Crescendo
#15 of Silent Guardians
Here is the first of three segments for the final installment in the Silent Guardian series. I can't believe it has been almost a year since I started this storyline. I hope you enjoy the read. I'll post the other segments as I get around to editing them.
For Reference:
Kyree (key ree): anthromorph wolf-like race
Kenseng (ken sang): anthromorph tiger-like race
Drala (dra la): anthromorph reptilian-like race
Arastos (a rest tos): alien starship http://www.sofurry.com/page/248059
Arastos Crew:
Kanolos (ka no loss): male kyree, starship helmsman, mated to Riyla
Riyla (ri la): female kyree, starship captain, mated to Kanolos
Shyla (shy la): female kenseng, starship tactical officer/cook, mated to Yanashi
Yanashi (yana she): female kyree, starship tactical officer/physician, mated to Shyla
Eriras (ear rass): female kenseng, starship engineer, mated to Taylo
Taylo (tay low): male kenseng, starship engineer, mated to Eriras
Lumina (loo men na): holographic female kyree construct, starship supporting A.I.
Keith (key th): male human, human ambassador/starship operations officer
Territory Map Diagram: http://www.sofurry.com/page/222716/
Crescendo
Written By: Spudz
Keith inhaled sharply in astonishment; the utter and complete devastation he had just borne witness to was absolutely unreal. In the blink of an eye, the might and power of the enemy had been decimated by weapons far beyond his comprehension, wiping out countless lives in one decisive blow... all while he possessed a front row seat to watch the horror unfold in stark clarity.
The bridge of Arastos remained almost completely dark, as the dim ambient lighting only just managed to cast shadows along the bulkheads. What illumination did exist emanated from the various console stations arranged about the compartment, each manned by their respective crewman. The atmosphere was one of quiet resolve, as the Federation crew allowed the master plan to progress, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
Assuming his new role aboard the ship for the first time in earnest, the lone human of the Arastos contingent currently occupied the Operations console just aft of the captain's position, his chair orientated toward the port side bulkhead where several holographic displays bore reams of data on the ship's operating status and configuration. However, Keith's attention was not focused on the overwhelming cascade of information before him... in fact, at that moment, he was effectively blind.
Like the rest of the Arastos crew, Keith was currently linked up to the starship's neural interface, through a unique halo device that rested atop his head. It had taken some time for him to adjust fully to the odd discomfiture of the extra-sensory system, which tapped directly into his mind to inject and read synaptic patterns as an artificial form of telepathy. There was just no relating to anything he had experienced before; the feel of conversing mind-to-mind with another individual.
Within Keith's own awareness, the distinct auras of the crew existed in what could only be described as a concrete direction, each presence radiating with a unique feel and personality. Above stood the strong authoritative influence of Riyla, her presence flickering with a unique charisma and warmth... overshadowed by determined resolve. To his left, the aura of Kanolos emanated, shining brightly to Keith's awareness with the same distinct sensation as his mate. However, the fox-furred kyree's glow was tinged by his overwhelming anxiety, which seeped readily into the link.
Opposite Kano, the normally mirthful poise of Shyla now seethed with barely contained anger, surprising Keith with the kenseng's strong display of malice in contrast to her usually playful personality. Even Yanashi... calm reserved Yanashi, radiated with disconcerting disgust toward the drala that had so viciously attacked her kind in cold blood. The emotion was quite powerful, yet forcefully subdued.
Taylo and Eriras shared this same loathing on a more controlled basis. Their combined auras below Keith were cold... calculating. The anger was there, just more restrained... more focused. Even Riyla and Kano possessed this unequivocal rage, once Keith allowed his awareness to briefly pass down below their outward influence. Each individual dealt with their boiling emotions differently; but, all shared in the same desire to repay the enemy in blood.
And they had every right to be infuriated. The Domain had killed countless with an insidious surprise attack against the Federation; many had died without even realizing they were at war.
The drala strategy had been audacious, and largely successful in crippling the Federation Axis fleet. However, the war had not been won decisively through such underhanded means, not by a long shot... the situation was no different than Pearl Harbor.
Keith shoved his dismal thoughts aside. He didn't need to question the resolve of his friends. They had a job to do... and he was equally ready to bring the hurt back to the enemy.
At that moment, the human's sight was effective blind, as the neural interface injected a live streaming video feed directly into his mind, bypassing his optic nerve completely. Thus, his eyesight had been temporarily cancelled out; an occurrence that had proved rather unsettling the first time Keith enabled the full potency of the interface. Now though, he had at least gained a tolerance for the disorientation.
The images currently streaming directly into his head were from a distant unmanned probe, which continued to orbit about Earth some three light-years away in relation to the point of space Arastos presently occupied. The small spacecraft was one of four such devices that Lumina had strategically positioned several days prior, to provide a clear picture for the crew as the Federation's counterattack progressed mercilessly.
Retaining a configuration similar to that of a small beach ball, the probes housed a number of multispectral sensors while maintaining stealth countermeasures to remain concealed from the enemy, allowing for gathering of unparalleled tactical data on the Domain fleet in real-time. The presence of these simple devices would prove critical in a few moments.
Far removed from the destruction, Keith had watched silently as countless starships were literally erased from existence. The barrage of slipstream fragmentation waves had very nearly obliterated half of the supply convoys and troop ships supporting the drala invasion effort outright... so much death and destruction.
And yet... aside from his astonishment at the sight, the human felt no remorse whatsoever. Why?
Shouldn't he at least feel some sort of sympathy for the enemy? He had not so much as met a single drala in person. In fact, he only knew of their reptilian appearance via several images stored in the starship's computer database. So how could he feel compassion for a faceless adversary; an enemy that had ruthlessly committed a massacre just to acquire a single meager planet. No... this retribution was sorely justified.
