E.D.F chronicles - The Krenaran massacre. Page 19

  Vargev felt a surge of pride; he smiled and nodded his head approvingly. His men, his division are fighting so bravely, and so heroically. So that others may live.

  Dickinson spluttered and said. “Listen, the Krenarans are still around, the last attack was only around half an hour or so ago. That’s what did this to me.” He said looking at the length of steel sticking through his blood soaked chest.

  “What about my wife, and son?”

  “Where are their quarters?” Katherine asked.

  “Deck 19, forward section.”

  “I am so sorry,” Katherine replied solemnly.

  A tense silence ensued as the news hit Michael hard, he had been expecting it when he first saw the devastation of the base itself, but it was as nothing compared to the hammer blow of actually hearing those fateful words first hand.

  “That section had taken a direct torpedo hit; there were no survivors.”

  Michael said nothing, just stared at Katherine blankly; a tear began to trickle down his cheek as the awful finality of the news hit him like a speeding train; his wife and son, the two most important things in his entire life, were dead. He felt at that point like his heart had just been torn out, chewed up, and spat out. Walking over to a small corner of the gloomy command centre, he leant on a wall, needing a moment to himself.

  Vargev nodded knowingly.

  He promised Theo that he would keep the nightmares away, and he had failed, failed in the one thing in all the universe that really mattered.

  His life had just become meaningless, and he was ashamed to admit that right now he wished the Krenarans would come and kill him too; right then and there.

  His wrist-com. quietly beeped breaking him out of his despair; it was the Liberty. “I believe we have detected 14 Krenaran vessels; closing rapidly,” a Solarian voice said.

  “How long until they get here?”

  “Five minutes.”

  The transmission ended.

  Michael desperately tried to recover his thoughts, this was not what Theo and Jana would have wanted, him despairing like this. Walking back over towards the group he said, “get as many people as you can together, you’ve got five minutes; move!”

  “Will do,” Katherine said as she sprinted off down the corridor.

  Michael turned back to Dickinson; who was laid perfectly still, no movement whatsoever. Vargev solemnly closed the officers’ eyes.

  Outside the station, the black and silver shapes of the Krenaran stealth ships could be seen advancing towards the larger Solarian ones, and like a pack of rabid wolves the Krenaran vessels set upon the Solarian force.

  Multiple green particle cannon shots flashed out across the blackness of space and were traded with flashes of bright blue fusion cannon beams. Gradually the Krenaran ships closed in on Delta base; ready to deliver the death knell to the already beleaguered installation.

  Katherine and three other crewmen managed to race back to Michaels’ position in the command centre, they had all donned their environment suits, even Katherine and the crewmen had them on. They must have grabbed them on the way back, Michael thought managing a wan smile at their industriousness.

  “We’ve got to get to the Liberty fast,” Michael said as he secured his own helmet once again.

  The others nodded; and they started their sprint back through the dark, dank, ruined corridors of the massive installation.

  Outside, five Solarian ships turned in perfect vee formation; their fusion cannons spraying out beams of bright blue death. Three Krenaran vessels were caught in the conflagration and torn asunder with horrifying speed and power.

  Four torpedoes smashed their way into the hull of the station one after another, the impacts ripping away great chunks of fiery debris.

  Michael and the rest of the survivors raced headlong for the Liberty, there was no sense of the claustrophobic tension like before; instead they just raced for the ship, for their salvation.

  Sparks flashed out along the dark corridors and the explosions of battle could be heard from outside, occasionally the station would rock violently; shaking them all as it took yet another hit.

  Fire spurted out from newly ruptured conduits, coating the corridor in a fiery glow as the flames licked out occasionally. They continued running further through the maze of corridors and junctions; half a dozen collapsed girders and support beams fell smashing through the deck plating a few meters ahead with a deafening clang.

  “We’ll have to jump!” Michael shouted. The heat from the sparks and flaming conduits was slowly baking him inside his suit.

  He was the first to jump the gap; after what seemed like an eternity. His feet landed on the deck plating with a thump; he had made it across.

  With no small amount of luck all six of the others managed to make it also. Televis with his long legs almost jumped too far, and nearly went sprawling into the corridor wall.

  Vargev jumped last; as he sailed over the gap he realised his mistake. He had jumped a fraction too short.

  Desperation grabbed him and he reached out frantically with his hands trying to gain any type of purchase; there was none, and Vargev held his breath as he slowly, clumsily fell. The deck plating whooshed by on the other side; he just could not reach it; down he went.

  With a painful yank something grabbed his arm; Vargev looked up, Michael had hold of him, stopping his fall into the black pit below. There he dangled, until Televis managed to help Michael haul the Russian back onto the deck plating of the corridor.

  “That’s one you owe me this time,” Michael said into his mic.

  Vargev smiled and they hurriedly resumed their race towards the Liberty.

  Outside, the buckled silvery crescent shaped form of a Solarian battlecruiser listed heavily as it slewed toward the wrecked outer defence perimeter; its hull ablaze from the impacts of multiple particle cannon hits; The 410 metre long hull came tearing through a section of the already damaged perimeter like a giant battering ram.

