Chapter 2: The Beginning of the end
Kate's P.O.V.
... to be greeted by the most horrifying sight ever to be seen on Earth, the small task force guarding Earth's skies was under attack by two alien dreadnoughts while several transports waited right behind. A lucky shot nailed one of the unshielded transports right in the middle causing it to explode. The task force was losing a damaged ship probably a cruiser. Charged straight towards one of the enemy dreadnoughts only to pull aside at the last minute when it blew up for seemingly no reason taking the alien ship with it. There was cheering nearby and I took my eye off of the battle to see where it was coming from. A young pup was standing on the other side of the street clapping and hollering. I walked over and began to talk to him. Why are you cheering we just lost a ship? I asked in a slightly angry voice.
Oh he replied because I was watching with this. the pup said, holding up a telescope. The ship had already launched the lifeboats and was probably on auto-pilot set to explode. Look it did the trick took down a whole dreadnought! This kid was smart I'll give him that but his total lack of regard for the fact that this was real was disturbing. I walked back across the street and resumed watching the battle. There were only two ships left of the defenders another cruiser and a destroyer fighting to protect Earth at all costs. They almost did it too, the shields on the dreadnought dropped but it was too late, a broadside of lasers raked across the unshielded cruiser while a salvo of missiles finished of the destroyer. The cruiser began to fall stuck in the Earth's gravity well. As it fell the cruiser got bigger and bigger before I realized it was going to hit Jasper!
Get inside! I yelled as the burning husk got steadily bigger. The pup on the other side of the road was frozen in shock. I ran over and picked him up before running back to my parent's house.
A few minutes later there was a loud BOOM! followed by an intense shaking of the ground as the 350 foot 10,000 ton craft hit the ground. Igniting in a nuclear flare 2 times over as both reactors went up in nuclear fire. Thankfully, we were outside the blast radius and nuclear reactors put out as little radiation as possible. However, when we stepped out side dropships were burning through the atmosphere towards the cities. We heard the loud Chunk! Chunk! Chunk! Of the local Anti-Air cannon as it tried to stem the tide of ships coming towards us. But there were too many, when the first alien ship reached attack range the land-based cannon killed it. But then another reached attack range, then two more, three, four,five! A red blot exploded from the side of one of the craft, and a few seconds later the A-A cannon stopped firing.
Humphrey's P.O.V.
I don't care how F****** dangerous it is disable the safety's on the hyper drive! I want to be there in 4 days tops! I yelled over the intercom to engineering. Yes sir came the surprised voice of James Mc'Oscar. If there's one thing the captain never does it's yell or swear. thought James as he set to work Something must be pissing him off! Humphrey had told everyone the news it was shocking and disturbing but he had to tell them they had to know what was going on. Everyone was unsettled by the news but Humphrey it seemed was the only one who was actually mad. But really he was scared, Kate was on Earth, she was in danger and she couldn't really defend herself against a space ship.
Humphrey knew he would need to get there before the aliens destroyed Jasper and killed Kate. If Kate is so much as scratched by those monsters so help me God I will rip their throats out with my teeth!
Wow Humphrey is seething with anger.
Kate's P.O.V.
We need weapons. I said after the cannon was destroyed. My mom walked inside and I followed her. She walked to a closet and opened the door. Inside she pressed a button that opened a wall and there was the most beautiful thing I could have seen at that point besides Humphrey or a rescue fleet. A whole cache of small arms and some heavy weapons. My mother grabbed a Laser rifle and mounted a scope on the weapon, she then turned around to see me standing there and she jumped 3 feet in the air it was kinda funny if you didn't think about our impending death. Where did you get all these? I asked in a truly surprised voice.
My mom didn't answer. I walked into the closet and grabbed a silenced plasma assault rifle, I also grabbed some spare ammo, a scope, and a laser sight. I then grabbed a laser pistol for the pup and we walked outside to tell Lily about the weapons. I handed the pistol to the pup and we waited for Lily. She came out with two plasma smg's and a pistol like the one I gave the pup. Mom we don't have any vehicles we can't take the normal car it's too easy to spot and destroy! My mom turned to me and said something I didn't expect in the least.
Follow me. She smiled. It wasn't a nice smile more of a predatory grin. As she walked off towards the garage which I had always wondered about because the entrance was so big. We all walked in and sure enough another button and another wall, but behind this wall was a piece of equipment that I didn't know my father could ever afford. A 'Prowler' stealth assault hover vehicle. It looked reminiscent to a tank but with less armor. However, the big distinguishing feature was the vehicles stealth mode which turned on the photo-reactive plates on the outside making the vehicle blend with it's surroundings. It also had a turret at the back. It was manual or auto whatever you wanted but it was also deadly firing a 70. caliber bolt of plasma into the target which would disintegrate any infantry and make a pretty big hole in vehicles. Best thing was it had room for five.