Let the bastards fry...
With a flick of his mind, Keith deactivated the interface video feed, allowing his sight to return. The transition was quite unsettling, as the human's stomach almost voided its contents all over the console in the brief moment of disorientation. Shaking his head, he managed to regain his composure while the bridge snapped back into focus.
Keith had no reason to continue watching the aftermath of the Federation's opening salvo. What was done was done... and now matters were going to plunge further into chaos.
"It's time," Riyla called out over the neural interface. "Bring weapons online... Tactical has control." Her voice was cold and emotionless over the link. There was nothing but the professional quality of the ship's captain. It was time to get down to business...
"Acknowledged," Shyla replied smartly, her tone professional and detached much like the captain's. Command of the ship was now passed to the kenseng. "Engineering, give me 30% core output to main weapons."
Keith turned his attention to the displays of his console, particularly to a single image of Arastos in a schematic format that dominated almost his entire workstation dash. Each deck was prominently displayed, each core system and sub system visible with status icons to mark functionality. At first glance the image was pure chaos, with multitudes of information overwhelming the eye wherever you looked. Yet, after studying the console display for a few days, he had begun to grasp what each intricate symbol represented.
There were the main power conduits that channeled electrical power from the plasma core throughout the rest of the ship, consisting of an intricate arrangement of relays and fuses to feed various systems aboard. There was the tactical network comprised of point defense turrets and missile pods mounted all across the exterior, as well as shield emitters and other defensive countermeasures... and of course the massive Longbow armament chin mounted to the bow. Replication systems, artificial gravity, storage tanks, the plasma core, lighting... every aspect of the starship was clearly shown for Keith to behold, allowing the Operations Officer to assess the health of his vessel and, if necessary, diagnose problems and make swift repairs in times of combat.
As he watched, Taylo and Eriras quickly ramped up the reaction rate of the main core to 50%, while feeding the bulk of power output into the weapon array and shield emitters. The action was clearly shown on the display as a power conduit pulsed brighter to his view between the engineering compartment and the main tactical system.
"Power rebalance completed," Taylo's voice emanated from below Keith's mind. "No problems to report." There was a pause, as the russet kenseng's aura shifted slightly in feel, allowing for malevolence to briefly penetrate his outward calm. "...give 'em hell, Shyla."
Keith felt what could only be described as a wicked grin from the Tactical Officer over the interface. "I fully intend to."
At that moment, another presence joined the crew within the link, one far more influential and commanding than the others. There was familiar warmth, an affability that Keith relished every time Lumina entered his mind. It had become somewhat of a custom for her since he had first utilized the interface, to couple her awareness to his own briefly. Her touch comforted him, as the A.I.'s white-furred kyree persona smiled lovingly to his sight for a fleeting moment... and then she regretfully withdrew, to take on a professional air.
"The Maryland's attack was more successful than I had hoped," the construct mind-spoke grimly. To Keith, her voice seemed to emanate from just over his shoulder, as Lumina's aura occupied no particular point in the link; but, rather was disseminated out all around the crew in a non-corporeal fashion. "Their fleet network is still offline."
"Good," Riyla chimed in authoritatively. "Let's hope that they stumble around a little while longer... so that we can start picking apart their ships one by one."
Keith stole a glance over toward the captain's console, catching sight of the black kyree's two wolfish ears protruding up above the chair's headrest, while her tail poked out a hole along the backside. Just forward of her was Kanolos at the helm, while opposite Keith were Shyla and Yanashi at tactical... and yet not a word was spoken aloud between any of them. The notion was slightly disconcerting, that while the crew prepared for war, the bridge was utterly silent save for the barely audible hum of machinery below the deck.
"Priming plasma coils," Shyla continued, her attention focused on charging the ship's main weapon. Forward within the cannon itself, energy was swiftly channeled into the primer coil of the plasma weapon, the charge quickly building to maximum tolerance levels. The kenseng was going to make this shot count.
Meanwhile, Yanashi punched in commands to directly access one of the unmanned probes orbiting Earth. With a quick series of keystrokes, she established a targeting link to the small spacecraft, which immediately began feeding raw telemetry data to Arastos. At once the tactical station became awash with potential targets, as the probe relayed enemy positions from over three light-years away.
"Don't hit the flagship," Riyla added as a reminder. "Bear in mind, we still have plans for our dear friend the admiral." The captain's tone became meditative. "It's not exactly a rational choice to leave him alive when we want to throw the enemy off balance, but if he survives this... he could prove useful by aiding to resolve the war... judging from the information Lumina has uncovered about our adversary."
Riyla let her words hang over the interface link in the ensuing silence, while the crew swung into action.
With Yanashi assisting, Shyla quickly scanned through the abundant list of potential targets, before settling on one that seemed like a good place to start. There was no thought given to the fact that each of those distant starships had living souls aboard, or that the enemy was completely and utterly defenseless. All that mattered now was pure military precision... what the Arastos crew had trained for. It was simply a task that needed to be carried out with cold calculating effectiveness.
"Helm, adjust position up point 0-6-2 degrees... mark, point 0-1-2 degrees right... mark, point 0-0-2 degree roll left," Shyla commanded promptly, her gaze focused intensely on the targeting cursor of the tactical console display. As she dialed in the information, her feline tail flicked about violently through the hole of the chair's backrest, with the kenseng's deep concentration.
Kanolos quickly complied as he accessed the ship's maneuvering thrusters to adjust the vessel's orientation ever so slightly. Utilizing the piloting neural interface, the fox-furred kyree delicately tweaked his hands and paws within the sensor gloves and boots of the helm system, resulting in the desired alignment corrections with perfect exactness. The adjustments called for by Shyla were extremely small, a fraction of a degree in the roll, pitch, and yaw directions, but when shooting over the span of several light-years, such a minor misalignment was unacceptable... and it was nothing that Kanolos couldn't handle with relative ease.
