Chapter 1

“Admiral, the sensors are picking up very faint, non-random signals.”

“Of what nature?”

“I can’t tell at this point. They are similar in intensity to radio noise produced by stars, but so far they seem to be artificial in origin. The computer finds them significant in some way.”

“We have come one hundred lightyears, and have so far found no sign of undiscovered civilizations. Admiral Kerak, do you have any ideas?”

“Stars cannot produce patterned signals without some sort of sentient outside influence.”

“Admiral Irai?”

“There are few conceivable benefits to ordering the radio output of a star, especially considering the energy involved in doing so. Unless our sensors are misreading something, it seems unlikely that a star would be the source.”

“Admiral Serax, can you identify where these signals are originating?”

“The signals are produced too far distant to triangulate, but I have the general area of where they came from.”

“Good. We shall investigate. Admiral Serax, give Admiral Vid a location. Admiral, set a course.”

 

TSS Starspeed. A name heard in every ear of every citizen of Terili State. A symbol of the hope of the future and the thrill of discovery.

Trillions of Terrous Credits had been spend in the construction of the Starspeed. It was to be the most complex and sophisticated machine ever constructed, capable of covering all areas of travel, defense, and analysis. Designed to be the best, it had to be perfect and far enough advanced that it would not be rendered obsolete before the completion of its mission.

The Starspeed was completed on 164 2048 on the Terili calendar. News coverage had streamed, played, and replayed the separation of the battleship class spacecraft from the TSS Hyperion. Officials speculated on what it would discover, what it could accomplish.

It was a mighty vessel. It was long, cylindrical in shape, and tiered like the warships that used to sail on oceans. Toward the end of the battleship, short, triangular wings jutted from the hull, these similarly layered. Huge cannons swept her fore and aft, flanked by smaller cannons, encircled by sweeping arrays of light anti-ship guns. Embedded in the back of the ship were enormous engine cones, the largest wide enough to encompass a cruiser. These cones glowed, shooting forth a jet of energy as the battleship took its first flight into space.

The command of the new pride and glory of Terili State was given to an Ethistian, Admiral Royal Tislon, with Vice Admiral Cassa Brutus as his second in command and another Ethistian, Vice Admiral Amada Irai, as third. This choice was deemed highly controversial by the majority of Terili State, but Command Admiral Arvaak was not dissuaded in his decision.

It became immediately apparent, after the deployment of the Starspeed on its maiden voyage, that the exploratory vessel exceeded previous expectations. Jubilant, Terili State leadership sent the Starspeed to the edges of the galaxy, eager to expand the borders of the State.

The Starspeed was only sixty days into its journey, but already one hundred lightyears from Terili State.

 

“Initially, optimistic theorists guessed that we would encounter a previously unknown civilization of human or humanoid peoples no less than ten lightyears distant and no more than forty,” Admiral Tislon said. “We have come one hundred, and have so far not encountered anything.

“Yet, that is. Admiral Serax has picked up possible communications signals from several nearby star systems, including the one we are currently in. Admiral.” The Starspeed’s communications officer, Vice Admiral Sameil Serax, stood.

“The only indication we have so far that we may be seeing communications of some sort is the patterned structure of the signals,” Admiral Serax announced. “Judging by signal strength alone, the signals are too weak to be practically employed as a means of communication and would most likely have been transmitted by a star or some other energetic celestial body.”

“However, the non-randomness of the frequencies rule out that possibility,” Vice Admiral Kerak, systems operator and sciences officer, explained. “The signals also are not constant transmissions, indicating that they are objective in some way.”

The first officer, Vice Admiral Cassa Brutus, sat forward in his chair. “Admiral Serax, how do these signals compare with the signal strength of the early radio transmitters utilized in Terili State’s history?”

“Even the first radio transmitters had a greater radio energy emission by a large ratio,” Serax replied. “We are currently seventy-five astronomical units from the point of origin of some of these signals. If one of these first radio transmitters were transmitting in place of these, we would be able to read its exact signal. By contrast, these signals are so weak, at this point, we only know that they are there and we have no indication of what they are saying.”

“What is the likelihood that these signals could have been produced by a very poor, primitive transmitter?” navigator and analyst, Vice Admiral Amada Irai, inquired.

“There is a possibility,” Kerak answered, “but the likelihood of several unconnected civilizations from several star systems having only produced the same weak transmitter, and all at the same time, is nil.” Admiral Tislon looked to Admiral Irai.

“Your analysis, Admiral?” he asked. Admiral Irai stood.

“I cannot make a conclusive theory at this point,” she said. “If these signals are a form of communication, they cannot be meant for long-range use. Even we, with our sophisticated equipment, cannot discern a message. Thus, if they are a form of communication, they must be meant only for local utilization. And if they are not a form of communication, they could only be a byproduct of some other instrument.”

“Do you believe that there could be any danger in investigating the source of these signals?” Admiral Tislon asked.

“I cannot be sure,” Admiral Irai replied.

“If these are communications,” Serax said, “we could send a message of our own. Whoever is sending them will certainly get our high energy radio transmission, and we may be able to deduce from any changes in their signals whether or not we were heard.”

“Good. Admiral Serax, transmit a standard greeting,” Admiral Tislon ordered. Serax turned back to his computer panel and input a series of commands.

“The signal is sent,” he announced. “At this distance, it will take approximately ten hours for our signal to reach the source of these other transmissions, and than it will take another ten for any reactions to it to reach us.”

“Excellent. Standby, Admiral Serax, and inform me if there are any changes in the signals. Do your best to unscramble them, if you can,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

Admiral Royal Tislon had been deemed by many as having the perfect disposition for commanding Terili State’s latest accomplishment, the Starspeed. He was a professional and very serious man who was best known for stripping a room of levity and getting it down to business simply by entering it. In fact, when he had been only a Commander, as he entered early to a conference already occupied by several Admirals, Captains, and the Command Admiral himself, the whole company of which was laughing over a joke performed by the senior officer, all present fell silent and sober again. Admiral Tislon was the leader of leaders, the ideal officer; no humor, no leeway.

Many of his fellow Admirals envied Admiral Tislon’s assignment to the Starspeed. Command of the battleship was a major political step, as a good performance on board the DSH’s crown jewel would put one well ahead of his competition. His promotion was additionally resented because the Admiral was a native of the planet Ethisti. Longstanding prejudice had historically denied the Ethistians professional recognition.

Still, it could not be denied that Admiral Tislon was the epitome of professional. He was tall, six foot four, with a lean build accented by noble blond hair and deep blue eyes. His posture and expression bespoke well earned command and demanded wise respect. His rank, highest ever attained by an Ethistian, was indicated by the silver insignia on the shoulders of his navy blue uniform.

The Admiral was proud of his accomplishments. His career had been a successful one. It had started in the DSH Army, where he established himself in the elite, top fighting force, the Birds of Prey. Then he had joined the Navy, quickly rising in rank, partially due to the silent support of another officer who was always several ranks ahead of him, current Command Admiral Arvaak. And now he was here, commanding the Starspeed. If he succeeded in his missions here, his political standing would become nearly incomparable and the next election of Command Admiral would likely go to him.

He was apprehensive however. Many scientists and theorists had come up with a long list of what they expected the Starspeed to encounter on its mission through the galaxy. Judging by the evolution of three separate civilizations of human or human-like species (Ethisti, Terili State, and the neighboring Republic of Taurus), they had supposed that the rest of the galaxy was likely to have additional humanoid civilizations practically next door. So far, that expectation had not been met.

And even if it was met, that itself could prove problematic. Shortly after the first encounters between Terili State and the Republic of Taurus, a long war ensured, one really serving no purpose, one based of mutual superstitions between the two. If other civilizations proved to be just as hostile as the Taurusians had been, Admiral Tislon did not believe they should be found at all.

 

“Admiral,” Admiral Irai called. “Unidentified vessels are coming out of hyperdrive in our vicinity.”

“How many of them are there?” Admiral Tislon asked.

“Three, sir,” Irai answered him. “They are battlecruiser class ships, all armed.”

“Admiral Serax, repeat our greeting to these new vessels,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“Aye, Admiral.” Serax sent the message. “The greeting is sent.”

“Admiral, how long has it been since we issued the first greeting?” the Admiral asked.

“Almost eleven hours, sir,” Admiral Serax answered.

“Then there is a possibility that these ships have arrived as a direct result of that message. Have the battlecruisers responded to our signal?”

“No, sir.”

“Admiral,” Irai said. “The unidentified vessels are approaching us at high speed.”

“Their weapons are trained on us, Admiral,” Admiral Brutus informed him.

“Admiral Serax,” the Admiral ordered, “send them a warning that any aggression on their part will inevitably have dire consequences.”

“Acknowledged, Admiral,” the communications officer replied.

“Admiral Irai, how much longer until the spacecraft are within their optimal weapon range?” Admiral Tislon asked. Irai keyed a quick command into her computer.

“Assuming their weapons technology is comparable to ours, they will be within optimal range in less than thirty seconds,” Admiral Irai replied.

“Transfer power to the shields, Admiral Brutus. Admiral Irai, put a view of the vessels on all screens,” the Admiral ordered. Each officer’s screen blinked on, displaying three battlecruisers approaching in a loose formation.

They were very boxy in shape, almost to the resemblance of a fist. Their surfaces were ribbed and studded like a bull-frog, giving the ships a brutish and bludgeoning look. Each of them bore an impressive array of weapons of varying sizes, including four rather large cannons on the front of each.

“Admiral Brutus, what are the specifications of the four cannons on the front of these vessels?” the Admiral inquired. The first officer looked over his screens.

“Two of the four check out as being Tier Three exser cannons. The other two are somewhere in the range of Tier Two Point Five,” he answered.

“Tier Three,” Admiral Tislon noted. “Formidable. How do these compare with the DSH’s standard battlecruiser?”

“In terms of firepower, it appears that this alien battlecruiser outguns the standard Subfalcon battlecruiser by one hundred and ninety percent, without the Tier Three cannons. Including the Tier Three cannons, this battlecruiser outmatches the Subfalcon’s maximum output by three hundred ninety percent.”

“Admiral, the battlecruisers are in range,” Admiral Irai announced.

“They are firing!” Admiral Brutus exclaimed. Bright bursts of red-orange energy speared from the battlecruisers, striking the Starspeed’s shields. The shields dissolved the energy beams in small nimbi of lightning.

“Red Alert, Admiral Kerak. Brutus, damage to the shields?” Admiral Tislon demanded.

“Our shields are down twenty-one percent. They are using their Tier Three cannons,” Admiral Brutus answered. “Sir, their exser cannons seem to be much more powerful than Terili weapons.” The Red Alert activated, and all over the Starspeed deep red lights began flashing, warning the crew of the danger.

“Admiral Serax, send the battlecruisers another message that if they do not cease fire immediately, we will be forced to fire upon them,” Admiral Tislon commanded. “Admiral Brutus, lock target on the battlecruisers.”

The battlecruisers fired again, circling the much larger Starspeed at a high velocity. The bursts were again dissipated against the shields, the space around the impact sites rippling and waving like disturbed water, electricity flickering over the surface.

“Shields down thirty-one percent, sir,” Admiral Brutus announced.

“Have you got any reply from the battlecruisers,” the Admiral asked, though he suspected otherwise.

“None, sir,” Serax answered.

“Admiral Brutus,” Admiral Tislon said, “fire at will.”

“Yes, sir,” Brutus replied. He began entering commands into his computer terminal.

A net of Tier Two cannons around the Starspeed fired, launching brilliant beams of lightning blue plasma at the attacking battlecruisers. They struck, lighting the battlecruisers in a blinding white light. The light quickly receded, and the battlecruisers flew on, small sections of their hulls half melted and glowing orange.

“Report, Admiral Brutus?”

