Alpha One

The Kryl Queen

By
Chris Burton

Credits Page

Eternal Press
A division of Damnation Books, LLC.
P.O. Box 3931
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-9998

www.eternalpress.biz

Alpha One: The Kryl Queen
by Chris Burton

Digital ISBN: 978-1-62929-087-4

Print ISBN: 978-1-62929-088-1

Cover art by: Dawné Dominique
Edited by: Kim Richards

Copyright 2013 Chris Burton

Printed in the United States of America
Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights
Worldwide English Language Print Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Dedication page

To Ness and my boys.

One day all this writing will end. Until then, thank you for your timeless patience and support.

Part One

Prologue

It was unlike any other Kryl ship—larger than a cruiser and yet, still dwarfed by the Queen’s ship. There was no trademark red glow beneath its belly and no cohesive flowing lines. This was the Tathos ship.

Just as the new Kryl Governor of Earth assumed control, the new Tathos Commander, Sorgan ordered pursuit of a large Alpha Cruiser, whose course took it away from Earth at high velocity.

Where is the Alpha ship going? She is in contravention of the Agreement. We will follow her discretely.

Sorgan made his own rules. He was not constrained by hierarchy. He did not report to the Kronan. His sole responsibility was to the Queen. He was briefed to seek out and locate rogue Earth vessels, determine any risk to his sovereign and take action he deemed appropriate. On this occasion, he would just observe. What are they planning?

“My Commander, the Alpha Vessel has joined two others. They are travelling away from Earth. We should take action to prevent them from escaping.”

“No! We will follow. They may join others. If there is another Alpha fleet, we will find them.”

* * * *

Commander Wesley Smith just ordered the release of the waste and junk holds as his ship and the two other cruisers, to which he now commanded, prepared for the jump to high velocity stellar speed. They were on route to the Styros Cluster to join Alpha’s Contingency fleet.

“Scan short and long range. Make sure we are alone, before we establish our course correction and prepare the Pantheon for long haul.”

Smith did not know for certain why they were ordered to travel so far away from Alpha’s central domain. Nor did he understand why other Alpha vessels were recalled and his ship was not. He had an idea some form of secret fleet was in preparation, but his orders were simple: proceed to the Styros Cluster and await further instructions. He, his crew, and the other two Alpha cruisers had no way of detecting the huge Kryl cruiser following close in their wake.

“Scans are clear, Commander.”

“Excellent…take us out, helm. This is going to be a long journey.”

Chapter One

The First List

The Administrator worked carefully through the error transcript. Twenty-five pages long; these were the names of those selected whose details were misplaced, misspelled, or where information was absent. These were the few from the list who, without complete information, would fall through the net and ironically would be saved from the Kryl’s clutches. Any entry where the information could be verified would then be added back to the database. It was a laborious task, but the Administrator was a professional. If this had to be done, it had to be done accurately.

The computer generated database was full. Five hundred million names selected at random from the ECG Central database, all with the same unique characteristic; every person on the database was over sixty years of age and as such they were all eligible for selection.

“Okay. My checks agree with the team. There are no further persons from the error list to be added to the main database. If we are all in agreement, we can proceed to the next stage.”

They had received instructions to build the database just fifty-four hours ago and Colm Mackenzie quickly gathered his senior team, cancelled all leave and pulled in supplies for an in house sit in; their brief to generate and circulate the list within seventy –two hours.

There was little time to question the rationale behind what they were doing. No one could quite believe how things had come to this and yet they were just the administrators. They played no active part in the selection process. Mackenzie was circumspect in his initial briefing. He saw how horrified his team members looked when he explained the task ahead, but reasoned they were removed and that he would ensure none of his team were personally affected.

This was a breach of his brief, but how else could he justify the process when each of them could be sending those close to them to their deaths?

In the last few days, there had inevitably been protest, but despite his own deep misgivings he had pulled his team back together again and they had continued their task. Now was one of those times and despite his own thoughts battling and conflicting inside him; he prayed there would be no further interruptions. He did not know how much longer his own conscience would allow him to continue.

On this occasion, there were no further protests and Mackenzie and his team continued with their task.

The next step was to place an algorithm filter on the list to identify those who had family links, be they children, or grandchildren. Any individuals filtered out would then be moved to a reserve list. Their immediate fate put on hold. For those with no family connections, a further filter would clear a list of one hundred and fifty million names and it was these individuals who would form the first sacrificial humans who would be delivered to the Kryl.

Six hours later, Mackenzie completed his final scrutiny of the latest error list. The task was done and a list of names had been generated within the stipulated three day deadline. The final stage of the process was to deliver the “collection” statement to each individual. The statement already drafted and uploaded. The prescribed wording was brief and to the point:

Under the powers bestowed on me, by the Kryl/Earth Agreement, you have been randomly selected for Kryl processing. You must deliver yourself to the nearest collection center within twenty-four hours of this notice. Failure to comply, will lead to the serving of an arrest notice.

The collection centers will filter those selected to the final processing list. Those selected will then be transferred to a national collection center for further processing. Those removed by the filter, will be allowed to return home. Once selected and removed from the final processing list, you will not then be eligible for reselection.

His team’s work was complete and it was his responsibility to deliver the merged message to the selected persons. This was not an unusual process; his team had been tasked with generating hundreds of databases for a range of different reasons. He reminded himself that despite its size, this was no different from an administration perspective, although morally it was very different.

Now, all he had to do was to give the ‘send” command to his workstation and his job was done…but he needed a little more time.

“Okay, everyone, that’s it for today. Get yourselves home and get some rest. I don’t expect you in tomorrow. When we return we will move on to another task…”

His team left in silence. He waited patiently for the last team member to leave the access portal, before turning his attention back to his workstation. He took another few moments to compose himself, turning away from his desk as he contemplated the enormity of his next actions. What was he about to do? This list was about to condemn one hundred million people to their deaths and he had generated the list. Was he complicit in this crime…a crime against humanity? He took a deep breath and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. At least this way I know my loved ones are safe. If I leave this to someone else, then I cannot protect them. This final thought drifted through his mind as he turned once again towards his work station.

“Send merged messages.”

This simple voice command confirmed the action and within milliseconds one hundred and fifty million people would know their fate. Mackenzie’s task was done.

Chapter Two

New Horizons

Jake Carter was taking a late meal. He was alone and took a table by the viewing window. The familiar flashes of light passing by; an illustration of the illusion of distance and time as light and the star systems through which they passed blurred into one. Jake was happy to stare into space. He had a lot on his mind.

“Jake Carter.”

Jake looked up and a familiar figure stood before him.

“Maria…I didn’t realize you were posted to the Halo. How long have you been aboard?”

“Long enough to know you have been causing quite a stir, since you came aboard. And look at you now, a bridge officer no less.”

Jake smiled. “You did not answer my question.”

“I’m sorry. I was posted here from graduation. I am shadowing the XO; at least I am supposed to be. I have spent most of my time in engineering.”

“How the hell did we miss each other for so long? It’s been weeks since I first came aboard.”

“As I said…I noticed you. I guessed you were shying away from confrontation. We didn’t exactly part company as friends.”

Maria Shavenosky was Jake’s former girlfriend. Their relationship broke up just before he and Carla had finally gotten together. Jake enjoyed her company and the sex had been great, but she was beginning to become a bit too clingy before their bust up.

“I have to say I am genuinely surprised to see you. I thought you would have taken a staff posting on Alpha 2.”

“No. I opted for the “big life”. I was offered the shadow post and, , there really was no decision to make. It’s really good to see you, Jake. Can I join you?”

“Yes…take a seat. To be honest, I could do with the company. I need to be taken away from my own rather complicated reality.”

Jake and Maria took their time and enjoyed several glasses of wine before they finished their dessert. They did not talk about themselves and avoided discussing the unfortunate end to their relationship. They were both happy to see a familiar face and to remove themselves from their own complicated lives and the disaster that was taking place on Earth.

“Do you want to join me in the officer’s mess for a final glass?”

Jake was enjoying himself, but he pulled back. A few more glasses and he could well end up doing something he’d regret.

“I think I’ll pass, Maria. We can always do this again. We would seem to have plenty of time on our hands.”

“Are you sure I can’t tempt you to one more glass or perhaps a coffee in my quarters?”

Jake smiled. It would not have been difficult to say “yes”. She was beautiful and great in bed…but he was with Carla now. “Thanks, Maria; but lets keep the past in the past. It’s been good to spend some time together, let’s just keep it plutonic.”

They parted on good company and Jake headed back towards his quarters.

It was still early…too early to turn in. His shift did not start until nine the next day.

He needed to sober up a little, perhaps take a shower but he decided first to compose a message to Carla. He knew she would not get it, not yet anyway, but he missed her and he wanted her to know.

Hi Carla,

I am in my quarters just forty-eight hours after you sat here with me. I know our time together was brief and the events leading to it were traumatic, but at least we did spend some time together. I don’t know how long it will be until we get another opportunity.

I know you will not get this, probably for many months, but I needed to tell you how much I love you and that in spirit and in mind I am there in your head and in your dreams as you are in mine.

So much has happened since, you and I first came together. As you fell under the Kryl’s influence, you were taken from me for the first time. Then I came through the blue wormhole, slayed Winterburn, and rescued you. We returned to the Academy to graduate and to help Steve confront his demons and graduate too and for what? Now he is gone…I know how much that hurts. It hurts me too; Steve Costello was my friend and his loss still feels very fresh. And now this. Our planet has been invaded and our people are being executed in their millions.

I am not allowed to talk about what we are doing. All I know is that it could be many months before I see you again. I know you can look after yourself, but please, please, stay away from trouble. I know that is a contradiction, as trouble tends to follow you and me around, but I am just going to get my head down now and develop my career. Next time you see me, you could well be saluting me!

Keep safe.

All my love,

Jake

He paused before storing the message. He wanted to talk further about his mission, but knew the content would never clear the Halo 7’s comms firewall. For now that was enough.

Jake stored the message, with an advance notice, that would automatically send when the next open comm.link became available. He sat back and drank his coffee.

Maria had been right. He had done well to find himself on the main bridge behind the weapons console. He now had experience of two of the three main bridge command stations and, assuming he rotated to Helm within the next few weeks, his bridge command training would be nearing completion. He was on path for his own cruiser within a couple of years. But to what end? The Kryl Queen had been quite specific. “We will meet again one day.” Surely, he would not be as fortunate a second time?

Any thoughts Jake had for his future with Carla and or as an Alpha Commander were tainted by the very real prospect that if he met the Kryl Queen a second time, she would surely not let him escape again.

Actually Jake had failed to escape from this paradox a thousand times over. He should not have been able to escape from the Queen’s ship when he was lead there by Morvalt yet somehow he did escape and from the clutches of Morvalt again. Surely it was inevitable he would meet the Queen again. What was uncertain was how it would come about and how it would end? For now he would try to progress his career and Carla and the Queen would both have to wait for him. It was time to turn in; he had a weapons station to command in the morning and he needed sleep.

* * * *

“Ah Mister Carter. Nice of you to join us.” The ships commanding officer Jonathan Hoskins did little to hide his feelings, when a bridge crew member was late for a shift.

“I am sorry, sir.” Jake glanced at his watch. He knew better than to try to explain the reason for his lateness.

“Don’t let it happen again Jake. There are many others who would be glad to assume your position as Weapons Officer.”

Jonathan Hoskins had taken the Con just thirty minutes earlier after a restless night sleep as he tried to unravel the complexities of his life here and the one he had left behind. At home, were his wife and infant son; protected by the CIC himself, but nonetheless far from safe and here he had his ship, his status as effective number two to the Contingency Fleet Commander. Then there was Obeya, with whom he now found himself hopelessly in love. There was no longer a conflict in his mind over who he would rather be with. He loved his wife, yes, but only because she was the mother of his child. He would dearly love to spend time with his son, but present circumstances prevented and in any case, if he could help bring salvation to his loved ones and the people of Earth, he needed to be here. And just then, he was back in the here and now.

“Jean-Luc,” addressing his first officer.”We need to catch up with the main body of ships. Speak to engineering and ask them to prioritize the drive repairs; I want SD 6 cruising velocity as soon as possible.”

“Sure Jonathan. I would suggest we moved on this anyway. We also need to start setting up remote comm.stations. If we are going to use these to transmit data to and from Earth, we need to ensure that we never get out of range.”

“That’s a little sensitive Jean-Luc. Let’s continue this in my ready room.”

Both Commanders left the bridge and entered the commander’s ready room. They sat down before Hoskins spoke.

“We need to make sure we are well out of range before we set up our remote sites. We need to be at least three hundred light years from Earth before we can set up the first station. That’s about sixteen days travel or another two weeks at least.”

“That means there will no link between us and Earth. I understand we are being careful; how are we going to know when it is the right time for the contingency fleet to strike?”

“We will be sending back cloaked patrol vessels periodically. They will get close enough to Earth, collect any transmissions and then come back to the first comms site. They will then send their messages to us, encrypted obviously.”

“Isn’t that a bit over the top? There are no systems out here of any consequence. A strategically placed comms station would never be detected.”

“This comes from the top, Jean-Luc. They want to be absolutely certain that there is no connection. The Halo 7 is tasked with bringing up the rear of those ships on route to the Styros Cluster. We will also set up the comms sites and ensure all participating Alpha vessels are in front of us.”

“But there are still some behind us. Why are we looking to catch up with the main body now?”

“I would just feel more comfortable as part of a mass of ships; given our experiences in the last few days. The remaining ships should catch up with the main body in about three days. Then we will run half a light year behind.”

“Okay. There are also some Alpha ships on route back to Earth as part of the Kryl/Earth agreement scuttle process. I presume they will continue to return to Earth and we need to remain undetectable to them?”

“Yes.”

“That’s crazy. Those ships could join the contingency and bolster our capabilities.”

“But there absence could be detected. The Kryl would send a fleet out here for certain and the whole strategy could go belly up. With some notable exceptions, most of the ships in the Contingency Fleet are not identified under the Kryl/Earth Agreement.”

“Notable. Is the Halo 7 listed in the agreement?”

“Yes…which means we need to make damn sure we are not detected or we will have to return to Earth…that would be bad.”

“Yes, I agree Jonathan. Very bad indeed.”

Chapter Three

The President’s Office

On the outside, Earth’s Central Government presented a clean face. The ECG senior ministers and officials presented an air of calm; suggesting all was well and that the planets affairs were being managed.

On the inside, nothing could have been further from the truth. The true extent of the Earth/Kryl agreement was far more complex than the simple provision of human supplies for Kryl feeding. There were eighteen core sections which covered a multitude of different yet interconnecting areas. Together they provided that the ECG would continue to run the affairs of state, but under Kryl guidance. It was clear that ECG would administer the affairs of state under “Governance; of the Kryl.

“What do we have left that we still control?”

“Strictly speaking, Mister President, we now control nothing, but for appearances sake everything.”

“So, I am a damn puppet!”

“A little simplistic, but yes.”

Kate Jones was President Roslyn’s chief government aide. She was in her late thirties, petite, and gave the appearance to many as being out of her depth. In truth, she was the bedrock to all Roslyn’s major policy initiatives. She was also a good friend.

“Okay. I guess we should just try to continue as normal and wait until The Kryl governor decides to intervene. Where are we on the HSL?” The Human Sacrifice list made Roslyn feel uncomfortable. He preferred to use the short form.

“The list is complete and messages have been delivered.”

“And the Collecting stations are all ready? What about the policing?”

“All in place. To be honest, I don’t see how we are going to enforce this; if our own security forces are unanimously against the whole thing. There is complete uproar against this strategy worldwide. We need to put a lid on it, before it gets out of control.”

“What choice do we have? If we refuse to comply, the Kryl will march in and carry out a massacre. We would be back at war and the Kryl have threatened to finish us off.”

“Have you asked yourself the question. “How long would it take the Kryl to kill a hundred million of our citizens?” People would rather fight than give in and with this stitch up of an agreement with the Kryl; they are making a mockery of us and you!”

“You have fairly strong feelings about this then?”

Jones was used to Roslyn’s sarcasm. She ignored him and continued.

“If you allow this organized massacre to take place, you will have civil war. You need to recognize this Tom and stop the “Collection” process now. Surely we can still amass considerable forces. What’s happened to Koenig? Have he and his other Alpha cronies gone to ground?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Roslyn had not briefed his aide on the whereabouts of Alpha’s secret bunker.”Look Kate…I am human and believe it or not I am over sixty and I could therefore be caught up in this. We have no choice but to continue. Once this first round is over, we will have three months to sort this out, before the next one comes up. Please arrange for the heads of security to come and see me. This is going to happen whether we like it or not.”

Chapter Four

Sorgan

The Tathos ship continued to track the three Alpha Cruisers deep into the cosmos. As they journeyed further from Earth; two things became clear. Firstly the commanders of these Alpha vessels had no intention of returning to Earth and secondly, none of these vessels were on the listing provided by Earth Central Government. Two questions therefore arose; where were they going and why were they not on the list?

Sorgan was deep in thought. Three ships alone could do little damage to the Kryl; but if there were more this might be a problem. His ship was more than capable of destroying all three, but this would achieve nothing…better to wait and see where they were planning to go.

Although Alpha had in the end laid down their arms relatively quickly once the battle had reached Earth itself, the humans had shown a resilience and cunning which was unusual for such a primitive and one dimensional species. Sorgan quickly learned not to trust them.

“We have looked at their trajectory. There are no systems of any consequence in the immediate area. It looks like their journey will be a long one, my Commander.”

“Then we must look closer and if we find nothing then we will continue to follow.”

“The Kronan will not want us to waste time on this, my commander. We should take them out now and return to local space.”

“Enough, you incredulous drone. I do not report to the Kronan and I care not what he wants. I answer to the Queen and you answer only to me…or do you want to spend the next millennia cargoing supplies between our fleets.”

This spat was not unusual. In truth, Sorgan enjoyed and valued the input from his first officer.

“We are very close my commander. Their detection systems could pick us up at such close range. Can I suggest we pull back?”

“They will not detect us with their conventional scanners and they have no cause to use other methods when they are not actively looking for us. I want to stay close.”

* * * *

At the same time on the Alpha Cruiser Pantheon, The ships comms officer was staring very closely at his main schematics screen. There is definitely something amiss here, he thought.

“Commander, I am picking up an unusual distortion ten thousand meters to port. It is not clear, but there is definitely something there.”

Commander Wesley Smith was typical of senior officers of his age. He was sharp and focused and was constantly on the look out for anything unusual. He was certainly not going to discourage the young officer’s investigations, but he did question whether the anomaly was of concern; now that the scan harmonics were adapted to ensure they picked up Kryl technology.

“Have you run an AP sweep?”

“Yes. I have used the AP analyzer. It shows a minor distortion between the visible areas in front of these two stars. The program confirms what I can see with the naked eye. There is definitely a distortion. Should we run a barium sweep?”

Maybe his comms officer was on to something?

“Very well, but confine to a limited area. If there is something there, we don’t want them to know we are on to them.”

“Running sweep now…analyzing results…”

“Commander, there is a Kryl ship ten thousand meters behind us!”

“Why did the standard scans not pick her up? Are the scanners running correctly?”

“Yes, commander. This ship is different. Her harmonics are all over the place. She is very angular. Not like any Kryl ship I have ever seen.”

Smith pondered his next move for a moment, before standing and gesturing towards his ready room. “Number One, lets discuss. Bridge Commander, you have the con.”

* * * *

The two executive officers stood at the window of the Pantheon’s Ready Room. It was little more than a closet. A small desk, two chairs aside, but with a viewing window running down one side and a glass partition between the command bridge and the ready room.

Repeat Barium scans now allowed the ships systems to generate a partial schematic of the Kryl vessel, which glowed blue in front of them from the desk’s integrated holo display screen.

“Okay, we can’t see her…but she can see us. There are three of us. We could take her on. What do you think?”

“Either brave, stupid or somewhere in between. We are no longer at war with them officially, but we can’t allow them to follow us. I don’t see what choice we have…we would be firing at a target, we can’t see.”

Lieutenant Commander Claudette Benoir knew her Commander well. Sometimes a bit too well, but this was time for some straight talking and she knew he would appreciate her honesty.

“Yes, Claudette, but we cannot allow them to follow us long enough for us to join with the main fleet. I think we should take a stand now. Do you agree?”

“Yes, Wesley.”

“What do we know about this ship so far?”

“She’s big. About twice the size of a conventional Kryl cruiser. She is angular,, no part of the ship conforms to a specific shape and there are no flowing lines. She is also made of a composite dark alloy, similar to those used by the Sentinels. There is obviously no sign of the trademark red mist emitting from the underside. Overall she is physically stealthy and no amount of battering her shields will change her cloaking capability. One important point arising from our periodic barium sweeps. Her exhaust manifold and stellar cathode tubes are not angular, but they are hidden by cloaking shields, giving them a similar appearance to the rest of the ship. If we target these, the shielding may give way and we will have a visible point of reference.”

“But we need to see her to target her. We will need to coordinate the barium sweeps between the three cruisers, to ensure the best data is available. We will be fighting them in a simulated virtual environment. We also need to ensure that power reserves are not weakened by the drain from the sweeps. This will be difficult and dangerous…Very well. We will coordinate with the other execs before we advise the crew.”

Wesley Smith briefed the commanding officers of the two other Alpha Cruisers under his command and the two Pantheon executive officers returned to the bridge and assumed their command positions, before the CO spoke.

“Ship wide. This is Commander Smith. We will shortly be turning about and assuming battle status. A Kryl ship has come into our wake, but remains comparatively undetectable and is certainly not visible to the naked eye. Our instructions are simple, we must prevent the Kryl from becoming aware of the contingency fleet’s existence and we therefore have no choice now to engage her. Comms will now be restricted to internal.”

“Helm, turn us about. Weaponries, shields up. XO, take us to battle stations.”

“Number One, keep those sweeps coming, but keep an eye on the shield reserves. Do we have a location fix?”

The response came from the Weaponry station.”Yes, inputting coordinates now. Changing main screen to virtual display.”

“Excellent. Now she will know we can see her. Will she take us on?”

Just seconds passed before the answer. A huge plasma flare briefly igniting the shields skin, before dissipating.

“Fire everything we’ve got!”

“The Peking’s XO is suggesting Jump Ships, Commander.”

“Too tight and we can’t see the enemy. Tell them to use conventional artillery, plasma and Teutonic’s.”

Smith was addressing his Comms Officer. Now it was the Weaponry Officer’s turn to speak out.

“Commander, over fifty percent of our plasma discharges are off target. We are deploying our weapons in the wrong areas. I am reworking the virtual display, but the software can’t keep up.”

It was Lieutenant Commander Benoir’s turn to respond.”We need to increase the frequency of the barium sweeps. Have we tried reducing the yield?”

“No, Number One. A reduced yield will reduce our capability to see. How are the shields?”

“Weakening…we have to do something else, Wesley. We won’t last long like this.”

“Can we adapt the spread of the plasma cannons, by opening up the capillary shoots a little more?”

The Weaponry Officer was quick to respond. Yes, Commander. Only the front four tubes port and starboard are adaptable though. I’ll send teams down to make the changes.”

“In the meantime, Wesley we need to do more. Perhaps if we could just launch a squadron of Rapiers. Their response time for weapons fire will be instantaneous. They can follow the lines in where the explosions occur. It has got to be worth a go…shields down below fifty percent.”

Smith took a brief moment to reflect, before the action started again.

“Commander, the Peking’s shielding is a critical level. She is requesting permission to pull back.”

“Agreed.”

“CAG, coordinate with the other CAG’s and launch one squadron of Rapiers each. Number One, we must be making some kind of impact on the Kryl ship?”

“Maybe sir, maybe…but we have no way of telling.”

* * * *

Sorgan smiled. The battle was going well. Alpha could not see them and even if they could, their weaponry would not penetrate the Tathos ships shields. One of the three Alpha vessels had lost shielding.

“Force our advantage home. Target their drive systems and their command decks.”

* * * *

Minutes later The Peking disintegrated, together with three hundred and fifty serving crew and officers.

The second cruiser, Hermes was also in trouble and Commander Smith had just given the order to receive Evacs from the slowly dying cruiser.

The Pantheon was still operational. She was a B class battle cruiser in disguise and her stronger bulkheads and enhanced shielding meant she would always hold out the longest. But even the Pantheon was struggling.

“Wesley, we no longer have a coherent fix on the enemy…I suggest we consider a retreat.”

“Thank you Claudette. I am aware. Channel a maximum strength barium sweep through the frontal plasma arrays and prepare a Teutonic missile with battlefield class subspace charges. The sweep will reveal the Kryl ship and the missile will destroy her.”

“And probably us in the process, at this distance, always assuming the radiation from the sweep does not kill us all first.”

“We have no choice…”

A huge explosion sent Smith and his fellow bridge crew to the floor. The Kryl ship just taken out the main weapons bank. Now they were under a sustained attack.

“Take evasive action…pull us up and engage with secondary plasma banks.”

Another huge explosion, followed by three more and it was all over.

As Smith pulled himself to his feet, he realized it was hopeless. The ship was listing to port, smoke and fire billowed from every deck and the shields and weapons capability had been deleted. Carnage lay around him, two of his subordinate bridge crew blown to bits.

Lieutenant Commander Benoir pulled herself up as the comm.link on Smiths workstation buzzed. It was engineering.

“All drives are down. I repeat all drives are down and we are venting plasma from the main drive. We need to isolate the stellar plasma core, before she implodes and takes the ship with her.”

Smith looked dazed. It was Benoir who answered.

“Do it, Chief. Shut it down and isolate the auxiliary drives. We need those back on-line and the geometrics too. We are listing to port.”

“The Kryl ship?”

The Comms station officer could hardly believe his eyes and he struggled to get the words out. “Gone. At least she is no longer firing at us.”

* * * *

Finally, Wesley Smith spoke. Realization set in, but they were still alive and if the Kryl ship had gone, they had a chance.

“Get me damage reports and a medic team up to the bridge immediately. Prioritize these blazes and get them under control and make sure the medic center are up and running. Number One, we need to assess our options.”

Smith moved to the rear of the bridge and away from the other bridge crew.

“Doesn’t look too good ,does it?”

“No, but we are still here. Let’s just work rationally through what we have got and then decide what we should do. I guess the first problem is our location.”

“Agreed. With no shields or weaponry, we won’t last long standing still. We need the auxiliary drives back on and a course to set. Lets go about our business quietly and efficiently Claudette. We know things are bad, but we don’t need everyone to know that.”

* * * *

One hour later, the two executive officers sat at a desk in a make shift ready room just outside the main control bridge.

“All damage reports are in. The ships main infrastructure and bulkheads appear safe and damage crew’s report all fires are now out. There are three large holes in the fuselage, two aft, and one starboard. All drives remain off-line, with the stellar drive core isolated. The chief is working on the ion drive, with no estimate yet of when we can expect it back on-line.”

“Have we scanned for any Alpha or Kryl activity in the area?”

“Yes, both long and short range, but both are clear. Now to crew issues. Of the five hundred and seventy –five crew onboard when we took evacs from the Hermes and the Peking; we now have five hundred and five. The Medical Center has fifty-eight patients, with twenty –two on the critical list.”

“So, we have seventy crew dead or unaccounted for. What about critical placements. Are we short in any areas?”

“Yes, I have moved some crew around. We lost six senior officers, including the two bridge crew and our chief medic. We do have another problem though…the environmental controls are faltering.”

Smith looked concerned. They could deal with most things; but if life-support was compromised; they had no chance.”

“To what extent?”

“The standby power generators were both damaged in the battle, one has failed completely, the other is unstable. If we lose it, then environmental and atmospherics will start to fail, not to mention all the ships non drive related critical systems. We need the ion drive back up ASAP, or the clock starts to tick.”

“Which brings us to the obvious question; how long before the ion drive is up and running, we need an estimate at the very least?”

“The chief did not want to commit…I guess we will need to start looking for a safe haven?”

“Yes…but even at maximum velocity on the ion drive, the nearest systems are over a week away. That may not be long enough. Get the chief to commit to a deadline and come back to me. For all our sakes it had better be soon.”

Chapter Five

The First Collection

One hundred and fifty million people received their HSL demand on the first Wednesday in September. Each were called to attend their local collection center, within forty-eight hours. Failure to comply would result in their arrest.

The collection center in the Augsburg district of Southern Bavaria was, until recently, a large food distribution portal. Now it had re-opened for distribution of a different kind.

Klaus Meissen was tasked with heading up the center. A Police inspector whose march up through the ranks had stalled in recent years. He was only too pleased to accept the new role, thrust upon him only forty-eight hours ago. He was beginning to regret his decision.

“How many?”

“Thirty-seven shuttles; that’s about ten percent of what we are supposed to clear per hour.”

“It’s not good enough. We have to clear a hundred thousand people through this facility in the next forty-eight hours. Have the arrest warrants been issued?”

“Yes, but we don’t have sufficient resources. There is substantial resistance to comply and our officers are reluctant to get involved.”

“That is hardly surprising. Surely, you can compel them to do their duty.”

“Yes, of course; but take up will still be low. We estimate delivery of a maximum of twenty thousand people by the end of the day. We are going to fall well short of our allotment.”

“Do what you have to do Martin. I will make sure we process everyone through quickly.”

Meissen closed down the comm.link. This is not looking good. We will fall well short of our targets and I will not get my bonus. Why did I accept this stupid position?

He was interrupted for the umpteenth time this morning by one of his processing staff.

“Sorry to disturb you again, sir. I have another clemency request.”

Meissen sighed. This was an unfortunate part of his job description. Any filtering of persons at this stage would help the process move more quickly later in. But this was getting ridiculous. That was twenty requests this morning. He sighed. “Show them in…and interrupt me in two minutes, then you can show him out.”

A bespectacled and balding middle-aged man walked in. Meissen immediately took a defensive stance.

“Inspector Meissen. I am Dieter Muller and I am requesting clemency.”

“Of course you are. On what grounds?”

“Many different ones. I have a family—two children, with a grandchild who need me. I have my civil responsibilities at council and of course I am a Justice of the Peace. It is quite clear that I should not be on this list. I am assuming a mistake has been made.”

“Are you over sixty?”

“Yes.”

“Therefore no mistake has been made. Everyone over sixty is eligible for selection.”

“What about my request of leniency? Surely my position and family commitments make me an unsuitable candidate.”

“You are no more or less eligible than the next man…At this stage, no clemency is being authorized because our numbers are below the minimum threshold. I suggest you try again at the Central Collection Center.”

“But…”

The aide walked in, just as Dieter Muller was about to launch into a further defense of his position. The subordinate arrived just on time.

“Your presence is requested at the launch facility, sir. Are you finished here?”

Meissen was about to agree when Muller interrupted.

“I am an extremely wealthy man, Inspector.”

Meissen pondered his position briefly.

“Tell launch control I will be with them momentarily. I will return Mister Muller to the compound.”

The aide left and Meissen paused again, before speaking.

“Are you trying to bribe me, Mister Muller?”

“Everyone has their price, Inspector. You will understand given my current predicament, I am not concerned particularly about the legalities of this. I can give you One Million Credits, if you can grant me my freedom.”

Again, Meissen paused. “And how exactly would you achieve this?”

“You should speak to my daughter. She will give you half now and half when I am released. She is aware that I will be making such an offer”

“I cannot give any assurance that an offer of clemency from me will be carried through by the Central Collection team or indeed the Kryl. What happens if you pay me half a million credits and the clemency appeal ultimately fails?”

“Then I die and you are five hundred thousand credits, richer. You don’t earn a great deal, do you inspector? This amount could change your life, for you and your family.”

“What makes you think that I am corruptible?”

“As I said, everyone has their price and this conversation has taken us to places where only the corrupt will go…I have no time for morals Inspector and I am quite sure you are tempted by my offer. Perhaps you would like some time to consider?”

“No, Mister Muller. I will not need any time. Your offer is acceptable. But I will need more money. If this matter comes out, I will loose my job, my security and my liberty. I need my family protected financially, if I am to take such a risk.

Dieter Muller had seen this coming. “No. My offer is more than generous and is not itself without risk—especially if you decide not to comply and you report me. There are also others higher up the chain of command who will help me, if you don’t. If I walk out of this room without your agreement, there is no guarantee that the offer will remain in place.”

Klaus Meissen brought his hand across his face and scratched his forehead. This should be an easy decision. I need the money and there is no reason why anyone will find out.

“Very well Mister Muller. I will agree to your clemency; but after you have furnished me with your daughters contact details. When I am satisfied that half the funds have been wired, I will mark your file accordingly.”

Dieter Muller smiled. “That is probably the wisest decision you have ever made Inspector.”

Chapter Six

Company of the Fleet

The Halo 7 joined the main body of the fleet on route to the Styros Cluster. Jonathan Hoskins had assumed command of the fleet of some seventy-five ships of the line and just ordered his ship to pull back one half light year behind the main body to await the final few cruisers behind them. Hoskins was in his ready room and with his first officer.

“Still no word from the three missing ships I presume?”

“No, Jonathan. They should be in range by now. Would you like us to send out a Jump Ship Group?”

“Yes please, Jean-Luc…I think you can start to take the initiative on such things. You are now effectively the Halo 7 Commander, with my new fleet wide responsibilities.”

“Is that official? Is this my commission now?”

Hoskins smiled. “No. Don’t try jumping in my shoes yet! But I think day to day command is now yours. I do have another job for you though.”

“Now, you have my attention.”

“We need to coordinate the Patrol ships which we will be sending back to Earth. We need to work out numbers required to ensure we cover all comms networks and that our crews are prepared for any eventuality.”

“The patrol ships are dormant in hanger space at present. Do they have crews?”

“Yes, across the fleet there are about ten dormant vessels. All with no crews. I need you to seek out crew, train and prepare them for launch in perhaps five or six weeks.”

“They are all T5 class; so about fifty crew per ship. The Patrol Commanders are likely to have little or no command experience…”

“Yes. Look for first rate Officers with at least Bridge Command qualification. Which reminds me; how is Jake Carter progressing?”

“Did you want me to ask Jake to be one of the Patrol Ship Commanders?”

“No…not really. I guess he will soon be qualified and this would be an interesting side step, but I still want him here.”

“He will have bridge command status in a few weeks. Perhaps we can review nearer the time.”

“Very well. Let me know the outcome of the Jump Ship launch today. It would be better if we did not loose three ships before we even get there.”

The Halo 7’s first officer left the ready room and returned to the bridge and Jonathan Hoskins returned to his fleet responsibilities.

* * * *

First Lieutenant Jake Carter had gone off shift and was taking his evening meal in the ships mess hall. Maria just joined him.

“You look ravenous today. Are you sure I can’t get you another portion?”

Jake laughed. “It’s been a long shift and I am hungry; but no this will suffice, otherwise I will have to spend two hours in the gym to compensate.”

“You hardly need it!” Maria looked Jake up and down. Jake looked super fit and she wanted him again.

“Will you join me for some wine in the officer’s mess after you have eaten?”

“Yeh, give me forty minutes. I need to take a shower, and then a few drinks would be nice.”

* * * *

An hour later, Jake and Maria were on their second glass of wine at the viewing section of the Officers Mess. They were enjoying a heated discussion about Jump Ship command and whether Jake was better off pursuing his current career path or whether he should return to Jump Ships, now that his injuries had healed.

“In a few weeks, you will have a bridge command qualification. It’s just a short step from there to your first command.”

“A patrol ship maybe. I am not sure that’s the path I need to tread. If I double up my Bridge Command status with CAG responsibilities, I will have the best of both worlds.”

“What’s so wrong with Patrol ship command? I overheard the XO talking about setting up some Patrol crews whose job will be to return home to monitor communications. Not that I am trying to persuade you to leave the ship…I enjoy your company, but this could be a good opportunity.”

“Did you say returning home?”

“Oh…oh, now he is suddenly interested. Anything to bring him nearer to his darling Carla. Yes. This is confidential, but I know he is recruiting. I don’t think you would be prejudicing my position if you were to make an approach to him, without making reference to the intended destinations of the Patrol ships.”

“Surely I am not that shallow? Okay, yes, thanks Maria I will speak to him, but I am still not that comfortable with the idea.”

“Let’s forget about it for now and finish this bottle. It’s been a long day and I need to unwind a little further.”

* * * *

Eight hours later, Jake awoke. It took him a while to recognize his surroundings. The room looked different and then realization struck.

Oh, Christ…I slept with Maria…How the hell did I let that happen? Jake was furious with himself. That second bottle of wine had been the killer and then he could no longer hold off Maria’s advances. Okay, the sex had been good, very good, but he was with Carla. What the hell was he supposed to do now? It was five am and right now, he had to get back to his room, to try to clear his mind. He had to get off this damn ship.

The answer became clear as he walked back to his quarters. He would approach the XO and ask whether he could be included in the Patrol ship program.

* * * *

“I presume Lieutenant Shavenosky broadcast this to you. I shall have words with her later. To be honest Jake, I had a chat with the CO about you and he said he would prefer to keep you on board. I am happy to include you, but you will need to get clearance from him first.”

Jake thanked the first officer and returned to his station. The CO was in his ready room. Should he speak to him now? Why did he want him to stay on The Halo 7?

Half an hour later, Jake was summoned to the ships ready room. The XO had briefed Commander Hoskins already.

“Ah Jake. I understand you made an approach to the XO, about the vacant Patrol Ship positions. It seems you are keen to take part.”

“Yes, sir. My Bridge Command training will be complete in a few weeks and while that is good; I would like to do something active if I can. This seems right for me.”

“How much of this has got to do with Carla Stevenson? Jake, the Patrol missions brief is not to return to Earth or to seek out individuals. The mission is a data hunt.”

“I know, sir. This is the new front line though and I would like to be involved. Obviously, I would stick to the mission parameters.”

“You’re damn right you will, Mister Carter.” Hoskins now took a more formal tone.”I know that Kryl influence was to blame for your wanderings last time; but the first time you and I met, was on the back of you stealing a Jump Ship to seek out Carla in the Kryl system! You are a good officer and you have potential to make it to the top. Don’t allow your personal objectives to interfere.”

“I know, sir and I will not. Are you giving me permission to apply?”

“Yes, Mister Carter. Don’t let me down.”

Chapter Seven

The Pantheon

The ship was in deep trouble. With no drive systems, a dwindling air supply, and the prospect of further Kryl attack. They were running out of options.

The ships CO, Wesley Smith was in engineering and was standing over the crouching figure of his chief engineer, whose attention was currently concentrating on the ion drive power couplets.

“So, what do you think, Chief?”

“We need to strip down the power couplets and then re-bore, to remove the damaged lining. Once it’s cold, it should be a simple if not laborious task, but you have to remember the temperatures involved here. It will take another twelve hours at least before we can get close to it and then maybe five hours to strip, two to re-bore and three to put back together. Less than twenty-four hours but only just.”

“That is way too long. With little or no power reserves and now no power generators, we are going to start to have to breathe our oxygen reserves soon. What about short cuts?”

“Nothing I can do to cool her down any faster…unless…”

“Go on…”

“It’s a bit unconventional and it will reduce our air supply, but we could filter out some oxygen from the tanks and direct it into the couplet void. That would reduce the cooling time, maybe cut it in half, but it would also deplete our air resources.”

“Right now, that is not a problem, as long as we can keep the remaining power generator working. You have a team working on that, yes?”

“Yes, but that’s a bit messy too. There’s an internal bulkhead resting on top of the block. We are trying to lift it without cracking the cylinder head. Could go either way, but if it cracks, then the generator is down; simple as that.”

“What about the other generator.”

“Dead and no prospect of recovery. She was split in two, by the same bulkhead.”

“Okay. So, how long before we know about the first generator? If it’s cracked will she give out straight away?

“The bulkhead is being lifted now. If she’s blown, we have maybe two hours more power.”

“Okay, so we wait to see whether the cylinder head is blocked. I guess we keep fingers crossed.”

“Yes, let’s keep everything crossed.”

* * * *

Twenty minutes later, Smith was in his ready room.

The comm.link was from the Chief of Engineering.

“What have we got, Chief?”

“Sort of a mixed bag. The cylinder head is cracked, but we can fill it. It won’t last forever, but it will hold for a few extra hours and we can now use the oxygen to help cool the ion drive. I’ll get on it straight away.”

Smith thanked the Chief and summoned his first officer to his ready room.

“What’s the status with our positioning Number One? Is there a planet or moon within reach, where we can put down?”

“A small moon, nine days away at maximum ion thrust. The atmosphere will be a bit lively, with temperature extremes and volcanic activity, but the air is partially breathable and we should be able to put down, so long as we can find a solid base. Bit difficult to tell from this distance. I am dispatching an Eagle to assess further.”

“Okay, well at least there is something out there, although it sounds a bit hazardous. Any sign of the Kryl?”

“No, but our long range scanners are struggling now too. We are looking at them, but for now, we may not have much notice if the Kryl come back.”

“Get them up and running soon, Number One. Without them, we really are in trouble.”

“Just another nail in our…”

“Don’t say it. We are still in this and I am not about to let five hundred people loose their lives.”

* * * *

The one remaining reserve power generator continued working for a further five hours, before it finally gave way; just long enough to allow the engineering team to complete the cooling process on the ion drive power couplets. The chief was in the process of updating his commanding officer.

“Still looking for economies of time; but we should have her stripped down within the hour. Then we can re-bore and put her back together. We should have the drive back on-line within six.”

“Our air supply is now thinning Chief. Any longer and we will start to struggle. Have you been able to work out what’s wrong with our scanners?”

“I have a second external survey team looking at them now. The first had to abandon because of excessive spacial environmental risk. We chose a bad place to stop.”

“I think we chose a bad day. Full stop. Probably should have stayed in dock. Seriously chief, anything you can do to speed this up…a temporary fix, just to get us through the next week or so.”

“We are too far out for a temporary fix. With no stellar drive, nine days of maximum thrust on the ion drive means my repairs have to be spot on. We have no choice.”

Smith’s lapel comm.link flashed again. The XO.

“Wesley…we have a new problem.”

“What this time?”

“There is a fissure crack in the main arterial fuselage which has split onto the bulkheads on opposing sides. The ship is splitting in half down the middle.”

Smith put his head in has hands in utter disbelief. He did not reply straight away.

“I thought we checked the bulkheads?”

“We did. It is only a stress fracture; but as soon as we hit the ion drive…”

“Can we patch it up?”

“We are looking to fit temporary stress relievers behind each bulkhead. But we can’t be sure what the tolerances are until we are at speed.”

“This is getting ridiculous. The ship is a death trap!”

“All we can do is proceed as we are.”

Smith hung up. His XO was right as usual. They had to work through each problem as it materialized.

“Chief. I will leave you to get on. Let me know if there are any changes. I am going to take a look at the bulkheads.”

* * * *

The main arterial fuselage is the starting point from which all others are added. It runs from fore to aft in one direction and then across from port to starboard. The ships bulkheads are then aligned off the arterial fuselage to create the body of the ship, with sub bulkheads adding size, structure and shape, before the addition of body panels to the vessel. If the arterial fuselage is broken, the ships infrastructure is severely weakened, placing additional burden on the bulkheads or the ships rib cage. If these break too, there is nothing to stop the ship from falling apart. The basic design of Earth space craft had been the same for two hundred years and while in modern vessels, the complex and interlocking bulkheads created a far stronger shell, if the arterial fuselage was damaged, the ships cohesive qualities, especially at velocity were in jeopardy.

Wesley Smith kept his opinions to himself when his XO told him about this problem; Preferring to see the damage for himself. In a former life he had studied alpha cruiser design strategies and he had a greater understanding of what was right and what was wrong than most of his peers. He was now below the bottom deck in the service tunnels that ran the length of each bulkhead and the arterial fuselage. He could see the damage for himself.

The fissures were small cracks running from the bottom of the fuselage and breaking into smaller splinter cracks towards the top, akin to the branches of a tree. The proximity of the fissures in relation to two of the ships main bulkheads in the center of the ship meant the entire cohesion of the ship was compromised. His XO’s assessment of the problem was correct, but where she had fallen down was in how difficult it would be to rectify. Sure, stress relievers would take some of the strain away, but even at sub-light speed, they would be shaken to destruction, by the powerful forces at work at high velocity. The stress relievers would hold, but only if velocity was reduced to one quarter maximum ion drive. The journey would now take a minimum of thirty six days and not nine days.

Curiously this put less pressure on the ships climate systems, since reserve power could be diverted to ensure a more optimum production and flow of air. But the prospect of over a month of travel on a damaged ion drive, which could fail again at any time, was not exactly enticing. Yet what choice did they have? Right now, they had to repair the bulkheads and rebuild the ion drive and then get underway as soon as possible. They would deal with other problems as and when they arrived. In the meantime, they had three shuttles on board, and they could start transporting crew directly to the target moon surface. None of the shuttles had light speed capability, but they would be safer aboard the faster moving shuttles and every person taken out of the Pantheon, meant air supplies if it came down to that would last longer.

* * * *

Five hours later, the first piece of really good news arrived. The ion drive was back on-line. With the bulkheads now supported and the scanners back on-line, they could at least start to power up the life support systems and pump good clean air back into the ship. The next step was how fast could they go before the stress levels on the bulkheads started to tell?

“Air flow is now at one hundred percent. We can divert power to other systems now.”

“Thanks Number One. Power her up and take us forward at one tenth.”

Smith waited patiently. He would push this as far as he could.

“One tenth, sir. Stress tolerance indicators are flat, sir.”

“It’s a linear curve, Mister Janus. Increase to point two.”

The Pantheon accelerated gradually. In space terms this was slow, but right now going forward was a positive. One minute later, the stress tolerance results came in.

“We have movement on the stress tolerance, sir, 0.5%.”

“That’s it then two tenths ion drive power and fifty odd days to the target moon. That is not good.”

“Not so fast Number One. Remember the stress test is a linear curve and there would have been a result at point one, just a negligible one. Increase to one quarter ion velocity.”

Again a pause, as the tests were carried out; an algorithm built in as part of the acceleration process.

“Stress tolerance 0.75%, sir.”

“Thank you Mister Janus. Lets take her up a little further, increase to point three.”

The result came back faster this time.

“1.25%, sir. The curve is increasing. I…”

“The tolerance levels are still fine, Mister Janus. I want to see where the barriers are, increase to point three five”

Lieutenant Commander Benoir shifted uncomfortably in her seat.”If the curve is up, this could increase dramatically commander.”

“Thanks Number One. But we need to know exactly how much we have got and I would rather find out now when the bulkheads are cold rather than later.”

The XO elected to defer to her commanders superior knowledge on this subject.

“Stress level is in, sir…1.95%.”

“Okay…I think that is enough. Number One. Make our speed point three five and carry out a full suite of diagnostics.”

Finally they were underway. No one knew whether they would make it, or indeed how long it would take. At least, now they had a chance.

Chapter Eight

The Storage Chamber

Dieter Muller was surprised and a little scared. He had not expected to be here; by now his exemption should have removed him and he should be back at home, planning his next Mediterranean cruise.

Klaus Meissen was true to his word. He had actually seen the entry; “Dieter Muller-exempted”. He had been only to glad to thank him. The man may now be a bit richer, but he had still put his job on the line. And yet, now he was on board a Kryl space craft, several hundred kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

It all started to go wrong twenty-four hours after Meissen posted the “exemption”. Instead of being released, Muller and twenty-two thousand other “collected” individuals were ushered into a large area behind the distribution halls, where they were segmented and then led aboard high velocity Strato shuttles for the short journey to the Central Collection Point, near Berlin. At the Central Compound they were split again according to their designated reference numbers and then nothing. For at least eight hours they waited with no communication before an administration team arrived. Their manager was curt and his speech lacked compassion. He told them no exemptions were allowed due to the shortfall in numbers and that they would shortly be transported to the Kryl vessels. Nobody had an opportunity to speak to anyone further, before the Kryl shuttles arrived to take them to their final destination. The irony of this description was not lost on the incumbent population.

So now, here he was aboard a Kryl ship. They were in a vast hanger bay, separated into four sections, with floor-to-ceiling windows across one side. Muller stood in one of the middle two sections gazing out into space and to Earth, which could be seen at the very edge of the viewing area. God, it was thing of such stature and beauty. A sight he had only seen a few times before. Space travel had not been his favorite pastime, preferring instead to remain on Earth and absorb the beauty of his own planet; venturing into the solar system and beyond, only when business or social requirements dictated. Right now, he wished he had travelled more extensively. Not because of the beauty, but because he could now be a long way from here, with his family and safe.

But he had not given up. This was not in his nature. He was an optimist and had used this together with his business acumen and cunning to build a significant textiles business on Earth, the fruit of which allowed him to live a luxurious lifestyle, for which he pacified his conscience by being an active member of his community, politically and in his justice of the peace capacity. He was a rounded individual with an extended family and fit and healthy; he should have many years in front of him. If things did not go according to plan, that vision could very soon come to an abrupt end.

His thought process was interrupted by the entrance of three Kryl, who stood on a platform in the middle, along one side of the huge chamber. These were the first Kryl he had seen. The middle Kryl now spoke.

“Members of the collective. You have been selected to provide a source of sustenance to the Kryl and your unselfish act is appreciated.”

There was silence now; he had certainly grabbed everyone’s attention. His command of the English Language was complete and his tone was without accent, crisp and audible. He continued.

“We are not animals. We take no pleasure in taking your lives. As you would look after your livestock on Earth, we will do the same with you. For many, your time together on this ship will be enduring. For others, relatively short. I regret at present, there is no provision for exemption. The collective numbers are still a long way short of the required totals. Should this change, those that remain, will be offered the opportunity to claim exemption.”

The orator paused, allowing his audience to consume the detail of his speech.

“This room is one of many aboard this ship. It is divided into four sections. The two middle sections will remain here. You are now, our medium and long term stock. Those of you to the front or the back of this hall, I regret your time with us, will be short. You will be taken to smaller chambers and from there you will be collected and distributed throughout the fleet. You will be well treated and given the opportunity to take time for yourself, before your lives are extinguished.”

He paused again. The effect of his speech had been slow to absorb as each member of the “collective” rationalized what they just heard. Those in the center, showing great relief, that for now they would live. Those on the outside, disbelief and pain and anger, which now quickly gave way to hysteria. From above, automated weapons fire took out those that sought to provoke others. Seemingly, the compassion of the orator’s speech did not extend across the Kryl populous.

As Muller watched in disbelief, the back walls of the chamber in the front and rear sections began to move in as portal doors opened, forcing the frightened melee into a new chamber. Those that resisted were taken down by weapons fire and within a few minutes the entire population of both sections of the chamber were empty.

In the middle two sections there was silence and then the orator spoke again.

“As you can see, the process is automated. Those unfortunate to have been in these chambers will be looked after; but their lives will soon come to an end. Those of you in the middle chambers will be taken to smaller domicile chambers, where you will be fed, and watered. You will be allowed to roam free within these areas and recreational facilities will be made available to you. Using human timings, it will be two to three weeks before the first of you will be called upon. Further explanation will be provided within your domicile.”

His speech over, he stepped down and the three Kryl exited the now reduced chamber as large portals opened where they had once stood and the remaining collective, were ushered forward.

Muller could not believe what he just witnessed, but took solace that by chance in he had been moved into one of the middle chambers. He still held out confidently, that he would soon be granted his freedom. He stood an even chance of lasting over three weeks. In that time and beyond, he would put aside morality and ally himself to the Kryl. He would make himself indispensable.

* * * *

Fifteen hundred kilometers away, on the planet surface, Klaus Meissen was in a good mood. He had half a million credits in his bank account and with a little luck, within a few weeks that would double. He already tendered his resignation with the police and was looking at ways in which in this windfall could now be spent.

His security comms unit bleeped to indicate he had a visitor. Strange—he was not expecting anyone. He authorized entry and stood by the front door awaiting his visitor. The door opened to reveal two patrol guards. He looked quizzically before one of them spoke.

“Inspector Meissen?”

“Yes.”

“You are charged with obtaining money by deception. Would you please come with us?”

He could not believe it. How the hell had they found out, especially so quickly? His good mood suddenly dissipated.

* * * *

Thirty minutes later, Meissen sat in the very same interview room that he had used in a work capacity many times before. This time he was in the charge chair.

“Listen Klaus…we have your financial records. We know that a large sum was credited to your account by Dieter Muller’s daughter and we know that Muller was granted exemption from being included on the collective list by you. Furthermore, we know you have now resigned your position. The evidence is compounding. Surely you are not denying that these events took place.”

“I have told you; I don’t wish to comment as I might incriminate myself. That is my right.”

“And you think that we will not proceed with the prosecution without your confession. This section was set up to deal with fraud, likely to arise from this. You may be the first, but you will not be the last.”

“I have nothing further to say.”

“Fine. Klaus Meissen you are now formerly charged with obtaining money by deception. You will be detained until such time, as a legal official releases you and your bank and deposits are now all frozen. Any monies arising from proven deception will be paid into the exchequers account. Do you have anything further to add?”

“No.”

Klaus Meissen was led away. Now he had nothing.

Chapter Nine

No Confidence

Kate Jones made herself ready. As the president’s chief aide, she had borne witness to many of his greatest speeches and some of the more difficult ones. She had helped the President clear his name on many occasions. Now she watched as he entered the upper chamber. This would be a difficult day.

President Roslyn now stood at the lectern and moved his papers around purposefully, as he waited for the speaker to summon him. When everyone settled, the Earth Central Government President stood.

“Colleagues. This is indeed a difficult situation. We have seen only forty-five percent of those selected for the HSL voluntarily attending the collection center and our security forces have only secured another ten percent. We are therefore still some fifteen million people short of the Kryl’s first target.”

He paused. That was the headline figure. Now for the detail.

“It is clear there is even greater reluctance for those selected to participate because numbers are too low and exemptions are not being granted. Our security chiefs have advised their forces are reluctant to use force to persuade people to attend. It seems likely we will fall well short of the required allotment.”

Jones shifted uncomfortable in her seat. All of this was controversial; the next section even more so.

“I have spoken to the Kryl Governor this morning. I advised him it was unlikely we would meet the one hundred million target. The Governor has made it clear this is not acceptable, but has agreed to a forty-eight hour extension to allow us to reach the target. Ladies and Gentleman…we currently have a prison population of thirteen million; I am proposing to use the prison population to plug the gap…this figure includes those on remand.”

That was enough. The chamber erupted as members of both sides of the government house started to shout in disapproval. The president sat down and closed his eyes as he waited for the presiding speaker to regain control. Eventually, all was quite.

“Yes…this is indeed a controversial solution, but we have no choice. We have to meet the shortfall somehow and if people will not attend and the security forces are not helping, then we have to use those already behind bars. The prison population is the obvious choice.”

Again, there was bedlam and again the speaker regained control. This time the speaker asked the president to make way. The Opposition Leader was ready to show his hand.

Rohan Mikoslavic was the long-standing leader of the opposition party. His popularity ratings had never been so high.

“Mister President, thank you for making way. Where do I start? I suppose I should say thank you for finally allowing us to discuss this matter in this house, although frankly we should have had our say before, rather than after agreement was reached. I suppose also that a responsible opposition would support the governing party in matters of security…that is unless they get it wrong…And oh yes, you have certainly got this wrong.”

This last sentence was greeted with applause and whoops from the auditorium, giving the President the opportunity to stand. But he stood down again when Mikoslavic failed to give way.

“I am sorry Mister President, but I am just getting started. Quite why Alpha agreed to this I don’t know. What has happened to the CIC; Koenig is supposed to be a strong leader. Did you know there are 250,000 battle droids sitting redundant in, England, waiting to be called into action? Why was there no ground war? And why or why did the President and Koenig agree that we could tolerate four hundred million deaths per year to mitigate a peaceful agreement between our two races? Do the maths, Mister President, how long before we run out of people?”

He paused again briefly as the house roared into action once again, the president stood, but again Mikoslavic would not make way.

“Now…when surprise, surprise, he could not persuade ordinary innocent people to walk to their deaths in the numbers required that he decides to pick on the prison population. Yes, many would agree that some of them are serious hard line criminals, who should never see the light of day outside of the prison network, but they are all still human beings. The fact is no section of our population good or bad should be part of this shameful, ugly policy. It must stop now and we must amass our land forces and prepare to do battle with the Kryl on the planet surface. Let us see how they cope with thirteen million battle hardened prisoners for example. Now, they will not play fair. I will stand down President Roslyn shortly…I have yet to make my most serious point.”

This is it, thought Kate as she stood now helpless watching the proceedings unfold. This had gone badly. The President had allowed the opposition leader to hi-jack proceedings and it was effectively all over. There was just time for the knock-out punch.

Mikoslavic continued calmly, he would build up slowly. “My understanding is half of the eighty-five million people collected are still in the collection center. They must be released now. The Kryl leader must be summoned to this building and told unreservedly there will be no more sacrificial lambs. The Kryl agreement must be torn up and demands made for the Kryl to leave our planet now and finally what is left of Alpha must be brought out from hiding and forced to take the initiative to remove these invaders from our land.”

Again, he paused and allowed the speaker to regain control. This time Roslyn stayed in his seat. He looked like a beaten man already.

“If we lose…” Mikoslavic continued. “It will be because we tried and failed, not because we gave up. Look at our history for God’s sake.” He turned now and faced Roslyn directly.

“You have got this so wrong. Nobody in this house supports your policies and it is time you realized your own position is defenseless. You must resign now. I am calling for emergency powers to allow the opposition to join forces with the party of government to join forces under my stewardship. You must resign now.”

Mikoslavic sat down and the applause continued, followed by chanting from the opposition benches, before Roslyn stood up.

This is it, thought Jones. This will go one way or another. Will he quit or stand and fight? She did not have to wait long for the answer as Roslyn quickly rose to his feet as the bedlam in the auditorium quickly gave way to silence.

“Thank you so much for your eloquent words Mister Mikoslavic. You will understand I will not be making way for you, while I defend our government’s position. I would also like to point out that it is important to preserve our integrity and be cautious about what we say and the language we use.

We are being watched, by the public at large and the Kryl. Despite your assertions, we have debated the agreement…not in precise terms, because of the sensitivity of the matters being discussed prior to signing the agreement, but we certainly did debate it and there was broad agreement in this house that we should support an agreement.”

A brief pause for breath before he started again, Sam Jones realized he was going on the offensive.

“You asked me to look at our history…I did. We are the defeated force and surrender was the only option. It was already too late for anything else. You cited the example of the 250,000 battle droids. These could not be used because the Kryl would have assumed control of them and turned them against us. This war is over. The choices were simple, we came to an agreement, no matter how unpleasant, or we fought down to the last man. The Kryl made it clear in their discussions that if no agreement was reached, they would destroy the human race, once and for all.”

The chamber was noisy again. Roslyn waited for the commotion to calm before continuing.

“The ECG and the Kryl are aware that four hundred million losses per year is unsustainable and it is clear that the numbers required must reduce markedly over time. The aim of the agreement was for the population levels to remain broadly balanced over time. Look…this is probably the most controversial and using your words “ugly” agreement in Earth’s political history, but it is also the only option available to us. I have taken on board your suggestion that I resign and I will not…but I will stand and be judged before this house in a confidence motion—should the house deem it appropriate. If I win, the policy will continue. If I loose, a properly constituted election will have to take place…

“There are no emergency powers and there is no quick fix to this problem.”

Roslyn sat down and Jones took a deep breath and sighed. What would Mikoslavic do now? The answer came almost immediately as he stood once again.

“Thank you, Mister President. I do take on board your comments and will remain cautious in the wording I use. I don’t accept your judgment that we had no choice and I don’t accept that an election is required in this time of crisis, should this house choose not to support you. I call for a motion of no-confidence and I respectfully submit this should take place immediately.”

Mikoslavic sat down and the speaker stood up.

“If there is no opposition I propose that the motion will take place immediately. I suggest a one hour recess, before voting is made.”

Remarkably and akin to a school class leaving their classroom at the end of a lesson, the chamber emptied quickly. Roslyn was left with a few of his peers to his left and his right. These now were his only real supporters. Sam Jones stood up and approached the government benches. She had no real advice, but wanted to show her support.

“Ah Kate…I need you to get hold of Mikoslavic immediately and ask him to meet me in my private chambers straight away. There are security issues which must be addressed before this meeting takes place.”

Five minutes later, Rohan Mikoslavic joined Roslyn in his private office. There were no pleasantries; Roslyn wanted to get straight down to business.

“I hope you don’t mind my chief aide sitting in. I wanted to drawer your attention to several issues which contradict the official line taken by both the ECG and Alpha, before we go down this route.”

“What do you mean contradict?”

“Koenig and a large number of Alpha personnel are several thousand feet below the earth in a purpose built bunker. They are in communication with a two hundred strong contingency fleet, which is preparing to return to Earth when it is appropriate to defeat the Kryl. All we have to do is keep the Kryl happy in the meantime.”

“Why the hell did you not tell me this before?”

“I was planning to. I was not expecting you to go for the jugular today. Your timing is a bit unfortunate.”

“When exactly is the appropriate time for the fleet to return to Earth?”

“That is a moving target. Obviously when we have a means to destroy them. My understanding is that Alpha scientists have developed a theory, but they are seeking an application. It could be soon…maybe within a year.”

“So, you are asking me not to rock the boat. We are just supposed to sit back and watch as millions of us are carted off and executed. The agreement is a fudge and you know it and the people of this planet and the media, for God’s sake…they are going to have a field day with this!”

Mikoslavic took time to take in what he just learned and then opted for a more conciliatory tone.

Okay. So, assuming I can persuade my party to accept this and we somehow continue to support you and your government. How are we going to achieve that now?”

“We need to persuade the speaker to put the vote off. I know I am also asking you to put your political aspirations on hold, for the good of the planet.”

“Quite so. Okay, call him. I guess we can always say that a private conversation has taken place between us and that for the time being I am now in support of the agreement. I am not sure I like this…it is almost political suicide.”

“We need to be clever about this. We could invite a coalition now, with you or me heading up.”

“No good, if I have based my stance on pulling out of the agreement. I will just have to tell those who ask.”

“You can’t. This has to be “need to know” only. Political motivations must take a back seat.”

“That is easy for you to say, when your political career is coming to an end. You say you have tried all avenues with the Kryl?”

“Yes. They won’t budge.”

“Then we have only one alternative. It’s a secret ballot…we just fix the result.”

“Hardly a political solution from your point of view.”

“No…but I have no choice. I will just have to hold onto the end of your office. It’s only just over a year and who knows by then, this may all be over.”

The Speaker arrived a few short minutes later. He was surprised to note that both leaders were present in Roslyn’s private offices. The significance of what they were about to do was not lost on either leader.

“Take a seat Mike.”

“I’ll stand if that is okay. I am a little concerned about why you would both be present at this meeting.”

“This is going to be a hard one to swallow…we need you to fix the ballot!”

The two leaders then went onto explain the dilemma and the speaker listened quietly without comment. When they finished, the speaker paused before speaking.

“The least democratic states are those that fix the results. This would make us all accessories to a plot against democracy.”

“For the very best of reasons. We are trying to preserve the human race. Mike. Are you with us on this or not? We appreciate there is little time to think about this, but we don’t have much choice.” Roslyn was keen to moves things on.

“I am trying to work out the best way to achieve this. We verify voting numbers periodically.”

“Can we extend the recess?”

“Not really…it will arouse suspicion in the aftermath. People will be curious as to how this vote went in favor of you Mister President.”

“That is up to me and Rohan to sort out. Look; we are correct. You can fix the result, yes?”

“Yes, I can. I am not sure I will.”

“This is an awful lot bigger than any of our political ambitions. We need to maintain the status quo and wait for the contingency fleet to liberate us. We can’t do this without you, Mike. Are you with us?”

