100 meters in length with over two hundred decks. Protected with Class IV shields and a Class three warp drive capable of warp five. Her intended armament was going to be a massive number of focused plasma torpedoes and something called a Concussion Pulse Cannon. In addition, her large hull was to contain four spacious hangers housing some five thousand fighters and bombers.


    A weight filled her belly, this thing would be a beast if it was finished. With the power of a small fleet. Thankfully as usual the Valorians didn¡¯t bother with significant armor. Instead preferring to rely on their deflectors and shields for protection. Regardless she didn¡¯t want to let it be completed. As it would make the Valorians into a real threat if it was. The mentioned shift in their politics was not welcome either. With their wealth, the Valorians were perhaps the most powerful of the races in this part of the galaxy. Well outside of the Krall that is.

 Interlude Earth Vessels: Battleships, Carriers, and Dreadnoughts

    The capital ship, the largest most powerful ships of a fleet, and often the most important member of the fleet. Today we are going to take a close look at three types of capital ship, the powerful battleship, the versatile carrier, and the titanic dreadnought. These impressive vessels are often the pride of a fleet and given names to match their importance.  First, let¡¯s look at the battleship.


    Battleships are huge warships typically designed to be in the thick of the fighting. They are heavily armored and heavily armed. Designed to inflict considerable damage with their heavy weapons in short order, and built to absorb a pounding in turn. However given their size many modern battleships have the capacity to carry fighters, and a significant number of torpedoes giving them far more flexibility than their wet navy counterparts. These massive ships are used in a variety of roles including the traditional roles of bombardment, orbital fire support, primary combatant, and even flagship. However, those aren¡¯t the only roles that a space battleship can fulfill. As noted moments ago many of them have the capacity to carry fighters. Not to mention their size and tonnage allow them to be effectively built to the battle carrier concept, which allows one more role to be added to their repertoire mobile fighter base. It is important to keep in mind however that they lack the fighter fleets of a dedicated carrier.


    It should be noted that many battleships are in fact large enough to carry smaller starships. Some of them are even designed to take advantage of this fact and are outfitted with a corvette bay intended to securely dock a number of corvette-sized scout ships. Speaking of size, how large exactly is a battleship? There is actually a lot of leeway allowed in the definition, but most starfaring examples are at least three kilometers long making them absolutely massive ships. It also means that a battleship is a fair investment for any colony, but not prohibitively expensive. Many of the most prosperous colonies have all had their own battleships.


    Earth is most famed for the Yamato class, but that is a dreadnought. While not as famous, Earth does have a battleship class. That battleship class is the Starlight Class Battleship. The Starlight class battleship measures four thousand, seven hundred and fifty meters long. The ship has eight major hangers and two corvette bays. The ship carries an impressive eight hundred and fifty fighters and has room for ten corvettes in her massive hanger bays. Allowing the Starlight class tremendous power projection ability beyond the already large range of her guns.


    The ship¡¯s primary weapons are her four super-heavy ship-to-ship cutting beam arrays. These weapons have dedicated fusion reactors, and are designed to draw additional power when needed from the ship¡¯s main drives. They fire a highly focused particle stream that can carve through most forms of armor in seconds, and have enough punch to penetrate weaker forms of energy shielding. Supplementing this mighty beast of a main weapon the ship is also equipped with 16 banks of super-heavy particle cannons. These large gun mounts are the size of a frigate, and hit with tremendous force, a single blast from one of these guns can level a major city along with a significant amount of the surrounding area. Even more impressive is their recharge rate which allows for an impressive fifteen hundred bolts per minute. Almost nothing can survive a barrage from these weapons. As suiting their power, and size however they are virtually useless against smaller ships that manage to get inside their tracking radius. That doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t snipe a fighter plane out of their void, as they very much can. Energy weapons like these are very accurate, and a fighter in the firing line of a mount can be very easily destroyed.


    The ship does include an array of smaller gun mounts for use against smaller ships, including 20 banks of heavy particle cannons, 40 banks of medium dual-purpose particle cannons, and eighty banks of light anti-fighter particle cannons. Now you might be wondering what exactly that means with an energy weapon. Parallels however can be drawn with naval artillery which was largely ballistic. Light, medium, heavy and the like generally refer to their approximate range of size and power. With weapons in the light category being much smaller, and therefore weaker than something in the heavy category, but this also means they are better equipped to track smaller targets such as fighters who don¡¯t really need a lot of firepower to destroy. On the flipside, heavy guns have a lot of power, and are much larger with consequently reduced ability to track targets. This means they have the range and firepower to be effective against capital ships, but aren¡¯t really suited to hit small fast moving targets, especially at close range. Meduim guns, sit in the happy medium.


    So what are the specific guns on the Starlight? Her main weapon is the Star Tech Industries XPCB-222-B Mark I Heavy Cutting Beam Array. Other ships that include this weapon system are the Yamato, and the Enterprise. Although the Enterprise carries a version with some minor modifications intended to help her take advantage of her antimatter reactors when in a pinch. Her super heavies are the Star Tech Industries XDPC-480-A Mark I super-heavy directed particle cannon. They feature an impressive maximum yield and a rapid recharge rate, although they can be somewhat energy intensive.


    Her heavy gun mount is the XDPC-347-C Mark I directed particle cannon. A powerful weapon with a respectable yield, and a fairly rapid recharge. This gun mount is also found on a wide number of other ships including the Osaka Class, the Tokyo class, the Yamato, and the Enterprise. This Star tech cannon is one of the most popular heavy starship cannons in current use, and for good reason. It can fire 2100 bolts per minute, and it has an impressive yield in the megaton range allowing the weapon to level cities in an instant or reduce an armored capital ship to slag in seconds.


    For her dual purpose gun mounts, the XDPC-128-B Mark I was selected. A medium caliber gun with a yield in the low megaton range, and easily fitted to most gun mounts. Its rapid 2200 bolts per minute is effective against most lighter ships along with the tracking to be effective. Despite the yield, it can¡¯t really level cities in a single shot largely due to the directed nature of the particle stream. These guns are often used in multiple roles including ship-to-ship, anti-fighter, and precision ground bombardment. They are quite effective in fact as a high-powered tactical support weapon for ground troops. As such it is perhaps not that surprising that virtually every ship outfitted by Earth with medium guns employs this particular particle cannon.


    Her light cannon mount is the only particle weapon in her arsenal not developed by STI. She is outfitted with the MRL-323-A Mark IV light particle cannon developed by MarSec. It features a rapid 2800 bolts per minute with a yield barely into the megaton range. The cannon is very light, and easily fits into standard light triple gun mounts. The weapon is very effective against fighters, shuttles, bombers, corvettes and other light craft.


    Moving on, the Starlight class battleship is also outfitted with numerous torpedo launchers, including turret-mounted ship-to-ship mounts. These are her primary stand-off weapons, and are effective against most ships. In addition the ship also carries light missile launchers intended for engaging enemy fighter craft for additional point defense.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Protection-wise, the Starlight class battleship carried eight meters of overlord armor. That is just for starters, not only is the entire outer hull protected by eight meters of layered plating but all of her major bulkheads and the main starframe have been reinforced. Critical areas have been provided additional protection in the form of extra thick internal plating, additional bulkheads, and secondary structural integrity field generators. All internals and corridors are further protected by internal plating. Further internal protection is provided by a clever combination of armored emergency bulkheads, blast doors, and internal damper fields. Factors that significantly limit the effects of hull penetrating hits. Furthermore, the ship includes redundant control schemes and secondary bridges. Starlight class battleships can take massive poundings and still be combat effective, even in cases where over half the ship has been destroyed. Also included in her list of protection is the highly effective Energy Web system.


    Seeing as the Starlight alone covers what a battleship is very well lets take a look at the carrier. Most carrier designs are actually larger than the average battleship, and they do far more than just carry fighter craft like the wet navy carriers of old. Many of them are outfitted with corvette bays, and in some cases even frigate bays. Carriers like their old counterparts still have rather limited firepower of their own in most cases. Although there are some exceptions. Most carriers are between five to ten kilometers in length, typical roles inside a fleet are fleet support, mobile fighter/corvette base, and power projection. As FTL was just around the corner, many in the admiralty were even looking at the carrier for its possible uses in deep space patrol.


    The premier carrier for Earth¡¯s navy was the Lincoln class carrier. It measured a massive five thousand seven hundred and ninety meters long. With over fifty primary hangers, and over five hundred decks the ship had truly cavernous bays able to support a fleet of nearly ten thousand fighters in a single carrier, along with space for over a hundred corvettes, and two modest frigate bays that allowed frigates to dock inside her armored hull. While not as heavily armored as the Starlight class, the Lincoln was still quite durable, and fast, very fast. Remarkably so for a ship of her size, which gave her options. Like the Starlight, Lincoln class carriers were also used as flagships.


    Ships of this class are notably not cheap, and many of them never did have their full fighter complement. Despite those facts by the peak of the Earth-Cathamari war as many as twenty of these mighty ships are known to have been in service. At least one carrier of the class was present in all major battles of the war. Fighters attached to these carriers often proved most instrumental in numerous engagements. Outside of battle, they were even useful for their ability to provide drydock level repair to small ships.


    Finally armament. The Lincoln does carry a limited armament of its own to help protect it from hostile enemy fighters, and fast combat vessels. Especially since space combat has proved that a carrier needs some ability to take hits and fight back. To this end she is equipped with the Star Tech Industries XDPC-23-E Mark I directed particle cannon in dual ball turret mountings divided into four primary banks. This is the only weapon carried by the Lincoln outside of those mounted on her attached fighters and corvettes. The XDPC-23-E was chosen for its high accuracy, decent recharge rate allowing an effective 2300 bolts per minute, and a deadly yeild in the low megaton range. These cannons were found to be highly effective against fighters, bombers, corvettes, and even some light frigate classes. Making them an excellent choice as a defensive weapon for the carriers. Heavier fire was deemed not required since her escorts in theory would be able to provide it as required.


    Next up, the Dreadnought. Dreadnoughts are the largest classification of conventional warships. The term takes its origin from the wet water navies of old, to denote a different kind of battleship. One so potent that it eventually replaced the older form. The term was revived with spacefaring ships to again denote a different kind of a battleship. One larger, and more powerful than the standard kind of battleship.


    Dreadnoughts are built to a truly massive scale, and like modern battleships incorporate the concept of a battlecarrier into their design. Nothing too different from battleships mind you aside from them being large enough to dwarf their cousins. The Yamato the only dreadnought class vessel built by Earth measured an impressive nine thousand and seven hundred meters long. Almost a full ten kilometers in length. Such a huge ship is naturally a major investment in resources of course, and something is needed to make it special.


    Officially the Yamato was built as the flagship of the fleet with a great deal of publicity and fanfare involved in the construction. Her designation as dreadnought meant to set her apart from other battleships. At first glance, she seems in line with the typical battleship as well. Her primary armament is composed of four XPCB-222-B Mark I Heavy Cutting Beam Arrays along with 32 banks of XDPC-480-A Mark I superheavy particle cannons mounted in quad turrets. Her secondary battery consists of 45 banks of XDPC-347-C Mark I particle cannons mounted in triple turrets, and 55 banks of XDPC-128-B Mark I particle cannons mounted in dual turrets. As part of her point defense array, she is outfitted with 90 banks of XDPC-23-E Mark I particle cannons mounted in dual turrets, supplemented with light missile launchers, and an energy web grid.


    The real bulk of her weaponry comes from her ship-to-ship torpedo launchers, she has numerous RF launchers both turreted and fixed mount. Allowing her to deploy devastating torpedo barrages against a single target or multiple targets. The Yamato has sophisticated multi-targeting systems allowing her to effectively coordinate fire against multiple targets. Not only that but her massive main drives give her the speed, and agility to keep up with ships many times smaller than her. She also carries a number of fighters, but they are not critical to her offensive abilities. She has the hangar space for about 1500 fighters, not much more than her battleship cousin, but there is a reason for that. Largely due to much of her internal space being used for other things.


    Defensively the ship is a beast with both internal, and external defenses. Her outer hull plating is 12 meters of overlord armor with critical areas being further protected by reinforced bulkheads and supplemental internal plating. Much of the ship¡¯s internal defenses match what was done with the older Starlight class battleship. Which pretty much covers everything official about the ship.


    Unofficially she was outfitted with a spinal-mounted XXDP-23A particle lance cannon. This was a massive energy weapon connected directly to her main drives, and primary reactor modules.  Utilizing a massive particle accelerator, and accumulator setup that runs the length of the massive Yamato. This weapon was specifically designed for the Yamato, but certain shortcomings were discovered during testing. When tested the resulting energy beam exhibited a destructive output in the mid-gigaton range. Making it the most powerful weapon ever devised by man. Unfortunately the power drain on the Yamato¡¯s systems was enormous, more than initially modeled in fact. As a result the spinal-mounted beam weapon was not tactically viable. As the firing of the weapon would draw too much energy away from her other systems, and significantly tax her power grid. There were some other problems that cropped up as well, but those weren¡¯t as crippling and more easily fixed. The Yamato¡¯s phase two refits, which would have upgraded her systems to FTL specs, and added an antimatter-based power core, would have rectified these issues. Additionally, several modifications were planned for the beam weapon that would have further improved its performance. Making it the anti-capital ship weapon it was intended to be.

 Chapter Ninety-Six Leaving Zah

    May 21st 002 SDE, Captains Log:


    I am pleased to log that we have managed to complete all needed repairs and resupply in the Zah system. Ruri is more than excited with the alien artifacts we brought back from the abandoned station near the local star. A station that is now nothing more than charred wreckage since Captain Reynolds saw fit to destroy the station after recovering his insertion team. Although given what I have heard about the place I can¡¯t say I blame him. May the souls of those bird people finally rest in peace.


    More interestingly we have pieced together more of what was being done to those poor souls. The subject of bioresearch. Apparently, the race responsible for this wasn¡¯t the bird people, they were simply targeted due to their brain structure. Something about it being predisposed to multi-spatial mathematics and hyperspace calculations. This along with other clues allowed us to piece together the nature of Regthi technology. Their technology is bio-mechanical in nature, in other words cybernetic. Melding organic and mechanical components to achieve something greater than the sum. Analysis of their station just before we destroyed it revealed the entire thing was partially organic in nature and we can presume their ships were the same.


    As for their research? From what we can tell the station was a black site, involved in questionable research in several areas. Outside of the bioscience which is especially heinous, we did find useful notes on various subjects including hyperspace. The aliens were apparently attempting to create some kind of transgalactic conduit. They describe it as a multi-spatial tunnel through hyperspace. The principles appear to mimic warp drive, but they have been applied to hyperspace instead of normal space. In addition rather than trying to create a bubble around the ship, a wormhole has been generated. The mathematics and implications are fascinating, but far beyond our current technology to implement. Regardless it seems we have stumbled upon the means to create even faster ships. Assuming this alien hyperwarp technology is even viable.


    More immediately useful are their notes on high-energy physics. In their pursuit of this hyperwarp technology, they have devised high density plasma cells that store incredible amounts of energy. They used stars to charge these cells with the needed energy and the Zah star was prime for it given its unique characteristics. I already have Ruri looking into replicating the alien energy cells for use in our systems. Hyper-density capacitors and fuel cells would be of immense value and their solar charging technology if it can be adapted would immensely improve our range. It might also have applications for our own energy absorber tech. Something Ruri already has people looking into. Of course it might take some doing to adapt it all, but much of their tech is fascinating. Their notes on cybernetics have also proven interesting and our medical staff has appropriated it. Moral implications aside, the notes do have the potential for great good.


    Countryman leaned back in his seat a little as he surveyed his bridge. It was fairly busy at the moment as they made final preparations to depart the system. The Enterprise had finished recalling all shuttles and processing the materials they either mined or salvaged. While the Coto and Umikaze were now in formation with the Enterprise. Their next destination wasn¡¯t anywhere important. Just another system on their course.


    A moment later Greyman came up the steps, ¡°We are ready for warp speed sir. Richards reports the engines are reading blue across the board. No issues.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, signal the fleet. We are resuming our course, warp five.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    Greyman turned and relayed the orders. Moments later the ship was underway.


    <hr>


    Reia and her sister were walking down the corridor. She heard the hum as the ship¡¯s warp engines engaged. It was a familiar feeling and she was more than happy to know they were underway. Neira shifted in her step, ¡°Seems we have gone to warp.¡±


    ¡°Yes I think we have. High warp from the sound of the hum.¡±


    As they turned the corner a moment later and the tram lift came into view Neira stopped, ¡°So um... Reia are you sure?¡±


    Reia let out a breath, ¡°Yeah I am. I should stay, I know she doesn¡¯t like me and has every reason to be mad. I did leave her behind, but I really think I should stay here. Help her out.¡±


    Neira looked up and then sighed, ¡°I guess its better than just being left somewhere waiting for rescue. Cantra didn¡¯t do us any favors either.¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°I know. Nothing there is going to look good on my record and...¡±


    Neira interjected, ¡°I can recover from that and these people seem to be good. I want to help them. Besides I owe them and its not exactly a debt I can repay.¡±


    Reia had to agree with that sentiment. If not for the these people she would have lost her sister. She owed them as well. Just perhaps not in the same manner, but she also owed Sali. The poor woman had life ruined thanks to her own mistake. Reia had abandoned her, she hadn¡¯t even tried to inquire about her fate.


    A moment later the sisters stepped into the lift. Setting their destination for the lower levels. As the lift started to transit through the ship at impressive speeds. Neira inquired, ¡°Do you think we can even see her?¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°It took a few inquiries, but Sali apparently works on the lower levels.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but some of these areas on the lower deck are high security,¡± responded Neira.


    ¡°And we have been let into a few. As long as we don¡¯t do anything I am sure it will be fine.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± replied Neira.


    A moment later the doors opened into a crowded lower deck corridor. There had been people in the other one, but it wasn¡¯t anywhere near this pack. Although that was simply due to their timing. The Enterprise like any ship had moments of relative calm and times where everyone was rushing from one point to the other. With so many people aboard it was hard to find a moment alone.


    Here she was greeted with the sight of industrial bustle as men and women dressed in rugged work clothing moved in either direction. Shuffling crates and carts around. Several groups pausing to move to the side as a cart of what looked to be warheads was moved to an industrial lift just a couple of meters down the hall.


    Neira commented, ¡°Looks like we arrived in the middle of the busy hour.¡±


    ¡°I think they call it rush hour, but it does appear that way,¡± she responded while checking the paths. Noting a few men and women who were dressed like Sali always was. With little more than a light shift on. Something she was starting to learn the meaning of. Yet she saw little signs they were being treated badly, so perhaps they treated their criminals and prisoners well?


    With other things on her mind, she signaled Neira and made her way into the traffic. Her sister close behind. With so many people around it was harder to maintain a conversation. So they drifted into relative silence as they made their way down to the factories. On the way she spotted a few guards. Easily noticeable with their distinctive armor. Some of them were guarding doors, while others were on patrol.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    She didn¡¯t pay the local security much mind and without too much issue she made her way down the corridor. Passing a number of doors and weaving through a number of people. Along with a fair amount of cargo being moved through the passages.


    Reaching the door she was looking for, she paused. Gave her sister her best smile and made her way inside. She was greeted with a large space, filled with alien machinery. Not far from the entrance, she could see Sali feeding material into one of them. Where it entered a visible liquid and visibly distorted. Reshaping before her eyes as it moved down a belt in a liquid tube. Emerging on the other side as a finished product. All in a matter of seconds. Completely different to what she was used to.


    A woman approached her, ¡°First time seeing a Nano-Fabricator in action? These are the smaller ones.¡±


    She nodded and looked to the human woman. ¡°Its very different from what I am used to.¡±


    ¡°I can understand that. Anyway how can I help you? Did you come to place an order in person?¡±


    ¡°Um, no. I wanted to talk to Sali.¡±


    The woman let out a breath, ¡°I was afraid you would say that.¡±


    Reia blinked, ¡°She¡¯s um told you?¡±


    The woman giggled, ¡°Not really, but you would be amazed how quickly news travels on a ship like this.¡±


    ¡°Great!... Everyone knows.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, and um good luck.¡±


    The woman walked off and her sister commented, ¡°That went well.¡±


    Well enough she figured and she walked on over to Sali, who let out a breath when she saw her, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Reia was silent for a moment, then she began, ¡°I want to apologize for just abandoning you here. I was wrong.¡±


    Sali scoffed, ¡°Yeah you were.¡±


    Reai sighed, ¡°I¡¯d like to make up for it and help you out.¡±


    ¡°A little late for that.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Reia.


    Sali didn¡¯t say a word. Not at first. Merely turned back to her task of feeding materials into the fabricator. Giving Reia more of a view on how it worked. She even noted little arms moving around using lasers and other tools to assist the nanites as they assembled whatever object they were working on. The product wasn¡¯t always the same either. It varied, but each them seemed to be small components.


    ¡°So what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Making parts for something. I think they are for some lab project or something. They are constantly ordering various components.¡±


    ¡°I see, so they keep you busy.¡±


    ¡°Its something to do and a bit of a learning experience at times.¡±


    Before they knew it, the two of them were having their first friendly chat since their reunion. Well mostly friendly there was still this awkward tension and while Neira said little. Reia was more than glad she was there offering support just by being in the room. By the time she left, Reia was starting to feel she had at least patched their relationship. Yet she was left wondering how she would start to make up for what she had done.


    <hr>


    Richards stepped out of the engine room. Now that the ship was underway and everything was looking good she was no longer needed. Well she was, but her time was better spent elsewhere. Not standing over her team micromanaging everything. That wasn¡¯t how to get things done anyway. They knew what they were supposed to be doing. In other words they were good enough at their jobs that she could trust them not to mess up when she wasn¡¯t looking.


    With all that in mind, she was heading down to the labs. Both Vera and Ruri wanted her input on their projects and she had a meeting with the pair of them to get to. Something she figured would only take a few moments and then she would be able to move on to other tasks.


    Thankfully with the lift it didn¡¯t take long to reach her destination. A larger lab on deck 23. Stepping through the door, she was greeted to the presence of bothe Vera and Ruri. The two of them were busy at a workstation in the middle of the room. It was taken over with a rather large device. She took a moment to look it over as she approached.


    ¡°So what are you girls working on?¡±


    Ruri looked up, ¡°This is a new sega-based laser field generator and that,¡± she paused pointing at a second device she hadn¡¯t noticed, ¡°Is our new air skin forcefield generator prototype. Vera and I are still working out the kinks with it. The laser system on the other hand is about ready for implementation.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Anything I need to know?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve been working on utilizing sega particles for laser confinement and generation. Very promising. I¡¯ve been testing it for use in the Energy Webs and the results are excellent. In tests we saw a reduction in power draw by nearly fifteen points and an increase beam strength by about thirty percent. These are phenomenal numbers.¡±


    ¡°I have to agree. What about the forcefield?¡±


    ¡°Well Vera being already familiar with the technology helps.¡±


    Vera interjected, ¡°The main issues were your systems, but thanks to Ruri we have managed to get a workaround for that. It still has a few minor issues, along with a notable stability issue when subjected to high energy bursts.¡±


    Richards commented, ¡°You mean weapons fire.¡±


    The two nodded, ¡°and anything else with a very high energy burst, such as our own fighter catapults. We are working on hardening it against the catapults at the least. In the mean time, my laser project is going well. Along with the other Sega-based weapons project.¡±


    Richards had heard of that one, ¡°How close is that one to implementation? Need any more help with it?¡±


    Vera looked between them, ¡°You know I am still not sure how else Sega  particles can be used in a weapon. The laser is different enough, but...¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°Sega particles lend themselves to shielding and have natural applications for containment. I¡¯m looking at them for containing highly charged plasma, which not only has applications for power generation, but also weaponry. Notably plasma projectiles.¡±


    Vera blinked, ¡°I see encasing a plasma round in a sega-based flux field would improve round containment but such a field would inevitably decay. The greater the charge on the field the faster it decays. We use the concept in pulse rounds, but not in our torpedoes. Plasma torpedoes simply have too much energy to properly contain. Not without a constant supply of new sega particles to prevent the field from collapsing..¡±


    ¡°Yes I have noted the problem as well. Its given me a few stumbling blocks, but I am fairly close to a working prototype.¡±


    ¡°Your own version of a plasma pulse cannon? I would love to see that,¡± replied Vera.


    Richard smiled wryly. It wasn¡¯t one of those, Ruri was a bit more ambitious with her design.


    ¡°Not quite, we don¡¯t need a plasma pulse cannon. Our own particle cannons are quite effective. Rather instead, I created a new type of torpedo.  A small energy torpedo intended for use on small ships, namely fighters and shuttles. I¡¯ll show you later when I have time.¡± then Ruri turned to Richards, ¡°On a different note, I also have some improvements to our fusion generators for you to look over and then we can discuss the implementation of the new sega-based laser generators.¡±


    Richards nodded as she moved in with the group to discuss the possible upgrades. Refit plans, future maintenance requirements. Any crew training that might be required and possible applications for the new lasers in various fields. There was a lot to talk about and she ended up spending well over an hour in the lab with the two girls.

 Chapter Ninety-Seven Spy-Work

    Turell let her mind wander as she listened to the feed. It had been over a month since her encounter with the Refuge task force at Zah. Now here she was half bored out of her skull, while the infiltration team got to have all the fun. Thanks to a subdermal feed she was able to monitor them live, but it still felt empty.


    It wasn¡¯t like there was much else to do but wait. Sadly that was her mission, get in. Insert the team, wait for them to complete their task and get out. Not everything in this job could be exciting. There was honestly a lot of waiting at times. Still it was often better to bored, since when things got exciting was also when something went wrong.


    A moment later something peaked her interest on the feed. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t a sign of things going wrong, but just something interesting to listen too. Since it seemed to answer a few questions she had.


    ¡°...and this here is a Concussion Pulse Cannon. Its still largely prototype so be careful with it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I haven¡¯t really heard of those before. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well you are new here, but you should read up on the specs. In short its a relatively new weapon. Pulse cannons are wonderfully efficient with excellent range, a rapid fire-rate and a fairly low power draw. They perform decently against most shields and will burn through any armor in short order. Sadly they don¡¯t perform as well against more modern defense systems as they did in the past. That is where this weapon comes in. We took the Cathamari concussion cannon for its excellent firepower and modified it. The old Cathamari plasma generator was swapped out for a more efficient one of our own design.


    ¡°Superheated plasma is produced in the core and then stripped of the lighter ions to create a heavy ionic plasma bolt. The plasma is then focused through a compression chamber where it is compressed into a dense plasma bolt before being forced into the acceleration chamber. Upon exit of the acceleration chamber its wrapped with a Sega-Omicron flux barrier and then projected into space with a high energy concussion pulse. The resulting plasma round is extremely energetic.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating, what kind of power does it have? Range?¡±


    ¡°It has a range comparable to current generation heavy pulse guns, 150,000 Metras. As for yield low Isoterras. This one got 15 on its last test. It practically shattered class I shields in a single shot and the test hull we fired it at was obliterated on the second. It was something else watching a starframe rupture like that. The bolt tore right through the plating and hull. While its concussive properties magnified the structural damage. Tearing large sections of the hull apart with shockwaves alone.¡±


    ¡°Impressive, but what about stronger shields? Class one are rather weak.¡±


    ¡°Class II and three defense shields struggled against it. Both failing rather quickly under fire, but top-of-the-line shields held up decently. They still ultimately failed under a concentrated bombardment. The weapon is effective against even starbase-level defenses and we have some heavier versions in the works for that new dreadnought you saw on the way in.¡±


    ¡°Yes that was massive,¡± there was a pause, ¡°Heavier versions? With this kind of power? What in the galaxy for?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t make the calls, but someone felt we were going to need them. If I had to guess, they are meant as orbital bombardment cannons for breaching planetary shields. I¡¯m not sure why though. I mean I understand the need for a new ship, especially in light of the events at Cantra. Its just we aren¡¯t going to war are we?¡±


    She listened for a bit more. Yet the interesting bit had already passed. Her mind drifted back to Zah. The Valorians were sadly underestimating the armor penetrating potential of their new weapon. Of course, they largely dismissed armor. Thought of it as primitive and ineffective. As a result they tended to underestimate the refuge, even when shown that they were powerful combatants. Now she was wondering how those bolts would perform against their armor. The Refuge armor was already clearly able to resist high-energy plasma rounds. They had footage of them fighting at Cantra. However they had little info on how that armor actually worked. It clearly wasn¡¯t like traditional armor.


    Perhaps more in line with the recent Cathamari armors, but obviously more advanced. It was incredibly strong. Highly resiliant and able to take a pounding. Nothing seemed able to penetrate it either, but with the way they previously avoided being hit by Cathamari torpedoes? She suspected some Cathamari weapons could pierce it. With that in mind, she had to wonder how effective a Cathamari-inspired weapon like this one would do against it. Sadly she could theorize on it all she wanted, but she would likely never know for sure. As the only way to know, was to actually use one against the Refuge, but that was very risky. She felt lucky having escaped with her life once. Turell wasn¡¯t willing to take that risk a second time. Especially not on a maybe.


    In any case, these cannons certainly sounded potent. She had known that the admiralty wanted them, but if they were that powerful it would make sense to add them to the fleet¡¯s arsenal. Weapons like that would be very useful. Most raiders and stealth cruisers in the fleet mounted high-yield fixed particle cannons. Perhaps not as impressive as the Refuge guns, but certainly effective. They were often used against weaker targets that managed to get their shields up but they were also used as a primary weapon in slugging matches. Even if most ships outmatched a raider in such a fight, a small pack could overwhelm a superior foe. Cannons like that one would be a very welcome addition. It was little wonder that the admiralty wanted samples of these weapons.


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    A moment later, she received a report from the very infiltrator she had been listening to moments before, ¡°I have scanned the prototypes, uploading data now. Proceeding to continue to the next objective.¡±


    There was nothing more than that, but she wasn¡¯t surprised. Turell was familiar with the objectives. Scans were all well and good, but the team was going to try for more. Blueprints and actual prototypes were wanted as well. If the opportunity was there, they would even kidnap a few scientists for their insights. Nothing unusual and it wasn¡¯t the first time they had done an op like this. She had even participated in a couple, but never as a leader before. So this was a little different.


    She turned to a different screen, checking in on someone else. They were tasked with infiltrating the local security division. They were crucial to a later part of the mission. Namely the exfil, but they might help with the current phase as well. Nothing she saw seemed urgent, so she leaned back. Just as she heard footsteps.


    Turrel looked up to see her first officer entering her office. The younger man stepped before her desk a pad in his hand. She frowned, ¡°Did something happen on the ship?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Not really. I¡¯m afraid the most excitement we had was that one broken light, which is honestly the problem. The crew is utterly bored.¡±


    She let out a breath, ¡°I know, there isn¡¯t much to do while just sitting here.¡± she paused glancing at the ceiling, ¡°I guess we could organize another tournament or something.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°and what would be the prize this time?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Hmm, how about me?¡±


    The man blinked, ¡°Huh? What, don¡¯t you belong to the admirals?¡±


    She giggled, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about my contract idiot. I can¡¯t sell or trade that.¡±


    His eyes widened, ¡°Oh, right. I guess that might work.¡±


    ¡°It should and hopefully it will solve my other problem.¡±


    ¡°Other problem?¡±


    She didn¡¯t elaborate, but it was a common one for female slave captains, or female slaves in general. Not even a big deal most of the time.


    <hr>


    The Councilwoman shifted in her seat and let out a breath. She was alone for the moment, which was giving her time to vent. The events at Cantra were terrible, her faction had lost key seats after that. Now the Minara clan was on the rise in the council. Worse they had just passed a bill to triple the size of the fleet. Why they would ever need it, she couldn¡¯t comprehend. It was the trading fleet that was most important. Not the useless military who was always needlessly wasting funds on things like counter-pirate operations.


    Before she could think more on the way things had gone wrong lately. There was a knock on her office door. She sighed, straightened up and allowed the door to open. Sadly it wasn¡¯t her aide, but rather one of those damn Minaras. The other woman smiled, ¡°Good Evening Counciler, may I have a moment of your time?¡±


    She blinked, that greeting was friendlier than she expected, ¡°Um I guess. Is there something I can do for you...¡±


    Crap she blundered that!


    The other woman giggled as she took a seat, ¡°How familiar are you with the Lantaro sector?¡±


    She composed her face, ¡°Its a region of space not far from the Cantra system. Politically unstable with numerous resource-rich worlds. High instability has made previous forays into the sector unprofitable. Although a few mercenary companies have had some success.¡±


    ¡°Yes, speaking of mercenaries, I understand you hired a few in the area to look into these newcomers the Sol Refuge?¡±


    The woman blinked, that was a confidential arrangement, ¡°I want to buy those contracts and any information you might have.¡±


    Her mind raced as she consider things. The Refuge were certainly a bit of a thorn in her side. While she had no proof, she was starting to suspect they might have been responsible for the Cathamari civil war. More recently they had directly interfered with her attempt to stabilize the Cathamari civil war and she knew the Minara had taken advantage of that to increase their own power. They also had backers in the military and right now she lacked the political backing to change anything. She also had issues with the Krall, but it would be hard to retaliate against them. The Refuge on the other hand was rather weak and primitive. They were skilled combatants to be sure, but they lacked advanced shielding. As for their weapons? Outside of their torpedoes, she saw nothing special. In fact, she felt acquiring those torpedoes would be profitable.


    ¡°Hmm? We might be able to work something out. Depends on what you are offering and what you are after?¡±


    The woman smiled, ¡°Clan Minara wants to expand into the Lantaro and Brathra sectors. In addition to those contracts, we would like your backing on that. In exchange we offer nine billion credits and the hand of one of our sons as a gesture of good faith.¡±


    She blinked. The hand of a son? A marriage? That might prove useful. Their clans were among the most powerful in the core worlds. A union would do much to solidify an alliance. She didn¡¯t know why they wanted Lantaro or Brathra. Brathra especially. Brathra had a few worlds, but lacked trading partners. Without established powers in the region, any endeavor there would be expensive. Lantaro was far more developed but politically unstable. It was also near Voskar space.


    ¡°Yes, I think we could work things out. We have a few interests we would like to expand on ourselves. Your backing in those endeavors would be useful as well.

 Chapter Ninety-Eight Spywork II

    The councilwoman smiled, ¡°It seems we are agreed then. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    The Minara woman smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad we could come to an agreement.¡±


    With a smile on her face the Minara woman left the office. A fresh copy of a new contract now securely sitting in her bag. These negotiations were most fruitful and now all the cards for her clan¡¯s ascendency were nearly in place. The Councilwoman she had just negotiated with, may not have the power she used to her, but her clan had been on the rise until recently. The wealth they gained through contracts with the Cathamari had given them great power and they still had a great deal of wealth in their coffers.


    If not for the events at Cantra, the Minara clan wouldn¡¯t be on the rise now. Of course those events couldn¡¯t have gone better for them if they tried. Naturally something like what happened at Cantra seemed to be exceptionally lucky for the clan. It wasn¡¯t, not entirely. They had expected more out of the Krall, but everything else did fall into their plan. They knew the Rayki clan was trying to stabilize the Cathamari and strengthen their clan. Yet these actions opened the door for them to muscle in. It was child''s play to leak their plans to the right warlord and it wasn¡¯t too hard to get the Krall aware of it either. Just a few words in the right ear.


    Of course, they had ended up underestimating that dreadnought. That was why they were building a new line of dreadnoughts. Smaller, more agile, and far easier to field in numbers. More importantly, those new weapons they were developing would ensure other ships like that wouldn¡¯t be a threat to them. Cantra had also brought the Refuge to her clan¡¯s attention.


    Getting a name took time, and where her brethren would dismiss them for one reason or another. She saw an opportunity, but first, they would need to find them. These Refuge people had no known worlds, but there was a task force. Last seen at Cantra. They had been seen leaving towards the Lantaro sector. Finding them might prove difficult, especially given their apparent ability to vanish from scans. Not unlike Voskar ships in that respect, but different. She wasn¡¯t sure how yet, but she was going to find out. She was going to find them. After that she would see about acquiring their secrets and if Cantra was any indication those secrets would ensure the rise of the Minara clan for centuries. She would have them, even if she had to use force to acquire them.


    <hr>


    Turell¡¯s boring wait and do nothing changed suddenly. Half the crew was participating in the tournament they had arranged. Something people were quite enjoying now that it had started. She wondered who would be the victor. Turell was looking forward to it and it would certainly break the boredom. At the moment there wasn¡¯t anything of note going on with the infil team. They had sent back scans and blueprint files. Yet they weren¡¯t quite ready to try smuggling out the prototypes.


    Suddenly someone looked up from their console, and reported, ¡°Sir a Valorian battleship has entered the system. Champion Class.¡±


    She blinked, those weren¡¯t a common sight. They were often considered to be the larger cousin of the Valorian Protector class cruisers. Protector class cruisers were well armed and shielded. Often used as flagships and formed the backbone of the Valorian fleet. Champions however were their best combat vessels but they were also somewhat dated.


    Each one was outfitted with multiple banks of heavy pulse cannons. They were a variant of the usual pulse cannons designed for heavy firepower. HPCs weren¡¯t as powerful as Cathamari designs but had far more range. They were the premier anti-capital ship weapon for the Valorian fleet. In addition to those it was outfitted with numerous smaller pulse batteries and heavy plasma torpedo emplacements. Most notable were the strong shields the class was known for. None of the weapons on her cruiser could hope to pierce them. That might be a problem later, assuming their first shot didn¡¯t destroy it.


    Then her plans changed again, ¡°New contacts eight Protector class Heavy cruisers have entered the system.¡±


    Internally she cursed. That was going to be a problem. The brief only expected light defenses. A handful of light carriers and a few patrol ships at the most. Something was going on.


    Letting out a breath, she ordered, ¡°Alert the inflil team about this and have them discreetly look into it.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    With that out of the way she looked at the newly arrived heavy capital ships. Hopefully they weren¡¯t sticking around. As they would make the whole exit plan messy. The plan had been for her to cause chaos out here, while the infiltration team made off with the prototypes. Her ship would pick them up later. After they escaped the system, her ship would break off its distraction and rendezvous with them at the designated extraction point.


    She sighed. Missions were never easy were they? Now she had to figure out how to create proper chaos out here without getting killed. Avoiding detection would be easy enough, but her railgun was only useful against targets whose shields were down. Of course if she could knock them all out at once that would be great. Even if it would take some doing.


    Moments later she received the first report, ¡°I have done some checking and it seems the Minara clan is increasing security on the project. Not sure why, but they are expecting more ships.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°It seemed the window was closing.¡±


    ¡°Understood, let me know when you are ready for extraction and I will see what I can do.¡±


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yes time does seem to be of the essence. We might have to abandon the kidnapping and sabotage plans. As those new ships aren¡¯t leaving anytime soon. I heard they are expecting six more battleships over the next couple of days.¡±


    Why couldn¡¯t this one be boring? That would have been so much better.


    <hr>


    Williams waited patiently by the viewport as she watched the stars drift by. It was a nice enough view if rather boring by now. It was just so mundane. Still she wasn¡¯t the only one here. This lounge was right off one of the mess halls, so people often came here to watch the stars as they eat. In addition, screens were set up and a movie night happened every Friday here. It was a nice lounge. At the moment, however, someone had seen fit to play some music. It wasn¡¯t the first time, as there was often music being played in the room. Last time she was here, they had picked a classical piece. Williams wasn¡¯t sure of the title, but it certainly sounded like one of those aging classical compositions. Today it was something more modern. Again she wasn¡¯t sure of the title nor did she know a single word. The lyrics were Japanese, it was something peppy and energetic. Williams had to admit it was good, but she wished the lyrics were English. She liked being able to understand what she was listening to.


    Idly she noted someone settling down in the seat next to her. In their hands a plate of food. Two of them actually, they hand her one. A classic dish of fish and chips. A fine lunch, which was appropriate for the hour. ¡°Thank you for the food. Did you find anything out?¡±


    They took a breath and began, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but I was able to learn a few things. Ruri¡¯s latest projects are all high security. Although strangely a few of the aliens have been allowed access.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°That machine gave them access? Why?¡±


    ¡°Well for the first project, the alien Vera actually makes sense. She and Ruri are working on something involving forcefields. Something Vera is apparently an expert in.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Any idea what?¡±


    ¡°Some kind of atmospheric shield for the hangers.¡±


    ¡°That one doesn¡¯t sound that juicy. Leave that one be. What¡¯s the next one?¡±


    ¡°Again Ruri has involved the alien Vera, but this time she seems to have less access to the project. In fact outside of her personal files almost no one has access to it. At least in any degree. It took some digging to find anything.¡±


    ¡°That sounds juicy, what is she working on?¡±


    ¡°Something called Pulsar torpedoes. Apparently, they are meant for use on smaller ships, such as the X-1204. Beyond that, I know little.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Security on the project is tight and things are being kept largely hush. Although I was able to get some clues based on her factory orders. Ruri seems to be outsourcing component manufacturing to the factories. As a result I did find out that she is using components common to the alien Sega generator technology and our own electro-cannon tech.¡±


    Williams frowned, ¡°You think she is working on some kind of electro-plasma warhead?¡±


    ¡°Given the name and the components? Yes that seems to be the case.¡±


    ¡°Try to get more info on this one. It sounds like something interesting to keep an eye on.¡±


    ¡°Well I also heard we are planning a new weapons test. In addition, I have heard we found a mineral-rich system with promising planets. Supposedly we are going to be testing some improvements on our aerial mining rigs.¡±


    Williams recalled that Ruri and several other teams had been working on improved tractor beams and mining lasers. Resonant particle beams seemed to be the focus of several projects. Yet she had not heard of this. ¡°What kind of test?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There isn¡¯t much on it.¡±


    That seemed to be a theme, but she had asked to keep an eye on Ruri. That machine seemed to give her a lot of resources. As a result she had a lot of projects in the works. Some of them rather interesting. Now she just had to figure out how to use these to her own advantage.


    Suddenly her informant interjected, ¡°On a different note, I was able to learn about some other project. Have you heard about the Mark IV powered assault armor project?¡±


    ¡°I heard something about it months ago. Something about those new high-density power cells provides new advantages. I thought they rolled it out already?¡±


    ¡°They did, but it seems they immediately went to work on developing an updated version. The type A suits they rolled out aren¡¯t even in full production yet and I have heard they are getting ready to present the version B update.¡±


    ¡°Already? Interesting, might want to keep a closer eye on that project then. Especially since that machine¡¯s security troops will likely end up wearing it.¡±


    Her buddy nodded, ¡°Agreed,¡± they glanced to the side, ¡°In any case, I should get going. I¡¯ll keep you apprised if I learn anything more.¡±


    She quickly thanked him and watched him leave. Before turning her attention out the window. Williams certainly liked this spot. The music had changed while they were talking. She took a moment to enjoy at as she watched the stars and ate her fish. The chef did a decent job. Eventually, she left. Her mind still on the machine, waiting for the cards to fall into place. Sooner or later she would get that machine out of the way. Once she did, she would steer mankind back onto a proper course and put them on the map again. Of course there was the whole numbers problem and the fact they were now years away from Earth. Obviously they would have to reclaim the homeworld and she would need more than just three capital ships. Too bad that machine threw away so many old ships for this silly expedition. Now she would have to get more out here. Luckily the machine had thought about that as well, she could use his work to rebuild their ship numbers. Manning it would be a problem, but she figured a few cloning projects would solve their numbers issue.

 Chapter Ninety-Nine Orbital Mining Dynamics Phase II

    July 2nd 002 SDE:


    Misaki leaned over her console as she monitored the sensors. Feeling a bit of excitement. After visiting several barren systems and with very little to do lately, today''s task was far more interesting. They had found a mineral-rich system the planet before them was rather bleak but it was rich in valuable minerals. There were several promising nodes near the surface including a massive gold deposit. It was a mind-boggling large deposit.  The node extends across an area of nearly seven hundred kilometers. Numerous other minerals were being picked up in the area as the region was very rich. Especially near the various impact craters in the area, which also meant the area had just about every mineral worth money. The gold alone was worth hundreds of billions of credits.


    As for the rest of the planet? It was fairly large with a diameter of nearly 17,000 kilometers. Its atmosphere was rather thin, however. It lacked vegetation and surface water was almost non-existent. The surface was pockmarked with impact craters, but it also had vast barren rock faces and numerous mountain ranges. The planet was also rather close to its parent star which led to temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees C on average, which was honestly not that bad but certainly not pleasant. As for life? There was some, but nothing worth considering.


    At the moment the Enterprise was deploying shuttles and platforms around the planet. This was all part of Ruri¡¯s modified orbital mining scheme. Based on their previous work with aerial mining, she had been working on extending the range of their tractor beams and mining lasers. Today they were going to test her modified resonant mining lasers, which she was mounting on the orbital platforms they had started deploying. Concentrating the platforms over the largest mineral deposits.


    Noting the work she looked up, ¡°First phase deployment is nearly completed sir. Numbers are looking good and we are on track.¡±


    Behind her Countryman commented, ¡°Excellent. Let me know when things are in place.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Will do, sir!¡±


    As it would turn out it would only take a few more minutes for the shuttles to finish towing the platforms into place. A swarm of orbitals outfitted with a fusion generator, a simple station-keeping thruster assembly, a central control computer, and most importantly a resonant pulse particle beam emplacement. The beam array was the latest in mining laser development designed to break up large sections of a planet''s surface to allow for easier mining of key deposits. A rather brutal approach if you asked her, but the planet was a dump anyway. Who would want to live here anyway? It was barren with bleak windswept rockfaces and hot. The air was thin, radiation high and there was little water. Not exactly prime real estate. Yet the planet was a treasure trove of wealth.


    Looking up, she reported they were in place. That action was like throwing a match into a some oil and flames erupted on the bridge. Figuratively of course. In moments people were working and coordinating as the shuttles were pulled back and the platforms activated.


    Brilliant pulsating beams rippled from the platforms to bombard the areas they identified. Dutifully she took readings and reported their progress. As the beams built to resonance, the surface of the planet started cracking. Ground crumbling to dust as deep trenches were drilled into the surface. Following the preprogrammed paths to expose as much high-value mineral deposits as possible and break them up. So that the shuttles could easily mine them from the air.


    It was quite the sight watching solid rock break down like that. As it was bombarded with high-energy particles and resonant pulses. Traveling along the beam, each pulse acted to weaken the targeted matter, I.E the rock.


    Then she noted something unusual, ¡°Sir resonance waves are increasing across the planet. I detecting seismic responses.¡±


    Countryman seemed to appear next to her, he blinked, ¡°Shut them down, now!¡±


    She moved to comply, just as a particularly powerful spike was registered. The ground shook and split apart as the planet experienced a level ten earthquake. Quickly followed by a second. ¡°Platforms four, seven and nine not responding. Beam output spiking, they are overloading.¡±


    The beams phase shifted to a brilliant purple and several massive quakes followed. Countryman turned, already barking orders as readings continued to spike on the planet.


    Several resonance waves converged just as a section of crust shattered. Flows of lava shooting into the air. The planet was already starting to break apart. As the resonance waves continued to build. She attempted new commands to try and shut down the malfunctioning platforms. A moment later one of them exploded. Not ideal, but a start. She tried the same commands with the other two and they both detonated as well. Reactor containment failure.


    Below the crust continued to disintegrate, but resonance waves started falling. But it was perhaps already too late, the planet seemed to be tearing itself apart. Good thing its only value were the massive mineral deposits. So no real loss, here. With nothing to do, she simply took readings as the earthquakes and eruptions continued to wrack the surface. Churning up plenty of valuable minerals. ¡°So I guess this plan was a failure?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, send the data to Ruri.¡±


    She nodded and watched as Countryman left the bridge. Transferring command to Greyman. Stretching she turned back to her console, but couldn¡¯t help wondering what was between Ruri and Countryman. Having heard the stories, she wondered if there was something more between them? Her face turned a little red with some of the thoughts and then she shook her head. She needed to get out more.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    <hr>


    Ruri looked up as Countryman came into the lab. She smiled, ¡°I was just about to go see you.¡±


    ¡°Dressed like that?¡±


    She glanced down, her lab coat was a little torn and a boob was poking out. Nothing serious. ¡°Its fine. Anyway I looked over the data.¡±


    He started rummaging through a locker, ¡°So what happened, planetary crust disintegration shouldn¡¯t have happened so quickly.¡±


    ¡°The planet¡¯s mineral formations acted as amplifiers from the look of it. The resonance pulses from so many beams at once began to bounce back and forth. Growing more powerful with each passing moment.¡±


    He turned around, a new lab coat in hand. She sighed and started to strip out of her own. Wanting to forgo any arguments. This time she didn¡¯t make the mistake of wearing her favorite one anyway. She was still kind of unhappy that he recycled her favorite labcoat and she wasn¡¯t going to let him do it to her new favorite. In moments she was standing there nude, she hadn¡¯t been wearing anything else in the first place.


    He just sighed, ¡°You know sometimes I wonder how old you really are and then I remember how long we have been together.¡±


    Recalling a previous conversation, ¡°Yes well about that child. Is now an appropriate time?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I think we are going to be a little too busy for that and which of us will raise it?¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Yeah good point, I don¡¯t exactly have the time to be a mother and you are so busy as captain. Still we have good genes.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Well I do want a child of my own. I¡¯ve always wanted a daughter.¡± he let out a breath, ¡°I¡¯ve tried before, but you know how life is. Sometimes things just don¡¯t work out as planned.¡±


    As he slipped the new coat around her naked body, ¡°I know. My recent experiment is proof of that. I guess we can finally test out the planet destroying aspects of Resonant Particle beams.¡±


    When he stepped back she turned around, ¡°it would be rather illuminating to monitor the break up of a planet. Not to mention it would allow us access to mineral deposits we otherwise wouldn¡¯t be able to reach.¡±


    ¡°True but the expected yields would have exceeded what we would be able to securely store in our cargoholds. I guess we would be leaving a rather valuable mineral field behind when we are done.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but if we stuck around we would certainly have plenty of material to build new ships with. We could enlarge the fleet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, in theory, but we are in the middle of the Lantaro sector. This system is quiet right now, but we already found wrecks from past battles here. I doubt this system will stay quiet long enough for us to produce a fleet and while we are building new ships we will be vulnerable. There is also the training to consider and who we would have man new ships.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Yes those would be issues to solve. Forget I said anything. In the meantime we should just work on getting what value we can out of the planet.¡±


    Countryman agreed and they started working out a new plan with the problems they found already in mind. With better models they would also be able to more easily mine from orbit useful materials they found. This planet was already a treasure trove with rich deposits of precious metals and useful minerals. Minerals that would help fuel research and replenish reserves.


    Then she changed the subject, ¡°On a different note, those wrecks we found. Has the Umikaze finished her survey?¡±


    ¡°Not that I have heard, but she did send a few reports. We did locate a few with functional systems, including a working shield generator.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! That will be perfect for the weapons test.¡± She blinked, ¡°Oh, I should get those pulsars delivered to the hangers.¡±


    ¡°I already thought of that. They are already loaded and waiting for testing.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Thanks. I look forward to seeing how they perform.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully as advertised, they would give our fighters a nice edge. Which they could use.¡±


    ¡°More so for any 1208¡¯s in the fleet than the 1204s. As we do have to swap out the standard launchers in favor of pulsar launchers.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but if they work as you expect they would be a welcome weapon to use.¡±


    Ruri nodded, she had seen the simulations. The 1208 would benefit the most. It was designed as a heavy bomber to complement the X-1204. It carried both torpedoes and bombs. Switching out two of the four launchers with Pulsar launchers would in simulation be of benefit to the ship. Then she recalled a few proposals she had seen in regards to the X-1208. She brought something up, ¡°Anyway speaking of the weapons, someone recently proposed this. Project Sparrow is meant to finalize and update the X-1208 for use as a heavy bomber.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t really been using the 1208, as I haven¡¯t needed it. Still having the option could be useful, what are they thinking?¡±


    ¡°Honestly nothing major, they proposed a few changes to the engine and armor configuration, along with mounting a miniaturized Electro Cannon. That would involve removing two of the four launchers. I¡¯m thinking of vetoing that in favor of pulsars, but we can test both.¡±


    He looked over the change and nodded, ¡°Hmm not that different. Should be an easy enough alteration and would greatly improve maneuverability without significantly harming protection.¡±


    ¡°If anything there should be slight improvements,¡± she replied.


    He smiled, ¡°Give them the greenlight and get a few prototypes out, if they work well. We can add a squadron to the fleet.


    A moment later he left and she turned back to her data. She couldn¡¯t wait to see the next results.

 Chapter One Hundred Planet Cracking and Pulsar Torpedoes

    Ruri smiled to herself, as she double-checked the system checks on the fighters. The professionals had already reported that everything was good, but she wanted to do one last check before she gave approval for a flight. These new pulsar torpedoes were more of an energy weapon rather than a torpedo, which is why they needed special launchers.


    They fired a contained pulse of charged ionic plasma not dissimilar to an electro-cannon discharge. Except instead of something like a lightning bolt, they fired a condensed plasma projectile. This projectile was contained inside a sega-based flux field which allowed it to maintain density on leaving the launcher. Range was rather short but it maintained good power. Simulations did show problems upscaling it for use on starships but it would still work as a smaller short-range mount. One of the big problems was balancing the power of the projectile with the containment field. The sega-based field had practical limitations to how strong it could be made and scaling the systems up didn¡¯t make significant improvements to flux field strength. As a result as the torpedo systems became larger and more powerful they lost the benefits of the containment system. Resulting in even shorter ranges and less power on a hit. At the small scale they were working on, however, it worked rather well. The Sega field offered a competitive projectile range and the condensed plasma in simulations had more than enough striking power to achieve objectives. Although the power draw was a little high. These new energy torpedoes did however potentially fill a gap in their armament.


    They would know for sure in a little bit when the tests were conducted. Speaking of tests, they had conducted further tests of the planet and found a mineral of crystalline structure that resembled quartz but with a very unusual internal structure that was responsible for the observed effects when they started their mining attempt. A sample was due to arrive in her lab later today and she was planning to conduct further tests on this new mineral. Figure out why it responded so dramatically to resonant pulse waves. She already had a few guesses and was wondering what uses she could put it to. Weaponry was obvious. With how it reacted to resonant pulse waves, they could build a particle laser able to destroy planets. Crystals had numerous applications however and she wondered what else she could these too. It really depending on the properties. Some crystals like the carefully manufactured Rydium crystals could be used for propulsion, but they also had other applications. So much to test, so little time. She smiled. The Enterprise was a wonderful place to be.


    Satisfied with what she saw, she turned to the pilots standing nearby. ¡°Looks good.¡±


    Then headed off to the observation. Moments later the launch signal was given and the bay started decompressing as the pilots prepared to leave the ship. Something that was still needed as they were not yet ready to implement their bay shields. Between the catapult issue and the low stability there was a lot to work on. Even without the catapults, a properly modulated penetrator field didn¡¯t alway work. As the stability sometimes resulted in the field collapsing anyway. At least it was working, which meant she would have it perfectly functional before long. Only a matter of time.


    Ruri stayed long enough to watch the ships depart. Six fighters in a flash of blue light zipped out into the void. Their dark hulls vanished into the void moments later as they slipped out of sight. The large armored doors closed behind them with impressive speed.


    <hr>


    Turell was waiting for the right moment now. The team was nearly ready for their bit in this op. When a report came in. Apparently one of them recorded a discussion and thought she should see it.


    She opened it and began to listen. ¡°You want what?¡±


    ¡°Plans to update the fleet. Starting with the Protector Heavy Cruisers. You are familiar with those Refuge ships seen at Cantra?¡±


    ¡°Vaguely ma¡¯am. What about them?¡±


    ¡°Impressive ships really. Armor that is actually worth using, shield penetrating torpedoes, and a reactionless sublight drive system. The clan wants those technologies but to acquire them we would have to find them and they are in a dangerous region of space. We are going to need heavier ships to anchor any forces sent after and just in case the Matriarch wants our ships outfitted to fight them.¡±


    ¡°Fight the Refuge? I saw the hits their flagship took. They avoided the close-in weapons of the Throne, and its torpedoes. But still they took hits that would have vaporized a Champion. I don¡¯t know what we could put onboard to fight them.¡±


    ¡°Yes that armor of theirs can take a surprising amount of punishment, but we managed to learn a few things from the Cathmari. Apparently, its vulnerable to high-yield weaponry. Namely torpedoes and heavy battleship cannons. With that in mind we want you to work on increasing the heavy battery of our Protector cruisers and Champions. Just focus on the Protectors first. As for their torpedoes, we considered looking into alternate shield configurations, but without knowing more it would be difficult to figure out a reliable defense. With that in mind, we believe it is cheaper to invest in old-fashioned point-defense guns. Type I pulse cannon mounts might be suitable.¡±


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Hmm? I think we can do that. Our new cannons aren¡¯t quite ready for widespread implementation, but I do have a few upgrades for Heavy Pulse Cannons in mind that would work. The Protectors have more than enough power and space to mount a larger battery as well. As it is, they only have one battery of HPC, but we can increase that easily to four banks. With power plant upgrades I think we can fit an additional two. As for torpedoes, we can update the current launcher scheme with the latest in focused plasma warheads. They are almost as powerful as current-generation Cathamari designs, but they utilize a highly focused detonation profile which allows them to punch right through weaker energy shield designs. They should be quite effective against armor as well, even against Refuge armor.


    ¡°As for the point defense system? I can dig up some old computer targeting algorithms for that and the low yield pulse cannons would be more suitable. I just wouldn¡¯t pick the type I. Sure its fast, but the range is particularly bad for a pulse cannon and the yield is rather low. Type II is better for range and power, but it does lose some fire rate compared to the type one. Neither are quite right for a point-defense gun. Not against fast-moving and small targets like torpedoes. Fine for anti-fighter work though, they are bigger and slower. I do know a variant that will work well, though.¡±


    ¡°You do? What version?¡±


    ¡°The TR-6 Light Pulse Cannon that we sell to the Reylar. Its fast-firing, has superior range to the type I and the military has been interested in it for replacing the type I for years. Only reason we haven¡¯t is budget concerns. Although several merchant companies have purchased them and outfitted their freighters with them.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I forgot about that one. What were the specs?¡±


    ¡°It fires ten thousand plasma pulses per minute with a maximum range of two hundred thousand Metrasi...¡±


    She paused the recording. Interesting, it seems they were doing far more than developing a new warship. They were updating the fleet. Something unusual, the council usually stood in the way of fleet updates. Most Valorian designs were cheap dated designs. Effective, but only due to Valorian energy shield tech being so potent. It was one of the few things they kept up to date on. This however sounded like a widescale overhual of the entire fleet. At least with the capital ships, but still that was going to be a concern. Her superiors were going to love this. She filed it quickly under important and then checked in with the teams. They were ready.


    Turning to her crew, she gave the orders. Hopefully her plan worked. If not things were going to get interesting


    <hr>


    Williams looked out the viewport. In the distance she could see some nameless barren rock as it broke apart under the barrage of numerous resonant particle beams. She didn¡¯t know what to say about the Machine¡¯s choice to destroy it. The rock was pretty worthless, but what use did they have for planet-destroying weapons? Hell as far as she was concerned this was a waste of resources.


    For the life of her, she could not figure out the benefits of turning an entire planet into a debris field. Although she did have to admit it was quite the spectacle, and she kind of wished they could have done this to Cathamair instead. She let out a breath as she remembered how the Machine managed to get revenge on the Cathamari and leave their world a radioactive iceberg. Thanks to that his approval was too high to move against directly and she had been making progress to. No matter that was just as setback and she knew the cards were falling into place. Slowly, but these things can take time. She just hoped it would happen before the machine did too much damage.


    Her thoughts were broken when suddenly a massive surge of fire rippled out of the disintegrating planet. It was a huge eruption event, sending lava and debris thousands of kilometers into the sky. Williams blinked, yes a planet being destroyed in this manner was very impressive indeed. Then right before her eyes a second one happened then a third as more and more debris was being sent into space. The surface roiled as it tore itself apart. With each passing moment, ever larger chunks started to separate from the whole. As right before her eyes the devasted barren world split into giant chunks. All burning hot and careening out into space in varying directions. One moment it had still been there, being rocked by ever more violent quakes and eruptions. The next it was an expanding debris field of superheated rock. She had never seen anything like it. She simply stared not sure what to make of that.


    <hr>


    The pilot shifted in her seat as she manipulated the controls. Making sure all the sensors were properly recording, as she lined up on her target. An old cruiser they had found in this part of the debris field. A team of techs had been aboard already and they left it with the shields up. Perfect for the test.


    A moment later, she fired. Two brilliant shining white-blue bolts rippled from her launchers. They shot across the distance and slammed into the shields of the old cruiser in a brillant display of light. The protective barrier rippled and flared before suddenly seeming to shatter like glass.


    She double-checked her readings and then turned back. It seemed this test was quite successful. The pilot felt the brass would be very pleased with these results. She certainly was, being able to knock out shields like this would be quite useful. Very useful indeed. She wanted to play with these new torpedoes a bit more. Maybe they would let her keep them?

 Interlude Earth Vessels: Battlecruisers; A Failed Archetype?

    The Battlecruiser, what is it? These ships are in fact capital ships, whose archetype can be traced back to the wet water navies of Earth. The modern version bridges the gap between cruisers, and battleships. These ships favor strong firepower, and powerful engines, but suffer from limited protection. This lends them to certain roles which they excel at. Battlecruisers are great at hit-and-run tactics, are superb cruiser hunters, and can pack a punch in a flanking maneuver. They are not without their drawbacks however, they are expensive, and thanks to that limited protection don¡¯t fare well against other capital ships like battleships. In fact the smaller Heavy Cruiser, which is also a capital ship tends to fare better in that match up.


    Those drawbacks played into a lack of battlecruisers among Earth¡¯s military forces as the ship archetype didn¡¯t fit the doctrine or goals of Earth¡¯s military forces. With the colonies things are a little different, and a few of the colonies actually experimented with utilizing the Battlecruiser archetype, at least for awhile. By the Earth-Cathamari war no battlecruisers remained in service to any of the colonial navies, nor were any in service in Earth¡¯s navy. Before we get into why, perhaps its best to look at a few such ships. For a better picture, we will even look at a couple of alien examples, namely those of the Cathamari.


    First up a battlecruiser from Titan Colony. Titan colony was the crown jewel of the outer colonies, and grew very wealthy from trade both with the other outer colonies, and Earth. It¡¯s trade routes were particularly vital to that wealth. Most important of all was that trade route with Earth, as that route brought in the bulk of the food that fed the colony. Naturally due to the value of food in the outer colonies piracy was not uncommon. In addition Titan Colony had several colonies under it, that it was responsible for defending. These concerns, led to Titan¡¯s admiralty wanting a fast capital ship able to quickly respond to potential threats. A ship of the battlecruiser archetype seemed most appropriate.


    The result of those demands was the Leviathan Class Battlecruiser. It measured 3400 meters in length, with one hundred and twelve decks. For protection, she was outfitted with one and a half meters of armor in the generation one overlord configuration, titan alloy. She is notable for being one of the first ship classes to be constructed out of the famous titan alloy. The ship also featured reinforced bulkheads, emergency bulkheads, and some internal plating with only critical areas benefiting from increased internal protection.


    Primary propulsion was achieved by Twelve Dual Core Laser Pulse Wave Engines., and supplemented by thirty-six secondary manoeuvering engines. This drive configuration made the Leviathan incredibly agile for her era and allowed her to remain competitive as late as the Third Colonial war in terms of speed, and maneuverability. Especially after being refitted with more modern Particle Pulse Wave engines. The Leviathan holds the distinction of being the most agile battlecruiser ever built, able to outrun most cruisers, and even a few destroyers.


    As for Armament, the Leviathan was designed late into the second colonial war and as such her weapons reflect that. She doesn¡¯t possess the torpedo heavy armaments of more modern ships nor is she armed with the mixed kinetic and laser armaments made popular in the first colonial war. Most powers of the Era favored the laser, and Titan colony was no different, but instead of the (HEL) High Energy Linked Laser scheme that was popular with the inner colonies, Titan instead employed HEP Lasers. HEP refers to a laser type that utilizes a high energy plasma medium to generate the laser stream. This format has a few advantages over HEL Lasers, but HEPs are known to be a little temperamental and suffer from overheating issues. It is worth noting that they do enjoy a much more rapid firerate, thanks to a faster charge cycle. There is not much difference in energy delivered per bolt, in fact it''s slightly lower.


    The Leviathan¡¯s main battery is made up of Three hundred and Twenty Eight super heavy HEP laser cannons.  These are high yield anti-ship weapons, and mounted accordingly in protected quad turrets along the hull. The specific cannon used was the TSR-137 HEP Laser Cannon, which supported an impressive fire rate of seven thousand five hundred bolts per minute. These laser bolts were also fairly powerful bolts able to shred most cruisers, and even some capital ships in seconds. Unfortunately, the weapon was also temperamental and known to overheat during sustained barrages. Refitted versions of the ship often replaced these cannons with the Martian made, MSHSL-457B HEL Laser Cannon, which while slower (2670 bolts per minute) delivered much more powerful bolts, and did not suffer from an overheating problem. The other option used on some refits was the MRH-22 Heavy Particle Cannon.


    Her secondary battery was composed of duel TSR-59 HEP Laser cannons. These were medium dual purpose guns well suited for engaging both small ships and capital ships. They had an extremely impressive sustained fire rate but like all lasers of the HEP type they suffered overheating issues. Limiting their ability for sustained fire. Like the main guns, later refits replaced the guns with Martian made HEL type lasers or particle cannons.


    Initially the Leviathan was not outfitted with a dedicated defensive battery, but she was later outfitted with several dedicated point defense missile and laser batteries at the cost of several secondary gun mounts. As the dual purpose guns proved insufficient protection against light craft and missiles. Speaking of missiles, the Leviathan was equipped with fusion torpedoes. Specifically early fusion torpedoes that lacked the sophisticated armor and shield penetration devices mounted on more modern ships. As they were not needed. Ships of the day didn¡¯t have the kind of defenses to make them needed.


    The Leviathan carried six dedicated torpedo bays, each capable of supporting five hundred warheads. These bays were later expanded to carry additional warheads for use against small ships like fighters. The ship didn¡¯t carry the RF launchers found on more modern ships either. Regardless her 160 ventral and dorsal launchers gave the ship a decent barrage of heavy weapons.


    Like many capital ships, the Leviathan also featured hangers. Given her main role, she was typically outfitted with 120 strike craft and four corvettes that could be comfortably stowed in her hanger bays. These ships were often used for recon roles in addition to combat.


    Moving on to protection. The Leviathan class Battlecruiser is one of the first classes of starship to feature powered armor of the Generation One Concept. Many ships of the age had already started using Polarized Plating to protect from laser batteries. While effective its limitations left much to be desired. As the Leviathan was being developed, scientists on Mars started experimenting with structural fields. Research that made its way to Titan, and while Mars colony was making its own version of Gen One plating, Titan colony developed their version first. Not only that, but thanks to their now famous alloy the Titan version was superior. A rarity.


    This meant that what armor the Leviathan did have proved to be remarkably resilient. Gen one armor used a combination of structural fields and hull polarization to harden the plating against hostile attack. Allowing a ship more protection for less weight. Something quite valuable for a battlecruiser. As such the designers felt they could get away with only a meter and a half of armor at the thickest. Most ships of her size would have had about five meters of plating. With many cruisers having around three on average. This left her with much less armor than was typically expected of a capital ship. This low armor allowed for much greater agility and speed than her size would suggest.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Leviathan class of battlecruisers proved to be fairly good at its job. An agile cruiser hunter and intercepter. Few vessels could outrun the ship and most ships that could prove a threat were unable to keep up. Unfortunately the first production run did prove to be more vulnerable to torpedoes and fighters than expected. Later refits corrected this and helped her fulfill her duties.


    Like many battlecruisers she proved to be a poor match against battleships and other heavy capital ships. Lacking the heavy defenses needed to take a hit, she would not last long in a match against them. Her speed however allowed her to more freely withdraw from battle when outmatched. The Leviathan¡¯s worst enemy however wasn¡¯t a battleship, but a ship put forth by Mar colony.


    The Ares class Battlecruiser was part stealth vessel part capital ship. She was much smaller than the Leviathan with a total length of 2400 meters and only sixty-nine decks. The first ship of the class was launched just one year after the first of the Leviathan class. As such her armaments and systems are much comparable. She was constructed of a more traditional alloy and featured many of the same defensive technologies the Leviathan did. Generation One powered armor, reinforced internal bulkheads, internal plating, and emergency bulkheads. Mostly concentrated around critical sections with a maximum thickness of 3.1 meters.


    Her most important feature however was the adaptive stealth coating applied to her hull plating. Combined with an array of sensor jammers and disruptors. The ship actually featured a rather significant electronic warfare suite. One focused on masking her profile. The result was the Ares could virtually disappear at will. Not unlike a science fiction cloaking device. Albeit it very much remains visible to optical detection. To combat that, the ship was painted black and silver in a scheme that you may find familiar. As the Enterprise features the same paint job. The purpose of this paint is to naturally reduce the likelihood of the ship being spotted and works well to hide her against the backdrop of space.


    Primary propulsion was achieved by Eight dual core Laser Pulse Wave Engines with 24 supplemental maneuvering drives. Being pulse wave drives, the engine cores were heavily shielded and located deep within the vessel. Each drive featured wake dampeners to reduce their emissions profile. These dampers were early examples of the kind that are now standard on all ships of Earth make. Activating the dampers reduced overall thrust, but greatly reduced the ship¡¯s footprint on scanners able to detect the spatial wake created by a pulse wave drive. Strangely it was also found to have better fuel economy while in stealth mode.


    Her main battery was composed of 128 MSHSL-457 HEL Laser Cannons. These superheavy lasers packed quite the punch and featured a fire rate of 2400 bolts per minute. With the firepower these weapons gave her, she proved to be a very capable predator. Outside of heavy capital ship armor nothing of the age could withstand a barrage from these guns. The MSHSL-457 and its successors were the deadliest laser weapons of the day.


    In addition to this deadly main battery, she carried fore and aft torpedoes. Along with 120 medium laser cannons mounted in duel turrets and another six hundred light laser cannons in quad turret mounts. A modest hanger gave her space for sixty strike craft and two corvettes.


    The Ares class was one of the most successful battlecruisers of her day. While she didn¡¯t stand much of a chance against a battleship, she proved herself elsewhere. In fact the Ares was most effective at hunting down other battlecruisers and destroying them. While also proving capable in the traditional roles assigned to battlecruisers. Her stealth also made her effective at commerce raiding. As such it wasn¡¯t uncommon for one or two of these to be attacking trade routes or sneaking behind enemy lines to destroy key targets.


    Next up, lets take a look at a Cathamari design. This is one we have seen a few times already, the Ravager class Battlecruiser. The Ravager like many Cathamari ships features a heavy emphasis on firepower. As a result she has an extremely heavy main battery. A battery composed of 1440 Heavy Concussion Plasma cannons mounted in quad turrets on a starframe a mere 1240 meters long. Along with this heavy battery of cannons, the ship features eighty heavy plasma torpedo launchers.


    This mix of heavy weapons gives her an extremely potent anti-ship battery, but leaves little room for lighter weapons. The ship only has a handful of light plasma guns for defense against small ships. A mere twenty Light Concussion cannons in dual turrets represent the entirety of her secondary battery. This means she has very little protection against small vessels like enemy starfighters. As a result, she relies on an allied fighter escort for protection, like most other Cathamari ships. Unfortunately the ship¡¯s hanger is also tiny so she only has a mere four fighters of her own.


    As for her protection? The Ravager has a mere two meters of duranium plating protecting her most critical areas and virtually nothing elsewhere. Her main protection is offered by a class II Sega based energy shield. These shields aren¡¯t particularly strong compared to other shield types we have encountered, but they do provide a fair degree of protection. These shields render the ship virtually immune to kinetic weapons and are quite resilient against heavy energy and torpedo bombardments. Unfortunately for the Cathamari these shields are easy to bypass with shield-penetrating torpedoes and they can be overloaded by Electro cannons as well. Furthermore, the shields have hard limits to how much energy they can take at once and more modern weapons can quickly breach them.


    Aside from her armor, the ship does feature reinforced bulkheads and internal shielding. Not that this means much once the armor and shields fail. The Ravager like most battlecruisers is fairly fragile. Its also one of the smallest battlecruisers in the galaxy, at least so far as we have seen.


    The ship is fairly quick, however. Propulsion is achieved through a linked hyper plasma manifold. This allows the ship to produce greater thrust and agility with fewer thrusters. The hyper plasma drive utilizes superheated plasma to accelerate the ship. Compared to pulse wave engines this leaves much to be desired, but compared to traditional engines these engines are a league above.


    So how well has the Ravager performed? Well... poorly. During the war the Cathamari lost these by the hundreds and they fared even worse on their own. In packs they did however proved effective at taking down cruisers, but in equal numbers? They always failed.


    In summary, we have noted that battlecruisers can be effective. With the Cathamari design being a clear failure. So why have battlecruisers disappeared within Earth¡¯s fleets? The answer lies less in effectiveness and more in doctrine. Battlecruisers are expensive capital ships but they die quickly under fire. Nor can they match a battleship in combat. Rather than spend money on a battlecruiser, it made more sense to focus on better protected battleships or heavy cruisers. Now you may be asking about the Ares. What about cruisers like her? Well she was rather expensive and more recently her role has been overtaken by a new class of stealth frigate, designated the Bird of Prey. If the name sounds familiar it should. Like it¡¯s sci-fi namesake. These are small frigates, with large spinal mounted guns. These guns are often of battleship caliber, but slower to fire.


    Birds of Prey have completely replaced the Battlecruiser in a number of roles due to them being cheaper and easier to maintain. A pack of them costs less than one battlecruiser and can be very deadly. If used effectively that is.

 Chapter One Hundred One Ephon Crystals

    Vera stepped into the lab she had been sharing with Ruri and blinked. Noting all the crystals scattered around. She took a second look as her mind raced. That was what?? Twenty billion credits just sitting on the workstations. No security beyond the standard lab locks?


    Seeing Ruri walk in from the direction of the bathroom, she inquired, ¡°Um,... Ruri what''s with all the Ephon Crystals?¡±


    ¡°Ephon Crystals?¡± replied Ruri with a cute little frown on her face.


    Vera picked one up, probably worth a hundred million, ¡°These! Where did you get these?¡±


    ¡°OH! The unusual resonance crystals. I was taking a look into them. I take it you are familiar with them?¡±


    Vera shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve seen them a couple of times before, but not really. They are expensive and mainly used in hyperspace engines. Not really my specialty.¡±


    ¡°Hyperspace? I hadn¡¯t considered that they might have any applications there. I was going to look into their applications for our mining lasers.¡±


    ¡°Mining lasers? You serious!?¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Have you looked out a window recently?¡±


    Vera frowned and then after a moment connected the dots, ¡°Wait are you saying these crystals had something to do with...¡±


    ¡°Yep! They magnified the effects of our resonance particle beams. Without them that planet wouldn¡¯t be a debris field right now.¡±


    Vera blinked, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about resonance weaponry, so I have to ask. How?¡±


    ¡°Resonance beams use precisely calibrated pulsating beams to pulverize and shatter targeted matter. A sustained pulse builds in the target until the energy build up breaks down its molecular cohesion. These crystals absorb, magnify and radiate that energy when exposed to a resonance pulse beam. The planet was so rich in them that our pulse waves were magnified to cause quakes and volcanic activity on a global scale. As they bounced between deposits rapidly. I have the computer anayzing the data and working to create a better model on this.¡±


    ¡°A mining laser turned into a planet destroying weapon, fascinating. I would suggest caution however, other powers might be frightened by this. The Krall forced the Voskar into a treaty to restrict their Hypernova torpedoes. They might do the same with you.¡±


    Ruri scoffed, ¡°Its not much of a weapon. This planet is a bit of an exception, but right now we are talking about a time-consuming process. We would need to position dozens of orbitals and the process would take days. Not only that, but resonance beams don¡¯t handle shields very well or armor for that matter. Its really more of a mining device, just scaled up to break down planets and very much still in development. Although these Ephon crystals should be quite helpful in furthering this project.¡±


    ¡°What project is it anyway?¡±


    ¡°Orbital mining, we are working on drilling into a planetary crust to expose valuable deposits and then lift them into orbit. Where they can be processed and put to use. The same techniques are already being applied to asteroid mining. With excellent results.¡±


    Vera frowned, ¡°I uh, see. Why do you need this technology?¡±


    Ruri shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Never asked and don¡¯t care. Its fun work.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t care?¡±


    <hr>


    The ship shuddered and a moment later she heard, a report, ¡°Minor hit, port shields. Shields holding.¡±


    Turell noted that and focused her attention on the ships they were now engaged with. Her initial volley couldn¡¯t have gone better. She even caught them of guard and managed to get a few more off before the Valorians could raise shields. Unfortunately she had something new to worry about, long range sensors had detected reinforcements on approach. Estimates of arrival put them at eight minutes out. Regardless she did manage to disable the local Champion class, and seven of the eight Protector class cruisers. Including the light cruisers and patrol ships in the area, many of which were out of position or disabled that left her contending with a dozen active vessels. Far more than she would have liked, but this cruiser was better outfitted than her old one. Superior shields and heavier guns, and she was going to need them. Nothing that would have helped against that Refuge ship though, well the shields would have. The guns not so much.


    She barked her next order, ¡°Return fire all port batteries. Bring us about to heading one one seven mark two eight. Ready aft tubes to fire.¡±


    Her crew dutifully carried her orders out. She felt the ship turn, as the port particle cannons discharged. Scoring several hits on the light cruiser that fired on them. A Defender to be specific. Her shields flared brightly but held. No surprise there, it was under gunned, but like many Valorian designs well shielded. Her cannons were unlikely to bring those shields down in a single volley, but she didn¡¯t expect them too.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Rather she watched the plots, keeping one eye on that Protector cruiser. It was damaged, several hits scored while her shields were down, but still very much a threat. At least she had managed to damage its sublight engines.


    Then she saw what she was waiting for, she smiled, ¡°Aft tubes, fire!¡±


    A series of whooping thumps echoed as the launchers fired. Unleashing 36 Heavy Antiproton Warheads on the cruiser. Bright pink flashes erupted as they slammed into the shields of the cruiser, in a brilliant display. They rippled a thousand colors as the barrier shattered like glass and the last three warheads then slammed into the hull unleashing their antiproton payloads in a fiery eruption of destruction. In an instant, the cruiser ceased to exist.


    There was a shout of joy as someone declared, ¡°Target destroyed!!!¡±


    She let herself smile as she checked the plots. The Protector was out of range and still on an intercept course. Three more cruisers were on attack angles and in range. Along with a dozen patrol ships moving to cut off her escape paths. Clearly trying to force her towards the heavy cruiser. A sound plan, but a trap you knew about was one you could use. These Valorians were not very good with their traps, either. Too obvious, no subtly to them at all.


    Turell then gave a quick check to the team¡¯s progress. They had managed to evade notice so far but were still a few minutes from clearing the gravity well. She sighed. ¡°Bring us about to course two three seven mark nine zero. Increase speed to full. Standby forward tubes, reload aft tubes.¡±


    She only had some many torpedoes and it took a good number to bring down a cruiser. Turell took a quick glance at her display, noting that she had 396 torpedoes left. That might sound like a lot, but it really wasn¡¯t. Those could run out all too quickly. Especially if she had to waste them against shields. Valorian shields weren¡¯t weak, it took 36 of them reliably bring down a light cruiser. Heavy cruisers were even better shielded and equipped with redundant shield grids. Which sadly meant they could likely take her entire arsenal. Well if she could hit them with about a hundred at once that would do it, but the trickery part was doing that. She only had so many tubes and it took time to reload. Critical seconds with which those shields could shed absorbed energy.


    A moment later on the cruisers fired. A volley of plasma torpedoes sailed through space, along with a sustained barrage of low yield plasma pulse. Her own shields flared, as she gave her next order.


    Her helmsmen immediately carried out her orders. A series of thruster ports engaged and the ship rolled. Glowing plasma rounds sailed by them and then the ship shuddered. A couple had corrected course and slammed into the shields.


    ¡°Hit, starboard shields. Shields holding, barely.¡±


    She nodded and gave her next order, ¡°Reduce speed, one half power. Brings us around to two-three eight mark zero nine.¡±


    As the ship swung onto a slightly new course, her forward tubes lined up with her next victim, an Ophera class Light Carrier. They were basically defenders, just with a larger hanger. She gave the order. Just as her target unleashed her own volley of torpedoes.


    ¡°Evasive! Hard starboard!¡±


    The ship shuddered, hard. As several torpedoes found their mark. Yet the other ship wasn¡¯t so lucky as she went up in a brilliant ball of flames.


    ¡°Shields cycling, hull breaches decks four seven and eight. Damage control teams responding, emergency force fields in place and stable. No damage to combat systems.¡±


    ¡°Cloak?¡±


    ¡°Unaffected.¡±


    She glanced at the plot, the team¡¯s shuttle was still a minute out from warp out, but no one was in position to intercept. Reinforcements were still three minutes out. ¡°Engage cloak.¡± she ordered just before giving orders to change course.


    Plasma rounds peppered the hull doing minimal damage as she slipped off the enemy sensor screens. Moments later, the rounds were peppering enemy space as they gave them the slip. Then she set a course to get out of the system. Watching the shuttle closely, when it warped without issue, she finally relaxed. The hard part was over.


    <hr>


    Countryman slipped into his office. Ruri was quite pleased and mining teams were now working to harvest anything of value from the newly formed debris field. He already had his eye on the massive gold deposits, there were a number of systems that made use of gold. The precious metal was not only useful as currency or decorative material in jewelry. In addition to the gold there were other metals of interest, such as titanium. The planet had fair deposits of it and now that it was broken up its wealth was there for the taking. Sadly they were going to have to leave much of it behind, but they were certainly going to be rich. He had also noted a number of carbon-based minerals, which would be useful as well. Those carbon deposits could be with a little work employed in virtually any number of applications.


    With such a new wealth of resources, it was also no surprise that he already had requests on his desk. As he settled into his seat he started reviewing them. Noting down what everyone wanted. He looked over anything that would count as basic goods and approved those first before moving on to more exotic things. Engineering got first priority on requests, the ship came first. So her reviewed what Richards and her department wanted from the field. The gold was naturally on the list, along with a long list of materials used in the ship, iron, silver, platinum, tungsten, titanium, carbon, silicon and more were on the list. He reviewed space and requirements and approved those mining requests and factory orders. It seemed Richards was planning to stockpile spare parts and machinery. There was mention of a request for time to conduct an inspection and if needed overhaul of the engines. He approved that too. They would have time for it while they were mining. Yet she didn¡¯t give a reason for all the materials she wanted.


    Moving on Ruri¡¯s list was extensive and most of the labheads had lists. Even the newcomer Vera had put in requests. Along with something interesting, she was suggesting they stockpile the Ephon crystals. As many as they could take with them. She said they were used mainly in hyperspace applications and were an expensive trade good. Finding a minerally rich source of them was rare, due to their unusual composition and structure. After reading her report, he was thankful that she explained the name. It seemed like a good plan too, so he started adding an additional collection of those crystals. If they were worth something, he was going to bring them along. Not to mention Ruri had a few ideas for them. Either they would end up using them all themselves, or they would use them as a trade good to get things they really need. Regardless it was a good idea and would certainly be worth the space. Especially if they were as valuable as Vera said, which she likely was right about.

 Chapter One Hundred and Two Expeditionary Forces

    The Valorian Commander surveyed the wrecked ships, the damaged outpost and the top secret drydock. She sighed and then turned to the base commander. ¡°This is a serious disappointment but I doubt there was much you could have done differently. It seems the Voskar have updated their cloaking devices again.¡±


    The base commander replied, ¡°I did manage to get a few scans of their ship. It was one of their heavier stealth cruisers. Not often seen in these parts and is relatively new.¡±


    ¡°At least there is that. What did they steal?¡±


    ¡°Weapons, mostly. Including several of our latest prototypes for Concussion Pulse Cannons.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡± She inquired with a frown.


    ¡°They um, also downloaded a number of files, including information relating to the Yinta II.¡±


    She let out a breath, ¡°That could be a problem. I¡¯ll get some ships together than and go after them.¡±


    ¡°If I may...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Voskar cloaking devices aren¡¯t easy to penetrate and their ships rely on ambush tactics. We have some equipment on hand that might help. I can upgrade your sensors and outfit you with secondary deflectors. In addition, we do have a supply of next-generation torpedoes which were slated to be installed on your ships.¡±


    That might be useful she thought, ¡°Yes that does sound sensible. As long as we can get it done quickly.¡±


    Will do!¡±


    As it would turn out, it would take the better part of a day to organize security and put together an expeditionary force to chase after the thieves. She knew the council might frown on taking a Champion out into the field. They tended not to allow battleships out of the core world territories, but something told her she might need it. Along with the Champion as her flag, she took four Protector class cruisers and twelve light carriers. Not a very large force, but more than enough for the task at hand. The outpost supplied her ships with what upgrades they could in the time allotted, including some new torpedoes.


