HOMEWORLD2: WRATH OF THE GODS
CHAPTER 22: RESCUE
"Far Jumping remains a total and complete mystery even after years of progress in the field of hyperspace technology. In all these decades, we could only gather that the standard hyperspace modules used by ships the Galaxy over differ from the Hyperspace Cores in terms of jump duration and speed. Standard hyperspace modules allow jumps up to eight hours in duration, with transit speeds ranging from 70 000 to 100 000 c. Synchronising the modules in a Synchronised Hyperspace Jump improves this slightly, upping jump duration to 12 hours and increasing speed to 120 000 c."
"Meanwhile, further research has determined the Hyperspace Cores' jump durations to be somewhere around 20 hours, with transit speeds around 10 000 000 c. In short, a Hyperspace Core would have the ability to cover the distance between Hiigara and Kharak in approximately two jumps."
"With that in mind, the Grand Core's abilities are even more incredible. It can sustain a jump for up to 100 hours with transit speeds in excess of 3 billion times the speed of light. This would make travel between galaxies and even galactic clusters a real possibility."
"What surprises me is not their capabilities, but that fact that standard fusion plants aboard the Mothership are able to provide sufficient power to charge a Hyperspace Core in a matter of minutes. This leads me to believe that the secret to Far Jumping lies not in the extending of jump ranges via improved energy technology, but rather some algorithms that might cut the power involved in hyperspace jumping and hence allow for increased jump ranges."
Kiir Sjet's research logs
Onboard the Legacy of Kharak, the Southern Fringe:
The message had only been received mere minutes before, but Eefrit had already taken a shuttle back to the Legacy. Kiir remained on the Koshiir Ra, choosing instead to return via the virtual world. Meanwhile, the shuttles continued to stream in, carrying ranking officers of the various carriers and command ships.
As the Mothership prepared for the emergency meeting, the rest of the fleet clustered around the vessel for added protection. Now that nearly every important person in the fleet was onboard the Legacy, its preservation was crucial. Yuno had taken security one step further by activating the Legacy's and Pride's gravity well generators, as well as ordering the Kuun Lan, Faal Corum and Paaura to power up their hyperspace dampening fields. Hopefully this would halt any hostile hyperspace activity within a one light-second radius.
Minutes later, the officers walked into the large debrief room. Previously used for the final debrief during the Mothership's epic entry into the Hiigaran System, the room was virtually untouched in all the decades that had passed thus far.
The officers settled down quickly and the lights dimmed as Yuno's hologram shimmered into view on the projector.
"I apologise for the short notice given with regards to this meeting," Yuno began, "But we received an urgent message a few minutes ago from the Sajuuk. I will now play the recording for all to hear."
With that, Yuno's hologram shimmered and was replaced by one of Karan's. Everyone watching gasped at the sight of an exhausted Karan, but the shock would only amplify as the message began.
"This is Karan Sjet of the Hiigaran warship Sajuuk. If you have received this message, then the Sajuuk would already be in Nalthoran possession. I was hiding the ship amongst the Bentusi Ruins when the Nalthorans arrived. They were assisted by the T-MAT, which disabled the Sajuuk's control systems and allowed the Nalthorans to board."
"The Nalthorans have agreed to spare our lives while they tow the Sajuuk into high orbit around Nalthora. I am also hoping for their Queen to agree to an audience with me so that we may understand this sudden diplomatic change. If the Queen refuses, then it is likely that all our lives will be in danger."
"I am sure that the Exodus Fleet has encountered many trials and tribulations in the preservation of the colonists, and I thank you all for your efforts. However, it is crucial that a rescue team is sent to Nalthora. Not to save our lives, but to reclaim the Sajuuk. You see, the Sajuuk being in the Nalthorans' possession will no doubt tip the balance of power in the Galaxy. This is something we cannot afford in the face of the Progenitor threat."
"This is not an order, merely an urgent request. If a team is sent eventually, you must keep in mind that the Sajuuk's recovery is the priority, and our well-being secondary. Whatever your response, Hiigara must be preserved. We have come so far and cannot afford to lose this war."
"May Sajuuk watch over us all. Karan out."
The hologram faded from view as Yuno flickered into focus once more. She waved a hand and brought up a galactic map. The projection zoomed into Nalthoran space and displayed the Nalthoran system.
"Now back to the matter at hand. We don't have much information on Nalthoran military strength owing to the courtesies of our Neutrality agreement. However, Hiigaran Fleet Command did own a shielded probe hidden in the star system, which should provide us with some data."
The star system map now lit up with an orange orbiting patch that represented the asteroid belt, and within the belt was the green dot of the surveillance probe.
"In order to avoid detection, the probe sends phased telemetric updates on a weekly basis at random intervals. As such, whatever information we have is not going to reflect the current situation. Our last update was three days before the Exodus."
The information appeared on the projection as the entire image zoomed up close to the planet Nalthora. A large mothership-class structure was displayed plainly in high orbit, surrounded by a substantial fleet comprising ships up to the cruiser-class.