"Course corrections complete," the helmsman replied over the interface, after completely arresting the rotational motion of Arastos relative to Earth, to give Shyla a perfectly accurate shot.
"Target acquired... initiating firing sequence." With those words, the kenseng Tactical Officer began triangulating the distant target's range and position, using the unmanned probe's sensor data to refine her coordinates. Arastos was perfectly capable of hitting a target from her current distance without the assistance of triangulation... although the added telemetry data bolstered accuracy nearly ten-fold.
"You are weapons free," Riyla proclaimed coolly over the link.
Without a moment's hesitation, the kenseng double-checked her firing solution... before thumbing a simple button to fire the starship's main weapon in anger, setting off a violent series of events just forward of the bridge.
Unlike the previous shot taken from underneath the ocean surface of Earth, the long distance of the firing setup required the use of the Longbow Cannon's secondary weapon system, which served to augment the core plasma cannon by extending its range substantially. The problem with standard beam weaponry in space combat was the physical limitation on how quickly a weapon shot could traverse downrange to strike a given target. This limitation was, in fact, the speed of light.
The core gun system of the Longbow was restricted by this fundamental law of physics. Thus, it would normally take just over three years for the plasma shot to reach Earth... certainly not practical when you wanted to shoot from such a long distance. So, how could this limitation be overcome? The answer was both simple and utterly complex at the same time... not unlike the solution for faster-than-light travel. You just bent the rules, in this instance literally.
The second weapon system of the Longbow was built to do just that, using a unique variation of slipstream mechanics. Protruding out forward from the muzzle of the massive gun, two prongs, constructed from an incredibly strong and heat resistant composite metal alloy, formed the outward appearance of a tuning fork.
As the firing sequence was initiated, the outer slipstream apparatus swiftly began charging the tuning fork structures of the weapon, while building a strong resonance pulse within the hollow space between the prongs. Almost instantly, the massive flux of energy tore open an aperture into slipstream just forward of the vessel's hull. However, unlike the method used to thrust a starship out of the normal realm of space, the Longbow mechanism worked on a fixed end principle.
With the aperture maintained by the slipstream system, the weapon literally reached into the event horizon and pulled the fabric of subspace toward the starship, much like one would draw the string of a bow to fire an arrow... hence the term Longbow. By varying the strength of the field pulling on the event horizon, the mechanism was capable of adjusting where the exit aperture was formed. The result was an extreme compression within the rift, effectively drawing together three light-years of space into an infinitesimally small point for a brief moment in time.
The concept had first been developed for use in transporting cargo across several light-years instantly. However, it was quickly discovered that matter which entered this type of aperture was subject to random alteration, sometimes resulting in nothing more than a dust cloud on the other end. The same result was not true though, for a lance of plasma fired from a weapon... thus shifting the focus of the research to military applications. The Longbow Cannon was the first test bed weapon system to enter service as a result, and Arastos was the only starship currently employing the armament for the Federation.
Keith was absolutely spellbound, as the human watched the spectacle unfold before him. From his point of view on the bridge, space immediately out beyond the bow of Arastos was consumed by a vicious swirling mass of brilliant white light, appearing as some sort of micro wormhole. Even through the polarized glass of the bridge window, the sight was completely dazzling... the fabric of space was being torn apart literally a hundred or so feet away from where he sat!
With the aperture now stabilized and properly calibrated, the core plasma cannon discharged violently in a vibrant flash of blue light, directly into the event horizon. As the weapon's recoil reverberated throughout the hull of the ship, the lance of plasma disappeared into the void... and just as suddenly the event horizon itself collapsed and winked out of existence, leaving Keith with nothing but a view of normal space and distant stars.
At that same moment in time, the unmanned probe continued to broadcast a live visual feed of the exit aperture, which had formed just off the starboard beam of a disabled carrier starship. In an instant, the razor thin lance of plasma exploded from the rift, impacting the hapless vessel directly against a small airlock hatch... a weakness of the ship's design that Lumina had uncovered.
The formidable armor of the carrier was completely bypassed, as the weapon shot penetrated directly into the small airlock compartment, melting through bulkheads and structural supports... before destroying a main relay circuit to one of the starship's power cores.
Before the Domain crew even realized they were under attack, the plasma core violently overloaded and breached, enveloping the central segment of the compartmentalized superstructure in a fiery blast. The explosion swiftly ripped the hull apart across the midsection, effectively blowing the ship apart into two crippled fragments.
Atmosphere and debris flowed from the large gaping wound... as the initial blast was quickly snuffed out by the vacuum of space.
"Confirmed hit... target destroyed,"_Shyla proclaimed, her tone detached and calm. There was no time for the _kenseng to feel satisfaction for her handiwork. "Acquiring new target... helm, remain steady on current bearing."
Kanolos wordlessly acknowledged her instruction, as he continued to hold the ship stable. What small corrections needed to be made were performed by Shyla reorienting the cannon's position relative to the hull.
Meanwhile, Yanashi jumped into action as she assisted her mate with rearming the weapon; first by surging the cooling systems needed to remove heat from the previous shot, followed by recharging the plasma coil. Keith had to sit and marvel at how fast the two worked, their hands flying across the console inputs at a speed only achievable through rigorous practice and training. Together the mated pair functioned as a cohesive team, bringing the Longbow back into a firing setup in only 20 seconds.
"Target acquisition confirmed... firing." With those words, the kenseng again commanded Arastos to unleash hell, as the aperture into slipstream reformed ahead of the starship superstructure...
***************
Main power was still offline... artificial gravity disabled... his fleet completely incapacitated. Admiral Taeskea was beginning to panic, although he dared not show any of his alarm to the crew around him. Any moment now, the Federation was going to show up, and he had nothing to defend himself with.
