Chapter 31
Let the battle for existence begin!
###
The orders were the oddest Commander Jryzkenri had received in her long military career. Lead an armada into Commonwealth space to defend an uninhabited planet against a vaguely defined adversary for unspecified reasons. She and her fleet were to fight along side Commonwealth soldiers whom not long ago were mortal enemies. Wounds from that war hadn't yet healed, and the joint operation didn't sit well with most of the fleet's senior officers.
But Jryzkenri followed orders, especially those issued directly by Emperor Ztar. And so her ship, Remwarge, and nine Class 1 heavy cruisers had left Turzent space 38 ISD prior to rendezvous with the Commonwealth fleet before heading for the final coordinates of a supposedly barren planet called Atmos Prime.
One standard hour earlier, her fleet joined a dozen Commonwealth ships. As final approach grew near, she reviewed again the mission briefing that was frustratingly void of detail. Enemy ships may or may not be present; if they were, a fight to the death was expected. Described only as black oblong vessels, the report warned they were immune to phase blasts and possibly cloaked to the point of being invisible to even military sensors, but the cloaking was rumored – rumored! – to be unsustainable during battle. Jryzkenri cursed MI's apparent failure to confirm hearsay and was tempted to make an offering to the Turzent war gods that the rumors were right or they'd be fighting blind.
In another strange twist, each Turzent ship had undergone the most bizarre modification, including the Commander's battle-hardened cruiser. Old fashioned laser guns?! Those were obsolete two generations prior. And not hyper-focused laser cannons, mind you, but ancient dispersion beam. So much wasted energy for a brilliant lightshow! What manner of threat were they potentially facing? According to the briefing, apparently an enemy that couldn't tolerate intense light. Despite the report, the seasoned warrior would not hold back in confirming firsthand the efficacy of phase cannons.
"Commander, we have arrived at the coordinates. Disengaging FTL drive," Comm announced, breaking into Jryzkenri's cogitation.
"Follow the Commonwealth in."
"Acknowledged."
As the two-realm armada cautiously approached the Atmos star system, sensors detected no other ships, no signs of life, not so much as a wayward power signature. Authority over the joint operation fell to Commonwealth Fleet Commander Vio. At his orders, part of the Commonwealth contingent broke off and proceeded to Atmos Prime, the sun's single planetary satellite.
Jryzkenri strode to the tactical station and peered past her TO at the graphical sensor display. Icons representing the advance team moved steadily nearer the planet. All remained quiet.
When informed the sector had no sensor buoys, she had been dumbfounded. That had prevented any early reconnaissance sweeps. What sort of security network did the Commonwealth run? Commonwealth Fleet Commander Vio had quickly explained that the area was highly restricted by edict from the uppermost levels of their government…so restricted that even military sentry buoys were banded. What could the uninhabited star system be hiding that even their military was barred? Intrigue multiplied.
Minutes dragged as scouts performed extensive sensor exploration. Nothing. The order came from Vio for the rest of the fleet to proceed. Warnings of enemy cloaking technology would not let anyone sigh in relief. Tension vibrated the air on Jryzkenri's bridge.
The Turzent commander agreed when the next comm ordered her contingent to hold one AU back from the planet.
"Anything on sensors?" she queried Tactical despite knowing if there were, she would be informed instantly.
"No, Commander," TO Dehtag confirmed.
As Commonwealth ships encircled the planet, Jryzkenri ran through scenarios of ambush she'd lay if the enemy. Many more options opened up if one could hide behind invisibility. That they may be surrounded at that very moment gave the war-savvy Commander an uncharacteristic case of jitters.
"Dehtag, be certain we're scanning for anything, and I mean anything that moves. If so much as a solar particle drifts by, I want to know."
The Themran gave her an inquisitive look with a single, raised red eyebrow. Impish features created an almost comical expression that made Jryzkenri internally smirk despite tension. Taken literally, her order was ridiculous, but the officer understood the intent.
"Yes, Commander."
###
Nearing Atmos Prime, Commander Vio was taking no chances. Cloaked ships were the thing of military nightmares if you were the one lacking. It was that very ability he knew their government was attempting to develop. Not that they were an aggressive realm, but defensively, it would provide major advantages.
Thus far, sensors were clear and readings of the planet revealed nothing other than a barren planet – hot, dry, and lifeless. For longer than he'd been in Joint Defense, the Atmos System was a restricted area, and he'd sometimes wondered why. On their mission, curiosity might be satisfied.
The fleet's angle of approach put the star visually to the left rear and 'below' the planet. Vio rarely approached a hostile planet in line with its orbital plane…way too predictable and indicative of two-dimensional thinking. He mindfully took full advantage of all three dimensional axes. It'd saved him on numerous occasions against less experienced opponents.