“It appears that these battlecruisers do not have shields, sir, but their external hulls seem to be much tougher than any Terili vessel’s,” Brutus answered. The Starspeed fired again, blasting the battlecruisers, but the assault did not seem to deter them in any way.

The ships exchanged fire again, neither side appearing to have any significant effect.

“Admiral, our Tier Two cannons have only a negligible effect on the battlecruisers,” Admiral Brutus said a few moments later. “Our shields are down fifty-three percent.

“Alright… Admiral Brutus, fire upon the battlecruisers, Tier Three cannons,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Brutus replied, inputting the command.

Tier Three exser cannons swiveled in their turrets, coming to bear on the battlecruisers. They fired, blasting thick bursts of energy. The Starspeed itself shuddered slightly from the force of firing the huge guns. For the battlecruisers, the effects of the onslaught were much more devastating.

One of the battlecruisers exploded at the first hit, the ship vanishing behind a bright shock of lightning half a mile in diameter and spraying half melted metal in every direction. The second battlecruiser careened off course after its first hit; the second hit breached the battlecruiser’s outer hull and fire streamed from the ruptured vessel. The third battlecruiser was hit head on, and the hull was crushed inward, extensively damaging its structure and depressurizing the entire ship.

“Two battlecruisers destroyed and one severely damaged, Admiral,” the first officer announced.

“Good. Admiral Serax, inform the remaining battlecruiser that we are willing to extend aid if they wish to be cooperative,” Admiral Tislon announced. On screen, the engines of the battlecruiser fired, and the ship disappeared, vanishing into the darkness of space and leaving behind a brief, glowing outline in its place.

“The battlecruiser has engaged its hyperdrive, Admiral,” Irai said. Admiral Tislon looked around the bridge, thinking. The attack on the Starspeed had been completely unprovoked. Perhaps it would be best to make their own move now, and show this new civilization that they meant business.

“Admiral Serax, how many distinct locations are transmitting the low level signals we were investigating?” Admiral Tislon asked.

“It is difficult to be sure, but currently, the readings suggest that there are two in this system,” Serax answered.

“Where are these two located?”

“One is located in the middle of the system, apparently a random position; the other is based around a planet,” Serax replied.

“Admiral, give the helm the coordinates of the first destination. Admiral Vid, proceed when ready,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Vid responded.

The engines on the Starspeed glowed and flashed. The battleship instantly accelerated into the fourth dimension, blasting a corona of energy equivalent to the mass of the giant spacecraft in its place.

“ETA… one hour and eighteen minutes,” Admiral Vid announced.

 

The Starspeed dropped out of hyperdrive.

“Report, Admiral Irai,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“We are currently ten thousand miles distant from an asteroid family currently being harvested by three industrial class miners.”

“Impressive,” Admiral Brutus noted.

“Admiral Serax?”

“Their communications have ceased. They thus far have not sought to contact us.”

“Transmit a standard greeting to the miners, Admiral Serax,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“Aye, sir.”

“Admiral Kerak, are these miners equipped with standard docking modules?” the Admiral inquired.

“No, sir,” Kerak answered. “However their docking zones can be utilized by our emergency docking shuttlecraft.”

“Such utilization may be in order,” Admiral Tislon mused. “Admiral Serax, have the miners responded?”

“No, sir,” Admiral Serax replied.

“Admiral,” Irai interposed, “the miners are moving away from the Starspeed.”

“They have ceased their mining operations,” Admiral Kerak affirmed.

“Admiral Brutus, power down weapon banks; Admiral Vid, move to intercept the miners, ahead one fourth,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

The Starspeed‘s engines flared, and the battleship quickly accelerated to a speed of three hundred thousand miles per hour. The Starspeed was especially known in Terili State for its high speed; it was the fastest battleship in the State, exceeding the average battleship’s acceleration by over three times.

“Admiral Serax, have the miners responded to our message?”

“Still no reply, Admiral,” Serax replied.

“Transmit them the following message,” Admiral Tislon said. “Alien vessels, this is the TSS Starspeed, representing the united system Terili State. Three of your battlecruisers have inexplicably attacked our vessel. Please identify yourselves.”

Admiral Serax transmitted the message. “Message sent, sir.”

“Admiral,” Irai announced. “The miners are engaging hyperdrives.”

The miners’ engines fired and they vanished in blasts of energy.

“Admiral Kerak chart the course of the miners,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“The miners have taken a course for the planet at the center of the other net of communications,” Admiral Kerak replied.

“Admiral Vid, set a course for the planet, ultradrive engines,” Admiral Tislon commanded.

“Course set,” the helmsman replied. “Diverting power for ultradrive engines…”

Systems on board the Starspeed shut down as power was drawn to the ultradrive engines. A brilliant light began emanating from the engines, so bright it shined through the asteroids around the ship.

“Shields offline,” the first officer said.

“Engaging ultradrive,” Admiral Vid announced. The Starspeed launched out of normal spacetime, speeding toward the other side of the solar system. “We will arrive in six seconds. Four… three… two… one… ultradrive engines disengaging.”

The Starspeed dropped back into the normal universe. A planet loomed directly ahead, its rocky and hot surface simmering in the light from the system’s star.

“Report, Admiral Irai,” the Admiral ordered.

“The orbitals of this planet are littered with stations, sir,” the navigator reported. “There are sixteen in varying orbits. The scanners have identified a total of twenty-two miners distributed among them.”

“Admiral Kerak,” Admiral Tislon said, “what kind of civilization exists on the planet’s surface?”

“There are very few structures on this face of the planet, and they seem mostly to be launch sites for interplanetary spacecraft,” Kerak informed him. “It seems very unlikely that these aliens, whoever they be, originated in this system.”

“Then where did they come from?” the Admiral mused. “Admiral Serax, transmit a request for the aliens to identify themselves to each spacecraft and station in orbit around this planet.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Admiral!” Irai called. “A squadron of small spacecraft are launching off of the planet’s surface.”

“Specifications?” Admiral Tislon demanded.

“Twelve frigates, four cruisers, sir,” the navigation officer answered.

“Admiral Brutus.”

“The sensors can identify no weapons on the spacecrafts,” the first officer announced.

“Put them on all screens,” the Admiral ordered. Admiral Irai complied to the command.

Admiral Tislon looked at his screen. Sixteen ships. They were all very pointed and narrow, like a wedge or a needle. They were also very smooth, utterly lacking in external hardpoints for weapons or any other module.

“Admiral Irai?”

“I cannot be certain what their purpose is, Admiral,” Irai replied. “It could be a form of transport vessel for aerodynamic passage through atmospheres, but I cannot tell at this point.”

“Admiral!” Brutus declared. “The vessels have cleared the atmosphere and are turning toward the Starspeed. Their engines are firing.”

“What are they aiming at?” the Admiral wondered. “Red Alert. Increase power to shields, Admiral.”

“Sir, the frigates have taken a collision course at six million miles per hour!” the first officer warned. “Impact in five seconds!”

“Shields to maximum output!” the Admiral ordered.

The frigates speared mindlessly at the enormous battleship, spanning the thousands of miles distance between them in seconds. The small, needle-pointed spacecraft, at nearly one thousand seven hundred miles per second, smashed into the Starspeed’s shields, throwing a crackling nimbus of lightning almost entirely encompassing the battleship. The ships ricocheted violently and careening in all directions.

“Damage report!” the Admiral demanded.

“The shields are down seventy-two percent!” Admiral Brutus responded.

“Admiral,” Irai declared, “the cruisers have also set a collision course for the Starspeed. Approaching at four million miles per hour. Impact in seven seconds.”

“Admiral Brutus! Lock target on the cruisers, Tier Three cannons, and fire!” Admiral Tislon commanded.

“Yes, sir. Diverting power from the shields.”

“Admiral Vid, evasive maneuvers, maximum speed,” Admiral Tislon said. “Engage hyperdrive, any heading!”

The enormous guns swiveled in their mounts, tracking the fast approaching cruisers. The battleship shuddered as the cannons fired off brilliant beams of plasma. The ship’s engines began to burn, heating up for hyperdrive.

The cruisers, staggered with approximately one thousand miles in between them, evaded the first volley. The second took the third cruiser, blasting it off its course before it exploded, and the lead cruiser took a hit to its nose, setting the metal aglow.

“Shields back to maximum output!” the Admiral commanded.

The first cruiser struck, shearing through the shields and lighting up the Starspeed with a corona of lightning. The cruiser, deflected, snapped over the bow of the battleship, tearing away several sheets of plating, and spun off into space. The Starspeed shuddered and the supernatural glow of the engines died down to normal.

“Primary shield bank disabled, Admiral,” Brutus announced. “Remaining cruisers have slowed to a speed of seventy miles per second. They are currently eight hundred miles aft. Twenty-two seconds to impact.”

“Why aren’t we at hyperdrive?” Admiral Tislon demanded. Admiral Vid feverously wrestled his instruments.

“The cruiser was mostly deflected, but it clipped the external engine housing and disabled our hyperdrive capability,” he answered.

“Continue firing, Admiral,” Tislon ordered. “Charge up the pulse cannons!”

“Yes, Admiral,” Brutus replied. “Sixty seconds until charge up.”

“That is too long…” the Admiral said. “Brutus, fire a torpedo at the lead cruiser. Admiral Serax, warn all personnel of impending impact.”

“Yes, sir.”

On top of the battleship, a turret swiveled to track the incoming cruisers. It fired, launching a solid metal spike, seventy-five feet long and seventeen wide, at the incoming cruisers. Its blindingly glowing engines rocketed the projectile away at a speed of fifteen thousand miles per second. The torpedo spanned the distance between the Starspeed and the cruisers in just fifty-three milliseconds, striking the cruiser, shearing over the top, leaving a long, deep gash in its armor before deflecting and speeding off into deadspace. The cruiser rebounded from the terrible impact, but righted itself and continued is approach.

“Torpedo unsuccessful, sir,” the first officer reported.

“Continue firing with the Tier Three cannons!” the Admiral ordered.

The Starspeed fired off another volley, but the weaving cruisers proved too fast for the cannons to track and lead effectively. And they swiftly flew ever closer to the fleeing battleship.

“Eight seconds to impact,” Admiral Irai announced.

“Admiral Brutus,” the Admiral said, “what do you estimate the damage would be to the Starspeed if the cruisers impacted against us at their current speed?”

“They would hit with an effective speed of thirty-seven miles per second, puncturing the outer hull and possibly the interior hull as well,” the first officer said.

“We can’t outrun them,” Admiral Tislon said grimly.

“Four seconds. The Tier Three cannons can no longer traverse fast enough to lock onto the cruisers, sir.”

“Open fire with Tier Two guns, full arrays,” the Admiral commanded.

Sweeping grids of lighter, Tier Two cannons swiveled in their turrets and locked onto the incoming cruisers. They fired, unleashing a constant and steady stream of lightning, plasma bolts. The cruisers sustained many hits, but as before, the Tier Two cannons proved to be insufficient to deal enough damage to faze the alien spacecrafts.

“Impact in one second!” All across the bridge, officers braced themselves.

The cruisers flipped under the Starspeed before pitching to port and careening at the starboard side of the battleship. They struck a secondary shielding cell, smashing it completely, before striking the exterior hull.

The battleship shook, rocking violently. On the bridge, three officers were thrown from their positions. Nearer to the point of impact, the force of the crash was enough to kill instantly, taking the lives of thirty-two officers. The air pressure in the corridors abruptly spiked, flying up the hallways, and incapacitating those in its way.

“Report, Admiral Kerak!” Admiral Tislon ordered as soon as the shaking stopped. He stood in fury.

“Both cruisers collided with the starboard side, just before the wings, sir. Both the outer and inner hulls have been penetrated, and the damage has destabilized the superstructure: we cannot engage our superluminal drives. There has been negligible depressurization. The ships apparently have sealed the breach,” Admiral Kerak reported.