It was as if his prayers were finally answered.
The lighting abruptly snapped back on, briefly causing the admiral to squint painfully as his eyes tried to adjust. Simultaneously, the gravity returned gradually, allowing Taeskea to drift down and plant his feet back on the deck. For a moment, he simply stood there in confusion.
At that moment, the helmsman quickly accessed his console and arrested the vessel's slow rotational motion, to bring the bridge orientation back parallel to the planet surface below.
"Sir, we've managed to bring main power online," an aide proclaimed breathlessly beside the admiral, after hurriedly entering the bridge from the corridor beyond. "An intrusion program was found in the computer core... only a system hard reboot managed to purge the virus."
The drala's words snapped Taeskea out of his bewilderment. The cards were swinging back into his favor finally. He opened his mouth to voice an order, just as a splotch of bright light caught his attention outside the bridge window.
Out forward of the flagship's position was that of the other carrier currently belonging to the tactical cluster of warships, drifting lifelessly with its bow angled slightly down toward Earth. With Admiral Taeskea looking on in absolute astonishment, a slipstream aperture formed just off the starboard side of the massive vessel... a brilliant swirl of white light that overshadowed the ship's hull menacingly.
Just what was happening? No starship would dare exit slipstream so close to another vessel. The force of impact would undoubtedly destroy both hulls outright. The Federation was not one for suicide missions... something was very wrong here.
At that very instant, the first weapon shot from Arastos impacted, destroying the carrier right before Taeskea's horrified eyes; the silence of the devastation was completely surreal.
He just stood there, stunned...
What the hell just happened?!
Almost as quickly as it appeared, the aperture dissipated from view, leaving the remains of the capital warship in two destroyed hulks of twisted hull remains and debris.
"Admiral! Slipstream incursion detected! It's close sir! I've... never seen a signature like this before." The drala officer manning the sensor array had his eyes glued to the display, trying desperately to calculate the disturbance's course and termination point... unaware of the carnage unfolding beyond the fractured glass of the bridge window. "It's... the exit point is... it's right alongside the Dathcrious!"
The officer's words trailed off as he turned to witness the carrier's demise, joining the admiral in stunned horror.
There was no time to determine what had happened however, as the sensor array immediately sounded an audible alarm, drawing the crewman's attention back to his display. "New slipstream signature detected! I... can't determine the signature type... the readings are completely unfamiliar to me! Directly behind us!"
"Shields!" Taeskea commanded, almost shouted, to his crew. Never mind the fact that the captain, who stood nearby in utter shock, was technically in charge of this starship. The admiral had to take control, even if that meant superseding his subordinate's authority.
In a flash, a transparent bubble of emerald green energy pulsed into existence around the Rodaunm, completely encompassing the hull to provide a first line of protection against a hostile attack, the ship's armor serving as the next defensive layer. As the field stabilized, the transparent glow settled into a barely visible tinge around the carrier, continuously drawing on the ship's power supply. The shield could only be maintained for a short period of time.
Nothing though, could be done to save the fate of the disabled battle cruiser just aft of the flagship.
A flash of light reflecting off the shattered remains of the Dathcrious suddenly caught Taeskea's attention. Gods... that could only mean one thing!
"Sir, the Ulaform is hit!" the Tactical Officer spoke with alarm. Swiftly the drala called up an image on a nearby display, showing the damaged warship behind their own ship, her already weakened hull blowing apart from Arastos's second volley in a torrent of shattered hull fragments. Secondary detonations swiftly tore through what remained of the hapless vessel, sealing her fate as the compartmentalized outline of the cruiser was completely consumed in a powerful series of blasts.
Before Admiral Taeskea could utter a word of horror, the shockwave impacted against the lateral shield of his ship, causing the energy field to flare brightly along the starboard side.
"Status update!" the commanding drala barked. Things were rapidly spinning out of control once more. He had to gauge this new threat quickly, and move to save what assets he could.
The Tactical Officer quickly stole a glance at his console. "Shields are holding, sir."
At least the Rodaunm was safe for the moment.
"Scramble all fighter wings from the ship... setup a defensive perimeter around the starship cluster. This is obviously some sort of new Federation weapon." As the order was acknowledged, Taeskea turned to the Communication Officer. "Instruct the fleet on how to purge the virus. I figure a number of starship captains will have already figured that out... nevertheless I need this entire armada battle-ready now!" The admiral fixed the crewman with a knowing look. "I don't care if you have to commandeer fighters and physically fly them around this damned planet to make contact... just get the word out quickly."
The drala officer knew the particular tone of his superior. Haste was of the utmost urgency; he wasted no time turning to his communication display, to begin drawing the scattered bands of warships back together into one fleet... before there were none left to mount a defense.
As the Comms Officer worked, Taeskea turned his attention to another nearby crewman, the carrier's Damage Control Warden. "Assemble a rescue team and search for any survivors out there. The Dathcrious is still fairly intact... there will be crew who need our help." The admiral's gaze became grave, as he turned his attention out to the debris field of the carrier in question. "If the situation deteriorates further though, don't risk your life or others unnecessarily."
With a slight nod of understanding, the officer rapidly turned and disappeared through the doorway leading out to the corridor beyond the bridge.
"Slipstream incursions detected!"
The sudden exclamation of alarm snapped Admiral Taeskea's attention back to the sensor array. "Is it the strange Federation weapon?"
There was a pause, as the drala manning the station quickly poured over the data cascading down his screen. "No... the signatures are small... and there are thousands of them!" The panic was clearly evident in his voice, barely restrained by years of professional training. "Approach vectors are converging from a 360 degree spherical range... these are Federation self-guided slipstream missiles!"