The speaker shifted uncomfortably in his seat and took a few moments to compose himself. “Yes.”

* * * *

Twenty minutes later. The secret ballot commenced with each member casting their vote automatically.

Within a few minutes, the scale of Roslyn’s loss was immediately apparent; seventy-five percent of the senate house had voted against him. But only the speaker knew the real figures. He was able to override the security protocols and change thirty percent of the no voters to yes. The vote of confidence in President Roslyn therefore narrowly passed and Roslyn now had the endorsement to continue with the Earth/Kryl Agreement.

Chapter Ten

Bridge Command

Three weeks after Commander Hoskins allowed Jake to join the Patrol Team, he was in the process of completing his bridge command training. The assessment stage was nearing completion and Jake had proven his competence in all three main bridge stations. His final assessment was underway; three hours in the command seat.

The assessment provided for several simulated activities, including a jump to and from Stellar speed, the launch of Jump Ships and their return, deployment of plasma cannons and a set of complex battle type maneuvers. All was conducted under the watchful eye of the ships XO, Commander Jacques.

“Okay Bridge Commander. Take us to sub light velocity and set a course for Veluvero 17”

Jake had been waiting for this. The command from the XO was a teaser. Veluvero 17 was beyond the seventh corridor; currently at the very furthest reaches of the known galaxy. This course was just not possible, especially at sub light.

“Please verify course. The destination is beyond economical reach.”

“Maintain current course, but keep an eye on scanners. We have incoming on long range.”

This was a simulated attack and the second in two hours. The assessment proved quite intense.

“Shields up. Identify?”

“Enemy fighters to starboard, sir. There are at least twelve.”

“Clarify…let’s have them up on the screen and magnify.”

“Thirteen in total. Can’t identify at present.”

“Launch one Rapier Group and bring us around in front of them. Deploy plasma cannons.”

“Rapiers launched. They are on us now. We are under attack. Incoming plasma fire to weapons banks.”

“Bolster shields.”

“Comms. Open a comm.link.”

“No response. Damage reported to Rapier Group, sir. Two losses reported. Portal shields down to thirty-five percent.”

“Compensate. Launch one Rapier and one Sabre group.”

The simulation suddenly ended and signs of the enemy disappeared from the data screens. The XO had ended the assessment.

“The test is now over. You have the con. I shall be in the ready room.”

Twenty minutes later, Jake was summoned.

“Well done, Lieutenant Carter. Your final actions in this latest simulation probably saved the ship from some potentially nasty enemy vessels. It was also good to see that you picked up on the Veluvero ruse. The intensity at the end of the assessment is designed to ensure you could cope in a battle situation. Only one real issue, which was your failure to make contact with either the CO or the XO during the entire assessment. There were several occasions where it would have been appropriate, not least the final simulation. I would also have brought out Sabres with your first deployment of Rapiers. Remember the job of the bridge commander is emergency cover and not as a replacement for the executive officers.

“Notwithstanding these minor issues, I can confirm you have successfully negotiated the final assessment and I am happy to award you bridge command status. Well done! You can stand down now, for the rest of the shift.”

It was good to get off early, particularly after such a stressful end to his simulation. So now, he had bridge command status and theoretically he could be handed the con at any stage, while he was still on board the Halo 7. That was a pretty mean feat, at the age of twenty-three. He could concentrate on his Patrol Ship Command training, due to commence in less than a week. He would celebrate tonight, but with his shift finishing early, he would take some time for himself.

He just finished a new comm message to Carla. He had started with the news about his bridge command status, but the message fell short because he ran out of things to say. All he did was fill his messages with the same content…“I miss you.”, “I can’t wait to see you again” or “keep safe.” He kept returning to that night with Maria; he felt guilty and regretful and knew that he had to get off the Halo 7 and fast. But, it was still four weeks until his Patrol Training completed and even then, there was no guarantee he would actually be selected. It was not that he minded Maria’s company; far from it. She was fun, effervescent and he and his colleagues enjoyed her company. The trouble was she was always there at the end; when the others had retired for the evening; it would just be Jake and Maria. He had not let himself down again since that night, but temptation was a powerful enemy and with a little too much alcohol, the chance of it happening again was very real. She knew it too. She had no inhibitions about coming forward; no doubts about what she sought from their relationship. He just had to remain strong. As for Carla, well he hadn’t told her of his indiscretion. Not that it would have made a difference anyway because all of his messages were stored in a databank, pending delivery, when security allowed. This had to be done face-to-face. He just hoped she would forgive him.

* * * *

Jonathan Hoskins was troubled. Three Alpha Cruisers had gone missing in free space and had not been heard from, for over three weeks. The Rapier Group sent by Commander Jacques located an area where significant weapons fire had taken place and there was wreckage of at least two ships. They concluded all three were destroyed, together with the thousand or so crew who served aboard them. The biggest issue came from the forensic assessment at the scene, which showed clearly that the Alpha vessels had been engaged by the Kryl.

“So, are they now following us?”

“They could be. Perhaps we should try a barium sweep?”

“In what area? You know as well as I do that they could be a long way back. I am not sure what to do about this Jean-Luc.”

“Perhaps…at the very least we should send out JS Groups, with random Barium Sweeps. We may not pick up on anything, but we may get lucky?”

“Yes, make it so. Is the forensic evidence conclusive? Can we rule out the possibility that one or some of our ships survived?”

“Not a hundred percent. What are you suggesting?”

“We need to get a Patrol ship out there. How is the training going?”

“They have not even started yet. There is no way any of the crews are ready. Perhaps we should just send a cruiser?”

“No. Too many lives have been lost already. There must be an Ex PS Commander somewhere in this fleet. One of your trainees could act up as XO. Perhaps Jake Carter?”

“You seem keen to get him off the ship.”

“No, just don’t want to be seen to hold him back. I think we all recognize his potential and he knows the Kryl better than anyone.”

“I’ll make enquiries about those with relevant experience and yes, I agree Jake could be the perfect XO in this regard.”

“Go straight ahead with the arrangements, once you have located a suitable person. I want that Patrol ship out there quickly. This is top priority, Number One.”

* * * *

Two hours later, Jean-Luc Jacques was in the Ready Room. Jake Carter had just joined him.

“Hi Jake. Take a seat. I have some good news for you. We have a need to get a Patrol Ship out there quickly. By quick I mean departing tomorrow, to head back to our position two to three weeks ago. We have lost some cruisers and the suspicion is that the Kryl are involved.”

He paused as Jake shifted forward on his seat, clearly now showing considerable interest.

“Now, I can’t offer you the Patrol Command post obviously. You have not had the training. But I do want you to act up as XO on this mission. Apart from the CO and the Chief Engineer, all of the other crew would be inexperienced, including you…but this does look like a superb opportunity and one in which the idea and endorsement came from the CO.”

“What about the Earth mission?”

“It will go ahead after this mission—assuming you have acted in accordance with your executive role.”

“And my post here?”

“With bridge officer status, you are a valuable commodity. You look a little uncertain. Are you still keen to take a Patrol ship position?”

“Yes, of course, sir. It’s just a little faster than I was expecting. My bridge command training will not have benefited anyone…other than myself.”

“Oh, it will—in due course. Look Jake, I would grab this with both hands. To have your first executive post at your age, even if it is only a Patrol Ship, is good going.”

“I know, sir. I am grateful and happy to accept.”

* * * *

Eighteen hours later, Jake Carter boarded the Patrol Ship HR87 and met his new CO for the first time.

“Lieutenant Jake Carter, sir; reporting for duty.”

“At ease, Jake. This is a patrol ship and we go for a little softer command structure, at least between you and me. I’m Bill Chadwick and I have the honor of piloting this little boat.”

Jake was uncertain how to respond. He decided the best response was to find a balance between relaxed and formal.”Good to meet you, sir. I am looking forward to serving under your command. I presume you have a great deal of experience.”

“As I said…” Chadwick snapped his response back before resuming a more conciliatory tone.

“Let’s keep things informal. Yes, I commanded a few patrol vessels earlier in my career. All crew are on board and manifests have been signed over, so please prepare the ship for departure.”

“Er…yes, Bill.” Jake opted now for the informal. I need to familiarize myself with the ship, if I may, perhaps ten minutes.”

“Might have been pertinent for you to have arrived early, so we could have done this already. Get yourself organized and meet me on the bridge in half an hour. I will get us underway in the meantime.”

Jake was taken aback by the change of character. Chadwick had asked for the informal and yet, when it came down to it.

“No, that’s fine…Bill. I can join you on the bridge now.”

“Excellent. You are beginning to understand the way I work. When we are in the office, we will keep it more formal.” With that, he turned about and gestured Jake to follow him as he marched purposefully up the main ships corridor towards the bridge. As he entered the bridge, the four officers in attendance, stood to attention and saluted.

“At ease. I am Lieutenant William Chadwick, Patrol Ship CO; Lieutenant Jake Carter, here, is your XO. Please prepare the ship for departure and get me a fast window. Mister Carter, take a seat at the con and move us out as quickly as possible. Make the jump to light speed as soon as we are clear. I will be in my quarters.”

Jake hardly had time to respond before he was gone. After a quick familiarization of the controls and displays surrounding him, he gave the orders to pull out, following clearance from fleet. He set a heading for the coordinates provided by the Rapier Group and once in free space gave the command to jump to light speed. The Patrol Ships Stellar Drive growled into action. Jake had now taken them out as instructed, but it felt a bit more like his first command, rather than someone else’s.

Chapter Eleven

On Death Row

Death Row was what it felt like.

You heard the screams from other parts of the ship as fellow human beings lives were extinguished. Some quickly, others over time, but all in the name of providing sustenance to the Kryl. All along, in the back of your mind, was the feeling that soon it would be your turn.

These thoughts did not come from Dieter Muller. These were the ramblings of those that surrounded him. Dieter did not feel threatened; he was just waiting for the moment when the Kryl would release him.

Until now, those in this section of the ship were left alone. When they had been taken from the large chamber, having witnessed the departure of those who would lose their lives quickly, two hundred and fifty humans had been brought here. A fifty by fifty meter compound which housed sleeping, eating, and recreational facilities. They were brought before the Nesthar, a small and slightly rounded Kryl tasked with the well-being of his livestock. He had spoken to them all on that first day.

“I am your Nesthar. I believe you would liken me to a “farmer” on Earth. My task is to keep you alive and make you ready and healthy for consumption. You will all be here for a minimum of three weeks with the last of you still here after five or even seven weeks. We will feed you and provide you with comfort and recreation. You are free to roam around the confines of this compound. One day you will be taken from here and you will not return.”

Muller quickly sought to gain the confidence of the Nesthar and approached him on several occasions in the first week, before he felt bold enough to request a meeting.

* * * *

The meeting took place that day.

“I want to thank you for agreeing to see me.”

“I would have done the same for any who asked.”

Muller tried not be put off and pursued his strategy.

“I wanted to let you know I am a wealthy and resourceful man on Earth and I can offer you a great many things, including money, wisdom and of course some things which we would dare not print on the menu.”

The Nesthar was quick to answer. His replies were polite, but well rehearsed.

“I have everything I need here aboard this ship. I have no need for either your wisdom or your money.”

“My knowledge, wit, and intellect is a valuable commodity—even to a Kryl. Keep me alive and I will keep you interested. Surely that has some worth.”

Again the Nesthar was quick to answer. “You credit me with an interest in your species, beyond my own work here. It is certainly true your people are complex and varied and the way you live your lives is of significance. You will die though, maybe later than others in this compound, but you will die.” The last word resonating around the small room, as if the Kryl had deliberately emphasized the word to antagonize his captive.

“If I were to live long enough; presumably there is the possibility that some of us will be released.”

“No. The numbers declared are still considerably less than required. I regret I must move on now. It was good to meet you Mister Muller”

And will you consider my offer?”

“I have many offers Mister Muller. As I say you will die but maybe later than others.”

* * * *

At first, Muller was disappointed by the Nesthar’s response. It had not been outright rejection, but he was still here and there was no promise of exemption. Within a few days, he had once again convinced himself that his freedom was inevitable.

He tried to keep himself to himself and spent his time thinking of new retail strategies, business processes and target acquisitions. Inevitably, within such a confined space, he was forced to interact with other members of the community and he spent much of his time with fellow German, Stefan Damsque. Stefan was a seventy-five year old city broker, who had made his money on the Allied Planet Federation commodity markets. He was wealthy, but had no family and already resigned himself to his fate. Muller though tried to reflect his optimism on Stefan and their discussions on matters of state, politics and the arts helped them both to keep going and to stimulate their minds.

Today, all that was to change.

After breakfast of coffee, orange juice and croissants, the two friends sat down to engage in a discussion about Germanic heraldry. All seemed normal until an hour later, when the Nesthar entered the compound with five drones and set himself upon the raised platform at one end.

“Members of the community. Today, your numbers will start to reduce. Of the two hundred and fifty persons in this compound, you will be gone within ten days. You will be selected in batches of twenty-five on the basis of random selection. The numbers are automatically generated. When selected you will be taken to another chamber to allow you to collect your thoughts before your lives are extinguished. Everyone within this compound will be consumed quickly. I wish you all the best of luck in your next lives.”

He stood down to stunned silence. Nobody had expected that today was any different to any other. Yet now, they all had a maximum of ten days left to live.

Muller did not understand. Why had the Nesthar not come to him and told him he was excluded? He must be planning to, he convinced himself. But he did not like the idea of random selection. He looked at Stefan, who was suddenly a shadow of his former self. He had made a good friend here.

“You’re not still convinced that your freedom is just around the corner are you?”

Muller stuttered. It was becoming harder and harder to convince himself that all was okay…but he did not want anyone to see this. “Of course not, I will be freed soon, I am sure. The Nesthar will probably speak to me today. I am sure too that we will have a good few days to enjoy each others company, before you are taken from me.”

Stefan looked at Muller, with tears in his eyes.”It is time for a reality check my good friend. I have very much enjoyed our exchanges and I cannot think of a better way for my life to come to an end, having engaged in the wonderful conversations that we have had. But it will all come to an end soon, maybe even today…as it will for you Dieter. The promise of freedom will never come.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Stefan’s prediction became reality and tears of sadness became tears of horror as it dawned on both men, that Stefan’s number had been selected. The silence continued as Stefan took Muller’s hands in his and smiled. No words were exchanged. This friendship would last forever.

Two drone guards approached them and Stefan smiled again and nodded his head as he allowed the drones to escort him to the edge of the compound and out through the exit.

Muller’s hands started to shake. He was angry now. Why had his friend been taken from him and where was his freedom. He started to march towards the Nesthar’s facility, but was blocked by a drone guard. It seemed the goodwill and niceties had gone.

“I want to speak to the Nesthar.”

The drone said nothing and pushed Muller back toward the compound.

“That one will say nothing. He has no knowledge of our language.” It was Philip Dubois; a man with whom he had exchanged several conversations during their incarceration.

“The Nesthar has gone. I spoke to him yesterday and he told me our time was coming and that his job was done. I know you were seeking freedom, but the truth is, it was never going to happen. Take your time Dieter. You need to recognize the obvious and prepare for it; just as everyone else is. It matters not particularly whether it happens today, tomorrow or in ten days. The finite reality is that your life and mine and the lives of all that surround us, will very shortly come to an end.”

Chapter Twelve

Roslyn’s Sanctuary

President Roslyn’s Lugano villa had become very much a retreat in recent months. It had also played an important part in discussions between the ECG and Alpha and it was for this reason that Roslyn had piloted his shuttle personally to his lake side villa, earlier this morning. No one other than his intended visitor and himself were aware he was here and they needed to keep it that way.

At 16.30 hours, just as agreed a motor launch arrived at the villa’s boat house and was expertly maneuvered under cover and out of sight. One person adorning a dark hooded cloak, exited from the boat and headed up the slope towards the large green that fronted the Mediterranean style villa. The hooded figure was careful to keep under cover of the trees, while he approached.

Tom Roslyn was keen to maintain the secrecy and he joined the visitor at the edge of the green, still under cover of trees and led him via a series of arched pagoda to the safety of the villa. He then secured the doors and ran a security scan before opening his discussions with his visitor.

“Admiral Clarke. Thank you for being so prompt. I believe you can remove your cloak now.

“Thank you Mister President.”

“How are Admiral Koenig and the rest of your staff?”

“All good. It’s a bit claustrophobic down there, but we have everything we need.”

“Good. Okay, let’s get down to business. How are the fleet preparations?”

“The ships that left after the agreement was signed will be about half-way to the Styros Cluster by now. They should be preparing to send the first group of Patrol Ships back, within a few weeks and we plan to leave them some good Intel.”

“But no definitive solution yet. We have not yet found a way to destroy the Kryl?”

“Yes and no. Our scientists have determined there is a substantial flaw in the Kryl DNA. We have not found a way to exploit it…but we will.”

“What do they mean by “flaw”?”

“You will forgive my less than technical explanation. We know many of the Kryl bodies we have examined are disease ridden, specifically a form of lymphatic cancer. Something like eighty percent of them are affected. The question is what is triggering the cancer? Which brings me back to the DNA flaw. Apparently their bodies produce pre-cancerous cells as standard and not if a certain set of circumstances trigger it.”

“Seems to me, you have the technical side of things spot on. So, are they all going to die? If this is generic, that implies this has been going on for generations. How do they stop the population from dying out?”

“Well, the answer to that is closer than you think…electrical stimuli from the right source. They cannot, for example, just go and plug themselves in to the nearest circuit…they need some kind of catalyst to link the electrical impulses from the source to the cells.”

“Is that source us? Oh, my God. We are providing a medical resource without which they would all die.”

“Not exactly. This provides relief, but it is not a cure. Our scientists suggest that the electrical stimulus provided by us merely delays the onset of the advanced stages of the disease. I am guessing that in advanced stages, it also provides relief.”

“Seems like we have come quite a long way. How do we link this to form a weapon?”

“There lies the problem—finding a way to take advantage of this. Our scientists are on this and when they have something we will let you know.

“And of course the Contingency Fleet.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you have anything else to report?”

“No, that’s all there is for now. Did you want to pass on a message to our CIC.”

“Yes…actually there is something. Maybe you can answer this. What happens if we never find a way to defeat them?”

“You mean if we can never take advantage of what we now know? We have enough fuel and supplies for five years. Beyond that…we will discuss alternative plans in due course.”

“But not yet. That doesn’t sound like Koenig.”

“There is not much point at present; everything is hinged on our being able to isolate something from their weakness. If there’s nothing further…we ought to consider breaking this up. I can be here again in three weeks. Hopefully there will be something of real significance to report.”

They exchanged their good-byes and Roslyn released the security controls and watched as Clarke made his way back to his launch. Well, clearly there had been some interesting developments, but nothing he could use yet. This was unfortunate; the next HSL batch would soon be upon them and he doubted whether the public at large would accept this a second time. So much to consider and so many factors. He looked at his watch. Perhaps he would stay here the night and take some valuable quiet time. He had a feeling it would be in short supply in the weeks that lay ahead.

Chapter Thirteen

Desperation

The Pantheon continued her slow and painful journey. On two occasions, the ion drive was taken off-line and rebooted, but somehow three weeks had passed and they were still on track to reach the target moon and salvation.

Wesley Smith was in his ready room and for the third time today, he was reviewing the latest stress tension figures for the damaged bulkheads. Once again, the figures were within acceptable parameters and he was just about to review them in detail, when a comm.link from engineering interrupted the process.

“Hi,Chief…everything okay?”

“No. We have another problem.”

“The ion drive?”

“Yes. The power coupling again. The lining is damaged. It’s not quite as bad as last time yet, but it won’t take long before it is.”

“I thought you were monitoring it?”

“I have been. It has been degrading slowly, but within our barriers. Today though, suddenly a big jump and I think I know why and it’s not good.”

“Go on…” Smith knew already he was not going to like what he was about to hear, but the devil already caste his shadow over proceedings; anything else was simply adding salt to an open wound.

“Every time, we shut down the power couplets, cool and then superheat; we are weakening the fabric of an already damaged surface. Fissure cracks are likely in the couplet lining. If they go all the way through, it will eventually crack and pour plasma into the ion void. This will increase the silt in the lining and eventually result in a complete power failure. Untested, just a theory, but I would say ninety-five percent correct.”

“How long before you can carry out your tests?”

“Twelve hours before its cool enough to take a reading and then another two to three before we can get a probe in there.”

“In the mean-time, there is nothing to propel us and, more importantly, to generate air.”

“Yep.”

“How is the rebuild on the back-up power generator?”

“Starting from scratch, we have to effectively build a new one from the two broken ones and then reconnect up. I would say we are half-way, with say fifty hours work left.”

“That’s a positive. We will have the means to power life support.”

“The fix will be temporary. The generator parts we are using are badly damaged. It will work, but for how long and how much power it produces, that is another matter. I’ll get an update in the next hour or so; but yes…potentially this is something, but without a workable drive it is only a matter of time.”

“Chief, we only need to get to that goddamn moon!”

“I know…if I were a betting man, I would not put any money on us.”

* * * *

Twelve hours later, the Chief of Engineering was in the commander’s ready room, with the CO and XO.

“Yes, there are fissure cracks and they are wide enough to cause us a big problem. The ion drive will fail and it will do so before we reach the target.”

“But by then, hopefully we will have some kind of back up generator installed.” The XO was trying to put a brave face to the situation.

“Yes, hopefully, but it will be very fragile. It does not look good.”

Wesley Smith had remained quiet throughout the brief exchange. He was a born optimist, but even he saw their options were dwindling. Right now diplomacy was the best tactic.

“I think, we just continue as we are. The ion drive will fail at some stage and when it fails we will switch to back-up, assuming it is complete. I am assuming you will now prioritize this Chief? We will start to send out distress signals once the drive stops and we will get the Shuttles back here, with the Jump Ships and off load as many people as possible. For now we will keep this to ourselves. That’s it…let’s make this happen.”

The XO and the Chief left Smith to his ready room and Smith took a few moments to reflect before he moved back to his log routine. He had always been ready to die for his cause…but this was such a waste. If they were to perish here…that would not be a good way to die. He thought briefly of his home, his parents and his friends. He had never married; he’d been close a couple of times, but something persuaded him to pull back. Right now there was no one and that was perhaps as well. At thirty-two years old, his ambition was still very much there or perhaps he had now achieved his career peak. He suddenly found himself longing for home and for someone to love him and miss him.

* * * *

The Pantheon got underway again once the power couplets had been re-bored. They were still some two weeks from safety.

Chapter Fourteen

Dieter Muller

Three days after his friend, Stefan was taken, Muller just witnessed a further twenty-five of his fellow humans taken away for “processing.” He knew that his chance of freedom was gone. He had begrudgingly and finally resigned to his fate and prepared for the end of his life. Yet now he would have to wait another day. In two hours time, he would hear the screams from the death chamber which obviously lay just a few meters beyond the edge of the compound. Then there would be brief normality as people went about their business, just as they had done for the last three to four weeks.

By dinner time, realization would strike again as they pondered whether this would be their last meal; a growing feeling of resignation, that built up as the evening turned to night and they took to their beds. Sleep was not really on the agenda. When you knew you could well be in the last twenty-four hours of life, your body and mind rejected sleep, it was an irrelevance. Killing time by sleeping would have been the choice of most of the remaining humans in the compound.

Dieter Muller woke from a mild slumber at eight-fifteen am; just as he had done for the last three mornings. He did not get up, there was no rush. Hey, what shall I do today? he thought. In an hours time, he would know; was it today or did he have another twenty-four hours of life? He looked around. Surprisingly, the compound was a hive of activity; people going about their daily routines, some exercising, some washing, and brushing their teeth. Why? What was the point? I’ll brush my teeth after they have called today’s sacrificial lambs.

After a few further minutes of lying and thinking about nothing. He forced himself off the bed and glanced at himself in the nearby mirror. Sixty-two years of age and not going to make it to sixty-three. In today’s terms, still young. Could have had another seventy or eighty years left. He was still physically fit and there was nothing wrong with his mental faculties. He allowed his mind to wander further as he recalled his childhood memories, his school, university, meeting his wife, marrying and of course his daughter; who now was the most important person in his life; his wife having long since left him. He thought about his business, for which he no longer cared. It had been part of his life for so long and yet it seemed so irrelevant. He glanced at his watch. 8:57 a.m.

Where the hell did the last three quarters of an hour go? This is it now…it is going to be today.

Dieter moved himself into position in the recreation area, so he saw when the Kryl guards came through the doors to the front. The exit doors to the left of the main door were where the selected persons would shortly be led. A few seconds later, the two guards entered the compound. Both guards then moved into the crowd, purposefully heading to their first intended target. The first one reached an elderly woman, he stood in front of her and she sighed and resigned to her fate, she followed the guard towards the exit door, where she was led through, before the guard turned back on his heals in search of his next victim.

There was complete silence, as the guards moved amongst the crowd. Each chosen person was confronted and led to the exit, with the guards once again seeking out the next human. Philip Dubois was the next person to be selected. The two people he was closest to while entrapped within the compound had now been taken.

The process was drawing to a close and Muller was about to move back inside, resigned to another day of purgatory. Then he realized, the last guard had come back for his twenty-fifth victim and was heading toward him. Today that person was Dieter Muller.

As the guard reached him, Muller raised his head and remained still, a weak gesture of defiance. There was nothing he could do now. His time came, but he would make them work. The guard gestured him towards the exit, but still Muller stood his ground. After a few seconds further, frozen in time, the guard produced a half meter long plasma stick, charged with electricity; the threat of it being used sufficient to end Muller’s last stand. He reluctantly moved forward through the compound and through the exit door.

Muller entered the next room; a waiting room with a door at either end and a bench seat running down each side. The condemned obviously sat here, while they waited for their sentence to be carried out. Muller joined Philip Dubois, who sat at the front end of the chamber; the end nearest the death room, or so Muller assumed. The remaining guard carried on through and left the room. They were alone.

It took a few minutes for the conversation to start.

“Can anyone believe we are actually doing this? We are about to give our lives because our government says that this is acceptable?” The question came from the other end—a balding, but fresh faced man, who looked too young to be over sixty.

“We are making the ultimate sacrifice to protect our species going forward”. The reply from an older man, who sat in the middle on the same side as Muller.

“Bollocks,” the balding man responded. “We are here, because Alpha and the ECG gave up on its own people. We could have defeated this lot. We didn’t even try…where was the land war?”

“You need to respect the wishes of everyone in this room. This period is for self reflection. There is no point harping on about what might have been.”

Now the whole group joined in. The tension broken by an opportunity to let off their frustration as the conversation became more heated. Several of the younger men stood to face up to their opposing number, before Dieter Muller intervened. He pulled himself up onto the bench, stood, and shouted louder than everyone else so there was no doubt as to who they should listen to.

“That’s enough. That’s enough! There are two types of people here. Those who need to show their frustration and those who need to spend time on their own, with their own thoughts. If you are the latter; can I suggest you move to the back of this room?”

Muller gestured to the corner away from the main pack. He was a leader of men. To stand up and take charge seemed the most natural thing in the world—even in your last hour of life.

“I think you are in the minority, but we will respect your position. It should be a bit quieter over there.”

Seven people moved to the back of the room and Muller then turned his attention to the others.”If it’s okay, with you I will step down now. Can I suggest if you want to say something…that you put your hand up? I will act as chair if that is okay with everyone?”

Muller stepped down and the balding man raised his right hand.

“Thank you. I think we can all agree to behave now. Perhaps we should act in some way here. Look at us. Most of us are still fit and healthy. We can take on a couple of Kryl guards, maybe even kill them—hey, if we die in the process, surely that is a more honorable way to die.”

Several responses came at once and Muller raised his voice once again.

“One at a time, please.”

A second man raised his hand and Muller acknowledged him.

“Have you ever been hit by one of those plasma sticks. I was caught by one over a week ago and it still hurts like hell now. We have no weapons. We don’t stand a chance against them.”

The bald man raised his hand again and spoke without delegated authority, “The plasma sting will not hurt you tomorrow that is for sure. Would you prefer that we did nothing?”

Another man stood up and raised his hand, but his reply was drowned out by a sea of voices as once again, Muller was forced to intervene.

“Gentlemen…please. We don’t have long.” Now it was time for him to have his say. “Have you considered what impact our little revolution might have? How many others have revolted briefly before eventually succumbing to their deaths? We know, because we have heard that the Kryl can make this long and painful for us, if they wish. For all we know they may have thrown us into here, hoping that an argument spills over, so that the decision to deal us a long and painful death is an easy one. I don’t know about you guys, but I sure as hell don’t want to die slowly over the next week.”

Muller sat down and nobody replied. There was muted acceptance that he was correct. To resist now could sentence them all to an even more painful death. Gradually all the protagonists made way and sat down. Muller waited until the last man was seated before he went back to his spot next to Philip Dubois, who curiously had stayed quiet during the whole process. Now it was his turn to speak.

“I think we have all made our points and we all now agree that action is futile. I suggest we take what little time we have left for ourselves.”

Thirty-five minutes later, the doors to the next chamber opened and two Kryl guards stepped inside. The doors were held in an open position and Muller saw what lay ahead. A large rectangular shaped room, with a transparent partition segregating the humans from the slowly filling auditorium. Already over a hundred Kryl had gathered. Their deaths would fulfill both the feeding and the entertainment for these Kryl. He looked on in disbelief and immediately hated every single one of them.

The guards stood to one side and gestured for the humans to enter the chamber. Within thirty seconds, all twenty-five humans moved into the new room, their brief resistance now over. Total acceptance took control.

Muller moved right to the end of the chamber and stood transfixed as the now full Kryl auditorium stared back at him. Satisfied that their work was done, the Kryl guards stepped back inside the waiting room and the door shut.

Several moments passed before anything happened. A mild tingling sensation in the back of Muller’s neck indicated that the process may well have started. He looked ahead and saw that the majority of Kryl had their eyes closed; obviously deep in concentration. He looked to his left and saw several of the older humans begin to sway, unsteady on their feet. They would not last long, he thought.

There was a dull ache streaming up from the middle of his back to his neck. Something is definitely going on here. He looked across again, as he heard a thump. One of the elderly woman fell to the floor. No one helped her. They were all concentrating on their own fates. Another thud and then another as two more people collapsed. Jake felt it in his legs now, a dull ache spreading through his muscles.

The pain in his neck intensified and he found himself wincing as the each new wave of pain hit him. He looked up at the Kryl audience. They remained passive, no noise, just concentration. They were slowly killing him. Two, three and then four more people collapsed. From the corner of his eye, he saw the first woman to fall, was sobbing. There was a trickle of blood running from her ear and her eyes were bloodshot. Now, there was screaming…high pitched screaming from man and women alike.

He was definitely in trouble now. He felt weakness crawling at his body. His eyesight was beginning to fail and his mouth was dry—dry as sandpaper. The screaming had intensified now. Most of his fellow humans had fallen to the floor. They were all dying. Yet, his mind felt as lucid as ever; almost as if the failure of his other senses, and his motor neuron functions had freed his brain. Images flashed past of memories long since lost. Was this his life flashing before him, before he died?

Another glance across, only five people now stood standing. Looking down he saw the woman, who was quite clearly dead, blood oozing from her mouth, nose and ears and a huge crack, exposing her skull at the top of her forehead. The screaming had died down now, replaced by whimpering and sobbing from those who remained conscious enough to notice the pain. Muller needed to hang on. This was not a competition. Yet as leader of this motley crew, he wanted to be the last to fall. This last great challenge was all he had left.

He was the last man standing. All twenty-four of his companions now fallen and there was silence as he felt a warm liquid run down the side of his neck. Yet he still stood. He would not fall. He would stand forever, if only metaphorically. His legs finally gave way and he too fell to the floor and huddled in a fetal position, no longer able to control the pain.

His mind still raged, but his thoughts became softer, more emotional. He thought of his family, his daughter, even his ex-wife. Would they be okay? He was sure they would. By now, they would be moving on with life already. His final thoughts were not of his family. His mind focused on blind hatred for the Kryl. He felt everything begin to close in now. The pain had gone, he could no longer move, and paralysis took over as his organs began to shut down. He felt his heart beat, slower and slower and then nothing as finally a dark mist began to cloud his mind. This was it. He had nothing left and it was all over.

Chapter Fifteen

Patrol Ship HR87

Bill Chadwick’s continued absence from the bridge was the main subject of conversation throughout the ship.

Ten days passed since the Patrol ship had left the fleet and Lieutenant Jake Carter, XO; spent most of that time on the bridge. He had appointed two junior officers to cover for him during periods of rest, but The CO still steadfastly refused to take part in any operational or command ship functions. Jake had visited Bill Chadwick on a daily basis, but the exchanges were polite, informal, but brief and non-committal. Jake Carter had now had enough and it was time to confront his commanding officer.

“This is not a scheduled visit Jake? Please take a seat. What can I do for you?”

“Bill…it’s a little strange that you are not taking an active part in the running of the ship. To be honest, I am finding it quite hard.”

“Lieutenant Carter,” Chadwick interrupted.”It is your job to run the ship. I am only here if we meet a crisis or difficulty. If you are not coping, why wait ten days to tell me? Why don’t you appoint a junior officer to assist you?”

“I hate to quote chapter and verse, but the CO of a Patrol ship is expected to take their place at the con, sharing the role with his XO.”

“You think I am contravening regulations? To be clear, this is my command and you are my XO. If you cannot operate under this style of command, then stand aside and I will appoint someone who can.”

“With respect, sir; there is no one else qualified to do so and no I certainly don’t wish to stand aside. I just think it is a bit unusual, that’s all. Is this set to continue?”

“Yes, of course. I told you when you boarded that I operated a relaxed style of command. You run the ship and if there are any serious problems, then let me know. Otherwise I am quite happy with the status quo. Meet me once a day and update me.”

Jake decided to back off. For now, he had made his protest. There was a build up of resentment aboard the ship and Jake was already having difficulty keeping it under control; but there was not much going on. They had maintained the same velocity for ten straight days and were on target to reach the last known coordinates of the three missing Alpha cruisers within two weeks. He headed back to the bridge and relieved Lieutenant Briscoe.

Thirteen hours later, Jake made his way back to his quarters. He was exhausted, but could only justify a break of a few hours. The two sub-commanders just did not have the experience to be left for too long. As he reached his quarters, he was joined by Briscoe.

“Hi, John. Everything okay?”

“Yes…I just wanted to have a chat with you about a few things.”

“Should I be worried?”

There was no reply and Jake shrugged his shoulders and invited his colleague into his quarters. There was little room to stand so John Briscoe accepted the seat by the personal comms unit and Jake sat on the edge of his bed.

“Just wanted to express concern about a few issues informally. Particularly the hours you are on shift. Look Jake, there is no way you can carry on like this. If we don’t have you, we have no one left to command and the mission is effectively over.”

“Thanks for the concern John, but I am okay; seriously. In any case, the old man is there if I slip up.”

“You don’t expect me to take that one seriously do you? I have consulted with our medical resource and with command rules and regs; he is right on the edge in terms of you being able to relieve him of command officially.”

“What does that achieve? You are going to need him, irrespective of whether he is still in command. I will not entertain any further discussions about Bill Chadwick. Yes, he is relaxed but he is the governor and like it or not we must respect that and the way he decides to command. You are slowly getting up to speed as is Lieutenant Oso. I already feel more confident about leaving you in charge.”

“You have just done thirty-six hours with two, three hour breaks. That tends to suggest you don’t feel ready for us to take responsibility.”

“Do you?”

“If you are asking whether I am ready, then yes. Lets face it, you can be on the bridge from your bed in less than a minute.”

“Oso does not feel the same way. I spoke to him earlier.”

“Then let me take on acting XO and Oso can second…if he is happy with that.”

“Let me think about it. What time are you due to relieve him?”

“Two hours. Why don’t you get some rest now and return to the bridge in say, six hours. That would give you a decent break.”

“Okay…on this occasion I agree. Let me know if there is anything other than the norm and I mean anything.”

Lieutenant Briscoe left Jake’s quarters and Jake reflected on his position. He had suddenly risen to the top of the tree, albeit a rather small one and he was surprising himself, about how well he was coping. Chadwick’s absence gave Jake the opportunity to climb the invisible ladder of experience. Official command of a Patrol Ship was surely just a short step away. But the Chadwick situation did concern him. There was a stirring within the ship and he had to keep it under control. Right now he was tired and had been given an opportunity to catch up on sleep.

* * * *

The reverberation and tone of his comm.link woke Jake quickly. He answered within seconds of jumping out of the bed.

“Mister Carter. You are scheduled as still on duty, so I trust you have a good reason for being away from your station.”

“Err…yes, sir.” Suddenly a formal tone was required. “I have been working pretty much round the clock. I forgot to change the rota.”

“Does that imply you have not been coping?”

“Of course not. On the contrary…Bill.” Jake decided he was going back to informal. He would take the moral high ground. “Everybody else on the ship is aware of how many hours I have been putting in…I am surprised to be discussing this with you.”

“Well, we can discuss this in more detail Mister Carter. I expect you in my quarters in five minutes.”

The comm.link closed.

Of all the bare faced cheek. What the hell gave Chadwick the right to lecture him on time keeping? Maybe it was time to consider relieving him of his command.

Jake arrived promptly at the door to Chadwick’s quarters and the door opened.

“Jake come in. Take a seat.”

Bizarrely, the CO reverted back to the informal. It was difficult to keep up.

“Perhaps you can start by telling me why you were not at your station.”

Perhaps not… “With respect, I have already explained that, more than adequately.”

“Yes, and your explanation implied that you were not coping. You seem to think that failing to change the rota to indicate whether you are on duty or not is a small matter. It is not. It is imperative; especially on a small ship that movements are clearly defined and that they are adhered to. I shall insert a comment in your file alongside time-keeping. In the mean time if you can still assure me that you are coping, we will leave it for now.”

Chadwick paused as if expecting a reply, but Jake said nothing. It was probably best if he kept quiet.

“Okay, Mister Carter. Do you have the logs for me to view and also the latest diagnostic reports and scan indicators?”

“I have not updated the information since yesterday as I was not expecting to see you until seventeen hundred hours, as per our usual routine.”

Chadwick sighed. “Fine, let me have the information at our routine meeting, together with your revised rotas. You looked tired Number One; I suggest you take an hour or two more of your revised sleep schedule. That’s all.”

Jake could not believe his ears. Chadwick had hopped around from the formal to the informal, from angry to pleasant yet again. This guy has to be on something. He did though heed the CO’s advice on this occasion and he headed back to his quarters, where within minutes he was back in bed and fast asleep.

His alarm awoke him this time and within twenty minutes he had showered, drank a cup of strong coffee and was on his way to the bridge. He could not get his head round what Chadwick was trying to do. Was this a test or was the CO on drugs. He needed to spend some time thinking about it, not because he had any intention of plotting against his CO. Earlier he had been angry…now he was pragmatic.

John Briscoe was pleased to see Jake enter the patrol ship bridge.

“Glad you are here. We are following something on long range. It may be nothing, but it is now on an intercept course.”

“How long?”

“Within weapons range in thirteen minutes.”

“Raise shields. Do we know what it is yet?”

“Yes. There are two of them. We have them identified as Lavucian.”

“Lavucian. What the hell are they doing out here? We must be two to three hundred light years from Lavucior. They are a potential threat though. Those are Battle Ships. Are they still on a pursuit course?”

“Yes Jake.”

“Charge weapon banks and put Jump Ships on standby. Take Stellar drive offline and open a comm.link to the CO.”

The comm.link opened and Chadwick answered with a quick fire; “Yes”. He was clearly not in one of his better moods.

“Two Lavucian Battle ships, on a pursuit course. ETA nine minutes.”

“I’ll be with you in two.” The comm.link went dead. For the first time since the brief moment before launch, the Patrol ships CO was about to set foot on the bridge.

He entered without comment heading straight to the CO’s work station. Jake stood up; but Lieutenant Briscoe remained seated.

“Mister Briscoe. Make way for your XO and provide back-up at weapons.”

“Yes, sir.” Briscoe looked a bit put out. The XO station was effectively his.

“Let’s have a look at them then,” barked the CO.

Jake pulled up the schematics to the viewing screen.

“Yes…definitely Lavucian. Open a comm.link.”

Again, Jake used his XO override controls to respond to his CO’s command swiftly.

“No response.”

“Okay. Let’s allow them to get closer. Can you think of a reason Number One, why Lavucian battle ships should be one; out here and two, seemingly pursuing us?”

“They are a long way from home. Expansion?”

“Yes and no. I would think they are aware of Alpha’s loss to the Kryl. To them we are the largest power in the region and they are either trying to exploit our position or flex their muscles. They could be trying to send a message to the Kryl too.”

“What kind of message?”

“A bad one from our perspective unless we can persuade them otherwise. Is there an exit strategy available?”

“Only a jump to light speed; but with nowhere to go. We are in deep thru-space.”

“Then let’s appeal to their better nature. Open another comm.link. If they won’t talk, we will send them a message.”

Jake opened a comm.link and the CO took a few moments to compose himself.

“Exulted Lavucian Battle Group Commander. It is indeed an honor to share the same void space with you. We would be pleased to exchange gifts as part of the burgeoning relationship between our two great armies.”

Jake was impressed. This was either great bullshit or Chadwick knew exactly which buttons to push.

“Still no response…they are sending a coded response. An old code, but still live.”

“Their intent is to determine whether humans or Kryl are controlling this ship. The Kryl would not know the older codes. Respond with the correct code.”

The code screen flashed onto Jake’s workstation and he expertly pulled across a response code and transmitted.

“Now we wait.”

“Weapons range in ninety seconds.” Briscoe assumed control of the weapons station.

“They are pulling out.”

The CO breathed a sigh of relief. “We will put that one down to experience.”

“You have dealt with them before?”

“Yes. A long time ago. This is something to be wary about, though. The Lavucians are known for their expansionist intent and with Alpha on the wane. They may be looking for a chance to exploit. Okay. Return us to the correct heading and velocity and get us underway again, Mister Carter. I will be in my quarters.”

The CO left, having spent just five minutes at his command station. Enough time for Jake’s opinion of his commanding officer to change dramatically.

Chapter Sixteen

The President’s Office

On balance President Roslyn felt he had things just about right at present and that meant he would sleep, rather than lay awake all night worrying about how he should change things.

The biggest issue was always going to be the HSL. They were just a few weeks away from the second list being generated and while the subject would always be headline news; over the last week or so other newsworthy issues had started to push the human sacrifices to one side. It was though very clear that within a week or so, the HSL list would be top of the agenda again.

Roslyn was in a reflective mood. His second and final term just ten months to run and he was starting to think about his legacy policies. What would he be remembered for? Apart from the obvious reference to the Kryl, the economy was in good shape; politically the ECG and its relationship with the Allied Planet Federation had improved markedly over his tenure and he had opened up new and improving diplomatic ties with many new species. All was as it should be and yet nine years of good stewardship was being ripped apart by the Kryl. Everything he stood for as a conviction politician was in shreds. In fact unless Alpha’s contingency fleet did their job and removed the curse of the Kryl from Earth; he may as well give up now. Everything he did, every decision he made would be and would always be tinged with the stench of ten million Kryl. And that was precisely why he could not give up. He had to do everything he could to foster an environment that would support and assist Alpha in liberating Earth. Everything in his head was going round in circles, ever decreasing circles. It was almost certain that he would have a bad night’s sleep…and so it proved.

Ten hours later, Roslyn sat at his desk in the Presidents office. He glanced quickly at his desktop. Three meetings this morning. All full on. Why did Kate always bunch up all the bad ones together? The first meeting was with Ron Seawall. Not a person he particularly wanted to see right now. She suspected he had forced his way in and left Kate with no choice but to book him a slot. Such was the gall and the power of the man.

His comm.link sounded to advise his visitor had arrived. Roslyn sighed and accepted the meeting. A sign that the guest could now enter the Presidents office.

Ronald D. Seawall III did not stand on ceremony. He walked straight in and covered the twelve meters between the entrance to the office and Roslyn’s desk in a flash. He took a seat and stared directly at the President.

“We have been expecting you at the Inner Council meetings Tom. Your absence has been noted.”

Ron Seawall was one of five chief officers of the Society of Commerce Trade and Philanthropy, which itself was a cover for a secret society of free men that dated back to its origins amongst the Lodges of the twentieth century. The SCTP was one of the most powerful non-governmental bodies on the planet and its chief officers knew it.

“You know how busy I am Ron…it is always good to see you.”

“We can dispense with pleasantries. You need to remember who got you that seat Mister President. Without us, you would still be a local senator.”

“I am sorry Ron. I can assure you my next visit will be very soon and I will increase the frequency of my visits. I always value your opinions. You asked to see me today…was there any particular reason?”

Seawall ignored Roslyn’s response and continued his line of attack.

“You seem to have forgotten about us Tom. How much influence do we have over the very people that matter so much to you? Just because you are nearing the end of your office does not mean you can just ignore us…especially now.”

Roslyn knew he must be careful. There was no doubting the influence the society held. He opted for compliance; at least on the outside.

“Like I said, I will make more of an effort. Was there something specific you wanted to discuss?”

“You know perfectly well there is Tom.” Seawall reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slip of headed paper. On it were two numbers “36” and “28,000”.’do you know what these numbers represent Tom?”

Roslyn pursed his lips and then shook his head. He had a good idea about where the Society chief was heading with this, but he did not let on.

“Thirty-six” represents the number of high ranking, country ranking society officers who were on the first HSL list and now they are all dead. “Twenty-eight thousand”, the total number of society members known to have been on the list. That is a huge number, Tom.”

He was right and it was obvious to him why the meeting had been called.”No one is exempt from the list, Ron—not even you and me.”

“The society exists to protect its members and further their lives. The possible inclusion on the HSL list is an absolute contradiction to this most basic of premise. A premise you swore to uphold.”

Tom Roslyn knew this would be bad. The society was indeed powerful and could sanction and influence virtually anything. He was the President of the ECG though and he wasn’t going to be pushed around that easily.

Seawall continued, “There will be no repeat of this in the forthcoming HSL listing. No society members will be included on the list. I believe you understand what I am saying.”

“You know perfectly well I cannot exclude anybody from this list. If the public were to find out there would be an uproar.”

“That is probably putting it mildly Tom. But that is your problem, not mine. I think you know what could happen if you don’t exclude members of our society. We will block the police, the security services, the legal services, and commerce and government departments. We will grind the planet to a halt and stop any persons from being delivered to the Kryl and then of course there is your personal situation; I could no longer guarantee your protection from those who would want to hurt you.”

Tom Roslyn suddenly felt sick to the stomach. His ridiculous assertion, last night that everything would be all right, was in tatters. He had no choice but to comply, but how he would achieve this was another matter.

“Ron, you are asking the impossible of me. I will need time to look at ways to make this happen. It won’t be easy, that is for sure. Quite apart from the vested interests of the lodges, there are many others who would seek exclusion for the people they represent. This could get very nasty.”

“It is already very nasty. You need to find a way to get out of this appalling contract with the Kryl.

How you do that and how you exclude the societies members is your problem, but please be absolutely sure I will shut this planet down, if you don’t comply.”

Seawall stood and grabbed the Presidents hand. He shook it briefly, turned, and headed to the door. He was gone without saying another word.

Roslyn sat back in his reclining desk chair and put his hands behind his head. How the hell am I going to get out of this?

The answer was not immediately forthcoming, but his trusted aide would no doubt cast her opinions on the subject. He was just about to summon her, when she entered and sat down in front of Roslyn’s desk.

“Obviously that was as bad as I think it was?”

“Yes…I presume he threatened you to make you set up that meeting so quickly?”

“Yes. I no longer attend lodge or society meetings. I don’t need them. There was little point trying to deny him a meeting with you, that is for sure. Can I assume he has asked for society members to be excluded?”

“Yes.”

“Others will want to be excluded too.”

“Yes.” Roslyn hoped for words of wisdom from his confidant.

“There must be a way round this?”

“You know as well as I do how powerful they are. If we leave this, the whole planet will come to a standstill, the Kryl agreement will fall apart and without Alpha and any way of defeating them, the people on this planet will be extinguished.”

“Then we must comply. Do you want me to draw up a list of other groups of people we should exclude?”

“Yes. It will get out…and when it does, the infrastructure will fail along with this government. People can’t tolerate the lists as they are. Quite how they will react when they know certain persons are excluded because of their position in society… Kate, I am not sure I can do this anymore.”

“If you fall, the Vice-President will be faced with the same problem…although he is not a member of a lodge.”

“He does not have to be. The society chiefs can still exert their influence over everyone else. Okay…compile a list and we will have to look at ways we can keep it quiet. What time is my next meeting?”

“Ten-thirty.”

“Cancel it. Everybody else can wait.”

Chapter Seventeen

Desperation

The Pantheon closed to within three days of their destination, when the ion drive finally failed. The drive link power generators ran for a further twenty-two hours before they too stopped. Wesley Smith ordered the patched-up back-up generator to be deployed and for a full suite of distress messages to be sent out. There was no choice now.

“Back-up on-line, sir. We have power.”

“Restrict to agreed essential systems only. Number One, we need to start to restrict personnel movements and to keep hold of their whereabouts. If it comes down to it, we are going to have to move people around to make best use of air pockets. With no drive and only a limited back up power supply, we are now very much reliant on who is out there. What progress do we have on the shuttle return?”

“She is still having trouble lifting off. There’s a lot of seismic activity. They are going to try again in about three hours.”

“Okay. I will be down in engineering. Keep me abreast of any developments.”

Smith had not left his station for over twelve hours and he welcomed the chance to stretch his legs. He allowed himself to briefly reflect on their position. Lieutenant Commander Benoir looks scared…as do the rest of the crew. I am going to have to bullshit my way through this, just to keep everyone going. It was clear at some stage, the generator would fail and the clock would start to tick. How long they had, no one knew. Whether anyone would find them before the air ran out, no one knew. He had to show strength and belief.

The Chief was at his work station when Smith arrived in Engineering. The CO smiled in apprehension.

“I am presuming all is okay?”

“Yes, Skip. The generator is…working. We have full environmental capability and a full air flow. Very few systems are operational other than that.”

“Okay…we are still assuming it will fail?”

“Yes, when the coils work their way loose. If you are looking for some kind of time scale I’m afraid I don’t have one. It’s a guessing game.”

“Can we repair the coils?”

“Thirty-six hours minimum to take her apart, re-coil and then put her back together. That is assuming all her other parts stay together. Air would run out inside the thirty-six hours.”

“Yes, but we could deploy cylinders.”

“They may be needed elsewhere.”

This was a frank and open exchange between the Engineering Chief and his CO. They had known each other for a long time and in many ways, Smith regarded Benjamin Took as his right hand man. His relationship with his XO was different; it was good, but not so trusting.”

“Ben…I will make whatever decision is necessary to preserve the crew and the ship. If we need to use cylinders to help us put the generator back together then that is what we will do. In the meantime, I need a power boost. We want to send some micro comms into deep space.”

“No shit. Wesley there is nothing left. We have identified critical systems and there is no room for maneuver.”

“Then we will have to find some. If we were to reduce to minimum shield capability. That would create some juice.”

“Yes…and then our Kryl friends will come along and finish us off. If we power down the shields; there is no going back. If you want to launch comms into space from a Teutonic bay, there aren’t many things which use more power.”

“Any other ideas?”

“No. We could flush out a section of the ship. Then we need less power for environmental controls. Again, once down, it would be down for good. But…on its own that is not enough. I am guessing we can’t ask the shuttles or Jump Ships to help?”

“Not for the moment, local atmospherics are preventing take-off.”

“Looks like lady-luck continues to follow us.”

Benjamin Took was suddenly distracted. He stared at his desktop monitor.

“Ah!” His voice showed a deep sense of dismay.

“The generator is overheating. The coils have come loose.”

* * * *

Forty-five minutes later, Benjamin Took confirmed everyone’s worse fears. The generator was off-line and she was not coming back.

* * * *

“This is Commander Smith…I have to advise we no longer have an operational power source to generate our vital systems. We are therefore reliant on the existing air supply within the environmental systems. We are waiting for shuttle craft to depart to airlift us to safety. Everyone will be safe as long as you comply with any requests we make to assist this process. Until you hear differently, you are ordered to stay within your current designated areas.”

The CO ended his ship wide transmission and summoned his first officer to the ready room. The lighting was dimmed to the lowest operational level and Smith had to squint to check it was his XO when she entered.

“Claudette, we are going to get out of this.”

“If a whole series of things go our way, Wesley. The chances of either the shuttles being able to take off and reach us in time or a passing ship answering our distress call is unlikely, to say the least. Yes…there is a chance, but it is remote. You are going to have to come to terms with that and also the crew need the opportunity to do so too. Your message was not truthful.”

“Have you come to terms with it?”

“No! But I am realistic. We are unlikely to survive this.”

Smith decided to change tack. Maybe it was a character flaw, but for certain he had far from given up.

“What was the last weather report we had from the moon surface?”

Claudette Benoir was about to protest, when she surmised that this was just the CO’s way of dealing with it. He would come round in time.

“Our last communication was about two hours before the generator went down. A new storm front has just come in. The seismic activity had eased off, but the two are intrinsically linked and it has probably increased again now. There is no way either of those shuttles has been able to depart and by now, unless they have it will be too late by the time they get to us and the Jump ships would be grounded too.”

“There was a window between the fronts. I am still optimistic that one or both would have been able to leave. As for the distress beacons. As we were unable to send out the micro comms the distress call range is limited. But there are ships in this sector; we know that already.”

“Wesley you surely don’t think the Kryl will come back and rescue us?”

“No of course not. There are others and there is time. Not much…but there is still time.”

Chapter Eighteen

Debris

One week after the incident with the Lavucian ships, Patrol Ship HR87 reached the coordinates specified by the Jump Ship Commanders. Jake Carter XO continued his endurance sessions and remained effectively in command; but now as the mission reached its operational stage, Bill Chadwick joined him on the bridge.

“Scanners are picking up debris two thousand kilometers to starboard.”

“Take us in for a closer look.” Jake was still giving the commands despite the CO’s presence.

In no time, they were surrounded by several hundred pieces of fuselage. Closer inspection revealed that these were the remains of both the Hermes and the Peking.

“There is no sign of anything significant from the Pantheon. She was the larger ship; if she was destroyed you would have expected something.”

“Yes, I agree. I think we have to consider she may have got away. I suggest we look for plasma trails.”

“Agreed. I presume we have to catalogue the remains?”

“Yes. This now becomes a floating war grave.” Chadwick shook his head.”If this was the Kryl, then clearly they don’t think this war is over either. Don’t spend too long Number One. The Pantheon is now our priority.”

Once again Chadwick left the bridge; leaving Carter and the two bridge crew to contemplate the loss of two of Alpha’s finest.

Jake was angry now; The Kryl just kept on taking; soon it would be time to give some back; but that was for later and he knew once again he would play a central part. Right now, there were more pressing matters. The question was where was the Pantheon?

Fifteen minutes later, the ship had locked onto a pursuit course following a vapor trail from an Alpha cruisers ion drive. It looked like they were heading to one of the planetary clusters in the Darius sector; a short hop at stellar speed but a good week and half’s travel at maximum ion thrust. They could be anywhere and there was no certainty which system they would head to. Jake opted to follow at sub-light speed to give them a greater chance of finding the Pantheon.

* * * *

There had been no power now for twenty-four hours and some areas of the ship fared worse than others. Alpha cruisers were fitted with independent power supplies to each room, allowing for emergency lighting and door operations, but many of these in the lower sections of the ship had already failed. Those personnel confined to these sections were trapped and the air supply was thinning. Emergency comms devices allowed crucial two –way communication between the bridge and all parts of the ship; but there was nothing Wesley Smith could do for these people or for anyone else for that matter. The plan was to spread crew around the ship and allow them to breathe only their own air, rather than share it with someone else. The rationale from a commander’s perspective was that losses could be reduced if pockets of air persisted in some areas but not in others.

Crewman Connolly was in his quarters when the ship’s generator failed. He had managed to force himself through two bulkhead doors to an inner hallway, where he and three other crew members were trapped.

“Sir, we are trapped. There is no air down here and the lighting is…useless. I don’t know how long we can survive.”

Smith tried to remain calm. He needed to reassure his crew, even if for some there was no hope.”We are doing everything we can here for you and we are hopeful that recent activity in the system means someone is on to our distress call. Just hang in there.”

He lied of course. There was nothing on his comms device, which he had linked up remotely to the various comms beacons. He looked around. Nobody was doing anything; there was nothing they could do. By now, they all accepted their fate and were preparing silently. He looked at his comms device. The estimated air supply was down to six hours and twenty-two minutes. Did that mean ship wide? He could not just sit here and do nothing. He knew it was hopeless but if he could at least help someone.

He left the bridge without comment and headed out. The ship was eerily quiet, the only noise, the creaking of bulkheads. He wondered whether they would now sever and put an end to this torture once and for all. The corridor was lit only by the amber glowing floor lights which ran down the sides, breaking only for a corridor or door. Smith did not try to access any of these. He knew where he was going.

The air was sparse now. Smith found himself struggling to breathe as he gulped down air every few seconds. He knew he could not go any further like this. Doubling back he located the nearest emergency station; a coded cavity closet housing hand blasters, oxygen, water and medical supplies. The oxygen cylinder was a short term breathing aid, with a total of about ten minute’s breathable air. Smith would use it sparingly as he continued his journey downwards towards engineering. His quest was to seek out the Chief and also to look at the water tanks.

Engineering was as quiet as the rest of the ship. An unnerving experience in comparison to the usual hustle and bustle of the ships work house. The Chief was laid out on the floor as usual. However, he seemed fine. Curiously in this large open space the air was still breathable in stark comparison to its surrounding areas.

“Never give up, do you, Chief?”

“Neither do you or you wouldn’t be down here. I hope you did not waste that cylinder to just come down and see me?”

“Hardly. What are you working on?”

“A patch to the ion drive. If we can get the sub-generators back up, it will give me the chance to finish it. As it is…there’s no chance; but as you say I never give up. I understand that things are pretty bleak up there?”

“Yes, to say the least. Chief…I wanted to run something by you. Will the sub-water air filtration devices work in the water tanks?”

Benjamin Took looked surprised and then realized what his CO was alluding to. He laughed before replying.”It’s a good job you and I are built from the same stock, Wesley! Yes, we could breathe underwater in the tanks. The oxygen supply would give us maybe ten hours extra per tank, but we could put say twenty, thirty people in each tank…unbelievable. How come no one thought of this already?”

“Who knows? I guess you need a clear mind. How many filters do we have?”

“Plenty. They will be located in armed supplies though. The other issue being that people feel uncomfortable using them. I guess that’s a small price to pay if it saves their lives. How come you didn’t comm.link me?”

“Trying to save the battery and I was already half-way down the ship, when the idea hit me.”

The small filtration devices to which Wesley Smith referred were composed simply of a narrow horizontal bar, just fifteen centimeters in length, which you held in your mouth. The bar was secured by a band around the head. This simple device filtered out the oxygen from the water and allowed the user to breathe underwater, for an indefinite period of time; restricted only by the volume of water and the oxygen that could be extracted from it. The water tanks aboard the Pantheon were self replicating when the power generators were working, meaning the vast quantities of water consumed and used throughout the ship in a long journey did not require re-supplying every few weeks. The tanks were full and the oxygen contained within them was potential lifeblood to a large number of the remaining crew members.

While movements were obviously restricted when in the tank, it did mean the individual external oxygen suits could be deployed to more relevant personnel, particularly in engineering, where they were needed the most. This could give the crew the opportunity they needed to complete the repairs to the power generator and crucially it would give everybody extra time to allow for rescue to take place.

The downside was numbers. There were still over a hundred and fifty crew on board.

“We need to get to armed supplies and distribute the oxygen filters. Your guys need to have all available suits at their disposal. We should even pull out the emergency short term breathing aids. I will arrange that at my end.”

“How will you decide who gets to go in the tank?”

“Honestly…I don’t know how many people will be left when it comes to that. We have less than six hours air now and then we will have to start using the tanks. You need to keep me updated on progress.”

“Are you returning to the bridge?”

“Yes.”

“Then I am guessing you will not return. Make sure you keep the reserve suits up there. They should not be distributed. The ship needs its commander and its bridge crew. Keep safe Wesley.”

“You too my friend.”

Smith headed towards the main exit to engineering and to what would almost certainly be no air. The short term breathing aids was about three quarters full. He preyed it would be enough to get him back to the relative comfort of the upper decks.

* * * *

“The signal is getting weaker. The ion drive must be failing.”

“Slow to half ion drive Mister Briscoe. We don’t want to miss her.”

“Now the venting has stopped. She must be around here somewhere. Wait…now a stronger signal. Maybe she stopped for repairs and then started again. The composition suggests a slower overall velocity though.”

Jake couldn’t help but smile. The Lieutenant was proving to be an able first officer. He was certainly growing into his role—even if he was only acting up.

“Pursue at the same velocity. If they are in trouble, we should expect some distress beacons or some micro comms. Spread the scanning to a wider brief.”

And he was certainly growing into his role. Commanding a ship was beginning to feel second nature, even if it was only a Patrol vessel.

Jake realized he was tired. Yet again he had overstretched his shift.

“I’m taking a few hours rest, Mister Briscoe. Let me know immediately of any changes.”

Jake left the bridge and headed for his quarters. It had been some time since he had composed a message to Carla and while sleep was important, he wanted to let her know how he was doing; Even though he could not send it…it still felt like the right thing to do. He’d had plenty of time to assess his relationship with Carla in recent weeks and despite the unfortunate infidelity with Maria Shavenosky; he loved Carla and wanted to see her desperately, to hold her close and keep her safe. He just sat down at his comms station, when his lapel comm.link sounded.

“Briscoe here. We have just detected a distress signal.”

* * * *

Wesley Smith was back in the upper half of the ship and finally breathing was a little easier. He looked at the pressure gauge on the breathing aid. Just over a quarter full. He should not need the rest for now. He checked his comm.link too and noted the ships air supply. There was still no sign of any rescue ship. Best not to think about it, he told himself as he continued along the corridor.

He passed a main interchange, and heard coughing. It was coming from behind a closed bulkhead door just past the interchange. This was a crew recreational lounge. There would be people in here. He approached the door and pushed the manual release button. The door remained shut, so he tried again, but it remained in the closed position. He definitely heard coughing. He could not just leave them.

Smith held his comm.pad up to the door mechanism and allowed the comms unit to interrogate the lock system. The door opened, he stepped inside and was greeted with a void. There was no air in here and he struggled to breathe almost immediately. There were two groups of five crew members huddled together to the side of the door. In one group, all were quite dead and in the other, the only life sign came from the man who had coughed. He leaned down and heard the labored breathing. This man was dying. Smith pushed the breathing aid to the man’s lips which turned blue. There was no response and the chest cavity of this man fell for the last time.

Smith left the dead men. There was really nothing he could do for them right now and he had to start looking after those he had left. Why had a large room, so close to the top of the ship exhausted its air supply? It must be leaking somewhere.

Thirty seconds later, he reached the bridge and was pleased to see that all was as he had left it, when he entered. Claudette Benoir though, looked like she a ghost.

“The chief just advised that the cylinder head on the back up generator has now cracked wide open. It cannot be repaired Wesley.”

* * * *

Two hours later, the Patrol ship finally located the stricken Alpha Cruiser Pantheon. Jake requested the CO to attend the bridge and they both now stared at the spectacle in front of them. Jake broke the silence.

“Okay…we need to connect the umbilical to their main portal and get a team aboard. Life signs are very weak and they are not answering our comms so I think we can assume that air may be an issue. I suggest we pump in some clean air to the Pantheon; at least to their upper decks.”