“They are planning to board us,” the Admiral said. “General! Admiral Longinus! Admiral Brutus!” General Racso Benitro, tactical commander and commanding officer of the Starspeed’s Army units, Vice Admiral Valerian Longinus, first officer of the crew, and the first officer all stood. “Organize engagement teams immediately. Admiral Brutus, initiate the first encounter with non-lethal weapons. If these prove to be insufficient, General, Admiral, use whatever force is required to eliminate this alien threat before it can damage the ship or pull away and depressurize us.”

“Yes, Admiral,” the three responded, rushing from the bridge.

“Admiral Vid,” the Admiral ordered, “if any alien vessel approaches the Starspeed, destroy it using any means necessary.”

Chapter 2

“Form two lines! Unit One, lock down the central corridor on the right side. Unit Two, with me; we’re going to face off and contain the alien threat in the left-side central bank,” Admiral Brutus ordered. He flipped on the communicator on his shoulder. “Lieutenant, lead Unit Three and pin down the far starboard central corridor. Direct Unit Four to secure the progressing port side centers with Unit One.”

“Yes, sir, Admiral,” the lieutenant responded over the comm channel.

“All teams, get moving!” The first officer lead a security unit of twenty men, all armed with low-phase electroshock rifles, into the damaged section of the battleship. Sporadic messages emanated from the infiltrated areas, mostly brief, but enough to get the important message across. The alien force was inside the ship, and it was spreading.

“Admiral,” the General’s voice came through the comm channel, “we are ready with full divisions of the Birds of Prey. We can deploy at your command.”

“Acknowledged, General,” Brutus replied. He sidestepped a corpse, one of the crew who had died from the atmospheric over-pressure after the cruisers had collided. This was a grim first encounter with a new alien civilization.

“Admiral,” one of the unit said, “I smell smoke.” Brutus sniffed the air. He could indeed smell smoke. He could see it, too. Thin clouds of it were seeping into the corridor from somewhere up ahead.

The unit reached the door preceding the central corridor. Brutus prepared to open the door, hoping that the aliens had not made it this far. If they had, they could spread far throughout the ship in almost any direction.

“Team ready? I’m going to open this door; when I do, shoot anything that moves,” Brutus ordered. Murmurs of assent went through the group and the first officer pushed the button.

The doors parted open. Thin smoke filled the central corridor, partially obscuring three hulking figures standing there. Unit Two fired, sending directed beams of electrons at the aliens, a flood of energetic particles that would ideally overload their nervous systems and render them unconscious. The beams struck, arcing over the aliens. They growled indistinctly, but instead of flopping along the floor, the aliens turned toward the unit, quickly leveling huge guns of some sort.

“Get clear!” Brutus shouted, leaping away from the door. He was not a moment too soon either. Three bolts of orange energy fired through the doorway, exploding against the walls. Fire curled through the air after the shockwave blasted the slower security men off their feet.

Brutus rolled to his feet, aiming his rifle into the smoky doorway. One of the aliens stepped into view. Brutus fired off three beams as fast the weapon would allow. The alien snarled and took a step backward, but was relatively unfazed. Brutus ducked aside as the creature shot another bolt of fire at him. The explosion, though six feet from him, knocked him down.

“Brutus to Benitro,” the first officer said, toggling his communicator and scurrying down the corridor. “Get moving. The aliens are unaffected by our electroshock weapons. They are armed with high-grade oxsers.” Brutus looked back. Two of his men had fallen to the aliens’ weapons.

The first officer discarded his rifle and drew his pistol. The niser pistol, he knew, would prove much more effective than the simplistic electron emitter. Stepping around a corner, he turned, back to the wall, and looked back down the corridor.

The alien came forward slowly, his silhouette all the first officer could see. Brutus lifted the pistol and took aim. The alien stepped through the smoke.

The creature stood seven and a half feet tall. It was compactly built, its muscles incredibly well defined. Its stance was partially digitigrade, giving it a primal and predatory appearance. Its face was remarkably similar to a human one, and might have appeared noble if it wasn’t disfigured with the terrible glare of a thoughtless killer. Most impressive, however, was not the muscular arms and legs, nor the heavy rifle the alien carried, nor its stature. The most intimidating attribute of the alien was its wings. Great wings just like the dragons’ that Brutus used to draw when he was a boy. They were huge, and though currently folded, Brutus expected that such wings would extend to over twenty feet.

Brutus fired. A brilliant white lightning bolt lanced between his pistol and the alien, accompanied by a thunder-like crack. The bolt struck the alien in the center of its chest, issuing an electric charge throughout its body. The heat of the nitrogen plasma that comprised the bolt immediately set the surrounding clothing on fire and seared the alien’s flesh, instantly blocking all the blood vessels in the effected area. Brutus fired again, hitting almost the same spot. One hit was usually enough to trigger a cardiac arrest. Two ought to have been more than enough.

The kinetic energy of the bolts slammed the alien back. It stumbled a few steps before stopping and lifting its weapon. Brutus ducked back around the corner, disbelieving that the alien could still be alive.

The wall next to him exploded, setting his ears ringing and his eyes flashing. Fire and smoke filled the air. Brutus retreated down the corridor. A rumbling sound followed him and he looked back. The alien ran around the corner, chasing after him at phenomenal speed, seemingly unconcerned with the wound in his chest.

Brutus turned and arbitrarily shot off another three bolts. The alien was blasted against the opposite wall, now injured on the thigh, hip, and side. But still the alien chased after him, though much slower now for his injuries.

Brutus raced down the hallway, conscious that the alien was gaining on him. Ahead of him, he saw General Benitro approaching with a number of Birds of Prey behind him.

“Get down!” the General shouted. The first officer complied, rolling to the ground and out of the way.

Five bolts of niser fire sizzled over the top of him, striking the alien and blasting it to the ground. This time, the alien remained where he lay. Brutus stood slowly.

“Are you alright?” the General asked hurrying up to him.

“I’m fine,” Brutus said. “The aliens have reached the central corridor. Hopefully the security teams are able to lock down the rest before the aliens reach them.”

“How many of them are there?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ve seen three and I expect there are a whole lot more it there,” Brutus answered.

“Alright,” Benitro said. “Let’s go.”

“These aliens are extremely tough,” Admiral Brutus said as they ran down the corridor. “I hit that one five times before you finished him off.”

The troop rounded a corner. Two more aliens approached them, lifting their weapons immediately as the Terili soldiers appeared. Brutus leapt to the side as blasts of oxser fire ripped through the air toward them. Both missed, exploding against the walls.

Brutus fired, repeatedly pulling the trigger. The alien smashed against the side of the corridor, hit in the chest, leg, shoulder, head. The head shot should have fried the creature’s brain, but it still managed to get up and blow another hole in the wall where Brutus had been a moment before he rolled out of the way. The first officer continued firing, striking the alien four more times in the torso. Finally, the monster died.

General Benitro engaged the second alien, charging up his rifle for a high energy blast. He fired, but the alien dodged to the side and fired three shots of his own. Fire filled the entire corridor. The troop retreated in disarray.

“Be ready!” Benitro warned. The Birds of Prey turned back, waiting for the flames to clear.

The flames abruptly parted as the alien leapt through, roaring like a lion. The surprised soldiers had insufficient time to react before the alien attacked. It fired its oxser, almost completely vaporizing one of the Birds of Prey; then it hurled the weapon aside, puncturing through another soldier, and pounced on one of the men, folding him over backward effortlessly, breaking his back in three places almost instantly.

Then the other Birds of Prey reacted, unleashing a torrent of lightning that threw the alien back down the corridor and against the opposite wall. The impact should have broken its spine, but it shook off the devastating blow unconcerned, not to mention the major injuries, charging up the corridor again with the speed of a cheetah.

General Benitro fired again, spearing the alien in the head and sending him crashing to the floor. The alien did not rise again.

“Birds of Prey, advance!” General Benitro ordered. “If we cannot contain this threat, the aliens will destroy the Starspeed.”

“Maximize your niser output,” Brutus commanded. “Standard fire is insufficient; we need to vaporize these things on the first hit.”

“Coordinate your firing so the aliens don’t catch us in between shots,” Benitro added. On a niser rifle, the nitrogen plasma output could be modified and increased to unleash a yield up to five times greater than normal, but with each degree of increased firepower, the rate of fire of the weapon would slow. At maximum output, the nisers would be limited to a rate of fire of one shot every five seconds.

They reached the central corridor again. Secondary corridors branched off in all directions, a hub from which the aliens could spread too finely to clean up before they did irreparable damage.

Five were in the corridor, heading in different directions.

“Fire!” General Benitro shouted. He and four more Birds of Prey fired, shooting off beams of nitrogen plasma three feet thick at the aliens. The results were immediate. One alien was rocketed against a wall, audibly breaking an indeterminate number of his bones but probably all of them. Another was cut completely in half. A third vanished altogether, reduced to a noxious column of smoke and a glowing puddle of liquefied matter. The fourth lost his head. The fifth dodged to the side just as his attacker pulled the trigger, and the devastating bolt missed, blasting a hole six feet across in the wall behind him.

The remaining alien fired his own weapon, striking one of the Birds of Prey and spraying him back down the hallway. Brutus and three of the others fired again. The alien ducked under one blast, but the other three hit him. The terrible force of each beam hurled the alien through the wall behind him, breaking his body into pieces.

“Check each of the corridors,” the General ordered. “Make sure none of the aliens have gone down them.” The team spread out.

Brutus opened one of the corridor doors. Nothing down there. Thunder cracked. Brutus looked over his shoulder. One of the Birds of Prey stood with his weapon aimed down one of the corridors.

“Clear here,” he announced.

Brutus opened the next door as another blast reverberated throughout the corridor. Down this hallway, he could see the silhouette of another alien. He shot it, satisfyingly killing the monster in one merciful hit.

Someone began shouting at the other end of the central corridor. Brutus turned. Two of the Birds of Prey fired down one of the hallways, apparently missing. Three men charged down the corridor. A few seconds passed. Suddenly an shout began to come from one of the men, but it was cut short by a brilliant flash of orange light. A moment later, an explosion ripped out of the corridor, the shockwave flattening every man in the room.

Brutus stumbled to his feet, head spinning. He lurched across the floor and looked down the hallway. Fifty feet down, a thick fire was burning, completely obscuring whatever lay beyond it. Fortunately, warships were not terribly flammable, but the fire still blocked the path of the Birds of Prey from hunting down the aliens on the other side.

“On your feet,” Benitro shouted as the Birds of Prey staggered upright. “Are all the corridors clear?”

“All but this one,” Brutus announced. “The fire will die eventually, but there is at least one alien on the other side.” Brutus switched on his communicator. “Lieutenant, have you got all the central corridors locked down?”

“Aye, sir,” the commander of Unit One responded.

“Good,” Brutus said, flipping off the communicator. “He’s got nowhere to go, General.”

“Birds of Prey, we are going to hit the impact zone now. As soon as we get in, spread out and minimize the damage they will deal to us,” the General said. “Go!” The group charged through the last doorway.

This corridor showed definite signs of severe impact. The wall was laced with pressure fissures, charred black from the heat produced by the impact. The air was still hot.

They rounded a corner, confronted suddenly by a seeming army of the aliens. Thunder cracked as the Birds of Prey began firing, killing the aliens at random. The aliens fired back, racing toward them with psychotic eagerness. Both groups scattered and intermixed in disarray.

Brutus took cover behind a fallen sheet of metal plating, firing into the battle every five seconds. The aliens had not yet discovered his position. The battle was going badly. A cruiser, the first officer knew, could hold over two hundred people. He could not tell how many were present now, but the Birds of Prey were vastly outnumbered and were getting killed much faster than was acceptable. Brutus fired again, relieving one of the aliens of his important organs, ducked behind the plating and flipped on his communicator.