So the attack had begun in earnest. Now the admiral had to call upon his years of experience, to try pulling a victory out of such a dire situation. He had to maintain his composure... he had to find a way.
"How long until the missile barrage arrives?" Taeskea's tone was calm and composed, belying his growing anxiety.
In response, the officer stole a glance at his display, before punching in a quick command to calculate a time estimate. "Best guess is roughly three minutes, sir."
There wasn't enough time... but he would do the best he could. He had to maintain the defensive perimeters around the planet, even if that meant absorbing the brunt of the oncoming missile attack. Any maneuvers to avoid the onslaught might leave an opening for the Federation to attack... he couldn't allow that to happen.
As Admiral Taeskea set about preparing his fleet for combat, a distant part of his mind dwelled on an inexplicable circumstance; the strange Federation slipstream weapon had only fired twice upon his ships, as far as he could discern... why was his enemy not systematically picking apart Domain vessels still disabled by the intrusion virus?
***************
Warning alarms sounded in a confusing array of noise from both the Tactical and Operations stations of the bridge, jolting Keith out of his thoughts as error icons flashed red across the schematic display of Arastos. Something had gone wrong.
"There's a fault in the weapon power relay system," Lumina called out quickly over the neural interface. Her words trailed off for a moment as the construct swiftly ran a check on the troubled equipment. "I've isolated the problem... a power relay has blown on deck two, section beta 12."
"Without that node, I can't charge the Longbow for firing," Shyla spoke in reply, frustration clearly evident in her voice. There was a moment's pause, as the kenseng attempted to route power around the fault. "Damn... something has happened with the backup circuit as well! I'm not getting any charge."
The ball had unexpectedly fallen into Keith's court; damage incurred during combat was his sole responsibility to assess and repair, to the best of his ability... although the human hadn't even been trained properly on his new assignment yet. Nevertheless, he quickly surveyed the diagram of the starship, noting that the troubled relay was located one deck below the bridge and roughly halfway back near the medical bay.
With that information in hand, Keith decided to take the initiative. "Captain, I'll take care of the problem."
Riyla physically turned in her chair to look at Keith with an inquisitive regard, the kyree's ears splaying back slightly as she weighed her options. She needed the rest of the crew at their stations if the Domain suddenly showed up to pay them a visit... and this was Keith's assignment; although, there had been no time to prepare him for such a role aboard the ship. Still, changing out a relay, while not an everyday repair job, wasn't all that complicated a task to perform.
"Alright," the captain mindspoke after a second's consideration, nodding her head slightly. "Lumina can walk you through the process. Get a move on!"
Keith continued to gaze into Riyla's wolfish eyes for another fleeting moment, before he returned her gesture with a slight smile, and bolted from the Operations console chair. He paused only long enough to procure a repair toolbox from alongside his station, before swiftly exiting the bridge for the corridor behind in a near sprint, the briefcase-like container clutched tightly in his grasp.
"I'm on my way up to lend a hand!" The voice originated from Eriras below Keith's awareness in the link. "Two sets of hands will get the repair done faster." Her tone sounded somewhat winded, indicating that the kenseng was no doubt hurrying to meet him at the relay junction.
In no time, Keith reached the down chute leading to deck two of Arastos, which was nothing more than a fireman's pole through a hole along the deck. Although surprisingly simple in design, the concept had proven quite efficient on larger capital starships for moving crew between levels of a vessel in times of haste.
His gaze fixated on the pole, Keith quickly slung the toolbox over his shoulder so the container was held by a bulky padded strap. With haste, the human then reached out and wrapped his body around the post, before sliding downward to quickly plop his feet down onto the deck floor below.
The sudden stop at the bottom caused the toolbox strap to dig painfully into his shoulder, but Keith shrugged off the discomfort and turned to move aft along the main corridor of the deck, just as a white blur of motion crested a stairwell on the far end of the passageway.
In a show of striking feline agility, Eriras bounded up from the deck below. Her presence froze Keith in his tracks... the white striped kenseng rushing down the corridor was a rather unsettling sight. It was almost like watching a tiger barreling straight toward him, with those keen predatory eyes focused squarely on its prey.
Lumina quickly jolted him back to the here and now.
"About 50 feet on your left is an equipment storage cabinet," the A.I. spoke into his mind, while somehow managing to draw his attention to an unassuming hatch along the passageway. "There is a multitude of spare parts within... you're looking for a rather large cylindrical device, which will be inside a drawer on the bottom."
Wordlessly Keith covered the distance to the locker in question and quickly opened up the double doors, just as Eriras skidded to a halt alongside him. There was indeed a wide assortment of starship parts; from computer core components, to emergency first aid kits... everything that might be needed in the midst of battle was readily accessible, including power relay modules.
The device Keith found was cylindrical in form as the construct had said, containing two metal contact leads on either end. Roughly the size and shape of a fire extinguisher, it wasn't all that heavy to hold, although it did appear somewhat fragile to his scrutiny.
The human turned to Eriras. "You know how to change one of these out?"
In reply, the white-furred kenseng flashed her fangs in an unexpected toothy grin. "Would I be a good engineer if I didn't?"
"Point taken."
Quickly Keith extracted himself from the storage space, relay held gingerly in hand. It was noteworthy how the central partition of the device was constructed of a glass-like material, with a distinct cobalt blue vapor encased inside.
Eriras seemed to read his mind, as he slammed the locker doors closed. "The relay acts as an amplifier, which allows us to channel very high concentrations of power from the core to systems throughout the ship." Without missing a beat, both turned and ran back toward the relay junction, Keith holding the replacement part in his grasp carefully. "The conductive gas housed within is quite unique. As power flows through it, the current is streamlined and reinforced, eliminating transmission loss for better efficiency."