“If they have no air; the chances they are dead already; but I agree we have to try. Assemble a team of twelve and suit up. We will hold off using up our air resources at this stage until we know what their situation is.”

Jake asked Lieutenant Briscoe to help him and the helm projected the umbilical shoot directly at the main Pantheon access portal. The umbilical attached automatically and a small charge detonated forcing the portal open. Jake and his team gained access to the Pantheon immediately and the team split into four as they tried to determine how bad the situation was. Jake’s team headed towards the bridge.

“This is Carter. Air is zero, repeat air is zero. We need an air pump. Repeat, we need an air pump.”

“Okay Mister Carter. We will connect at this end. Concentrate on finding survivors.”

They arrived at the bridge thirty seconds later and Jake used the manual override to open the bridge entrance door.

There were four people inside. Two were clearly dead and the other two registering, but unconscious. The team quickly applied resuscitation equipment and the first started to recover. Wesley Smith sat up in disbelief as he stared at the suited humans in front of him. He slumped down again. Unbelievably they had been rescued.

“Thank God you made it. Can you get air into the ship? How many survivors are there?”

“Take it easy, sir. Your body is recovering; but we are not out of the woods yet. We are pumping air into the top few decks, so you should be able to breathe normally soon; but you have lost some colleagues on the bridge.”

Smith looked up and his expression quickly saddened as he released that Claudette Benoir was amongst the dead. He tried to stand, but fell back down again, supported by Jake.

“Steady Commander. We will take this from here. There is good air coming in now; we are up to twenty percent already. I am afraid it looks like substantial losses throughout and the ship itself looks lost. We will start to recover your survivors to our ship shortly.”

“Check engineering.” Smith felt less groggy now.

“You should find survivors there and in the water tanks.”

“The water tanks…ingenious. Did you use filtration devices?”

“Yes…I need to know whether the Chief Engineer made it. We are going to need him.”

Jake Carter dispatched two of his team directly to engineering, while a fifth team boarded the Pantheon with a back up generator cable which they attached to the nearest connect point. The Pantheon now had limited power resources but unaided, she could now power up her own life support.

Lieutenant Briscoe’s team had already located the bodies of four engineers who had been working on the back up generator and now reached the water tanks. His team climbed to the top of the first tank to be greeted by a mass of floating bodies. Beneath them, those who coped with the air filtration devices surfaced. They were the lucky ones. They had made it.

In all thirty-five people were released alive from the water tanks, including a barely conscious Chief Engineer. All the survivors were taken to the medical facility on board the Pantheon. Of one hundred and fifty crew—who set out to reach the sanctity of the satellite moon—only fifty-six survivors were found.

Part Two

Chapter Nineteen

Beneath the Ground

Admiral Thomas Koenig was in a good mood. His Chief Scientist had briefed him on progress made in the laboratory and he just been told the news he had been waiting for, for a long time.

“So, radiation will kill them…once and for all.”

“My results are based on the relatively small number of Kryl tested so far. But yes; Antirillium Radiation speeds up the growth of the cancer cells in the Kryl body remarkably quickly.”

“How quickly?”

“On average, they go from a pre-cancerous state to advanced cancer and death in a matter of minutes.”

“This will kill eighty to ninety percent of them?”

“Yes, based on our research to date. We need a bigger sample to prove the theory”

Koenig sat up, excited that their incarceration could shortly be coming to an end. “We need to start mass-producing and find a way of flooding the planet with this stuff.”

“With respect Admiral; it is way too early for that. I need to prove against at least one thousand additional live Kryl; which is itself is a logistical nightmare down here. Second, we don’t know what the best compound or the best method of delivery is for this yet. Furthermore, it is a form of radiation and does also present a threat to humans and…I have held the best to last. It is not freely available on this planet or anywhere in the solar system. It only exists in small pockets throughout the galaxy.”

“First you raise my hopes and then you dash them. Okay, a thousand Kryl will be difficult to secure let alone let them loose down here. We will have to find a suitably rural facility Earth side. Would I be right in assuming that this form of radiation does not have quite such a marked effect on us?”

“Radiation is not generally good for us, but in this form it will not harm us; unless we are subjected to very high concentrations over a long period. There is also another problem though…the radiation is highly volatile and cannot be easily stored.”

“Okay. Continue your testing. I will arrange for a secure testing facility to be set up for the sample candidates to be collected. In the meantime, I need you to pin-point where the pockets of this stuff are.”

“Excellent Admiral. We will continue our work and will brief you when we have something further. I just wanted to reassure you. This is a breakthrough, no question. The Antirillium Radiation will kill the Kryl.”

The Chief Scientist left and Koenig was suddenly filled with characteristic optimism which sadly lacking in recent weeks. It was proving harder for everyone than anticipated to remain confined in their subterranean super base. This may not yet be conclusive, but it was the first big step in the right direction. He intended to maintain the initiative. He paused briefly and then summoned his two most trusted colleagues to carry on the discussion.

Admirals Kohn and Clarke joined Koenig in his office less than ten minutes later. Koenig briefed them on the content of his previous meeting and then opened the discussion up for further comment. Jonas Kohn spoke first.

“So, the radiation is the cause of their cancer and they cure or hold back the full symptoms of the cancer by means of electrical stimuli which they obtain my murdering humans. If we boost the radiation levels it will kill them. It’s a bit paradoxical isn’t it?”

“Yes, it certainly is. We have also learned that the alloy used by the Kryl in the ship construction contains low levels of this Antirillium radiation. The Kryl galaxy seems to have slightly higher levels; at least in the areas where our ships were deployed. Plus of course the Kryl are born with a large number of pre-cancerous cells, which when brought into contact with the Antirillium, brings about the cancer itself. It is all beginning to link together.”

“And the concentration of Antirillium in this galaxy is much lower than it is in the Kryl galaxy. If they can keep the symptoms under control here and stay away from the radiation then as a race they will survive. You can understand now why they were so keen to get through the blue worm hole.”

“Yes, as I say it makes sense and hopefully these findings will be born out by further testing; but in the mean time I think we have enough to start to take this forward”

Changing tack, Koenig diverted his attention to Admiral Clarke.

“When are you due to meet Roslyn next?”

“I can see him at any time. I am not sure it would be wise to give him too much of this at this stage. He is a politician after all, and there have been some major leaks in recent months.”

“Yes, I agree. Hold off for the time being. Instead I want you to concentrate on delivering these Kryl to our science team. I think we need to assume that this facility cannot house such a large number without creating a security issue; so I need you to find a way to source the crew, find a suitably remote spot for the testing to be carried out and get the science team up to the surface to allow them to test. I appreciate this may be quite a task, but we need this done and we need it done quickly.”

“That’s fine. I have somewhere in mind. It is going to be tricky to locate and secure so many of them. They tend to keep to themselves; but we will find a way.”

“Good. Okay…it all looks positive. As soon as I hear back from the science team, I will brief you again. Let’s get too it gentlemen. There is a real prospect that we can release ourselves from this place; that’s not something we can pass up on.”

Chapter Twenty

The Diplomatic Team

Carla Stevenson felt sick to the stomach. The fact that she had actually been involved in the process that brought about the Earth Kryl Agreement and the horror which had manifested from it; disgusted her. Yet here she was again on route to commence discussions with the Kryl. Only this time, it was the Queen who requested their presence.

The diplomatic team had been quiet since the signing of the Earth Kryl agreement. When they left the Halo 7 and she had left Jake; their shuttle had headed straight back to Alpha Two, where following a quick debriefing they had both headed for the bar to drown their sorrows. To have been so actively involved in the drafting of an agreement that would condemn the lives of millions of people, coupled with the knowledge from Carla’s perspective that she may not see Jake again for a very long time, meant the drink flowed very freely that night, the next ,and the next. With diplomatic activity now almost at a standstill and with the very existence of the team now at stake, they spent their days processing admin and their evenings drunk. With Carla fighting off Colonel Harrington’s constant advances; eventually he had her. She actually let that man touch her and she felt abhorrent. She did not find him physically attractive. He was a strong person and intellectually her equal and she found their conversations stimulating and constantly evolving, but for that brief period of time, she was not herself. She let herself down badly and now she felt incredibly guilty.

Last night, after some weeks of avoiding him, she allowed him near her again; but she managed to stop herself from succumbing to his advances. He wasn’t happy and they had hardly spoken since.

Harrington was asleep; which at least allowed her to take time out. How had she allowed this to happen? She loved Jake so much and yet at the very first opportunity, she’d allowed another man into her life. She looked and felt anger build up inside her. How dare he take advantage of her? He had known her love for Jake and yet he had still exploited her and now surely Jake would never take her back. She found herself yearning for female company and to be rid of this man. She needed to be a girl once more. She found her mind drifting back to her childhood and happy teenage years, the academy and Jake and of course Steve. Her first love and Jake’s best friend who they lost to the Kryl. And yet, here she was again, ready to pacify and to pretend that all was fine with both the Kryl and Harrington.

He stirred and Carla unclipped her restraints and moved away from the seating area towards the ventral viewing area. She gazed into free space. I know you are out there some where Jake. I need you now, more than ever. Please come back to me, please come back to me. Her private moment was interrupted as she felt two arms around her waist and his breath on her neck. She pulled away; but Harrington pulled her closer to him. This time she pulled away again and forced her elbow hard into his solar plexus. Her academy training instinctively allowing her to select the best method to defend herself.

Harrington doubled up in pain; before recovering. Now he stood and stared at her.

“What the hell did you do that for?”

“I’m sorry. I told you last night I could not let it happen again. It has all been a mistake…”

“But Carla…you know we are good together. We enjoy each others company and the sex was fantastic.”

“No, it was not! Yes, I enjoy your company, but I don’t find you physically attractive and things have happened because of drink. I shall not be going their again and you need to respect my decision.”

She calmed herself and continued,”I think it best if we keep our relationship strictly platonic. It will not happen again.”

She saw the pain and then the anger in Harrington’s eyes. She knew he wanted her; but he was not stupid. He had no choice but to back off now.

The remainder of the journey to the Kryl Mother ship was uneventful. Carla stayed by the window and Harrington moved back to the seating area. As they neared the vast gateway to the innards of the Queen’s ship. Harrington finally approached her. He had obviously calmed down.

“I am sorry Carla. I have allowed my feelings for you to cloud my judgment. Can we just return to being friends?”

“Yes, of course.” She smiled and they turned their attention to the spectacle in front of them as they entered the cavernous hanger bay. She looked at Harrington. Okay, he had backed off, but she did not trust him. She would have to be very watchful in the days and weeks that lay ahead.

* * * *

One hour later, the two senate diplomats entered the Queen’s Sanctuary and began the long walk to the Queen’s throne, escorted by two Kryl drones.

As they neared the center of the room, the guards backed off and the Kryl Queen stepped forward from the darkness beyond the brightly lit throne area. She was wearing a full length black cloak with a tightly fitted black and red body suit which accentuated her slim, but powerful figure. Her face was as ashen as other Kryl, but her lips were bright red.

“Colonel Harrington, Major Stevenson. The diplomatic protagonists who helped bring forward our agreement. Welcome.”

Harrington stepped forward, before he replied.

“Your highness. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you. May I enquire to what name you would ask us to call you?”

“I am not your Queen and I would not expect you to treat me as such. I am however the ruler of the Kryl, which of course should demand your respect. It is important you remember that Colonel as your visits to me will be formal. I want you to act in an official capacity as link between Earth’s Government and the Kryl. You will do this alone, Colonel.”

“I see. Yes, of course. What about Major Stevenson? We come as a team and usually act together.”

“I have other plans for the Major. You can leave now Colonel.” The Two drones stepped forward, but Harrington stood his ground. He was certainly not going to leave without Carla.

“Major Stevenson should return with me. I am not sure what form your other plans will take, but given recent history, I must insist that we return to Earth together.”

“Your stance is heroic Colonel. But do not mistake my good nature now for the way you can expect things going forward. I am aware of the “recent history” to which you refer and I am also aware of your affections towards Miss Stevenson. However, you will leave now voluntarily or you will leave with the life extinguished from your body.”

Harrington looked hesitant, but Carla ushered him towards the Drones.

“Go. I am more than capable of looking after myself. I will contact you when I leave this ship.”

Again he was hesitant, but it was clear he had no choice. Reluctantly he followed the drone guards away from Carla and the Queen.

The Queen waited until Harrington was out of earshot. Carla was anxious. She did not know what to expect

“I know you are eagerly awaiting what I have in line for you Carla. May I call you that?”

Carla was scared. The Queen appeared to know everything and that must mean this had something to do with Jake. She tried to maintain her decorum and remembering that she was here in a diplomatic capacity; she managed to pull herself together and replied.

“Of course…what should I call you?”

“I am Trieste. I hope our relationship will be such that you will comfortable calling me this. Your thoughts betray you, Carla. You look scared and you are quite correct I do know everything. I know about Jake Carter, who of course I have already met, your fraught but intimate relationship with Colonel Harrington and that Alpha plan a resurgence to take back control of Earth.”

Carla was astounded. How had she managed to grasp so much from just a single thought?

“Both your conscious and your unconscious thoughts Carla. There is so much more behind the veiled cloud. I can probe so deep, your very memories become mine…in time, you will learn to control this; but my ability to enter your mind is so much greater than anything you have ever encountered before.”

“I am sorry…I don’t know what to think now.”

“Think nothing. It makes no difference. I can see you are concerned about this and I don’t want that. I want us to be close and for you to feel comfortable talking to me about things and not reliant on my extracting your thoughts. It is important you understand I knew who you were before we even met and that Jake Carter is your chosen one. It is of no surprise to me that Alpha is building an attack force either; our intelligence techniques are way beyond your capabilities. What does surprise me is your relationship with Colonel Harrington. You have succumbed to his advances. Yet you are not attracted to him.”

By now, Carla’s mind was a mess. She consciously tried to block her mind as she had tried before with Winterburn; but this was so much more.

“Ah…of course, your relationship with Navalion, or Winterburn as you knew him. Jake came to rescue you and then murdered him. We will save that for another day. Now tell me more about your relationship with Harrington?”

Carla realized there was little she could do but be open, at least about personal issues. There was little point trying to hide it.”I was drunk and allowed him to take advantage of me. I don’t find him attractive I just allowed it to happen and I let myself down…I love Jake.”

“Of course you do. But with alcohol, you become a different person. A curious thing this drug splitting your personality and relieving you of your inhibitions. You fucked him but now regret it.”

“He fucked me. He did all the running. I was careless and it will not happen again.”

“Unless you take alcohol again.”

“No…I have been drunk since and stopped myself from succumbing again. It will not happen again.”

Carla was curious she actually felt comfortable talking about this. She needed someone to talk to, to get this off her chest. The Queen was the last person she expected…

“What of Jake now? You feel guilty…why?”

“Because Jake is the one I love. He does not deserve me. I have cheated on him.”

“Cheated. Why? It was only sex. Why can you not have multiple partners?”

“Humans are monogamous. Our society expects us to be and between two people who love each other; they don’t want to share that person with someone else.”

“Jake Carter is not here with you. He will not know. He cannot probe your mind.”

“No, but I will know.”

“I can see that this is distressing. Would you like me to do something about Harrington to prevent his further advances?”

“No!”

She was forgetting where she was and who she was talking to. She needed to be professional.

“I am sorry; I did not mean to shout. I am in control of this. I would rather talk about something else.”

“Like what?”

“Can you tell me more about what you expect of me? What form our future meetings should take, the frequency, why you have chosen me?”

“Of course. I want this communication to be both ways. It is important you gain a greater understanding of our people and of me. I would like you here with me at all times. I want to understand the human race better.”

Carla was not going to have that. “I am sorry, Trieste. I cannot stay here with you. I am happy to visit you frequently, but not all the time. I need time for myself.”

“Of course. Then we will find a frequency and time that suits both of us. Let me tell you about myself…”

Carla was warming to her. How the hell was she allowing this to happen? She’s the enemy goddamn it!

The Queen listened to her now, rather than reading her thoughts. Was this out of respect or was she now better at blocking the Queen’s penetrative mind merge?

“You need to understand why we have come to your planet and why we need to feed. We are not monsters. We are here because my people need to feed, but we respect you as people and want to look after you. I want your race to prosper; you are curious and divisive and yet thoughtful and intelligent. Your people have advanced very quickly and your ability to learn and adapt makes you a powerful force in this galaxy. Others have every right to be fearful of you. You have only just started and yet, already you threaten to control the galaxy.

“My people feed just as you do, but we also need sustenance from you to allow us to survive and to enrich our lives. We will only ever take what we need though and in time the numbers we are taking now will reduce markedly.”

“Which ever way you try to justify it, no one will ever accept it. I don’t see us as a power in the galaxy now. Will we ever be again or is this it now. Will the Kryl be here forever?”

“I am fond of you already, Carla. The way you turned that into a direct question. There aren’t many like you. We will be around for as long as the need remains; but as I said the numbers will reduce in time.”

“Do you think humans will just continue to accept this?”

“No. Which is why I am not surprised that Alpha continues to exist in its fullest form and that it is planning Earth’s salvation. You will not be successful. Others have tried before.”

“But you are not with the others. What happened to them? Are they all dead?”

“Mostly; but because they sought to challenge us and we responded; not because we consumed them. Let’s move on. Has Jake told you what I said to him?”

“Yes. You will see him again one day.”

“Do you think it is a coincidence that I have chosen you as my personal advisor?”

“Is that what I am? No. It is definitely planned. When, and if, Jake comes here and I am here with you; you think he won’t kill you in front of me.”

“No. Jake Carter will not kill me. I would have foreseen that already. We will have to wait and see what happens.”

“Do you know when?”

“No…although I assume it will be a while, which will give me a chance to get to know you better Carla. By the way, did Jake tell you that he had intimate thoughts about me?”

Carla could not believe it. She was not worried about Jake. She already knew and understood the power that the Kryl could exercise over you. She realized the Queen was toying with her and that this was an opportunity to return the favor.

“Trieste. I thought you were trying to be my friend? Jake would never have acted on those urges.”

“Yes, he would; as indeed would you if I pushed you still further.”

“Me and you! I am strictly a man girl!”

“As am I, but I am not averse to a little playing. Think about it, Carla. You are intrigued, you would enjoy it.”

Trieste was trying to influence her mind but she knew how to divert it.

“Girl on girl never and girl on Kryl never too. Look Trieste, I am here as an “advisor”. We are going off the point.”

The Queen acknowledged Carla was stronger than she looked.

“Very well. Perhaps we will address that matter again, some time in the future. For now, I think this first session has gone well and I am tiring. As you have opted to leave, rather than reside here, I believe a shuttle is waiting for you. I expect you back here tomorrow afternoon. Do not let me down, Carla. Others will suffer.”

Carla left quickly with the Queen’s final statement echoing through her mind.

Who did she mean by others?

She was grateful when she finally boarded the shuttle and it was clear of the Queen’s ship. Yet still she felt the Queen’s presence in her mind. It was only when the shuttle had rounded the Earth moon side that the Queen’s vice like grip finally let go and Carla felt free again. Free to work out what the Queen was up to and indeed what she had meant by her closing statement. Of course, she would be there tomorrow, she wanted to know more and yet it scared her. She already tried to reconcile how the Queen managed to probe her mind so deeply. The thoughts about Jake were at the forefront, but Harrington; he was being pushed further and further to the back of her mind. It was a moment of weakness, when she first arrived in the Queen’s chamber, that allowed her mind to be entered so deeply. She even rationalized how the Queen knew so much about Alpha. This information could not possibly have come from her.

Then she thought about Jake again. Was the Queen correct? Would he enter the Queen’s chamber once more and would he do so under her influence? So many questions. All she knew is that she missed Jake and wanted him here now. Yet, no amount of wanting made the slightest difference. She would just have to wait.

Chapter Twenty-One

The Dead Ship

Jake Carter was thinking about Carla too. For once he was off shift and he had some time for himself when sleeping was not the only option. He just finished drafting his latest comm.link message and was contemplating whether to take a stroll or head straight to the mess hall. His thought process was interrupted.

“Lieutenant Carter. Wesley Smith. I just wanted to run by some of the calculations for the tow. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Of course commander. Shall I come to you?”

“Yes. Join me and Lieutenant Chadwick in my ready room. We have light now too.”

The irony was not lost on Jake. The Pantheon had power, but only because the Patrol ship’s limited resources were being squeezed to the maximum. Chadwick did not like it and he did not like Jake’s plan to tow the Pantheon to the destination moon. This would be an interesting meeting.

Chadwick was already seated when Jake arrived. Jake saluted and then took his seat alongside his CO.

“Glad you could join us. Let’s keep this informal I think. My engineers have been looking at your schematics. They agree that providing velocity and cohesion is maintained, your ship should be able to tow the Pantheon and both can be encapsulated within a temporary phased bubble shield. The main issues, being protection against third party forces and what happens when we get to the moon. I would value your input at this point.”

“Thank you, sir.” He was hesitant. His CO had already made it clear to Jake privately, that he did not want to risk the Patrol ship. But the idea was already in the open and Commander Smith was the senior officer.

“The bubble shield is the critical issue. It will help the cohesion and reduce the effective towing mass of the Pantheon. It will be slow, but not least because you need to protect your bulkheads. The only real issue being setting down on the moon. If we can power up your reserves your thrusters can take over once we attain gravitational pull; but we will need to pull up quick or face being forced onto the surface when the Pantheon’s gravitational weight increases. The sums need to be checked and double-checked, but it should work.”

“I agree. The risk is clear and the gravity is a real issue, but we can work through it to mitigate the issues. What do you think, Bill?”

The patrol ship’s CO looked pensive. It was clear to Jake he was about to disagree with his colleagues opinions.

“Commander. I feel the risk we will be placing on both ships and critically both sets of crew is too great. I am sorry to be the spoiler here.”

Smith looked incredulous.”Have you looked at the figures? You realize that preserving this ship will provide safety to my crew and once the ship is repaired another significant force in Alpha’s arsenal. Surely the risk is mitigated.”

“My job is to preserve my crew and my ship. Your crew would be safe on the moon surface in the short term until a rescue can be arranged.”

“If this Patrol ship is destroyed without passing on Intel to fleet, all four hundred and fifty people on the moon will be lost. Bill, the plan works. We just need to get the sums right.”

“Who will pilot the Patrol ship—especially during the landing phase. It is going to take something special.”

Jake interrupted,”Me, of course. Unless anyone has any better ideas. I am the only qualified Jump Pilot on board.”

“My understanding is that, as commanding officer, I have to give permission for specific operational procedures; particularly ones which affect the livelihood of the crew. I am withholding my support.”

Jake was furious, but he remained silent. Wesley Smith though, already made up his mind.

“Lieutenant Chadwick. Since you are keen to quote chapter and verse, perhaps you would like to finish the sub-section you were quoting from. I believe it goes on to say, unless those operational procedures affect the fleet or group of ships as a whole, in which case, the decision to deploy rests with the Fleet or Group CO. That is not word for word, but it is near enough. To be clear, we will do this with or without your support.”

This was it for Bill Chadwick. It was decision time. Would he stand up for himself or continue the path he chose every time confrontation reared its head?

“I see that I am in the minority. Very well Jake you can proceed with setting things up at this end.”

With grudging acceptance now in place, the meeting broke up and Jake set about coordinating his plan to tow the Pantheon to the destination moon. Three hours later, the shield harmonics were adjusted correctly and the “virtual” tow commenced.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Chasing Fleet

All five Patrol ships were dispatched and on route to their rendezvous with their specific target remote comm.relays. The Halo 7 and the other ships in the chasing fleet were more than half-way to the Styros Cluster. This was deep thru space. There were no planetary systems within ten light years in any direction. It was quiet, dull and monotonous. Keeping the crew motivated was always going to be difficult, particularly because each kilometer that went by, was one further kilometer away from Earth and the crews loved ones. It been more than eight weeks since they had communicated with Earth and no one knew how their fellow humans fared. All they could do, was continue their journey and await the responses from the Patrol Ships.

* * * *

Jonathan Hoskins was in his quarters. He just woken from a deep sleep, having spent yet another night alone. His mistress and the ship’s CAG, Lieutenant Obeya Temsouri, was on nights again and Hoskins could not help but feel that this was a deliberate ploy on her part, rather than a quirk in the rota. It had been ten days since she last slept beside him. Not that this was unusual. Obeya occasionally backed off from their long term relationship—mostly out of frustration—because of Hoskins’s refusal to commit.

He understood Obeya’s irritation. He spent ninety-nine percent of his time with Obeya over the last four years and just a few short weeks with his wife. Yet it was his wife for which he pined and of course his baby son, Oliver. The truth was he loved them both for different reasons, but he knew he could not have them both. In recent months, Obeya was becoming more vocal on the subject. This latest abstinence on her part was the biggest manifestation yet of how deep her feelings were.

Hoskins was about to take a shower, when the entrance alarm sounded. Obeya had entered his quarters and stood before him in the doorway of the bedroom.

“Hi; how are you?”

“I am tired. It has been a long shift, with not much going on. A bit like the last five shifts in fact.”

“But you have come to seem me this evening. I am glad; I have not seen you properly for ten days.”

“Don’t flatter yourself that I have come here to jump into bed with you right now. There is a good reason why I have kept away for the last ten days and you know damn well what that is.”

“So, why did you come to see me this evening? Or is this an official visit?”

“No, you stupid bastard! I want you to get this into your thick head. I will no longer settle for second best. I don’t want to be shared anymore. I thought it was about time you were ready to make that commitment.”

Obeya was not shouting, but Hoskins saw the emotion build up as she spoke. He knew the onus was very much on him to move things forward.

“Obeya, sweetheart. You know I love you and you know I am committed to you. We are together aren’t we? There is not much I can do when we are stuck on a ship, travelling at stellar velocity across the cosmos.”

“Very impassioned, Jonathan. You just don’t get it, do you? It’s what you fail to say that gives the game away. You still love your wife and I cannot share you, dammit. Well, I’ve had enough now. You are holding me back. I still love you, but I am asking for a transfer. There are at least two other CAG roles available within the chasing fleet alone.”

Hoskins was angry now.

“What do you mean “holding you back”? I am a senior commander in this fleet. I will probably soon be commanding an A class and I will take you with me. You can have the pick of the roles then. The CAG of a Star Ship…”

Obeya shook her head. “So, the Admiral’s mistress can walk into any position she wants because of him and not because of her own accomplishments. Jonathan, we need a break, because you don’t appreciate me. We need space away from each other so you can start to miss me. Maybe then you will give me what I want.”

Hoskins tried not to let his emotion take over. Obeya was showing her emotional side; but she could be utterly ruthless when she wanted something. This period of inactivity affected everybody. Maybe it was a good idea to let her go, but not too far.

“You know if you want to leave, I cannot stop you. But I don’t want you to go. This journey is killing the souls of everybody. It’s giving us too much time to think. All I ask is that you give me some time to prove myself. You know I have a child and his mother on Earth and I prey that they are still alive. I love them both; of course I do. My love for Sarah is because she is the mother of my child. My love for you is much deeper.”

Obeya smiled. “You still know how to pour on the charm Jonathan. I’ll give you that. And you are right I have had too much time to think. But if you and I are to have a real future and believe me, I want that more than anyone; then you have to let me go. We will still see each other. It will help bring us together.”

He knew he was beaten and she was right. In a way he was holding her back. Her career was important to her and she was probably the best CAG in the fleet right now. She needed to grow her career and he could not stand in her way. He paused for a few moments before responding.

“Okay. You win. Get the transfer set up and make sure I have a good replacement CAG. But I want you close by Obeya. We need to continue to see each other. We need to make time to be together. It’s important we spend some quality time together before you go. Is that okay?”

Hoskins saw the relief on Obeya’s face. This had clearly been on her mind for a long time. She smiled and brought herself close to him, kissing him on the cheek before releasing her grip.

“Yes, I will adjust my shift patterns, so we can be together. I think this will work for us and, in time, we can be together again properly. For now, let’s just make the most of the time we have left.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Queen’s Advocate

Carla wasted no time when she arrived back on Alpha Two. Having formerly briefed Colonel Harrington, she now planned to protect her family. She was in a position of strength, uniquely with a line direct to the President and she intended to exploit it.

* * * *

“So, what would you ask of me, Carla?”

“I want to protect my family, sir. My parents and my sister. I think you know the history.”

“Yes. I do, but I am not sure I can do much. Are your parents under or over sixty?”

“Under, sir. But because of my position with the Queen, they are all at risk. I want them to disappear.”

“If this is going where I think it is going, then I think we should meet personally come to my office today. We will find somewhere safe to talk.”

“Thank you Mister President. I will be with you shortly.”

The comm.link ended and Carla opened a new link to the senate administrative team. She needed a shuttle to Earth ASAP.

Two hours later, the senate shuttle set down on the launch pad, inside the confines of the Presidential buildings. Carla disembarked and was greeted by a presidential aide, who led her straight to the lawned area behind the Presidents office. She was guided to a large oval metallic table, under cover of a sweeping linen sun canopy, where tea was being served. The President was reading. He looked up when he saw Carla and stood to greet her.

“Major. Please take a seat and have some tea.”

“Thank you Mister President.”

Roslyn waited patiently while the tea was poured and the maid was out of earshot before speaking

“Now. Down to business. First of all, this area has been swept for bugs and electronic scanning devices and we have an operational blocker in place to prevent unwanted spies from above. We are quite secure. You mentioned that you wanted to protect your family. I am presuming you are alluding to the protection afforded by Alpha and their underground bunker; which of course you should not know about.”

“Yes, sir; that is what I had in mind. My parents and my sister are both under threat if something goes wrong with my discussions with the Queen. I just can’t risk them being taken. They would presumably be safe if Alpha had them?”

“I would think so. Logistically it may prove slightly difficult, but I will make sure they are protected one way or another. Now, perhaps we can discuss the actual content of your discussions.”

* * * *

Twelve hours later and Carla was back in the Queen’s sanctuary. The Queen just joined her.

“Welcome Carla. I see you have taken my threat seriously and taken steps to remove your family from danger. But of course they are not in danger and you are here, of your own free will and you want to find out as much as you can about me as I want to about you. Let us start with me today. I want to explain something of our history and our caste system.”

The Queen paused, as if expecting a response from Carla. Carla had nothing to say. She was listening intently, but trying desperately to keep the Queen from penetrating her mind.

How the hell did she find out about her family? Had she read her mind or was the President’s security leaking? The extended silence made her realize a response was merited.

“I am grateful to you, Trieste. We are keen to find out more about the Kryl. I am sure there will be a cross-over of areas of interest.”

“How diplomatic of you Carla. I mentioned before that we want to be your friends. We mean you no harm, but of course your people are providing a source of sustenance for my people. It is important that you understand why.”

The Queen started to explain the Kryl caste system; explaining that a Kryl was born with no caste and it wasn’t until adulthood that the caste for each Kryl was revealed. She went on to detail the various levels of castes and why the distinction was so clear. The stronger the extra sensory capability, the higher the caste; the ultimate caste, always a female; the Queen. If the Queen then joined with a Kronan and conception took place, the balance of power was shared between the Queen and the chosen Kronan; the chosen one, both being now as powerful as each other.

Carla showed genuine interest as the Queen talked about how the caste system related to her. The Queen went on to say that while she had twice selected her chosen one, conception had never actually taken place.

“What happened to your chosen ones? Did you just move on?”

“No! Your partner, Jake Carter executed my first and contributed to the death of my second.”

Carla instantly regretted her interjection. So, Winterburn had been her chosen mate.

“You knew him as Winterburn, but his name was Navalion. He was a remarkable Kryl, who selflessly took himself away from the trappings of power to seek out a new food source. I believe you knew him quite well yourself.”

Carla gasped when the implication of what the Queen suggested became apparent.

“We were never intimate!”

“Relax. Any sexual activity was part of his rouse. I believe your sister was quite taken in by him.”

Again the reference to her family. Carla tried to close her mind to any further personal issues. She was determined to not let the queen probe her mind again.

“My second chosen one was Morvalt.”

“Jake played no part in his death. He was rescued and Morvalt was killed in the battle that ensued.”

“After our peace treaty was signed, Carla…and Alpha continue to breach the terms of that treaty. We will turn our attention to that matter now. It is about time you participated more fully in this conversation.”

Carla was taken aback by the force in the Queen’s voice. It was as if everything that had gone before was designed to bring them to this point. Again she felt compelled to respond. But she tried to stand her ground.

“I am not sure I understand what you mean?”

“Yes, you do Carla. I want to know what Alpha is planning.”

Carla tried not to panic. She knew if her stress levels rose, her mind would be more open to the Queen’s penetrative forces. She had to keep control.

“My role is as a diplomat. I am not privy to operational maneuvers and of course Alpha has effectively been disbanded.”

“Which explains why large numbers of Alpha vessels have been seen heading away from Earth. Where are they going Carla?”

“I am sorry, Trieste; I don’t know. I am not the right person to ask.”

“You are hiding something but I must commend you. Your attempts to block me are being at least partially successful. Let us move on again. Tell me about your relationship with Jake Carter?”

The Queen was twisting the knife; deliberately moving from one emotive subject to another and Carla had no choice but to participate. The Queen had her just where she wanted her; hoping eventually she would break. But Carla was strong. She had been through this before and was not going to be beaten. She continued her stance. She would cooperate but not let the Queen in.

“Jake is my partner and we plan to have a future together.”

“So, are you together now? Where is he?”

“I don’t know where he is. I guess he is continuing his training.”

“You love and miss him. Surely you must have some idea when you will see him again.”

Carla needed to get off this subject. She had to turn defense into offence. She needed to change tack.

“Yes, I love him and miss him. Is there a new chosen one for you?”

The Queen laughed. “If you mean Safrec, then he is not the chosen one and he never will be.”

Carla was enthused. She managed to detract the conversation and wanted to keep it that way.

“But he is your Kronan. As there can be only one Kronan; that means you will not find a mate all the time he is in that position.”

“I do not need a chosen one. Kryl are different to humans. I have many sexual partners, at different castes. The only time the chosen one is relevant is when and if I intend to breed. Which I do not.”

“But he is still an obstacle to that. Okay, you don’t want children yet, but what about someone to be close too. Will Safrec ever fulfill that role?”

She could see that the Queen was angry. She felt the muscles tightening at the back of her neck. Oh, my God—is she going to kill me? The pain subsided as the Queen returned to her normal passive self. Her pallid complexion and featureless face, showing little of the anger she had displayed only moments before.

“I do not need companionship Carla. I do not need to share my power. I am the Kryl Queen and I will reign on my own. That is enough for today. You should leave now. I will not need to see you tomorrow, return the next day and we can continue.”

Carla knew she hit a raw nerve. Something she needed to carefully exploit over the coming days and weeks. She had been given a unique opportunity to do something here. If she could maintain control. It would be Carla penetrating the Queen’s mind rather than the other way round.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Destination Moon

The Pantheon and the Patrol ship linked now only by the umbilical portal were in standard orbit fifty-five kilometers above the moon surface. Half the Pantheon’s crew already transported to the moons surface via the Pantheons two shuttle craft, which were free to take off and land; the storm on the surface of the moon having now abated.

Jake Carter and Wesley Smith were in the Pantheons ready room discussing the difficulties of maneuvering the Pantheon through the fifteen kilometer atmospheric barrier. The logistics of pulling the Pantheon through the atmosphere at the correct angle was a technical minefield. Too fast and the Pantheons already weakened superstructure would fail; too slow and the atmospheric weight of the Pantheon could pull the Patrol ship into a spiral, sending both ships plunging towards the surface out of control.

“The approach angle must be trimmed by two degrees and the cut-off timed perfectly; two kilometers beyond the atmospheric belt. Then you need to gain sufficient momentum to pull back up. I guess you need to be straight too. It will require a hell of a piece of flying. What experience do you have of piloting a Patrol ship in heavy atmosphere?”

“None…but I have no problem with this as long as we get the plan right. I think we should stick to the current approach angle. That way both ships come through the heat unscathed. It will just require greater adjustment once we are free. Don’t forget the Pantheon is going to be in free fall, the moment we release the bubble. The angles here are critical to preserve the Pantheon.”

“If the old man see’s what you are planning, he will never sanction it.”

“We haven’t come this far, only to ditch the Pantheon into the mountains at the last minute. Wesley this was always going to be the difficult stage. We get everybody off both ships and onto the moon surface and then we go for it. Chadwick knows you have the final say.”

“Yes, arguably he is complicit in agreeing to this by not countermanding your orders. We have come this far. We need to speak to him now though.”

“I agree. I will ask him to join us.”

* * * *

Less than thirty crew members remained aboard the Pantheon and all were limited to the top deck, where the air supply from the patrol ship was able to create breathable conditions. The engineering team had completed work on the thrusters, which would soon become critical to the survival of the ship. Wesley Smith and Jake Carter were joined by Lieutenant Chadwick.

“I guess you are going to try to sell this to me now?”

Smith knew he would probably have to pull rank to get Chadwick to agree, but he wanted broad approval and he needed the Patrol ships CO to see that all angles were considered.

“You’ve seen the figures Bill. Both of us have issues and there is no pretending there are no inherent dangers for both ships; but we have mitigated them to the best of our abilities.”

“At best the chances of survival for both ships is less than fifty percent. I still feel the sensible option would be to leave the Pantheon in orbit. We can get a ship here from Earth if necessary and a larger ship would be able to tow her down to the moon surface, where repairs can still be carried out. You have done a great job getting the Pantheon here Jake. The crew are safely on the ground; let’s cut our losses. Some battles are not meant to be won.”

This time it was Jake who responded.

“The orbit will decay relatively quickly—especially if they have a repeat of the atmospherics the moon was experiencing a few weeks ago. We have double checked all our figures. Our chances of success are much higher than fifty percent.”

“Jake. You have not even seen how the Patrol ship will cope in the heavy atmosphere. How can you possibly say that you have covered everything? I am sorry, but I am not going to allow this.”

There was silence as the three officers contemplated their next move. Wesley Smith decided it was time to force the issue.

“Bill…we cannot leave this ship in orbit and the best chance for our survival is to get this ship on the planet surface in one piece. We have come this far and we are not going to leave this now. I am afraid the operation will go ahead.”

“Is that an order?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Chadwick.”

“Okay, but I want it on record that I have not agreed to this. I want all the crew other than Jake on the surface and a chasing Jump Ship should be in situ to follow both ships down.”

“A sensible precaution. We will use two Jump Ships, one for each ship. Are you suggesting you are going to leave the ship in Jake’s charge?”

“Yes. I see no reason to put myself at risk. Jake you will assume complete control of this operation. Its success or failure will rest on your shoulders.”

* * * *

Timing was critical. The Patrol Ship was in total silence; all the crew, other than Jake, were on the moons surface. The Pantheon was ready with just ten people on board, including the ships commander Wesley Smith. Jake was ready to commence the descent.

“Jake. We are committed and ready. Take us down when you are ready.”

Jake clicked the comm.link twice in acknowledgement. He took a few moments longer to compose himself and then engaged the thrusters.

The Patrol ship moved slowly forward as the ion drive kicked in. Jake brought the velocity up to twenty-two hundred kilometers an hour and set his angle of descent to thirty-eight degrees. In forty-five seconds the joined ships would enter the moons atmosphere.

There was no going back now. If he pulled up, the Pantheon would be dragged down into the planet. He was committed. The Patrol ship hit the atmospheric belt moments later and both ships decelerated quickly. At first there was no change, the handling was smooth and Jake felt no pulling on the controls. He remained composed as the ships cleared the first atmospheric layer.

Then it all changed. The gravitational pull from the moons surface began to pull the Pantheon down. Her mass increased ten-fold in a matter of seconds and the Pantheon was in free fall with the Patrol ship still connected to it.

Jake did not panic. This had all been anticipated and he pulled up hard on the controls and increased the thruster’s ion drive ratios” to compensate. They were clear of the atmospheric belt and Jake managed to keep the descent angle and velocity to within the agreed parameters. It was going okay, so far.

The next step was to disengage. The virtual tow needed to be switched off, but the Pantheon needed to be ready.

* * * *

Jake gave the agreed signal and then released the secure field surrounding the docking clamps. The two ships separated with the umbilical cord providing brief resistance before snapping in two. The Patrol ship was plunging downwards forced into a steep decline by the change in the flight dynamics. The gravitational pull was very strong and Jake pushed down hard to wrestle control and prevent the patrol ship from spinning and plunging vertically into the planet surface below.

* * * *

The Pantheon meanwhile was in free fall. Her thrusters had engaged, but it was taking longer than anticipated for the ship to level out. The massive weight of the battle cruiser was plunging the Pantheon towards the surface.

“Pull us up. Pull us up.”

The moon’s surface was less than five kilometers away.

“If we carry on like this, the ship will break up. There is no strength. Adjust the thruster’s angle to ninety-eight degrees.”

Still there was no response. Wesley Smith looked at his chief engineer in despair. The chief nodded in acknowledgement and then shrugged. There was nothing now that he could do.

* * * *

The Pantheon was less than three thousand kilometers from the moon’s rocky surface. The guiding Jump Ship was trying to keep up. The pilot could now see what the problem was

“Pantheon. Part of the bulkhead has worked its way loose to port. You will need to compensate. Change your thruster’s angle down by ten percent.”

The Pantheon pilot responded without word from Wesley Smith. They had no time.

* * * *

Jake Carter was having his own problems. The angle of descent was still too steep and the ship swung violently as she started to spin. This was it. She was going down, unless he could correct. Then, as if a cloud had suddenly cleared revealing a bright blue sky; Jake realized he did not have to do anything. The patrol ship was echoing the favored maneuver of his now lost friend Steve Costello. The flat spin would force the ship to correct itself by sheer momentum. It was a gamble, but he had no option. He allowed the spin to continue. Gradually, it was working the spiral turning slowly into a more predictable flatter spin. She was straightening up now and Jake seized control of the Patrol ship. He was just two thousand meters from the moon’s surface. He breathed a sigh of relief as he allowed the ship to assume control.

Where is the Pantheon?

The answer was alarming. She was right on top of him, out of control and falling to the surface with the Patrol ship underneath.

Jake took evasive action and engaged his ion drive to shunt the patrol ship clear of the Pantheon. He was safe, but the Pantheon continued her plunge towards the planet surface. All he could do was watch.

Then suddenly, she regained control. The thrusters gave her momentum horizontally and the steep decline started to improve. She was still going down fast; but the pilot could now hold her off and prevent her from crashing. With less than five hundred meters to the moon’s surface, the pilot finally had control.

All Jake could do was stare in disbelief. Both ships averted disaster, but mostly because of the skills of their respective pilots. He would put this one down to experience.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Gathering the Thousand

This task would never be easy. The job to gather together one thousand Kryl and deliver them to a secret location in the Amazon rain forest and the man appointed to achieve this seemingly impossible task was Colonel Peter Runford.

Runford was a former intelligence operative who was now on Alpha’s payroll. If you wanted someone found or you needed something doing discretely, then he was the man. This task had been requested directly from the top. Admiral Koenig himself had briefed him and he left Alpha’s huge underground bunker in confident mood. That confidence began to ebb as soon as he reached the surface, when it dawned on him that you could not just waltz in and grab the nearest Kryl. Not that there was ever any suggestion he would not achieve this task. He just had to find a way of doing it; quickly and discreetly.

* * * *

The first two hundred were the easiest. He had hi-jacked a Kryl civilian shuttle and delivered the whole group directly to the testing facility. The shuttle itself had met a very untimely end as he brought it down in three hundred meters of thick Amazonian swamp—never to be seen again.

Since then, he and his team had collected over six hundred and fifty others and today, another eighty-five would arrive at the facility from various locations around the world. Runford used a network of operative’s across the planet to achieve his aims and up to this point this strategy had been successful. Just sixty-five more required but less than twenty-four hours to get them.

His latest plan was simple enough. If it worked, he could collect the remaining Kryl in one go. If it went wrong, there was the potential for a disaster. He was attempting to liberate the Kryl from the ECG headquarters itself.

Every hour a shuttle arrived at the rear of the government complex, the Kryl passengers disembarked and five minutes later full of passengers, the shuttle departed bound for the Kryl fleet. Up to one hundred Kryl were transported each time. What made this particular service unusual was that the shuttles used were ECG government Eagle shuttles and not the Kryl variant used in most other Kryl transportation and Peter Runford just happened to be a rather adept shuttle pilot. All he had to do was supplant himself in the cockpit and assume command. He would then deliver the Kryl directly to the testing facility and that was it. Job done. The problem was he had no way of knowing who he was collecting. If there were Kryl of a more advance caste on board, then he was in trouble.

At fourteen hundred hours precisely, the Eagle shuttle landed and a relatively small number of Kryl exited the ship via the sloped gangway which now protruded from the belly of the Eagle. Runford was waiting. As the last Kryl left the shuttle he hid beneath the gangway and to ensure the Kryl and the rear sensors did not pick him out. He waited until the last Kryl had entered the government building before he moved on to the gangway and into the passenger section of the ship. It was empty as expected.

He made his way through the seating area to the cockpit door and pulled out his blaster. The door opened and Runford entered.

“What are you doing in here? This cockpit is out of bounds. You are not even a Kryl.”

Runford moved closer and pushed the blaster into the human pilots back. “Relax my friend. I am taking this shuttle, with a full compliment of Kryl onboard. You should leave now. Just walk away from the ship and take the day off. I have colleagues watching you and if you try to report this, then the next time you see a blaster could be you last.”

The pilot was up and out of his seat quickly and exited the cockpit in a flash. Now all he had to do was wait for his passengers. He was enjoying this. Somehow the collection of Kryl for testing was a small but pertinent retribution for the millions of humans who the Kryl had taken. He hoped they would all die painfully.

The passengers started to board a few moments later and within minutes the shuttle was over full, with a number of Kryl opting to stand for the short journey to the Kryl fleet. But they would not be going to the fleet, thought Runford as he closed the gangway. The ship’s passenger manifest calculated one hundred and twelve Kryl had boarded. Perfect, I can kill a few off for good measure once they are delivered.

The shuttle lifted off on schedule and Runford expertly brought the ship to an acceptable exit height to make the Kryl think he was seeking shield clearance. The ruse only lasted a few minutes.

* * * *

“Pilot, why have we not cleared the shields yet?”

An authoritative looking Kryl just entered the cockpit. This one would be the first to die , thought Runford.

“I very much doubt that human. I can rip your spine in half in a matter of seconds and you will be powerless to respond. Please concentrate on your job and get us to the fleet quickly, I have an important meeting and I don’t want to be late.”

The Kryl exited and Runford quickly realized this Kryl must have been a high caste. He had to think quickly. Hopefully the thickness of the cockpit door will prevent the Kryl from penetrating my mind further. Only the highest Kryl have that kind of power. He looked down at the controls. He needed to create a problem that would suggest the shuttle was in difficulty and that she needed to return to Earth. He could blow a fuel pipe! This was dangerous, but could be controlled. He needed to divert all the fuel from the main thrusters back along the main arterial fuel rods. Just shut down the drive mechanism at full throttle.

The effect was instantaneous as the drive mechanism ceased and the fuel was forced back along the fuel rods. The resultant explosion was more visually significant than dangerous and a problem had been created, which would prevent them from leaving the planet. Now he needed to communicate with his passengers, but first he secured the cockpit door, a protocol which should have been observed by the shuttle pilot anyway and then he opened the passenger comm.link.

“We have a technical problem and unfortunately, we have to return to the planet surface. I have requested a replacement shuttle and apologize for the inconvenience. I should have us back on the ground within thirty minutes.”

So far, so good. The higher caste Kryl had not been able to penetrate his mind further and he had the perfect excuse to bring them down, where he wanted them and not where they needed to be.

“Pilot. Open this door.”

A new comm.link opened from inside the passenger cabin.

“Sir. The situation is under control. Please return to your seat.”

“No! You will open this door now, or I will assume control.”

Shit! He must be able to link with the controls. He must be very high ranking.

“Okay. I will open the door in a few moments. I am in the middle of carrying out important safety checks, so please be patient with me. Runford realized he had no choice but to kill this Kryl.

He took out his blaster and set the mechanism to the highest power rating. Then he pulled the safety device to “on” and clicked the firing mechanism. This would force the blaster to overload. He placed the weapon on the floor next to the door and pulled himself down so that his whole body was protected from the blast. Now all he had to do was open the door at the right time and the blaster would explode in the Kryl’s face.

This was dangerous and he had no idea what impact the explosion would have on the rest of the cockpit; but what choice did he have? He waited a few seconds longer as the blaster started to emit a high pitched tone. Then he opened the door.

The explosion was perfectly timed and the Kryl fell to the floor. The cockpit door closing immediately behind him; a security precaution to prevent the spread of fire. But there was no fire and little damage to the cockpit. The Kryl was dead.

The ship entered alert status and Runford quickly shut down the emergency systems to ensure the other Kryl passengers were not alerted. He returned to his seat and established the shuttle’s bearings. Perfect, we can start our descent now. Within ten minutes we will be on the ground.

The remainder of the journey was uneventful. Runford advised his passengers via the comm.link that a small fire had broken out in the cockpit, but he with the assistance of his new Kryl copilot had brought this under control and that shortly they would be landing”; albeit in a remote location. He also alerted the Alpha security forces on the ground to make ready for a further one hundred and eleven Kryl.

* * * *

The landing itself was difficult. There had been damage to the fuselage when the fuel pod had ignited, but Runford was an experienced pilot and the shuttle was safe and secure on the ground. The Kryl passengers were led to what they believed was a shuttle terminus. Runford’s job was done. He delivered in excess of the one thousand Kryl required, within the time constraints. He could now move on to his next mission.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Safrec

“What do you mean, you cannot find him. Did he not board a shuttle destined for the fleet?”

“Yes, my Kronan. The shuttle was experiencing some problems and was unable to clear the shields. We have heard nothing since.”

“Did the shuttle not land? Is she still in the air?”

“We don’t know as yet?”

“Then find out!”

This was not a good day. His meeting with Tulan, the commercial attaché to the ECG was important. He needed to know where he was and for that matter where the other nine hundred Kryl were, who had disappeared over the last week. There was a pattern here and if Alpha was involved, then heads would roll.

For now, he had more important matters to attend to. He had an audience with Trieste and he was ready to force the issue of their relationship. He was the “chosen one” and it was time they cemented their relationship. He entered the Queen’s sanctuary and walked purposefully towards the throne.

“You are late, Safrec. I trust there is a good reason?”

“Issues of State, my Queen. You look radiant today.”

“I look the same as I always look, my Kronan. Please refrain from polite conversation. This is a formal meeting.”

“Of course it is, my Queen. There is the matter of our relationship. It is time we formalized it.”

“Ah, the reason for the insincere compliments. Safrec, you are the Kronan, but you are not my “chosen one”.”

Safrec was concerned but tried not to let it show.

“Surely that is mine by right. As your Kronan, I am also your “chosen one”. You have gone too long without a partner, Trieste.”

“You must understand, Safrec; there is no divine right to become my “chosen one”. If I choose you, then you will know. Let us move on to more formal matters. Do you have any news on the missing drones?”

“If I may, Trieste—I would like to discuss our relationship a little further. There are two aspects, you have failed to consider. The first is I am told, I am a great lover. The second is the historical obligation of the Queen to choose a Kronan as her mate…I am ready now. My governor obligations are reducing as the Earth relationship develops.”

“Your modesty will be your undoing, Safrec. Let me be quite clear. Only I have the right to pick and choose my chosen one and there is no obligation on me whatsoever, historical precedence or otherwise. You will never be my chosen one”

The Queen stepped forward as if to demonstrate this was her domain and she was in charge. Safrec could tell he had ruffled her feathers and elected to soften the tone.

“Trieste…in time, I am sure you will appreciate me. I can be patient. Let me return to your original question. There are now over nine hundred missing Kryl. Their numbers include our Commercial Attached, Tulan. We are still carrying out an investigation to find out what or who is responsible. It is likely Alpha will be involved.”

“Tulan would have had a tracer installed. Has the location beacon been activated?”

“We will find out shortly my Queen. I think we have to consider the humans have taken the Kryl for laboratory purposes.”

“Why?”

“By now, they will have carried out death examinations and reasoned why many of our kind our stricken with the same diseased cells. They will seek to exploit this. I think we can assume that they are working on a means to foster the disease and thus bring about an end to our time here.”

“Their technologies will not bring them to the cause; will they?”

“We must be cautious. We are monitoring the situation and when we determine who has carried this out. There will be swift and severe retribution.”

“See that there is. What of the human supplies? Are our people benefitting from the first batch of people?”

“Yes, relief is still widely available but we need it to be. The instances of the disease appear to be on the increase. We may have to increase numbers rather than decrease.”

“That contradicts what we have told them. We may well have to extinguish the human race to pacify our needs.”

“Yes, my Queen. It is a real possibility.”

“Go now. Find the missing Kryl and the perpetrators of this crime against us.”

Safrec turned to leave, but the Queen had not finished.

“Safrec…I am aware that our colony would flourish, if I choose to conceive. I am not ready. That is all.”

Safrec left and headed back towards his shuttle. Trieste had been coy and evasive, but in time she would see him differently and then he would assume his rightful place beside her. The humans would be long gone by then.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Return to the Fleet

The Patrol Ship remained in orbit for twelve hours following the successful landing of the stricken Alpha Cruiser, Pantheon: before Bill Chadwick’s patience finally ran out and he ordered Jake Carter to get them underway. Their journey back to The Halo 7 and the chasing fleet would take at least six weeks.

Jake was in his quarters and preparing his latest comm message to Carla. It had been over two months since he had last seen her and a lot had happened in that time. How had she fared? As a senate diplomat; she would almost certainly have been involved with the Kryl one way or another. He prayed she was safe and she was being sensible…just like he had been. Not!

He reflected further on the events of the last two months. His Bridge command status, serving as “first” officer aboard the Patrol ship, the rescue of the Pantheon and it’s crew and now they were on their way back to the fleet and Maria. Oh, my God Maria. He had certainly not been sensible there. Yet he could not get her out of his head. He did not love her. It was all about sex. Maybe it was just the guilt that plagued him and brought thoughts of his relationship with Maria to the fore. Jake kept trying to remind himself that he loved Carla and nothing should stand in the way of that. There would be no repeat of any indiscretions with Maria.

The comm.link buzzed, interrupting Jake’s thought process. The old man wanted to see him. Oh, my God, what now!

Jake arrived at the CO’s quarters less than thirty seconds later, the door opened and he was beckoned inside. Bill Chadwick sat at his repositioned desk, which now faced the doorway as he wanted the impression that this was his office and not his quarters.

“Take a seat Mister Carter.”

Jake sighed inwardly. If the CO was not using first names; this was bad.

“We haven’t had a chance to reflect on the events with the Pantheon and I think we need to establish exactly what happened and as a point of order to define the relationship between the CO and his XO and the ship. Where do you think that went wrong?”

“I am not sure I follow you. All protocols were observed.”

“You disobeyed a direct order and proceeded with the towing and then the landing assist.”

“I took a countermanded order from Commander Smith. He had overall authority and you accepted this at the time.”

“Did I?”

Oh, Christ. So, this is how this is going to go. Jake made ready for the onslaught.

“Yes, you did and I am sure the Commanders report, which of course is secured on our database will confirm this, when Commander Jacques reads it. To be honest Bill, I have no intention of reflecting anything other than the events that occurred with the Pantheon incident and this mission as a whole, when I make my report. I presume your report will contradict mine”

“What do you mean by “this mission as a whole”?

Jake was committed now. Bill Chadwick needed to be told.

“With respect sir; you have been absent from your duties and responsibilities throughout this mission.”

“These are not the comments I would expect from a subordinate officer.”

“We are both of the same rank. It is my duty to advise you, where I feel that you have failed.”

“Well, I am sorry you feel that way Mister Carter. I felt we had an understanding. Yes it is true I have given you delegated authority to run the ship, deferring to me only when appropriate and this you have done. Now suddenly this is remiss. As you have no respect for my authority and that is clear because of your last statement and because of your actions regarding the Pantheon; I have no choice but to replace you as first officer. Please stand down.”

Jake could not believe what the CO just said. He needed to think quickly. He could accept and fight the battle out when he submitted his report to Commander Jacques or challenge the decision and hope he still had the complete and legitimate support of the crew. To preserve his integrity, he opted for the latter.

“I will not Lieutenant Chadwick. I have complied with the letter and the spirit of the law throughout this process. You don’t want to go down this route, Bill.”

“Oh, really; and what does that mean, Mister Carter? Are you and the crew going to up rise and challenge my authority?”

This was it. He could back down now and or he could bet on his crew supporting him. His career could be over if he got this wrong. He paused again as he decided which direction to take.

“I believe I have the legitimate authority to reverse your decision to remove me as XO. However I would rather prove this first. I will stand down.”

“A very wise decision. Please return to your quarters, where you will stay for the duration.”

“Will I be under house arrest?”

The CO pondered. “No, but you will restrict yourself to non-operational parts of the ship only. Do you wish me to arrange an escort?”

“No, that will not be necessary.”

Jake Carter left the CO’s quarters in utter disbelief. He had no choice now, but to return to his quarters.

Two hours later, Lieutenant Briscoe appeared at his door. He said nothing and Jake gestured him to come in. Briscoe waited for Jake to sit down before speaking.

“Chadwick asked me to become first officer. I declined, as have all the other officers. Legitimately, you can now ask for your position to be reinstated, as “there is no command unless there is joint command”. If he refuses, then it is within your right to assume command and I or one of the other officers can act up as XO”

“Thanks John. But I am not sure that quoting the book to the old man will make much difference. He will treat it as mutinous action, whichever way we play it. I thought the process through when he first dismissed me. I think we may have to leave this fight to another day. As the most qualified officer, you should accept the XO post.”

“Can’t do that. It would be wrong. He has no authority. Nobody recognizes him as the ships commander. If we do this by the book, he will be forced to step down.”

“However, without me, you will loose your validity. I will not stand against him. Not at present anyway. He is acting in his own self interests, yes. But, it is still by the book and his method of command is unusual; but he is not breaking any rules.”

Briscoe looked a bit taken aback by Jake’s response.”You know he just asked for access to the ships command logs; which include the one submitted by Commander Smith?”

“Is it coded?”

“No.”

“Then he can access it. Make sure you take a copy before he does and hide it somewhere…not on the mainframe and code it.”

“Do you have any logs which he might not want anyone to see?”

“No…for now, John; accept the position and we carry on. I will keep out of the way. Let me know if the situation deteriorates further and we can review.”

* * * *

Twenty-four hours later, it was Bill Chadwick’s turn to visit. Jake invited him in, but said nothing; waiting to hear what the CO had to say.

“Did you tell John Briscoe to accept my offer of acting XO?”

“No…I suspect he made up his own mind.”

“Did you know that every officer aboard this ship refused the promotion? I am assuming you did and on that basis, you had legitimate grounds to demand your posting back.

Jake was not surprised by Bill Chadwick’s conciliatory tone. It was clear from the outset his stance on this matter was untenable.

“I told John I would not stand against you. While I may not agree with your methods they are within the rules. I may have had legitimate claims to the XO role and perhaps even to replace you; but I chose not to; because it would have been morally wrong.”

“I think I may have misjudged you Jake. Obviously I am trying to maintain my integrity and that of the ship. I do still have concerns about how you handled the Pantheon situation, but I respect you for not challenging me and I would like you to resume your posting as XO.”

“A position that has now been filled by John Briscoe. I cannot accept Bill.”

“Briscoe was only acting up and he knows it. It would look much better for you, if we wiped the slate clean. I would delete all records relating to the temporary cessation of your position.”

“John has played an important part in the running of this ship as have several of his colleagues. A mention in your report about him acting up as XO, when I have assumed an acting CO position would benefit all parties. You could advise that you backed off to allow the younger generation to gain experience of running the ship.”

“It appears you have this all worked out.”

“Look Bill. I have nothing to loose. This way you cover the ambiguity between my report and that of Commander Smith against yours and preserve your integrity. Fundamentally, this is what has happened anyway.

“You are suggesting I grant you acting CO status for the duration of the journey and I remain only in an advisory capacity?”

“Yes.”

“As long as you recognize my right to step back into command if and when the situation requires.”

“Of course.”

“Then I will stand down.”

* * * *

They were being observed.

The huge Tathos ship followed in their wake. Close enough to wipe them from existence, but without detection. The Patrol ships limited scan capabilities would not detect them, which was exactly what Sorgan wanted. His ship had watched them for a while now. They had picked them up several days prior to the Patrol ship’s location of the damaged Alpha cruiser. They had witnessed the ridiculous display of reckless chivalry as the tiny ship pulled the cruiser to safety and the ill-advised, but ultimately successful attempt to place the cruiser safely on the ground.

In truth, Sorgan was impressed with the ingenious approach and the sheer tenacity of the small ships commanders. He even joined in the human’s sense of achievement when the task was complete. But now he returned to his more natural state; the hunter. They would pursue this vessel as long as it took. It was clear she was not on her own. It was clear she did not have the range for deep space exploration and it was clear she would soon join the rest of the fleeing Alpha fleet.

He was convinced there was such a fleet and that their intent was clear. They would run away into hiding until they had the power and resources to launch a strike on the Kryl again.

Sorgan would not let that happen. The power of the Tathos ship was immense when extended and he would wipe out anyone who presented a threat to his people and more importantly his beloved Queen Trieste.

He thought of her often. They had become life partners. It did not worry either of them that he was not a Kronan. He was of no caste. A Malchian warrior whose powers were complete. He was a match for any Kryl, even the Kronan. Yet he did not seek power. If anyone stood in his way, or threatened his Queen then he would pulverize them into nothingness.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Life Choices

Alpha’s beleaguered Commander in Chief had made a few life choices. Some he regretted and some that helped him forge his career and bring him to the summit of his ambition. Yet his greatest regret was a personal one. He had never married. He never allowed himself to get close enough to anyone to allow thoughts of a life partnership to develop. He was married to his career.

Down here in the abyss they now called home. The stifling heat, the constant drum of the overworked conditioning processors and mile upon mile of concrete and distorted metal shapes. It was not a place for dreaming. You could not be creative or metaphorical down here. Everything was just clinical.

At least the last few hours were pleasant enough. He had once again enjoyed the company of Sarah Hoskins. The beautiful and estranged wife of Commander Jonathan Hoskins who was entrenched light years from home as a senior commander of the contingency fleet. They had become close in recent weeks and Koenig had done nothing to prevent it. She was coming on to him and he was a willing protagonist. There were perks to the job. As CIC, he could enjoy the spoils of his rank, while other did their bidding.

His thought process was interrupted by his next meeting; his Chief Scientist to update him on the latest developments.

“So, what progress has been made?”

“Some. The initial results from the larger sample show similar results to those we achieved before. Eighty-seven percent die within a few hours of being subjected to Antirillium Radiation, most of them only survive a few minutes. We will have the final results within a few days, but I expect little change.”

“That quick? It’s almost acting like some kind of poison…excellent. Have we developed a means to deploy the radiation?”

“Yes and no. If I could come back to that as it is quite complicated.”

Koenig shuffled in his seat and was clearly anxious to move things on.

“I wanted to talk about the location of the radiation. As I suggested previously, the pockets are well spread. The nearest being here in the Polaris Region of Ursa Minor. There are a large number of pockets here and here.” The Chief Scientist had pulled up a large desktop display. He pointed to several star clusters in the Rymanian Abyss area of the southern hemisphere. It was these that Koenig was interested in.

“Show me this one.” Koenig pointed to the cluster of stars towards the far end of the Abyss.

“They are a long way away Admiral. There are smaller pockets which are much nearer.”