“This is first officer, Admiral Brutus,” he said. “Any personnel within range, provide support to the suppression of the alien threat at the impact site immediately!” He turned off the communicator and blasted another alien.

Sparing a glance, Brutus found that the Birds of Prey were failing fast. Despite being the highest trained units in the Dark Sun’s Horizon, Birds of Prey were not suited to brunt force attacks such as this. They were better for surgical and precise strikes meant to start and end quickly. However, this was not the time for surgery. Their numbers were insufficient to withstand an all out frontal assault.

“Retreat!” the General roared. Brutus obeyed the order gladly. He stood up, smote an alien against a far wall with a shot from his rifle, and sprinted back up the corridor, followed by the remainder of the troop. Fire filled the air, smoke obscured his vision. The group reached the central corridor again.

“Seal that door!” the General commanded. One of the Birds of Prey complied, inputting the command into the door’s console.

“Door sealed, sir!” he reported.

The door erupted, breaking apart; chunks of half melted metal streaming with fire flew across the room, again leveling every man in the corridor, not to mention killing an additional five of them. Fire curled from the porthole, but the aliens leapt through it unconcerned, running down the adjoining hallways, unimpeded by the dead and unconscious men lying on the floor around them.

 

“We have lost contact with General Benitro’s attack squad,” Admiral Serax announced.

“Colonel Pol!” Admiral Tislon said. “Order five squads of heavy infantry to surround and attack the impact site.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Colonel Nikoli Pol, General Benitro’s second in command, replied, issuing the order.

“Admiral Serax, inform medical that assistance will be needed in the impact site as soon as the threat is contained.”

 

Rank after rank of soldiers charged down the hallways of the battleship, armed with rifles and portable cannons. They spread, encircling the target area. They ran in, engaging the aliens. The cannons were mounted, each blowing away multiple aliens with every shot. Casualties mounted on both sides, but now the aliens were outnumbered. Fiendishly unconcerned with their own destruction, the aliens pressed the Terili soldiers, killing and being killed.

Suddenly it was over. Oily residues of vaporized bodies dripped down the walls. Corpses piled high throughout the battle area. The soldiers advanced further, but it seemed that every alien had come to them and eventually died. The Starspeed was declared free of the aliens.

Medical teams came next, treating the injured. The medical chief, Doctor Mikael Tislon, son of Admiral Tislon, himself arrived at the scene, providing his expert care.

 

Admiral Tislon strode through the combat area, surveying the damage and deaths. He glanced around at the burns and holes in the walls. Bodies of Terili soldiers were still strewn about. Relatively few aliens were to be seen. Most of them had been incinerated by the shots that killed them.

He spotted his son, the medical chief, inspecting one of the more or less intact alien corpses.

“Your report, Doctor,” the Admiral said. Mikael stood.

“The death count is currently up to three hundred sixty-one,” he said. “Most of the wounded will recover; a direct hit with a high grade oxser will kill every time, but an indirect hit is usually not fatal. Relatively speaking, there are few wounded.”

“Which would imply that the aliens don’t miss often.”

“Correct. I found General Benitro and Admiral Brutus, both alive, but they suffered serious shock impact injuries and concussions,” the doctor continued. “It is nothing I can’t fix.”

“How many aliens came on board?” the Admiral asked.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Mikael admitted. “The soldiers discovered very quickly that these aliens are extremely difficult to kill. Admiral Brutus reported that the first one he encountered took ten hits from their nisers before it died.”

“Ten!” Admiral Tislon balked.

“Yes,” the doctor confirmed. “The only reliable, practical, and safe method our soldiers found of dispatching the aliens was by turning their rifles up to maximum yield and vaporizing the aliens in one shot. As a result, there are very few bodies left for me to count.”

“Do you have any rough estimates?”

“The cruisers could not have held a full compliment. Our casualties would have been doubly – triply as high if both cruisers had their full capacities,” Mikael said. “I would estimate somewhere around two hundred.”

“Our three hundred and sixty to their two hundred,” Admiral Tislon said in disbelief. “Who were among those killed?”

“Fortunately, this section of the Starspeed is primarily reserve living quarters, as you know. Had the aliens infiltrated one hundred yards in any direction, they would have hit more densely populated areas. Our records indicate, however, that of those who were here when the cruisers struck, most of them were engineers, about forty-seven in number,” Mikael answered.

“How unfortunate that we cannot inform their families of their losses until the completion of our mission,” Admiral Tislon lamented. “Even if we relayed a transmission, it would not reach the State for one hundred years.”

Mikael paused, dropping formality. “This is a devastating first encounter with an alien civilization, Father. Four hundred and eight of our crew killed. By two cruisers worth of aliens. We have encountered a dangerous race.”

“Yes, I know,” Royal said. “What can you tell me about the aliens?”

“Nothing yet, I’m afraid. As soon as all the wounded have been gathered, my teams will start moving a few of the alien corpses to my lab for me to study,” the doctor said. “I will give you my report then.”

“Very well,” the Admiral replied. “See to it.” Admiral Tislon turned to walk away, but stopped as he noticed a rough slab of metal on the ground.

“What do you make of this?” he asked. Mikael glanced at the slab.

“We have found many of those. I can only guess as to what they are, at this point,” he said. “I think they might be weapons melted in the energy of the soldiers high-yield nisers.”

“Hmm. Let me know if you find anything more.” The Admiral walked away, striding down the corridor.

The crash site of the cruisers was strewn with metal debris. The nose of the first cruiser was almost completely obscured behind slabs of the Starspeed’s plating. Admiral Tislon paused, amazed that the aliens had been able to force their ways through the wreckage.

“Admiral Vid!” Admiral Tislon shouted.

“Aye, sir,” the helmsman called back, his voice drifting through the debris. He stepped out from behind the nose of the cruiser.

“What is your report?” the Admiral asked.

“The cruisers completely punched through both the outer and inner hulls,” the helmsman and head engineer said. “A mechanism at the end of each cruiser sealed the holes behind the cruisers to keep the ship from depressurizing. Those seals are still intact.”

“How extensive is the damage?”

“Both cruisers broke through six floors, penetrating a little over two hundred feet,” Admiral Vid answered. “I estimate that it will take us two weeks to repair the damage to the inner hull, then another one to repair the outer hull.”

“Do you have the needed materials?” Admiral Tislon asked.

“I believe so,” Vid said. “If not, we can use metal from the alien cruisers to supplement our stocks.”

“What have you learned of the cruisers?”

“You can see for yourself, sir,” Admiral Vid said. Admiral Tislon cautiously wove his way between fallen beams and shards.

“This cruiser seems to be a short range, fast attack vehicle,” Vid said. He lead the Admiral past torn jaws of steel and pointed upward a floor. Wedged against the ceiling a level above was a large door into the interior of the cruiser. “That is where the aliens disembarked from. The floor above is comletely blocked off, which is why the aliens dropped down to this floor. Would you like to investigate the ship?”

“Yes, Admiral,” Tislon confirmed.

“We’ll have to climb these fallen plates then.” Admiral Vid stepped onto the wreckage, carefully walking up the askewed beams, Admiral Tislon following behind.

“Doctor Tislon estimates that there were around two hundred aliens total. As you know, our cruisers carry a normal compliment of three hundred personnel, so these ships could not have had full capacity, especially when considering a few of the other oddities we have discovered,” Admiral Vid explained. The two of them reached the doors. The alien ship was jammed downward into the Starspeed at a steep angle. “The cruiser is still running, sir, so be prepared for the change in the direction of gravity.”

Admiral Vid stepped inside, tottering slightly until he readjusted his balance to match the cruiser’s artificial gravity. It was a peculiar sight for Admiral Tislon seeing his helmsman seemingly standing upright fifty degrees off-kilter. He stepped aboard, feeling the shift in gravity flex through him as he crossed the threshold. He stumbled and braced himself against the wall. He straightened slowly and with great effort.

“The gravitational force on board is three point two times greater than the generators on the Starspeed,” Admiral Vid informed him. “It is fairly safe to guess that the aliens’ homeworld is a very massive planet.”

The two walked down the cruiser corridor. It was very dark. The only lighting was provided by intermittent orange lights. The ceiling was high, no doubt to accommodate the tall aliens. Everything was made from metal: no plastics, no cushioning whatsoever.

“Rather spartan, isn’t it,” Admiral Tislon noted, his voice echoing down the hall.

The hallway opened up a large room, one that seemed to take up most of the space in the cruiser. Stacked one above the other, row after row, were large metal boxes, each with a small panel next to it.

“What are these?” the Admiral asked, looking to his helmsman.

“I believe that these are containment units,” Vid answered, walking to the nearest box. He pushed a button on its panel. The box swung open, revealing a small space similar to that of a coffin.

“I speculate that the aliens stand in these at the moment of impact. It seems that the boxes absorb the forces of collision, sparing the aliens from being crushed against the walls of the ship at forty miles per second,” Admiral Vid explained.

“How many aliens could fit on board this cruiser?” the Admiral asked.

“Over six hundred,” the helmsman replied.

“Six hundred? Where do they fit?”

“I asked the same question,” Admiral Vid said. “My teams have searched the entire ship and have found that it is almost entirely devoid of facilities, rooming, attached modules, and operating systems. It has an engine and a rudimentary navigation system. That is all. The rest of it is space for soldiers and armor plating.”

“They certainly did not have full crews, then,” Admiral Tislon said. “There are many holes in this situation. Cruisers capable of holding six hundred, but only carrying one hundred? Heavy investment in material gathering? Interspace travel, but limited infrastructure and population? This is a colony. There are more of these aliens out there, somewhere.”

“I believe it is in our best interest to make sure that they do not encounter our country, sir,” Vid offered.

“Yes… there were no more aliens on board?” the Admiral asked.

“No, there were not. It would seem that they all charged off board and joined in the killing like a bunch of hellish lemmings.”

“Let me know if you learn anything more,” the Admiral said, turning and walking back down the hall.

“Yes, sir.”

 

Doctor Tislon stepped into his office and heaved a sigh. Pain receptors, he had found, have no idea of the seriousness of their body’s injuries in relation to the medical care and attention available. Put more simply, the soldiers who had rushed to him, desperately pleading to be treated, did not seem to realize that they were in no immediate danger and that pressuring him would not help them significantly. It was only wearing.

Mikael glanced around the room. His staff had left a number of dead aliens in varying degrees of destruction for him to examine. It was always a source of moderate amusement for him to see the battle-hardened officers become queasy over the specimens to be seen in the Chief Doctor’s personal lab.

The doctor walked over to the nearest table. This particular specimen was intact, or at least as intact as a body can be after taking ten hits from a high energy plasma weapon and dying. He looked over the alien. Six limbs… two arms, two legs, two wings – very interesting. Mikael squeezed the creature’s arm. Very tough and dense. The table’s instruments revealed the alien to weigh three hundred sixty-two pounds. Mikael estimated the creature’s height to be seven feet two inches. The alien was unusually heavy for its body structure and height. It was not stocky or fat. It was exceptionally lean and corded.

Most of the alien’s clothing had burned off. The sites of the niser impacts were visible – blackened rings of burned skin and flesh, but they were not as pronounced as they should have been. Mikael had seen many niser injuries in his time. Most of the time, the plasma burst would completely char tissues, leaving semi-cohesive chunks of ashen material. These injuries were different however. They did not seem as extensive.

Doctor Tislon input a command into the table’s computer, initiating a medical scan of the corpse. The results appeared on a screen on the wall. A warning overlay the display.

“Excessive iron levels…” Mikael read aloud. “Eight thousand times healthy amount!” After processing that absurd fact, Mikael dismissed the warning and looked at the scan results.

A diagram of the alien’s body showed orange and yellow circles in the areas of niser injury.