"Interesting," Keith panted, just as they arrived at a small hatch along the wall of the corridor at about stomach height. He stood and watched as Eriras bent down to thumb open a release next to the small unassuming access way. "Do these short out very often?"
Eriras paused with a hand through the now opened threshold. "They do every now and then... but given how new this starship is, this is not a normal problem." The kenseng quickly entered the maintenance tunnel, which required her to crawl on hands and knees down the claustrophobic passageway.
For a moment Keith hesitated. He had never been a fan of small spaces. However, the human shook off his trepidation, and moved to join his crewmate inside the tight confines of the space, careful to keep the fragile relay wrapped under an arm. It didn't help that the maintenance tunnel wasn't very well lit.
"This is probably one of several problems Arastos has had since her launch," Eriras continued, while making her way down the passageway. "This ship is still technically in the middle of her space trials."
Keith offered no reply as he followed the kenseng, watching her dexterous tiger-like tail flick about before him in an effort to ward off his claustrophobic fear. Thankfully the tunnel wasn't more than 30 feet long.
The two crew members soon emerged into a small dimly lit compartment, allowing both to stand once more... though only barely. All around them various equipment interfaces were mounted to the bulkheads in a dizzying array of technology that overwhelmed Keith. However, instead of moving to one of the nearly consoles, Eriras instead knelt down onto the floor.
Keith followed suit as the kenseng began entering commands into a small keypad located on the floor nearby. There was only just enough room for the both of them to kneel, as Eriras was forced to wrap her tail around his waist.
Remembering that the repair kit was still draped around his shoulder by its strap, Keith carefully removed the container and set it back behind him in the passageway they had entered from. After popping the latches, he rummaged around inside... until finding the object he was searching for.
Abruptly the dim atmosphere of the maintenance compartment was replaced with bright vibrant light, causing both occupants to shield their eyes momentarily.
The new light source turned out to be an emergency work light. Instead of using a directorial beam analogous to a common flashlight, the small handheld device draped a given area in a softer illumination by means of an indirect radiance technique, a common technology used throughout the Federation for room lighting.
"Sorry... I should've warned you first," Keith apologized, as he placed the illumination mechanism alongside the repair kit case.
"It's no problem... my species can see superbly in low visibly, but it helps that you can see as well." She suddenly fixed him with a rueful look. "Not... that I feel my race is superior in any way to yours... I'm sorry that I might've implied that."
"Nah... don't worry about it."
Eriras allowed herself a slight smile, before turning her attention back to the keypad. "Alright, I'm going to disconnect the relay module."
The kenseng's warning over the neural link was wordlessly acknowledged by the rest of the crew. Keith felt her tail twitch rigorously as she then toggled the module release, resulting in an audible hiss emanating from alongside the two crew members.
At once, a segment of the floor detached itself from the plating around it, as it popped upward slightly away from the threshold of the deck. Without pause, Eriras deftly hooked her fingers underneath the section's outer edges, and pulled the module component upward further. The result was a rectangular housing coming fully into view, with a relay module similar to the one Keith held cradled inside.
However, this relay component did not possess the vibrant blue gas contained in its central clear housing, but rather what he could only describe as a sort of gray fog. Judging by Eriras's humph of annoyance, this was not a good thing.
"The relay is completely shorted," the kenseng spoke in exasperation. It was at that moment that realization dawned on Eriras, causing her feline ears to splay back with anger and disdain. "This isn't even the correct relay type!" Her words escaped in a nasty hiss from her muzzle. "The goddamned shipbuilders installed the wrong part!"
Keith was caught off guard by the engineer's sudden fury. In confusion he scrutinized both modules carefully... and yes, there was a subtle difference in design. While the relay he held contained a small red decal on one metal side of the cylinder, the one connected did not. There was no chance that ship systems, or Lumina, could have detected the mistake; only a visual inspection would have been capable of uncovering the oversight.
"The module installed is for use on secondary systems," Eriras spat in a rage. "...not for such an application that requires higher power loads like main weapons. It was a wonder we managed two shots before it burned out."
"What's the problem?" Riyla asked cautiously over the interface. Unknown to Eriras, her anger had begun to seep into the link, alarming the rest of the crew.
The engineer quickly brought the others up to speed, and before long her malice was echoed by everyone. It was a mistake that should never have been made, and had the potential to be deadly if an overload had resulted. Yet, there was no time to fret over such an oversight.
Shaking her head, Eriras visibly steeled herself. "Let's get this repair done quickly so we can get back into the fight."
With those words the two set about the careful task of swapping out the damaged module in utmost haste.
All the while, the war continued to rage brutally several light-years away.
***************
"First wave inbound!" the Tactical Officer shouted from his station. "Hostile contact any moment now!"
Taeskea felt himself grip the armrests of his chair forcefully, as he fought valiantly to keep his composure. The words that escaped his mouth were only a whisper. "May the gods have mercy on my soul and those I have sworn to protect."
While Taeskea remained utterly statuesque in his chair, positioned prominently above the other bridge stations, the ship's captain stood just behind him, appearing rather unnerved as the admiral issued a simple command. "Commence firing!"
With most warships once again operational, the Domain fleet had quickly formed back up into defensive clusters. Meanwhile, what remained of the troop transports and supply ships had slipped down to the planet surface below, to take up shelter all across the globe alongside warship assets already in place.
It was an interesting note for Taeskea that the Federation electronic attack had completely left all Domain vessels on the planet surface untouched. Obviously his adversary had no desire to cause unnecessary collateral damage to populated human regions, a fact that the admiral figured he would have to regretfully exploit as a defensive strategy. However, even if his plan managed to repel this counterattack, his supply lines had already been completely decimated. The drala had no idea how he could continue the invasion in light of that disaster. And then there was still the sinister Ebola virus that continued to spread unabated.