“No. This is the one I am interested in. How near is it to the Styros Cluster?”

The Scientist looked down at his calculations briefly and then smiled. “About five hundred and forty light years. Two months travel at SD5 and it must be three months travel to The Styros Cluster. As I said there is no need to travel such large distances, when large pockets can be reached inside a month.”

“Yes, there is.” Koenig pointed to the pocket at the end of the Abyss.”This one is the right one. I have people there who can help us.”

The Chief Scientist looked puzzled but said nothing and elected to move back to the deployment issue.

“If I may…the deployment of the radiation is still a big issue. As I mentioned in my last update, Antirillium Radiation is highly volatile. It exists in large gas nebulae, usually in close proximity to a systems star. Ignoring the high levels of heat and other forms of lethal radiation; it is relatively easy to extract, but once removed it needs to be maintained in a cocktail of like for like gases to maintain equilibrium. This mix of gases is likely to be both highly explosive and toxic. To get round this, we must deploy a magnetic field around the container to hold the radiation and gas in situ. When the radiation is deployed, the gases need to be extracted before hand. Once the gases are extracted, the half life of the radiation is only a few minutes. It will then dissipate”

“What happens to the gases?”

“They will explode. They need the radiation to keep them stable. I am guessing if we deployed via missile. Perhaps Teutonic, rather than Tigers. This would give a long enough range. The explosion would be quite significant. In that regard, a positive by-product.”

Koenig smiled now. This was it. It had been worth the wait. All they had to do was to get a message to his Contingency Fleet and they would do the rest. The pocket of Antirillium Radiation was only one months travel from the Styros Cluster at SD6 and there were enough high velocity ships in the fleet to make the extraction of the radiation a swift process.

Koenig realized his Chief Scientist started speaking again.

“There are two further issues. The first is the volatility of holding the radiation and gas once extracted from the nebula. Mass storage of this mix will increase the risk too much, in my opinion. The mix must be delivered directly to the charge of each missile from the nebula. This increases the extraction time and the risk to the ships carrying out the extractions to both the nebula and the close proximity to the systems sun. The second issue is quite a big one I am afraid. We need to deliver the radiation to the Earth as well as to the Kryl fleet to kill off the invasion forces here. Unless we deliver Teutonic missiles directly at target sites her on Earth, we will have to find another way to disperse the radiation. There is the prospect of a large number of civilian fatalities.”

“Because of the gas explosions?”

“Yes, we could explode the missiles in the upper atmosphere. But this would require huge volumes of radiation. Not impossible, but again, we are looking at increased extraction time.”

“These are issues which can be overcome. Okay, thank you Chief. Obviously we need the final results from your sample and I need you to get to work on the development of a suitable container to hold the radiation and gas in the Teutonic missiles. You have done a great job. Keep it up.”

The Chief Scientist made his way back to his lab and Koenig opened a comm.link.

“Admiral Clarke please.”

“Alpha’s chief information officer’s response was prompt.

“Tom. What can I do for you?”

“I need you to meet up with Roslyn and update him. The next batch of people on the Human Sacrifice List will be the last.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Tulan

The tracer embedded within Tulan’s corpse was active. A spherical micro probe no bigger than a pin head dispatched automatically to the bodies location, where it’s intelligent processor quickly determined that Tulan was dead and more importantly that the human’s presence nearby was of significance.

Twelve hours earlier, it transmitted its findings back to the Kryl Earth Command Center. The on duty commander was quickly summoned and new instructions were transmitted back to the micro probe. Its task to seek out the lead human, follow him and submit location details back to the command center.

* * * *

Alpha’s Chief Scientist just exited the cave, having completed his meeting with Admiral Koenig. The probe was static; suspended in mid-air, having already transmitted the location data back to the command center. The response command had just come through. The location was more important than the current target. The task now to monitor the cave for further movement.

Just fifty minutes later, a second human exited the cave. The intelligent probe quickly identified him as Admiral Clarke, senior advisor to the CIC, Alpha. This was its new target and as the Admiral left the cave and headed towards a covering of trees. The probe followed unseen. Within the tree lined covering, a PST shuttle was waiting. The Admiral boarded and the probe followed him in.

* * * *

The PST was not the fastest or most comfortable method of transportation, but it served its purpose; it was easy to conceal and would not be picked up, unlike the movements of a suspicious Alpha shuttle, while he travelled across the mainland United States, the Atlantic Ocean and southern Europe, to reach his destination, President Roslyn’s villa in Lugano, Switzerland.

Clarke realized something was wrong, a few hours after take-off. In a few short seconds it was clear what the problem was as a tractor beam lifted the small one man ship into the hold section of the Kryl Drone shuttle. Within moments, he was surrounded by Drone guards and there was little he could do, when a drone stepped forward and held an injection portal array over his left arm.

* * * *

He came to in a small brightly lit room. He assumed this was some kind of cell aboard the Drone Shuttle. His head hurt and he was scared. This was definitely not what he had planned. A door opened from the side of the room and a drone entered, followed by a second Kryl. Clarke recognized him immediately. The Kronan. This was not good.

“Admiral Clarke. Please do not get up.”

The Kronan approached the prisoner’s bed and pulled a chair along side.

“Do you know who I am?”

“Yes,” he stuttered.”You are Safrec.”

“Indeed I am. What would be of so much interest that I would ask to carry out your interrogation? What indeed? What were you doing in a cave in the middle of a vast expanse of Arizona desert?”

“It is still my right to go wherever I please. I am not in uniform. I was in my personal PST. This has nothing to do with Alpha.”

“Yet Alpha’s chief scientist was the last visitor to the cave, just a few minutes before you left. And, he just come from a site in the Amazon jungle, where over a thousand Kryl were being tested. Tested for what?”

“I have no knowledge of that or indeed the scientist to who your refer.”

“Let’s be clear, Admiral. You are a threat, which is why I am here. The Kryl test subjects are being subjected to something unpleasant with a view to develop a weapon which can be used against us. Let us also be clear; the cave is an entrance for an underground Alpha facility. You are going to tell me everything Admiral and if you don’t speak the words, I will extract them directly from your mind.”

Clarke knew he was in trouble. He knew too much. He couldn’t jeopardize the operation. He reached down to his trouser pocket, but was immediately restrained by a strike from a plasma stick from the drone guard. Okay, he needed to keep his mind distracted.

“You will not keep it from me Admiral. I will delve deeper and deeper and probe your mind until it all comes out. By then, your cerebellum and parts of your spinal cord will have started to disintegrate. Your cognitive capabilities, your vision, your balance, your hearing and your motor functions will stop working and yet for what? Let me tell you first what I already know. I know that Alpha has a substantial underground facility, which as we speak; my drones are preparing to penetrate and to terminate anyone or anything that exists within it. I know Alpha has a fleet some distance from Earth which you intend to use against us and I know you are trying to develop weaponry to harm us. What are you trying to develop, Admiral?”

Clarke knew this was a deliberate attempt to engage his mind on these key areas. He needed to keep his conscious mind away from anything that would compromise Alpha. He looked around. There was nothing in the room to concentrate on. He tried to stare at the drone, but was immediately forced back by a sharp pain in his head. The drone was trying to enter his mind too.

“Perhaps you could give me the location of the Alpha fleet first. Your conscious mind will assist you in part, but your sub-conscious will not. As I dig a little deeper, you will start to feel the pain more and more.

“I am trained to resist interrogation, Safrec. Neither my conscious nor my subconscious will give anything away. You are going to need to try a lot harder.”

It was time to start to use the techniques he had learned so long ago in training. He thought about his family, his wife, his children, his mother, his father, their house, the pet dog. Then he immediately regretted this line of thought.

Safrec laughed. “Are your family safe? Are they in the underground facility? Ah, you have two young children and they are with your mother and father. We will find them Admiral. Today. Tell me what I need to know.”

Clarke let his mind wander again. Freely at first. Thinking back to more innocent times. His childhood. The holidays on Titan and Venus. It was working now. One particular holiday. Now he was living each memory from each day and the rest of his mind was blank.

The pain in his head was horrific now. He could tell that both Kryl were attacking him and that slowly they were peeling off the layers of consciousness. But he could hold on and he could keep his mind blank. Minutes passed with the room in silence. This was all about the power of the mind.

“I think that is enough for now, Admiral. I will return soon and we will continue. Please be assured, your primitive mind evasion techniques may work now, but your resistance will fail. For your sake I would suggest sooner rather than later.”

Both Safrec and the drone left through the doorway, which disappeared once it had closed.

He had no way out and very little chance to survive. He doubted whether his resistance would last much longer. At least the pain in his head had gone. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the lining, attached to which was a small plastic pack which contained the capsule. This will end it all. Can I take my own life, to preserve Alpha’s secrets?

The capsule was cyanide. It was designed to lodge in the mouth behind the front teeth and under the tongue. It would stay there indefinitely, until it was called upon to be used. A prod from the tongue to loosen the capsule, one bite, and it was all over. There were stories of operatives who held the capsule in their mouths for weeks at a time, without risk of failure, but most preferred to keep it safe elsewhere on the body.

Now was the time to place the capsule in his mouth; whether he used it or not. At least then he had the option. He forced open the pack and looked at the tiny capsule. It was less than half a centimeter in length. How could something so small cause such a devastating effect? Could he take his own life? The day had started okay and he was even quite pleased he had been given another opportunity to get above ground. It all went wrong the moment he exited the cave. How had they found the cave?

He thought he heard footsteps and realized there may not be another chance. He picked up the capsule and held it between thumb and fore finger as he had been taught. He lifted it to his mouth and pushed it into position. Immediately he felt the outer gel of the capsule react with the enzymes in his mouth and it was attached. It felt uncomfortable at first, but at least he could tell it was there. He preyed he would not have to use it.

The noise must have been in my head. They are playing games with me. They have even taken my watch.

More time passed and Clarke began to tire. Was this part of their strategy too? Finally after what seemed an eternity, the door opened once again and Safrec and the drone walked in.

“Don’t get up. You will need your strength. Let us begin where we left off. I need the location of the Alpha Fleet and what weaponry you are trying to develop. I will give you a few moments to think about it.”

Clarke knew the time was coming. He felt the pain in his head again.

“You will get nothing from me. You may as well give up.”

Safrec laughed. “Right now I am already inside your head. I am squeezing the nodes of your brain stem. Try to move your arms or legs. You will notice that your reflexes are already affected.

Clarke closed his eyes. He felt the probing thud now inside his head. He tried to open his eyes again and realized he couldn’t. How much longer will I be able to swallow? He felt nauseous and oh, so very tired. He knew he had no choice now. He was going to die. He either died at the hands of the Kryl or by his own doing …and the decision was already made. The time was now. He used his tongue for force the capsule away from the bottom of his mouth and without pausing further he bit into the small white ampoule.

Seconds later, he felt the cyanide take effect. His whole body began to shake. He was sick and then sick again and all thoughts other than death passed from his head. He had held onto his secret.

Chapter Thirty

The Bunker

Koenig first realized there was a problem, when a direct message from the President relayed to the message center. The direct message facility put in place only for emergencies.

“Sir, the message reads. Admiral Clarke has not arrived. Assume he has been compromised.

Koenig responded quickly. If Clarke had not arrived, he could be held captive and they would interrogate him. The whole mission was in jeopardy. He gave the command to lock down the facility. The bunker was already very secure, but this provided an extra layer of thickened blast proof doors on both entrances. No one could break through them and for the next twenty-four hours, no one was going out either.

Admiral Kohn had just joined him.

“Tom. We have also just heard that a cyanide capsule registered to Chris Clarke was just activated. It looks as if he has been forced to take his own life.”

“Oh God, no. Not Chris. Shit…let’s hope he took our darkest secrets with him.”

“We have to assume the location of this facility has been compromised. I think we need to get messages and schematics out to the comms posts ASAP.”

“We can’t do that in lock down and the Science team are not necessarily secure. Can we get a message to them?”

“The protocol for lock down at any of our key facility allows for the secure movement of the science team. They are also briefed to get the messages out to the comm.portals, should we be compromised.”

“That’s assuming they are ready to transmit the info. Do we have copies of the data they provided when the Chief visited yesterday?”

“Yes.”

“Then if necessary we will send what we have got. It was all coming together. We have to get this Intel to the Contingency Fleet. How the hell did they locate us anyway?”

“It’s not clear; although it is likely the breach occurred during the Kryl collection process.”

“We may never find out. Right now we have a lock down and at the worst possible time. Let’s get everyone moved to a secure location.”

* * * *

The Chief Scientist realized there was a problem. The armed division that supported his operation had moved in and there was a frenzied increase in activity surrounding the testing facility.

The testing itself had completed and he was in the process of drafting his final report and recommendations. The Antirillium radiation worked, they had the means to extract and transport it and a method to deploy the gas against the Kryl. The entire process was fraught with danger but the stakes were high and the target achievable. The Kryl could be killed and Earth could soon be free again.

If the operation had been compromised, it was absolutely critical he be allowed to finish his report and get the data transmitted.

The Colonel entered his office a few minutes later.

“Colonel. I need absolute privacy to complete my report. I am sure whatever the problem is, I can have a few minutes more…”

“I am sorry, sir. My orders are to remove you and your colleagues from site as soon as practicable. The Kryl are coming and we need to move fast. You can continue your report aboard the shuttle.”

“How soon before the Kryl get here?”

“They will be here within minutes.”

“Very well” he muttered as he started to pile his paperwork into two attaché cases. My papers and my work station must be loaded onto the shuttle as they are. I will not leave them. The content is too critical.”

The Colonels team helped the Scientist clear his desk and deliver the contents to the awaiting shuttle. Within two minutes they took flight.

“What is our destination?”

“We are heading for a safe house in Buenos Aires. You will be able to complete your work there and transmit your data to the comm.portals. I am aware of the importance of your work, sir and we will not compromise on your safety, your colleague’s or the report.”

A comm.link opened and the Colonel answered out of the Scientists” earshot. Seconds later he approached the science chief again.

“Sir. It appears we have been located by Kryl fighters and we are being pursued. We do have the capability to transmit the data here. We may not get another chance.”

The Chief Scientist sighed. “Very well, give me two minutes. We will transmit from here and then you must get us to safety as soon as possible.”

* * * *

Finally satisfied that all the appropriate media was ready for broadcast. He stuttered and gestured towards the Colonel. “The report is ready.”

The Colonel stepped forward and the Scientist handed his comm.pad to him. He watched as his communications device was linked to the shuttles mainframe. The encrypted message with its various attachments was sent instantaneously.

“The message has now been posted to the comms.portal, sir.” The Colonel reached down and pulled out his blaster side arm.”I am afraid that I have been ordered to ensure that there is no possibility of a security breach here.”

The Scientist looked at the Colonel in disbelief. “What do you intend to do with that?”

But he already knew. A cursory glance through the viewing window told him that they were not heading for Buenos Aires. They were heading out to sea.

“I am sorry, but there really is no choice.”

The blaster fired and the scientist fell to the ground. Other shots followed in other sections of the ship as the Alpha Colonel and his crew carried out their assignment. The job was done. The message had been sent and the number of people on the planet who knew the contents of the message just been reduced to two.

* * * *

“The message has been sent?”

“And the Chief Scientist?”

“He and his staff have been neutralized, sir. Their bodies have been dropped into the sea. A Kryl patrol caught up with Colonel Collins’ shuttle; they were searched and then the Kryl left. It would appear all potential pitfalls in that area have been removed.”

“Good. Which leaves us with our own problems. The Kryl forces have just broken through the perimeter doors.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Patrol Ship Command

Jake Carter was officially in command of his first ship. Yes, it was only a Patrol Ship, but at age twenty-three, that was quite an accomplishment—especially if you considered his other achievements. He could not help think his route to his current position had been achieved without honor. It was never a good thing to see yourself profit on someone else’s misery and he did feel sorry for Bill Chadwick, despite the way the ex CO had tried to push him out. He elected to keep Chadwick abreast of developments rather than allow him to fester in his quarters for the remainder of the journey back to the fleet. He had just returned from visiting Chadwick and decided to walk the ship, before returning to the bridge.

In many ways, the T5 class patrol ship was a scaled down version of an Alpha Cruiser. At seventy five meters long, she had four decks, a crew compliment of fifty and a full suite of armaments and high impact shielding. She even had her own Jump Ships. She was fast too, with SD5 her maximum cruising velocity. There was certainly enough room for a decent stroll, with the ships two hundred meter main corridor, running in an oval shape from the top at the fore next to the bridge, down both sides to the bottom aft and engineering.

Jake seldom took the opportunity to walk right round the ship and today he enjoyed the experience and took his time. Space travel could be very laborious and with the same views outside, as well as, inside day in day out, the simplest pleasures became very rewarding. Up to now, he just didn’t have the confidence to allow his XO and subordinate officers to spend too long without his support. He realized now, they were more than qualified while he wouldn’t take a back seat like his predecessor, he could still back off a little and allow his XO to assume some of his responsibilities.

The corridor was in the aft section of the ship and the cargo bay section was to his left. Jake stepped towards the automatic doors and as he entered, he realized he had come a very long way since the last time he set foot inside a ships flight deck. The part time CAG was in residence and Jake moved towards him.

At ease, Lieutenant. How is the flight deck?”

“Good, sir. Not a lot of activity, but everything is in its place. We haven’t taken a Jump Ship out for a few days though.”

Jake suddenly felt a yearning to be free and to take the Sabre out into free space for a quick spin. He pulled back from actually suggesting it, but the CAG was doing nothing to help Jake from moving on.

“We need to keep our guys, switched on and of course most Jump Ship pilots prefer to be out there rather than in here. You know that more than anyone, sir.”

“Thanks for reminding me. To be honest, I am trying to think of a good reason why I should not take the Sabre out. Can you think of one?”

“No sir. But I am sure the XO will!”

“Why don’t you schedule a series of competitive exercises for this afternoon? Both Jump Ships and then perhaps we can reschedule for similar flight training every forty-eight hours. Let’s make it more complicated; launch and return at high velocity. We will maintain our present speed and the Jump Ships can then catch us up. Put me down for first up this afternoon in the Sabre. I will deal with the XO.”

The CAG agreed and Jake continued his walk, stopping for a brief chat with the Chief in engineering and the odd conversation with crew members as he walked back up the corridor to top deck and the bridge. By the time he arrived, the XO was already on the war path.

“What’s this I hear about my CO leaving the ship for a high velocity catch up in a Jump Ship? That’s a bit risky for the ships commander.”

“Who like the rest of the crew, is trying to avoid going stir crazy. This will give us all something to talk about. We are in free space, John, with little or no risk. The landing will be a little harder than normal, but it will help harness the competitive spirit amongst the pilots.”

“You’re the commander.”

“Yes, John I am.”

* * * *

Two hours later, Jake Carter just taken his seat in the Sabre cockpit and was carrying out pre-flight. He was pleased to reacquaint himself with the Sabre 3 variant. It had been a while and he liked this version; it was less clinical than the Sabre 4, but still a formidable fighter ship.

“This is Sabre 1. We are good to go.”

“Affirmative. You have a clear exit. Make it so.”

Jake pushed forward on the throttle and the Sabre leapt forward, exiting from the short bay tube in a microsecond. Briefly in the wake of the patrol ships stellar drive exhaust portals; he lost power, before clearing the disturbance. He was in free space. He looked around. The Rapier had launched behind him and was already accelerating. Jake responded by transferring controls to his visor. He would out power the Rapier to the beacon point, turn and begin the chase back to the ship. They were required to travel away from the ship for the first five minutes or until the beacon point, specific to each Jump Ship was reached. Jake’s beacon was coming up fast. This was fantastic. He was back where he belonged, feeling the immense power and agility of the Jump Ship with every breath he took. The cerebral connection meant throttle and directional changes were instantaneous. He was connected…for the first time in nearly five months. Only this time it was legal and he wasn’t scrambling away from a perished Alpha cruiser. His first six months since graduation had been a phenomenal rollercoaster—as had the whole of the last year. It was good to be back where he belonged.

The beacon was coming up fast and Jake controlled his thoughts to ensure the smoothest possible turnaround. As he neared the beacon, he pulled the Sabre up into a loop, over his head, swiveling back to the level plain as he turned. He now had the patrol ship in front of him. He maxed out the power and waited as the light speed drive kicked in, before the Jump Ship accelerated to full velocity in just a few seconds. Adrenalin pumping, Jake forged forward. He was pulling further away from the Rapier, which just made the turn at its designated beacon.

The Sabre was starting to make an impact on the patrol ship lead. The balance of pilot to ship in perfect harmony. Jake looked back to check his Rapier opponent. Good he is well back. What the.! The Sabre rocked from side to side before Jake corrected the imbalance. Was that a cosmic disturbance? The sudden movement coinciding with a dark shadow creeping across the wing manifold. What the hell was that?

Jake looked above and to the sides, but saw nothing. The ship had been affected by something and there was definitely a shadow. What was it? He was in the middle of deep space. The only thing that could have caused a shadow on the Sabre was another ship and the Rapier was well back. It would have needed something quite big to have rocked the Jump Ship at this velocity.

He looked back again. The Rapier had closed the gap a little. Time to throttle down and get this ship back on board. He could see the Patrol ship now. He would worry about what the disturbance was later.

At three meters at the widest point; the Sabre was small in comparison to the Rapier and the Hunter, but just as difficult to maneuver through a portal less than five meters wide. Jake approached to five hundred meters, bringing his speed to within a fraction of the Patrol Ships. At this velocity, you only got one shot; if he miss timed, the Jump Ship would end up impaled on the side of the Patrol ship or embedded within the side of the portal shoot. One chance to get it right. Jake needn’t have worried, he piloted the Sabre through the portal at exactly the right angle and seconds later the grab lines had him, bringing the Sabre to a complete stop at precisely the point he had launched fifteen minutes ago. Jake was home and safe and posted a fast time. The Rapier came in forty-five seconds behind.

* * * *

Two hours later Jake Carter was in the aft conference room with his XO. They watched the last of the Jump Ships come in. He was in a determined mood.

“I don’t care what it looks like John. There was definitely something out there and it was big. The flight data and the VT confirm turbulence and a distinct shadow and there was nothing else out there. I want to run a barium sweep.”

“It’s your ship. I just think if there is something, we are placing ourselves at risk if we slow to carry out a scan. We are only a small ship and if…”

“If we allow ourselves to be followed and the anomaly turns out to be a cloaked Kryl Cruiser, then it will blow the whole mission wide open. We have no choice. Take the Stellar Drive off-line and start the sweep, once the last Jump Ships are in.”

* * * *

The Barium Sweep capability was included within the Patrol ships systems as part of a package of anti-Kryl devices added before they left the fleet. The results had just come in.

“Nothing. Not a trace of anything unusual. We could widen the range, but we are not doing ourselves any favors.”

“You have made your position quite clear John. But I agree. Bring the scanners in and prepare for Stellar Speed. Let’s get us back on course.

* * * *

The Tathos ship remained unseen. It was clear the Patrol ship would lead them to something bigger. Why else would such a small ship be out here in the middle of deep space? They were heading back to the Alpha Fleet that was certain.

Sorgan was in his sanctuary. He was thinking about his Queen. She was his lover and he should be with her, rather than chasing across an unknown galaxy in pursuit of an enemy fleet, who the Kryl had proven were powerless to defend themselves. He would return to the Queen as soon as the Alpha fleet was dealt with.

He too, was troubled by the Jump Ship incident. The small Alpha fighter had almost collided with the Tathos ship as she maneuvered to re-engage with her docking bay. It wasn’t the incident that concerned him. It was the occupant of the fighter. Jake Carter was known to him, as he was known to all senior Kryl. The killer of Navalion had been allowed to live by his Queen and now he was under her protection.

She had been quite specific. If you locate Jake Carter; leave him be. He will find his way back to me and then our joint fates will be determined. Sorgan shook his head in annoyance. If Jake Carter is to join the Queen again. I will be there to see that his fate is sealed.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Under Siege

The Kryl forces had broken through the outer perimeter doors and engaged with an SED battalion. The fighting was fierce, but the Kryl, who outnumbered their opponents two to one, were beginning to get the upper hand.

Major Dunwoody, the battalion commanding officer just moved his troopers to cover the central line as there was a risk the main bulkhead doors could come under pressure. Dunwoody was briefed to make a stand and to prevent an assault on the main doors. He would fight to the last man if he had to.

The latest squad moved into position and then edged forward into the Kryl line of fire, but under cover of the substantial structural pillars that supported the opening to the complex.

Dunwoody watched in despair as a confident and assured sortie ended badly. All seven men were vaporized with one brutal plasma charge, as soon as they entered the main corridor.

Dunwoody knew this area was critical. He needed to pack them forward and advance. He looked around; Lieutenant Awa was an intelligent soldier. He summoned her to his position.

“Lieutenant. That corridor is critical. They have some kind of large plasma relay, set up to automatically discharge on sight. We need to take it out. You need to get some men in there and disconnect it. Any ideas?

“We don’t want to just stick men in front of it; that would be suicidal. Maybe we should approach from the outside. I will need twenty men. Ten to take out the plasma array from the outside and ten to provide cover so we can get inside.”

“You still have to get through the main corridor. We will provide a diversion.”

* * * *

Lieutenant Awa and her troopers were in position waiting for the CO’s diversionary tactics to commence. The whole troop would attempt to pass the Kryl and head for the perimeter access door. From here they could approach the side corridor and take out the plasma array. The signal came and all twenty-one troopers moved forward. The command teams perfectly timed smoke generating smart charge allowed the first five troopers to make it right through to the perimeter exit. The next five were not so lucky. A second smart charge brought the next four of the troopers into the melee. They all made it through. The final four all cleared the Kryl division on the third attempt, but two more soldiers were lost at the exit door.

Awa quickly rearranged the remaining troopers with seven and herself going forward back through the entrance and into the side corridor. The plan worked well with no shots fired against them as they entered. She reached the plasma array seconds later and two troopers joined her, one produced a tool kit. Awa had a new plan. If she could somehow turn the array against the Kryl, this could give them a huge advantage.

The Munitions expert set to work. He was trained to work on Kryl weaponry and had a good grasp of the mechanics and how to interpret the alien symbology on the key pad. He soon had control of the plasma array.

“Robinson, Kitty move back down to the entrance and kick up a stink. Make them think the battle is going in here…and then get out of the way.”

The two troopers moved into position and began to fire off rounds of indiscriminate blaster fire. The result was instantaneous. The Kryl advanced into the small corridor. Both troopers made it back behind the array before the munitions expert engaged the weapon. Seconds later the plasma array started to flash.

* * * *

Dunwoody now had the upper hand. He had control of the small corridor and with the plasma array on their side. The remaining Kryl were effectively trapped within the main corridor. It was just a case of picking them off one by one. The war had stagnated, because of the peace treaty which should never have been signed. He and his soldiers waited a long time to give the Kryl something back and right now revenge was the word of the day.

* * * *

Koenig just heard the good news.

“Excellent and the main doors never even came under threat.”

“We may have won this battle, Thomas but the Kryl will send a bigger force next time. Dunwoody will not hold them off unless we boost his fire power.”

“Yes, Jonas I know. At least now we are getting some payback. We do need to ensure the facility remains impregnable. I think it is time we looked at the battle droids.”

“Getting them here could be an issue”

“Find a way…and make sure all the civilians in here are moved behind the central doors. I think this battle will last a long time. The longer we hold off, the more Kryl we kill. We need to keep this facility strong and operable until the contingency fleet deploys the radiation.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Crisis Talks

President Roslyn had called together an emergency all party meeting to discuss the rioting. It was just one month until the next batch HSL people were selected and the profile had risen dramatically. Riots had broken out in several key northern cities and their impact had spread across the world. Scores of protestors and security personnel were killed. In many cases, the center of the great cities lay in ruins. This was Armageddon for a completely different reason.

“This is ridiculous. We know what the problem is; we know how to stop it and that we don’t have any choice. The people will not stand for another round of killing.” Rohan Mikoslavic was in full swing.”We are effectively back at war, with Alpha now engaging the Kryl in Arizona. This list must not go ahead.”

“We may not have much choice. Anyway, the Kryl think we have breached the agreement. They will shortly fall on top of us like a ton of bricks.” The intervention came from Dominic Siedler, the leader of the ECG upper house. Politically he was closer to Roslyn than Mikoslavic, but the events of the last few months were almost beyond politics.

“The agreement has not been breached. The Kryl have no proof we have assembled a new fleet. The relatively minor skirmish in Arizona is not proof of anything. The HSL will go ahead as planned.”

“Then what is the point of this meeting? I don’t think you are in touch with reality Tom. If we allow the list to be, generated and worse still, send more of our citizens to their deaths, there will be civil war. These riots are already becoming organized. They will try to take over the government and what then?”

“We are hanging on a thread gentlemen. I suggest we wait for the rain predicted this evening. It will be heavy and it will disperse the majority of the crowds. We will pick up the rest and bring them in.”

Mikoslavic had seen enough.”Let’s be clear. If the lists are generated I will force a confidence vote. You will be out of power and we will not populate the lists.”

Thomas Roslyn sighed. His presidency had come to this. He was forced into a corner. He knew he must now evoke a state of marshal law and emergency government powers, allowing him to stay in power for a period of six weeks, without the need to address the senate. In essence they could not touch him. This was against his best political judgment, but he had no choice.

“I am sorry but the list will be populated and distributed. I am evoking emergency powers to get us through this period of uncertainty. I wanted you to gain an understanding of the position; but it seems you cannot comprehend the bigger picture. This meeting is over gentlemen.”

Mikoslavic stood up to protest but it was too late. Roslyn already left the room.

“The guy is crazy.”

“We are powerless for the next six weeks. Whatever he says, goes.”

* * * *

The revolt in London quickly gathered momentum. Now large swathes of the central city were off-limits; a circular security caldron now covered the entire area. Those inside were subject to curfew regulations, with stop and search, powers to arrest and try on the spot and the use of firearms with deadly force authorized.

In London alone, fifteen hundred people had been killed in the last six nights and today promised to be worse. A crowd of rioters were gathering along Regent Street as it intersected with Oxford Street. The crowd were mostly quiet, with a feint murmur of dissatisfaction beginning to build up. There was no rioting; but the security patrols continued to close in on the crowd to control them in one place.

The crowd started to look up when they noticed the hum of the Kryl Cruisers ion drive. It came in fast directly from the Kryl Fleet in orbit. Its commander intent on one thing. To prevent the crowd from rioting once and for all. Now directly above them, he gave the order.

A displaced high velocity plasma burst hit the ground thirty meters from the edge of the crowd. They looked on in horror as the plasma discharge started to move towards them. Now in panic they began to realize what was happening. The plasma weapon was being aimed at them. Within twenty seconds it was all over. The Kryl had just vaporized the crowd.

* * * *

“What do you men the action was justified?”

President Roslyn was in his scheduled meeting with Safrec.

“The situation was not under control. They were about to riot again and your forces have not been dealing with the problem. We have put an end to the rioting once and for all. Word has spread quickly.”

“You just executed eight hundred innocent people and destroyed half a mile of the most expensive real estate on this planet. And you think this is all over? The repercussions from this could be enormous. We are already struggling with our justification.”

“Enough! If you cannot control your own people, then we will do it for you. You are not managing the situation President Roslyn. You have been given an example of what you can expect if you fail to deliver your commitments in accordance with the Earth/Kryl Agreement. Let me quite clear. Only full compliance with the required number of humans delivered on time is acceptable. We will not accept any excuses this time. You must find a way to quash those talking of rebellion. We are here to stay and non-compliance will mean an end to your race.”

Roslyn knew he had to back off. There was no room for maneuver and at least the rioting issue had been resolved, albeit only temporarily. One thing for sure the build up of hatred for the Kryl was becoming more apparent by the day and keeping a lid on it while they waited for the day when their freedom was granted would be very difficult.

“Safrec…the HSL list will be delivered on time and the collection centers should start to populate immediately. I have it on good authority that the security forces are ready for non-compliance this time.”

“See that they are…and don’t forget I can read your every waking thought. I know you and Alpha are up to something and sooner or later I will find out what.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Siege Continues

The Kryl commanders sent a division of infantry. They had re-established themselves inside the outer main corridor area and this time they would not be removed.

The battle moved on to the access tunnels which lead to the main bulk heads and it was here that Major Dunwoody was making his last stand. He knew they could not hold on much longer. The Kryl would soon reach the main bulkhead doors.

* * * *

Inside those doors, three hundred and twenty –five meters deeper into Alpha’s subterranean battle fortress, Admiral Koenig was apprehensive. He knew that Dunwoody’s troopers could not hold on much longer and that the main doors would soon be under pressure. The doors were strong, but not that strong. The Kryl would force there way through and then have access to the upper levels of the facility.

Not that this would achieve much. Koenig gave the order to evacuate to the inner section of the base, forty eight hours before. Known as the “vault”; there was no way in and no way out. A one meter thick shell surrounded the entire vault, with the access door sealed in with a magnified field. It was completely impenetrable and even leaving would take some time, as the access door demagnetized. The vault was sound proofed, lead lined and the interior walls were super cooled to ensure no heat source would give away the fact that over seventy-five thousand Alpha personnel were within. The final precaution, there were no comms facilities, no way of communicating either within the facility or with the outside world. They were totally entombed within the vault and here they would stay until it was safe to leave.

Theoretically, they had supplies and facilities to stay within the vault for six months. The reality was different. Two days was too long.

Admiral Jonas Koln joined Koenig in the small makeshift ready room.

“Well, this is very unpleasant.”

“Yes, Jonas, but if it stops them from finding us, then hopefully they will leave quickly and we can repopulate the outer shell.”

“They have reached the perimeter of the vault. The next hour or so is critical. According to our scanners there are over two thousand Kryl inside the base.”

“Okay…let’s just sit tight. How are the civilians?”

“They are not complaining yet. It’s the children though. It is virtually impossible to keep them quiet.”

“The sound compensators should absorb their noise. I would be more concerned about the troopers. It is too confined a space to keep them at bay. How in the hell did we let it get like this? Hiding away in a vault, hundred of meters below the ground. The once mighty Alpha.”

“We will be strong again. The message will now be at the relays, waiting for the Contingency Patrols to pick it up. They may even have it already…We owe a debt of gratitude to our scientists.”

“Yes…but their sacrifice was necessary. If we could have gotten them back in the vault, they would have been safe; but they just knew too much. I don’t doubt that the chief scientist’s last visit here gave the game away and probably lost Clarke his life too.”

“Yes, I miss the old bugger. Not sure I could have taken my life to preserve our plans.”

“He may have not had much choice. His sacrifice, together with the scientists, those on the HSL list, and everybody else lost in this bloody conflict, for that matter, will not be forgotten. We will avenge each and every one of them.”

* * * *

The Kryl Commander gave the order to leave the Alpha facility once he was certain all the humans were eliminated. At first, he questioned why so few Alpha personnel were actually located, but the place was empty and obviously was never brought up to its true capacity when the invasion took place.

As the last of his drones left the facility, he looked back at the cave. Something still did not feel right. He felt a presence…a faint stutter of electrical impulses, a large number of them beneath the surface. Was this a residue of those humans lost today in their battle? He had never fought the humans before today. They were an unusual species. Limited in brain capacity, but resilient and selfless. The residue was obviously just part of their substance. He vowed to take a human for himself; before he returned to fleet.

The lead drone reported all Kryl had now cleared the cave. The commander gave the order to return to their shuttles. Their task here was done.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Rejoining the Fleet

Two weeks later, a solitary shuttle craft entered the Halo 7’s rear docking bay and Jake Carter exited. He headed straight for the bridge.

Commander Jacques had the con. He stood up as Jake entered.

“Lieutenant Carter…welcome back. Let’s have a quick debriefing now.”

They headed for the ready room, while the duty bridge commander assumed the con. To Jake, it looked as if Jacques was looking for something or someone to relieve the boredom.

“Take a seat, Jake…and thanks for coming to my rescue. There’s nothing going on today.”

“Happy to please, sir.”

“I have read your report and corroborated the facts against Commander Smiths report. It seems you had a difficult few months. You seem to have handled it well.”

“Yes. Thank you, sir. It has been problematic but once the CO and I came to an arrangement…”

“I have yet to read Lieutenant Chadwick’s report. But it does seem your rescue of the Pantheon’s crew and the unorthodox towing of the Pantheon itself was well conceived and delivered. A slightly risky strategy; but it obviously worked. How long before the Pantheon is back in order?”

“It will take a while, sir; six weeks at least. She was pretty badly damaged. Did you read my sub note about potential Kryl activity and my concern they may have been following us?”

“Yes…I was coming to that. You were unable to detect anything beyond your own initial findings?”

“No. But I was obviously concerned that we could be leading a Kryl vessel to the fleet, sir. We did try everything possible to see if we could locate her and we have been keeping a watchful brief; but there has been nothing else. I am assuming my sighting proved to be nothing of any consequence.”

“One thing we have all learned over the last few months is to never underestimate the Kryl. We are running full sensors and periodic barium sweeps. If a Kryl vessel is out there, we will find it.”

“That’s good to hear, sir. When is my Patrol ship due to go out again? I am keen to start the Earth patrol.”

Jacques cut Jake short.”That’s it for now, Jake. The Earth bound Patrol vessels have all long since departed and we are expecting our first briefings soon. The CO wants you back on board for now and I think he is right. You need some stability for a month or two. You need to cement your position as a senior bridge officer and your absence has probably allowed others to progress when perhaps you would have been the favored choice. The CO still regards you as his protégé. I should mention I am assuming command of the Halo in forty-eight hours. Commander Hoskins will take a fast shuttle to the main fleet and his new ship.”

“Congratulations, sir. Do you want me to assume a Duty Bridge Command position?”

“No…not yet. As I said, others have advanced their positions. I want you to take the main weaponry officers post for now. It’s your weakest position by experience and you need to get some hours on board. War does enhance careers, but you still need the experience. Your flitting about from one post to the next looks great on paper, but there is no substitute for continuity. Sorry Jake. This may come as a bit of a disappointment.”

Jake was annoyed but tried not to show it.”That’s fine, sir. I am glad to be back on board and to let others take the critical decisions for a change. Will the CO be assuming an admiral’s role?”

“Yes…that is confidential for now. He will also take some of the Halo crew with him and that may well include you, but not until we join the fleet. That could still be some weeks away. For now; get some rest and we will see you at zero eight hundred tomorrow morning.”

Jake saluted, left the ready room, and headed for the calm of his quarters. He needed to get his head round these new developments. He expected to be commanding a Patrol ship to Earth, but instead he was seconded to a bridge position, for which he had little or no chance of advancing his career further in the next few months. Worst still, he had no chance of contacting Carla and needed her more than ever right now.

He arrived at his quarters and was just in the process of unpacking his holdall, when Maria Shavenosky arrived. Great. That is all I need.

“You don’t exactly look pleased to see me.”

“How did you know I was back?”

“I know everything. Remember I am shadowing the CO. Look, this is confidential, but Hoskins is leaving the Halo 7 and heading for the Styros Cluster main fleet in forty eight hours…I am going with him. I have not eaten this evening yet. Do you want to join me in the officer’s mess?”

Jake sighed inwardly. He did not need this right now. But he hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Maria was good company as long as she kept her distance and if she was leaving the ship.

“Okay. Give me half an hour and I’ll meet you there. I need to unpack and take a shower.”

* * * *

Jonathan Hoskins was in his quarters and just made love to his mistress. Their love-making was brief but passionate. It was clear to both of them that they could soon be a long way apart.

“Just two days, Jonathan…and then you’re gone.”

“Yes, sweetheart, but it won’t be long until the Halo joins the main fleet and then we can be together again.”

“On a separate ship and you with that Maria Shavenosky in tow.”

“This was your choice. You can still come with me. There will be plenty of good posts available aboard the Accura.”

“No. I have to make my own way. I have spent too long in your shadow. I need to spread my wings. We will just have to be patient…but you need to stay away from Lieutenant Shavenosky. She is dangerous.”

“Oh, come on. She is just shadowing me. Besides I think her interests lie with Jake Carter.”

“Who is now back. I thought you would take him too?”

“I did not know he was back. No. He stays with Jean-Luc here for a while. He needs to get some time under his belt. I have to be wary with Jake Carter. I will keep him close; but I don’t want to hold him back.”

“Sounds rather familiar, but for different reasons. Jake Carter is no longer under the influence of the Kryl.”

“No. But when we return to Earth, he may be again. He is still a key player in this. The Kryl Queen is expecting him, which means it will happen. I need to keep him close.”

“Okay. So, where does that leave us? Not in connection with Jake…but in terms of where we are going. You still feel tied to Earth because of Sarah and your son. I have no such connection. I am happy to live my life here with you or wherever you are.”

“So, why aren’t you coming with me?”

“You know why! Give me the commitment, Jonathan. I need you to say it. Your relationship with your wife is over. Yes, your son is important and always will be, but you are with me now. Why should I put my life on hold when I have not got you all to myself? All Sarah has to do is click her fingers. How do I know you won’t just drop me when and if we return to Earth?”

“We have been through all of this before. I don’t love my wife…I love you. Sarah is the mother of my son, who I love and adore and miss terribly. Oliver is the reason why I want to go home, not Sarah.”

He leaned down and tried to kiss her, but she pulled away.

“Goddamn it, Obeya. What do you want me to do…propose?”

“Absolutely not. I am not interested in your planets outdated ridiculous joining ceremony. If you are committed to me so be it; but you need to show it. Perhaps this period of absence will help you realize what is important to you!”

Obeya pulled away from him and stood up, pulling her underwear and fatigues on quickly, she was out the door within minutes, leaving her beleaguered partner sat on the bed.

Bloody woman! I am giving her everything she wants and that is still not enough! He sighed and began to dress himself. His offer still stood and she would not take it. What did she want him to do? He already denounced his love for Sarah. Did she want him to do the same for Oliver?

Hoskins decided to push the thoughts from his mind. He still had much to do before the shuttle departed; not least his XO’s formal commission to command the Halo 7. For now, he would walk the ship and pay a quick visit to Jake Carter.

* * * *

Jake had just dressed after his shower and was ready to join Maria in the officer’s mess, when Commander Hoskins arrived. Jake invited the CO in.

“Thanks Jake. This is an informal visit. I wanted to welcome you back. I presume you are already aware that Commander Jacques is assuming command?”

“Yes, sir. You are off to bigger and greater things?”

“In a way, yes. I have been invited to join the main fleet in advance of this fleet to move matters forward and to assume command of the Accura. I have asked Commander Jacques to keep you on in a bridge officer posting for the next few weeks. When the Halo 7 joins the main fleet; I will probably invite you to join me on the Accura.”

“She is a big ship, sir. I would be honored. I presume you have been promoted?”

Hoskins laughed. “Not yet the full one. I shall be acting up as Admiral on this mission. I understand you had an interesting time on the Patrol ship?”

Jake acknowledged the CO’s question and went on to detail the events that occurred. By the time he finished, he saw an anguished look on the commander’s face.

“You realize they were probably following you?”

“I doubt that, sir. We are a long way from home.”

Hoskins sighed deeply.

“This changes things. I am going to move you up to full Bridge Command status effective immediately. I am committed to join the main fleet and Commander Jacques will assume command here; but I want you in a position of responsibility. With the actual threat of Kryl activity, I would rather it be you than someone who has little or no experience dealing with the Kryl. This will be acting up position; but will assume a rank of Lieutenant Commander. I will brief the XO.”

“Thank you, sir. I will not let you down.”

Jake felt pleased with himself as he entered the officers mess.

“That’s a very long half an hour?”

“Yes, I am sorry. The CO came to see me. He just made me up to Lieutenant Commander and acting Bridge Commander. I am a little stunned.”

“Then I should salute you…sir. It suits you. He kept that to himself.”

“It’s only acting up…and anyway, you should be pleased. You will soon be shadowing an Admiral.”

“Yes…but again, only in an acting up capacity. Jake…I have missed you and now—just as you come back—I am disappearing. I am sure it will only be brief though. He will want you on board the Accura sooner rather than later. Grab yourself some food and a drink and then we can catch up properly.”

Jake and Maria ate and talked for an hour before it was time for them both to retire. Maria drank a little bit more than she should have.

“I have been drinking this evening for Dutch courage.”

“Why would you need Dutch courage?” Jake realized why immediately after he finished his sentence.

“Because I want to get it right. I may only get one more chance.”

Jake shifted uncomfortably in his seat”Get what right?”

“Us.”

“What do you mean “us”? There is no “us”…is there?”

“I still want there to be and deep down I think you do too. Jake, you need to accept that the chances of seeing Carla again are remote. You and I are good together and we always have been. I think you need to recognize that and then we can move on. Carla would understand.”

Jake’s mouth was agape. He could not believe what Maria was saying.

“I hope this is the drink talking.”

“No. It is not. I love you and always have. Carla is just a fixation; you and I always had so much more…”

“We didn’t. Look Maria. What we had at the time was good. It was good sex. It was great sex and yes I made things worse by allowing you into my bed before I left the Halo. But…no, Maria. I never loved you. I love Carla. I am sorry to be so blunt but you and I are history. Can’t we just be good friends?”

It was Maria’s turn to stand with her mouth wide open. Jake saw the tears welling up in her eyes. Perhaps he had been a bit blunt.

“I am sorry, Maria. That was unfair. Look, we are good friends; aren’t we? I never promised you anything more. That was always the problem when we were going out.”

“Why can’t you see it? We are so good together. I need you.”

“Maria. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll promise we will talk about it again tomorrow. Okay…friends for now.”

Maria was in tears as Jake watched her move towards the door of the officer’s mess. He felt guilty as hell and could not help but think that he brought this upon himself. Maybe what she needed was a good hug to send her on her way. It would cease to be a problem once she left the Halo 7.

* * * *

Three hours later, Jake Carter left Maria Shavenosky’s quarters. He awoke five minutes before, entwined within the clutches of Maria’s perfectly naked body. Now, as he walked gingerly back towards his own quarters, his mind was in disarray. How had he allowed it to happen again? As he reached his quarters his mind became clearer. Rightly or wrongly he was making this easier for Maria. She could obviously not deal with his rejection right now. It was 3:00 a.m. and he needed to get some rest. In just a few hours time he would assume bridge command.

* * * *

Thirty-eight hours later, Jake Carter had the con. He was in effective command of the Halo 7 with neither the XO nor the CO on the bridge. The new commanding officer Jean-Luc Jacques was receiving his commission from the outgoing CO, leaving the next most senior crew member in charge.

In less than an hour Commander Hoskins would leave the Halo 7, with his shadowing intern in tow. Maria would be out of his life…at least for now. That was a relief. He knew he was in the wrong. He knew his actions helped no one but himself. Maria was being pulled along, believing their relationship stood a chance, Carla waited patiently at home for a man, who had slept with someone else on three separate occasions. Jake was simply avoiding having to deal with a difficult problem. Who was he trying to kid, Maria would just cling on tighter, when he inevitably joined her aboard the Accura and when Carla found out about his indiscretions he would lose her; plain and simple. And that was the crux of the matter. Sub-consciously he already believed Carla would reject him when they next met and, therefore, he may as well carry on as he was.

This was all clouding his judgment. He should have been thinking about his new position. He was only twenty-three years of age and yet he was the number three aboard a B class battle cruiser. He could be in command of the Accura himself by the time he was thirty.

Jake’s thought process was interrupted by the entry of Jacques, Hoskins and Maria. They said nothing as they passed by, with Maria glancing back as they entered the ready room. This was it. Jacques, the CO, and Hoskins was passing over his command codes.

Five minutes later Jonathan Hoskins summoned Jake to the ready room. Jake handed the con to the duty weapons officer and entered the ready room.

“Jake. I am just about to leave and I believe Lieutenant Shavenosky would like a brief word with you before we depart. We will be on the bridge.”

The two commanders exited the ready room, leaving Jake alone with Maria.

“This is it Jake. I am under no illusions, but I hope that the last two days will convince you that it is right. I will wait for you to join me on the Accura.”

Jake said nothing but took Maria’s hand and kissed her on the cheek. They exited the ready room together.

Jonathan Hoskins stood next to the new CO as the comms officer opened up a ship wide comm.portal.

“This is Commander Hoskins. I have handed over the command of the Halo 7 to Commander Jacques as I am joining the main fleet at the Styros Cluster ahead of us. I know you will embrace him as your new commander and I wish him and all of the crew the very best for the future.”

The former CO signaled the end of the transmission and saluted before exiting the bridge with Maria close behind him. The Halo 7 was under new command.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The New List

Somehow they had reached this point. The list had been populated and distribution would take place this evening. However, the problems were far from over. Once the notices started to arrive, all the heat would come back.

The mass rioting had effectively stopped within hours of the Kryl’s execution of eight hundred rioters in London. Word had spread quickly through the social networking sites and more organized smaller protests took over. This was very difficult to police and the planet remained in a state of unrest. The people were powerless to prevent the list from being distributed and Roslyn was still protected by the emergency powers he invoked a month ago. He had the power to extend this for another month and he planned to do so at the last minute, to give him and his government the longest period of protection possible.

Plans were drawn up to deal with the anticipated new outbreaks of mass unrest, with the ultimate sanction to bring troops in and deploy a night-time curfew. Roslyn no longer cared if this was unpopular. His stance was simple; keep the Earth Kryl agreement in place until the Contingency fleet arrived to forcibly remove the Kryl from the planet and eradicate them once and for all. He just preyed that this would be the last list.

Roslyn was in New York City attending a United Nations security conference which had been hastily organized to try to deal with the unrest.

It was hot even by New York standards, at just eleven am; the temperature in the shade reached one hundred and ten degrees with one hundred percent humidity. Here in the hustle and bustle of Earth’s largest metropolis, climate change had shown its ugly face to the extreme, with parts of downtown Manhattan and in particular the old subway system unusable in such conditions. How bad the climate would have been without the partial protection of Earth’s defense shields was anyone guess.

He was just ushered into the main hall of the General Assembly Building where representatives from the two hundred and twenty –two member states now sat awaiting his key address. The assembly had no powers, but it political reach was undisputed.

Roslyn had considered cancelling the meeting before today. He was not compelled to be here and with the contents of his speech reverberating around the world instantly; this was potentially a poison chalice. Yet it was also an opportunity. These days when the assembly spoke, the people listened. He wiped the sweat from his brow and stood.

“Members of the assembly. I will try to keep this as brief as possible as with over fifteen hundred people in this room, the climate controls are inadequate in this heat.”

Roslyn was not joking, the historic UN Headquarters was over two hundred and fifty years old and no one had quite managed to bring the environmental controls up to speed. He paused briefly before continuing. The assembly was in absolute silence.

“I have been forced to invoke special powers to protect the ECG during this time of crisis. But protect it I must. The Earth Kryl agreement remains the best way of protecting the population as a whole.”

Roslyn paused again. He wasn’t going to avoid the issue. He was a hands-on politician and people respected him for it.

“The fundamental clause within the agreement is the provision of qualified persons to be made available to the Kryl.

Today the HSL list was circulated to those people selected. Within seven days, all of the one hundred and fifty million persons on the list will be at the collection centers. Fifty million people will return to their families within weeks and will no longer be eligible for selection. The remainder will regrettably be executed by the Kryl.”

He chose his words carefully. The term “executed” was not normally one he would have chosen. However, he was keen to be seen as distressed by the situation as the general population. There was still total silence in the room.

“I cannot begin to tell you how difficult it is to authorize the distribution of this list. To authorize the killing of one person is bad enough…but we don’t have a choice. Not for now. We are talking to the Kryl, of course…I firmly believe we are making progress in our discussions. But please be absolutely clear, in my mind this list is the final list…”

Roslyn hung onto the last two words of his sentence. It was critical.

“The list has been generated and, now, we have to police it. I urge you to use your regional powers to ensure this is done as swiftly and effectively as possible. There is no question this will be difficult. There will be great reluctance and there remains the possibility of mass protest and violence which “we” must keep under control. “We” cannot let the Kryl stand in our shoes again. The mass execution of rioters in London one month ago by the Kryl should never have happened. Yet it served its purpose. Within hours, the mass unrest ceased. I am not saying their action was the right one. But, if it is necessary, we should use our own security forces to clamp down on any civil violence or protest.

“Of course it follows that civil liberty should allow our people to protest against action taken by the authorities and we should certainly not try to curtail this. Yes, we have emergency powers, but we must also listen to the voices of the people.”

Roslyn was in full swing, but he paused to allow his speech to be digested before continuing and to allow the translators to keep up.

“There are many who question the need or indeed the authority of the Earth Kryl agreement. Let us be quite clear. If we break the agreement; the Kryl will deploy twenty or thirty million drones against us and they will slaughter our citizens indiscriminately. And their battle cruisers will target our cities, our infrastructure and our military capability. The loss of life will probably be greater than one hundred million. Quid pro quo…but, it is better to die in a fight, rather than surrender. Isn’t it? No. It is not. We will lose our children,We will lose everything. We have no choice. For now, the agreement must stay in place.”

Roslyn sat down. The applause was muted but respectful. A short speech by his standards, but delivered well nonetheless. He just hoped he got the point across. It did not help he did not believe everything he said. All he knew was that he had to hold out.

“Well, I thought that went very well. There was no heckling. They were listening intently and applause, if not a standing ovation.”

“Thanks, but it was respectful applause. We will find out how it really went when the collection centers report their figures.”

Kate Jones, the president’s chief aide, had been waiting in the wings just outside the Assembly. She joined him as he exited, but they had waited until they were on board the presidential shuttle before talking.

“We should be at the Palace in about twenty minutes. Just in time for some lunch and then, you have meetings with the Secretary of the Interior at two and the Revenue Supremo at three-thirty. Your afternoon is then clear.”

“Good. I might try to catch up on some sleep this evening. What was that?”

“Mister President…we have just been pulled inside a Kryl cruiser!”

The pilot’s voice petered off as realization struck. Roslyn knew his plan for a quiet evening was in jeopardy.

Fifteen minutes later, the President sat on a chair in the center of the Sanctuary. This was Safrec’s ship.

“Thank you for joining me, President Roslyn.”

“I don’t think I had a choice. Is this what you call a policy of non-interference?”

“It is time we had a talk. The Agreement is in jeopardy.”

“What makes you think that?”

Roslyn regretted the direct approach. Safrec was about to go on the offensive.

“Let me be clear. There is little prospect of your security teams being able to implement the agreement. There is widespread condemnation of the HSL list. Very few humans will be delivered to us. Add the obvious deception by Alpha and you are very close to breaching the agreement already and I need hardly remind you of the consequences of breach.”

“Safrec. With respect, that is unfair. I have repeatedly assured you that we have in place mechanisms to ensure the prompt delivery of those on the list to you. I cannot be held responsible for anything Alpha may have or is planning. They are not governed by the ECG.”

“Ridiculous. Not only are you privy to key Alpha policy decisions, but you have a direct communications line to Alpha’s CIC himself. I mean Admiral Koenig, Mister President, not that puppet, Yamoto.

“In the interests of preserving the agreement I am taking matters to hand. We will deploy a contingent of drone guards to each and every collection center and will undertake collection of non-attendees ourselves. You will withdraw your security teams and provide my commanders with a copy of the HSL list and your collection procedures. In the absence of the named person, we will collect alternative family members, irrespective of their qualifying criteria.”

Roslyn could not believe what the Kronan was saying. This was tantamount to a complete breakdown of the agreement.

“I cannot accept this. The humans on the HSL list are our responsibility until they are handed to you. This is fundamental to the agreement.”

“That is irrelevant. You have already proven incapable of achieving this most basic of tasks. The responsibility for collection changes hand or the agreement is breached. Furthermore, I will dispatch a further four legions of drones to patrol the larger cities. There will be a Kryl presence in every major city with a population greater than one hundred thousand. You will comply, President Roslyn.”

“I have moved Heaven and Earth to comply, Safrec. I will not back down. My people will not accept this. It has only been possible to achieve what we have done so, by making constant reference to an agreement that you seem happy to breach whenever you feel like it.”

“Then the agreement is at an end. The invasion will commence immediately and tonight my people will feed. We will bleed your planet dry and then leave it for the scavengers. And you Mister President will be the first victim.”

“No!”

Kate Jones was listening with horror as the two leaders gesticulated.

“We must allow the agreement to continue. I am sorry to interrupt Safrec, but the president is failing to look at the bigger picture. Tom, we cannot allow the agreement to breach. You must back down.”

“Your assistant is more aware of the seriousness of the situation than you are, Thomas. I will still allow the agreement to stand if you agree to this change in policy.”

Thomas Roslyn held his head in his hands. What choice did he have? He lifted his head up high and then down again, before he finally made up his mind.

“Safrec. I will allow the Kryl to take over security but we will not accept further material breaches to the agreement. Please ensure our people are looked after correctly and that the excess are returned to Earth.”

“Of course. But you are not in a position to make demands. I will expect the list and procedures to be with me within the hour. In the mean time, you may return to your ship. Oh, and President Roslyn…”

Safrec pushed inside Roslyn’s mind and penetrated deeply. Roslyn gasped in pain and collapsed on the floor, doubled up in pain, before the Kronan released his grip.

“You need to remember who I am. I can destroy you in a moment and, next time, the pain will not go away.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Message

The Patrol Ship KR358 was the first to leave the fleet and was the first to reach the communication beacon. Lieutenant Patrick Msaula was in command.

“Comms Beacon in range. Shall I commence the download?”

“Have we checked the firewall and defense mechanisms? We don’t want to trigger anything that could get back to the Kryl?”

“Yes. All protection systems are verifiable and working.”

“Good. Commence the download. Let me know when it’s complete. I will analyze and then determine a response.”

Eighteen minutes later, the patrol ships first officer confirmed completion and Patrick Msaula began to view its contents. The information contained on the headline page was more than enough to determine exactly what their next course of action should be.

“This is fantastic. Set a course, maximum speed to the contingency fleet comms beacon. It would seem we have found a way to get rid of the Kryl.

* * * *

One week later, the patrol ship arrived at the target comm.portal and downloaded its critical Intel.

From here, the data transferred via a series of additional remote portals and was picked up by the Avalon, a converted frigate now serving as the main comms server for the Contingency Fleet.

* * * *

The message details were downloaded by Jonathan Hoskins forty-five minutes later. The headline details had his attention immediately.

Antirillium Radiation will kill ninety percent of Kryl within a matter of minutes. The Contingency Fleet is tasked with locating a source, extracting and delivering the radiation in weaponry form directly to the Kryl fleet.

He read the first few pages of the report before opening a comm.link to Admiral Martin.

“Hi, Robert. I presume you have seen the Intel headline?”

“Yes, Jonathan…but the devil is in the details. It is not going to be easy to extract. We need to respond to this quickly by sending a fast cruiser to the coordinates noted. How is Commander Jacques getting on with his new command?”

“He is the perfect man for the job. The Halo can get there inside a month and start to set things up. They will need technical assistance.”

“Of course. I will arrange at this end. Can you brief Commander Jacques? I will also coordinate a support fleet of cruisers. If we are to attack them with radiation, I propose that an advance fleet delivers it—commanded by you—with the main fleet following on and cleaning up.”

“Sounds like a plan. Okay, I will speak to Jean-Luc and get up to speed and perhaps we can meet later to discuss in detail.”

Hoskins closed the link and poured himself a fresh cup of coffee. It was time to absorb the full content of the report.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

A Growing “Friendship”

Major Carla Stevenson had been visiting the Queen on a regular basis for some weeks. She no longer feared her and knew the Queen had developed a grudging respect for her. The feeling was mutual.

Today, she visited the senate headquarters before she took the fast shuttle service to the Queen ship. A scheduled meeting with Colonel Harrington just came to an end.

“Carla…before you leave, I think it is about time we discussed you and I and what went on before. We have been ignoring each other, personally these past few weeks.”

“That was a long time ago. It was a one-off and it should not have happened. I would rather not talk about it, sir.”

“Why the formality ? We have been close to each other for a long time now. We had something special. Surely you don’t deny it?”

“Yes, I do Colonel and it was not special. I was very drunk and you took advantage of me. If there is nothing else, I must get to my shuttle.”

“That is a little unfair. I remember you were not shy about coming forward.”

“Goddamn it. I was drunk, you fuck! We discussed this already and you agreed to back off. Why have you brought this up again after so long?”

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Carla. I tried to bury my feelings, but every time I see you…”

“Sir. With respect, I need you to back off. We are looking at professional integrity here…I am leaving now.”

Carla stood her ground for a moment, hoping and praying he would not provoke her further. He didn’t and she stood and, without further comment, exited Harrington’s office. She doubted whether she had heard the last of this.

She headed towards the shuttle and boarded immediately. The pilot was already seated and gained immediate clearance. Traffic to and from the Queen’s ship was always given the highest priority. Carla took a few moments to get comfortable and then sat back to contemplate her forthcoming meeting.

It did not take long before her mind returned to Harrington. He was really taking the piss now. The irony was she enjoyed his company. But if he persisted she might have to make it official and that would change everything. Not that she could change her current destiny, she was the Queen’s human confident and she would remain so, until the Queen tired of her company.

The shuttle entered the Queen’s ship’s huge docking bay moments later and Carla prepared herself to depart. Five minutes later, she was whisked by direct elevator to the Queen’s sanctuary. Her two drones followed her in as she walked purposefully towards the Queen’s throne. They stood back when the Queen beckoned Carla forward.

“You seem troubled again, Carla. Colonel Harrington has been disturbing you again. I will not stand by and allow my friend to be treated badly.”

“Please, Trieste. This is my problem and I have sorted it out. His heart is in the right place. He just has feelings for me, which I don’t for him.”

“I will allow it to pass on this occasion. However, you must not allow this man near you again. I would far rather you were disturbed with thoughts of Jake Carter. He will return soon, you know.”

Carla was used to the Queen’s digging tactics. She hoped to provoke Carla into thinking about Jake and how he might soon be here. From there, she could try to extract information about Alpha’s plans. It was a tactic she started and usually ended with, but Carla would simply divert the question with one of her own.

“Do you have any info leading you to believe that Jake will soon be coming home?”

Trieste smiled, revealing her hideously putrid and graying teeth. A sight Carla never grew used to.

“No. I have not. One of us will soon, though; I am sure. I understand that a new HSL list has been distributed.”

“Yes, I believe so. The Kryl’s involvement will be more significant than that proposed by the agreement. This will not be a popular decision.”

“What do you mean?”

Gold dust. Anything which showed a rift or lack of understanding between the Queen and her Kronan was good news and should be exploited.

“Safrec ordered all collection centers to be managed and secured by the Kryl…and any persons on the list who fail to arrive at the collection centers will be “collected” by the Kryl. Did you not know?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Safrec also advised that if a list member cannot be traced, a family member would be taken in their place. He was not specific about whom. I presume anyone—including children—are at risk.”

Carla was loading the issue now. Making the controversial decision by Safrec seem to be out of touch and unnecessary.

“I thought you said the Kryl were looking for a compassionate and reasoned method of collection. This contradicts that.”

The Queen was angry, but she maintained her stance.

“I will discuss this with Safrec. I am sure there is a good reason. Shall we move on?”

Carla made her point, but she had Trieste on the back foot and intended to keep her that way.”You were going to tell me about your cryogenic facilities.”

“Yes, of course…I told you that we had chambers in our living accommodation for those resting, while our scientists seek a cure for various conditions.”

“Are there many Kryl in stasis?”

“Yes, millions of Kryl. One day—when cures are found—our population will increase markedly.”

“You talk about it, as if your scientists will find a cure for everything in one go.”

“There is one condition in particular which troubles the Kryl more than any other.”