  The hull was ripped asunder as multiple explosions flashed out; metal shredded like tin foil under the colossal impact of the two hulls, flames, and twisted debris engulfed the whole area. That entire section of the perimeter was completely torn apart in the huge impact; leaving a great fiery breach, briefly it illuminated the whole station and the multitude of nearby vessels in a fiery glow.

  Still inside the station, Michael, Televis, Vargev and the rest of the survivors were hurled against the wall of the dark corridor, as the entire station reeled against the colossal impact of the crash.

  “Oh no!” Michael shouted panicking as he checked his suit, “I’m leaking air.”

  “It’s not much further,” Vargev replied, “hurry!”

  They raced even harder towards the fighter bay which housed the Liberty, Michael’s lungs burned. It began to come into view at the end of the corridor; the ship was constantly being lit up by the criss-cross of blue and green flashes and the explosions outside. It looked for all the world like a giant light show was happening in the bay, with the Liberty in the centre like a giant black shadow.

  They reached the end of the corridor, “jump!” Vargev shouted.

  All seven of them jumped, and gently glided across the vacuum of the fighter bay, the blue-green flashes of weapons fire lighting up the bay all around them.

  Michael was struggling for breath as he touched his wrist-comm. “Liberty; ready the engines and activate all weapon systems as soon as we are aboard!”

  The seven of them floated across the bay; to Michael it seemed like an eternity, he tried desperately to keep his breath shallow to conserve what little air remained in his suit. He was beginning to feel light headed as the oxygen starvation began to kick in.

  They hit the smooth hull of the Liberty with a jarring ‘thunk’ as they quickly managed to gain a purchase and scrabbled their way inside the lower hatch. Vargev helped the weakened form of Michael inside as they did so.

  The gravitic engines immediately powered up once they were abo
ard with a dull whine; and the small lower hatch closed behind them. After a few seconds the hatch re-pressurised again. With practically his last breath Michael managed to tear off his helmet; gasping frantically for air.

  “Are you okay comrade?”

  “I’ll be fine, just give me a second,” Michael said wheezing.

  The others quickly removed their environment suits as well; flinging them into a corner. Once his breathing returned to normal Michael, Televis and Vargev all raced for the command centre. Katherine and the remaining three survivors simply followed them, bewildered at their strange new environment.

  The Liberty gradually lifted up from the fighter bay floor as its gravitic engines took over, it’s landing legs retracted and disappeared inside the hull as hatches covered them.

  It slowly began to reverse its way out of the fighter bay. A green particle cannon shot, fired close to the hull of the station missed the rear of the Liberties main engines by just metres.

  “We’re clear,” a Solarian said just as Michael and the six others rushed onto the command centre.

  “Bring us about, ninety degrees; full thrusters,” Michael said as he re-took his place back in the centre chair.

  The electric blue Ionic thrusters of the Liberty glowed as it spun around in its impossibly small arc, painting the hull of the station a bright blue light as the light reflected from the thrusters. At exactly the same time, a Krenaran stealth ship hurtled straight for them.

  “Fire!” Michael shouted urgently.

  The Fusion cannon of the Liberty roared its anger, slamming into the Krenaran ship and hitting it just above centre. The massive impact of the shot forced the enemy vessel down towards the hull of the station, where it hurtled straight past the Liberty and collided with the installation in a massive impact, the speed of the Krenaran ship tore a great fiery gouge along the hull of Delta base.

  “Tell me that was a fluke,” Michael said.

  The Solarian pilot simply smiled.

  “How many enemy ships are out there?”

  “I’ve got three remaining on sensors, they are retreating,” Vargev replied.

  “Let them go. What are our losses?”

  “Two ships destroyed, and one heavily damaged,” Televis replied.

  “What’s the status of the damaged ship?” Michael asked wiping the sweat and grime from his brow.

  The Solarians blue tinged brow furrowed as he performed a full scan of the damaged vessel with his typical practiced ease.

  After a brief pause studying the data he responded, “main power is failing, engines have been destroyed, plasma drive systems are not responding. There is fire on multiple decks.”

  Michael rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a second, damn it, if they can’t get into plasma drive, they are as good as dead. And we can’t wait for them to make repairs, those Krenaran ships will be back; with friends. And we can’t tractor it all the way to Alpha base above Mars either.

  “What is the name of that ship?”

  “The Loriath,” Televis replied.

  Michael drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair for a moment, “contact the fleet; tell them to evacuate the Loriath and to distribute survivors accordingly.”

  Michael didn’t like doing this, but he had no choice. Just losing one Solarian ship was a significant blow. And in just one battle his fleet was now four ships down. Yes they had rescued some of the survivors aboard that devastated station, and yes they had found out that fleet command had been transferred to Alpha base, but they had paid a high enough price for the information.

  “The fleet confirms sir,” Televis replied

  Michael nodded and watched the display. Gradually the other Solarian ships closed on the stricken Loriath like giant metallic bees tending to a wounded drone. There was a quiet silence as the fleet did its work with the crew of the disabled ship.