Vessels took their predetermined positions in staggered formation around the desolate world. Vio's command ship, simply known as C1, slipped into an optimum point somewhat farther back, providing a broader visual perspective. The battle-hardened Commander was old-fashion in certain ways – he preferred a visual lay of the 'land' and his enemy…he was not one to rely solely on sensors and computers.
Tension grew. Prickles traced Vio's spinal ridge. All wasn't as it appeared.
"Officers, report!" he ordered briskly while studying the large holo-display of the brown, cloudless planet.
"Comm quiet, sir."
"Tactical at the ready."
"Sensors clear."
"Ops at nominal."
"NavConn holding position."
Vio could have learned all that and more from his command station display, but his old school side favored verbal reports most times.
"I don't like this," he muttered to no one in particular. With quick inputs, he scanned the status feeds coming in from the other Commonwealth ships under his command. All quiet. Too quiet, he felt.
###
Communication arrays on the Ekkamm-contingent vessels woke as their destination drew near. A simple comm ping confirmed to all they were two Unified Hours out from Atmos System, or roughly three Imperial Standard Hours. Shortly before departing, Phai had ordered the entourage to synchronize to the ancient U'larr time measure.
Unease intensified. What would they face? Besides an expected Dark Ones blockade, were other threats laying in wait? And if they overcame all impediments, would the Sentinel and ultimately the Library of All Knowledge named Etxan'Ir recognize the Esha'Aru clones and Shozen as rightful heirs to the U'larr technology? Would Ztar live or die?
"Can we detect anything yet?" Warren asked as he entered the bridge. Ettwanae was already seated in the sole bridge chair.
"Two Unified Hours out is too distant to detect anything other than the presence of the planet," Volu answered. "Uulophar is highly advanced, and even it cannot discern details at this range."
"What about Commonwealth sensor arrays?"
"Uulophar informed me there are none."
Warren's eyebrows shot up. "Odd."
"Not really. She stated Shozen operatives within the Commonwealth government had long ago declared the area as Level 5 Restricted and forbade any such devices."
"Is there anywhere Phai and company don't have influence?" he questioned sardonically.
Ettwanae reached up to grasp his hand and squeeze gently. "It was necessary."
He grunted. "I understand that and the motivations for the immoral activities, but their methods are still wrong. And it's personal – their puppets kidnapped Ztar and me and performed experiments on us. Not sure I can fully set any of that aside."
The golden-haired head nodded. "We're of like mind, but they have also made great sacrifices. I'm willing to grant them a little leeway as the stakes are so very high."
Warren leaned down and kissed the top of Ettwanae's head. "You're too forgiving," he murmured into the silky locks.
She jerked. "Who said anything about forgiving? I'm simply saying I can understand how dire circumstances drove them to extreme measures."
Warren righted himself and laughed. "Now you're sounding a little like a certain burly X-Man I know."
She twisted around to look up and back at him around a wing arch. "Who is that?"
"Logan, also known as Wolverine. Tough as nails and often resorts to extreme measures himself, which he can somehow always justify."
Ettwanae worked herself up into a kneeled position backward in the chair, forearms resting on the narrow back. "So I remind you of a tough X-Man?"
The glint in her eyes spread warmth through Warren's chest. "Yup, you're becoming one tough cookie."
An instantly offended look spread across the delicate features, and she swatted his arm with her free hand. "Becoming? I think I was pretty tough before we met!"
"Sorry!" He held up his hands in surrender with a snicker.
Ettwanae coiled a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him in for a passionate kiss that stirred libido and had Warren moaning with longing. Then she released him abruptly, turned around, and sank back down into the command seat. "Tough and sexy. Don't you forget it!"
'Tough, sexy, and a tease!' He chastised silently, but lovingly. Warren redirected himself to their mission, hoping Aru urges would quickly fade.
"Volu, what's the game plan for arrival?"
"At the edge of sensor range, we will halt to perform a sweep of the system. The joint fleet should be on the scene."
"Why not comm ahead?"
"Phai prefers our arrival to be unannounced…she is leery of Dark Ones intercepting communications."
He nodded. "How long before we reach the stopping point."
"Bae and Uulophar are coordinating. Whichever first establishes detailed sensor contact with Atmos will issue the all-stop order."
"Why aren't you included?" Ettwanae questioned.
"Because of Bae's enhancements and Uulophar's advanced technology, both of their reaches exceed mine. We tested our ranges en route."
Warren's crossed his arms. "Who's in command of the joint operation?"