Carla sensed a depth of feeling in the Kryl Queen’s voice. Her job was to solicit information…but the growing respect she had for the Queen, made her reluctant to pursue this. Still, she had to do her job and an illness effecting large numbers of Kryl was a weakness Alpha could exploit.

“What type of disease is it? Our own medical experts may be able to help.”

“No! Your people help us too much already. The sacrifice of your people provides relief to the sick and sustains lives. That is why we are here.”

Carla took a deep breath. Suddenly everything made sense. Why had the Queen told her? Surely this was a weakness which humans would seek to exploit. Something else was wrong. The Queen was distant. There was no mind penetration this morning. Perhaps this was just another tactic?

“Are you saying that you are taking our people to provide a cure for illness?”

“Not a cure. It is relief. There is no cure, but we can reduce the symptoms and prolong life.”

“There must be a way of doing this without mass slaughter. How many of your people are effected?”

“Most of us carry a gene which mutates over time, bringing about the full-blown illness.

“What about you?”

“A good question. The disease has just entered its final stage. I am strong still, but will need relief soon. Don’t worry; it will not be you. I will take my relief from those selected.”

“So, you are dying! How long do you have?”

“The onset of the final stage happened only very recently. As a Queen caste, I can hold off the debilitating stages of the disease for many months. I am still strong.”

“I have noticed some changes. You have not entered my mind, this morning.”

“By choice—both to save energy and out of respect…I told you before: you are my friend. I value our conversations and your company.”

“So, there is still a chance for you, Surely it must be worth asking our scientists to help?”

“No. Our researchers and scientists spent the last millennia searching for a cure. We have sought out the technologies and capabilities of races far in advance of your own. Yet still there is nothing.”

“So, what will happen to the Kryl? Will you eventually die out?”

“No, never. The numbers of Kryl progressing to the advanced stages is maintained to allow us to perpetuate our species.”

“Which includes the invasion and wiping out of other races, including our own. Eventually our resources will deplete. What happens then? I guess you move on?”

“No. We can sustain ourselves and provide relief from you indefinitely. We only move on if the inhabitant’s revolt. If there is no agreement between us, then we have to move on.”

“Leaving what? It follows that you would destroy that race before you moved on.”

The Queen was angry now.”No! If we are attacked, we will respond. We will take what we need and move on. There are many planets whose incumbent population remains intact. Do not judge us Carla. We live as we do. We have no choice.”

“Surely you don’t expect us to feel sorry for you. We have no choice to allow you to take our people or face the wrath of your armies. We lose either way.”

“You have to understand why we do what we do.”

“It might have been better to have explained why you invaded us in the first place. I am not suggesting we would have been sympathetic, but maybe we would have understood better and despite what you say, human nature would have compelled us to help you find a cure…You know humans should not be underestimated.”

“Oh, I am well aware of that, Carla. We have lost a greater number of Kryl to you—more than any of our battles previously and yet technologically you are insignificant.”

Carla was exasperated, but knew this was a critically important conversation. She had to continue.

“Why now? Why did you decide to tell us now?”

“Because you are an intelligent species. We wish to perpetuate our relationship and to achieve this, we need your help. In time, when we reduce the number of humans we require; it will become palatable. An enduring and workable symbiotic relationship…and, because you and I have developed our relationship to a point where I can trust you. I know you will treat the content of this discussion sympathetically when you speak to your superiors.”

“You want me to pass the content of this conversation on…in its entirety?”

“Yes.”

“Very well…I will do so. I am not sure whether anything will come from it but I will pass it on.”

“Thank you, Carla. You are a good friend. I hope you will remain by my side over the next few weeks and months. It will provide me with comfort as I slip away into nothingness.”

“Of course, Trieste. I am and will always be here for you.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The Collected

So, all along the Kryl were killing humans to perpetuate their own existence. A bizarre situation. It was almost impossible to believe the mighty Kryl were dying. This just added to the argument that the Antirillium radiation would kill them once and for all. It would accelerate the growth of the tumors, already growing within their bodies.

President Roslyn spent the last two nights at his villa in Lugano. He wasn’t hiding, but he did need time to think and a weekend away from the Kryl, the media, his political opponents and his staff was exactly what he needed. Forty-eight hours prior to leaving, he instigated the extension to his emergency powers. He knew in ten days, he could extend no more and all hell would break loose.

It had been two and a half weeks since the HSL Collection date and true to their word, the Kryl were utterly ruthless. One hundred and fifty million persons were collected, including over twenty-two thousand family members where the actual person selected from the HSL list had absconded. Over fifteen hundred were under eighteen years of age. Fortunately, all but a very small number of the alternative family members were returned together with a third of the total collected, leaving one hundred million humans to be distributed amongst the Kryl.

The mass rioting started as soon as the Kryl began “collecting” those from the list. Once again, the Kryl intervened and executed the entire crowd from three large protests in Rome, Tehran, and Adelaide. Over eighteen hundred protesters lives were extinguished. There was some fighting back too as citizens began to organize themselves into resistance groups. They had targeted several Kryl cruisers and the main Governor offices unsuccessfully. All resistance was met with massive force and their effect was short-lived. Now, the world was comparatively quiet again.

The huge double doors to Roslyn’s presidential office remained firmly shut as his government disintegrated around him. All but two of his ministers of state remained in office as a plethora of resignation letters landed on his desk. Roslyn had not sought to replace anyone. In essence his government was dead and all that remained was its figurehead, a broken man, who knew his own future was already determined.

A new government were already formed. It had no power as yet. Mikoslavic was ready to move into the presidential suite, just as soon as the emergency power period expired and a motion of confidence in the incumbent president was passed.

They could have it all, thought Roslyn. I have tried my best. Let’s see how they get on. For ten years he had protected his people and led them to greater and greater economic prosperity and all would now be forgotten. His legacy the president who oversaw the destruction of government and the execution of hundreds of millions of his fellow citizens. Then, it would all come right for the new government. Alpha’s contingency fleet would free them all from the Kryl and President Rohan Mikoslavic would reap the rewards of power, so cruelly taken from Thomas Roslyn.

Roslyn knew he had to return to the presidential palace this afternoon and that he needed to face his critics and his people head on. It was time for an impassioned speech. A last ditch attempt to persuade his people and more importantly the elected members of the senate that he should remain in office for the duration of his term.

He would go down fighting. He would return to his office of state and reappoint new ministers. He would deal with all the important matters face on and he would make people believe in him again. He was a victim of circumstance and it was up to him, one last time to make a stand.

Chapter Forty

Antirillium Radiation

The Halo 7 arrived at the Rymanian Abyss, three days ahead of schedule and the ships Executive officer ordered the scanning to commence immediately. The support fleet, which included eight cruisers, two frigates and twenty-two assorted ancillary vessels were not due to arrive for at least three weeks and his CO intended to make the most of the intervening period.

The new XO, Bernhard Huber was a huge burly man, who had a crisp Germanic accent and walked with a limp. He was an experienced space mariner and had a penchant for all things English. A fascination originating from his childhood when his father, himself a former battle ship commander, transferred to London to manage the Stellar Drive development center. Although, his father had retired from this position, he was nonetheless well known to Jake Carter’s family. Jake’s father having served under him and then subsequently replaced him when he retired.

Jake Carter just arrived on shift and had taken the vacant comms position.

“Ah, Mister Carter. We have arrived and I have ordered scans to commence. Can you take the con? I wish to update the CO. Let me know if and when we pick up the first traces of Antirillium.”

“Will do, sir.”

Jake had only met the XO once, before he had assumed the first officer position; at a party held by his parents when Huber’s father had retired. Huber was highly decorated, but spent much of his time as a staff officer at Alpha’s operational headquarters.

Now after nearly a month serving as XO, in truth, he showed little guile in operational matters and lacked confidence in all but the simplest command tasks. It was clear the CO was concerned that the Halo 7 was exposed because of Commander Huber’s inadequacies, but there was little that Commander Jacques could do about it.

Not that Jake felt confident enough to step up. He was the Bridge Commander and, in terms of experience—particularly with the Kryl, he did fill the gap. Fortunately this mission was not likely to involve any significant battle conditions and Jacques experience meant the XO’s perceived failings would not jeopardize either the ship or the mission.

Jake moved himself to the command chair and made himself comfortable. As Bridge Commander, he spent much of his time in effective operational command. When the executive officers were anywhere but the bridge, normal day to day decisions were made by him. Despite his yearning to take to the stars in a Sabre; this was really what he joined up for. How long would it be before he took his own command?

Both the CO and XO entered the bridge five minutes later and Jake moved back to the comms position. He had been monitoring the scans directly from the command console and just transferred the data back to his comms station, when he noticed the anomaly. He double-checked the data before speaking.

“Sir. There is a spacial distortion aft at twenty-seven point five degrees, about two thousand meters below us. The size suggests potentially a cloaked Kryl cruiser.”

Commander Huber was always ready to rubbish anything Jake had to say.

“That is highly unlikely. There is nothing in this region of space. The anomaly, if it exists is obviously a gaseous exchange. Not unusual in nebula of this kind.”

Jake ignored the XO. It was a good job Jacques was on the bridge too.”

“I think you should attach more credibility to Mister Carter’s assertions, Bernhard. He is not usually wrong. What does it look like, Jake?”

Jake highlighted the distortion area on his work pad and then lifted the illustration onto the central hologram display.

“I think it may be the illusive Kryl cruiser.”

“That’s way too big for a cruiser, Mister Carter. The shape suggests the anomaly is not Kryl in origin. I still think it’s a gaseous cloud.”

Jake pointed to the edges of the distortion.”Yes, it’s bigger than a Kryl cruiser, but look here. These harsh edges suggest this could be Malchian in origin. This could be a Malchian cruiser. If it is, we could be in trouble.”

Jacques stayed silent, but Huber continued to disagree with Jake’s synopsis.”That is a great big “if”. We are looking at the outline shape of something which coincidentally could look like a Kryl vessel at some angles. To suggest it is a Malchian Arrow is just extending your hypothesis to the ridiculous.”

Jake was cross now. Huber continued to belittle him in front of the CO.

“Commander Huber. This is not just a malformed shape. These are clear lines. This is a cloaked Kryl ship and we need to take this matter seriously.”

Commander Jacques was ready to speak.”I’ve seen enough. Jake prepare a barium sweep and deploy once you have picked up the anomaly’s coordinates again. XO; take us to condition yellow, shields up.”

Huber looked bemused, but acted quickly once he realized the CO was staring at him.

* * * *

The Tathos ship followed Jake Carter and his Patrol ship all the way back to the chasing contingency fleet. Having determined which vessel Carter was delivered to, they continued to follow the Halo 7 , without detection to the Rymanian Abyss.

It did not take Sorgan long to determine why the Alpha cruiser had come to this region of space.

“They are mining Quescom. Clearly they have identified our weakness. This ship must not be allowed to leave the system. We will destroy her here.”

Sorgan knew this strategy was a risk, but he had no choice, he could not allow the Quescom to leave the Abyss. A bold decision given that Jake Carter was aboard. Trieste would be unhappy, if Carter was not allowed to fulfill his destiny.

“Let us show ourselves to them, before we destroy them. Remove cloaking systems and bring us around to face them.”

* * * *

“Oh, my God. Look at the size of it and it is coming right at us. Take evasive action.”

“Delay that order. Mister Huber; let’s not get too excited. Yes, she is bigger than us, but she needs to be. The Halo punches well above her weight. Take us to condition red. Shields up and CAG make ready for immediate dispatch. Number One, Join me in the ready room. Bridge Commander, you have the con.”

The executive officers left the bridge, leaving Jake staring directly at the enemy. This would be a tough one.

Commander Jacques and his XO rejoined the bridge less than a minute later and the CO retook the con.

“Gentlemen.” Jacques was addressing the whole bridge crew now. “Let’s work out a way to bring this Kryl ship down. Mister Carter, what would you suggest?”

Jake looked surprised but realized he was calling on him to suggest a battle strategy.

“We need to reduce any advantage they may have over us, sir. Perhaps we should enter one of the gaseous clouds. Most weapons will be ineffective in there. We could enter…she would then follow and we can then exit again immediately. We could target her command deck as she exits the cloud.”

“That is an excellent idea. Don’t you agree Mister Huber?”

Huber’s face looked ashen. He was out of his depth but tried to keep a brave face on the proceedings. He wasn’t going to allow Jake Carter credit for anything.

“We should launch all our Jump Ships and run parallel to the Kryl cruiser and take out their main weapon banks. I think we should deploy everything we have got. Taking us into the cloud stinks of cowardice…but we are surely jumping the gun. We are not at war with the Kryl. We should make contact and introduce ourselves. We could say we were undertaking scientific research.”

“Thank you, Number One. I don’t think this ship looks remotely scientific. From what we know of this Kryl ship already, they feel the war is very much still on. Let’s launch twenty Rapiers and five Sabres and deploy as the XO suggests. Mister Carter, we will hold off your cloud maneuver until we have an insight into their strategy.”

“The Kryl ship just launched fighters. They are Malchian Arrows.”

“CAG launch Jump ships. Shields to maximum. The battle starts here.”

* * * *

Thirty-five minutes later, the Halo 7 and the Tathos ship were engaged in a brutal battle. The Halo’s shields were still intact, but the continuous bombardment of plasma fire from both the Tathos ship and the Malchian Arrows was beginning to take its toll.

In the main hanger bay, the ships CAG, Lieutenant Obeya Temsouri was worried. Over a third of her Rapiers were lost already and both the main launch tubes were blocked by exploding debris from the failed landing attempt of a Sabre 4. If the Sabres were losing, things looked very bleak. To make matters worse, she just lost both her CAG support officers, who somehow conspired to be in the same place, when the tail of a Rapier had been ripped off as the Jump Ship reentered the bay, out of control and at high velocity. She needed help now.

“Bridge, this is the CAG. We are in trouble down here. I need CAG support staff now.”

The XO answered. What do you need Obeya? We need everyone in place on the bridge. I will see if…”

Jake Carter interrupted. “Sir. I am not needed at the moment. We can float the comms station. I am CAG qualified.”

Commander Huber seemed pleased to finally remove Jake Carter from the bridge.

“Okay, Mister Carter. Go. Try to get those Sabres to impact on these bloody Malchian Arrows. They are a nightmare!”

Jake left his station and headed directly to the hanger bay. He sprinted down the corridor, but slowed as he realized how bad the situation already become. He entered the bay, just as Obeya was returning to her CAG station.

“Hi, Jake…thanks. I need you to get that Rapier cleared off the access tube. We have damaged ships out there and we can only launch from tube Number One. Are you authorized to fly?” She added as an afterthought.

“Yes. But I am not sure the XO will want me out there. I can check.”

“No, I will. Concentrate on the clear up.”

* * * *

Back on the bridge, things were looking worse. It was beginning to look like Jake Carter’s strategy was a good one. Jean-Luc Jacques had seen it all before. It was clear his XO had not.

“Number One. Are you okay? I need you to keep those Jump Ships running.”

Commander Huber tried to maintain a steely expression. “Perhaps we should consider alternative weaponry, Jean-Luc?”

“Like what?”

“Subspace charges, nuclear…”

“Are you kidding? They would take out the radiation clouds and us at the same time. The result would be catastrophic. Please pull yourself together, Mister Huber. We have some very brave people dying out there.”

Jacques had made his mind up…but he needed someone on the bridge who actually knew what they were doing. Jake Carter’s gaseous cloud initiative was the only way forward.

“CAG. Send Jake Carter back to me. I need him up here.”

“I can’t Jean-Luc. He has just taken a Sabre out.”

* * * *

Jake was surprised when the XO granted permission for him to fly. The shift transfer policy in place during non-combat operations meant that half the ships jump pilots took the night shift. This, coupled with injuries, non-combat status, and pilots lost today in combat meant it was inevitable for the reserve pilots to be called upon. However, the CO had promised the outgoing CO, Jonathan Hoskins to keep Jake on board the Halo. Why then had the XO agreed to contradict this instruction?

He did not dwell too long on why. It was a case of taking advantage of the situation. Piloting a Sabre into combat was why he had qualified and for a whole variety of reasons, he was prevented from doing this until now. It wasn’t a case of wanting to change his current role. He was more than satisfied with how his career had progressed in such a short period of time. It was just, he had this gap in his resume that said, Jump Pilot, no combat experience. Now, he could change this…and then when it was done, he could return to bridge command.

The Sabre Four was just as he remembered. It was all consuming, molded to the very fabric of his skin, with the interactive link to his cerebral cortex allowing seamless intuitive command, akin to the movement of a limb, or the blinking of an eye. This coupled with the extraordinary movement capabilities of this ship, meant there was nothing on Earth that could do this and nothing in the galaxy that could quite match it. He pulled the Sabre sharply away from the Halo 7 as soon as the Jump ship exited the launch shoot. He could see a distant fracas involving several Rapiers and a Malchian Arrow and Jake set his sight on taking the Sabre straight through the middle.

As he drew close, it was clear that there was more than one Arrow. They were hunting in packs and already they had inflicted damage on both Rapiers. The Rapier 7’s were good and there was no better ship for the delivery of pin point weapons fire, but they lacked the poise and grace of the Sabre, a true interceptor, a dog fighter.

Jake came in fast, unseen and delivered his first salvo of plasma fire directly into the path of the lead Malchian arrow as he passed through. He was disappointed that the direct hit scored little damage but it had at least drawn the Arrow away from the Rapiers, both increasing the odds of their success against the second Arrow and giving Jake the opportunity to take on a Malchian one to one.

The Kryl fighter was on his tail and Jake forced a series of tight maneuvers to shake her loose. But she would not budge. The black tear shaped, otherwise featureless fighter was difficult to detect in the darkness of space. He saw her clearly when she passed in front of the gaseous cloud, but then she would fade again. Under normal circumstances, he would have ditched his visor controls and switched on the targeting program, but in a Sabre, the Weapons computer was a back up program. The seamless link between man and machine was what gave this ship the edge.

The Arrow was getting closer. She was looking to establish a weapons lock and Jake needed to take evasive action. He paused; every single maneuver running though his mind, as he tried to decide which strategy was the best. In the end, it was simple; fire your directional thrusters one way, but force the Sabre to go the other. The weapons lock would pick up on the thrusters as would the Malchian Pilot…who took the bait.

It worked and he was some how behind the Arrow. He saw her now. He was close enough to touch her. Jake selected his frontal plasma cannon and forced the Jump Ship downwards at maximum thrust away from the Arrow as he fired. The resultant plasma burst caught the drive manifold at the rear of the Arrow, where its protection was least. The perfect target shot and seconds later, the Arrow exploded.

Jake breathed a sigh of relief. That maneuver was not his own. It was perfected by his best friend Steve Costello. He wondered whether Steve had used it against the Malchians before he was lost on combat. Then his thoughts turned to Carla, before he was quickly brought back to reality as a Rapier sped past, followed loosely by the second Arrow. Jake was on his tail immediately; but this time he opted for weapons lock. He switched on his targeting computer and drew closer, so close he saw the glowing red eyes of the Malchian pilot as he pulled slightly to one side and then used his side plasma array to deliver point blank and devastating damage to the Arrow. He pulled away now and waited as the Malchian pilot realized he was in trouble. The Rapier was out of danger and Jake watched as the second arrow exploded.

Job done. He fired up his comm.link to speak to the Rapier pilot, but there was no response. Terrific! No way to contact anyone. Standard protocol meant without a comm.link, he was required to return to base, unless he was actively involved in a skirmish, in which case he should assist and then extradite himself from the battle as soon as possible. This was one of those rules, which was subject to interpretation. Jake turned his Sabre around and headed back towards the main Jump Ship skirmish where five Malchian Arrows were currently engaging ten Rapiers. If he got too close, he would be involved and then he would have to assist.

* * * *

“Get Jake Carter back on board as soon as possible. For now Commander Huber, I make all the decisions. When you know your way around a battlefield, I may give you back some of your responsibility.”

Jean-Luc Jacques knew that the appointment of Bernhard Huber as is XO was a bad decision. Things were not looking good and he needed someone with experience to support him. Half of his Jump Ships were already destroyed, the shields were depleting rapidly, his bridge commander and Jonathan Hoskins protégé was on an uncontactable Jump Ship, contrary to specific orders and his XO was next to useless. The only option now was to try to make the gaseous cloud and make the Tathos ship follow them in.

Chapter Forty-One

The Impassioned Speech

He had made a few speeches in his time, but none so important as this one and as always the delivery and content of the final words was so important. These would be the words the senators remembered as they left the chamber this morning and if there was any chance of saving his position.

“There are many of you in this house, who have had the good fortune to hold office in government. You will know that frequently there are issues at stake which cannot be disclosed in this forum. This is and remains the case today. I am not at liberty to disclose matters of state, which if I did, would give credibility to my stance. But I will say one thing to you. Treat it as postulating if you wish, but in time you will see that it is not. There will be no further HSL lists.”

Roslyn waited a few moments while the significance of his last sentence was taken in. He knew the Kryl would be listening and they would want to know why he said it. The answer would be simple enough. He was trying to preserve his political existence and while obviously the HSL lists would continue, right now the senate members did not need to know this.

“I have returned this government to a working condition and over the next few weeks, we will deliver as we have always done. Then, when the emergency powers period is over, the members of this house will have the power to make judgment over me. By then you may have some understanding of why I have made this speech today and by then I trust you will allow me and my government the opportunity to complete our task and finish our term.”

Roslyn sat down and smiled.

This was a political speech filled with contradictions and hidden meanings. One which would probably make no difference as by the time the emergency powers ceased; it was unlikely the contingency fleet would have arrived. Perhaps he was just putting off the inevitable; but as a seasoned politician, he knew better than to say you never say never. This was a waiting game.

The speaker rose and closed the session and the senate members began to file out of the chamber. The whispering had already started.

* * * *

“What did you mean by saying there would be no further HSL lists?”

Safrec’s scheduled meeting with Roslyn started. He had obviously been briefed on the content of Roslyn’s senate statement and he was clearly not happy. Curiously, the Kronan’s chosen attire seemed to reflect his mood. Today, he wore dark clothing, which within the half-light of Roslyn’s oak clad presidential office, the Kryl’s archetypal red eyes and pallid and featureless face, made him look more sinister than ever.

“This is politics, Safrec. I have to say the right things to keep people on my side. I am, as you know fighting for my survival as President.”

“You have re-engaged those members of your cabinet who have resigned. My understanding is no one can compel you to call an election. You should therefore not call one. You must be stronger.”

“It does not work like that. I am duty bound as part of our democratic process to call an election if I am forced to do so, by the Senate.”

“That will not happen. You will remain in office.”

“I don’t have your confidence, Safrec.”

“You misunderstand me. I don’t want anyone else leading your government. You will remain in office.”

Roslyn now understood what the Kronan meant. Could he remain in office? Was it to his advantage to do so?”

“If they ask me to call an election and I refuse, or you insist that I remain in office—it will no longer be democratic and I will be seen as a puppet president.”

“I do not care. You will remain in office, until I decide to remove you, or our agreement is dead President Roslyn and so are you. Now, I want to talk about Alpha and what they are planning. I have been very patient with you. Now you will tell me what you know.”

Roslyn felt the piercing of his mind. The Kronan entered and his subconscious thoughts were free for Safrec to penetrate. He tried to keep his mind clear. How the hell would he tell the senate that he had to remain in office?

“Do not fight it. I will just delve deeper and your pain will be greater. Tell me what you know…and I will help the senate understand why you must remain as president.”

The pain was getting stronger now. He felt Safrec’s own thoughts clawing and scratching away at his mind. He felt like his head would explode.

“All right. All right.” He exhaled slowly. “I will tell you what I know…Alpha are not here anymore. They have a fleet waiting a long way from here until they have built up sufficient resources to return and attack.”

“You are lying. I know that Alpha are here and remain hidden while they develop a weapon which they can use against us. They will then tell your fleet who will prepare the weapon and then they will attack. We know this already. Tell me something about the weapon.”

Roslyn realized Safrec was trying to draw specific issues into his conscious mind. He knew very little about what Alpha had as a weapon. He knew it involved radiation, but not what type and how it would be delivered.

Safrec did not let go. He was squeezing the life out of him. Surely that was not the plan. The pain became too strong and Roslyn fainted.

When he awoke, Safrec was standing over him. His huge frame casting a shadow over the couch on where Roslyn now lay. Two medical aides ensured that the President of ECG returned to good health quickly.

“I could have pushed you much further Thomas or I could have killed you in an instant. It was important for you to understand that I am in control…not you.”

Safrec arched his body and brought his face to within inches of Roslyn before he continued.

“You will arrange for me to address the senate to advise them that you will stay in office. In the meantime you will make contact with Alpha and determine their precise battle plans. When next we meet, I expect you to furnish me with everything you know…voluntarily.”

The Kronan continued his close stance and smiled, revealing his graying putrid teeth. Roslyn tried to hold back the nausea, but the stench was too great and he vomited. Safrec stood upright and waited for the Roslyn to recover before speaking again.

“Don’t let me down Thomas. You have no idea how powerful I am. You have no idea what I can do to you and your people if you let me down…until next time.”

The Kronan and his aides left the Presidents office. He still lay slumped on the couch ten minutes later, when his own chief aide, Kate Jones entered the office. She ran to his side immediately, not knowing whether he was alive or dead. She seemed relieved when he opened his eyes.

“What happened, Tom? Are you okay? Why are you lying down?”

“I am contemplating our future .”

He sat up and looked around. “Can you verify our secure status?”

Kate accessed her comm.link and ran a security scan, before opening the huge double doors and checking all was okay, in the suite of offices that lay outside. Content they were free from preying eyes and ears. She sat down next to the President on the couch.

“We are secure.”

“Good.” Roslyn was calm now. He was left in a state of panic when the Kryl Governor had left his office. He knew now what must be done.

“Safrec is going to advise the senate that I will remain in office indefinitely. In the mean time, we need to come up with a convincing cover story to persuade him that an Alpha attack will take a different form from the actual one they are taking…it needs to be so convincing that I actually believe it myself. Safrec entered my mind today and nearly killed me. I must volunteer the information and hope he does not probe my mind too deeply and realize my deception. I don’t know how we are going to do this but we will somehow. Nothing must get in the way of Alpha and their actual attack strategy.”

Kate Jones said nothing. She understood the consequences if this went wrong. Her life was in danger, but what choice did she have?

Chapter Forty-Two

The Gaseous Cloud

“Take us in Number One.”

Thirty seconds later, the limping Alpha Battle Cruiser entered the gaseous cloud and immediately half the ships essential systems went off-line. The main battle shields failed within a few minutes and all but the central plasma cannons seized up.

“We are falling apart Commander. We cannot fight the Kryl in here. They will tear us apart.”

“And themselves in the process. The plan is simple Number One. We arch and then head straight out as soon as we see them enter. Let’s hope they enter in the same area.”

“They should. It was the clearest point of access in thousands of clicks. Okay, but when we get out it will take a while for our secondary plasma banks to come back.”

“Yes, it will; but they will exit without shields and we will still have our main weapons banks and partial shielding back up. Mister Carter’s plan looks a good one.”

“Let’s hope he makes it back so we can tell him.”

* * * *

Jake Carter pulled the ship away from the explosion, the eighth Jump Ship destroyed since he had rejoined the main Rapier Group. There were only seven Rapiers left and with half the Sabres downed only Jake’s Sabre remained to combat the persistent and increasingly dominant Malchian Arrows.

To make matters worse, The Halo 7 now left the theatre, albeit engulfed within the gaseous nebula. Yes, this was his plan, but not if it left him and his compatriots to fend for themselves. Now though the Kryl Cruiser followed the Halo in to the cloud and Jake’s outline plan appeared to be working. All the Halo had to do was bring herself sharply out and take advantage of her online weapons systems against the Kryl cruiser when the enemy ship exited the gaseous cloud.

In the meantime, the remaining Jump Ships would have to fend for themselves. Jake assumed the lead as five Rapiers regrouped behind him. Ahead lay three Malchian Arrows. The opposing forces approached each other at maximum thrust.

“Rapier Group—assume basic victor formation. Let’s go straight at them and try to pick one off.” Jake’s Sabre now had comms. He had re-routed the comms relay to his personal comms receiver.

On the face of it, this was a dangerous strategy—especially with his ship out in front. But this is what he wanted now. He surprised himself, with how easily he slotted into command and how straightforward a process it was to ascend to a leader of men. It had been instinctive and felt right.

The lead arrow fired first and immediately took out the left frontal plasma banks on Jake’s Sabre. Jake responded in kind, but his weaponry failed to impact.

The two opposing forces came together and the formations of both sides broke up as the individual skirmishes came to the fore. Jake’s Sabre now passed beyond the battle and as he brought the Jump Ship around, he saw that already the Malchian arrows had gained the initiative. Two of the Rapiers were in trouble. He had to act quickly and picked out the Malchian arrow to the right of the battle area. This ship was engaged in a one-to-one with a badly damaged Rapier. Half of her starboard wing assembly was blown away. Somehow, the pilot managed to keep this in check while he continued to attack the Kryl ship. This was Jake’s first target. He brought the Sabre in fast, using his interactive headset to control her as he engaged the enemy directly using his right wing frontal plasma bank. The Malchian was caught off-guard and the Rapier pilot took full advantage as Jake’s Sabre swept past. The Malchian pilot took the full force of the Rapier’s plasma discharge directly into the cockpit, which flared briefly before the canopy hood was forced off and the unconscious Kryl was dragged out of his ship and into the cosmos.

As Jake witnessed the demise of the Malchian. He realized he now was the target as two more Malchian Arrows swept into to join the battle. To make matters worse two of the Rapiers engaged in a dog fight with one of the original Arrows collided. The lead Rapier took the full force of the impact and exploded. The second was caught in the blaze and damaged beyond repair, she spun out of control.

Two more Malchians joined the fracas as Jake fought to keep control of his Sabre as the pursuing Kryl fighter peppered his ship with plasma bursts, before pulling off and engaging a fresh target. His Sabre was badly damaged now. It was time to consider his options. If he went back in, it was almost certain death; his ship had only limited shield power left. Yet he could still make an impact. The decision was taken out of his hand as the Jump Ships main drive stuttered and went off-line. With only maneuvering thrusters available and no shielding; he was a sitting duck. His only choice to wait for the inevitable or hope that when the Halo 7 reappeared from the gaseous cloud he could some how get his ship back on board.

He did not have to wait long.

The Halo 7 exited the gaseous cloud just twenty kilometers from Jake’s stricken Jump Ship. Slowly out at first, she gathered momentum. He watched the blue haze appear around the rear of the ships as the shields re-engaged. Their main weaponry banks would soon be on-line. The Halo 7 arched for a second time as she drew back towards the gaseous cloud and now she waited.

Just as Jake had envisaged, The Kryl cruiser exited the gaseous cloud, crawling and without shields. The Halo 7 took full advantage and in the sixty seconds that followed, major damage was inflicted. The Tathos ships shields came up quickly once power was restored, but she was already in trouble.

Jake recognized his current position would put him in great danger. He needed to get close to the Halo 7’s aft launch bay and hope she stayed stationery long enough to allow him to bring the Sabre in on thrusters. The Kryl cruiser had restored power to her shields and her weapons banks were back on-line. It would not be long before she or the Halo 7 moved to seek tactical advantage. It was far more likely this battle would continue with both ships under power.

Most of the Sabre’s automated systems were off-line meaning he would have to manually calculate the correct intermix for the thruster drive and the correct coordinates to bring his ship toward the Halo 7. Under normal circumstances this would have been second nature, but Jake was still surrounded by enemy fighters and his maneuvers could well draw attention to his plight. A single plasma burst could finish him off. He needed to act quickly and decisively. In one single movement Jake pulled the ship onto the right track and started to edge forward.

The Halo 7 had drifted from its original position. As Jake picked up speed, it was clear she was making ready to move. He checked his comms device. His earlier re-routing would still work. He needed to get a message to the CAG. He opened a comm.link.

“CAG. I am incoming on thrusters with zero power and shielding. Can you see me? I need your aft bay to pick me up, before you disappear out of site.”

The Sabre was within ten kilometers of the Halo. Still outside the theoretical tractor beam capabilities.

“Jake. We will have you, but you need to get within eight clicks. I’ll update the bridge…we may have to leave you for a while.” Obeya Temsouri’s instantly recognizable voice was reassuring to a degree, but he did not like the idea of being stuck out on his own.

“I will bring her closer. Thanks CAG.”

Jake knew better than to expect that the ships commanders would stop the battle just to get one Jump Ship on board and the communication with the Halo would already have drawn attention to his position. He noticed several Kryl fighters less than a thousand meters to one side. For now they were otherwise engaged. Okay, let’s get closer.

* * * *

The tractor beam engaged just minutes before the Halo 7 commanders gave the order to move. The Kryl Cruiser had started to edge forward. The plan to pass the Alpha cruiser along the port side and target their main shield generators. The Halo 7’s commanders would not let that happen, they were keen themselves to get behind the Kryl cruiser. The Sabre was quite literally being pulled along behind the Halo 7, like a collapsed water skier, completely out of control and with nothing to do but pray.

The tractor beam was doing its job and slowly the Sabre drew closer to the ships aft hanger bay. They were within one kilometer. Jake felt the tractor beam pull him to starboard as the CAG tried to move the Jump Ship out of the way of the Kryl cruiser who was successful in bringing herself along the port side of the Halo 7. Again, the CAG compensated as the Halo 7 lurched upward to avoid a potential collision with the Kryl cruiser as the two ships drew along side each other.

At this range the Kryl cruisers weaponry will be telling, thought Jake. And If I don’t get on board quickly I will be caught in the crossfire. He looked toward the Halo 7, judging the distance between him and comparative safety was less than two hundred meters. He would soon be drawn within the protection of the Halo 7’s shields. But this created its own problem as the aft section of the ships shields would automatically go offline to allow the Jump Ship safe passage through. Given the Kryl ships current position, this was a problem, but by now there was little anyone on the Halo 7 could do about it.

The Halo 7’s shields dipped and the tractor beam pulled Jake’s Jump Ship in. Seconds later the shields re-engaged without any significant Kryl plasma fire getting through. Within thirty seconds the Sabre had landed and Jake exited the cockpit.

* * * *

“Lieutenant Commander Carter is back on board, sir. We still have six Jump Ships in situ.”

“Thanks Number One. They will have to battle it out themselves for the time being. We are not out of this yet, but the Kryl cruiser’s frontal shields are failing. We need to get in front of her again. Helm, pull us around to starboard, tight as you can. Number One, how are our shields?”

“20/45/55 and 35. We need to use a diagonal attack approach, using our main plasma banks and showing our stronger side.”

“Thanks, Number One.” Commander Jacques was pleased. His first officer was finally thinking like a battleship commander. The numbers he sited were the percentage shield strengths clockwise from port to starboard. If they showed their starboard side when they attacked, the chances are the shields would hold.

“It’s working, sir.” The stand in bridge commander currently had the con.”We should be in a position to fire in twenty seconds.”

“Weapons. Let them have everything we’ve got. Is the PBA back on-line yet?”

“Yes…just…”

“Engage at the half-way point, Mister Lancaster. We will pull across her front from starboard to port. Then we accelerate out of it and arch again.”

“In range, sir.”

“Fire!”

Tactically this was a textbook maneuver and now the Halo 7 had the edge. However, the problems were not yet over.

* * * *

On board the Tathos ship, Sorgan was seething. He knew the Alpha commanders had tactically outwitted him and his ship was in jeopardy. He would not let his ship be taken and it was clear Alpha’s intentions in the area related to the extraction of radiation as a weapon to use against the Kryl. His priorities now changed. The Tathos ship needed to return to Earth to alert the Kryl Queen of the impending danger.

He gave the command immediately, the Tathos ship’s star drive was still online and within seconds of receiving the command the drive was engaged and the Tathos ship was gone. The three remaining Malchian Arrows would now have to fend for themselves.

* * * *

“She’s gone, sir.”

Commander Jacques looked quizzically at his Comms Officer.

“Gone as in cloaked or departed?”

“Departed, sir. He cloaking systems were off-line and her star drive ignited just prior to their leaving. She has gone.”

“And left their remaining fighters. Do we take them in or let them have it?”

“We take them out Number One. We can’t afford to have Malchians on board, they are too dangerous. How many Jump Ships do we have left out there?”

“Seven including one Sabre. Jake Carter could go out again.”

“No. Jake Carter will remain on board. Send five more Rapiers to finish them off.”

Jacques was annoyed. The Kryl cruiser had been there for the taking. Their commander obviously had other ideas. But they could be back; they needed to keep everyone alert.

Five minutes later and the dog fight between Kryl and Rapier continued. But now only one Malchian Arrow survived. He had just taken out his second Rapier in this latest exchange and was chasing a fourth damaged Rapier down as it sped towards safety and the main hanger bay.

The Rapier pilot barely had control but the bay was in site as he lined up the Jump ship for a fast access and landing. He realized that the Arrow pilot had no intention of letting go. Did he intend to follow him in?

“CAG…the arrow is still in pursuit. She may be preparing to enter the ship. She could cause havoc in there before we take her down.”

“We are ready for him. Just get yourself down and let us worry about the arrow.”

The pilot double clicked to acknowledge and set the Rapier’s controls for final approach. The Jump ship entered the access tube at one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour and slowed to a stop ten seconds later as the harmonics of the access tube slowed the ship to a perfect stop. As the Rapier put down, the Malchian Arrow entered the hanger deck at high velocity. Somehow the pilot managed to maintain control as he used his plasma cannons to pepper all sections of the hanger bay, pivoting on a single access, using his thruster controls to maneuver. The Arrow threat was removed seconds later as two marines targeted their smart rifles, deploying plasma pulses directly into the thrusters manifold. The Arrow reared up as the pilot fought to re-establish control, but in such a confined space it was impossible. The Kryl fighter crashed into the roof of the hanger bay and came down hard into the inner wall, destroying several sections of bulkhead as it fell to the ground ablaze.

Automated damage control quickly contained the fire, but it was too late for the Malchian Pilot. His final act to take out as many Alpha personnel and Jump ships as possible had been a success.

* * * *

The battle was over and it was time to pick up the pieces. The main hanger bay had been devastated by the Arrow’s incursion. All but one of the standing Jump Ships had been destroyed and three crew lost their lives. The internal bulkheads suffered remedial damage and the Jump Ship access tubes were all blocked. Jake Carter took a few moments to compose himself as he viewed the devastation. He stood over the apparently lifeless body of the ships CAG, Lieutenant Obeya Temsouri. The medic team had already arrived and begun to assess her. The lead medic carried out her scans and observations before standing up and directing the orderly to stretcher Obeya to the medical center.

“Will she make it?”

“That’s debatable. She has massive head trauma and internal bleeding. If we can get her back to the center, we can stabilize her and then decide whether to operate, or freeze her. To be honest, that is a big ‘if’.”

Jake stared in disbelief as the orderly assisted the automated stretcher as it exited the hanger bay, while the medical team continued their attendance to the other injured crew. The CO had asked him to assist Obeya out, in the absence of other CAG qualified staff. It now looked as if he was the only one left.

Part Three

Chapter Forty-Three

An Ordinary Morning

It was blisteringly hot, even for an early September morning and Thomas Roslyn was grateful for the climate control. He took a brief stroll, earlier, but with temperatures pushing ninety-five degrees; it was too hot for him. He wondered briefly whether the climate change conference scheduled for next week would still go ahead, before he was brought quickly back to reality, when Major Carla Stevenson was ushered in by his aide, Kate.

“Ah Major Stevenson. Please take a seat. I presume Kate is dealing with refreshments.”

He waited as Carla took the center of three easy chairs adjacent to his sofa. He found sitting in a more relaxed environment, was conducive to productive meetings and it also meant he could appreciate her beauty. He wondered briefly whether it was worth asking her for dinner once they completed their meeting, but thought better of it when she realized that he was staring at her.

“Right. Down to business. How are your discussions progressing with The Kryl Queen?”

“They are not really discussions, Mister President. The queen treats me as a friend rather than a confident. There is not really any useful information coming through at present and yet I spend quite a lot of time with her.”

“Is this friendship reciprocated?”

“No. Well, of course I give her the impression it is. She is lonely. Nobody ever comes to see her unless they want something or they are reporting to her.”

“Do you feel sorry for her?”

“Yes. I know that sounds wrong. She is the enemy. But she is vulnerable and to an extent exploited by the current Kronan. She does not like Safrec.”

“Isn’t he her chosen one?”

“No. She detests him but he feels this is his divine right. Ironically now that Navalion and Morvalt are dead, she has found comfort with a non-Kronan; a Malchian commander named Sorgan. He is not around though.”

“Do we know where he is?”

“As far as I can tell, he is digging around ,looking for the Alpha Fleet?”

“Ah…okay. Well, I think you need to find out more about him and Safrec too. It sounds as if there may be two Kryl competing for her. How much do you think she knows about Alpha’s plans?”

“She is convinced there is an Alpha fleet out there and that we are developing a weapon. But that is as far as it goes. She keeps asking me for more; but only halfheartedly. As I said before, she is no longer probing my mind.”

“Why would that be? It makes no sense she should stop…unless of course she no longer can. Do you think you have developed some kind of block against her probing?”

“Honestly, no. It could be she no longer cares. Ultimately it is the Kronan’s job to obtain such information. I guess it’s possible she no longer can…but that implies some kind of condition. Maybe, she is suffering from the Kryl cancer.”

Carla paused before adding, “I will have to explore further.”

“Yes, you should, Carla. May I call you Carla? You need to see just how much she does know and look beneath the issues with Safrec and Sorgan.”

Roslyn paused himself before continuing. “Perhaps next time we could meet in less formal surroundings. My villa in Lugano is a delightful retreat and I would welcome the opportunity to show you around.”

Carla looked slightly taken aback, by what was clearly an advance by the President. She was not going to get dragged down that hole.

“I would prefer to keep these meetings strictly professional Mister President. I have a lot on at the moment and taking time out for leisure activities is not really a priority at the moment.”

Roslyn smiled. The young Australian was as diplomatic as ever; but it was quite clear the message she was trying to send. “Okay, Carla, lets stick to here for the time being. We will meet again in two weeks at the same time. At least call me Tom, though. We have known each other for a while now.”

Carla stood up and shook Roslyn’s hand. Without further comment, she left the presidential office.

Kate Jones entered moments after Major Stevenson had left.

“The leader of the opposition is here to see you. He was quite insistent.”

Roslyn sighed. He was expecting this. “Okay. Show him in.”

Rohan Mikoslavic entered and sat himself down on the sofa. The anguished look on his face suggested he was not in the mood for pleasantries.

“Please take a seat, Rohan.” Roslyn said sarcastically.

“I think you know why I am here, Tom. We cannot allow the Kryl to interfere in our politics. The people are looking for a change.”

“That assertion is not mandated by the people. There has been no election and you cannot say with any certainty that I would lose if there was.”

“You would and you know it and you would not stand anyway. Your two terms are nearly up.”

“Precisely. My term will come to and end in less than a year and by then this matter with the Kryl could well be over. In the mean time, what choice do we have to comply with Safrec?”

“We have every choice. You have told us more than once, that this will soon be over, but you won’t or can’t explain why. I know there is a contingency fleet and that they are seeking a way to destroy the Kryl. That is the only reason why we should apparently hold out and why we and the people accepted the HSL list for one final time. This will not be repeated, Thomas.”

“I can’t tell you more than I have already told you. If I told you why, that would put you in a difficult position. It is better this way. If I am removed from office, the agreement will cease and the Kryl armada will come marching in. They will indiscriminately kill each and every one of us.”

“I am beginning to believe this may be an idle threat. If we are supposed to be their food source, then why would they kill us all in one go? I think the odds are too heavily stacked against us. The agreement needs to be renegotiated—by someone who will stand up to the Kronan.”

“What happens if you are wrong? Could you live with yourself if the vast majority of our population are savaged?”

“No, of course not. That is not what is going to happen. I asked to meet with Safrec personally.”

“Has he agreed?”

“Not as yet. I am sure he will.”

“Why? You have no value to him. He does not recognize your authority and you have no democratic right…as yet.”

“We anticipated this. We suggested to meet with one of his subordinates in the first instance and that of course our proposals would follow the spirit of the Kryl/Earth agreement. They have no reason not to agree to this.”

“You figure that once the door is opened, you can find a way to the top. That is not the way the Kryl work. They will reject you out of hand as an irrelevance. You should drop this Rohan, before you and you party are made to look stupid.”

“You are just trying to protect your position. You must have been delighted when Safrec told you he wants you to stay in power. You could stretch this well beyond your elected term.”

“That is not true!” Roslyn was shouting now. He did not need this insignificant man, trying to damage the situation.”Perhaps if I were to clarify why we have to maintain the status quo, you might back off.”

The leader of the opposition smiled. “Okay, this is what I came for…tell me.”

Roslyn chuckled to himself. Was Milosevic’s stance bravado or was he serious about meeting with the Kryl.”No Rohan. I have made the position as clear as I need to. Make your approaches to the Kronan. They will be fruitless. You would be better served with politicizing in the background and making plans for when you do come to power. I am sure it will happen some day. Unless there is nothing further…”

Milosevic was angry now. “Don’t brush me aside as an irrelevance Roslyn. You are hanging onto power and I will remove you; one way or another.”

He stood up and stormed towards the door and was just about to exit when Roslyn spoke calmly.”If you are willing to discuss this matter rationally and without losing your temper; I believe the time may actually be right for me to disclose why we should maintain the agreement and my status as President.”

Ten minutes later, Roslyn completed his explanation of what he knew. Milosevic listened intently, but said little.

“Okay, Tom. I can understand why you would want to withhold this information. I guess your point is that I should not now stand before the Kronan, just in case he manages to enter my mind and extract Alpha’s battle strategy. How can you be so sure he has not already obtained this from you?”

“I can’t—at least not with any certainty. I know that he was probing my mind and I passed out. But, sense he was trying to frighten me, rather than extract information. I am not sure I would be able to hold him off again.”

“How many other people know?”

“In this administration…no one else knows the finite details. Major Carla Stevenson—who is as you know the Kryl Queen’s Alpha confidant—knows the background; but the Queen has stopped probing her mind now.”

“Because, she already has everything she can get?”

“No. I don’t think so. Carla is clever. She has learned to close her mind to the Kryl’s advances. The truth is, there is now nothing else we can do, but hold off and wait for Alpha to prepare their weapons and then return to Earth. We just have to hope this is sooner rather than later.”

“And in the meantime we just maintain the status quo. You remain as president unchallenged and we continue to comply with the Earth/Kryl agreement?”

“Yes, we just have to hope that they get here soon.”

Chapter Forty-Four

The Pantheon Rises

The repairs took nearly twelve weeks, but at last The Pantheon was ready.

The damaged bulkheads had been ripped out and replaced with new supporting Alchium Ferrite beams which were mined and cast from the moons natural resources. A long and laborious process but there was no alternative. The old titanium alloy struts were damaged beyond repair. The new bulkheads were heavier in mass, but more flexible under strain. It was not a perfect solution, but with plating, shielding and internal structures all now back in place, the Pantheon was once again a fully operational Alpha Battle Cruiser.

Wesley Smith had advised his senior staff earlier this morning. They would launch at 1800 hours, but would carry out three days of intensive testing before setting out for the Styros Cluster. They would be late of course, but they could still make the party, whatever form that might take. He did still have some concerns. The Alchium Ferrite beams were technically able to take the strain of high velocity travel, but they were unproven. There were examples aplenty of various compound alloys which were deigned to be the next thing in spacecraft construction, only to fall at the last hurdle during high velocity stress testing. Hypothetically, yes, the Alchium beams should work; but what if they didn’t? The Pantheon could fall at the first hurdle and all this would have been for nothing.

Smiths thought process was interrupted by his new first officer and recently promoted Commander Higgins. Higgins was young and inexperienced, but the most able and best qualified of his compatriots, coming now from only limited resources. He also showed tenacity and was respected by his peers.

“All diagnostics confirmed. We are ready. We could launch early.”

“Can I see the diagnostic synopsis?”

Higgins pulled the report onto the desktop display and Smith spent the next few minutes studying the figures in silence.

“Okay, these are acceptable. We must be certain about stress tolerances, shield harmonics, and stellar drive polarity. Run a further suite of tests on these. Make sure we simulate both high velocity and battle conditions for all three. Also, we need verification on the state of readiness for the remaining Jump Ships, their pilots, weapons and plasma banks, the PBA, and the Teutonic missile bays. I know you have done this Philip, but we are going to be on our own out there. For all we know, the Kryl may still have a plan to finish us off. Let’s use the next two hours wisely, a few more hours won’t hurt us. We need to be certain.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Higgins left the ready room without further comment and Smith returned to his thought process. Twelve weeks marooned on a desert moon, light years from the nearest colonized star systems had been hard to endure and it would be good to finally get underway. He was left with a nagging feeling that the Styros Cluster was the wrong destination. Earth was much nearer and if an invasion was imminent…Earth would be the best place to be.

At 1800 hours precisely, the ground thrusters engaged and the one hundred thousand tonne Battle Cruiser was forced into the air. At two hundred meters, the thrusters moved from vertical to horizontal and the Pantheon moved forward and upward. Slowly at first but quickly gathering momentum, as it fought against the moons shallow but dense atmosphere. The storms had abated over the last few weeks allowing for a greater window of opportunity, but the take off and departure from the moons atmosphere was still a very significant challenge.

Finally she broke free from the clutches of the moon. The Pantheon released into free space under her own power for the first time in over three months. It felt good and the bridge crew briefly showed their appreciation.

Wesley Smith brought the crew back to reality.

“She feels heavy…and noisy. Before we celebrate too much, let’s remember we put this tin can together and not a refit team. Make our speed two hundred thousand kilometers per hour and run stress tests. Engineering…get someone down to the bulkheads. I don’t like these noises.”

“I think we have just got used to the quiet, Wesley.”

“Something isn’t right. Number One…do we have the stress test results yet.”

Commander Higgins just engaged his palmcorder.

“The figures aren’t looking as good as we might have hoped.”

“So, let’s have them. What’s the headline stress figure?”

“1.45.”

“At only two hundred thousand kilometers per hour?”

“Yes.”

Smith put his head to hand briefly before squeezing his nose, squinting and then sighing.”Then there is little point us activating the stellar drive. The beams will crack instantly. Okay. Helm…put us into high orbit around the desert moon. Let’s see what the chief has to say.”

Half an hour later, the chief completed his assessment of the ships bow. The CO wouldn’t like what he found.

“There is a bubble in the left-hand supporting strut in each of these vectors. The Alchium Ferrite is super heating and then liquefying when significant strain is placed on each beam. The bubbles are created when they start to cool down.”

“So, the stress tolerance test is irrelevant. The actual mass of the beams dictates their cohesive properties. Will they take high velocity?”

The chief looked down at his schematics and shook his head. “SD1 or maybe 2. The danger is they could hollow out completely and then just fold in on themselves. The ship would just bend in half at too high a speed.”

“Why did we not spot this before we chose the Alchium Ferrite? Surely we assessed the chemical and physical properties…”

“Of course…but it is very difficult to simulate high temperature and pressure at the same time. As always there is a bit of guess work.”

“So, what do we do now?”

“We work within what we have got, by minimizing speed. There is no alternative in this region and it would take weeks again to mine and prepare new beams, even if we could find a replacement source.”

“Then we will have to change our intended destination.”

Wesley Smith opened a ship-wide comms.portal.

“This is Commander Smith. We are changing our course to Earth. We will complete our testing within forty-eight hours and then get under way. Thank you.”

The CO looked at his first officer and his Chief Engineer. Neither said anything and both realized their commander needed time to reflect further, leaving Smith on his own in the ready room.

We are not out of this by a long way, he thought. If we make it home it will be a miracle and who knows what we will find there.

Chapter Forty-Five

Obeya

She was drifting in and out of consciousness. She could tell she had been moved to the medical center and she saw from the look of concern on the medical staff’s faces that things did not look good.

* * * *

The Chief Medic Lieutenant Commander Sharon Reagan was concerned. The CAG’s complex biological makeup was confusing her medical telemetries. Surgery was the only clear answer, but it was complex and beyond her in the current environment. She needed a major head trauma team, who also happened to be specialists in Barcudian and Dactorian physiology. Without surgery, she doubted her patient would make it. Did she risk it or should they consider tryplasmic freezing?

The CO had just joined her.

“I don’t think we have much choice. She suffered major head trauma and her biological make-up is a mix between Barcudian, Dactorian, and Human chromosomes. There are too many imponderables for me to consider operating here.”

“If we freeze her, how long can she stay in cryogenic stasis?”

“Indefinitely. The problems arise when we bring her out. Her body could quickly deteriorate. Do we need to consider, what Commander Hoskins wants?”

“No…well, not officially. The “Admiral” asked me to take care of her and to deliver her back to him in one piece. I don’t think this is quite what he meant. If this is the only way to achieve this, then we will have to go for the freeze option. How quickly can you arrange it?”

The Chief Medic knew this was a difficult one. The relationship between Lieutenant Temsouri and Commander Hoskins, as he was ranked when he commanded the Halo 7, was well known. Temsouri was a popular member of the crew, despite her perceived “mistress” status and most people considered her Jonathan Hoskins’s long term partner. If Hoskins lost her, he would be devastated.

“I have another three patients who are borderline Tryplasmic freeze cases. We are reviewing in the next hour and will set up the freeze chambers after that. Maybe four hours. We can maintain her until then.”

“While all patients must be considered equally,in the world of Alpha some are more equal than others. I suggest you bring forward your assessment of the other patients and get them all in stasis as soon as possible.”

Commander Jacques left the medical center, passing Jake Carter as he entered. Jake headed straight to Obeya’s cubicle and was joined by the Chief Medic.

“How is she?”

“Not good Jake. She needs surgery and I cannot give it too her. Remarkably she is having periods of consciousness. But she is non compos mentis. The decision to freeze has already been taken.”

“Isn’t that a little risky given her genetic makeup? Do we know for sure how her body will cope?”

“No. I need to spend some time researching before we commit. I wish I could help her, but the decision has been taken out of my hands. The CO makes the final decision; even if that is contrary to the patients wishes.”

Jake nodded his head.”Okay, I will stay with her for a while if I may?”

The Chief Medic smiled and left him to it.

Jake took a seat by the bed and sat in silence as he contemplated the events that had lead to Obeya’s injury. Was he in any way to blame for her condition?

“What’s on your mind, Jake?”

Jake looked up and was surprised to see a smiling Obeya Temsouri looking up at him

“Well, you seem to have made a very fast recovery. Just as well as they were considering tryplasmic freeze stasis for you.”

The Chief Medic overheard the conversation as she passed by and entered the partitioned cubicle. She leaned over Obeya’s bed and took a brief view of the schematics. She look puzzled.

“Lieutenant Commander, I am not sure how you are able to talk, much less coherently. By rights you should be comatose or worse. I need to ask you to refrain from talking, your vital signs are still suggesting major head trauma and your position could deteriorate at any time.”

“Then what? Are you planning to place me in the big freeze?”

Sharon Reagan looked at Jake as if to enquire why she knew about the stasis but spoke to Obeya instead.

“We cannot operate because of your physiology. Tryplasmic freezing is really the only choice.”

“No,” Obeya said firmly. “I will not be frozen. Why can’t you just monitor me and if my condition changes place me in a medically induced coma?”

“Your injuries are severe and in any other circumstance I would have operated already. I am not prepared to risk surgery and comas are too unpredictable in battlefield conditions. The tryplasmic freeze chamber is the only viable solution. I am sorry.”

Obeya looked ashen. She could not move and Jake sensed if she could, she would have been challenging the chief medic face to face. She was not someone you would seek to cross in a hurry, but right now she was defenseless.

“But…” She grimaced in pain. “I don’t feel unwell. I can talk. I am thinking coherently.”

“Yes. Your vital signs are being sustained; including your synoptic and brain activity. Our systems are keeping your thought process intact; but it is very tiring. You are going to need to get some rest Obeya. We can talk more, if your feel up to it in a while.”

Jake took this as a hint that Sharon Reagan wanted Jake to move on.

“Yes, Obeya. You do look tired and you need to keep your strength up. I will come and see you a bit later.

Jake was about to exit the medical center, when he was called back.

“Lieutenant Commander Carter. I believe you came here for a post mission scan. Park yourself in the second cubicle on the left. I will attend to you personally.”

“I am grounded anyway Doctor. I do need to get back to my CAG responsibilities, so if we can make this quick.”

“Just a quick scan and then you can be on your way.”

He lay down on the couch and watched as the holographic scanner commenced a full body scan. He had been here many times before. He doubted there was much wrong with him.

“Physically you are fit; but you must now take an eight hour break minimum before you start work again. I am a little concerned about these Psych test results. I am going to run a few more intensive stress tests. Lay still for a few minutes longer.”

What was going on in his mind then? He felt perfectly normal; maybe a little more stressed than usual. He realized the medic spoke again.

“You do seem a little over tired today, Jake. Your stress readings are on the high side. I suggest you take twenty-four hours and then come back for a re-test.”

“I am already grounded. I have been given the job of putting the hanger deck back together. It is kind of urgent.”

“I can’t tell you not to work…but I can ask the XO to sign you off. At least take the eight hours.”

Jake sighed but agreed to take a break. He left the medical center, pausing briefly to check on Obeya and headed back to his quarters. He was tired and a few hours rest would help, but he needed to speak to the XO, to advise his status. Then after a few hours he could get back to the hanger bay. For now that meant, deploying the remaining Jump Ships to the smaller rear hanger bay, while extensive repairs were carried out in the main bay. A resupply of Rapiers was on its way from fleet and until the main bay was ready there was no where for them to go. A tough task…made easier when he was feeling fresh.

Jake arrived at his quarters and lay down on his bed. He was asleep within seconds.

* * * *

“Obeya’s situation has deteriorated, sir. I don’t think we have any choice now.”

“Has she been conscious again?”

“Only briefly…the matter is urgent. We either operate, which I don’t feel happy about, or tryplasmic freeze.

“Okay. Make the preparations to freeze her, Sharon. I want to be there when you commence the process. Might be an idea to get Jake Carter down here too.”

* * * *

Jake Carter stood with Commander Jacques and the Chief Medic in front of a two meter long rectangular container within which Obeya Temsouri’s naked body had been lowered. The container was empty other than Obeya’s body. It was a simple casket.

The tryplasmic compound was in a gaseous state in a small pressurized flask, which Reagan had attached to one end of the container. Once the angle of the flask was correctly aligned, she moved to the other end of the container and attached a small bio scan reader. Reagan stood back.”We are now ready to commence freezing.”

“Proceed Lieutenant Commander.”

“Okay. As I open the valve, the high density gas will quickly populate the container. It will solidify almost immediately. Obeya will not feel a thing.”

Reagan opened the valve and a light mist began to disperse from the flask. Within a few seconds the container was obscured by a blue haze as the physical reaction began to take place. As the mist cleared, the gas had indeed solidified. The container was three quarters full and Obeya’s body was completely covered in a block of frozen tryplasma. The block was already hard to the touch but now it darkened, quickly obscuring the outline of Obeya’s naked body.

Reagan moved back to the rear of the container and analyzed the bio scan data.

“The process is complete and Obeya survived the experience. Her body is in stasis. Everything is effectively frozen in time.”

“What happens to her now?”

Jake said nothing since he joined the CO and the chief medic at the containers side. What he just witnessed had been horrific.

“She will be taken down to the bespoke storage chamber on deck one. The containers are stored in reinforced body holders.”

“That’s the morgue!”

“Yes, Jake. You have to remember your history. Cryogenic freezing has been around in one form or another for over two hundred and fifty years. It is only very recently that it has been used as a medical device. Death certification was mandatory up until about fifty years ago; even though many “patients” were unfrozen and cured of their injuries or ailments. The morgue is a on the same deck, but the storage room is a medical facility. We also have two labs down there, including of course the pathology department.”

“Well, I think we should leave Doctor Reagan and her colleagues to finish off. There is nothing anyone can do for Obeya now, until we reach the fleet. Jake, walk with me.”

The two men left the medical facility and headed back up the gently sloping main corridor to the bridge deck.

“We had no choice Jake. This way she stands a chance.”

“I know, sir. But she was adamant that she should not be frozen. I guess ultimately it wasn’t her decision.”

“No. You have to remember that Alpha commanders have the final say, because personnel are in the context of war, for example; a commodity. In the case of Obeya, her experience and abilities place her above others and beyond her own feelings on the matter.”

“And not forgetting the influence from above. I presume that Admiral Hoskins has had his say?”

“Your cynicism will be the death of you, Jake. Yes, Jonathan asked me to look after her, but I have not spoken to him directly on the subject. In any case, his influence remains significant. Remember he asked me to look after you too.”

“Yes, sir. About that?”

“It is not negotiable Jake. You are on a flight ban and for now I need you to manage the CAG operations. The Rapier fleet will be here in a few days and we need the main bay up and running. You can revert to your Bridge Command responsibilities once the new CAG arrives.”

Jake wasn’t happy, but realized he had been a little too confrontational. Commander Jacques was quite easy going, but he did not want to overstep his rank.

“No, sir. I understand. I guess the extraction fleet will arrive within a few days too?”

“Yes. Then we begin the radiation extraction in earnest, secure it, and head for Earth.”

Chapter Forty-Six

Kryl High Command—Earth

Safrec stood as he addressed his senior commanders. He was angry and he wanted his subordinates to know.

“Alpha must have facilities on Earth beyond what we know. We must find them and destroy them. We cannot allow yet another species to get out of control. Position your ships and your garrisons at all the main cities and ports and stamp out any insurrection before it starts. And the Alpha Fleet…take your ships and find it. If they have a weapon which can hurt us…we need to deal with them now. Do not fail me. If we loose control of Earth, we may not find another planet before it is too late.”

Safrec dismissed the commanders and returned to his sanctuary. He was disturbed by the reports suggesting Alpha was constructing a weapon and infuriated that he had not been able to extract further information from President Roslyn personally. Maybe it was time to probe the Earth leaders mind properly. However, to do so could kill him and run the risk of jeopardizing the whole agreement.

He was a politically astute Kronan, who knew all to well the importance of continuity and cohesion. All the while the humans cooperated, the supply of fresh relief for his people would be easy to come by. If they revolted, the mass extinction of the species would do little to aid the relief of his dying people and he doubted whether a new species of the right type and number could be found before the Kryl as a race entered a terminal decline. He would not preside over the death throws of his people.

For now, he would maintain governance, while his commanders sought out Alpha and destroyed them. He would concentrate on what he was good at and indeed the pursuit of his Queen. He was her suitor, the chosen one and it was high time she began to realize that she could not rule their people without him.

“My Kronan…”

His quiet thought process was interrupted by an aide.

“What?”

“You shuttle is ready, my Kronan. Did you wish to go straight to the Queen’s ship?”

Safrec’s mood suddenly brightened, but his scheduled meeting with the Queen was still some hours away and it irritated him that his aide should assume he would want to leave so early.

“What makes you think I need to go anywhere else?”

“You mentioned visiting the site where the recent ground battle with Alpha took place; General Jadros is already there.”

Safrec spoke to Jadros separately before the meeting with his other commanders. When his Kryl division had stormed the underground cave base some weeks ago; the general was left with the feeling the job was incomplete. The suggestion had always been that Alpha had a more comprehensive underground facility in place, probably in the area surrounding the cave and Jadros took an artillery division back to the site to try to route out the hidden base.

“Of course. Yes. I shall board immediately. Advise General Jadros that I shall be with him shortly.”

* * * *

The short planetary hop from his current location off San Francisco Bay to the arid Arizona desert was over quickly and Safrec disembarked from the shuttle and was greeted by a rush of warm air from the powerful burning midday sun. Jadros was waiting for him.