    <hr>


    Elsewhere, several figures were discussing fleet preparations.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but I have managed to secure enough support and funds to move forward.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I¡¯m sure the old guard on the council won¡¯t be happy. They prefer to use funds on their own pet projects, but this will be well worth it. The Lantaro sector has been left as a nest to pirates and warlords for too long.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but I am more interested in Brathra. My daughters and I would love a world of our own and the council position that comes with it.¡±


    ¡°So would mine, which is why we have been garnering support to lead the expedition to colonize those worlds. The more worlds we can claim, the more power our clan will have in the future. Of course we will need to defend those worlds and secure more trade routes. Which brings us to the main point of discussion.¡±


    ¡°Yes the Refuge taskforce, I recall. They have some interesting technologies.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I believe there will be great profit in securing their technology for our clan. Not only will we be able to enhance our fleet with potent weaponry like shield-penetrating torpedos, but their engines are interesting. Clearly reactionless, operating on unknown principles, and their ships appear to be quite maneuverable. Likely a connection.¡±


    ¡°I know we have discussed the possible advantages of their tech many times since we saw it at Cantra. Really have to thank them for helping us out there. The Throne was more resilient than I thought it would be. Makes me wonder what they were thinking helping the Cathamari build that monster. What if he used it against us?¡±


    ¡°Easy all they cared about was securing their profitable trade with the Cathamari. That wealth gave them power over the council afterall. Now we have the power. Of course keeping it is another story.¡±


    ¡°Moving back to the topic, we know the Refuge is somewhere in the Lantaro sector. I¡¯ve sent agents in to learn more and while they have been unable to find them, they have help narrow things down.¡± she paused and brought up a holomap, a region of the southwest part of the sector highlight. I believe they are somewhere in this area. Likely still rather close to Cantra, assuming a competitive speed of warp four. We can guess they are likely no further than Zah.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Hmm, that region is largely uninhabited. There are a few Wovnar colonies there and skirmishes are common. Quite a few minerally wealthy worlds in that belt. Also I notice you highlighted far more than Zah.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well I am covering my bases. Just in case they are significantly faster than warp four.¡±


    ¡°Why? What....¡±


    ¡°Well we missed it since certain people in the council covered it up, but apparently our first contact with them was in the Delta four system, then roughly a year later they showed up at Cantra. Also, there was apparently a sighting of them at an outpost in the Dalmine sector a couple of months after the incident. Specifically the Jewel of Dalmini. Given these datapoints, I suspect they can go a good deal faster than warp four, but...¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have enough data to confirm, it could have been a couple of wormholes for all we know. In addition even if they can go that fast, we don¡¯t know how long they can sustain it. We have plenty of ships that can sustain speeds near warp five, but none that can actually breach it.¡±


    ¡°Well we had one showing promise, but sadly that ship was lost at Cantra. A major set back for the project. I¡¯ve already acquired the project leads and they assure me they can build a new one... in six months. A delay, but if their second prototype can match the first we can likely see warp five ships in the next couple of years.¡±


    ¡°Two years!? We are that close?¡±


    ¡°Possibly sooner, I have given them everything they requested and secured additional resources and team leads. I presume you all understand what breaching the warp five barrier could mean for us?¡±


    Nods rounded all around, and someone interjected. ¡°So how are we going to find these Refuge folk?¡±


    ¡°It will take some doing. I have been putting together ships and personnel for a massive expedition into the Lantaro sector and updated with the best we can afford at this time, naturally. Enhanced shields, secondary deflectors, point defense systems, focused plasma torpedoes and heavy pulse cannons on all ships. Its gets a bit expensive, but the Lantaro sector in dangerous. Ships caught unaware could be sunk by cloaked Voskar ships or ambushed by Chi¡¯ran warships. Normally we wouldn¡¯t bother with point defense. Shields are just much better protection and more reliable for the cost, but they don¡¯t help much against shield penetrating warheads. If get into a battle with the Refuge, they might be helpful.¡±


    ¡°Noted, how long before the fleet is ready and how many ships?¡±


    ¡°We have nearly twenty expeditionary fleets assembled. A grand total of twenty thousand ships. Mostly light carriers and scout ships, but we also gathered a fair number of Protector and Champion class ships. Each fleet will have ten champion class ships and two hundred Protector Class cruisers. Outside of those vessels we have commissioned a number of Merchantmen freighters to serve the logistical needs of these expeditions. Non-standard versions with upgraded armaments and defenses. They should be better able to survive that hostile region of space.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a plan, but I still want to know how long?¡±


    ¡°A couple of weeks. I¡¯ve been doing what I can to rush them out. Given the importance of this, I¡¯ve paid every expense to raise these fleets as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Excellent that should improve our chances of catching up and finding these Refuge aliens.¡±


    The meeting continued, as the Minara clan dreamed of dominance in the council for years to come. None of them considered that they had perhaps just made a mistake. The Confederation was strong and wealthy. Outside of the Krall they had few true rivals. Little did they realize it was already starting to crumble.


    <hr>


    Turell smiled. Her crew had done it, they had hit the outpost, done some damage and more importantly distracted the Valorians long enough to get the shuttle out without sacrificing their lives. Now they just had to get back to base and easy enough task.


    The shuttle recovered, she had taken her ship towards on the faster hyperspace routes. It was perhaps a risk, if the Valorians suspected and moved quickly enough, but it would get her out of the area and back home faster.


    The route did have a few stops. Including one that included several secret routes, they kept to themselves. Regions that allowed faster safer travel through hyperspace were always important for the races that used it.


    She was keeping an eye on the naviplots, when an officer informed her, ¡°We are nearing the Isan Corridor captain. Shall I take her in?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Take her in helmsman.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    The young man deftly manipulated the controls and the ship turned into the corridor. Almost immediately picking up speed as the hyperspace eddies smoothed out. This far from a gravity well ships could move faster, but there was more to a corridor than just that. This corridor was free of many anomalies and other hazards which allowed her hyperdrive to push to its limits.


    Standing up, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll be in my office. Please inform me when we reach our first stop.¡±


    ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    They went to her duties and even without saying it, she knew they were already keeping an eye out for possible pursuers.

 Chapter One Hundred and Three Second Contact

    Reynolds stood up. He had been on shift for a few hours and wanted to stretch his legs. The bridge was fairly calm and the system quiet. The Coto along with a squadron of 1204s was currently on patrol. A few thousand kilometers out from the Enterprise. Keeping an eye out for potential threats while the larger vessel was conducting operations near the now shattered second planet. Namely mining and research operations. Speaking of research, the Umikaze was out near one of the local debris fields. A bit further out from the Enterprise than the Coto was but still close enough to support if needed. The ship was acting as a landing base for another squadron of 1204s as they conducted tests of the new Pulsar torpedoes. Although he had also heard them referred to as Electro Plasma torpedoes. Whatever you wanted to call them, they weren¡¯t traditional torpedoes. Which made it easier for the limited facilities of the Umikaze to act as a base. Unlike the Enterprise her hangers weren¡¯t outfitted to store ordinance or even stow the fighters. She also lacked catapults, but she did have enough space for a single squadron to land and refuel. Which is all the Umikaze was needed to do.


    Walking down the stairs to the lower bridge, he considered how quiet things were. Perhaps a little too quiet, but that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t enjoy the peace while it was there. Assuming they maintained their vigil. It was a hostile galaxy afterall. This sector alone was rife with pirates and warlords. Not to mention it was known for being politically unstable. Certainly, not an area they would settle and definitely not a place to let your guard down in.


    As if to prove his thoughts right, his Ops officer looked up from her console, ¡°Hyperspace window detected sir. Bearing two two seven mark three eight. Distance six hundred thousand kilometers.¡±


    He turned to her as he noted that down. That was off the starboard bow and well outside the range of the main guns, but not his torpedoes. ¡°Intercept course, ahead flank. Set condition yellow. All weapons on standby, full power to the hull plating. Alert our escorts, I want them in formation Bravo one eight.¡±


    The crew scrambled to carry out his orders, as he inquired, ¡°How many ships?¡±


    ¡°Looks to be just one sir.¡±


    He glanced up at the relevant screen and watched the swirling eddy that was a hyperspace window. A mixture of red, and green. They varied depending on the drive and who built it, but he wasn¡¯t familiar enough with the drives to know who this was. A moment later a single cruiser emerged as the window collapsed. Predatory lines, scorch marks and hull breaches along her hull, but nothing that looked crippling. He recognized it, ¡°A Voskar stealth cruiser!? Battlestations! And someone signal the Enterprise.¡±


    The lights turned red, just as the ship on sensors shimmered. Vanishing from his screens. ¡°Initiate particle sweep! I want that ship found.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir!¡±


    A second later the beam arrays lit up. Sweeping across space with high concentrations of charged particles. They had already closed a good chunk of the distance, so it wasn¡¯t long before something lit up on his screens.


    ¡°Found them sir bearing two two eight, mark six three. Heading one one seven mark two six, speed .4c¡±


    ¡°Adjust to intercept, I want them crippled, lock torpedoes.¡±


    ¡°Torpedos locked!¡± came the report just as the target disengaged their cloak.


    ¡°Hostile has raised shields, weapon ports charging.¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    A series of whooping sounds echoed as a volley of torpedoes fired from the forward tubes. A mere fraction of a full volley. A dozen blue streaks careened across space straight for the target. A moment later, the target opened up with a number of rapid-fire particle cannons. Point defense from the look of it. Several particle bolts found their mark, but it was too little too late. Four torpedoes were destroyed but the remaining eight slammed into the shields, two of which penetrated to detonate inside the shields.


    The target however survived the hit, ¡°Direct hit, hostile has lost shields, damage to main power grids. Multiple hull breaches. I¡¯m detecting an energy build up in their hyperdrive, I think they are about to jump.¡±


    ¡°Activate jamming field.¡±


    ¡°Field engaged.¡±


    The target came about, her torpedo tubes glowing, a moment later she fired 36 warheads. ¡°Torpedoes fired, sir!¡±


    ¡°Standby main cannons, the status of Energy webs?¡±


    ¡°Energy webs are on hot standby, ready for automatic deployment.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡±


    A moment later, the energy webs flared before the warheads slammed into the dense laser field one after the other. Not a single one penetrated to strike the hull. The result was an impressive light show as a series of bright flashes filled his screen.


    When it cleared the ship was gone. He blinked, ¡°Sensors!¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Contact lost! Initiating particle sweep.¡±


    A moment later the ship reappeared, they had gained some distance and were accelerating rapidly. Clearly attempting to escape, but he knew his orders. They had no reason to allow that. ¡°Alert Alpha Squadron to cut them off. Lock torpedoes on their primary thruster manifolds.¡±


    ¡°Torpedoes locked.¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    A series of blue flashes streaked across space, as the fighters pulled ahead. The cruiser opened up with particle fire, as she banked hard. Scoring a few pd hits and evading a few more by slipping into a debris field. Regardless a couple found their mark, scoring direct hits. The Coto followed them in moments after. Their prey was crippled and they had a squadron of fighters in pursuit. Elsewhere, the Enterprise was launching additional patrols. Something Reynolds was happy to hear about. In addition he was informed that the Coto was recalling the Squadron assigned to her and preparing to begin patrol duty.


    <hr>


    Turell bit back a curse as her engineer told her of the damage. ¡°Do they have nothing better to do than chase one lone ship?¡± she muttered to herself.


    They had taken four low yield torpedo hits and she was lucky that they hadn¡¯t fired anything else at them. It didn¡¯t help that they could saturate a huge area with charged particles, her trick with resetting the cloak was likely not to work. It didn¡¯t the first time and now it was off the table. Too much damage to the grid. She cursed her luck as well. This system was supposed to be empty, a nice quite place where they could stop and do some patching of the hull. The damn valorians had done more damage than she thought and she was leaking fuel. Now she was under attack by a Refuge Destroyer. It seemed today wasn¡¯t her day. Worse her hyperdrive was being jammed, which was going to make escape difficult. Some might say impossible, especially with the fighters moving into the field, but she still felt they had a chance.


    Nearby a crewmen declared, ¡°We¡¯re gonna die!¡±


    Standing up, she replied, ¡°We aren¡¯t going to die.¡± Turning to the engineer, she continued, ¡°Patch the manifolds, we will do a proper fix later.¡±


    The crewman didn¡¯t seem convinced but she had a plan. Tapping the strategic display she said, ¡°Chalsi! What do you see here?¡±


    Her ops officer turned, ¡°Um the positions of ships and fleets being tracked by local listenings posts and monitoring stations. What about it?¡±


    She tapped the position of a small fleet nearby, ¡°and who is this?¡±


    ¡°A Valorian...¡± hers widened, ¡°privateer fleet, you want me to fake a merchant in distress?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Make us look like a nice juicy target. I want them salivating enough to make a run for us.¡±


    ¡°Can do!¡±


    Several crewman blinked, as she turned to bark a few orders. With any luck that privateer fleet would show up quickly enough and serve as a nice juicy distraction to get that Heavy Destroyer off their tails. They also had a squadron of alien fighters to worry about, but hopefully the debris field would prove obstacle enough to keep them away for the time she required.


    <hr>


    Reynolds watched the plots. As the cruiser started playing a game of cat and mouse with him. He knew he had them wounded and it was only a matter of time before he had them cornered. Perhaps it was a bit aggressive to engage on sight, but the Voskar had already attacked them once unprovoked. He wasn¡¯t going to allow that a second time. Not only that, but he wanted answers. No matter how he looked at it, their previous attack made little sense to him. Three ships was not much of a fleet, they were dozens of lightyears from any known Voskar outpost or colony. There was no official state of war between their governments. Hell that was their official first contact. In some respects it reminded him of the Cathamari, but at least they had the decency to try talking first even if they were arrogant lizard scum.


    Ahead the cruiser dived behind an old wreck. One of the larger ships that went down here, a battleship from the look of it. Heavy plating, numerous wrecked gun ports and huge engines characterized the wreck. She was littered with hull breaches and long vented to space. The ship was long dead, not even a single reactor showed signs of life. He chuckled, it seemed they thought the wreck would prove to be a shield. They were right in that it would block torpedoes, but they were now entering main gun range. The Coto didn¡¯t have the heavy ship-to-ship particle cannons the Enterprise did, but they didn¡¯t need to be for this.¡±


    ¡°Tactical, target their engines and weapons.¡±


    ¡°Weapons locked sir!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    His beam and particle cannon ports lit up. Hurling hundreds of bright blue particles bolts right into the old wreck, along with a sustained energy pulse. They ripped through it like tissue paper before slamming into the shields of the alien cruiser. He blinked, those had been down a moment ago.


    The shields flickered and strained under the barrage as the cruiser picked up speed. Making maneuvers to throw them off or place new bits of debris between them. They didn¡¯t help much, but they did weaken the bolts a little.


    The ship then weaved behind another large wreck as he pursued. A pair of fighters moving ahead of them fired torpedoes. Striking several shield emitters before strafing the hull with particle bolts. The shields largely absorbed it, but not all of it. They were clearly strained already. It was only a matter of time before they failed.


    Turning to operations, he ordered, ¡°Prep assault shuttles, I want boarding parties on standby.¡±


    As he spoke the other vessel gained a bit of distance and then darted around a smaller wreck, but one that was still somewhat active. With an intact and active shield grid no less. Something onboard energized it just as his shots were tearing into the hull. Buying the cruiser a moment''s reprieve, but only a moment. As his fighter escort came in for another pass. Four ships unleashed torpedoes and particle fire against the cruiser. Scoring several hits. None of which proved substantial and the chase continued.


    Several minutes later several ships suddenly dropped to sublight dead ahead. The stealth cruiser zipped past them, as his crew identified them as Valorian cruisers. The markings on them weren¡¯t for Confederation ships however. These were mercenary ships, who didn¡¯t hesitate to open fire on his ships. Several low-yield plasma pulses raked the hull for no effect. Reynolds responded in kind and while none of them were a threat dealing with them took just long enough for the cruiser to disappear. A particle sweep failed to reveal their position, with a sigh he turned to the disabled Valorian cruisers. ¡°Deploy boarding parties.I want to know why they helped that cruiser escape.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±

 Chapter One Hundred and Four Privateers and Frozen Wastelands

    Captains Log July 28th 002 SDE:


    The last week and a half, since we packed up our mining operation, has been rather uneventful. Ruri is rolling out her new Pulsar torpedoes for use in the fighter fleet and production on the modified ¡°Sparrow¡± X-1208 star bombers is underway. We are building two squadrons of the ship for testing. Stowing them will be interesting since this will put us over bay capacity. The current plan is to ¡®mothball¡¯ two squadrons of 1204s in the cargo bay. Stuffing those fighters in the cargo bay would solve the storage issue, but we also won¡¯t be able to easily deploy them if needed. A plan to refit our two X-1212 class destroyer escorts with a full fighter bay of their own has also been put forward. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult of a refit. Most of the facilities are already there. What¡¯s needed is a proper fighter stowage, catapult assembly, and of course an ordinance locker for the fighters. Her standard shuttles don¡¯t carry torpedoes or bombs.


    I¡¯ve already reviewed the plan. It calls for modifying the auxiliary hanger storage bays and a cargo bay under the hanger into proper facilities for these purposes. Along with installing a catapult assembly. To power it would require some reconfiguration of the ship¡¯s power grid and one of the backup capacitor banks for the aft cannons would be repurposed as the primary capacitor for the catapults. The proposed plan would require minimal alterations to the class. Aside from a couple of obvious sacrifices. I have yet to make a decision on this and have Richards and her staff reviewing the viability of the upgrades. If they sign off on them being viable I will be approving them immediately. The advantages of being able to deploy fighters from our escorts will be more than worth a few lost storage bays and minor inconveniences that may come with the plan.


    The idea of ¡®mothballing¡¯ fighters in the cargo bay does however have some interesting applications. Unlike traditional mothballing, we don¡¯t have to worry about the elements. As such a properly stowed fighter could sit in the bay and later be pulled out of storage with very little required work.  This would obviously allow us to quickly replace lost fighter craft. Assuming of course we didn¡¯t lose the more valuable pilot. Unfortunately, it also means we will be using up valuable cargo space to store a spacecraft we aren¡¯t really using. As the cargo bays just aren¡¯t fitted to be used as hanger storage. Sadly there isn¡¯t much we can do to expand storage without going into a major refit, the kind we just can¡¯t afford.


    More immediately important, we are approaching a new system. The Isa system. According to our resident Valorians, it¡¯s a rather isolated system with few resources of note. It does however have a habitable world. The fourth moon of the fifth planet is a rather large moon whose presence near a gas giant helps fuel significant geothermal activity. The planet is apparently covered with miles of glacial ice, but has significant geothermal vents along the equatorial ridge There is also a major subsurface ocean warmed by geothermal venting. On the surface limited sunlight and geothermal vents provide for local life. Most local lifeforms are concentrated near the warm vents on the equator. The planet is apparently home to a few small enclaves of colonists as well, who manage to eke out a living on its harsh surface.


    Its isolation and the presence of those colonists is however our main interest in the world, seeing as Reynolds captured a fair number of Valorain Pirates after they helped a Voskar ship escape. Shame that we could have used more answers, and their cloaking technology is certainly interesting. In any case, we have little use for the pirates and our Valorian guests don¡¯t much like their brethren either. Low opinion of piracy and all that. As a result we plan to maroon our guests on this harsh world and leave.


    <hr>


    Reia and her sister joined Sali in the hanger bay who was looking around confused. She noticed them as they took up positions near her and with a frown on her face, ¡°So um, any idea what is going on?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear about the prisoners we recently picked up?¡±


    She let out a breath, ¡°Sadly.¡± She paused, distaste visible on her face, ¡°A few of them ended up in the cell across from mine.¡±


    ¡°I take it they are poor neighbors.¡±


    ¡°You could say that, but I think it was rather tasteless of them to take up piracy.¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°I know what were they thinking?¡±


    The other girl let out a breath, and said, ¡°I just wonder what I did to end up sharing a brig with pirates. Care to do anything about it?¡±


    Her sister interjected, ¡°We¡¯ve been talking about that. Sadly the council has no interest in reviewing your case. Not for another four years.¡±


    Reia nodded, ¡°Yeah we ran into a wall with the council.¡±


    Sali sighed, ¡°Typical.¡±


    Neira stretched, ¡°Well it could be worse. The council back home was a nightmare.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, the local Officer¡¯s Council isn¡¯t much better.¡±


    ¡°At least it is functional.¡±


    Sali interjected, ¡°We seem to be drifting. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Neira spoke first, ¡°Well today¡¯s the day we get rid of the pirates. They are being marooned on the ice world we are orbiting.¡±


    ¡°Oh? We are marooning them? Well, I guess they do deserve it.¡±


    Reia responded, ¡°Yeah the council was discussing what to do with them. Today¡¯s the day they leave. It¡¯s turning into a bit of an event, they even organized a trial.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Those are shams, more of a show. Trust me, I¡¯ve been through it.¡±


    Neira frowned, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Oh you don¡¯t know? Around here, everything important is decided before the trial.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re um, joking right?¡±


    Sali shook her head and opened her mouth to reply, when a familiar male voice interjected, ¡°Young Sali is correct. We decide things before the trial these days. As I told her, that''s been tradition for a century.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Reia frowned, ¡°what was it like before that?¡±


    ¡°Well... a mess. There is a reason we moved away from the old style. Certain groups had a long history of abusing the old system. With the fall of the old powers, the new powers did away with the old system. There is more to discuss in regards to that, but nothing I would care to talk about. Not right now, but if you are really curious I know a few library files you might consider reading. They are fairly insightful on the period in question.¡±


    ¡°I, uh see.¡±


    Sali glanced out over the hanger, ¡°So, why am I here? I don¡¯t see how this trial has anything to do with me?¡±


    Countryman responded, ¡°Oh? That was my doing. I figured you needed a break and this would be a good chance for us to talk. I have something I want to discuss with you after the trial and marooning of these pirates.¡±


    ¡°You have something you want to discuss with me?¡± Sali replied, trying to figure out what. For the life of her she couldn¡¯t guess what. She knew Countryman well enough, they would meet every once in a while and he would ask how she was doing. At first she wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the check-ins, but now she was starting to see that he seemed to genuinely want to know how she was doing. Not that she was sure why. The others didn¡¯t seem to know why, judging by their reactions and how they were now asking.


    A clamor broke her thoughts and she realized the trial was about to start as a bunch of prisoners were being marched into the room. Someone took up the podium calling for attention. Countryman chose that moment to interject, ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you after the trial.¡±


    With that he left her with the other two. With nothing else to do, she joined the two sisters and watched the proceedings. All the while thinking back to that time a year ago when she stood on trial herself. To think that much time had passed and she was still here...


    <hr>


    Ruri walked down the corridor. She¡¯d been informed that the team working on Project Sparrow were ready to unveil their prototypes. They had been working hard on building these new 1208 variants.  Outfitted with an updated engine scheme and heavy power plant, these small ships promised to be quite powerful. The X-1208 Sparrow featured twin tri-core pulse wave engines, a dual micro fusion plant. The combination would give the little ships an impressive ability to maneuver, but they would need it. The bombers would have 35 centimeters of armor and a loadout of heavy weapons. The design featured twin heavy particle cannons and a rear-mounted triple turret, along with a bomb bay and four launcher tubes. The other prototype version would replace two of the tubes in favor of an electro-cannon mount. The result was a vehicle roughly the same size as a 1204, but much heavier in mass. In fact it was slightly larger than the 1204.


    The specific particle cannon on board wasn¡¯t the kind of heavy particle cannon used on capital ships, but a fighter version. Developed by Star tech industries and improved by her this was a heavier version of the weapon mounted on the 1204 and rated for about five times the effective yield but had a longer recharge period between shots. The result was a weapon better suited for tearing into heavily armored capital ships than a dogfight. The Sparrow didn¡¯t have missile ports either, so its only real protection against fighters was escorts and that single rear turret.


    Reaching the construction site, a nice lab near the hangers. It had previously been a storage bay, but now it was fully equipped for the construction and development of small ships like fighters, bombers and shuttles. Stepping through the large doors, she was immediately greeted with the stubby frame of a 1208 dominating the room. It was shorter, but overall larger than the 1204. It needed that extra size for its power plant, engines, and weapon load out. It was also why the team proposed mounting an electro cannon on one. The ship had both the size and power for it. That was also why, she had designed a heavier version of the pulsar torpedo, specifically designed for the 1208. Same basic hardware and principles. No real change in effective range, but the yield per shot was quite a bit higher. Tests did show a slight drop in recharge time, but that was acceptable. The 1208 Sparrow was armed for taking on Capital ships, whereas the 1204 was a space superiority fighter intended to take on fighters, shuttles and smaller starships if needed.


    One of the team, a younger man noted her entry. He smiled, ¡°Chief! Glad you could make it. We were just about ready to deliever this to the hanger for testing.¡±


    She took a few steps closer, ¡°So how does she look so far?¡±


    ¡°Well all the preflight tests went well. All that remains is to test her in actual flight. The modified dual engine scheme works in simulation, but...¡±


    ¡°I noticed, there are a few potential problems. Yet this configuration promises to make a very agile ship out of the Sparrow, one almost as agile as the 1204.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well speaking of the 1204 I had a few thoughts on improving that. We all did. Sadly we kept coming up against either space or power limitations with all of them. Making the ship a little bigger like we did with the 1208 would solve both, but making the ship larger also makes her a bigger target. Not mention more expensive to produce and she is already a costly fighter to build. We did manage to come up with a scheme that would fit in the current hull, but power limitations make it not feasible.¡±


    She knew engines could be rather power-hungry devices, but she felt impressed that they could fit a dual-engine scheme on the 1204. It was originally designed for only a single dual-core engine. This was a high-efficiency engine scheme fitted for range and lower power draw. The 1208 had originally been envisioned as mounting a double version of the same engine. This team had done two things, they adjusted the original mounting configuration and they increased the core count of both engines by one. It was very rare for fighters to have a triple-core configuration. As the extra core did require a beefier power plant, and most fighters that did have a third core in an engine, usually only had one, not two. Something that made the new 1208 rather notable and she figured someone would consider upgrading the 1204 for a triple-core engine soon enough. It would mean reduced range, but would improve agility in combat. A worthy trade-off, as the loss in range would be largely negligible.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t think a double engine configuration is viable for the 1204?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. Not the one we used on the 1208 anyway, too much power draw. It requires we dedicate the entire main fusion generator for ideal performance.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, look into it anyway. I can think of a few applications for a faster version of the 1204 hull. Dropping the missiles in favor of an extra reactor and maybe a beefier sensor array. Replace the torpedoes with a probe bay and I would say that makes an effective scout ship.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that. Yeah, the hull is modular enough, would only maybe take a few hours to make the changes. We can look into that.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, now I think there is a trial going on, but it should be about over by now. Just might be a good idea to check on the hanger status before we transfer her to the bay for testing.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, I¡¯ll check the intercom.¡±


    She turned back to the heavy bomber as he walked off. Looking over its sleek armored lines, and robust frame. Ruri couldn¡¯t wait to see how the new 1208 performed. The old version was noted as being a little sluggish, but it was fairly resilient. Not to mention it was fairly fast once it got up to speed. The new configuration promised to be almost as agile as a current-gen 1204, which was certainly promising.


    <hr>


    The young man closed the door and watched as the Valorian pirates clutched their coats tightly. He was just here to drop them off. It was up to them to survive, but they had water, food, and clothing now. Everything they needed for a few weeks of survival. Even tools for making shelters and a map. There were a few settlements not far from here as well. They might just be able to make it out here and honestly he had heard that Valorians were well adapted to the cold. He figured they would be fine. With that in mind, he turned and signaled the pilot to take off. They were done here.

 Chapter One Hundred and Five Minor Refits and New Toys

    August 14th, 002 SDE:


    Countryman stepped out of his office. Having just finished making his log and reviewing todays updates. The X-1208 Sparrow prototypes were still sitting in the bay waiting for testing, but he had recently been informed of a promising target. Long-range sensors have found a debris field not far off their current course, deep space location from the looks of it. Several active energy signatures, all weak. No distress signals have been detected, so it seemed likely the field is recent enough that the salvagers haven¡¯t hit it but old enough that any survivors were either rescued or killed. It wasn¡¯t an uncommon sighting in these parts, with so many warring parties and heavy piracy. Many a poor merchant convoy would get hit, there were several trade routes in this area. Key worlds shipping vital resources from one world to another. Making them lucrative targets, even if they were grouped. It did help, but the pirates simply started working in groups themselves.


    It was a real mess here, but thankfully it wasn¡¯t his problem to fix. If anything the debris fields were often quite useful.For a number of different applications from salvage to weapons testing. They were also prime ambush locations, but thankfully pirates often left the beacons in place and active. So this one was likely free of pirates, but he planned to be safe anyway. Probe first, followed by fighter recon and then they would move into the field. It was the same plan they had used with previous ones, so he figured Greyman would already be organizing the pilots and getting probes ready. They were only a couple hours out from the debris field, so now was the time to get things ready. With that in mind, he stepped onto the bridge.


    <hr>


    The woman walked up to the forward consoles her eyes on the screen. They had recently arrived in this system as they were tracing the path of the Voskar cruiser that struck their outpost just a few short weeks ago. She turned, ¡°Sensors? Confirm readings.¡±


    There was a pause, ¡°Confirmed, the planet Anasi Prime has been destroyed. Recently from the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± she uttered. Knowing the planet was of interest to the clan since it was near their space and minerally wealthy. She had been privy to a plan to secure it for the clan and use it to fund the expansion of their fleet.¡±


    ¡°Unknown. I am however picking up some fading weapon signatures in the area, Valorian, Voskar and... Refuge.¡±


    ¡°Voskar? Is it possible they violated the treaty and used it as a test site for a hypernova torpedo development?¡±


    ¡°Negative, these readings are not consistent with the use of hypernova torpedos and I¡¯m seeing none of the usual subspace markers. In fact there are no subspace markers at all. Whoever did this, did it with more conventional weaponry.¡±


    ¡°Impossible! It would take...¡±


    ¡°I know, and then there is the question of who would bother to destroy an uninhabited world.¡±


    ¡°Keep scanning, look for any hints on who may have done this.¡±


    ¡°Will do,¡± the woman on the sensors replied.


    An older man approached, her first officer. He glanced at the readings, ¡°Hmm, perhaps the Refuge is responsible? We know they were in the area and their technology is full of unknowns.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but their ships don¡¯t strike me as that advanced. They have no shields and their particle weapons while intriguing aren¡¯t much more powerful than most conventional weapons.¡±


    ¡°True, but they are certainly ahead of us in some areas, notably their unusual sublight drives, beam weapons, and shield-penetrating torpedoes. The clan is also interested in their armor, although that one may simply be a deviation not a sign of being ahead.¡±


    The sensor officer interjected, ¡°I think the first officer is correct, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m reading significant particle saturation on all of the major debris chunks. The signatures are a 96.2% match with known Refuge weapon signatures, although I am picking up some unusual resonance traces. I have the computer analyzing them now.¡±


    ¡°Resonance traces?¡±


    The officer shrugged, ¡°Yeah I¡¯m not sure either, but at least now have a suspect.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately that still leaves us with the question of why,¡± turning to the comms, she said, ¡°Regardless we should inform the clan of our findings.


    <hr>


    Countryman leaned over the console. He and a few of his officers were gathered around the Master Stategic display in the center of the lower bridge. Currently they were discussing their prospects while the fighter crews conducted a final sweep of the field. A few promising ships had been found. Nothing worth reactivating for own use however. Many of the ships were heavily damaged in the fight, but some could be patched enough to get some defense systems up and running. Making them worth using as a test target.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Greyman tapped on one the images, ¡°I think this one is our best bet, outside of the drive section damage is fairly minimal. The defense grid is virtually untouched, only reason it failed was due to damage to the power distrubution manifolds. I believe Richards and her team can easily patch the primaries as the damage looks minimal.¡±


    Richards nodded, ¡°Maybe, I was looking at that one, too. I think we can restore it for own use. Its a reasonably sized cruiser plenty of space for people onboard, we will have to completely rebuild the engines and finding the right materials for a new warp drive might take some doing. I also noticed that their life support systems are shot, we will have to replace those too, but the primary power grid and defense system are intact. Hull damage is minimal, outside the drive section so it wouldn¡¯t be hard to convert it for human habitation.¡±


    ¡°And how long would all of that take?¡±


    ¡°Um, three to six months,¡± she replied.¡±


    ¡°With a time frame like that, we might as well build a new ship, it would take the same amount of time.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Yes it would but a conversion would cost us less. Although I guess it could be argued that anything we build would be more trustworthy than an alien conversion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. So back to the subject, if we go for this hull, how long before its ready for use as a test target?¡±


    Richards scratched her chin, ¡°A day maybe two. I¡¯d need a closer look at the damage, but from what we can see the primaries don¡¯t look that badly damaged. The job should be rather straightforward.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, we can use that one. Any other promising candidates?


    Greyman nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll also like the look of this one over here.¡±


    Countryman noted the one he tapped. This one looked to be a merchant vessel, her cargo holds were shattered and she had several ruined shuttles attached to her hull. Sensors indicated signs of shipwide fires before the ship had been vented. Her drive section was effectively gutted and their were numerous breaches along the portside. The massive frieghter now lay adrift near the shattered hulks of several smaller escorts, but she notably still had intact shield generators. Along with several intact gun ports, but she had lost all power. Eri the helmsman nodded, ¡°Yeah she looks good, main power is gone and she took a lot of damage. Her secondary systems look to be intact and she still has her shield generators.¡±


    Richards interjected, ¡°From what I saw that one could take a few days to get ready, but I agree she does show some promise. It depends on the extent of the fire damage.¡±


    Countryman knew what she meant. Modern sensors could penetrate the hull and reveal quite a bit about another ship. Even detail damage, to a degree. Such sensors were used where applicable in the ship¡¯s internal net as well. A fact that aided with damage control, but they were not infallible. They could be fooled or miss things. It was why manual inspections were still required. Although a diagnostic and sensor sweep could narrow down where an issue is located if one is found.


    ¡°Well that is the question. Still might be worth putting on the list.¡±


    They would end up spending the next few hours discussing things before the first parties were sent to inspect the chosen ships.


    <hr>


    Sali stepped into the hanger as she pushed a large cart in front of her. It was part of an order that the hanger bay had made. Something she had ended up selected to deliver. She paused as she spotted a ship sitting on the deck. It was a fighter, but not a design she had seen before. Clearly related to the ships she had fought all those months ago at Delta four, but distinctly different. It was shorter with a heavier looking frame but that also made it look a little stubby.


    A tech noticed her gaze as she approached, ¡°I see you have noticed the new fighters.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Um what is it?¡±


    ¡°An X-1208, they were designed alongside the 1204. The labs have been working to finish them, updating them with newer weapons. Its a Starbomber outfitted with heavy cannon, torpedoes and bombs. Not well suited to a dogfight, but meant to engage capital ships.¡±


    Sali glanced at her delivery. She had seen them loaded, ¡°I guess these warheads are for those bombers than.¡±


    ¡°They are, and thank you for getting them here so quickly. We would have had to delay the test flights.¡±


    ¡°Test flights?¡±


    ¡°Yep its why we are in this debris field, they make great sites for weapon testing. Of course, we are going to be putting these fighters through their paces. There is only so much you can test without actually flying them.¡±


    ¡°I understand that,¡± she replied as her gaze turned back to the bomber. A part of her wanted to be out there in that fighter and getting a feel for it. She just knew it wasn¡¯t to be, but maybe one day she would fly again. She sighed, ¡°I would love to try flying it.¡±


    The tech smiled, ¡°I¡¯m sure you would, but I am afraid I can¡¯t allow that.¡±


    She deflated a little, ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°Anyway we should get this unloaded,¡± said the tech. Sali nodded and got to work. As other techs arrived to assist. Before long the work was done and she gave the ship on the deck one last glance before she left the bay.

 Interlude The X-1212 Heavy Destroyer Tactical Overview

    The X-1212 was a project in the 1200 series of experimental ship designs. The Coto and Umikaze were the only ships of the type produced and have both proven to be effective attack ships. They are agile with solid armament and decent armor. However, their lack of fighter capacity is notable.


    Ships of the type are fairly large as destroyers go with a length of 970 meters and 38 decks. This extra size allows the ships to mount a fairly powerful power plant for their size. Main power is supplied by a single dual-core antimatter reactor which supplies power for all of the ship''s systems and is required for the operation of her warp drive system. Additional power is supplied by three fusion reactors located deep within the primary hull. These reactors supply more than enough energy to power the primary and secondary systems but can¡¯t power the warp drive system. They also allow the ship to carry a fairly powerful weapons array.


    For protection the ship type is outfitted with three meters of Titan alloy overlord armor. This armor functions the same as it does on the Enterprise, but doesn¡¯t offer the same protection. Incoming rounds are dispersed, weakened by energy absorbers and absorbed by the AIF. Leaving the ship undamaged, but the protection can be overwhelmed. In addition, the armor is vulnerable to focused high-energy strikes like a torpedo hit. As a result the ships are outfitted with energy webs and particle projectors to provide protection against projectile weapons. These high-intensity laser and particle fields vaporize incoming projectiles and have been known to disrupt the containment of plasma torpedoes. Beam weapons can also carve through the defense in a way that pulsed energy weapons cannot. In addition to the uniform three meters of armor protecting the whole ship, critical areas are further protected with reinforced bulkheads and secondary armor plating. Like the Enterprise, all sections benefit from internal plating with additional internal plating near critical areas and vulnerable sections like the main hanger.


    The main hanger is located on the aft side of the ship and is rated for cargo shuttles, personnel shuttles and X-1205 assault shuttles. However the bay isn¡¯t rated for fighters, not at launch anyway. The hanger does have a cargo tram however and is used to transfer cargo and personnel. In mid-002 SDE, the class underwent a minor refit to expand the hanger facilities at the cost of cargo space to handle combat flight operations and storage of fighter craft. Ships of this type gained the capacity to carry a single squadron of fighters. Specifically the 1204, but with the new facilities she also became able to deploy 1205s as light bombers. Thanks to a secured hanger bay ordinance locker for combat spacecraft. The presence of such a locker helps reduce incidents in the case of an attack on the hanger. The addition of fighter craft to her arsenal not only gives her a squadron of fighters with which to fight off small hostiles. It also extends her operational umbrella and better enables her to serve as a patrol base and patrol ship. Suiting the needs of the fleet.


    Being a Destroyer, the Coto and Umikaze are primarily armed with torpedos which are stowed in armored magazines referred to as Torpedo Bays. These are located as deep in the ship as feasible and protected by heavy internal plating and reinforced bulkheads. Like on the Enterprise, they use automated loading mechanisms to reload the tubes. Using the same sort of rapid-fire clip system to allow for a volley of five torpedoes per tube every six seconds. Launchers are mounted fore and aft, 24 forward and eight aft, triple tubed. She carries an astounding number of torpedoes allowing nearly fifteen minutes of sustained fire. To be specific each ship has an impressive 75,000 warheads stowed in their bays. Far more than their alien counterparts would typically carry into battle.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    In addition to her massive torpedo arsenal, the X-1212 class of Destroyers also carries a number of directed particle weapons. Her primary particle weapon would be her Star Tech Industries XPCB-218-C Cutting Beam Array Mark II. An improved version of what she originally launched with. The weapon draws power directly from her main fusion generators and is equipped with dedicated generators. Energy shunts are also in place to allow for main power to be dumped into the beam array. The beam array fires a sustained charged particle beam that can carve through armor and punch through weaker energy shields. It is often used for slashing attacks, but can also be used for precision strikes. Like all Mark II particle weapons, it features a supercharger that allows for shorter, high-intensity bursts for brief intervals.


    The next weapon mounted on the ship is the XDPC-128-B Medium Directed Particle Cannon. A mount shared by the Enterprise as well and has been updated to mark II specs. She carries four hundred of these cannons mounted in dual turret mounts along the hull in a spoked wheel formation. This provides an excellent series of firing arcs in most directions with overlapping fields of fire. The weapon is useful for ship-to-ship, air-space defense, and tactical bombardment roles.


    The final energy weapon on the Coto and Umikaze hulls is the XLEPC-05 Mark I commonly called the Electro Cannon. It fires a low-temperature charged plasma stream that resembles a lightning discharge. The stream has a limited range, but is extremely effective at defeating energy shields, and disrupting subsystems. Energy shields hit by the steam have been known to overload, and unleash a powerful energy burst. It has a four-second recharge between bursts. Only 200 emplacements are mounted along the hull in positions to allow for wide overlapping firing arcs.


    One last thing of note, is that ships of the class are outfitted with Fusion Mine dispersers, which are also compatible with the more advanced photon mines. These are specialized tubes designed to scatter the small disk-shaped Type 96-B LPX anti-ship mine and the Type 96-C TRX anti-ship mine. These two mines feature either a fusion-based, or photon-based warhead respectively. Are sensor shielded and possess a micro-thruster assembly which allows them to shoot towards a target. A passive control computer and sensor system allows them to detect and identify targets. They have proven effective against ships of all sizes. A small fabrication bay on board allows the 1212 class to manufacture replacement mines as needed. As long as the materials needed are on hand. Each ship carries an armored stowage for the mines, attached to the aft torpedo bays. She can stow up to ten thousand mines.


    Finally propulsion, the 1212 class was intended for long-range missions and her designers felt they could get away with a less powerful engine configuration. Primary sublight propulsion is supplied by three primary pulse wave engines with dual cores. These engines are extremely efficient in terms of fuel usage but lack the power of an engine with extra cores. For supplemental engine power when needed, she also carries six quad-core pulse wave engines. All nine of these engines are located deep within the primary hull. Safe from enemy fire.


    In addition to those engines, she also carries two outboard nacelles. Each nacelle mounts a dozen tri-core maneuvering engines and two warp engines. The warp systems are mounted in the same configuration found on the Enterprise. With an extensive cooling array running the length of the nacelles. Both housings and the mounting struts are heavily armored as well and fitted with emergency venting ports. Like the Enterprise, the secondary engines in the nacelles are intended mainly to provide extra thrust when conducting maneuvers. One more item of note is that the class is equipped with a pulse detonation drive, which is roughly akin to an afterburner. This drive allows the ship to produce incredible but brief bursts of acceleration. While not particularly fuel efficient, these devices do allow an equipped ship to seemingly teleport in battle. In total, the class is equipped with thirty-seven engines.

 Chapter One Hundred and Six Classic 20th Century

    Countryman walked down the corridor. The tests were going very smoothly but he was feeling the need to unwind. Not only that but he had noticed that Ruri hadn¡¯t really taken any breaks recently either. He wasn¡¯t sure what they were going to do, maybe watch a few movies. Right now the current showings on the ship were all classics from the 20th century. There were even some big names on the listings including the original Star Wars movies and one of Star Trek¡¯s best trilogies. The people he had in charge of selecting shows had also picked from other groups, but they kept to the theme of the shows being from the 20th century, anything from 2000 or later wasn¡¯t on the list. The ones that were picked were generally regarded as enduring classics for one reason or another. Many of them endured due to age-old cult followings, although perhaps not for the same reasons as they were originally watched.


    Something that really didn¡¯t matter to him. Celebrating the past through film was certainly a good idea and it did seem to be a popular pick based on the numbers he saw earlier. As plenty of people were flocking down to the ship theaters and buying tickets to the various showings on the list.


    Putting that from his mind, he soon reached Ruri¡¯s lab and keyed himself in. Pleasantly he found her in a reasonable state of dress for once. Working alongside Vera as they were testing a new iteration of forcefield generator.


    ¡°Any progress?¡±


    Ruri sighed, ¡°Not as much as I would like.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I would like you to join me. Take a break and come back with fresh eyes. I was thinking of watching some 20th-century films, haven¡¯t picked what yet.¡±


    Vera looked up, ¡°20th century?¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°It refers to a period a couple of centuries back. Not that it would mean much to you. For us it was a period of rapid technological progress. It started with early flight and ended with the development of early spaceflight. Nuclear power, computers and robotics were also developed in that period. Even early lasers were developed then, but the first laser weapons weren¡¯t developed until the following century. Still it was a very impactful century and the scifi of the period is quite interesting. As it reveals how they saw the future.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, interesting. I think I will join you then. It might be fun and who knows maybe they were onto something?¡±


    ¡°Well those films did have their impacts. Star Trek is attributed to a number of technological developments, but its not the only sci-fi series to inspire.¡±


    A moment later Ruri agreed to come along and they left the lab. Chatting along the way on which ones to see.


    <hr>


    As it would turn out they would watch several. While leaving the theater, Vera commented, ¡°Those were interesting, some... creative liberties seem to have been taken at a few points, though.¡±


    ¡°Well they didn¡¯t understand space travel the way we do and the weaponry we would use was merely theory to them.¡±


    ¡°Yes well at least they seemed to figure out that energy weapons would prevail.¡±


    ¡°Hmm not all, of the filmmakers did.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, in any case those um, Destroyer droids were interesting. Shielded, repeating pulse cannons and fast. The Confederation doesn¡¯t have anything like that.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Those? They inspired a few mechanical infantry destroyer designs over the years. Nothing with shields though. Early ones were tracked mini tanks, with turreted machine guns. Later designs were armored boarding drones, featuring a tracked drive assembly, repeating laser or particle cannons and strong frontal plating.¡±


    ¡°Boarding drones? Hmm, I guess I can see why.¡±


    ¡°They are expendable, and the strong armor and weapon combo allows them to push through tight corridors with heavy defenses. Allowing a squad of marines to follow with relative safety.¡±


    Ruri interjected, ¡°Assuming the enemy isn¡¯t crazy enough to be using heavy weapons inside a starship, but we also found them decidedly less useful when boarding Cathamari ships. As they build them out of paper, so most small arms just punch through multiple walls. Those things tended to vent whatever section they were sent into.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Yeah they did tend to do that, so we stopped using them like we used to. Most ships still carried a few, but the Enterprise doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why did you overgun them so much?¡± she asked.


    Countryman gestured at the wall, ¡°We didn¡¯t. Our ships feature internal plating in all rooms and corridors which serves several functions, but in a boarding action, they serve to protect sensitive components from small arms fire and prevent a careless shot from venting a compartment. The Cathamari don¡¯t really do anything that would count as internal plating. Thin duranium sheets don¡¯t really hold up against anything.¡±


    ¡°I guess you have a point, but surely all this internal armor is expensive.¡±


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Well yes, our ships are expensive and while there is an argument for removing the plating in favor of saving material for another ship. In practice, we have found it better to have the plating. Its actually saved many ships that would have otherwise sunk. Ships that were then patched up and went on to serve in several more engagements. Saving us both time and resources by preserving forces we may have otherwise lost.¡±


    ¡°There is a logic to that. The age-old argument of quantity versus quality. Each has their own advantages and disadvantages.¡±


    ¡°Quite true, but in our case we lack the numbers to ever consider the former. So there is little reason for us to not invest in the best we can make.¡±


    ¡°Yes that does seem to be the case.¡± she turned to Ruri, ¡°Still I can¡¯t help but think about those drones. The concept certainly has potential.¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°It does and I did consider looking into a new version, perhaps several. After I complete my research that is, there is another project I am working on that currently takes precedence.¡±


    ¡°What project? Is it our force field?¡±


    ¡°Sadly no, and I don¡¯t think you can really help. Its not really your specialty.¡±


    ¡°I see, but I would still like to know. Unless its classified or something,¡± she replied


    Countryman answered, ¡°Ruri has been working on developing a better computer.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That is interesting. I can think of numerous applications for that. I can even quote several theories on adaptive shielding and how advanced computing solutions can allow a shield to better absorb and adapt to incoming threats.¡±


    ¡°So can I, our Energy Webs could be considered a shield of sorts and they are largely run by AI algorithms designed to analyze and anticipate. This allows for the web to deploy at the right moment and concentrate its energy where needed to result in the highest number of intercepts.¡±


    Vera nodded, ¡°Logical.¡±


    Countryman decided to change the subject. ¡°So is there anything else in the movies we saw that piqued your interest?¡±


    ¡°The Phaser did. There are not many weapons quite like it. Sustained beam or even sustained pulse weapons aren¡¯t that common. Not due to them being impossible, but the challenges of producing one with the power to penetrate shielding. A pulse concentrates more power in a brief surge and requires much less robust cooling.¡±


    ¡°Well we have our cutting beams, but nothing quite like a phaser. Although both are technically particle weapons.¡±


    Vera frowned, ¡°That¡¯s a particle weapon?! I thought it was some kind of high-power laser!¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Yes it behaves like a laser, but it does have properties only a particle beam could have. It fires a phase coherent stream of a fictional particle. Several attempts to make such a weapon have been made but nothing that actually shows any promise. Lasers have more range and accuracy when compared to particle weapons, but a particle beam is much more potent on impact and boasts superior armor penetration as a result.¡±


    Vera and Ruri both interjected their own thoughts as the trio began a debate on the merits of different weapon systems.


    <hr>


    Richards looked over the data she had just been given. Mostly reports regarding fleet part use and the progress reports on those refits. The Coto and Umikaze hanger upgrades were proceeding on schedule and no unforeseen issues had been reported. Things were going so well in fact that she couldn¡¯t help but be afraid something was going to break or go wrong. Yet she saw nothing in the reports.


    Based on what she was seeing the Coto and the Umikaze would be ready to receive their squadron of fighters in two days. The new fighter racks were going in today, and tomorrow would be the final installation and testing for the catapults. Once all that was done, the work crews would be able to pack up and clear out. Opening the bay for use, and consequently allowing them to transfer fighters to the ships.


    Speaking of fighters, the 1208s were performing very well in their tests and additional units were already being built to fill out the requested slots. Two squadrons to replace the 1204s being transferred to the destroyers. They already had two of the required star bombers, which meant ten ships were now being laid down for construction. Already freshly forged Titan Alloy was being melded into beams as work crews assembled the starframes, the central skeleton upon which the ship would be built.


    As Chief Engineer, she wasn¡¯t directly involved with the construction, but she still planned to keep up to date on how things were going. Estimates predicted it would take a week to complete the ordered fighters. Much less time than it would take to build an actual starship. There was so much involved with that. As she and the council had discussed a few times it would take a few months to build a ship of sufficient size to be worth the investment. It would also be expensive in terms of material and manhours. Much material would need to be processed and refined into alloys, plating and components with which to build the ship.


    Modern construction involved building a frame and then constructing the rest of the ship module by module. They could construct the modules in specialized bays on the underside of the hull, where they could conduct the work more safely without needing to spacewalk. Then they could be ejected and maneuvered into position by robotic arms and tractor beams. Sadly the facilities on the Enterprise were more intended for ship repair rather than construction, so her facilities were a bit lacking compared to a shipyard. This was one of the big bottlenecks, she had more than enough foundries and fabricators to produce the components, plating, bulkheads and what not a ship would need, but she only had a small number of bays in which to build modules. She had fifty such bays, and another hundred meant for building fighters and shuttles. The small craft bays were located adjacent to the primary hangers.


    Fifty module bays may sound like a lot, but it was going to be a huge bottleneck for proper ship construction. Something Richards had been thinking about quite a bit lately. Especially with the design projects she was involved with. Even if they didn¡¯t start now, they would need a shipyard able to build more components and modules at once. Perhaps with even better and larger foundries than what the Enterprise had. A proper yardship perhaps, if they decided it needed to be mobile. A mobile shipyard would certainly be useful.


    An idea occured to her, but there was a question about how feasible it was. Not to mention it wouldn¡¯t sovle the current issues they had with regards to ship construction. It was still going to take months to build ships, given their limits in parallel module construction and material processing. That was until the project she had in mind was completed. She smiled turned to her console and started typing up a proposal. Something to be added alongside projects Saber and Battlehawk. She codenamed it; Hammer.

 Chapter One Hundred and Seven E-227

    The commander lazily walked among the consoles on her bridge. They had been at warp for several days and were now approaching the unassuming system of E-227. It was a modest red dwarf system with four planets and a debris field. No major resources of note, none of the worlds were habitable. The two closest to the sun were barren scorched worlds with no air. The one furthest from the sun was a frozen ball of ice, and as for the last planet? It was a toxic volcanic world that would kill anyone who set foot on it in mere seconds. Even robots would not last long on the surface. Sadly that world also happened to have the only mineral deposits worth anything, which sadly meant they were beyond reach.


    The system was also out of the way, very out of the way. Which made it a prime spot for people not wanting to be found to be hiding. She figured the Refuge would prefer out-of-the-way systems given the lack of reported sightings involving their ships. Which is why after her task force had been launched several weeks ago, she had marked this system as one to search. It was in fact the twelfth system on her list and the other eleven had all proved empty. Some other commander had found a destroyed planet while searching for the escaped Voskar ship. Which while interesting meant little in regards to the search. Besides that system and its neighbors were a little out of her way.


    A moment later the engine whine calmed and she was informed, ¡°All ships report secure from warp speed.¡±


    ¡°Excellent.¡± she turned, ¡°Full sensor sweep, scan the system.¡±


    At first there was nothing, until someone looked up from his console, ¡°Long range sensors just detected an energy burst on the far side of the system.¡±


    She approached, ¡°Where?¡±


    The officer brought up a star chart. ¡°Here at three four four mark two one nine mark seven. Its a starship debris field on the far edge of the system and not far off from the Tek-Marne trade route. Sensors have detected a number of downed merchantman ships and escort vessels.


    She blinked. Someone had hit the Tek-Marne? Damn, she knew piracy was getting bad, but it seemed to be really bad out here. If a major route like that with regular patrols and escorts could be hit by pirates, any route could. That was worrying, but she was more interested in the burst. ¡°What kind of...¡±


    Another one showed up right on the screen as she was speaking. Quickly followed by another and then a series of smaller rapid bursts. She didn¡¯t need an analysis to know what she was looking at; weapons fire. Someone was being shot at.


    <hr>


    Countryman took a look out at the screens. Construction had proceeded smoothly and they were now conducting shakedown tests for the new bombers. Well actually the pilots were really just having fun with the new ships, but as long as they got a good feel for them it would be great when it came time to use them in actual battle. So far he noticed that they were a little clumsy compared to the 1204, even if their engines were quite a bit more powerful. They just lacked the agility of the 1204. In part due to their higher mass and heavier construction. While pulse wave engines did partially nullify the mass of a ship, that wasn¡¯t complete nullification. Mass still mattered, just not as much as it would otherwise. Regardless the 1208 was still quite agile, and it could get up to a fairly impressive speed. Even if the lighter 1204 outperformed it there, it didn¡¯t need to match or exceed the 1204 in that area. Its real value was its firepower, it lacked the missiles of the 1208 but it wasn¡¯t meant to engage other fighters.


    He watched an old cruiser be torn apart by a barrage of heavy cannon. Underscoring his thoughts and point on what it was meant for. Engaging ships much bigger than it. Which the ship was shaping up to excel at. Especially considering how that cruiser was ripped apart by the high penetration cannons they had fitted on the 1208. It was quite the sight, on that he watched as he began recording his log for the day. Starting with the date like he always did, August 23rd, 002 SDE.


    He had only made it through the first paragraph of what he had to say, when he received a perimeter report.


    ¡°Sir, long-range sensors have detected several ships on approach vector. The signatures are Valorian.¡±


    He blinked and checked the plots, they were far closer than he would have liked. Countryman however knew why, the debris field interfered with long range scans and limited sight. To compensate he had set patrols, but with only two ships and a handful of fighters there was only so much he could do about that. Right now it was the Umikaze, who had detected and relayed the ships approaching.


    ¡°Recall the fighters, sound general quarters.¡±


    Misaki responded promptly, ¡°Aye sir, recalling all fighters, sounding the alert.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    The lights turned yellow, as weapons were brought to standby. While he would prefer not to need them, the Valorians were a hit-or-miss group. Some of them could be rather trigger-happy, while others were more amenable. Sali, Reia, Niera and Vera were actually quite friendly and they seemed to be doing well with life on the Enterprise. That outpost commander he saved had been friendly, if perhaps a bit wary. The Valorians at Cantra had been a rather prickly bag, although the ones they rescued had been more grateful. He figured this meeting was going to go south like pretty much every other meeting.


    It would take time to recover the fighters and based on the plots the alien vessels would already be in range by then. As he considered things, he listened to the identification reports. Three Protector Class Heavy Cruisers, forty Ophera class light carriers/cruisers, and two hundred escort vessels, a mix of frigates and corvettes. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the corvette type he saw here, but the Patroller Frigate was known to him. So he had Misaki summon Reia to the bridge.


    She arrived soon enough and glanced at the plots under his direction. He figured she would be a better source than searching the database, she said, ¡°Those are V-22s, the merchant fleet loves them. They are primarily an escort vessel, armed with light pulse cannons, and minimal shielding; they aren¡¯t particularly threatening, but they are fast and have superior sensors.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a scout ship to me. Any torpedoes?¡±


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t have the power plant to support plasma torpedo launchers.¡±


    Countryman noted that down. ¡°Thank you for the input. Any idea what such a large formation is doing in the middle of nowhere?¡±


    Reia shook her head, ¡°No, but that is a full military formation and usually you don¡¯t see that many heavy cruisers in a group outside of the core.¡±


    ¡°I figured, a fleet that size is large enough to attack most of the smaller outposts and colonies in this sector. My scans also show they are carrying a full load of heavy torpedoes and strike craft.¡±


    Before they could say more, Misaki interjected, ¡°All deployed craft have been recovered, sir. Also we are being hailed by the Valorian flag.¡±


    He settled into his chair and said, ¡°Put them through.¡±


    A moment later, a Valorian woman appeared on the forward screen. Along with her vibrant and rather over-decorated bridge. It was also far too brightly lit. He was not impressed.


    <hr>


    The commander shifted a bit. So far things seemed to be going alright. With that in mind, she had made the proposal she was looking for. The clan needed the technology these aliens had for their ascendency.


    The man Countryman frowned and then replied, ¡°While interesting we are not in the business of selling vital defense technologies at any cost. Now we have plenty of other things we are willing to sell. I recall some interesting pieces of scrap we picked up recently. Interested in some old field generators, or would you be more interested in a Chi¡¯ran Railgun with shield penetrating shells?¡±


    She blinked, that was a perfectly reasonable offer and they were countering with junk? What kind of insult was this? The commander cut the channel rather than continue this farce. If they weren¡¯t going to take a lucrative trade offer, she was going to have to acquire those technologies by force. She turned to tactical, ¡°Battlestations, forward tubes fire!¡±


    <hr>


    The ship shuddered and Countryman sighed, ¡°Sometimes I hate dealing with your people. Always so quick to use their triggers.¡±


    He turned to Kaori at tactical as the lights turned red, ¡°Light them up, all batteries.¡±


    Reia shrunk a little, and then shook her head. As the battle began. The Umikaze sweeping in beam arrays firing. Several corvettes took hits, their shields flaring before the beams ripped into their unarmored hulls. Two of them exploded into fireballs a moment later. While the others broke off. In the same vein, the Enterprise scored several hits on the flag, her shields flaring brightly before she pulled back. Just not without a parting shot of several more torpedoes, which were harmlessly absorbed by the Enterprise¡¯s energy webs.


    Countryman barked out new orders as he analyzed his options. The enemy had deployed FTL jammers which was going to hamper any retreat. In order to go to warp they would have to either escape their range or destroy the source. Going for the second would require destroying those heavy cruisers, which were heavily shielded. Not enough to be immune to his particle cannons, but the commander was smart. She pulled back before her shields could be strained too much. That was going to be annoying.


    He gave his next order, ¡°Standby, forward tubes.¡±


    ¡°Forward tubes, ready to fire sir.¡±


    Countryman was about to give the order to fire, when Reia commented, ¡°This is stupid.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Sadly some people are idiots. Our new friend has decent combat instincts, but she miscalculated. Numbers alone mean nothing.¡±


    Then he gave the order to fire. A distinctive sound reverberated through the ship as every forward tube discharged a burst of torpedoes.  Three hundred torpedoes slipped into space seeking targets across the Valorian fleet, who responded with numerous pulse cannon shots firing on every warhead. Something that proved only somewhat useful, as they didn¡¯t even destroy a hundred of them. Downing only about 20% of the warheads fired. The rest slammed into the shields of various cruisers and frigates. Most of the warheads detonated on the shields but some went through them to hit the hull. Multiple fireballs erupted in the Valorian formation.

 Chapter One Hundred and Eight The Battle? Of E-227

    The commander stared at the consoles. The battle if you could call it that was going badly. The alien torpedoes were proving far deadlier than she had expected and their point-defense solution was less effective than she had hoped. Although they did manage to improve them after that first devastating volley, but it was still less than she would have liked Her own torpedoes were also proving less effective than she expected. As they were unable to get through the alien defense screens. They weren¡¯t shields, but some kind of high energy barrier nonetheless. Anything that tried to go through was either destroyed in the case of strike fighters or disrupted in the case of plasma torpedoes. They weren¡¯t always there but they sprang up so fast.


    The ship shuddered as a warhead slammed into the shields. No penetration thankfully. Yet she was starting to think they would need to withdraw. That was when she noticed something. She walked up to her tactical officer and said, ¡°Question, why would their launchers fire in staggered bursts?¡±


    At first, she hadn¡¯t been thinking about it, but a moment ago something clicked. Initially, she had just thought it was saturation, but there seemed to be more to it now that she was thinking about it. These torpedoes were armored and they seemed to anticipate pulse fire. As a result hit accuracy against them was remarkably low and when they did hit the torpedo could take it and keep going. These aliens didn¡¯t exactly need it, now that she thought about it. Just a small number could overwhelm the point defenses of a ship and then they could bypass shields reducing the need to concentrate power on a single ship. They were also so powerful that any hit to the hull would knock the ship in question out.


    The tactical officer adjusted their point defense net and then gave her a look, ¡°Huh? What are you on about?¡±


    She pointed at the plots as one of the destroyers fired, ¡°Look, why fire in bursts?¡±


    ¡°Um Saturation? More missiles the greater the hit chance against a protected ship.¡±


    In the distance, several explosions rippled across the screens. A few unlucky vessels detonated into massive fireballs. She sighed, they had taken far too many losses already. A little over a third of their strength to these torpedoes. It should have been more, but between evasive maneuvers and heavy point defense, they had been able to preserve more ships. Those maneuvers more so than the PD were what mattered, as the longer they could keep the torpedoes from their targets, the more chances they had to hit the damn things.  Then she spoke, ¡°Those defense screens of theirs? They aren¡¯t always there are they?¡±


    The tactical officer blinked and then her eyes widened, ¡°Wait? Are you suggesting?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I want you to target that destroyer, but stagger our shots. I think we might get through.¡±


    The tactical officer nodded and turned to coordinate the attack.


    <hr>


    Torpedoes flew through space as ships weaved and dodged. While strike craft both Valorian and Human danced in a deadly duel of plasma and particle fire. A light cruiser exploded as several fighters raked her hull, her shields having already failed from a previous hit.


    In the same moment, several cruisers and frigates came about and opened fire. Multiple torpedoes headed straight for the Umikaze, the ship of one Ashley Drakes. The Umikaze banked hard, her beam array firing as it swept across a frigate. Her shields flared brightly as they strained against the beam. For a moment or two they seemed to be holding until the beam focused on one point. In seconds it was through, the shields still straining as the beam was cutting into the hull.


    Then the first plasma torps slammed into the Energy Webs of the Umikaze. Several brilliant flares marked their detonation, followed by another set. Before the screen dropped and the next wave of torpedoes slammed into the hull. The ship shuddered under the impacts, but her cutting beam continued to fire. Steadily boring into the frigate despite her shields.


    Then another wave hit, this time with impact. As the dust cleared, several ruptures were present on the hull. She fired torpedoes in response. Just as her cutting beam pierced the main reactor of the frigate she was firing on. Almost instantly the ship exploded in a brilliant fireball and she was soon followed by several more as the Umikaze¡¯s torpedoes found their mark.


    <hr>


    The commander blinked as she saw the results. It had worked, scoring several hits to the hull. Proving her thoughts, the alien screen could only be deployed for a brief time. She smiled and gave her next orders. If they could score a few more hits like that, they would win the battle. Only it was not going to be easy, but when was anything easy?


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    <hr>


    A cruiser banked hard, her shields flaring. Several heavy particle bolts slammed into her powerful defensive screens, as a volley of torpedoes sailed past her. Her own pulse cannons fired on them for little effect as they passed. Moments later, they locked onto a new target a light cruiser who wasn¡¯t so lucky. All five torpedoes slammed into her, three of which pierced her shields to interact with her hull. Leaving behind nothing more than scattered wreckage. Some of which slammed into the shields of the heavy cruiser that had just evaded death.


    A moment later a second barrage of heavy particle fire slammed into her shields as the Enterprise came bearing down. Elsewhere the Coto swept in firing on the cruiser¡¯s escorts and drawing them away. Just moment¡¯s before the Enterprise opened up with her beam arrays. Several purple beams erupted from the Enterprise all at once. Each one slammed into the cruiser and held for several seconds. Her shields flared brightly as fires erupted on her hull.


    The cruiser returned fire with her heavy cannon. The bolts slammed into the Enterprise one after the other with little apparent effect. Her heavy armor easily absorbing the bolts. She returned fire her own heavy cannon ripping into the shields of the heavy cruiser as the two ships moved into a knife-range gun duel. One the cruiser was quickly losing. The fires spread, several explosions marred her hull and then her powerful shields just failed.


    Heavy bolts started to rain into her hull an instant before twin cutting beams erupted from the hull of the Enterprise raking across the Protector class cruiser. The particle beam tore through her hull like wet tissue. Fires erupted as entire sections were vented into space. Bodies and debris were jettisoned into the void as the ship was torn in two.


    Several frigates and corvettes swarmed in and opened fire on the Enterprise to no effect. Her heavy cannon lit them up as they passed to devastating effect. Their shields flared, but did little to protect them against the high-yield barrage of heavy particle bolts which punched through them in short order. Tearing into their unarmored hulls and leaving only fractured wreckage and plasma fires behind.


    Elsewhere the Coto had been engaged by several light cruisers that she had pulled away from the heavy cruiser the Enterprise just sank when a second heavy cruiser swept in from above, with a combination of torpedoes and heavy cannon. The web held blocking the torpedoes. Her hull shuddered under multiple impacts from heavy cannon, as several sections of plating ruptured under the barrage, but nothing serious. She returned fire with a full volley of torpedoes and the cruiser exploded with the excess torpedoes seeking new targets. Several nearby cruisers proved the unfortunate victims of those missiles. Only one of which was lucky enough to escape mostly intact, but she was out of the battle. As plasma fires burned across her decks and sections were vented into space. She was lucky that all the torpedoes that hit her had detonated on the shields.


    Moments later she was launching escape pods, while what was left of the Valorian fleet broke. Chaos erupted as it soon devolved into every ship for herself.


    <hr>


    The commander cursed as her ship shuddered. Someone shouted, ¡°Hull breach!¡±


    Her ship was taking a beating. This wasn¡¯t going the way she was hoping and communications were shot. The ship shuddered again, and in the distance she watched a heavy cruiser explode while she was trading fire with an alien destroyer.


    Turning to the helm, she shouted ¡°Get us out of here,¡± pausing she turned to shout at the comm¡¯s officer, ¡°And keep trying to signal the fleet. We need to retreat.¡±


    ¡°Trying sir, but...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need excuses, I need you to do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am!¡±


    She turned watching the chaos. Thankfully a few ships seemed to get the message, as a couple of them warped out. Others broke, seeking to clear the field so they could go to warp. Not everyone tried to break, she watched as one cruiser tried to ram an alien ship. She slammed into the large capital ship, as her defense screen flared its distinctive blue-green. In response, shields flared and then failed as the ship disintegrated. It¡¯s fragments rained on the armored alien hull for little effect. Then the alien shield cut out and the rest of the hull slammed into the alien hull. When the dust cleared, the alien hull looked a little scorched but the armor was intact. For a moment she wondered what it would take to breach that hull. Nothing they had thrown at the alien flag had so much as scratched the paint. The smaller ships seemed more vulnerable though. To heavy cannon and torpedoes that was, but that was doable.


    Those thoughts continued as she watched other ships go down. A number of them however did escape the field. Moments later her own ship cleared the field. The commander glanced back at the field, it was still chaos with scattered ships still fighting but most of the active ships were trying to run. There were also escape pods floating in the field, but there was nothing she could do about them. Then the view was gone as the ship accelerated to warp. When she returned a week later to the still active distress beacons of those pods, she found them all neatly arranged together and secured with titanium straps along with several salvaged sections of ship hulls. Everyone aboard was free to move between sections and they had been gifted extra supplies. Something not at all like what she had been expecting to find when she returned. The aliens were naturally long gone.

 Chapter One Hundred and Nine Repairs

    September 2nd, 002 SDE:


    Countryman stepped into Engineering to find it a hive of activity. Yet Richards wasn¡¯t too busy not to notice him entering. She let out a breath, centered herself and put a smile on her face.One that was just a little forced, he could see the signs that she hadn¡¯t slept. As she drew close enough for a chat, he said, ¡°I heard you finished the assessments?¡±


    ¡°The Umikaze will be easier. She took 47 hull breaches but all primary systems are intact. She lost an observation deck on her port side and some sensor modules. I can have the breaches patched by the end of the day. It will take another couple of days to fix all the armor damage and I can replace the lost sensors by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°What about the Coto?¡±


    ¡°Most of her damage is on the dorsal plating¡ªone hundred and ninety-three hull breaches. Twelve turrets took direct hits, four offline and one completely destroyed. Heavy damage to secondary power relays and dorsal AIF field generators. In addition, the dorsal energy web projectors were damaged. Three weeks minimum to repair.¡±


    He let out a breath, ¡°Well good thing we are in the middle of nowhere. Plenty of time to conduct repairs.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Assuming no one else decides to stop here, but given the nearest star is seven lightyears away that seems unlikely and that is after spending a full week at warp five to get here.¡±


    They were nearly twenty lightyears away from the previous battle and with the nearest star being over two days away at warp five it did seem quite unlikely for someone to stumble on them out here. ¡°Agreed, which means we will have plenty of time to practice working on ships in deep space. Consider it a practice run for building them in deep space.¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± she let out a breath, ¡°Anyway I have things squared here and I could honestly use a break.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, I have just the thing in mind.¡±


    She smiled and followed him out of the room. As he took her down to a lounge to relax. Although he figured she would need a bed before long and he had a few ideas to get he there. Ones that didn¡¯t involve flat-out ordering her to bed. He had heard stories about how poorly that often worked out and it just wasn¡¯t his style. Besides he had plenty of experience getting exhausted scientists to bed when they were so focused on making a breakthrough. He figured some of that would apply to an exhausted engineer.


    <hr>


    The older woman settled into her seat and glanced at the footage. The clan wasn¡¯t happy with the results of the battle. Not many would be considering they had engaged with a large numerically superior fleet and all the aliens had to field were three unshielded starships. Yet those three ships had proven able to smash an entire battle fleet. Sure it wasn¡¯t the size of the armadas here in the home systems, but it was still a sizeable detachment of ships. Including three heavy cruisers, one of the hardest hitting ship types in service. It was a disgrace and they had precious little to show for it.


    Glancing to the person at the head of this meeting, she inquired, ¡°So what did you find?¡±


    They sighed, ¡°Sadly not much. The good news is that they aren¡¯t invulnerable, but I have no idea how their torpedoes are passing through our shields.¡±


    ¡°What about their shields?¡± said someone.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t shields, not in the traditional sense anyway. Rather instead they are a network of high-intensity laser beams, electromagnetic fields, and charged particles. Any projectile that attempts to pass through will be disintegrated, while in the case of our plasma torpedoes their containment field is disrupted resulting in premature detonation. Based on sensor data and battlefield observations, I¡¯ve determined that they adapt to incoming projectiles, adjusting the intensity to ensure optimal results. Just about nothing short of a massive volley would get through. We aren¡¯t geared to put enough torpedoes on a target for that, but we did find a weakness. The sheer intensity of the laser beams means the net can only be maintained for a few seconds before it must shut down to recharge. As such a staggered volley has proven more effective at penetrating the screen. Sadly this period of vulnerability is brief only about three seconds.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a lot of time.¡±


    ¡°More than enough to get a volley of warheads through their shields. Their armor is tough but not immune to torpedoes.¡±


    ¡°Yes well I¡¯d rather have something that doesn¡¯t rely on getting through a narrow gap in their defense screens.¡±


    ¡°That will be tricky since the only other option is heavy cannon, we have a new weapon system in the works that shows promise but we are still months away from fleet-wide implementation. Without those, we will need to use Heavy Pulse Cannons which have proven unable to penetrate the heavier armor on their flagship.¡±


    ¡°Can anything? I saw that footage, nothing was getting through that armor.¡±


    ¡°Nothing currently in service, but with Project Yinta Two several years out we will have to seek other targets. With that in mind, may I introduce Project Cutter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with that, what is the project?¡±


    The older woman interjected, ¡°As I recall that project was started a few years back for a next-generation fast-response Destroyer.¡±


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Correct, the ship in question is nearly complete. She is a smaller design 342 meters long, with twenty-four decks. She is armed, with type II pulse cannons and Tri pulse plasma torpedo launchers.¡±


    ¡°Tri pulse?¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Tri-pulse launchers are designed to fire more torpedoes per shot. One of the biggest problems with modern launchers is a lack of saturation. The more focused launchers coming online now are better able to penetrate shields and we translated those advantages to the new launchers, but instead of firing one torpedo per launcher, these new ones fire three. That means triple the torpedoes per volley. Sadly, they do take a little longer to recharge after each shot. About 38 seconds between volleys, but the ship can fire an astounding three hundred and sixty torpedoes per volley. Although compared to our friends that seems a bit low.¡±


    ¡°Yes their launchers were faster and fired comparable volleys per shot.¡±


    ¡°Actually per launcher, they were getting better volleys,¡± interjected one person as they manipulated the footage. Showing a launch, slowing it down clearly revealed it was a single launcher that fired in triple, five times in rapid succession. Per volley, they fire fifteen per launcher. It just sounds like the Cutter has more launchers packed into its frame.¡±


    ¡°That would be the case, during the design we focused on packing as many launchers as we could. The idea being they would serve as its primary weapon.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, I doubt we were building these with the Refuge in mind, who was the enemy?¡±


    ¡°Well the clan was worried after our rivals made a deal with the Cathamari and the brewing tension between the Cathamari and the Krall had them really worried. So we made a few deals with the military and foot the bill to design a new destroyer. Given the lack of destroyers in the fleet they were more than happy to have one. The Cutter was intended to fight the heavily shielded ships of the Krall in the event we ever went to war. Our new generation plasma torpedoes were developed in the same project.¡±


    ¡°The Krall? I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡±


    The older woman interjected, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything about defenses.¡±


    ¡°Well obviously she doesn¡¯t come stock with point defense systems. They weren¡¯t needed before, a good shield array has always been better. The type six was certainly a good pick, but after the recent battle its clear we need a better weapon to use for the PD systems on our ships. In the meantime, we will have to keep using the type six. As for shields, I have much better news. We fitted the Cutter with a very robust main power drive, allowing us to equip her with the same shielding found on a cruiser. In fact she has better protection than the mainstay Ophera class of cruisers.¡±


    Glances were shared, ¡°Impressive. Will that help?¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped into the lounge with Richards to the sound of singing. Music was playing in the background. This lounge had a stage and several girls were currently using it. Dancing along to the beat as they added their voices to the music. Countryman didn¡¯t recognize the song. The lyrics were talking something about the fires of chaos but it sounded pretty.


    As soon as they stepped in, the bartender smiled, ¡°Lemonade sir? Right?¡±


    He smiled, ¡°You know me well.¡±


    Richards walked up and settled into a chair, ¡°So what kind of alcohol do you have?¡±


    ¡°I have a few options including some nice wine. Just its a little pricy since the local distillery is only producing a few basic options. So best to spend on it now while you have the chance.¡±


    ¡°Oh? How bad is the alcohol supply?¡±


    ¡°Not that bad, we have enough for a few years yet, but you never know.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Yes that tracks with the supply reports I signed off on last week.¡±


    Richards turned to him, ¡°I knew the supply issues extended beyond engineering, but I wasn¡¯t aware we had a supply shortage of...¡±


    ¡°Alcohol? Not really, its more of a production issue. Just like we have issues with coffee, cheese, and real meat. Not to mention the issues with dairy production.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it, one of my ensigns was telling me about the family a couple units down from her was using breastmilk in place of milk.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Yeah they aren¡¯t the only ones.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°Why? The synthetic milk is pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Yes well not everyone agrees and I remember a time when it was crap.¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°Of course you do, you are a relic afterall. You¡¯re what? Two hundred years old?¡±


    He glared, ¡°A hundred and ninety-three, which you well know.¡±


    She laughed, ¡°See practically two hundred already.¡±


    ¡°Very funny.¡±


    Richards glanced at the stage, watching the girls dance for a moment, then turned to order. After a moment she spoke up, ¡°Anyway I guess these supply issues won¡¯t fix themselves so easily.¡±


    ¡°Well maybe not today, but they will with time. Project Hammer would help with the Engineering ones.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Does that mean you are going to give the go ahead for it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still a thought exercise at this point. Although Hammer would have to be big, likely comparable to the Enterprise in size. Which means she would be a major investment, so we will need to be sure before we lay the keel. Same thing with the other projects.¡±


    ¡°Yes I am aware, Project Saber is the most affordable right now and we are still talking a large ship. A major investment in time and resources, you know the Enterprise only has fifty module construction bays, a mere fraction of what a full shipyard would have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, if we had followed the original vision I had for the ship she would have had more.¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never heard what the original vision for it was. What would it have been?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Well the Enterprise was envisioned to be a ship of exploration, but given the slow speeds we expected for interstellar travel we knew it would take months or even years for a follow-up ship to arrive. Our experiences with the Colonies highlighted the issues we would face with extrasolar colonies. Not only that, but supply issues would only be expected with long range exploration. So I proposed a large capital ship able to cross interstellar distances, carry a host of survey vessels and able to resupply in the field, but most importantly she would be able to build outposts and infrastructure with which to accept colonists. The war simply required us to reinvent the project, but the bones are still there.¡±


    ¡°Not all that different from what we have now alright. Just less industry and more weaponry.¡±


    Countryman shrugged, ¡°Well its what the military wanted and they took over after the ship was half built. Part of why the Enterprise is so unusual of a ship.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred and Ten Distress Call

    September 27th 002 SDE:


    Misaki tapped the keys of her console. Outside the Coto was conducting tests, the last three weeks had been spent here in the middle of nowhere. Honestly she found it rather boring, but they did need to patch the Coto and Umikaze up. The Enterprise hadn¡¯t taken much damage in the fight. Most of what it did take was from the ramming and all that took to fix was a coat of paint and a couple of plates being swapped out for repairs. Plates that were later used in the repairs of the Coto.


    A moment later one of the other officers spoke to her, ¡°So Misaki have you heard the rumors.¡±


    She glanced at Kaori and scoffed, ¡°I have.¡±


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t put much stock in them?¡±


    She laughed, ¡°Why would I? Did you hear the one where the captain has a harem and I am in it?¡±


    Kaori giggled, ¡°Yeah some of them are a bit of a stretch. I think there is something more between him and that scientist Ruri.¡±


    ¡°I do too, not sure what. Although that isn¡¯t the one you came over to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Naturally. I¡¯ve been hearing some rumors about the captain and Richards.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°Those? I wouldn¡¯t trust those, they are good friends.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I just...¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, you are a sucker for...¡± her console beeped. Turning she blinked, ¡°I guess our nice boring vacation is coming to an end.¡±


    Kaori frowned, ¡°What do you have?¡±


    ¡°Distress call, three lightyears away.¡±


    ¡°That is a bit close, we could be there in a day.¡± she said leaning onto the console, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    The resulting message was broken and full of static. It took them several minutes working together to clean it up but once done they were able to confirm the initial identification of it being a distress call. One they quickly reported to the captain.


    <hr>


    ¡°...Under attack...., require immediate assistance, to any allied ship in range... require... assistance....¡±


    Countryman turned to Misaki, ¡°Anything more to go with this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the ship that sent it is a Chi¡¯ran cruiser, she has been engaged by superior Valorian forces. Twenty-eight Valorian ships against a single cruiser and her escorts. At least according to the tactical data they transmitted with their distress call.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± replied Countryman as he glanced over that data.


    Misaki sighed, ¡°I did try to verify it with the long range sensors, but at that range...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, our sensors can¡¯t detect ships at that range, but I presume you were able to detect something.¡±


    ¡°I did confirm energy signatures in the area, but nothing definitive.¡±


    ¡°Not much to go on,¡± he sighed, ¡°Anyway we should check it out.¡±


    A moment later he turned to the helm and gave the order. It would take a day to reach the target. It was a bit too long, but they would have to try anyway. If the Chi¡¯ran crew were lucky they would be able to keep their ship alive that long, if not the Enterprise would be able to locate and rescue any survivors.


    Turning to Misaki as the warp drive was charging up for another transit, he said, ¡°Can you raise them?¡±


    ¡°I think I can.¡±


    ¡°Good, inform them that we are on the way and are a day out at maximum warp. They just need to last long enough for us to get to them.¡±


    As she tapped on her console to send a message, she inquired, ¡°Do you think they can last that long?¡±


    ¡°If they are smart, yes, but don¡¯t worry, I have a few tricks in mind that will help. We just need a clear comm link if we are to help from out here.¡±


    ¡°Understood, message sent.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Number four shield buckling!¡±


    ¡°Rotate modulation, new course one one three mark two nine. Increase speed, aft missiles fire!¡±


    Several small thuds echoed as the launchers discharged their deadly plasma missiles. Outside the shields strained under the rapid fire barrage of Valorian pulse cannons. Things weren¡¯t going that well, honestly. They had just lost one of their escorts, and they were almost out of those. Only three other ships were still active in the fight.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Suddenly the comm console beeped, ¡°Incoming message.¡±


    The captain sighed, ¡°Another demand for surrender?¡±


    ¡°No, sir. It¡¯s a response to our distress call. They say they are a day out.¡±


    A day? He glanced at the screens. That was an eternity, but honestly better than he was expecting. He didn¡¯t know anyone was that close. ¡°From who?¡±


    ¡°They identified themselves as EFS Enterprise.¡±


    ¡°Enterprise? The Refuge ship?¡± he knew how powerful they were, there were enough rumors out now about them and more than a few briefings. They were known allies of the Commonwealth, their being nearby was clearly a blessing. Now they just needed to keep the ship in one piece long enough for their friends to arrive.


    <hr>


    Williams glanced at the windows, with the stars drifting. Already she could hear the hum of the engines. They were moving again, where she wasn¡¯t sure but it was nice to see the ship moving again. Just hanging here in deep space was a bit unsettling. She wasn¡¯t alone with that feeling and while it did help her somewhat, she was just happy they were moving. Where they were going just yet, she didn¡¯t know, but who on this boat knew that? She never did and she doubted that machine really knew where they were going either. It honestly felt like they were just wandering around and picking fights. She didn¡¯t really have a problem with the fighting thing, they were alien scum anyway.


    She did have a problem with them constantly picking up new alien castaways. They didn¡¯t need more of those. Nor did she much approve of some of that machine¡¯s other decisions. Still she would be able to fix those later once she had the chance. In the meantime she figured it best to figure out what trouble they were rushing into this time. The last bit cost them several weeks of repairs. Along with parts and materials that were not easy to replace. Especially given that Machine¡¯s decision to abandon Earth. A world she planned to reclaim for humanity, but first she would need the chair.


    Glancing at the clock, she realized it was almost time for her meeting. It was yet another one with the ship¡¯s military leaders. This time a captain who had some weight with the ship¡¯s security. If she could turn him it would be an excellent addition to her own strength. Standing up, she made for the door. Passing another table in the process with a couple of friends.


    The one man spoke, ¡°That bad?¡±


    ¡°Well I was kinda hoping that I could impress the captain with my skills, but he was in a completely different league.¡±


    ¡°I heard he only dabbled in strategy games, how bad could it have been?¡±


    ¡°Well, you know Mistress of Sirius?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said the Man. Williams wasn¡¯t familiar with it, but she had heard the title a couple of times. It was currently rather popular with the crew.


