Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 1 - Purple Blood (16 page)

Further clicks and scrapes echoed across from the bridge of the Cephrit cruiser as Admiral Biruldesec now replied in snorting contempt.

‘Well no chirrs of compliance to edicts are heard from the bugs. You have larger numbers of bigger ships, so let us have at it then insect.’

Biruldesec plotted firing solutions to the lead Cephrit ship, even as he noted one of their own ships was now painted as their flagship on the navigation display. He altered his orders slightly and the two fleets continued to close. The squat and rectangular Cephrit ships attempted to ignore his own ships and push past to attack the larger numbers of Tilmud ships across the far side of the star system. The admiral merely ensured all his own ships attacked the Cephrit flagship, and in moments, the other cruisers were altering course to fall back and protect their fleet master. Biruldesec gave his final orders as a series of explosions rocked his flagship.

‘Continue firing all weapons at the flagship, ignore the screening cruisers. We need to buy time for the remaining ships in our fleet to flee….’

The admiral fired another series of laser blasts from the heavy main lasers on the frigate, and he noted with satisfaction that the cruiser appeared to be slowing and that the cruiser’s shields were weakening. Another series of loud explosions then tore at his frigate even as he could see that most of his damaged Tilmud ships had already been destroyed. Suddenly a flare of light erupted on his bridge as the shields failed and Biruldesec had a fleeting final sensation of terrific heat, as his body was blown apart when the frigate exploded.

The fleet master felt a relief as the final Tilmud frigate exploded and his own flagship dropped back to the rear of the Cephrit formation. Three other damaged cruisers hung back with him as the rest of the Cephrit formation drove at high speed across the star system at the larger concentration of Tilmud ships. After two hours another Tilmud communications message was received on the Cephrit flagship.

‘Fleet Captain Pavuldesec and I now command the Tilmud fleet. We surrender and we even now leave for our home systems. The war is over fleet master and we beg that you do not attack our ships any further.’

The fleet master quietly appraised the message before he offered a measured reply full of clicks and rasps of rage.

‘I have fury with your continued existence Captain, for are you not the butcher who killed the colonists on four of our colonies? We will kill all Tilmud we can today as a result.’

Pavuldesec quietly gave his own orders and turned his frigate, along with a dozen ships of his rear guard, towards the onrushing larger ships of the Cephrit.

After several more minutes, a series of blasts lashed the Tilmud smaller ships as the larger Cephrit weapons found range first. Once again Tilmud ships exploded, as the concentrated laser cannon fire methodically overwhelmed the outsized shields of the smaller but stoutly build ships.

Pavuldesec ordered his ships to close as quickly as possible, and a series of smaller blasts slowed the Cephrit cruisers as the Tilmud weapons finally found their own range. The hopelessly one sided encounter continued for several more minutes, even as the last of the now distant fleeing Tilmud ships now left the star system for the temporary safety of hyper space.

The final three Tilmud frigates in the rear guard exploded, and Pavuldesec died experiencing the same sensations as Biruldesec, with the last surviving frigate exploded around him in an avalanche of heat and light.

The Cephrit fleet master recalled all his ships and after several hours, they left the star system for the safety of their own star systems in the opposite direction. Idly he considered the likely reaction of the Vorinne second envoy to his tardy acceptance of the Tilmud offer to surrender. However he found that he no longer cared, for could successfully argue that he had not attacked the core Tilmud systems. The fleet master realized how tired he felt as he addressed his fleet of cruisers.

‘Today the long war with the Tilmud has ended with the deaths of senior Tilmud fleet officers and the losses of numbers of their ships. We return to our forward zones to be ready to intercept any further attacks from the Tilmud, however unlikely that is to occur. Send the order recalling all fleets to the forward deployment zones.’

In minutes a series of long-range message probes were launched, and they preceded the larger Cephrit ships as they left the star system. At the two sites of the recent space battles, the fragmented wreckage of Tilmud ships and a few dead Tilmud spun slowly through the dimly lit blackness of space.