“Partially healed plasma burns?” Mikael read in disbelief. He looked at the corpse, now unsure whether or not it was actually a corpse. He looked at the display. No heart beat, no breathing, no brain activity. Mikael initiated a more extensive scan and turned to the screen.

“Eight thousand times normal levels of iron…” There was absolutely no way a human body could consume enough iron to maintain that level of the metal. Eight thousand times normal levels, in a body the size of this alien’s, would constitute over seventy pounds of iron. And then there were the injuries. Partially healed? Impossible; the alien was dead. The instruments said so.

Mikael turned back to the corpse. He opened a panel, removing a scalpel. He made an incision in one of the niser blast sites. Thick blood oozed up. That was not right. A niser blast would instantly congeal all blood and blood vessels in the effected area. Blood could not flow. Yet here it seemed that it did, somehow.

Mikael looked at the screen again. The alien was dead. No pulse, no breathing, no brain activity. Still, something was going on.

The results of the scan came up. A second warning popped up.

“Parasitic infection detected…” the doctor mused. Definitely keep the gloves on. “Hmm…” He dismissed the warning for then and looked at the new scan results.

“Ahh!” High cellular activity, accelerated cell division. Cell division? Why hadn’t oxygen starvation slowed them down yet? Mikael looked at the other anomalies. Full vascular circulation. Could it be possible that the niser blasts had not damaged the blood vessels? Could it be possible that the vessels were shielded from damage? It was certainly possible, but highly unlikely that there could have been enough shielding to prevent some form of fatal damage. Then again, the alien was dead. Aside from that fact, however, there was no reason that the alien could not be alive.

Mikael looked up the brain scan results. No activity. Not even cellular activity. The doctor looked up the locations of accelerated cell division. The regions were highlighted on the diagram of the alien’s body. Every niser injury site became overlaid with highlights indicating cellular activity.

“Incredible… the body is trying to heal itself.” It was a futile attempt. There was not one free electron left in the alien’s brain. That was one brain that would stay dead, but still… Mikael looked at the rate of healing. The alien had been killed hours before, but already showed three weeks of recovery.

Doctor Tislon stepped to the next table. This alien had taken a niser hit to the head. Multiple times. Its brain was cooked, but Mikael was curious to see how the body was responding to that. He started a scan of the alien’s head.

Going back to the screen, Mikael looked up the areas of highest iron concentration. The alien’s diagram cleared and was replaced by a map of the iron in its body. The alien’s skeletal structure was strongly reinforced and comprised of iron. Its skin and flesh was also toughened by the metal. Motor muscles contained the second highest concentrations.

“You are practically a machine,” Mikael said, looking back at the body. Something caught his eye. The incision he had made was closing before his eyes. As he watched, the lips of the wound came together, zipped closed, leaving behind a thin line. A minute later, that too was gone.

The other table beeped, signalling the completion of the brain scan. Mikael went to the next screen to examine the results. Again, he found accelerated cellular activity, the healthy brain cells actually dividing and replacing the damaged ones at a phenomenal rate. The doctor could only guess what effect that would have on the creature’s memories, provided it would ever be capable of remembering them again.

Mikael went back to the first table, thinking of the announced parasitic infection. It would have to be a formidable parasite to take on a creature as ferocious as this alien. He displayed the infected areas on the diagram of the alien’s body.

The diagram indicated a huge range of DNA cloaking parasites. One strain seemed to thrive along the alien’s neural network, its brain seemingly completely overrun. Another strain seemed to flow through the cardiovascular system. Another seemed focused in the bones. All of them bore DNA similar enough to the alien’s that its body could not identify them, and thus did not destroy them.

Except for one blazing issue: the alien’s brain seemed to be entirely comprised of parasitic cells. Mikael looked up the symptoms leading the computer to diagnose the infection. Excessive incomparable DNA. That would explain it. The alien had many strains of its own DNA, older versions and new versions, scattered throughout its body. To the computer, it would look like a violent and fatal infectious spread, but it seemed that the alien’s DNA mutated rapidly.

But why? Thousands of distinct DNA patterns present all at once. There was no purpose for that. Mikael shook his head and looked over the scan again.

There was an number of alerts in the corner of the screen. The doctor selected one of them. Unknown organic compound detected: designation hydrelectrazyline. Mikael snorted. Unbelievable. There were just so many things different about this life form. He selected another. Unknown organic compound detected: designation gluceostruere.

The doctor studied the locations of highest hydrelectrazyline concentration. There were two sites; one above one of the alien’s kidneys, and one above the other. Right in the adrenal glands. Eddies of hydrelectazyline and adrenaline were slowly spreading through the alien’s inactive veins.

Curious, Mikael looked up the concentrated areas of gluceostruere. It seemed to be located primarily in the thyroid gland, but was spread throughout the creature’s entire body. Mikael cross-referenced this with a readout of triiodothyronine and thyroxine, the two hormones responsible for metabolic rate. Both hormones were extraordinarily high. That would explain the excited cellular growth he had observed.

Something behind the doctor beeped. Mikael turned around. Beep. The sound repeated. Beep. And again. Doctor Tislon went to the first alien’s table, looking over the display. Beep. His blood chilled and adrenaline pinched his gut. Beep. The alien’s heart was beating.

Mikael quickly scanned the alien’s body. Full vascular circulation. It was not breathing, and there was no brain activity, but the heart was beating. The diagram indicated that adrenaline had reached the alien’s heart, apparently restarting it. The hormone hydrelectazyline was now spreading quickly throughout the alien’s body. Mikael watched in shock as the alien’s organs rebooted one by one.

Half intrigued and half fearing for his own well-being, Mikael watched as hydrelectazyline swept through the alien’s brain. Electric activity restarted almost immediately. Neurons began firing, spraying off chemicals, hormones, and signals. Brain activity began steadily increasing.

Knowing that the alien was moments from waking, Mikael quickly input a command into the table’s computer. The alien’s body was injected with a concentration of cyanide, immediately inducing histotoxic hypoxia. It was a crude and unprofessional method to be sure, but a very effective one. The alien’s body suddenly found that it could not absorb oxygen from the bloodstream. Still, the body tried to recover. Hydrelectrazyline flooded the alien’s bloodstream. The alien began shaking on the table, shivering violently.

Mikael watched with interest. The alien’s cells seemed to metabolize the influx of hydrelectazyline as it would oxygen. The hormone seemed to both stimulate and fuel the cells; it was not to the same extent as oxygen, but it did provide the cells with necessary energy. However, the hypoxia was set in completely, and despite its heavy breathing, the alien’s body could no longer use oxygen. Hydrelectazyline levels began decreasing as its body ran out of the hormone. Now starved of both oxygen and its substitute the cells finally began to die. Its brain died first, for the second time. Its heart and lungs went next. The doctor watched as all indicators returned to stating that the alien was indeed dead. Again.

The doctor stepped back and leaned against the wall. The alien had come back to life! It had healed the injuries that had killed it and restored its own organs. And in a phenomenally short amount of time.

The doctor stood and stared around the room. Some of the other aliens could be undergoing the same miraculous recovery. He went to his desk, initiating the injection of cyanide into all the aliens. Mikael exhaled heavily as the command was performed. Now he was safe. None of the aliens would be reviving now. At least, none of the aliens on his watch would.

 

The Starspeed’s mortuary found itself unexpectedly busy. Not only had a great number of soldiers recently died, but a great number of aliens had died as well. Fortunately, there were few families on board the Starspeed, so there were few delays associated with loved ones of the deceased paying their last respects before the bodies were cremated. Still, there were a lot of bodies. And some of them, as the mortuary staff discovered, were difficult to dispose of.

The first alien was tossed in the oven and incinerated, its ashes blown off to be disposed of later and leaving nothing behind. Or at least, that was what was supposed to happen. That was how it usually worked. The furnaces burned with sufficient heat to completely burn away human material, including bones. The aliens, however, had a significant amount of iron in their bodies. Iron does not burn well. A great deal of residue was left behind, as well as a partially intact skeleton. The staff, unused to dealing with indestructible skeletons, muddled about with protocol for some time trying to decide what to do with the bodies. And in that time, the bodies began to become more than just bodies.

The first alien awoke. It had been shot numerous times in the chest. Its heart had been burned sufficiently to disable it. Its body had managed to restore the organ, barely. The alien’s energy reserves of gluceostruere and hydrelectazyline were depleted and the alien was ravenous with hunger. With its metabolism as fast as it was, it was only hours from starvation.

It burst from its shelf with a roar. It pounced on the nearest source of food it could find, an unfortunate member of the mortuary staff. The alien unleashed a herculean punch, breaking every one of the man’s ribs on impact. The man’s body hurled against the wall, crushed apart. The alien eagerly began devouring the carnage.

More aliens began recovering from their mortality, searching for further sources of food. Some turned on their dead fellows and ate them. The others left the confines of the room.

Two more of the staff encountered the aliens as they arose from their tombs, both dying and becoming the sustenance of the malevolent monsters. Shortly later, a warning was issued from the Chief Doctor declaring that the aliens were capable of cheating death.

Security teams were again deployed, and the mortuary became yet another, smaller, battlefield. The soldiers were more prepared this time, however, and the aliens were unarmed. The aliens were quelled, this time with few casualties.

 

On the bridge, Admiral Tislon took the place of his first officer, watching the screens for another attack force. The mining vessels around the planet had not moved; neither had the Starspeed. It still confused the Admiral why there should be so much investment in interplanetary industry and expansion but so little superstructure on the planet’s surface.

“Admiral Serax,” the Admiral called. “Have communications continued between the alien ships?”

“Yes, Admiral. There are also communications coming from the planet,” the communications officer answered.

“Can you discern any sort of message?”

“I have every message they have sent, but they are encrypted and I have no idea what is in them,” Admiral Serax replied.

“Admiral Kerak, what can you tell me about the planet?” the Admiral asked.

The science officer looked over his screens. “It is a feasibly life-bearing planet, one point one three times the mass of our own Rontis. Mostly arid and desert environments,” he replied.

“Admiral Longinus,” Admiral Tislon called. The first officer of the crew stepped forward. “You know better than I: how dangerous would an investigation of the planet’s surface be?”

“My initial response is that is it exceptionally dangerous,” Longinus replied. “However, it seems that they sent every attack ship they had at us; four cruisers and a squad of frigates cannot usually take out a battleship, and they have to have known that. As for whatever defenses they have on the planet’s surface, I would guess it is minimal. Still, these aliens are deadly with or without weapons.”

“I would like to survey the activity down on the planet. I would like to know what sort of industry they have going on down there, what sort of civil structure. I want to have an estimate of how many aliens are down there,” Admiral Tislon said. “Could it be done, safely?”

“Safely, no. But I do believe that could be accomplished within the bounds of reason,” Admiral Longinus replied.

“Excellent. See to it. You may use whatever resource is necessary,” the Admiral ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Longinus replied, turning and exiting. “Colonel Pol, with me.” The Colonel stood and followed Admiral Longinus from the room.

“Admiral Irai,” Admiral Tislon continued. “At what time did the miners we pursued here arrive?”

“The aliens, to the best of our knowledge should have arrived approximately an hour after we did, but so far, no spacecraft have arrived,” the navigator replied.

“What is the likelihood they were headed for a different destination?”

“Judging by the number of other mining vessels here, I would surmise that that is an unlikely possibility.”

“Is it possible that the miners could have beat us here?” Admiral Kerak asked.

“It is possible but unlikely,” Admiral Vid said. “No known engine can compare with our ultradrive’s top speed of four thousand times the speed of light.”

“Admiral Irai, scan the surrounding miners for matches to the ones we encountered in the asteroid family,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“Yes, sir,” the navigator replied. “Scanning, now.” A few seconds elapsed.

“Sir, all three miners are accounted for around the planet.”