    ¡°Well he beat me in less than twenty turns.¡±


    The other guy shouted, ¡°20! Isn¡¯t that impossible?¡±


    ¡°Well on the larger maps yes, but we picked a duel-sized map. Meant for quick two-player games but not that fast.¡±


    ¡°Right, those average 40 turns don¡¯t they? How did he beat you in less than twenty?¡±


    ¡°Well he rushed the fusion cannon tech and the neutron beam tech. Then he built a battleship armed with modified fusion cannons. Then he took my homeworld, which was effectively game. That early my colonies just weren¡¯t worth anything. I tried five more games with him and it was the same story. I just couldn¡¯t field anything to match that one early battleship.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware it was possible to field a battleship that early.¡±


    ¡°Well it is and usually the fusion cannon isn¡¯t that big of a deal, but apparently it can do a lot of damage with the right modification.¡±


    ¡°I guess I should play around with that, then.¡±


    Williams walked out the door and shook her head. Crewmen losing to the captain in silly games were interesting, but not that important. Of course she was playing a larger game with him, but she knew she was going to win. Sure he had the seat, but she held the cards. It was only a matter of time before they all fell into place. She sighed, sadly those cards were coming into place far too slowly, but at least they were getting there.


    Taking the lift, she headed on to a lower deck and soon reached the office she was looking for before stepping on inside. A man was waiting there, he looked up with a smile, ¡°Good day Miss Williams. I saw you on the appointment list, so what can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°I had something I wanted to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess your crusade against the captain. I¡¯m willing to discuss it, but only if you make it worth my time. Otherwise you might as well leave my office now.¡±


    She settled into a chair and leaned forward, ¡°How do you feel about a chance for advancement?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m listening.¡±


    <hr>


    Richards double checked her console. Engine readings were all optimal, which was good. It meant she wouldn¡¯t need to do anything but monitor them. There were alarms of course in case things dipped too far into the red. Stretching, she took a moment to look around the room. As the techs monitored various systems. Starship propulsion was actually rather complex, but modern automation made their jobs simple. Most of the time anyway.


    Nearby she noticed a few officers having a friendly chat and she moved over. Just to make sure they weren¡¯t neglecting the monitors, but as she drew closer she noted that they were paying attention to the systems. While discussing a game she enjoyed.


    ¡°So you¡¯re in with the SoH game next week?


    The young woman at the console, nodded, ¡°Sounds good, but what start era are we planning?¡±


    That was a fair question. SoH was a rather ambitious grand strategy game that covered the whole of humanity''s history. The grand campaign had the player taking command of a small tribal village and a few units. Namely a couple of scouts and a few hunters. Being tribal you didn¡¯t even have agriculture, which meant the game started earlier than some other similarly ambitious games. Eventually, the player would found cities, conquer rivals and develop new technologies. The game would advance across the ages from the ancient era to the space age. With the final era taking place during the Colonial Wars, with the player building fleets of starships and fighting both in space and on the ground of multiple worlds. Of course it also gave the game quite the learning curve, since it evolved and grew more complicated as the eras progressed.


    ¡°Planning a game of SoH next week? Sounds fun, room for more?¡±


    The group blinked and then turned to her. Predictably she could see how they felt about that. A game with the boss was certain to be awkward. Which was part of why she did it. That and she was a little bored.

 Interlude Earth Vessels: Bird of Prey

    The Bird of Prey. Not something we have really seen. None of the alien vessels we have encountered match the concept. The closest being those of the Voskar, but they don¡¯t perfectly mirror it. In general, a bird of prey is a modest frigate sized ship mounting heavy spinal mounted guns. The core of the ship is a powerful main engine which gives it the speed and agility to bring its powerful guns to bear. These vessels are attack ships plain and simple, nothing more nothing less. At their very core, they are ship hunters akin to the torpedo boats and submarines of ages past.


    So do any ships of the archetype exist? The answer is yes. During the war Earth made great use of them against the Cathamari. Ships of the type were often used to strike at supply lines, ambush capital ships and more.


    The mainstay Bird of Prey for Earth¡¯s fleet was the Osprey Class. In fact the ship was also heavily used by the colonial navies as well. As it was so effective at its role that it supplanted all other designs.


    The Osprey is a heavy frigate 290 meters long with 22 decks. The entire ship was built around two large tri-core Particle pulse wave engines and her main weapon, which is a pair of spinal mounted XM7-38 Superheavy Directed Particle Cannons. These massive guns have a fire rate of roughly eight hundred bolts per minute with each bolt hitting with a directed force equal to several megatons. Making them the equal of many battleship guns, if somewhat slower to fire. That doesn¡¯t make them any less deadly.


    In addition to the powerful main guns, the Osprey is outfitted with fore and aft torpedos. Space constraints limited how many additional weapons could be fitted, but the designers managed to fit her with a full array of light particle cannons. 192 XDPC-23-E directed particle cannons in dual turrets were mounted in a defensive spoke formation which provided excellent firing arcs. These guns were her main protection against fighters, and corvettes. They were also effective against other frigates, but lacked the punch to penetrate the armor found on larger ships like Destroyers. As such, the ship also carries eight single-mount, XDPC-348-C directed particle cannons. That make up its secondary battery, most frigates of this size would carry more, but the Osprey simply can¡¯t meet the space or power requirements to mount more.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    So what about protection? Well the Osprey isn¡¯t going to make history books, but she is rather well protected. Featuring a primary armored belt three meters thick. The plating conforms to the generation three Overlord concept but includes active stealth measures. Giving the ship a fairly robust hull with excellent stealth properties. In addition to the armor, the Osprey features the typical internal protections found on most human vessels. Internal plating, reinforced bulkheads and armored emergency bulkheads. Also standard with the ship is an energy web array and a radiation shield generator


    Moving on, to her performance in the field. At the height of the war several thousand ships of the class were in service. Their powerful stealth abilities made them into excellent attack vessels as they could slip by unnoticed and attack where the enemy is weakest. Their powerful guns let them do a lot of damage in a short period of time and then they could escape thanks to their powerful engines before the enemy could react. Against the Cathamari they proved themselves as very capable capital ship hunters. Many Cathamari capital ships relied heavily of powerful energy shields as their first line of defense, and while they had armor it was not as resilient as that found on Human capital ships. As a result, if a small pack caught them unaware and with shields down? Well there would not be much more than drifting debris.


    On the other side of the equation, when the Osprey did get into a slugging match it often didn¡¯t last very long. It could take a few hits but not many. Many Cathamari ships are overgunned as well, so most often had the firepower to get through her armor. In those cases, she didn¡¯t catch a battleship or cruiser offgaurd, she often ended up in battle. These battles were where many Ospreys and their crews lost their lives, but thankfully for the crews the Osprey was quick enough to escape. Assuming she survived to the first few minutes of the battle.

 Chapter One Hundred and Eleven Deep Space Encounters

    September 28th:


    Red pulses of plasma raked across the hull of a Chi¡¯ran frigate. The ship was an escort to a larger cruiser and part of a battle that had been raging for the better part of a day. Her shields were strained under the latest barrage with several plasma rounds breaching the shields. Thankfully the armor held, but it was clear the ship¡¯s defenses were failing.


    Elsewhere the Chi¡¯ran flag made for a break in the Valorian formation. Her hull was marked with breaches and scorch marks. The ravages of several fires could be seen as well, the results of previous hits. Two cruisers moved in on the ship, their pulse batteries firing. Numerous rapid fire red plasma rounds raked the shields of the Chi¡¯ran cruiser just before she returned fire. Several disrupter bolts slammed futilely into the shields of an attacking cruiser. Bright light flared as they shed energy into space and the Valorian ships continued to press the attack.


    Several rounds of fire were exchanged between the ships before distance began to grow again. The cruisers pursued, maintaining their weapon locks. Neither side seemed to make much progress against the other, their weapons lacking the stopping power to effectively penetrate the other¡¯s defenses. At least while their shields were up.


    The poor frigate on the other hand was not doing so well. Her shields flickered and failed allowing more rounds to tear into her armored hull. The armor did its best to protect the more vulnerable sections beneath, but it was a losing battle. Moments later several torpedoes slammed into the hull with explosive results. The superheated plasma flared out explosively, melting through plating and starting fires. A fuel line ignited and several massive plasma flares erupted on the hull as the fireball grew. Then something internal exploded, just as escape pods started launching into the void. The hull fractured under the barrage of several Valorian ships, the plasma pulses now tearing into the ship¡¯s vulnerable vitals. Finally, the stricken hull gave her last, sections were aflame and venting into space, and it broke apart under the barrage. Twisted burning metal floated off into the void, as escape pods made for a safe distance. Some sections exploded as containment of volatile reactants failed. Creating an impressive display of fireworks and scattering bits of wreckage everywhere.


    It seemed clear that it was only a matter of time before the Chi¡¯ran fleet was broken, they were down most of their escorts. Only the flag and two small frigates remained. All of which were now low on fuel, and munitions. Arrayed against them was a superior force of Valorian warships.Yet that soon proved to not be the case, when suddenly a barrage of blue lights slammed into several Valorian cruisers. Shields flared and hulls disintegrated as three ships made an explosive entrance onto the scene.


    <hr>


    The captain watched the screens. He had known they were coming but a moment ago he had been wondering if they would ever arrive. Now they were here. A dozen cruisers sinking the instant they came out of warp. A perfectly executed attack by any playbook and one that not many would be able to execute. Most ships were vulnerable coming out of FTL, be it hyperdrive, warp drive or even Krall Inversion Drive, all of them consumed massive amounts of power to function. That meant shields and weapons were often not on the table immediately after coming out of warp. Most warships however did have enhanced power systems able to quickly bring those systems to operational status. Something that seemed to be the case with the Refuge ships, as not only were they able to fire torpedoes but they were already firing those beam weapons of theirs.


    He watched as four focused blue energy beams lanced off of the Refugee flag and tore into the shields of a Protector Class Heavy cruiser. There was very little apparent effect, but he noticed them flaring brightly. The ship attempted to maneuver and returned fire with equal apparent effect against the armored hull of the Enterprise, as heavy plasma pulses splashed against the armor. The glow of the Valorian shields started to grow just as the beams underwent a phase shift from blue to a vibrant purple.


    An officer exclaimed, ¡°By the gods, that went through!¡±


    He saw what the officer was commenting on. The beam was now tearing into the unarmored hull of the Valorian cruiser. Punching through entire sections, plasma fires erupted as atmosphere was vented through the growing rent in the hull. It only lasted for a few more seconds after the beam phase shifted before all four cut out. Leaving behind a deep wound in the side of the Valorian flag. Then the Enterprise opened up with her own heavy cannon. Vibrant purple energy bolts slammed into the shields of the stricken cruiser one after the other in rapid succession. Each one caused the shields to flicker and flare brighter but some of them went through to tear into the hull.


    ¡°Yes, she appears to be quite outmatched,¡± he noted aloud as the Valorian ship fired her torpedoes. A staggered volley of heavy plasma warheads sailed across space. Only to slam into a web of red light. Several energy bursts marked their pre-mature detonation, as some of the plasma washed over the alien hull with little effect. It was clearly hardened against plasma warheads. No surprise there, the Cathamari made wide use of plasma weaponry as well and the Refuge were known to have been at war with them.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    That volley proved to be the Valorian flag¡¯s last gasp as moments later her shields flickered and died. Heavy particle rounds tore into her hull ripping it apart like wet tissue paper. Then several sustained blue beams lanced out, slicing through her hull like very warm butter. Entire sections were vented in moments. Several explosions ripped through the hull as well. There were no survivors, the ship went down with all hands and not a single escape pod launched. He was somewhat surprised to see a Protector go down so fast, their shields were notoriously strong. Only they failed far too quickly.


    His engineer commented, ¡°It seems the Refuge intelligence net should be commended, they knew exactly where to hit that ship.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°That first strike that went through? It knocked out several systems and weakened their main shields. After that they didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±


    That seemed to be a good thing, and he mentally took notes on how they did it. He didn¡¯t have a focused beam weapon, but perhaps he would be able to find some other weapon to do the same thing. It was certainly a useful trick, in case he ever got into another skirmish with the Valorians.


    The flagship going down seemed to take the fight out of the remaining warships, as several frigates and the few surviving cruisers broke off. Several flashes of light signaled their going to warp. The battle was over now and he felt the tension drain. The battle had lasted for the better part of a day, while the Valorians fired upon him. Long enough that he was out of plasma missiles and torpedoes.


    Knowing that the new arrivals were friendly, he felt comfortable taking a moment to recharge his shields. They were a potent form of protection. Absorbing incoming energy and protecting the ship from damage, but all that energy had to go somewhere. It was why they glowed when struck. Most shields radiated away energy as EM radiation, some of which was in the visible spectrum, but the rest of that energy not radiated would be absorbed. The shield could only hold so much energy before collapsing. Once a shield reaches maximum saturation it would have to cycle before it could be raised again. While his shields weren¡¯t fully saturated they were pretty heavily drained. They needed to shed absorbed energy and recharge. ¡°Cycle the shields and open a channel with the Enterprise.¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman shifted in his seat as he regarded the other captain. Rescue operations were underway to locate and return any surviving Chi¡¯ran crews to the remaining ships. In the meantime, he had things to discuss. ¡°That aside any idea...¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling what you are going to ask and Valorian incursions have increased as of late. I¡¯ve read a few reports regarding a recent political shift in the Confederation. There have been other skirmishes like this one, throughout the sector.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. We had an encounter recently ourselves, a rather large fleet.¡±


    ¡°As I said, this Skirmish isn¡¯t an isolated incident.¡±


    ¡°Noted, now would you require an escort to port?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but we can manage. There is an outpost only a few lightyears from here, worst case I can have them send tugs.¡±


    ¡°Understood, in that case I¡¯ll help you collect your survivors and we will be on our way.¡±


    ¡°Much appreciated and thank you for the assistance. If you ever need help, look me up. I might be able to help and would like to return the favor later.¡±


    He smiled, ¡°I might just take you up on that offer. I¡¯ll let you know if we ever need anything.¡±


    ¡°Now if you excuse me, I have to attend to my ship.¡±


    ¡°Of course, captain. Good luck.¡±


    The channel closed and Countryman stood up. Nearby Greyman commented, ¡°I think we should look into this recent political shift. It might be important.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, I guess we need to recruit a few spies. Hmm, or we could try tapping their communications.¡±


    ¡°That second sounds like an idea, any thoughts on how you will do that?¡±


    ¡°I do. Meet me in Lab 12 after shift and we can discuss it in detail at that time.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, I should have some time. Although I also have a date with my wife to prepare for, so we can¡¯t take too long.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour. Have fun with your wife.¡±


    ¡°That should work and thank you.¡±


    With the conversation done, the two turned to bridge work. There was plenty that needed to be done.  Thankfully it was simple enough and the next couple of hours passed smoothly. Numerous pods were recovered intact, and even a few survivors were found in wrecked modules. Those rescues were a bit more tricky, but they went smoothly enough. About as well as could be expected given the circumstances.


    Once all the rescues were complete and the Chi¡¯ran task force was underway. The Enterprise and her two escorts departed the area as well. Heading on a course out of the Lantaro sector. In a few more days they would be out of the sector, but it remained to be seen if that would change anything.

 Chapter One Hundred and Twelve The Wovnar

    November 4th 002 SDE


    Countryman walked down the corridor as he considered the last couple of months. Since that first skirmish with that battle fleet, he had been encountering increasingly hostile Valorian fleets. They had already left the Lantaro sector, but it seemed Valorian activity beyond their borders was on the rise in this whole region. As a result many local worlds were on guard and skirmishes were happening every day. They had made a few friends by intervening in skirmishes caused by Valorian aggression, but Countryman was still left wondering why. Their lack of a micro FTL drive left limits on what they could do to spy on the Valorians, but he had an idea about that. They were only a few weeks away from a known Valorian port, if they could arrive under stealth it would be possible to insert a probe, but if he was going to do that he would have visited a closer one. There were clearly more in the area given the Valorian fleet activities. Rather, he had Richards working on a special project instead.


    The forward cargo hanger was rather spacious, enough room for a cargo ship or a small frigate. He had her outfit the bay to be used for ship construction and she was now in the process of directing the construction of an automated spy frigate. They had pulled the design from the X-1200 series of projects. Line item 1288 was intended to be a stealth frigate with significant electronic warfare and observation systems. Of course, they had made a few modifications to the original design. For one, they were taking advantage of their recent experiments with ship automation and AI protocols to remove crew quarters and life-support systems in favor of a fully automated control system. Internal drones would be responsible for internal security and damage control.


    The ship would use the same kind of stealth armor found on modern birds of prey and other stealth vessels. She would use new generation subspace comm arrays allowing her to beam back data. Armament would be light and her overall protection limited, but the hull was expected to be fairly fast. Especially since they were using the excess crystals from that earlier production run to build a modified engine for her. Replacing the original intended propulsion scheme. There may be a few issues as a result, but it would allow them to cut the production time. If things went on schedule, they would be able to launch the ship by mid-December.


    The order was also the largest test of their deep space production capabilities and he saw it as a test run for their future. It helped that a small frigate was about the largest ship they could build without having to anchor. Sadly they could only work on one at a time, and since the only space that would work was their main cargo hanger other issues would present themselves. Notably with taking on and offloading supplies. There were secondary hangers for that, but the main one was the largest and best equipped. Still being able to build frigates on the move would be useful.


    If it went well he was considering building a few screening vessels. Nothing really substantial could be built given the size and space limitations. The tonnage limits and only being able to build one at a time were both things to consider. Then they had to weigh if it was worth the cost. He always figured that once they started getting ready to build new ships for the fleet, he would have a few scout frigates built. Armed with light particle cannons and a couple of torpedo launchers, they could prove useful for scouting and screening. Sadly there weren¡¯t any suitable scout frigate designs in the database. They would have to design an appropriate ship from scratch, so that would take a few years. Even with a team on it. Ships were complicated affairs, and there was a lot to consider before work could start on one. It wasn¡¯t like video games where you might select a hull and slap a few components on it. Ship design was far more complicated than that. Modules could be swapped on a ship, but that did add complications to the design.


    However, the biggest bottleneck to ship construction wasn¡¯t the design phase. It was actually in the production phase. Namely the construction of propulsion crystals. Back home they had huge factories constantly pumping them out to preset specifications. Now they didn¡¯t have those factories or the supply chains required for the production at any kind of decent level. A factor that would add time to any ship they built. He had a team looking into optimizing crystal production, but he figured that Ruri¡¯s AGI project would be the big-ticket item that would really improve production. Crystals were slowly produced by nanites in large pools, meticulously crafted on the microscopic level. Better AI would mean improved nanite coordination and faster assembly of the overall crystal.


    Reaching the door to the forward bay he stepped inside. He was on one of the upper levels and he was almost instantly greeted with the view of a growing spaceframe. The frigate was far from complete, but the spaceframe was well underway to complete and the first modules were already being fitted. Namely the power plant and structural integrity systems. Those were always first to be built into the hull, often with key components of the Structural Integrity Field or grid integrated directly into the star frame. A number of primary power conduits would also be run alongside the frame since it was the bones of the ship. Every module, every system would be built off those beams and struts. The engines would be anchored directly into them as well to ensure stability.


    A young ensign in a work suit bounded up the walkway, she smiled, ¡°Captain! Can I show you around?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. I came here to inspect your progress.¡±


    She gestured, ¡°As you can see we are currently ahead of schedule, things are proceeding very smoothly. We should be ready to start installing the computer and propulsion systems late tomorrow or early the day after.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± he said as he let her take the lead on the tour of the ship. For now anyway, he was going to be checking all the work, but based on what he saw he didn¡¯t think he would find anything wrong with the ship.


    <hr>


    Several figures watched a screen. An older woman, one of the clan leaders sighed, ¡°This campaign isn¡¯t going well. We have engaged them several times and we have yet to gain what we wanted.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but we have learned more about their technology. That will give us more of a chance.¡±


    A sigh, ¡°Yes, they have a sustained beam weapon that can carve through shields, stronger shields seem to hold up better, but that capital ship can still punch through at close range.¡±


    ¡°My people have been looking into that. Those particle beams lack the punch of Krall Plasma beams but they can be sustained for much longer. In most cases it¡¯s the sustained strain on the generators that leads to localized failures. Reinforcing the emitter array and adjustments to the secondary shield generators would greatly improve protection on our capital ships with minimal cost. Smaller ships would be out of luck.¡±


    ¡°What about that next-gen shield project?¡±


    ¡°The one being run alongside project Yinta? It¡¯s still a work in progress, they are experimenting with composite particle barriers without much success last I heard.¡±


    ¡°Composite particle barriers? I thought the next big thing was graviton barriers?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Well yes, but most projects in that field have stalled out due to issues with sufficient particle generation.¡± the person speaking glanced at the screen, ¡°Something our friends seem to have no issue with.¡±


    They all knew what the person was talking about. Refuge ships had a rather high graviton signature, something they had previously missed. Sadly the scanners that could detect gravitons had limited ranges, which means tracking them at long range was still limited to traditional methods. Factors that made it hard to find the alien ships, since they were only detectable on short-range scanners. That stealth of theirs was very interesting and rather unlike Voskar cloaking. A few of them had ideas for what it could be used for, especially if improved since it seemed to be more passive than active. That had certain advantages over the Voskar method.


    ¡°Yes we have noticed that, any idea what they are using them for?¡±


    ¡°Not shields, scans show high levels in the hull, and they emit them in bursts while moving. Likely they play a role in the function of their reactionless sublight engines.¡±


    ¡°I see, that just makes acquiring the alien tech more important.¡±


    ¡°Agreed the implications for next generation shielding alone would be worth it. The strange armor of theirs would be useful as well. If anything it might prove an interesting study for next generation shielding as well.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime, we need a better defense shield to withstand their strange weapons. The particle beams are easy enough, but those torpedoes rip right through our shields like they aren¡¯t there.¡±


    ¡°None of my teams have any leads on how. Our shields use a rotating modulation which should prevent something like this, but roughly forty percent go through. It¡¯s like they somehow know our shield configurations.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you might have an idea?¡±


    ¡°After so many battles? The teams have noted a few things about their warheads. Most notable is their glow, plasma warheads glow due to their payload of superheated plasma, but why do their photon warheads glow?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Is that important?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know from Cantra that not all of their warheads glow, but they usually do. We think it has something to do with the shield penetration ability. As near as we can tell, the torpedo is wrapped in some kind of electromagnetic field.¡±


    ¡°Wait!? An EM penetrator? Those don¡¯t work on modern shields.¡±


    ¡°Actually they do, it¡¯s how carriers can launch fighters and shuttles without dropping shields. Sure the fighters and shuttles in question use their shields, but the same principles would still work with an EM penetrator. The only reason EM penetrators aren¡¯t everywhere is because you need the target¡¯s shield configuration in order to bypass the target¡¯s shields. Something you can get with a scan, but by the time a warhead can hit it will have changed. It¡¯s why we use a rapid rotating band modulation.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean about that, so if we presume they are somehow capable of anticipating the band shift in our shields, do you think you can come up with a way to stop their warheads?¡±


    ¡°Actually I do have an idea. Plasma shielding, modern shields already use a dense particle layer. Adding a plasma barrier wouldn¡¯t be too hard, in theory. I have a team working on it and that same team is also looking into composite particle shielding.¡±


    Frowning the older woman inquired, ¡°Would that work?¡±


    ¡°I think so, I based the idea off the alien defenses. They use an energy shield that produces a barrier of high intensity laser beams. A plasma barrier would do much the same thing, anything that penetrates the main shield layer would be subjected to extreme temperatures and burn up.¡±


    ¡°As interesting as that sounds, how long before we can use it?¡±


    ¡°Six months according to the team.¡±


    ¡°Great. What about penetrating that armor? Any progress there?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, we are looking into acquiring a new type of warhead for our fighter craft. It¡¯s a high yield antimatter warhead designed to fire a focused directional burst upon detonation. Usually just before impacting the shields, but we think it could be useful. My team says they found a promising dealer for these warheads.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, but I would like to look into further improving our plasma warheads, they already show promise. Creating a larger, more powerful warhead is the next logical step. The tricky bit is balancing the containment fields. I even have a team working on it and they promise it will only take a few months.¡±


    ¡°We can do both, the more options the better.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    <hr>


    While Countryman was down in the main cargo hanger conducting a routine inspection, Greyman was on the bridge. Commanding the Enterprise, like any good first officer would be doing. There wasn¡¯t much to do, given that they were conducting routine operations. They had entered orbit of a small gas giant and were conducting an atmospheric survey. This particular system had three gas giants, two large iceballs and a couple of rocky barren worlds. Nothing remotely capable of supporting a colony, but it did have a vast asteroid belt. One that from initial scans appeared to be rather rich in metals. Mostly common metals like iron and nickel but they had found some fairly high concentrations of more valuable minerals like Titanium and Tungsten. Given the recent run of repairs, they had drawn up mining plans to collect what they could and refill their stores.


    Fuel might also be an issue, given all the combat. They had started eating heavily into the reserves. Not enough to be concerned about yet, but if they didn¡¯t find any fuel it might become an issue. That was why he had Misaki conducting high intensity scans of this gas giant; it showed the most promise for high concentrations of deuterium. In other words, it might make for a fuel source with which to replenish their reserves.


    Suddenly Misaki looked up, ¡°Contact sir. New ship just entered the system at point two two seven, mark three eight. Distance two point two million kilometers.¡±


    ¡°Have they seen us?¡±


    ¡°Looks like it, they are heading our way.¡±


    ¡°Can you identify them?¡±


    ¡°Scanning, they don¡¯t look like any ship we have seen. Their hull configuration is... ORGANIC? Sir! That ship is alive!¡±


    He blinked, ¡°What? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s clearly organic.¡±


    He had never seen a living ship. They were theorized about, but nothing like that had ever been encountered nor had anything even close been invented.


    He opened his mouth to give an order, when Misaki said, ¡°We are being hailed.¡±


    Put them through. A moment later he was greeted with the sight of a naked alien female. She had sharp triangular ears on the top of her head, long white hair. A heart shaped face with a cute little fang poking out from her lips. Her skin was a light creamy tan where it wasn¡¯t covered by white fur, which unfortunately included her entire torso as he could see everything from her modest breasts to her hairless vagina. He blinked, the words he was about to use stuck in his throat.


    Her smile widened, ¡°Greetings, I am Linari, Captain of the Talair and a representative of the Queens of the Wovnar Queendoms. We welcome you to our space and you are Captain Countryman of the Sol Refuge correct?

 Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen Unusual Meetings

    Greyman took a moment to compose himself. He wasn¡¯t used to being greeted by a full frontal upon answering the phone so to speak. She was cute too, but that didn¡¯t really matter to him. He did have a wife. Taking a breath, he said in response to her statement, ¡°While it is an honor to meet you, I am not the captain. I am First Officer Richard Greyman of the EFS Enterprise.¡±


    Her ears drooped a little, ¡°Sorry for the mistake. Is now a bad time? I can wait to speak with your captain.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s busy with an inspection, but he will be more than willing to make time for a diplomatic meeting. Please wait.¡±


    She smiled, thanked him and then closed the channel. As his screen turned to normal, several voices commented on the scene they had just witnessed. Normally he would reprimand them for it, but instead, he chose to ignore it. Turning to Misaki, who seemed to be holding back a few giggles, he said, ¡°Find the captain. I think he is in the forward cargo hanger.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Certainly sir. So what are you going to tell Samantha?¡±


    He gave her a look and she immediately stiffened.


    <hr>


    Countryman looked out the observation port, at the alien cruiser. Its hull was entirely organic, with a rather bulbous forward section, and four arms extending backwards and arching back to meet a central point. Yet not actually touching the point. There were numerous bumps and nodes on the surface, whose function he couldn¡¯t tell. Not yet, anyway. Also near the rear was four sets of fins, each set contained three translucent fins, one long one, and two short. Near the midsection were several depressions which he now knew to be orifices, likely serving as hangers. He came to that conclusion moments ago, since he had seen an orifice on the side open up allowing a smaller craft to slip into the void. One that was now heading here to land. He was going to be meeting the alien captain shortly. It was certainly going to be something. Especially given her attire or lack thereof. Although he figured it was a given that some cultures out there might not wear clothing. Even if most science fiction franchises seemed hesitant to explore that idea. Yet here he had found an example, or more like one had come to him.


    So far she seemed friendly and Countryman figured he would take the diplomatic approach. They had few friends out here at the moment and more friends would only benefit them. As he waited, he started looking over the few material studies reports. Particularly one involving tungsten, erudite, and several polymers, the resulting alloy was interesting. Without titanium, it wasn¡¯t as responsive to structural reinforcement but the alloy had some very nice properties for armor. Very high thermal resistance, and able to break up kinetic shells on impact. The lab in question had used it in this form and another form that mixed a little titanium back into the alloy. The new alloy mix wouldn¡¯t replace titan alloy in ship construction, but it might replace the current generation of thermal coating on their hulls, which already included tungsten for its desirable properties. The question was if it was actually worth the cost given the use of erudite. Since that material was hard to come by. He had another material team looking into ways to artificially produce the unusual metal.


    Putting that aside, he watched the shuttle land and the bay doors close. It was about time for what might be a rather interesting conversation. He glanced at the console and watched the atmospheric readings go up. Pressure increased at a rapid pace as air rushed to fill the hanger. The deck four hangar was smaller than the main hangars and not equipped for fighter operations, but given its intended use for receiving guests, it was designed to fill quickly. As a result it wasn¡¯t long before the bay had enough air for him to enter.


    Stepping into the bay, he looked over the small shuttle. It was a lot like the mothership in form, but much smaller and without the arms on the rear. It also only had two sets of fins, but they were more prominent compared to the rest of the body. A moment later the side opened up, several thick membranes moving aside to reveal a passage into the hull. A hull he noted was plated with an unusual organic plating. It wasn¡¯t chitin or bone, something else. Countryman activated the extra sensors he had in his left arm and started scanning.


    The alien captain Linari disembarked a moment later, and she was still quite naked. Giving him and the guards in the room quite the view. Although it didn¡¯t mean much to him. She smiled, making her fang a little more prominent, ¡°Checking out my shuttle?¡±


    ¡°Well we don¡¯t see much organic technology.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well our cultures are rather divergent. Where many cultures delve into mechanical technologies, our people instead focused on the biological. Our homeworld was rather poor on heavy metals, so perhaps it¡¯s not a surprise we focused on the biosciences.¡± she replied while looking around. Then she turned back to him, ¡°You know I was expecting this ship to smell more sterile, you have a garden onboard?¡±


    ¡°Several, the Enterprise is a large ship, we have a few recreational gardens, but most of our growing space is actually for growing crops and raising fish.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± she said while looking him over, ¡°and the rumors weren¡¯t wrong your kind do resemble Valorians. A case study on your species might be quite interesting. I know a few scientists who would love to make that study. It has interesting implications for certain theories on parallel development. We already know that spacefaring cultures tend to be of one archetype or another, while sapience isn¡¯t limited to the humanoid form many spacefaring races are of the form due to the inherent advantages it provides for tool use. Although some examples are only loosely related to the form, they still hold to most characteristics, as is the case with the Cathamari.¡±


    ¡°Well we have been looking into that ourselves. In the months since we made contact with the Valorians we have picked up a fair number of castaways and salvaged a few wrecked Valorian ships. Including medical data, we have learned a fair amount about them. I¡¯m not against sharing that data.¡±


    She shifted, ¡°Yes we would compensate you for the data.¡± gesturing at the door, ¡°Shall we walk? I know we have much to discuss.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong, this was the first meeting of their two civilizations. There was much to talk about, especially if they were to avoid another war. The Refuge didn¡¯t need one, they already had enough conflict with the Voskar and the Valorians. Not to mention they were still technically at war with the Cathamari Empire, as no peace treaty had ever been signed. Countryman doubted one would be at this rate and personally suspected the Cathamari Empire would collapse long before any treaty could be signed.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    So he escorted Linari to the conference room where a number of female officers were waiting to be a part of this meeting. Naturally Williams was not among the participants, but he had brought Ruri his chief scientist, Richards the Chief Engineer, Misaki his operation¡¯s officer, and Eri his helmsman. There were other officers he could have selected, but given her nudity, he felt it best to restrict to female officers. He didn¡¯t bring Williams since she was likely to be volatile, while Kaori didn¡¯t feel comfortable leaving the weapon¡¯s array during a first-contact situation. So he left her on the bridge, the ones he did bring were the people he felt most able to handle the nature of the meeting.


    The room wasn¡¯t far and they soon settled into seats for the meeting, where they discussed the terms of future relations. Eventually, the conversation drifted to trade. Linari stretched a little, her breasts lifting a bit in the process as she looked between various faces, ¡°So my people are interested in trading knowledge. New ideas are often welcome and can enhance both parties. With that in mind, I do have to ask how many of your kind are there? I presume the answer is not many.¡±


    He blinked, then sighed, ¡°Sadly you would be right, the war with the Cathamari was brutal and costly. Very few of us actually remain, but we would prefer if that information wasn¡¯t widely known.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°We would never knowingly share the secrets of another and we can help. As I said, we have a lot of knowledge in the biosciences. I can guess that you are looking for a new world. We are highly accomplished in that regard. Obviously, the gods brought you to us, so that we could teach you. We offer our knowledge of planetary bio-forming.¡±


    ¡°Bio-forming? Hmm, interesting, I presume that has something to do with adapting the biosphere to better suit your species?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we use various methods to introduce controlled mutations to produce a more lush environment better able to house Wovnar settlements. The techniques could be adapted for your own species as well. While also using our own list of other techniques to alter planetary conditions to better match our homeworld.¡±


    Ruri seemed to have something to say but before she could Countryman replied, ¡°It might prove useful, we already have experience with terraforming. We brought life to the other worlds in our home system and they weren¡¯t that hospitable when we began. Perhaps we should offer our own terraforming knowledge in exchange.¡±


    ¡°Sounds doable, and we will offer our medical database as well in exchange for yours. Is that agreeable?¡±


    ¡°Fairly, there is some stuff we won¡¯t share, but we do have notes on life extension you might find interesting. Who knows, maybe you will have something to add.¡±


    ¡°Life extension? We do have insights on the subject. Yours might be interesting as well.¡±


    Ruri then spoke up, ¡°I am curious about your ships, they are completely organic. How do you manage to produce them? Also...¡±


    Linari stopped her, and said, ¡°The exact particulars are not something we plan to share, but I can give you the basics. Organic ships like any form of life begin as an embryo. We create a stable gene-seed and pattern, implant it into an egg and stimulate growth. If we were successful we would have a small embryo in a few days, which we then immerse in a growth medium. After a couple of weeks once it¡¯s stable, we then move it from the growth mediums into a specialized growth sack, these will swell as the baby ship grows and serve to protect it during its vulnerable phase. In other words, it¡¯s like a giant womb, but for starships. We have numerous berths back home that grow ships like mine.¡±


    Ruri scratched her cheek, ¡°So basically they are grown in a fashion not dissimilar to people, and from the sound of it you use a type of cloning facility to grow them. That does leave one to wonder, do they have the capacity to reproduce on their own?¡±


    Linari smiled, ¡°In theory yes, but it¡¯s a slow process. Growing a ship requires a lot of nutrients, and ships grow larger as they age, which requires more. Nutrient supplies are in fact one of the limitations of organic ships. They require the same resources we do, but they need so much more of it.¡±


    Countryman glanced at Ruri, and then turned back to Linari, ¡°I see, so your ships are largely fueled by organic material?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no, we use multiphase bioreactors but the nutrients we feed our ships aren¡¯t really used for energy generation, but the process of breaking them down and converting them into usable compounds does produce energy. Enough to fuel the basic processes of our ships. Higher energy systems like the engines, and the defense systems require a much denser energy source. We use specially cultivated crops rich in the right material, which when  broken down releases a fair amount of energy, but it¡¯s when they are combined in the second reaction phase that the most energy is produced. In a pinch, however, we can just inject raw Deuterium into the reactor.¡±


    Misaki, looking a little lost, decided to mention, ¡°Um, sir, we do have a surplus of nutrient paste right now.¡±


    ¡°Right, we can offer that for trade. Assuming it¡¯s acceptable, we could use some deuterium.¡±


    Linari sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer there, but I¡¯ll see what I can do. On a different note, I¡¯m curious. What kind of power generation do you use, some kind of fusion or antimatter?¡±


    ¡°Both actually, for fusion we use contained plasma reactors. Taking advantage of gravitic fields we compress superheated plasma to the point that fusion occurs, the result is like a miniature star, a computer-controlled reactive containment field is used to ensure containment. These reactors are difficult to miniaturize though, but they do have superb outputs. In fact prior to the advent of warp drive, reactors of this type were used as the primary power supply for military vessels,¡± said Countryman while thinking of the eight primary fusion reactors on the Enterprise, which provided plenty of power for the ship¡¯s systems and were very efficient. Then he said, ¡°As for the Antimatter reactors, we use a design with two cores that combines deuterium with anti-deuterium in highly energetic reactions. Specialized devices capture the energy generated by these reactions and supply power to the ship. Just one reactor provides the same output as eight fusion reactor modules.¡±


    ¡°Plasma reactors? Interesting, not many of the races around here use that technology. They are one of the more powerful methods of fusion available, but they are also the most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Oh they certainly are, if not handled properly. Our reactor modules are located as deep in the hull as we could put them and are further protected by internal plating and reinforced bulkheads. Along with numerous safeguards to ensure that any loss of containment doesn¡¯t cause much damage to the ship. Ones that have been tested in battle time and time again on the ancestors of the Enterprise.¡±


    ¡°Logical, but also perhaps expected.¡± she shifted her stance as she stood up, her breasts bouncing a little with the movement. ¡°Well we have been here awhile, why don¡¯t we take a break, then we can discuss the terms of trade. I would also like a look at that nutrient paste.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Sure we can adjourn. I had a lounge prepared.¡±


    He did in fact have one prepared, mainly by barring men from the establishment which is why he wasn¡¯t going to join them. At least that was the plan, but sometimes things don¡¯t quite go the way you expect.

 Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen Trade Deals

    Countryman leaned into the seat, wondering how he was even in the lounge. It had started with his young guest and by now he was very sure she was young. At least from his perspective. He sighed, as he tried to focus on the music and ignore the closet. The current music playing was an older song titled, ¡®He stole my heart, no he really did.¡¯


    It was a somewhat racy love song. Well actually it was a very racy love song with lurid sex details included. One that several girls were dancing and singing along to, but that perhaps helped set the current mood. A mood that was far too sexual for his liking and it hadn¡¯t even been on the list of planned songs. His mind raced as it recalled how things shifted. Naturally it had all started with their Wovnar guest. It seemed Linari had been looking to have some fun of a more sexual nature. Apparently cross-species mating was a perfectly normal thing with her people and they treated sex as a form of recreation. Countryman suspected that birth rates on their worlds must be high, which wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Presuming they could find the conditions to support their children. Food, toys, shelter and all that.


    His gaze turned to Ruri who was seated nearby and he once again wondered about his own decision to delay. She was willing and he honestly had always wanted a daughter of his own. In some respects he had one in Richards, but it wasn¡¯t the same. What Countryman truly wanted was one to raise as his own. Countryman hadn¡¯t been there for Richards when she was little, as he had already left her mother¡¯s life by then. After the whole cheating thing it would have been hard for him. It was hard to trust a woman who cheated on you, especially when you had been raised to be loyal to your mate.


    Suddenly a naked figure plopped down next to him, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°You could say that. I¡¯m listening to a sexy love song, in a room surrounded with girls, one of which is naked and sitting less than five meters from a closet with...¡±


    ¡°Oh? You can smell them too?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°No, I have the misfortune of being able to hear them. I think that one is getting the better deal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah the girl smells rather disappointed, I think her man isn¡¯t very good. I guess you have really good ears, though. I can¡¯t hear them and I thought my hearing was good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m cybernetically enhanced which includes a few sensory augmentations. Some of which come with the territory of my age.¡±


    ¡°Your age? Aren¡¯t you only middle aged? Unless your kind age differently from Valorians...¡±


    He laughed, ¡°Sadly no, actually my appearance is from rejuvenation treatments. I¡¯m much older than I look. The big two hundred will be coming up in a few years.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Either you come from better genetic stock, or your medicine is way better than what the Valorians have.¡±


    ¡°A combination of both, actually. Remember the life extension notes I mentioned? We¡¯ve been very successful in extending life via something we call nano-cellular treatments. We use nanites to repair genetic damage and degradation on the cellular level. Along with a host of other tasks as well that overall retard aging, but a more aggressive treatment can even reverse it to a degree. You can shave a few years off, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°We have something similar actually, we don¡¯t use nano-technology for it though. On average we can live, barring accidents, to seven hundred years old. I myself am only around a hundred though.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°I thought you were younger.¡±


    She pouted, ¡°Really? I come off that young?


    He nodded, ¡°You do, but that isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.¡±


    ¡°I guess not. On a different note, why are you and your mate here? You two could join the...¡±


    He sputtered, ¡°My mate!?¡±


    Ruri laughed nearby.


    ¡°Was I wrong? You two tend to emit pheromones every time you look at the other.¡±


    Ruri spoke first, ¡°Jac and I haven¡¯t done that yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why not?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Our circumstances sadly make things a little difficult, I¡¯m the captain of the ship and leader of our little fleet. My duties keep me very busy, as for Ruri? Well I¡¯ll let her tell you.¡±


    Ruri shifted, seeming uncomfortable, ¡°Uh, well I tend to, well, lose myself in my work.¡±


    ¡°She does, perhaps too much. I¡¯m often looking out for her since if I didn¡¯t she would forget food, water and even proper clothing.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°I understand that, my aunt is like that. She¡¯d be lost if not for my mother, who is always looking out for her. I¡¯ve even occasionally had to make sure she is okay. I can recall one time that she missed out on the harvest festival. Mom had been especially busy that day, so I ended up going to check on her. I found her in her workshop, dirty and so focused on her work that her lunch was cold.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°Well with Ruri it¡¯s easy to know what to do. I had a brother like that. He was a real genius too, smarter than me.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Might be interesting to meet him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he is no longer around.¡±


    Ruri frowned, ¡°You have a brother?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I had a sister as well, but I outlived both of them.¡±


    Linari frowned, ¡°Sad to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, it¡¯s been a very long time,¡± said Countryman as a door opened. A couple of ensigns with a large crate came into the room. He smiled, ¡°Ah it seems the paste you wanted to look at is here.¡±


    Linari stood just as the music changed. A new song that Countryman was familiar with, more so than most people. He didn¡¯t write it, no ear for the art, but he did know the artist, or to be more accurate, he knew the artist. They were long gone now. As for the song, it was titled, ¡°For He is Guilty¡± Countryman didn¡¯t much like the song though, but that might be because he actually knew the history behind it. The young lady who wrote it had been feeling rather hurt at the time.


    Linari didn¡¯t seem to care much for the song though and instead went to inspect the crate. After a moment she looked up with a smile, ¡°This is actually a decent nutrient paste. I¡¯ve seen better, but it¡¯s hard to get a mid-upper-grade paste in these parts.¡±


    ¡°I take it that means our product is valuable?¡±


    ¡°Quite. Most border worlds would pay well for a product of this quality. Typically around 50,000 Valorian credits for the canisters in this crate.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°Quite the value then, most ports don¡¯t pay quite that well.¡±


    He knew she wasn¡¯t kidding since they had sold some surplus before and he had a fair idea of its value. The price she had listed was about five times what he could get in Valorian space for those canisters. In other words that was a decent payday for something they were able to produce here on the ship without much effort. Especially when one factored in that 10,000 credits a crate was the rate he got from industrial worlds that were often lacking in local agriculture. So he continued, ¡°Might be worth stopping at your ports if I can sell food at five times the going rate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, we have more use for nutrient paste then the Valorians do and yours has a very high protein concentration. Which makes it more valuable for certain applications, such as growing starships.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Guess that means taste and texture won¡¯t be much of an issue to you.¡±


    ¡°No, what do you use your paste for anyway?¡±


    ¡°Well if you stuck around for a bit, you might notice a lack of meat. We aren¡¯t herbivores though, so that¡¯s a bit of a problem. We use our nutrient paste in the manufacture of synthetic meat products, the best we can do for the issue. Right now anyway. If we had the space to spare, we would consider raising and keeping livestock to fill the gap, but we don¡¯t. So this is what we use instead. I prefer real meat if I am being honest, but it¡¯s a good thing I like fish. We have plenty of that, enough so that people are getting creative with it.¡±


    ¡°Ooh? Sounds interesting, maybe I can try something later?¡±


    ¡°I was planning a group dinner if the discussions took long enough. Only a poor host fails to feed their guests, I have several dishes planned already.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great, so in the meantime how about some fun?¡±


    He knew what she meant, but decided to shift that elsewhere. ¡°How about a game then? I know one that you shouldn¡¯t find hard to pick up.¡±


    ¡°Oh? We could do that, what¡¯s the game?¡±


    ¡°War Unending, Combat Evolved. It¡¯s a highly realistic space combat simulator. It¡¯s also a nice safe way for us to pit our skills against each other.¡±


    ¡°That might prove interesting, sure we can try it out.


    <hr>


    Linari shifted a bit as her ears fell. On the screen she watched her ship break up as laser bolts slammed into the hull. Each one tore through plating, compartments and internals with impunity. It was surprisingly realistic in how her ship was breaking apart and then a moment later the familiar alien text in red letters popped across her screen. The ones she knew meant the game was over, even if she couldn¡¯t read them. ¡°I thought I had you this time!¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°That was a tight one, or so it seemed. In reality I simply had you exactly where I wanted you.¡±


    She sighed, this was their fourth serious game and her fourth defeat. Her practice matches against the computer had gone much better. Aside from the disastrous first one where she was still getting a feel for the controls that Countryman had just taught her. Regardless, she was liking the game. ¡°I noticed, when did you launch those torpedoes?¡±


    ¡°Basically right after the match started. A space battle is as much a test of strategy as it is anything else.¡±


    ¡°I think I understand. I guess part of my problem is that you have an extra century of battle experience.¡±


    ¡°Technology evolves, war evolves. My experiences have their value, but I must learn and adapt with the times. Just as anyone else does, and I must mention that a warrior is not all I am.¡±


    ¡°No one ever is, but I guess I have more to learn than I thought.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s a place to start. Care for another round, or would you like to go back and finalize our trade discussions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say I have had enough for now. Maybe next time?¡±

 Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen The Calm and New Friends

    November 12th, 002 SDE:


    Linari shifted in her seat, as she glanced at the other woman on her screen. Who spoke, ¡°So how did the meeting with the Refuge go? You¡¯ve been with them for about a week now.¡±


    A little over that actually, but it had been a fun meeting. ¡°They are a very friendly people all things considered. I¡¯ve been looking over what they shared with us. It seems they are also quite talented in the biosciences, they are almost on par with us in many areas and it seems they are ahead in a couple of areas. Namely life extension and regeneration techniques. Both of which I think could be adapted for our own use.¡±


    ¡°Regeneration techniques? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I got a first-hand look at the data and the procedure. They use a nutrient-rich gel laced with nanites to stimulate rapid regeneration in a subject. The exact details are quite fascinating and will be included in my written report, but in short, they can save a subject from extensive injuries. Even fatal levels of organ damage aren¡¯t an obstacle, assuming the brain remains intact.¡±


    ¡°First hand look? Does that mean you got to observe a procedure?¡±


    ¡°Sadly yes, while I was there they had a small mining accident and a poor man got crushed. They put him in a nano-bath as they call it, and a day later he was fine. Better than fine actually, he was in perfect health post-procedure. Now we can¡¯t use nanites ourselves, but I think our latest generation of microorganisms might be a suitable replacement. With the right programming, they can perform all of the functions.¡±


    The other woman nodded, ¡°Yes you might be right. Now what about life extension?¡±


    ¡°Most of their techniques aren¡¯t anything new to us, but they do add an extra element we don¡¯t. They use nanites to effect repairs on a subject at the cellular level. Again I think we can use microorganisms to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Yes but they are interesting. We¡¯ve been looking at microorganisms for years for their applications and possible uses as a substitute for the nanites the mechanical races have been trying to perfect.¡±


    ¡°I know but the Refuge seems to be way ahead of everyone else in nano-technology.¡±


    ¡°I see, do you think they use it for hull regeneration?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it. None of the notes I saw or any of the scans I got hinted at them having hull regen.¡±


    ¡°A shame, I was hoping for some insights on better forms of hull regeneration. Oh well, hopefully the current projects with microorganisms pan out.¡±


    The pair talked for awhile before closing the channel. Over all they were both optimistic for future relations with the Refuge. What they had already traded was interesting and initial contact had been good. Perhaps one day the Refuge would grow into a powerful ally. If not, they were still in a good position. As they had given nothing of strategic value. Some fuel, notes from their scientific database and some minor trinkets. In return they had been paid in kind, with knowledge and food. It was a good meeting, a promising sign of things to come. Perhaps later they could discuss matters of more consequence.


    <hr>


    Greyman watched the alien bioship make the jump to warp speed. Disappearing in a flash of light, an illusion caused by the light hitting the warp field. In seconds she was gone. He turned to Countryman, ¡°So are you sure about giving them so much?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wouldn¡¯t have done it if I was not sure. The Wovnar may make excellent allies one day. The last week went well I think. In the meantime we have much to unpack from the notes they left us.¡±


    ¡°I noticed, it was a lot of data on cloning, genetic manipulation and gene programming.¡±


    ¡°The Wovnar appear to be ahead of us in those areas by centuries. The other items they shared are less revolutionary but no less useful. Any advantage we can get will help us.¡±


    ¡°So its a good deal?¡±


    ¡°Very,¡± replied Countryman not realizing how significant this trade deal would prove. It would be years before he truly knew how much he had gained. Before they all did.


    <hr>


    December 7th, 002 SDE:


    The Commander looked over the hull of her ship. It was new, freshly completed according to the latest standards. It would be a few days before she was ready to launch though, in the meantime she was here for her first tour.


    Someone nearby spoke up, ¡°Well here she is Captain. She is a Protector Class cruiser on paper, but under the hood she is far more advanced than her sisters. Updated fire control, improved engines, superior shielding and a significantly improved main battery. Unofficially the yard workers have been calling her a Protector II class cruiser, but personally I am not really a fan of that name.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reading the files, but they seem rather sparse on details regarding the upgrades.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that. Some of those systems were altered as recently as last week. Anyway I think you will be pleased with the weapons. Her main battery consists of fourteen heavy plasma mortars and twenty banks of type nine heavy pulse cannons in triple turret mounts.¡±


    ¡°Plasma mortars? Don¡¯t see those often, are we planning to bombard a planet?¡±


    ¡°No, fleet command thinks they will be useful for engaging Refuge Capital ships. The heavy plasma mortar, while inaccurate, does pack almost as much punch as a torpedo and can fire quite a bit faster. Specifically, you have been given the EPM-119, 450 plasma blasts a minute and a yield of 779 megatons per shot. Each one can vaporize a frigate with a single hit, destroyers don¡¯t fare much better. These cannons will rip a battleship apart in under a minute Backing them up, the Type HPCs you are carrying are equipped for rapid accurate fire and will shred most armor and shield types in seconds. We¡¯ve made a few modifications specifically for armor penetration. Hopefully they will prove more effective than they have in the past.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Yes I¡¯ve seen the previous encounters. Nothing can penetrate the armor on that flagship of theirs, but the smaller ships seem more vulnerable. I¡¯m sure the upgrades will at the very least be more damaging to their escorts.¡±


    ¡°In theory, next on the list of upgrades are the tri-pulse plasma torpedo launchers. These are the same type mounted on the new cutter class destroyers, only we managed to fit her with larger heavier plasma projectors. Downside this means fewer torpedo ports, but the ones she can fire are decidedly more powerful. Don¡¯t go firing these at a planet, as they will do more than destroy a couple of cities. They also have a little more range than standard plasma launchers, but not by much.¡±


    ¡°Heavier? How did they solve the containment issue?¡±


    ¡°Compound particle fields, employing a Sega-Omicron matrix which is 40 percent more stable, but is slower to form and requires more energy. We had to add a couple of dedicated reactors just to power the torpedoes.¡±


    She blinked, that wasn¡¯t a common feature. Many ships had dedicated reactors just for the shields since more power allowed for a stronger shield. Just not many Valorian vessels had reactors dedicated to the weapon systems, that was more of a Cathamari thing. Although they weren¡¯t the only race to do it, but she knew their ships tended to have at least one dedicated reactor for every weapon system. Even if the system didn¡¯t need the extra power. ¡°They need that much energy?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, but the destructive output when we tested them was nothing short of extraordinary. A single volley has enough destructive firepower to destroy a Champion, and they can penetrate a planetary screen in a matter of hours rather than the days required for previous-generation heavy plasma weapons.¡±


    ¡°Impressive indeed, and the other ships in the fleet are getting this kind of firepower as well?¡±


    ¡°You are going to need it. I presume you have been briefed on your mission?¡±


    She had been alright. They were heading to the Wesk sector. It was a semi-stable sector near the Lantaro sector and there were reasons to suspect that Refuge had travelled to the area. It was on their apparent course as well. Even if it was hard to locate them, it wasn¡¯t hard to string sightings together and extrapolate a path. Wesk was an interesting sector to be in, while not as chaotic as the wartorn Lantaro sector it wasn¡¯t stable either. The Voskar and the Wovnar both maintained large fleets and numerous holdings in the sector. There were also a number of minor powers in the area, typically attached to either the Wovnar or the Voskar. It was these minor powers that represented the greatest danger in the area. While not at war, the Voskar and the Wovnar didn¡¯t exactly get along and it was an open secret that they were waging a series of proxy wars along their borders. That included the Wesk sector, which was why little trade passed from the Confederation and into the sector. While it was close to the Confederation borders, it was hard to find profitable trade routes. Many of them ended up hit by Voskar raiders, or privateers. Forces that occasionally struck into Valorian space, striking Valorian shipping, but since it was outside the core the Council cared little.


    Something that was changing now. She wasn¡¯t going there just to hunt for Refuge ships, but to hunt down and destroy all pirate bases near the border to the Confederation. They also had several outposts in the area that required additional support, which meant escorting new ships and supplies to these bases. Her first stop in the sector would involve escorting a supply convoy and fresh patrol cruisers to the outpost R-22. It was not the only such convoy out there, as with the new political shift, the military was not only expanding but it was increasing its presence in the region. Long term they were looking to stabilize the region and open new prosperous trade routes with which to fill their coffers. The commander did not have much to say about that, but she was all for the piracy hunting. The Refuge were also a threat and she wasn¡¯t against neutralizing a potential menace before it became a problem. Something that would certainly happen with the Refuge if left unchecked.


    ¡°I have, I¡¯m aware of the potential Refuge presence, but their armor is only half the equation. I¡¯m more worried about their torpedoes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well the scientists are still drawing a blank on those, but we did what we could. Your ship has been outfitted with a network of modified type six light pulse cannons for point defense with upgraded fire control and targeting systems. We believe they will prove much more effective at intercepting incoming torpedoes. Simulations show a sixty five percent effectiveness, but until we meet the enemy in combat I¡¯d take those numbers with a grain of sand.¡±


    She certainly wasn¡¯t planning to. In the meantime she wanted a tour of her new ship. It certainly looked to be quite impressive. She could see changes in the lines of the hull. New additions to the design, additional weapon and shield mountings. Along with an enlarged aft quarter, clearly to enable the mounting of a larger more powerful engine.


    Inside she noted new bulkheads, thickened hull plates and even extra structural integrity generators.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the extra bulkheads and structural field generators?¡±


    The other woman replied, ¡°Sadly the extra cost was needed as these upgrades are sorely needed. Your ship would tear itself apart without the improvements.¡±


    ¡°Tear itself apart?¡±


    ¡°I believe I mentioned the engine upgrades? We built her from the ground up with a much larger and more powerful sublight drive,¡± she paused as they passed through a door and she caught sight of the central warp engine and her twin primary reactors on either side. The central drive made use of two field-generation engines in the nacelles mounted against the rear quarter of the hull. It was also by tradition directly integrated into the ship¡¯s primary Plasma Occilation Drive. This is what gave modern ships their excellent fuel efficiency and high speed. It didn¡¯t escape her notice that this one was somewhat different. Larger plasma coils, beefier main reactors, additional force shields protecting the core along with several components she didn¡¯t recognize. This wasn¡¯t a standard issue class II drive, or one of the Class III drives found on the faster newer cruisers of the line.


    ¡°And as you can see we also upgraded the warp drive systems.¡±


    ¡°What kind of upgrades, I have not seen this drive configuration before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s new, a result of the Warp Five Development Project. These new class four engines have been tested and rated for a cruising speed of warp four point eight two six nine. With a maximum warp speed of five point...¡±


    ¡°Five! You¡¯ve breached the barrier?¡±


    ¡°Not as well as we would have liked, there have been setbacks, including the complete destruction of a prototype at Cantra and less well known was the loss of a lab and all its materials to a raid. We think the Voskar were involved, but have no proof. Sadly that same lab was related to the prototype we lost at Cantra, which was actually showing the best promise for a warp five engine. Still we managed to get close with a design from a different lab, just it doesn¡¯t perform as well.¡±


    ¡°I heard something about that, a real shame, but this drive still makes her the fastest ship in the fleet.¡±


    ¡°Well every ship in your fleet is being equipped with the same engines. Along with modified sensors that might be able to detect the Refuge at greater ranges. Nothing amazing, but way better than before. In combination, you might be able to find them.¡±


    She smiled, that was certainly an interesting development. ¡°Tell me more about these enhancements.¡±


    The other woman happily complied. Eager to tell her all about the work they had been doing. It was honestly cute.

 Interlude Tech Lab: Crew and Cargo Transfers

    Humanity has been a spacefaring power for well over a century and an interstellar one for just a couple of years. Despite this the human race has neither developed nor encountered a practical form of teleportation. This doesn¡¯t mean no form exists. Numerous transporters, teleport pads, and quantum gates have been proposed designed and tested in the decades since mankind developed spaceflight. Regardless of the form and the device in question, several common factors have been noted. First is that any successful device has always required two devices, not unlike a radio transmission. In order to send one, you need a device to broadcast the transmission, but there is no point if there isn¡¯t a second device with which to receive the transmission.


    Requiring two devices limits the usefulness of teleportation, but why don¡¯t we see it being used on starships? Surely it would be of significant use for moving crew and cargo between ships, even if you can¡¯t materialize armies seemingly out of nowhere or teleport endangered soldiers out of certain death situations. Well to answer that, one has to look no further than the other limitations. These devices are not only limited, but they are also expensive. Worse, no device designed can teleport anything of significant mass. The earliest examples could only move subatomic particles, but more recent ones can move small objects. Unfortunately, by small we mean quite small, only a few hundred grams and in some cases with the especially costly kind a couple of kilograms.


    It seems aliens haven¡¯t solved these issues either. As such all known races continue to employ more traditional methods for moving crew and cargo between ships, stations, and planet side ports.


    The key to moving large volumes of cargo effectively and efficiently requires a large well-designed cargo fleet. The most important member of which would be the cargo shuttle, effectively a small freight ship, these vessels are the lifeblood of any logistics fleet. Often equipped with high-power sublight drives and a large cargo bay. These engines and the cargo bay allow them to lift a significant payload into orbit from ports on a planetary surface to ships and supply depots in orbit. Where they can be transferred to larger ships or moved again by another cargo shuttle. Cargo shuttles while surprisingly fast when not burdened by bulk cargo are not equipped for interplanetary travel much less interstellar. As such they are often considered short-range craft and are typically attached to capital ships or ports.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Many large capital ships while well-suited to interstellar travel due to their bulk are not well suited to landing on a surface. Cargo shuttles are used to ferry goods to these ships to keep them supplied. Food, fuel, spare parts and munitions are commonly transferred to these vessels via cargo shuttle. Many capital ships carry their own cargo shuttles for ferrying goods but the cargo shuttle doesn¡¯t mean much without a properly designed hanger with which to receive and offload the cargo.


    The Enterprise has an excellent example. Her forward hanger is specifically designed for this duty. It has a large landing volume with which to accept cargo and mining vessels. These ships can land here and begin offloading goods. Specialized cargo trams lead into the bay and can be used to transfer those goods quickly and easily to where they need to go. It is this internal network that not only allows the Enterprise to be effectively supplied in orbit without having to land, but it can in return distribute cargo to other ships easily while in the field. Including freshly manufactured goods, as the Enterprise has all the facilities needed to convert raw materials into spare parts, armor plating, and other goods a fleet may need while away from port.


    Personnel transfer is a good deal simpler, but no less important. To avoid interfering with main hanger operations many larger vessels have secondary hangers dedicated to the supply maintenance and deployment of small shuttlecraft. These light shuttles are often used to transfer personnel between ships and these bays can be used to receive guests. Personnel shuttles are small and light. Designed to transfer only small numbers of people, but large versions do exist. They like their cargo shuttle versions are short ranged, but still make up a vital part of the logistical network. Getting people where they need to go.

 Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen Of Clones and Machines

    January 3rd 003 SDE:


    Williams stepped into the lab feeling a little uncomfortable. She tended to avoid the science decks, but she did have someone she wanted to meet. A researcher she had contacted the other day to look into the feasibility of her cloning plans. They needed new blood to replace their numbers and she didn¡¯t believe the breeding program would produce quick enough results. Pregnancies were at an all-time high and there were plenty of newborns on the ship. Many of their resources were even going into providing equipment to provide for the young, from special cribs with integrated inertial dampers and self-contained environmental controls to insure the infant would be safe resting there even in combat. Each one had numerous monitoring controls and emergency systems to further ensure an infant''s safety. It was a lot of machines and quite the drain on their supplies.


    Cloning however would greatly accelerate their recovery. At current growth rates, projections indicated they would have a population in the low millions in about fifty years. Of course the projections expected the current rate of growth to continue over that period and a near total survival rate for the kids. The math was reasonable and outside of accidents it was likely right, especially with the actions in place meant to encourage growth. Pregnancy rates were high right now, surveys indicated that most women who could were planning to have at least five kids. No surprise there, the cost of childcare was low right now and the ration credit system was geared to encourage people to have kids. Yet the current numbers which were already showing record highs were not large enough for her. A few million was still far too low and they were projected to take half a century to get there. Half a century!


    Cloning would allow them to bypass the limitations of natural growth and get there in a quarter of the time, maybe even faster. She put on a smile, as another woman came out from behind a console. Williams couldn¡¯t help but notice the bulge of her stomach. Given they had previously corresponded via email, she had been unaware that her contact was pregnant.


    The woman with a pad in hand, smiled, ¡°Ah Commander Williams glad you could make it on time.¡±


    ¡°Yes well this is important, what do you think of the plan?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not outside of our scope but depends on what you want. Mature clones would take longer, but cloning infants wouldn¡¯t be too hard. Finding someone to watch and raise them might prove a problem if we clone too many.¡±


    Infants? Why the fuck would she want infant clones!? ¡°How long for a mature clone?¡±


    ¡°Well assuming we can get the facilities sorted and find subjects with suitable genes? Each clone batch would take ten years from start to finish and would emerge at an approximate age of 15 years.¡±


    ¡°A decade? Why so long?¡±


    ¡°Accelerated growth rates compromise the long-term viability of a clone. Based on your requirements we aren¡¯t looking for disposable clones, but a supplement to our overall numbers as a species. It¡¯s possible to accelerate it to a year, but they will age very fast after emerging. Nano-cellular treatments can keep that in check to a degree. Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t the only issue, rapid growth can lead to numerous defects and health issues which continue to severely compromise the clone¡¯s long-term viability. In most cases we can expect such clones to live between twenty to forty years and cost more than seven times what your average human does to maintain. These clones would also suffer from fertility issues and likely be unable to bear children of their own.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I¡¯d like them faster than ten years, but that... that...¡±


    ¡°Is rather cruel I know. I can send you the data and math for you if you would like to read it, but ten years really is the best we can do. The resulting clones would be far more stable, and have a comparable lifespan to our own with no adverse health issues caused by a rapid cloning process. For all intents and purposes, they would be no different from the average human.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate, but I guess acceptable. How about training and what did you mean about suitable genes?¡±


    ¡°Cloning is a delicate procedure, and not everyone is suitable for mass cloning. We need to select subjects with desirable genes that are less likely to degrade or mutate. Such specimens tend to be superior in general to the average human. As for training, we can use VR systems to teach the clones as they mature.¡±


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped into Ruri¡¯s lab and froze for a moment. He had come down here at her request, but what he saw before him wasn¡¯t what he was expecting. Right in the middle of the lab and currently facing him was what looked to be a young girl. Shoulder-length black hair framed a childlike face, she had a slim figure with some muscle on her. What was most shocking was her complete lack of clothes allowing him to see her modest breasts and slim vagina. Her overall appearance was quite life-like and it was easy to mistake her for a real girl, but Countryman knew she wasn¡¯t. Aside from the lack of breathing, he could pick up several small details that gave away her true nature as a construct.


    ¡°So, um Ruri? What¡¯s with the anatomically accurate...¡±


    Ruri bounded out of her little office all excited before he could finish, ¡°You like her!!!? It took hours to get her right.¡±


    ¡°Why is she in your lab?¡±


    ¡°Well our talk the other day got me thinking, the reason we can¡¯t care for a child is that we are too busy. A babysitter was the obvious answer, but we couldn¡¯t think of who. So I figured why not make one?¡±


    ¡°I see, but why did she have to be a young naked girl and anatomically accurate?¡±


    Ruri gestured at her console, which had a number of files open and several videos. ¡°I did some research, most babysitters tend to be young girls between the ages of nine and fifteen. I figured nine would be a little young, so I picked a more reasonable age...¡±


    Countryman listened with half an ear while he checked her research and sighed. ¡°I see, none of this explains why you gave her genitals.¡±


    ¡°Cause she would look weird without them. Besides what if she took a bath with the kids?¡±


    He didn¡¯t think that would be much of an issue, but he wasn¡¯t going to press it. ¡°Fine, so I guess you just wanted to show me your babysitter android?¡±


    ¡°Actually I needed your help with the programming. I¡¯ve got what I want figured out, I¡¯ve based it on the same root code I am using for the AGI program. I¡¯ll show you what I have so far and with your help we can create a rudimentary AGI optimized for childcare.¡±


    Honestly making a babysitter wasn¡¯t a bad idea. If they had enough of them it would help a lot with long term childcare. Implementation shouldn¡¯t be too hard, they just needed an adaptive program capable of handling the requirements. There were a few, but nothing all that complicated. He also knew that the root code she was using was his own, but if she wanted something capable of childcare? He knew a short cut to creating a suitable matrix. ¡°Give me a moment than and I¡¯ll get started. In the meantime, why don¡¯t you get the young lady a uniform?¡±


    Ruri smiled, ¡°Sure.¡± before running off.


    With her gone, he took her notes and started pouring over them and what code she had done. There were gaps of course, but he didn¡¯t blame Ruri for that. As smart as she was, she didn¡¯t think in cybernetic. He¡¯d been terrible at programming when he was young, but after being bonded with a computer it started to come to him increasingly well. Nowadays, he could easily write code in the organic code base used for cybernetic systems. Half his thoughts were in code in fact, the machine half of his brain thought in cybernetic and over the years his organic half adapted and started thinking in the same language.


    Countryman proceeded to plug into the console and consequently, the machine girl mounted in the middle of the lab. Minds linked, he started to copy elements of his code and used it to form the core kernel. While he was at it, he copied his own experiences with childcare, as an older brother he¡¯d been there for his sister a lot and later he had been there for his sibling''s kids. He didn¡¯t just add his own experiences though, he copied books he knew would be good. Using them to form a databank. Before long a new core matrix had formed, but it was young with no real experiences. He taught her, in a time-lapse link that only a cyborg like himself could experience with a computer. He increased the speed to as high as the girl and himself could manage without issue. It occurred to him that all of her core experiences and knowledge were sourced from him and given her form that might lead to issues, with that in mind he changed his frame of mind. He accessed the computer while he was at it and searched for new references, and new behavior codes. As he worked to create her personality matrix a vision of the girl he wanted was already in mind. Flashes of the daughter he dreamed of came to mind. She needed to be bright, happy, and importantly cute, but also trustworthy. A natural big sister the kids would like.


    She also needed a name, something other than her designation of BG-001. Ruri¡¯s designation was alright for a prototype but the kids would need something to call her by. Calling her a couple of letters and a number would be awkward. His mind flashed to his sister and he decided to give the robot her name, not the first but her middle name. He decided to name her... Rose.

 Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen Rose

    Ruri stepped into the lab and saw Countryman seemingly frozen. Without batting an eye, she took the basic uniform she had collected and proceeded to dress BG-001. If it was anyone else, she might have been concerned, but she knew Countryman. It didn¡¯t escape her notice that he was plugged in. A glance at the monitors showed cybernetic machine code streaming by so fast that she couldn¡¯t even read it.


    Once she had her prototype babysitter android dressed, she took to her console and used it to take a look at Countryman¡¯s work. She blinked, the moment she saw how much code he had written. BG-001¡¯s code had grown so large it wasn¡¯t feasible to measure it in lines, there were too many. Her core programming had reached nearly two hundred terabytes of machine code. Code that was rapidly evolving before her eyes, she watched one section of code vanish, only to be replaced by a new set of lines an instant later. At the same moment, several other sections were added, and a third was rewritten. She knew Countryman could program quickly its why she wanted his help, but this was happening far faster than she expected. Seeing as he was still distracted with the programming, she took a moment to measure his speed and consequently BG-001¡¯s. Then she compared it with previous records. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had measured his speed and she noticed that it had increased. Previously he had capped at a time dilation of seven virtual years to one real-world minute, he was currently experiencing twelve.


    Suddenly she heard BG-001 gasp and then Countryman shifted as he separated. Countryman smiled, ¡°Welcome to the world Rose. How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°All systems are nominal. Ready to perform the primary function.¡±


    Ruri asked, ¡°How long were you programming her?¡±


    ¡°I completed her base programming after the first minute and then transitioned to a virtual training simulation. Her code base is based on my own, and is designed to evolve. Once the core programming was done, the best way to train her was with extensive one-on-one training. From now on, Rose is going to need exposure to the real world to further develop.¡±


    Rose interjected, ¡°I would like to see the Enterprise and start performing my duties.¡±


    Ruri agreed. Rose did need to start babysitting to see how well she would do. If she did well, they would be able to build more units and Rose¡¯s code could be copied and used as the basis for new units. She imagined dozens of girls just like Rose helping to raise the next generation. Hmm, maybe not identical though. It would be nice if Rose was unique among her sisters. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to make more like her, she¡¯d based her skin on a soft yet resilient polymer that was fairly easy to make and quite new. Its creation was recent as people were looking for alternate materials to make clothing from. It hadn¡¯t taken much work on her part to work it into a substitute for skin. Her frame was built mainly from Titan alloy and her internals were quite special. Her head contained an array of computational and sensory devices, while her main core was located in the torso, right next to her primary power cell which would supply power for about a hundred and twenty hours before failing. A micro-reactor might have been better, but the cell would do. Rose had a charging port that would allow her to charge while on standby. Any regular bed could be outfitted with a wireless charging port to connect with Rose¡¯s port and supply power.


    Not needing to worry about things like combat endurance had allowed her to simplify the design. Rose or BG-001 didn¡¯t have weaponry, armor, or any form of protection. As she didn¡¯t need it. One of the features she was most proud of was the nanite network she had installed inside Rose. It used a nano-rich gel and distribution system to maintain the body, the gel would require supplements of key compounds, replacement of contaminated water, and replacement lube for her joints. The reason for needing new water was that the gel was water-based, but it also degraded over time. New water and compounds would allow her body to replenish the gel and the old gel would break down into contaminated water which would need to be flushed out. Overall the feature would make it cheaper to maintain the young Android. By her estimates, Rose would only need a real maintenance check once every fifty years.


    More importantly, she had put a lot of effort into the girl¡¯s appearance. She was a social machine, intended to be a caretaker for the young. People needed to be able to trust her, so she needed to be cute and human-like. Ruri had researched babysitters and caretakers extensively to arrive at what she felt was the perfect look and now that she was coming to life, she felt she was right. She just hoped everyone liked her, but she felt Jac did. He even gave her a name. Ruri just couldn¡¯t wait to see how she would do in an environment filled with children. She followed Countryman as he led Rose to her first real encounter with kids.


    <hr>


    The pair stepped into a room on one of the lower decks, away from the labs and closer to the civilian quarters. It was rather lively as an older woman stood at the head of the room which was filled with young children. Young boys and girls that had been rescued by the Enterprise back at Luna. It seemed they had adapted well to life on the Enterprise which painted a good picture for the future of the ship.


    Countryman smiled, as the woman noticed him. ¡°Captain!? I wasn¡¯t expecting you,¡± she glanced at Rose, ¡°is that a new student for me?¡±


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Sort of, Samantha, I would like you to meet Rose. Ruri built her and she needs some exposure.¡±


    Samantha Greyman smiled and welcomed the young girl up. ¡°Rose is it?¡±


    ¡°Um, yes ma¡¯am that¡¯s my designation.¡±


    Samantha giggled, ¡°No need to be so stiff.¡±


    Countryman walked up and more quietly explained, ¡°She is meant to be a babysitter, but her program is still young and designed to evolve.¡±


    ¡°I see, so you want me to teach her.¡±


    ¡°Incorporate her into your classes and expose her to kids.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep you apprised of her progress.¡±


    Ruri, who was nearby, interjected, ¡°I would like to hear those as well.¡±


    Samantha turned to Rose, ¡°Welcome to my class,¡± she pulled out some papers, ¡°How about you join me as my assistant?¡±


    Rose tilted her head, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°My job is to teach these kids, which also means watching them, making sure their needs are met and that they have fun. Helping me will help you do what you were built for. Sound good?¡±


    Rose nodded and took the papers. Countryman and Ruri stuck around for a bit to watch as the machine girl¡¯s first day of school began. Once they were satisfied that she was doing okay, Ruri led Countryman out of the room. A destination in mind, naturally that one was her quarters.


    <hr>


    Ruri led Countryman into her quarters on deck five. They were for an officer and while smaller conformed to the same general layout as Countryman¡¯s. Although they lacked the homely decorations found in his quarters. Unlike him she didn¡¯t spend much time here and only kept a few personal decorations, such as an old photo of her and Countryman on the wall.


    Closing the door behind her, she started to slip out of her clothes. Jac chuckled, ¡°Oh?¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°We have Rose now, so I felt now would be as good a time as any. Unless you have another objection?¡±


    He said nothing in response, instead he swept her off her feet while she was still half dressed and planted a kiss upon her lips. She melted a bit as she felt him against her, his warmth and the movement of his tongue. She knew in that moment that it was finally happening as he helped her into the bedroom, their clothes soon leaving a trail to the door. She knew that Rose would do well, she just needed time and it would be a few months anyway before she gave birth. Assuming she conceived today that was. It might take a few tries.


    Then she felt the soft sheets on her bare back, and spread her legs a little. She was already a little wet, but Countryman didn¡¯t just go for the prize. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯d love to meet our future daughter or son as the case maybe.¡±


    She scoffed, she knew Countryman had already decided and there was little chance it would be a boy. Ruri recalled the many conversations where he had told her about the daughter he dreamed of and felt a flutter at that thought she would be the one to give him the daughter he wanted. Then his fingers found her breasts, his touch was gentle and slow at first. As he began to gently tease her. She leaned into the touches as she pushed her thoughts aside and started to reciprocate.


    <hr>


    Meanwhile, Rose had joined the class at recess. They had left the classroom and traveled a few doors down to one of the ship¡¯s recreational gardens. It was a gorgeous place with numerous trees, well tended flower beds, walk paths, benches and even places for kids to play. Rose felt those last items had been added later, as they didn¡¯t mesh as well with the rest of the garden, but they still looked nice.


    The younger kids had all rushed to the play equipment but she hadn¡¯t yet joined them. Mrs Greyman had settled on a bench to watch them, while Rose was more interested in exploring. It was all rather new to her, and she wanted to learn. Not just about kids, but also people. She knew she was still young and while Countryman had taught her many things he had told her she still had much to learn.


    She crouched near a flower bed, there was something about that she knew made it beautiful. It made her wonder a bit about the abstract nature of what made something aesthetically pleasing, but her racing mind couldn¡¯t provide an answer. Not a satisfying one, maybe she should ask someone? Before she could think more on the subject, a boy¡¯s voice spoke up, ¡°I like the red ones myself.¡±


    She blinked and looked over at the boy. Her database suggested he was about eight years old. He smiled, a lopsided grin, ¡°and pointed at the flowers. See aren¡¯t they lovely?¡±


    ¡°They are pleasing to the eye,¡± responded Rose.


    He crouched next to one and proceeded to pluck it, presenting it to her, ¡°See isn¡¯t it pretty! Just be careful of the thorns.¡±


    She took it not sure why he just did that. ¡°Um, it¡¯s nice,¡± she replied as she stared at it.


    He giggled and then took it back from her before reaching for her head. She lowered herself a bit and he added it to her hair. As he stepped back, he smiled, ¡°Perfect, you¡¯re so cute now!¡±


    Her mind blinked, now more confused about him. He ran off and then she blankly watched him go, not sure what had happened.

 Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen Armor Schemes, Reports, and Movements

    January 17th 003 SDE:


    Ruri smiled as she set down the scanner. It had been two weeks since she had created Rose and tried for a child. It seemed she had succeeded, but only time would tell. She considered telling Countryman but it felt too soon, maybe another couple of weeks and a doctor¡¯s opinion to be sure. Then again her womb was currently full of nanites and not just a budding child. They came from Countryman naturally, his body was maintained by the nanites in his blood. It wasn¡¯t that surprising that his seed would contain them as well. She wasn¡¯t worried about them showing up in the scan, but she did double check their programming. They would expire in another couple of weeks and would migrate in preparation to be flushed out just a couple of days before they expired. In the meantime they were programmed to monitor and maintain the health of their child.


    Overall she was very happy with what she saw, and then she turned to the project she was working on today. Richards had sent back the diagrams and notations for the latest proposed iteration for Project Battlehawk. It seemed this version was updating the armor scheme.


    Modern Overlord armor was limited to a maximum thickness of twelve meters, and while that sounded fairly thick it was actually rather thin when you considered the size of ships like the Enterprise. The Battlehawk was proposed to be about half the size of the Enterprise and while some groups wanted to make her outer armor much thicker than the Enterprise there were reasons it couldn¡¯t be done. Namely having to do with AIF density and integrity when pushing overall armor thickness past twelve meters. Something she was working on solving. It wasn¡¯t as simple as adding more generators, as generators could interfere with each other. She actually had a few ideas on that, but so far nothing had panned out.


    In the meantime, she looked over the latest proposed armor scheme for the heavy cruiser battlehawk. The new scheme conformed to Overlord specifications, only it was a bit more interesting. Instead of a single main belt, this scheme proposed three main belts, along with reinforced bulkheads, and internal armor. All three main belts were proposed to be twelve meters thick with a two-meter gap between belts. Further protection would be placed around the bridge with a full armored sphere around it, and all secondary control centers. Armored security bunkers would be placed throughout the ship, and the central core where the engines and reactors are would be additionally protected by a final armored belt.


    Multiple main belts and inner armor configurations weren¡¯t entirely unheard of. Some battleships did feature an inner belt. All ships did feature additional armor and structural reinforcement to protect key areas, but what she saw here was significantly more protection than what was found on most ships. The Yamato for example only had a single inner belt six meters thick, not three with each one being twelve meters thick. That was a lot of armor plating but Ruri figured they were trying to enhance survivability as much as possible.


    Sighing, she ran a simulation. Noting how all the extra armor resulted in reduced maneuverability and acceleration profiles making the simulated ship rather sluggish. The armor did make it far harder for prospective foes to score meaningful penetrating hits, but she didn¡¯t think Countryman would much approve of this design. Speed was just as important as a good armor configuration. She knew that just as much as Countryman did. It wasn¡¯t well known, but Countryman was quite involved in a number of ship projects over the last century not just the Enterprise. This included famous ship classes like Starlight class battleship, the Yamato, and the Shadowstalker were all ships where he was involved. Each of them had impressive service records as well.


    She sent back her report, and then wrote a recommendation to reduce the armor. Without mentioning the objections she knew Countryman would have, but strongly hinting that this design wouldn¡¯t get his approval.


    <hr>


    Richards sighed as she looked over the report Ruri had sent in regards to the latest proposal that she and her few aides had made. The armor performed well in all simulations, but the ship was just far too sluggish with the new scheme. Much larger ships like the Enterprise would easily be able to outmaneuver the much smaller Battlehawk. Ruri was heavily recommending they scale back on the armor and honestly she had to agree.


    In a human-on-human battle, the armor has always protected against energy weapon mounts and forced the battle into a duel with torpedoes. At least since the third Colonial war, although more recently cutting beams have been put into use to cut through armor. This scheme would help significantly against cutting beams, but leave the Battlehawk more vulnerable to torpedo attack. Ruri had even simulated several mock battles and they showed the proposed ship losing to older Colonial War designs, worse it was particularly vulnerable to the strategies they used against the Cathamari. The armor merely helped it stay in the fight longer, which was the purpose of it, but it was at the expense of the ship¡¯s combat ability. Lack of agility made it especially vulnerable to faster ships. She was reminded of a saying she had often heard, ¡°To all things there must be a balance.¡±


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    It applied well to ship design, in this case her team had put too many eggs into protection and compromised the ship¡¯s ability to maneuver. Making it harder for her to bring her heavy weapons to bear, she had the firepower and protection but not the agility she needed. Battlecruisers were fast and had great firepower, but often struggled in slugging matches due to a lack of armor. It was always a balancing act.


    With that in mind, she started reworking the blueprint. Cutting down internal armor and structural field generators and beefing up the ship¡¯s engines. Obviously she didn¡¯t have enough engine power. A faster but still well-armored cruiser would likely be what they were looking for. In simulation, she noticed that most penetrating hits would be stopped by the second belt and the others seemed mostly redundant except in prolonged battles with heavy bombardments. So perhaps only the main belt and first inner belt would be needed for the external armor and one interior belt to protect the central core. She could keep the standard extra armor around key areas as well, which would cut the overall weight of the ship by a fair margin. With that in mind, she also started looking around for anything else she could remove to cut weight without compromising the new level of protection she had in mind.


    <hr>


    Countryman set down the latest item he had been reading, and chuckled to himself. That item wasn¡¯t the usual report he had to deal with it, but rather something Rose wrote. Telling him about her time in class so far. She seemed to be doing well, making friends and more importantly learning. The subject matters were often irrelevant, the reason she was there was to learn about children to socialize. She was a social machine, but the only way to learn how to be one was through exposure and what better place for her to learn than a school? Children gather there, they play, they learn, and more importantly, they socialize. She already knew everything he knew about babysitting, something he had done for his family before. He understood the responsibilities and what to do, but some things can¡¯t be taught, they have to be learned. He felt confident she was learning here, at the very least it seemed she was making friends even if she didn¡¯t seem to always realize it.


    Smiling, he picked up the next report, this one for Project Phalanx, it was run by the project leader who developed the new Mark IV Powered Assault Armor. Her version had quietly been distributed to his most loyal supporters in the military. Over the next few months, it would be gradually distributed to the other security and marine forces. In the meantime, she was now working on Project Phalanx. It was technically an extension of one of Ruri¡¯s projects, but he knew she had a lot on her plate. The researchers in question also had the right talents, and more insights was always good.


    Right now she was reporting their tests of new materials they had identified several polymers and metals as being promising for a new alloy mix for next-generation armor. Titan Alloy was an excellent material, but it was also a very heavy material to make starship armor out of. Ruri was working on the systems responsible for making their armor as tough as it was. Trying to optimize them to allow a thicker belt of armor. More armor was good, but as he well knew Titan Alloy was heavy, very heavy as starship armor went. That was why he started the Phalanx project, their goal was to create a lighter stronger alloy that was just as responsive as Titan Alloy to structural fields. This would allow for thicker plating without compromising the agility of a modern starship. Right now they were still working on the mix, but he also had the team looking into Erudite, trying to produce it synthetically. Managing that would allow them to more easily employ the material in their armor and it was a very useful, if hard to find metal ore. Its addition to the Enterprise had made her markedly more resilient against attack.


    There was a report on the second part of the project and it seemed they were making less progress there. The unusual metaphysical structure of the metal in question was making it difficult to replicate. It was a very unusual metal, which played a role in why it was so resistant to disruption and why it had a high heat resistance. Combined with the right combination of polymers and metals he figured it would make a great core to a new generation of armor. It was just going to take a lot of time and simulations to find the right mix. At the moment he found the report satisfactory and signed off on it before checking the next report.