                                                                     ***

Altarebe cautiously nosed forward from out behind the non-descript small asteroid he hiding behind and slowly edged into open space. He verified that both his shields and cloak were working correctly, as he again anxiously scanned the far side of the system. He kept quiet as he moved further across the system away from the locations of both his hiding spot and his resting father.

After three hours, he received a weak coded transmission that he recognised as coming from the Sspol envoy’s cruiser. In minutes he had accelerated to the course and heading specified by Drannep and he found time to relax for about three hours. After Altarebe arrived at the required rendezvous point, he flipped end over and applied a braking thrust for several seconds, as he sat back to wait patiently with just his cloak and shields operational.

Altarebe did not have long to wait, as the area of space outward of the system shimmered for several seconds before a Sspol cruiser and a smaller Maveen gate ship uncloaked and slowed to meet him. In moments, Drannep was addressing him in a good-natured way.

‘I trust we are not interrupting your busy existence; Altarebe, we bring old friends and have a surprise onboard for you.’

Altarebe was both diplomatic and light hearted in his response as he uncloaked.

‘I watch the formation of new worlds as my father recovers, but little else; Drannep, I thank your race for your efforts.’

Two smaller Maveen probes undocked from the Maveen gate ship now re-introduced themselves as both the Earth probe and the Dradfer probe, with the Earth probe now taking charge of the meeting in space.

‘Altarebe, we are no longer running ancient compliance so do not try to change our instructions. We insist that you follow our instructions and advice to the best of your abilities.’

The Earth probe waited patiently for a response and Altarebe had the good sense to remain diplomatic.

‘Well Earth probe, I will have to get used to your literal tone and besides you obviously have a plan in place. So what is this surprise you have for me?’

The Earth probe merely passed the agreed signal to Drannep, and in minutes, the envoy had the Sspol cruiser unloading their mysterious cargo. Altarebe ran his critical external sensors over what initially appeared to be an oddly shaped and outsized cargo sled that was big enough to carry a frigate, before he spoke again in encrypted channel for only the benefit of only the Maveen.

‘So we have a sled that can carry either me or even a gate ship, and how does this craft help me land on Earth?’

The smaller Maveen probe merely edged over to the now isolated sled, before he quickly docked with the unusual device and spoke again.

‘Now watch closely Altarebe as the sled has powerful engines, excellent shields and a superb cloaking mechanism. Also it has a high speed airfoil wing to allow hyper sonic flight in the Earth’s atmosphere.’

Altarebe watched with increasing gratitude and respect, as the Maveen sled was piloted across space in front of him at high speed and with great agility. He watched as the sled cloaked and uncloaked rapidly, and he noted he could see no energy spikes at even close range when this change occurred. The young ancient was effusive in his praise to the Maveen Earth probe as the sled came to a stop in front of him.

‘Earth probe, I am both humbled and honoured that the Maveen would go to such trouble for your old masters. Indeed this craft must represent the pinnacle of recent military research by your race. Please be aware of my gratitude for the efforts of the Maveen.’

The Earth probe was silent for a moment as it undocked from the sled before replying.

‘Altarebe, we ask both that you be mindful of the technology we have supplied to you, and to also supply the sled intact to the probe we left in Earth’s oceans.’

Altarebe looked over nervously at the Sspol cruiser as he realised that the Maveen probe’s responses had been sent unencrypted over an open channel. He considered that much had occurred behind the scenes for the Sspol and the Maveen now to trust each other so heavily. He now asked a cautious question over an open channel to the envoy on the Sspol cruiser as he considered both the risks and ramifications of this new relationship.

‘Much happiness and surprise at this news Drannep; the happiness is my method of realising a goal, and the surprise is the new aspects of the relationship between my two friends.’

Drannep remained silent for several moments as he no doubt decided on an equally cautious reply, and the silent Maveen probe now remained inscrutable bordering on obdurate. Altarebe contented himself with further comments of appreciation as he went over the outsized sled, quickly noting the dual weapons arrays mounted inside the stubby swept wings of the sled. He did not have long to wait much longer as he listened to the good-natured reply of the Sspol envoy.