“Incredible,” the Admiral said. “They surpassed the Starspeed and its ultradrive speeds…”

“I think we need to be exceptionally clear on what it is we are dealing with, Admiral Tislon,” Vid spoke up. “It would seem that this alien civilization out-performs us in every way possible. We need to use the utmost caution in interacting with them.”

“I agree, Admiral,” Admiral Tislon assured him. “Hopefully, Admiral Longinus’s investigation of the surface can yield a better insight on our new neighbors.”

 

The hanger doors in the belly of the Starspeed opened, eight ships dropping out one after another, diving toward the planet below. The first four were minuscule compared with the battleship: they were four frigates, each with a span of fifty feet between its forward swept wings, a roughly square body, and two large exser cannons. V-Form Fighters. Their engines glowing, they speared downward like falling stars.

The next ship was significantly larger, a cruiser, the new, advanced gunship, Liberator. This three-hundred foot spacecraft was a strange looking ship; its front portion was roughly rectangular and rather wide. At the end of this were two arms extending in opposite directions; at the end of each arm was a large, spherical module comprised of three circular bands, the newly designed exser pulse cannons. Attached to the back of the main body was the drive section of the cruiser, a smaller, rounded segment. The cruiser’s engines fired, illuminating the bottom of the Starspeed, and the cruiser tumbled in pursuit of the frigates.

The next two, were smaller, one hundred and fifty feet across. Mostly unarmed, these spacecraft were for surveillance and reconnaissance. Long and simple in design, with two short wings, these corvettes, Jumping Hawks, were intended to appear non-threatening so enemy ships would focus on the escorts, like the well prepared Liberator. The Jumping Hawks streaked in behind the gunship.

The last cruiser was a Falcon, TSS Peregrine. Characterized with long, falcon-like wings, the Falcon was well equipped to deal with atmospheric and vacuum environments, and armed with a range of exser cannons to accompany its great manueverability, it was a formidable cruiser to combat. The Peregrine followed behind the other ships, their engines glowing as they fell farther away.

As the ships fell, their engines slowly began transitioning from forward to reverse, slowing their descent into the planet’s atmosphere to keep from burning up. Flickers of plasma twirled around the ships as they dropped.

Admiral Longinus watched the planet grow larger and larger from inside one of the Jumping Hawks. The horizon vanished from sight and the mountains approaching became more and more defined.

“Ensign Pasus,” Admiral Longinus called. “Scan the surface of the planet for defensive sites we must avoid.”

“Aye, sir,” the systems operator replied. After a moment, the ensign turned to the Admiral. “There are antiship exser turrets near every landing point and several sites across this part of the planet. We will be in range of two in approximately thirty seconds.”

“Helm, maintain course. The Peregrine will defend us as the Liberator and the frigates destroy the turrets,” Longinus said. “Pasus, as soon as we are close enough to the surface, scan for concentrations of these alien life forms. We need to determine what they are doing down here.”

Admiral Longinus looked at the readouts on his screen. The altimeter was dropping at an alarming rate. One point three million feet. A second later, one point two seven.

“Frigates report they have leveled off, Admiral,” the communications officer declared.

“Acknowledged,” Longinus said. “Ensign Ansar, have you detected any intercept craft approaching?”

“No, sir.”

“Good. They are all out,” Admiral Longinus said to himself.

A few moments of silence passed as the ground came closer and closer.

“Engines full reverse,” the helmsman announced. “Switching to planetary flight platform.” The ground’s rushing toward them slowed. Admiral Longinus looked at the altimeter. Sixty thousand feet. Perfect.

“Commence scanning, Pasus,” Longinus ordered.

“Aye, sir.”

The Jumping Hawk leveled off, following closely behind the other. Fifty miles to the east, a turret detected the closing spacecraft and swiveled to destroy them.

“All ships report!” Longinus ordered.

“Captain Rittmon of Liberator here,” came the first, his voice projected throughout the bridge. “We have engaged and destroyed two turrets, Admiral.”

“Patrol Chief Lias reporting,” the squad leader replied. “Our squad has destroyed two as well, Admiral.”

“Captain Hendas of Peregrine… we are right behind you, Admiral.”

Now seventy miles away, the turret fired, blasting a fiery beam. It shrieked past the lead Jumping Hawk.

“Peregrine, engage that target,” Admiral Longinus ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Hendas replied.

The Falcon split off and turned back toward the turret. Its exser cannons swiveled to bear on the turret as it fired again, blowing up a shot against the Falcon’s shields. The Peregrine fired, launching lightning bolt shocks of niser fire. Thunder rippled across the land, followed shortly by the rock of an explosion as the turret blew apart.

“Target destroyed, sir,” Hendas informed Longinus.

“Excellent,” Longinus responded. “Helm, decrease altitude so that further turrets cannot fire on us.”

“Yes, sir.” The Jumping Hawk descended to just over the tops of the mountains as the Peregrine swooped in behind it. Peaks whistled by faster than the eye could follow.

“Admiral,” Ensign Pasus said, “the scanners have detected two concentrations of the aliens north-east of here, one hundred miles away.”

“Acknowledged. Give the helm the coordinates, and Helmsman, alter course to match.”

“Yes, sir,” the personnel replied. The Jumping Hawk pitched to the side, its engines flaring again. The corvette roared toward the locations detected. Admiral Longinus glanced at the speed indicator. Mach 18. Seventeen seconds to destination.

“Captain Hendas, lead us off and make sure nothing is waiting for us over there,” Longinus ordered.

“Understood, Admiral,” Peregrine responded. The Falcon screamed overhead, flying off over the mountains before them.

“Captain Rittmon, report!” Admiral Longinus commanded.

“Another two turrets down, shields holding at eighty-two percent,” Liberator answered.

“Chief Lias!”

“Another one for our tally, Admiral,” Lias reported.

“Excellent. Chief, Liberator, make sure our target area is clear,” Admiral Longinus said.

“Yes, Admiral.” Admiral Longinus watched as the four V-Form Fighters flashed across the horizon, their cannons loosing bolts of lightning on the targets below. Liberator charged in from the opposite direction, its pulse cannons laying out devastating waves of energy.

Suddenly the Jumping Hawk was over the last mountain, soaring over a vast, flat plain. Rising up in the center of it were the spires of a landing sight, but the first officer of the crew could not identify where the aliens could be living, or hiding.

“Ensign Pasus, begin surveillance scans and feed the images to my screens,” Admiral Longinus ordered.

“Yes, sir, Admiral,” the ensign responded. “Images transferring now.”

Admiral Longinus looked over the pictures that began flooding onto his screen. At first they only looked like the empty plains and foothills he saw originally. He magnified one of the images. And again. Nothing. He magnified it again, marveling at the resolution of the images. After the fourth magnification, the aliens came into view. They were definitely the same aliens. Huge wings; muscular, lean, predatory bodies… but these looked different from the ones that had attacked the Starspeed.

A bolt of orange fire shot past the Jumping Hawk as another turret opened fire. The helmsman banked to starboard, diving toward the plains below, pulling up a mere fifty feet above the ground. The turret fired again, the bolt spearing by the corvette and exploding against the ground, throwing up a fireball twenty feet high.

“Peregrine, take out that turret!” Longinus ordered as another bolt rippled overhead.

“Yes, sir,” Hendas said. On his screen, Longinus watched the Falcon advance on the turret, opening fire. Blasts of light exploded from the turret, a shockwave erupting across the plain.

“Target eliminated, Admiral,” Hendas reported.

“Good work,” Longinus said. “Helmsman, put us closer to the aliens. Pasus, give me as many images as you can.”

The Jumping Hawk pitched to port, swinging around and heading back toward the mountains.

“Scanners indicate no further turrets in range so long as we stay under an altitude of one thousand feet,” Ensign Ansar said.

“Very good,” Longinus said. “We are no longer at any risk.”

Admiral Longinus looked back at the images of the aliens, magnifying one after another. They were definitely the same aliens, but they looked different than the first ones had been. He magnified them one more time.

“Ah!” he declared, peering at the pictures and noticing an unexpected similarity between all these aliens. How peculiar…

He looked up; the Jumping Hawk was slowing above the aliens’ position. “What are we looking at, Ensign Pasus?” Longinus asked. The aliens were moving about, clustered around the base of a foothill.

“I’m not sure…,” the ensign displayed a feed of the ground below on all screens, blowing up the image. The aliens seemed to be moving in and out of a hole in the ground.

“Ensign, can you increase power to the scanners and determine where the aliens underground are at?”

“Yes, Admiral,” Pasus answered. She keyed in a command. Infrared imaging overlay the visual feed. The signal intensified and the red outlines of more aliens sprang up from under the ground, more and more of them coming into view. Several more exits came into view until an expanse forty miles across, all underground, was revealed.

“What on earth are they doing here?” Admiral Longinus questioned. “Ensign Pasus, can you outline the cavern’s walls on screen?”

“Yes, sir,” Pasus replied. “I can trace the walls based on the aliens’ positions relative to them.” She keyed in a command. The wall outline added to the screen.

Admiral Longinus studied the image. The cavern was comprised primarily of winding, relatively narrow tunnels with only a few pockets hollowed out. There was not much loose space and the caverns were packed with the aliens.

“You don’t suppose they could be living down there… Ensign Ansar, what do you think?”

“I doubt that this cavern is a living place. None of the aliens appear to be resting at all. They all look very active, moving about a great deal,” Ensign Ansar answered.

“Ensign Pasus?”

“I can’t say that I have any familiarity with this civilization’s culture, but it would seem that some sort of operation is underway here. Notice that the main entrance seems to be twenty miles south of here, and it is very large. All the other entrances are comparatively minor.”

“And if you magnify the image, Pasus, to give a better look at one of the aliens, you will notice something more,” Longinus said. The Ensign did as requested, magnifying one of the aliens.

“And another one,” Admiral Longinus ordered. Pasus magnified another.

“And another.” She did.

“And another.” Pasus complied.

“Do you see it?” Longinus asked. Uncomprehending looks replied to him.

“One more, Ensign,” Longinus said. Pasus magnified a fifth alien.

“They are all female,” Ansar announced.

“Very good,” Longinus said. “Why might that be, do you wonder. Helm, move us twenty miles to the south, to the entrance of the main tunnel.”

“Aye, sir.” The Jumping Hawk pitched and rocketed to the left, followed closely by the Peregrine, rapidly eating up the miles. Shortly, it stopped again.

Admiral Longinus looked over the new images. Nothing different as far as he could tell.

“Ensign Pasus, Ensign Ansar, scan for any ships or vehicles in this immediate area, including underground,” Longinus ordered. The scans commenced and the screens were again overlaid, this time with blotchy, thick spots.

“There seems to be a great deal of metal ores here, Admiral,” Pasus declared. “It appears that this is a mining operation.”

“Can you scan past the metal interference?” Longinus asked.

“Yes, sir. One moment, please,” Pasus said. She keyed a string of operations, each one diminishing the ore overlay a small degree. Slowly the outlines of multiple, large, land-based transporters came into view.

“That would verify your analysis, Ensign,” Longinus said. “Curious. Transfer a data sample of the metal ores to the Starspeed for molecular analysis.”

Admiral Longinus looked over further images. A wide road, no doubt formed by the heavy transporters, lead off away from the operation and out of view. Longinus studied it a moment.

“The transporters must move the metals to the off-site launch point, from which the ores are taken to the stations in orbit,” Admiral Longinus guessed.

“Liberator, Peregrine, Chief Lias – head us off; we are going to approach the launch site in the center of the flatland,” Longinus ordered.

“Acknowledged, Admiral,” the ships reported. Admiral Longinus watched as the nimble V-Form Fighters flashed across the plain, followed closely by the Peregrine and Liberator, their engines setting the air in their wake aglow.

“Helmsman, set course for the launch site.”

“Aye, sir.” The Jumping Hawk banked and its engines fired. The ground whistled past. In only a few moments, the spires of the launch site were visible.