"Right now, the Commonwealth. However, according to Uulophar, the Shozen are ultimately in control. They have an operative on scene."
###
Heads turned as a lone figure stepped onto the bridge of Vio's battle cruiser. The Commander groaned internally. Commonwealth High Command saw fit to send an Overseer. They were the bane of every ship's captain or fleet leader. Tev was his name.
Overseers were observers posted to a ship to ensure civilian interests were protected during certain military operations. Rarely were they savvy to military tactics and sensibilities, which often led to confrontations and cross-purposes. While they had no direct authority over military personnel, if a particularly negative report was issued by an Overseer, it could wreak havoc on one's career.
Tev was different. The Overseer had been granted power that Vio had never heard of and wouldn't have believed if the orders hadn't come directly from the highest levels of military authority. Tev could actually take command of the fleet.
Ludicrous! Incomprehensible! But those were the orders. Vio could only hope that circumstances did not arise to prompt such a move. What those circumstances might be, he was not privy to, and it made him burn.
"Commander Vio," the tall, wiry Umbian addressed with a slight dipping of the head.
"Overseer Tev," the Command replied tersely.
Why the Umbian went by a name more akin to Vio's species, he didn't know. Perhaps there was some Wrutac in his genetic makeup, though outwardly, there was no evidence to support the hypothesis.
"Any sign of the Eilu?"
"Not as yet." Vio turned away from the unwanted passenger. He'd not encourage more questions. Regardless of the shocking orders, the mission was Vio's, and he had to focus on that; not pandering to a bureaucrat.
Strained silence filled the bridge for many long moments as senior officers concentrated on anything other than the obvious friction between potentially opposing forces.
###
Taer's circulatory system clenched. She didn't have a true heart like many species, but several small pumping chambers throughout her body. Having experienced the sensation once before, she now understood the cause of the physical response.
Fear was unappealing, but appropriate as the scale of what they faced became clear. Shozen sensors were the first to detect the Eilu ships while Commonwealth and Turzent vessels were still unaware. Taer immediately reached out telepathically to Tev, their representative on the fleet command ship. She felt his mental chill with her warning.
Taer and her small entourage had arrived ahead of the joint armada, performing a risky maneuver out of FTL to halt abruptly deep within the star's solar winds at the fringe of the corona. Despite powerful shields, heat was straining every ship system, but they only needed to survive there a few hours. Hope had rested on interference from Atmos' outer atmosphere to mask their arrival from Eilu sensors. If discovered, the sun's blinding intensity should cripple any Eilu vessels coming too close; yet the enemy could attack in a less direct manner…they were not to be underestimated.
At first, Taer had wondered if perhaps they had been wrong about what would be awaiting them. However, that made so sense. The Eilu knew what the artificial planet called Atmos Prime truly was; had trespassed upon its surface in the past, attempted to force themselves within, and promptly learned the error of their ways.
Then in quiet drama, the magnitude of situation unfolded as Eilu ships began emerging from whatever deep-phase state they'd been in. Her spirit sank. So many…
###
"They are here."
The simple declaration was sudden. Vio swung around to Tev. "If you know that, then you have abilities that surpass our sensors."
The Overseer's gaze trailed slowly from the large holo display at the front of the bridge to latch onto Vio's coppery eyes. He remained quiet as a stoic look settled over the sharp Umbian features. The military man's displeasure upticked. Who or what was Tev?
"Commander!" the TO's voice sliced the tension. "Sensors are detecting…something."
Just as Vio turned toward the forward holo screen, a faint shadowy form slowly became visible; then solidified into a black, spiky mass some distance off their bow. If the object was a ship, it was the strangest looking craft he'd ever seen. Strange and ominous.
"'Something' doesn't give me much, Officer Pae," he snapped, then looked to the Sensor/Science station. "Can you provide more?"
"Sensors are experiencing difficulty. They know it's there, but…" The Sen/Sci Officer tweaked controls and settings.
"Officer Sepa-Otu…" Vio grew impatient quickly with the lack of substantive data.
"Whatever that is, sensors are unable to identify. It appears to be in a semi-phased state…little to lock onto." The officer looked up from his station monitors toward the Commander. "All I can tell you is that an anomalous object has materialized."
"That much I can see!" Vio's discomfort increased, resulting in a private snort.
"There are more."
Vio shot a perturbed look at Tev. "How do you know that? Telepath? Empath?"
"More objects appearing!" Sepa-Otu called out.
Tev's aloof air melted away to a decidedly troubled one. "Commander Vio, I suggest you prepare for battle. The situation is far graver than we anticipated. Your fleet is in great danger."