“What have you found, Jadros?”

“We are scanning to a depth of two thousand nartes in a square two hundred nartes area. There is nothing tangible as yet; but the process is ongoing my Kronan.”

“Can you show me the original cave?”

“Of course.”

Jadros led Safrec inside the nearby cave and through the system of tunnels and caves. As they walked, Jadros explained where the main skirmishes took place. Eventually the tunnel led to a dead end.

“There is nothing further.”

“Have we deep scanned from here?”

“Only to a depth of two hundred nartes, my Kronan.”

“Then bring your scanners in here and scan again. This is the most logical place to start surely?”

* * * *

Six hundred meters below the Kronan and General Jadros, the residual Alpha defense force already detected activity on the surface. They were a substantially reduced force, with the main body including Alpha’s commander in chief, his command team and his aides already moved on through the network of tunnels to a new site some ten kilometers south east of their current location. The new site was over a thousand meters down and sat below a large lake. Detection there would be almost impossible.

The residual team were tasked with shutting down the old facility and making absolutely certain that the main Alpha forces could not be followed. Major Tsake was the man in charge.

“If they do deepen their scanners they could well still pick us up. Do we move on, wait and defend ourselves or come out fighting?”

“Lieutenant O’Hara. If we draw attention to ourselves they will find us, the tunnels and then the perhaps even the main alpha team. We have to maintain silence and hope they go away. If not then we are tasked to defend ourselves and this position. To the last man if necessary.”

“There could be hundreds of them!”

“Then we’d better hope they don’t find us!”

* * * *

“My Kronan. We have picked up a heat anomaly three hundred and fifty nartes down. It may be nothing, but geologically it is inconsistent.”

“I don’t need to tell you how to do your work General. It is highly likely Alpha are still there, cowering beneath the ground. Set your charges, access the hidden tunnel which will lead you to them and kill them.”

“Yes, of course, my Kronan.”

Safrec’s mind was on other things and he left immediately, returning to his shuttle. It was time for his meeting with the Queen.

* * * *

The Queen was alone, when Safrec entered. She was sitting at her throne and as he approached. It was clear the rumors were true, she looked ill. Was she suffering from the sickness now?

“My Queen. Are you well?”

“You already know the answer to that, Safrec. You are late.”

“A small matter of detecting the missing Alpha forces on the ground my Queen. I am confident we may have found them.”

“A slightly contradictory statement Safrec. You either have or you have not?”

“We should have this confirmed shortly. In any event my commanders are actively searching for hidden forces both on the ground and in the air. You do not look well my Queen?”

“I am fine. The pressure of knowing my Kronan is failing in his quest to locate Alpha’s fleet is affecting me. You are failing me Safrec. You must find Alpha’s fleet and destroy them.”

“I am not failing you my Queen. We are redoubling our efforts to seek out Alpha. It is critical we do so as more and more of our people are suffering. The relief we are providing them is insufficient.”

“Then you will have to increase the numbers Safrec. Tell Roslyn you need two hundred million humans in the next batch and bring the date forward. We need relief now, to stem this increase in the disease.”

Safrec thought deeply for a few moments before responding. The Queen looked impatient; yet more evidence she was in decline.

“We need to keep them in check. To increase the numbers on the HSL list would be deeply unpopular.”

“That is your job, Safrec.”

The Queen’s sharp retort took Safrec by surprise.

“Yes, of course, my Queen. I will look at ways to increase the numbers. Since you are now infected would you like me to arrange for a human to be made ready for you?”

“Why would I need that?”

“I am sorry, my Queen; but it is clear you are suffering from the early stages of the disease’s advanced state. You are very strong; a human sacrifice would bring you back to full health at a time when we need you most.”

“If I am suffering, why have you not offered yourself to me as you usually do? Our joining would make me strong again?”

She is toying with me, he thought. She knows I would not touch her now.

“Yes, Safrec; I am damaged and eventually I will die…but not for a long time. Your joining with me would be totally illogical if you seek a realm of power that is enduring.”

“I am the Kronan and your chosen one. I am sworn to protect you, to stand by your side, and—if asked to be with you—I would not fail in my responsibility and I would not want to.”

“Relax. I still do not want or need you. Your responsibilities lie elsewhere. I have another who is the object of my affection.”

Safrec felt anger now. Yes, he did not want her now. If she was going to die, it was better that it was fast. He would start to woo the other Queen caste females in waiting. One of them would soon rise to become Queen. Yet, if he did not have her, it was wrong that someone else did; especially a Malchian. He would kill Sorgan first, before allowing him to stand by her side.

“You of course refer to Sorgan. He is a long way from here. He cannot protect you and help you like I can and as a non caste Malchian; he has no birth right. You must at least let me find you a human for you to feed on. We need a strong Queen to rule us in difficult times.”

“No Safrec I will find my own human.”

“Ah, but of course you already have one. Carla Stevenson, the mate of Jake Carter, the killer of Navalion and of Morvalt. You are obviously feeding from her. Perhaps you need to finish her off…or are you keeping her as bait to lure the killer to your sanctuary, so you can take him?”

“No. Carla Stevenson is my contact with Alpha—nothing more. But she is valuable and I would not harm her. Jake Carter does not need to be lured to this chamber. He knows he is coming and will be here.”

“Where you will kill him?”

“No. Don’t be so one dimensional, Safrec and do not concern yourself further with Carla Stevenson or Jake Carter…I know you are already considering who might replace me and that it might be in your best interest for this to happen sooner rather than later; but please be assured. You will not defeat me.”

Safrec was positioning himself now. He could tell she no longer had the power to enter his mind, although he could not enter hers. If he was careful, he could prolong Trieste’s life for an extended time and effectively rule by substitution. There was historical precedent. To achieve this he needed to keep her on side and her Malchian lover away. Could he compromise his own position going forward by giving himself to this Queen? He needed to take a mistress from the Queen caste females in waiting. If he chose wisely and influenced the matter, the new Queen of his choice would come to the fore and he could become her chosen one too. There was much to do, but first he had to gain Trieste’s affection.

“My Queen. It actually serves both my purpose and yours for us to be together. I know you will always have Sorgan as your partner, but officially we could still be together and I could give myself to you and give you much needed strength. I think you need to consider your options wisely.”

Trieste was silent for an extended period before she replied, “I will not give you the satisfaction of publicly stating that we are as one. I will allow you to take me just once, in order for my strength levels to improve; but then my affections will remain with Sorgan, both privately and otherwise. You will agree to keep our actions private and continue your role as Kronan and Governor of Earth. In return I will support you and I will allow your recommendation for the next Queen to influence my decision. I can offer nothing more.”

It was Safrec’s turn to pause now and consider his options. Trieste was promising much but giving little. He could mate with the Queen, but just once and his chosen Mistress may then become Queen, when Trieste died. But her affection towards Sorgan was the main obstacle. If he was removed, the Queen would feel more compelled to stay with Safrec and make their coming together official. There were risks to this strategy, but to do nothing was dangerous. The Queen would distance herself from her Kronan and Safrec’s support and influence would dwindle and right now, that was not an option. He had no choice but to accept Trieste’s proposal.

“Very well, my Queen. I hope, once we have been together, you might reconsider my official capacity and the endurance of our relationship. If you are still in agreement I will lie with you.”

“Of course, Safrec. We will go to my chamber now. Please be assured my stance on this matter stands.”

Chapter Forty-Seven

Antirillium

The radiation extraction process was underway. Two weeks after the Malchian Cruiser battle, the first of the support team vessels joined the Halo 7 at the Rymanian Abyss. The extraction teams quickly positioned themselves to commence the process of collecting, storing and weaponizing the Antirillium radiation. The process had been well-rehearsed; the storage capsules designed and manufactured to precise terms. The teams were moved to the second part of the process—the integration with the weapon.

Jake Carter was on the flight deck and had just managed the last of the new batch of Rapiers to board the Halo 7 and birth in the now rejuvenated main hanger bay. The new CAG Lieutenant Commander Rogers stepped down from his Rapier 7, as Jake went to greet him.

“You must be Lieutenant Carter, the Temp CAG. You can return to your other duties now, Lieutenant. I am assuming CAG command.”

“Actually its Lieutenant Commander Carter and no the official hand over will not take place until you have been cleared through security and the XO.”

“Okay…I apologize; you must be acting up. Okay, I will hold off the official hand over. Just so we are clear—this is now my deck and you are just another pilot.”

Jake tried hard not to let his anger show. This guy is hard work.

“I am sorry to keep correcting you, Mister Rogers, but I am not acting up. I am the ships bridge commander and am fully CAG qualified. You have been posted here, because I am required on the bridge. Furthermore, I have spent the last two weeks getting this hanger deck back into operation. I will not hand over until I am absolutely satisfied you are competent enough to hold the CAG position.”

The CAG replacement said nothing further and allowed Jake to escort him to the debriefing room. Jake was about to take his final debriefing session and he intended to remind the new CAG, that the CAG command was still his.

All twenty-two new pilots were seated and Jake moved to the rostrum at the front of the crowded briefing room. This had been the last section of the Hanger Bay to be rebuilt. The white paneled walls showing their appreciation for their first official use.

“Thank you everyone. I’ll keep this brief as I know you have had a long journey. This is the debrief for the sortie from Alpha Fleet Command in the Styros Cluster to the Halo 7, part of the Radiation Extraction task force in the Rymanian Abyss. There are no significant issues to report and all vessels are accounted for. We are currently in a state of amber alert, following the attack from a Kryl cruiser two weeks ago…which is the reason why you guys are here as replacements for those lost in that battle.”

Jake looked at the CAG to ensure he had his attention before speaking further.

“Lieutenant Commander Rogers will assume CAG command in due course and he will integrate you into the rota schedules. Once you have cleared security, you will be allocated quarters. You will remain non-operational for twenty-four hours, unless the alert status changes. Get yourselves settled in, familiarize yourself with the Halo 7 and get some rest.”

Jake turned around to check that the CPO team had arrived to process security

“Okay…before we close. Any issues that we should know about?”

Jake was not surprised to see that Rogers held his hand up.

“Mister Rogers. What did you want to say?”

“May I approach the front?”

“Of course…but just a reminder that these pilots are tired. This need not be a long process.”

The CAG elect approached the rostrum and Jake stood aside.

“I just want to thank the outgoing CAG for his debriefing and support and to add a few words of my own…although obviously not everybody is here. Mister Carter is there any way we can get the active pilots in here too. I can address everybody together then?”

Jake stood his ground. Rogers was not going to usurp his position until it was his time.

“No, Mister Rogers. This is a debrief for the incumbent pilots who have just arrived. You will have plenty of time for team meetings once you are operational. Let’s keep it brief and then the CPO team can get on with your clearance.”

Rogers shrugged his shoulders and continued. “Very well, I can address the active pilots later. Gentlemen, Ladies. The Halo 7 is one of the most important vessels in the fleet and for now she heads up this task force. We will therefore play a very active part in the security of the extraction team and an even greater one, when we return to Earth. As your new CAG, I will ensure best practice and will jump on any inconsistency or issue. If you don’t carry your weight you will be out.”

The Chief Petty Officer looked impatient and Jake decided to intervene again.”I am sure these words are very important, but they can wait. Let’s get everyone rested. Mister Rogers…I am closing the debrief unless there are any other issues.”

Jake looked around and at Lieutenant Commander Rogers. Content that the process was complete he handed the rostrum to the CPO and stood down.

* * * *

“Clearly we need to extract faster. At this rate it will take us months to complete this task.”

John Arnold was the architect. He was the man responsible for interpreting the Chief Scientists blueprints and turning them into a workable and safe storage device and then deploying to the most appropriate vessel for discharge. It had not been an easy task.

A third generation Alpha Science Officer, Arnold graduated from The Alpha Science Academy in Cape Town, before serving as a Junior Science Officer aboard a plethora of C class cruisers. He was promoted quickly through the ranks and was now a three star commander. Although he did not know it, he was the most senior science officer in Alpha.

Right now ne needed to know why extraction was taking so long.

“We are just following the process, sir. The safety protocols are paramount.”

“I know Lieutenant I agreed them. We are seventy –two hours into extraction. We should have extracted and stored over one hundred and fifty pods. Yet only sixty-eight have been done. Something is holding the process up.”

“The first twenty-four hours were slow as we got up to speed, sir. I think we are now clearing one pod every forty-five minutes. If we could bring the extraction vessels in a little nearer, that would help.”

“That is a strict no-no. Too close and the extraction crew are put at risk from explosion, but forty-five minutes is way to slow. It will take ten days of additional processing at that rate and we are tasked with achieving this inside three weeks. We need to reduce the extraction per pod to under thirty minutes. How are you connecting the pods up?”

“As per plan. The extraction hoses are channeled inside the Eagle’s main cargo bay to the operating benches, where they are funneled into a pod. This is a three man process. We are using the clamp mechanism to hold the pod and the hose together and ambient heat to force the gas and radiation into the pod. The pod then does the rest; i.e. removes the gases to an outside chamber connected with a one way valve.”

“Why three men? I think we proposed two.”

“One to hold the hose, one to control the pod controls, and a third to monitor the whole process. We could drop to two, but there is little point as we cannot prepare a second pod until the first is secured.”

Arnold sighed. The extraction process was going as planned. It was just taking too long. The problem was establishing the correct ambient temperature surrounding the hose to force the gas to pass into the pod. Surely they were missing something? The whole process was carried out in a clear plastic tent, with the two operators using mechanized crane clamps to carry out their tasks. No human contact was allowed to prevent contamination or leakage. To control the temperature was the hardest part and this required seemingly different temperature levels for each batch, depending on the ratio of gas to radiation and the make up of the gaseous mixture itself, which varied per sample. It was just taking a lot longer than anticipated and Arnold was not sure there was anything they could do to speed the process up.

The munitions process was working well though. As each pod was completed, it was transported to the rear bay of the shuttle where two men would load the pod into a shell, again using mechanical cranes within a clear tented environment. The pods were designed to fit snugly into the shells, meaning the process was fast and efficient. The weapons were then delivered to a third chamber which ran parallel to the other two, where the shells were stored. From here, they would be distributed to the weapons holds of the various Alpha cruisers, who would deliver them to the Kryl fleet, either by Teutonic or Tiger missile or via a plasma discharge spread over a wide area.

“Okay. Let’s just get better at it. We need to keep the concentration levels up, so let’s take a break at the end of two hours and change the crew around every six. We need to work around the clock and try to get that time down. I will speak to the command team, but I believe we are doing all we can at the moment.”

* * * *

“Ah come in Jake. I understand the new CAG is now operational?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. In which case can you return to your full bridge command rota as discussed? Did everything go well with the exchange?”

“Yes…but the new CAG is a bit full of himself, sir. He won’t go down well with the pilots, if he carries on…”

“Probably just nerves. Lieutenant Commander Rogers knows his stuff. He should be an excellent replacement for Obeya.”

Jake stared at the XO. He still did not like him nor did he trust him and he knew the XO felt the same about him. The new CAG was one of Commander Huber’s own men and he was hardly going to agree with Jake’s interpretation of events. But this chapter of his tour aboard the Halo 7 was over and tomorrow morning he would be back in the exec chair and third in command.

The Halo 7 was tasked with leading the security of the mini task force, while the Eagles and their extraction teams carried out their work. There was no apparent threat and while the command team were on the look out for enemy vessels, nothing had shown up on either short or long range scans. The perceived wisdom was that the damaged Malchian cruiser had gone, probably back to Earth. This presented its own difficulties, as they would now have more than a hint of what Alpha was up to.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Admiral Hoskins

It had a nice ring to it, even if it was only in an acting capacity. Jonathan Hoskins had achieved his lifetime ambition and was at the top of the tree. Not that now was a time for celebration. The lifeless frozen body of his beloved Obeya was on route to the Styros Cluster and he would soon take joint command of the most important military invasion in Earth’s history.

The decision to transport the tryplasmic pod, containing Obeya’s frozen body was taken jointly by the Accura Chief medical Officer and Jonathan Hoskins. The Halo 7’s medical chief had objected at first, but deferred to the judgment of her medical lead, when he assured her that his facilities would provide Obeya with the best chance of survival. Now, the medical shuttle was just forty-eight hours away.

He did not want to see her…not in that state. But, how could he not see her? If she didn’t make it, this would be the last chance to see her alive…even though strictly speaking she wasn’t.

Hoskins’s thought process was interrupted by his comm.link lapel. It was Admiral Martin.

“Hi, Jonathan, can we meet up? I want to discuss some more detailed battle plans. With extraction of the radiation now taking place, we need to move things on again.”

“Sure. I will be right over.” Hoskins mind was not on the job, he needed to focus. But he could not get his mind clear of Obeya. Were they really doing the right thing for her?

Hoskins continued to think about Obeya as his shuttle left the Accura for the short journey to the Viceroy. It was only when the shuttle touched down in the Admiral’s hanger bay, that he forced himself to put thoughts of Obeya to one side.

Admiral Martin was standing by the viewing window of his state room when Hoskins arrived.

“Ah Jonathan. Thanks for joining me. Tea?”

“Yes, please, William. You said you wanted to advance our plan of action?”

“Yes…but before we start, I just wanted to add my own support for Obeya. I think bringing her to the Accura was the right thing to do. I know I have in the past criticized your relationship with Obeya; but I have long since realized she is important to you. I wish her well.”

Hoskins was touched. When Admiral Martin was his ground based staff CO, every discussion on new missions, tours, etcetera were tainted by the Admiral’s insistence that his long term relationship should end. A close family friend, William Martin, attended the wedding of Sarah and Jonathan Hoskins and had long been a supporter of Jonathan’s estranged wife, particularly now they had a son. This was definitely a change of direction. A shame it came about following a major injury to her.

“Okay…let’s do a quick refresh on where we are. How long before the extraction process is complete?”

“About four weeks. They are behind schedule as each extraction is taking longer than anticipated. As you can imagine there is a long list of safety protocols which followed. In four weeks all the charges will have been deployed to the appropriate vessels. We plan to commence our journey to Earth within forty-eight hours of completion.”

“Including the two extra days at the end, a delay of over ten days on our original plans. If we assume the Malchian cruiser is indeed heading back to Earth, these delays could be critical. I suggest we look at moving the fleet out on the day extraction finishes.”

“Unfortunately it is not that easy. We need to ensure the charges are in lock down before we engage high velocity. I think thirty-six hours would be our minimum turnaround after you have added in fleet cohesion diagnostics etcetera. I would rather not cut corners on this. We should start as we mean to go on and then go for it.”

Hoskins was keen to move the subject on. He was the junior partner in the command hierarchy, but he still needed to show his cards. He was not going to lead an assault on the Kryl Empire with an ill planned rushed start.

Admiral Martin saw his stance was antagonizing his colleague. “Okay. We will leave it for now. The main fleet will depart at roughly the same time and will rendezvous with you at the first comms station. We will then move together to the edge of solar system where we will split again and prepare for battle. Have we finalized the make up of your fleet?”

“We were still discussing whether I should take the Accura. I have spoken to Commander Jacques and he is happy for me to use the Halo 7 as the Command Ship. The Accura would slow us up and she would play no active part in the delivery of our charges.”

“Fine. If you are happy with that. I will use the Accura to lead, with the Viceroy bringing up the rear.”

“That’s okay for formation flying, but in battle the Kryl will target both Starships from the outset and we could loose both. I would bury both within the fleet and use your smaller battle ships to front. Also, prepare to split the fleet. The Kryl may well split theirs and try to flank us—simple, but effective. The Kryl commanders know what they are doing. Apologies for jumping in, but I guess I am here for Kryl battle strategy.”

“You are here because you and Admiral Shenke nearly pulled off a victory over the Kryl against the odds. In the absence of Shenke, you are the man for the job and I value your input and will defer to your better judgment.”

“Do we know where Shenke is?”

“When he commanded the remaining fleet to retreat he disappeared. No one has heard from him?”

“Yet we have the Viceroy?”

“Yes, a bit of a mystery. One minute he was on the bridge and the next he was gone. The consensus is he exited the ship via a pressurized exit at high velocity…a nasty way to go, but he must have covered his tracks.”

“He killed himself?”

“Just a theory, without anything to back it up. I hope it’s wrong, but if he felt responsible for the losses. Anyway, let’s move on.”

The two Admirals talked for a further twenty minutes before the meeting broke up and Hoskins returned to his shuttle for the short trip back to the Accura.

It won’t be long, he thought, before I have to leave the Accura again.

Next time it will be a high powered Admiralty Shuttle, taking me to the Rymanian Abyss, where I will join the Halo 7. It was crazy that he would head away from the Starship shortly after Obeya arrived. He only hoped the cryogenic reversal and the anticipated operation would be successful and he saw something of his beloved Obeya as he knew her before he left her again.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Another List

This is what he tried to avoid at all costs. They were less than a month away from the next HSL due date and it looked likely the next list would have to be populated. To make matters worse, Safrec had just sent a communiqué advising that one hundred and fifty million people were required for Kryl processing on this occasion. This would go down like a lead balloon. There was no need to panic just yet. He certainly had a week or so before this information need get out; but in the meantime he needed to get the media on his side. He did not want a repeat of last time, when about three weeks before the list was due to be populated, the mainstream press gave wall to wall coverage. He needed to speak to the chief editors and try to curtail their coverage—at least for a while.

Kate Jones entered the president’s office and immediately regretted her timing. She had known Thomas Roslyn for a long time and could tell instantly when he was in a bad mood.

“What do you want?”

“Sorry, Tom. You wanted me to let you know when Carla Stevenson arrived.”

“She is here?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Send her straight in.”

Carla entered as President Roslyn opened the double doors to the orangery stemming from the western wing of the huge presidential office. Carla walked straight through and joined Roslyn at a suite of wicker chairs with a glass coffee table between them. The Orangery was used sparingly at this time of year as the climate controls struggled behind the vast swathe of glass that surrounded it. But today it was cooler and Thomas Roslyn was looking for a change of environment.

“Take a seat Carla. I presume Kate is seeing to refreshments.”

“Yes, thanks Mister President.”

“I think we agreed you were going to call me Thomas.”

“It seems rather informal, sir. You are the President.”

“Yes, and sometimes I wish I was not. How is the Queen?”

Roslyn opted to continue his more personal stance. He was not coming onto her now. He found it helped people to relax in front of him.

“She seems brighter in herself, but there is a tinge of something. Anxiety, or maybe impending doom, I can’t put my finger on it, but something is bothering her.”

“So, are you saying she is not ill…she does not have the disease?”

“She is still not at her best. I don’t know I would just be speculating. Something is up?”

“I suspect she is worried about her people. I have just had a demand from Safrec to increase the numbers on the next HSL list to one hundred and fifty million.”

“That is appalling.”

“Quite. All the more reason for you to continue to communicate with her. You need to find out why the increase is required and mitigate the difficulties that we will have trying to achieve this.”

“She knows how difficult it is and she constantly stresses that they have no choice…but I will reinforce your point. How are you going to explain to the world that the Kryl need fifty percent more human sacrifices this time?”

“I don’t know Carla…but I am fearful that we will not be able to fulfill this quota. I had hoped something would have happened by now.”

“The Alpha offensive?”

“Yes…they should be here soon.”

“Please don’t tell me. I want to know but I don’t need to know and it will just make any probing questions more difficult to avoid.”

Roslyn understood her stance and he knew he should not have been speaking to her about such things, but Carla was an integral part of the diplomatic effort to secure the Earth/Kryl agreement and ultimately now, with her relationship with the Queen, she was absolutely critical to the whole process.

“That’s fine Carla. I understand. Let’s move on. Has there been any further mention of Safrec or Sorgan?”

“No, but I know that Safrec has been to see her. I will try to broach the subject when I see her next.”

President Roslyn and Carla Stevenson talked for a further ten minutes, before the meeting closed and Carla left Roslyn’s office. His chief aide, Kate Jones joined him moments later.

“Your private shuttle is ready Thomas. I have cancelled meetings with the Environment minister and the Exchequer. You have had an enquiry from the chairman of the party. He wanted to meet for lunch to discuss your support for his presidential candidacy. I have told him, this will have to wait for at least a week.”

“Could well be longer Kate…probably much longer. I don’t know how he thinks I can concern myself with who the next president may or may not be. Right now I could not care less. Did you reschedule the meeting with the Exchequer?”

“Yes. Next week and the environment, in ten days time. Do you want me to accompany you to Lugano?”

“No thanks, Kate. This is one just for me. Tell the ground crew, I shall be with them shortly.”

* * * *

Thomas Roslyn expertly guided his small private shuttle craft onto the grounds of his Swiss Lake side villa. He touched down on the grass and swiftly exited, while the shuttle powered down. A small cloaking field operated as he departed the shuttle and the vessel disappeared into nothingness. He was on his own. This was the way he preferred it, when he was due to meet someone away from prying eyes.

Thirty minutes later his visitor arrived at the boathouse via a small motor launch. Roslyn saw him coming and had prepared some coffee. He sat expectantly at a cast iron table on the patio. He already carried out his own security sweep; no longer trusting the security droids which Alpha provided and for which months before, there security had breached and the content of his conversations were broadcast around the world in minutes. This place was safe and secure, but only if others did not know he was here.

His guest was familiar with the walk from the lake, having done it before. He joined Roslyn on the patio and took a seat and poured himself a coffee before he spoke.

“I must say. It is wonderful to breathe this Lakeland air once again. Air as you can imagine has been rather stale for a while.”

Roslyn laughed. The air here was infinitely better than where his guest had been.

“It is good to see you, Admiral. Your presence has been missed at the top table, but it is good to see your team have been busy and that matters are seemingly progressing.”

“Yes, they are. I am pleased to advise matters are progressing well.”

“Do you have a date Thomas.?” Roslyn was slightly hesitant with the last word. Having the same forename as his guest always seemed rather strange with both holding the highest office in their respective fields.

“A few more weeks of extracting and then the lead fleet will commence their journey back to us. They are all fast and capable vessels, they should be with us within two months.”

Roslyn frowned. This was disappointing, but as expected. He tried not to show it.

“That is good news. Unfortunately, they will be too late for the next HSL batch. To make matters worse, much worse; Safrec just told us to increase the next batch to one hundred and fifty million. I hope you can tell me that our ground forces are ready, because there is no way our people will tolerate that.”

Koenig looked exasperated, but his expression turned into a smile.

“Then let them revolt. Alpha is ready if that is what it takes. How long before the next list is published?”

“Twenty-seven days. By the time we reach thirty, the Earth/Kryl Agreement will be a worthless piece of paper. How many ground troops can we muster?”

“Across the globe and including droid forces, about two million, with artillery, air and naval support. It is not enough, of course and if the Kryl start playing around with our electronics, then it will be localized ground troops with no ground, air or sea support. It could be yet another massacre…but a slow burning one and supported of course by the masses. Why the increase in the list by fifty percent? That suggests an increase in illness.”

Roslyn paused before replying, a low flying shuttle craft passed within a few hundred meters as it hovered close to the lake on its final approach to its landing pad on the lake side promenade of Lugano. A curious spectacle and a reminder that amongst the breathtaking scenery and the calm and splendor of the lakes and mountains, this was the twenty-third century.

“We have not been told, but yes the consensus is increased illness and my sources are confirming this. Are we able to activate any Alpha forces beyond Earth, other than the contingency fleet?”

“No. They have us completely tied down. We can’t even launch one cruiser. We do have Jump Ships though. SAD (Strategic Earth Defense) still has over twelve hundred Rapiers and a few hundred Hunters. There are some Sabres too, but most of them went with the fleet. Our intelligence suggests only the higher ranking Kryl castes are able to impact on our electronic components. Be that as it may, anything in close proximity to Earth may be at risk from their assuming control.”

“Could you launch a Jump Ship attack on one of your ports and release battle cruisers that way?”

“Yes. It is a question of timing and creating the necessary diversions to deploy crew and equipment. Many of the ships have been mothballed. We could launch some and it is within our plans.”

It had better be, thought Roslyn. He was convinced that the whole agreement would unravel when the HSL list was distributed. The public outcry will be huge. There will be riots, political and media hysteria and eventually he would have no choice but to suspend the lists. Then the agreement would fail and the Kryl armies would come marching in. Probably best if he did not let on.

“It seems like you have it covered. I think we will have to keep close in the next few weeks, while obviously preserving our secrecy. I will ensure you are up to date.”

“Thanks Thomas. I will do the same.

As the meeting broke up, both leaders knew that the fragile agreement between Earth and the Kryl was dead and the next time they met, Earth would most likely be at war.

Chapter Fifty

A Position of Power

Safrec waited patiently for the Queen to join him. Three weeks had passed since their last meeting and the Kronan was eager to please his Queen again.

Today she is making me wait. Why? I am the chosen one?

The Queen entered from the side door, which lead from her private chambers. She was dressed in a red satin dress. If color expressed the mood of the conversation; it was clear she was seeking to dominate and Safrec instantly regretted choosing today to see his Queen. She looked strong again, purposeful, dangerous and unrelenting.

“Approach the throne Safrec.”

He tried to show his confidence when he stepped forward, but the Queen already recognized his reticence.”You lack confidence today, Safrec. Why?”

He elected to side step the question

“You look radiant today my Queen and it is good to see your health has returned. Can I assume that this is not entirely down to me?”

“I am still dying Safrec; if that is what you mean. But not for a long time and today we have much to discuss. We will dispense with any suggestion that your relationship with me has changed. I will remind you that our coming together was a one off.”

She waited as Safrec shuffled uncomfortably before looking at the Queen directly

“As I have said before, Trieste…I hope in time you will recognize me in a different way.”

He stepped forward as he spoke and offered a hand of friendship.

“For now, I agree we must discuss the deterioration in our numbers. This is the worst escalation of the disease in a generation.”

The Queen looked angry and Safrec took a step back. Today was not a day to foster their relationship.

“Do not overstep your position, Safrec. You will continue to address me as my Queen. You are not my “chosen one” and you will not refer to me in such personal terms. You hardly need remind me of the escalation of the disease. For now, that is not what we must discuss. Walk with me.”

The Queen and the Kronan walked side-by-side towards the far side of the huge sanctuary. Safrec had rarely ventured this far into the Queen’s lair. A reminder of just how much power she had; the sanctuary and the Queen’s chambers covered the whole deck.

“I have heard from Sorgan, whose ship returns to us, having located the missing Alpha fleet.”

Safrec immediately jumped to attention. If they had found the fleet, he could end this insurrection once and for all. He would then deal with Sorgan before he returned to Trieste to take his prize.

“That is good news, my Queen. I shall prepare my forces immediately.”

“No…it is not good news. We should never have allowed them to escape in the first place. The blood of a million Kryl is on your hands Safrec. Many others will die now.”

“Regrettable, but this time we will complete the task.”

“They are carrying with them a source of Quescum; which they will obviously intend to use against us as a weapon.”

Safrec was stunned. “Quescum…” He recoiled as he instantly recognized the danger his people in. “How did they come by it? How would they know?”

“You fool. They have obviously determined our weakness. I presume this form of radiation does not affect them in the same way. We are now in grave danger.”

“Then we must prepare. We must finish these humans before Alpha arrives and then move on. This need not be the end.” He suddenly felt weakened and defenseless.

“No Safrec. Our people are already dying in huge numbers. There is no time to find another population to replace the humans. Our species will be gone before we have even located a source. We must take a stand and defeat them before they have a chance to spread the Quescum. We still outnumber them and have the power advantage. You must prepare a fleet to attack Alpha and destroy them before they approach Earth.”

The magnitude of the task before them was becoming clear in Safrec’s mind. How had they come by this? So many species had gone before, without them ever discovering the one true Kryl weakness. The humans had been underestimated yet again.

“How much do they have?”

“Sorgan did battle with them, close to a large source of Quescum, which they were obviously in the process of extracting. He survived as did his crew, because he is Malchian.”

“Why did he not destroy them there and then?”

“He was outnumbered and his ship returns to us in a damaged state. They were attacked by The Halo 7…Jake Carter was aboard.”

It now dawned on Safrec that his position was weakened. Sorgan had the upper hand. The radiation would not affect the Malchian. Why was the human, Jake Carter always involved?

“I will prepare a large fleet immediately, my Queen. We will destroy them before they can attack. I will work with Sorgan and then I will kill Jake Carter personally.”

“Yes, you will work with Sorgan. You need him and his people more than ever. Do not touch Jake Carter. His destiny has already been determined. He must be allowed to join me here on my ship.”

Safrec’s mind was churning over; trying to come to terms with the feeling that the continued existence of his people was in question and what of his own position in all of this. He would work with Sorgan, but when the time was right he would kill him. He needed to work quickly. He needed to decide which of the new Queen caste should he lie with and then influence Trieste to ensure his mistress should become the new Queen, when Trieste gave way to her illness. He could not perceive his own death. The disease would not get him and he would protect himself from the radiation. Now, he just had to sustain the Queen’s life for as long as possible. He would have to mate with her again.

“I will, my Queen…but for now—if I am to leave—you will slowly weaken. I must lie with you again to give you strength and then, you must take a human’s life as relief to sustain you until I return.”

“I told you, Safrec, I would not lie with you again.”

“You can wait for Sorgan if you wish, but my job as Kronan is to sustain your life. I cannot leave you if I know you will weaken in my absence. The only solution is to give you great strength again, before I go. You must lay with me again, my Queen.”

Chapter Fifty–One

Sorgan’s Revenge

The Malchian Battle Cruiser was returned to full strength and in pursuit of an Alpha Battle Cruiser. Sorgan was pleased. His ship was repaired and, critical information had been relayed to the Queen’s ship. He now enacted revenge against The Pantheon, one of the original vessels, he attacked just after they set out to find the Alpha fleet. He would return home triumphant after all and to his Queen.

* * * *

The Pantheon continued her long journey home. Wesley Smith monitored the ships analytics constantly; the ship was intact but only just. At their current velocity, it would take nearly six months to get home, but no one was in any hurry. The objective was simply to get every one of the remaining three-hundred and fifty crew home to their families. Then and only then could he relax. No one knew what awaited them when they reached Earth. It was likely the Kryl were still there and, they could conceivably attack his ship once again, but what choice did he have?

“Commander, we have detected the anomaly again. It’s closer this time. Just one hundred thousand kilometers. It is possible; it could be a scanning mechanism.”

“Okay; thanks, Philip. Given our current status, I think we have to be careful. Raise shields to maximum and take us to condition yellow. I will join you on the bridge shortly.”

Philip Higgins has actually taken to his new role well, over the last month. He is respected and instinctively monitoring the correct schematics. It was good to have someone he could trust again.

* * * *

“What is our velocity?”

“SD 1.6 holding steady.”

“And the anomaly?”

“Still there. Closing to within Eighty-five thousand clicks. We could consider a sweep at this range.”

“Not yet. The data would be unreliable. Let’s hold steady for now. It could be nothing.”

Smith doubted his own words, but there was little point in creating panic—not just yet. He had that awful feeling…that they had been here before.

* * * *

It was too easy. The Malchian cruiser’s new galaxy wide scanning portal could locate high velocity objects, light years away and now with its enhanced capabilities, it could even pinpoint and identify specific craft. The Pantheon had travelled along a natural space corridor spanning just half a light year across. The Malchian cruiser was using the same path and quickly located and identified the Alpha Battle cruiser. Now within fifty thousand kilometers, Sorgan had the option to attack with long range weapon strategies…but he wanted his target to see them.

“Increase velocity to close the gap, establish a link and draw us in.”

They would lock on to the Pantheon and pull her towards them. Then they would destroy her.

The link was established just a few minutes later. Now less than a kilometer apart; it was time to show the Pantheon commander, that the running was over.

“Drop cloaking and bring us around to face them. Let’s look them straight in the eye.”

* * * *

“They have a lock on us, sir. They are pulling us in.”

“Full reverse…get us to a good distance. Go to battle stations. Charge PBA.”

In the end, it was no surprise to Wesley Smith when the Malchian cruiser had shown itself. It was certainly alarming; but there was calm on the ships bridge. They had been here before and now, what choice did they have?

“We have pulled back to one thousand meters. We cannot hold this position for long, sir.”

“Launch all Jump Ships; target the link mechanism between us. Discharge all main weaponry at will. Number One, let me know when the PBA is charged.”

The Pantheon went on the offensive, pummeling the Malchian cruisers shields, but with only partial success. As the Jump Ships launched, they were met with resistance immediately, outnumbered, outgunned and out maneuvered by the Malchian Arrows. The Malchian cruiser was bombarding the Pantheon with a huge swathe of plasma discharge, targeting the stellar drive, main weapons bank and the ships main weakness, the weakened substitute bulkheads. The shields held initially, but the shear power of the larger Kryl cruiser began to tell against the comparatively small and ineffective Pantheon fire power. The shields began to fail.

“What’s the PBA status?”

“Eighty percent, sir. We could fire now, but we are too close. We need to divert more power to get us further away.”

“Do it. Number one, we need our best weapon available to us. How many Teutonic’s do we have left?”

“Engaging reverse thrust now. We cannot get further away! Teutonic’s, er…thirteen left…er only two launch pods left intact. The torpedoes are in the wrong place, we cannot fire from them!”

“Bring the PBA on-line and target the Kryl cruisers main drive. We need that off-line, so at least then we can affect an escape.”

Seconds later the PBA fired. The Pantheon’s main offensive weapon failed to gain sufficient impetus to damage the Malchian cruiser, because it was just too close. The Alpha cruisers shields began to fall in quick succession.”

“Compensate with those shields. Recharge PBA. We are free from their tractor link. Turn about and get some distance between us.”

The destruction of the tractor link mechanism allowed the Pantheon to break free and gave them vital seconds to extend the gap between them and the Malchian cruiser. Wesley Smith took the opportunity to take stock of the situation. Shields were residual only, there were no available Teutonic’s, half the plasma cannons had been blown away, and only a few Rapiers remained. In less than ten minutes, the Pantheon’s resistance had been removed. She was target practice, waiting for the final charge to finish her and her crew off once and for all.

Smith looked around his bridge. At least his command center was still intact and operational. They all did their jobs well, even if the strain was beginning to tell. If he let this continue, they would all be dead within a few minutes more.

He sighed and paused briefly before reaching down to his command station. He opened a comm.link directly, paused again, and then spoke.

“Kryl commander…we wish to discuss terms of surrender. Please respond.”

There was silence on the bridge and the battle rumbled on for few moments before the reply came.

“Pantheon Commander. Stand down your weapons and shields. Prepare to be boarded.”

Smith acknowledged and closed the link. He remained passive and gave his orders quietly and precisely.

“Take the weapons banks offline and recall the Jump Ships. Hold the shields on until the last Jump Ship is back inside.” He opened an in internal ship-wide comm.link before he spoke again.”Gentlemen, Ladies, It has been a pleasure. I don’t know what will happen now for certain, but please prepare to be boarded and accord the Kryl respect.”

He no longer cared whether he was following protocol. He and his crew had suffered enough.

Five minutes later, with the Malchian cruiser now alongside and dwarfing the Battle Cruiser Pantheon, an umbilical connection was made and the two ships joined. A squad of six Malchian guards entered and were escorted to the bridge.

“Commander Smith. Please come with us.”

Wesley Smith shrugged his shoulders.”Of course…Number One, you have the con. Please maintain status. I am sure I will return soon and then presumably we will return to Earth under company of the Malchians. I am sure this is all standard procedure.”

The CO was escorted to the umbilical join and onto the Kryl ship and from there he was taken the short distance to the Malchian commander’s Sanctuary. Sorgan was there to greet him.

“Welcome to my ship Commander Smith. I am Sorgan, the leader of the Queen’s Malchians. I don’t believe we have met before, other than in combat.”

“What will you do with us?”

“A good question, Commander. Let’s just say that I rarely get the opportunity to destroy a ship twice. Usually once is sufficient. Your ship has undergone significant repairs. Where were you heading?”

“Back to Earth. Our repairs were temporary and the ship was weakened. We were ready to take what punishment the Kryl governor would have applied to us.”

“What do you think he should do now? You have attacked us twice now, Commander.”

“You attacked us the first time…I don’t know. I would imagine the ship will be mothballed and we would be demobbed.”

“Without punishment. Your ship is responsible for the deaths of many of my crew. There is no need to wait to see what punishment will be dealt out by the Kronan. We can deal with that here.”

Sorgan turned away and whispered to one of the guards, who left without replying.

“I have ordered the Pantheon set adrift without you, commander. I am taking you as my prize for the Queen. She will be grateful for the opportunity to meet a ranking officer—even if you are a defeated ranking officer.”

Smith was anxious. Why would they set her adrift?

Sorgan smiled. “Your thoughts are very transparent. I am setting her adrift to mete out punishment.”

The Malchian turned away again and spoke to another guard, before returning his gaze to Wesley Smith.

“I think you will soon find out. A large polymer holographic display appeared in front of them. The Pantheon was drifting some distance to port.

Seconds later a huge blast of concentrated plasma weapons were discharged. The unshielded Alpha battle cruiser was defenseless. The plasma burst hit the stricken cruiser amidships, shattering the temporary bulkheads. The Pantheon split into two flaming hulks as a huge explosion engulfed her. Within a few moments it was all over. The Pantheon and its crew were gone.

Wesley Smith stood with his mouth agape. He could not believe what he witnessed. His ship, his crew were gone. He found himself speechless and then, suddenly enraged, he leapt at Sorgan.

Sorgan raised his right arm and forced Smith to the floor, with one swiping lunge against the human’s upper back. His strength was unbelievable. Now everything was hazy. He wanted to get up, but was unable. He passed out briefly. When he was able to open his eyes, Sorgan stood above him.

“Punishment has now been enacted, Commander. Your ship and all your crew are dead and you have survived only because you are my prize. Your ships feeble attempt to challenge me and your own for that matter, have failed. I have my revenge and now we can return to my Queen triumphant, confident and armed with the knowledge that will stop Alpha’s pathetic attempt to defeat us. Take him away and store him. Keep him alive…but barely.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

Extraction Complete

On the other side of the galaxy, Jonathan Hoskins express shuttle just arrived at the Rymanian Abyss and was in the process of completing its post landing procedures in the rear hanger bay of the Halo 7. Hoskins was greeted by the Halo 7’s commanding Officer, Jean-Luc Jacques.

“Hello Jean-Luc. How is my ship? Sorry your ship?”

Commander Jacques laughed. “All the better to have you back aboard Admiral…although it is still my ship, isn’t it?”

The two men completed their greeting with a respective hug and pat on the back.

“Seriously Jean-Luc. You know I am here because we need to use the Halo as the command ship for the radiation attack. Given her speed and capability there was really only one choice. Do you have the fleet operations center set up?”

“Yes. We have converted the rear observation deck, which as you know has three hundred and sixty degree visibility and direct access to the bridge. I have also joined two of the senior officer quarters into one, to form an Admirals state room. I think we make quite a good flag ship.”

“And your crew…how is your new first officer?”

“Commander Huber is learning the ropes, but he is ably assisted as you might expect by Jake Carter, who is now in effect third in command…fourth if you count you.”

Maria Shavenosky, who listened intently as she stood by Hoskins’ side, let out a short whelp when she heard Jake’s name. Embarrassed, she felt compelled to comment.

“Sorry Admiral. I am looking forward to seeing Jake.”

“Try to maintain some professional integrity Lieutenant. Commander, perhaps Maria could arrange the transition to our quarters?”

“Of course, Lieutenant. Good to have you back on board too. The CPO is expecting you.”

Maria took the hint and set off to find the CPO; leaving the two senior officers to their discussions.

“It worries me that she is still into Jake Carter. We need him at his best for this operation—especially if we assume the Queen’s prophecy will come true.”

“That he will meet her again on her ship?”

“Yes…we’ve all learned to not take anything for granted with Jake. We could consider removing him from the frontline; but I guess if it’s going to happen, it will find a way. I still want to keep him close. Whatever part he plays, history shows us, it is likely to be important. I don’t feel that comfortable with Maria being here either. She is an unnecessary distraction.”

“Why don’t you transfer her?”

“I have made a commitment for her to remain as my aide. Besides, she is doing a good job. Without trying to force the issue; let’s just try and keep them apart and in any case, I think Jake only has eyes for Carla Stevenson.”

“Yes, I agree. I presume you still wish Jake to remain ship bound?”

“Yes, I think so. His knowledge of the Kryl and to prevent his wandering off. We need to keep him close by. You have a new CAG don’t you?”

“Yes, Lieutenant Commander Rogers. Well respected and knows the job…but not terribly well liked…we would all much prefer to have Obeya still aboard.”

Commander Jacques knew better than to stir this one up, especially since she had been injured under his command. He knew his friend and colleague well enough to bring the subject up.

“Yes. She is in good hands. By now, her operation should be underway. I obviously wish I was there with her but I can’t be in two places at once.”

“I am sure when you do see her, she will on her way to recovery.”

“God, I hope so.” Hoskins paused briefly as he reflected and then as if deliberately to lift Obeya from his mind; he changed tack.”I want to see some of the charges, their storage, and it would be a good idea to speak to John Arnold. Which ship is he on?”

“He is on the Halo. Although we have no charges aboard. His lab is here. We figured it would be wise for him to use the next two to three months wisely; looking at ways to enhance the radiation charge’s capability. His lab is on deck two, just below the main hanger bay.”

“Curious place to put a lab, where volatile materials are in use?”

“We are limited on space; especially with the command team now aboard. But given that, the Halo did seem the obvious ship.”

“Yes, I agree. Okay. Let’s go and see him.”

* * * *

Jake Carter had just stepped down from a ten hour shift. The CO had been tied up with the new command team and the XO had just been absent. Where and why was not clear, but the XO should have come on shift three hours ago. He arrived shortly after 8:00 p.m. and said nothing. Jake simply handed over the con and signed off.

He headed for the officers mess. He was looking forward to a quick bite to eat, a shower, and a few hours rest before he was due back on shift. He did not count on Maria Shavenosky being there to greet him.

“Hi Jake.”

He was not surprised to see her. He knew Admiral Hoskins was on board.

“Maria. Good to see you. How long have you been back?”

“We arrived today. My God, Jake. You look well and it’s good to see you. Can I join you?”

“Sure. Although this is a quick meal, I need to get some rest.”

“Some wine?”

“No.”

There was no way he was going there again. Not, when he just a few months away from seeing Carla. The relationship with Maria should never have happened.

“Ah, come on Jake. It’s been a long time. We need to catch up.”

“Not tonight. I just pulled a ten hour stint and am back on in six. Maybe another time.”

“Soon, Jake.”

“Soon.”

Jake was annoyed with himself for even suggesting they could drink wine together again. He would let it drop for now.

They talked for ten minutes as Jake ate, updating each other on the events of the last few months. Jake excused himself as soon as he had finished his meal, hurriedly heading for the exit. He arrived at his quarters a minutes or so later, entered and took a quick shower. He was just about to turn in, when the door comm sounded.

Ah Christ. Why won’t she let it go?

“Come.”

The door opened and Jonathan Hoskins entered.

“That’s okay. Don’t get up, Jake.”

He was relieved it wasn’t Maria, but slightly surprised to see an Admiral at the door of his quarters.

“Admiral Hoskins, sir. What can I do for you?”

“I can see you are in need of some rest Jake; so I won’t keep you. I just wanted to talk to you about our journey back to Earth and what will happen to you when we get there. It must be likely the Kryl will try to force you to leave the ship again, especially given the Queen’s prediction.”

“I try not to think about it, sir. The reality is somehow I will see the Queen again. There is no guarantee that it has to be now. It could be two years or even five years. We just don’t know.”

“I have taken the added precaution of placing you on a flight ban. I hope you understand the reason why?”

“Is this off the record, sir?”

“Of course.”

“I am not happy, sir. Notwithstanding the recent Malchian attack; there are no Kryl in this sector of the galaxy. Unless you feel my going AWOL is down to my personal actions; it is not logical for me to serve a flight ban. I’m probably the best reserve pilot you’ve got.”

“I have no issue with your personally. Maybe you should look at this from a different angle. It is possible you will play a very important part in the events that unfold when we reach Earth—perhaps even a critical one. If we allow you to fly, then what happens if you have an accident? You would no longer be able to fulfill your role. If we keep you within this ship and out of harms way, we are protecting our asset. A far more significant reason; I am sure you will agree.”

Jake remained passive. He didn’t want the Admiral to see his true feelings. He was still angry he was banned from flying; but he did not want to jeopardize his relationship with the Admiral. He owed him a great deal.

“You are looking at this as if my visit to the Queen could only be positive. What happened if my visit is ultimately a bad thing for Alpha?”

“What do you think?”

“I have no idea and that is the paradox. I don’t know whether to prepare for death or something else. All I know is the Queen expects to meet me again some day and we don’t know when…”

“Okay I accept that. But on balance my instinct is…if we allow your visit to happen, it will be a positive thing. I also feel it’s likely to happen during or after the forthcoming battle with the Kryl. Weighing all these things together has led me to my conclusion; we should protect you. Do you understand why now?”

“I guess. I don’t agree with it. But I will accept it. I am pleased to hold a position of responsibility aboard this ship.”

“And so you should be. You are still so young. But your knowledge of the Kryl remains critical and Commander Jacques needs you on the bridge. And as I have chosen this ship as the command ship for the radiation attack, then so do I.”

“It is appreciated, sir.”

“Good. Okay, I will let you get some rest. Perhaps tomorrow you could find some time to see me on the new fleet command bridge. I would value your opinions.”

“I would be happy to ,sir.”

“Oh, Jake…before I go, I wanted to just make some kind of observation about Maria Shavenosky. It is no secret that she is seeking to develop a relationship with you.”

Jake was suddenly embarrassed. This was not an area of conversation he had expected to have with an Admiral. He decided denial was the best course of action.

“Really, sir…I am flattered. I have a relationship with Carla…”

“Come on, Jake. We both know Maria and you have history and that she wants more. I have become quite close to Maria in her capacity as my personal aide. All I can say is ,she could become an unwelcome distraction. I have a feeling it could be a dangerous liaison.”

Jake blushed. Obviously Maria had discussed their relationship with Jonathan Hoskins. That was unprofessional and embarrassing.

“I will accept we have history and unfortunately relatively recently…but it is just that, sir. I have already spoken to her today. I will not go their again.”

“Not my place to get involved Jake. Just a few words from the wise. Remember I have a track record in this area.”

Jake suddenly realized who the Admiral was referring too and was then embarrassed that he forgot to ask. He stuttered out his next sentence.

“I am sorry, sir. Yes, of course. Obeya. I forgot to ask how she is doing. I was devastated when she became injured. In a way, I feel responsible.”

“I have spoken to her surgeon this evening. The cryogenic thaw and the operation went well and she is recovering. There is a long way to go. She was lucky to survive…but you are not responsible.”

“I am glad she is doing well, sir. We all miss her here.”

“Quite…I think that is enough for now Jake. I wanted to clear the air and make you aware of where I stood. You remain integral to my plans. I just hope it will all come together as we plan.”

“So do I, sir. So do I.”

* * * *

Thirty-two hours later, The Halo 7 and her accompanying fleet set forward from the Rymanian Abyss on their return to Earth; armed with enough radiation charges to destroy the entire Kryl fleet.

Chapter Fifty-Three

The Revolt

The announcement when it came was greeted with dismay. A new list had been published and individual messages were distributed to over two hundred million persons across the globe. One hundred and fifty million of those selected would be sacrificed. The people of Earth were in no mood for further unnecessary and pointless deaths. The reaction was swift and widespread.

In the continental North America, rioting had been the worst, with large areas of New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago now effective no go zones. Crime was rife, with loss of life running into the thousands. Throughout the world, rioting followed in all the major cities. The ECG lost control and The Kryl just sat back and watched it happen. Rather than try to curb the anxiety by culling a mass of rioters as they had done before, this time the Kryl Governor elected to hold off and allow the disturbances to follow their natural path. Instead of petering out, it escalated, with smaller and smaller populations taking to the streets in protest, with the inevitable bloodshed that followed.

The security forces did not know how to respond, largely because they felt the same way. The rioters lacked direction and leadership. There was no one to fight and once the inevitable looting and pillaging died down, the urban landscape became deathly quiet, no one daring to come out.

President Thomas Roslyn was in crisis talks with Alpha’s official Commander in Chief, Admiral Yamoto on how the ground, air and sea forces of Strategic Earth defense should respond. Admiral Koenig had remained in the background. His responsibilities had not yet started. Yamoto had tried to engage his forces and to get troops on the ground but the consensus of the population was simple: destroy the Kryl or we will destroy you. Roslyn’s worst nightmare had come true.

“This is ridiculous, Ryoichi. We cannot have this happen now; not when we are so close. How can we engage the support of the SED forces if they no longer trust us?”

“I fear there is only one solution, Thomas. The situation has deteriorated far too quickly to contemplate any other. We must reject the agreement and turn and fight the Kryl. We must give the population a direction to fight for. If they know who there enemy is, they will join us.”

“Yes, but how can we get our message across? I am totally sold on the idea of rejecting the agreement; but with so many of the population now taking matters into their own hands we no longer have control.”

“We can exercise control via the social networks. We don’t need to say much; simply that the Kryl are now the enemy and we must turn and face them together. We must only have a matter of hours before they intervene anyway. Their lists are due to be fulfilled tomorrow. You must engage the media and announce that the agreement is over…we will then launch an offensive against those Kryl on the ground. We will be outnumbered but as word gets out we will gain support.”

“I am sorry to have to ask you this…Thomas Koenig is now back. Who is in command down here?”

“I am. Thomas is responsible for the invasion fleet. When this is all over, we will fight it out to see who remains CIC. Rest assured, SED is under my control. I understand your reticence. Remember, only a few people know Admiral Koenig is even alive.”

“Okay…thanks for the reassurance. We will draft a suitably assertive and unambiguous statement and will release it to the networks and other media this evening. Thanks for your help Ryoichi. I will see you on the other side.”

* * * *

“The Earth/Kryl agreement has ceased. There will be no more human sacrifices and the list published and distributed is no longer valid. Those selected should NOT travel to the collection centers. They are closed and will remain so. The Kryl have been advised that the agreement is over and that they are no longer welcome on Earth. I know you will join me in helping to remove them from OUR planet.”

Roslyn sat in silence as the short broadcast ended. The broadcast networks had agreed to air the message continuously for the next twenty-four hours. His job was done. Now it was up to the people.

* * * *

The Kryl Governor was angry. He just received word of Roslyn’s broadcast, which reaffirmed the earlier communiqué received from the President’s office; “The Kryl/Earth Agreement is null and voided and the Kryl are required to leave Earth within forty-eight hours.”

Safrec had assembled his senior commanders and was about to address them. He would not stand and wait for Alpha to dispatch their radiation weapon and he would not be remembered as the Kronan who resided over the death of the Kryl. He would keep the radiation threat to himself; his commanders would work much better if they did not think that their very existence was in jeopardy.

“My fellow commanders; the agreement is no longer in place and the humans once again stand against us…but we will not crush them…not yet. The agreement was put in place as the best method of extracting humans for relief. With their consent we can live side-by-side, allow the disease to be managed and continue to seek a cure. We have seen rebellion against us before and we have removed the threat and returned to a good relationship with our food source. A symbiotic relationship is the best one. We will hold off any action for one day and if the agreement is not returned, we will take one hundred and fifty million humans ourselves. However, we will do this within the framework of the agreement. We will not take lives indiscriminately and we will keep within the stipulated number.”

Safrec waited as the five senior commanders surrounding him digested the information. No one would say anything until invited to. To do so would be disrespectful and a strong Kronan would act immediately by killing them where they stood. He had never been interrupted.

“Are we quite clear on what terms we will be acting?”

This was the opportunity for his commanders to respond, but they still needed to maintain decorum and respect in their comments.

Deshler was the first to respond.

“My Kronan. I think I speak for all of us here. We will conform to your instructions and to the agreement. But, if we take humans forcibly, there will be indiscriminate loss of life. We will kill far more than those required for relief.”

“Yes, inevitably. But you, Deshler, know all too well, that without a firm hand your drones will rampage first and answer to crimes second. I will hold you and your colleagues responsible if the number of battle kills is too high.”

A second Kryl commander now had the confidence to speak.

“My Kronan. I feel compelled to ask—respectfully—why we should wait twenty-four hours? We need to send a cold hard shock to the people of this planet, that we are still the masters and they are the food source. We can do this by extraction of course; but we must show them why we rule and they don’t.”

There was silence in the room now as the second commander Methos waited for Safrec to respond. This comment was a calculated and dangerous strategy. If it went wrong and was badly received, then he could well be breathing his last breath.

Safrec knew he must be strong, but he needed his commanders. Too soft an approach now could have a material impact on his leadership quality. He stood and approached the viewing window, which looked out over the huge hanger bay of the Queen’s ship. From here he saw every ship that came and went. He needed to be strong…

“Methos. Your responsibilities lie elsewhere with the estranged Alpha Fleet. Why do you question my judgment?”

Safrec held his hand aloft and Methos brought his hand to his throat. The Kronan was squeezing the life out of him…he yelped out in pain and fell to his knees. Safrec brought his hand down again and allowed the commander to live and Methos fell to the floor gasping. A few second more and Safrec would have killed him. Safrec still attached some value to his commander’s abilities.

“You have your orders and you have each received your individual commands. I expect all of you to comply.”

With a wave of his hand, the meeting was over and the commanders left Safrec’s throne room in silence.

Safrec smiled. He enjoyed the power he held over them; but he wanted to kill Methos. He held back because Methos was important. He was tasked with stopping Alpha’s rogue fleet. Now it was time to speak to Roslyn.

* * * *

They took him directly from the Presidential Office. Six drones had marched across the Palace lawn through the main entrance hall and corridor and into Roslyn’s office without any resistance. He expected them and they were allowed straight through.

Less than a minute later, he boarded the shuttle alone.

The shuttle took off immediately and after clearing Earth’s atmosphere and shields it headed straight to the Queen ship. Safrec watched the shuttle arrive from his throne room.

* * * *

“Why have you terminated the agreement between us?” Safrec stood in the corner of the room and spoke as soon as Roslyn was ushered in.

Roslyn had obviously been expecting a visit or summons and had been contacted within an hour of the Kronan receiving the communiqué. When the Kryl drones arrived, he asked they be allowed to collect him, without contact or harassment from his security division. Now, he regretted that decision.

“I warned you, Safrec, that one hundred and fifty million people on the HSL list would not be accepted and so it has panned out. Once the rioting reached pandemic proportions, I had no choice to act.”

“A foolish decision. Without the agreement, your people will be pulverized into nothingness.”

Roslyn couldn’t help but smile, even though expressing amusement was far from the sentiment he felt. The Kryl had a manner, when they spoke English, that was almost quintessential and traditional Anglo Saxon English, like something out of a Pathe news reel from two hundred and fifty years ago. It was always a source of constant surprise that so many Kryl understood Earth’s Key languages. Most were fluent, even to the point of portraying humor and irony, accurately and fluently.

“What amuses you Roslyn?”

Roslyn decided to exploit this tactic. He knew he would not be able to deviate from the main topic of conversation for long; but at least he could frustrate him.

“I was just reflecting on your remarkable accent. Your understanding of our language is astounding.”

“Irrelevant! You have destroyed the relationship between us and placed all humans in grave danger. You must seek to quickly repair the damage you have done, rather than try to divert my attention by complimenting my language prowess. The agreement is dead. How are you going to resolve this?”

Roslyn quickly realized his tactic was not working. His intention had always been to deal with this matter straight on and now was the time.

“Safrec. I am sorry you don’t recognize a compliment when you see one. As people we are always keen to find the good in others. But we cannot find anything good in the Kryl…and the agreement is a reflection of this. I am sorry, Safrec; we will no longer comply with the agreement and my people will remove you from Earth and the outlying colonies—by force if necessary.”

“You fool. What makes you think your limited resources are any match for ours? We will crush you and kill you all.”

“I don’t have to know Safrec and I don’t have to explain either. I just believe…”

He felt the tightening in his neck as soon as he had finished his sentence. Safrec has decided the conversational part of our meeting is over. He felt like his neck was about to snap. Then he felt the probing, the deep probing inside his mind and he felt powerless to defend himself. This was not about the pain. He knew that his every thought, sub consciously or otherwise was the Kronan’s to take. His resistance was over.

* * * *

Roslyn passed out again and now lay slumped over a chair. Safrec sat in front of him on his throne. The human would wake shortly and Safrec would tell him exactly what would happen now. He had delved deep into the humans mind; sensing there was no further resistance he now had a more complete understanding of exactly what Alpha was planning and he knew his people were at great risk. He would do everything in his power to prevent their plans from coming to fruition and that would start with persuading Roslyn to reinstate the agreement. He was stirring now. Good it was time to seize the initiative.

“I am pleased to see you have survived the experience Thomas. Your mind is unharmed. You will feel well again in a few moments.”

Roslyn sat up and shook his head as if he trying to remove an invading parasite from inside his head. He sighed and then turned his attention towards the Kryl commander.

“Okay. So, you have what you needed to know. It does not change anything. I have told you my people will not accept your rule again.”

“Not good enough! You have one day to change your stance on this. If you persist we will take our share of your people indiscriminately.”

“I have told you already, I have no choice. I still believe the agreement is the best option, but not if my people tell me no. I do want to maintain our status quo. Can we have a little longer than twenty-four hours?”

“No! You will get your people back under control or I will do it for you. You don’t want that to happen President Roslyn. Many humans will die…take him back to Earth.”

As the Kronan barked out his final order, two drones appeared from the shadows and led the silent Roslyn away.

Safrec waited until the human was gone. He smiled again. He was back in charge and his stance would win through. Now, he must speak to his Queen.

* * * *

The Queen sat patiently as the Kronan took the long walk towards the center of her Sanctuary and her throne. As he drew nearer, he saw someone was with her. It was the human Carla Stevenson. What was she doing here?

“What are you going to do about the agreement Safrec? This is a disaster?”

“My Queen. I will not discuss matters of state with the human here. She needs to leave now.”

“Relax Safrec. Carla is not here in an official capacity, although I am sure she will be keen to know what you have to say.”

“Then broadcast it to President Roslyn. My Queen, I must insist she leaves or I will.”

“You will not overstep your mark, my Kronan. I wanted her to meet you that is all. Do you have a message for the ECG President that Carla can relay?”

Safrec could not believe he was having this conversation. Trieste had clearly lost control and was using this human now as her confident…or was she here for some other reason? The Queen seemed in good health. Was she using Carla’s brain stimuli as relief? He looked closer at Carla and felt her draw to him. He could have her right here in front of the Queen. He saw now why Navalion wanted her by his side.”

“My Queen. I have already spoken to Roslyn and I have given him one day to reinstate the agreement. You could reaffirm your support of my actions to your confident and she can advise Roslyn accordingly.”

The Queen stared at Safrec. She was clearly not happy for Carla to be referred to as her confident.

“Carla is not my confident. She is here in a diplomatic capacity and assuming your actions are warranted, she will know they have my support. Carla thank you for your time today. As always it has been beneficial. Please reinforce to President Roslyn our wish to continue the Earth/Kryl relationship in a friendly way. These skirmishes on Earth will be dealt with and then we can move on.”

Carla coughed and looked a little uncertain as to what she should do now. A gesture from the Queen, moving her arm towards the sanctuary exit was sufficient to engage her.

“Thank you, Trieste. It has been a pleasure and I am pleased to meet you, Safrec. I assure you that I will reinforce your stance to the President.”

Carla stepped away, but paused as Safrec stared at her. He was probing her mind.