"Assuming that fleet expansion has not taken place on a large scale in the last week or so, we can expect to be looking at a force made up of at least a hundred frigates and a few dozen destroyers and cruisers. This shouldn't warrant more than a standard mothership strike force. As things stand right now, the Shipyard Naabal is working overtime to increase our battlecruiser count, and we're pulling crews out of cryofreeze to man them. At the moment we have four battlecruisers and a fifth is scheduled for launch within the hour."
"The Somtaaw heavy dreadnoughts, our cruiser-class vessels, total 12 at the moment. Kuun Lan, Faal Corum and Paaura are currently in production of a total of three more, which are expected to be completed within 50 hours. As for the destroyers, the Legacy and Pride are set to launch four in the next 48 hours, bringing our destroyer total to 30."
"When the preparations are done, the strike force will consist of one mothership or command ship, three battlecruisers, five heavy dreadnoughts, 10 destroyers, at least 20 frigates and an accompanying carrier. Since our battlecruisers can easily handle the Nalthoran cruisers with dreadnought support, it will free up our destroyer force to pick off the defending frigates which make up the majority of their fleet. This will allow our marines to go in and…"
"Yuno, I have a point to raise," interrupted Captain Soban. All eyes in the room turned immediately to him. "Wouldn't it be dangerous for us to divert nearly half our fleet to retrieving the Sajuuk? And furthermore, a mothership-class vessel? I mean, here we are in unknown territory and we have utterly no idea when the Tobari will strike again."
"Yes, it will be dangerous," Yuno replied, "But as Karan has said, the Sajuuk's recovery is a priority. Even if we possess the Koshiir Ra, a non-functional ship is as good as a dead one."
"Yuno, I would like to propose that you send one ship alone, my Dreadnaught, to execute the recovery."
"What?"
"I'm pretty sure the Gatekeeper's shields can absorb whatever the Nalthorans can throw at us, so long as battlecruiser-classes are out of the picture. It would be far safer – we could do more with less!"
"But Captain Soban, I have yet to elaborate on another tactical aspect. The Gatekeeper of Sajuuk may be more than able to deal with the Nalthoran fleet, but against the T-MAT it will be a much harder match. After all, the T-MAT assisted the Nalthorans in the capture of the Sajuuk, meaning it is more than likely for them to assist the Nalthorans again."
"If you're worried about the T-MAT," Soban countered, "You can always send just along a few capital ships for safety. It would still take far fewer resources than your proposed strike force. Besides, we're only just going to retrieve the Sajuuk, not destroy the T-MAT and Nalthorans."
Yuno paused and considered Soban's suggestion. "Please, Yuno, this will work. All you have to do is give the order," urged Soban.
A minute passed before Yuno nodded in agreement. With that, Soban stood up, saluted smartly, and left promptly to prepare for departure.
Onboard the Merciless, high orbit over New Taiidan:
Admiral Ecron gazed at the lush green world of New Taiidan. This planet was a far cry from the old world of Taiidan in the Inner Rim, whose surface had been scarred over the millennia from wars and unchecked development. The final blow had been struck during the climactic showdown between the Taiidan Republic and the Imperialist Alliance – missiles rained down relentlessly upon the planet as the Imperialists attempted to take over the capital world, while Republic ships crashed onto the surface.
When the battle had ended with the complete and utter defeat of the Taiidan Republic, the planet had been ruined beyond repair and rendered completely uninhabitable. With Hiigaran reinforcements en route to the star system, the Imperials had no choice but to retreat beyond the Imperial Frontier. In search of a new capital world, a suitable planet had been found on the outskirts of the Northern Fringe and it was dubbed New Taiidan.
"Admiral, the Council is asking that we dock at Central Command Station for final adjustments to the Merciless' systems," an officer reported, "They are transmitting docking vectors right now."
"Then proceed with the docking," replied Ecron, "Is there anything else?"
"The Council also wishes to see you planetside regarding the Hiigarans' destruction."
"Planetside? I can brief them just as well as from orbit."
"I'm sorry, Admiral, but the Council's orders are that they see you in person."
"Whatever they want, it had better be important…" muttered Ecron as he swept off towards the hangar bay.
Onboard the Koshiir Ra, the Southern Fringe:
Kiir Sjet continued searching through the incredible databanks of the Koshiir Ra. Just a few minutes ago, he had believed the Sajuuk's archives to be amongst the greatest discoveries ever made in Hiigaran history, but the Koshiir Ra now looked set to displace that achievement.
Kiir looked through databank after databank, finding more treasures as he did so. When he at last came to the section containing hyperspace research data, Kiir could barely contain his excitement. He held his breath for a few moments, telling himself that this was it, and accessed the data block.
Lines upon lines of hyperspace and quantum waveform data assaulted his senses, and Kiir reeled slightly. He quickly scanned through the massive bulk of information, extracting what was important and discarding the rest. Several minutes passed before Kiir stumbled across experimental data on Phasing technology and Far Jumping. He didn't hesitate in reading what it had to offer.
All of a sudden, everything became clear.
Onboard the Qwaar Jet, hyperspace transit:
Kaark had received the reports from scout ships moving outwards from Hiigaran space, and he knew what he had to do next. Now that the Hiigarans were most definitely out of the equation with the destruction of Hiigara, along with the Vaygr, he had to focus on the other powers that could threaten his reign.