###
Commander Jryzkenri watched the holo display scroll sensor outputs and flash various images across the front of Remwarge's bridge. Black mass after black mass revealed itself. For every Commonwealth ship, there were two, albeit smaller, enemy vessels. It was an assumption that the anomalous objects were ships as they fit the vague description in the mission briefing. If correct, the Commonwealth fleet was surrounded and outnumbered. Throw in Turzent forces, and the count was about even…if, and that was a big if, the enemy had fully revealed itself.
Jryzkenri would jump to no such conclusions.
"Battle alert!" she commanded. People and computers throughout the fleet would instantly respond. Seasoned warriors would need all of 10 toni to move from general alert status to fully armed and ready for combat.
"Any sign of those things nearby?"
"Sensors clear."
"Don't be fooled," she warned her bridge crew, knowing it really wasn't necessary. "How's the Commonwealth reacting?"
"Standard hails. No response from the black ships," her Comm Officer related.
"Any sign of other ships approaching the system?"
A slight hesitation from Sen/Sci as the officer rechecked long-range readings. "None that we can detect, Commander."
The fleet was to defend Atmos Prime in such a way as to allow a landing party to get to the planet's surface. That contingent was supposed to arrive shortly after the joint fleet. Who the contingent was, why they needed to get planetside, or the reasons an enemy named Eilu would attempt to prevent that wasn't included in the briefing – nor was information on what the barren Atmos Prime held that would precipitate a battle.
Her orders were simple: make certain the landing party got through…no matter the cost or method. What she read in the last two words was code. If she determined Commonwealth command was not going to accomplish the goal, she had the authority to act independently to ensure mission success. She would have bet a year's salary the Commonwealth military was unaware of that small nuance.
Jryzkenri smirked, remembering when she read the caveat as it reinforced one of the qualities she admired most in their Emperor. He rarely tied the hands of his army – he issued orders then got the hell out of the way. Every military officer understood Ztar's baseline expectations…operate within that framework with the end goal firmly in mind, and he was satisfied. Deviate, though, at great risk.
Getting the landing party safely on Atmos Prime's surface was the endgame for her fleet; everything else was at Jryzkenri's discretion – that was what she took from "no matter the cost or method." She could live (or die) with that.
"Commander Jryzkenri?" Her mental summation was interrupted by the Comm Officer. "We've been signaled that the decoy is inbound. One toni until they drop from FTL." She gave a single nod of acknowledgement. Commonwealth strategists had decided to use a ruse. Three small ships would behave as if the expected landing party. It would either work and prompt the enemy to react or fail miserably. If it succeeded, they may get a heads up as to the black ships' intentions and a glimpse of their firepower.
The toni crawled by, counting down the tonis – 30, 29, 28…25…15…5…
"Decoy dropping to sublight," Tactical announced calmly as the holo display clearly showed three vessels popping up, slowing, and moving on a straight course for the planet. Commonwealth ships adjusted position to form an alleyway of sorts for the trio.
"Commander, those three ships aren't anything like we've seen before," Dehtag said, an eyebrow raised. "It seems the Commonwealth has made dramatic changes since the war."
Jryzkenri frowned. The readings scrolling down the forward holo display were worrisome. What were these new ships? Sensors were having difficulty classifying the shield energy, nor could they penetrate that barrier, and the visuals revealed a ship design unlike any Jryzkenri had seen in the war against the Commonwealth.
"Record everything you can. We need to get this back home."
###
Shozen Tev watched as the ruse began to play out. At first, he wasn't convinced of the wisdom, but later came to understand the Elders' reasoning. And so, he and the Etagllot operatives under him maneuvered the Commonwealth military into mapping out the operation. Unknown to the military, the ships were Shozen. To fool the Eilu, the decoy had to be convincing.
Tev felt a pang of regret for those aboard the bait. Each had volunteered, knowing it could be suicide. Likely, the enemy would bring to bear all their firepower to take out the only hope for the Trient in one definitive strike. End things quickly…leave no room for chance – that'd be what he'd do if the Eilu. But Tev and the joint fleet had to know what they were up against to have any chance of success. A taste of Eilu firepower may offer a chance to calibrate weapons more precisely and improve effectiveness. Sadly, that foretaste may cause the death of three good operatives.
Tension and trepidation saturated the psychic field as far as Tev's powerful mind could reach. Materializing around the Commonwealth fleet had accomplished the Eilu's likely purpose – instill dread and doubt.
The decoy ships began their gauntlet run to the planet, shields at full power. To one as sensitive as Tev, it seemed as if the entire star system held its collective breath.