    <hr>


    The Commander studied her console. Her convoy escort had recently been completed and she was now reviewing scouting reports as she moved to the next phase of her mission. So far they didn¡¯t have much in the way of leads, but the outpost did have scout ships in the area. They weren¡¯t looking for the Refuge, but that didn¡¯t mean they had no leads on them. Included a recent sighting of the Refuge fleet near Dacli, an alien trading port just thirty lightyears from here. That was a fair trip, but not too far out. Regardless she wanted more before she headed that way. The sighting merely confirmed they were in the area. Unfortunately they were likely to be long gone by the time they reached their last known coordinates. Worse, the Refuge was known for leaving few fingerprints of their presence behind. Meaning going there was likely a waste of time. It would be better to take a few guesses on their heading and send scout ships to locate their fleet.


    With that in mind, she started looking at the map. Considering past sightings and correlating them on a grid. Doing so gave her a rough course and heading that they seemed to be following. Using that she extrapolated a range of systems on their apparent course and proceeded to draft orders for her scouts. It was time to locate the Refuge fleet.

 Chapter One Hundred Nineteen Battle of Mune-337

    February 12th, 003 SDE, Mune 337 star system 0740 hours


    The commander leaned over her tac plot, recent reports had gotten a bearing on the Refuge fleet which had brought them to the Mune star cluster. They had been hunting the Refuge ships for the last week and she was now certain they were somewhere in the Mune 337 star system. A massive trinary system with thirteen gas giants, eighteen rocky planets, some three hundred moons, four asteroid belts and a massive ring of ice on the edges of the system. Like much of the Mune star cluster, the system was located in a stellar region with remarkably high particle densities which resulted in gorgeous gas streams lighting the system. Just outside her viewports was a light show that many tourists would pay money to see. Sadly, the system was also somewhat difficult to navigate, the high concentrations of ionizing radiation were known to disrupt sensors. One of the local stars occasionally put out especially powerful bursts that would polarize the local medium and ionize the shields of any ship in the path of the burst. It was known to occasionally disable ships that have entered the system due to the deleterious effects of ion radiation on ship systems. She just hoped the system would be as detrimental to the Refuge as it was to them, but wasn¡¯t going to count on it.


    She had already ordered the ships in her fleet to adjust their shields to compensate for the local effects and right now the local star was looking stable. Meaning they were likely safe from the worst the system had to offer, but only for now. It could change at any moment.


    At the moment she had a number of scoutships deployed throughout the system to narrow down the location of the Refuge fleet. All the clues she had gathered pointed to them being here, but she knew it was possible that they had already departed the system. It might even be a waste of time, but she wanted to be sure they were no longer here before she moved to the next system.


    An officer approached her with a report. ¡°Commander, scoutship 48 has reported a graviton anomaly in grid 22-B, analysis indicates a high probability of an artificial source.¡±


    ¡°A refuge ship? Tell them to confirm, and move us toward grid 22, just in case.¡±


    The officer nodded and moved off to carry out her orders. In moments they were on their way as scoutship 48 proceeded to investigate the signature.


    A few minutes passed before the scoutship was able to confirm the presence of Refuge ships. Three sightings in a loose orbit of a gas giant, one of the biggest in this system. She recalled that one in particular was noted for high concentrations of light gases including hydrogen in its atmosphere. Of most interest was that it was extremely rich in deuterium. To the point that many companies would have set up a refinery if not for the local conditions. That world alone would make an outpost here profitable in a more normal system.


    Those thoughts vanished from her mind a moment later when a bright energy burst went off in the area and Scoutship 48 vanished from the board. She blinked, that was far too fast! Her mind raced to identify why, even as her officer reported the ship lost with all hands. Equipment failure didn¡¯t seem likely as there were no warnings received about the ship experiencing reactor trouble or something of the like. Two possibilities stuck out to her as particularly likely. Either A, they had struck a mine, something the Refuge were known to use, or B they had been torpedoed. The second case would indicate the Refuge saw them first, which would in turn suggest that the Refuge had at least one ship with better sensors than Scoutship 48. Allowing them to sight the small corvette, identify her, and destroy the ship. In either case, the Refuge knew they were here but she also couldn¡¯t make assumptions on which case was true. Therefore it was safer to presume both were true.


    ¡°Full sensors, I want you all keeping an eye out for mines and torpedoes.¡±


    There was a quick response and then she split the fleet into wings. Sending Alpha wing off in one direction, and Beta wing in the opposite. Her plan was a classic three-wing assault. Alpha and Beta were the flanks, they would swing around to block avenues of escape, while her forces in Gamma wing would move in for the kill. In theory at least, but she didn¡¯t know what other formation would work best here. It seemed to her like the best move.


    The next few minutes passed glacially as she watched the tac plots. No ships were on sight, but she knew the general location of the enemy. It was weird being so close and not being able to see them. It reminded her of the stories of old naval combat, where ships didn¡¯t even have sensor arrays and relied on visual markers to locate a target. It was a very different era, but she had enjoyed the stories of the period mainly due to how different they were.


    It was the later ones of the period that she based her next move on. ¡°Scramble fighters, load probes for launch.¡±


    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Aye, ma¡¯am.¡±


    As the fighters scrambled, she ordered formations and then had probes deployed to the area. Between the two she would be able to get a fix on the enemy position. In moments she had three fighter wings moving into the area along with fast-moving probes. A combination she never would have had before thanks to those cheapskates on the council, but the new backers were much more reasonable. She was really happy to have all these new toys to play with. It felt like the military was finally going in the right direction.


    For several more agonizing minutes, there was nothing on the plot and then three sightings appeared, a loose triangular formation with the big girl in the middle and the smaller destroyers on the flanks. Heading towards alpha. She gave the order to adjust heading and then the next order to prep the bomber wings. They were still outside pulse cannon range, but an escorted bombing run might prove effective. At this range they would only be able to effectively launch fighters at each other.


    As her fighter and bomber wings prepared to launch, she watched new signatures appear. The enemy were also launching fighters. Sixty small craft divided into small squadrons took up defensive positions around their mother ships. The enemy definitely had better sensors and by this point, she was certain her scoutship had been torpedoed. Regardless she was still looking out for mines, but there had been no sightings of any.


    She had no orders to give, so she was left with a long wait as they closed. Out there she would soon see how her strikecraft would fare against theirs. She listened as the pilots chattered and before long they were finally ready to clash. Alien fighter wings dived into her much larger formations and soon energy bursts sailed between them as they clashed.


    Outnumbered, it wasn¡¯t long before several bombers moved into position to make runs on the alien capital ships. They were loaded with the new antimatter warheads, volatile stuff but it was also quite powerful. She had heard the military had been purchasing them in large numbers, these fighter-mounted antimatter warheads were not of Valorian design but were advertised as highly effective against strong shields and armor. Testing had proven them against shields, soon they would see about armor.


    Suddenly her pilots chatter lit up massively and she watched as numerous missile launches rippled off the alien flagship. Her bombers were forced to scatter as missiles closed in. Some pilots proved unlucky and were hit, setting off brilliant fireballs in the clouds of the Mune system. For a moment she was afraid the attack was a complete bust, but then several bombers managed to line up and release their payloads.


    They streaked towards the destroyer on the left flank. A barrier flared into existence and several rounds detonated against the barrier sending jets of energy into the alien hull. Before the next wave could hit, the alien destroyer surged forward causing the projectiles to sail past her harmlessly. A moment later they curved back and slammed into a second projected barrier like the first. Moments later she received the assessment report. No hull breaches, minor damage to the alien armor. They would need a direct hit to score any meaningful damage, same as with plasma warheads.


    She had been told the council wanted that armor, and now that she saw it in action she understood why. If it could take that it would actually be more than a useless lump of steel weighing the ship down. Thoughts she pushed aside, as she considered her task of defeating the alien defenses and disabling at least one vessel so that they could board.


    She gave the order for the next wave of bombers to launch, as the first wave returned. The CIC erupted into chaos as they scrambled to prepare the next squadron of bombers. It would be a couple of minutes, while in the meantime her fighters were keeping the alien fighters engaged. Despite the number advantage, it seemed the alien fighters were able to hold their own.


    In the distance, the sharp bursts of energy illuminated the clouds like lightning strikes. It was as beautiful as it was dangerous. A sight others might want to get lost in, but it belied the dangerous nature of the pitched dogfight happening just a few million kilometers away. The display clearly showing casualty numbers, it wasn¡¯t the best showing so far 15 fighters and 23 bombers had been lost so far and no significant damage had been inflicted. Aside from one enemy starfighter retreating to the mothership after taking a full volley of plasma missiles, they didn¡¯t seem to have made a dent in the Refuge forces. On the flip side, her losses while larger remained minor, she had thousands of pilots under her command and this was just the opening salvo.


    Suddenly there were shouts on the comms, from Alpha wing. It took a minute before the reports of torpedoes came in. It seemed the enemy managed to fire unnoticed. There was little however for her to do as the local commander responded to the threat, leaving her stuck watching as numerous warheads were bearing down on the cruisers that made up that wing. Point defenses engaged attempting to shoot down the fast-moving projectiles. Plasma lit up the clouds and a few flashes erupted as bolts found their mark, then a massive fireball erupted as a cruiser was hit. A second later two more, then four. Before she could blink dozens of fireballs dominated the spinward position she had sent alpha towards.


    The damage report came in several seconds later, thirteen ships destroyed, sixty-three more heavily damaged. Alpha wing reported itself as still combat-ready as most of its ships were still able to fight. Regardless, she didn¡¯t like that the enemy had scored the first real blood in this engagement. Turning she gave the next orders, just as the second wave arrived. Something she gave an eye to as the bombers made their runs.

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty The Battle of Mune-337 Continued

    February 12th, 003 SDE, Mune 337 star system 0920 hours:


    The commander sent her next orders and then turned to the tac plot as the second wave of bombers arrived. At current speeds this would be the last bombing run before her main forces entered cannon range of the enemy. Regardless she had extra eyes looking for torpedoes now, she didn¡¯t want to be hit with another surprise. That last one had been quite devastating, and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure when the alien task force had fired them. She could think of a few possibilities, but nothing she could verify. So she put the problem aside, it made no sense to focus on a problem if you could not solve it. Focus on the ones you can and come back to the issue when you have time. With that mindset her full attention was on the battle, not stray torpedoes.


    Once again the alien flagship targeted her bombers with heavy missile fire, forcing the ships to scramble and deploy countermeasures. Idly she noted the numerous missile turrets from which they had been fired. These weapon mounts were previously identified, but according to intel they had never been seen in action. Now she knew they fired short range photon missiles, light, fast and very effective against fighters. Something that clearly showed with how much her bombers were struggling not to get hit by the alien missiles.


    Regardless, several squadrons managed to keep together long enough to unleash their payloads. Multiple antimatter warheads sailed towards one of the alien destroyers and as before, her barrier flared into existence. A number of warheads detonated against the barrier unleashing a focused energy burst into the hull with little apparent effect. This time she noticed how the energy burst was spreading out hitting a wider area than it should. Not unlike how plasma blasts seemed to behave against that armor. Something she had known about, it was in the intel reports, but it was different to see it for yourself, even if it was through a sensor relay.


    As the alien laser barrier flickered out, the ship maneuvered to avoid additional torpedoes from her bombers, but her pilots anticipated that as a new wave fired. Sadly she still managed to evade a number of the projectiles long enough for her barrier to recharge, but a few rounds did find their mark on the large alien destroyer. They smashed into the alien hull plating and detonated, punching holes into the alien armor. Yet the alien ship seemed to still be very much combat capable, and it was hard to tell how much damage they had actually inflicted.


    A moment later the first elements of her main forces entered cannon range and she found out real quick that the alien destroyer was very much still combat capable as she unleashed a volley of torpedoes into her squadron of destroyers, while simultaneously targeting her screening vessels with its particle cannons. An alien beam weapon lanced out and slashed across a frigate with deadly effect as her fleet attempted to knock out as many torpedoes as they could.


    It was chaos, but a controlled kind as the ships maneuvered into positions to unleash their payloads in a deadly melee with the armored alien warships. As they started firing their own torpedoes they took fire from the alien flag. A deadly hail of alien particle bolts tore into the powerful shields of her new destroyers which held up better than she expected. Long enough for them to fire their payloads of deadly plasma torpedoes at their targets.


    She watched as most of them either missed or slammed into the alien barriers with little effect, but a few found their marks scoring damaging hits. Little did she realize that they were only surface hits, the damage was minimal even if the armor was breached. Internal plating and armored bulkheads serving to contain the damage. Regardless, she was impressed at the durability of these alien ships.  They had already taken enough hits to destroy a similarly sized Valorian vessel and they were still very much combat capable. It spoke volumes of the alien construction techniques for a moment she wondered how much damage they were able to take. She gave the next set of orders and another wing of destroyers and bombers dived into the battle as they closed the ring, ensuring that the Refuge ships couldn¡¯t escape her grasp.


    In the distance the battle intensified as ships tore into each other with deadly impunity. Torpedoes and missiles filled the void as energy blasts flew between vessels. Shields flared and hulls erupted into flames as the battle moved into its most chaotic phase.


    Her command center transformed into a chaotic flurry of activity as she directed the ships under her command. A small voice grew in her as the battle continued.


    <hr>


    The ship shook under the barrage of Valorian torpedoes. Countryman shouted his next order as he took a look at the tactical plot. The Valorian fleet was larger and better equipped than the previous ones he had faced. It was also unexpected, this system was well outside their borders, the nearest Valorian colony was over a hundred lightyears away, with the nearest outpost almost 40 lightyears distant. No real trade routes in this sector either, the sector was more stable than Lantarro, but not without its dangers.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    This was a battle he would rather not be fighting, but he was fighting it nonetheless. Since he was, he planned to win. ¡°Return fire! All batteries, bring us about to heading one six eight mark two three, increase speed, arm forward torpedoes. Prepare for full spread, maximum firepower.¡±


    A chorus of replies responded to him as his crew carried out their orders with the discipline he expected of them. He could feel the ship coming about and he watched the screens as they moved to the position he wanted. The moment they were in the right position he gave the order. The launchers hummed as they spat out deadly bolts of light, at least it looked that way, as the glowing projectiles sailed towards their targets. The Valorian ships responded attempting to knock out the torpedoes before they could hit but were only able to destroy a small number of them. The rest slammed into alien warships with deadly effect, destroying many in massive fireballs that lit up the skies brilliantly. Other vessels were left heavily damaged, venting their atmosphere and burning.


    With those ships either destroyed or out of the fight he now had a little more breathing room, so he took another look at the tactical plot, noting the new positions of the more threatening vessels. Mentally he also reviewed their power levels and reserves. This battle was rapidly eating through their recently replenished supply of torpedoes and had also forced him to use a number of missiles as well. Perhaps it was time to use the card he was keeping in reserve. Previously they weren¡¯t needed, but it seemed they were needed now. With that in mind, he gave his next orders.


    ¡°Charge the Electro cannons, dedicate main power to the beam weapons, fusion reactors five to eight to the sublight engines, reactor four to hull plating, reactors two and three to the main weapons, leave reactor one free for remaining power needs.¡±


    Responses quickly followed from engineering and tactical as even he sensed the feelings in the room. He was taking a lot of power away from the hull plating and other systems. He had already done the calculations and knew the Enterprise would be fine, but they couldn¡¯t help the uncertainty. Regardless, the crew carried out his orders with the military discipline that was trained into them, that he expected from them.


    As soon as the cannons were online and charged, he made his next move. They had much reduced range compared to the cutting beams. Meaning he would have to get closer, ¡°Break formation, attack pattern Sierra, Sierra one one seven, ahead flank. All batteries fire at will, maximum firepower.¡±


    A moment later the engines surged to maximum power. The ship seemed to leap forward, even as the Coto and Umikaze broke to both port and starboard. Both escorts fired their weapons in the Valorian formations according to the attack pattern he had ordered.


    In the same moment the fighters dispersed to provide cover as they saturated the alien vessels with heavy particle fire. Several beams from the Enterprise tore into nearby destroyers with deadly effect, the phase-shifted beams ripped through shielding with brutal effectiveness. The extra power from the main reactor allowed them to rapidly recharge and hit like a brick. It did mean more stress and heat on the emitters, however, something they would have to keep an eye on.


    It wasn¡¯t long however before they reached his first main target, a heavy cruiser he had identified as a flag vessel, not the overall command ship, but she was serving to coordinate the actions of a number of vessels in the opposing fleet. He gave the order.


    <hr>


    The commander frowned as she watched the alien ships suddenly break formation. Unleashing heavy fire into anything in their path, but for the life of her she wasn¡¯t sure why. Other than creating a fair amount of confusion they didn¡¯t seem to be doing that much damage. That was until the alien flag got within fifty thousand kilometers of one of her heavy cruisers. Suddenly there was an energy surge from a gunport they had never seen used. What could only be described as a bolt of lightning leapt from the alien hull and slammed into the shields of the cruiser. The first bolt hit hard and then a second one struck. The skies lit up with an energy burst as the cruiser¡¯s shields went down. Before she could so much as utter a word, she watched the alien beam weapon slice into the unprotected hull like a warm blade through soft butter. Hull plates ruptured, bulkheads collapsed and entire sections erupted as air violently rushed into the void. Plasma fires erupted as conduits and fuel canisters burst, burning holes in the hull. Before even a single escape pod could be launched, the cruiser was nothing more than a smoldering wreck, no life signs. She was lost with all hands and several more ships soon followed her.


    Someone voiced her thoughts, ¡°What the fuck!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know, she had never seen a weapon break through shields so fast. Certainly not with an energy burst like that. Ion weapons worked since they could rapidly saturate a shield resulting in its failure. Modern shields were hardened against them, reducing their effectiveness, but it was still worth using ion cannons. Intel had suspected the Refuge ships had another weapon, but this wasn¡¯t what they were expecting.


    Pushing that aside, she shouted her next orders. The weapon was powerful, but its range seemed short. They just needed to keep their distance and take their chances against the torpedoes. They weren¡¯t as deadly, previously she had been trying to close in order to limit the arc on those weapons. Now that seemed even more dangerous given the new weapon to contend with. As her orders were being carried out, she turned to her science officers, ¡°What are they firing at us? What kind of weapon is that lightning gun?¡±


    They merely gave her blank stares.

 Interlude Earth Ships: Self Destruct Systems

    The concept of scuttling a ship rather than allowing it to be captured dates back hundreds of years. It¡¯s also a logical concept, losing a ship to capture also meant losing what secrets that vessel held, which could later be used against you. Be those secrets technological or otherwise.


    With seafaring vessels, it wasn¡¯t too hard to deliberately scuttle your own ship. Punch a few holes in the right places and the hull would fill with water. How this was achieved varied. More modern ships also had protections against flooding, but the crews being aboard could easily circumvent them to ensure the ship went under the waves rather than be captured by hostile boarding parties. Blowing charges in key areas, and leaving hatches open was a surefire way to sink the ship. Another option was to leave a charge in the magazine and allow the resulting flashfire to claim the ship.


    In space, however, there is no water to fill a ship. Punching holes in the hull merely allows for the air to escape the hull. Life can¡¯t survive in a vacuum, but it¡¯s not too hard to protect against that, and there isn¡¯t a vast ocean to sift through while looking for a sunken hull. As a result more thorough methods were required. Blowing a ship¡¯s magazine can still do a fair amount of damage, but another option was to overload the reactors. Further options include placing scuttling charges throughout the vessel. All of which have been experimented with during the century-long period of warfare known as the Colonial Wars.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Modern vessels however benefit from a mechanism made possible by the discovery of Rydium. Its unique properties for energy conversion and amplification, along with its use in propulsion systems made possible a surprisingly potent method for scuttling a ship.


    All Earth vessels are equipped with an overload system that would not only overload all reactors on a ship. Effectively turning each active reactor into a nuke, but they also overload the primary sublight drives. The exact particulars of the process are classified, but the results are something else.


    When the Rydium cores surpass critical mass, they unleash a massive thermonuclear shock pulse on the order of several hundred gigatons. The detonation of a capital ship in this manner not only destroys the ship, but also releases a shockwave that is dangerous to any vessel in range of the blast, which in some cases has been deadly as far out as fifty thousand kilometers from the center of the blast, while in the vacuum of space. This fact has also played into Rydium based warheads being researched, with varying degrees of success.


    Another item to note about Earth ships, is that they tend to contain an auto-destruct system. Upon sustaining a critical level of damage, one of several computers would automatically initiate an overload of all remaining active systems in an attempt to destroy the ship. This auto-destruct can be manually deactivated only from one of several key control centers. If no counter order is received the auto-destruct will proceed as designed.

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-One Aftermath of the Battle of Mune 337

    February 14th, 003 SDE


    Countryman read over the reports. The battle at Mune had been a victory, but not a cheap one. Sure all three ships had survived and they had lost no one in the fighting. On paper it looked to be a massive victory, but there were the hidden costs. They had been forced to leave the system before they could finish processing all the new fuel they were gathering. The last few years had eaten a fair amount of their fuel reserves and more battles like that would only further drain their reserves.


    Of more immediate impact was the battle damage the Coto and Umikaze had sustained. Richards had already begun the repairs, but it would take a few weeks to complete. A loss of time, but also spare material. Something that was even more costly since they had entered an area that was more minerally depleted than other regions they had traveled through. With fewer sources of easy minerals with which to resupply the fleet, battle damage was something he would have to keep a closer eye on. Sighing he stood up, put the reports away and made his way out of the office. He had a few people he was going to have to talk to.


    <hr>


    The older lady walked into the lab, she was one of the higher ranking admirals working for clan Minara. With the recent events she had come here to consult the scientists on a few things. She had sent them what they needed yesterday and they called her in, saying they had something today. The admiral was more than happy to have such swift subordinates.


    A younger girl looked up from her desk and smiled, ¡°Admiral! Good afternoon!¡±


    ¡°So what did you find?¡±


    ¡°About the alien warships? We studied the recent battle at Mune 337 and reviewed previous battles and noted a few things. Now first about those new lightning cannons of theirs, we have a couple of ideas on why they didn¡¯t use them before and a basic idea of what the weapon is doing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? An idea on why?¡±


    ¡°Well as near as we can tell, the cannon fires a short duration but high intensity charged ionic plasma stream and when I say charged I mean highly charged. That beam lasts just over a second and delivers more energy than a hundred plasma torpedoes.¡±


    Her eyes widened, ¡°A hundred!? You¡¯re joking right?¡±


    The value wasn¡¯t insane on first look. There were ship systems that could draw that level of energy, namely shields and more notably the warp drive. Some high warp designs drew that much power per second to operate at maximum output and ships could output many times that due to the myriad of demands on their power plants. Regardless they were talking about an energy weapon here, not a torpedo. Not to mention plasma torps actually drew less energy than they outputted. Largely due to the system they used. Many ships carried physical plasma rounds, with a prepackaged igniter charge. This allowed torpedoes to be fired with less draw on the reactors, but did come with a few disadvantages.


    "I''m not."


    She frowned, "but this is a beam weapon we are talking about, not a torpedo."


    "Yes, and I think that is why they didn''t use it before. As far as we can tell it''s a very energy-intensive weapon. I have done some math based on what we can see, which gives me a rough idea on how much energy they are using. Our alien friends must have some fairly impressive fuel cells as that weapon will chew through fuel quite quickly.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine, we used to have a real issue with plasma torpedoes eating through fuel, they were potent, but a ship would run out of fuel real quick using them. Modern igniter charges did wonders for fixing that issue.¡±


    ¡°Yes well, with this beam weapon, I don¡¯t see a way for them to do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, meaning that the more we force them to use it, the more fuel they burn. Hmm, I guess if we kept fleets near any major fuel source and an eye on the local ports we could keep them from refueling.¡±


    ¡°A battle of attrition might in fact be your best bet sir, but the casualties will not be small.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You have something else to add?¡±


    ¡°The Refuge flag is effectively invulnerable, we won¡¯t be able to bring it down with traditional weapons. Those new concussion cannons being developed for the Yinta II might be able to penetrate that armor, and maybe some of our more recent torpedo designs. Anything else won¡¯t get through the plating as its got Erudite in it.¡±


    ¡°Erudite!? You sure?¡±


    ¡°The scans are clear, the composition of the plating is primarily titanium-based and includes a mineral I don¡¯t know, but I can confirm Erudite in the composition. The other two ships have nearly identical metallurgy but they don¡¯t scan positive for Erudite.¡±


    The Admiral was familiar with Erudite. The military didn¡¯t use it, but some of their enemies did. It had very desirable properties for armor, but it was hard to come by, impossible to synthesize and consequently very expensive. Still it was far cheaper and easier to work than Neutronium. Erudite was often and quite erroneously called the poor man¡¯s Neutronium. The two materials were quite different, but they both shared a few key properties. ¡°I¡¯m impressed that they were able to build a ship that big with an armored shell of Erudite.¡±


    ¡°Well the armor is one thing but we have also learned something about their dispersion plating. The plating itself does not seem to actually be responsible for the observed dispersal effect.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    She tapped a few keys on her console and pulled up battle footage, only it was moving quite slowly. Several plasma rounds could be seen moving at a snail''s pace toward an alien hull. As they drew closer, the rounds started to expand, soon ballooning to a large size before splashing against the hull and spreading out further as a roiling wave of fire. Before fizzing out and revealing a pristine unblemished hull. As if fiery death hadn¡¯t just struck the plating. ¡°Okay... that is a little wierd.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Near as we can tell the ship is surrounded by some sort of dispersal field. Any energy bolt that hits the fields begins to disperse. By studying the footage we have noted weaker plasma rounds will disperse sooner and faster, while heavier rounds will resist the effect longer. ¡°


    ¡°Some kind of weird energy shield then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I could call it that. Traditional shields are there to protect the ship either by trying to redirect incoming fire like a deflector would, or absorbing it the way a traditional energy barrier would. While this field acts to disperse incoming energy, but unlike a shield its not that useful. All it does is force incoming energy rounds to hit a wider area than they normally would. Resulting in reduced penetration, and increased surface damage. Well I guess it has some applications if you plan to invest in armor, a good ablative plating or something like our friends have would be about right for that.¡±


    The admiral nodded, that explanation left a lot out but it did cover the most basic of the basics. Still she had to wonder if the alien shield couldn¡¯t be improved into something actually capable of protecting the ship. Maybe even combined with a more traditional energy shield? Still it was just a line of thought and she had more important matters to pursue, ¡°Any idea on how to compensate for this alien defense field?¡±


    ¡°Well obviously torpedoes would be effective, any physical projectile can pass through without disruption. I think a further look at antimatter warheads might merit some investigation, but with some research into better containment fields, we can likely do just as well with plasma torpedoes. I would also suggest an in depth study of the alien weapons, they are likely to be more effective against their own defenses than our weaponry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You think so?¡±


    ¡°It would only be natural, we developed weapons specifically to counter our own defensive technology. Pulse cannons being the latest such weapon, especially with their variable settings they can be tuned to be more effective against different targets. A skilled gunner can tune them on the fly for optimal effect against any target. We just need to figure out a way to optimize them against the alien armor.¡±


    ¡°In that case forward this data to the other weapon labs, in the meantime I¡¯ll keep you updated with any new information.¡±


    With that, she left while making plans for attrition warfare. That wasn''t going to be fun, but what else could they do at this point? If they waited this growing menace might slip the net, but waiting might mean fewer losses. On the flipside, if they left this new menace alone, it might grow into something truly threatening and they would have lost their chance to nip it in the bud while it was still small. The current piracy issue was something caused by failure to act. Besides she now had an idea on how to bring them down. She just needed to place her ships, and keep them from mineral-rich sites and fuel sources while working to wear them down. Those cannons of theirs were terrifying with how they could bring down shields, but if they truly were that energy-intensive they were also the key to bringing the enemy down. Little did she realize what this decision would mean for the future of the confederation.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped out of the lift and made his way down the hall. While he needed to have a conversation with Richards, he wanted to check in on Rose first. As he drew near the classroom he found Ruri leaving the room. He smiled, ¡°Ruri, I presume you checked in with Rose?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I did, its impressive how quickly she is learning and adapting. I ran a few tests and comparisons on her thought patterns. They are remarkably similar to yours, but I am already seeing some divergence.¡±


    ¡°Well they are based on my own, she was trained off my own code. However, since my cybernetic coding is by its very nature both organic and adaptive we should see divergence as she learns.¡±


    ¡°I do wonder how much of you will remain in a year, ten years, a hundred.¡±


    Countryman shrugged, ¡°No idea. Its never been done before, I can make a few guesses.¡±


    ¡°So can I. My theory is that some of you would always be there. To some degree humans are shaped by their parents and her coding is technically human as well.¡±


    Countryman gestured down the hall and shook his head, ¡°Not entirely. Williams isn¡¯t entirely wrong to call me a machine. I¡¯m as much a walking computer as I am a man. I literally think in code, which also means I understand computers in a way others never will.¡±


    Ruri shifted, ¡°That reminds me, I never did ask, but what was it like when you interfaced with the Enterprise computers?¡±


    He blinked, that was awhile ago. Considering he hadn¡¯t done that since Cantra. He looked up as he considered the question, ¡°Honestly, its hard to describe, but in short for all intents and purposes I was the ship and the ship was me. It was like the ship was an extension of my being. It was why I was able to do what I did.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating, given you could do that. Would the ship even need a crew, or can just a few cyborgs pilot it?¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that, controling the entire ship is quite taxing, especially in battle. There was a reason I didn¡¯t just do everything. Not to mention it would require someone who was fully adapted to a brain implant like mine and the Enterprise isn¡¯t something I would recommend. There is a reason most cybernetic interfaces are found on fighters and shuttles. The largest ship your average cyborg could hope to control properly is a corvette.¡±


    Ruri paused and looked at him, a cute expression on her face. ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t average, but I guess you were actually extraordinary.¡±


    ¡°Well I put a special system on the Enterprise, but even with it assistance is required. There are a lot of systems involved, to the point you really need quite a few minds working together to properly control the ship.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± replied Ruri.


    ¡°Why the question?¡±


    ¡°I was considering if an AGI could control the ship.¡±


    He shrugged, ¡°Something to test, but I would rather not do that now.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning it, Rose is a first gen. We are years away from that.¡±


    ¡°Well we also need to consider how Rose was trained. Along with the impacts that would have on future AGI¡¯s based on the same code base. They will be more human than conventional computers, which makes them prone to some of our own fallacies.¡±


    Ruri nodded as they boarded the lift, ¡°I can see the logic there.¡±


    <hr>


    They spent the lift ride discussing the finer points of AGI development and soon arrived on the main engineering level. The two of them navigated the halls and soon found Richards in her office. Countryman stepped inside and Ruri followed. ¡°I wanted to discuss the repair plans for the Coto and Umikaze.¡±


    Richards smiled. ¡°I was actually getting ready to discuss that as well.¡±


    Countryman took a seat, and Ruri interjected, ¡°I have a few ideas that might speed up the repair time...¡±

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two War of Attrition First Phase

    April 4th, 003 SDE, VCS Bountiful Treasure, Location Wesk sector grid 23A-47, Captain Reidia of Clan Minara


    The captain double-checked the recent engineering reports. Her ship the Bountiful Treasure was a custom-hulled dreadnought, while classified as War Spirit Class, it didn¡¯t exactly conform to the parameters of the hull in question. She had improved it into a ship fitting of the title Flagship. She liked to think of her ship as the flagship of the Confederation, but it was really just the flagship of the Minara clan, her clan.


    At the moment she was in the Wesk sector and en route to meet up with a taskforce that had been placed under her command. She had another report to review regarding the combat readiness of the group. She was much happier about the readiness of her ship.


    The War Spirit class was the larger, more expensive cousin of the Yinta line of dreadnoughts. Both lines were largely obsolete, but she knew her fleet was developing a successor to the Yinta, titled Yinta II. However she had always liked the War Spirit. Her version of the class maintained the original size of 4100 Metras long, 2200 Metra span, and one hundred thirty-seven decks. She had upgraded the main shields with a starbase level generator and outfitted it with secondary battleship-grade shields. Along with redundant surface-level force shields and internal shielding.  Reidia had also invested in enhanced structural integrity systems and some Erudite-Tritanium plating. While most forms of armor were practically worthless and not worth the cost, but that was for the regular stuff. Erudite was rare and expensive but it was a remarkably rare metal with properties that made it resistant to plasma and disrupter blasts. It had cost her a lot of credits but she felt a layer of the stuff would help. Now she was very happy she had made the investment. It was going to be a huge help given her mission.


    To compensate for the extra mass of the expensive plating, her ship featured a heavy plasma oscillation drive and hyper-plasma thrusters. Giving her excellent fuel economy while cruising, and high sublights speeds. While the special thrusters gave her good maneuvering ability. Superior to most other ships in her weight class. Three high-capacity antimatter reactors provided most of the ship¡¯s main power, but she also had six smaller supplemental reactors along with twenty fusion reactors to provide all of the power she needed.


    That power not only allowed for a fairly impressive sublight drive and strong shields. It also allowed for a top-of-the-line warp drive rated for warp four point eight cruise and a top speed of warp five point four.


    Perhaps most impressive about her ship was the armaments. She had taken her time investing in the best weapon systems on the market. Plasma mortars were a weapon system of Valorian origin, originally designed for orbital bombardment, but their sheer power made them deadly anti-ship weapons if you could overcome their limited accuracy and range issues. Something the Cathamari did when they sought to improve a few they acquired. She had purchased a number of Heavy Cathamari Concussion Plasma Mortars. A brutish and crude weapon, but it fired very powerful concussive plasma charges. That would tear through shields and shatter hulls. Thanks to the explosive nature of a concussive plasma charge it was quite destructive on contact with shields and hulls. She had some two hundred and fifty batteries of these heavy mortars.


    The Bountiful Treasure was also outfitted with super heavy plasma torpedo launchers on mounted projector turrets. 82 launchers with quad tubes and a wide firing arc. They fired powerful guided plasma rounds that could make quick work of most ships. She also carried an additional sixty-eight torpedo launchers designed to fire antimatter torpedoes.


    Along with six thousand heavy disrupter cannons, twelve thousand heavy pulse cannons, and twenty-two thousand Type Six light pulse cannons. In addition to that there was also the spinal mounted shockwave distrupter lance. It fired a powerful shock pulse that was particularly effective against unshielded hulls but it was still somewhat decent against shielded targets. She mainly purchased the weapon systems since disrupters were the best anti-hull weapons in the galaxy and some of her larger foes could take a beating with conventional plasma and still need more hits to destroy. Plasma was pretty potent as well as it could burn through armor and hull with little issue, but was also quite effective against shields.


    At the moment she was feeling pretty glad she had invested in those disrupters, as she figured they might prove more effective against Refuge armor than a standard plasma round. Which is good, as she didn¡¯t feel as confident in the fleet she had been assigned.


    The ships she was heading to meet had been assigned to checkpoint 44. One of a number of positions that had been manned with ships to intercept and engage the Refuge forces. She had been given the brief on the mission. Numerous ships had been dispatched and positioned with the goal of wearing them down. Command had given up on defeating them in a singular battle, but believed them too great a threat to be ignored. A growing menace that had to be dealt with. Given what she had seen she had to agree. Previous battles had revealed that they had weaponry that represented a clear threat to the Valorian navy. They had no known homeport and were previously known to be at war with the Cathamari. Scouting missions sent to uncover their origins had failed to uncover a homeworld or any colonies. Command had come to the conclusion that they had likely been defeated by the Cathamari and these were a remnant force. Most such forces ended up preying on trade and raiding frontier worlds. Now that the clan was in charge that was no longer acceptable. Of course the aliens also seemed to have cracked the warp five barrier and had ships that could actually cruise at or above warp five.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    She had a feeling that there were people in power who were also interested in their technology. Regardless of the reasons it was her mission to carry out the orders. Which left her trying to figure out how she would employ her sorry fleet.


    She had been given a dozen Protector class cruisers, a couple hundred Ophera class cruisers, light carrier configuration, two converted Merchantmen freighters outfitted for carrier operations, eight hundred Cutter Class Destroyers and a few thousand Patroller frigates. It sounded like a good fleet on paper, but she had seen the details on what they had. The fighter loadout was decent, Lancer Intercepters, Star-pike Heavy fighters, and Halberd Class Fighter-bombers. Antimatter and plasma warheads were stocked for them, and enough firepower to threaten most worlds in this sector. Capital ship power was somewhat lacking however and she wasn¡¯t sure this fleet would fare very well if the enemy managed to close to knife range.


    Reidia was considering how she would use them, when a head suddenly looked up from her console, ¡°Captain! We just received an urgent alert from checkpoint 44. They have engaged the Refuge Menace.¡±


    <hr>


    The ship shuddered under the impact of an energy blast. Someone reported ¡°Shield stability down 86%!¡± Almost immediately the ship shuddered again as an energy beam slammed into the forward shields.


    ¡°Forward shields failing!¡±


    ¡°Hull breach! Deck nine, section 47 alpha!¡±


    The reports just kept pouring in faster than she could think. One moment they had been at the back of the line. The next her sistership was exploding in front of her. Now an alien battleship was less than 5000 kilometers off her port bow, firing powerful energy weapons at her.


    ¡°Bring us about, heading one one six mark two eight. Increase speed. All primary power to shields!¡±


    The ship shuddered again as heavy cannon tore into her weakened shields. While that beam continued to tear into the hull. Sections ruptured, conduits were severed, bulkheads collapsed and fires broke out. Most other ships would already be destroyed by this abuse, but her ship was fairly large. Its sheer size helped to absorb the abuse.


    Not that size helped her sistership. Everything about this was completely wrong. Her ship was a fleet carrier, not a battleship. Carriers were supposed to destroy battleships, but that didn¡¯t seem to apply at close range. There was no way to bring her many wings of fighters to bear effectively. Not at this range, with the alien battleship hammering into her flight decks. Worse, given the rush to get her ship into service for this, her onboard weaponry was less than a typical carrier. She only had a number of point defense batteries and half a dozen light plasma cannon batteries. Not much more than a normal Merchantman class freighter, but her ship had been converted with extensive flightdecks to support a large fighter fleet and updated shields.


    Her mind raced for a solution, as one of the cruisers supporting them dived on the battleship. Her torpedo batteries flashed as they spat plasma at the alien capital ship. They slammed into a red barrier a moment later and then the battleship fired on the cruiser. Several lightning like discharges hit the ship and a massive burst of light signaled the final hit.


    Before she could even blink, a pair of sustained beams tore into the cruiser. Entire sections were vented in an instant. Entire sections ignited and fires started burning uncontrolled, some of them visible as the hull started to fracture. Moments before an explosion shattered half the ship. As the remaining sections started spinning out of control escape pods started launching into the void. A moment later a detonation inside the hull of the stricken ship sent out flaming debris that slammed into one unfortunate pod with deadly force. The tiny emergency vehicle didn¡¯t stand a chance as it was torn open and melted in the same moment. The fuel pod for its small emergency drive also ignited, burning brightly for a moment or two before cooling off leaving behind a smoldering glowing wreck.


    Just one more reminder that the battle was not going well. They were taking heavy damage, their fighter wings were already decimated. The alien fighters and missile defenses were proving very effective. It didn¡¯t help that no one saw them coming until they were basically on top of the checkpoint. Her ship shook a moment later as several heavy cannons fired on her. The shields, still unstable from the previous hits, failed to provide full protection. Her next order was on her lips, when suddenly, ¡°Sir! We have a new ship on sensors. It¡¯s the Bountiful Treasure.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Already?¡±


    They were still over an hour out, how were they here? Not that she had time to question it. Her crew seemed excited as the Dreadnought Bountiful Treasure proceeded to engage the alien battleship in a deadly exchange of plasma and particle beams. Familiar red and blue energy streams sailed between the two ships as they unleashed their arsenals. Lightning blasts even struck the dreadnought¡¯s powerful shields as she watched. Several alien torpedoes even struck the dreadnought, but she held firm. Giving the commander the time she needed to put more than a little distance between. ¡°Full power to the engines. I want as much distance between us and that battleship as you can give us.¡±


    An officer then reported, ¡°Hanger one reports they have twelve bomber wings ready to launch.¡±


    She smiled, they weren¡¯t being fired on for the moment. The commander gave the order, ¡°deploy them all. Target that battleship.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir,¡± was the reply just moments before multiple wings of fighters and bombers started launching. It was time to give a little of what they had been taking.

 Chapter One Twenty-Three Breaching the Checkpoint

    Countryman studied the scans just sent to his console. Time itself seemed to move slowly, but in reality, it was just his mind racing at incredible speeds. The scans were high-intensity images of the ship they were currently engaged with. It was really something special, the first Valorian ship that he would actually consider to be a warship.


    It was heavily shielded with powerful primary and secondary shield grids. The hull was further protected by actual armor plating and the ship bristled with powerful weaponry. Valorian Heavy pulse cannons, batteries of heavy plasma mortars, plasma torpedoes and antimatter torpedoes, alongside heavy disrupter banks.


    Overall this other ship outgunned the Enterprise nearly three to one. With firepower on par with an actual battleship in the mass weight of the Enterprise, but he had already found that the Enterprise had comparable defenses and was faster. He could easily outmaneuver them, allowing him to keep in close where they could not effectively use their antimatter warhead launchers. As his gunners could detect the launch and fire on the launchers as they were firing. They had already destroyed twelve launchers this way, which was a small dent in their firepower and did cause some decent collateral damage. Most of the damage they did was from those hits, so far anyway. It didn¡¯t help that every time he knocked out the main shields they would reset before he could penetrate the secondary shields. A consequence of their strength, as they could absorb several electro-cannon hits before overloading.


    He was still learning their shield grid, then he saw something and smiled. That last hit had caused a small fluctuation in their primary starboard shield grid. A gap, he could exploit. He plugged himself in, it was too small for his gunners and would close far too quickly. Activating the beam array, he precisely adjusted the cutting beam to carve through their secondary shields. A trick that was only possible at this range.


    <hr>


    The din of battle filled the CIC as she took a moment to check the overall state of the battle. Her first officer could keep the enemy occupied for a bit. The battle had not been going well prior to her arrival. They had already lost one of the converted Fleet Carriers and about half their capital ships overall. Apparently, the aliens had managed to slip inside the perimeter undetected. Not even their recent sensor modulations were useful, they had to recalibrate to properly detect the ships again.


    That meant something to her. The timing of this was also rather suspect. Most of the other checkpoints were already set up and at full strength. Yet they struck here where command thought them least likely to be. At a post that wasn¡¯t fully fortified. Her command ship hadn¡¯t even been present yet. Idly she suspected they were somehow spying on their fleet movements. An attack like this would require a fair bit of intel. Even if their sensors were superior and they noticed a previous checkpoint, unless they were a good deal faster than thought there was no way they would have noticed this. Either they had another unknown ship in the area or there was a traitor in her ranks.


    Not that she had time to really work that out. Given that she was stuck at close range with the Alien battleship. It was obvious that she outgunned them, but that armor of theirs was something else. Not even disrupters could penetrate it. She figured its apparent immunity to disrupter hits was due to the presence of Erudite in its composition. Reidia had noted how little they were doing, she was pretty sure the key was her supply of antimatter torpedoes. If she could score a few decisive hits she might be able to penetrate that armor of theirs. On the flipside this slugging match was certainly doing a number on her energy reserves and if the scientists were right that lightning weapon of theirs used a lot of power too. Although it was certainly draining her own reserves. Keeping the shields up was eating into her fuel reserves faster than she liked, but something told her they needed to be up.


    As if to confirm that thought someone shouted, ¡°Hull breach! Deck 59, sections 23 gamma through 97 alpha.¡±


    That caught her attention and she glanced at the display. Both shield grids were still up, primaries at sixty percent stability and the secondary at full strength. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Her science officer replied, ¡°No idea, they somehow fired that blast through our shields like they weren¡¯t there.¡±


    She didn¡¯t know which was worse, the fact the Menace could do that or that they didn¡¯t know how. Sitting here wasn¡¯t going to solve that, so instead she returned her focus to the ongoing exchange. The only thing new was that she had to keep in mind that they could somehow fire through her shields. Although thankfully they had yet to repeat the feat. It did however tell her that if the shields went down her hull plating wasn¡¯t going to be worth much. Even it did seem to help against any torpedoes that got past her defenses.


    She quickly shouted a few orders, just moments before a fighter-bomber wing flew into the field of fire. Skilled pilots weaving in and out of the fire as they moved for an attack run. Alien turrets popped out of the armored hull and spat bolts of blue light. They were launching missiles!


    Turning to tactical she shouted, ¡°Target those launchers!¡±


    The alien menace had been doing the same thing to her, so it was time for a bit of their own medicine.


    <hr>


    Kaori looked up from her console, ¡°Sir? Was that you?¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°I saw an opening in their shields and took advantage of it. Our bombardment seems to be having an effect on the stability of their shield grid. I¡¯m sending the relevant data to your console.¡±


    She nodded and took a look, giving a few new orders to the tactical officers under her command before commenting, ¡°Interesting, I think we can take advantage of it.¡±


    That was why he sent the data to her. This was a clear weakness in their multilayered shields and if they could reliably exploit it they could bring down the whole grid. Once down it was just a big target. Well one that could shoot back and was actually protected by armor, not that it mattered. Cutting beams were specifically designed to carve through the heavy armor employed on ships of human design. An erudite-enhanced plate while sturdy was only going to slow the beam down. ¡°Agreed, charge the cannons for another volley, but don¡¯t knock out the main shields this time.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Aye sir!¡±


    Suddenly Misaki reported, ¡°Sir! Hostile fighters on attack vector.¡±


    ¡°Lock missiles! Fire!¡±


    ¡°Missiles online, targets locked, firing¡± came the response from the tactical stations. Just before streaks of blue light erupted from the hull. They sailed across the void, fighters broke to avoid them, but the projectiles changed course to compensate. Seemingly defying physics to catch up and strike the alien fighters with deadly effect.


    Most survived the first volley, but the second one was already on the way. New streaks began to fire out just as the capital ship they were dueling opened fire at the launchers.


    ¡°Multiple direct impacts, minor damage to dorsal launchers.¡±


    ¡°Stand down dorsal launchers. Reset secondary particle cannons for fighter defense.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    Countryman watched the smaller dual-purpose particle cannons retarget. Switching modes to fire more rapid lower impact energy bolts as they proceeded to engage the incoming fighter targets. As they fighters swept into range. Ventral mounted launchers continued to fire on them, as the cannons tore into them with impunity.


    Regardless, a number of them began launching missiles. The energy web came online automatically to intercept. In the same moment the order was given and several electro cannon blasts fired into the shields of the Valorian Dreadnought.


    <hr>


    Rose felt the ship shudder. Several kids screamed out in fright, at the rocking. Elsewhere they could hear the hum of weapons fire and the occasional rumble of an explosion. At the moment she was in an armored internal bunker with the kids. This room was better protected than many other locations, it was both a living quarter and a shelter. Which is why they were here. It was a lot safer than many other areas on the ship, in the event of a hull breach.


    She was feeling a little worried about this herself and something told her she felt a little fear too. That was notable, a machine with feelings? Rose figured she would talk to Mother about that, or perhaps Father. Her mind raced to consider why and she could only think of one reason. How she was programmed. Her Father gifted her a piece of his mind after all. Perhaps that had given her emotion.


    Putting that from her mind, she reached for the youngest kids in the room. Pulling them into an embrace, she followed her programming, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Everything will be alright.¡±


    In her arms she felt them relax a bit. The others drew closer to her. She glanced at the other adult in the room, trying to keep the young ones calm as well. Not that they could do anything better with the kids. They didn¡¯t have a starbase or planet to keep them on, so here they were, stuck on what was for better or worse a warship. Well it was starting to become more than that, a home, a city. Feeling them against her, she thought of something shared.


    Her father already had plans in mind for a refit. One to make the Enterprise a true cityship. Nothing concrete, as he didn¡¯t plan to use them just yet. It was merely something he had considered. However, if the journey they were on lasted longer than he expected, he would. She also knew that if they found a homeworld he would do it anyway, but for a different reason. Only after he felt the new homeworld was secure. Countryman had some unfinished business in the Sol System. Nothing they could do anything about, not with the resources they have now. Hell they couldn¡¯t even sit in one place long enough to build a ship. They had managed to build a small spy frigate and that hadn¡¯t been cheap on them either.


    Well there was no helping that, and the children needed her. With that in mind, she focused on keeping them calm. The captain was going to keep the ship safe, she knew it.


    <hr>


    Reidia watched the battle from her screens. The alien particle weapons had shifted to start firing on the fighters, some of them anyway. The heavier guns were still aimed at her ship, but the result was still good in her book as it lowered the strain on her shields. It wasn¡¯t so good for the fighters, but they were agile enough to avoid the worst of the fire. Even if they had increased their volume of fire. That was notable, but not surprising. Not with an energy weapon like a particle bolt and predictably it came at a cost of power per bolt. Not that they would need the extra power against fighters, so it was honestly a logical adjustment. In fact it was one she expected them to be able to make given they had supercharger technology. If someone could supercharge their guns, they could do the opposite.


    Despite her orders however the aliens continued to fire missiles from the launchers her guns couldn¡¯t hit. While the damage to the ones she did hit seemed rather minimal. What was up with their armor? It was an Erudite-Enhanced Titanium-based hull plating, not Neutronium and yet it certainly felt like they were trying to penetrate a hull made of the legendary metal.


    A second later, while she was considering course vectors to better support the fighter attack, the alien lightning guns lit up. Lightning bursts slammed into her shields which flared with each strike. Someone shouted, ¡°Shield stability at 2 percent!¡±


    That was better than she had expected, one more hit and the shields would have collapsed again. She barely had time to think about that before the entire ship rocked and then it rocked again. As people started shouting and chaos erupted.


    She shouted over the din, ¡°Reset the shields!!!¡±


    People scrambled to comply as she shouted her next set of orders. In the distance she noticed her allied fighter craft launching their payload of antimatter torpedoes and bombs. They sailed into the alien defense field. Brilliant flashes of light signaled each detonation as they slammed into the red light in rapid succession, but then several struck against the hull of the alien battleship.


    When the light cleared the ship looked shockingly unharmed. Although she had seen something during the attack, but she wasn¡¯t sure what it meant. Now wasn¡¯t the time to figure it out, not just yet. ¡°Signal the retreat! Get us out of here, vector two one seven mark three nine. Maximum warp!¡±


    Someone informed her, ¡°Shields are back, but we took a lot of damage to the grid. Shield strength is down by nearly half.¡±


    Just before the alien capital ship fired a volley of torpedoes at them, they intercepted a few, before her ship was struck. The bridge rocked hard, as someone shouted a damage report. It was bad, with multiple heavy hits to their aft sections. Entire compartments were destroyed, most of it was thankfully confined to the outer hull. Nothing they could not fix, but it would take some time. Then her world distorted a bit as the ship made the jump to warp.

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four Of Spies and Insights

    April 5th, 003 SDE, Enterprise Conference Room:


    Countryman leaned forward, ¡°It seems we caught them off guard.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but I wonder how long we can tap their military communications. I doubt our spy frigate will remain undetected indefinitely,¡± commented Greyman.


    William sighed, ¡°I hate agreeing with Greyman, but he is right. Our spy frigate can¡¯t remain undetected forever. Sooner or later they will figure it out and eventually track it down. Stealth armor only helps so much. It helped this once, but I still feel it was a bad investment.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, we already know they are moving fast to cut us off from valuable resources and potential points of resupply.¡±


    Williams gave Countryman a look. ¡°So what is our ¡®all-knowing¡¯ machine going to do about it? We¡¯ve already used half our fuel reserves.¡±


    Ruri interjected, ¡°I have a few ideas to help with that. Our electro cannons are rather energy-intensive and they sadly struggled against those high-strength multilayered shields. On the flipside, we got a lot of new data on weapon performance. I think we can optimize them now, just give some time to finish going through all the data.¡±


    ¡°Sounds interesting, how much time do you think you will need for the project?¡±


    ¡°A month perhaps two. Electro Cannons aren¡¯t simple weapons.¡±


    Countryman was aware, the charged plasma stream they used was designed to disrupt energy shields and targeted subsystems. They were also in theory effective against powered armor. Not that they knew for sure, they never had the occasion to test it, and now it didn¡¯t really matter. Unless they happened to engage an enemy who had a similar weapon. Something he considered possible, but given the weapons used a mix of exotic charged particles to produce its effects, it was unlikely. ¡°I look forward to what you can do.¡±


    Williams, now glaring, said, ¡°I¡¯m still lacking answers on what you plan to do about this damn war you started.¡±


    Countryman laughed, ¡°I didn¡¯t start it, but I wouldn¡¯t call it a war either. More of a conflict, one in which they just keep throwing ships at us.¡±


    ¡°You attacked them!¡±


    He gave her a look, ¡°Had to be done, they were closing a circle on us. The good news is we have figured out how they are detecting us. Better yet we were able to confirm that a simple modification of our distortion field was able to scatter their sensor beams. We can use that to our advantage, at least until they figure it out.¡±


    Greyman interjected, ¡°Unfortunately they seem aware of our current course. I asked Navigation to look into alternate routes. Not that we have many of those.¡±


    Countryman knew what he meant by that, he had seen the star charts. The whole issue of the Velosa cluster had been what led them down this path. Especially in light of issues with the Valorians, but sadly avoiding their space hadn¡¯t seemed to help. They still had a few options for changing their course, they could attempt to enter Valorian space and get to their goal faster. At the risk of an increased chance of encounters with Valorian fleets. They also still had the option of crossing Valorian space for Krall space. Both were not without risk, reaching Krall space had the merit of friendly ports and fleets to shield them, but it would involve crossing the Valorian core. Something he wasn¡¯t willing to risk just yet. Moving into Valorian space would be risky as well. That meant the best option was to change course and put more distance from Valorian space.


    The question remained, however, what systems would be safe. It didn¡¯t help that the recent changes in the Valorian government had led to a rapid militarization of the Valorian fleet and an increase in power projection. Their fleets were now roaming sectors where little to no influence was expected. Something they all found problematic.


    Williams gave Greyman a look, ¡°and what route are you thinking of?¡±


    <hr>


    Several figures had convened for a meeting. Not all of them could be here physically so there were a number attending virtually. One of them spoke up, ¡°Now onto the battle at checkpoint 44, by all acounts it was a disaster. We lost control of the system, a carrier and almost half the fleet. Didn¡¯t help that captain Reidia of Clan Minara wasn¡¯t in the system when the battle started.¡±


    Someone else interjected, ¡°She was exactly where she was supposed to be at the time. On schedule to take command, we can¡¯t blame her for being out of position for it. None of us predicted they would strike before we had finished fortifying the position.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we should be giving her a commendation. Not only did she manage to save the fleet, she gave us valuable new insights into Menace technology.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s only been a day? What could you have learned?¡±


    ¡°We are still looking into things, but we noticed that their weapons struggle against multlayered shields.¡±


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Not that it did the Bountiful Treasure much good. I saw the combat data, over two hundred hull breaches, thirteen slagged engines, heavy damage to the shield grid, and multiple destoyed weapon emplacements.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but unlike previous ships to engage them at such close range, she survived. Against a Menace Battleship, no less.¡±


    ¡°It would be pretty expensive to outfit the entire fleet with multilayered shields. There is a reason they aren¡¯t commonplace. Besides, only large capitalships like battleships and dreadnoughts have enough power to support that kind of shield configuration.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but we need to look into it nonetheless. I would also suggest we look into a thicker configuration. At least three layers maybe more, the double layer was breached by the menace ship mulitple times.¡±


    ¡°I noticed, but I am at a loss on how they did that.¡±


    ¡°Dynamic Energy Sensors, they are short range high resolution scientific scanners found on most science vessels, but they can also be used to scan an active energy shield. Its the only thing I can think of that would explain how they did it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd you would have to be...¡± the figures eyes widened as their voice dropped, ¡°within a few hundred kilometers,¡± she turned and rechecked the battle record, ¡°Damn, they were almost close enough. Why would a warship have those?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but I don¡¯t know how we would counter them.¡±


    ¡°Nor I, if they were using such sensors they would have to be more advanced and powerful than those in contempory usage. Seeing as they were able to gather readings on the Bountiful Treasure¡¯s shields despite the sensor scramblers used to prevent such sensors from working.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure its Dynamic Energy Sensors? Could it not be something else?¡±


    ¡°No, but to my knowledge, there are only three ways to penetrate an energy shield and we eliminate one since they weren¡¯t using brute force. That leaves us with option A) they knew our shield configuration or option B) they were firing energy beams containing exotic particles. If it was B we would have taken far more damage as our shields wouldn¡¯t have absorbed anything at all. By process of elimination, they were somehow able to glean our shield configurations.¡±


    A collective breath was taken before someone asked, ¡°So what is the solution?¡±


    ¡°Well we found it, we just increase the number of shield layers. Two help, but three seem to be ideal. I think the Bountiful Treasure would have fared better if it had a third layer of independent shielding¡±


    ¡°Well that is all interesting, but how would it help us? We didn¡¯t even scratch that battleship.¡±


    ¡°No, but we did learn something. We noticed some energy fluctations when she was struck by that last volley of antimatter warheads. They were rather peculiar and we already have some of our best scientists working on the readings. Hopefully they will have something for us by the end of the week.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, even better if they discover some kind of weakness. That alien armor is something else. Especially on the battleship as nothing seems to penetrate it. Not even superheated plasma, which by all rights should burn right through it, nor did those antimatter warheads seem to work.¡±


    ¡°Well they are simply directed high-energy blasts, those warheads contain equal parts of hydrogen and antihydrogen separated by a thin containment bubble. The alien armor wasn¡¯t exposed to antimatter but rather to the explosive results of the two mixing.¡±


    ¡°So what are you proposing?¡±


    ¡°We make an outreach to the Zxi¡¯liri they are experts in antimatter weaponry. I¡¯ve heard they have recently started placing antiproton cannons on the market.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What a wonderful idea, we should buy some right away. That way our fleet can have these new weapons in... four years!¡± responded one of the council members.


    ¡°Someone frowned, ¡°four years? Where did that figure come from. Isn¡¯t that a good idea?¡±


    ¡°It looks good until you look at a star chart. Your average merchant convoy has a cruise speed of warp three point eight, some can go faster at warp four point two. In either case you are looking at a trip of years to reach Zxi¡¯liri space and years to get back. They are quite distant from our borders.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we would have the Yinta II available before we get those weapons. Although we could save some time, if we requisitioned some Zxi¡¯liri transport company to bring the goods. However I should point out we are still looking at several years for them to arrive. Lets plan around weapons we can get in more reasonable time frames. Does anyone disagree?¡±


    No one did and the meeting went on. Not that anything important was really left to talk about. So it ended not long after, with a plan to meet again once the scientists were done looking into those energy fluctuations.


    <hr>


    Sali walked down the corridor. Following the guard, it felt rather normal to her these days. Ahead of her a few children rushed out of a classroom quickly followed by a young girl with black hair. She was cute and looked to be a young teen. The girl shouted after the kids, ¡°DON¡¯T RUN IN THE CORRIDORS!¡±


    Sali usually didn¡¯t come to these parts, so she didn¡¯t know if it was normal, but seeing the kids coming this way she grasped her tool kit more closely. Just a sign that she was now a little more trusted. Now she got more than just odd jobs in the factory. Somebody had requested a new terminal on this level and her little team of three had been assigned to tear out the old one. The new one was going to be delivered in about an hour, but they needed to get the old one out first.


    Idly she wondered what she was doing here given that all she had ever wanted to be was a pilot. Not that she had done much of that lately. Sali had no idea if she ever would, but there was something about the way her life was going that she liked. The cell and lack of privacy were starting to become normal to her, but it certainly wasn¡¯t what she liked. Seeing the kids playing around her though was nice. It was also a reminder that this ship was as much a home to these people as it was becoming for her. She paused at the the thought. Not sure how to feel about this becoming home, but it wasn¡¯t like she had much left for her in the Confederation. Not much at all.


    Her line of thoughts broke when she saw something. Dropping her kit, she reached out and caught a kid who was about to get herself hurt. A moment later, the older kid showed up. ¡°Thanks, I don¡¯t know what I would have done if any of them got hurt. I was trusted to look after them.¡±


    ¡°Um, you are welcome.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Five Of Children and Machine Girls

    With the children settling down, Sali turned to the young girl in charge of them. ¡°So um, well I didn¡¯t get your name. I¡¯m Sali and you are?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Rose.¡±


    ¡°So, Rose,  why is a young girl like you watching a class full of kids?¡±


    Rose grinned, ¡°I¡¯m the teacher''s assistant, and she finally trusted me to look after them alone for a bit, and thanks again for the help.¡±


    ¡°So you are a teacher¡¯s assistant?¡±


    The girl nodded, ¡°Mother and Father both felt that I needed this so I could be the babysitter I was meant to be.¡±


    ¡°Meant to be? Don¡¯t you mean want to?¡±


    ¡°Well I want to be, but I really do mean meant. It¡¯s why I am, it¡¯s my purpose in life. To raise children for those too busy to be there all the time. It¡¯s why mother made me.¡±


    Sali blinked and interjected, ¡°Made?¡±


    The girl nodded, ¡°Yep made.¡±


    Frowning, ¡°So you are a clone or something?¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°Closer to a robot, an android if you will.¡±


    Now somewhat worried, she inquired, ¡°A machine? If I might ask, what kind?¡±


    Rose was silent for a moment, seeming to think, before saying, ¡°I¡¯m an AGI, hopefully the first of many.¡±


    Sali took a breath, ¡°AGI? Are they insane?¡±


    Rose gave her a look, but before she could ask the other girl explained, ¡°AGI is illegal, it was outlawed by the Interstellar Accords.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well doesn¡¯t mean much here, Humanity never signed any treaties banning AGI and are therefore not bound by them.¡±


    Sali wasn¡¯t sure about that, ¡°I disagree, the powers that did also agreed to...¡±


    Rose interjected, ¡°Force a treaty upon people who did not agree? Did not sign? Very dangerous that, very dangerous indeed.¡±


    Sali shrank a little, ¡°Um, yes.¡±


    Rose sighed, ¡°That is rather unfortunate.¡±


    As the pair went their separate ways, Sali was left wondering about the accords. Rose didn¡¯t seem like anything more than a young girl. A smart one, but still young nonetheless. Yet what she said about the accords stuck with her. Rose was right, they were dangerous in that fashion. The humans weren¡¯t bound by them either, they never signed. The thing about treaties was that they only really bound the parties involved. Encountering an AGI was not something she had expected though, but Rose¡¯s very existence revealed how advanced humanity really was.


    Then her mind drifted to some of what she had heard in the factories. Humankind was few in number, children were beyond precious to them and they had no worlds of their own. Perhaps AGI was just as important to their survival as anything else she had seen. Especially if they had plans to be a major power anytime in the next century or two. Although from what she had seen, they likely would have been one, if not for the war with the Cathamari.


    <hr>


    Rose watched the young woman Sali head off with a pack full of tools and a job to do. Leaving her once again alone with the children. She turned to their smiling faces and gave them one of her own. ¡°Want to play a game?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t like they had much else to do. Not until the teacher got back. The girls and boys lit up when she suggested that. After a bit of back and forth they filled into the classroom and found the board games. Something Rose knew the ship didn¡¯t have in abundant supply on launch day. They were an example of consumer goods that were made locally. Back on Earth many of these would have been made with cardboard boxes and plastic parts. Out here in space they didn¡¯t have those materials in abundance, not like on Earth. They did have synthetic plastics, but what they really had in abundance were metals. As such the boxes and many of the pieces were made of polished metal. It was cheaper this way. The game they picked had a metal board, but others might have used synthetic materials to make one. Cards were often made of synthetic materials.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Rose laid out the board, as the kids picked their pieces for a timeless classic. It was designed for up to eight players. There were 32 kids in the class which meant four groups. She wouldn''t be able to play with them, but she could still do something. Rose figured she would take the time to be the banker for all of them. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. As the games were set up, she arranged the property decks, shuffled the chance and community chest cards and got everything set up. With the tables near each other so she could keep an eye on all six games. The cards in their slots, the pieces chosen, she handed out the dice to the six youngest players. Letting the game get started. As they rolled their moves and planned.


    Before she knew it half the property cards had been claimed and the games were getting pretty interesting as they started trading cards in an effort to get a better position. When the teacher finally came back. She looked around and smiled, ¡°Well Rose you certainly did a good job of keeping an eye on the class.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Thank you! I have them playing a game right now.¡±


    ¡°I can see that, it was a good choice. Keep going, I¡¯ll use the time to grade their work from earlier today.¡±


    Rose nodded and turned to keep them having fun.


    <hr>


    Countryman walked down the corridor. The meeting had run long, but now that it was over he had somewhere he wanted to be. He didn¡¯t need to be on the bridge just yet, the Enterprise was underway. Post battle repairs were already completed, but those repairs had certainly eaten into their reserves. If battles kept coming like this, they would have to replenish more than just metals and spare parts. The Enterprise had a fairly large reserve of deuterium and antimatter, but it would only last so long. Especially if these battles kept draining their power supply. Combat was an energy-intensive activity and it certainly burned a lot of critical fuel. Without a friendly port, they had to mine the deuterium themselves. Same thing with the Antimatter, but the Enterprise did have a couple of antimatter converters that could produce antimatter particles for the reactors. The process was complicated, involving specialized energy fields and particle accelerators, but it was more effective than older methods.


    There used to be more powerful and efficient instances than the shipboard generators on the Enterprise back on Earth, or more accurately in Earth¡¯s orbit. Regardless, the ones on the Enterprise were effective for providing antimatter fuel, but they needed a source of suitable particles for it. To produce the anti-deuterium used in the main reactors, they needed deuterium. Something they were burning through in great quantities. More so than the usual operation would require. If they didn¡¯t refuel soon, Countryman was worried that they might run out of fuel. A resource they needed more than any other right now.


    He hadn¡¯t voiced all of his concerns, this new-found aggression from the Valorians while seemingly inconsequential was likely to drain them in the same way the war with the Cathamari did. It reminded him of a science fiction story he had enjoyed in his youth. It described an ancient race and their end with a war against a race of hive-minded aliens that preyed on the life-force of living beings. They had been able to win every battle, but couldn¡¯t win the war. For all their technology their foes were simply too numerous. With the Cathamari and again the Valorians they were facing the same thing. Humanity for all its accomplishments might be doomed to meet the same fate. Losing their homeworld was one thing, but fading into the pages of history was not something he was willing to accept.


    The question of how to avoid it however was something that eluded him right now. Hopefully breaching that checkpoint meant they would have a chance to resupply soon, but he knew the Confederation wasn¡¯t yet ready to stop pursuing them. More ships would be on the way. Greed and fear seemed to rule them, a potent combination. As long as the Enterprise was perceived as a threat they were going to pursue. That thought lent a solution, but it also eluded him on how they would do that. Not with their current resources. It would be a trick if they could pull that off, faking the destruction of the Enterprise would deny them their prize but to be convincing they would need a lot of material. The Enterprise was 5020 meters long, she wasn¡¯t a small girl which played into the problem. Even assuming elements of the ship were vaporized if she went down she would still produce a sizable debris field.


    Even an engine overload would produce a fair amount, mostly useless since everything would have been flash-cooked. Some of it would even be vaporized but the material would rapidly cool and resolidify in a vacuum. Accounting for a couple million metric tonnes of starship was no easy task. Still the idea might throw them off for a few days. How long he wasn¡¯t sure, but he considered the idea as it was a useful trick. Even if it was an old one, a very old trick.


    Reaching a door, he tapped the control and headed on inside. Where he was greeted with the sight of a familiar lab. Ruri was not around at the moment, but he figured she would be along before too long. Most of what she had been working on lately had been related to AI development and robotics. He ignored that and walked to her office in the back of the lab. Settling into Ruri¡¯s chair he booted up the monitor and plugged into the terminal. Accessing computer resources he got started while he waited for her. He had a few tricks he wanted to prepare when given the chance.


    He had also recently had an idea regarding the venting cannons on the Star Tech stations. The stations had been used for high energy research; the need to discharge excess energy into space had led to the creation of special energy vents, which were later weaponized. Countryman had been thinking about that and had a few ideas for adapting the same mechanisms to a much smaller platform. They would need some trial and error. Running reactors in near-overload states was not a safe or easy proposition. A delicate balance would need to be struck if they were to produce anything useful. If they got what they needed from this line of research, a fleet of ships might be at their disposal. Just one item on a list of things he was thinking about to get them out of this. Ruri was tackling one issue with the AI, the development would allow for ships that needed fewer people to man them, which in turn would allow for a larger fleet with their limited numbers. As it was, they could man only so many ships, but they did have a surplus of qualified command-level personnel.


    As for the lower level positions they only had so many qualified people. Filling out the positions on new ships would only take them so far. They might be able to man a few more ships but nothing close to what he wanted. When they found their new home they would need people to man the new colony and people for a fleet of defense ships. Orbital defense platforms would also be needed as part of a planetary defense grid. They just didn¡¯t have enough people for all of that and personnel shortages were going to be expected for a long time to come.


    He had just about finished detailing a draft for a prototype when Ruri came in. She smiled when she saw him. ¡°Planning something without me?¡±

 Interlude A Day on the Enterprise

    The young woman blinked as the alarm went off. Glancing to the side she hit the snooze button. It was only six in the morning, not that it meant much out here in the depths of space. The sun didn¡¯t rise in the morning or greet her with its piercing rays to the eyes. Something she was quite grateful for, she used to hate mornings. Too bad the Cathamari had to bomb the planet to solve that issue for her. Surely something less drastic could have happened for a nice morning without that issue, she thought as she rolled over to go back to sleep. It was far too early.


    A moment later someone was shaking her, ¡°Come on Jan, time to get up.¡±


    She groaned, ¡°It¡¯s far too early.¡±


    ¡°You say that every day. Come on, you don¡¯t want to be late.¡±


    Groaning, she got up and glared at the other woman she had the misfortune of sharing quarters with. Not that she could do much about that. Getting a child might help her get better quarters, but she would be stuck with the child. A lot of girls she knew were expecting kids, but she just didn¡¯t feel ready about that herself.


    As if to remind her that others weren¡¯t hung up on it like she was her other roommate shuffled out of bed careful of her own swollen belly. She looked at the woman and then turned back to the roommate who wouldn¡¯t let her sleep. Letting out a breath, she acquiesced. Pulling herself off her bed and standing up in the room she shared with two other girls. It used to be four actually, but Eve moved out last month after she gave birth to a pair of healthy baby girls. Eve had been ecstatic when she learned she was having twins and beyond joyful to move into a family unit with her daughters. Never did tell her who the man was.


    Jan looked around the small room, it had two modest bunks with space for four people, a single shared closet and a desk in the corner. It really wasn¡¯t much of a place, but it was hers. Stripping out of her nightclothes, she tossed them into a hamper in the closet and then grabbed an outfit for the day.  Holding it up in the mirror, she commented, ¡°So, since you are being a pain today. I take it something is up?¡±


    The other girl huffed. ¡°Yeah, something is up. Evelyn yelled at me because you were three hours late yesterday, and four the day before.¡±


    She glared at the girl, ¡°and I told her not to schedule me in the mornings.¡±


    ¡°You know that isn¡¯t how things work. Now get dressed, or I will drag your naked ass...¡±


    ¡°YOU WOULDN¡¯T!¡±


    ¡°I will, now get dressed.¡±


    Begrudgingly she got dressed and trudged after her annoying roommate and coworker. The corridor was rather crowded this time of day so she had to stick close, as men and women flooded the dark, dimly lit corridors. Something she barely thought about these days, but today she was struck by how normal that was becoming to her. Everything was dark around here, space was dark, the ship was dark, the market was dark, even her quarters. The only place you got any real light on this ship was either the observation decks or the gardens. She preferred the gardens, the recreational gardens were nice. Sadly they were also a popular dating spot, so there were plenty of couples around there.


    Before she knew it they were out of the corridors. The market was where she worked, these days it was filled with nice shops where people would trade for goods they needed. It used to be a Requisition and Supply center, directly connected to several cargo bays and filled with offices. The area naturally evolved into the Market, office spaces became shops, and some bays were restructured into trading areas. If she hadn¡¯t been here since the start it would have been hard to say it was ever different. With her coworker close to her, the pair navigated the maze of shops, passing several establishments that offered forms of entertainment, including a theater, before arriving at their destination. Evelyn¡¯s Shop was a two-level establishment focusing on the sale of women¡¯s garments. They supplied everything from panties to dresses.


    Stepping inside she was greeted with racks displaying various dresses. All of them made from synthetic fabrics, the Enterprise was lacking in natural sources. If she glanced at the tags she would have noted the expensive prices. Clothing wasn¡¯t cheap these days, it was hard to manufacture and supply was limited. Jan only had a few outfits herself, nothing like the closet she used to maintain. Not that she could help that anymore. A good meal wasn¡¯t that costly, only about a credit. If she wanted something fancier, she could visit a restaurant and pay three credits for a decent meal. Some of the more exotic stuff could cost more, but most people spent about two credits a day on food.


    In the shop however, you could blow through a month''s budget in the blink of an eye, and end up with only an outfit or two. A pair of panties would typically run about 15 credits, a bra around eighteen, a dress around 25. It added up really fast, honestly. Too fast, but that didn''t mean people couldn¡¯t afford an outfit or two every once in a while. With all the demand, they usually sold a couple hundred outfits a day, more at the end of the month, since that is when people just spend as their credits are about to expire.


    Evelyn spotted her the moment she walked in the door, and with an evil-looking grin she said, ¡°Ah Jan! Glad you could make it in time. Now get your butt to the cashier¡¯s desk. We have a line forming.¡±


    She groaned and made her way to the desk in question. It wasn¡¯t far from the entrance, just a bit to the left, and right in front of the exit. Moving behind the desk she settled into the chair Evelyn kept there. Something she was grateful for. Her old boss on Luna didn¡¯t believe in giving employees chairs.


    Accessing her terminal she logged in and was soon swamped with customers. Sometimes she wondered why people still found credits for clothes when they were so expensive. Then again, it might be a little absurd to just walk down the corridors naked. Jan often checked the prices herself hoping for something more affordable. Not that her income was that bad, she actually made more than what was needed for comfortable living. Being in group quarters also helped with her costs. So she was in the group that could afford an outfit every month. She just wished she could get more, but expiring currency meant scraping and saving didn¡¯t work.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Pushing her thoughts aside, she started taking care of her customers. Running their purchases through the system and noting items as they left inventory. Panties were quite popular these days, they sold more of those than anything else.


    A customer came up to her with a basket containing several pairs. A bit more than the usual. The young lady smiled and placed her basket on the counter, ¡°Hello again Jan. Don¡¯t see you often around this time. How are you holding up these days?¡±


    She smiled at her former roommate, she was a regular. ¡°Well enough. How are the twins?¡±


    ¡°Great! They are with a babysitter right now but let me tell you that half the things you need are expensive. At least some of them are part of the child supplement program. I don¡¯t know what I would do if I actually had to buy two shock-proof cribs.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you need a special crib for your kids, but the council supplies a good one. It¡¯s padded, and comes with its own grav generator and inertial damper, along with an airtight lid and internal life support. I¡¯m kinda jealous actually, my own babies have a better bed than I do. I mean seriously, its way better.¡±


    She giggled, ¡°Oh, Poor Amy.¡±


    Amy gave her a mock glare. ¡°Still got no luck with the boys?¡±


    She gave Amy a mock glare of her own. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you I went on a nice date last week.¡±


    They both laughed and then Jan took the basket and started ringing her up. ¡°So no bras? Not even a dress?¡±


    ¡°I just need a few new pairs of panties. My old ones are getting a little worn. A new outfit would be nice, but I need the panties more.¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I get that. Well that will be 67 credits.¡±


    Amy pulled out her ration card and a second later the transaction was complete. They chatted a bit more and then Amy left. Leaving Jan to her job of selling clothes. Following her was a smaller girl in a torn lab coat who bought a pair of panties, two lab coats and a blouse. No skirt or pants though, making the outfit seem a little incomplete. She figured the girl would be back next month for some pants.


    As she was leaving her coworker came up and commented. ¡°Let me guess, she bought a lab coat, a blouse and maybe some panties, but nothing else.¡±


    Jan nodded, ¡°Why, do you know her?¡±


    ¡°She often comes in the mornings, and always buys a lab coat, but never pants or a skirt.¡±


    ¡°Not one?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    Jan looked at the clock. ¡°I see, well I better get going. It¡¯s time for my break.¡±


    ¡°Be back soon.¡±


    She nodded, left her seat and made her way out of the shop. Stopping along the way to use the bathroom, she soon arrived at one of her favorite places in the market. A lovely restaurant that had a small lamp at each table to help set the mood. They served mostly seafood and pasta, but they also had a few rice dishes.


    As soon as she walked in the door a familiar face greeted her, ¡°Hey Jan, you want your usual right?¡±


    She smiled, she often ordered combo #3 which cost 1.5 credits. A bit pricier than a standard meal from the ship¡¯s mess, but it was worth it in her opinion. She got three pieces of fried fish, with a side of pasta in a red sauce and some greens. There was actually a bit of choice involved with her vegetable and she had her choice of drink.


    After being led to the table, her usual waitress smiled. ¡°Oh, we also have some bread fresh from the oven, would you like some?¡±


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s only half a credit right?¡±


    ¡°Yep, still half a credit.¡±


    Jan knew it was just a side and she would get a couple of slices for that. It was a good deal, especially if it was fresh. Her meal arrived soon after, and she got to relax for a bit as she enjoyed a nice lunch. When she was finished, she paid the two credits she owed before giving the waitress a farewell. Heading back to the shop she worked at. Jan didn¡¯t bother to tip, that used to be common back when currency didn¡¯t expire but these days it was better to leave your impressions via a service survey. It was practically the same thing since how much the waitress got was determined by their performance reviews and what the customers said about them. As usual, she rated the experience highly.


    Reaching the shop, she headed on in. Approaching the desk, she was surprised to see a man there. An older one, purchasing a lab coat of all things, along with a pair of pants. Obviously sized for a small girl. When he turned around she was surprised to recognize the captain.


    After he left, she approached her coworker, ¡°That was the captain wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°He comes in every once in a while. He¡¯s late today.¡±


    ¡°The captain? Buying women¡¯s clothes?¡±


    ¡°Well he ain¡¯t wearing them. Those were a few sizes too small for him.¡±


    Jan said, ¡°He¡¯s a lot smaller in person than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, larger than life figures when you meet them turn out to not be so much larger than life.¡±


    ¡°I never would have called him that, but I get what you mean.¡±


    The rest of the day passed like it always did and before she knew it, she was free for the rest of the day. She considered shopping but instead decided to take a nice walk to the recreational gardens.

 Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Six Two Raids

    May 15th, 003 SDE, Valoria Institute of Advanced Technology


    The Admiral stepped into the office. She had been waiting for a report on this subject for a little over a month. It was supposed to take a week for analysis, but the Institute scientists had finally reported that they had something. Looking around at the messy office, the Admiral addressed the younger female in the room. ¡°So about the Menace armor, what did you find?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more advanced than we first thought. Those energy fluctuations? Well they were a lot more significant than we thought. We found a high correlation with structural fields, but not a perfect match. There were anomalies that required accounting for before we could make any conclusions. In the end, we determined that we¡¯re looking at a highly localized structural field being run through the alien armor plating but not of a form I¡¯m familiar with.¡±


    ¡°A structural field? You mean they are using ship¡¯s power to make their plating tougher?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but their method is far superior to anything we have. We calculated a field strength several hundred orders of magnitude greater than what is typical on a modern starship. The only defensive system that comes close on a modern ship would be her shields. The alien battleship has a defensive structural field similar in strength to a champion class battleship¡¯s main shields. A bit stronger actually.¡±


    The admiral blinked, ¡°Then why haven¡¯t we gotten through?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well I can answer that. Their defenses appear to be regenerative in some fashion. As near as we can tell, the field can recover strength even while under fire. Unlike modern shields they apparently don¡¯t need to reset the field. This means their defense field is a function of available power. I do believe we can now measure the strength of their defenses.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. So we might have been doing more damage than we thought.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you were. That antimatter volley hitting their flagship at checkpoint 34 did a lot of damage, that was a major field fluctuation. Indicating a field strength drop of nearly forty percent.¡±


    The admiral blinked, that wasn¡¯t a small hit. Not by any measure of the word. A couple more hits like that and they would have been doing real damage. ¡°So it¡¯s regenerative, any weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°None that we can find. I¡¯m not even sure where to start. Structural field technology like this is centuries ahead of anything we have, but if I had to guess a highly focused energy burst might penetrate the field. Only other option is to overwhelm it with a lot of high impact energy blasts in a short period of time in order to overwhelm the regeneration. That is the only way to defeat it without relying on them running out of power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll relay this to the fleet. In the meantime keep working on a weakness.¡± She frowned, ¡°Think an ion cannon would have any kind of effect?¡±


    ¡°Not really, I don¡¯t think this field would care about ionization.¡±


    The admiral left the room a while later with a lot on her mind. They had made progress in understanding the menace¡¯s defenses, but there was still a lot left unknown. Yet now she had a glimmer of hope that the alien battleship wasn¡¯t quite as invulnerable as they thought. Even better, she now knew that they had hurt it. It had been pretty demoralizing to see it seemingly shrug off heavy hits like that antimatter bombing run, but now they knew it had done something. Even if it hadn¡¯t looked like it at the time. If that did something it was a simple matter to figure out what to do.


    <hr>


    October 3rd 003 SDE:


    Countryman sighed as he stepped off the lift. The last few months have been difficult for everyone. They had been attacked multiple times by Valorian fleets. The Valorian militarization was also intensifying border conflicts in the area. Long range sensors had witnessed multiple skirmishes between the Valorians and the minor powers in this region. The Wovnar had so far avoided the fighting and were perhaps the only friendly power in the region. There were a few systems in Wovnar territory that could serve to provide shelter for a time, but the Wovnar tech base was too different to provide a reasonable source of resupply. Worse, their presence in a Wovnar system seemed to draw attention if they stayed too long. Countryman didn¡¯t particularly want to embroil them in a conflict not their own.


    Limited opportunities to resupply had led to rising costs for things aboard ship. Essentials like food remained at reasonable credit values, but it was getting harder for people to obtain luxuries. They had managed to salvage or harvest enough deuterium to keep the reserves at an acceptable level. He knew from recent reports that they had recently fallen below fifty percent of capacity. At this rate they would be out of fuel by the end of year, maybe a couple of months after that. Longer if they managed to score a decent haul of additional fuel.


    A short walk later Countryman entered the bridge to find Greyman already there reviewing the logs. ¡°Up early today? Anything interesting happen during the night?¡±


    ¡°From what I can see and was told not really. There is one Valorian convoy on long range sensors. We also received a comm burst at 0400 hours detailing Valorian fleet movements for the next week. The VCS Bountiful Treasure is in the area again, this time with a full combat group including multiple battleships and several fleet carriers. From the sound of things they are going to be hunting for us.¡±


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Another hunt? Wonderful, it seems we are still rather popular. You mentioned a convoy? What are they carrying?¡±


    ¡°Based on our intel? They are primarily transporting refined deuterium from a refinery in grid 23-11 to the outpost we passed three days ago.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Defenses?¡±


    ¡°One squadron of heavy cruisers and about thirty destroyers are running escort. Why? You aren¡¯t thinking of hitting the convoy?¡±


    ¡°Considering it, yes. Considering our reserves and the limited opportunities we have had to refuel lately it might be worth it.¡±


    Greyman frowned, then shrugged, ¡°I guess you are right. If the manifests are right we don¡¯t need the entire convoy either. Even just one transport would buy us several months of distance at current rates.¡±


    The pair were discussing how, when suddenly Misaki interjected, ¡°SIR! That convoy we are tracking is under attack. Multiple ships, signatures are Voskar.¡±


    ¡°Voskar?¡± inquired Countryman not sure why they would be attacking a fuel convoy, but they weren¡¯t a race he knew that well. The Voskar had already attacked them in the past without any provocation. ¡°Intercept course, maximum warp. All hands to Battlestations, charge all particle cannons, load forward torpedoes. All pilots to standby status.¡±


    A chorus of responses came as he gave his orders. The Coto and the Umikaze adjusting course as well. Perhaps this was a mistake, or it was the right course. He would find out soon enough.


    A couple of hours passed before the Enterprise arrived on the scene. As they came out of warp it was a scene of chaos. Multiple transports lay adrift, less than 40,000 kilometers from the Enterprise two Valorian cruisers sat. Their hulls shattered as burning fuel and oxygen leaked into space. Several destroyers were engaged with Voskar stealth cruisers. Right before their eyes one such stealth cruiser took a direct hit from Valorian plasma torpedoes. Its shields buckled instantly and the hull became a brilliant flash of light for several fractions of a second. When the light cleared the ship was gone, nothing remained but molten debris and shattered bulkheads.


