The Khruellian Encounter Page 39

  Annika released the crew to finish eating or getting dressed. Within fifteen minutes all were back on station, dressed in survival gear and ready for action. She donned her own gear and marked in the ship’s log, “O830; ship and crew ready for action.”

  Five minutes after the hour, another message gave her the direction the Khruellian ships were headed; Hylox. The CSF Sparta was directly in the path of the advancing Hegemony fleet.

  Chapter 63

  Alpha Tau Alpha

  Jon was dreaming about enjoying some leave time with Annika on Islandia when Talor woke him. The android explained, “The Khruellians have launched an invasion fleet. It is headed toward Hylox.”

  He jumped out of bed and started putting on his uniform. He said, “Call Commander Auuga Knel. Have him put his fleet on alert.” He was about to hit the intercom to have Captain Burns order general quarters when the claxon started its wail. She must have received notifications from command central about the invasion. Talor would have heard it as soon as the flash messenger arrived in system. His thoughts instantly turned to Annika. Her squadron was part of the Eagle wing which was patrolling the Hylox area. Before leaving his quarters, he willed his mind to stop imagining her in more danger than she already was. “She’s a trained officer in a well-armed ship with a trained crew,” he said aloud and opened the door. Temporarily at ease about her situation, he strode toward the command center. When he walked in, Penny handed him a commo pad without saying anything. She was occupied watching the ready board status reports. As soon as she was satisfied, she said, “Good morning, Sir. What are your orders?”

  “Good morning, Penny.” Jon tapped the pad and said, “It looks like we’re going to find out if the Alphans can fight. Enter these coordinates into your ship’s Talo and stand by while I talk to Commander Auuga Knel.”

  The ship’s com screen lit up, and the Alphan Commander appeared. He bowed slightly to Jon in deference to his rank. Jon explained the situation and had the file from command central sent to the Alphan’s ship. He waited while the Alphan scanned the report. The tall alien smiled slightly, which surprised Jon and then said, “I assume it is time for us to stop training and start fighting. My ships and I are ready, Admiral McKinnah. We await your orders.”

  Jon was gratified and encouraged by his attitude and response. “It is time, Commander. You will note the coordinates on the communication from Command Central. As soon as you are ready, we will jump to that location. Please note that command central believes our jump spot will be behind the Khruellian fleet when it comes out of subspace on their next jump.” He looked at the monitor and added, “That will be in approximately forty minutes.”

  Commander Auuga Knel listened to Jon while referring to the communique. He looked up and said, “We are ready now, Admiral.”

  Jon turned to Penny and said, “Sound combat stations and be prepared to jump in five minutes.” A different sound rang through the ship upgrading the situation from general quarters to combat stations. In seconds, every crew member assigned to a weapon had a finger on a trigger or a firing button. They would shoot at the next thing they saw that they didn’t recognize as a friend. Jon sent instructions to the ship’s Talo which would be coordinated with the Alphan’s navigation and command computers. One of the maneuvers they had rehearsed with the Alphans was ship deployment. It would do no good to send a thousand ships into battle without knowing the enemy’s formations or battle techniques, so he and the Alphan commander had devised a plan to send five hundred in the first wave and five hundred more if the situation warranted it. There had been hot competition among the Alphan pilots to be among the first five hundred.

  The five hundred ships led by the CSF Islandia II made the jump without incident. An immediate scan of their new location revealed no Khruellian ships close enough to pose a threat. Jon sent a com-bot report to command central in Newhope advising them there were in position. The small robotic messengers contained an abbreviated IS-drive allowing the fleet to stay in touch. Without them, any ship traveling in interstellar space would be completely cut off from their home base.

  Within ten minutes Jon received a confirmation and an update on the status of the enemy fleet which he sent to Commander Auuga Knel. He loaded the report on the central holographic display so the men and women around the command center could see what he saw. A red line in the middle of the display represented the path of the Khruellian. The line was extended in dotted form to show the projected target, Hylox, the capital world of the seven-planet Hyloxian Empire. A number appeared next to the last known Khruellian position; 1,560. Based on what command central knew about the makeup of the Khruellian space force, this was their estimate of the number of ships heading toward Hylox.

  “That’s a lot of firepower,” Penny said softly.

  Jon nodded his head in agreement and said, “We will have to be very careful and very lucky.” He looked at the display and pointed toward the green dots aligned against the advancing fleet. A number next to the center of the green dots flashed 545, the ADO fleet strength, one third the size of the advancing forces. Jon knew many of these green dots represented new ships with new crews, and every one of the Khruellian ships would be manned by experienced combat captains.

  Jon took in the situation and said, “I think we need to even the odds.” He turned to Talor and said, “Talor, give me your best estimate of where the Khruellian fleet will next exit from subspace.”

  The android extended his finger into the holographic display, and a red dot appeared along the trajectory. “Here,” he said with the authority of a mind backed by a million years of Ankh engineering.

  Jon signaled the Alphan commander who quickly appeared on the screen. Jon explained what he wanted to do and the Alphan listened without comment. When Jon was finished, Auuga Knel said, “It is a good plan, Admiral McKinnah. I know you must realize there’s a chance some of our ships will be lost from reentering space to an area already occupied by a Khruellian warship.