Good he saw she was powerless to resist him. That could be useful. Of course she was the mate of Jake Carter. A good lure to bring the killer of Navalion to the Queen’s ship. He saw she was troubled…another human was the object of her affection…no it just been sex. It was curious why her having a second partner should be a problem to Carter. And finally as he drove to the very depths of her mind, he saw the ultimate truth. The Queen was slowly absorbing her. The cosy relationship between them was just a ploy. Trieste was consuming the human after all. He withdrew, smiled, and allowed the human to exit. He waited until she was out of earshot before he spoke.

“So, you have been consuming her after all.”

“Yes, but I will not harm her…it is enough to keep me going between your visits.”

“Are you acknowledging me as your mate?”

“Yes…but not as my chosen one and only until Sorgan arrives home. In any case you will depart with the fleet shortly to join him.”

“Yes, my Queen. I will take you this evening—before I leave for the fleet. Will you take a human in full sacrifice to provide you with relief while I am away?”

“Yes…but not Carla. Sorgan is bringing me a suitable human. Enough of this, my health is not relevant here. What are you doing to get the agreement reinstated? This is critical to our survival.”

Sorgan again, thought Safrec. I will deal with him my own way. The Queen will never see him again.

“As I have told you, my Queen; the ECG have one day. If they don’t comply then we will take the one hundred and fifty million ourselves. We have been here before. The humans will comply when they realize just how little choice they have.”

Chapter Fifty–Four

The Journey Home

Two weeks after departing from the Rymanian Abyss, the Radiation Task force was struggling to make progress. For the third time in ten days, the fleet was forced to slow to sub stellar velocity, because one of the radiation carriers was in trouble.

John Arnold had expected this. The Antirillium Radiation was extremely volatile and encasing it within a metal charge shell and subjecting it to high velocity at anything other than a very specific low temperature range; there were going to be problems. How these would manifest was uncertain, but now it was clear. Half the cruisers in the Alpha specialist task force had their main storage hold on the lower decks to the aft of the ship and most were within a hundred meters of the main stellar drive. Friction and latent heat alone would have an immediate effect on the cabin temperature and as the ships stellar drive warmed up, so did the deck temperature. The storage holds were cooled, but could not sustain the low temperature levels required indefinitely. The problem was exacerbated by the natural heat emanating from the radiation shells themselves.

Arnold tried to minimize the impact this had on the fleet’s progress by adjusting the automated coolers and bringing in portable freeze systems and applying them at various positions throughout the storage rooms. But the balance was the problem, it was virtually impossible to sustain the correct temperature in all parts of the hold.

He had just arrived on the Romany. A small C class cruiser, which had seen its best days, but was still amongst the most agile ships of the line in the contingency fleet. This was the first time there had been a problem aboard the Romany, whose twin cargo store’s sat either side of the main drive systems. Their chief engineer had done a good job until now, maintaining the correct environmental balance in the storage chambers, but the temperature in both now climbed 0.05 degrees above the prescribed maximum temperature limit. He was left with little option but to advise his CO to disengage the stellar drive. The Chief Engineer joined Arnold as he entered the first storage chamber.

“What’s the ambient temperature in Store One now?”

“Two hundred and eighty seven point two degrees Kelvin.”

“Okay…that is within the boundaries. What was your peak temperature?”

“Three hundred and one. We had rebound temperatures in excess of three hundred and ten…that is way too warm.”

“What have you done to rectify?”

“Six portable freezers in each store and we are pumping cold air in constantly…at the expense of other areas of the ship which are suffering of course.”

“Why have you split the charges up into two stores? Surely if you keep them in one store, you can deploy all the freezers in one place.”

“Yes, I’d thought of that, but the CO wants the risk spread.”

“Why? If just one charge explodes it will take out the whole ship, not just the other charges in one store room. I have not got time for this and nor have you. Tell the CO, the charges need to be moved to one store. Then all you need to do is keep that cold.”

“Er, okay…might be better if you spoke to him.”

“No! Just tell him and if the obstacle remains then I will speak to him. I take it you have things back under control now?”

“Yes…once I have permission to move the charges and we have the ambient temperature down to two hundred and seventy three, we are good to go.”

“Good then; I will rejoin my ship. Don’t let even your spiked temperatures get above three hundred chief. Any more problems let me know.”

John Arnold left the store and headed back towards his shuttle. He did not need this. The bloody CO’s were causing all the problems by not thinking things through and not taking the advice he gave them. The delays were down to them.

* * * *

The fleet restarted its journey three hours later. Already they were nearly a day behind and their scheduled rendezvous with the main fleet was in jeopardy. Hoskins was considering his options. It was important to get the Radiation task force to Earth as quickly as possible, but not if it risked the lives of the crew or indeed the volume of charges deployable. The risks were heightened, now it was likely that the Malchian Cruiser had returned to the main Kryl fleet. The longer they took to travel the huge distance back to Earth, the more likely they would encounter fierce resistance when they got there. So, what should he do? He could split the task force and allow those ships unaffected by the overheating issues to travel ahead, but the best protection was safety in numbers. How many times would the fleet have to slow down before it reached Earth? To a greater or lesser degree the solution to these imponderables was taken out of his hands.

“Sir…the Romany is in trouble. Their stellar drive is overheating.”

“Have they disengaged the stellar drive?”

“Yes…”

“Has this affected the temperature of the storage rooms?”

“Not confirmed. Two cruisers have pulled back to assist her. We can arrange a third.”

“No. Bring those two cruisers back to us. The Romany must remain in isolation to protect the rest of the fleet. Set me up a direct comm.link with their CO.”

This was altogether another problem. The Romany was an older ship and her drive was exhausted. They were jeopardizing the entire mission by placing radiation shells in storage on ships where the mechanics were in question.

“Link open, sir.”

“Commander Tyrell. Are the charges safe?”

“No. Not yet. We have managed to avoid a superheat episode but it is pretty warm down there. I see you have pulled the other ships away from us. A damage limitation exercise Admiral?”

“I am just being prudent Commander. We need to get those charges cooled and safely off the Romany.”

“To where, sir? All the cruisers have their maximum yield of charges. The dangers of moving these things around cannot be overstated and then from a deployment perspective the charges will be in the wrong place.”

“We will take delivery of all your charges here on board the Halo 7. We have ample storage space, away from the drive mechanisms. Get the charges stabilized and prepare a shuttle to move them.”

“Okay, Jonathan…but we must be careful.”

The Romany’s CO was unable to complete his sentence. The Alpha cruisers stellar drive core just imploded.

“She’s gone, sir.” The fleet command officer shook his head in disbelief. “The explosion vaporized her!”

Hoskins” expression remained impassive.

“What’s the status of the other two cruisers?”

“They appear undamaged, sir…I have a comm.link from the CO of the Belmont.”

“Open.”

“Admiral…we are in trouble now as well. The explosion knocked out our drive systems and our stores our overheating. We need to expel the charges into free-space.”

“No…we cannot loose any more charges. Do what you can Commander, but don’t expel the charges.”

* * * *

Aboard the Belmont, the bridge was in turmoil. The ambient temperature in the main storage room was over three hundred degrees Kelvin and rising.

“Sir…we must eject the charges. If they get much hotter, the gas surrounding them will explode. We have no choice.”

The Commander was in his own private hell, but he did not show it, presenting instead a stoic, featureless expression. He needed to calm the situation.

“Have we forecast a peak temperature in the store rooms?”

“It will rise above three hundred and twenty-five Kelvin, sir. That is way to hot?”

“We cannot expel the charges. We need to remain calm and wait for the temperature to peak and then subside. In the meantime we need to flood the environmental systems with as much cool air as we can muster. Divert all air flow and shut down non crew areas of the ship. This is a waiting game.”

* * * *

Back aboard the Halo 7, Jonathan Hoskins was joined by John Arnold on the command bridge. The science supremo’s face was ashen. He was not accustomed to loss of life and on such a large scale. He tried to maintain his decorum.

“This could go either way, Admiral. How many people are there aboard the Belmont?”

“Over three hundred and fifty…but that is a subjective number Mister Arnold. The charges need to remain intact to save the lives of millions of people. I know it sounds cold, but the charges are what need to be preserved here.”

“I know…I just find it hard to believe I have witnessed the deaths of hundreds of people aboard the Romany too. Okay, do we have a direct link to the Belmont?”

A voice from the comm.link responded, it was the Belmont’s CO. “We can hear you. Mister Arnold. I guess there is nothing more we can do. We just have to be patient. The temperature in the store room just passed three hundred and twenty. It should peak out soon.”

“We will remain with you, Commander…if not actually physically; you can be sure we are there in spirit.”

“That is very reassuring Mister Arnold. I will keep the link open.”

* * * *

Inside the main storage room, the temperature had indeed peaked and was cooling. The radiation shells lay side-by-side along the front wall of the room, the furthest point from the ships drives systems, but over three meters away from the nearest environmental access vent. Inside the shell nearest the far wall, the gaseous membrane, which surrounded the radiation started to fuse with the shell’s outer wall. Seconds later, the gas began to diffuse through the wall and into contact with the oxygen rich storage room. The resultant spark ignited three of the shells instantaneously. The resultant explosion ripped a hole in the aft and side of the Belmont, before a huge fire ball engulfed the whole ship. Seconds later the Alpha Battle Cruiser was ripped apart. The Antirillium Gas took its second victim.

Hoskins and his command crew stared in horror as they realized what happened. John Arnold collapsed into the command chair behind him. Then there was silence.

* * * *

“I don’t care Jean-Luc. We cannot lose another charge, ship or its crew. We have no choice now to split the fleet. The unaffected vessels will continue at SD6 and will rendezvous with the main fleet as planned. The other vessels will continue at their own pace and will join us when they catch up…and yes, I need you and the Halo 7 to lead the second fleet.”

“Jonathan…it makes sense for the Halo to lead from the front and be amongst the first to engage the Kryl. This is something we have always said. There are competent ships within the fleet and the command deck has been set up on this ship. Transferring it elsewhere will just increase the delay. Anyway, I don’t get it. We will have to wait for the second tier to catch up before we attack the Kryl anyway. Why don’t we just accept the fact it is going to take longer and then we go at the same pace?”

“I agree with you; but Admiral Martin does not.”

“Which means what? This is your fleet…you are an Admiral. Surely you get to decide whether it splits or not. Are we not better off in greater numbers?”

“Yes, I have always said that. Martin was quite specific. If I go against him; all that will happen is that I may face a disciplinary. If we get this right, that won’t matter. Okay; but I will need to engage the support of the other commanders in the task force. Let’s get them here for an emergency meeting in say four hours. In the meantime, get John Arnold to come and see me again.”

* * * *

Arnold joined Jonathan Hoskins in his state room. They both sat and Hoskins poured coffee before he spoke.

“I know you have taken this badly John and rightly so. But you are not responsible. I decided to bring the Romany with us. Clearly she was not up to the job. The loss of lives rests with me. As for the Belmont, I am afraid the culpability lies with their CO. He decided to double back and assist the Romany. This was my fault though as I made no specific order to stop cruiser commanders from offering assistance. We are lucky; we did not lose more ships.”

“I am not taking this personally, nor should you. I am just a little shocked; I have not witnessed such total devastation and loss of life before. I am a scientist not a soldier.”

“And these events will probably live with you forever, as indeed they do with all of us. But we have to move on. I am wrestling with whether I should split this fleet and I need your input to help me decide which way to go. Have you had the opportunity to review the incident on the Romany?”

“In part, yes. But a full investigation will be carried out. I think we just have to rethink the whole thing. If there is an issue with heat and the ships drive systems then in those vessels the radiation shells should be moved to the fore sections of the ship.”

“Which is dangerous and a logistical nightmare.”

“Yes; but having said that, as long as we plan and we exercise extreme caution, it should not take too long. We are looking at twenty-two vessels and in most cases the best way to transport the shells will be externally. The other issue being storage availability in the fore decks of the ships. There are not many logical places to keep the shells on any of the effected ships.”

“I understand. I do need to have a plan in place quickly though. Let me have something more substantial to put to the command team in two hours.”

Arnold left the Admirals state room and headed back to his laboratory. His team already brought up the schematics of each of the affected ships and started to plan the transfer of the radiation shells.

Two hours later, Arnold returned to meet with Admiral Hoskins.

“So, what do you have?”

“A miss-match of crew quarters, conference facilities, mess rooms and even an armory. Virtually every ship is different, but we have now established safe locations. With the exception of four ships, the route to the front of the ship will have to be external. The path for which is long winded. First exit the store room to the nearest exit portal, then load via top loading shuttle doors, disembark and return at the front of the ship and entrance via the nearest portal. Each stage will have to be carefully planned, to ensure the correct temperature and conditions are adhered to. Pressure is also an issue, we will need correctly balanced umbilical shoots for transport from shuttle to ship and the process must be slow and methodical. I estimate two hours per ship and I would want to do one at a time.”

“So, two days to effect the changes. Doesn’t sound too bad.”

“At least two more to make the new storage spaces ready. I have to urge caution Admiral. I cannot overstress the danger here. Stress tolerances are critical. We have seen how volatile these things are, just in terms of temperature. They are not designed to be moved until we fire them.”

Hoskins saw the look of anxiety on the scientist’s face. He opted for a conciliatory response, but he still needed to reach a conclusion on this. “I understand the complexities and the dangers involved. I assume this is still your preference. We face a further delay either way…but we have to find the safest option overall.”

“Then it has to be this way, sir. With your approval, I will arrange…”

Hoskins interrupted the scientist. He needed to meet with his commanders first.

“I will speak to my command team and get back to you.”

* * * *

The process of transferring the radiation shells from the aft to the fore section of twenty-two cruisers was underway, following approval from the command team. John Arnold had already supervised two transfers. The third was so far going smoothly. The charge shells were transported on mobile transport boards which hovered a meter above the floor. They were in the process of negotiating the umbilical shoot between the cruiser and the Eagle shuttle. The Artificial Gravity control had to be balanced correctly between the shoot and the shuttle, with the mobile transport board itself calibrated precisely to ensure transportation was as smooth as possible. The problem was this board was not. As the board entered the part of the shoot which sat above the cargo bay hold, its computer correctly advised it was too high and it should reduce its altitude.

“Allow the board to drop down, Lieutenant. Just as last time.”

“She is going down too fast.”

A crunching sound followed and the three man support team scrambled down the entrance bay doors to the floor of the Eagle Cargo Bay. The board’s gravity function failed and it plummeted to the floor, scattering its contents across the cargo bay. Three Radiation Charge shells lay on their side. One impacted badly with its outer shell clearly dented.

Arnold acted quickly and decisively. “Shut the cargo doors and release the umbilical. Pilot, get us to safe distance…about ten thousand meters…now!”

He knew he had no choice. If he could get the Eagle away from the Cruiser, she would be safe as would the remaining charges on board. He and the Eagles crew would not survive.

“Ten thousand meters, sir.”

Arnold knelt down beside the damaged shell and examined it. If the shell had permeated into the inner membrane, gas would escape and ignite with the oxygen in the atmosphere. There was no outward sign of any gaseous discharge. “Okay…this unit is damaged. We need to examine the others and then prepare to expel them into deep space. If they don’t implode we can safely destroy them.”

He moved across and examined the other two separated units. Both were intact and undamaged. Carefully, he moved them back onto the gravity board.

“Get these shells secured and make ready for transport to the fore deck.”

Arnold turned his attention back to the other shell. He already knew what he had to do.

A pressurized discharge unit was housed in the mid section of the cargo bay. It was designed to allow space walking and followed the age old principle of entering, depressurizing, releasing and then re-pressurizing. This is itself was fraught with danger, but he had no choice; no one else knew what to do and this was his baby. He entered the discharge unit and closed the door. He felt the radiation shell, it was warm to the touch, even from within his protective gloves; a sure sign she was about to blow. He wasted no time in strapping himself into the body harness and then checked the shell again. Was it getting hotter?

He opened a comm.link to the pilot and left it open as he began the depressurization process. He had no idea how long he had.

“Pilot. I am about to release the shell from the midsection discharge unit. We need to pull away swiftly as soon as I release it, but remember to keep it steady, we still have the other charges on board. I will keep this link open.”

Arnold felt the unit again. Now it felt hot. The depressurize process was nearing completion. Did he have enough time or was this his final resting place…at least he had saved the cruiser this time.

Finally still, the process was complete and Arnold manually released the docking clamps. The outer door opened exposing the unit to the blackness of space. He felt an instant tightening on his protective suit as the force of outer space tried to grab him and squeeze him through the small release space. It was now or never. He pushed the shell through the cavity and let go. In a fraction of a second it had disappeared as it was sucked out into deep space. He did not waste time watching the charge; he had no time to lose. He closed the exit hatch and restarted the pressurization process. When would the charge go? Would it go?

The answer was immediately as he felt the full force of the resultant explosion. The Eagle was forced backwards several thousand meters before the pilot regained inertia. Finally, the cabin returned to normal pressure so he was able to open the inner bay pressure door and return to the cargo bay. He headed straight for the cockpit.

He was relieved, but knew the job was far from over.

“Okay, gentlemen. That crisis is over. Let’s get back to the ship and get these shells stored. I think we have learned a lesson. Let’s hope it does not happen again.”

Chapter Fifty-Five

The Ground Battle

SED launched their first sorties against the Kryl Personnel Carriers just twenty-four hours after President Roslyn’s statement. It was clear from the start that the Kryl would target Earth’s megacities and with attacks on New York, Chicago, London, Tokyo, Rio and Moscow; their intent was clear. They would literally sweep the target humans off the streets.

Admiral Yamoto ordered fifteen hundred Jump Ships to be deployed and the Kryl immediately responded by flooding Earth’s skies with vast numbers of Kryl Fighters.

On the ground, battalions of SED troopers were organized into defensive screens surrounding the larger cities in twenty-two key population centers. Clearly they were outnumbered. The order was given to deploy all two hundred and fifty thousand combat droids from Exeter to protect London. These mechanized units stood alone apart from a few hundred Special Forces soldiers, outside the British Capital, against over two million Kryl combat drones. The sky turned orange, following explosion after explosion. This was Hell on Earth.

It was no surprise that London was selected as a key Kryl target. The huge metropolis was anchored by two key Alpha space ports, with a population spread over a wide area. Its position both separated and yet adjacent to mainland Europe made it both a defensive stronghold and a hub for attacking sorties for other key European cities. The Kryl wanted London…but the SED would not let it fall.

* * * *

Colonel Pat McCarry headed up the Q5 Special Forces unit, which was tasked with the urgent defense of London. He had assumed command of the two hundred and fifty thousand combat droids and assembled them quickly via ground attack personnel carriers to surround London. The droids were concentrated in three key areas: Aldershot, Rochester, and Colchester.

The Kryl started to land drones at five main areas, Guildford, Crawley, Harrow, Slough, and Ilford, with drones either taking to the streets in their thousands or moving forward towards central London in mechanized land carriers. Already they had made ground and large numbers of humans were targeted, loaded, and removed. The Kryl were collecting their new food supply.

McCarry was on the ground on the outskirts of Guildford. He was witnessing the Kryl’s ruthless collection process for the first time.

“The collection vehicle stuns its victims, then just scoops them up and deposits them in the top of the vehicle. There isn’t an order to it—they are just dumping their bodies. It’s barbaric.”

“Yes, Lieutenant Sparrow, I quite agree. Okay…I have seen enough. Target the scooping arm and the plasma weapon. Avoid hitting the central area at all costs. Once we have this unit downed. Get the people out of there and get them somewhere safe.”

“Where, sir? The Kryl are destroying everything around us. That’s what is forcing the people outside. It is brutal, but very effective.”

“We need to put them somewhere. Can we set up some shield protected areas? I suspect the Kryl will leave these alone.”

“I’ll ask Sergeant Wilkes to set one up. There is a recreation area, two hundred meters north of here. Its tree lined; we can use the trees as extra cover.”

The Lieutenant ducked as a Kryl fighter’s plasma pummeled the ground, ripping up the pavement, just meters from their shelter, a battle damaged house, just off the main street. The response was swift as a Rapier took chase, targeted and brought the fighter down on top of a block of apartments. He winced as he recognized the telling signs of death.

How many people took shelter in that block? he thought.

* * * *

The order to take out the Kryl collection vehicle had been carried out swiftly. Two combat drones, which were impervious to plasma fire, traversed the last hundred metes at a pace, firing their combat pulse rifles as they ran. With pinpoint accuracy the collection vehicle was stopped in its tracks. The droids had then continued on to the next vehicle. These droids are incredible he thought. Why can’t we have more of them!

“The protected area has been set up in the recreation area, sir. I will start to get the people to safety. Do we have any more of these droids?”

“Lots of them, but they are stretched far and wide. Okay. Lieutenant I am out of here. Spread the word; the droids are effective at taking out the collection vehicles and get someone to help the medics clear them out. They can’t do it on their own.”

The battle continued with huge blasts to the north and west of the Colonel’s current position as a Kryl fighter, targeted the shuttle which now hovered fifteen meters from the colonel’s current location. He ran towards the shuttle, dodging a further explosion to his left, grasping the grab handle, he pulled himself inside and the shuttle lifted off and departed at speed.

* * * *

On the other side of the Atlantic, President Roslyn reviewed the latest figures with his Defense Secretary.

“Doesn’t look very good does it? How can they have infiltrated so deeply and so quickly?”

“Shear number of troops and the method they are deploying them, Mister President. It’s the same across the globe, with the possible exception of London, where the combat droids have been deployed. Our fears about them were unfounded.”

“I am sure even London will not hold for long. Okay, lets see where we are tomorrow. At this rate, the Kryl will have collected a hundred and fifty million within a week and will have taken fifty percent of the world’s major cities.”

The Defense Secretary departed, leaving Roslyn to reflect on another bad day. How much longer will we have to wait for the fleet to arrive? All could be lost if they don’t arrive soon.

Roslyn had known this would happen. He knew they were outnumbered and that the Kryl would wreck havoc and kill millions as they seized control and collected the human sacrifices. He knew the best option was to reopen discussions and make a new agreement. At least then there would be peace.

It’s too late now; too many people have been affected by this. There is no way the people of Earth will stand down from their crusade to remove the Kryl. They will fail, but they will not back down.

Part Four

Chapter Fifty-Six

The Malchian Leader

Three weeks later, Sorgan, the commander of the Malchians arrived back in Earth’s solar system, on his way to meet Trieste in her sanctuary, aboard the Queen’s ship.

His visit was unscheduled, but it was clear someone had followed his progress very closely. Safrec stood in front of him as he approached the Sanctuary entrance.

“Sorgan, may I speak to you before you join the Queen?”

“I would he happy to meet with you. I am sure we have much to discuss but my Queen is expecting me.”

Safrec stood his ground.”No. That was not a request. I will speak to you before you enter. You must understand your relationship with the Queen has changed.”

Sorgan expected as much. He had communicated with the Queen through his mind, several times in the last few hours. She told him, she had mated with the Kronan to sustain her life and it meant nothing. Safrec was not the chosen one.

He moved forward confrontationally to within a half meter of the Kronan, staring straight at the Kryl leader, with his chest puffed up. A typical sparring stance between two warring Kryl.

“Nothing has changed. The Queen explained the nature of your relationship and your physical actions. Your job was to sustain her life until I returned. Now I am back, so please stand aside. I will speak to you later.”

The Kronan said nothing at first, but pushed himself forward, increasing his postulating stance. Their bodies were virtually touching. He waited patiently for Sorgan to respond.

“You have pushed yourself too far. You have no idea how much power I have. I can crush you into the ground in a flash. You will stand down and meet with me. Then you can see the Queen.”

“Don’t be a fool, Safrec. You have long asserted your powers exceed mine. I have long suggested they don’t.”

“You have no caste Malchian. You have no power.”

Safrec’s patience ran out. He raised his hand and pushed into the Malchian’s body, forcing Sorgan back. Safrec raised his hand again, but found himself forced back and down to his knees. The Malchian had entered his mind!

“As you can see Safrec, I do have power…”

“Enough!”

The Queen stood in front of them. “Did you not think I could hear your thoughts? Safrec, I will speak to you later. Sorgan, please join me.”

The Malchian smiled as he pushed past the Kronan. Safrec gestured as to challenge Sorgan again, but the Queen stood in his way. “As I have said, I will speak to you later…Sorgan and I have some catching up to do and your presence is not required.”

She turned her back on Safrec and entered the sanctuary with the door closing behind her. Safrec was enraged. How had he been so foolish to let the Malchian into his brain? His mind was completely unguarded. He would not let it happen again and next time, he would gain the upper hand…the final one.

* * * *

“My Queen. It is good to see you again. It has been too long.”

“Yes, Sorgan and, as I explained, I lay with Safrec to boost my immune system. I need to be strong in the weeks ahead. As do you.”

“I am always strong, my Queen. You need the sustenance provided by the brain stimuli of a human. I have brought you a strong human…an Alpha commander; you should consume him in one go. Safrec needs to understand his position. He should take a mistress and concentrate on defeating the humans. The risks to the Kryl are significant.”

“Yes…but not to you and that means you and your kind will become more important, Most of the Kryl castes will die, probably me too; if the radiation is allowed to penetrate into our environmental systems.”

“Then we should move on. The Kryl have their new stock for relief of the disease. If rationed correctly the supply can be enduring. We can find another source.”

“No, Sorgan. It would take too long. The risks are too great. I am entrusting my commanders to stop the radiation attack from taking effect. You must work together with Safrec. I will take your Alpha commander, but I will consume him slowly. My main source of immunity will come from you, when we lie together.”

Sorgan smiled. He contemplated the long night that awaited them. Her body perfectly entwined with his own. Only he could give her what she really wanted. But that was later for now he was her protector.

“Trieste, I will do whatever you ask of me as the leader of Malchians, the guardian of the Queen, but I will not like it. The Kronan wishes me dead and I him. One of us will not survive this conflict. He has no idea how strong I am.”

Malchian stood with his chest pushed out, reflecting his power, stance and position. His people were of no caste, but before the biotechnical cloning, they had been. If you deigned to be strong because you would have been a high caste Kryl, you would never lose that strength and power, even if your imprint was genetically altered. Hereditarily he was strong and free from the defects which so badly affected the Kryl caste. The sickness and disease which killed so many, would not affect him. Yet, he was also a high caste, A Kronan in his own right. A silent Kronan, undetected, but more powerful than any before him, because he was also a Malchian. Safrec would not survive a conflict between them.

The Queen smiled. He allowed her to read his thoughts. She knew she had chosen well. Sorgan was her “chosen one”.

* * * *

Safrec was forced to wait for an audience with the Queen and, worst still, the Malchian had left to join his ship, rather than meet with him as agreed. He now was summoned to the Queen’s chamber. He doubted whether this was for the same reason as before.

“Enter, my Kronan. Thank you for your patience. Sorgan and I needed to spend some time together. He is my “chosen one” now. You should seek a mistress amongst the queen caste and proffer her to me as a potential replacement as my death draws near. She must be strong and not susceptible to the disease.”

“Trieste. Sorgan cannot be the “chosen one”. I am the Kronan, not him. He is not as strong as me. I can give you so much more.”

“You have underestimated him already. If you do battle with him, you will lose and I forbid it. I need you close to me—strong and diligent. We must stop Alpha from spreading the radiation. You will work together with Sorgan to defeat them. Take your fleet to meet the Alpha ships now. Do not come back to me until you have destroyed them.”

Safrec realized this brief encounter was all that he would be given. He was summoned, given his orders, and dismissed. He smiled and acknowledged her command. To say anything further was not warranted. He would take command of his fleet. They were ready and they knew where the enemy was. They would defeat them, together with the Malchians and he would return triumphant, with the slain Malchian leader at his side. He would take his prize once and for all. But first, he needed a mistress. He had already selected the best of the queen caste and now he would lie with her.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

The Voyage Continues

Jake Carter was in command yet again. The First Officer became a notable absentee from his own command sessions. When the CO was off duty, it all fell to Jake to control the ship. It was only a technical command. He had no real authority, sitting as they did in the middle of the radiation Task force and of course, Admiral Hoskins and his command team were all on board, albeit based in fleet command rather than on the bridge. Nonetheless, he spent as much time commanding the ship as Commander Jacques did and no one questioned, why the XO was never at his post. But this was good experience; Jake was never going to say anything.

“Incoming vessel ten thousand clicks to starboard. It’s a Kryl cruiser and there’s more than one.”

“Battle stations…advise fleet command. CO and XO to bridge.”

Fleet commands were quick to respond; one hundred Rapiers flooded the area surrounding the Radiation Fleet. The Kryl vessels were virtually on top of them and within seconds a large contingent of Kryl fighters joined the fracas.

This is not good. The main fleet is some distance away and we need their support. It is up to The Halo 7 and the other defensive ships to protect those carrying the shells. Jake was at a loss about how to respond further. There were six Kryl cruisers, but there could be a lot more nearby and they were still three weeks away from their target.

The CO was the first of the executive officers to reach the bridge. Jake felt relieved. It was all very well commanding, but this was full on and demanded someone with a little more experience.

“Where’s the XO?”

“I don’t know, sir. I have asked him to attend.”

“No matter…we need to transfer the con to the fleet command deck. There is a bridge command and three support stations set up for battle alert situations. Take yourself, Lieutenant Rogers and Levant with you and get set up and let me know when we can transfer command…and send another comm message to Commander Huber. He is required here to assist the transfer.”

* * * *

The battle now intensified as the Kryl cruisers surrounded the radiation task force, whose commanders were compelled to reduce velocity to sub-light. The Rapiers struggled against the Kryl fighter’s greater numbers and were bogged down in a skirmish with no Jump Ships able to move against the Kryl cruisers themselves. Jake moved his team into position on the fleet command deck and the con had just been passed to him, as the CO made his way down from the bridge to join him. The XO was still conspicuous in his absence.

“Okay. Thanks, Jake. I have the con. We have still heard nothing from the XO. Jake, go to his quarters and find out what his status is. Then, I want you to help out the CAG; the Jump Ships are critical, but they are going to get us out of this.”

* * * *

The executive officers quarters were two decks below the bridge, meaning a brisk walk for Jake. He arrived at the XO’s door a few minutes later.

He waited for the presence detector to advise the rooms” incumbent there was someone to see him. There was no response, so he knocked. Odd…still no response. Okay, he needed to gain access, so he flipped open the access panel to the left of the door and typed in his security ID. The door opened.

Commander Huber lay comatose on his bed.

“Commander Huber, sir. We have been trying to contact you. Are you okay?”

The XO stirred briefly but returned to his slumber. Jake shook him. This time he awoke.

“Mister Carter. What’s the problem?”

“I have been trying to contact you, sir. We have engaged the Kryl.”

“What? Okay…I’ll join you on the bridge.”

“We have transferred the con to the fleet command deck, sir. The CO has requested your presence there ASAP. I will be in the hanger bay assisting the CAG.”

Jake left the XO and headed back down the ship towards the main hanger bay. The CAG expected him.

“Ah, Carter. Where have you been? I was told you were heading straight up?”

“More than one task I am afraid.”

“Enough…remember when you in the hanger bays you are under my command. I need you to coordinate the Sabres in the rear hanger bay. All ten to go out.”

“Why are the Sabres all down there? Surely you need them up here for a fast response and why have we sent out Rapiers without Sabres anyway?”

“Your job is just to get them out. Oh, and I have been told to remind you that you’re grounded.”

Jake shrugged his shoulders.”Fine. I’ll get them all out…but I suggest we bring them back into the main hanger bay.”

“Not your call Carter. This is my baby not yours.”

Jake left the CAG and headed to the stern of the ship. The rear hanger bay was roughly half the size of the main bay. Under normal conditions it housed the ships Eagle shuttles and up to fifteen Jump Ships; usually half the Sabres were ported there. The CAG had decided all the Sabres should be housed in the same place. This is not in itself a strange decision; but the fact the Rapiers were not supported by Sabres was. The Sabre gave the Rapier its backbone, without it…the enemy would just pick them off, without fear of any surprises.

Three Sabres were already on the bay floor when Jake arrived. Two of them had been stripped down.

“Where are the combat ready Sabres? It looks like only this one is ready?”

“We have three in readiness; the other seven are stripped down. We are bringing out the other two good ones now.”

“How many CAG personnel do we have this morning?”

“Four, including me—plus of course you.”

Jake shook his head. This was verging on reckless.

“Pilots?”

The technician shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, you’re the CAG.”

“Okay. Let’s start with the three we have out. Five minutes to get the two redressed, fuelled and armed. Then we pull out the other two…come on lets go!”

Jake knew the Sabres were needed out there desperately. There was no time to waste. He opened a ship wide comm.link.”All Sabres pilots to rear hanger deck for immediate launch.”

This whole thing is a total mess. Obeya would have all Sabres out by now. He made a mental note to make an official complaint. This was just appalling.

“What’s our status?”

“Number two redressed, fuel going in now. The armament supplies are not ready.”

“What? Never mind.”

He’d had enough. Jake left the deck and headed to the CAG OPS room. He opened a direct comm.link to the ships CAG.

“Rogers…we have just one ship good to go, no armament, no fuel, and no pilots. This is going to take a miracle to get these ships out before the battle is over!”

“Just get on with it, Carter. You know what you are doing don’t you?”

Jake decided to ignore the last comment, but he needed the CAG’s help.

“I need more CAG crew and armaments diverted to us. This is going to land on your lap if we don’t get Sabres out there soon.”

The CAG sighed. “I have not got time for this now and I cannot spare anyone. You can recall half the last shift. They’ll be pissed but that’s all I can offer. You’ll have to source the arms yourself.”

The comm.link went dead and Jake was on his own. He made the calls to the armory and the off-duty CAG team leader and headed back to the hanger bay deck. The good news was that two pilots had just turned up.

“Okay. Get Sabre one and two out now. Make three ready.”

The first compliment of arms had just arrived and Sabres one and two were made ready for pre-flight.

“Open the Exit tubes…launch now.”

The two Sabres left together. It took twenty-two minutes to launch these two. Three, four, and five were nearly ready; but still no more pilots.

* * * *

“Somehow we managed to avert a disaster, Jean-Luc. The Kryl threat is gone for the time-being and we can stand down the alert status. The Halo was shot up pretty badly. What’s the latest?”

“We have patched up the holes. Nothing serious but the stellar drive took a pounding. She is up and running, but I doubt she will make SD6 now.”

“I am sure you have it in hand; although without an active XO, life will be more complicated. What’s happening with Huber?”

“He has been signed off. He failed a stress test.”

“He’s not working out is he…and nor is your CAG. I understand Jake Carter was responsible for getting the Sabres out.

“Yes, Rogers did not cope well; but unremarkably Carter did. I am sorry about the Sabres. I just assumed we had dispatched them with the Rapiers. The CAG has a lot to answer for.”

“You need to get your house in order Jean-Luc. I suggest you look closely at your XO. He is not up to the job. Perhaps you need a replacement?”

“I have it hand Admiral…but yes, I do accept that Huber is not the man for the job. I’ll put the word out. I would like to use Jake Carter; he has in effect been acting up anyway.”

“No. Carter is too inexperienced and you have to have a full commander rank for an XO position on a boat of this size. He is only in acting up capacity now as Lieutenant Commander. Don’t overstretch him, we need him fit and ready for whatever the future holds.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Waiting

The advance force had found them. Six Kryl ships were destroyed, but the remainder tracked Alpha’s returning fleet. Now that the main Kryl Fleet joined together with the advanced force, they would engage Alpha and destroy them.

Safrec was in his sanctuary, aboard his cruiser. He commanded a fleet of over a thousand ships which, for the last two weeks, travelled away from Earth seeking out Alpha. They had now pushed out beyond the Isthymus system. In front of them lay the huge Hohner Nebula. Somewhere behind the nebula was Alpha’s invasion fleet. His advance force continued trailing both segments of the Alpha flotilla, which now joined together.

About two hundred fighting vessels—impressive that they were able to salvage so many, but not a threat to his vast armies.

There were a thousand more Kryl vessels remaining with the Queen ship. Of course, the Malchian and his forces had vast resources too. He was concerned about the radiation threat.

If Alpha worked out how to separate the radiation from the hazardous gas that surrounded it in its natural state and a method of delivering it, many of his fellow Kryl would die. The worst case scenario was virtual annihilation, save those whose DNA was genetically altered.

The Malchians would all survive as would a small percentage of caste Kryl.

He would survive, of course. He had no doubt his body was strong enough and that his drones would protect his environment and place their lives at risks, rather than allow their Kronan to be threatened. However, his Queen probably would not survive. All the more reason to foster his burgeoning relationship with Malore—his chosen Queen caste. She was beautiful, intelligent, and the most likely replacement for Trieste. He would protect her and ensure the radiation did not affect her.

Of course, the objective was to stop the radiation attack. Trieste would then survive for a long time and he would be at her side as her “chosen one.” Sorgan still needed to be removed of course and that challenge was more complicated than he had anticipated. There was no question Sorgan had powers similar to his own. He would have to outsmart him. In the mean time he would keep Malore as his mistress, promote her to the Queen and wait. Then when Trieste finally died, Malore would succeed her and he, Safrec would be the most powerful Kronan ever. First he needed to deal with Alpha.

* * * *

The Alpha task force was a good deal closer than the Kronan imagined. They were just a few hours travel from the Hohner Nebula and the two Admirals were debating whether it was better to go round it or straight through it.

“We would extend our journey home by seven days. The risk of travelling through the nebula is significant for the radiation ships. Unless of course you are proposing splitting the fleet up again…which would be pointless because we need the radiation task force to arrive first.”

“There is little or no additional risk to the radiation shells, providing environmental integrity is maintained. The nebula will not affect that. We have to go through the nebula. The other consideration is the Kryl; we know they are around here somewhere.”

“Yes, and if they meet us in the middle of the nebula and start firing at us, we could loose everything. However, I don’t think we have much choice. We go through the nebula, but we place the radiation shell carriers in the center of the fleet. That way we protect them from the gas pockets and from the Kryl, should they decide to follow us in. I will let you have this one Jonathan.”

Hoskins left Admiral Martin’s state room and headed for his shuttle. The command bridge had now been transferred to the Accura, because the Halo 7’s stellar drive problems had continued. She was still good for SD5 and could keep up with the fleet, but she was no longer able to maintain the highest velocities. As the fleet neared Earth, there was no need for one section to be faster than the other. They would split again, but not until just prior to battle.

Returning to the Accura meant Hoskins saw Obeya again. She was still confined to a private room within the medical facility, but looked to be well on the mend. They already decided when she left the medical center at the end of the week, she would move into his state rooms officially. It was time for their relationship to be brought into the public domain. Yes, he was still married, but his relationship with Sarah was well and truly over. He still had his son which meant he needed to make arrangements for Oliver to spend time with him during leave periods. Right now, Earth, Sarah and even Oliver seemed a long way away. Geographically they were getting closer, but a huge battle stood in the way of freedom and a return home.

* * * *

“We have just entered the Nebula, sir.”

“Thanks, Tim. Maintain our status and keep a close eye on those scans. The Kryl are close now. I can feel it.”

Hoskins headed straight to the command bridge after the Eagle landed on the Accura. Commander Tim Montgomery was the Accura CO. He was good and reliable and in recent months had become one his closest allies. Together with Jean-Luc Jacques, they became his unofficial confidantes. He needed them too, because of late there were several differences of opinion between the two senior commanders. Admiral Martin was a close friend himself, but his position as overall commander of the fleet, placed him at odds with Hoskins on several key strategic issues.

“I will take an hour. I’ll be with Obeya. I think the Kryl are in here with us, so be wary.”

Montgomery acknowledged him. Hoskins left the command deck and headed to the medical center.

On such a large ship, even short walks across the ship were time consuming, but Hoskins was grateful for the opportunity to take stock of their situation. Even the fleets advanced scanners will have difficulty detecting anything of substance in this soup. I still think they are in here. He tried to think what his enemy would do…but concluded only that the fastest route was through the nebula. As he approached the medical center he turned his attention back to Obeya. She was very lucky. All had not gone to plan, during the wake up process, with all else failing the medic resorted to manual CPR, before Obeya eventually recovered. Then during the operation itself her heart had stopped twice, with the second time two out of three surgeons having monitored zero brain activity suggested they should stop. Fortunately for Obeya the lead surgeon insisted they should continue and three hours later, she was returned through recovery with the operation a success. Even then, she remained in a medically induced coma for three weeks before, she was finally brought round. Now though she was awake and eating normally and this was how he found her when he entered the small private room towards the rear of the medical center.

“How are you sweetheart?”

“Ravenous and ready to get out of this Goddamn bed. Can’t your speak to the medical chief and get them to move my release forward. I am ready, Jonathan.”

“I spoke to him yesterday and he said no. You have to stay put for a few more days. The surgery demands that of you. Brain trauma wounds need to heal completely during bed rest. If you leave this facility, you will not stay in bed.”

“I will miss all the action.”

“You will miss it all anyway, Obeya. You are signed off for the next two months. In any case, you don’t actually have a berth. They have a replacement CAG aboard the Halo 7.”

“According to Jake Carter, Mister Rogers is not very popular and not very good. I am sure Jean-Luc would like me back.”

“I thought we agreed you were moving into my state rooms.”

“I don’t want to be a kept woman Jonathan!”

“I know and I am sorry. Look, let’s just get you fit and healthy and then we can sort that out later. I am afraid this may be a brief visit.”

“They are not going to attack us in the nebula, are they?”

“Very possibly…I know it’s not a tantalizing prospect, but we have to get through this and protect our radiation shells. We are so close now…”

He was just about to continue, when his comm.link alarm sounded.

“Hoskins.”

“Sir, a message from the Viceroy. Their scans picked up a large body of Kryl vessels…inside the nebula.”

* * * *

Hoskins left Obeya straight away and headed back to the Command Deck. An order has just been made by Admiral Martin. They were turning about, so that the battle would take place outside the nebula. As he entered the bridge area, he shouted out his orders.

“Reverse the last order. Turn us about. Take us through the nebula.”

As Strategic Fleet Commander, Jonathan Hoskins could override the orders of anyone, including Admiral Martin on tactical and strategic issues in the battlefield. This approach was agreed by both Hoskins and Martin at the outset because Hoskins’s superior battle experience was why he was here. Martin had agreed to defer to the sub-ordinate Admirals greater technical expertise. This was one of those occasions.

Hoskins opened a direct comm.link to Admiral Martin. “Jonathan, why did you reverse my order?”

“Because, the nullifying effects of the nebula are worse for them, than they are us. Yes, we lose most of our high powered weaponry, but they lose virtually all of theirs. They will not want to face us in here.”

“Are you bargaining on them trying to avoid us until we are outside this cloud?”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

“Okay, Jonathan. You are the man on the ground. Let’s see how it pans out.”

* * * *

Thirty-six hours later, five Rapiers headed out of the nebula. Their pilots hoped and prayed they would not exit the cloud to be confronted with a huge Kryl Armada. As they cleared the space anomaly, they were relieved to see no one there to greet them, with short and long range scans both clear.

So, the Kryl were behind them. Had they continued on, believing that Alpha were still the other side? Perhaps the Kryl fleet was behind them, undetectable, but getting closer and ready to strike.

* * * *

Safrec knew the answer to that question. They began tracking Alpha shortly after their temporary subterfuge tried to unhinge them. He was in no hurry—an attack within the gas cloud would be to Alpha’s advantage. He sought clear space to commence his attack. Within minutes, the Kryl fleet would be clear and then, battle would commence.

* * * *

As Alpha’s contingency fleet exited the nebula, it was confirmed that the Kryl were behind them and the plan had worked. The Admiral wasted no time in bringing the fleet back to a cohesive shape and ordering an increase to maximum cruising velocity. They were underway again and just a few weeks from Earth. The battle would happen soon, but every second that passed made the likelihood of a successful deployment that much nearer.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Diplomatic Efforts

President Thomas Roslyn knew the agreement was dead and their only hope now was Alpha’s contingency fleet, which he prayed would soon be with them. In the mean time as the leader of Earth’s Central Government, he must maintain diplomatic efforts in the hope that if Alpha was defeated, something could still come from this. He had spoken to Carla Stevenson at length this morning and she had left for her first meeting with the Queen in three weeks.

The battle on Earth had rumbled on for nearly four weeks, before the official SED effort began to peter out. The Kryl now had control of all major cities, with even London eventually falling once the significant resistance metered out by the combat droids had finally dissipated. There was still unorganized resistance in pockets throughout the world, but the Kryl were gradually reducing those involved with brutal determination and ruthless battle tactics. The Kryl had collected nearly three hundred million people; almost double the number required before the agreement collapsed. There was no distinguishing of age…even small children were collected. The fate for all would be the same.

Roslyn knew his every move was being closely monitored. There were even Kryl clones within the Presidential grounds. One foot wrong and he and his staff would all be dead. Yet it still served the Kryl well for the puppet government to remain in place. They were seeking a new agreement now. But they would want greater control and there was nothing democratic about the so called government he was running. He sat in quite contemplation waiting for events to unfold.

* * * *

Carla Stevenson had just boarded the Queen’s ship and was being lead towards the Queen’s Sanctuary. This was a journey she had become quite familiar with, albeit one she frequently dreaded. She reached the entrance to the Sanctuary and the drones stood to one side as she entered.

Trieste was waiting for her on her throne, when she reached the center of the room.

“Carla…you have not come for so long. Why?”

“I think you know the answer to that.”

“Explain…tell me why?”

“Is this strictly necessary?”

“We are friends, Carla…and then, suddenly, I don’t see you for a long time.”

Carla was trying to avoid discussing this, but it was inevitable

“President Roslyn asked me to stop coming to see you. He told me there was a time for diplomacy and at the time it was not right.”

“But it is now?”

“Yes.”

“That wasn’t so hard was it, Carla? Unfortunately, I do not agree. Now is not the time for diplomacy. There can be no new agreement. Now you’re incoming fleet threatens our existence.”

Carla was taken aback by Trieste’s harsh response. She rarely encountered coldness from the Queen. Suddenly she felt scared. The Queen was quick to pick up on this.

“I do not blame you. You are still my friend and if you were compelled not to attend me, then you had no choice. Still, it’s clear that any agreement now would be stained by your people’s ultimate intentions—which are to harm us.”

“And yours is not to harm us?”

“Of course not…I have always told you, I considered the relationship between humans and the Kryl to be symbiotic. Yes, we need you, but we will protect you and encourage your growth.”

“There has been precious little evidence of protection and growth Trieste. You have slaughtered millions and collected almost a third of a billion people in the last month.”

“Because the agreement has failed…and because your intentions are confrontational. As we speak, our two peoples are about to do battle once again.”

Again Carla was taken aback but elected not to respond. She reverted to her original stance.

“Trieste. You now have a large supply of humans for your relief and you have established control over the majority of skirmishes which have occurred here on Earth…and other colonies,” she added as if to mitigate.

“Your intent is to carry out a mass execution of the Kryl by subjecting us to radiation—which you know will kill us.”

Carla was again surprised how much the Queen knew. She elected to change tack.

“Why don’t you leave? If you feel threatened, and there is a chance you could lose millions of your kind, why don’t you just move on?”

The Queen laughed. “Then everyone would be happy. No! My people are threatened by yours. This is an act of aggression and the Kryl will never allow such acts to go unchallenged. We will defeat your insignificant fleet and crush them and Alpha into oblivion. Then, when we have complete control once again, we will start a new agreement.”

During this outburst, the Queen moved from laughter to blind rage within a few moments. Carla had never seen her like this before. She realized she had to calm the situation.

“So, what do we have to do to bring a new agreement into place without further bloodshed?”

The Queen looked up having spent the last few moments with her face to the floor. “You must ask President Roslyn to persuade your fleet to back down…to surrender and safely destroy the weapons which might harm us.”

“But then, we would be back where we started.”

“Yes, but with a new accord. One balanced towards both sides.”

“With fewer humans collected for your relief.”

“No. We collect what we need to collect Carla…let us move on. You will be aware that Jake Carter is within Alpha’s fleet. He is on his way back to you…and of course his rendezvous with me, as I had foretold.”

Carla felt a rush of emotion. She knew Jake was probably somewhere within the fleet; but to have the Queen confirm it. Yet a few moments before, she had talked about annihilating the entire fleet. Suddenly he felt so much nearer.

“How can you guarantee he will survive the battle?”

“My vision is lucid Carla. I will see him here and it will be soon. Aspects are becoming clearer which happens when something is drawing near. There is further clarity…you will be here with me when Jake comes.”

Carla gasped, suddenly struggling to hold her emotions. “Can you tell what will happen to him?”

“No…although it will become clearer still as the moment draws near. There will be others in attendance, but I cannot be certain who they are.”

Carla suddenly realized why the Queen considered Carla so important. She was part of her visions too. She could sense the Queen had penetrated her mind. She pulled herself back and concentrated forcing the Queen to retreat.

“You have grown stronger. The disease…are you beating it?”

“No…I have received relief…human relief. A gift from my chosen one. A commander from one of Alpha’s ships.”

“Who is it?” Carla was surprised to here the Queen had resorted to taking human lives herself. The Queen responded clearly still able to read her mind.

“Oh, he is not dead. I have been absorbing him slowly. His name is Commander Wesley Smith. He commanded the Pantheon, before Sorgan destroyed it. I have to survive, Carla. I hope you don’t feel ill of me.”

It was Carla’s turn to laugh now,—albeit rather nervously.”The fact you are taking a human life is supposed to be acceptable to me? I thought you would not lower yourself to such things.”

“I have no choice with Sorgan and Safrec both away from me. I think we should close now, Carla. You have what you came for. A deal to be struck with your President to initiate a new agreement. Alpha’s fleet must stand down and destroy its weapons. We will speak again soon?”

It had been a revealing conversation, but she doubted whether the Queen’s offer would carry much weight when she advised the President.

“I will speak to him and return forthwith. If there is anything to be gained from this; we will move quickly.”

The Queen turned away and walked towards the far side of the Sanctuary and Carla knew their meeting had drawn to a close. She walked slowly and purposefully towards the Sanctuary exit. Jake was alive and they would soon be together. The fact this would be in the company of the Queen filled her with dread, but at least Jake and her would be together again.

Chapter Sixty

Inside the Nebula

Just inside the nebula and one hundred thousand kilometers distant, the Radiation Fleet silently headed for their own exit from the gas cloud. Admiral Jonathan Hoskins had led his seventy-five strong task force away from the main fleet, just two hours after they had turned back to travel through the cloud. They had no way of knowing whether this deception would work; but if it did, they could clear the nebula and head for Earth undetected; leaving Admiral Martin and the main body of the contingency fleet to do battle with the Kryl.

The forty-eight cruisers armed with radiation shells were surrounded by a body of battle cruisers headed by the Halo 7, which was back to full SD capability. The Accura sat just behind the Halo 7. Hoskins was on the command bridge.

“Scanners?”

“Still clear, Admiral. We are picking up activity one hundred and ten thousand kilometers to starboard. It would appear Admiral Martin just engaged the Kryl.”

Hoskins thanked the Accura CO. The plan had worked. The main Alpha fleet would be substantially reduced in size, but bunched tightly together to make it look as if was composed of a greater number of vessels. This was Admiral Martin’s idea. He had made it clear if necessary, they would hold the Kryl fleet in battle for several days. If the diversion worked, the radiation fleet could be clear of any major threat until they reached the solar system.

He knew his fellow Admiral was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the radiation shells reached their target. He could not help but think this would be Martin’s last stand.

* * * *

The lead ships of the Kryl armada had cleared the gas cloud and Safrec had instructed his crew to carry out a full scan. They had detected Alpha’s fleet almost immediately, just three hundred thousand kilometers ahead. A gap which could be closed virtually instantly, but Safrec chose to close in on his enemy more slowly.

He wanted to let them know he was coming. They would have no choice to face him and could do nothing when they eventually did battle. There was no chance he would fail and there was no chance that the radiation would reach its intended destination.

* * * *

Jake Carter just finished a very long shift and was given leave to take a few hours rest, before he was once again required on the bridge. While the Halo was no longer the Flag Ship, she did still lead the defending battle cruisers and sat proudly at the front of the fleet which had assumed its standard “V” formation. He headed for the top deck fore viewing platform, which at high velocity, gave the viewing personnel the perfect view of the post light speed tunneling effect—an optical illusion which suggested that the stars and their systems were passing by so quickly, all you saw of them was one constant band of light, cascading around the ship. The reality was different, at speeds in excess of SD6, star systems did go by quickly, but not flashing by.

Jake took a few moments to digest the scene in front of him. He had seen it many times before, but he never grew tired of seeing it. He came here for some time to himself, but once again found himself enchanted by the spectacle that surrounded them. He wondered briefly about his father and the advanced stellar speed drives, his organization had been working on.

The results of their long term project should be finished soon…not withstanding the Kryl’s intervention. Did the project still exit or had it been shelved? Had his father been put at risk; was he even still alive? Then he thought about his mother. Was she safe? Then inevitably thoughts turned to Carla. He knew she would be in the thick of it. Not just because of her position, but because of her nature. She would have wanted to be involved. She was probably putting herself at risk. His thought process was brought to an abrupt halt by a pat on the back. It was Maria.

“Hiya, Jake. What you doing up here?”

Oh, God. Perfect timing…just as I start to think about Carla. I don’t need this right now!

“Me! This is my ship. Why are you here?”

“Do I sense animosity, Jake? The Admiral is here talking to Commander Jacques. I came up here for the same reason as you did. I still see the Halo as my ship.”

“If you know why I am here…why did you ask?”

Jake sensed his bitter responses were hitting home. Perhaps her intentions were genuine.

“I am sorry, Maria. You just caught me at a bad moment. I guess we are all thinking of home.”

“Yes, we are and it won’t be long now. Look, I can see you need time, so I will make myself scarce. Hoskins told me, he could be a few hours, so I am heading for the mess. If you feel like joining me; I’ll be there for the next few hours.”

Jake forced a smile and Maria left. He did not feel compelled to respond. Her heart was in the right place…it was just why it was there that bothered him. Yet, he just needed to exercise some control. She was good fun to be with and a few hours with Maria would take some of the tedium and stress away. But he had to make it clear to her that their friendship was plutonic.

* * * *

“I hope you are in a better mood? Have you eaten? The fish is good.”

Jake sat down beside her, having grabbed a soda from the automated vending facility.

“If it were real fish, I might be compelled to eat it. I ate at lunch, so I’ll just have a snack for now. I am sorry about earlier. I am worried about my parents, what is about to happen and…Carla. Look Maria, I feel it is important for me to make my situation clear.”

“You have already done that, Jake,” Maria interrupted. “I know where I stand…it does not mean I will give up. Okay, I accept that right now, we are friends, but we can help each other through this. I miss my family too! Let’s skip wine and have some beers. I could do with drowning my sorrows.”

Jake shrugged and was about to speak, when Maria shook her head.

“You don’t need to say it, Jake. We both need to let go a bit that is all.

* * * *

Admiral Martin saw them now. They had been tracking the chasing Kryl fleet for nearly an hour, but now they were just visible at high magnitude and within Teutonic range. He already decided he would hold off a unilateral strike. He would wait for them to attack and then hit them with the highest powered weapon available. He would not have to wait much longer.

“Admiral, the Kryl have just launched fighters.”

“How many?”

“Thousands, sir. This will be a bloodbath.”

He had explored his conscience. He knew if he struck here in the close proximity of the nebula, there would be many human lives lost as well as Kryl. But the science was proven. The sub-space charges at their highest yield would destroy the vast majority of the Kryl fleet.

“Shall I give the order to launch our Jump Ships, sir?”

“No. We wait.”

Admiral Martin and Jonathan Hoskins had agreed between them, that they could give the command code to atomize the sub–space charges without the approval of a second senior officer. This was done for precisely this reason. The Tiger missiles from which the charges would be dispatched were already loaded in the launch bays. The new process involved entering the code which automatically charged the sub-space charges and in effect turned them from inert to the most explosive and powerful weapon in the known galaxy. Martin had already configured the coding into his command chair and now he waited.

Ten Tiger missiles would be deployed, directly from the Viceroy’s starboard launch bay. Nothing would reach them before they ignited. It was just about timing.

“Admiral, the Kryl fleet have closed to within one hundred thousand meters. We are in their range. We should fire…”

This was what he had been waiting for. Martin flipped the access panel on his command chair, revealing the access code and launch button. He took one final deep breath and pressed the button.

“Fleet wide comm.link.”

“Open, sir.”

“This is Admiral Martin. I have just launched ten high yield subspace charges into the free space between the Kryl fleet and our own. This planned strategy will destroy the Kryl fleet. It is likely we will experience some casualties and I suggest you divert all power now to your starboard shields. The missiles should explode in approximately one minute twenty seconds.”

Martin closed the comm.link and stood without comment, despite several groans and shouts from within the bridge area. He headed for the starboard observation lounge; which stood just off the main bridge. From here, he would witness the Kryl’s destruction.

Forty-five seconds later, all ten tiger missiles exploded.

* * * *

Safrec saw the missiles coming from his sanctuary window. He had no way of knowing the destructive capabilities of ordinary Alpha missiles and he turned a blind eye.

“Take us to the mid-fleet for protection and prepare all weaponry.” He was about to continue, but his breathe was taken from under him as suddenly his ship was forced sideways into two other cruisers and then backwards at high velocity towards the rear of the fleet by the massive explosion. It took Safrec a few moments to realize what happened, but when he recovered from his fall, sufficient to stand, he moved back towards the viewing window. He looked out in horror. His fleet was decimated. Alpha had used subspace charges once again.

* * * *

The black void evolved moments after the explosion. Now the dust and debris had cleared, Martin saw what remained of the enemy fleet. Seventy-five percent were destroyed. He looked back at his own fleet to see how many of his own ships had gone. It was not immediately clear.

As Martin headed back into the command bridge, the scene was panic-stricken. He walked to his command chair and calmly sat down. Then, he raised his head.

“Update.”

The reply was not immediate as his senior aide was still in a heated conversation with one of the main fleet supply officers.

“Admiral…up to ten cruisers and fifteen supply ships lost. There are many others with severe to fatal damage. We have fared badly.”

“The Kryl fleet fared much worse. We need to force home our advantage. Launch one thousand Rapiers and one hundred Sabres immediately and charge up the PBA on all capable and starboard leading vessels.”

“Sir, we have lost twenty-five ships. The Kryl still have the advantage and most of our ships have been incapacitated. We don’t have a thousand Rapiers available.” The aide was trying not to panic. He could not believe what the Admiral just done.

“I want calm on this bridge. The job is seventy-five percent done. Now we finish them off.”

Chapter Sixty–One

Alpha Command Headquarters

The underground bunker at Alpha’s command headquarters, three hundred meters below the main command building was not as safe as the Arizona desert command bunker, which Koenig had called his home for so many months; but at least from here, he could communicate with the outside world and more importantly beyond it. He just received word that Admiral Martin had engaged the Kryl fleet, but more importantly a coded message which indicated that a separate task force had so far managed to evade the Kryl and was on target to reach Earth in just two weeks.

He knew better than to express too much elation. It was good news, but the Kryl would be looking for the second fleet and still had significant resources at their disposal. Now was the time to crew and engage those ships available on the ground. Plans had been afoot for many months; but he would first have to get by Admiral Yamoto, who was proving more significant an obstacle to remove than he had hoped.

The lift to the surface took him to a small access door in the rear of a filing room. The door was disguised as a pair of integrated filing cabinets. Koenig was wearing the uniform of a mid ranking staff officer, but his biometric identification allowed him to clear security, right up to the guard post just before the Commander in Chiefs office suite.

“Major Phillips. What is the purpose of your enquiry with the Admiral?”

“Check my biometrics. The Admiral will see me.”

“You are not on our schedule for today and the Admiral is very busy. Please make an appointment at the front office and assuming you do indeed clear security, he will see you. I suspect it will be a few days though.”

“Not good enough, Sergeant. You will speak to the Admiral and tell him to personally identify me. I can assure you he will agree immediately.”

“No. I am sorry, sir; I cannot do that…as I say, there are procedures in place which must be adhered to.”

Koenig sighed. He wanted to keep his identity from entering Alpha’s public records; but he had no choice, he needed to see Yamoto now.

“Security ID and voice recognition sensors. Please confirm rank and status.”

“ID confirmed as Admiral Koenig, former CIC Alpha.”

He turned back to the sergeant. “I believe you now have my correct identification. I presume I now have clearance and you will allow me to pass.”

The sergeant looked skeptical, but on looking closer at the man’s face. He now recognized Koenig. “Yes, of course. I am sorry, sir. I did not recognize you.”

The security guard allowed Koenig to pass and he entered the chief aide’s reception area. Madeleine Portias recognized him immediately.

“Is he free Madeleine?”

“Admiral…I’ll check if he is available.”

No need. Koenig marched passed the aide’s desk and pushed open the CIC’s office doors. Madeleine followed in behind him. “I am sorry, sir. He just pushed through.”

“No problem, Madeleine. I have been expecting him.”

The two Admirals waited until Madeleine left the office and then they both sat down on one of the office’s substantial easy chairs.

“I see that you have made yourself at home in my office.”

“That is because it is my office now, Tom. I presume you are going to come in here and demand back your CIC status. It is not going to happen I am afraid. I am the CIC.”

“A role which you agreed to take, until I came back. I am here now, you can stand down and I will resume my role.”

“A lot has happened since then Tom. I recognize your rank, but you are and will remain subservient to me as your CIC. You may challenge my authority with the Admiralty using the established channels, but I doubt they will be seeking a change back to you right now, particularly because we are now officially under the control of the Kryl military, who will I am sure want to talk to you. Unless of course you feel for now it is better you continue to operate in the background.”

“I am not happy about this Yamoto…but there are bigger issues at stake. The radiation fleet is just two weeks away from Earth. We need to engage the few operational ships we have under my command and re-crew and launch the mothballed fleet. I believe we should have about sixty ships in total. There should be plenty of crew.”

“That is good news about the radiation task force. I am afraid there is little we can do at this end. I will engage the operational ships, when we have greater certainty that the task force will actually reach us. Only two are currently in the planetary domain, the rest are serving the colonies. As for the mothballed ships; the Kryl have supervised their status and most have been stripped down. There are certainly few weapons available.”

“Rubbish. I have been monitoring the mothballed fleet’s progress from Arizona and have ensured each vessel is rather ably more equipped and ready than the official records show. We do have sixty ships available and even those on far reaching colonial duty can be here; if we summon them now. These ships are absolutely critical come the day when the radiation is released.”

“What about weapons and crew?”

“We have stockpiled over ten thousand Teutonics and there should be five hundred plus Jump Ships available too. The plasma arrays have not been decommissioned as officially advised; accept in two or three circumstances where the Kryl’s prying eyes have delved too deeply. I have a full crew compliment available for each ship.”

“How do you propose we launch these ships without arousing suspicion?”

“We must commence the process in the background. We will not actually launch until the first radiation shells are fired…but we must be ready. We must recall the operational ships now. Every one of them must be available to us on the day. The numbers are critical. I presume there are also some SED Jump Ships available?”

“Yes, but only about five hundred, three hundred of which are operational, the others are in various states of repair. However SED is no longer actively engaging with the Kryl. There is an unofficial truce in place, which is being led by President Roslyn. I believe he is seeking a new diplomatic route.”

“Roslyn is stalling. He is aware of what is going on with the contingency fleet because I have kept him up-to-date.”

“Very well, assuming what you are saying is correct, I will sanction their deployment and I will order the return of the operational vessels. I presume you will continue to keep your head down for the next two weeks?”

“Yes…it might be an idea to have a chat with your security guard. He is now aware of who I am. I don’t want word to spread to far as yet. I think a challenge to your leadership at this time would be counterproductive but be aware that when we are victorious I shall ask the Admiralty to reappoint me. I will not go through the election channels; I have not been removed from office.”