    ¡°Keep an eye on the combatants,¡± said Countryman as he picked a nearby transport. Marking it on his console as transport number three.


    ¡°Set course for transport three, one-third sublight power. Prepare boarding parties, and deploy fighter escorts.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir, deploying fighter escorts. Marine contingents have been alerted, boarding parties will be ready shortly.¡±


    ¡°Misaki full scan of transport three, I want to know her full status.¡±


    ¡°They have taken moderate damage, shields are down, main power offline, sublight drives destroyed. Minimal power on all decks, and damage to life support systems has rendered all decks below deck two uninhabitable. Primary storage tanks are intact and I¡¯m reading a full load of refined deuterium.¡±


    ¡°How does her warp reactor look?¡±


    ¡°Stable, there is some damage to the power transfer conduits, but the reactor itself is intact and online.¡±


    ¡°Fuel levels?¡±


    ¡°About 80%,¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Add it to the list of targets. The boarding parties are to secure as much fuel as they can and transfer it back to the Enterprise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they take a few engineers with them.¡±


    His orders given Countryman settled to keep an eye on things. The battle at large wasn¡¯t something he was too interested in, but he did notice that the Voskar seemed focused on a larger transport that he dubbed Transport 23. A ship that the escort fleet seemed especially intent on protecting. To his knowledge, this was just a fuel convoy, and there wasn¡¯t supposed to be anything more than fuel on these ships. Yet it seemed that perhaps there was something more valuable on that particular transport.


    Turning back to Misaki he ordered, ¡°Scan transport 23, high-intensity full scan. Report anything unusual.¡±


    ¡°Scanning, standard class four Valorian fuel carrier. Hmm, that¡¯s odd, she is missing half the usual fuel tanks. In their place appear to be shielded cargo bays. Give me a moment,¡± she paused in her reporting and then spoke again after a moment, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but they seem to be heavily loaded with weapons, configuration unknown.¡±


    A secret weapons shipment? Hmm, no wonder this convoy was attacked, ¡°Detailed scans, I want as much detail as you can get on those weapons.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to organize a boarding party? I think the Coto could board the ship and capture samples.¡±


    Countryman glanced at the battle, ¡°Not at this time. I¡¯d rather not stay too long.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    ¡°If an opportunity presents itself, have the Coto attempt a boarding action, but otherwise focus on sensor scans.¡±


    The orders were acknowledged and moments later the first reports from transport three came in. His landing party had successfully boarded the transport without any opposition. Initial resistance was very light, only a few scattered damage control teams which were lightly armed and poorly coordinated served to offer any resistance after getting aboard.


    Countryman monitored the reports as they came in. The minutes passed slowly but the battle kept distant from them. Just as the away team reported that their main objective was secure, transport 23 made the jump to warp speed. Escaping the combat zone, a moment before one of the Voskar ships had been destroyed. Likely the one maintaining the jamming field, given the obvious escape on transport 23. The battle however seemed to keep going.


    A minute after that, the away team reported they had completed all objectives and were returning to the ship. A couple minutes after that, without any undue incidents they had secured a new supply of deuterium and stole some extra antimatter from a Valorian ship. The moment he was told all craft were secure he gave the order to resume course.

 Chapter One Twenty-Seven Insights

    The Admiral looked over the shoulder of an analyst. On screen, she saw footage playing. Depicting armored men storming down a corridor, while lightly armed security forces attempted to stop them. Plasma rounds splashed harmlessly against armor, as the security troops were gunned down with brutal efficiency.


    She didn¡¯t recognize the armored alien suits, so she inquired, ¡°What are you watching?¡±


    ¡°Footage taken from the Tarnished Jewel, a Class III deuterium transport in convoy 47.¡±


    ¡°I recall hearing that convoy was hit by Voskar raiders.¡±


    ¡°It was, but during the battle the Menace made themselves known and raided the Tarnished Jewel. Giving us a rare look at their ground forces.¡±


    The Admiral nodded along. She knew quite well how rare boarding actions were. Space battles were often fought at ranges in the hundreds of kilometers. At such ranges boarding actions were typically rendered impractical at best, but they were seen more often in police actions. Yet they did sometimes happen during military action, but there were requirements that must be achieved before troops could board a ship. The first was that the target¡¯s shields would have to be knocked out, then one would have to disable the engines and weapons. Once all of that was done there were a few approaches for getting soldiers onboard. Boarding pods, shuttle craft, and straight up docking were all options. Teleportation was still the realm of science fiction, but she was keeping up with the scientists.


    She knew of one project that was looking into it, but they had yet to create anything practical. They did manage to move a piece of fruit a measly meter and a half. That didn¡¯t sound like much, but every previous experiment worked with only a handful of particles, nothing of substantial mass. Sadly it didn¡¯t look like their approach would be of military use, not any time soon and it did have a limitation of requiring a device both at the source and the destination. Based on current theories it seemed that was going to be a requirement for any practical teleporter. Not that it mattered much given current designs could barely move a piece of fruit and took so much energy doing it that it was cheaper and easier to have a Valorian pick it up and carry it to the destination.


    Putting those thoughts aside, she inquired, ¡°Any interesting insights yet?¡±


    ¡°A few, I¡¯ve been studying their hardened exosuits, trying to use the data we have to produce a general outline of their capabilities. Like our own, they appear to be designed to work in exoatmospheric conditions like those found on the transport when this took place. That indicates the presence of independent life support systems, which in turn suggests the possibility of allowing the wearer to survive in a variety of hostile environments. At the very least they would not have to worry about toxic atmospheres.¡±


    She interjected, ¡°Sounds like what you would expect of an exosuit. We design our own for a wide variety of environments. Not every alien breathes the same atmosphere we do.¡±


    ¡°True, but more interestingly their armor exhibits the same energy fluctuations as their ship¡¯s when struck.¡±


    The admiral blinked, ¡°The same???!¡±


    ¡°Exactly the same, the variation was less than a millionth of a percent.¡±


    ¡°But that is impossible, SIF generators are...¡±


    ¡°Huge, yes, but for us. Apparently, our alien menace has figured out how to miniaturize them to fit inside of an armored suit but many other races struggle to do the same with shield generators, but we can do it.¡±


    ¡°Right, anything else of note?¡±


    ¡°Not really, their troops seem well-trained, highly coordinated and brutally efficient. Weapons appear to be based on the same technology as their starship cannons but on a much smaller scale. As you can see, covered positions don¡¯t mean much against them,¡± the analyst paused and skipped ahead to where a security team had deployed portable cover. These were devices that projected a forcefield in front of a hardened barrier to provide protection to the troops behind. A bit expensive really and she recalled that the convoy had been moving a few units of the stuff to certain outposts. ¡°Portable cover however seems to actually help, somewhat. The forcefield was able to stop their small arms, but...¡±


    On screen one of the alien soldiers tossed a grenade and the room lit up as a charged energy pulse ripped through the room. Overloading the shield and frying organic tissue, yet leaving anything structural intact. ¡°Was that?¡±


    ¡°A grenade version of their lightning cannons? From what I can tell, yes, it definitely appears to be based on the same technology.¡±


    The admiral watched the footage play again, while her thoughts raced on the implications. It left her with many questions, but what she had seen was enough to give her worries. If these aliens attacked something more substantial than a transport they might be ill pressed to stop them. ¡°How long did it take them to secure the transport?¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Minutes sir, they were quick, swift and brutal in their execution of the attack. It took the hundred alien marines about fifteen minutes to secure their objectives, drain the fuel and leave.¡±


    She blinked, glanced at the transport¡¯s blueprints and said, ¡°15!!??¡±


    ¡°From the moment they cut through the outer hull, to when they pulled out I counted fifteen minutes thirty-seven seconds. They engaged two damage control teams and three squads of security troops that attempted to stop them totaling thirty-six dead.¡±


    ¡°How? The fuel...¡±


    The analyst forwarded the footage, and showed the aliens simply disconnecting the fuel canisters and carrying them. No sign of special equipment, aside from the plasma cutters they used to widen certain passages. ¡°They seem to be physically stronger than the average Valorian and a good deal faster. Perhaps their homeworld has a higher gravity than Valoria?¡±


    What she saw here was concerning, how concerning she wasn¡¯t sure, but the aliens seemed to be just as potent in boarding actions and by extension ground combat as they were in space combat. That was going to require taking into account with future operations. The clan wanted to capture the alien technology and that meant planning a boarding action.


    Pushing aside those concerns for now, she decided to inquire on more immediate concerns. ¡°Given this attack do we have any updates on the position of the alien taskforce?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we were able to use it and known local factors to narrow their position to one of three possible areas, all within the same sector, the Adioshi sector.¡±


    Mentally she reviewed what she knew about the Adioshi sector. It was a resource-poor region of space along the Valorian Wovnar border, but the area was also plagued by Voskar raiding parties and suspected outposts. There was a stellar nursery in the region as well, which comprised the majority of local stellar resources, but being a stellar nursery also made that part of the sector very dangerous as the dense nebula was often wracked with plasma storms, ion radiation, wavefronts, and even shockwaves caused by stellar formations.


    The military maintained a number of outposts in the sector and two important trade routes ran through the sector bringing much wealth into her own clan from far off parts of the galaxy. What was less well known was that there was a clan controlled outpost on the edge of the Adioshi Nursery that mined valuable and rare ores for the clan, including Erudite, Ephon Crystals, and Tungari. Tungari was a rare ore that formed due to mineral formations being exposed to deep hyperspace conditions, a local hyperspatial fissure being the source of the Tungari there. The material had incredible thermal resilience and was incredibly hard with high tensile strength. It was often used in the manufacture of military-grade armor and advanced alloys like Tritanium. The Krall had a very high demand for the material, but sadly they had their own more local sources and as a result made a poor customer. Regardless, that mine was perhaps the clan¡¯s most profitable endeavor in the entire sector.


    ¡°So what factors did you use?¡±


    ¡°I factored in their known speed, last known position, heading and course. Along with observed course data from the past few months, then I calculated sensor ranges, factoring the alien stealth and correlated possible and known sightings based on time and date. Further narrowing things down by using local stellar phenomena to determine their course and then forecasting possible and known course changes of local shipping by the space storm Arach 117. Since we have had no future sightings since this battle, we have to conclude they are avoiding our outposts and ships.¡±


    ¡°So where are they, and you think Arach 117 would have affected their course?¡± inquired the admiral recalling that Arach 117 was a class II ionic wavefront, more of a nuisance than anything else. The intense ionic radiation of the storm would ionize sensors, and disrupt shield systems. More severe storms could leave ships temporarily powerless and adrift. Warp speed was typically considered inadvisable within a storm due to reduced sensor ranges, but was still possible if required.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe so, but it would have changed merchant shipping patterns. As merchant ships changed course to avoid the brewing storm, we predict they would have likely been driven into the storm. That brings them to one of three locations, Arnium, Telgros, or Yinsha.¡±


    ¡°Telgros? Are you sure about that one?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s one of the possible locations for their battlecarrier and its two escorts.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t good, not good at all. Telgros would put them within striking range of the clan¡¯s most valuable mine. She was going to have to divert ships to the Telgros cluster immediately to defend the clan interests. ¡°You mean battleship.¡±


    ¡°No, Battlecarrier, we have been studying it awhile and comparing her to Krall designs since they seem most comparable. In that light, the ship is surprisingly under-gunned with about half the expected firepower, but she also has those two hangar bays we identified previously. The vessel has also been observed deploying a strike complement comparable to a light carrier. Some still believe the ship to be undergunned but we don¡¯t know enough about menace technology to confirm that.¡±


    ¡°The Krall!? Why are we comparing menace ships to them?¡±


    ¡°Because the Krall are the only other known faction to employ sustained beam weaponry and recent discoveries have made it likely the aliens are more advanced than first believed.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have shields,¡±


    ¡°None worth mentioning anyway, but that isn¡¯t the only measure of technology. They appear to be comparable in technology to ourselves and almost as advanced as the Krall in some areas. Notably they use sustained beam weapons and their ships are remarkably fast. Capable of cruising at warp five, our ships are only now starting to gain that kind of speed. More interestingly is that not only can they cruise at high warp, they don¡¯t show up on long-range sensors. Not the way we would expect, given the heat signatures they should be putting out. In fact their ships are remarkably cold, colder than most Voskar ships in fact, and the Voskar are the foremost experts in cloaking technology in this region of the galaxy. Using those metrics paints a race with technology comparable to most major powers. Yes, they are behind in shield tech, but they are competitive in other areas.¡±


    ¡°Noted.¡± Replied the admiral before she left the room.

 Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight The First Raid

    Telgros; EFS Enterprise, June 24th 003 SDE 0930 hours:


    Countryman settled into his seat, as Reynolds read a pad at a neighboring one. They had convened a meeting of the officer¡¯s council in light of the recent recon report delivered by Beta Squadron, one of several recon flights put together over the last few days. Across from him, Williams was grumbling to herself as usual. ¡°So what do we have?¡±


    Reynolds spoke up, ¡°I think we have all read the material, but just in case. Beta Squadron returned to the Enterprise at 0800 hours concluding a 36 hour recon flight, one of four such flights conducted over the nearby Telgros star system.¡± he paused to tap the holo controls on the table, to project the star map with recent discoveries, ¡°During this recon, they discovered a previously unlisted Valorian outpost at Telgros IV, a rather sizeable one.


    ¡°As we can see here, there is an orbital starbase with docking slips for large cruisers and merchant ships. In addition we found an extensive ground side starport, several large shuttles were seen moving between the orbital and the starport. Local scans revealed several large settlements on the surface, industrial markers indicate this is mainly a mining colony with extensive mines at several locations, the main starport also houses massive metalworks and refinery installations. We also found a large fuel depot in the area with several million liters of deuterium in reserve.¡±


    Williams looking less bored, leaned forward, ¡°Oh? That sounds interesting, we could use more of that. That machine wastes too much of our fuel as it is.¡±


    As she spoke Ruri came in and settled at her own seat. Took a moment to review what was said and then interjected, ¡°We should also look into acquiring the rare materials, Beta squadron reported detecting in the local warehouses, they found Erudite, and Ephon crystals, but more interestingly they picked up the signature of Tungari.¡±


    Frowinging Williams inquired, ¡°Tungari? What is that?¡±


    Countryman answered her, ¡°A material listed in the Krall database, from what I understand it''s basically super-tungsten.The Krall use it in the construction of spaceship hulls and armor alloys. We could certainly use it ourselves, even small stockpiles could prove useful.¡±


    Reynolds nodded, and said, ¡°We could and by the size of these warehouse districts they likely have sizeable amounts.¡±


    Drakes interjected, ¡°So am I to understand that we are all considering a raid? Hitting that transport was one thing, but this would be aggressive action against...¡±


    ¡°We are, and you are right. This would be an act of war too, but we are effectively already at war.¡±


    Williams glared at Countryman, ¡°Your war.¡±


    Ignoring the outburst, Drake asked, ¡°Defenses?¡±


    ¡°Three local cruisers are moored at the starbase, there are three groundside air bases, and the starbase does have several hangars. Estimates indicate about four to five hundred starfighters available to defend. Scans also indicate limited ground shielding in the form of base shields around military installations and the main starport. They are strong enough to withstand a limited orbital bombardment but shouldn¡¯t hamper groundside operations.¡±


    Countryman manipulated the controls to bring up a groundside map, based on the previous flyby by Beta squadron, which showed everything they knew. ¡°Hmm, those shields appear focused on protecting from space, a fighter squadron could fly under them with minimal effort.¡±


    Drakes leaned forward, ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Reynolds nodded, ¡°An orbital bombardment would be quicker, but if we go with an air attack we could conceivably neutralize the ground defenses before we enter orbit.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking along the same lines. A simultaneous air attack against the starbase, and the three air base installations first, should give us orbital control and air supremacy in one stroke.¡±


    Williams frowned, ¡°Why does this sound familiar?¡±


    ¡°Because we have several historical attempts of similar strategies. Some are very famous.¡±


    ¡°Did they work?¡± inquired Williams.


    ¡°Well yes, but if you want a history lesson now isn¡¯t the time.¡±


    The meeting soon shifted to discussing battle tactics, and combat planning. All seventy-two strike craft in the fleet were planned for use. That included the sixty 1204 starfighters and the 1208 Sparrow bombers. In addition, they started preparing 1205 in gunship and light bomber configurations. The Enterprise had three hundred and forty X-1205 assault shuttles, far more than it had strike craft. That would help immensely with the ground attack mission. There was some debate on how many to outfit for bombing missions. In the end, they decided on three hundred light bombers and forty gunships. With the gunships carrying the secondary mission of conducting aerial insert missions. Each gunship was going to carry a single squad of marines for airdrop. Those marines were to secure ground objectives, deny key points, and prepare for the main ground landings.


    The initial wave would be rather limited, but they knew that troops behind enemy lines could inflict considerable damage even in small numbers. History proved it time and time again from various conflicts in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and onward into the twenty-second. The second wave however would need to be more substantial as by then ground batteries and shields would be on alert, so for best effect the first wave troops would need to take out planetside guns that could threaten the landings. Once neutralized and the Enterprise is in orbit, the main landing could take place.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    They identified several promising sites and debated extensively on the pros and cons of each location. While also discussing what forces would be employed in the main landing. The Enterprise had a reasonably large number of troops. By design, she had been intended to carry around 1200 tanks, eighty scorpion battle platforms, and enough auxiliary vehicles for a troop complement of 20,000. Some of that had been missing at launch, but he did have the full complement of 1200 tanks, and Scorpions. He¡¯d left them in reserve, most of the shortages were actually in trained troops, but plenty of people had volunteered. Now after three years he had about 10,000 elite soldiers along with an additional 10,000 trained volunteers. If needed there were plenty more with at least basic training in the use of light weaponry and armor. Many civilians felt the need to feel useful, like they could do something, so they were allowed basic military training. It had done wonders for on ship security, discipline and morale.


    As the topic of Scorpions came up, Richards interjected, ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think we can deploy that many of them.¡±


    General Forrest, leader of the ground forces inquired, ¡°Why not?¡±


    She scratched her ear awkwardly, ¡°Well um... I may have used some of their parts in repairs for other systems.¡±


    Gazes looked around the room, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Um, we can deploy five, give me some time and I can maybe get another five ready.¡±


    Williams rounded on the Engineer, ¡°What possessed you to take apart potentially useful equipment!?


    ¡°Hey!? In my defense we haven¡¯t really used them in the three years since we left Earth and they are big machines full of useful spare parts.¡±


    Forrest inquired, ¡°Did you also touch the tanks?¡±


    ¡°Um, not yet.¡±


    ¡°But you were going to?¡±


    She nodded, Williams groaned, ¡°Great you are almost as bad as the Machine. What if we needed them?¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°Do you think you can make do with ten instead of twenty Scorpions for the perimeter?¡±


    ¡°It will be harder, but yes we can make do. At least we have the tanks, but in light of the reduced Scorpion presence, I will want an extra artillery division, and two more flights of X-1205 light bombers, and one extra flight of X-1205 gunships on station for air support.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like we have a plan.¡± Then, turning to Richards, ¡°and Richards in the future I would like you to consult me before you start dismantling potentially vital equipment.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡¯ was the response.


    <hr>


    Telgros; 1300 hours Enterprise time, local time: 2200 hours; Airbase Hesa:


    Dumping half her clothes on the floor the pilot spoke to her roommate, ¡°So what do you think?¡±


    Her roommate yawned, ¡°That you are an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why?  I just want off this dull god forsaken rock where nothing happens.¡±


    ¡°Which is exactly why you are an idiot. It¡¯s the people who see action that end up dead. Trust me, this dull place is the best. Free food, an easy paycheck, and a great bed, what¡¯s not to like?¡±


    The woman groaned, ¡°Everything! It¡¯s too fucking...¡±


    Suddenly a siren went off. For a moment she didn¡¯t know what that meant and then something exploded. Just before someone shouted over the base speakers, ¡°Combat alert! This is not a drill, all hands report to your combat stations immediately. Repeat this is not a drill!¡±


    She glanced at her roommate who was already slipping into her combat uniform. Her roommate glared at her, ¡°Well you wanted action, you got it!. Now get dressed!¡±


    Hurriedly she grabbed her discarded clothes and slipped back into them, hopping out the door as she struggled to get her boot back on. Minutes later she made it out of the barracks just as alien shuttles were flying overhead. She didn¡¯t recognize the design, but she had very little time to think.


    In the next moment, the bellies of several craft lit up, before flinging glowing blue projectiles into the hangers arrayed on the other side of the base. Then her world erupted in fire and smoke, heat brushed her skin, and then she found herself peeling herself off a wall, her back aching. Someone helped her, the man was speaking but her ringing ears didn¡¯t register the words, she nodded regardless. As several alien fighters strafed the runway, and airstrip. Blue energy bolts tore into the pavement and shredded fighters as they sat still on the ground. For a moment she was reminded of ancient air wars and the horrors pilots faced when caught on the ground.


    A weapon was pressed into her hand, as she saw several men make for one of the anti-air batteries. Just before an alien shuttle tore into it with a focused barrage of blue energy pulses. Elsewhere a few panicked men fired their rifles uselessly into the sky, as she stood there for a moment trying to make sense of the chaos. Idly she noticed the shield was still up as she finally realized that she needed to get into the air. Breaking into a run, she headed south towards a hardened hanger that hadn¡¯t been hit yet.


    Her mind finally registering the active shield above her, started connecting the dots. The shield was meant to stop things like this, it was powerful enough to withstand even orbital bombardment for a short time, but evidently no one ever considered an old fashioned air raid using low yield bombs and pulse cannons.


    In front of her another set of bombs slammed into a set of hangers, leaving only shattered metal and a gaping hole in the ground but this time she was ready for it and wasn¡¯t flung into a wall. The young pilot kept going, just as she noted the sound of Anti air batteries firing. To the left she noted someone had gotten one of the plasma missile banks up, and they were firing missiles at the attacking aircraft.


    One of the alien shuttles turned, her belly started to glow and then she spat blue death at the plasma missile battery. Fire and thunder dominated her senses for a moment and when things cleared nothing but shattered metal and charred corpses were left of the battery. For a moment she was wondering what kind of nightmare she was in, but that didn¡¯t stop her.


    Seeing the open door to the hanger, a man waving her in she doubled her speed in a quick burst. Diving inside, just as alien pulse fire strafed the runway outside. Inside the building shook, as something hit it, but the local hanger shield held. Her roommate found her a moment later.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± she inquired of the older pilot.


    ¡°Not sure, but from what I can gather the other two air bases have also been hit and the local starbase is occupied defending against a fighter and bomber attack of their own.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound very reassuring, but before she could ask more a helmet was shoved into her arms, ¡°Come on, we need to get into the air before they completely level the base.

 Chapter One Twenty-Nine Air War

    Telgros Starbase; June 24th 003 SDE,  1314 hours:


    The room shook as the commander stepped into the command center with one boot still in her hands for it had stubbornly refused to fit on her foot today. Sometimes she wondered if the Wovnar had the right idea about walking around naked. It was certainly easier than struggling with this damn uniform every day. Shaking the thoughts aside as the floor rocked beneath her again, she barked, ¡°Report!¡±


    ¡°We are under attack!¡±


    ¡°I know that much! By who, how many, what damage have they done, has anyone even charged the pulse cannons?¡±


    ¡°Defense batteries one and two have been destroyed, both lower hanger decks have been hit, we have lost shields for sections A-23 through G-47. The cruiser Cali¡¯s Treasure was torpedoed in her slip, she has lost all power and was forced to dump her antimatter reserve to prevent loss of containment. As for the other two cruisers, the Pride of Terimai is preparing to launch but is under heavy fire while the Dawn¡¯s Jewel was torpedoed two minutes after she left her slip as scheduled for anti pirate patrol. She has taken heavy damage, but did manage to get her shields up.¡±


    The floor rocked again, and someone shouted, ¡°We just lost defense battery number four!¡±


    As she drew closer to the tac plot, she noted that down but didn¡¯t know what to say. Not yet, she was still trying to get up to speed on her current situation. By now it was obvious that someone had snuck up on the base without being detected. ¡°Get reinforcements from Telgros, we need fighter cover,¡± she ordered, having made that determination based on what she saw on the plot.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t, they are being hit by alien fighter craft as well.¡±


    She mentally cursed as she turned to the screens just in time to watch an alien fighter start strafing the stricken cruiser Cali¡¯s Treasure. Without shields, the heavy energy bolts tore into the hull like it was little more than wet tissue paper. Compartments ruptured with explosive force with each blast, as charred equipment and broken bodies were blown out into space. Nearby one of the defense batteries rotated and opened fire on the fighter with a mix of plasma pulses and short-range plasma missiles. Several missiles slammed into a weird grid-like shield of red energy that just appeared moments before impact, while the pulses harmlessly sailed into space.


    The fighter came about with grace and agility, her forward ports glowed and large blue bolts sailed from her. The floor rocked, as they hit the defense battery, the local shield flaring uselessly. ¡°Defense battery 14 destroyed!¡±


    Again she cursed, this wasn¡¯t good. They were under heavy attack by multiple enemy fighters and the shield grid wasn¡¯t helping. Worse, the attack had already hit the hangers. Her mind raced as it recalled their defenses, they had 34 defense batteries and four heavier anti-ship batteries. The defense batteries were weapon pods mounted on pylons for maximum weapons coverage. Each pod had half a dozen type twenty-six light pulse cannons which took advantage of a starbase power plant to maintain a rapid rate of fire, with a yield and range comparably higher than standard light pulse cannons. They were effective against most smaller vessels including frigates, corvettes, and fighters.


    In addition to the cannons, were eight type fourteen plasma missile projectors, which fired tracking plasma rounds that could home in on most fast craft at ranges up to five hundred thousand kilometers. Again thanks to the advantages of a starbase power plant allowing for the creation of a highly stable and contained plasma projectile. Again they were intended for use against lighter vessels.


    For use against capital ships, she had the four anti-ship batteries, each mounted on the end of one of the four main docking arms, near the cruiser class docking slips. Those batteries consisted of one hundred and twenty type five heavy pulse cannons, forty Class XII plasma torpedo projectors and one Concussion Shock Cannon, often just called concussion cannons. The spatial flux pulse they fired produced a massive kinetic shockwave that could rip ships apart, making them very powerful if power-hungry anti-ship weapons. They were also bulky, which is why she had so few, half the projector assembly ran the length of the docking arms. Those four cannons were also her main defense against heavy capital ships. However, the plasma torps were also very effective against cruiser-class ships and above.


    From the sound of it the big guns hadn¡¯t been hit yet, they had lost fighter capability, several defense batteries and the ships in port were being peppered with particle bolts and torpedoes. She turned, ¡°You said the lower hangers were hit? How bad was it? Can we launch any fighters?¡±


    The woman who reported shook her head, ¡°No, the bays were hit with over a dozen photon bombs and torpedoes. The doors were blown open into space, we don¡¯t know if anything or anyone survived.¡±


    She cursed as she turned to communications, ¡°Send out a broadband distress call to any ships in...¡±


    The communications officer frowned, ¡°We are receiving a communique from fleet command, warning us to be on alert for Menace ships.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The timing was so absurd that she couldn¡¯t help herself, the station commander started laughing. ¡°A little late, I think they are currently,¡± she glanced at the display just as the floor shook, ¡°um, blowing up defense battery seventeen.¡±


    Taking a breath, she composed herself, ¡°Tell fleet command that I am not impressed and demand immediate reinforcement.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡± came the reply as the floor shook again, this time far more violently. She blinked and turned to engineering.


    Her mouth opened but she was getting a report before she could even finish her first word.


    ¡°Main Docking Arm Beta has been destroyed, and the cruiser Cali¡¯s Treasure is gone.¡±


    She glanced at the screens where she could see the broken remains of the arm, with it destroyed they had lost several defense batteries, a shield generator and one of their four main anti-ship batteries. Quietly she inquired, ¡°Shield status?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m reading significant fluctuations in the main shields, grid strength is down sixty-eight percent, gaps are forming in sections...¡±


    Just then someone reported, ¡°Sir I am detecting another ship.¡±


    She turned just in time to see a Menace Destroyer on the screens. Her beam array fired, lancing the stricken Dawn¡¯s Jewel, her shields flared but failed to stop the beam. The concentrated particles burned through the hull in seconds, sections ruptured and the shields flickered before failing. The moment they did, the beam erupted from the other side of the ship as she carved deep into the vessel, slowly passing a line from bow to stern as the destroyer flew past.


    Escape pods started launching into space, she glanced at her officers, but there wasn¡¯t anything they could do. No guns could fire in that quadrant, they had no fighters in the air and their defenses were in shambles. Helpless, they could only watch as the Dawn¡¯s Jewel was cut in half by an alien beam weapon. The sight merely confirmed something she had already suspected, this was merely the start to something bigger. In the next moment the Destroyer turned its terrible weapon on the station. Just as a number of alien fighters started unleashing their payloads on Main Docking Arm Gamma. The station shuddered, alarms blared, and the arm came apart, while Alpha was lacerated from the far end, to the point it connected to the station core in a matter of seconds. Explosions rippled across the length of the arm as systems failed. Several blue bursts lit the alien hull as torpedoes sailed from the destroyer in the same moment hitting the last cruiser just as she was finally pulling away from the station. In an instant the Pride of Terimai was gone with all hands.


    A lump formed in her throat as someone told her, ¡°Shields are down.¡±


    The station shuddered as alien bombs slammed into the last docking arm, nearby the engineering panel blinked red. The defense pods were shattered, the docking arms destroyed, the hangers blown open. It was then that a much larger alien ship came into view, her hangers open as small craft swarmed out of the bays, while others began to return. It was the so far unseen carrier, not that she could do anything about it. She had no weapons, shields were down, fighter craft gone and reinforcements were nowhere to be seen. The commander didn¡¯t even know what she could have done better. Glancing at the clock it read, 2221 hours. 21 minutes had passed since the alarms woke her up in her bed. Slumping into her chair, she thumbed a button. A recording began to play, new alarms blared but she made no move to leave her command center. Her life was over. Someone tried to pull her out of her seat, but gave up a minute later and ran for the escape pods.


    <hr>


    Telgros; 1322 hours Enterprise time, local time: 2222 hours; Airbase Hesa:


    The pilot cursed as her ejection system engaged. They had managed to get into the air despite the damage to the base, but these alien fighters were something else. There were only a couple of them here, most of the attackers were in those combat shuttles bombing the base. Yet even those weren¡¯t easy to deal with. Worse, she had gone down without a single air kill, but she hoped she managed to buy some time.


    Elsewhere she watched a fighter carreen into the ground and erupt into a small fireball. That was the last thing she saw before her little ejection pod hit the ground. Her seat shook as the damper engaged, keeping her safe as the pod came to a rest. For a moment she just sat there in her pod, trying to work out what went wrong, but she already knew. There were just too many enemies, and they were too well-equipped. Reaching under her seat, she pulled out the survival pack, and a weapon which she promptly holstered on her hip. Taking a breath she pulled the hatch, and climbed out of her ejection pod. Glancing around, she noted that she wasn¡¯t far from the base. Maybe a kilometer south, but from here she could see the flames. Entire sections were nothing but rubble and craters.


    For a moment she looked for that hardened hanger she had taken shelter in before getting in a plane. Only to find it wasn¡¯t there anymore. Where it was supposed to be was another crater. Only one thought crossed her mind, did anyone make it out? She looked but didn¡¯t see anything. The base was strangely silent, most of the structures reduced to broken concrete and metal. She was staring at a ruin with only a few buildings left standing, but it didn¡¯t seem they would hold much longer. Several alien shuttles flew over the main shield complex, pounding it with bombs. Already she could see the structure beginning to buckle, while the shield over the base was evidently gone. It was painfully obvious the base was lost.


    Shouldering her survival pack, she made her way away from the pod. She couldn¡¯t stay here, with that in mind, she took one last look at the base before walking away from it. Recalling protocols she figured that anyone else who survived would attempt to link up at Rula. It was a smaller garrison town between Hesa and Port Yular. Rula wasn¡¯t just a garrison though, it was also a checkpoint through which goods flowed from the mining towns to the ports. The fact that it sat on the banks of the Uriga River may have had something to do with it. The waters at Rula were calm and gentle, making it easy to build a major bridge there.


    It occurred to her that the aliens might try to take the bridge. There were tactical and strategic benefits to holding the bridge. Which gave her all the more reason to get there quickly. Everyone would be needed to help.

 Chapter One Thirty Reports from Telgros

    June 24th 003 SDE,  1335 hours; 35 minutes since the first attacks began:


    The admiral was silent for a moment as she sat at her desk. Digesting what she had just been told. Telgros was under attack. According to reports, menace fighters launched simultaneous attacks against all three ground air bases and the local starbase. As near as she could tell the Menace had achieved in less than twenty minutes total orbital and air supremacy over Telgros. Such an action could only mean one thing. Yet she was left with a question, why of all places did they pick Telgros?


    In any case, she couldn¡¯t allow this to stand. She had already sent the 149th fleet to reinforce Telgros, but that was before she had heard of the attack. It didn¡¯t help that her warning to the outpost had arrived too late for them to do anything meaningful. Perhaps if it had been earlier the alien attack would not have been so damaging. At least, not so quickly and decisively.


    Pulling out a map of the local surface, defense garrisons and installations. She started considering how the colony could hold, long enough for the fleet to arrive. The longer they held, the easier it would be to repulse and dislodge the enemy. Letting them take the colony would be unacceptable. Glancing to her aid, she inquired, ¡°to confirm, only the air bases have been hit. The ground side defenses remain largely intact?¡±


    ¡°So far, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before other installations are hit.¡±


    She looked at the map. The port itself was the most heavily defended site on the colony. It was protected by ground shields, surrounded by a security net, and was protected by multiple fortified gun batteries. 14 batteries were inside the port itself and capable of ground-to-space fire. These gun banks contained three concussion cannons, and forty heavy pulse guns. More than enough to tear into most capital ships. There were also plasma missile launchers and light pulse cannon emplacements in the port.


    Outside the port was a perimeter of sixty additional heavy gun batteries, and along with two hundred lighter emplacements. More than most colonies might have, but a sign of how much the clan valued the colony at Telgros. It was an important source of wealth, and the vast warehouses at the port stored vast quantities of valuable minerals at any given time. There were also nearly a hundred thousand Confederation troops on the planet as part of the garrison, plus an additional two hundred thousand on the clan Minara¡¯s payroll. Troops loyal directly to the clan. All to protect the nearly three million people there and the investment the clan had made in Telgros. The colonies primary industry was mining, with a secondary industry in refining, but there were plenty of other jobs to fill to support those industries. The local port required fuel to supply the transports, fighters and cruisers that visited the colony. As such there were deuterium refineries on the planet, which needed workers to operate, people to maintain them, and people making parts to keep them running. All those workers also needed food, and Telgros had plenty of fertile land to farm. It was a growing colony, with room for more. The clan even had plans for another wave of colonists to expand the industry.


    The big question was where the aliens would land. The port was ideal for landings since it was designed to accept huge numbers of large shuttles every day, but it was also the most heavily protected site on the planet. Obviously, the aliens would seek to take control of the port quickly, but it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be the site of initial landings. If they wanted it, they likely wouldn¡¯t bomb it too heavily, as they would want to make use of the port. Given those assumptions, she tried to figure out where the aliens would land.


    As she was looking, she noticed a site to the south, not far from the destroyed Airbase at Hesa. Hesa had been picked as an Airbase given the calm local weather and relatively flat geography. Yet those same conditions made the area ideal for the construction of a spaceport, just like the one at Yular. If she was going to land troops it would be here, the open area would be hard to defend, especially from the air, but since Hesa was already neutralized that was irrelevant. With air superiority, they would be able to land largely unopposed and the lack of air cover would ensure they could do so without worry. Yet that left issues with approaching the port, as there would be a river between the landing zone and the port.


    Still it was a thought, although perhaps not one she had to be too worried about. It was the generals on the ground that would have to decide how to defend against this invasion of Valorian soil. In the meantime, she would have to consider what options she had to buy time for the reinforcements to arrive. To that end she checked ship positions in the area and noticed that task force 97 was in range, the lead ship was the VCS Bountiful Treasure. One of the few ships shown to be able to compete with the alien vessels. Still it would take her over a day to reach the system, but still faster than the week and a half for the main force she had sent before the attack.


    <hr>


    Telgros: Township of Rula; June 25th, 003 SDE, 0230 hours:


    The grounded pilot stepped off the back of the truck she had managed to board on the way to Rula. Alongside her were a few other survivors from the attack at Hesa. Her roommate wasn¡¯t one of them, and she was a bit worried that she might not find them. Well former roommate anyway, her quarters were a pile of rubble by now.


    They hadn¡¯t yet reached Rula, but the truck wasn¡¯t going to go further. They were out of gas, but at least the town was in sight. She looked out over the town. Where she could see several columns of smoke rising from the town. Beyond the buildings the wide gentle banks of the river could still be seen and from the look of it the bridge was fine. She couldn''t help but conclude that the town had been bombed, but unlike the base, it seemed to have avoided the worst of it. Seeing as the town was still there.


    A soldier stepping out of the truck commented, ¡°I guess it was too good to hope that Rula wouldn¡¯t be hit.¡±


    ¡°At least the town seems to still be here.¡±


    ¡°We better get into town then, we know the truck ain¡¯t going anywhere. Not unless someone has a hydrogen cell in their pack they didn¡¯t tell anyone about.¡±


    There were a couple of laughs, but no one turned up any fuel for the truck. So they had to walk the rest of the way to town. Thankfully they ran out of fuel in sight of the town and someone came to meet them about halfway there.


    A young man stepped out of the vehicle that came their way. He forced a smile, ¡°Welcome to Rula. I hope you brought some good news.¡±


    She shared a look with the others, ¡°Well Hesa got bombed and from the look of it so did Rula. At least the town still seems to be here.¡±


    The man sighed, ¡°Alien shuttles strafed the town late last night. Of course that was the distraction.¡±


    ¡°Distraction?¡±


    ¡°Alien troops captured the bridge and blew up the heavy anti-air battery on the west side of town. Amazingly we have had surprisingly few civilian deaths despite the rain of fire on the town.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Someone asked, ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°An old man, father of three young girls, a member of the Wright clan. He was a teacher, age 73. He was out by the bridge, teaching a young woman how to fix some mechanism.  The other man who died was a bartender, no known children, age 39. In his case, he was walking home when a panicked young driver swerved onto the sidewalk, killing the bartender and injuring two others.¡±


    That did seem fairly light. She would have expected more, the base had been hit hard and here the town seemed to have only lost a couple of unlucky guys. It didn¡¯t seem right.


    She spoke up, ¡°have you heard anything from the other air bases? The port? The starbase?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing, but long-range comms are out. Tower¡¯s fine, but we aren¡¯t getting anything more than static.¡±


    Jamming? Why would they be... unless? She took a look around, ¡°We need to get into town fast. Something is up.¡±


    <hr>


    Telgros: Township of Rula; June 25th, 003 SDE, 0243 hours:


    The young pilot looked out the window. From here she could see the bridge quite clearly. It was a wide bridge forged of polished metal and painted in bright colors. On either side of the bridge were several buildings clustered near the bridge. On the nearside of the bridge there was even a tower, at least five floors tall.


    At the moment she could see that the brave infantry were making an attempt to retake the bridge. Several squads were pinned behind some barricades as they slowly returned fire, but they didn¡¯t seem to be making much progress. Notably due to a heavy weapon mounted in the tower. The air buzzed with the whine of energy weapon discharges from both sides.


    She looked away, a question on her lips, but before she could say anything another voice spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. I mean why take a bridge of all things?¡±


    The pilot silently agreed, she didn¡¯t like this either. Nothing here felt right. A sudden boom silenced the room before the conversation could really get started. She looked out the window, but the battle below was unchanged. Blue bolts of energy flared from the invader¡¯s positions. Keeping the stalwart defenders bogged down and unable to reclaim lost ground. The bridge didn¡¯t even look to have been damaged either. There was no sign of a boom.


    Another soon echoed, just as someone ran into the room, shouting ¡®We are under attack!!!¡±


    Well that was rather obvious. Hesa was a crater, alien soldiers were on the bridge and several buildings were on fire. By this point you would have to be oblivious to not know the colony was under attack. A third boom shook the room, just to make that point. By now she was pretty sure the aliens were bombing something, even if she couldn¡¯t see it. Something reasonably close by from the sound of it.


    <hr>


    Telgros, High Orbit, EFS Enterprise, Lower War Room 0300 hours:


    Forrest looked up when the door opened to admit the captain of all people. He blinked, not expecting him at this hour. ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep, sir?¡±


    ¡°Actually I was up late dealing with all the paperwork. Figured I would check in with you before going to bed. Thankfully, I can operate on low sleep thanks to my implants. Don¡¯t know what I would do without them.¡±


    ¡°Drink coffee, or whatever that sludge we get served instead is?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°That never worked for me. Anyway I was more interested in the campaign than talking about morning rituals.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite happy with our men so far. Operation Crippled Eagle went perfectly, all three enemy air bases were neutralized and the threat of the local starbase eliminated. Secondary objectives were secured or eliminated as required and we now hold several key points for the next phase of the campaign. Operation Silent Panther is progressing slower than I would have liked, but I am pleased to report that Alpha Division has successfully landed.¡±


    Countryman nodded, he recalled that the chain of command had divided the forces onboard into several commands. The twenty thousand soldiers they had were split into two divisions, Alpha and Beta, with each division containing two Regiments, which were in turn made of five Battalions, which were composed of four companies each. A company was then further broken into fifty-man units referred to as Platoons, which could break down further into squads. The last of which was the only division that didn¡¯t really refer to a set number of men. Although they did at least fit a certain range depending on duties. Countryman recalled that they had deployed a single company of marines to the surface for the initial attack and not all at once. The gunships had inserted a single squad at a time, at designated locations, while conducting attacks in several waves.


    ¡°Excellent, was Richards able to get the required Scorpions ready in time for the deployment?¡±


    ¡°She was, I¡¯ve attached ten Scorpions, and six hundred Raptor tanks to Alpha division. All ten of the Scorpions have been outfitted for long-range artillery support. In addition to them, I have attached about a thousand supply trucks, and fifty mobile artillery batteries. Along with a number of armored half tracks for mech speed.¡±


    ¡°Caliber?¡±


    ¡°178-millimeter Photon shells, same caliber as those carried by the Scorpion.¡±


    ¡°What about lighter combat vehicles? Any ST-42s? Or ARV-22s?¡±


    ¡°Yes to both, attached to the division¡¯s recon elements. I also assigned a few ST-42 scout tanks to help protect the larger half-tracks.¡±


    He nodded along, understanding why. The ST-42 could transport a single squad and their supplies. Allowing it to serve as a light transport, but it was more there for rapid response. Giving a commander an option to move troops to a trouble area quickly and bring with them a capable fire support platform.


    The ARV-22 Sentry on the other hand, was a cheap fast vehicle with light armor and a single heavy weapon mount. It was versatile and great for scouting out and probing enemy positions. Just not much more, it had seats for three people. More importantly it had a protected heavy weapon mount, which would keep the gunner safe from most small arms. He knew it was also a very popular light vehicle and some commanders had made great use of it for more than just recon.


    ¡°Sounds good. I look forward to the progress report.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when Alpha division takes the port. Right now they are marching north, the first recon elements are reaching a township called Rula by the locals now.¡±


    ¡°I recall we identified an important crossing point there.¡±


    ¡°Yes a major bridge that would allow us to cross the river more quickly and easily than in other locations. Taking Rula would save us a few hours on the march to the port.¡±


    Countryman recalled that in the past it could have been more, but the advent of Hover technology allowed the creation of vehicles that could cross a river much more easily than the wheeled vehicles of the past. Yet bridges were still pretty vital since it wasn¡¯t easy for troops to cross a river, even with modern armored suits. Although the suits did help, it was better for troops to be ferried across by vehicles or marched across a bridge. The biggest delay if they lost the bridge however, would be the logistics train. They were heavy vehicles, designed to carry a lot of cargo for the troops, but they weren¡¯t able to cross a river as easily as a modern tank or transport vehicle. They would need a bridge to cross, there just wasn¡¯t any way around it.


    Forrest changed the subject, ¡°On a different note, what do we plan to do when we pull out? I¡¯ve seen the survey reports, this place is a treasure trove.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to discuss it with Ruri. I¡¯m leaning towards making another attempt at her orbital mining project.¡±


    He blinked, ¡°Destroying the planet might be a bit much.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, it would seem that way indeed. He spent a little longer discussing the idea before leaving the room. It was late after all.

 Interlude Sol Refuge: Powered Assault Armor

    By now we are likely somewhat familiar with this technology. Powered assault armor functions on the same basic principles as starship overlord armor but has been miniaturized to protect a single soldier. However different materials are in use. Instead of the heavy Titan alloy, these suits use a much lighter polymer blend to make up the armored plating that protects the wearer.


    The plates are also laminated, coated with a thin layer of metal and then integrated with AIF and energy absorber circuitry and left floating on top of a layer of advanced shock gel, with a special nano weave under that. The result is a strong layered protection against incoming attacks, even without power the wearer benefits from a decent degree of protection. The AIF field running through the plates helps ensure most small arms fail to breach the suit, turning the wearer into a walking tank. Naturally, this setup also ends up as reasonably thick and if you aren¡¯t careful can end up rather bulky.


    The innermost layer of the suit¡¯s protection, the nano weave, is a carefully constructed layer of artificial fibers, circuitry and sensors. It functions like an advanced form of kevlar, preventing rounds from penetrating the wearer''s body and dissipating the thermal shock of an energy blast. The integrated sensors in this layer are also used to monitor the general health of the wearer and report that data to a control computer mounted in the user¡¯s helmet, where it can be displayed on their HUD. Furthermore, suits of the type also included an emergency medical system that will deploy medical nanites and stimulants as required to keep the wearer in the fight. This system is able to handle a wide variety of battlefield injuries and is also able to keep critically injured soldiers alive for several hours. Although such soldiers may require the use of a nano-bath before they can fight again.


    Also part of the innermost layers of the suit are the synthetic muscles. These are composed of advanced circuitry and special fibers that serve to enhance the wearer¡¯s capabilities. Allowing for incredible displays of speed and strength. Trained soldiers in a suit have been noted to lift or even throw lighter vehicles and tests have found a consistent lift capacity of nearly twenty tons and double that with the newer mark IV suits. While also allowing them to run nearly as fast as some vehicles. Mark III suits have been shown to allow people to run at nearly thirty-two kilometers per hour more than double what the fastest runners can achieve unassisted, while the newer Mark IV suits promise roughly triple that with a consistent test of ninety kilometers per hour. Fast enough to outrun some of the fastest predators on Earth, at least the ones that can¡¯t fly that is.


    The next part to cover is the shock gel, this stuff is also used in starship armor. It¡¯s normally a very solid layer but when struck it ripples distributing the energy of an incoming strike over a much larger area and away from the wearer¡¯s vitals. Energy absorber circuits further aid the process by shunting energy away from the layer and back into the armor¡¯s AIF.


    The AIF or armor integrity field functions much the same as it does in starship armor. It serves to harden or enhance the integrity of the suit. Allowing the armored plates to better withstand the stresses they are subjected too, while also absorbing a portion of any incoming energy blast. The combination of these two critical factors allow the armored suit to absorb nearly any attack. At least when it comes to small arms.


    Like any form of protection, if you throw enough energy at it, you are bound to do some damage. The armor has in the past proven susceptible to sustained energy beams, high energy blasts and heavy bombardment. The HUD serves to alert the wearer of the AIF¡¯s integrity and also monitors things like how much power their suit has left and their weapon status. Tactical sensors and integrated comms on the suit also allow for a tactical display that reveals the locations of nearby allied units and spotted enemy units. Allowing the wearer to keep better track of potential threats, and know if their armor is about to fail.


    Moving on, power like any powered suit, a source of energy is required to run the thing. While an integrated reactor would be ideal, the technology to allow for a micro reactor in something as small as a powered assault armor suit doesn¡¯t exist. Instead these suits rely on high density energy cells, in effect batteries. These are packed into armored power packs that supply sufficient energy for several hours of operation. By design these packs can be swapped in the field with the appropriate tool to allow for additional operation time, or can be plugged into any vehicle with a power plant to recharge. Wireless charging is only possible with packs that have been removed from the suit. Power packs come in two types, first and second generation Archer series cells, but the original Archer type has largely been phased out in favor of the enhanced versions developed on the Enterprise.


    Powered assault armor has been around for a while, with a total of four generations to date. Not counting the generation zero platforms that preceded it, as they are not true examples of powered armor. Currently, the Enterprise crew has both generation three and four examples available for its military and security personnel.


    The basic technology between the two generations remains the same, but gen four provides superior strength, mobility and protection to the wearer but draws more power from the battery. Giving the mark III versions better endurance as a result.


    Regardless of generation, the suits currently in use can be divided into three major categories. The first category to cover is often referred to as either light or recon powered armor.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Armor of this variant is typically built lighter with less protection and a focus on mobility and stealth. Suits in the category often include camouflage features and electronic cloaking. Allowing a soldier to more easily avoid detection from potential hostiles, while the lighter weight along with special changes to the muscle layer result in lighter quieter steps.


    While many different versions of recon armor have been produced for various militaries since the inception of powered armor, the Enterprise forces only make use of a handful.First on the list is the Star Tech Industries Panther Recon Mk III.


    The Panther Recon, features a full camo suite, including computer-controlled refractive surfaces, em shielding, and sensor-damping materials included in the makeup of the armor. The armor is remarkably light, weighing in at just shy of forty kilograms. Less than half what most conventional armor designs would weigh. The suit provides the standard measure of enhancement, includes a medical suite and is capable of independent life support, but its protection is modest at best. Most light pistols and rifles can be blocked by the plating, but any heavier weapon will punch right through. Like most recon armor formats, it¡¯s best to avoid being in the line of fire while wearing a suit.


    Recently, Enterprise labs have produced a Mark IV version which maintains the stealth features, but features improved life support systems, much improved speed enhancements and protection. The more powerful batteries also allow for it to function a few hours longer than the Mk III did with standard batteries.


    Next on the list of lighter armor suits, is the Delta III. Also produced by Star Tech, the Delta series was designed first and foremost as a hardened environmental suit, allowing a wearer to survive in a variety of environments. The Delta III unlike the Panther is not intended for use by recon units and as such stealth features were not included. This allowed the suit to be more durable than the Panther line. Delta series suits are noted for featuring built in plasma welders, cutters and a diagnostic scanner. The suit is popular among engineers, damage control specialists and combat engineer units. A newer Delta IV has recently begun production on Enterprise for use by her engineering staff.


    Moving on from light armor design are the heavier medium suits. Balancing, weight, protection, and capability to provide a capable suit well suited for general purpose use. The Enterprise crew left port with two designs and has more recently begun producing generation four versions to replace the standard generation three designs.


    First up is a suit that you should be familiar with, the Sierra Mk III. A favorite of the ship¡¯s marine companies, the Sierra series of suits is designed with an internal skeleton that negates its own weight, mostly. The user will hardly feel the suit, and will benefit from its remarkable protection. The main torso and helmet areas are especially thick serving to better protect the vital areas, while the limb armor is thinner so as to avoid hampering the wearer¡¯s mobility. The suit¡¯s enhancement system provides a competitive balance of speed and strength. Integrated tactical sensors and a complex heads up system give the user a comprehensive view of the battlefield, while a powerful internal comm system allows the soldier to keep up to date on battlefield developments and even receive new orders from ships in orbit.


    The second design was intended for the ship¡¯s security troops. The Centurion III is not significantly different from the S-III but lacks many of the tactical features. It was built as a lighter, cheaper option when compared to the S-III, but it does have one notable feature. A hard point for a wrist-mounted back-up weapon.


    With new Mark IV suits now in production, the two designs are now being merged into a single standard issue suit for all companies. Now referred to as the Centurion-S Mark IV. The Mark IV suits merge the features of both lines to produce a solid general purpose infantry armor and is currently being issued to elite company units before general rollout to all forces.


    Finally there is the heavier armor intended for frontline shock troops. This armor sacrifices mobility in favor of very strong protection and brutal strength enhancements. Soldiers wearing these suits are typically cybernetically enhanced due to the significant weight of the armor. However it is possible to use it without those enhancements, but it does require an apex specimen for proper results. Only one line of armor was deemed acceptable by planners prior to the launch of the Enterprise.


    Star Tech Industry¡¯s Vanguard series Heavy Assault Armor. Weighing in at nearly triple the weight of your average alpha male, it provides phenomenal protection against most small arms and even some vehicle-mounted weapons. It comes stock with a mounted riot shield, wrist-mounted weapons, and a computer-controlled shouldered mounted heavy weapon, specifically a 20mm anti-tank photon shell cannon with SPAP (shield and armor piercing) shells. Twin high-capacity archer series power cells provide power for up to five hours of operation. While soldiers in this suit are only half as fast as those in standard issue armor, they have been shown able to lift double what would be possible with an S-III. The Vanguard is well suited to mission profiles that require heavy firepower and strong protection, such as a frontal assault against a fortified position, but they do suffer from high power requirements.


    Currently, all Vanguard III suits have already been replaced by the new Vanguard IV model which features improved protection, upgraded power systems, and a new loading system for the shoulder-mounted cannon. Allowing for a slightly quicker reload, shell capacity remains the same at ten shells per mag. The Vanguard-IV doesn¡¯t significantly improve mobility over the mark III but does maintain the incredible bursts of strength earlier models allowed. Soldiers in the suit are often issued heavy weapons like the HPL-400 to pair with their shouldered mounted photon shell cannon, wrist mount of choice, and the built-in riot shield. As such the shield is designed with a heavy weapon in mind.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One Battle of Rula

    Telgros: Township of Rula; June 25th, 003 SDE, 0330 hours:


    The force commander leaned over the table, studying the map. Alpha division had landed south of Rula and then made a fast march on the town. Aside from some small encounters, the entire operation had so far gone without a hitch. As Forrest¡¯s right hand girl she was feeling very proud of her troops. Alpha division was the pride of the fleet, and she was going to prove it. Especially since she felt quite honored to be one of the two generals underneath General Forrest.


    Forrest was the overall commander of the fleet¡¯s marine complement. Every soldier on all three ships answered to him. The Coto and Umikaze both had their own marine complements, but nothing large enough to constitute a division, which meant they didn¡¯t need a general to lead those troops. She had been chosen personally by Forrest to lead Alpha division and honestly she wanted to prove him right. The force commander knew well that there were a few officers who had been demoted following the Battle of Earth. Something that was needed given that the fleet required a clear chain of command, but that didn¡¯t mean everyone liked it. Commander Williams was especially vocal in the navy, while Commander Jameson in the inferior Beta Division didn¡¯t seem to like it. He had been just shy of making general when he got demoted back to Commander, but she knew from experience that his former rank was due to connections. Something Forrest had begrudgingly allowed since he had no hand in that, but those connections were no more. Hence his rather large demotion.


    She recalled that the Fleet Marines and the Navy had slightly different ranks, but there was a lot of overlap in order to prevent confusion during joint operations. A commander was a commander, be they Marine or Navy, same with captain. Of course there was a little difference in some enlisted ranks. Like the lowest rank of crewman didn¡¯t make much sense for a marine.


    Setting rank aside, she gave the map a look. The battle plan as laid out by Forrest was simple enough. The key points were that she was to land her division south of Rula and then march on the township, where she was to engage the local defenders and relieve the advance force sent to capture the bridge. Control of the bridge would be important for the next move on the port, their main objective. She also had a secondary objective to seize the warehouses on the west side of Rula.


    Between her and those objectives was the Rula Garrison. Intel put the force of the garrison at about thirty thousand troops, perhaps a little stronger since smaller units have been moving and linking up at the township. The main air defense battery was bombed earlier, which removed one concern, but the town wasn¡¯t defenseless.


    Intel had identified several locations of interest. Two military motor pools, and several bunkers. The local garrison had also been observed from aerial recon and orbital scans to have started fortifying positions throughout the township. Most of the defenses were at the main garrison, which according to scans had both a surface level and an underground region.


    Nothing she planned to take head on. A direct assault would likely win the day, but she would rather soften the enemy up before committing the troops. To that end she had already ordered the shelling of the town.


    As if to remind her of the order, she heard the whine of a cannon firing. The battlefields of old were marked by the thunderous roar of cannons, but today¡¯s photon shell cannons don¡¯t use chemical compounds to accelerate their projectiles. Instead, these weapons use a magnetic coil to accelerate a projectile containing a photon warhead to potentially hypersonic velocities. Another whine and then a thrum told her the artillery crew she was sharing her walker with had fired. Of course anything approaching maximum velocity tended to become exceptionally flat. This did wonders for armor penetration but made it quite difficult to fire over a hill. On a different note, firing at hypersonic was great for counter-fire against smaller orbital vessels. Ships with inadequate armor would be ripped to shreds by the shells, especially if it was a proper penetration allowing the warhead packed inside to detonate inside the hostile hull.


    She had a feeling the Valorians were in for a bad day, these rounds were 178-millimeter (seven-inch), high-velocity shells, outfitted with a low-yield photon warhead. Although low yield didn¡¯t mean these shells weren¡¯t going to do damage. In fact they were going to do a lot of damage on impact. Something confirmed by the orbital image being shown on the screen to her right, where she saw a shell smack into a house. Leveling the two-story building, and its neighbors outright while other nearby buildings were left as little more than ruins. The 90-kilogram shell detonated in a brilliant display of blue light and left a small crater behind. Not unsurprising since the shell had a yield in the low kilotons. Several more impacted in nearby areas with similar effect, leaving nothing but craters and burned out husks behind. Fires erupted to cause even more damage. While computer targeting adjusted shell angles and velocities for maximum impact on the target area.


    <hr>


    0341 hours, Rula Township:


    The building shook and the young pilot kept her head down. This was all wrong, she should be in the air, not on the ground hiding in a hole while hostile forces shelled the town. Not that she could do anything to change that. Her plane was a crashed wreck near Hesa and the rest of the air fleet had been bombed by alien fighters and shuttles.


    A moment later a klaxon blared before an announcement rang out, ¡°All troops stand ready. Defensive positions, the enemy is advancing.¡±


    She blinked and then glanced to the man next to her, who was peeking out the viewport from this bunker in the local garrison. ¡°How does it look?¡±


    ¡°Bad, the town has been reduced to craters and crumbling ruins. I still can¡¯t believe we are getting shelled.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s artillery, why not use the guns on their ships? They could bombard us from orbit. Why use ground-based artillery?


    The girl shrugged, she was a pilot not a soldier. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡± She looked out her own viewport at the devastation. Not far from here she could see the buildings near the bridge, which seemed to still be intact. A stark difference from the wasteland just meters from them. Somehow she didn¡¯t think that was an accident, ¡°But it certainly seems to have been effective.¡±


    ¡°I guess, just keep sharp.¡±


    Her gaze turned back to the wasteland, which seemed oddly quiet. The shells had stopped at least for now. Were the aliens reloading or something?


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A moment later, her fellow said, ¡°There in the shadows! Did you see that?¡±


    She blinked and looked out again. There was nothing, it was just quiet, calm. Only the occasional fire, there wasn¡¯t even life out there. It was a lifeless wasteland like something out of those dusty history books her father had loved. She was looking out at no-man¡¯s land and there was just something eerie about this that sent a shudder down her spine. For a moment she didn¡¯t see anything else, but then her eye caught something. A shadow slipped out and darted into another so fast she almost missed it. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± said the man.


    At first she wasn¡¯t sure what he meant, but then she saw another figure move and the dots connected. She was looking at alien scouts moving in the ruins. It was hard to figure out where they were, however the aliens were using some kind of active camouflage. Like something the Voskar might have used. For all she knew they were using Voskar technology. Now wasn¡¯t the time for theories. Adjusting her grip on the rifle she had been issued, she took aim. Just moments before someone else opened fire on the shadows.


    A flash of blue light streaked from the sky an instant later and pierced a viewport to her right. From elsewhere a shout echoed down the hall, ¡°SNIPER! Take cover!¡±


    Suddenly opening fire didn¡¯t seem that good of an idea. Yet it proved only the beginning. It wasn¡¯t long before she saw armored alien figures enter the area. Moving in a loose formation and quickly. She blinked, these aliens were fast, very fast. Several guns opened up, trying to hit them. Most of the shots went wide but a few found their marks. The alien armor glowed slightly as the plasma rounds washed harmlessly over the suits.


    A moment later, the alien troops slipped into cover. One of them pulled something off their back, and aimed it at one of the fortified pillboxes. There was a whine, then a bolt of blue light flared out before instantly smashing into the box. The shields protecting the concrete structure blazed brightly for a moment before her vision was obscured by an intense blinding flash.


    She blinked, water in her eyes. It took a couple of moments, maybe a bit longer before her vision cleared. Where she could now see, several firefights broke out, and a broken pillbox. While more alien soldiers were taking positions to engage. She raised her rifle to fire at a few, just as she saw the familiar streak of light caused by an alien sniper rifle. She kept her head down just in case, but she felt a little safer here than elsewhere. This tower had a good view of the bridge, and several other areas on the west side of the main garrison.


    A moment later, the klaxon blared again, this time with a new announcement. Most of it didn¡¯t matter to her, but she quickly digested the report that enemy troops were now in the base. The commander of this position in the tower shouted, ¡°Eighth Squad watch our rears!¡±


    The pilot wasn¡¯t very worried about her rear right now, she was more worried about the front. Even more so when a heavy weapon started firing from a broken building on the right flank. Its powerful and rapid discharge of particle bolts quickly cut down a squad of troopers making their way back to the main base. Survivors from a broken fortification on the edge of her sight.


    This wasn¡¯t looking good. From another tower, she saw the flash of a sniper trying to suppress the alien heavy weapon position. Several rounds splashed against the building, but she didn¡¯t have a good view of the building. Making it hard to tell if there was any effect from the attack.


    She however had other things to soon worry about, as alien fire splashed against her viewport. The pilot pulled back quickly and it was quite fortunate as an energy pulse punched through the window. Slamming into the wall with brutal force, leaving a charred hole in the wall behind her through which she could see daylight. Making her quite glad that hadn¡¯t hit her, if it had she would have been dead. No question about that.


    Taking a breath, she took a moment to calm herself before peeking out again. This time things looked worse, as several alien tanks came into view, their cannon firing at targets out of her view. From the direction of the river came counter fire, large heavy looking plasma bolts. Last she checked there wasn¡¯t anything on the other side of the river. She felt something grow in her belly as she realized what that meant. Reinforcements had arrived!


    A crashing sound drew her attention back to the alien forces, where she saw something massive plow through a ruined apartment building. It was absolutely huge, with a large somewhat flat looking body, a giant curved tail floating above that, and what looked to be large gun mounts securely settled on its back. Six huge and thick legs provided support, while a clawed arm smashed a ruined structure allowing the behemoth to move forward. ¡°What the fuck is that!?¡± she exclaimed.


    A second later, she watched an energy burst emerge from heavy emitter diodes mounted in that tail. For what seemed like an eternity a long beam of blue death swept out across the river. Hitting targets she couldn¡¯t see, but it had only been a second if that. Then she watched a soldier with a rocket pop out from cover, and shoot the thing. The plasma rocket slammed into its side, and fizzled leaving behind an unblemished hull. In the next moment, a shadow materialized from nowhere and gunned the rocket soldier down. Leaving her wondering what they were going to do against that thing.


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise, 0420 hours:


    Willaims settled into her seat at the table. Across from her Commander Jameson reclined, while taking a sip from his mug. Sighing, she inquired, ¡°So how did things go on your end?¡±


    ¡°Well I put out a few feelers, General Kirk seems quite enamored with General Forrest. I doubt she would support us, but I think we have a road up with General Evanov. Evanov and Forrest have had a bit of a rivalry and Forrest currently stands between him and further advancement.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So I presume you don¡¯t mind serving under Evanov?¡±


    He gave her a look, ¡°I¡¯d still be a general, I can wait a bit. It will be much easier to advance back to the top where I belong.¡±


    She glanced to the side, ¡°On a different note, what do you think about the situation on the ground?¡±


    ¡°Kirk has a good head and these Valorians are badly trained. I think she will have the port by the end of the day if not sooner.¡±


    ¡°That leaves us with the question of what to do with the planet?¡±


    Jameson sighed, ¡°From what I have heard it¡¯s a treasure trove. Personally I would like to keep it and make it our new home, but I think we will be hard pressed to defend it.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Ruri created something interesting, so I was thinking we should use it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you mean those planet-cracking satellites? A bit extreme, but you might be right. We can vote for it on the council.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, the council has a habit of going with that Machine. Think you can organize something?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I think I know what you want and I have just the solution.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, just don¡¯t move too quickly. Lets give the council a try first, but keep it in place just in case.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two Crossing the Rula River

    Telgros: Township of Rula; June 25th, 003 SDE, 0430 hours:


    General Kirk ducked her head, as a man said, ¡°My apologies, Ma¡¯am!¡±


    She let out a breath, as she watched him maneuver the ninety kilogram shell he was carrying through the door. Once again she was really unhappy with sharing her command post with an artillery crew, but she was more unhappy with Richards. That thrice damned engineer taking apart vital war machines was certainly getting on her nerves. If all of them had been up and running, she wouldn¡¯t have to be sharing one with an artillery crew nor would loaders be ferrying rounds through her CIC. It didn¡¯t help that the cursed autoloader that was supposed to ferry rounds from the lower storage to the upper storage was offline.


    Watching him go, she looked at the engineer half buried in a wall, ¡°How much longer?¡±


    ¡°I almost have the last shell dislodged, give me another minute to clear the jam, and I can get the damn thing working again soon.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You found the issue?¡±


    ¡°Missing part, one meant to prevent things like this. We have a spare in the lower bay, thankfully.¡±


    ¡°So you mean this whole fiasco is Richards¡¯s fault?¡±


    ¡°Looks like, she probably used it to fix a broken conveyor. I recall the factory people broke three of them last month alone.¡±


    ¡°I just hope that was the only missing part overlooked.¡±


    The engineer was silent for a moment, ¡°I had the same worry, but diagnostics read fine for the other systems. I¡¯ll do an inspection just in case though.


    She acknowledged that and then leaned over her tac table. This diversion aside, she still had a battle to command. Her lead elements had already engaged the Valorian defenders at Rula. The gates to the main garrison had been breached and several fortifications nullified. The Garrison was still putting up a fight and reinforcements had arrived from the port. Her foes had even brought a decently sized force of shielded hover tanks but she didn¡¯t see any walkers. Right now, her tank elements were engaged in a tank duel with the Valorian tanks.


    General Kirk had already taken a look at the intel they had on the Valorian MBTs. Compared to the Raptor, they were both lighter and faster. The lack of heavy armor allowed them better acceleration as well, but that was about all they had going for them. Outside of the superior mobility presented by the Valorian design she found them lacking in both protection and firepower. The Raptor¡¯s main gun was a 155 mm (six inch) short-barrelled cannon, that fired a high velocity, shield and armor-piercing shell outfitted with a small photon warhead. The magnetic catapult that accelerated these shells could achieve hypersonic muzzle velocities allowing these shells to punch through pretty much anything. A single penetrating strike from this weapon could destroy a tank or cripple a heavy combat walker like her Scorpion.


    In contrast, the Valorian tanks, were outfitted with a high-power plasma launcher that was basically a miniaturized plasma torpedo launcher. The superheated plasma rounds were accelerated to about twice the speed of sound and compressed into a rough shell shape and about the same size as a 120mm shell but three times the weight. The Valorian plasma shells were heavy, but so were current gen photon shells. It wasn¡¯t much of an issue, and certainly worked to increase the punch of a weapon. The alien plasma rounds certainly did pack one, but she wasn¡¯t impressed with their armor penetration. They might have worked against older tanks, but certainly not against the kind of armor found on modern ones. The Raptor had a uniform armor thickness of a meter that served to protect the vital compartments of the tank. Something the alien plasma rounds weren¡¯t able to penetrate, at least not with the AIF intact.


    In contrast, the alien shields were far less impressive. They were double layered, and about as strong as those on the Valorian fighters. Not that it seemed to help much against the Raptor¡¯s high powered main cannon, or its secondary coaxial particle cannon. The  RPL-257 was a potent anti-tank gun and she felt the designers chose well to include it, since it could destroy vehicles that didn¡¯t warrant the use of a valuable photon shell. Afterall, the Raptor only had enough space in her ammo racks for sixty shells, she had to make them count. The  RPL-257 however drew its ammo from the Raptor¡¯s twin fusion reactors, making its ammo supply virtually limitless.


    Not that ammo counts were going to matter much here. On the map, she watched a tank formation cross the river, and take position on a hill on the other side. Claiming it was three Valorian tanks and several infantry squads starting to dig in. In moments the first tank was gone. A photon shell penetrated the turret and detonated inside. A massive fireball was the result that sent the men on the hill diving for cover as the tanks dueled around them. Someone tried a rocket launcher, only to be gunned down by a defense turret on a nearby Raptor tank. Something rapidly reported to her and available on a second display that she now had monitoring that engagement.


    A second shot rang out a moment later and with it came another kill. It seemed that hill would be claimed quickly, so she checked in on another site she had her eye on. A larger hill to the east and again on the other side of the river. Valorian troops were setting up positions on the hill. It was a good position, especially for artillery, since the site was defendable and had range on the Port. Yet, the aliens were not even setting up anything of the sort there. She did spot a few heavy weapons being set up, but the only thing of note were a few Valorian anti-tank guns. Basically man portable versions of the plasma launcher their tanks had, and even less impressive. Although perhaps a sight better than the plasma rockets their infantry were trying to use.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Kirk frowned, not that rocket really described them, they were shouldered weapons that worked by firing a compressed plasma shell. It wasn¡¯t really a rocket, just like current infantry anti-tank weapons weren¡¯t rockets. The modern weapon of choice was a Gauss cannon firing high-velocity shells equipped with a small photon warhead. It was big, and heavy, but it could punch through tank armor reliably. That didn¡¯t make rockets obsolete, as they were also used. They were a bit more expensive but had the option for superior guidance.


    Pushing those thoughts aside, she ordered one of her walkers to advance to the hill and redirected a force of six tanks and a company of marines to take the hill. They could move some of their artillery there to soften the port up for the main assault.


    <hr>


    VCS Bountiful Treasure; Bridge; 0500 hours


    Reidia leaned over the table in the conference room attached to her main bridge. She had been ordered to the colony at Telgros and was already en route at the best possible speed. What she had heard wasn¡¯t that great, she wasn¡¯t sure how well the colony could hold. It had already lost the outpost in orbit and the airbases on the ground. The Menace warship Enterprise wasn¡¯t an easy target to contend with. She was fast, well-protected, and had competitive firepower.


    Without defenses, the colony was currently at her mercy. What reports she had on that so far were best described as confused. From what reports did seem to line up, she had surmised that the invaders had landed a contingent of troops on the planet. Troops that were now marching north towards the port with heavy fighting occurring near Rula. There were some reports indicating fighting elsewhere, but she wasn¡¯t sure how accurate that was. Worse, there was also an apparent delay in communications. Some communications even arrived somewhat scrambled. Reidia suspected the Menace were employing jamming, but it wasn¡¯t complete yet which was why she was getting what information she had.


    None of which seemed all that relevant to her primary mission. She had no data whatsoever on the current position of the Menace ships. Neither their flag nor the two escort ships. That sadly meant they were going in blind. Looking to her first officer, she said, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    The other woman tapped the moon she had spoken about earlier, ¡°The position is passable. If we arrive on schedule the mass of the body should hide our energy signature. That will give us some time to ascertain the current disposition of hostile forces. Overall I think that spot is the best plan. But I must point out that if the menace anticipates that, we may find ourselves quickly under attack while we are still vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Sadly yes, but I¡¯m not sure we have a better spot.¡±


    Her officer pointed at a gas giant a few AU distant from Telgros, ¡°It would be slower, but we could jump out of warp here. At this range, we could more safely scan the area.¡±


    ¡°We could, but any scans would alert the enemy, we may lose the element of surprise. I would rather keep the initiative. After that last round, I don¡¯t want to give the Menace the upper hand in battle.¡±


    ¡°Right, that flag of theirs is a real terror. I believe that ship alone could go toe to toe with most fleets.¡±


    She had to agree, such ships, while rare, weren¡¯t unheard of. The Krall Warhammer class battleships were very much capable of it, but the Krall were the most advanced power in this part of the galaxy.  As such it wasn¡¯t that surprising that their ships were a cut above. Krall plasma beam weapons were not only sustained beam weapons but also powerful. Able to punch through most energy shields through sheer power alone. While her own shields could resist the beam weapons on a lesser Krall ship. The same couldn¡¯t be said of the powerful projectors mounted on their heavy capital ships like the Warhammer class battleships. The Krall also had advanced stealth technologies and access to powerful spatial torpedoes. Their Inversion drives also gave them the ability to protect their space with comparatively fewer ships, as the drive allowed them to respond to threats more quickly than more conventional hyperdrives or warp drives.


    Of course, the Krall weren¡¯t invincible, and while the Menace seemingly was, she knew that was just an illusion. Last time it had been disheartening to see them shrug off heavy hits and not even seem damaged. This time however, she had new insights from fleet that would help inform her strategy. Getting past that armor of theirs was still going to be a challenge, it was incredible armor really. Finding a chink in it was really half the battle now. She¡¯d been told that an overwhelming barrage might bring it down, just like with an energy shield. Throw enough energy at it and something will get through. Then again, that was the case with pretty much anything, it was just a matter of scale.


    Thankfully her mission didn¡¯t require her to sink the Menace Warship Enterprise. The main goal was to keep them busy long enough for the response fleet to arrive. Her mind raced as she considered her tactics for the battle. A close gun duel was certainly something to be avoided. As the last battle had proven the aliens were able to shoot through her shields while at close range. While she had spent the last two months devising countermeasures, she had no desire to test them. Theory was one thing, but practice was quite another.


    After a moment her first officer inquired, ¡°So do we have a plan for the Menace Battlecarrier?¡±


    ¡®I have a couple of ideas, yes. Now listen carefully, we have little room for mistakes.¡±


    <hr>


    Telgros: Township of Rula; 0520 hours:


    Kirk shifted, as she noted the key hills had been taken. They had also silenced the defensive positions overlooking the bridge. With the bridge now clear of resistance, the troops protecting it were free to be relieved. More importantly they could now start crossing the river in earnest. She ordered the supply train forward, while her forward units engaged the remaining units on the other side of the river.


    As for the local garrison, they were surprisingly still fighting, but the main base had fallen. She merely had pockets of local forces still resisting. Annoying, but nothing more than that. The main goal was the port, they didn¡¯t have time to sit here rooting out every squad hiding in the rubble. Something she would normally prefer to deal with, but time was critical here. Something she kept in mind as she gave her new orders, while keeping an eye on the map.

 Chapter One Thirty-Three Fall of Telgros Port

    Telgros; Port Yular; June 25, 003 SDE 0730 Hours:


    The room shook as the general looked at the map. Enemy forces had breached the lines drawn at Rula. Alien tanks, and behemoths were closing on the port. Alien artillery weapons had penetrated a number of bunkers around the port as well.


    Additional forces were en route for the port, but she feared they would be here too late. The aliens had secured or destroyed key elements of the transit network. Their troops were also fast, very fast. Reports showed there was still fighting in Rula, but the bulk of the alien forces were already closing on the port.


    With vital reinforcements delayed, she had to consider how she would hold. The fleet was already enroute, she just needed to hold the line until they got here.


    Another blast shook the room. At first she thought this was an artillery shell, but then the intruder alarm went off. ¡°All forces, be on alert! Enemy troops have breached the compound. Repeat, enemy troops have breached the compound!¡±


    She turned to her staff, just as someone came in from the neighboring room. ¡°General sir, this location isn¡¯t secure anymore, if you would follow me.¡±


    The older woman adjusted herself, and started to move, ¡°How many troops?¡±


    ¡°Fifty, huge hulking giants roughly three meters tall, outfitted with shields and wielding heavy weapons.¡±


    ¡°Shields? I thought...¡±


    ¡°Not that kind, think primitive arm mounted boards you hold in front of you. They are using them like a form of portable cover.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that kind. They do make sense given the narrow confines of the compound.¡±


    ¡°I already authorized the use of heavy weapons to counter them, but things aren¡¯t going well. Those alien troops are basically walking tanks.¡±


    That was her other issue. One that the navy was also dealing with, the alien armor was impressive. Nothing got through it. As she and her staff moved to a more secure location, she started considering responses.


    <hr>


    VCS Bountiful Treasure; Bridge; 0800 hours:


    Reidia shifted in her seat, her eyes gazing on the distance to target. Each tick of the clock felt like an eternity. They were so close to their next encounter with the Enterprise. It was hard not to think about that, her belly was wrapped into knots. Last time they had been slammed pretty heavily by that close range gun duel. She let out a breath, just as someone walked up to her.


    ¡°Um, sir, we have received an update on Telgros. Reports indicated that as of thirty minutes ago, alien forces reached the port. Heavy fighting continues in Rula, but only in isolated pockets. The main garrison has been defeated and the relief forces sent to aid them are in full retreat.¡±


    ¡°How long before the port falls?¡±


    ¡°Based on this, I don¡¯t see how they will hold for more than an hour or two.¡±


    Her gaze turned to the display she¡¯d been looking at before. Some part of her wishing the number would change, but they were still too far out to help.


    Then as if to compound her troubles, the comm officer looked up, ¡°Sir, we are receiving a distress call!¡±


    ¡°On speaker!¡±


    ¡°...under attack, cannot... heavy damage shields gone. Require immediate assistance. Any ship in range please respond... Repeat, this is the transport Veh¡¯hemos... we are under attack, cannot... heavy damage... require... assistance....¡±


    Someone quickly informed her, ¡°The Veh¡¯hemos is a civilian ship, registered as an interstellar transport. According to her passenger manifest, she is carrying twenty thousand souls on her regular trip between the Wovnar Queendoms and the Confederation.¡±


    ¡°Anyone in range?¡±


    ¡°We are the closest ship sir.¡±


    For a moment she said nothing as she considered that. Her orders were to proceed to Telgros, but now there was a transport in trouble. Her mind chewed on the resulting dilemma. If she turned now, she could rescue that ship, but in turn, her presence here would likely be revealed. Regardless, turning now would delay her arrival at Telgros.  She sighed, ¡°Intercept course, maximum warp.¡±


    She hoped this was the right call.


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise; 0800 Hours:


    Countryman shifted in his seat as he consulted with the two other captains regarding the distress call.


    Reynolds sighed, ¡°I hate to be the one to say this, but given our current position I don¡¯t believe we should answer this one. We can ill afford being out of position when the enemy arrives.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Greyman sitting at his side commented, ¡°Williams would certainly be happy, she doesn¡¯t like aliens, but on the flipside just because we are at war doesn¡¯t mean civilians have to suffer.¡±


    Countryman replied a moment later, ¡°Yes and no. We should certainly avoid it where we can, but we shouldn¡¯t go out of our way to avoid civilian casualties. Lest we become victims of the same terrorist tactics we saw on Earth in the age of fools.¡±


    Drake nodded, ¡°While I agree, these poor souls aren¡¯t in the way of a military target. They have merely had some bad luck. My engineer tells me we can reach the ship in about thirty minutes at high warp, twenty if we push the engines a little.


    ¡°I take it you want the mission?¡±


    ¡°My crew is itching for action sir, and I am pleased to say the Umikaze is ready for such a mission. We can do it.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°In that case, by all means. Just keep an open line with us and be ready to pull back to defend the Enterprise at any moment.¡±


    ¡°Understood sir!¡±


    <hr>


    Telgros; 0830 hours:


    General Kirk studied the strategic display, just as an officer with a report walked up to her, ¡°Sir, the rear guard reports that Rula is secure for the moment. All remaining enemy units have been neutralized or captured.¡±


    ¡°Prisoners? How many?¡± she inquired while thinking about what to do with them. It wasn¡¯t something she was used to. Sure it happened when humanity warred against itself, but ground actions were somewhat rare during the Colonial wars. Often fought on tiny asteroids, but there were a few actions on more important worlds like Mars and Luna. Yet most of her command experience happened after that during the Cathamari war, where the fleet had a general no-prisoners policy. Any Cathamari that were captured would be interrogated and then terminated. Although they weren¡¯t interested in the rank and file, they would only attempt a capture if they believed a target to be an officer.


    ¡°About eight thousand men and women.¡±


    ¡°Quite the number, then. Find somewhere to lock them up, they get to be our guests for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±


    ¡°You do that, in fact they''re your responsibility. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir, thank you sir,¡± said the young man as he ducked out.


    She smiled to herself and turned back to the display. Happy that her rank let her offload annoying problems like that. It let her focus on the big picture, namely taking the port. By now she had already secured the shuttle pads, the main warehouse district and the docks. Along with several fortifications on the south side of the city. Yet fighting remained in the other districts, for how long was a matter of debate.


    If she had her way it would be dreadfully short. Marking several spots on the perimeter of the city she gave her next order. It was time to establish a perimeter, that way they would be ready when the Valorian counterattack inevitably arrives. It was with that battle in mind that she had taken a close look at the terrain. Noting several locations that would make excellent locations for her Artillery to be positioned. The Scorpions would prove quite key for this, they were large heavy vehicles that excelled when you needed a lot of firepower.


    In many respects they were well suited to the role of defending a target like this. Certainly long enough for them to complete their main objectives. Not having to worry about long-term defense certainly made her job quite easy. Well, easier anyway, she still needed to hold a large port against multiple divisions long enough for the fleet to empty the local warehouses of materials of interest.


    Tapping a spot on the map, she looked to one of her lieutenants. ¡°I want Charlie company to scout out this location. Have them ship out as soon as the logistics company finishes rearming the company¡¯s tanks¡±


    ¡°Aye, Ma¡¯am! I¡¯ll inform the troops,¡± said the young man with a salute. Before rushing out of the room. He was kind of cute, shame he was so young.


    Pushing that thought aside, she turned back to the map. Watching it update in real time with new unit locations and reports of the fighting. Things were progressing smoothly. The port was almost theirs.


    A report was dropped off next to her, ¡°Recon report, sir. Fresh from the fleet¡¯s eyes in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied as she took it from the young lady. The youngest one in her Division. She kinda liked the girl, then she sighed, ¡°Lose your bra again?¡±


    The girl blushed, ¡°Um, well...¡± she hung her head, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Placing the report into a reader slot, she gave the young lady a look, ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you do it on purpose.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°I do not!¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯ll see you later tonight. We can discuss this then. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±


    Kirk watched her run off and then turned to look over the report. One that merely proved her earlier thoughts. Valorian tank units had been spotted massing to the north, and more units had been spotted on the march to the northwest. Given current distances and speeds. They would be here in a day. Plenty of time to secure the rest of the port and fortify their positions. While the fleet would begin the materials transfer. There was a lot of it though, so it could conceivably take a few days to get everything. Although the plan she read expected them to spend a day and a half here at the port.


    With that in mind, she took another look at the map. Her mind considered strategies for defending this port. A smile on her lips when she noted the movement of the alien troops. It looked like they were starting to pull out. A thought that was soon proved true just moments later.


    Another report came over, ¡°Sir! We are happy to report that the main port areas are secure. Hostile troops are in retreat.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I want that shuttle pad ready for landings asap, and get patrols on every street.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    She gave out a few more orders and then turned back to the map. Now it was just the waiting part. She didn¡¯t entirely trust the retreat, there would likely still be resistance inside the port, but as long as she was on guard for it she would be able to deal with it. In theory anyway, good thing they weren¡¯t staying long. Unfortunately she still had problems to solve, but for now things were looking good. Now she just had to keep them that way. Kirk let out a breath and then smiled at the thought of coming back with a victory. Forrest was going to be so proud of her.

 Chapter One Thirty-Four Umikaze’s Solo Skirmish

    Near Telgros EFS Umikazi, Main Bridge; June 25, 003SDE; 0855 hours:


    Drakes studied the hull before him as they closed into range. The Veh¡¯hemos was a large interstellar transport, her hull was fairly thin courtesy of her Valorian construction. The ship did have fairly strong shields, but they had already failed. Several defensive plasma cannons fired back on the small corvettes that were strafing the ship.