Though there were only four of us but it only needed three crew members. The other two seats were for covert operators. I decided not to ask where it came from. Now there was only one problem. Does anyone know how to drive this? I asked.
I do replied a male voice from behind us and we all spun around weapons at the ready. Whoa! It's okay, I'm on your side. said a wolf in a Planetary Defense uniform. My base was destroyed by those alien scum and I made it out alive. Now I'm here and I can drive your 'Prowler' for you. He sounded convincing and if what he was saying was true our transport problems were over.
Mom, what do you wanna do with this guy? I asked quietly.
We need him so I guess we let him come and keep an eye on him. Eve replied just as quietly.
Okay you can come with us but we'll be keeping an eye on you Mr...? It was obviously a question.
Corporal Deltman. he replied in his smooth calm way.
I knew what he was doing, he was trying to hit on me. I punched him in the muzzle. You try to hit on me again I'll either kill you or shoot you in a place which will hurt so much you'll be crying. I'm married you pervert! I threatened him.
Humphrey's P.O.V.
Due to repairs made before going into hyper our port broadside was mostly back online, whatever was still left after that battle. We had most of our starboard broadside intact we actually had all of our missile batteries on that side! I just had to hope that the invading fleet wasn't very big. All I have is a damaged dreadnought, a slightly damaged destroyer, and a destroyer with five laser banks on it's port side and a single comm. array! If the enemy had anything like an undamaged dreadnought we were dead meat. If only one of the battleships had survived!
I headed up to the bridge and the familiar call rang out. Captain on deck! Everyone stood up as I made my way to the command chair and sat down. Then everyone else sat down. Astrigation how long until we get to Earth? I asked in the raspy voice that had replaced my normally cheery and playful tenor voice. Three days sir. came the slightly scared voice of the bridge astrogator. Humphrey had become a feared figure among those unlucky enough to be near him when he was unhappy. Humphrey tended to get angry at the time between him and Earth. None of the crew was very sure why he was so mad all the time. Thankfully, Humphrey's focus was diverted to the sound of the grav lift arriving on the bridge. The doors opened to reveal a middle-aged wolf with a bandage wrapped around his head. All heads turned and some of the bridge officers shook their heads to signal him to go away before it was too late, but it already was. As the figure stepped out of the lift the raspy voice asked in what the officers on the bridge knew as anger, but the new wolf didn't know at all Who are you and why are you on my bridge?
Unknown P.O.V.
Who are you and why are you on my bridge? asked the surprisingly young wolf in the command chair. My name is Peter Vorbetsky and I was the captain of the Holy Knight Battleship. I'm here to tell you that your crew has been complaining about your recent behavior a- all the bridge officers eyes had widened and their mouths had dropped open. Who the Hell do you think you are Mr. Vorbetsky? Walking in here like a damn saint telling me about my problems! What the F*** are you thinking?! Get off my bridge! Now Peter understood the head-shakes, they were trying to warn him. Some of the bridge officers crowded in the lift with him.
Peter decided it would be a good idea to ask them a question. Is he always like that? I asked. They all looked at me and one of them answered. Only recently sir. Ever since he got the news about Earth being overrun. We don't know what happened but something about it ticked him off. That was one of the worst explosions yet. You really don't want to talk to him if you can avoid it. By the way, I'm Nicole Wilson the bridge navigator. She reached out to shake my paw and I took her paw and shook it.
Why don't you and me try to find out whats making him angry? With my clearance and your knowledge of the captain I'm sure we can pull it off. She looked hesitant. Okay. Nicole said as we stepped off together towards my quarters that I had received after getting out of Medbay. When we arrived I looked over to her and said There's a replicator for food and beverages over there. I said pointing to a device built into the wall. I walked over to the terminal computer and looked up Humphrey's personal files. Combat experience: First contact serving aboard the battleship 'Gemini' as head tactical officer. Interesting. I in-put a specific query on his files. Query: Relations to Earth? Business: none, Political:none, Familial:Wife, Grandmother-in-law, Sister-in-Law, Naval: Winston Whiteheart-Grandfather-in-Law, Garth Brownstone- Brother-in-Law. I've got the information but I don't think you'll be happy to hear this. I said waiting for an answer. Get on with it I wanna know why he's so angry all of a sudden. Nicole said in an exasperated voice. Okay but this only goes between you,me, and the cabin hatch. He has a wife on Earth, along with her family of whom two of which have gone into service.
A.N. The last part was kind of a filler and I wanted you to get a sense of how angry and worried Humphrey is. R&R. 3rd chapter comes out soon.