Eilu ships remained still only moments before moving at speeds that startled Tev despite knowing how nimble the black vessels were. Within seconds, several Eilu ships were in firing range of the three-ship entourage. Streaks of barely discernable purple-black energy shot from several of the Eilu ships, tracking their targets as they sped toward Atmos Prime.
Immediately, fleet ships engaged the aggressors. Vio watched with a sinking feeling. Powerful Commonwealth weapons seemed to have little effect.
"Order our ships to send sensor data back to the Turzents. They need to recalibrate. Keep modulating weapons until we find the most effective wave length!"
At first, decoy shields appeared to be holding even under multiple enemy fire. Then as Commonwealth ships began firing on the Eilu, the lead ruse ship's energy barrier wavered. Moments later, shields collapsed, followed in seconds by a spectacular explosion, sending pieces of destruction in all directions, including into the path of its companion ships. Defensive shields would deflect the debris, but the impact of so much debris would momentarily weaken shielding, likely exactly what the Eilu had hoped.
Tev's heart-cluster sank as the other two decoys became the focus of Eilu weaponry. All around him, C1's bridge buzzed with the noise of erupted battled, but his attention was solely on the holo image. Brilliant beams of light from the modified laser weapons and standard phase cannons sliced and crisscrossed the blackness of space. Commonwealth vessels were fully engaged, but even with the light-based weaponry, it was becoming quickly apparent that their forces were inferior.
"…lost another!" he heard someone shout.
As the second ruse ship fell victim to multiple Eilu barrage, Tev stretched his mind out to their goddess in prayer for a miracle.
###
Vio was stunned. The effectiveness of the black-energy made his blood run cold. It sliced through their vaunted military shielding far too quickly.
"What by Notron's Fist is that weapon?"
When the battle began, the spiky projections of the Eilu's vessels retracted and the ships began maneuvering at speeds that made his look like lumbering cargo lugs. Eilu nimbleness increased the difficulty targeting sensors were having locking onto the semi-phased objects. Phase cannon fire simply disappeared within the black masses as they had been warned.
Standard cannons were useless. Photoplasmic torpedoes when they could latch onto a target, had minimal impact, slowing but not stopping the Eilu. The retrofitted, old-style laser-based weapons gave the inky ships something they couldn't swallow as easily, but the guns weren't powerful enough for easy kills despite recalibration. Too many strikes were necessary, taking too much time.
With his fleet's first successful kill, the alienness of the enemy became apparent. Instead of exploding, the black ships rippled like disturbed, oily puddles to finally dissolve, leaving several floating bodies in their place…many-legged forms flailing in the void, seemingly unaffected by the cold and lack of atmosphere. It unnerved even his hardened bridge crew, but the heat of battle allowed little time to consider the nature of their foe.
As the Conn worked feverishly to keep C1 out of enemy crosshairs, Vio scanned sensor readings for any other signs of weakness.
"Tactical, bring photoplasmic torpedoes to bear!"
As the torpedo streaked toward an enemy ship, all eyes were glued to the holo screen and sensor outputs. Closer…closer. Then black energy leapt out to meet the torpedo. The resulting red-blue explosion sent spherical shockwaves radiating out, rattling C1 despite dampening fields. The black ship appeared unfazed.
"Zorn's Lot!" Vio swore. Another weapon rendered ineffective. They were being outmaneuvered, were woefully outgunned, and his fleet was being decimated. Another tactic was needed quickly.
"R2 lost! R5 severely damaged."
The news meant two ships out of the fight. Yet Vio wasn't ready to call for backup. Experience told him to hold the Turzents in reserve a little longer.
"Pae, reroute power from all other weapons to the lasers. I want everything we've got going to those guns!"
The Tactical/Weapons officer gave him a worrisome glance as nimble digits entered the commands to reroute power. "Yes, Commander, but it may not have the impact you hope. Lasers are inherently limited in their output. We're near that max already."
Vio allowed a public snort to escape. "I don't care what it takes, but order our ships to turn up the lights on those damnations – it seems to be the only thing that has any effect."
###
On Remwarge, Jryzkenri watched the Commonwealth fleet being torn apart. Amazement and alarm collided. The power of the black vessels was a wonder to witness, but that power was destroying their ally all too easily, which meant Jryzkenri's ships would likely meet with the same fate once engaged.
"Where is that landing party?!" she barked at her bridge officers. If they had any hope of getting that entourage through the blockade, it had to be soon while they still had enough ships left to fight.
###
From the edge of the star's corona, Taer's ship sent a desperate plea. "Come now or all is lost!"
###
C32 – the climatic battle continues. See you in a few days.