    Without turning from the screen he inquired, ¡°Status of the Veh¡¯hemos?¡±


    ¡°The transport has sustained heavy damage, she is venting atmosphere on 19 decks. Her shield grid has been destroyed and she has lost all power to the engines. I¡¯m also seeing heavy damage to key structural elements and her primary containment field is failing. Estimate thirty-four minutes to reactor breach.¡±


    ¡°And her attackers?¡±


    ¡°General specifications identify them as Voskar Raiders. They use high-yield fixed-mount particle cannons, mounted railguns, and several rapid-fire cannons for point defense. They are designed mainly for stealth, as such defensive systems are minimal, light shielding and barebones plating. They are no match for us, sir.¡±


    Just then tactical spoke up, ¡°We are entering weapons range now sir. Still no sign that we have been detected.¡±


    ¡°Lock cutting beams on targets, Alpha one, two and three, prepare for simultaneous fire,¡± replied Drakes as he checked his console for figures.¡±


    ¡°Targets locked,¡± said his tactical officer.


    His smile widened, ¡°FIRE!¡±


    A moment later his screen lit up with three fireballs, as the beams tore right through the shields and plating of the corvettes. That was three down, a dozen more to go. After that he would have to save the transport, and then he could ask questions later when lives weren¡¯t in the balance and he already had a few questions. Most important, was why was the attack taking place in the first place.


    <hr>


    Reidia¡¯s mind raced as she digested the flood of reports that were coming in. The Bountiful Treasure had dropped out of warp a minute ago and naturally that came with a barrage of new data and reports. Her mind quickly organized the data and considered the important points. The Transport Veh¡¯hemos had sustained heavy damage and was facing an imminent reactor core breach. There were also multiple other ships in the area, mostly Voskar raiders, but there was also a single menace vessel.


    Right now that one menace vessel was heavily engaged with the Voskar ships, which would give her a clear approach to the transport, which was her first priority. She gave the order and had someone prepare a boarding party. An engineering team to help the transport¡¯s crew repair the damaged reactor. It would be for the best if they could save the ship, fixing or jettisoning the reactor if need be would do that.


    Her gaze fell on the battle, the alien destroyer was more than a match for the Voskar stealth cruisers. As she watched, the ship rolled, and the shifting angle of her hull caused a barrage of missiles to narrowly miss the destroyer while simultaneously reangling the bulk of her dorsal weapons array towards a Voskar Battlecruiser, one she recalled seeing depicted on a recent intel report. It was one of their newer designs, the exact name unknown, so intel had designated it Phantom Blade class. Four such ships had been identified and engaged previously, typically on raids that were not public knowledge.


    She mentally recalled the specs, it featured 20 spinal mounted high yield fixed mount particle cannons and 4 spinal mounted railguns that fired a particularly heavy round at about half the speed of light. They had been used to shatter starbases and other large installations. Overall the ship had decent shielding and semi-effective weaponry, but it¡¯s real advantages were in stealth, speed and firepower. Most of which came from those four rail guns. None of that helped the ship she was looking at.


    Multiple heavy particle rounds slammed into the shields, while focused energy beams burned into them. For a moment they seemed to hold, but then the energy burned through. The lightly armored hull of the battlecruiser failed instantly as the energy tore through the plating. Fires erupted along the hull and then the shields collapsed all together, as the energy beams carved the ship into pieces, explosively. Several escape pods were launched only to be targeted instantly, multiple turrets popped up and peppered them with projectiles.


    She blinked, not many factions used projectile weapons and these seemed... unimpressive even for projectiles they didn¡¯t even damage the pods, merely embedded themselves in the plating of the escape vehicles.


    Her mind rapidly recalled what she knew about menace technology and their ships. The alien destroyers had originally been classified as cruisers due to their size but since then it became apparent that the ship didn¡¯t fit the classification. The menace Phalanx type were outfitted with multiple fore and aft rapid-fire torpedo launchers, that fired in bursts. Each torpedo was outfitted with a high-yield photon warhead and a shield penetrator making them very deadly, especially to capital ships that couldn¡¯t easily evade a spread of semi-guided torpedoes.  The ships had twenty-four forward launchers and eight aft.


    In addition to that she recalled they had some 400 hundred particle cannons, two hundred additional emplacements that carried the strange lightning gun the aliens had been firing at her ship, and a single lateral beam array. One that could apparently focus and fire multiple beams at once. They had just fired five beams at once at the much larger Voskar battlecruiser, along with the full output of some two hundred particle cannons at close range.


    The alien ship, like all menace vessels, was lacking in energy shielding, but she was fast, agile and well-armored. The Voskar weren¡¯t doing well, according to sensors their fixed-mount guns were having some effect, but not enough. The armor¡¯s integrity field would often regenerate before a second volley could hit.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    At least the Voskar were doing a good job of keeping them occupied. It would give her time to save the transport. Even if the damage to the transport was consistent with Voskar weaponry, the menace ship wasn¡¯t an ally. That ship was as much a threat as the Voskar ships were. Then she watched tractor beams engage on the escape pods and she realized the aliens were taking prisoners.


    Moments later, she was watching the screens. A voskar ship decloaked and fired her railguns and fixed-mount particle cannons at close range, scoring the first effective hit on the alien destroyer since she got here, it wasn¡¯t enough. Her armor held, the structural field merely weakening by about thirty percent, that was a huge fluctuation, but what happened next precluded the Voskar from taking advantage, as the aliens opened fire. The skilled helmsmen of the Voskar cruiser kept most of the fire off them and the shields held. For a moment it seemed they would get away, then someone made a mistake, they started cloaking.


    The alien ship simply saturated their position with high energy particle bolts, most missed, but those that found their mark tore into the ship with deadly effect. Several fireballs erupted from the cruiser, just before an alien beam weapon punched into the aft plating cutting through the entire length of the ship as the beam carved the cruiser from dorsal to ventral. Naturally the cruiser didn¡¯t respond well to being cut in half like that, and a series of secondary detonations rippled across the surface of the ship.


    An officer stepped up to her, ¡°Ma¡¯am the away team is ready to disembark.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, grant them clearance and have all guns on standby ready to support them.¡±


    ¡°Aye Ma¡¯am!¡±


    She turned her gaze from the battle and focused on the more immediate area, watching as her shuttle disembarked. The small ship passed through the shields without incident and then made for the transport. A comm signal passed and a moment later one of their undamaged hangers opened to admit the ship.


    When she saw them land unmolested she let out a breath, even as an officer told her, ¡°Away team has successfully boarded the Veh¡¯hemos¡±


    ¡°Excellent, and the Voskar fleet?¡±


    ¡°Destroyed sir, all hostile Voskar ships have either sunk or been disabled. No active signatures on sensors.¡±


    She glanced at the screens, ¡°And the menace vessel?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone silent, and no longer registers on sensors.¡±


    She cursed, Reidia didn¡¯t like that. Something about not being able to see a potential threat left her feeling somewhat uneasy and she could see the same feeling in her crew. An order already on her lips, she turned to the sensor officer, ¡°I want them found now, active sensors, full sweep.¡±


    <hr>


    Drakes watched the sensors quietly. The main objective seemed to have been completed, the Valorian Dreadnought VCS Bountiful Treasure had deployed an engineering team to the transport while he had been clearing out the Voskar ships.


    He still didn¡¯t know why they were here either. He had a few people in the brig now, but so far they hadn¡¯t divulged anything. Which left him with precious little intel, for now. Drakes figured they would crack soon enough. In the meantime he had a bit of opportunity in front of him.


    ¡°Sir, sensors indicate that the Veh¡¯hemos is no longer in danger of a reactor breach, her containment fields have stabilized.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, how long before she is able to move under her own power?¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes or so, her shields might take longer.¡±


    He nodded, while observing the Bountiful Treasure, which had taken a defensive position over the transport. A fact that left them vulnerable, he smiled, ¡°Arm all forward tubes, stand by to fire.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir arming forward tubes.¡±


    ¡°Full salvo, primary target VCS Bountiful Treasure,¡± he paused to consult their scans, ¡°First target deck six, sections 23 alpha through 31 gamma, second target deck fourteen sections 31 alpha and 49 beta, third target deck eighteen, section 31, final target deck 56, sections 117 alpha through 223 epsilon.¡±


    ¡°Targets locked, sir,¡± came the report a second later.


    He leaned forward, checking their position one last time, ¡°Fire!¡±


    The launchers thrummed a familiar reverberating throop sound echoed through the hull plates as they fired in rapid sequence. In the blink of an eye a full volley of three hundred and sixty warheads were in the water and on course to strike the  Bountiful Treasure.


    He gave a quick order to helm before the enemy noticed the torpedoes. Allowing the ship to slip from their sensors again. While keeping an eye on the fast moving warheads, they sailed toward the ship quickly, which started to accelerate, but she was too slow. Her batteries opened up, but they couldn¡¯t knock the torpedoes out fast enough. Most evaded the plasma rounds and impacted the shields in a brilliant display of firepower.


    <hr>


    Reidia braced herself, they had just spotted the damn destroyer but it was too late. The damn thing had launched torpedoes. Her ship shook, nearly knocking her off her feet. Alarms blared and multiple spots on the display turned red.


    ¡°Shields are down!!!¡± cried out someone, she cursed. Then something exploded and her floor shook again, just before smoke flooded the chamber from the vents.


    ¡°Lock that down! Damage report!¡±


    ¡°Shields are gone, we¡¯ve lost main power, primary fire control is offline, helm control is nonresponsive, the main sensor array is offline, all torpedoes projectors are offline, secondary shield generators non-responsive.¡±


    She cursed, ¡°They knew exactly where to hit us. Get me helm control, now before they make another pass and get us out of here.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir!¡±


    She held her breath, her eyes watching the screens, just waiting for another volley to come their way while the shields were down. Thankfully it didn¡¯t as the moment stretched into eternity, ¡°Backup helm control is coming online now, initiating emergency warp out!¡±


    The stars distorted as the ship jumped. It would be a little while later before she could make a full assessment of the damage and what happened.

 Chapter One Thirty-Five Planetary Vandalism

    Near Telgros EFS Umikazi, Main Bridge; June 25, 003SDE; 0921 hours:


    Drakes cursed as he watched the Valorian battleship jump away, just in time for his second volley of torpedoes to sail harmlessly into the void. Then he turned to tactical, ¡°Shut them down.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir, sending the signal,¡± replied the young woman at the console, a moment later she said, ¡°Torpedoes disarmed sir, ready for recovery.¡±


    ¡°Send out a recovery team,¡± then he glanced at the transport, ¡°What¡¯s their status?¡±


    ¡°Reactor is stable, they are still dead in the water, but the damage looks repairable,¡± replied the junior engineer by the sensors, ¡°Based on what I am seeing, I figure they would be underway again in six, maybe seven hours.¡±


    ¡°Any more signs of Voskar ships?¡±


    ¡°Negative sir,¡± was the instant reply.


    He sighed, ¡°Run a few more scans of the transport. I want to know why the Voskar hit it.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    He stood up, and informed his first officer that she had the bridge before heading on below decks. A part of him was tempted to track down the Bountiful Treasure but at the moment it was more important to find out why the transport was attacked in the first place. With that in mind, he was going to personally interrogate the prisoners, it was time to find out what they knew. Drakes smiled, this was going to be interesting. It had been awhile since he last had to use those skills, not since his days as a security officer on the cruiser Warwick.


    The Warwick was a cruiser in Earth¡¯s space fleet, but the ship was decommissioned decades ago. He¡¯d been assigned to the ship as a fresh-faced ensign. At the time the first colonial war was a recent memory, Earth was still recovering from the Third World War. While some industry had returned, Earth¡¯s young navy lacked the ability to produce ships of their own. The Warwick was outsourced from Mars, a surplus cruiser from one of their yards, but she served the fledgling Earth navy well, as a patrol vessel and pirate hunter. Stepping into the lift, he chuckled a bit at the memory, he hadn¡¯t thought of his first assignment in a long time.


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise; Conference room; 0930 hours:


    Williams shifted in her seat, as the last officers settled into the Conference room for this meeting of the Council. Supplies were flowing from the surface and the fleet''s coffers were starting to fill. Ground forces were preparing for a counterattack, and long-range sensors had picked up the Valorian fleet, given their position they were expected to arrive in three days. That left them with time to consider a course of action.


    She leaned back as the meeting started and people started asking questions.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the planet is too valuable,¡± said one of the officers, one she didn¡¯t know that well. They were one of the commanders she hadn¡¯t approached yet.


    ¡°What you want to hold it?¡± Laughed Evanov, ¡°With what? Two divisions, a single heavy cruiser and two destroyers? Good luck, just don¡¯t mind me over here, I¡¯m just digging our graves.¡±


    Williams sighed, ¡°He¡¯s right, if we were back at Earth with all those defenses, we could do it, but we don¡¯t have a minefield or any weapons platforms deployed. That¡¯s a big fleet out there.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Agreed, I have a couple of ideas for beating it, but I¡¯d rather not waste the resources if we don¡¯t have to.¡±


    Williams felt a bit of bile in her stomach. That machine actually agreed with her, what was the world coming to?


    Forrest interjected, ¡°Might be easier to do some scorched earth. An extensive orbital bombardment would render the planet uninhabitable. Plenty of war crimes in that idea, but the Cathamari certainly didn¡¯t have any qualms about doing that to us.¡±


    Williams frowned, ¡°Why not go a step further and destroy the planet? Ruri¡¯s sat network did a good job of that.¡±


    Ruri interjected, ¡°The conditions aren¡¯t right for that, but I do have a few ideas on how it could be done. It¡¯s just a matter of scaling up the system.¡±


    ¡°We can do that?¡±


    Ruri nodded, and accessed the projectors before pulling something up, ¡°This is a modified version of the XXDP-23A, I reduced the length of the weapon, and reconfigured it to fire a resonance beam. Several changes were also made to the power control systems and particle feed so that it could fit on the Enterprise. The resulting weapon designated XXRDP-24A has been tested in simulations and is more or less a scaled-up version of directed resonance particle beams. When fired at a planet, the beam will start boring through the crust, and trigger localized seismic events which will quickly grow to a planetary scale as the beam grows closer to the core. Once penetration of the core has been achieved, these seismic events will start to regularly exceed a ten on the Richter scale. Naturally, the devastation of such megaquakes would be extraordinary, but in addition to quakes will be volcanic events. The scale and grandeur of which will only grow as we continue to fire into the core. Simulations show it will take about six hours to bore the planetary core of your average rocky world like Telgros, and from there another eighteen hours before the planet breaks up due to the severe stresses but total destruction is assured after a mere twelve hours. Any firing after that point merely hastens the inevitable demise of the targeted planet.¡±


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Williams smiled, that sounded like the perfect weapon to use. ¡°How long before we can use that?¡±


    Ruri frowned, ¡®It¡¯s untested, not even built. We¡¯d need to build it first.¡±


    Countryman interjected, ¡°As interesting as destroying an entire planet might be, I don¡¯t think that is the right course of action. We already know the established powers frown on the development of such weapons. Extensive orbital bombardment seems to be the better plan.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± replied Forrest, ¡°Shall we call a vote?¡±


    Greyman spoke up, ¡°I do believe now is the time to vote, unless people want further discussion?¡±


    ¡°No, voting seems apt, I think we all understand the situation.¡±


    Williams sighed but made her vote anyway. Voices cast theirs, the numbers were tallied and a course was decided. Sadly they weren¡¯t going to destroy the planet, that would have been the best course in her mind, but it seemed it was not to be. As she left, she started thinking about how she could get that weapon¡¯s development furthered. It would need testing and implementation, she didn¡¯t agree with the machine, a weapon like that would make their enemies think twice. They needed to present a strong front, the alien scum weren¡¯t to be trusted. It was bad enough that they had so many Valorians aboard.


    <hr>


    1100 hours, VCS Bountiful Treasure:


    Reidia watched the engineer pull out of the crawlspace, ¡°So is it as bad as it looks?¡±


    ¡°Just about, they really knew where to hit us, knocked out just about every system on the ship.¡±


    ¡°How long before we are ready for combat?¡±


    ¡°I can get main power back in six hours, but the shields are another story, the main generators were slagged. We need a complete rebuild at a port, six weeks minimum.¡±


    She slumped, ¡°Damn it!¡± she took a breath, ¡°Please tell me something good came out of this.¡±


    ¡°Well you are in luck there, we now know exactly how their torpedoes work. We were lucky, we got to watch it happen in high resolution thanks to the active scan we had running.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Excellent, how do we stop them?¡±


    ¡°Um, no idea.¡±


    ¡°You mean to tell me, you know how they are bypassing our shields, but still can¡¯t stop them?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°I looked at the data, their torpedoes use a carefully calibrated electromagnetic energy field to bypass our shields in a method not dissimilar to how a carrier launches its fighters without dropping shields. Naturally this requires very precise sensor data, which their torpedoes get from specialized sensors. Worse, we just found out their torpedoes can network, sharing data. As a result a larger volley starts learning our shields faster and better than a smaller one. I think we can hamper the process, but they are still going to figure them out with enough torpedoes.¡±


    Reida blinked, she¡¯d never expected the shield piercers were so simple.


    ¡°Honestly we need a look at the alien sensors, with a better understanding of how they function, we might be able to figure out a more reliable way to blind them. Best way to stop this, or we redesign our shields from the ground up and give up on the ability to launch fighters with our shields up.¡±


    <hr>


    June 27th, 1241 hours:


    Kirk boarded the shuttle as she surveyed the port. They were pulling out, the Valorian fleet was expected to arrive in less than a day, and the fleet wanted to withdraw before they got here. So far her own division had performed remarkably, the local warehouses were empty and they had repelled several counter assaults.


    Looking to her pilot, she nodded before settling into her seat, in a moment the ship started to rise. Joining the other dropships already rising into the sky, while X-1204s worked to patrol the area. Making sure the enemy didn¡¯t sneak up on them while they were pulling out. It had been a clean organized withdrawal so far.


    Suddenly she heard the whine of particle fire. Activating her display she took a look and relaxed. A valorian tank company had been caught moving in from the north and was being strafed by several gunboats, forcing them to slow down and defend themselves. Nothing that would impede the withdrawal.


    Still she kept an eye on it as the withdrawal continued. There wasn¡¯t much left on the ground though, just the remaining rearguard units that she had been with. They were soon cleared out as well and she was able to fully relax on the ride back to the Enterprise.


    The landing was dull and she had to wait for the hanger to pressurize, but that was fine. It gave her time to gather her thoughts and fill out her after-action report. However, things changed quickly when she stepped off the shuttle and was greeted by a din of activity.


    Catching a young fleet ensign she inquired, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°We are getting ready for a heavy orbital bombardment, the council has authorized a scorched earth bombardment.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Seriously? We are wiping out all life on the planet?¡±


    ¡°Just about, I heard talk of avoiding the major population centers, give them time to pull out, but we were just ordered to move heavy warheads from the foundries to the torpedo bays.¡±


    ¡°How heavy?¡±


    ¡°Gigaton range,¡± said the ensign.¡±


    Kirk whistled, ¡°Damn, bringing out the big stuff. Don¡¯t think much will be left then.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the idea.¡±


    ¡°I better check in then.¡±


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise Main Bridge 1330 hours:


    Countryman leaned back a little as Greymen informed him, ¡°The bays are loaded, all cannons on standby.¡±


    Misaki looked up from her console, ¡°Umikaze has dropped out of warp and is rejoining formation.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, I look forward to reading his report.¡±


    He took a moment after that, considering the weight of the moment before giving the final order, ¡°Commence bombardment.¡±


    The cannons opened up with a whine, the torpedo ports glowed slightly as they discharged the bombs they had been loaded with. Countryman watched as round after round slammed into he designated targets with devastating effect. Massive fireballs, lit up the surface of the planet as huge dust clouds erupted. Mixed in with flashes of light as particle bolts streamed into the surface rapid fire. One after another leaving only destruction in their wake.

 Interlude Rise of the Battlecarrier and an Overview of Carrier-based Ships

    The term Battlecarrier has appeared many times to describe a multirole vessel capable of fighting in a slugging match while also having the capacity to launch fighters. The concept had several disastrous implementations during the twentieth century, yet it has risen to new prominence in the era of space combat. Today we will look at the factors that led to the rise of the Battlecarrier and how a concept that previously failed could prove successful with new technology.


    In the age of wet water navies, carriers had required large runways for launch and recovery, this played directly into the size, but is also what doomed the Battle Carrier. These runways were naturally vulnerable since they couldn¡¯t take much damage before being rendered useless, worse they had to be mounted on the deck of the ship. This meant that carrier space competed directly with the space needed to mount heavy guns. As a result, Naval Battle Carriers didn¡¯t perform well in either the role of battleship or carrier. Largely due to their lack of firepower for the battle line and lacking the ability to field enough fighters to actually matter, so why do they work now?


    Well, to answer that one has to consider how space warfare changed the equation. One of the big changes is that space combat is fully three-dimensional, in the void of space attacks can come from any direction, and traditional obstacles like the planetary horizon are no longer there either. In fact, as warfare moved into space, there was some debate on the value of carriers in deep space. The carrier at its core is rearline support vessel, that supports the fleet with the firepower and flexibility of its fighter fleet. Yet in space, it was found that they were more vulnerable to the enemy, as gun ranges expanded significantly resulting in battleship versus carrier matchups at ranges that would have been impossible an era before. Especially when one considers that the two have roughly similar speeds and maneuvering capacity.


    Naval carriers were surprisingly fast able to keep out of range, but the same was found not to be true for space carriers. This led to numerous questions about their continued utility, but the carrier evolved. Space carriers grew large, were hardened with additional armor, and took on more powerful weaponry than their seagoing counterparts. This allowed them to take a couple of hits if they ended up in range of a battleship, allowing enough time for them to withdraw or be rescued by their escorts. At least in theory, while their hanger space shifted to allow them to carry more than just starfighters. Smaller ships suffered from limited range, a carrier was found particularly useful as a mobile base for fighters, corvettes, and even some frigates.


    Of course, you might be wondering how that extra armor worked out, but unlike naval carriers, space carriers don¡¯t have long exposed runways taking up much of the outer hull. Rather instead spacecraft designers had several options, sure they could mount starfighters externally on the hull, but it was much easier and safer to do it internally. Using internal space protected the fighters when not in use and allowed for ease of maintenance, this also allows for things like deception. Naval carriers also had internal stowage, but space carriers could take this further, without needing the large exposed exterior flightdecks, they could instead launch aircraft from much smaller more easily protected hangar bays.


    Another model was for attached flight pods, often on either side of the ship. These would be separated from the main mass of the ship, but like the internal model, the starfighters would be protected when not in use within the armored superstructure of the flight pods. Both models have been used in spacecraft design, but human designers often prefer the internal bay model. While the flight pods do have their advantages the internal bays, allow for a carrier to stow significantly more fighters and strike craft.


    Battle carriers are a bit more of a mixed bag when it comes to design, but flight pods show up more often among battle carriers, and this is due to their advantages in terms of protection. As they can operate more effectively compared to internal bays while under heavy fire. Something that was found to be suboptimal regardless, which has led many warship manufacturers like Star Tech Industries to not use flight pods at all.


    This might leave you wondering why Battlecarrier concepts are so common if they can¡¯t effectively operate as carriers while under fire and that leads us to logistics and out-of-battle roles. Many large spaceships incorporate at least one hanger in their design, allowing them to receive and offload personnel and cargo without needing to dock or land. This is advantageous since landing a large ship requires a lot of fuel and specialized facilities. Of course, with antigrav it''s become cheaper than it used to be, but it''s still cheaper to keep the ship in orbit if you don¡¯t have to land. Many logistical duties don¡¯t actually require a ship to dock, freeing up station docking slips for more intensive tasks like starship maintenance, repair, and refit duties. In addition, having a hanger is also useful in the field as it allows a ship to conduct numerous tasks that would otherwise be impossible in the depths of space.


    Naturally, military planners started looking at hangers seeking to expand their use within the fleet. As attaching even a few fighter craft or scout ships would prove invaluable to numerous military tasks. For our purposes we will start with deep space patrol, a task often assigned to either a destroyer or a cruiser, typically a light cruiser. With the vastness of space, such ships were often assigned vast swaths of territory to survey, attaching a few scoutships to these ships proved invaluable.


    While small corvettes and fighters aren¡¯t able to operate independently for prolonged periods. Usually no more than a couple of days for a deep space fighter, and a matter of weeks for a corvette, when paired with a carrier they are very useful for deep space patrol and recon tasks. Many cruisers assigned to these missions however may need to engage a hostile ship directly, so they were one of the first such vessels to be looked at when applying the battle carrier concept. DSP or Deep Space Patrol vessels are often on their own with little to no support. These vessels need to be able to rely on their selves rather than expect backup to arrive at a moment''s notice. As such they are the prime victim of the do-it-all ship mentality. However, the result after nearly a century in space, is a solid and reliable vessel type. DSPs are a type of battle carrier typically classified as light cruisers. Modern versions would include support for at least four corvette-sized scoutships and at least two heavier corvettes intended for combat interception missions. Furthermore, they would be equipped with two to four squadrons of fighters, typically for space superiority roles and fighter interception missions.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    These fighters would often carry out combat space patrol missions, often called CAP missions, a dated term referring to combat air patrols. The goal of a CAP mission is to get fighters in the air looking out for enemy scouts and intercepting hostile strike craft before they could engage the carrier. With modern carriers, it''s mostly been about the counter recon role however which plays into the main role of carriers in modern space combat, recon. Carriers are used heavily both for scouting and counter-scouting. Of course, carriers are also flexible and useful in ground attack and space superiority. It''s why fleets want fighters and strike craft even if a battleship can inflict more decisive blows, the ability of fighters to create openings and locate threats can¡¯t be understated.


    This flexibility is what plays into the current popularity of the concept. Batte carriers are by definition meant to be flexible. Without large runways competing for hull surface, ships don¡¯t have to sacrifice heavy weapons to fit their fighters. Many ships include hangers anyway given the value of having the ability to move personnel and cargo without having to dock or land. Battle carrier concepts show up not just with battleships but ships of all size classes. They are particularly common with patrol vessels as well, but we also see them show up with escorts.


    Moving on from the battle carrier, let¡¯s discuss the ships carriers and battle carriers in the fleet would carry. These can be divided into several different categories, first up drones and probes. Drones are automated spacecraft flown either by a central computer or remote pilot, although typically a combination of the two. Probes are variants of this, that boil down to be basically flying sensor arrays. Drones are typically expendable and can come in a number of variations, most drones are used mainly for recon. While on earth they had been used in ground attack as well, space-based carriers don¡¯t often engage in that area. As for space superiority, there have been limited experiments with using drones in this area. While they can be effective, they are not without vulnerabilities, regardless some carriers will use them to supplement their fighter fleets in combination with manned starfighters.


    Moving on Starfighters, are the spacecraft version of a fighter. The Enterprise as we have seen comes standard with the X-1204 Space Superiority Fighter which is analogous to air superiority fighters used to defend planetary air spaces. These ships are designed to dominate the void and engage other fighters in close-range combat, while also having the firepower to threaten larger ships. They come standard with particle cannons, missiles, and torpedoes. Allowing them to engage virtually any target that flies. The 1204 is fast, agile, and modular allowing it to be reoutfitted for any mission profile.


    Modern space superiority fighters have several module layouts that allow them to fit additional fighter roles reducing the number of hull types a carrier would need to stow. Thereby expanding mission flexibility and allowing them to fill any space superiority role a carrier may require from recon to fighter-interceptor duties, to escort and combat space patrol. Name the mission and the fighter can be fitted with the modules she needs to excel in that role.


    Another craft type carried by modern carriers are strike craft, these are typically slightly larger and carry heavier weapons than a space superiority fighter. Strikecraft specializes in attacking capital ships, large orbital facilities, and ground targets. Like their starfighter cousins, they are modular and can be adjusted based on mission profile. The X-1208 Sparrow is an example of this ship type. The Sparrow is noted for being fast, and fairly maneuverable which lets her get in close and use her heavy weapons, of which she carries a mix of heavy cannons, torpedoes, and bombs, but she does lack in lighter weapons for fighting off other fighters.


    Then there are Corvettes, the term has cropped up throughout history to refer to various ship types. In space navies, these are basically small starships with a limited crew and range. They are often attached to starbases and carriers to serve as patrol and recon vessels. So far we have not seen any human examples of this ship type, but we have seen a few alien examples.


    The Valorian V-22 is an example of a Corvette, she carries a handful of light pulse cannons, minimal shielding, and a small crew. The ship is used mainly for light escort duties, recon, and screening.


    Corvettes in the Earth and colonial fleets back in the solar system fulfilled similar roles. They often had small crews, typically around ten to twenty, although larger examples could have more. Also of note for ships of this type is that they are the largest ships capable of fitting in most carrier hangers. They are often attached to carriers to serve as patrol vessels, light escorts, and even scouts. Corvettes are quite popular with any ship expected to serve on a deep space patrol mission, since these ships while limited in range are big enough that they can operate independently for several weeks, compared to the hours or days of a starfighter. Their size makes them quite versatile, as they can be outfitted for space superiority, escort, recon, and even electronic warfare.


    Other ships a carrier might have include dropships and shuttlecraft. Not much to go on here though. Dropships are naturally enough used for inserting troops into hostile territory from orbit or recovering said troops. In comparison, shuttlecraft are used for the transfer of personnel and cargo from one point to another.


    Of course, you might be wondering about the Corvette, so we will explore one in detail. Since no corvettes in the 1200 series made it to production we will look at an 1100 series vessel. The X-1109, which later became the CVP-1109, she measured 28 meters long, with two decks and a span of 18 meters. Living spaces were limited with barely enough space for her small crew of fifteen people. The 1109 was typically armed with four forward-facing fixed-mount particle cannons and six dual light particle cannon turrets. The ship also had port and starboard missile ports. Four on each side and typically carried a supply of short-range fusion missiles for engaging small space ships like starfighters and strikecraft. It also had the capacity to carry torpedoes and in some cases bombs.


    The CVP-1109 like many ships of her period featured a modular weapons package, allowing her load out to be altered as needed to fit a mission profile, but she is notable for never carrying a sustained beam weapon. This is due to the ship being too small to mount the required support systems for the cutting beams available to the fleet at the time of her service.

 Chapter One Thirty-Six July 18th, 003 SDE

    The Minara woman looked over the footage, the incident at Telgros was something else. They had known the menace were a threat, but to see it first hand revealed just how powerful the alien weaponry really was. Telgros has previously been an almost idyllic world with vast grasslands, lovely forests, lakes and mountains. The alien bombardment had reduced the planet to a volcanic hellscape, with vast seas of molten magma leaking from the crust and rivers of lava. Volcanic outgassing had reduced the atmosphere to a barely breathable state, while vast chunks of the planetary oceans were simply vaporized.


    Amazingly of the three million colonists and troops on the planet, only half a million had perished in the bombardment, with a further hundred thousand dying in the fighting before that. That was six hundred thousand dead, and that number only grew when you factored in deaths in space, but not as dramatically. The loss of the station had cost the lives of some five thousand people, while the attack on the Bountiful Treasure cost three hundred people their lives.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing anyone survived, why isn¡¯t the surface glass though?¡±


    ¡°The aliens use charged particle bolts, not plasma. Plasma weapons used in bombardment tend to ¡®splash¡¯ or ¡®explode¡¯ on impact with the target. This has the effect of superheating and flash-vaporizing the materials. The alien particle bolts don¡¯t lose integrity the same way, they tend to keep traveling in a straight line, flash-vaporizing and tearing through everything in their path. As such instead of glassing the crust, they cracked it, releasing vast amounts of volcanic gasses and magma.¡±


    ¡°I guess that explains the oceans,¡± said the Minari woman in response.


    ¡°Not entirely, those particle bolts carried a lot of energy, when they hit the water they would superheat it as they passed through it and thousands of them rained into the oceans. Effectively boiling them away, while still punching holes into the sea floor.¡±


    ¡°I still find it surprising that anyone lived through that.¡±


    ¡°From what we can tell the localized ground shields were able to withstand the bombardment, thereby protecting the major settlements. Sadly we still have to evacuate, as the colony is no longer capable of supporting the colonists, but lives were saved.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, any idea how much was lost?¡±


    ¡°We are still trying to get an exact estimate on how much the aliens took, but as near as we can tell they emptied the local warehouses of Erudite, Ephon Crystals, and Tungari. They also made off with the local reserve of Deuterium. Enough material to supply a small fleet for weeks if not months.¡±


    All of those were valuable, and if the menace had taken the contents of the warehouses, that meant they had a large supply of them, and she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to know what they would do with it, ¡°We must step up our efforts then.¡±


    The young man with her glanced at the data from the Bountiful Treasure. ¡°Well the good news is that we now know how their shield penetrators work.¡±


    ¡°Right, I heard something about that, any progress on a possible countermeasure?¡±


    ¡°Not much, our scientists have come up with several proposals, but all of them require a redesign of fleet shields. The easiest is multi-layered shielding with independent rotating band modulations, projections indicate this would cut the alien shield penetration chances by half but it remains possible for an alien warhead to penetrate the shields and strike the hull. Another project proposes wide band, active jamming pulses to try and disrupt the alien sensor nodes. Blind the torpedoes, so they can¡¯t ascertain our shield configurations. Not unlike what we do now with traditional weapons, but with a few tweaks. Given the nature of the alien torpedoes, we can¡¯t be certain how effective this will be against them, considering they ignore standard electronic warfare techniques.¡±


    ¡°Meaning we might still be dependent on shooting them down. Anything that can stop them from piercing our shields entirely?¡±


    The man nodded, ¡°Our scientists went back to Dulmar''s theories. Looking into alternative shield configurations.¡± He paused and tapped a button bringing up a simulated shield bubble. ¡°Multiadaptive triphasic shielding. In theory, these shields will stop just about anything you throw at them including shield-penetrating warheads. The alien warheads use a modulated electromagnetic shield to bypass our shield bubbles, a triphasic shield wouldn¡¯t care about that, in fact, electromagnetic shields can¡¯t even match a triphasic matrix, they allow permutations not possible with electromagnetic energy barriers..¡±


    ¡°And how long would this take to implement?¡±


    ¡°Years, sir. Sadly Dulmar¡¯s work with Triphasics is rather... limited. In many ways, he was ahead of his time, a genius, but sadly not all his ideas for next-generation shielding got funding. No one wanted to invest in Triphasics at the time, they were more interested in Omicron shields since they were a clear improvement based on proven technology.¡±


    ¡°Understandable, but indeed unfortunate. Get as many people on it as we can, just in case we need these Triphasic shields.¡±


    ¡°Aye, Ma¡¯am,¡± was his reply just before he left. Leaving her alone to consider the wider implications of the incident. The loss of Telgros IV was an embarrassment for the Valorian people and reflected poorly on the fleet. That alien battle carrier would have to be dealt with and steps would need to be taken to prevent the incident from becoming more widely known. She was just glad the Menace had chosen a relatively minor and remote world. She shuddered to imagine what they would do if such damage had been inflicted on a more important world. They would be hard pressed to hide such a thing, and with tension rising on the borders, she knew it was only a matter of time before they were at war. They weren¡¯t ready now, even if some of the clans didn¡¯t see it, but hers did. The Confederation was heading for war, the Voskar were a constant thorn that would have to be crushed sooner or later, while elsewhere the Toral Confederacy was getting uppity again. Already minor skirmishes had been reported along the border, but so far the Toral didn¡¯t dare invade. Losing a world like this, however, was a show of weakness, they would pounce instantly if it became more widely known.


    The last player of concern however was the Malora, while the Malora were historic rivals of the Toral Confederacy, in recent years the two races had begun to grow closer together. She was worried about a possible alliance between the two. Over the centuries the three races had been rivals competing with each other for resources and territory, with a number of bloody conflicts over the years but nothing more than skirmishes had been fought in the last few centuries. Nothing of the scale of a full-fledged war, which had allowed the clans to focus on expanding their trade networks, growing their wealth and generally expand the Confederation into the vast interstellar empire it was today.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Against either race, she was fairly confident of victory, but together they would be hard-pressed to defend their territory. Then again, with the menace making a mockery of the fleet, it was perhaps time to reassess those projections.


    <hr>


    Valorian-Toral Border; 71.9 Lightyears from Telgros IV; 1430 hours:


    ¡°Forward shields collapsing captain!¡± shouted the brutish hulk of a figure crouching by the engineering station. It was almost comical, if they weren¡¯t in the middle of a battle.


    The captain almost chuckled at the thought, but she¡¯d always been amused by the size of her friend. As a species, the Toral were noted for being large, typically around three meters tall for a male, with females like herself being notably smaller averaging about half that size.


    As a species, they were noted for rather extreme sexual dimorphism. All Toral had four arms, but males were covered with thick lush fur, had thick facial tusks, and fierce eyes. They were also far larger, and much more muscular. Despite their powerful and imposing figures, the average male was typically pretty gentle and easygoing, unless you got them angry, then you die.


    Females like herself, were much slimmer by comparison and nearly hairless. They also lacked the facial tusks of the male, but they did have a long tail which ended with a stinger. Females like herself were able to use that stinger as a defensive tool, as it contained a rather potent toxin, a paralytic to be specific.


    Why her engineer brought those thoughts to mind was due to his sheer size, he made her feel tiny, as he dwarfed other males. Pushing the thoughts aside, she focused back on the battle. Honestly she wasn¡¯t too concerned that forward shields were going down. As the Valorian ship was currently pulling back, their plasma torps were potent, but slow to reload. Their pulse cannons, while faster to fire, weren¡¯t much of a threat, secondary defense screens could hold them off, or if need be the hull plating could absorb the hits.


    Her hull was protected by several layers of plating, starting with a polymer coating, which would vaporize in response to an energy blast, creating a dispersive cloud. Underneath that were several spaced layers of armor plating each one reinforced with an ablative layer. The materials used in the standard nonablative layers, were chosen specifically for high thermal resilience, without compromising on structural toughness. The result was a potent if highly classified alloy simply referred to as NLM-223. It was a laminated metal and polymer mix with a unique nanoscale structure that offered fantastic properties for spaceship armor.


    ¡°Reset the shields, bring us to a new heading of one one seven mark five two,¡± she ordered, while glancing at her console to see the current charge levels for the main cannons. The main weapons on her cruiser were twenty-two Particle Lance Projectors. These were heavy particle cannons, that fired in half-second pulses, delivering a highly concentrated burst of neutrons and protons, with about 60-35 split between them, the remaining five was a random mix of subatomic particles stripped from the source material. These weapons had fantastic range and these lance bolts could tear though most defenses in short order.


    She smiled, and gave the order to fire on the Valorian cruiser before it could get out of range. Nine projectors lit up and discharged violet death at the retreating Valorian vessel.


    Her shields flared brightly as the energy beams slammed into her shields. ¡°Direct hit, enemy shields holding.¡±


    She glanced at her console, the cannons were cycling, but they were almost ready for another pulse, the moment they went green, she ordered, ¡°Fire!¡±


    Valorian shields were strong and their ships, fast, but she would put her faith in Toral engineering any day. Another violet pulse rippled across space striking the hostile cruiser amidships. This time her shields didn¡¯t absorb the full impact. ¡°Direct hit, moderate damage, their lateral shields have failed.


    Sadly they were slipping out of main gun range, so she had to rely on a different weapon. ¡°Load missile tubes, lock weapons on target.¡±


    ¡°Missiles, ready, sir!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    The ship hummed as a series of launches took place, in moments, hundreds of antiship missiles were in the void. All seeking the same target. These were Pulse missiles, they were tracking projectiles, armed with a short-range ionic particle lance and a high-yield fusion warhead. Upon closing with a target, they would first fire a focused ionic particle pulse, that would disrupt shields and burn through armor, before detonating with a shaped fusion blast.


    She relaxed a bit, as she watched the projectiles seek their target. This wasn¡¯t her first skirmish with a Valorian cruiser and by now she was pretty sure it was dead. They were tanky, and fast, but Valorian vessels were also somewhat predictable once you understood their tactics. They were excellent skirmish vessels, designed to take advantage of their strong shields, by slipping in and out of range. At long range they would pelt you with their long range rapid fire pulse cannons, dealing constant damage to the target, while closer up they would fire devastating plasma torpedo volleys. However, they were quite fragile once their shields were broken. It was why she hadn¡¯t really used the missiles earlier, best to wait until the Valorian shields were failing.


    Then suddenly, she watched the Valorian ship start firing on her missiles. ¡°Sir! The Valorians have begun targeting our missiles.¡±


    She blinked, that was odd. Never before had she seen the Valorians employ point defense systems, they had always relied on their strong shields. Not that she blamed them, almost nothing could get through them while they were up, but that was also the weakness. Once down the Valorians were left with precious little to defend themselves.


    On the screens the missile counts fell rapidly, 300, 200, 100, then the missiles entered pulse range, discharging their single shot lances, even as the point defense cannons on the Valorian cruiser continued to fire. Missile counts kept falling, but a number of warheads survived to make contact. For a moment the sensors were blinded by the immense flash of multiple high yield fusion cores detonating. Flooding the area with a massive electromagnetic and ionic pulse, along with superheated plasma and gamma rays. Much of it focused on the cruiser.


    When the detonation cleared, it revealed an intact cruiser, damaged but still there. ¡°Direct hit, heavy damage to the target. I¡¯m reading multiple hull breaches, her shields are down and she appears to have lost all power to her primary systems. Main reactor failure imminent, I estimate five minutes before complete reactor meltdown.¡±


    She smiled, well it seems that was a kill anyway. ¡°Bring us about, spool up drives one and two, and prepare for an immediate hyperspace jump.¡± She turned to the science console. ¡°Do we have the Simple Devestation¡¯s vector?¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir, heading two two three, mark zero four they are on course for the Valorian world of Arnium.¡±


    Recalling the specs of the rogue battleship Simple Devastation, she figured they would need to take a hyperspace pause before then. ¡°Likely points for them to exit hyperspace to recharge?¡±


    ¡°Several, sir, but if they are planning to avoid Valorian patrols, which seem unusually dense in this sector, I¡¯d go to grid 118-23, its pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Only one star system in the area, no habitable worlds, no local trade routes or major resources of any kind. The local star system doesn¡¯t have much in the way of planets either, mostly just large space rocks, but there is a gas giant and its moons in the area.


    ¡°Sounds like a possible place to check,¡± she replied, ¡°Helm set course for grid 118-23.¡±

 Chapter One Thirty-Seven Laying Low

    Captain¡¯s Log July 19th, 003 SDE:


    It¡¯s been almost three weeks since the raid at the Telgros IV colony. So far we seem to have evaded contact with the main Valorian battlefleets, but avoiding battle has forced us to go slow. We haven¡¯t made much progress out of the sector, and over the last few days we have seen a substantial increase in Valorian contacts. Our spy ship has revealed a general increase in military activity across several sectors. Perhaps a side effect of our raid, but generally unavoidable. In terms of the raid we profited immensely, already we have teams of scientists working on the recently acquired tungari. It shows much promise as a material for more advanced armor forms. Along with being potentially useful in a number of other applications as well.


    Fuel wise we are doing alright, the raid was profitable in that regard as well, just not as much as it could be given the choice to bombard the colony. We expended almost half our gains in deuterium reducing the planet to an inhospitable state. I just hope it wasn¡¯t too much.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped through the blast door and approached his chair. Greyman turned to greet him, ¡°Good morning, sir. Sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Well enough, what do we got?¡±


    ¡°Our scouts are just returning from a search of the system. It¡¯s not much of a system, there is a local gas giant, with several moons inside the habitable zone. Not anywhere I would like to settle, the most promising moon has an average surface temperature of minus forty.¡±


    ¡°Should have packed a coat,¡± replied Countryman.


    Greyman laughed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure that would have helped much.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, anything other than gas giants and frozen moons in this system?¡±


    ¡°That one gas giant is honestly the most interesting part of the system, little surprise no one seems to have planted a flag here, there is a fair amount of stellar debris in the system, a few ice balls, three asteroid belts, and about halfway between the lone gas giant and the local star is what looks to be a planetary debris field. The amount of mass involved, would have equated to a world about four times the size of earth, possibly habitable.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, what does the mineral survey show?¡±


    ¡°Mostly rock and ice, we did detect trace deposits of nickel and iron. Nothing substantial though. Mineral readings are typically poor across the board, if there was anything here, it was picked clean ages ago.¡±


    ¡°What about the gas giant? What does the composition look like...¡±


    ¡°It''s a bust sir, only trace amounts of deuterium. In other words a dry well.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Figures, the Valorians might have been here waiting for us, if there was anything there.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but the system is fairly quiet. We can sit here for a while, I think Ruri had some more tests for her various weapon projects lined up.¡±


    ¡°Some items came up,¡± replied Countryman, ¡°Williams is still pushing for us to go forward with developing the super resonant particle beams Ruri created in simulation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, but I don¡¯t see much merit in that.¡±


    ¡°Well as a weapon it leaves something to be desired, it does have value as a mining tool, it¡¯s not one we need. I see more merit focusing on improving our techniques for locating and extracting key deposits from orbit. Not breaking up entire planets, that kind of mining would require...¡±


    ¡°A degree of infrastructure we don¡¯t have. Might not for a long time, if ever.¡±


    Countryman took his chair and nodded, ¡°Quite so. I¡¯m keeping a closer eye on her other projects, her pulsar torpedoes are pretty much ready for service. Aside from some potential for optimization, they are basically ready for production. ¡°


    ¡°I guess that leaves the next gen laser projects, I think she already started a project to improve the new sega-based laser systems.¡±


    ¡°Oh she did, but they are actually not yet ready for testing. Actually, the most pressing tests are for a new type of energy shield. Atmospheric forcefields to be precise. Last I heard, she and Vera were working on them and having an issue with field stability. Something about vulnerability to high energy bursts, such as weapons fire, or our standard shipboard catapults.¡±


    Greyman blinked, ¡°We are that close?¡±


    ¡°They have some prototypes that are about ready for testing. If they work, we would be able to launch fighters without having to decompress the launch bay.¡±


    ¡°Useful, definitely something worth stopping to work on for a bit. Hopefully a couple months of laying low would also help reduce the heat.¡±


    ¡°We will see.¡±


    Greyman turned to the starcharts and then tapped on the debris field, ¡°If we are testing new systems, this area might be good. All those rocks could serve to dampen the high energy bursts and keep curious eyes away.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Countryman leaned forward and looked over the survey reports. That debris field was large, with some rocks measuring over 150 kilometers across. These weren¡¯t small chunks of rock at all, they were fragments from a failed planet and that added up to a fair amount of mass. Something that would certainly shield any project they conduct from potential prying eyes. Of course he knew methods to improve that protection, strategically placed sensor dampers, and monitoring satellites would help. Certain types of radiation were known to interfere with sensors as well, of course not all detection systems were vulnerable in the same way. Too much radiation might also draw attention, so sticking with satellites and dampers would be best. He turned to the crew, it was time to get moving.


    <hr>


    Vera watched the gauges on the console, as they measured the new generator core. With Ruri¡¯s help the project had gone surprisingly well. Working out the stability and power issues had been half the problem, but now that they were getting closer to a working system she was feeling rather happy with what they had.


    The triphasic shield core behind the new atmospheric shield they had been working on, created an energy barrier that was actually remarkably strong. Using the traditional generator system the humans had, however presented issues. Their shield systems were often configured to ignore solid mass and weapons fire in general, something Vera could clearly see why. The generators just couldn¡¯t handle the resulting strain. However, the system could still in theory deflect or block one incoming round, but doing so came with a serious risk of system burnout. It gave the shields an odd juxtaposition of weakness and strength rolled into one package.


    With their more recent work on forcefields, she was pretty sure their new core could be better and with a few modifications be adapted to the ship¡¯s main shields. Making them stronger and more flexible. Although perhaps not as impressive as the ship¡¯s armor, and there were some questions on the energy draw. Vera understood well how that could play out, a ship¡¯s reactors can only produce so much energy at any given time. Right now the Enterprise was like most ships perfectly capable of supplying all of its energy requirements during battle without difficulty, but when you start upgrading things you run the risk of overtaxing the reactors, forcing commanders to choose.


    Without even running a simulation she knew it would be a consideration. By nature, energy shields were power hungry systems. During battle, the Enterprise already had her hull plating, weapons and engines demanding power, all of which were energy intensive systems with high power draw requirements. The ship had a number of high density capacitor cells that served to store power and compensate for spikes in energy draw. Firing weapons, deploying defensive webs, and regenerating the AIF were all good examples of draw spikes. Adding shields on top of that might just push things too far.


    Yet on a smaller scale the new force fields would certainly be useful. Her current readings were promising. Looking up, she turned to Ruri, ¡°I like what I am seeing, how about you?¡±


    ¡°Field integrity is stable, power draw nominal, I agree. Now lets see how she holds up to a high energy burst.¡±


    Vera tapped a few keys, and a cannon began to whine slightly as her capacitors prepared to discharge. A second later, a blue energy bolt zipped across the lab and slammed into an energy barrier. Causing the force field to flare up with blue light, revealing the previously invisible wall, as the barrier radiated away the energy it just absorbed.


    ¡°Field strength down 59.23901 percent, generator core stable. No anomalies in field integrity, I think we are good.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°Field loss is quite a bit higher than I would have liked for a 2 gigajoule discharge, but the field is recovering quickly.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we could try reinforcing the field with gravitons. Now that I have a feel for your shield systems, I think we can do it.¡±


    Ruri stepped away from the console and stretched a little. Vera sighed as she noticed the smaller girl had torn her outfit again. It was amazing how often she ended up with holes in her lab coats and clothes. ¡°You¡¯ve had that idea on the brain for awhile, I presume you have a plan for this?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°Yup!¡± before rushing to the nearby office. Ruri followed and soon leaned over her shoulder as Vera pulled up her earlier work. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into it during my free time. Given our drive cores produce the particle in abundance as a byproduct of their operation we have plenty of it to work with. The armor is already using it as part of the AIF field, incorporating the particle into a Triphasic forcefield isn¡¯t that different.¡±


    A diagram was shown on the screen, along with her math and several computer simulations. ¡°Hmm interesting, I see what you are doing here. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard to test either. Main issue would be adjusting the core to make use of the gravitons. Once done though, it looks like the gravitons will bind to the energy field, making it more resilient.¡±


    ¡°In theory, yes, gravitons are supposed to do what Sega or Omicron particles do in modern shields. However they do it better at a lower energy cost, presuming you could produce them in high enough amounts, like we do here. We have no shortage of them.¡±


    Looking over the data, she nodded, ¡°If I understand this right, they work for forcefields for the same reason they are good for reinforcing an AIF. Gravitons are highly organized particles that bond equally well with both energy and matter, acting to bind it together into a solid lattice structure, one that can be modulated by the careful application of certain waveforms. The way they naturally bind with each other is also important, their natural properties of responding to force by emitting gravitic waves can also be exploited through precise adjustments of the energy barrier. Like the AIF, the ship¡¯s sensors can feed the required variables into the computer, which can perform such adjustments on the fly.¡±


    Vera nodded, ¡°Yes exactly right, compared to a traditional barrier, these forcefields will require a fraction of the energy and will stop just about anything you can throw at them.¡±


    Suddenly the door opened, Vera looked up to see the Captain coming in, ¡°Good evening ladies.¡±


    ¡°Um, Good evening, is it really that late?¡±


    Ruri was still looking at the data and after a moment said, ¡°It¡¯s been a productive one, we finally managed to get a barrier that can withstand a high-energy burst. The current prototype was able to stop a 2-gigajoule particle bolt albeit with an unacceptably high loss of field strength.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, so I take it we are getting close to having viable air shields for our hangers?¡±


    Vera smiled, ¡°They will be good for more than just that, security barriers and emergency forcefields that can seal off hull breaches would be possible as well.¡±


    Countryman came around the desk and looked at the diagram, ¡°Portables? One of the most difficult tasks is rescuing trapped personnel in areas that have been breached. Bunker sections may have air, but getting them out may involve passing through sections without.¡±


    ¡°I think we can work something out, it¡¯s a good thought, very useful for a number of tasks.¡±


    ¡°Well getting the current version working properly will be important first and I have good news for you, we found some nice lifeless space rocks that we can use for off-ship testing.¡±


    Ruri practically beamed, it seemed she was happy to hear about that, ¡°Excellent, I have a number of projects that could use off-ship testing.¡±


    The trio soon turned to discussing further the projects in question.

 Chapter One Thirty-Eight Hunting Shadows

    July 24th, 003 SDE:


    The cruiser captain looked up from her desk, glancing at the swirls of hyperspace outside her viewport. It wasn¡¯t much of a view right now, but it was pretty. She¡¯d chosen these quarters for the view more than anything else. A nice lift would take her deeper into the ship to the bridge when needed, taking only a couple of minutes at the most to get there when she needed to be on the bridge in a hurry.


    Her mind wasn¡¯t much on the quarters however, but instead she was thinking once again about the rogue ship she was hunting. The Simple Devastation was a Toral vessel, much like her own, commanded by a Toral crew. No one was very pleased with the mission. The captain of the Devastation was a decorated and respected officer, and the ship in question had a long storied career. Honestly this mission cut deep and she could see that in the faces of every crewman and woman aboard her cruiser.


    She was pretty familiar with her target too, having read its specs, career and the captain¡¯s personnel file cover to cover more times than she would care to admit. Trying not to think about what she was really hunting. That she wasn¡¯t hunting the ship and crew of a fellow Toralian.


    Her mind drifted to the details of the Devastation once again as she stared at the swirling colors of hyperspace. The ship in question was first laid down roughly fifty years ago, and launched 47 years ago. The Devastation was built from the ground up as a battleship and intended for a service life of fifty years as was standard for capital ships in the fleet. Now that her service life was nearly up, the ship had been scheduled for a transfer into the reserve fleet in preparation for her final decommissioning in three years time. Only for reasons known only to her captain, she never reported to the reserve fleet as ordered, instead she was last seen on fleet monitoring stations as she departed Toral space, on course for Valorian territory.


    The Devastation was a large powerful vessel, even accounting for her age, naturally there was some concern she might spark a war. While there were many who would welcome a war, especially with the rising tensions, there were concerns that made one not desired at this time.


    The Simple Devastation was best described as a mobile fortress, measuring 4430 meters long with three hundred and twelve decks. Like many Toral designs, she was built with a layered design, allowing her to soak up phenomenal amounts of damage. The armor was much like her own, composed of alternating layers of ablative, NLM-223 nanocomposite alloys and spaced vacuum in an almost honeycomb-like structure, that provides an outstanding level of protection. No single layer of protection was able to stop modern plasma rounds and particle bolts. The idea behind modern armor was to instead present it with a thick layered structure that weakens and disperses each bolt.


    On impact with the armor, a plasma round vaporizes a portion of ablative, which neutralizes a portion of the round. The remaining round slams into the nanocomposite, where it expends energy burning through, any remaining energy then passes through the insulated vacuum layer to hit a new layer of ablative which further weakens it. The more powerful the bolt, the more layers it will go through, but these layers drastically reduce the amount of damage any given round does to vital zones of a ship. Furthermore, rounds that would penetrate traditional armor and do heavy damage to a vital sector like the main engine room would instead be stopped by the plating. Naturally this kind of plating loses effectiveness in a prolonged engagement due to armor degradation and damaged plating would require replacement after every battle, but the benefits were believed to outweigh the costs, especially for capital ships


    Capital ships, like the Devastation, were expensive investments to begin with, and anything that measurably improves survivability and ensures they make it back to port after a battle is considered a worthwhile investment. Of course the armor is merely a second line of defense, but even so the battleship Devastation features a main armor belt 60 meters thick. This is a remarkable bulwark of protection that keeps the main vitals of the ship safe in the event of shield failure, allowing the ship to keep fighting while the shields are reset or giving the ship more time to withdraw before critical damage could be inflicted.


    The extended belt was much thinner however, a tradeoff made due to mass considerations and design requirements, the main thruster ports had exceptionally thin armor with only about five meters around the ports and a gap at the ports themselves. Turret armor also varied in thickness more out of necessity than anything else.


    Most notably the battleship featured an armored bunker level near the center of the ship, which contained the CIC, primary fuel tanks, main reactor core and the primary computer banks, along with a few other critical systems. This all-important bunker zone was protected by an internal belt of armor twenty meters thick, with access controlled by armored blast doors. Secondary internal force shields were also in place to ensure the safety of this zone.


    The Devastation featured some powerful shields as well, that had been updated over the years to remain competitive with twelve primary shield generators and twenty-four secondary generators providing a robust degree of protection. The ship¡¯s energy screens were multilayered and capable of rapid regeneration. The barrier was rated against standard anti-capital ship weapons, nothing short of a concentrated barrage was going to get through. Defensively the ship was a beast.


    Honestly she felt a little outmatched, her ship was much newer, but smaller. That gave her an edge in maneuverability, but she didn¡¯t have the firepower or armor to match the Devastation. However, her ship did have superior shields, rated to absorb 35% more energy before failing and requiring a reset. Being faster and better able to change direction, along with the stronger shields meant she had a few strategies she could try. Ironically, she¡¯d recently destroyed a Valorian cruiser attempting to use the same book she was planning to use now. One her foe might be aware of, but she had no choice but to plan for this. While she had the Devestation¡¯s command codes, she couldn¡¯t be certain they had not been changed. If they had been changed, she would be forced into battle, if not she would be able to remotely order the battleship to lower her shields and power down her weapons.


    Armament-wise, their ships were similarly equipped; it was just a difference in weapon counts. Mostly, her guns were individually stronger, since they were of newer design. Although that was more a sign of the Devastation¡¯s age than anything else, the ship had been refitted a few times, with newer and better things, but she was running into the hard limits of her core systems. Her power grid simply couldn¡¯t handle the latest versions of Particle Projectors in the same caliber she was originally given. While some futureproofing had been done, the ship was just outpaced and would require a complete systems overhaul to bring her into the new era. Sadly for the ship, unless a new war came around, that wasn¡¯t likely. As it would be much easier to build a new ship from the ground up with the latest technology. It was why capital ships were typically retired when they reached the end of their fifty year planned lifespan, often being sent to the reserve fleet, then decommissioned where they would rest in mothballs for a few years before being stripped and sold.


    A ship with the pedigree of the Devastation however was likely to join the ranks of the numerous decorated vessels at the Fleet Museum over the homeworld. Numerous mighty vessels from every age since the dawn of spaceflight were moored there, meticulously maintained so that they could be remembered for generations. She¡¯d been there herself and it was truly an experience. Personally, she felt the Devastation belonged there, with her history she deserved to be remembered as an honorable ship with an honorable crew. Yet her current captain seems to have thought it best to taint the memory of such a storied vessel. Especially since she had served the fleet with distinction in not one, not two, but three separate major conflicts.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Her gaze turned back to the monitor displaying the schematics of the ship with her robustly armored split diamond hull shape, bristling with projector mounts and missile launchers. The ship carried one hundred forty-four heavy particle lance projectors, twenty-two hundred particle cannon turrets, nearly ten thousand close-in particle projectors for point defense, and nearly eighteen thousand integrated missile launcher cells. The ship also had four hundred heavy torpedo launchers along each broadside.


    Her own ship was decidedly less impressive, with half the armor and significantly fewer guns, but she was only 1600 meters long, the Devastation was a much larger and heavier vessel so that was to be expected. Before she could think much more about that, there was a knock, followed by an officer walking in, ¡°Ma¡¯am you wanted me to inform you when we were nearing the jump point, we are now five minutes out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, ensign,¡± she replied automatically.


    <hr>


    Toral-Valorian Border; VCS Bountiful Treasure:


    Reidia shifted in her seat as she reviewed the half-written draft of a report currently on her monitor. She¡¯d retired to her office to get a head start on this while her crew worked. It wasn¡¯t anything her first officer couldn¡¯t handle. They had come out to this part of the border in response to a distress call, but by the time they had arrived the ship in question was nothing more than an expanding debris field. At the moment, her crew was involved mainly in rescue operations, as they searched the area for any survivors. The patrol cruiser may have been destroyed, but she did have time to launch her escape pods, the numerous beacons in the area made finding most of them easy, but a few had been damaged, complicating matters. Especially in cases where they had lost power or the comm system had been hit, leading to a failure of the beacon. Constant shuttle flights with active scans were being run in the area, as her crew worked tirelessly to recover the escape pods.


    The buzzer at her door chimed suddenly, letting her know that someone was at the door. She hit the control at her desk, and an officer walked in. ¡°Sorry to disturb you, ma¡¯am, but we managed to recover the cruiser¡¯s logs.¡±


    She blinked, knowing they had not had much time to investigate the loss yet. ¡°I take it they revealed something of interest?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we pulled the final sensor logs from the records. They were destroyed in battle by a Toral Marathon Class Heavy Cruiser.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°I¡¯m not that familiar with the Marathons, but correct me if I¡¯m wrong but isn¡¯t that one of their newer ship classes?¡±


    ¡°It is. I checked the computers, the first sightings of the class were dated two years ago.¡±


    She nodded along, as she idly recalled that she had received a report on it around that time as well. Typically sketchy and light on details, but that was normal for such a new vessel. Nothing that she would bother memorizing and now that she thought about it she hadn¡¯t heard much of anything about the class since. This was notably the first time she heard of one being involved with a border skirmish as well, which did raise some questions in her mind.


    Reidia wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with Toral vessels. Their shields were nothing special, but they weren¡¯t garbage either. Giving them a comfortable level of protection, that was somewhat competitive with what other nations could put forth. Toral ships were more notable for their armor scheme, it was one even her dismissive compatriots noted, but dissed as being a waste of money. While it did work, their layered armor schemes were not exactly cheap. The Toral had designed their plating with failure in mind. As a result losing a layer of plating wasn¡¯t a big deal, since they had another behind it. This really helped Toral ships hang in during a prolonged slugging match, but afterwards they would need yard time to replace failed plating.


    Toral ships were also notable for their weaponry. The Toral Particle Lance Projector was a potent mid range pseudo-beam weapon. The highly focused particle pulses it fired could tear through armor and punch through weaker forms of energy shielding. Each shot also drained a good portion of a shield¡¯s integrity, as they weren¡¯t easy to redirect or absorb. There was a lot of power behind each and every shot the weapon made. The Toral Pulse Missiles were also not to be underestimated and the Toral were also known to make use of a heavier version in the form of high-yield anti-ship torpedoes. While the pulse torpedo used fusion warheads instead of plasma or antimatter as was more common elsewhere, these guided projectiles mounted a potent if limited particle weapon that would fire just before the weapon got into range. This lance shot would serve to weaken the target¡¯s shields or punch a hole in their armor, making the following detonation more damaging. Thankfully Toral vessels were somewhat slow, making it easier to outrun and outmaneuver them in battle.


    That didn¡¯t make her feel better about this. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. It¡¯s unusual for such a new vessel to be anywhere close to the border. While things have been getting more tense lately, we aren¡¯t at war.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t either, sir. Something feels off here.¡±


    ¡°We have some questions to ask, then. Have any of the rescued officers been released from medical?¡±


    ¡°Two, sir. Just moments ago.¡±


    ¡°Bring them both to my office, now.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    <hr>


    Grid 118-23; July 24th, 003 SDE; 1555 hours:


    The swirling colors on the forward screen were suddenly replaced with a field of stars and a few large space rocks. An officer looked up from her console, her tail swinging lazily, with two of her four hands still on the controls, ¡°Captain, we are secure from hyperspace. Main shields are coming online now, we will have weapons shortly.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, full sensor scan. Any ships in the...¡±


    ¡°Contacts!¡± interrupted one of her officers.


    ¡°On main viewer!¡±


    The screen shifted to display the familiar double diamond hull of the Simple Devastation, she¡¯d seen the image enough times to recognize it on sight. With a second large vessel running alongside it, her numerous gunports aglow as she fired blue energy bolts into the battleship. Her racing mind quickly registered the distinctive alien hull with its black and silver paint job, large primary saucer, smaller half disk hull segment on the end of a tower angled back. Two massive underslung nacelles that swept towards the rear of the vessel and were connected to the hull by a pair of thick struts. A ship she¡¯d heard about, every captain in the navy had. As her intelligence report crossed her desk mere hours after the incident at Cantra. It was the EFS Enterprise.


    She quickly recalled the key details, the ship was a warp vessel. The choice of separated nacelles was unusual for a warship, and intel believed it meant she was built for speed. Warp engines were known to get quite hot, especially when going for high warp. However the ship was noted to be well armored, virtually nothing got through that plating and she had no discernable method of propulsion aside from her known warp capability. The ship was well armed, with rapid fire particle cannons, particle beam weapons, and torpedoes.


    A discharge from the Simple Devastation slammed into the Enterprise breaking her line of thought. Her plating held, but even at the current resolution, she could tell it had taken damage. An officer elaborated on the battle, ¡°The Devastation has lost shields, her armor appears to be holding, but its deteriorating rapidly. I¡¯m reading multiple imminent failures.¡±


    She nodded, even as she wondered, how the fuck this had happened. Just as an alien destroyer made herself known, coming around a rock she discharged a volley of glowing blue bolts. Recalling the report she knew they were photon torpedoes, but for a moment she wondered where the other one was, but that soon answered itself. When the second destroyer opened fire from below, discharging another volley of photons. Even at a glance she noticed despite the difference in launch times, they would impact the Devastation simultaneously. Her orders sprang to mind at that moment, she opened her mouth, ¡°All hands, Battlestations! Open a channel, I¡¯d like to speak to the commander of the Enterprise.¡±


    As her officers sprang to work, she couldn¡¯t help but consider the implications. Her gaze fell to the command codes, some part of her hoped they were still valid, even if she couldn¡¯t use them just yet. Then the main screen flickered, changing to show a dim alien bridge. The captain cleared her throat.

 Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Nine Explosive Introduction

    July 24th, 003 SDE, 1520 hours:


    Countryman looked up from his desk as Greyman came in. ¡°Afternoon sir, I have the latest test results for your review.¡±


    Taking the offered report, he started looking it over, ¡°Anything I should know?¡±


    ¡°The forcefield projectors are definitely more stable than the earlier versions, but I¡¯m not sure about taking them into combat. Vera and Ruri haven¡¯t been able to fully compensate for the stability issue and the system remains vulnerable to high energy bursts.¡±


    ¡°So they still need more work before we can conduct open bay hangar operations. Noted.¡±


    Greyman took a seat, ¡°During combat yes, they are stable enough for field use and she did fix the issue with the catapults. We can freely use the catapults during launch without worry of field collapse.¡±


    Sighing, ¡°But they will still fail if someone takes a shot at them. I guess it doesn¡¯t change that much really.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Greyman, ¡°we don¡¯t exactly want the enemy shooting at an open hanger anyway.¡±


    Countryman laughed, but before he could reply a klaxon went off. ¡°All hands general quarters, all hands general quarters. Captain Countryman to the bridge, repeat Captain Countryman to the bridge.¡±


    ¡°I guess something happened,¡± commented Countryman as he slipped out from behind his desk. In a smooth motion he turned his monitor off and slipped the report into a drawer. Before following Greyman out of his office and into the short hallway outside his office. Taking a right, he rushed past the two guards on duty and entered the upper level of the bridge. Countryman surveyed the screens as he closed on his chair. Quickly noting the double diamond shaped vessel closing on their position


    That was a shape he wasn¡¯t familiar with, indicating to him this was a first contact. The ship didn¡¯t have sweeping elegant lines common in Valorian design, their ships were more artwork than combat vessels, nor did it have the predatory lines of Cathamari design. That double diamond didn¡¯t seem entirely out of line for Krall ships, but the lines were wrong. The Krall favored a triangular prow section that often led into a rugged rectangular main body that flared into large sweeping wings.


    This hull featured strong rugged lines with two diamond shaped wedges stacked on top of each other. Something that became quite apparent as the vessel maneuvered around a large chunk of ice. Giving him a good view of her lines, the ship featured several massive thruster ports mounted along her rear.


    ¡°Report!¡±


    Misaki looked up, ¡°According to the Krall database, that¡¯s a Toral Confederacy Battleship Imperator class.¡±


    ¡°The Toral? I thought we were lightyears from their space.¡±


    Kaori looked up from the tactical console, ¡°They are charging weapons.¡±


    Misaki¡¯s console beeped, ¡°We are being hailed.¡±


    He gestured for it to be put on screen and an alien man appeared. Countryman couldn¡¯t help comparing him to a Gorilla. It certainly was an apt comparison. Although he was clearly a gorilla with four arms, fierce eyes and tusks. He spoke tersely, ¡°Nothing against you but I can¡¯t have anyone knowing we were here. Prepare for battle.¡±


    Greyman commented, ¡°That was odd.¡±


    Countryman nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything. He had a battle to fight, ¡°Alert all away parties, load all torpedo tubes. Bring us about to heading one one six mark two four ahead full.¡±


    Kaori nodded, ¡°Loading tubes.¡±


    While helmsman Eri turned the ship onto the new course and increased speed. Countryman took a quick moment to access the database and review the Krall intel on the ship type. Imperator class ships were marked as dated with the last production run of the class having ended forty years ago. He noted that down, as he quickly familiarized himself with what weapons the other ship had. It was armed with Toral particle projectors which basically sounded like a different take on their own particle cannon technology, just much slower to fire, but with a higher energy impact per round. The ship also carried pulse missiles and torpedoes. Countryman quickly digested that, as the ship shook under the fire of alien guns.


    ¡°Hull plating holding sir, but that hit was powerful. I wouldn¡¯t recommend taking too many of those,¡± commented Kaori.


    ¡°Noted, return fire aft tubes, maximum yield, full salvo.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    The aft launchers hummed as multiple blue bolts sailed out. The alien shields flared as the energetic projectiles slammed into them at high velocities, but a good number got through.


    ¡°Direct hit, Toral shields holding, moderate damage to their forward hull plating. No significant damage to report, sir¡±


    Countryman had doubted that would do much against the ship. The file he was reading described it as a fortress, however her aft plating did have a few weaknesses. Sadly they weren¡¯t on her tail, he was showing his to the enemy but that wasn¡¯t going to last.


    A second later Coto moved in, he spotted her on the screens, coordinating with the Umikaze. Both ships came around pieces of floating debris and opened up with their forward tubes. The battleship¡¯s shields flared brightly as the projectiles punched through them, about half detonated on the Toral ship¡¯s shields, the rest tore into the armor.


    They were clearly doing damage, but unlike a Valorian ship, that vessel actually was built to take a beating. It was clear to him they would have to take out the shields, then the cannons would really be able to shine. He smiled, for once they were facing a proper opponent, with serious hull plating, and strong weapons. On the surface they were pretty evenly matched.


    As the battleship returned fire on the destroyers, scoring two hits on the Coto and one on the Umikaze. Both of which penetrated the armor, but failed to inflict serious damage, he was barking new orders. ¡°Engineering jump start the main reactor. Tactical charge the electro cannons, helm adjust heading sixty one degrees to port and prepare for pulse detonation.¡±


    The bridge leapt into action and the ship shook again. ¡°Port plating buckling, damage to sections 323 alpha to 670 beta, no penetration.¡±


    ¡°Matter antimatter reaction confirmed, reactor cores one and two coming online. Warp power in ten minutes¡±


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Electro cannons coming online, plasma capacitors at 24 percent and charging, ready for fire in t minus three minutes.¡±


    ¡°Engine charge nominal, sir, ready for pulse detonation on your mark.¡±


    ¡°Mark! Set for one minute¡±


    The ship leapt, as the inertial dampers strained to compensate for the sudden extreme acceleration and deceleration, as they were quickly pulled out of range.


    A second later a flight of fighters entered visual range, coming out from a rock just as they slowed down. They¡¯d jumped out of range of the ship shortly before the fighting, and were escorting a shuttle launched earlier as part of Ruri¡¯s tests.


    ¡°Clear them for the port side hanger entry and bring us about.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir.¡±


    The seconds ticked by as the flight conducted a hot landing. Quickly entering the bay, and securing before it could repressurize. As the doors were closing he gave the order to jump back into the fight, just as tactical reported the electro cannons were ready to fire.


    Then they made the jump, everyone felt the acceleration as they instantly closed back into combat range. Countryman gave the order the moment they had a line of fire, ¡°Fire!¡±


    Kaori grinned as she manipulated her console and fired the electro cannon batteries personally. Multiple emplacements fired at once, sending charged plasma streams into the Toral battleship, several thunderous cracks reverberated through the ship, while on screen Countryman watched the Toral shields flare brightly before overloading in a luminous burst.


    ¡°Toral shields have collapsed, sir!¡±


    ¡°Fire at will, all available batteries.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. Firing at will.¡±


    Numerous turrets turned to unleash a heavy barrage of particle fire into the alien battleship, which returned fire with a heavy barrage from its own projector mounts. The ship shuddered under the heavy strikes, as the two ships raked each other in a heavy exchange.


    At the same moment, Countryman coordinated a new attack with the destroyers Coto and Umikaze. A heavy torpedo barrage from above and below targeted the battleship¡¯s primary engine manifolds. The rear armor was weaker, so he was hoping the torpedoes would inflict considerable damage when they hit.


    Just as he was informed of confirmed launches, operations officer Misaki looked up, ¡°Hyperspace window detected.¡±


    ¡°Identify,¡± ordered Countryman.


    ¡°New contact, Toral vessel configuration unknown.¡±


    He blinked, another hostile? ¡°Divert...¡±


    ¡°We are being hailed.¡±


    Sighing he commented, ¡°Is this standard Toral behavior, warp in and then declare battle before attacking? Put them on.¡±


    This time a female figure appeared on the screen. Countryman was rather astonished at the difference from the males. If he had the time for questions he would have asked them. The alien woman on the screen was much smaller than the male and lacked facial tusks, but she did have four arms. Her skin was a pale shade of green and she was dressed in a sharp uniform.


    The woman smiled, ¡°I¡¯d introduce myself but it seems we have little time for pleasantries and I see you have already encountered the rogue.


    He blinked, ¡°rogue?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d explain if we had more time, but I¡¯d keep it short. The Simple Devastation has gone rogue, we¡¯ve been sent to bring her back.¡±


    He quickly noted that down. It seemed they had an ally, he would talk more but his attention was required.


    ¡°Port plating buckling sir! Hull breach deck forty two, section 978 Epsilon.¡±


    Countryman quickly signaled to cut the hail and jumped into giving a series of orders. Some of them likely redundant, ¡°Isolate that section, dispatch damage control. Tactical lock cutting beams on the following coordinates;...¡±


    Kaori confirmed the target, a section of plating that had weakened from heavy fire. Entire sections of the Toral armor were starting to degrade. Sure they had breached his plating but internal damage was minimal, this location appeared to be a vital section with a primary power distribution node located in that area. One responsible for powering a number of the Toral particle projector mounts.


    The beam arrays lit up a moment later, discharging a concentrated stream of particle energy into the targeted section. Entire sections of plating buckled one after another as the beams tore through layers of alien plating in rapid order. The alien ablative merely served to slow the attack. In response, the alien projectors retargeted, attempting to shut down his beam emitters with limited effect.


    The ship shook as high energy bursts slammed into the hull. On screen a barrage of torpedoes slammed into the battleship. Just as the Coto swept in from below, her guns firing into vulnerable thruster ports. Several of which had already been shattered from previous torpedo hits.


    Countryman kept an eye on the toral cruiser, but she was well out of range. The ship was on course for the area though and would be in weapons range in two minutes. That would be his real indication for how things would go.


    ¡°The Toral cruiser has opened a channel with the battleship.¡± reported Misaki.


    A moment later she spoke up again, ¡°The cruiser is demanding the battleship surrender, but the battleship isn¡¯t having it.¡±


    ¡°Missile launch!¡±


    Countryman blinked, but it turned out they weren¡¯t the target. Hundreds of Toral missiles streamed from the battleship straight for the newcomer. Well there went his theory about them playing games with him. They weren¡¯t friends, as that wasn¡¯t pulling your punches. The cruiser returned fire, with her own stream of missiles.


    The Enterprise shuddered, as another hull breach was reported. No major damage. He glanced at the screens, just as the beams cut through the alien plating. ¡°We are through the plating captain.¡±


    ¡°Lock all cannons, fire!¡±


    Kaori refocused her fire on that section and opened fire. Heavy particle bolts streamed into the puncture in the plating with explosive results. The entire section collapsed under heavy fire as meters of scorched and ruptured plating was blown off the hull. Internal struts were ripped apart, as fires erupted several projectors sputtered mid shot before going silent as power disruptions rippled across the alien ship.


    Then the Umikaze swept in, adding a volley of torpedoes to the mix. Several warheads slammed into the wounded section and detonated, sending flaming metal and bodies into space.


    Countryman quickly targeted a new section with a similarly focused fire, and the armor quickly buckled under the barrage. The battleship turned to try and break distance, her jammer fields shutting down and Countryman was quickly informed of an energy surge in her engineering section. Her captain was trying to retreat, just moments before the pulse missiles came into range. Numerous light turrets activated to whittle them down but multiple warheads still got through. Mostly impacting on the armor, but a few found more vulnerable sections that had been compromised in the fighting.


    ¡°Sir, the cruiser has just activated her FTL Dampers.¡±


    A moment later, the cruiser entered the particle cannon range of the battleship and she opened fire. Targeting the engines, several high impact hits tore into already damaged ports, which soon failed entirely. For him however, the battle felt over, ¡°Pull us out of range.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir, changing course, increasing speed.¡±


    As the distance grew, he watched the Toral cruiser, quickly shut down the battleship¡¯s engines with concentrated fire, then she shut down the remaining weapons. Taking advantage of the compromised armor and failed shields to target key nodes with minimal effort. Then she opened another channel to the battleship.


    ¡°The cruiser is making another demand for surrender.¡±

 Chapter One Forty Talks with the Toral

    July 24th, 003 SDE, 1635 hours:


    Countryman shifted on his feet, as he watched the Toral shuttle come in for landing. He still had a fair number of questions, and the other captain had promised to answer them.


    It certainly seemed like it would be quite the story and he had to say he didn¡¯t appreciate being shot at for no apparent reason. Thankfully they weren¡¯t going to have to wait long. The alien shuttle settled onto the deck plate, as a pair of wings folded in. Swing wings were a dated concept, at one point in time they¡¯d been phased out entirely, only to make a comeback decades later with the rise of space carriers. Variable geometry wings brought with them a number of advantages, they just weren¡¯t well liked by engineers due to all the issues that came with them. They added complexity to a machine, which meant higher costs to maintain and repair.


    The main purpose they had in modern design was for stowage after landing. Wings were especially common in dual-purpose craft. Any space fighter or shuttle designed for atmospheric flight had them, but they were also used in combat fighters. The high surface area was good for radiating waste heat in battle while also providing a convenient space for hard point mountings.


    He noted how smoothly the wings folded in, and then a ramp dropped down, as the pumps refilled the hanger. A couple of minutes passed before the hatch opened. Allowing three figures to step out and walk down the ramp to the deck. Countryman watched them for a moment before signaling the guards.


    He joined the aliens on the deck a minute later. The guards had swept in first for a final weapons check, not that the sensors had detected any. Countryman smiled, ¡°Welcome aboard, Captain. I trust you have some answers for me, as I don¡¯t appreciate being shot at.¡±


    The alien woman looked a little sheepish, ¡°Yes, sorry about that. I¡¯d hoped for a less... violent first contact with your people. I¡¯ve heard some things about your people. You¡¯ve made quite the name for yourselves in just a few months. Prior to Cantra we hadn¡¯t heard anything about your race, now it''s becoming one of the most talked about in the quadrant.¡±


    ¡°Really? It feels like going there was a mistake. I¡¯d hoped to smooth things with the Valorians, but it seems that was never going to happen. If anything they are becoming more warlike than before.¡±


    She shifted, ¡°Yes we¡¯ve heard the reports. The recent rise of the Minara clan within the Confederation has been a major concern for a number of powers. The Valorian fleet is more or less a joke, underfunded and ill-equipped, but we¡¯ve already heard reports of that changing.¡±


    ¡°Oh I can confirm that, I¡¯ve fought more than enough of them in this part of the galaxy. This area is swarming with Valorian fleets. Pretty much any system of value has at least a full battlegroup of Valorian warships in it. From what I¡¯ve been able to gather, the current clan is working to expand their influence across their entire border.¡±


    ¡°Concerning if true.¡±


    ¡°Anyway you still haven¡¯t told me what was up with your warship.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she replied, her shoulders drooping a bit, ¡°An embarrassment for our navy, that¡¯s what. The Simple Devastation was ordered to report to the reserve fleet. She¡¯s old, launched almost fifty years ago, which means she¡¯s at the end of her lifespan. Barring a war, the ship would likely be retired in a few years. Instead of reporting, she crossed into Valorian space and made her way here. Although I am curious what you are doing in Valorian space.¡±


    ¡°Passing through, our original route would have taken us around, but we were forced to cross this sector instead. Not that it matters much with all the Valorian activity in this region of late. We¡¯ll run into them either way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad? I¡¯d heard the Valorian were pushing ships along their borders and the surrounding areas but nothing that bad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well it¡¯s something for you to consider. Now, on the other subject do you have any idea why your battleship went rogue and what it¡¯s doing out here?¡±


    ¡°Presumably? Trying to start a war. It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense, but I¡¯m not sure what he was thinking. We don¡¯t need a war, not now.¡±


    ¡°A war you say? With the Valorians I presume.¡±


    ¡°Well naturally, there have been voices calling for war with them for years now and that faction has been getting louder recently. There is also some concern with the Minara faction rising to power within the Valorian Confederation. I suspect and plan to confirm that our errant captain saw fit to provoke a war earlier rather than later.¡±


    ¡°I see, and you don¡¯t approve.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we are ready, not yet. I¡¯ve seen the projections, while Valorian ships aren¡¯t very good at slugging matches, they¡¯ve always been faster. Combine that with their strong shields, and their rapid-fire long-range pulse cannons, and you have a fleet well suited to skirmisher tactics. If we could pin them down, we could win a battle easily, but the Valorians are wealthy. A war would mean an increase in their military funding, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for them to replace losses. Any war would have to be quick and decisive, a drawn-out one would not end in our favor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t envy you then,¡± replied Countryman as they left the hanger. The subject soon transitioned to other things.


    <hr>


    July 25, 003 SDE; 0730 hours:


    Reidia watched her screens, they had tracked the Toral through hyperspace to this out of the way system. Whatever they were doing out here, she didn¡¯t know but she figured she¡¯d find out soon enough. They would be coming out of warp any second now.


    A second later the stars shifted back to a more normal starscape, not at all like the distorted streaks you would see at warp speed. As things resolved, the usual post warp reports and activity came up.


    ¡°Contacts sir,¡± her sensor officer frowned, ¡°Menace and Toral vessels just past weapons range.¡±


    She blinked and stood up. The officer put the visual on the main viewer, even as the first question was voiced. ¡°Confirm that report.¡±


    ¡°Confirmed, one menace battle carrier, two menace destroyers, a dozen menace fighters on patrol, one Toral Imperator class battleship and a Toral Marathon class cruiser all on sensors. Interestingly, the Imperator has taken heavy damage, she¡¯s lost shields, weapons and propulsion, and reading disabled. The Marathon has sustained minimal damage. Both menace destroyers have sustained moderate damage, I¡¯m reading multiple hull breaches.¡± The officer paused, blinked and then with widened eyes reported, ¡°The menace flag has sustained damage, I¡¯m reading two hull breaches...¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Reidia moved closer, ¡°Someone got through that armor!!? How?¡±


    The officer shrugged, no idea. Reidia turned to the visual and then saw something else. One of the menace destroyers was in fact under the menace flag, secured in place by docking arms. While drones flew over her hull, robotic arms worked on the battle damage. The scene reminded her of the kind of work she¡¯d see at a shipyard. Intellectually she¡¯d known the menace had some ability to repair their ships in the field, but this was the first time she¡¯d actually seen the process first hand.


    A battle-damaged section of plating was being pulled up by a robotic arm, while a drone surveyed the section, firing a laser at several spots. She wasn¡¯t sure what it was doing with the laser, until a moment later when a robotic arm moved back into view. The arm quickly scraped out some old material before proceeding to work on the exposed internal section. They were rebuilding the underlying area beneath the plate. Similar work was being done elsewhere.


    It only took her a moment to realize that this was an opportunity. If the menace were repairing damage, it gave her an opening, but it was obvious they had been seen. The alien flag was already launching fighters and the other destroyer was now moving to engage. She turned to her crew with new orders. Yet she couldn¡¯t help wishing, she¡¯d had more ships with her. As it was, she only had a few frigates for escort. Her mind recalled her last skirmish, and she knew they¡¯d have to be careful of Menace torpedoes. A full volley from one of their destroyers proved sufficient to cripple her ship.


    <hr>


    The Toral captain watched her viewports as the previously peaceful system had turned to battle. As she watched the refuge destroyer Umikaze was now dueling the much larger Valorian Dreadnought Bountiful Treasure. A part of her was tempted to help, but she¡¯d been requested to stay out of the unfolding battle.


    Instead she figured she would take notes, while her crew got ready to take the Devastation under tow.


    The refuge flag had launched fighters but was notably turning while still docked to the Coto. She¡¯d seen the ship move fairly quickly before, but her rate of acceleration was notably slower now. More in line with a ship of her mass, actually. Of course, it would make sense for her to be unable to make full use of her engines while conducting repairs to another vessel.