The spires were huge, one thousand feet tall, built to support a huge planetary tug. A number of roads converged on the launch site. The launch pad’s foundation was enormous, indicating a heavy carrying capacity.

“This is an operation,” Longinus observed. “And who knows how many of these mining projects they have distributed around the planet.”

 

TSS Starspeed

“Admiral, a number of miners are moving,” Amada Irai announced. Admiral Tislon looked at the navigator.

“Where are they going?”

“They appear to be converging on the Starspeed,” Admiral Irai said.

“Shield status, Admiral Brutus!” the Admiral demanded.

“Shields are recharging, but are only at fifty-seven percent,” the first officer reported.

“Admiral Serax, in the odd chance that the aliens are paying any closer attention this time than the last, issue them a warning that if they do not desist their approach, we will fire upon them,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

“Sir, one of the miners is engaging a hyperdrive!” Admiral Irai warned. Kerak turned to the Admiral.

“Admiral Vid,” the Admiral shouted, “Engines ahead full, make our course perpendicular to that of the miner.”

“Ahead full, aye, bearing seventy-two degrees to starboard.”

Admiral Tislon watched as the miner’s engines fired and instantly propelled the ship from three-dimensional space. No one had time to flinch.

There was a brilliant glare of light as the miner reentered the normal universe, just behind the Starspeed.

“Distance to the miner, Irai!” Admiral Tislon demanded.

“Three point four miles, sir,” the navigator reported.

“Admiral Brutus, track and destroy the miner with Tier Three cannons.”

“Aye, sir, charging weapons grid.”

“Admiral, energy fluxes are springing up on the miner’s hull,” Kerak reported.

“What kind of fluxes?” Tislon asked warily.

“It is firing its mining lasers!”

Invisible beams of energy zipped from the miner, setting the Starspeed‘s shields into an electric storm.

“We are being hit by a continuous beam weapon,” Admiral Brutus reported. “Shields dropping at a rate of one percent per every two seconds. Our weapons will come online in five.”

“Unbelievable,” Admiral Tislon muttered. “Admiral Vid, evasive maneuvers.”

“Aye, sir,” Vid responded.

“We have moved out of the miner’s line of fire,” Admiral Brutus announced. “Shields down to fifty-five percent. As is predictable, their mining beams do not have sophisticated tracking equipment.”

“Our weapon banks are charged, Admiral,” the first officer announced.

“Disable the miner, Brutus,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

The battleship’s Tier Three cannons blasted the miner, great flashes of light flaring from the condemned ship. The miner rocked from the forces of impact, its outer hull beginning to break apart.

“The miner’s lasers have gone offline,” Admiral Kerak announced.

“Cease fire!” Admiral Tislon declared. “Kerak, damage report for the miner, please.”

“Yes, Admiral,” Kerak replied. “The miner’s outer hull is greatly damaged and breached in multiple places. Some damage has been done to the inner hull. I cannot be entirely sure, but it appears as though extensive damage to the outer hull has disabled the miner’s engines.”

“The miner is transmitting, Admiral,” Serax announced. “Unencrypted audio transmission.”

“Broadcast the transmission,” Admiral Tislon ordered.

The transmission projected throughout the bridge. It was not what any of them expected. The message contained growls, snarls, whines, and similar, animal sounds… no words, or nothing that sounded like words.

“What in the heavens…?” Admiral Tislon exclaimed with a scowl. “What is this?”

“Needlessly do I inform you that this is not our familiar Terili Latin, nor Taurusian Latin, nor any other language spoken in either of our histories, nor is it your native Ethek,” Admiral Serax said.

“Nor is it anything I would call a language, spoken or otherwise,” Admiral Tislon replied. “You are sure it is unencrypted?”

“Yes, sir.”

“All their other transmissions were encrypted, why not this one?” Admiral Tislon mused. “Admiral Irai, what do you make of this?”

The analyst listened, frowning in confusion and concentration.

“It would seem,” she said slowly, “that the aliens are either directing their transmission specifically to us… or they have kept it unencrypted to ensure that their message is not lost to its intended recipients. It is likely that they are transmitting a distress call.”

“Well, forgive my humanity for letting their own respond to that plea,” Admiral Tislon said, sitting back. “Admiral Vid, move the Starspeed away from the miner, one thousand miles. Admiral Irai, have the other miners desisted their approach?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good,” the Admiral said. “Perhaps we have earned their respect. Admiral Irai, keep me informed of any ships entering or leaving the orbitals of this planet.

“Admiral Brutus, you have the bridge. Bridge Two, relieve the bridge officers.”

 

Admiral Tislon stepped into his quarters, the best on the ship, and waited as the doors closed behind him.

He relaxed, letting himself stand not quite so perfectly straight, letting the iron out of his expression. The perfect officer faded, leaving behind a person.

Royal looked around the room. It was not home yet. It was not yet familiar to him. But it wasn’t too bad either. He had transferred all his personal belongings to his quarters here, knowing that his command of the Starspeed would be a long one. What an opportunity!

Still he never imagined how much of an opportunity it would be. The first encounter with an alien civilization… to what end? Hundreds of the aliens killed, maybe thousands, hundreds of the battleship’s own killed, the Starspeed critically damaged, crippled, unable to attain its superluminal speeds. Trapped in space with no way to communicate with the State from which it came. Who could say how much more of that the Starspeed would face over the continuation of its journey?

Royal walked to the centerpiece of the room, an Ethistian musical instrument, a dachtylidi krystalla. Such a beautiful piece of art.

The dachtylidi krystalla was a collection of meticulously gathered Ethistian crystals, each of which, when stroked, would produce a different musical pitch. The crystals, ranging in size from three feet long, to three inches, were arranged in an arc around the musician. Royal had learned to play the dachtylidi krystalla when he was eight, a talent he had always appreciated.

Royal stepped before the crystals, dipping his hands in a dish of water to aid his playing, and softly swept a finger over one of the crystals. A single, infinitely clear note rang out, piercing and filling the room with its resonating, but surprisingly soft, sound. Royal closed his eyes and smiled. With his other hand, he stroked another crystal, producing a singing and simple harmony.

Royal began to play, sweeping, ethereal music reverberating around him, filling his ears with the sweet sound. The song was a complex one to listen to; it was melancholy, triumphant, joyous, and contemplative all at the same time. Royal had written it himself many years ago. His wife used to play the song with him, expanding the piece indefinitely, and between the two of them, their occasional musicianship gained renown across Terili State.

Now where was he? Adrift in space in a crippled ship, alone.

Royal ceased playing. He had come to accept that a long time ago.

 

Chapter 3

The sun rose over a rough desert, its light quickly streaming over the flat wasteland. Rocks and icecaps on the distant mountains reflected the rays, projecting dazzling beams back into the sky.

Admiral Tislon watched as the planet below lit up, again sparkling like an uncut diamond as it did its every early morning. How many of those had they seen now? Thirteen. Admiral Vid had informed him that the repairs to the Starspeed‘s inner hull were almost complete. Additionally, superficial repairs to the outer hull were almost complete and would give the Starspeed renewed utilization of its hyperdrive engines.

Admiral Tislon rose from his chair and began slowly pacing the bridge. He glanced around at the faces of his officers as he walked by. Tension was obvious. Admiral Tislon could not blame them. For all anyone knew, further alien warships could arrive without warning. The Admiral had conferred with his first officer and chief engineer on the results of another encounter with the aliens. Against a variable number of battlecruisers, the Starspeed could hold its own and most likely survive most realistic dogfight. Against one or more frigates, the Starspeed could easily find itself in a great deal of trouble. Against a fighter or another battleship, neither Admiral Brutus, Admiral Vid, or Admiral Tislon were optimistic about the Starspeed’s chances.

The crew was aware of the dangers. Engineering teams were working feverishly, volunteering additional ships, desperate to do as much as they could to ensure the Starspeed could be underway again. Personnel throughout the ship were quiet, their faces impassive, their professional training taking over in their fearfulness.

The bridge officers were no exception. Admiral Tislon looked across the room at the communications officer. Serax was always a quiet man, ironically enough, very kept to himself and reserved, but Admiral Tislon could see his eyes flitting back and forth and the tightness of his hands. Admiral Kerak, similarly introverted, sat almost motionless, only his eyes sweeping over his screens. Admiral Brutus, on the other hand, rolled a fist in the palm of his hand, looking over the bridge like Admiral Tislon, occasionally glancing at his instruments. The other junior bridge officers dutifully performed their tasks with haste. They were perhaps in the most difficult position: aware of every threat and circumstance as the senior officers, but without the rank to address them themselves.

Admiral Tislon looked across at the ship’s second officer, Admiral Irai. The Admiral paused in his pacing. Irai exuded a sense of… calm and confidence. She did not seem the least bit perturbed. Remarkable, Admiral Tislon thought. He continued walking, keeping the navigator in the corner of his eye. Admiral Tislon wondered why she had not been appointed as first officer by Command Admiral Arvaak. Political reasons no doubt. Arvaak had had enough difficulty instating Admiral Tislon as the Starspeed’s captain and the protests over his Ethistian birth had been bad enough. Doomsayers almost certainly would have screamed “coup” if both the first and second in command were native to that planet. Still, Admiral Tislon could not help but begrudgingly admit that Irai would have made the better first officer, at least under his command.

Looking away from the woman, the Admiral turned his gaze to the floor. He had posed a question to the talented Admiral Irai five days earlier as to why the mining vessels were so inactive. Since the Starspeed had disabled the sole aggressive miner, the other ships hadn’t so much as twitched. Why? had been his question. The combat ships had been happy enough to bring the fight to the Terili battleship. Wouldn’t the crews of the miners be of an equal disposition to do something?

Admiral Irai’s answer had been of little help, but she posed the feasible possibilities. Perhaps the aliens trained their soldiers to be extraordinarily aggressive and normal individuals were less violent. Perhaps the miners were aware of incoming backup and did not want to provoke the Starspeed into leaving. Perhaps the aliens were unsure of the battleship’s capabilities and did not wish to test them themselves. Perhaps the miners were manned by a species not as aggressive as the aliens, living in cooperation with them. Or perhaps the miners, like the mining operation on the planet’s surface, were manned by females, and thus, perhaps the females’ psychology was different than that of the males, less inclined to violence.

Irai had a remarkable ability to identify all the options, but Admiral Tislon’s mind hadn’t been eased.

The Admiral returned to his chair and seated himself again. He flicked on his communicator.

“Admiral Tislon to Admiral Vid,” the Admiral relayed through the comm channel. “How much longer until we have use of the hyperdrive engines again?”

“Estimating four more hours, sir,” Admiral Vid responded. “The inner hull has been repaired and we’ve detached the alien cruisers. The impact flex in the outer hull needs to be realigned. After that, we could technically use the hyperdrive engines again, of course at risk of instantaneously vaporizing the Starspeed. We can use the hyperdrive safely by installing structural supports to the damaged area. That will maintain our superluminal integrity.”

“Proceed with all due haste, Admiral Vid,” Admiral Tislon ordered. “I would rather not risk any more time among these aliens.”

“Acknowledged, Admiral.”

 

Admiral Tislon’s gaze was abruptly drawn to Admiral Irai as the navigator suddenly leaned forward, moving with a haste bespeaking alarm.

“A ship has dropped out of hyperdrive in our vicinity, Admiral,” Irai reported.

“Confirmed,” Admiral Kerak added. Admiral Tislon stood and turned to the second officer.

“Specifications?”

“It is a cruiser, sir.”

“It is armed, Tier Two exser cannons, sir,” Admiral Brutus informed him.

“Range to the cruiser?” Admiral Tislon asked.

“Seven thousand one hundred miles, sir,” the first officer answered.