Nevertheless, Admiral Taeskea had to focus on one problem at a time, beginning with the major conflict at hand.
Every warship of the tactical cluster orbited parallel to the planet surface below, each vessel presenting its full broadside to the approaching Federation weapons; thus, allowing for more armaments to be brought to bear.
Almost simultaneously, each vessel opened up with a barrage of weapon fire from main cannons as well as smaller defensive turrets... every single weapon that could be targeted was unleashed in a flurry of chaos.
Immediately, the region of space around Earth was covered by a formidable blanket of plasma fire, covering wide swaths of space with green lances of superheated energy in an attempt to intercept the Federation missile strike before damage could be done. The situation was not unlike naval air combat in World War II, as defensive strategies at the time utilized volleys of flak to fill the skies in attempts to down attacking aircraft.
Within moments, small exit apertures began forming all across the region... hundreds... thousands.
Meeting the barrage of plasma fire head on, the first wave of Mark 3 Self-Guided Slipstream Munitions punched back into normal space within visual sight of Domain warships. Instantly, onboard guidance located starship profiles that matched acceptable target information, resulting in each smooth cylindrical weapon altering course toward a given drala vessel.
At once, a number of missiles fell victim to the continuous withering barrage of fire; but, many more still remained. All across the Domain fleet, gunners hastily adjusted targeting to pick off approaching weapons... but there were just too many targets... and not enough time.
The time for the Federation munitions to traverse open space to the armada was only a few merciless seconds.
With gut-wrenching intensity, the flagship's hull shook under the crippling impact of two concurrent detonations. However, unknown to Taeskea, the explosives housed aboard the Federation missiles were not standard high yield conventional arms, but rather a high-tech system designed for one unique purpose.
As part of a multi-pronged assault, the first wave of Self-Guided Slipstream Munitions retained precision energy pulse warheads, designed specifically to disable shields. By imparting a focused spear of energy directly into the shield matrix upon detonation, the warhead was designed to short out the field emitters with a feedback pulse, effectively frying the equipment outright. The idea was to remove the defensive measure so that subsequent attacks with conventional arms had more effect against unprotected targets.
Even the Rodaunm, the Domain's esteemed flagship carrier, succumbed to this crippling unconventional attack.
The lighting on the bridge suddenly flickered while the hull continued to shutter from the blasts, causing the crew to pause for a split moment in apprehension. Thankfully, the illumination again stabilized after a brief moment... belying the severe damage the ship had just sustained.
"Sir! I've lost starboard shields!"
The surprising callout from the nearly Tactical Officer snapped Admiral Taeskea's head about like a whip. "What?! How?!"
There was a moment's pause, as the overwhelmed drala scanned his console display frantically. "I'm not sure... I've lost all of the starboard emitters, sir! We're completely exposed on our broadside!"
"The second wave of inbound missiles is almost upon us, admiral!" The new callout was from the sensor array station, quickly snapping Taeskea out of his inaction.
"Initiate fleet-wide evasive maneuvers!" the admiral practically shouted. "Helm... bring the port broadside to bear against the inbound barrage!"
The order was promptly carried out, as the drala manning the helm station kicked the maneuvering thrusters to their maximum setting. At once the view outside the bridge window changed drastically, the carrier swiftly rolling about on its axis lengthwise to protect the vulnerable portion of the hull.
Taeskea blinked deliberately as the starships orbiting in front of the carrier seemed to roll upside-down to his view. The aura of a shield bubble was distinctly absent around portions of their exposed hulls, with some warships standing completely unprotected altogether.
Each vessel of the tactical cluster had begun making rapid course changes, attempting to escape the kill zone of the incoming second missile barrage. Almost at once, the tight formation of ships disintegrated into a jumbled mess. All the while, gunners continued to inundate the immediate region with continuous unabated weapon fire, fighting desperately to stave off the Federation onslaught.
At that instant, more slipstream apertures began materializing all across Earth's orbit, revealing a second formidable horde of Mark 3 Self-Guided Slipstream Munitions. However, unlike the first wave, this second barrage was armed with conventional high-yield explosive warheads. The aim now was to inflict as much damage as possible against a disorganized and vulnerable adversary.
Again, the withering barrage of defensive fire met the headlong advance of the Federation strike, quickly blotting the expanse of space with numerous detonations around the orbiting Domain fleet. Valiantly, gun crews attempted to defend their ships... but once more, the sheer number of inbound weapons penetrated through the defensive net of fire, quickly homing in toward their targets ruthlessly.
The Rodaunm shuttered violently as a missile impacted squarely along her forward port side hull, the resulting explosive energy of the detonation quickly dissipating outward along the shield bubble. Standing at his command position looking out the forward window, Taeskea could see the protective energy field of the shield flare a brilliant emerald green... before the aura faded back once more to a barely visibly hue.
Another impact rocked the carrier, causing the crew to stumble as the superstructure shook ominously beneath their feet. Taeskea himself had to grab hold of a nearby handrail to steady his balance. Luckily, the lateral port shield array held its own... although only just. Other warships however, weren't as fortunate.
In a blinding flash of light, a battle cruiser just before Taeskea's view took a direct hit along the starboard engine nacelle. In an instant, the stubby superstructure blew apart in twisted chunks of hull, while the kinetic energy imparted from the weapon's detonation punched the stern of the ship around brutally.
All across Earth's orbit, starships succumbed to devastating blows from the Federation barrage. Those left without shields suffered the worst, with major external damage sustained to key systems. In a matter of mere minutes, the organization Taeskea had managed to restore was once more thrown into disarray. While losses were at a minimum, the damage sustained was undoubtedly considerable... although he had no idea just how bad the situation was.