    Suddenly her forward tubes lit up, as they spat a massive volley of warheads at the Valorian dreadnought. Barely half a second later, the Coto fired her own payload. While the Umikaze increased speed, closing the gap. The destroyer entered into gun range, just as the Valorian ship opened up with her own weapons.


    As for her escorts, they accelerated moving to interpose themselves between the torpedoes and the dreadnought. Valorian plasma rounds raked the destroyer Umikaze with minimal effect, and then the refuge vessel returned fire. Her beam arrays fired, but her target wasn¡¯t the Dreadnought, but the escorts.


    The shields flared, taking the first barrage, and the second from the destroyer. As it sailed past the escorts at high speed. Then she fired her aft torpedoes as she passed, which slammed into one of the frigates at high speed. The warship broke apart under the fire, just as the large volley of torpedoes sailed into the range of the Valorian pulse cannons.


    The Valorians opened up with a concentrated barrage, attempting to take out warheads before they could reach the dreadnought. She was impressed with the alien warheads as they absorbed or evaded multiple hits, while still managing to close at a rapid clip. Regardless, more than a few exploded, yet there were so many it hardly seemed to make a dent.


    Before the Umikaze could come about for another pass, the barrage slammed into the dreadnought at high speed even as the ship actively attempted to evade. A good hundred sailed past regardless, but the rest of the rounds slammed into the shields with explosive results.


    When the dust cleared, the dreadnought was still there, her armored hull ruptured in multiple places. The ship fired: heavy plasma rounds sailing out and striking the Umikaze. Her plating ruptured under the barrage, but it wasn¡¯t enough to knock her out. She targeted a second frigate, her beams slicing through the shields this time.


    The captain watched the ship¡¯s shields sputter and break under the barrage. Then the unarmored hull simply melted as the particle beam sliced effortlessly through the hull.


    Both remaining frigates broke formation, and the destroyer gave chase. Closing the distance on one of them, proving to be the faster ship in the process. Her forward tubes glowed before spitting death at the third frigate. The ship detonated in a massive fireball a moment later, leaving the dreadnought down three out of her four escorts, as she moved to intercept the Refuge flag, which was now moving away at one-quarter of the speed of light and accelerating.


    The Enterprise fired another volley of torps, this time from her aft tubes, as the Umikaze closed on the final still fleeing escort. She half expected to see the ship make the jump to warp, but that wasn¡¯t really an option as the Enterprise was projecting an active jamming field.


    A nifty device that would prevent a stable warp field from forming in its radius but also making it impossible for her own ship to jump to hyperspace. Evidently her captain was confident in this fight and didn¡¯t plan to let the Valorians retreat.


    Seconds later, the Umikaze was in range to fire on the retreating frigate. Her beam array lit up and fired a focused energy pulse into the rear shields of the frigate. They flared brightly, but seemed to hold. At least for a bit, as the distances shrunk the destroyer started firing her cannons as well, which began to drain the shields. Finally they started to buckle, allowing several rounds to breach the hull. One of which found the valorian reactor and the ship exploded. Leaving the dreadnought without escort as she contended with a volley of torps, while being swarmed by Refuge fighter craft.


    The small agile vessels were certainly doing damage and even more happened as the warhead found their marks. It seemed her help really wasn¡¯t required.


    Then the dreadnought entered the gun range of the Enterprise, her slower speed preventing her from actually getting out of range, but it had bought enough time. As the Coto was released just seconds after the first shots were exchanged, and the docking arms retreated back into the hull of the Enterprise. A process that took several precious seconds, yet miraculously they didn¡¯t take a single hit.


    Seconds later, the Umikaze suddenly seemed to teleport into range. A micro-jump? Impressive if so, especially given the active jamming. That thing affected everyone after all.


    The destroyer opened up on the dreadnought with a massive volley of torpedoes at close range, her beam arrays and cannon firing as well. As she swept over the hull, several lightning blasts discharged into the Valorian shields as well.


    A moment later, the Coto was firing her own heavy volley of rounds into the destroyer, as the Enterprise closed. Resulting in what could only be described as a fierce gun duel at close range. One the dreadnought tried to break from, while sending punishing levels of fire at the Enterprise, scoring several hits.


    By the end of it, the Enterprise had six new hull breachs, the Coto twelve new ones after just being fixed and the Umikaze had sustained fourteen. As for the dreadnought, she was a shattered wreck, over two hundred hull breaches, main power was out and she was venting atmosphere but the hull was still intact.


    The captain watched the Enterprise fire two final shots into the dreadnought before jumping to warp. A second later, the two destroyers followed. One of her crewmen spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m reading massive power fluctuations on that dreadnought if her reactor isn¡¯t stabilized soon...¡±


    The man trailed off, but she got the message. That ship was about to blow. Something her own crew seemed aware of, as they were launching escape pods. The humane thing would be to help, but instead, she ordered, ¡°Lock tractor beams on the Devastation, spool up drives one and two, and prepare for immediate hyperspace jump.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir¡±


    Seconds later, they were in hyperspace and heading back to their own territory. The captain did pick up the valorian distress call that followed a few minutes after they jumped out.

 Interlude Last Stand Protocols

    While losing a ship is perhaps not the most pleasant thing to consider, losses are inevitable in war. Losing a ship with all hands is an especially bitter pill to swallow. On a different note, going down fighting is often seen in a heroic light and its often easier to accept the loss of a ship if she took someone down with her.


    With all of this in mind, the Earth fleet long ago considered a set of protocols for when the loss of a ship seems inevitable. A set of computer and personnel protocols intended to minimize losses when the ship can no longer be saved, when a last stand becomes the only option.


    In the event of a last stand, the computer is to assume control of the ship or in the event of computer failure a select number of officers are to stay behind to cover the retreat of the rest of the crew. Furthermore, the ship is to be set to self-destruct to prevent the capture of any vital materials or intelligence the ship may be carrying.


    Modern vessels now have these protocols hardwired into the main computers and take advantage of evolving artificial intelligence. When a modern vessel detects critical damage to ship systems and slash or structure and determines retreat to be statistically improbable, these protocols will be automatically activated.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    When the Last Stand Protocol activates on a military vessel the auto-destruct system will automatically kick in, which will result in an engine overload within the next ten minutes. Time may vary depending on when the computer set it, but usually enough time to allow the crew to evacuate and clear the blast radius.


    In addition, numerous standard operation protocols will be disregarded. Including weapon limiters that are designed to keep the guns from slagging themselves during operation. Once disabled, the guns will be able to fire faster and harder than normal but are also far more likely to fail during operation. Regardless if a ship isn¡¯t coming back, that isn¡¯t much of an issue and usually allows them to do far more damage inside of the limited time frame allotted before the engines overload.


    Activation of these protocols are typically rare, but when used they have proven to be effective at not only allowing for the valuable crew to safely escape a dying vessel, but also taking one or more enemy vessels with them. Multiple cases were recorded during the Cathamari war, where they were used to great effect, even during important battles like the Battle of Mars.

 Chapter One Forty-One Slim Reserves

    April 4th, 004 SDE:


    Reidia looked out the viewport. Her ship was certainly looking better after almost ten months in dry dock, that last battle with the menace had not done her ship any favors. For a moment there she¡¯d thought she was going to lose the ship, but thankfully one of her engineers had managed to jettison the main reactor just before the containment field failed. The resulting detonation had slagged a good chunk of the ship, but the vessel had remained largely intact. More importantly, the core superstructure was largely undamaged, but the Bountiful Treasure had certainly taken a beating.


    It had taken a huge chunk of her personal funds to save the ship but she was certainly happy with the results. A part of her couldn¡¯t wait to get aboard and see what the refit had done for her ship.


    Her gaze drifted to the next slip where a nearly completed Yinta II class Dreadnought was undergoing the final phases of construction. It was one of several ships that promised to revitalize the Valorian navy and she had to admit the specs were really promising. It was larger than her War Spirit class dreadnought, which was officially being redesignated as the War Spirit II.


    Her own ship was going to be the first War Spirit of the War Spirit II configuration and featured many of the same upgrades the Yinta II had. Idly she recalled the specs she¡¯d been given. The Yinta II was a truly massive vessel, measuring 6100 meters long with 240 decks and four large hangar bays, allowing it to support a fighter complement of 5550.


    The hull was standard duranium construction and featured no additional armor mass which helped keep the weight of the hull down. This allowed the ship a fairly impressive maneuvering profile, and if the specs were believed, the ship would be able to keep up with the menace warship Enterprise, which had already proven to be remarkably agile for her size.


    The real improvement were the shields. Reidia was certainly looking forward to what they could do. With nearly a year to work on them, the scientists had made significant leaps forward in shield design. Especially once they understood exactly how the menace torpedoes were bypassing their shields. The new shields on the Yinta were theoretically hardened against shield-penetrating warheads. The ship featured a multilayered shield grid with each layer having its own rotating band modulation with a completely redesigned shield matrix. If the simulations were right, it would take a concerted bombardment to bring those shields down.


    Combined with the new generation of shields, the Yinta featured a new generation antimatter reactor and upgraded warp drive scheme, allowing her a cruising speed of warp five point one. All that extra power however also allowed her a very impressive weapons array.


    The ship was armed to the teeth, with numerous heavy plasma torpedo projectors mounted port and starboard, along with over a hundred forward-mounted tubes and seventy-five aft. The torpedoes alone were enough to destroy most capital ships, but in addition to that the ship carried a massive array of heavy Concussion Pulse Cannons.


    These were new-generation plasma cannons that were in part based on Cathamari weapons technology and they were truly impressive in testing. Having seen the damage they could do, she considered them a revolutionary new weapon. The weapon retained a respectable fire rate of about 2500 bolts per minute. Each bolt was a highly focused concussive plasma shell with a yield comparable to a plasma mortar, a weapon she knew effective against menace armor, although somewhat lacking in penetration. It worked more to drain it than anything, but she didn¡¯t think it would be the same with the new Concussion Cannons.


    Her own ship had been refitted with some of the same technology. Her old mortars had been replaced with Concussion Pulse cannons, she¡¯d been outfitted with a new point defense array and concussive flak turrets of the same type being mounted on the Yinta II. Along with a new reactor of the same type as the Yinta II and a similar shield grid upgrade. In fact the fleet was looking at her vessel to create a cheaper and faster line of dreadnoughts for when a Yinta wasn¡¯t warranted. Minus the hull plating naturally, as they weren¡¯t convinced it was worth the cost.


    ¡°Impressive aren¡¯t they,¡± said someone from behind her.


    Without looking, she replied. ¡°Quite, they¡¯ll be something else once they are done.¡±


    ¡°Right, and we are going to need them if the reports I¡¯ve been getting are right. The Malora and the Toral recently signed a treaty.¡±


    She turned to face the admiral talking to her, ¡°That¡¯s... concerning.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but no war has come yet. In the meantime, I was looking for an advisor on a different matter.¡±


    ¡°Well I have plenty of time, how can I help you ma¡¯am?¡±


    The admiral chuckled, ¡°Plenty indeed. The fleet lost track of the menace. Seeing as you survived the most engagements against them. I was hoping you would have some insight.¡±


    She blinked, ¡°Um, sure?¡±


    <hr>


    Captain¡¯s log April 4th, 004 SDE


    The last year has been hard on the crew and fleet, morale remains okay, but our reserves have been hard hit. I¡¯ve been informed that our fuel reserves are nearly gone, we have what¡¯s in the reactors and that is just about it. We are also running low on spare parts and materials due to heavy fighting with the Valorian fleet. I¡¯ve had far too many run-ins with them, but they have outposts throughout the quadrant. I¡¯ve also heard more than one rumor of concern, but there is little I can do about the Valorians and their insistence on engaging and cutting us off at every turn. By now it¡¯s become apparent that they have some method of tracking us, but we know it¡¯s not perfect. As we¡¯ve been able to evade them on more than one occasion.


    Sadly our little spy ship was unable to remain undetected forever. We lost it to a Valorian patrol vessel earlier this week. The last data burst confirmed the spy ship had activated her last-stand protocols and long-range sensors picked up an energy burst in the area consistent with a Rydium drive detonation. I would like to build a replacement, but finding the materials for that is proving prohibitive and with the constant hunting we barely have time to repair our own ships. Finding resources to resupply is also growing increasingly difficult, and now we face a choice as it seems we won¡¯t be reaching our destination if we maintain our current course.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Countryman sighed as he turned off the monitor. The latest log entry was a little short and felt rather incomplete, but it was currently time for him to get to the meeting. There was a lot to talk about as the council was going to be discussing a change in destination. With their current fuel reserves and the recent failures they¡¯d faced with trying to resupply. They weren¡¯t even in Valorian space and were currently over two hundred lightyears from their nearest Valorian colony, but they had encountered a Valorian battlefleet just last week, when they¡¯d attempted to refuel at a neutral world, or well, formerly neutral.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just poor timing or deliberate, but the Valorians had entered the system with the intent to take it. They¡¯d managed to escape, but not without taking a few licks and using more ordinance then they could really spare to use. It was also becoming much harder to replace spent torpedoes as they were having a harder time sourcing materials. Every time they found somewhere to resupply, the Valorians were there. It was certainly frustrating, but he¡¯d given them more than one bloody nose in exchange for the effort.


    Stepping into the meeting room, he put his thoughts aside and glanced at the faces gathered. A number of officers were gathered here, Williams was glaring at him as he came in, while the others were chatting. Creating a low buzz throughout the room. Countryman walked around the chairs and sat down next to Reynolds and Drakes. Not far from him were the faces of Greyman and Ruri. A moment later another one entered, as Richards, their engineer, came in looking a little harried.


    Seeing things were ready, he started the meeting, ¡°Okay I think we are all familiar with the current status of the fleet, so let¡¯s jump right into it. Our fuel reserves are nearly depleted and our chances of refueling out here are looking slim to none.¡±


    Greyman nodded, ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s about time we started looking for a friendly port.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we try that last week, the Valorians showed before we could get fuel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the locals weren¡¯t exactly equipped to protect themselves.¡±


    Drakes nodded, ¡°Sounds about right. I¡¯ve been looking at the charts, with the current fuel we have a few options. The first is looking up the Toral, our few encounters with them have been generally cordial.¡±


    Reynolds frowned, ¡°Generally yes, but they have taken shots at us before. There¡¯s also the Valorian twenty third fleet between us and them. It¡¯s doubtful we¡¯d reach Toral space without being detected, and we know they can see us. They figured out how to track us months ago.¡±


    Williams interjected, ¡°Let''s not seek help from those ugly four-armed gorillas.¡±


    Countryman ignored her, ¡°Well it¡¯s an option, although getting past the net might be difficult. If we had more fuel, I¡¯d consider going around.


    Eri interjected, ¡°We have just enough fuel to reach Krall space.¡± she pointed at the charts. If we conserve energy properly, I can chart us a course through the Valorian core, to a Krall outpost here.¡±


    ¡°The Valorian core!?¡± Asked Williams, ¡°are you nuts!? That area will be crawling with scum.¡±


    Countryman frowned, ¡°Hmm that might not be a bad idea. It has the virtue of them not expecting it.¡±


    ¡°Why not look up the Chi¡¯ran? They were pretty friendly...¡±


    Eri countered, ¡°Too far, we¡¯d run out fuel long before we got to the nearest Chi¡¯ran outpost.¡±


    ¡°So our options are to run a Valorian blockade to reach Toral space, or cross Valorian space for the Krall territories.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like we might have to deal with the Valorians either way.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    The officers looked around and Countryman noted the grim faces. He leaned back, before returning to the star chart. It displayed the Valorian border, the Toral border, and the distant Krall stars. The main bulk of Toral space was located just past a region of space known as the Velosa Cluster. A dangerous region of space he¡¯d taken into account when he plotted the original course. It was right up against the Valorian core too, but that section of space had largely limited their spread in that direction. Of course the Valorians had territory on both sides of the cluster, but the majority was located to the galactic south of it. Idly he recalled that they had been closer to Toral held space almost a year ago, than they were now. A seemingly disconnected pocket, but space wasn¡¯t two-dimensional.


    Regardless they were faced with a hard set of choices. Many of the safer and closer port picks were already closed to them. It didn¡¯t help that the local power was ill-equipped to stop the vast fleets violating their space. As it was they were basically capitulating to the Valorians who had their own ideas about the sector.


    ¡°So vote, which way are we going?¡± said Countryman. Toral space was closer by about two weeks, but there was that blockade to go through, while Krall space required flying through the core territories of the Valorian Trade Confederation. Both routes had their risks, but it seemed the crew already knew which way they wanted to go.


    <hr>


    Reidia settled over the holotable and frowned, ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a star chart.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the other item I wanted to talk to you about. We encountered it recently in the Lykal Beta system not that far from Starbase 59.¡±


    Reida looked over the lines of the hull, it was black and silver with the smooth rounded lines of a menace vessel. Separated nacelles and a primary saucer-shaped hull, but no secondary disk. Still it was clearly one of theirs, but generally smaller than any ship she¡¯d encountered before, outside of their fighters that is.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want me to help track it down?¡±


    ¡°Actually no, we managed to destroy it, but we didn¡¯t get much from it.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Our patrol fleet engaged it and prevented it from escaping. What followed was a prolonged engagement that ended with the ship in question exploding. It was quite the explosion too, we lost twelve cruisers to the blast.¡±


    Reidia blinked, ¡°12? How big was the blast?¡±


    ¡°Big enough, but that¡¯s not what I wanted to discuss. Rather I wanted your insights into the ship.¡±


    Reidia nodded and started reading the files. The ship was about eighty meters long, and its sensor signature was virtually non-existent. Its armament was nothing more than a dozen low-yield particle cannons, no beam array. The ship didn¡¯t have any torpedoes either, but she was fast, very fast, which was shown in the combat footage. The local patrol cruisers had been hard pressed to keep up with her and several times that speed had nearly allowed the alien frigate to escape the net.


    Her armor however seemed rather minimal, as the ship proved vulnerable to standard pulse cannons. Although it had taken quite a few hits before anything actually got through the alien plating. Frowning she commented, ¡°It looks like some kind of stealth vessel perhaps. Armament is quite limited, no torpedoes, but fast. Hmm, the sensor nodes are notably larger too and it has a massive comm array.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking. We suspect it was a spy ship.¡±


    Reidia¡¯s mind jumped to a few incidents in the past. ¡°That would explain a lot. If this ship was scouting our movements for them...¡±

 Chapter One Forty-Two The Vote

    Countryman surveyed the faces at the table. The vote was in, they¡¯d made their choice. Williams with a glum face commented, ¡°You people are nuts.¡±


    Countryman ignored her, ¡°So are we all agreed?¡±


    General Kirk commented from her seat beside General Forrest, ¡°I think we are.¡±


    Ruri interjected, ¡°If we are crossing Valorian space, Richards and I better get started. There are a number of things we can do to help further conserve fuel.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll make the announcements then, but I imagine a lot of people aren¡¯t going to be happy.¡±


    Richards nodded, ¡°We can shut down the factories, our reserves of material are basically spent anyway, and we can¡¯t really afford the energy cost. It will mean we won¡¯t be able to replace any spare parts we use or produce any consumer goods for the civilians.¡±


    Greyman nodded. ¡°Sad, but an unfortunate reality.¡±


    Kirk spoke up, ¡°I guess I should stop by the market soon and get those new clothes I need sooner rather than later.¡±


    Ruri frowned, ¡°That¡¯s not a big deal is it?¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Ruri aside, I think we can make do without new clothing production. I¡¯ll just have to keep a closer eye on Ruri though.¡±


    Several of the girls giggled, ¡°Yeah that girl is hopeless.¡±


    Williams groaned, ¡°We already have a clothing shortage and you want to shut down the factories?¡±


    ¡°Not much we can do about it, but we can make do for a couple of months.¡±


    Greyman interjected, ¡°On a positive note, we have a food surplus. Hydroponics has produced a major windfall this year and last. We have enough food stockpiled to last us five years.¡±


    Williams gave him a look. ¡°Oh sure, at least we will die with full bellies. Food won¡¯t help when we run out of heat and breathable air.¡±


    Countryman nodded. ¡°Sure, but at least it means we have something to trade.¡±


    Forrest spoke up, ¡°If it helps I can offer a few crates of rifles. We have a surplus of LPR-117, we over-requisitioned the rifle, and now I have twenty crates of them just taking up space in the armory.¡±


    Kirk nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a good rifle, but it¡¯s better suited to security work than anything else. I¡¯m sure we can sell them, any security force would welcome them.¡±


    Countryman recalled the rifle, the LPR-117 was a light particle rifle. It was somewhat sleeker than the XR-471 and had many of the same features. However, the weapon lacked the punch of the XR-471 and didn¡¯t have the secondary ¡®shotgun¡¯ blast fire mode. As a general purpose rifle it just didn¡¯t compare to the workhorse that the XR-471 was. But the rifle did have one feature that set it apart, and that was its ability to fire a stun bolt. Although in most cases the pistol form LP-1230 was generally better, being lighter and easier to carry. ¡°Hmm, I guess we could try and offload a few of those, but I think we are planning too far ahead. We still have to reach the Krall before we can do any sort of trading. Still, it¡¯s nice to know we will have something to offer.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± said Greyman.


    ¡°Getting back on track, we should have enough fuel to actually reach Krall space, but I¡¯d like to build a margin of error. Anything else we can cut back on to extend our range?¡±


    ¡°There are a few things, but we¡¯ve already been running on rather minimal levels. The factories really are the only big ticket item left. We can dial the waste heat converters up a bit, but that would lower temperatures across the ship. As we are using some of that heat to keep things comfortable around here.¡± Richards said as the group moved into discussing new power-saving measures.


    <hr>


    A few hours later Countryman settled into his Command chair on the bridge. He surveyed the room below noting the faces at work and feeling the atmosphere. It was obvious to him that the last few months had certainly taken their toll on morale. Constant fighting was good for no one, even if they had won every battle. The costs were starting to pile up.


    ¡°Have Drakes and Reynolds returned to their ships?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Their shuttles docked two minutes ago.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Excellent, Eri, bring us about to heading nine three mark four and bring the main reactor online.¡±


    ¡°Spooling up the main reactor, warp power in ten minutes. New heading 93 mark four.¡±


    Countryman leaned back for a bit as he watched the usual din before a warp jump. It wasn¡¯t long before the reactor was back online. They¡¯d been in the system long enough for it to go cold rather than simply idle, but they had just been here for a council meeting. This system had proven good for lying low for some field repairs. Sadly it had been yet another bust for fuel, in this case it was the site of an old abandoned colony. Several decaying refineries had been found in the ruins of what had once been a prosperous colony world. Now there were just decaying cities set in a dying wasteland. There was evidence the planet once supported a vast ocean, but it was now nothing more than scattered lakes as temperatures grew. The local star was rather old and was starting to transition into a red giant and the local planet was already suffering as a result. The cost of scavenging the old ruins largely outweighed the gains, but they had managed to get about two days'' worth of deuterium from that planet. Sadly the local waters weren¡¯t just drying up, but they were also quite depleted. Most of the local fuel had likely been used up by others long before they got here.


    ¡°Warp power confirmed sir, ready to jump on your order.¡±


    ¡°Take us out of the system, standard formation warp three.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. Taking us out, warp three.¡±


    He barely even felt it as the ship went to warp. Yet he certainly heard it as the engines started to hum and then on screen the stars started to distort before seeming to streak. That was an illusion however one created by the warp field itself and not their actual velocity. At warp three they were only going around ten times the speed of light, which while fast wasn¡¯t that fast. He just wasn¡¯t inclined to go much faster until they cleared the system, as warp three gave them more time to react if they had to adjust their heading. It was a far better speed for in-system transits than the higher warp factors as long as you weren¡¯t in a hurry or something that is.


    Once he was sure they were underway, he relaxed into his chair and let the crew do their jobs. They had a long journey ahead of them. It would take several months to cross the Valorian core and reach Krall space and half of that would be spent evading enemy patrols. With any luck they would be in Krall space by mid-June at the earliest or early July. Hopefully without incident as they couldn¡¯t really afford to do any fighting.


    They were down to about 35,000 torpedoes fleetwide and the Enterprise was down to just shy of 150,000 missiles with no means to replace them. With the reserves basically dry, what little reserve fuel they had left was currently being allocated for use by their fighters and such flights were being restricted. They were also going to be reducing intraship shuttle flights and all further officer council meetings will be conducted in part with virtual attendance. All so that they could deploy fighters when they needed them. They were also reverting to standard hanger operations and forgoing the use of bay shields. Those devices were nifty now that Vera and Ruri had them working but they were also somewhat power-hungry.


    This meant they could ill-afford their use right now given the current drought of fuel they were experiencing. The heavy fighting they¡¯d been through with the Valorians certainly didn¡¯t help and the fleet was certainly looking a little worse for wear because of it. As they weren¡¯t just running low on fuel but spare parts and materials as well. As such both destroyers had minor hull breaches and cracked plating that they hadn¡¯t been able to replace yet. The Enterprise was also in need of a proper refit from all the heavy combat. No hull breaches thankfully, but there were sections of plating that were suffering from minor fractures and cracking from extended combat.


    As for their fighter craft? Of their complement of sixty X-1204 space superiority fighters, sixteen were out of commission. They¡¯d also been forced to bench an entire squadron of X-1208 Sparrows due to combat damage and they didn¡¯t have the spare parts to repair them. If anything the downed fighters were instead being scavenged for parts to keep the rest of the fighter fleet ready for deployment. A fleet that was now running on a very limited fuel supply and then there was their current supply of warheads for the fighters. They had 2500 fighter missiles and another 1200 fighter torpedoes. A sign of how hard hit their projectile reserves have been.


    There wasn¡¯t much helping that, torpedoes and missiles were by far the most effective weapon they had for fighting the Valorians. He sighed as he considered how much they had spent. It was just one more thing on the list that they were going to have to correct.


    A figure came up to him, ¡°Sir? Why don¡¯t you go take a rest? I can watch the bridge for a while.¡±


    He looked up at Greyman and smiled, ¡°Sometimes I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡±


    ¡°Suffer in silence, I¡¯d bet.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°You might be right, I think I could use a bit of time to relax. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done a tour of the ship.... You know what, I¡¯m going to do that. See you in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Have fun sir, and take a guard with you, don¡¯t want Williams trying something. She¡¯s been up to something lately.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°I was planning to take two, and she¡¯s not quite ready for that.¡±


    In fact Countryman knew exactly what she was up to, planning the final stages of her mutiny. The girl was going to launch it in the next few months to take advantage of the current low morale. Only she was waiting for a moment when things were starting to look up but before people got excited to take advantage of the goodwill she¡¯d get for a quick fix. The kind of thing he saw in the past, he could recall a twentieth-century American president who basically did the same thing. Only instead of a mutiny, he got his power via a genuine election. The man didn¡¯t have much talent himself, but he was still revered long after his death.


    He thought Williams had the right idea in fact, but as he left the bridge Countryman grinned. The girl didn¡¯t know what was coming. They¡¯d both played their hands, and the only thing left was to call the bets. It was only a matter of time before all the cards fell into place, but Countryman already knew who the winner would be. She was dancing right into his own plans. Afterall you didn¡¯t get to be 195 years old without learning the game and this wasn¡¯t his first time playing the game. History was a funny thing after all, it remembered people like the demon president, but the people behind him were often forgotten. He chuckled at the memory, it had been so long ago but he remembered it like it was yesterday. All the while knowing it was time to put yet another fool in her place, like all the others he¡¯d done so long ago when he¡¯d helped end the Age of Fools.

 Chapter One Forty-Three Below Decks

    April 12th, 004 SDE; EFS Enterprise


    Williams slipped into a chair and looked around briefly. This was her inner council so to speak, on her left was Sanchez, her former navigator on the Baltimore, across from her was General Evanov and beside him was Commander Jameson. The newest recruit who¡¯d taken the final seat was Commander Cutter, a young lady and former second officer on the EFS Bismarck.


    She smiled, all of them had been wronged by that damn machine, but it wouldn¡¯t be much longer before that injustice was corrected. They were so close to being able to remove that damned machine from power, and then she¡¯d be able to steer humanity back onto a more proper course. There was a lot to do, of course, reclaiming the homeworld wouldn¡¯t be easy. They were going to need a fleet.


    Cutter leaned forward, ¡°I¡¯ve been doing some digging and was able to pull some files on Richard¡¯s Project Hammer. I think it will be just what we are looking for.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I haven¡¯t heard much about that one. What is it?¡±


    Cutter looked around, then placed a holoprojector onto the table before activating it. ¡°You asked me to look into how we might acquire additional forces after we get the machine out. Richards has been holding out on us. She¡¯s got an entire team working on the perfect solution.¡±


    The girl paused for effect, as the display of a rugged hull rotated. It featured an elongated saucer section, two secondary hulls and four separated nacelles. ¡°I present to you the Hammer class yardship. The blueprints aren¡¯t entirely finished, but the core details are all here.¡±


    Evanov leaned forward, ¡°Impressive, I¡¯ve seen a lot of ships before, but this is something else.¡±


    Williams noted the berths, the multiple docking arms and the vast industrial bays the ship was going to have. ¡°Is that? A mobile shipyard?¡±


    ¡°Yup, the machine and his people have been looking into the very thing we were thinking about. Three ships isn¡¯t really enough for much of anything.¡± She gestured at the display. ¡°This is their solution.¡±


    Williams smiled, there wasn¡¯t anything really wrong with the idea. Using that machine¡¯s base for a proper moving shipyard would be an acceptable shortcut to getting one up and running. Such a vessel would solve a lot of problems too. Sure, the Enterprise had a decent industrial capacity, but she was never really designed to build ships. A fact that showed when you considered her limitations in that department. ¡°Looks like a good start, think you can finish her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the most versed in ship design, but I have a couple of people in mind that could fill in the blanks.¡± She shifted, ¡°I presume you wouldn¡¯t want the robot manufacturing bay.¡±


    She grimaced as she was suddenly reminded of the machine¡¯s plans to replace perfectly good people with machines. Rose being a rather stark reminder, that damnable robot girl and her sisters were a subject Williams didn¡¯t want to think much about. If given the chance, turning them off would be one of the first things she¡¯d do. They didn¡¯t need delusional robotic babysitters or what they would implicate. Besides those damn contraptions were eating valuable fuel, yet the council didn¡¯t even consider turning them off. When she¡¯d brought up the suggestion, she¡¯d been laughed at. The gall of those morons. ¡°No, we aren¡¯t going to replace perfectly good people with machines. Instead we will do the proper thing and employ cloning to boost our population growth.¡±


    Jameson interjected, ¡°On a different note, my men are in place. We can start whenever you want.¡±


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to give the order, the moment isn¡¯t right. People are unhappy, which is good for us, but...¡±


    Evanov nodded and smiled, ¡°Right if we are too slow to turn things around, it would be our necks.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, a mutiny only works if timed right, but I think our moment will be soon.¡±


    Jameson frowned, ¡°So when do you want to move?¡±


    ¡°Not this month, May might be better, but we will see. Ideally, we should move in June as we¡¯d be getting close to Krall space. Loathsome as it is, we can use the lizards to refuel and get somewhere away from that machine¡¯s foolish war.¡±


    Cutter pulled out a map, ¡°I don¡¯t know, if we use their plan we aren¡¯t really doing anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but unfortunately, we are kinda set on this course, right into the fucking Valorian core. Insane morons, the lot of them.¡±


    Cutter tapped at a region labeled: Velosa Cluster. ¡°This area is largely ignored by all the local powers. If there is anywhere we can lay low it will be here, and this course already brings us within a hundred lightyears of the near edge.¡±


    Williams frowned, ¡°The Velosa Cluster? I think I heard mention of that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound the most pleasant, it¡¯s a vast stellar region roughly a thousand lightyears long and four hundred deep. The entire area is dominated by a dense nebula and subjected to dangerous interstellar phenomena, notably plasma storms. Navigation through the area is reportedly difficult and many ships have been lost attempting to cross it.¡±


    Evanov said what they were all thinking, ¡°Sounds like the place the desperate go.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are desperate aren¡¯t we? I mean the Krall are the machine¡¯s allies not ours.¡±


    ¡°Right, but the real question. Can we find fuel there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d wager yes, the charts don¡¯t really say what can be found there. The region is largely... uncharted.¡±


    ¡°Great, well better than nothing I¡¯d say.¡±


    The group exchanged looks, ¡°I guess that plan is better than none.¡±


    <hr>


    Sali stared at the ceiling and let out a breath. She was kinda bored and was finding herself missing the factories a little. Working in the factories had certainly brought some excitement to her day, and yet here she was utterly bored. There wasn¡¯t much of anything to do with the factories having been shut down. It left her wondering what she was going to do with herself.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Footsteps echoed down the corridor and she looked up. Just as a familiar figure appeared on the other side of the grid that kept her in here. She blinked, ¡°Reia? What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Well, I figured you would be getting rather bored. Vera and I have a bit of a girl¡¯s night planned and I was...¡±


    ¡°Oh? Sounds fun, anything would be better than being in here.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll let the guard know.¡±


    Reia vanished and was back a minute later with a guard. They were wearing the helmet, but Sali was pretty sure she knew who the guard was. It was one of the kinder ones. The man opened the cell and said, ¡°Enjoy the girl¡¯s night. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied as she joined Reia, while inwardly she was quite happy for the privilege. Months of good behavior had certainly earned her some extras that she enjoyed. The fact that they were going to let her go out and have fun with friends was a sure sign of that. Life here was actually pretty good and she couldn¡¯t understand why she had wanted to escape. What had her clan ever done for her? It wasn¡¯t like anyone who actually mattered to her was still around.


    The path out of the cell block was pretty familiar and it wasn¡¯t long before they were out and heading for the lift. Sali barely even noticed the dim lighting, it was rather normal after all these months living on the human vessel. As they entered the lift, Reia broke the silence, ¡°So um, how have you been holding up lately?¡±


    Sali smiled, ¡°Well the factories closing has been... a bit of a drag. I mean there¡¯s nothing to do. Not many people come to visit, well there¡¯s Robert and you and... well I think that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Whose this Robert?¡±


    Sali grinned, ¡°Oh I met him in the factories, he¡¯s been sweet. Always helping me and keeping me company. I¡¯ve had a lot of fun chats with him. I think he likes me, if you know what I mean.¡±


    Reia giggled, ¡°Oh? Are you interested in him too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe? He¡¯s cute... it¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°You never really thought about it?¡± Asked Reia as she manipulated the controls.


    ¡°Well, um, no.¡±


    Reia chuckled. ¡°You should live a little more. Next time you see him, ask him out or something.¡±


    ¡°I guess, but...¡±


    ¡°Just think about it then.¡±


    Sali nodded, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°So how cute is this Robert anyway?¡±


    Settling on the floor she looked up at the light strip and thought for a moment. Then Sali started to gush about him. Starting with his lovely eyes, his sturdy-looking build, and the way his hair looked.


    Reia giggled just before the lift opened, ¡°Someone sounds rather smitten.¡±


    ¡°Am not!¡±


    ¡°What are you? A high school girl?¡±


    Sali gave her a look, but didn¡¯t say anything as they stepped off the lift. Entering the corridor she noted the area was rather busy with people going either direction. Most of them not in uniform. She saw a mix of outfits with people in various styles. A young lady passed them wearing a long skirt, no shoes, and a thin tube top that barely covered her breasts. Next to her was her friend who wore only a short dress.


    Then a guy in shorts and an old shirt came from the other direction with a woman closely following him. Sali noticed that her outfit looked a little worse for the wear as well. Noting that she took another look around and noticed a number of people were wearing things that looked a little old.


    ¡°Is it old clothing day or something?¡±


    Reia laughed and led her into the crowd, ¡°No nothing like that, clothing isn¡¯t cheap these days and there is a bit of a shortage. Last I looked, a pair of panties was fifteen credits and it¡¯s likely going to go up with the factories being shut down.¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°Fifteen?¡±


    Reia looked back, ¡°Oh right, you don¡¯t visit the market. The local economy is run on credits, ration credits specifically. Anyway for perspective you can get a good meal for a single credit.¡±


    Sali blinked, then took another look around as she suddenly realized what that meant. If a meal was a credit, that meant, ¡°You''re joking right? That¡¯s absurd.¡±


    ¡°Sadly not, clothing is pretty hard to come by. I could use a couple outfits myself, but I¡¯m not sure if it is better to go now or wait till the end of the month.¡±


    ¡°I think you should save your credits, wait for prices to go down and then buy a bunch all at once.¡±


    Reia giggled, ¡°Save my credits, good one.¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°That...¡±


    ¡°Oh? You were serious?¡± She sighed, ¡°Well I guess being in jail means you don¡¯t really need to bother with credits.¡±


    ¡°I heard something about the captain managing mine, but what are you getting at?¡±


    ¡°Well Human currency expires. My credits are only good for a month, and I¡¯m paid monthly. However, my credit gains are calculated daily. I earned forty yesterday! That¡¯s really good by the way.¡±


    ¡°It is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, 22 a day is considered enough to scrape by, while 38 is where you want to be for a nice comfortable lifestyle.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°I see, but I guess that means I¡¯m not getting rich.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the captain strikes me as a good sort, I¡¯m sure he¡¯s been wise with your credits. You could always ask him. In fact, I think I see him over there.¡±


    She looked over, and saw his familiar figure standing beside a stall along the side of the passage. Beyond which she could see a larger, more open area. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll ask.¡±


    The captain saw her approach, and smiled, ¡°Sali, you seem to be doing well, and oh Reia? Glad to see you two getting along.¡±


    ¡°Yeah Reia invited me out to a girl¡¯s night with Vera. We were just heading out to meet with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well have fun, you¡¯ve earned it.¡±


    ¡°Right speaking of earning. Reia just told me about how local credits expire.¡±


    ¡°Ah! And you want to know what I did with your extra credits?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been building you a starter set for when you get out of jail. Nothing crazy, but I¡¯ve got just about everything you¡¯ll need purchased and set aside for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I guess I should take a look sometime.¡±


    ¡°Sure, just ask whenever.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± she said before they went their separate ways.

 Chapter One Forty-Four Silver Shoals

    April 22nd, 004 SDE; Valorian Council chambers on Valoria:


    ¡°What do you mean there is no sign of them? Check again, they can¡¯t have vanished!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the menace has disappeared.  We¡¯ve checked the entire sector, none of the checkpoints have spotted so much as a glimpse of them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking right? We¡¯ve got them hemmed in, I¡¯m sure of it...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve scouted every system sir, there isn¡¯t so much as a trace of the fleet.¡±


    The figures glanced at the star charts, ¡°So you¡¯re saying they just vanished under your watch? The three most dangerous ships in the entire sector?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately yes.¡±


    The councilwoman slumped down, ¡°Do you have any idea how dangerous that is for us? The clan can¡¯t afford any...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, and I already consulted with the experts on the Menace. Given their apparent cruising speed of warp five and how long we have been uncertain of their position? We have determined they could have traveled no further than 70 lightyears in this time.¡±


    ¡°70 lightyears? They could have crossed an entire sector in that time!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, and the search radius to find them isn¡¯t small. We¡¯d have to add another thirty lightyears to be safe and then cube it.¡±


    The woman shifted, ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±


    ¡°Um, the search area would... extend into the core.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean ¡®into the core¡¯?¡± she replied, knowing they weren¡¯t seventy lightyears from it, that was too far to get into the core.


    ¡°Well um, if they took the causeway...¡±


    ¡°The causeway?¡± she blinked that was part of an important trade route, it was a well-known natural phenomenon, a corridor several lightyears wide and hundreds long, and ships traveling through it were faster...


    Suddenly a figure ran in, distracting her from that problem, ¡°Ma¡¯am! We just received an alert from the Silver Shoals Defense fleet, one of their patrols has picked up an unusual graviton reading in grid 49 beta.¡±


    The two looked up, ¡°What kind of reading?


    <hr>


    2.4 lightyears from Silver Shoals:


    Countryman looked at the map, as he set the latest report aside. They were uncomfortably close to the Valorian Colony of Silver Shoals. It was a core world and one of their older colonies with a population of fourteen billion. Well if you ignored the larger system. Silver Shoals itself was a pristine water world with vast beaches and an ocean that covered roughly eighty percent of the planet. Much of the local industry revolved around fishing and tourism.


    They¡¯d picked up more than one broadcast advertising the planet as a prime vacation destination. Honestly, if they were on more friendly terms with the Valorian people Countryman would have considered stopping at the planet for shore leave.  It was a truly idyllic world if the photos he had were to be trusted.


    ¡°Sir, sorry to interrupt but you are needed on the Bridge,¡± came Greyman¡¯s voice over the intercom. He sighed and slipped out from behind his desk and hurried over to the bridge.


    Things weren¡¯t that chaotic, so he didn¡¯t feel things were that bad. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Greyman turned from the command chair. ¡°Long range sensors have picked up a Valorian patrol closing on our position.¡±


    ¡°Any sign they have detected us?¡±


    ¡°Negative, but if they get any closer they might pick us up.¡±


    Countryman was silent for a moment. Right now they were traveling at warp three to keep their signature down while they were so close to a hostile colony world. ¡°Take us out of warp, cut all engines. Rig for silent running, wait for them to pass.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. Going dark,¡±


    ¡°Umikaze and Coto acknowledging,¡±


    Eri spoke up from the help, ¡°Exiting warp in three, two one. We are secure from warp speed, cutting engine power. Graviton wake reducing.¡±


    After a moment, Misaki looked up, ¡°We are silent sir. All emissions cut to minimal levels.¡±


    As they tracked the closing vessel, a palpable tension descended over the bridge. Details on the valorian ship were sparse, but no one dared use active sensors. They didn¡¯t need a fight, and everyone knew it. Countryman watched the screens closely as the alien vessel crossed the distance, then came out of warp.


    ¡°Contact has dropped out of warp, bearing 222, mark 48, distance 2.2 million kilometers.¡±


    Countryman shifted in his seat, ¡°Any sign they¡¯ve seen us?¡±


    ¡°Active scanner pulse!¡±


    After a moment another came, then a third but no signs of hostile action.


    Countryman slipped from his seat and headed down to the lower bridge. Soon pacing by the central strategic display where Greyman was studying the ship¡¯s image. He looked up, ¡°It looks to be a standard Valorian Patrol cruiser. No real threat, modest shields, no armor, minimal weaponry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about the ship, I¡¯m worried about any friends they might invite to the party.¡±


    ¡°Good point sir, very good point.¡±


    Countryman turned his view back to the ship, it was running some fairly heavy scans, but there was still no indication that they were aware he was here. The ship had not raised shields or charged her weapons. Yet every passing second felt like an eternity, he couldn¡¯t help but be reminded about old submarine stories.


    This moment felt comparable to some of those moments, yet perhaps not quite as tense. That other vessel wasn¡¯t a destroyer packed to the brim with depth charges, and they weren¡¯t a fragile sub that would break open like a tin can if one of those blew near the hull. No, the ship wasn¡¯t a threat, her friends in the nearby system, however, were the real concern.


    Yet finally after a seeming eternity that one patrol vessel went to warp.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Contact has jumped, no sign of detection.¡±


    Countryman let out a breath, ¡°Keep an eye on them. Let me know when they leave sensor range.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir.¡±


    Countryman took the time to pace the bridge before heading back up to his station. Settling back into his chair, he looked over his screens. Engines were at minimal power, the bare minimum required to maintain a ready standby. He leaned back and considered taking another tour of the ship. Letting the people see him and talking to them was important. He smiled as he thought about some of those conversations he¡¯d had recently.


    Thinking of those, he recalled he had plans to meet with Sali soon. The young lady had been in their brig for three years now. That was something to consider and he¡¯d noticed that she seemed to be fitting in quite well these days. Sali hadn¡¯t been that happy when she got here, but when he ran into her at the market the other day, the girl actually seemed pretty happy. It was actually kinda nice seeing her fit in and Reia was actually there with her. The two had been like oil and water when they first met. Yet now that seemed smoothed over.


    It was rather unfortunate that relations with the Valorian people at large were so rocky. He knew from the ones now living aboard his ship that there was hope for a more peaceful relationship. Something that might have happened if not for Cantra, that had been a mistake. The incident at Cantra was perhaps in part a case of poor timing, but the results spoke for themselves. The Valorian Confederation was militarizing, and a Warhawk faction had taken power following the incident. Many of the sources he found indicated they¡¯d used Cantra to outmaneuver their rivals and take power within the Confederation. Sadly that same faction was in large part responsible for the current hostilities. Worse, it was far too late to change that, but perhaps if they could escape the reach of the Valorians for a while, there was a chance things would cool off.


    He doubted the Minara clan could maintain power indefinitely and with time, they¡¯d certainly be able to recover some force. Perhaps build up a decent fleet and a few colonies. With all the fighting, he¡¯d almost forgotten that they were out here looking for a new homeworld. Some place like Silver Shoals would certainly brighten moods around here.


    Getting such a world, however, was shaping up to be quite the battle. One he knew the Minara Clan wouldn¡¯t allow. They had so many enemies, but they had also made a few friends over the years. It was just a question of time, he believed, before they could find the world they were looking for.


    Misaki looked up from her console, ¡°Contact has left sensor range.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± he turned to Eri at the helm. ¡°Resume previous course, warp three.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir, restoring engine power. Warp speed in ten seconds.¡±


    A moment later, they were at warp.


    <hr>


    Misaki stretched a bit as she stepped off the lift. Today¡¯s shift had been a little stressful with the little scare, but they were now back at warp. When she¡¯d left the bridge, they¡¯d increased speed to warp five point two to make up for lost time.


    Nothing she planned to worry about just yet. The young ops officer was off shift now, it was time for the night shift to take duty and she had a date with her shower. Slipping down the corridor, she soon arrived at her door and headed inside. Her quarters weren¡¯t much, but they were all hers. As an officer she actually enjoyed the luxury of private quarters, something she was really happy about. Even if they weren¡¯t the most impressive. She had just enough space for a modest bunk, a desk, a few basic utilities, and even a tiny kitchenette. The place even came with an attached bathroom.


    Shedding her uniform, she tossed the sweaty fabric into her hamper and headed into the small attached bathroom. It was barely large enough for a small vanity, a toilet and a shower tub combo. Misaki turned the water on, so that it could warm up a bit, and sat on the toilet while she waited. Watching the water, she considered her plans for the evening.


    Megumi had invited her and several other female officers to a get-together at her place. Something she was looking forward to, she just hoped the Valorians would leave them alone, as she wanted a nice night with the girls.


    As steam started to fill the room, the young officer jumped into the shower and began to soak in the steaming liquid. Only for a moment or two before she grabbed the soap and started to lather up her front side, and that was when the intercom dinged. Sighing she stopped the water and answered, ¡°Misaki here, what...¡±


    ¡°Hey Misaki, I was just calling to let you know that I¡¯m going to be a little late today.¡±


    She frowned, that was Megumi, ¡°Um, does that mean we aren¡¯t getting together?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m just moving back our meeting by fifteen minutes. We¡¯re still getting together.¡±


    ¡°Aw! Don¡¯t scare me like that!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. See you at nine-thirty, and don¡¯t forget, bring some spare panties.¡±


    Misaki giggled as she recalled, why. ¡°Right, find anyone good?¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± was the coy response before the intercom fell silent.


    Misaki sighed and turned the water back on. Relishing in the warmth against her skin as the room started to steam back up. She turned back to lathering herself up, paying extra attention where it was needed.


    When she stepped out of the shower minutes later, she dried herself off before going to her closet. It was rather small, but at least it was hers. The young lady pushed the uniforms aside and looked through her casual outfits for something suitable. Given the nature of the party she had a few ideas in mind and soon found a nice blue dress that she thought she¡¯d look sexy in. It would also be easy to discard. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d be in it much, if things went to plan. The idea of getting pregnant was a little scary, but she needed the distraction more than anything. Besides there were those new machine girls. Rose certainly seemed trustworthy for babysitting.


    With an outfit chosen, she got dressed, and then since she had time, she settled at her desk. Booting up the monitor, she accessed the database and started browsing for something to watch or listen too. Eventually she found something and she enjoyed a nice animated video for a while, before an alarm told her it was time to get going.


    <hr>


    Megumi¡¯s place was on the deck above, and noteably larger than what Misaki had. Misaki was honestly a little jealous and was reminded about the old adage about rank and its privileges. Her friend was a bit higher on the food chain, but they got along pretty well.


    Megumi smiled as she greeted Misaki. ¡°Looking good girl. Come on in, you¡¯re just in time.¡±


    She smiled and filed on into the room. Megumi actually had more than one room and a bathroom. As chief engineer, she got a nice foyer room with a few sofas and a floor rug. Having been here before, she knew the other woman had a larger bathroom, a separate bedroom, an office space and even a small kitchen. The utilities were in the hall closet.


    They weren¡¯t the only ones in the room, as she could see Eri and Kaori were both here. Misaki had gotten to know the girls fairly well over the last three years, Eri was a passionate pilot and loved everything that flied but she was also a half-decent mechanic. The girl was of Japanese decent like her and Kaori.


    Kaori had grown up on Mars and like many who had moved there, she could be rather fiery. At the moment the two of them were having a conversation about flowers.


    Seeing her come in, Kaori giggled, ¡°Oh? Little Misaki¡¯s grown up and is joining us?¡±


    Misaki felt herself blush hard, ¡°Hey!¡±


    Eri laughed, ¡°Well you did have a hard time with the maintenance suits.¡±


    ¡°Those body suits don¡¯t hide a thing, its like walking around naked!¡± Then she rounded on Megumi, ¡°Did you seriously have to tell them!¡±


    Megumi smiled, ¡°What? It was a good story.¡±


    She huffed a little just before Kaori pulled her into a hug. One that turned into a hair ruffling session a second later, followed by tickling. As she was catching her breath, Kaori said, ¡°Feeling better?¡±


    Misaki nodded, just as there was a knock at the door. Megumi answered and let two men in. Neither were people she really knew, but she recognized the one from Megumi¡¯s engineering staff. The other man was a bit more familiar to her, as she¡¯d worked with him a few times, but she¡¯d never really gotten to know Derrick outside of work. Still she¡¯d always thought he was cute.


    She waved, ¡°hey Derrick! How you doing?¡±


    He smiled, ¡°Looking good Misaki. Well enough actually, although my little girl is a little bored.¡±


    A bit confused at her feelings, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re married?¡±


    He sighed, ¡°Was married.... I...¡±


    She hugged him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to...¡±


    He hugged her back, ¡°It¡¯s alright. It was four years ago, about time I moved on. Can¡¯t have my girl growing up without a mother.¡±


    Some part of her just started to like him more. She pulled him to the sofa and started to chat as other figures arrived. Although she did see Kaori sneaking into the back with a boy.

 Chapter One Forty-Five Tracking

    Reidia looked over the report, then turned to the Admiral. ¡°It¡¯s definitely them, no doubt about it. Those graviton readings are a dead match for the menace.¡±


    ¡°Right, but the local patrol fleets haven¡¯t found anything.¡±


    ¡°Menace ships are damn hard to spot in the first place, I don¡¯t blame the local patrols for missing them, especially if they are trying to go dark.¡±


    ¡°... I think I recall something about that. Menace vessels have unusually low energy signatures.¡±


    ¡°They are the coldest ships in space I¡¯ve ever seen. Not even Voskar ships are that cold, you won¡¯t pick them up on thermals which are preferred for long-range tracking. That black and silver paint they favor also helps mask them optically. It''s the same story with other standard energy emissions, but I can tell the patrols what to look for. Once you know what you are looking for, it will be harder to mistake them for something else.¡±


    ¡°What are we looking for?¡±


    <hr>


    May  3rd, 004 SDE:


    Countryman stepped onto the bridge after being updated by the night officer and noted the mood. Things seemed notably less grim today, he even saw a few happy smiles. Taking only a glance at the screens, which showed the usual distorted starscape you got when traveling at warp, Countryman took the stairs down to the lower bridge.


    Stopping by the Ops console, he noticed Misaki looked especially chipper today, ¡°Morning Misaki. Something good happen?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°You could say that.¡±


    Kaori giggled, ¡°Oh don¡¯t be so coy. She hit it off with Derrick the other day.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Well I wish you luck with that.¡±


    Kaori, turning on her seat, asked, ¡°So what about you sir? Any luck yourself?¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Yeah I seem to have ended up with Ruri, but half the time...¡±


    Kaori giggled, ¡°Right she made Rose just so you wouldn¡¯t have an excuse not to get her pregnant.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Countryman.


    Misaki inquired, ¡°So when¡¯s the baby due anyway?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± said Countryman as he saw Greyman enter the bridge from the lower entrance. ¡°Good morning Greyman.¡±


    ¡°A bit early sir,¡± he looked around, ¡°So where¡¯s my counterpart?¡±


    ¡°He left a few minutes ago. There isn¡¯t much to say though, we are still on course for Rylna. No Valorian vessels on sensors, or much of anything else.¡±


    Eri looked up from her console, ¡°Not much to do either. I¡¯m just keeping an eye on the autopilot at this point. Everyone else was talking about dates and babies.¡±


    Greyman chuckled, ¡°Well at least they found something to do.¡±


    Countryman said, ¡°So they have, anyway since you are here how¡¯s things going with Samantha?¡±


    ¡°Well enough I guess, she¡¯s been enjoying the teaching job.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Rose has mentioned a bit about that. She¡¯s been working with her a lot lately.¡±


    ¡°I know, Samantha seems to really like that girl. Hard to believe she¡¯s a robot.¡±


    Misaki commented, ¡°Agreed, I¡¯m honestly quite impressed. It¡¯s amazing what we can do these days.¡±


    ¡°Well Rose is a bit special, but I have to say no arguments there.¡±


    Eri stood up, leaving her console unmanned for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel a little left out, everyone seems to be hooking up and having kids.¡±


    Kaori smirked, ¡°You seemed to have a lot of fun at the party.¡±


    ¡°Says the girl who got laid first.¡±


    ¡°Oh he was fun!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like quite the party.¡±


    ¡°Oh it was, we had a lot of fun and Misaki met Derrick.¡±


    Countryman smiled and moved to the center display. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that people are starting to unwind. I don¡¯t think any of us really liked the mood.


    Misaki leaned back in her seat, ¡°Yeah it was getting a little tense and grim.¡± she sighed as she glanced at her console, ¡°Though our fuel situation still sucks.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Countryman nodded, they had a few hundred liters in reserve that they were holding for their fighters just in case. Leaving them with just the fuel in the main reactor, it had been full when they started this course back in April, but a month at warp had drained nearly a third of that fuel. All their calculations indicated they¡¯d be running on fumes by the time they actually reached Krall space, and there was a chance they would need to dip into what little fuel remained in the reserves to actually reach the Krall system of Rylna.


    Rylna merely being the closest Krall colony world on their charts. It was a border world, the charts mentioned a local starbase. The planet was largely agrarian, but it was part of a trade network which meant they would be able to buy fuel there.


    ¡°Agreed, but let''s not think about it.¡±


    <hr>


    Williams and Cutter weaved through the traffic and made their way into one of the labs. A familiar woman looked up from the bundle in her arms, ¡°Ah Williams, you¡¯re early. Just let me put Abi down and we can talk.¡±


    Williams smiled as she watched the researcher put her little one down and the trio moved on to discuss the project. ¡°So I hear you¡¯ve made some progress with my request?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into it, yes. The council is more invested in Ruri¡¯s machine girl project at the moment. Can¡¯t blame them though, those machines are truly fascinating and less controversial than mass cloning.¡±


    ¡°Right, I presume you have a list ready by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve managed to screen the current population and identified five thousand people I would like to review further for the cloning project, but I do need to remind you that current facilities are far from adequate for such an undertaking.¡±


    Williams knew that, but if they were to survive as a species they needed numbers. They were growing at a remarkably high rate for natural growth thanks to council policies and actions but as far as Williams was concerned it wasn¡¯t enough. They were going to need clones to fill out their numbers, at least for the next few generations. Of course, this did raise concerns about long-term genetic viability, which was the other thing they were here to discuss.


    ¡°Right I¡¯ve got some plans to fix that and I¡¯ve been looking into ways to improve ship production so that we could build the kind of facilities we need. Just a matter of getting the resources and time we need to build that stuff. In the meantime, have you had any progress with addressing the genetic viability concerns?¡±


    ¡°Why yes, in addition to normal cloning, we can also mix in clones chosen from lab-grown embryos. Again to maintain long-term viability it would take ten years for each batch to mature, but by creating some of the embryos we need in the lab we should have a greater gene pool than we might otherwise. I¡¯ve also been studying several older books that looked into controlled mutations.


    Cutter who had been standing by the door, inquired, ¡°Sounds fascinating but what kind of resources will we need for this?¡±


    ¡°The growth acceleration to get a ten-year maturation rate would require a fairly nutrient-dense slurry mix. I can make it with the nutrient paste we produce already, but it would put a rather high drain on our food reserves. Cloning isn¡¯t cheap in that regard, I¡¯d say each clone would consume double what a natural-born human would. Those numbers should go down to something more normal once they emerge from their pods though.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be an issue, hydroponics has done a stellar job of producing food for us, we currently have a five year surplus.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t aware it was that large. I¡¯d heard we¡¯d enjoyed a good year.¡±


    Cutter interjected, ¡°I¡¯ve been down there, the growing gardens are actually rather relaxing and you can watch the fish swimming in the water. It¡¯s quite something, working in there for a bit is a good way to get some extra credits. Lots of civilians regularly work in hydroponics.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m aware, my partner is a technician. He¡¯s complained about a few of them making his job harder. Of course the proper term for what we are doing is Aquaponics, he¡¯s had more than one complaint about it being called hydroponics.¡±


    ¡°A bit late to mention that, besides most people don¡¯t care about the difference.¡±


    ¡°True enough.¡±


    ¡°Anyway farming aside, it¡¯s nice to have that. A surplus that large will help us jumpstart the cloning process, easily enough¡±


    ¡°Excellent, that¡¯s what I wanted to hear.¡±


    <hr>


    Valorian Deep Space Monitoring Station 12:


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I rechecked the sensors twice. That is definitely a menace graviton signature we are tracking.¡±


    The figure looked back at the screen. At the far edge of sensor range, a single dot was being tracked, speed warp five point two. The object was almost twelve lightyears from the station, in a part of space with nothing in it.


    They sighed, ¡°Well they are too far out to be certain, but I guess you might be right. Still, are you sure this isn¡¯t a glitch? Those new graviton scanners are...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain, I just told you I checked them twice.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Okay. I¡¯ll let the fleet know we have something, but if this turns out to be a ghost...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I get it.¡±


    The figure moved off to comms, to alert the fleet that they were tracking something.


    What followed was a lengthy conversation with fleet and the woman came back several minutes later.


    ¡°Fleet wants us to keep an eye on the signature and let us know if they do anything.¡±


    ¡°Not anything we weren¡¯t doing before. Damn this job sucks, its so fucking boring.¡±


    ¡°Hey at least we have something to do.¡±


    ¡°For now, but that blip will be gone in an hour.¡±


    She glanced at it and nodded, it was moving fairly fast. Chances were it wasn¡¯t going to stay there indefinitely. If anything it would be gone before the fleet could properly mobilize. Yet she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what they were doing in that area of space.


    Why would the menace be here? More importantly, why travel through a section of space with nothing in it? Sure that was part of the core, but that part of the core was empty. No trade routes, no colonies, nothing. It was just an empty stretch of space. There were a few stars in that grid, but they didn¡¯t have much worth talking about aside from a couple of remote training facilities for the Navy. Empty systems like that were really great for training and weapons testing, since there was no one around to get hurt if things went wrong. Well, no civilians anyway.


    Sure enough as they were watching the blip slipped out of range, and long before any ships from the fleet could move out to intercept. The young woman sighed, it wasn¡¯t her problem anymore though, so with it gone she turned back to her friend. ¡°So how about a game?¡±


    ¡°I guess, not like there is anything better to do?¡±


    ¡°Well we could watch a movie.¡±


    ¡°Boring!¡±

 Interlude Credits and Farming

    Sali stepped into the room, as the guard moved off to the side. Seeing the captain settled on the sofa, she gave him a smile and sat on the opposite one.


    He waited for her to get settled and then started, ¡°How¡¯ve you been?¡±


    ¡®Uh, fine?¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear that, now you did express an interest with your credit status?¡±


    She nodded, ¡°So what did you buy me?¡±


    ¡°Well as I said the other day I bought you the things you will need.  So far you have a bed, and three sheet sets to go with it. I also purchased a set of casual clothes for you, nothing fancy. Just some basic shirts and skirts, and a couple of dresses. No underwear though.¡±


    She blushed, ¡°I¡¯m not sure...¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°and that would be why I didn¡¯t. Now I do it for Ruri, but that¡¯s a very different thing.¡±


    ¡°Right, so what else?¡±


    ¡°A collection of hair care and bathroom products, I picked items noted to be popular with our Valorian residents and consulted with both Vera and Reia on the ones I chose. This includes a hair dryer, several soaps and shampoos. Along with combs and brushes.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like I¡¯ll be pretty well set when I get out.¡±


    ¡°In theory, yes. I figured I¡¯d give you everything when you got out. I have it in storage for you in the meantime, and around the same time we¡¯ll see what kind of quarters I can arrange.¡±


    She leaned back, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just spend my time dreaming about it in the meantime. I don¡¯t have much else to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard but the guards said the paints were well received.¡±


    Sali smiled, ¡°Thanks for those, I was growing bored out of my skull. There isn¡¯t much to do when you are locked in a cell all day. I miss the factory.¡±


    Countryman chuckled, ¡°I thought you would say that. So I arranged for something for you to do.¡±


    She jumped up, ¡°you did!¡± stopping herself a moment later from hugging him she said, ¡°Thank you! What is it?¡±


    ¡°Farming. More specifically we practice a variation of Hydroponics called Aquaponics aboard ship. Where we raise fish alongside the plants we grow.¡±


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d be a farmer, but it sounds interesting.¡±


    <hr>


    Sali looked around the chamber in amazement. Rows upon rows of alien plants grew within the chamber. People were everywhere, and below her feet she could see into a massive fish tank, full of alien fish and even more plants. It was almost like stepping into an alien ecosystem. Yet while alien there was the tinge of the familiar.


    A man stepped from the crowd, he was professionally dressed with a neatly trimmed beard, ¡°Ah Captain, this must be the young lady you were talking about. I¡¯m technician Redfox and this little area is my domain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something else.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Oh I agree. Now I¡¯ve heard you have no prior experience with farming but that¡¯s quite alright. Many of our civilian helpers didn¡¯t either when they first arrived, but our little facilities does generate a lot of jobs for the community.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so bright in here too.¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°Yeah the rest of the ship is pretty dim, but in here we maintain a light cycle. Right now we are in the middle of a day cycle.¡±


    ¡°I see, so what do we do here?¡±


    ¡°Well there is a lot to do, we have both an active fish population to manage and quite a few different plant species. One thing about our facilities is that they are quite productive and they operate year round. I was thinking I¡¯d start you with the fish, they mostly take care of themselves, but we still have to monitor the environment and distribute feed.


    ¡°In theory it¡¯s stable but the tanks can fluctuate on occasion and the fish don¡¯t respond well if things aren¡¯t right. They can take some variation though, and we have a computer monitoring that and letting us know if things get off. Last week we had a minor scare as the pH balance was off. Turned out to be a clog, leading to a minor build-up of excess waste. Once we cleared that out, the water went back to perfect.¡±


    ¡°Huh interesting, you mentioned feed?¡±


    ¡°Yep, some of the fish we raise are carnivorous, but for those that aren¡¯t we add specially formulated pellets to the water. For those that eat other fish, we toss in the chunks of fish meat or small fish for them to eat. In this tank we mainly raise tilapia, they are excellent for this and they take well to the food we give them.¡±


    ¡°They are kinda pretty.¡±


    ¡°Oh there are much prettier fish, and we raise other species as well. A variety of cod, bass, salmon, catfish, and a few more. We have chambers like this one that separate the fish and the plants we grow, but we also have others where the fish and plants are more integrated. If you head down that way, I can show you the rice fields. Rice was traditionally grown in water-immersed paddies, so growing them in the same water we are raising fish works out perfectly fine. In fact, the fish are often beneficial to the plant.¡±


    Sali nodded, then turned to say something to the captain. Only he was on the other side of the room, having a conversation with someone. ¡°Huh interesting, so what kind of plants are we raising?¡±


    ¡°In here we raising a mix of plants, this chamber has tomatoes, several varieties of bell peppers, a few different kinds of onions, and a selection of herbs.¡± he pulled her over to a vine plant with a mixture of red and green orbs growing along its vine, ¡°These are tomatoes for example, you can tell which ones are ripe and ready for harvest based on color.¡±


    As he spoke a female worker came over with a basket and started picking the red ones. Using a pair of scissors to snip a small section of vine with each one she took.


    ¡°They turn a bright red when ripe and ready for harvest. We take a small section of vine with each one, as they keep a little longer and taste better if separated just before cooking. The vine isn¡¯t edible itself, and we use those sections to make compost for our plants. This can be important to keep production up.¡± he paused and gestured to a door.


    The captain saw and smiled, ¡°taking a tour?¡±


    Sali nodded, ¡°looks like it.¡±


    ¡°Have fun then, I have some things to do, so I will be by later to see how you are doing.¡±


    With that Countryman left and she followed Redfox out of the chamber and down the hall into another one. It was set up differently, but she could see more fish in tanks below while above there were rows of tall plants.


    ¡°Now then in this section, we are growing grain, there are a number of similar chambers like this one. Grains like corn and wheat are easy to grow and in high demand. Rice is another grain we grow but it likes a different setup from this. I¡¯ll show you one of those chambers later.¡±


    ¡°You have more? This one is huge!¡±


    ¡°This entire deck and the one below are agriculture. This is where we produce all the food you and everyone else eat. There are a lot of mouths to feed too. Last I checked we had some eighty-five thousand people across three ships.¡±


    Sali blinked, ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. Honestly, I don¡¯t envy the quartermasters. The ship was never designed for that many people, yet we managed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the ship was a bit crowded, but I¡¯d never realized it was that crowded.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well let¡¯s focus on the tour and then I will show you a few of things you¡¯ll be doing while with us.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± said Sali as he led her into the chamber. She ended up having a good time as she was shown around the facility.

 Chapter One Forty-Six Interception

    June 10th, 004 SDE; EFS Enterprise, Valoria Sector:


    The ship shuddered, ¡°Direct hit, hull plating is holding.¡±


    ¡°Return fire! Ready forward tubes, bring us to heading one one six mark two eight, target the carrier.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡± came the resounding shouts. As the crew went about his orders, Countryman glanced at the screens.


    Things had been going rather well, they¡¯d passed the Valorian capital without incident. Aside from a few close calls, the last two months had been rather peaceful. Although they were a bit behind the ideal schedule due to having to dodge more patrols than they¡¯d hoped, but things were still within their margin of error.


    At least that had been the case until a few minutes ago. They¡¯d picked up this squadron on long-range sensors and gone dark as usual to avoid them, but evidently that hadn¡¯t worked.


    It was a modest battlefleet, with four battleships, a fleet carrier and multiple escort cruisers. Thousands of Valorian strike craft had already been deployed and he was keeping an eye on several squadrons as their own fighters and missiles kept them at bay.


    ¡°Message from Coto, they¡¯re taking a beating, hull plating failing!¡± reported Misaki a note of concern in her voice. Countryman turned and picked out the Coto, she¡¯d been pinned between two battleships and was taking a pounding.


    ¡°Divert alpha and beta squadrons to cover her. Increase speed.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in range sir!¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    The launchers hummed, sending glowing blue projectiles streaming into space. Several cruisers quickly targeted the projectiles. Red energy bolts streamed in to strike at the torpedoes, as the carrier quickly fired her thrusters. Attempting to reposition herself to little avail. Several explosions appeared on the screen before the torpedoes slammed into the shields of the carrier in rapid succession. Several of which got through.


    ¡°Direct hit, the target has taken heavy damage, reading secondary explosions.¡±


    Countryman glanced at the Coto, she was still taking a pounding. The two squadrons were helping but Reynolds clearly required assistance. ¡°New heading four one mark two one. Ahead flank, all batteries on standby, reload forward tubes, standby aft tubes.¡±


    ¡°The Coto has been hit!¡± reported Misaki concern in her tone, ¡°Reading plasma fires, and multiple hull breaches.¡±


    ¡°Tell her to fall back.¡±


    Countryman noted the ranges and as soon as they had a good angle, he gave the order. The Enterprise opened up with all batteries, targeting the battleship on the left. Her shields flared brightly as a barrage of heavy particle bolts and torpedoes slammed into her shields. They buckled, and the beam arrays fired, slicing into the ship, just as a flight of hostile fighter bombers came into range.


    ¡°Hostile fighters on attack run,¡± reported Kaori.


    Countryman nodded, but no orders were required as Kaori skillfully ordered missile fire to take care of them. Numerous turrets rotated to target the fighters and fired tracking missiles to take care of them. Multiple glowing blue energy bolts erupted from the hull and almost instantly found targets.


    Some of the ships survived the barrage and unleashed their payloads. Not that they lived long after that, as the second volley finished them. The ship shook, ¡°hull breach deck forty one, section fifteen gamma. Emergency bulkheads in place and holding.¡±


    He cursed and then gave his next orders. They really didn¡¯t need a fight like this, ¡°Target the other battleship, all available batteries. Fire!¡±


    As particle beams and lightning blasts tore into the ship, he took a moment to check on the Umikaze. Drakes had been covering their flank, and from the look of it, he was doing alright, but not much better than the Coto.


    ¡°Additional fighters coming in for another attack run. Bearing 118 mark 97.¡±


    ¡°Lock missiles, fire.¡±


    ¡°Already on it,¡± reported Kaori as she directed the missile batteries. Blue energy bolts streamed into space and quickly locked onto the alien craft with deadly effect. Multiple ships exploded in rapid succession.


    Elsewhere the second battleship lost shields and beam weapons tore into her frame.


    ¡°We have a kill, target destroyed sir.¡±


    ¡°Status of the Coto?¡±


    ¡°Heavy damage to her hull plating, multiple hull breaches. Aft launchers are offline, minor damage to internal power grid, partial failure of her energy web grid, and fourteen particle cannon turrets are offline. Plasma fires appear to be under control however.


    Countryman sighed, that was a lot of damage and they had precious little to fix it. He glanced at the screens. The Valorians still had two battleships and their fleet carrier was heavily damaged but still on the field. ¡°Hard to starboard, ahead three quarters, standby forward tubes.¡±


    As they turned a Valorian cruiser moved into range firing torpedoes at the Umikaze. Drake skillfully evaded half that barrage and then tore into the cruiser with concentrated fire. The ship exploded with little to show for her effort.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Countryman noted that the carrier had increased speed and was gaining distance. In a few minutes she¡¯d be out of torpedo range entirely, but it didn¡¯t matter. The angles lined up and he leaned forward with a grin. ¡°Target the carrier, full spread maximum yield.¡±


    ¡°Target locked.¡±


    ¡°Fire.¡±


    Blue energy bolts streaked across the void. Once again the cruisers in the formation opened up to defend the carrier, but it wasn¡¯t enough. They found their mark and slammed into the carrier at high speed.


    ¡°Direct hit, we have a kill!¡± reported Kaori


    Countryman watched the remaining Valorian ships turn and then jump to warp.


    ¡°They¡¯re in full retreat!¡±


    He let out a breath and after a moment said, ¡°Status report!¡±


    <hr>


    Three hours later, Council Meeting Conference Room:


    ¡°How bad is it?¡±


    ¡°Bad enough, I¡¯ve done an inventory. Fleet wide we are down to less than ten thousand torpedoes, and the missile banks are nearly spent. Worse, we are down to fumes now, we don¡¯t have enough fuel to reach Krall space, even with what¡¯s left in the reserve.¡±


    ¡°How far can we get?¡±


    The faces looked around, then Richards sighed, ¡°Twenty, maybe twenty-five lightyears. We don¡¯t have much left in the reserves though and we spent far too much in that battle.¡±


    ¡°Fighters?¡±


    ¡°Barely any fuel, and only enough missiles and torpedoes for two squadrons.¡±


    ¡°In other words we¡¯d be hard pressed if they came back. Especially with the pounding we took. How does the Coto look?¡±


    ¡°She took a beating, her hull plating is just about useless, but her core superstructure is intact and most of her main systems are still online. If we had the parts we could repair her into proper fighting shape, however we don¡¯t.¡±


    Drakes interjected, ¡°The Umikaze is in better shape but not by much. My AIF generators are just about shot, without replacements the plating is just a hair from failing entirely. We also have several hull breaches and nothing to patch them with.¡±


    Williams commented, ¡°Damn machine getting us killed, I told you this was insane.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like you had a better plan.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°That won¡¯t get us anywhere. For now we need to find fuel and we need to find it in hostile space.¡±


    Misaki interjected, ¡°I took the liberty of checking for potential deuterium sources within ten lightyears of our present location. The only source would be the Valorian core world of New Valoria.¡±


    ¡°New Valoria?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of their older colonies, one of the first they colonized after reaching the stars. The colony is heavily industrialized and according to our resident Valorians, well fortified. It¡¯s the home base of the Valorian Third Fleet, and the 13th Reserve Defense Fleet. Local protections include a planetary shield, multiple surface-to-space weapons emplacements, an orbital weapons platform grid and there is a large fortified starbase in the system. The headquarters of the Third Fleet. There are also orbital shipyards that serve to service the vessels of the third fleet.¡±


    Williams looked around, ¡°You¡¯re not seriously considering attacking this world?¡±


    Greyman ignored her, ¡°Sounds like a tough nut to crack. Any idea how many ships are in the system?¡±


    Reia commented, ¡°That battlegroup was part of the third fleet, I recognized the carrier. With those close calls we had earlier, fleet command must have been put on alert.¡±


    ¡°So they are looking for us,¡± commented Countryman.


    Misaki interjected, ¡°I¡¯ve seen quite a few groups on long-range sensors, there could be more. Our range is somewhat limited.¡±


    ¡°This is suicide!¡±


    Countryman replied, ¡°We don¡¯t have much choice. Either we strike now, or we die. Now why don¡¯t we discuss a plan that might have some kind of chance of success.¡±


    Greyman pulled out a chart, ¡°If we presume most of the garrison has been dispatched on patrols looking for us, that would likely mean the third fleet would be out of position. That would leave the reserve defense fleet and the local defenses for us to deal with.¡±


    Reia commented, ¡°The reserve fleet, last I heard, had seven hundred cruisers and a number of smaller cutters. It doesn¡¯t have any major capital ships, all the heavier vessels are part of the main third fleet.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like something we can deal with. Now just to make sure,¡± Countryman looked at Misaki, who smiled.


    ¡°On it sir!¡± she quickly pulled Vera and Neira from the meeting. Reia followed her sister and fellow Valorian out of the meeting.


    They turned and discussed the system further, considering the local conditions and footing various plans as they waited.


    Minutes later the group of girls came back in, and ran up to the console with new data. Misaki smiled, ¡°Thanks to our resident Valorians, we¡¯ve confirmed it. The Valorian Third fleet is out of the system, the main bulk of the fleet is on the far side of gravitational anomaly M-223-gamma. If we jump now, we can be at the system before they can respond. I calculate at warp five it will take us 81.5 hours to reach the system, but the soonest they can intercept is 88.2 hours. That would give us almost seven hours before the Valorians can respond.¡±


    Countryman smiled, that was plenty of time for a raid, but the timings would be tight. They had done it before, but that was a border world with much weaker defenses. They were going to have to do the same thing on a much larger scale with stronger defenses and less time. Worse, they were almost out of fuel, which meant they were running low on a key resource for battle. Limiting their options.


    Kaori looked up, ¡°Well if that¡¯s the case our best bet would be a massive simultaneous strike as soon as we come out of warp. If we can catch the defense fleet off guard we can neutralize the biggest threat in the area. Getting past the planetary shield might be a bit of an obstacle, but if we are fast enough we might be able to knock it out before they have a chance to raise it.¡±


    Countryman nodded and the group launched into planning their attack. Refining the details, what units to use and what they had. This time Richards was able to promise them as many Scorpions and Raptors as they would require, as she hadn¡¯t touched them for spare parts without permission, which was good, since they were going to need them. A raid of this scale with such tight timings was going to require a much more aggressive attack. They had mere hours to land their troops, secure a beachhead, capture their objectives and then ship the critical fuel offworld. Refueling the Enterprise alone was going to require a massive amount of fuel. It was most critical that they secured their target within the first hour of the attack and they were going to need the time to get as much fuel and supplies as they could before booking it for Krall space.

 Chapter One Forty-Seven The Raid of New Valoria I

    June 14, 004 SDE; New Valoria Colony, 0200 hours:


    Countryman settled into his seat stifling a yawn. After spending three days at high warp, they were now just seconds away from launching their assault on the New Valoria colony. A part of him wished they could wait for a more reasonable time, but with the tight timetables, they didn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting till morning.


    They¡¯d tapped Valorian comms and so far the Valorians were unaware of their current position, with the Third Fleet having dispatched additional battlegroups to sweep the area for them. Based on known positions things had improved, but not by much. They would have barely nine hours before the Third Fleet could respond, but some smaller battlegroups were in position to intercept sooner.


    Regardless they were on the clock, they needed to secure fuel before any of the smaller groups could respond and be out of the system before the main bulk of the fleet arrived. So here he was, at two in the fucking morning, getting ready for the attack and he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    His three generals were getting the forces ready for the ground landing. They¡¯d identified their target, the port town of Golden Sands, the location was home to the largest deuterium refinery on the planet. Not only was it home to a massive refinery but there were also several warehouses and fuel silos in the area. If their intel was accurate, the third fleet maintains a local reserve of two hundred and fifty million liters of deuterium. More than enough to refuel the fleet. More importantly, Golden Sands was right by the sea which was going to make it easy for an aggressive deployment, one their Scorpions were designed for.


    He set the thoughts aside, as Eri reported, ¡°We are secure from warp sir. Reading multiple contacts, no sign we¡¯ve been spotted.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t last. Kaori, fire at will.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    The launchers thrummed, picking out targets at rapid speed and sending thousands of warheads out into space, all set to dark mode. EM penetrators and sensor nets left in standby mode, the idea being they would go undetected as they sought out their targets. Activating only seconds before impact.


    Every six seconds, the launchers spat out a burst of torpedoes which sailed out to their targets as per the plan, they were emptying the torpedo bays and targeting every warship, every orbital weapons platform, the main starbase, the planetary shield, the surface-to-space gun emplacements and the shipyard. The number of torpedoes allocated to each target varied based on priority, a list that Kaori had already been briefed on, so she didn¡¯t need him to remind her. They¡¯d gone over it just ten minutes before dropping out of warp.


    Suddenly the launchers fell silent. ¡°That¡¯s it sir, all banks read empty, we are out of torpedoes.¡±


    ¡° Coto and Umikaze both report magazines dry, as well, sir.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged.¡± he turned to the helm, ¡°Set course for the planet, one-quarter sublight.¡±


    As the ship started moving he kept an eye on the screens. They were tracking thousands of torpedoes as they streamed toward the preset list of targets. The seconds ticked by, every moment felt tense and then the first warheads found their targets, multiple explosions lit up sensors. Ships and platforms were ripped apart in the same moment as several energy bursts erupted on the planet. Numerous warheads slammed into the station, and several large fireballs engulfed the shipyards.


    ¡°Multiple direct hits, perimeter alert is going out. Third Fleet responding, estimate three hours before the first battlegroup arrives.¡±


    ¡°Damage?¡±


    ¡°Planetary shield is out, the main starbase crippled, we have confirmed 662 cruisers as sunk or disabled. Heavy damage to their escort fleet with four thousand additional vessels confirmed sunk. All remaining vessels have taken heavy to moderate damage. Fourteen ships are now on an intercept course. The rest are regrouping at Third Fleet Headquarters.¡±


    ¡°Increase speed, full sublight, standby main cannons.¡±


    ¡°Main cannons, charged and ready sir.¡±


    ¡°Full sublight confirmed, planetary orbit in four minutes.¡±


    ¡°Status of Coto and Umikaze?¡±


    ¡°In formation, they both report combat ready.¡±


    Countryman nodded and kept an eye on the screens as further reports came in. All fourteen ships moving to intercept had taken damage but were still combat-capable. The other vessels regrouping at the starbase were in far worse shape. As for the starbase, they¡¯d hit it hard, multiple hull breaches, main shield grid out, primary defense batteries offline. It still had intact hangers however and was potentially still a threat. They were going to have to eliminate it and the vessels seeking harbor near it.


    The first ship entered weapons range a moment later, her pulse cannons firing. The Coto was first to return fire, scoring several hits on the weakened shield grid.


    ¡°Hold fire, let the Coto and Umikaze deal with them. Focus on getting us into orbit.¡±


    The faces nodded and Countryman watched the battle unfold. Fourteen ships against two may not have sounded like good odds, but it certainly didn¡¯t look like it. Countryman watched the Umikaze and Coto make a concerted attack on the lead ship, its shields flared brightly as blue energy bolts bombarded it, then they buckled. Twin sustained beams ripped into the hull a moment later, something exploded and the ship was engulfed in a fireball.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Another cruiser came about firing torpedoes, several slammed into the Coto, her energy webs blocking only half the barrage. The rest slammed into her weakened hull plates, scoring two hull breaches.


    ¡°Entering orbit sir, we¡¯ll be in geostationary position over Golden Sands in thirteen seconds.¡±


    ¡°Alert General Forrest prepare for immediate landings.¡± he focused on Misaki, ¡°initiate localized scans, identify any military sites in position to defend...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve identified two bases and several defensive emplacements.¡±


    ¡°Relay coordinates to tactical. Kaori standby secondary cannons for tactical shore bombardment.¡±


    ¡°Ready, targets locked in.¡±


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    A series of ventral turrets shifted, focusing on ground-side targets and then fired. Numerous medium-yield particle bolts fell like rain upon the targets with devastating impact.


    ¡°It seems we have their attention, twenty-four cruisers now on an intercept course.¡±


    He blinked, it seemed they were sending everything they had left to deal with him. That suited him just fine. Countryman glanced at the indicators, reactor fuel was down to thirty percent and that was after a bolstering with their nearly depleted reserve. That was enough fuel to travel some eighty lightyears but it wouldn¡¯t last anywhere near as long in a firefight. Battles could drain a lot of energy really quickly.  ¡°Noted, maintain position, standby main cannons.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Bombardment complete, primary targets eliminated, secondary signatures still in the area.¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t going to get them all, deploy ground forces.¡±


    <hr>


    Golden Sands, 0220 hours:


    The figure poked out her head and looked around. It seemed the bombardment had stopped, then she heard a loud splash, followed by several more. Her gaze turned to the shore where alien behemoths were emerging from the water, even as several more crashed into the water.


    They were huge metal constructs flat-bodied with a curved tail that hovered over the main structure and supported by six thick legs. Several turrets could also be seen on the structure. Several troops rushed to the beach, taking cover where they could to open fire. Even a Shielded Personnel Carrier moved to intercept, but their weapons did... nothing to the alien constructs, which returned fire with precise energy strikes. Blue bolts tore men and cover alike to bits.


    As the first construct took the beach, she watched a turret fire on the SPC. The shields of the small vehicle flared brightly, and she returned fire with her pulse turret. For a moment it seemed like the one little vehicle might hold against the ten alien constructs in the water, then the shield buckled and the alien particle bolts ripped through the light hull of the SPC.


    The young woman gasped and gripped her wrench tighter, even as she watched the first behemoth stop on the beach. Her belly opened up to disgorge troops onto the shore. Dozens of humanoid figures dropped onto the beach, armed with a rifle, a belt full of grenades and encased in some kind of metal armor. It looked scary, especially with the helmets that hid their faces. They moved with incredible grace and speed to secure the beach. Even as squads broke off and moved into the town.


    The technician pulled away from the overlook. This wasn¡¯t good at all. Behind her a door burst open, ¡°There you are, hurry!¡±


    She frowned, and turned to follow the gesturing man, ¡°Hurry where?¡±


    ¡°All non combat personnel have been ordered to the shelters.¡±


    The girl followed yet she still couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. Running down the corridor, she soon heard a news broadcast playing and stopped to peek into a room, where a terminal had been left on. The interstellar news channel was still on, an urgent report banner in bright purple was emblazoned across the screen, ¡°New Valoria under attack! Where is the Third Fleet?¡±


    A somewhat harried reporter was speaking, ¡°A Menace battleship is currently parked in geostationary orbit over the local community of Golden Sands...¡±


    The girl shook her head, ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Turning from the harried report, she realized she¡¯d been left behind. Letting out a breath, she went down the corridor, even as the building shook. Then she jumped in her skin as she heard weapons fire.