“Helm, bear ninety degrees off the planet and engage engines, maximum speed,” Admiral Tislon ordered. “Admiral Brutus, prepare Tier Three and Tier Three Pulse exser cannons.”

“Sir, relatively speaking, radio transmissions have exploded,” Admiral Serax reported. “It seems that every miner, station, and planetary site is broadcasting to the cruiser.”

“That can’t be good,” Brutus said.

Admiral Tislon flipped on his communicator. “Admiral Vid, I need those hyperdrive engines. How much longer?”

“Sorry, sir, but if you want the Starspeed to survive hyperdrive velocity, it will be another forty minutes. The hull has been realigned and sixty percent of the superstructural supports are locked down. The rest are been retrofitted now.”

“Admiral Tislon, the cruiser is following at three fourths our current speed,” Admiral Irai informed him.

“Admiral,” the first officer said, “it is unlikely that this cruiser poses a significant threat to the Starspeed.”

“I am more concerned with whatever friends may be behind him, Brutus,” Admiral Tislon responded tersely.

“I deem it unlikely that there are any other ships coming, sir,” Admiral Irai said. “This cruiser is most likely only here to check up on things and report it elsewhere. If it were part of a patrol, it is most likely they would all have arrived at more or less the same time.”

“Running from him may entice him to take bold actions that we would rather avoid,” Admiral Kerak added.

“Thank you,” Admiral Tislon said, taking his seat again. “Helm, approach the cruiser, one half ahead.”

The battleship banked, swinging around and facing the approaching alien cruiser. The enormous Starspeed vastly dwarfed its adversary.

“Sir, the cruiser is stopping,” Irai announced.

“All stop,” Admiral Tislon ordered. “Admiral Serax, issue a standard greeting to the alien cruiser.”

“Aye, sir,” Serax answered. “Message transmitted.”

A few moments passed as all the officers intently watched the images of the cruiser on their screens. It was a ominous ship, diamond-shaped with two claw-like arms sweeping forward from each side.

“Admiral,” Serax said, “we are receiving an audio transmission.”

“Broadcast it,” the Admiral ordered.

Growling and snarling emanated throughout the bridge, a primal and frightening sound, but it was no more intelligible than the last message had been. Admiral Tislon frowned, rubbing his chin.

“Admiral Serax, let’s transmit an audio of our own,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Serax said, preparing to press the corresponding button. “You are online in three, two…” He paused, then pushed the button.

“Alien vessel, this is Admiral Tislon of the Starspeed. We do not mean to threaten or endanger you or any other of your ships. We are on an exploratory mission. Provided you can understand us better than we understand you, identify yourselves,” the Admiral spoke. He turned back to Serax and nodded. The communications officer switched off the transmitter.

The officers were all silent, waiting for a reply. A minute passed, but the cruiser did not move and did not respond.

“Admiral Irai, your assessment?” the Admiral asked.

“It is highly unlikely that they understand us, sir,” the analyst replied. “I would guess they are trying to figure out how to keep us here until they can bring back ships more suitable to combating a battleship than their cruiser.”

“So we have the advantage,” Admiral Brutus said.

“I would prefer not to provoke them,” Admiral Tislon rebuked. “We just need to hold out until Admiral Vid gets our hyperdrive engines back online.” He inspected the image of the cruiser on his screen. What were they thinking over there? What were they planning?

If they were at all similar to the aliens that had attacked the Starspeed earlier, the Admiral could only suspect that they were almost literally dying to attack the battleship. Yet, they did not. Not yet. Perhaps someone on board recognized the folly in attacking a ship ten times the size of their own.

Forty minutes. It would be a long forty minutes.

 

And after thirty had passed, the alien cruiser had still not moved from its position. Admiral Serax had very carefully monitored every transmission the ship had sent, or at very least where it had been received. With no way of interpreting the messages, no one, not even Admiral Irai could guess what was being said. Still, she tried. Looking over the list of transmissions, which alien ships or stations received them, and when, trying to find some pattern or clue from which to draw a conclusion.

“Admiral,” Irai called. All heads turned toward her. “Twenty of the miners are moving, sir.”

“Where are they heading?” the Admiral demanded.

“They appear to be heading toward the asteroid field we found them at two weeks ago,” Admiral Irai answered.

Admiral Tislon watched as twenty of the miners, as specified, engaged hyperdrives, immediately blasting into space.

“It will be approximately half an hour before we can establish whether or not the miners were indeed headed for the asteroid field,” Admiral Kerak announced.

“Thank you, Admiral,” Admiral Tislon said. He contemplated sending the Peregrine to follow, but he knew that the aliens outpaced the cruiser’s hyperdrive. And it was entirely possible that the alien cruiser would pursue the Peregrine, and Admiral Tislon did not doubt what the results of such an encounter would be. Reluctantly, he decided reconnaissance was not an option.

“Admiral Tislon,” Irai announced again, “the alien cruiser is approaching at a rate of five hundred fifty-two miles per second!”

“Admiral Brutus,” Tislon ordered, “transfer power to the combat platform and boost the shields. Helm, bear thirty degrees off the planet and sixty degrees to port, full ahead!”

“Yes, sir,” the helmsman responded, his hands moving to execute the command.

Then suddenly it seemed that space around the Starspeed exploded. Brilliant flashes of light sheared around the battleship, illuminating the ship in a sun-like flare. Admiral Tislon’s screen whited-out completely, unable to compensate for the sudden blast of energy.

“What was that!” he demanded, leaping to his feet.

“Ships, sir, exiting hyperdrive only a few hundred yards from the Starspeed,” Admiral Irai replied. Sure enough, the light faded, revealing miners, much, much closer than they should ever have been.

“They have completely encircled the Starspeed, Admiral,” Kerak concurred. “We cannot move without colliding with them.”

“We’ve been trapped!” Admiral Brutus exclaimed in disbelief. “The radiation flares have dropped our shields nine percent.”

The alien cruiser roared closer, circling the encapsulated battleship at high speed. It fired through the gaps between the miners, loosing bolts of fire which exploded against the Starspeed’s shields. Each hit briefly curtained the effected area with flame.

Admiral Tislon stared at the ship with mounting rage. He turned deliberately to Admiral Brutus.

“Burn these miners out of our path. Use whatever means are necessary!” he ordered.

“Acknowledged, Admiral,” the first officer said, inputting the proper commands. “Diverting power from navigation to boost firepower.”

All across the battleship’s surface, cannons turned to face the miners blocking the ship’s path. An indeterminable second passed before space again seemed to explode. The Starspeed fired.

The glow of the beams of niser energy shined almost as brightly as the hyperdrive flares of the miners when they had arrived, the light reflecting off the alien ships’ hulls almost as though they were mirrors. From outside the blockade of ships, it appeared to be the beginnings of a supernova, the spreading light eclipsed. The results were devastating.

A miner directly in front of the battleship blew to pieces immediately, vanishing behind a plasma shockwave before its fractured hull reappeared, broken, melted, and drifting away. The ships next in line fared even worse, with even more cannons able to track them. Four of these were obliterated by instantaneous and extreme niser fire, liquefying and popping like balloons. Droplets of metal scattered in all directions. Another five were just as quickly crippled, managing to survive their portions of the onslaught.

The remaining miners switched on their mining lasers, slowly burning through the battleship’s shields. A few seconds later, however, the Starspeed fired again. The miners exploded, their hulls rupturing helplessly.

Admiral Tislon sat back in his chair, awestruck. Seven seconds ago he had delivered the order, and in seven seconds, all twenty miners had been reduced to a burning field of almost unrecognizable debris. The Starspeed was encircled by a shell of glittering metal.

“There is still not a path clear for the Starspeed, Admiral,” the helmsman reported.

“Sir, the debris is beginning to fall into the planet’s gravity well,” Admiral Kerak stated. “The mass of the metal that is soon to collide with us will quickly overwhelm our shields and severely damage our hull. If it doesn’t destroy us outright.”

“I wasn’t expecting such a dramatic result,” the Admiral muttered in surprise. “She lives up to the title of battleship.” He flipped on his communicator. “Admiral Vid, how much longer?”

“The installments are almost complete. They will be finished any minute now. I will let you know as soon as the last repair crew has climbed back aboard,” came Admiral Vid’s reply.

“Helm, cut the engines and turn the ship toward the planet’s surface,” Admiral Tislon ordered. “We will free-fall with the debris until we can get out of it. Admiral Brutus, do what you can to blow a hole behind us we can fly through. And if you can, blast the cruiser from the sky.”

“Yes, Admiral,” the first officer replied.

The glow of the Starspeed’s engines died as the ship banked toward the planet. The bow of the spacecraft plowed through a patch of wreckage, the ship’s shields flashing and repelling the impacts. Metal scattered.

The Starspeed began to fall.

The alien cruiser circled the free-falling mass, firing at the battleship. Bolts of fire lanced toward the Starspeed, most of them blowing up against the debris field, but some exploding on the battleship’s shields. The cruiser bobbed and weaved, evading the Starspeed‘s return shots, or at least those that managed to get through the miners’ wreckage.

“Shield status, Admiral Brutus?” Admiral Tislon asked, watching the planet slowly grow larger and larger on his screen.

“Not critical, sir: eighty-two percent,” the first officer answered.

“Admiral Irai, how long until we hit the planet’s atmosphere?” the Admiral inquired.

“Eleven minutes, Admiral,” the navigator informed him.

“That gives us very little leeway,” Admiral Tislon responded.

Niser blasts shattered the metal debris behind the Starspeed, each shot hurling melted fragments of metal into space, trailing glowing blue plasma gas. Despite the continued pounding, however, most of the fragments rebounded off the chunks of metal behind them, fusing and failing to escape the shell. So close behind the spacecraft was the debris field that the repercussions of the blast wave returned and hit the Starspeed’s shields, causing them to flash dimly.

“Sir, the debris field is not thinning,” Admiral Brutus announced.

“I don’t like to be left with uncertain options,” Admiral Tislon replied. “Admiral, overload the Tier Three cannons.”

There was a pause in the battleship’s firing. Then its guns flashed again, bursting forth bolts many times more energetic than before. The results were massive. The flaring shockwave enveloped the Starspeed up to her nose. The debris behind the ship ejected back into space, plowing against the side of the cruiser. One of the cruiser’s four arms was ripped off and the spacecraft careened off course.

“A path has been cleared, Admiral,” the helmsman announced.

“Excellent. Good work, Admiral Brutus,” Admiral Tislon acknowledged. “Helm, halt the Starspeed’s descent.”

“The cruiser has been critically damaged,” Admiral Irai informed him. “It is currently spinning off course.”

“Admiral Vid,” Admiral Tislon said over comms, “now would be a very opportune time to get our hyperdrive back.”

The Starspeed’s engines fired, stopping the ship. The field of debris fell away, spiraling toward the planet’s surface. The battleship stood still in space.

“You’ve got your hyperdrive back, sir, if you really need it right now,” Admiral Vid responded. “The repair teams are coming back aboard. Just a few more minutes and we’ll be good to go without leaving anyone behind.”

“Understood,” Admiral Tislon said. “Make it fast, if you would. I’m am getting tired of floating around this planet.”

Admiral Tislon watched the cruiser tumble through space, encircled by a cloud of its own wreckage. It was entirely possible that the impact force of the destroyed miners striking it had killed everyone on board. Still, as he had said before, if there were anyone to save, the aliens could do it themselves.

“Bear ninety degrees off of the planet, helm,” Admiral Tislon ordered. “Ahead full.”

The Starspeed pitched and turned around, its rockets burning a trail of energy as it soared back into the darkness.

“Admiral Tislon,” Admiral Vid said over the comms, “you may engage hyperdrive.”

“Thank you, Admiral,” Tislon replied. “Helm, engage hyperdrive.”

The Starspeed’s engines glowed, the planet below shining in the light. The battleship flashed and disappeared.