The admiral forcefully turned his attention away from the carnage unfolding just outside the bridge window. "Damage reports?!" he inquired hastily. It was almost impossible to keep his tone calm in the face of such chaos.
For a brief moment the Tactical Officer had no idea what he was supposed to do.
Admiral Taeskea fixed the drala with a composed professional look, and repeated his request evenly... although how he managed to do so was unknown. "Damage report, officer."
The repeated demand snapped the drala out of his stupor. In a rush, he turned to eye is console. "Sir... shields are still holding on the port broadside. We've lost two emitters, but the others are compensating." The officer's gaze turned up toward Taeskea again. "Our shields can't take another hit like that, sir."
"Understood." With a start, Taeskea turned to the Comms Officer at his station. "What is the condition of the fleet?"
The drala officer continued to hold a headset to his ears, his gaze never leaving his console's display. "Sir... the battle network is utter madness ... I can't make heads or tails of what is happening across the armada!"
Taeskea felt a chill run down his spine at the news. He was rapidly losing what control he still had over the battle.
A new callout only deepened his growing panic.
"Admiral! New slipstream incursions... and these are starship signatures!"
***************
With an outward air of complete serenity, Commander Ja'laski stood prominently on the bridge of her flagship, ready to assume her role in the coming battle. There had been ample time to regroup, plan, and position for the Federation counterattack... and now the time had finally arrived for sorely needed revenge.
Ja'laski was the natural choice to assume leadership of the Federation's Earth initiative. With an extensive background in starship command, the elder kyree was no stranger to space combat tactics and warfare. Her muzzle was already adorned with a notable swath of grey that conveyed her wisdom of age, contrasting with the otherwise soft creamy tan fur across the rest of the kyree's figure. Her most striking feature though, was the distinct absence of her right wolfish ear, which served to give Ja'laski a rather intimidating presence to those that served under her command.
Calm, professional, and not without a sense of humor, the kyree was a superb leader within the Federation, perfectly suited to step up into her current role. It was unfortunate that such dire times had necessitated Ja'laski's promotion from command of a small regional fleet detachment. Nevertheless, she was more than ready to take up the fight... ready to finally play her decisive part in the war.
The commanding kyree found herself aboard the Federation Axis vessel Rej'ala, an interceptor type fast attack warship built with a focus on speed and firepower. Possessing a slender delta wing hull configuration comprised of the same metallic blue composite alloy found on Arastos, along with a tripod slipstream nacelle configuration mounted to the aft superstructure, the vessel's appearance was sleek and quick to the eye. Furthermore, the interceptor practically bristled with formidable deck guns and secondary armaments, matching larger Axis starship cruisers in lethality; thus resulting in a combination of swift and deadly attributes.
The role of such a warship was to intercept an adversary and overwhelm the target with firepower in a hit and run type combat strategy, utilizing superior speed to quickly slip away with minimal chance for retaliation from an opponent. Consequently, armor and defensive capabilities had to be sacrificed to optimize the ship for just such a role.
In light of that particularly vulnerable shortcoming though, the Rej'ala had the distinction of being part of the second fastest starship class in the Axis fleet, next to Arastos. And it was this inherent speed which Ja'laski planned to utilize in her attack strategy.
The Rej'ala was joined by 11 of her sister ships, as the small tactical strike detachment hurdled through slipstream toward the disorganized Domain armada. The Federation contingent, while technologically more advanced than its adversary, was hardly a force to reckon with compared to the massive drala fleet. There was absolutely no chance that Commander Ja'laski could hold her own against such superior numbers in a toe-to-toe slugfest of might. That fact notwithstanding, such a brute force strategy was not what the kyree had in mind.
"Slipstream event threshold in one minute, commander."
"Very well," Ja'laski replied promptly to the helmsman's callout. She continued to stare passively out the bridge window into the ominous black void of subspace. Without the ship's sensors, there was absolutely no visual reference to indicate that the Rej'ala was travelling faster than the speed of light.
The imminent battle would be brutal, swift, and ruthless... exactly how she wanted it.
Ja'laski turned to the ship's captain, an intrepid kenseng who stood alongside her with arms folded. "We'll proceed with attack strategy alpha for the time being."
"Aye, commander."
The assets at the kyree's disposal were fairly limited. She had the contingent of interceptors, a handful of larger escort cruisers, and only three carriers at her disposal. What remained of the Federation fleet was tied up elsewhere, protecting valuable targets from any further Domain attacks. There simply weren't enough resources to effectively fight the war... not with the majority of the fleet either destroyed or relegated to emergency dry dock repairs.
Not only that, but the commander was limited on what types of weapons she could actually deploy against the Domain. With the target situated around Earth, the risk of collateral damage was too great for weapons of mass destruction. This included the slipstream based weapons used by the Maryland. If a slipstream fragmentation wave penetrated down into the atmosphere of Earth, the resulting devastation could potentially destabilize the entire planet's magnetic field. The risk was small, but nowhere near worth taking.
Without any heavy-hitting warships or weapons to put into play, Ja'laski instead had to rely on precise coordinated fire. For the moment, the kyree held the slower cruiser and carrier assets back in reserve, while the smaller interceptors forged ahead using speed and maneuverability to gain the advantage. Thankfully, her adversary was hindered by the need to protect Earth, presenting a stationary target that had little room to maneuver. She would make damned sure to exploit that useful fact.
The helmsman snapped the kyree out of her thoughts. "Event threshold approaching...10... 9... 8..."
Visibly the crew steeled themselves around their commander.
"Standby on all weapons," Ja'laski spoke solemnly, as she furtively grasped the handrail before her in preparation, making sure the crew didn't take notice. Hopefully the nasty surprise she had in store for her adversary would be enough to keep the Domain off balance long enough for this plan to work... otherwise this was going to be one hell of a short fight.
"...3... 2... 1..."