  Jon knew this and also knew it would be a true test of the Alphans willingness to sacrifice themselves in military combat for the greater good of the ADO. “Yes,” he answered without hesitation. “But it will also destroy a Khruellian warship.”

  The silence on the screen stretched for what seemed a full minute. Finally, the Alphan commander bowed his head in acceptance and said, “It is worth the risk.”

  Jon nodded his agreement and spoke the traditional words used by the CSF since its inception, “I’ll see you on the other side.”

  “On the other side,” The Alphan commander responded and clicked off.

  Jon activated the ship wide com and told his crew what to expect. “If it isn’t a silver disc, shoot it.” He didn’t have to tell them about the danger of dying in a cataclysmic explosion because of the two ships trying to occupy the same space at the same time. That news had already spread through the ship. Jon looked at the timer and braced himself. In the next instance, they would either be in a battle for their very lives or dead before they had a chance to fire a shot.

  Chapter 64

  Hylox

  Annika sat in her command chair. The initial shock of imminent battle had worn off. By best estimates, the Khruellian fleet was expected to arrive within two hours. She knew from previous reports they were very systematic about lining up to destroy a city or to decimate the planet. Command Central didn’t project them doing anything different, but then the Khruellians had never met this much resistance before. Perhaps this time they would change tactics. It was these unknowns that were unsettling, not knowing what to prepare for. She finally chastised herself for thinking too much. “Put it to rest, Annika. Your crew is trained, your weapons are deadly, and your ship is well defended.”

  She smiled at her own admonitions and saw another series of green dots appear in the central holograph. Her XO said, “More reinforcements.” His tome revealed his own nervousness. Annika allowed herself to think of Jon, wondering where he was. She knew it was unlikely h
e would be on any of the ships represented by the green dots on her holograph. He was in the Alpha-Tau-Alpha system, but she also knew he would make every effort to be in the middle of it all when the shooting started. He was a McKinnah which explained everything.

  The situation board lit up warning of an approaching vessel, but the light quickly turned green and identified the ships as one of the round globes favored by the Hyloxians.

  “Adalan,” Annika thought and smiled.

  The com screen lit up, and the familiar features of her friend and comrade appeared. Jon had described the coloration the Hyloxians morphed to when in their battle mode so she was not taken back by Adalan’s black and red striped coloration. With a casual nonchalance, she said, “I like your outfit, Adalan.”

  The Hyloxian smiled revealing her incisor fangs. “And I like yours,” the alien said, referring to the form-fitting battle suit Annika wore to protect her in the event the hull was breached. Adalan cocked her head and said, “We fight, yes?”

  “We fight,” Annika answered.

  “Good, it is time. I will fight by your side.”

  Annika was sure the ADO Central Command had not sent the Hyloxian to fight alongside the CSF Sparta, but Adalan was a member of the Hyloxian ruling family, and by her actions, they had committed their forces to follow Jon. Annika was sure that had something to do with Adalan’s decision to fight by her side. She was secretly grateful for her presence and felt a little more secure about the outcome of the impending battle. She said, “The CSF Sparta has been assigned to the close in defense of your homeworld, Adalan. Your help will be appreciated.”

  Adalan mimicked the human action of nodding her head in agreement and said, “You are my sister-friend, and your mate is my spirit-mate.”

  Annika had often kidded Jon about the fascination the alien she-cat had for him. Now she was grateful for the affection the hard fighting alien had for the both of them. “I will see you on the other side,” she said with feeling.

  Every one of the alien species in the ADO had adopted this phrase from the humans. It succinctly expressed a belief in victory and, at the same time a belief in an afterlife. Each species had their version of a deity with a promise of life beyond death. Philosophers and theologians from all the members of the ADO were just beginning to explore the commonalities among them. It promised to revolutionize all of their religious systems.

  With equal solemnity, Adalan said, “I will see you on the other side, sister-friend.” The screen went dark.

  Chapter 65

  The Orion perimeter

  A huge Khruellian battleship materialized three kilometers in front of Islandia II, close enough to fill the forward screen. Almost immediately a dissembler missile streaked toward it at hyper speed. The doomed battleship moved out of the screen as Talor maneuvered the Islandia at superhuman speed to bring another Khruellian ship into view, a smaller cruiser. Jon could see numerous explosions in the background and knew some of those were Alphan ships. The Islandia lurched violently as a pulse beam from a nearby enemy reacted to the unexpected presence of alien ships among them. The shield held, but barely and Jon knew they couldn’t take too many hits like that. The Islandia responded by delivering a double dose of death, a pulse cannon shot and a dissembler missile. Talor quickly maneuvered the ship to another target.

  By now all the Khruellians ships were fully aware of the enemy among them and were firing at anything unfamiliar. The little silver discs they had ignored for centuries now became their prime targets. The Khruellian fire was so random it at times endangered their own ships. Several were damaged or destroyed by friendly fire. The Alphan ships were far more maneuverable than the bigger Khruellian ships, so it quickly turned into a cat and mouse game with the mice holding their own.