  “All remaining crew have been distributed amongst the fleet,” Vargev said.

  Michael hated what he was going to have to do next, but with a grim finality he said. “Bring us about, and ready the torpedoes, target the Loriath.”

  There was a slight almost painful look on the Solarian crew members faces as they realised what Michael was about to do, but just as much as he did, they knew it had to be done they could not risk the Krenarans capturing her hull.

  The shattered; ruined shape of the once proud Loriath could be seen listing slightly in the viewer. Televis also looked over at the image of the Solarian ship. “I once served aboard her, she was a fine ship.”

  “I am really sorry,” Michael said with genuine heart ache; “fire.”

  Two high energy torpedoes shot forth from the Liberties twin launchers and raced towards the stricken Loriath, detonating on impact. Its broken crescent shaped hull slowly burst apart in a bright fireball, the shockwave from which expanded outwards for several seconds before it; and the fires dissipated forever, leaving just shattered debris.

  Televis bowed his head, saddened as though he had just lost an old friend.

  Michael looked over towards him, “I’m sorry.” He said again, “But it was all that could be done.”

  “I know.”

  After a long pause, Michael said at last with renewed vigour. “Re-form the fleet, and plot a new course, bearing 196 elevation 4.”

  The fleet slowly reformed again and together leapt into plasma drive in a bright mass of swirling plasma wakes. After a short period the wakes closed in on themselves with a blinding flash, leaving the ruined remains of Delta base in the distance, and the hull fragments of the Loriath slowly floating in space behind them.

  Chapter 12 Race to Alpha base.

  Katherine Jacobs was stood silently watching at the rear of the command centre all this time, hardly believing what she had just witnessed.

  Michael silently walked into his quarters; Televis took his place in the centre chair.

  He walked over to the small beverage synthesiser located on the wall of his quarters and keyed in a command for a cup of English tea; slumping into a small chair next to a shiny silver desk he took a sip. He needed some time to himself, to sit and to think; to mourn.

  The news of Jana and Theo’s death had hit him hard; he held his head in his hands and sighed heavily as he thought about them and all the times they had spent together. He berated himself for not being there at the end, and for his failure in not keeping the nightmares at bay. If only he was there; he could have done something, if only the damned E.D.F hadn’t cancelled his shore leave and forced him back into service. If only.

  Tears of anger and pain began to form in his eyes, and gently rolled down his cheeks. With a scream of anger he flung the cup; it smashed on the side of the wall, splashing the tea across it.

  After a few seconds the doors slowly opened, and in stepped Katherine. The smashed cup caught her eye, as did the tearful form of Michael sat in the chair.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  Michael blinked back his tears and rubbed at his red, tear swollen eyes; “not at all,” he lied.

  “I was wondering, just what kind of a ship is this, and just who are those guys on the bridge?”

  He laughed a slightly hoarse throaty laugh. In his haste on-board Delta base he had forgotten to explain about the Solarians, and the story of the Liberty; the question helped turn his mind away from the emotions roiling within him.

  “Those tall blue-ish skinned aliens all over the ship are known as the Solarians. They have promised us aid in our war with the Krenarans, and are here to help us; they are actually quite a peaceful people and don’t normally like fighting. But this situation has forced their hand, kind of like us,” he explained. “And as for the Liberty, you probably won’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me.”

  “Well, the Liberty is actually a captured Krenaran stealth ship, which Major Vargev and I, erm… liberated.”

  “The Russian guy?”

  “The Russian guy,” Michael repeated. “Anyway, we rescued a Solarian
ambassador who was being imprisoned onboard at the time; he took us into their space.”

  He rubbed a tear stained eye.

  “Where they upgraded the Liberty with Solarian technology and re-crewed her, however it still remains owned and commanded by us.”

  “So you, and the Solarians have come back to kick the Krenarans ass right?”

  “That’s the plan; hopefully,” Michael replied with a slight smile.

  Katherine studied him; the small smile was as nothing compared to the grief etched upon his face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I had a wife and a son on that base damnit!” Michael cursed; the tears began to form again.

  “I am so sorry,” Katherine repeated. “What were their names?” There wasn’t a lot of time to go into this while they were aboard Delta base earlier, but since Michael and his crew had rescued them; Katherine at least felt obligated to hear Michael’s story.

  “Jana and Theo, Theo was nearing his 5th birthday.”

  The tears began streaming down his cheeks as he thought of them, and he slammed his fist into the table next to him.

  “It’s all my fault,” Michael whispered as to himself.

  “It’s not your fault, there was nothing you could do, you couldn’t have prevented their deaths.” Katherine chose her words as calmly as she could manage; however inside she could almost feel the pain that Michael was going though. It must be unbearable for him, she thought.

  “Couldn’t I! They pleaded for me not to go when this whole thing started, but I went anyway Katherine, I failed to keep the nightmares away; and keep my family safe!”

  Katherine held him in her arms and consoled him. She was genuinely worried for him; such a noble, yet tortured soul. His tears flowed onto her grimy medical officer’s uniform, until finally she released him.