    Seeing another window, she approached and looked out. She spotted a dozen security troops and a squad of alien infantry engaged in a firefight, but it didn¡¯t take long to notice who was winning. The aliens had a clear advantage as they methodically dispatched the soldiers. Not even cover helped the security troops, as she watched one man get skewered by a blue beam that punched right through the pillar he was using for cover.


    ¡°Sniper! Take cover,¡± shouted someone, only to be hit by the same particle beam a second later. This time the poor soldier was caught in the face, not that he had much of a face left after that. She gasped at the horrible sight, then ducked inside as a stream of blue bolts tore into the window. Her gaze turned to the far wall and she wisely decided it best to get away from the windows. That nearly killed her.


    The tech kept to the halls, even as she heard more weapons fire and even explosions. It seemed a lot was going on out there.


    Suddenly a door blew open in a shower of flames, just before a pair of armored figures burst into the hall. The tech gasped in surprise and raised her hands. The wrench she¡¯d been holding clattering to the floor. A figure turned to her rifle in hand, looked her over, and then closed the distance.


    She barely registered them moving before she found herself restrained, a pair of cuffs slipping onto her wrists as they were shifted behind her. Then in perfect Valorian, the figure spoke, ¡°This way, don¡¯t resist and we¡¯ll be gone before you know it.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is going on? Why are you doing this?¡± she asked, but followed along.


    ¡°Blame your leaders, now I presume you are a tech, yes?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Good, you can help us transfer some deuterium.¡±


    Deuterium? This was about fuel? What the fuck was the world coming to?

 Chapter One Forty-Eight The Raid of New Valoria II

    New Valoria under attack! Where is the Third Fleet?


    ¡°Moments ago hostile forces landed in force at Golden Sands. We have reports of heavy fighting throughout the city. While an alien battleship continues to menace the residents from above.¡± Said the reporter on the screen. ¡°As of this time, we still have no comment from the Navy. But our sources tell us that the Third Fleet had no ships in orbit at the time of the attack. Leaving only the Thirteenth Reserve Defense Fleet to defend New Valoria.¡±


    She paused as images of ships exploding played out across the monitor, followed by a gun duel between Valorian Ophera class cruisers and two ships with a distinctive black and silver paint job. Red and blue bolts of energy sailed between the vessels, as a cruiser was torn apart by concentrated fire. ¡°Reports indicate that the defense fleet has been virtually annihilated, with over six hundred cruisers sunk in a matter of minutes by a mere three ships.¡±


    Tika turned from the screen and looked at her Battle-Leader. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a disaster, but what do you make of it?¡±


    He frowned, ¡°It¡¯s hard to make any guesses based on a news report, but Golden Sands is primarily a deuterium refinery and refueling port for small ships. They also ship large quantities of fuel up to the local starbase and shipyard for military use.¡±


    ¡°Interesting point, but I was thinking about the larger implications. There is also the question about the Valorian Third Fleet. I mean seriously where are they? The local media are reporting about how they aren¡¯t there while a small Refuge force has decimated the local defense fleet and landed troops on the planet.¡±


    ¡°Right, it would be a political nightmare. I just don¡¯t bother with that, I leave that to...¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s not your thing, but we both know what this could mean.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, but I do wonder how our old friends are doing. We haven¡¯t talked to them in years. Not since Cantra.¡±


    ¡°Well, apparently they are invading New Valoria. Although I can¡¯t tell you why.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will find out. In the meantime, the drive should be about ready for a jump.¡±


    ¡°Right time to take her in, get debriefed and give the crew some leave.¡± She stretched as she stood up, ¡°and maybe we can find out what our old friends are up to?¡±


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise, 0300 hours:


    The ship shuddered and the cannons hummed. Countryman leaned over the strategic console as he watched blips moving on the sensors.


    Kaori smiled, ¡°Target destroyed.¡±


    Countryman nodded as he watched that last cruiser go down. In the distance, the Umikaze was taking out the starbase, while the Coto was engaged with the last two remaining cruisers in the system. One credit that he¡¯d give the defense fleet was that they didn¡¯t cut and run. They¡¯d held their ground, even after the bloody nose he¡¯d given them.


    ¡°Contacts, Valorian battlegroup entering the system. One battleship, four cruisers, 28 destroyers.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re early,¡± commented Countryman before focusing the group on the viewer. Where he noticed all of them were venting drive plasma.


    Eri spoke up, ¡°Looks like they redlined their drives to get here faster.¡±


    Countryman turned to Misaki, ¡°What about the main group?¡±


    ¡°All indications indicate they are still eight hours out.¡±


    That was all well and good, but they hadn¡¯t even acquired one barrel of deuterium yet. Forrest had reported that Golden Sands was largely secure and the target was in their possession, but they were still loading the first shipment. The only way to move what they needed into orbit was by shuttlecraft. It would be a bit before those first shuttles could launch with the first shipment of desperately needed deuterium. In the meantime, they would have to hold without it.


    As for the Valorians, they had seen movements indicating the local garrison was mobilizing for a counter assault. Forrest had assigned Kirk to organize a defense, while Evanov was to take his division for a counter-assault. The idea was to keep the Valorians off balance, the requirement for mobility meant Evanov wasn¡¯t going to have any Scorpions. They were powerful, but far too slow for the kind of mobile warfare required. Nothing for him to worry about at the moment though, he had other worries.


    ¡°Order the Coto and Umikaze to fall back, defensive formation.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    ¡°Coto acknowledges and reports she has destroyed the Fleet Starbase.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Umikaze reports she is on her way.¡±


    Countryman nodded and noted that the starbase was indeed breaking up, with multiple lifeboats now in the void.


    What followed was a period of waiting. Both destroyers quickly took up defensive positions as ordered and not long after the Valorian battlegroup reached their position. The battleship opened up with her forward torpedo batteries and her heavy cruiser escort followed suit.


    The ship shook and Countryman ordered, ¡°Target the battleship, focus fire on her shield grid, all cutting beams, maximum firepower.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir,¡± said Kaori as she directed the beam weapons against the encroaching capital ship. Several sustained purple streams slammed into the forward shields of the battleship. The energy barriers strained against the focused high-intensity supercharged beams. A potential waste of valuable energy since it cost more to fire a supercharged shot, yet it proved it¡¯s worth a second later, as the beams punched through and tore into the unprotected hull beneath.


    Entire sections of plating disintegrated like wet tissue paper as the beam tore into the hull. Then cut out, leaving the ship still intact, but her forward shields were now fluctuating.


    Before they could recover, he gave the order to fire the cannons. Multiple turrets deployed, rotated and targeted the battleship in rapid order, as the other vessel unleashed its full payload as well.


    The Enterprise shook with each hit, but the plating was holding, so far at least. The Valorian battleship wasn¡¯t so lucky as her weakened shields buckled letting the cannon tear into the hull.  Entire sections of hull were reduced to swiss cheese in seconds, as fires erupted, bodies and loose objects were ejected into space and other parts of the battleship were straight up vented. Her commander realizing the danger pulled back, the ship firing thrusters hard to bring her port shields to bear.


    ¡°Target heavily damaged, she¡¯s pulling back. Reading significant damage to her forward sections, and systems. Notably her forward weapon mounts and shield generators, she¡¯ll need a refit to fully restore her shields.¡±


    He mentally noted that, as he turned his attention to the other vessels. The Coto and Umikaze were already heavily engaged, by hostile destroyers and cruisers. Several of which were now moving to attack him.


    ¡°Coto to fleet! We¡¯re taking heavy damage, hull plating failing!¡±


    Countryman noticed, ¡°Kaori...¡±


    ¡°On it!¡± she interrupted, and redirected the main cannons to support the Coto. Just as a destroyer came up on the flank of the vessel, firing several torpedoes, which slammed into her port nacelle. At least one got through the plating, tearing into the outboard engines.


    The Coto returned fire with her aft beam emitters, scoring several penetrating hits on the destroyer, as she came about. Then the ship got shredded by heavy cannon hits from the Enterprise, but the Valorians had noticed that Coto was vulnerable. Multiple ships moved to focus on the wounded destroyer.


    <hr>


    Golden Sands, 0320 Hours:


    Forrest noted the report from Kirk. Then turned to the men, ¡°Hurry it up boys, we don¡¯t got all day. Come on get that shuttle loaded.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    The men shifted as they loaded a series of barrels containing highly concentrated Deuterium. Each of them had been lashed into pallets, for easy movement. Loading was actually going fairly well, if perhaps a little slower than he would have liked.


    Still they¡¯d manage to press a few Valorian techs into helping them drain the fuel in the silos and transfer it into containers for transit. Even as he watched several men were also refueling the shuttles. He figured they would be able to launch in the next ten minutes.


    At least Kirk was able to give him some good news, the perimeter was secure and the last of the local forces had capitulated. That just left the counterattack for him to deal with. Hopefully Evanov would keep the Valorian ground forces off balance. Forrest had given him a few objectives, facilities to hit, and storehouses to raid. The goal was to take as much back as they could in the few hours they had, to just cause havoc, and then get out. This was a raid after all.


    One of the officers walked over, ¡°That¡¯s it sir, we¡¯ve got eight shuttles fully loaded.¡±


    He smiled, not that anyone could see with his helmet on. ¡°Excellent, clear the launch area and tell the pilots to take off.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡± said the man, as he went to get those shuttles into the air. That fuel was something the fleet needed.


    <hr>


    0325:


    Evanov surveyed the facility in the distance. The structure was, according to the data he pulled, owned by a Valorian Company. One that supplied primarily military grade sensors and electronic warfare suites to the Valorian Navy. They also sold these systems to licensed mercenary companies. It was one of several locations that Forrest had identified as being worth hitting.


    Turning to his lieutenant he commented, ¡°I see a few patrols, several watchtowers and a perimeter fence.¡±


    ¡°Nothing major, I think we can be in and out before they blink.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, we¡¯ll do a standard frontal assault. Tanks in front, clear the defenses, then raid the facility. Don¡¯t bother with prisoners, shoot anything that moves.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. We¡¯ll take her hard and swift.¡±


    Evanov gave the order to advance, and paid close attention as his tanks swept in. Clearing out the perimeter in barely a minute or two. Then the infantry followed up, breaching the structure with practiced precision. Several firefights were reported in the building, but the sweep went smoothly, none of the scum survived.


    By the time his truck was in front of the compound, the men were already pulling anything that looked valuable from the facility and loading it into the trucks. He smiled when he saw the stacks of alien data disks, once decrypted the scientists were sure to be drooling over that one. He figured they might have some good stuff on them.


    ¡°Excellent work lads, let¡¯s not idle. Pack it up, we move out in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±

 Chapter One Forty-Nine The Raid of New Valoria III

    New Valoria Geosynchronous Orbit over Golden Sands, 0330 hours


    ¡°Umikazi, reports heavy damage, main power failing,¡± reported a worried Misaki. While Countryman monitored the first shuttles coming up.


    They weren¡¯t in much better shape power-wise, they were basically on fumes now. ¡°Order both ships to withdraw and cease-fire.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir.¡±


    The ship shook as a torpedo slammed into the hull. ¡°Hull plating failing!¡±


    Countryman was aware, the AIF had taken a pounding and the field was starting to buckle. There wasn¡¯t much power to spare, the only thing he could do was divert power from weapons to plating. Engine power was already at minimal levels, they barely had enough to maintain station keeping under the bombardment


    So far they were still dealing with the one battlegroup, the battleship had withdrawn to a safe distance, while her crew conducted emergency repairs and took two of the cruisers with them. That left the other two cruisers, and the destroyers for him to deal with.


    ¡°The Coto¡¯s been hit! Heavy damage to her port nacelle.¡±


    He cursed, that was the third time the Valorians had targeted the module.


    With all the heavy fire it didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to open the hangers, but he didn¡¯t have a choice. The shuttles were entering range now.


    ¡°Launch Alpha and Beta Squadron. Kaori I want you to provide covering fire, this is going to be rough.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    The ship shook, ¡°Hull breach! Deck 14, emergency bulkheads holding.¡±


    Internally he was praying that the ship would hold together. He¡¯d helped design and build her and knew she could take a pounding, but she¡¯d never quite been intended for a mission like this. Most of her systems required energy to function, without power the structural integrity fields and powered armor systems would all fail. Some part of him was hoping the erudite they¡¯d added to their armor mix would keep the Enterprise together as her titanium construction wouldn¡¯t help against plasma bolts without power.


    The lights flickered, as the ships were launched. ¡°AIF field has failed!¡±


    The ship shook again, harder. ¡°We¡¯re being targeted! Heavy damage to dorsal plating, multiple hull breaches!


    Countryman glanced at the capacitors, they were nearly dry, and reactor power was low. ¡°Cease fire all batteries, divert all remaining power to the hull plating.¡±


    ¡°AIF field partially restored. Hull plating seems to be holding.¡±


    He held back a comment about for now, he¡¯d only bought them a couple minutes, but it also meant they couldn¡¯t support anyone now. Countryman kept a close eye on the shuttles, who were being intercepted by Valorian fighters. Thankfully the two squadrons he¡¯d reserved were doing their job, keeping the worst off of them.


    A moment later, he saw the first reach the Coto and dock in her rear hanger, and then ten seconds later a shuttle reached the Umikaze.


    The lights flickered again. ¡°Power failure, fusion reactors two and four have failed.¡±


    Countryman nodded, as he watched one of the remaining Valorian cruisers make a dive on the shuttles. Umikaze fired into her flank, drawing the cruiser¡¯s attention. The ship came about, and fired torpedoes. Several slammed into the Umikaze ripping into her dorsal plating, with one sailing past the main hull to strike her starboard nacelle strut. The armor ruptured, but the strut remained intact. They were deceptively sturdy afterall.


    Then a beam strike from the Umikaze penetrated the shields of the cruiser. Entire sections of plating melted under the concentrated fire, as the generators flickered, then her shields went down, as a fighter dived on her with a strafing run. Multiple sections were ruptured in short order before a final shot was fired into her engineering section. The entire cruiser was aflame with escape pods being launched as the hull started fracturing into segments and falling toward the planet.


    Elsewhere, one of the remaining six shuttles took a hit. Her plating burned for a bit before the fire went out, and then finally the first of the shuttles landed in his hanger. Tensely he watched a destroyer moving in to fire on the open hanger, even  as he shouted, ¡°I want that fuel transferred to the main reactor ASAP!¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    ¡°Kaori, can you get me a shot from the beam array?¡±


    ¡°Not without compromising the AIF, it¡¯s taking all remaining power to protect the ship.¡±


    He cursed, but then the Coto opened fire, scoring several hits on the destroyer and forcing her to break off. Countryman felt a sigh of relief as the following shuttles started landing.


    Then came the report he was looking for, ¡°Richards reports main power restored, and is now restarting our secondary fusion reactors.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Kaori, charge the beam arrays,¡± ordered Countryman as reactor power started to build back up.


    It felt like an eternity when in fact it was only minutes before they had sufficient power to fire again.


    Countryman quickly ordered heavy fire on the remaining destroyers which didn¡¯t last long now that he had the power to afford full-power beam shots, not only that he could afford multiple simultaneous beam array discharges against every target in range.¡±


    <hr>


    0400 Golden Sands:


    Kirk surveyed the road, taking note of the column moving on the town. Based on numbers it looked like two mechanized infantry divisions and a tank company were moving on the town. Something that wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected, she would have been surprised if the Valorians had allowed their beachhead to remain unchallenged.


    ¡°It seems we have a few uninvited guests,¡± commented Kirk to the artillery commander next to her. ¡°Please give them my regards, and send them on their way.¡±


    The man smiled, before donning his helmet, ¡°Yes sir!¡± Then he turned to the troops and started barking orders.


    Seconds later, she heard the thrum of cannons firing, each shot rang out with a distinct hum followed by a loud crack as electromagnetic launchers accelerated 90-kilogram shells to velocities in excess of the speed of sound. Dozens of shells rained down upon the approaching Valorian forces with explosive results.


    Kirk watched as the shells tore into the road, the earth and any vehicle unlucky enough to be in the area. Leaving behind a sea of craters, and burning wreckage.


    Shields started flaring, as the column energized the defensive screens their vehicles were equipped with but it was by far too little. The barrage continued as vehicles swerved to avoid being pounded into dust.


    A couple minutes later the last crack echoed as the order to cease fire was given, the entire sector had been bombed into oblivion, leaving scattered wreckage, as surviving troops took cover behind smoldering tanks or in craters.


    ¡°I¡¯d say that was an effective demonstration of our capabilities. General, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Most effective, reload the cannons and give the men my compliments.¡±


    ¡°Should we?¡±


    ¡°Leave them, our orders are to hold the perimeter, not hunt down broken units.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir.¡±


    Kirk didn¡¯t doubt there would be another attack, and she didn¡¯t want to be caught out of position hunting when it came. She had to keep in mind the larger picture and follow the orders Forrest had given her. Besides he was counting on her to buy him the time he needed to extract the materials they were after. Most notably the fuel. Of course his personal task also gave him time to keep the larger operation in mind.


    She turned away from the view and walked over to the radio. The comm officer looked up, ¡°A channel to Forrest ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. He asked to be informed when the Valorians attacked.¡±


    The officer nodded and opened a channel for her. As soon as she had Forrest, she informed him that she¡¯d encountered and dealt with an enemy attack.¡±


    <hr>


    0410 Misty Springs, 31 kilometers north of Golden Sands.


    The tank column rumbled as it drew upon the settlement. Evanov looked over the orbital footage of the site, as he planned his move. Misty Springs was a modest town, primarily industrial¡ªhome to several factories that produced high-tech components for the Valorian shipyard in orbit. Sadly Valorian technology wasn¡¯t exactly compatible with Refuge systems or they¡¯d be able to steal the spare parts they need from them, but some of the raw materials were the same. He figured he¡¯d take anything that looked valuable and do some damage. More importantly, this would likely keep the enemy off balance.


    ¡°Hmm, not that well defended. I do see a military base on the east side of the town, looks like a few tanks and a couple of watchtowers around the perimeter of the base. I also see a few patrols.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we are expected sir,¡± commented his lieutenant.


    Evanov tapped on the map, ¡°Let¡¯s come in from the east, if they are going to be napping, we might as well make them pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Understood sir. I¡¯ll tell the men.¡±


    Evanov nodded, and a few moments later they¡¯d changed course. He took another look at the map, noting enemy troop movements. He marked down several formations as they were moving, targets to hit later. Then he noted a report on the system, Kirk had repelled a hostile column attempting to retake Golden Sands.


    <hr>


    EFS Enterprise 0430:


    Countryman set the report down. They were currently tracking two battlegroups that were set to arrive soon, while another shipment was arriving from the surface. That battleship was also still in the system, her crew conducting what repairs they could. This had given him a moment¡¯s respite to get a better idea of the status of the fleet, and time for some repairs himself.


    The Coto had taken a real beating, the damage to her port nacelle was significant. Both of her port warp engines were inoperable. Notably, the starboard pair remained intact, and while it would be possible to transfer one of the starboard engines to the port nacelle housing, that was a procedure that would require time they simply didn¡¯t have. A fact Reynolds agreed with him on, as such they were still refueling the ship, but personnel were being evacuated to the Enterprise. The ship was effectively lost already, but the Coto could still prove useful in covering the retreat of the Enterprise.


    The Umikaze on the other hand was still warp-capable, if barely, but she¡¯d taken a real pounding as well. Her saucer even had a hit that had punched clean through the superstructure and out the other side and there was damage to her primary spaceframe. One of those hits had blown up her starboard torpedo bay, if she¡¯d been carrying any torpedoes the Umikaze would have sunk. Drakes had raised serious concerns about the ship surviving another round with the enemy and non-essential personnel had already been evacuated to the Enterprise. Countryman had to agree, as the ship¡¯s hull plating was virtually useless now, and half her weapons array was gone. One of her primary sublight engines was also gone, limiting her speed, as that engine had been knocked out by the same hit that had punched through the saucer.


    As for the Enterprise? They were in the best shape overall, but they had taken a pounding as well. They now had one hundred seventy-two hull breaches in the dorsal plating, fourteen photon missile turrets had been destroyed. Of their 1800 medium particle turrets, some 450 of them had been rendered inoperable or destroyed. All of them on the dorsal side of the hull, and a similar story showed with the heavy particle cannon turrets, of the 200 dorsal mounts one hundred forty-five had been disabled or destroyed. The ventral side of the hull however was virtually untouched. Regardless, that was a significant loss of firepower especially when you factored in that they were out of torpedoes.


    That was something Countryman was going to have to take into account. On the positive side, refueling was going really well. He expected they¡¯d be pulling out on schedule, but it was still going to be close.

 Chapter One Fifty The Withdrawal

    June 14, 004 SDE; New Valoria Colony, 1030 hours, eight and a half hours after the initial exchange:


    Countryman leaned over the strategic display, they were in the final stages of packing up. However long-range sensors had picked up the Third Fleet, they would be here in thirty minutes. Unfortunately, their lead elements were going to be here sooner. He¡¯d already had enough trouble with the scattered patrol groups that had been able to make it back sooner. Given they were currently taking on supplies and bringing troops up from the surface, it would be even more troublesome and he had few luxuries during this period¡ªSomething that left him considering how they would deal with those elements.


    Misaki said, ¡°I have Captain Drakes on the line, he would like to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°On screen.¡±


    Drakes appeared, and quickly began to speak, ¡°Countryman I presume you¡¯ve noticed the lead elements that are about to jump in?¡±


    ¡°I have, I presume you have an idea?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Coto and the Umikaze can head off the fleet, buy the time the Enterprise needs to finish extracting the troops and make the jump out of the system.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s suicide. With the damage you¡¯ve sustained, there is no way...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, but let''s face it, the Umikaze is practically a lost cause anyway, we¡¯ve taken far too much damage. We¡¯d need months at a yard and we just can¡¯t afford those kinds of repairs anyway.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve lost one ship, we can¡¯t really afford to lose two.¡±


    ¡°I know, but trust me, the Coto stands a much better chance of success if the Umikaze joins her. I¡¯ve got things ready on my end, permission to evacuate to the Enterprise?¡±


    Countryman turned to Greyman, ¡°what do you think?¡±


    Greyman sighed, ¡°I hate to say it, but he¡¯s right.¡±


    Countryman turned back to Drakes, ¡°Permission granted. Sadly I can¡¯t think of a better plan.¡±


    Drakes returned a wry smile, ¡°It¡¯s a shame, I really liked this ship.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll build you another one then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that, sir.¡±


    Countryman grinned, ¡°I figured you would. Now get your butt over here, and set the Umikaze on automatic.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡±


    Countryman turned away from the screen as it cut off, then took a look around the bridge. The faces he saw were tense, but not as grim as before. Things did seem to be looking up, but they weren¡¯t out of danger just yet. There was still the matter of getting out of the system.


    Minutes later, he watched the Umikaze and Coto break formation just as the lead elements arrived.


    ¡°Valorian vessels have entered the system, two hundred twelve cruisers, four battleships and multiple destroyers. Umikaze and Coto are moving to engage.¡±


    ¡°Monitor the engagement and keep me appraised. Status of the withdrawal?¡±


    ¡°Final shuttles are embarking now, we should be ready to break orbit in eight minutes. Richards reports that all reactors are now fully initialized and stable, full power is now available.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Countryman.


    <hr>


    The Coto and Umikaze sailed into combat at full speed. As soon as they were in range the ships opened up with the full force of their weapons. Concentrated beam hits slammed into the nearest Valorian cruiser, her shields flaring.


    Then the other ships returned fire. Plasma and particles flew between the vessels with deadly precision, the duel was on. Both ships quickly began calculating and sharing data and determined this action was unlikely to result in the survival of the ship. The use of last-stand protocols would be inevitable, but neither started them up right away. Instead calculating the optimal strategy to inflict as much damage as possible and when the optimal time to activate those protocols as well.


    The ships moved in formation, diving into the Valorian fleet formation, limiting the ability of the hostile force to fire freely. This allowed them to inflict more damage, while the other group was forced to limit their fire for fear of damaging their own.


    Hits were exchanged, shields flared and buckled. Several ships were torn apart in short order, as the pair of attacking ships unleashed chaos within the ranks of the Valorian Third Fleet. Even as more ships were arriving, those ships were quickly roped into the unfolding battle.


    None of them had time to pay attention to the Enterprise and barely noticed when she set sail. Her hangers closed up, as she set course out of the system at high sublight. Yet not immediately going to warp due to several 3rd fleet capital ships deploying FTL jammers to prevent the Refuge force from retreating. The fleet had a significant advantage afterall, although those jammers did force the incoming reinforcements to drop out at the edge of the system, rather than closer to the growing conflict.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    <hr>


    Interstellar News Feed Courier, 1100 hours:


    The captain watched the battle on her screens. They¡¯d started recording and broadcasting as soon as all this started. A few government types had tried to shut this down, but the network was eating it up. This was big ratings and they all knew it. Good thing the invaders weren¡¯t shooting at civilian ships and they had a civilian transponder. It seemed to be keeping them out of trouble, but even with that and shields, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to get closer to that.


    Instead she was using probes to get good shots of the unfolding battle. Her face girl was currently speaking about it, acting as the voice of the crew and providing commentary for the viewers.


    ¡°Hey? Captain?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Um, what do you make of this?¡±


    She rushed over to the person who flagged her over, a young woman fresh to the crew who was monitoring the sensors. The woman frowned as she looked over the console, ¡°Looks like some kind of energy build up on both ships, but I¡¯ve never...¡±


    Suddenly the build up spiked on both menace vessels, just as the one took a direct penetrating hit to her saucer. A round punched right through seconds before the entire ship lit up with a burst of light, followed by a massive expanding energy burst that sent alarms ringing.


    The face girl commented, ¡°.... they¡¯ve just fucking exploded! Energy readings are off the scale. I¡¯m seeing shockwaves rippling across a quarter of the system.¡±


    The ship rocked as the far edge of the wave hit them. It wasn¡¯t really a quarter of the system, that was the other woman exaggerating but the shockwaves still hit a massive number of vessels.


    Turning to the images they were getting, as the dust cleared, she was greeted with a battle that had changed quite suddenly. The inevitable victory of the Third Fleet didn¡¯t look like much of a victory, both menace raiders were gone, but they¡¯d taken with them hundreds of vessels. Everywhere she looked were the shattered wrecks of numerous cruisers and battleships, even a couple of fleet carriers. Thousands were dead, the third fleet had just been dealt a crippling blow. As a core fleet responsible for protecting a vital core world they had nearly ten thousand ships, most of which were destroyers and cruisers, but now just shy of four thousand of those vessels were gone, including the flagship.


    ¡°What the fuck was that!?¡± she voiced. Intellectually she knew it was some kind of self-destruct, but she¡¯d never seen one do something like that.


    Behind her, the face girl was reporting what she was seeing with great skill. Even as the captain stood there in shock at the sight. The military seemed to handle it well enough,as they moved to intercept the sole remaining raider vessel, only for it to go to warp. They followed, jumping to warp after her in quick succession. Leaving only the most damaged vessels behind and a system littered with the wrecks of numerous shattered vessels.


    It seemed clear to her that this was a disaster for the Valorian Trade Confederation. A clear military embarrassment and a sign that the piracy problem had truly grown out of control. Afterall she¡¯d just witnessed a small pirate fleet conduct a successful raid of a core world for the first time in centuries and not just any core world either but one that was home base to a major fleet.


    <hr>


    1115 hours, EFS Enterprise:


    Countryman leaned over the console with Greyman at his side. Displayed on the strategic display in the middle of his bridge were the tactical positions of the remaining third fleet assets. In addition they¡¯d picked up chatter from the Valorian navy. Encoded, but they had enough experience with Valorian codes to break it. They were deploying additional ships in all directions. They were also tracking his current heading, and deploying the fifth fleet in their path. With the Third Fleet behind him and the Fifth ahead of him, this could prove a problem.


    They may have a full tank of gas, but they had taken quite a bit of damage, he¡¯d rather not go into battle without time to repair. It didn¡¯t help that they were out of torpedoes. Given the current damages and supply situation they would be hard pressed in any given battle. Losing their escorts didn¡¯t help. Additionally, they¡¯d purloined a fair number of trinkets and interesting items. Evanov had delivered a fair number of things the scientists were already pouring over. None of that was going to help his present predicament however.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the picket sir, and they¡¯ll have plenty of time to close the gaps. Even if we redline the drives the entire way, we will never make it in time. They chose a good area to set a net.¡±


    ¡°Obviously they don¡¯t plan to let us escape. Still they¡¯ve left a few openings.¡±


    ¡°On purpose, they want to draw us to those locations.¡±


    Countryman tapped a spot, ¡°Not here, from our present position we are less than six lightyears from the edge of the Velosa Cluster. I¡¯d rather not go there, but they would have a much harder time tracking us there.¡±


    Greyman nodded, ¡°Right, it¡¯s a dangerous area of space, beset by plasma storms and the dense nebula restricts sensor ranges to just a couple of lightyears.¡±


    Misaki came over, ¡°Risky, but I think we can do it sir.¡±


    Eri looked up from her console, ¡°Leave the navigation to me, I think I¡¯d enjoy a challenge.¡±


    ¡°Aside from the plasma storms, are there any other threats to consider?¡±


    Countryman pulled up the files they had on the region. Mainly from those trade deals they¡¯d made with the Krall four years ago. They¡¯d never bothered to buy more recent information since they¡¯d never planned to enter the Velosa Cluster. The Krall however had sent a few exploratory expeditions into the region. The vast region was flooded with dense dust formations, spatial anomalies, plasma storms and more.


    ¡°Well our biggest concern would be the fact that the area is rather lawless, ¡°The weather might be nasty, but we can handle that. Unfortunately the bad weather and poor sensor ranges in the area has made it a popular hiding place for those in trouble with the local law.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, another Lantaro sector, how fun,¡± commented Greyman.


    Kaori smiled, ¡°I can handle that.¡±


    ¡°It seems we have a plan.¡±


    Countryman surveyed the faces and nodded, ¡°Eri set us a new course for the Velosa cluster, best possible speed.¡±


    Eri nodded, ¡°We can push the engines a little, that will help us get there before they can close the gap on us. Setting a course at warp five point two, estimate arrival in eighteen hours.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°Excellent,¡± he paused and tapped the comms, ¡°Richards, I need you to keep an extra eye on the engines, we are going to be cruising at 5.2 for the next eighteen hours.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. I¡¯ll get on it and see what I can do to keep them running that long.¡±


    Countryman nodded, knowing full well her worries. Normally when they pushed past warp five, they had the luxury of conducting a warp pause to let the engines cool. Normally they wouldn¡¯t push at this speed for more than six hours, but in theory they could handle a day perhaps two. More than enough time to get where they were going, but more importantly they were still faster than the Valorians. They might still be able to get away with a pause, but it would give them time to close the net, so there was a risk if they tried too many of them or for too long.

 Interlude Nothing Travels faster than a story or rumor

    Third Fleet Decimated! Pirate Raiders Escape!


    Tika watched the purple banner stream across the display as the news reporter was talking. The Raid on New Valoria was all over the news, every channel that did current events was covering it. Right now, she was watching a Valorian channel VHS, as they had been covering the events live.


    Now they were just recapping things she¡¯d already seen, which was fine. She had paperwork to fill out. Her patrol may have been finished, but the work wasn¡¯t over. There were reports to be made, requests to be filled, and people to meet. The crew might be getting some leave, but she had to make sure the ship was getting refueled and critical systems checked for wear. Very important work, but sometimes she wished she could ignore it for some time off and just relax.


    Suddenly there was a knock on the door, ¡°It¡¯s open!¡±


    Tika looked up as the door opened and in walked a familiar figure. She stood up quickly, ¡°Fleet-leader!? Forgive me, but I wasn¡¯t...¡±


    The other woman giggled, ¡°At ease, it¡¯s fine.¡± She glanced at the screen, ¡°I see you¡¯ve been watching the news too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been keeping up on it. I haven¡¯t spoken to them in months, but they are good people. It¡¯s a shame they lost two ships.¡±


    ¡°Right, I saw that. Never seen anything like it. How much antimatter were they carrying to result...¡±


    Tika shook her head, ¡°Not antimatter.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have some familiarity with their technology, they didn¡¯t share much but we picked up a few things when we had access to their systems.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Oh? What didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°Computer, access files on the Refuge Starship Enterprise, reference alien substance Rydium.¡±


    ¡°Rydium? That new substance the researchers are interested in?¡±


    Tika nodded, ¡°Yes, not entirely new but largely unexplored prior to contact with the Sol Refuge. They have much more experience with it and some methods to synthesize it no doubt. We are still stuck working with natural sources, which are hard to come by. Regardless, their technology is heavily based on it.¡±


    She turned to the computer and brought up one of the files and displayed what they knew about it. The fleet leader peered at it, and frowned, ¡°So you''re telling me their ships are naturally that volatile?¡±


    ¡°No, causing Rydium to undergo a reaction like what you see in the files would be deliberate. They set those ships to explode on purpose.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that the Valorians were playing with fire when they provoked this attack.¡±


    ¡°Provoked?¡±


    The Fleet leader gestured to the TV, ¡°Media is all well and fine, but it¡¯s no substitute to our intelligence officers. As soon as I saw that, I had them look into the matter. They attacked the Refuge just three days before the attack and prior to that they had been tracking them, intermittently. They weren¡¯t even on course for New Valoria, based on previous data they were heading in our direction, then mere days after they got attacked, they attacked New Valoria. More importantly, their main target was Golden Sands. Intelligence indicates they made off with over a million liters of Deuterium.¡±


    Tika blinked, as she realized the implications. ¡°You mean that entire circus, the loss of two refuge ships, and thousands of Valorian ones was over fuel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than that, as of an hour ago, the Toral, the Voskar and the Malora proposed a joint meeting. Our intelligence indicates they plan to mobilize for war, this meeting is to discuss a mutual alliance.¡±


    ¡°A war? I¡¯m not surprised, with what I¡¯ve heard regarding...¡±


    ¡°Agreed, speaking of war, the Council believes the current Valorian government has become a problem. I¡¯ve heard they are considering war themselves.¡±


    Tika blinked.

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-One The Velosa Cluster

    June 15, 004 SDE; 0515 hours:


    Countryman walked through the blast doors, nodding to the guard who saluted. He was up early to get the shift started, and as he came into the room he noted he wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Greyman looked up from the command chair, ¡°Morning sir.¡±


    ¡°How do the en...¡±


    ¡°The engines? Richards was complaining when I came in. They¡¯re hot, we¡¯re going to have to slow down soon. We are reading multiple failure warnings and the computer estimates complete system failure in two hours.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Seems we are cutting things close. How do our pursuers look?¡±


    ¡°Three more ships dropped out of warp due to engine failure five minutes ago. They aren¡¯t taking this speed as well as we are.¡±


    Countryman took his chair and nodded, ¡°They seem to be burning their engines out just to keep up.¡±


    Greyman responded, ¡°I¡¯d say ditching radiators was the best move we made.¡±


    Countryman wouldn¡¯t have said that, but he did think they had a better cooling array. Not to mention they¡¯d had a few years to adjust the system to work better at high warp speeds. The Valorians were only recently starting to employ warp five capable ships. He¡¯d never expected them to be able to keep up with the Enterprise. Once again he mentally thanked the Krall for their technological assistance.


    Turning to the helm, he was about to speak to Eri, but she wasn¡¯t yet at her post. A young man from the night shift was on duty at the moment. Glancing at their position, he ordered, ¡°Ensign, take us out of warp.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir, cutting warp engines.¡±


    Almost instantly the familiar distorted starscape was replaced with an array of stars to the left and right, but in front of them was a wall of interstellar dust, a brilliant mix of reds and brown with hues of orange thrown in. It was strangely beautiful, but also clearly dangerous, as flashes of light could be seen within. The result of intense electrical discharges in other words lightning, powerful enough to threaten starships. Countryman wasn¡¯t too worried about that, it was the other phenomenon of the region he was worried about.


    ¡°Take us in Ensign, ahead full.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir. Ahead full.¡±


    As the ship surged forward towards the perimeter, Countryman turned to Greyman. ¡°I¡¯m going to be in my office. Let me know when the engines have cooled back to nominal, or if the Valorians find us.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir.¡±


    <hr>


    Williams looked out the viewport. It seemed things weren¡¯t quite going the way she¡¯d planned, yet this might have worked out better than the original plan. Still she was going to have to work fast, if she was going to take advantage of the current situation.


    A figure stopped beside her, ¡°Mesmerizing isn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°Quite,¡± she replied before looking at Evanov and Jameson beside him, ¡°I trust your men are in place?¡±


    ¡°They are, we are ready when you say so.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Excellent, in that case, I guess it¡¯s time I got my end of things moving.¡±


    Evanov and Jameson returned the smile, ¡°It¡¯s about time there were a few changes around here.¡±


    The group turned away from each other and got moving. If everything went right they would be in power by this time tomorrow, either that or they¡¯d all be in jail. Yet she chose not to think about the other possibility, that machine was good but she doubted even he would see her coming.


    <hr>


    Velosa Cluster outer limits:


    The Valorian Commander paced her CIC, they¡¯d tracked the Menace vessel entering the cluster three hours ago. The ship had dropped out of warp just before entering, and they hadn¡¯t detected a jump to warp since then. It was possible they were still hiding in the clouds, but she had no way to be certain. The damn region was infamous and here she was faced with it, but the honor of the third fleet was on the line. The bastards had killed the admiral and so many of her friends, she would have them if it was the last thing she would do.


    She turned to the comm officer, ¡°Fleet status?¡±


    ¡°Ready sir, three ships were forced to turn back. Too much damage to their warp drives, they¡¯ll be limping back at warp one point two, until a tug can link up with them to tow ¡®em back to port.¡±


    That was a few ships too many for her taste, the extended chase had been hard on the engines. Menace ships were apparently faster than they realized, as the Battle Carrier Enterprise had maintained a speed of warp five point two for eighteen hours straight. They¡¯d previously thought she had a cruising speed of warp five, but it was possible that she¡¯d been slowed by her own escorts. However that theory felt strange to her, while it was true that a larger vessel would have a more powerful powerplant that didn¡¯t translate to being faster. In fact there was a balance to consider that determined speed.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    It was far more likely that they¡¯d always been capable of cruising at warp five point two. This opened other questions, but she figured it was just the techs screwing up somewhere. The menace vessels had always been hard to track, it was only recently that they had been able to track them at interstellar distances. A development that was only possible due to recent advancements in sensors capable of tracking gravitons. Without that advancement, they wouldn¡¯t have found the menace at all.


    Still, with such new systems mistakes could happen, as evidenced by the whole raid at New Valoria. The analysts had gotten confused after the first battlegroup found them and they¡¯d spent too long hunting shadows and ghosts. No one had seen the attack coming, since no one had thought the reading heading for New Valoria was real.


    That was a mistake she wouldn¡¯t repeat, which is why she¡¯d been keeping a close eye on them and didn¡¯t get fooled when they changed course. That had thrown her a little, but only due to how fast it had happened, they¡¯d dropped out, changed course, and were back at warp so fast they hadn¡¯t had time to close the gap. If anything, they¡¯d lost progress due to having to change course themselves.


    She let out a breath, ¡°Take us, in warp two. Active scans, the moment we see a graviton wake, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir.¡±


    The engines started to hum as they surged forward, heading into the stormy dust cloud at warp two. It was barely faster than the speed of light, but she wasn¡¯t willing to go very fast in the Velosa cluster. Hopefully, the Menace had the same feelings about this weather, the damn soup that permeated the whole region was notorious for rendering sensors practically useless.


    The commander knew her max sensor range would be barely two lightyears at best. More likely they wouldn¡¯t see more than a lightyear. A thought that brought forth thoughts of flying blind. Little did she realize that didn¡¯t change much for the human ships. Humanity just didn¡¯t have the experience the Valorians did with long-range tracking but they more than made up with it elsewhere.


    In fact she might not have been able to see the Enterprise, but that didn¡¯t hold for her adversary, who was very much aware of where she was. As their sensors were better able to cut through the soup, and more importantly they weren¡¯t really using them to track her fleet anyway. They had a different method, which worked quite well. Although one not really applicable for her to use against them.


    Tension filled the CIC as the fleet streamed into the dust clouds. Officers intently studied their consoles, as every pair of eyes kept a constant track of the data they were receiving, looking for any sign of the Menace warship.


    <hr>


    Countryman stepped onto the bridge, where he was promptly met by Greyman. The last five hours had been somewhat tense for him, as he couldn¡¯t help thinking about the fleet that was already here looking for them. Yet so far it seemed they hadn¡¯t spotted him.


    ¡°Richards has cleared us for limited warp. She says the engines are somewhat strained but the secondary warp engines are fine. However she suggests we don¡¯t exceed warp four if we don¡¯t have to. She¡¯d like to give the engines a proper overhaul before we push them again.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Countryman stepped past Greyman and headed down the stairs. Misaki looked up from her console as he passed, she smiled, ¡°Morning sir.¡±


    ¡°Morning, how¡¯s the ship look?¡±


    ¡°Aside from engine strain, pretty good. The dorsal plates and bulkheads are still holding despite traveling at high warp.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, and the departments?¡±


    ¡°Mood is generally improving, but some people are still looking for things to do. Several requests to reactivate the factories have also been put forth.¡±


    ¡°Well we have the fuel, but we don¡¯t have much material to spare these days. I don¡¯t think we can really afford to bring them back online yet, but I¡¯ll discuss it in today¡¯s Council meeting.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good sir.¡±


    Walking up to the central strategic display, he took a glance at the positions of the Valorian fleet. They were now entering the region, several battlegroups spreading out in a clear search grid. The ships were averaging warp two, which was pathetically slow, but still faster than he was moving at the moment. Taking a moment to consider, he turned to Eri.


    ¡°Helm set course four eight, mark two zero, speed warp factor four.¡±


    ¡°Aye sir, course 48 mark 20, speed warp four.¡±


    Countryman stretched a little, then gave the order. As Eri took them underway, he turned back to Misaki and Greyman who had come down to join him. ¡°Okay we need a system where we can lay low for awhile, possibly conduct some repair. Misaki I want you to conduct continuous scans.¡±


    ¡°Aye, sir, what am I looking for?¡±


    ¡°Any system that might provide safe harbor while we conduct repairs preferably with a high mineral content. We¡¯ll need raw materials if we are going to fix the damage we¡¯ve sustained.¡±


    Misaki nodded, ¡°Right, so just about anywhere would be good. As long as it has the materials we need to fix the ship. Richards gave me a list of things to look out for, so I¡¯ll use that as a reference.¡±


    Countryman smiled, ¡°Perfect.¡±


    Leaving her to get to work, he took the steps up to the balcony. At the top he surveyed the bridge for a moment before taking his station. Settling into his chair, he relaxed a bit. They weren¡¯t out of the woods yet, but things were starting to look up. There was just one little headache he¡¯d have to deal with. One that would move all too soon, still for the moment he could afford to relax.


    The next few hours passed in largely dull monotony, as they put the Valorian fleet behind them and proceeded deeper into the Velosa cluster. Until finally Greyman walked up from the lower bridge.


    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s about time for the Council meeting.¡±


    ¡°Right, bring your pistol.¡±


    Greyman frowned, ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Trust me,¡± said Countryman as he got up to go to the meeting. Just moments before the Beta shift arrived to watch the bridge. Right on schedule as well.

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Two The Cards Fall

    EFS Enterprise, Council Meeting June 15th, 004 SDE; 1700 hours:


    ¡°The loss of the Coto and Umikaze is a blow we couldn¡¯t really afford and people have noticed.¡±


    Greyman sighed, as he fingered his pistol. Not entirely sure why Countryman had told him to bring it, but he brought it. The meetings could be tense, but he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d ever get tense enough to warrant a firearm.


    Williams spoke up, ¡°We can blame the damn machine for that, he sacrificed both of them just to cover our retreat.¡±


    Drake spoke, ¡°Sacrificing the Umikaze was my idea, she wouldn¡¯t have held up without a proper refit. The ship was practically a lost cause anyway.¡±


    ¡°All things considered, I believe the raid went quite well. I¡¯m rather pleased with the death count, sure we lost two ships but less than two hundred people were killed during the fighting.¡±


    Williams glared, then scoffed, ¡°You were just lucky more didn¡¯t die, but regardless the loss of those two ships was a disaster. I demand we move for the immediate removal of Captain Countryman from his position. He is clearly unfit to command.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± commented someone.


    Reynolds frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t think we could have expected much better. We knew going in that we were taking a risk. Honestly I¡¯m surprised we got away with any ships at all. There was a moment there that I thought we would all sink.¡±


    Drakes gave his opinion, ¡°Agreed, we knew going in that the mission was basically suicide, but it was our only chance to survive. We were dead either way, the fact we got away with the Enterprise is practically a miracle in itself. One we desperately needed.¡±


    ¡°Precisely why, we shouldn¡¯t squander it by continuing under the wrong leader. It was a mistake to put a machine in the position in the first place. Just look at what he is doing replacing perfectly good people with robots. Rose and her sisters are just the beginning, your jobs might be next.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°And you think cloning is better? Controversy aside, it would take a decade before we see any meaningful results and we need them now more than ever.¡±


    Richards interjected, ¡°If there is any good news, my team was able to extract vital materials from both ships before they were lost. That includes their entire complement of fighters and shuttles, along with a good store of spare parts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that under Countryman¡¯s leadership we lost two vital vessels. Materials are nice, but they are no replacement for the homes that have been destroyed.¡±


    Greyman interjected, ¡°People have noticed, but they seem to be taking it well. We can adapt and ships can be replaced. The lives we lost cannot, and I think we are all pleased that things weren¡¯t worse.¡±


    ¡°True, but people did die.¡±


    ¡°They will be mourned, I have a few ideas for a proper funeral for them.¡±


    ¡°Funeral!? We don¡¯t even have...¡±


    ¡°Not the first time nor the last that a military funeral would be conducted with an empty casket. Their families will be taken care of and I have a speech planned that should help smooth ruffled feathers. Nothing else can be done beyond that.¡±


    Williams looked around, then shook her head, ¡°See he¡¯s utterly uncaring, now I move that we vote on his removal from captain.¡±


    The faces looked around, and then started to vote.


    Unsurprisingly, no one other than Williams and a couple of her lackeys actually voted for that. Her face turned red, ¡°You''re all fools, but no matter, I cover my bases. It¡¯s time things changed around here one way or another.¡±


    The door slid open and armored men rushed into the room, as Countryman started laughing. Greyman frowned, this looks serious, why the laughter?


    After a moment the laughing slowed. ¡°Did you seriously think I never saw this coming young lady?¡±


    ¡°Young!? I¡¯m not a child and it doesn¡¯t look like you did. I have you surrounded, now we can set a few things right.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t see how things are going to go. It¡¯s a shame really, if you¡¯d just learned to set your bigotry aside and accept things. We might have been able to work together. Still, you don¡¯t get to my age without learning the game.¡±


    She frowned, and Greyman had to agree. It looked like she¡¯d won. He fingered his pistol, wondering how that would help.


    Countryman turned to the nearest armored man. ¡°Fine evening isn¡¯t Thomas?¡±


    ¡°Very fine. I¡¯m not sure how I feel about things.¡±


    ¡°Yes I don¡¯t envy you, but how¡¯s your daughter doing?¡±


    ¡°Better, thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Williams, clearly not believing this, ¡°Why are you just chatting with him? Arrest him.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°You know Williams, while you were busy recruiting disgruntled leaders, I was busy too. Only I was actually caring about the men, getting to know them and fixing their problems. There is more than one way to earn loyalty, I took the time letting the men know that I actually care about them. I think this makes the choice clear.¡±


    ¡°Sorry Ma¡¯am, but you are under arrest for attempted Mutiny.¡±  Thomas declared as he closed on her in an instant. Several of the others proceeded to arrest her lackeys. Down the table Greyman could hear Evanov shouting to be unhanded. ¡°I¡¯m your commanding officer! Unhand me this instant, you imbecile!¡±


    Countryman commented. ¡°I¡¯m glad you chose to do it this way. It makes things so much cleaner. I¡¯ll see you at the trial.¡±


    As Williams was being forcibly removed from the room, Greyman spoke up. ¡°You knew this was about to happen?¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°I did. You know, I grew up detesting politicians. And here I am, a century later, as one. Although I¡¯d like to think I am better than the ones I hated.¡±


    Drakes laughed, ¡°That was worth it just to see her face when the men she was using turned on her. How¡¯d you pull it off?¡±


    Countryman smiled, but didn¡¯t elaborate, ¡°Mutiny aside, I believe it¡¯s time we discuss her trial and punishment.¡±


    ¡°Not planning to waste time, are we?¡±


    ¡°This crime is serious, if humanity is to survive we need to remain unified. At least on the surface, any dissent should be raised here and discussed. Resorting to violence just because you were outvoted, looks bad. That sort of thing can¡¯t be allowed.¡±


    ¡°Right, this is a rather serious crime.¡±


    Greyman leaned back. ¡°In the past, she¡¯d have been taken before the admiralty board for this. They¡¯d have likely stripped her of rank and booted her out of the military, dishonorable discharge.¡±


    ¡°That was a more recent development, before that, traitors were hanged for their crimes.¡±


    Greyman surveyed the faces around the table. No one was happy with this, why now? They had enough problems, they didn¡¯t need this.


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t know what to do, for a crime that serious the best we can do is toss her into the brig for life.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that would be good enough, she does have her supporters. I doubt she will leave it at this.¡±


    People started chatting back and forth. Finally someone said, ¡°You know it might be best if we took a look at the death penalty. I know it¡¯s not a very popular sentence but...¡±


    ¡°Not popular? They did away with it decades ago!¡±


    ¡°Yes, well we don¡¯t have the luxury to lock her away for life and we need every person to contribute. A permanent drain would not...¡±


    ¡°I get the point, but the death penalty is barbaric.¡±


    ¡°Not entirely, it used to exist for a reason. Williams is too dangerous to be left alive, as the Captain said, we need to be unified. She¡¯s done nothing but breed dissent.¡±


    ¡°So you want to kill her? Does that extend to her accomplices as well?¡±


    ¡°They will have to be punished as well, but perhaps not to the same extent.¡±


    Greyman sighed, this was going to be a long meeting. Very long, from the sound of it.


    <hr>


    Sali stepped out of the showers and donned her slip. Today had been a fun day at Hydroponics, she¡¯d been working in the rice fields today. Many of the plants were mature and ready for harvest so a lot of extra hands had been pulled in to harvest the alien rice crop. It had been really interesting, especially with the little fish swimming past her feet. A smile graced her lips, as she thought about them. Robert had been there too, with less factory work, he¡¯d turned to the fields. It helped that the farms didn¡¯t require experience for many of the tasks.


    Technician Redfox had been there to give the newbies a quick lecture and there were plenty of people who did it often enough to know the job. As such whenever she or Robert were unsure, they¡¯d just been able to ask someone what they needed to be doing.


    Over the last few hours they had pulled in so much grain she¡¯d lost all track of it, but it wasn¡¯t really her job to count the harvest. That was someone else''s job. Her only job had been to harvest it and plant the new seedlings to replace what they had harvested. Her muscles had been a little sore after all the work, but a hot shower after had been nice. Not to mention Robert had been there.


    Leaving the little hub, she passed several other female prisoners before entering the main hall. Only to stop as she noticed a commotion to her left. Coming from around the corner were nearly a dozen guards leading a number of fresh faces she hadn¡¯t seen much of down here, but Sali recognized a couple of them. Her fellow prisoners watched the scene as well, a few were quietly whispering to each other.


    An older human woman was being pulled towards a cell, screaming obscenities. While her fellows looked somewhat subdued. ¡°You are making a mistake! Fools all of you! He¡¯s an alien loving machine, he¡¯ll replace you all with robots and blue skinned freaks!¡±


    The guards laughed, and shoved the woman into a cell as a familiar face from the cell just next to hers commented, ¡°That¡¯s Commander Williams, she leads the Humanity First faction. A bunch of hypocrites all of them, but they do have some weight in the council.¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°A political arrest?¡±


    The other woman looked over the group, ¡°Looks like the entire group has been arrested. I¡¯d say something big has happened.¡±


    A guard commented. ¡°You two could say that. I heard they were arrested for mutiny. There are some firefights and a few holdouts elsewhere, but from what I heard things have been pretty confined.¡±


    ¡°A mutiny? They tried to overthrow the Captain? Why?¡±


    The guard didn¡¯t say, merely shrugging but her neighbor said, ¡°Some people don¡¯t like him, he¡¯s part machine and that unsettles them.¡±


    Sali frowned, ¡°For something like that?¡±


    ¡°Well people have also been somewhat unhappy lately, the factories closing didn¡¯t help. I¡¯ve also been hearing talk of the Coto and Umikaze sinking recently.¡±


    Sali nodded, she¡¯d heard the same thing while on the farm. A lot of people were talking about it.  ¡°So they figured now was their chance to advance their agenda and overthrow the captain?¡±


    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡±


    Sali shook her head, ¡°Idiots.¡± Then headed back to her cell. She yawned, it was late anyway, and she figured it would blow over by morning. Who knows? Maybe she¡¯d get to watch the trial? Then again it was a bit of a sham around these parts anyway, the council would decide their fate.

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Three Weapons Developments and Discoveries

    June 20th, 004 SDE; Ruri¡¯s Lab:


    Countryman stepped through the door and into the lab where he found Ruri dressed in a torn lab coat. He sighed then his gaze fell on Vera and he blinked, ¡°Oh not you too. I don¡¯t need...¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve got a nice one in the locker. I picked this one since it was already worn and I don¡¯t mind a few rips in it.¡±


    ¡°I see, but you two called me down. Why pick an outfit that¡¯s torn?¡±


    ¡°Well I was working, I should get changed. Be back in a second.¡±


    Sure enough she was back in a second with a lab coat that actually preserved her modesty. Unlike Ruri who just looked perplexed, it seemed she¡¯d never change.


    Taking a breath, ¡°so what do you two have for me?¡±


    Ruri smiled as Vera pulled something out. ¡°Well after the forcefield project, Vera and I got together. We started taking another look at weapons.¡±


    ¡°Weapons? Oh, anything interesting? Those pulsar torpedoes have proven very useful.¡±


    ¡°Right, well, I was taking another look at our standard particle cannons. The upgrades I made four years ago have worked out quite well, I think. But we bounced some ideas for improving them, and got to work with small-scale experiments and computer simulation.¡±


    Countryman blinked, he remembered that. Her work with compression beams had resulted in a substantial improvement in firepower. Proper compressed particle cannons had been an important development for them. One they had made mere months after launch. Back before all the craziness, and when they had more resources. ¡°A new generation of compressed particle cannon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been looking into a few improvements primarily focused on the compression chamber, but we¡¯ve also taken another look at the focusing system. With recent developments in lasers, we¡¯ve revisited laser-based focusing systems but haven¡¯t made any meaningful progress in that area. Material limits precluded us from any real testing, so we instead focused on traditional spatial lensing projectors.¡±


    ¡°Interesting, what kind of improvements are we talking about?¡±


    Vera unveiled a prototype cannon and started talking, ¡°I did most of the work on the new compression chamber. The original was really well designed, but there was still room for improvement. I kept the key elements, and took advantage of recent developments in force fields, along with my own theories on graviton based structural fields to enhance the overall integrity of the compression chamber. This allows us to compress the particle medium to significantly greater densities. Which in turn results in a higher particle density in the resulting particle stream.¡±


    She paused and aimed the cannon at a mechanical target set up down range. Pulling the trigger she fired three compressed bolts down range, each one a vibrant blue. They slammed into the target with explosive results. Punching into the armored frame, then detonating and blowing out sections of armor.  ¡°Impressive, not the usual swiss cheese.¡±


    ¡°No, the higher density of the energy pulse causes the particle bolt to act not unlike a plasma round, albeit with much greater armor penetration.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you invented the particle cannon version of an APHE shell. We could definitely use something like this.¡± Turning to Ruri, ¡°So what did you do?¡±


    ¡°I completely redesigned the focusing mechanism, reducing the size of the spatial projectors by 22%. The new projectors improve not only on size though, I based the design on insights I gained from studying Valorian pulse cannons. The Valorian spatial projectors are quite remarkable, and extremely efficient designs, but not perfect. Ours were competitive, now they are better.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Where else did you improve?¡±


    ¡°In addition to making the projector smaller, I was able to incorporate Valorian efficiency improvements into the system. The result is a lower energy draw for the same effect. An increase in the speed of the system, and most importantly, a reduction in waste heat. The result is we had more room in the housing for other stuff, allowing for a generally more powerful and faster cannon.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty good, and I trust these improvements translate to our cutting beams?¡±


    ¡°They do, but it would be hard to test that at this scale, but smaller projectors is a step forward for the cutting beams. We could reduce their overall volume in the ship and in theory the new size would make them practical in frigate sized hulls. In fact, I think we might be able to, with some more development, put them on a corvette. Likely not a full array, maybe a turret?¡±


    Countryman nodded as he looked over their prototype. Beam turrets were a concept explored before, in fact before the advent of arrays, they used to be the standard for beam weapons. ¡°Hmm, it might be worth looking into. We are going to need a new combat vessel to replace the Umikaze and the Coto. Some kind of corvette would be far easier and cheaper to build than a full destroyer.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Ruri nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll consult Richards on that. In the meantime, we are going to need materials to build full-scale prototypes for our new third-gen particle weapons. They are ready for testing.¡±


    ¡°I can work it into the schedule, I have Misaki keeping an eye out for a place to set down and conduct repairs. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard to work in some weapons testing.¡±


    Ruri and Vera both shared grins. The pair quickly turned back to their work. They¡¯d made good progress here, and he could certainly use the improved weapons. Those would help him keep them alive. He grabbed the current data they had and started reading it and noting down the specs and what they had managed to do.


    Suddenly the intercom turned on, ¡°Captain Countryman, please report to the bridge.¡±


    He blinked, excused himself and headed on out. It seemed some new development required his attention. Today was certainly shaping up to be eventful and he¡¯d had far too many of those lately. Countryman just hoped it was good news, but he wasn¡¯t going to get his hopes up. There was an equally good chance that a Valorian battlegroup was bearing down on their position.


    <hr>


    Exiting the lift, Countryman stopped only briefly to greet the guards before passing through the blast doors onto the bridge proper. Greyman was there and turned with a smile. Countryman relaxed, ¡°Good news I presume?¡±


    ¡°More like mixed, but nothing too urgent.¡±


    ¡°Well what do we have?¡±


    ¡°Long range sensors are currently tracking three Valorian battlegroups entering the sector. So far they do not appear to have spotted us.¡±


    Countryman sighed, ¡°Great, more guests just what we needed. Now you said things were mixed?¡±


    ¡°On a more positive note, Misaki has found a system that may suit our needs.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Sounds good.¡±


    Countryman excused himself and headed down to get the details from Misaki. Who greeted him with a cheery smile, she¡¯d been in a good mood lately. ¡°So what did you find?¡±


    ¡°I almost missed it, the soup in this part of the cluster is so dense, but I found a star system almost directly in our path. The initial probe has already relayed some basic data on the system. So far we¡¯ve only located four planets and several asteroid fields, but the mineral readings are excellent. Most of what we need is right in the system, although I wouldn¡¯t want to live in the system.¡±


    She pulled up the chart and he looked it over.


    ¡°As you can see only two of the planets we found are in the habitable zone and both of them are very cold. The third planet is basically a frozen ice ball, while the second planet is warm enough for liquid water in some parts of the world, but much of the surface is covered with thick glaciers. Most of the local life is found on the equator with average regional temperatures just below zero. Not much vegetation on the planet either, just a lot of snow and ice. I¡¯ve highlighted notable mineral deposits, the planet does have a fair amount of easily accessible titanium and most everything else we will need.¡±


    Countryman took the mineral report and started reading it. Noting they had a wide list here, enough that they could resupply. He glanced at the patrols, but there was a question on how long the Valorians would leave them alone.


    ¡°Agreed, this does look to be what we are looking for. We can get the ship fixed and Richards can finally give the engines that overhaul she wants done. We¡¯ll have to work fast, those battlegroups are obviously looking for us. Sooner or later they¡¯d visit that system.¡±


    Eri looked up from her console. ¡°I saw them. I¡¯d wager we¡¯d have a month, maybe two before they reach the system. Not much longer than that though.¡±


    ¡°So not enough time to do more than refit the Enterprise, but I think we can make the most of it.¡±


    Greyman leaning against the railing inquired. ¡°So are we setting a course?¡±


    Countryman answered that by addressing Eri. ¡°Set a course for this frozen oasis, maximum warp.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Aye, sir!¡±


    <hr>


    VHS News Report; War!!!


    The reporter shifted worriedly on the screen, ¡°News just in, as of one hour ago, the Valorian Trade Confederation is at war. The Voskar, the Malora and the Toral Confederacy made their joint declaration of war earlier today and the council has convened an emergency session.


    The screen shifted to show a military spokeswoman, ¡°At this time we would like to ask all citizens to remain calm. The fleets are already mobilizing, you will be safe. The Minara clan promises that none of these powers will set so much as a foot upon any of our worlds.¡±


    The screen shifted again to show several large ships leaving their berths, moving to join growing fleet formations. There were easily thousands of ships, with the distinctive sleek and elegant lines that were so common to Valorian vessels. The ships moved with grace and strength. An entire fleet could be seen leaping to warp.


    The network voiceover continued, ¡°As you can see already, the clan has mobilized the fleets who now sail bravely into battle. Our network looks forward to proudly reporting their victory against this heinous alliance that dares threaten the peace we have enjoyed for so many years.¡±


    It was quite the statement, and seeing the fleet set sail to do battle with this new alliance it even seemed probable. The ships almost seemed to blot out the stars. There were so many of them, many of them were also large and impressive-looking vessels.


    Shifting on screen the reporter continued, now seeming a little more confident. ¡°In light of the recent war, the clan has opened recruiting offices throughout the confederation. If sitting at home isn¡¯t your thing, enlist today! Be among the first to fight in the war, this opportunity won¡¯t last long, the compensation is generous and think of the stories you will have to tell.¡±


    Setting aside the papers, the images shifted. ¡°Now in happier news, Silver Shoals has opened a new vacation destination. Owned by the Wovnar corporation Pu¡¯cor, this fantastic beachside resort features several spa centers, a top-of-the-line hotel and some of the best amenities this side of the core. As is typical of Wovnar-owned resorts, they also ban clothes, so no need for a bathing suit.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Four Frozen Oasis

    Uncharted System, Velosa Cluster; EFS Enterprise:


    Sali blinked as she noticed the lights. At the moment she was walking with a guard down to hydroponics to start her day, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t the only one looking at the lights. The twin blue strips of light that ran the corridor had just shifted to the color purple of all things. For a moment she drew a blank on what that meant. On a Valorian ship that was battlestations, but this was a human ship. Then she recalled a conversation she had years ago. Her eyes widened, ¡°We¡¯re landing!?¡±


    Just as she blurted that out, the intercom buzzed just before the captain started speaking, ¡°All hands report to code purple stations, repeat code purple. Secure all loose objects and prepare for potential turbulence. Further announcements will be made soon.¡±


    For a moment she just stood there, she¡¯d never thought she¡¯d encounter a code purple. Then the guard turned to her, and pulled her close. ¡°I doubt you know what to do.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°It never came up.¡±


    ¡°Figured,¡± he brought her to a panel, tapped it and a pair of chairs dropped from the wall. He helped her into one and strapped her in. As he did so she noticed others were strapping in. He took the chair next to her and activated the webbing it had.


    ¡°So what¡¯s with the webs?¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°They''re for in case we crash. Landing a capital ship is a tricky prospect at the best of times, launching one is actually the easy part.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t very reassuring. Not at all, ¡°You¡¯re, um, joking right?¡±


    ¡°Nope, but don¡¯t worry, ship¡¯s built like a brick. Chances are we¡¯ll be fine, even if we crash.¡±


    <hr>


    Countryman leaned back as he switched off the intercom. Focusing instead on the task of actually landing the ship. They¡¯d arrived over the second planet of this largely uncharted system. Scans found it habitable, if rather cold, they¡¯d located a suitable landing site and now they were going to put down. There were a few advantages to landing, notably they¡¯d be able to shut down the engines which would do two things. It would let Richards do the overhaul she said they needed for both sublight and warp systems, but it would also cut their graviton wake to zero. They knew the Valorians were currently tracking that and without a graviton wake they didn¡¯t have much else for emissions.


    From orbit they¡¯d likely register as a large titanium signature but he doubted the Valorians would realize they¡¯d landed, so chances were they wouldn¡¯t look too closely. He¡¯d gathered the Valorians would never imagine they were able to land.


    Still this wasn¡¯t going to be easy, the Enterprise was effectively a flying city with a population to match. Landing this much mass was tricky under ideal conditions and they¡¯d taken a lot of battle damage.


    At the helm, Eri adjusted a few things and declared, ¡°Taking her in, Sir.¡±


    Countryman acknowledged as the ship drew closer to the planet. He held his breath for a moment, a tension was there on the bridge and he could see tense looks on the familiar faces of his crew. Not that he blamed them, landing a capital ship was never a common move. Not to mention this was their first attempt doing so with the Enterprise.


    Finally they hit the air, as Eri took them into the atmosphere. At first they barely noticed, on screen the hull began to glow, the plating heating up a bit as they went in. Vibrations followed, muted but there, as Eri carefully corrected their course. Keeping them on track for the target.


    ¡°Alert power failure, engine two has failed,¡± reported the computer.


    ¡°Richards? What¡¯s going on? We need those engines.¡±


    She answered immediately on the intercom, ¡°Some of that damage we took at New Valoria is showing its head. We¡¯ll be fine, but expect a little more turbulence. I¡¯m transferring power from the dampers to compensate.¡±


    Suddenly the ship shook, just as Eri reported, ¡°Touch down in five minutes. Deploying landing struts.¡±


    ¡°Computer is reporting a mechanical failure for port side landing struts two, four and eight.¡±


    Richards reported, ¡°On it!¡±


    Countryman waited for a moment, and then Richards came back, ¡°Repaired, try them now.¡±


    Eri pressed the controls, ¡°Struts deployed. Computer reports we are good across the board. Touch down in thirty seconds.¡±


    A huge jolt suddenly shook him in his seat, and then Eri smugly declared, ¡°We are down.¡±


    ¡°Excellent work, stand down condition purple. Then shut down all engines, I have a few announcements to make.¡±


    <hr>


    Sali adjusted the outfit she¡¯d been given. It felt weird and constricting, but she figured that was due to her not being used to a thermal skin suit. She¡¯d been assigned to the work crews setting up camps outside the ship. With all the damage to the ship some sections were apparently being evacuated for renovations. In her mind that explained a great deal for why they were landed, sure they could do much of the repairs in space, but obviously having a place to put the displaced people while sections were closed for repair and renovation would be important.


    Stepping out of the changing room, she found Robert and twirled in front of him, ¡°So how do I look?¡±


    He blushed, ¡°Um... cute?¡±


    She gave him a look, ¡°Why is that a question?¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You¡¯re... nipples are showing.¡±


    She looked down, this alien fabric was a little thin and they were. Yet she felt warmer and it seemed to breathe fairly well. ¡°So? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen my bare pussy more than once, it¡¯s not any different.¡±


    Sali turned around, ¡°So let¡¯s get going, those camps aren¡¯t going to build themselves.¡±


    He chuckled, grabbed a tool kit and followed along. While taking a glance at some of the other girls, who were wearing an overcoat in addition to the thermal skin suit. ¡°Right they won¡¯t, but you sure that suit will be enough?¡±


    She smiled, ¡°Never been to Valoria have you? Our homeworld gets rather cold.¡±


    That felt like an excuse, but it seemed he didn¡¯t get it, ¡°Oh, I see.¡±


    They chatted idly as they joined the groups heading down the ramp. Sali looked around, above her was the thickly plated underside of the Enterprise¡¯s main saucer, below was an icy plain with a thick layer of snow on the ground. The ship was settled upon a series of massive landing struts, she marveled at them. They were easily bigger than her old house and there were eighteen of them.


    From here one of the first things she saw were the nacelles resting on the ground, it seemed they were part of the support structure for the ship now that she was landed. Something that seemed strange to her, but looking at the struts that linked them to the primary and secondary hulls that didn¡¯t seem so strange. Those struts were thicker than the landing struts and heavily plated in armor.


    Standing here on the ground, she couldn¡¯t help looking at the ship in awe. She was huge, her shadow cast upon the ground for kilometers. Which was perhaps not that surprising, given she was five kilometers long. Her nacelles alone were over a kilometer long at 1600 meters in length, and she had two of those massive cylindrical structures, both of which were heavily armored.


    Robert poked her in the side, and she jumped, ¡°Right, right, building some camps.¡±


    Turning, she joined the growing work crew, as others were rolling grav-carts laden with prefab structures off the ship. According to the brief, they¡¯d be building the camps here under the ship. There was plenty of room for it, and the bulk of the ship looked like it would protect anyone here from the worst of the local winds. Only downside was that it was going to be rather dark even during the day. People were going to need lights and there weren¡¯t any from the ship to provide that. At least none that she saw.


    Already a few buildings could be seen going up. Sali and Robert found themselves erecting a house. Prefabricated panels and thermal insulation, with a basic layout. Central living and bunk area, attached bathroom, and a small kitchenette. It really wasn¡¯t much and it was intended to provide temporary residence for six people. Naturally they were building a number of them, while other people were clearing snow to create some temporary roads for the populace to use. She did notice the military vehicles going down the ramp and out into the wider world, for tasks unknown to her. They seemed light and fast though, so she figured she was looking at a recon vehicle.


    <hr>


    June 25th, Frozen Oasis:


    Countryman made his way down the ramp, already a bustling camp town could be seen under the ship. It had only been a few days since the landing, but they were hard at work. There was some debate on staying here, it was cold but the system was certainly rich in materials. Still there was the risk of the Valorians finding them.


    They¡¯d been tracking Valorian movements and communications. There were hundreds of ships out there, with several battlegroups sweeping the sector. It was only a matter of time before they entered this system. The only open question was whether or not the Third Fleet found them.


    Passing the people and throngs of work crews, he soon reached a waiting vehicle. Speaking briefly with the driver before they left, he took a look around. The camp town had sprung up quite quickly, and was providing shelter for a good chunk of their people.


    Elsewhere, recon teams had found key mineral deposits, and by now they were actively mining materials. Processing them here on the ship and producing new spare parts to fuel ongoing repairs and renovations. There was a lot of work to be done, entire gun mounts had been destroyed, they had a huge stockpile of warheads to replace and large sections of dorsal plating were gone. For now most of the work done was removing damaged sections of the ship. They¡¯d get to replacing those modules and sections of plating later. In the meantime, they just had to clean up the battle damage, and make new parts.


    The engine repairs however were going to be started later today. Richards and her crew had exposed and gone over the entire set of sublight engines and all four warp engines. There was a fair degree of wear that needed to be addressed.


    As for what he was doing now? Ruri and Vera had set up a large-scale weapons test to the east. There were some lowlands out that way, through which a wide river ran. As usual for this land snow was everywhere, and even the river had chunks of ice in it.


    They passed a few outlying camps, as they drove down the road, if you wanted to call it that. It was really little more than a path cleared of snow, and debris. Not even paved, but given no one else was here, you couldn¡¯t really expect better infrastructure after just a few days.


    Before he knew it, Ruri¡¯s camp came into view. There was some fencing, and a few prefab structures that had been put together for Ruri to conduct her weapons research. Being off ship had allowed them to accelerate the prototyping phase of the project.


    His driver took him to the motor pool, a prefab garage with space for several vehicles like the APC he¡¯d taken to get here. There were also a few ARVs secured in the building. The Sentry was a useful scouting vehicle, noted for being fast with a fully protected crew cabin. Many of the survey and scouting teams had requisitioned the vehicle, but it was also being used here at the test range to ferry people around.


    Thanking the driver, he dismounted the vehicle and made his way towards the lab. He was halfway to the main building, when Ruri stepped out of a side building. Countryman was happy to see that for once she was in an intact outfit, albeit not wearing the overcoat most people would be wearing in combination with the thermal suit. They were great, but they didn¡¯t do much for modesty.


    She smiled, ¡°Jac, it''s a lovely day, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°The weather looks pretty mild, yes. I came to see the camp and I heard you were getting ready to conduct your first test?¡±


    Ruri grinned, ¡°Yes, we built two full sized cannons, and mounted them into a turret.¡± She pointed to the left, ¡°We have it set up down that way and hooked up to a portable fusion generator. The cannons themselves are modified XDPC-128-B particle cannons, the same type we use...¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯d replace our secondary battery, noted. I presume it¡¯s merely a scaled up version of the cannon you showed me in the lab?¡±


    ¡°Effectively yes Jac, they feature the modified compression chamber Vera developed, and  the new spatial projectors I was working on. I¡¯ve also increased the size of the cooling array, and added a second particle accumulator. If our math is right, we expect a fire rate of 2650 bolts per minute.¡±


    He blinked. That would be a higher rate of fire than the original mark one they launched with. ¡°Impressive, this might be something significant. Supercharger?¡±


    ¡°I was able to maintain the feature, allowing for more powerful bolts at a slightly higher rate of fire for a short period. Exactly how long? Well, I plan to determine that today.¡±


    ¡°Knowing you, you already have a good idea.¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Of course I do.¡± Ruri gestured, ¡°The best seats to watch are this way.¡±

 Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Five Weapons Test

    Frozen Oasis, Weapons Testing Range, June 25 0800 hours:


    Countryman settled beside Ruri, as he looked at the setup. The seats were just a few chairs, set in a room within the main lab building. Several large monitors had been set up to provide them with an excellent view of the test range, which he saw on the way in.


    The turret Ruri had mentioned, was a standard ball mounting with two guns in it, fully operational, but lacking the usual protective plating. Not that the turret would need that, it wasn¡¯t required for the test, but it did give him a good look at the internal setup Ruri had gone for.


    The XDPC-128-B was a really good medium-caliber starship gun mount. Highly flexible and well suited for ship-to-ship, and tactical ground bombardment. As a multipurpose gun, it was also useful against small ships like fighters and bombers, making it a backup option for dealing with hostile fighters if they ran out of missiles. The current Mark II version they were carrying had proven to be an excellent upgrade for their ship. That had been Ruri¡¯s work as well, so he was looking forward to seeing what she had in store for the prospective Mark III version of the gun.


    ¡°So what kind of test do you have lined up?¡±


    She pointed at the monitor, ¡°I¡¯ve had a few targets set up down range, for a low-yield precision targeting test, while a shuttle flight is in orbit positioning asteroids for our next test. The second test will be a rapid-fire sustained fire test. We will be firing as many bolts as we can as quickly as we can into the orbital asteroids, while sensors measure heat build-up and stress. Testing will end when the capacitors are empty, and I plan to do several similar tests with little change in variables to build a baseline for the cannon¡¯s performance. Which will be compared against the four years of data we have for the Mark II configuration.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, and a firepower test?¡±


    ¡°That will be done next week, when Richards is done building the targets for us. I¡¯ve sent her the specs for a series of hard targets for us to shoot at. In the meantime, the asteroids we will be shooting today should give us a fair degree of data to work with.¡±


    Countryman nodded, that made sense to him. They¡¯d be able to extrapolate a good idea of what their weapon could do from that.


    Ruri shifted as someone came up. ¡°We are ready to start the test, ma¡¯am.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Good, let¡¯s get started then.¡±


    Countryman leaned forward a little, watching the monitor, as a tech activated the twin cannons. Quickly locking onto the first target, a mockup tank with a few model soldiers around. One group was painted red, and positioned as if protecting the vehicle, and a second in blue was positioned as if attacking.


    Two bolts fired from the dual turret shooting across the distance in the blink of an eye. The fake tank exploded in a shower of flames, showering the red troops, a few of which caught fire, while the blue troops were left unharmed.


    ¡°Pretty good shooting, that¡¯s about what the troops would want if they called down precision fire from above.¡±


    Ruri nodded, ¡°I know, I consulted Forrest before setting up this test and the tech manning the cannon is a weapon officer Kaori recommended.¡±


    ¡°Interesting and the target?¡±


    ¡°Nothing fancy, simple steel construction, comparable to a mid-20th century tank.¡±


    ¡°That explains the overkill. Might be nice to see a similar shot against a proper hard target.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, sadly we will have to wait a week.¡±


    Countryman nodded, she¡¯d mentioned that earlier. He turned back to the screen, watching as the tech, targeted three similar tanks. Taking them out with excellent precision and without harming the troops in blue. The test was doing a good job of showcasing its utility for precision shooting, of course, the tech was an experienced weapon officer, but that didn¡¯t invalidate the results.


    After making quick work of the targets set up down range, the tech stepped back to let the cannon recharge and waited for the signal for the next test. Moments later the monitors switched displays, giving him and Ruri an excellent view of a formation of large asteroids.


    ¡°Composition?¡±


    ¡°Nothing unusual, those are chondrite asteroids, the core of these asteroids is iron-nickel but the other layers are typical rocky silicates and carbon. The largest of them is 28 kilometers across...¡± said Ruri as she started going over the composition. He noted that all down in his mind, but it sounded like she¡¯d picked some pretty average, if large, rocks. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Everything looks good! We are ready to fire!¡±


    ¡°Excellent, begin endurance firing.¡±


    The tech nodded and turned to his console, locking onto the asteroids and letting loose with full-power bolts as quickly as the two cannons could fire. Hundreds of vibrant blue energy bolts rained into the first asteroid mere seconds later. Each one tore into the surface with explosive force, cracking the surface and sending shards of rock flying, even as the surface started to heat up.


    Entire sections of rock didn¡¯t just start glowing, they were melting. It didn¡¯t seem like that asteroid would last long under the heavy fire from just a single emplacement, and he was right. As seconds later the bolts were tearing through the other side. The entire formation broke apart, as the weapon shifted to fire on the second target. Another asteroid with a higher metal content. This one seemed to hold a little longer, but a good chunk of their durability was solely due to them being densely packed rock and metal.


    Hundreds of explosive particle bolts raining into the asteroids quickly tore them up, breaking them into smaller rocks that were easily destroyed by the rapid particle fire. Countryman noted the techs were keeping an eye on the cannon and noting down figures.


    Finally, the tech stood up and the cannon stopped, ¡°Okay, that''s it, the capacitor is dry.¡±


    Ruri stood up, and smiled, ¡°Great, lets see the data, how do the thermals look?¡±


    One of the techs reported, ¡°Well within the expected range, we never even got close to the red zone.¡±


    Countryman stretched, ¡°That cannon did a good job saturating the target area, what was the bolts per minute?¡±


    ¡°Right where we expected it to be 2650 per gun, that would give us 5300 bolts per turret. Assuming we retain the standard two guns per turret mounting we used on the Enterprise.¡±


    Countryman nodded, ¡°I¡¯d say this looks good for a first test. I look forward to what you do with our cutting beams and heavy ship-to-ship guns.¡±


    Ruri looked up from the data she was reading, ¡°I¡¯ve got a design for that, I¡¯ll run a few simulations. They¡¯d be somewhat slower to fire, but should inflict significantly greater amounts of damage. I¡¯ll get the exact yield figures to you later.¡±


    Taking a look around, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave you to your work.¡±


    Ruri waved him off and Countryman stepped out into the cool air of Frozen Oasis. Techs and researchers were busy moving about the camp, as Countryman weaved past them to the local motor pool, where he found his driver from earlier waiting. The young ensign smiled, ¡°Welcome back sir. Where to next?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking I¡¯d survey the mines, see how things were going, then head back to the ship.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing sir. ¡°


    <hr>


    Richards was looking over the foundries. The mining camps were barely a few days old and already they were shipping in material by the ton. People were motivated and sometimes she was amazed at how industrious humanity could be.


    They were processing the material in volume, producing new parts for the Enterprise. From the reports, she¡¯d been getting they were making good progress in finding suitable sources of titanium, tungsten, iron, gold, silver and anything else they might need. While they¡¯d had some difficulty, they¡¯d also found a suitable source of carbon to use in their manufacturing process. Unlike on Earth this world was somewhat lacking in dense vegetation, so they found most of the carbon they were looking for in the rock, rather than other locations.


    In this plant, they were processing a wide variety of raw ores, and extracting the useable elements. Large amounts of rock were being dumped into vats of nanite-laced water, where they were being broken down. The minerals were then separated, processed and dumped out onto a conveyor as raw bricks of metal or carbon.


    Walking over to one of those, she picked a brick up. Feeling the weight, she spoke to one of the techs, ¡°How are things looking?¡±


    ¡°So far things are working pretty good, we should be able to keep up this volume of processing without any issues.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± she said as she ran a scanner over the brick, confirming the item the brick was pure titanium, specifically titanium-50, high grade too. ¡°I like what I see here.¡± she commented as she put it back on the conveyor, where it would eventually reach the nano fabricators for use as feedstock in the creation of any number of items. That brick would likely be used in the construction of armored plates, something she¡¯d put a large order in for. They were recycling Erudite and other materials from the old damaged plates, and drawing what little was left from the stockpile.


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± replied the tech, visibly relaxing. She had that effect on people, it was one of the dangers of being the Chief Engineer and responsible for the entire engineering department and overseeing the ship¡¯s manufacturing plants.


    Pulling a pad out of her pocket, she started, ¡°Now I didn¡¯t just come down for a quality check. We¡¯ve had some new requisitions from the science department.¡±


    The man frowned, and took the pad, his frown deepening. ¡°That¡¯s a fair bit of military hardware, what are we doing?¡±


    ¡°Weapons testing, it seems we¡¯ve had a breakthrough in particle weapons and they''re testing the latest prototypes.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Interesting. I think we can do this, though it might be tight fitting it into the schedule.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I told Ruri to expect delivery at the end of the week.¡±


    The man balked, ¡°Please don¡¯t do that to me, we are already busy enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, quit crying, you had a nice break, now get to work.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± grumbled the tech. Richards sighed and made a mental note to keep an eye on him.

 Interlude The Malora

    As a species, the Malora are noted for their strong hierarchical culture. While monarchies are uncommon among spacefaring cultures, the Malora remain ruled by a royal crown. Loyalty to the crown and a strong sense of national pride are noted throughout the culture.


    The Malora homeworld Mavoria is a biologically rich water world with almost ninety-five percent of the surface covered in water. While many garden worlds have polar ice caps, this is not the case for Mavoria whose seasonally warm climate and orbit around her home star preclude the formation of ice caps.


    Much of the surface is dotted with large island chains, upon which tropical fruits and many reptile species can be found. Avian life is quite sparse on the planet, but under the water the planet is home to millions of species of aquatic animals.


    The Malora themselves are a species of aquatic humanoids equally capable of surviving on land as they are in the water. Most Malorian cities are found in the shallow waters around the island chains.


    The average Malora stands around one hundred fifty centimeters tall, they are bipedal with plantigrade locomotion, webbed hands and feet, along with sensory fins. They have no hair, instead from their head sprout two large sensory fins. Their skin is typically colored a light blue with a slight greenish tinge to it. Being aquatic they are also noted for a somewhat different sense of fashion.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    The Malora have been longtime rivals of both the Toral and the Valorians. This rivalry has positioned them as a power of some importance. Maloran ships don¡¯t have the structural integrity of Toral ships and are noted for rather weak shielding, but they are fast and agile.


    Malora vessels are typically outfitted with a mix of disruptor cannons and ion weapons. The Malora are also known for their use of disruptor missiles. Disruptor weapons are particle weapons that are specially modulated to break down the integrity of targeted matter more than anything else. These weapons have terrible firepower and even heavy capital ships can disintegrate in seconds when under fire by Malorian warships. Thankfully for the galaxy at large, these weapons aren¡¯t much use against shields.


    Something the Malora are aware of which is why they pair their deadly disruptor weapons with powerful ionic weapons. The Maloran Ion Cannon is a highly advanced ionic pulsed laser, that uses a laser beam to focus a concentrated pulse of ionizing radiation. These energy pulses are highly draining to energy shields, disrupt improperly shielded systems and can inflict horrific burns to organic tissue. However, they aren¡¯t particularly damaging to an armored hull, which limits their usefulness.


    Overall the Maloran ships are fast and hard-hitting but somewhat fragile. They rely on electronic cloaking, holographic mirages and powerful point defenses to protect their ships from enemy fire, as their shields tend to buckle quickly under fire. Unlike Valorian ships, the Malora however do armor their hulls, typically with a layer of ablative plating which isn¡¯t good for stopping more than a couple of hits. The Malora are of the opinion it¡¯s better to just not be where the enemy is shooting, and use shields and armor to provide some protection just in case they do get hit.