  Years of unimpeded successes had deprived them of many of the defensive weapons a warring fleet would normally carry, and in spite of the Khruellians best efforts to change this, many ships still lacked defensive shields and short range, rapid-fire defensive armament. The armada of little Alphan ships took good advantage of this, but at a price. Jon watched the numbers of destroyed ships, friend and foe rise. As the fleet commander, it was his decision on when to withdraw. Talor maneuvered the ship while the crew fought around him as he examined the statistics and weighed his options. Over one hundred ADO ships had already been destroyed or too damaged to fight, and more than three hundred Khruellian warships had suffered the same fate. The dissembler missiles were unforgiving. Once a ship was hit it literally fell apart, robbing the crew of any hope of damage repair. Jon could see the ratio of three to one slipping. The Khruellians were figuring out how to fight the elusive silver discs.

  “Order withdrawal,” he said to the com officer. Within seconds the ADO fleet disappeared.

  Back at their previous jump point, Jon scanned the screen for a count of returning ships; three hundred and ten. The Alphans had lost one hundred and ninety ships and almost one thousand men, more than they had lost in armed conflict in over forty thousand years. If he had any doubts about the Alphans willingness to fight, it was gone now.

  Talor appeared at his side and reported. “We destroyed or severely damaged three and fifty Hegemony ships, approximately twenty-three percent of their fleet.”

  Jon knew it was a great victory, but also knew that the Khruellians still had over twelve hundred ships to conduct their mission to destroy Hylox. They were not through fighting. He signaled Commander Auuga Knel’s ship. The grief-stricken Alphan appeared on the com screen and waited stoically for Jon’s next order. Jon knew that the losses were a huge blow to the remaining Alphans. Their birth rate was very low compared to other ADO members, and each death would affect the surviving families beyond what Jon could truly appreciate, but he had a war to conduct, and many more sacrifices were going to be made by all the ADO members before victory, defeat, truce or stalemate, whatever the outcome would be. For the first time, he fully appreciated the cost of being a flag officer in a war. The thought, “Death follows me,” fleeted through his mind before he got down to business.

  “Well done, Commander Auuga Knel, your ships and men fought bravely.” It was not the time for platitudes about his dead comrades. That would come later.

  The Alphan commander nodded his head in silent acceptance of Jon’s remark. He waited without saying anything. Jon was uncertain if the commander couldn’t say anything or didn’t know what to say. He put it out of his mind and said, “I suggest you send a number of your ships back to the battle site to pick up survivors.”

  The thought of possible survivors brightened the Alphans face immediately. He turned aside to give the necessary orders and returned to face Jon. “What are your orders, Admiral McKinnah?”

  Jon said, “More ships, Commander. Send an order for the remaining five hundred Alphan ships. We are going to follow the Khruellians through the gates of hell if necessary. Between our ships in the rear and the ADO fleet waiting for them, we are going to grind them to dust.”

  The Alphan commander nodded his head in agreement. This was what they had been working toward for many thousands of years, halting the Hegemony’s spread. In their planning, they had never considered the possibilities that they, the Alphans would be leading the attack on the phenomenon their ancestors had created, but now that they were, it was liberating, an exoneration of their debt. “It shall be as you ordered, Admiral McKinnah.”

  Jon broke the connection and looked at the crew sitting around the command center. They were all looking back at him. He said, “Well done, Captain Burns. You and your crew performed brilliantly.”

  “Thank you, Sir,” Penny said. “What are your orders, Admiral McKinnah?”

  Jon smiled at her formality but understood the need for it. He looked around the room and said, “We regroup and go right at them.” Jon felt sure Admiral Nelson, the Terran naval admiral, dead for more than sixteen hundred years would have been proud of him.

  Chapter 66

  The Khruellian command shi
p

  Hydrol raged uncontrollably. Waves of anger swept over him at the loss his fleet had suffered before they had even reached their target; three hundred and fifty warships plus another twenty-five that were worthless for battle. One-fourth of his armada had been destroyed. Who were they fighting? Why had the silver discs turned against them after thousands of years of benign observation? These and other questions raced through his mind looking for answers. One thought remained constant. He was dead. He may still be breathing and in command, but if he survived this debacle, he would not survive the Absolute’s flashing blade. Acceptance of this fact finally calmed him enough to speak to his staff standing at rigid attention waiting for his order to commit suicide or continue with their duties.

  In a calm voice, he said, “You fought bravely, I cannot condemn you for failing to anticipate an attack that none of us saw coming. It is my responsibility, and I will pay the price, but first, we will crush this enemy at any cost.”

  The staff relaxed slightly even with the sure knowledge they would not survive the upcoming battle. At least it would be death by combat and not death by disgrace in front of their fellow officers.

  Hydrol continued, “Normally we destroy enough of the enemy’s cities to subjugate them, but not enough to eliminate their ability to pay the imperial tithe. We have no interest in subjugating the world ahead of us, only to completely destroy it.” He turned to Wemish, the captain of his flagship and said, “Load the hydrogen weapons. We will deliver them close enough for these people to understand what happens to those who attack the Hegemony.”