Endless silence

Ratra'kor'El'kais stood silent in the command bridge in his brand new starship, The endless silence.

The endless silence was a custodian class a somewhat hybrid between a carrier and a grand cruiser, she was almost four times the size of the aging Explorer class battleship, and held numerous squadrons of barracuda's and manta's in her six launch bays and of course armed to the teeth with railguns, mass drivers and ion cannons. This ship is a true piece of art, the earth caste had sure done a magnificent work in designing and building this ship with this quality and at such a small timeframe, a perfect in such troubled times. He thought for himself.

Kor'O, our orders? His navigational officer, shas'vre la'enra, shall we disengage from the station?

Yes, move us away so we can engage our gravity drives, our orders are to randevouz with bork'an hunter cadre's and we will receive new set of orders in orbit.

Aye sir, diverting 20% of power to the engines, moving away from the station, activatin gravity generator, charge 85% full power in twenty seconds, input coordinates for Bork'an, la'enra.

Yes sir, data inputted activating gravity drive. We will reach Bork'an in seven hours.

Good I´m going down to my quarters alert me instantly if anything is out of the ordinary, and ask O'shova to speak to me

ETA to Bork'an four hours, in warp space, The endless silance.

Ratra'kor'kais'O watched holograms of his previous mission in his old cruiser, the midsummer night, the imperial navy had surrounded the main fleet, and where pounding them with lances strikes and heavy cannons, it was pure luck or faith that his cruiser had been cut off from the tau main force, the imperial navy and there space marines reinforcements had caught off guard and neautralized the tau fleet in few minutes. He closed his eyes and thought of his rise to the rank of admiral.

The midsummer night, in orbit of cals'eas on the edge of the damocles gulf. 4 years earlier

Commander Ratra'kor'vre sat in the first mates chair, in the captains absence he was in command of the ship, and under such circumstances he wished he wasn't their ship had caught an EMP flair of unknown origins and had shut down the engines, not permanently but enough for the ship to disengage the gravity drives and reboot. He watched each and every one of them do their work in well rehearsed order.

manning the navigation was kor'la'almera, which the rest of the bridge crew called "lucky" for an incident in the naval academy back on Bork'an, although lucky didn't want to admit it, rumor was that he and an admirals daughter had gone "missing" the very next day had he been shipped out to a security station on the edge of the tau empire.

On his right, the communication officer Hikowa, she had a talent for every sensor, code breaking and dirty routing tricks in the book, she was also a very promising programmer and hacker and had a good reputation in battle. Although her out-of-the box tactics and attitude had gotten very much attention and criticism, many said that this was not "the tau way"

On his left though was without a doubt on of the most troubled individual in the fleet, kor'ui van'tra, he had more combat experience than anyone aboard the ship, been in seventeen engagements in his career, many Kor'la should have risen in rank with such experience behind him, but he was a serous case of Insubordination, and had been demoted four times, and this warrior was manning the weapon station, however Ratra had to admit, he was a crack shot.

The rest of the bridge crew where all drones, Ratra had mixed feeling about the use of drones in operating half a million ton of starship! But drones where programmed, they didn't question orders or second guess them, they followed orders instantly and where very precise in all manners.

Commander, Hikowa reported. Our drones have finished the repairs and startup, there is no permanent damage to the main reactor, and we can continue with our mission.

"good, divert twenty percent of power to the engines and charge up our gravity drives." Ratra replied.

Sir…. I´m picking up a faint signal, enhancing signal, isolating, on screen.

The main view screen flickered twice as the video link established. It was Aun'El shor'es the ethereal aboard the emissary cruiser, "calm seas" a part of their own fleet, he had a deep cash on his face and wrecks of ships could be seen behind, lifeless in the cold silent void.

Commander! Our fleet has been attacked. I need you to fall back to the next waystation and ask for re-enforcements. Wait, evasive!...the screen went static and the holograph faded away… communication officer ores'tash, try to re-establish contact.

There is no reply, expanding laser, getting a signal, Sir! seven large tonnage ships just went to warp, they are heading this way. Lucky reported, your orders? "everyone maleyour stations!" Ratra barked. Give me 100% of the reactor, flight crews get to your ships, divert twenty percent to the engines, deflector shields at full charge, charge all weapons and seal all bulkheads.

Everyone of the flight crew responded with a slight jump, they knew the odds, one explorer class cruiser against seven imperial ships! An even fight were twenty cruisers, maybe sixteen with a no small amount of luck, but they had mandate to avenge their fallen brethren and the superior ethereal Aun'O Shor'eas.

The midsummer night, in orbit of cals'eas on the edge of the damocles gulf. On high alert.

The imperial fleet materialized about three million kilometers ahead of the midsummer night, consisting of three cruisers, two grand cruisers, a battleship and a carrier, they where outgunna by twenty. they instantly launched multiple squadron of fighters and bombers, and all mantas aand barracudas where having a tough time thinning them out for the AA batteries, "requesting permission to divert more power to defensive batteries" vantra asked his commander.

"negative, keep capacitors at 100% and have all power to deflectors and engines. He replied calmly, he was finally able to calm his nerves down. Not an easy thing when your ship was on direct course to an imperial navy battlegroup.

Enemy contacts approaching extreme range for our forward weapons batteries hikowa reported.

Noted. Ratra acknowledged, overcharge the capacitors for our railguns to 140% and execute a slingshot orbit around cals'eas and come about to heading…one, eight…seven, prepare all ordnance aboard lock onto the cruiser to hit….two seconds after impact from our guns, execute this maneuver as soon as the enemy has surpassed Cals'eas.

Yes sir the bridge crew responded in a unison, programming and preparing for this daring maneuver.