‘Indeed much happiness but certainly not surprise Altarebe; we are delighted to help you with your sacred mission. The Sspol have known of the queen’s presence on Earth for many thousands of years and we have a colony in the system.’

Altarebe was absolutely amazed by this revelation, and he interrupted his first attempts to dock with the sled as he asked a far more direct series of questions.

‘I am completely stunned, surprised, amazed and grateful. Drannep if I consider the ramifications of this correctly then my race is indeed in debt to the Sspol for all eternity. You infer that your colony has protected the queen and her daughters for many years?’

Drannep did not speak for an extended period and the Maveen probe finally spoke again, even as Altarebe began to worry that he may have offended the Sspol in some manner.

‘The Sspol have indeed been discouraging other galactic races from the Sol system by all accounts. Apparently, the Tilmud were reluctant to go even to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Sol system after the Sspol drove them away on several occasions. Before the war, the Tilmud mainly just guarded the former Dradfer colonies nearly one hundred light years distant from Earth to satisfy the demands of the senior vassal races.’

The envoy now spoke and Altarebe listened attentively as he leisurely docked with the larger Maveen sled and familiarised himself with the controls. He noted that Drannep now was not using the emotional emphasis he had grown used to hearing.

‘We give thanks for your gratitude and civility and it is our honour to assist you; we have a colony on the eighth planet, called Neptune by the humans. When you enter the system, we want you to place a tight beam transmission to this planet but a response is not expected. Now this is the message I would like you to transmit….’

After several hours, Altarebe shut down the sled and rested deep in thought, even as the Sspol envoy in his cruiser and the Maveen Earth probe conversed quietly off to one side.

                                                                     ***

Deshinal quietly slouched as low as possible in the rear of the air car and pulled the hood of her cloak tightly around her, for her size alone would cause alarm amongst other Quixxe. Her mother Apinal sat in the front passenger seat on two cushions to throw off the perceptions of any casual observer. Her eldest brother, Rhadinal, piloted the air car towards the long since rebuilt weapons facility.

The air car lost altitude and stopped for several moments at the east gate before another brother, Stadinal, waved it through into the compound. Apinal started speaking as the air car slowly hovered off towards the long and slender ship on the eastern landing strip.

‘Now remember slow and steady and Deshinal leaves the air car last when we are all aboard. Deshinal, you are to appear to slouch over as you carry the luggage, and remember to use slow and short steps as you are not in a hurry.’

The air car stopped directly in front of the rear hatch of the new scout ship and Apinal’s other older daughter, Shafinal, looked around the landing strip anxiously. Shafinal was reassured as her mother got out of the car and offered her a polite bow that was returned as she spoke.

‘I have left the surveillance cameras alone and we have filled a plausible flight plan for a journey to the core Vorinne systems to fetch the Vorinne overseer. We are actually early for departure but I will not make the mistake of leaving too soon.’

Rhadinal gave a quiet and wry grin as he digested his sister’s comments. He calmly placed a small trunk at the base of the boarding ramp and looked at his mother with a respectful glance as he spoke.

‘Mother, it is all as you have suggested and the bank transfers have been conducted by the Quixxe hidden council as per your request. The rest of the family have been sent off to many other Vorinne worlds and they all have new identities. It will look like we have stolen the ship to sell to the highest bidder and that we are not seditious.’

Apinal responded by giving her oldest son the Quixxe chirp of agreement and approval used in formal situations, yet she yearned to hug him in gratitude and love. She knew that all this had taken years of quiet preparation and a steely resolve to total secrecy. Stadinal had briefly returned to the air car to reassure an anxious Deshinal about the short delay and to fetch additional luggage.

The Quixxe made a show in the pre-dawn light of slowly checking over the new Vorinne scout ship and loading the luggage before they all filed aboard and waited. Shafinal turned off the ship lights for the rear ramp and they all looked at the rear cameras with concern. Deshinal now slowly came aboard carrying an outsized trunk that was otherwise lightly packed. In moments, the ramp was raised and the pre-flight checks completed.