The first power that came to mind was the Imperial Alliance. Recon vessels entering the Imperial Frontier had met with resistance from patrol fleets, confirming a status of hostility between his forces and the Imperials.
The second power was the T-MAT race. Kaark had heard little from them, but he knew that they were out there somewhere. Long range sensors had given him glimpses of megaships slipping around the main fleet, gathering data briefly before escaping into hyperspace. Being an Unbound race, he respected their power but took relief in the fact that nothing could possibly match up to Progenitor technology.
The last power was the Nalthorans, and where he was headed for now. At first, he didn't think much of hem when considering where to begin the main invasion corridor. However, scouts reported the Nalthorans' successful capture of the Sajuuk. Even if it was with T-MAT assistance, the fact remained that the Nalthorans were now a force to be reckoned with. After all, Sajuuk was one of the Three Gods, a formidable vessel. With Koshiir Ra probably out of the picture with eons of decay, he would eliminate the last possible resistance to Progenitor power in the Galaxy.
The shipboard computers began beeping to indicate the approaching hyperspace exit. It would take the fleet another two more jumps to reach the Nalthoran system, but that would change once they got hold of the Sajuuk and its Far Jumping capabilities.
Onboard the Gatekeeper of Sajuuk, the Southern Fringe:
"Engineering here, final preps are done. The Gatekeeper can't be more ready."
"Good work Engineering," Soban mentioned, "Helm, what's the news on the NAV systems?"
"NAV systems are fully restored and functioning at 100 efficiency. We won't be getting lost out there."
"Captain Soban, are you there?" Yuno's voice came through on the communications channel.
"Soban here, we're good to go."
"I'm assigning the battlecruiser Omniscient, the destroyers Sigma II and Theta V, and the carrier Cosmos to your taskforce. The Cosmos will be accompanied by a squadron of 10 ion frigates, 5 flaks and 5 torps. They'll be forming up on your flanks anytime now."
"Isn't that a little too…"
"No arguments, Captain. It's already a greatly reduced number from the fleet initially proposed," Yuno retorted firmly, "I won't take any chances at losing an important ship and crew such as yours Soban."
"Alright then," Soban sighed, "I see the ships forming up around us. We should be ready for the jump now."
"To avoid detection of the Grand Core's power signature, I can only jump you as far as the Great Wastelands. You'll have to continue the rest of the journey on your own hyperspace jumps. When you retrieve Karan and the Sajuuk, use the Three Cores to get back to the Southern Fringe. Understood?"
"Got it, Yuno."
"Hyperspace coordinates locked in. Captain Soban, good luck."
"No worries, we'll get back in one piece."
"Grand Core engaged!"
The Gatekeeper and the taskforce vanished into hyperspace.
Imperial Hive, Nalthoran Capital City:
Queen Dosis ended her long discussion and shut down the Exchange Unit. She waved a hand and attendants came forward to remove the Unit. At this moment, a messenger came in with news.
"My Queen, the Fleet has arrived," the messenger reported, "They are parking in high orbit right now, and Karan is being brought down via shuttle."
"Excellent," commented Dosis, "What about the Sajuuk?"
"The Sajuuk is being docked with the Stargazer and we are putting our science teams onboard right now. We should be able to gain control of the ship in the next few hours."
"When will the Sajuuk-Khar arrive?"
"Anytime within the hour. I suppose you wish me to relay the message to the kitchens?"
"Of course, and tell them to hurry. The Imperial Banquet must be ready by the time Karan steps into this hall. You are dismissed."
The messenger left quickly and Queen Dosis got up, walking over to the window again. She took in a breath of fresh air, then went to get ready for the event.
Onboard the Koshiir Ra, the Southern Fringe:
Kiir opened his eyes as he removed himself from the system. At the same time, the doors to the bridge opened and in came Eefrit and his team.
"Good work Kiir on finding the bridge," Eefrit complimented as he set his men to their tasks, "You wanted to see me about something?"
"Yes, I would like to return to the Legacy of Kharak at once to continue my research."
"I see. Well, that is granted then."
"But I also need full access to construction and sensor systems for my research. In fact, I need the capabilities for hyperspace module construction."
"That's a lot of stuff you're asking for," Eefrit whistled, "Why do you need all that suddenly?"
"I went through the databanks of the Koshiir Ra and got this insight regarding hyperspace technology. I'd like to put it into practice right away."
"Well then, I think I can grant that too," replied Eefrit, "Good luck to your research then."
"Thanks a lot, Eefrit," Kiir beamed as he raced for the door, "See you around!"
Kiir ran down the corridor, increasing his speed via his abilities. He was anxious to put this new discovery into reality right away, and the idea of Far Jumping being finally within their grasp was irresistible. Most importantly, if his experiment worked, he could at last complete his dream.
His dream was not to replicate the Far Jumper, but to transcend it. It was, after all, the next logical step.
It didn't take him long to reach the hangar bay. Wasting no time, he hopped onboard a shuttle bound for the Legacy and the ship shot off into space. Watching the massive Mothership loom up before him, Kiir could barely contain his excitement.