“Oh, I am aware, Admiral Koenig. Please don’t think I will just stand aside. I will not, though I will keep your return between us for the time being.”

Koenig acknowledged Yamoto’s comment by bowing and raising his head slowly. He left without further comment; ignoring observed protocol that the CIC should be saluted on greeting and leaving. He headed back through the building to the concealed lift and within five minutes he was back on the secure bunker level. He needed to activate the Special Forces unit, who were tasked with the re-launch of the mothballed cruisers. A glance at his watch told him it was time for lunch and he headed back to his small apartment. He was greeted by the toddling activities of his mistresses” son and a smiling Sarah Hoskins.

Chapter Sixty–Two

The Sub-Space Aftermath

An hour after the sub-space charge, Admiral Martin was digging his fleet in, preparing for the long battle. He had pulled the remaining one hundred and ten cruisers in a tight ring around the Viceroy and the now depleted support vessels and had launched over fifteen hundred Jump Ships into the affray.

It was clear the Kryl still had the advantage, but they had yet to make any impact on the large scale deployment of Rapiers and Sabres. All of this was playing into Admiral Martin’s hands and had started to plan his next offensive. This time it would be small scale, but designed to pick off the lead Kryl cruisers one by one.

* * * *

Safrec was still stunned. His huge armada was reduced to a fraction of its former might. With less than two hundred cruisers, their advantage over Alpha was dwindling. To make matters worse his commanders were in disarray and lacked direction. He was the Kronan and he needed to put this right now. There may not be another chance. In any Kryl fleet, the most powerful weapon available was seldom used; the Kronan himself. He had been a reluctant protagonist of using his own powers against his enemies, but now he had no choice.

He closed his mind off to all that surrounded him and searched the cosmos, seeking a target. He discarded several, before he found what he was looking for. He had mapped into the NAVCOM and main computer mainframe for the Viceroy. While the fleet’s flagship was contained within the midst of Alpha’s tightly linked fleet, he could still do a great deal with what he had. He turned his attention first to weaponry. He seized control of the thirteen hundred separate plasma banks. Then he found what he was looking for; Alpha’s most powerful conventional weapon the PBA. It was still powering up, but once he had control, he would select the weapons optimum target. Next, he gained control over the shield systems. He could now deactivate them completely. He moved to the environmental controls and rebalanced the nitrogen and oxygen levels within the breathable air. Later he could stop the oxygen supply completely. Finally, he gained access to the NAVCOM itself. In each case, he didn’t allow the changes to take effect. He would wait until he assumed complete control and then, he would wreck havoc.

He turned his attention to the other vessels. He knew he could not control them all. He just needed to pick carefully, to ensure the maximum effect. When he took control of ten more battle cruisers, the task was complete. Yet he found himself wanting more, electing to seek out and identify those vessels which carried the radiation charges. All around him the battle continued with neither side gaining any particular advantage. Safrec searched every ship, but found nothing.

So, where did they hide the radiation?

The answer became obvious as soon as his last thought ended. The radiation was not here. Alpha had split the fleet…but when? Safrec felt his blood boiling. He lost three-quarters of his fleet and yet their reason for attacking in the first place was not there. More importantly, this meant the radiation ships were still on route for Earth and the Queen’s ship!

He was very angry now, but he would not show it. Bizarrely he felt more powerful than ever and realized he could harness the anger to take control over a larger number of Alpha’s ships. He realized he needed to make a quick impact here, destroy the majority of this fleet and then move out in search of the radiation fleet…before they got too far ahead.

Safrec continued his mind control and seized the vital systems aboard another fifteen ships, before he felt his mind could do no more. Now, all he had to do was activate the controls he had put in place and allow momentum to take over. Compounded by his cruisers attacking Alpha’s fleet and Alpha attacking and destroying its own ships from within the middle of their fleet; this would be a bloodbath. This made Safrec feel good. He needed to exercise his immense power.

He activated the controls and waited.

* * * *

The first sign that anything was amiss occurred within the command bridge of the Viceroy, when the attending shield specialist realized the shields just gone down and they were indiscriminately firing at other Alpha vessels.

“Shut down the Plasma banks and get those shields back up.”

“No response Admiral. The weapons are still on-line.”

“The bloody Kryl have taken control of our ships. Take evasive action, get us out of here, we need distance between us.”

“No response, Admiral…we seem to have lost control of the whole ship.”

Martin watched in horror as virtually every ship that surrounded the Viceroy was either firing at it, or the surrounding vessels…and with no shields the result was total devastation.

“Admiral, the fleet cannot break out, a second line of ships has reported no navigational control. We are all too close; this is going to destroy us all.”

Martin wasn’t listening. He just recognized the Kryl’s ultimate objective. Alpha’s entire fleet was moving slowly towards the subspace void.

* * * *

Safrec watched as Alpha’s fleet slowly destroyed itself. His strategy was working, but he needed to keep his concentration and his anger; without it, his control would fail and Alpha would seize back control of their own vessels. His commanders were playing their part and were targeting the outer vessels and preventing them from pulling out of the mass group, which was just a few kilometers from the subspace void and total destruction. He reminded himself why he was so angry. He needed to harness the energy from his mind to kill all of them. If he failed, the battle would continue and he would not be able to begin the search for the radiation fleet. But even now, he was growing tired. Could he hold on long enough to bring this battle to a satisfactory conclusion?

As it happened it did not matter as the momentum to force all but a few outer ships into the dark matter of the subspace void was in place. Safrec’s control faded away, but it was too late and Admiral Martin and his fleet’s destiny was decided.

* * * *

“It’s no good, sir. It’s too late. We are going in!”

Admiral Martin stood by his command chair and watched in horror as the void drew nearer. Soon it would be all over and he and his fleet would cease to exist. Something clicked in his mind. He forced himself away from the spectacle and opened a fleet wide comm.link.

“The Kryl’s control has gone. If you have any power left and you can pull away, you must do so now. The fleet is lost. Save yourselves and head for Earth…” His words petered off as realization began to sink in. Again he fought back against his the turmoil in his head. There was one thing left to do.

Martin opened another comm.link. A direct message this time to the Radiation Task Force. They needed to know that they were on their own.

“Admiral Hoskins. All is lost. The fleet has been destroyed and we all about to die.” He glanced up at the command room’s viewing screen. There were just seconds left.

“Get to Earth and deliver your payload. Send the Kryl back to hell.”

The message was delivered with seconds to spare. The Viceroy and over a hundred Alpha vessels slipped into the void and were gone forever.

Chapter Sixty-Three

The Constellation of Cygnus

Deneb was a blue-white supergiant star in the constellation of Cygnus. An inconspicuous star system, some eleven light years from Earth, but it was here that Admiral Hoskins had elected to hold out, adjacent to the largest of the planetary objects that formed the backdrop of the system. From here, the task force could launch an assault on the orbiting Kryl Fleet and Earth within fourteen hours of leaving the system. But Hoskins was playing it cautiously; his next proposed run was from here to the Barnard’s Star system, cutting the distance to Earth in half, but creeping from one destination to the next; the intent to pass from system to system without any detection from outside.

When the task force split from the main fleet, they had left the nebula some one hundred and fifty thousand kilometers north of the point where the main fleet and the Kryl had exited. Hoskins had immediately ordered a return to maximum SD velocity on a heading directly to Earth. Forty-eight hours later, he had deliberately adjusted his course and headed towards Andromeda for a further three days before reestablishing an Earth bound heading. That was two weeks ago and up until now, they had enjoyed the freedom of free space without contact with any other vessel, Kryl or otherwise.

Now, in space terms, they were close to their destination and to some of the busiest space-ways in the galaxy. It was highly unlikely they would remain undetected between here and Earth and while Hoskins accepted this, his intent was to avoid the Kryl at all costs. The next jump was the critical one. They would travel in free space for up to six hours, without protection from other systems and it was here, that the quest to reach Earth could be won or lost. After the next point and virtually all the way to Earth, there were a series of short hops between protective systems, nebulas and other space anomaly. The task force could get within a thirty minute strike of Earth and evade detection, as long as they could clear this next part of their journey unscathed.

Hoskins had called a meeting with his two chief advisors.

“Okay…so far so good, but this next one is tough. I suggest we send out ten to fifteen Rapiers to act as our eyes and ears.”

“We need to decide what to do, if we do meet the Kryl. We have no where to run for cover. I would still prefer for us to take a longer route around the Hasien Nebulae; that would afford us protection for twenty-four hours with just a short ninety-minute hop across through space to the Barnard Star. We have already added to our journey time; what difference would a few hours make?”

“I know but that would be a difficult and dangerous part of the galaxy to navigate. We have to remember our cargo. Also that short hop would take us to within a few parsecs of the main route to Earth. We would be detected for sure.”

“I am not sure.”

It was Tom Montgomery” turn to speak now. The Accura CO was the risk taker in the Quorum and if he was against the long thru-space option, then it was clear the risks were high.

“We could lose everything, rather than potentially one or maybe two ships if things went badly wrong. Perhaps we should reconsider splitting the fleet. I could take the Accura and half the ships directly to Barnard, leaving the Halo 7 to lead the rest along the Hasien Nebulae. We could then rejoin at Barnard.”

Hoskins valued the input of both of his inner sanctum, but today, he had made up his mind.

“No, gentlemen. I have wrestled with this in my mind for most of the last two weeks. We take the thru-space route directly to Barnard, tomorrow morning. We will send out Rapier teams in advance starting right now, to search as much of the region as possible and we go hell for leather across open space until we reach Barnard. If we do encounter the Kryl, then we take a stand and fight…simple as that.”

No one else seemed compelled to comment and Hoskins quickly moved on. He was aware of the risk they were taking, but options were limited and the longer the journey, the more likely they would be caught.

“I want to discuss deployment again briefly. Tim, the plan was to put the Accura and five cruisers into high orbit to protect those cruisers who are delivering their payload directly to Earth. Have you spoken to the executive officers of the cruisers concerned?”

“Yes, Jonathan. They are all up to speed. I want to flood the area with Jump ships, with a high proportion of Sabres to provide additional cover…have you decided whether you will birth with us, or with Jean-Luc?”

Hoskins looked at the Halo 7’s CO, as he responded.”I will join the Halo, where the main battle will be, but I may jump ship once the initial payload has been delivered. We can fire the Teutonic’s from ten thousand meters out. If we come in at high sub-light velocity, the missiles will reach their targets before the Kryl realize…I have looked at the possible concentration. It is highly likely the Kryl will have heavily populated the region around the Queen’s ship. Over half our missiles should be targeted here.”

“We mustn’t waste our missiles on the Malchian cruisers, whose crew will not be affected by the radiation. Someone will need to take care of them though…assuming we don’t meet them before we arrive.”

“Yes, Jean-Luc; I agree we will need to attack the Malchian Arrows with a high influx of Sabres; meaning you will not have the concentration of Sabres you are looking for, Tim. Is that okay?”

“Yes, we will just have to use a few more Rapiers instead. I am happy with the plan, Jonathan.”

“Good. Jean-Luc?”

“Yes…good to go…but I am still not particularly happy with our route to Barnard…just thought you should know that.”

“I do Jean-Luc; I do…all right, that will do for now. Jean-Luc, can you send Jake Carter over to me? I need to have a chat with him about the Queen’s visions. He has an important part to play in all of this.”

“I’ll send him over straight away.”

All three commanders were in unison. Whatever the Queen had in store for Jake Carter was clearly important. They all just wished they knew what part it would be.

* * * *

“Hi, Jake. Come in, take a seat.”

Jake Carter joined Admiral Hoskins in his state room and was curious to know why the Admiral requested him. He hoped it had nothing to do with Maria.

“I wanted to speak to you before we get back to Earth and I wanted there to be an understanding between us of exactly how you should respond given a variety of different circumstances.”

“As I have said all along…” he continued. “Assuming the Queen’s prophecy is correct the part that you will play in the events of the next few days will be significant.”

“It is difficult to drawer any conclusions as to what will happen…in that sense I don’t know how I can prepare for it, sir.”

“Let’s skip the “sir”, shall we? I know we have no idea about what will happen, but on two previous occasions, your actions have helped either directly or indirectly see the removal of Winterburn and Morvalt. My instinct tells me that Safrec will be there or thereabouts too…and if anybody is going to force you to leave the ship as before, it will be Safrec. You need to be very wary of him.”

“I am…but I am more wary of the Queen and also whether Carla will play a part again. She always seems to be in the thick of it.”

“Yes, and in her capacity as a diplomat; she could well be again. If this plays out as I hope…you will join the Queen following our victory and she and Safrec will be in a very much weaker state.”

“I hope so…but it still doesn’t answer why I will be there in the first place. I don’t think I will be responsible for either her death or Safrec’s. That would have been foretold, unless Safrec is holding back. I have to consider the likelihood that I might die.”

“Of course…and I very much hope that you will be okay. As I am now heading up the contingency fleet, you need to know you have my full support and authorization to proceed to the Queen’s ship as and when contact is made…if indeed it is or when you are compelled to attend. Just a courtesy, but I think it is an important one.”

“Yes, thank you. It is appreciated. Er, if there is nothing else. Can I ask how Lieutenant Temsouri is?”

“Of course. She is well on the road to full recovery and champing at the bit to become involved, but of course she can’t—for now anyway. She speaks of you often.”

“Good to hear. It will be nice to have her back in the CAG driving seat.”

They chatted for a further few minutes about Obeya, before the Admiral stood and Jake realized his time was up. He saluted and left the Admiral’s state rooms, heading back towards his shuttle. It really was getting close now. He would see the Queen again soon, but what did she have in store for him?

* * * *

Two hours after Jake Carter returned to the Halo 7, he was at the con, when the ships scanners first detected the approach of a number of other vessels. Jake hit the panic button and raised the ship and by association the fleets status to “condition blue”, before reducing back to base alert status when it became clear what the other ships were. Admiral Shenke and ten cruisers appeared from nowhere and had come to join them.

* * * *

“So, where in the hell have you been for the last nine months? You couldn’t have hidden from the Kryl for so long, surely.”

“We have. We have been here or in the Cygnus corridor for the entire time. On several occasions one of our ships tried to venture back towards Earth; they have either been destroyed or come back “running with their tails between their legs”.”

“We started off with eighteen cruisers,” he continued. With seven support ships; basically every vessel that headed away from the fleet and Earth in this general direction. We all ended up together. Now, we are just ten cruisers. We lost six ships and discarded the rest along the way. We are fully operational and have a full compliment of weapons, crew and Jump Ships. We are a mini-fleet and we are good to go.”

“So, how did you find us?”

“Well, you didn’t exactly creep along, Jonathan. To be honest, we anticipated this corridor might be used as a way back to Earth. Obvious to us, but not so much to the Kryl. So, tell me about the fleet. What has happened to the rest of it and how exactly are you planning to take out a hundred million Kryl with just seventy-five ships.”

Hoskins explained the radiation plan to Shenke as they walked from the hanger bay to the command deck. As they walked, Hoskins observed his colleague, who in theory was the ranking officer. There was something not quite right about him. Had he lost the edge? In his prime, Shenke was the supreme tactician and would compliment any fleet. He doubted whether many would listen to Shenke now.

“So, your experience suggests we should avoid the thru-space route between here and Barnard Star? Do you think the Hasien Nebulae route is a better one?”

“No, this is the most direct and the best route. You now have a fleet of eighty-five ships, with thirty-five ships of the line including the Accura and the Halo 7. That makes for quite a formidable fleet. It is likely you will encounter the local Kryl fleet, who are maybe one hundred strong. They will lose. Then, you move on to Barnard and you are virtually home and dry.”

“By then the main Kryl fleet will have been alerted.”

“You’ll be only six or seven hours from your destination. You are going to meet them sooner rather than later. I think we can hold off the advances of a large Kryl fleet at high velocity…and that is the critical aspect here. You will be coming in towards Earth at speeds of up to half a million kilometers per hour. Fast by anyone’s standards.”

“You are mixing “you” and “we”. I presume you intend to join us and of course you are the ranking officer.”

“What and stand on your toes in your hour of glory? No Jonathan. This was always going to be your job, you have prepared for it and I have not. I will integrate my fleet into yours and assume second in command. I will return to my ship and prepare my ships to join your fleet.”

As Shenke left, Hoskins felt pleased his command structure would remain intact, but there was still something unusual about Shenke’s behavior. Maybe , he just been out of the loop for too long, maybe he lost the edge. If so, was Hoskins himself foolhardy in leading the whole fleet into the path of a sizeable Kryl fleet, assuming they were there. Did he already made the decision to follow this route and Shenke’s additional vessels would help? The plan would stay then. They just had to hope it all went off as anticipated.

* * * *

At 9:00 a.m. sharp the next day, the Radiation Task force moved out. They were still lead by the Halo 7, with the Accura tucked in behind, with both Admirals on board. On the Halo 7’s bridge, the two executive officers sat side-by-side. Jake Carter had the comms station. The fleet divided the large thru space area between the two constellations into six sections and each was patrolled by Two Rapiers, One Sabre, and a Patrol ship. This gave them scanning depth and would allow a minimum of thirty minutes lead time before an attack or time to maneuver out of range. Everyone on board every ship in the fleet knew this was the most dangerous part of their journey.

Commander Jacques said virtually nothing in the two hours and twenty minutes since they departed, almost as if he was listening out himself for the slightest sign that something was amiss. The journey so far had been free from difficulty. This was about to change.

Jake shifted forward on his seat as his scanners started blinking rapidly. The Patrol ship in sector two just picked something up long range. It was right at the maximum scanning distance, meaning it was tens of millions of kilometers away and yet still within range of the Kryl’s sophisticated scanning systems. Jake waited for confirmation.

“Possible sighting of Kryl fleet, one hundred plus vessels, sector two, grid reference 37AF. Verifying with fleet command…confirmed.”

The order from the Accura came through seconds later: course change, fifteen degrees to starboard, vector point seven three zero.

“Helm, Make it so. Our luck just ran out. They will have us on their scanners. Let’s go to condition blue. By my reckoning ,we have about an hour with the course change…still a long way short of safety.”

* * * *

It took the Kryl just forty-eight minutes to locate, lock on, and catch the Alpha Task Force. Admiral Hoskins gave the order to maintain, as the Kryl fleet came into range. He wanted the fleet to stay connected for as long as possible. The tactic failed just minutes later as hundreds of swarming Kryl fighters surrounded them.

“Take the fleet out of light speed. Battle stations and engage the Kryl. Launch one thousand Rapier and one hundred Sabres. This is it Admiral Shenke, your forecast engagement was virtually spot on. Now, let’s see if your prediction of our success comes true.”

Chapter Sixty-Four

The Presidential Bunker

Roslyn felt as if all his powers had been removed from him. Yet, the burden of responsibility suddenly became much greater. He finally and reluctantly agreed to let go of the reigns just twelve hours before as his chief aide led him to the elevator and to the three hundred meter subterranean bunker. Here he could exist and still run the ECG for an indefinite period. The reality was rather different. There was no communication available at present—a necessary precaution in the early hours of transferring to the bunker according to the security chief and the only elevator entrance was sealed up. It felt like a tomb.

The decision to enter the bunker was finally made because despite the pending arrival of Alpha’s Contingency fleet, the battle on Earth had run its course. Safrec was said to be fuming that the ECG and Alpha had done nothing to stem the tide of the unofficial pitch battles that constantly challenged and killed large numbers of Kryl. Overall, their impact would not change the outcome, but drones were being killed. Safrec had given the order to take both the Presidential Palace and Alpha’s Admiralty building by storm. That was thirty-six hours ago and, as yet, no attack had been made on the Palace.

Roslyn grew impatient. He sent Carla Stevenson to visit the Queen just hours before the rumors of Safrec’s discontent had started and he had heard nothing. He wanted to get back to the surface to see whether any of those rumors were true and to check that Carla had arrived safely. While he had grown quite close to her in recent months; his major concern was the ability to keep the diplomatic process going and Carla’s link to the Queen was critical. It may have even been the reason why the planned attack of the Palace had not been made. His mood changed a little when his chief aide entered.

“Good news. The comms are back up and I can confirm that the Palace security remains intact.”

“Excellent. Then we can get back to the surface. Have security started to remove the barricade?”

“No…the chief remains insistent that we stay down here. We have comms, we just can’t go anywhere.”

“The chief is not the man in charge; I am! Get him to come and see me immediately.”

“He is already waiting outside to see you.”

“Then send him in. Thanks, Kate.”

Special Forces Colonel Chad Balchovik entered. He had been the Presidential Security Chief ever since Roslyn came to power and he knew how far he could push. He suspected the President would not be happy with his security arrangements.

“Why are the barricades not down? We have security here; we need to have access to the surface. I am not even sure we need to be down here at all now.”

“Sir, the threat to you office is intact. The fact no attack has been made yet is probably a smoke screen. They know you will go to ground and want to force you back out. To substantiate this, I have just heard that the Admiralty building was stormed yesterday, some twenty-four hours after the rumors started. We have to err on the side of caution at least for the next twenty-four hours.”

“As always Chad, you are doing your job well…but, I want to be on the surface now. I will take this face-on. Please remove the barricades.”

“I would not be doing my job properly, sir, if I agreed to that. You can order me to comply, but I urge you to remain down here for just a little longer until I can confirm that there is no imminent threat. Remember, we have had no comms too, which means we are still receiving updates on security issues”

Roslyn slumped down in his chair defeated. Yes, he could make an order, but the chief had a point. “Okay, one day more and that’s it. Keep me abreast of other developments.”

The security chief saluted and exited, passing Kate Jones as she walked back in. She waited for the door to close and then sighed before she spoke.

“We have just had an unofficial report advising that the Kryl have destroyed a large Alpha fleet and that Admiral Martin has been killed…there is no word on Admiral Hoskins.”

“Is the source credible?”

“We are still verifying. This does not mean the whole fleet has been destroyed. Some of the ships and their charges could still get through.”

“Let’s hope so. Any word from Carla Stevenson?”

“Nothing as yet.”

This could turn out to be a very bad day, he thought.

* * * *

The Kryl Queen was in her sanctuary. She just returned from her private quarters, where she and Sorgan spent the night together.

She felt invigorated and powerful and was buoyed by the news that the missing Alpha fleet had just been engaged by Commander Tourak. Alpha were outnumbered and would soon be defeated and Sorgan had just been dispatched to join his ship, which would join the other Malchian vessels in the Earth’s Solar corridor. There was no prospect of the radiation getting through. Carla Stevenson had been waiting for her when she arrived.

“Ah, Carla. I trust you enjoyed the hospitality we provided for you again and that your sleep was comfortable. I am pleased that you have agreed to stay with us during these transitional times.”

“Let’s be honest. You did not exactly give me much choice. I do need to remind you that I am here firstly in a diplomatic capacity and I must be allowed to leave today to update the President on your position.”

“You are my guest and my friend, first and a diplomat, second. I am afraid that matters on the ground have deteriorated to such an extent that you are actually safer here. I will arrange for a shuttle to transport you back to President Roslyn to update him; perhaps tomorrow. In the mean time, you must avail yourself of our facilities. I can provide you with drones—male or female—for your pleasure to help you pass away the time when we are not together.”

Carla was angry but tried not to show it. She had to maintain her diplomatic face.”You know full well I am not interested in the other services on offer. I prefer to leave today and return tomorrow. I need to refresh my clothes and carry out a few personal chores.”

“We are at war and personal matters become less important at such times, don’t they? I am sure tomorrow will be fine. In the mean time we have much to discuss.”

Chapter Sixty-Five

The Thru-Space Battle

The dog fight started with Rapier and Sabre engaging the Kryl at will, spread over a wide theatre, surrounding the two fleets. The Kryl Commander Tourak had learned from previous skirmishes that to defeat Alpha’s Jump Ships; you needed to outnumber the Rapier by at least two to one. Once the Rapiers numbers had diminished they could take care of the Sabres. He had though not anticipated how many Jump Ships the enemy had in this small fleet. With less than seventy Battle Cruisers, they had sent out close on fifteen hundred vessels and this was against his own rather limited supply of ten thousand fighters. They still had the numerical advantage though and they would make it pay.

* * * *

Onboard the Halo 7, the ship was taking a pounding, sitting as it did at the front of the fleet. The CAG had released all the Rapiers in one go, but had once again held back on deploying the correct ratio of Sabres to protect the less agile Jump Ships. It was beginning to tell. Lieutenant Commander Rogers was looking closely at his numbers. He had seventeen Rapiers and six Sabres on sorties, with a further eight Rapiers either at launch pad or in the repair bays The four remaining Sabres lay untouched in the rear hanger bay. Seven of the Rapiers currently engaged were badly damaged and if he brought them in now, there would be no repair bays for them. He had no choice but to fully open the rear bay for repairs, which meant he would have to send out the remaining Sabres. He needed some help and he called for Jake Carter to join him.

* * * *

Jake arrived swiftly and was relieved to hear that Rogers wanted him to CAG the rear bay, meaning he had free will to run the bay as he saw fit. As he made his way down the main ships corridor; he heard the Halo 7’s shields taking a punishing. Surely the shields can’t last long like this. Much longer and The Halo will be the first real victim in this battle.

Jake was the last of the allotted CAG crew to arrive at the rear bay. The four Sabre pilots followed him in and directly into the Pre-Flight room.

“Ladies, gentlemen. Okay, your job is simple—protect the Rapiers and allow them to target the Kryl. If you are in a position to target, take it. Usual rules apply. Come in if you have any damage to the main fuselage, wings or radiation leakage and if you comms system goes down. Limit your run to ninety-minutes and don’t use up all your ammo on one target. Keep safe and bring yourselves and your ship back in one piece. Any questions? Good best of luck. Off you go.”

Jake watched as the four pilots climbed up into their Sabre 4’s and one by one they launched through the access tubes into thru space. The fastest and newest variant; they proved a formidable Jump Ship and one which the Kryl learned to fear the most. These guys are fortunate. Unless pilot error came into play, they will stand a better chance than many of coming back alive. Under normal circumstances he would envy them…but not today. He had bigger fish to fry.

He was brought quickly back to reality as the first of three Rapiers were then cleared through the access tubes and into the repair bays. A medical team stood by for two of the pilots, one of whom was whisked away quickly to the medical center on an automated hover stretcher. Jake had a quick flash back of his own Jump Ship accident.

It all seemed like such a long way away now, before the war had started, before he had even graduated. Then he thought of Steve Costello, for years his best friend, from whom he had stolen Carla and who had then lost his own life in the battle to save the Earth from invasion by the Kryl. It had all been in vane, but maybe, just maybe they could put that right today.

For now, the launch capture and relaunch was all going smoothly in the rear hanger bay and Jake was able to concentrate on the status board. He could start to receive damaged Jump Ships or the first of those coming in at the end of their allotted shift.

* * * *

Back on the Halo 7, Bridge, Jean-Luc Jacques was concerned with the shield status. With the Jump Ships and the Kryl fighters involved in one massive fracas, both Alpha and the Kryl cruiser commanders were targeting their opposite numbers. This is where the battle would ultimately be won or lost, as over time shields finally depleted and enemy plasma fire penetrated the ships themselves. The Halo remained an obvious target, but forward shield levels stood at less than twenty-five percent. He would have to make a decision soon.

“Looks like we have broken through the shields of the lead Kryl ships Jean-Luc. Now the battle can really start.”

“What’s the PBA status?”

“Charging in two minutes. We ought to look at bolstering the forward shields. They are now at twenty-two percent.”

“Let’s get the next PBA charge deployed first. How are our Jump ships?”

A huge explosion rocked the ship, another direct hit on the frontal shields from one of the Kryl cruisers largest plasma cannons and then a further just five seconds later, delayed the XO’s response.

“Shields now at seventeen percent. We cannot take another hit like that Jean-Luc. We have to consider moving back…”

“We have to take a few knocks to make progress. Number One, how are those Jump Ships?”

“I have asked the CAG for an update…I should go down in person to take a look.”

Jacques was about to tell the XO, he needed him here, but he saw the expression on Huber’s face and realized if he lost it now, he could take the rest of the bridge crew with him.

“Go. Get back here ASAP.”

The first officer left leaving Jacques on his own, with no other senior bridge officer available. This was not as it should be, but if his XO couldn’t hack it; he was better off elsewhere. A series of further explosions rocked the Halo 7 from side to side. This was not good.

“PBA charged…”

“Fire at will and recharge. Shield status.”

The reply came, but Jacques did not hear it as the huge PBA array charged and ready, deployed its plasma discharge directly into the foredeck of the lead Kryl cruiser. It was enough to finish her off.

“Shields?”

“Eight percent, sir.”

“Recharge PBA. Helm bring us about and into the body of the fleet and get those shields back up.”

It was too late. A series of explosions hammered into the fore section of the Halo just below the Bridge parapet. The shields failed immediately and a huge explosion engulfed the bridge and its five occupants.

* * * *

“The Halo 7 just took a huge hit, sir.”

“Ship to ship…”

“No response, sir.”

“Keep trying and pull two cruisers in front of her. She is too good a ship to loose.”

“We are making an impact Jonathan.”

“I know, Thomas. We now need to force our advantage. I am going to move the fleet into a parallel column formation. I know that is not what you would do; but if it was good enough for Nelson in Trafalgar, it’s good enough for me.”

Hoskins knew Shenke would not approve. The former fleet commander preferred the tightly packed fleet administering its payload evenly, but staying together as a unit. That strategy had played its part in this battle, but he needed to move things on. By now word would have spread to the larger Kryl fleet in the solar system and to the Malchians. He needed to avoid them at all costs.

“I don’t agree Jonathan. It’s way too early to start breaking out sections of this fleet. We must allow the Jump Ships to gain the upper hand.”

“With respect, time is not on our side and we need to make an impact. I am making the order.”

He waited for Shenke to protest, knowing as the senior officer, he could override Hoskins’s order, if he chose to. He did not and Hoskins made the order. Fifteen of the lead battle cruisers formed in to a column, with the other active vessels, behind and to the left. A third column of reserve ships, including the radiation vessels and the Halo 7 sat further behind, but protected by the second column. The fleet started to advance to the right flank of the Kryl armada.

“Deploy maximum payload to side plasma weapon banks and move PBA’s to the new coordinates. How many Jump Ships do we have in reserve?”

“Five hundred and seventy.”

“Launch four hundred. They need to start getting in amongst the Kryl fleet and breaking them up. Thomas, can you coordinate this?”

“Of course, Jonathan.” Secretly Admiral Shenke was admiring Hoskins’ stance. This would certainly bring the battle to the Kryl…if it worked.

* * * *

Jake Carter had tried to contact both Commander Huber and the bridge for the last few minutes and there was no response. He knew the Halo was out of immediate danger, but something had happened. He could sense it. He looked around and for now everything appeared to be under control and the junior CAG officer, Lieutenant Hui could cope. He needed to get back up ship.

“You have the CAG, Hui. I’ll be back once I have made contact with the main hanger bay.”

Jake sprinted up the main corridor. He knew something was wrong. As he passed the corridor that lead to the main Hanger Bay, he stopped to catch his breath and establish contact with the bridge again. Still no response. This was his priority. He continued on, until he had sight of the bridge deck in front of him. It was still there, which was a relief, but as he entered he realized what had happened.

A medical team were already in situ. The bridge and the whole command deck was exposed to the elements, but protected by the automated emergency shielding which activated instantly when the ship’s skin was breached. This saved the lives of the four of the bridge crew; one had not made it. Commander Jacques lay unconscious on the floor as the medical team worked franticly to save his life.

He looked around. Was the bridge still intact and operational? Yes, subject to a few repairs and specifically a replacement skin at the front of the bridge. Where was Commander Huber?

He opened a comm.link to the XO directly. No response. Jake realized he could well be the only qualified commander left on the ship. But no; something did not seem right. Had the XO left his station just at the right time?

The response to the question was immediate as Huber responded back to Jake’s comms device.

“What’s up Jake? We are kind of busy down here.”

* * * *

The strategy was working. As the front line of Alpha’s finest battle ships ran slowly parallel to the Kryl fleet from right to left, the huge PBA and plasma weapons bombarded the Kryl front line at close range. The newly launched Jump Ships were in amongst the Kryl cruisers wrecking havoc and blasting everything in their path, without significant resistance from the Kryl fighters who were tied up in the dog fight to the north of the main battle.

The Kryl commanders were powerless to respond with any unique battle strategy and played right into Admiral Hoskins’s hands.

The Jump Ship battle was not going nearly so well and Admiral Shenke was concerned that losing here, could lead to overall defeat, once the remaining Kryl fighters joined the ship of the line melee. It was a question of ensuring the right mix of Rapiers and Sabres were in place to ensure the Kryl fighters could not use their numerical advantage to full effect. However, he had been here before. Any doubt about the Admiral’s cunning and ruthlessness was quickly set aside as he reorganized swathes of Rapiers in a sweeping formation, with Sabres running along the edge on both sides, picking up the loose Kryl fighters and protecting those within. The strategy quickly reaped rewards and as each squadron reported in, the CAG teams followed suite renewing the strategy.

* * * *

Once Jake had advised Commander Huber that he was effectively in command, the XO quickly returned to the bridge to take control. Jake arranged for the bridge’s outer fascia to be quickly patched up and under the half light of battle stations, the bridge had begun to look as it should.

“We need to take our position at the front again now.”

“Appearances can be deceptive, sir. The bridge is in a bad state and we have damaged bulkheads on all decks at the fore. I have teams working on them, but it will be a while before we are fully operational again…in any case Admiral Hoskins has ordered us to stay in line with the radiation ships. We may have to sit out the rest of the battle here. At least our Jump Ships are still playing a part.”

“Fine…I will obviously confirm that with fleet. You will stand in as XO?”

“Of course, sir.”

“What is Commander Jacques condition?”

“Critical, but stable. He will pull through I am sure, but for now it is up to you and me.”

“That’s me, Jake. I am CO now. Lets see what’s going on outside. Screen up!”

“Not working yet.” Jake was already growing impatient with Huber’s attitude. This bravado would disappear at the first sign of trouble.

“Okay, Lets have a holograph display up. I assume that’s working.”

Jake used his fingers on the display panel and brought up schematics and live streams for both main battles. Then he pulled a final screen which showed the entire Kryl fleet.

“What’s going on with those Kryl ships on the left? Their formation is changing.”

Jake looked closer and confirmed Commander Huber’s observation. A large section of the Kryl fleet was breaking off. What were they doing?

* * * *

Tourak had stood in quiet contemplation in his sanctuary for many minutes. He knew he was losing this battle and he needed to find a way out. A way to destroy Alpha’s fleet and remove the threat of radiation. Then it came to him. While Alpha had to destroy the whole Kryl fleet to deliver the radiation to Earth; all he had to do was to destroy part of Alpha’s fleet; the part which contained the radiation weaponry. The Alpha commanders had made it easy. All those ships not taking part in the current assault on his fleets front line…would be his target.

The order to divide a large section of the fleet was given seconds later. Fifty-five Kryl cruisers split from the main fleet and moved forward to face their enemy. They were targeting the radiation ships.

* * * *

“They are firing at us. They are targeting us…we need to stop them. Take evasive action. Move us to safe distance.”

Jake Carter could not believe his ears. Huber had saved the best till last. He could not stand by and allow this to pass…but he had to be careful. He would take him to one side.

“Commander, can I speak to you in the ready room briefly?”

“No…we have to be here. We are back under attack.”

“And we are responding, sir. We are doing all we can. Perhaps if we could just have a quick chat.”

“No. We stay here. Helm, prepare to take us out. We need to make safe distance.”

Jake sighed. He could not allow this. “Delay that order.”

Huber turned towards Jake. He looked as if he were about to explode, but Jake calmly and assuredly gestured for the CO to follow him to the ready room. Huber’s facial expression went from deep anger to anxiety. He was out of his depth. With resignation, he followed Jake into the ready room.

“I am sorry, sir. I was trying to avoid a scene. We cannot leave the theatre. The Kryl are not targeting us per se. It’s the radiation ships. We need to protect them rather than run away from the enemy.”

“If we face them to port or starboard, our shields and weaponry will still make us effective.”

“You need to remember your position. I am in command here.”

“I know, sir. But we cannot pull out. Look. This line of Kryl ships is only slightly longer than the Radiation ship column. Our ships are fresh. We should try to hold the line, until we receive help from the main columns.”

The acting CO pondered his next move for a few moments before responding.”Okay, we stand and fight…but we work together on this and you don’t countermand my orders.”

* * * *

Back onboard the Accura, the assault on the radiation ships had not gone unnoticed.

“We can’t just leave them…but we cannot remove any ships from this column either. Can you spare any Jump Ships?”

“No, Jonathan. Things are not going too well on that front. We are down to less than eight hundred ships now. We were making headway, but the pattern keeps shifting. We are in the mire again. There must be something we can do?”

“From this angle, we might be able to attack the Kryl cruisers from our rear plasma banks, while still hold our position against the main Kryl fleet…but we can’t risk using PBA, not with the radiation charges in situ.”

“We don’t have to, Jonathan. Can we spare, say five radiation shells? We could deploy say three into the new Kryl column and two into the Kryl fighters. Then we just hold the line and see if these damn things work.”

Hoskins said nothing, but then smiled. “It’s been staring us in the face all along! Okay, yes—but no more than five shells.”

Chapter Sixty-Six

Final Diplomacy

The Queen and Carla Stevenson were discussing the crisis on Earth and how to bring it to an end. The Queen continued to assert the battle in the Cygnus constellation would soon be over and that the radiation threat would be removed.

“Carla. What you need to understand is we came to Earth for the long term. To kill off your race serves no purpose. Indeed we need it to flourish to furnish us with our relief.”

“What happens if you find a cure?”

“Then we no longer need to be here. We will leave and seek out a planet of our own.”

“First you would destroy us.”

“No, of course not. I have made it clear over many months how I stand…Carla. Why are you trying to test me on this?”

“Look Trieste. The result of your incursion onto our planet since the agreement ceased has been the death of nearly half a billion people.”

“Enough…this is all semantic. The ECG must come to a new understanding with us. It will be different as trust needs to be regained. We will involve ourselves more in the day-to-day decisions made by the government; but an agreement will be reached.”

“And Alpha?”

“What of them. Alpha has shown itself deceitful in the extreme—with their only intent to kill each and every Kryl. They will be disbanded and the senior perpetrators executed.”

“I am an Alpha officer. Where do I stand in all of this?”

“You are immune. There is no way I would hurt you. Do you not recognize we would want to enact some form of retribution against Alpha? They are trying to kill off my people.”

“But it is okay for you to kill ours?”

The conversation grew heated, but Trieste was not seeking an argument.”What is your government’s official stance on this matter now? Is their room for negotiation? Are you actually here in an official capacity or just to pacify my need for a companion?”

Carla saw that the Kryl Queen was trying to move things on. Heated discussions were not exactly unusual, but the Queen would normally bring an end to a discussion with a curt blunt response. This was different; it showed Trieste was genuinely seeking a resolution to the problem.

“President Roslyn wants a new agreement and for the people to stand down from their rebellion.”

“Why is he in hiding?”

“Because he feels threatened.”

“By whom?”

“Safrec. Rumors are abound that he is to take the Presidential Palace.”

“He will only do so if I allow him to. Tell Roslyn to bring himself back into the open and to take a stance. I can only negotiate with an active open government.”

“Okay…if I could have a shuttle, I can speak to him today.”

“No, Carla. You need to send him a comms message. I need you here right now.”

“Trieste, am I allowed to leave or am I now held captive?”

“Of course you can leave…I do not want you to. I want you here when Jake Carter arrives and that will be soon.”

“How can you tell? Are your premonitions becoming clearer?”

“Yes…a sign that it will not be long.”

“Then I will stay.”

“Good. I knew you would.”

Chapter Sixty-Seven

The Radiation Effect

The five Teutonic missiles were fired as stipulated, three exploding directly in the path of the break off Kryl Fleet which attacked Alpha’s Radiations ships. The other two missiles were fired directly into the Jump Ship—Kryl fighter skirmish. For the next few minutes, there was nothing and then it became apparent something had changed.

The effect was most noticeable with the Kryl Fighters whose plasma weapons had stopped firing. This was followed by a number of collisions and a huge number of fighters who having pursued their chosen prey for so long just stopped chasing and were drifting out into space, some seemingly on a long range course to their final destination, others simply spinning out of control. It was clear the skirmish was over and gradually the Rapiers and Sabres pulled away from the Kryl fighters. An armada of Alpha Jump Ships stood silently facing an untidy discord of Kryl fighters—all now effectively adrift. Their pilots were either dying or already dead.

The Halo 7 moved forward in front of the Alpha cruisers which carried the radiation ships. There in front of them was a static silent fleet of Kryl cruisers. Commander Huber and his stand in XO Jake Carter stood transfixed as the magnitude of what happened became apparent. The radiation had killed the Kryl.

* * * *

On board the Accura, the two Admirals watched the events unfold in the other two battle arenas and were witnessing the last dwindling efforts being made by the main Kryl fleet. The Antirillium radiation had dispersed to a wider area; but the concentration was still strong enough to kill the Kryl aboard the cruisers of the main fleet. Now, some fifteen minutes after the radiation shells were deployed the radiation task force were surrounded by a Kryl mass grave.

Admiral Shenke was the first to break the silence.

“We need to move out as quickly as possible. We need some estimates for fleet repair and of course constant surveillance of all of these Kryl vessels to make sure their inhabitants are all dead.”

“We can’t just leave them. We must destroy the Kryl vessels. All of them.”

“They are all dead. We don’t have the time to go round destroying every ship and frankly it would be a little difficult to ask the fleet to do it We must get to Earth and finish the Kryl off properly. This was just a test.”

“I know and I agree. Once all repairs are made we should be underway immediately. But we cannot risk leaving these ships as they are. How do we know they are actually dead? They could just be unconscious. If we don’t take full advantage now; we could live to regret it.”

“So, how do you suggest we proceed?”

“We nuke them.”

Shenke thought for a moment before responding.”It will have to be high yield as virtually all these ships have their shields intact. One missile for each segment. We should launch just after the fleet departs. That should destroy the whole fleet. It’s the best option we have. It’s not one that has arisen before.”

“No and not one that we should take lightly. I will send a fleet-wide comm message after the missiles have been dispatched to explain the decision…some may find it morally difficult to comprehend.”

“I agree, we need to deal with this sensitively. I will arrange working parties to ensure repairs are carried out swiftly. I presume we will resource the missiles from the Accura armory.”

* * * *

Six hours later, the fleet had reformed with the Accura heading up. Hoskins gave the order to push out and as the distance between the fleet and the silent Kryl armada reached ten thousand meters he ordered the launch of three short range high yield nuclear missiles.

As the Alpha radiation task force accelerated upwards towards light speed, the three missiles impacted and moments later, the Kryl fleet was no more.

The radiation task force headed for the Barnard Star as planned and encountered no further resistance on route. They now closed to within six light years of Earth.

* * * *

Jake Carter had the con. He was enjoying his stint as XO, but knew it would not last much longer. The ships company generally were in an ebullient mood. They had readily accepted the destruction of the Kryl fleet was necessary and most were just overjoyed to believe they finally had the weapon to destroy the Kryl once and for all. The Halo 7 was still commanded by Bernhard Huber and with Commander Jacques still in a medically induced coma; it seemed likely Huber would command the ship to the bitter end of the contingency fleet’s long and arduous voyage.

Jake was beginning to feel fearful about his own situation. In just a few short hours they would be in amongst the main Kryl fleet and with a new battle inevitable, it was likely he would find himself aboard the Queen’s ship at some time in the next twenty-four hours. He had no idea what to expect.

The Halo 7 was patched up. Most of the forward decks damage was restricted to skin and superficial exterior damage. Only two bulkheads were affected, but one was the channeling bullhead which supported the ships inert structure at high velocity. If the bulkhead was dislodged and the equilibrium disturbed; the ship could loose its integrity at light speed and then simply rip apart. As a result, fleet command had agreed to place the Halo in the center of the fleet’s cohesive web system, allowing her to travel at reduced capacity. This meant the ships shields could concentrate on their new role, holding the ship together at high speed. In five or six hours when the fleet reached the inner planets and the velocity reduced to sub-light, the Halo 7 would be released. She would then be the full on fighting force that she had always been.

It was a concern to Jake, that Huber would be commanding the ship when they engaged the Kryl in the solar system. The Malchians would be there waiting and there was no way Huber would be able to deal with them. This put him in a difficult situation. On the one hand, the Halo 7 was critically important to a fleet which had now been reduced to a total of seventy-seven ships following their last battle; on the other, what could he a lowly Lieutenant Commander do to ensure that when it was required, the Halo was at her best? He had two options…the first was to seize control of the ship from Commander Huber, an illegal act, but one that could be justified under the circumstances; or the second was to go over Huber’s head and approach Admiral Hoskins. Right now, the latter was the preferred option and Jake was waiting for Huber to return to the bridge. He would then take a break and send a private comm.link to the Admiral. It would be have to be encrypted as it would be detected by the Halo’s comms team, but it would not exactly be an unusual communication; Huber knew Carter and Hoskins were in constant communication.

Five minutes later, Huber returned from walking the ship and Jake excused himself, suggesting a quick walk would help him too. He headed straight down the ship’s corridor to his quarters and wasted no time patching in directly to Admiral Hoskins’s comm.link.

“What’s on you mind, Jake?”

“Thanks for listening to me, sir. I have concerns over Commander Huber’s suitability to command the Halo in an offensive way. With Commander Jacques still incapacitated, I think he is not tactically able to deal with an attack from the Malchians.”

“What do you suggest?”

Jake sighed. “I don’t know, Admiral. I know you cannot just remove him and I am certainly not advocating my replacing him…but the Halo remains an important part of the fleet. With such a crucial stage, I just thought I should voice my concerns.”

“I am aware of issues which have arisen before…but I am powerless to bring someone in, when he is the man in situ. This is not a conversation I would normally have with a subordinate officer but you remain critical to this mission. I will do my best to support you. If you feel compelled to assume command during a battle situation, then you must do what you must do. Make sure you have the support of your fellow officers, the crew, and ideally your chief medic. Don’t act unless you have to. Mister Huber is in command, because he is officially qualified to be there.”

“Thank you, sir. I understand the position.”

Jake closed the comm.link, sat on his bed for a few moments, and reflected on the Admiral’s comments. In other words, he will back me if it comes down to it…is that what he was saying?

* * * *

The fleet made good progress, passing beyond Barnard’s Star and entering the outer physical boundaries of the solar system. Now, within the grasps of the sun’s influence they were still some distance from home. The fleet passed through the Oort cloud, passing Sedna and then entering the Scattered Disc, still travelling at light speed. It was only when they reached the inner boundaries of the Classical Kuiper Belt and into the Trans-Neptunian region that the fleet commanders gave the order for the ship to reduce to sub–light velocity. Travelling at high sub-light velocity—much faster than the recommended limits within the system—they were within one hour of their destination.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Blissful Ignorance

Safrec had brought his fleet all the way back to Earth. He assumed that Tourak had done his job and by now the remains of Alpha’s small fleet was scattered around the Cygnus constellation. At least they should have contained them and were slowly dismantling them. It did not occur to him that any other result could possibly happen.

As his fleet birthed surrounding the Queen’s ship. He noted that Sorgan too had returned to his Queen. Now was the time to deal with him properly. Sorgan was fortunate the first time. He had caught Safrec by surprise. It would not happen again.

* * * *

Sorgan had not yet joined his Queen. He was apprehensive and concerned no word had yet come from Tourak’s fleet. He had seen the capabilities of a limited number of Alpha Battle cruisers first hand. He did not underestimate them and he knew if they made it through, only the Malchians had the power and the guile to stop them.

His concerns lead to him dispatch a small number of Malchian Cruisers beyond the inner planets to the rings of Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune. Some of Alpha’s fleet could have made it through and if they had they would use the systems natural defenses to bring them as close to Earth as possible before detection. One of his fleet commanders just opened a communication path.

“My Sorgan. We have detected a recent deceleration beyond Neptune. A number of Alpha vessels have recently passed by this area and are on route to the inner planets. We are pursuing and will identify further.”

“How many?”

“We cannot be certain at this stage. At least twenty ships, maybe more.”

“Find them and report back immediately.”

Sorgan was now worried. He opened a communication path to Tourak directly and waited for the Commander to respond. There was no response. He tried widening his path to include the whole fleet. Again there was nothing. He knew there could be any number of explanations for this; but this was definitely cause for concern. It was time for him to contact Safrec. Again he made the communication path personally. Safrec answered with his usual bluntness.

“Yes?”

The acrimony continued and Sorgan refrained from pleasantries.

“Have you heard from Tourak?”

“No. I suspect he is busy. I am sure the destruction of the remaining Alpha fleet is a formality; after I personally caused the destruction of the main segment.”

“I have tried contacting him and the fleet directly and there is no response. I have also received a report from one of my cruiser commanders. They have detected a number of Alpha vessels on route to the inner planets.”

“How many and where exactly are they?” There was more urgency in Safrec’s voice now.

He knew the answer before Sorgan responded. One of his chief aides just come to his side and showed him the latest schematics. The Alpha Radiation fleet just been located two hundred thousand kilometers from Mars.

“Don’t answer that Sorgan. I can confirm that Alpha are at Mars. I will dispatch my fleet immediately.”

Sorgan did not respond. He already closed the link at his end and gave the order to move out immediately. Twelve Malchian Cruisers were on route through the main space way to Mars. There was nowhere to hide. Sorgan had ordered every Malchian vessel in the galaxy to descend on what remained of Alpha’s contingency fleet.

* * * *

Safrec’s fleet were not ready. Having only recently returned from their battle with the main Alpha fleet, the majority were allowed to return to their own living quarters, having been given time from the ship by Safrec; a reward for their successes. There were reserve Kryl vessels in situ, but most were unmanned. In fact with so many Kryl on the Earth’s surface, the fleet’s capability was substantially reduced and certainly not ready for another battle. All Safrec could do was sit and wait to see whether Sorgan and his Malchian commanders could stop Alpha’s advancing radiation fleet.

What if Sorgan failed? There was a very real prospect that millions of his compatriots would die. The Queen; she was already in a weakened state. Could she survive the radiation? What about himself? He had always assumed he could be protected. What would happen if the radiation reached him? That thought sent a shiver down his spine. Where would he be the safest? Then he had his answer. The only place where he could be safe was with the Queen. There is no way the radiation would be allowed to penetrate the very heart of the Queen’s ship. He would be safe there.

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Home Territory

As the Radiation task force passed close by the Martian moon, Phobos, Jonathan Hoskins knew this was the final leg. From here to Earth at this velocity would take less than half an hour; but by now the Kryl would know they were here and it was only a matter of time before the Malchian Warriors arrived. But the plan was to keep on going. The Malchians would inflict damage and yes, ships would be lost, but they were so close now.

Admiral Shenke had just joined him on the command deck. In front of them, lay the large schematic battleground holo display, which for now was empty, other than a 3D holograph of each Alpha ship of the line. Each now had a part to play. The forty seven remaining C-class cruisers were deployment ready. All the Teutonic missiles were loaded with their charges and sat either within the open cavity at the opening of the missile launch tubes or stacked in front of or to one side, ready to be lifted onto the launch tube when it was their time to deploy their carcinogenic arsenal. But the radioactive cargo was still at risk and they had to be absolutely certain that a sufficient supply of Antirillium radiation was deployed into the Kryl fleet and onto the planet surface.

Admiral Shenke moved forward to the screen and pulled ten of the radiation ships to the middle of the board. He then pulled over the six battle cruisers, which were previously selected to fire their weapons at Earth. These would provide the radiation cruisers with the protection they needed when they opened their missile tubes.

“The rest are yours, Jonathan. This is the plan as was. Now is the time to tinker with it, if you think it warrants it. You know we have enough charges to do the job ten times over, so maybe we should consider splitting the fleet for this last leg.”

Hoskins stepped forward and looked closely at the battle groups.

“If we split, we would have to split again when we reach Earth, into these more specific groups. I just think we need to stay together now until we have to split. Whatever the Kryl throw at us, it is going to be bad and we will lose ships and some of the radiation charges, but assuming we keep them at bay and we just keep on going; we have enough.”

“Sir, we all picking up movement to port…possibly cloaked Kryl cruisers.”

Hoskins laughed. Why choose now to bring out the cloaked vessels again?”Full fleet wide barium sweep. We are not hiding any more and I don’t see why they should be.”

Seconds later, the scanning operation became unnecessary as twelve Malchian cruisers decloaked five thousand meters to port. They were visible and they were firing.

“Close up and protect those radiation charges. Fleet cohesion is imperative.”

“Prepare Jump Ships.”

“Delay that. Tom…we are staying together as one and at high velocity. If we allow our Jump Ships to become embroiled in a dog fight, it will slow us up. There will be more Malchians soon and then conventional Kryl cruisers.”

The port sections of the fleet were being peppered by a constant barrage of plasma bursts from half of the Malchian Cruisers. The other six had accelerated beyond the task force and were deploying their rear facing plasma weaponry. The weakened sections of the fore decks on certain battle cruisers were already taking a battering.

“These Malchian ships in front of us will cause havoc. We need to remove them. I still think we need Jump ships on those cruisers.”

“No Tom—look at us. We are halfway now between Mars and Earth. A few more minutes and it will be too little too late for the Malchians.”

“I didn’t realize we were quite so close. We are going to hold on Jonathan. We are going to beat these little bastards into oblivion.”

In front of them a small planetary object was drawing nearer, even at this distance the clear blue oceans of Earth were visible. They were home. Now that had to make it pay.

“Tom, I suggest you prepare for your departure. Good luck, old man.”

“You too. Let’s make every missile count.”

Hoskins watched as Admiral Shenke left the command bridge. Shenke was true to his word and allowed his fellow Admiral to make the decisions. It was clear his earlier reservations about his senior commander were unfounded. Shenke proved he still had the edge.

“Our front vessels are taking substantial damage, sir. The Accura commander was officially acting as Hoskins’s second in command.”I suggest we move the Accura to the front now. She is strong and will be in a better position to remove the Malchians.”

“Thanks Tim. Make it so.”

Now the cosmos was flooded with Kryl vessels. The Kryl armada had finally awoken. More Malchian Cruisers joined the fray and they were joined by an instantly recognizable larger cruiser; the Malchian Command ship. Yet still the Alpha Task force pushed on. They were within a few short minutes of deployment.

Hoskins opened a comm.link fleet wide.”Radiation crew commanders make your charges ready for deployment. Hold steady fleet and maintain our cohesion. We will deploy in two and a half minutes.”

* * * *

The latest changes to the vessels at the front of Alpha’s fleet exposed the Halo 7, which was pushed towards the front. Commander Huber looked on in horror as first the Malchian cruisers and then the smaller Kryl cruisers attempted to break down the shields of the already weakened frontal shields.

“All available power to frontal shields…and prepare to break out”

Jake Carter looked at his CO. This was the critical time. While the radiation charges would soon be deployed, the whole fleet needed to spread out to allow the radiation ships to break out and administer their charges. The shield strength was needed across the ship, not just at the front.

Twenty seconds later, the order came to break out and the task force began to open up. The radiation cruisers were themselves exposed, but within half a minute they would reach their deployment zone. Still the fleet moved forward. They were closing in fast; one hundred thousand meters…fifty thousand meters.

“Radiation charges deploy.”

The fleet wide order came and hundreds of Teutonic missiles launched into the stratus. They were within ten thousand meters of Earth’s atmosphere and the Kryl armada which surrounded and protected the Queen ship.

Jake caught his first glimpse of the huge Kryl citadel, where the Queen resided in her Sanctuary. Soon he would be there with her.

As the missiles deployed, the Alpha cruisers former inability to engage the enemy was removed and each then became an active ship of the line. The Alpha task force was a true fighting force once more. The Halo 7 was in the thick of it, but was taking a large amount of fire. Jake watched his CO carefully. Panic had not yet set in, but he could sense a growing concern in the expressions of Commander Huber.

“Launch all available Jump Ships. Jake, we need you down at the rear bay again.”

“No sir. I will stay at your side. The assistant CAG is more than capable.”

“The chief CAG requested your presence.”

“Sir, I am the acting first officer and my place is by your side…verifying and supporting you…we need to track the shields back around all sides” Jake waited for a response, but there was no reply. There was an ashen look on the CO’s face. Now it is time to take some kind of initiative or none of us will make it out of here. Jake barked out his next order.”The rear shields will not hold up with so little power available; balance the shield power throughout the ship.”

Jake’s order was acted on; without comment from Huber who eyes had completely glazed over. Was this it? Was Huber in command of his faculties still? Jake did not have the time to monitor the CO too closely. He had assumed command by proxy.

Two large Malchian Cruisers were targeting the Halo 7 directly. Jake saw instantly that one of them was the Malchian Command ship. She had come to enact her revenge. The shield strength numbers were quickly going down and Jake and the inert Commander Huber were powerless to respond.

A huge explosion rocked the starboard port thrusters. The shields had collapsed along the starboard side. The Halo now only had partial maneuvering capability without engaging her main drives. Thrusters were no longer an option. But that was only half the problem. The huge blast took out the entire hanger bay and three decks either side of it.

Jake turned around to see Huber huddled on the floor. It had obviously been too much for him. Jake realized the Halo was in serious trouble. He needed to take swift action or she was about to go down. He tried to think what his options were. There weren’t many.

“Engage aft thrusters. Turn this ship around and start to patch the mess up. Damage teams down to affected decks.” He needed a back up officer…but there was no one who could take the responsibility. He was on his own.

Jake looked around for an escape route. There was nowhere to go. The moon afforded the most obvious protection. But she was too far away. He looked closer and noticed something in the distance. Are those Alpha cruisers coming this way? The answer became clearer a few seconds later as a mass of new Alpha cruisers joined the radiation task force in battle. They had come directly from Earth. A huge swathe of Jump ships just been released, quickly engaging the two Malchian cruisers and throwing them of the scent of a major scalp. The Halo 7 was free again and Jake was not going to waste the opportunity.

“Helm. Take us out ten thousand meters and get us away from this battle.”

He had done enough to get the Halo 7 to safety.

* * * *

There was now a shift in the Kryl’s capability. Where before there were hundreds of Kryl cruisers and fighters everywhere you looked, only the Malchian vessels continued in battle. The deadly Antirillium radiation had finally done its job.

Jake looked around at the damaged command Bridge. Commander Huber was sat in his chair with his head in his hands. He went to him.

“Are you okay, sir? I think you took a knock.”

Huber looked up, recognizing that Jake was covering up the CO’s cowardice and ineffective leadership.”Thanks Jake. You got us out of this one.”

Jake acknowledged his CO and then resumed his effective command.

“Damage and status reports. I need them now.”

* * * *

On Earth, the Kryl were still unaffected by the radiation. The missiles were deployed at the same time…but the disbursement would take longer. While the missiles all ignited on impacting with Earth’s shields, the gas and radiation had permeated the shields and was drifting downwards in the upper atmosphere.

The first effects were apparent thirty minutes later. In the courtyard at the front of the Presidential Palace, six drone guards dropped to their knees simultaneously. Roslyn observed the unnerving effect from his office window. Everyone on Earth had known that something was going on up there. Now it was clear what that something was.

Across the globe, the Kryl drones dropped down in their millions and died. The Kryl occupation was finally over.

Chapter Seventy

The Queen’s Ship

When Sorgan realized the radiation had been deployed, he had quickly removed his flag ship from battle and taken her directly to the Queen’s ship. He already knew Trieste was dying. He could sense it.

As he neared the throne; he held his head down as it became clear his beloved was in her last few hours of life. Beside her stood the human Carla Stevenson and Safrec.

The Kronan moved forward in defiance as the Malchian leader drew closer, to protect his Queen. Sorgan was angry now.

“Move aside Kronan. I am the Queen’s chosen one and only I should stand by her side.”

Safrec drew his battle sword. You will not be as lucky against me this time Sorgan. I am will kill you.”

Sorgan stepped forward; his hand grasping his own sword. Like Safrec he was in full battle dress, the deep red and black tight fitting suit, accentuating his powerful body and making it quite clear of his ultimate intentions.

“Enough. Safrec, lay down your sword. I am still your Queen I am ordering you.”

The Kronan grunted and begrudgingly withdrew his sword to his side. He stepped back once but still stood between Sorgan and the Queen.

“You have failed to protect your Queen, Sorgan. When all else failed, The Malchians, unaffected by the radiation have also failed.”

“The failure is yours Safrec. You had an opportunity to destroy the whole Alpha fleet but neglected to notice when the radiation ships splintered off. That will live with you forever Safrec.”

“How dare you blame me for your failures? The Malchians are supposed to protect the Queen. Look at her now. She is dying and you are responsible.”

Sorgan lunged forward and grabbed Safrec by the throat, knocking Carla to the floor. The Queen was powerless to do anything. She tried to push herself up from the bed she had been moved to, but she was too weak.

The two Kryl leaders exchanged blows, the physical taking over the mind as both resorted to delivering head and body blows to their opponent. Now the psychological battle took over as each tried to enter the others mind. Safrec knew once again how powerful Sorgan was and he realized he could not beat him this way. As he lunged forward again, with his fists, he pulled the sword again from its scabbard and delivered the death blow. He plunged the sword through the Malchians abdomen and out through the small of his back. Sorgan gasped. Blood was already trickling from the corner of his mouth. He stood back and smiled and then he pulled the sword back through his body and lifted it upwards and then downwards.

“You have not won this battle, Safrec.” His strained vocal chords choked with blood as he spoke, “My Trieste is dying and I shall lay by her side forever and ever. She will always be mine.”

Sorgan forced his aching body forward to the Queen’s side and gazed into her eyes. “My beloved…”

His voice was faltering now as he grew weaker and weaker. “I will love you and be with you forever.”

Trieste gazed into her chosen ones eyes. She knew these were his last moments. She kissed his hand and watched in horror as Sorgan, the great Malchian Commander slipped to the floor and died.

There was silence in the Queen’s sanctuary as realization set in. Carla sat up, but could not stand. She was still stunned by the force of the blow from the Kronan. The Queen spoke first.

“Safrec…you have brought Sorgan and I closer together, rather than split us apart. Soon we will be together again.”

She looked at Carla and then back at Safrec. “Help Carla to her feet. You will need her to help broker a new relationship between our people, once I am gone. Go to your chosen mistress and bring her to me. I can sense she is unaffected by the radiation. We have much to discuss.” The Queen fell back into her pillow exhausted. She would die soon and then she would be with her chosen one forever.

Chapter Seventy-One

End Games

The battles above Earth and on the ground were over, apart from a few minor skirmishes. It had been nearly an hour since the radiation took its full effect and Alpha were beginning to establish some control. Jonathan Hoskins had already received calls from Admiral Koenig, who congratulated him and passed on the thanks and praise from President Roslyn.

He was joined in his state room by Admiral Shenke.

“A job well done Jonathan. Our initial estimates suggest ninety-seven percent of the Kryl are now dead. Devastating really.”

“Yes…although you can never be satisfied with such huge loss of life, even if it is our enemies. Koenig is establishing control on the ground. The Malchians and any remaining hierarchal Kryl are being gathered together in compounds. We will need to move fast to establish some ground rules and obtain an official cessation of the battle status.”

“Yes. As the task force commander, I am happy for you to take the Kryl surrender.”

“Thanks, Tom. It’s going to take a long time to get back to anything approaching normality…and then we must rebuild. We have lost a huge number of personnel and ships. Most of what we have left is in tatters. Even the Accura is on her last legs.”

* * * *

Jake Carter spent most of the last hour assessing the damage to the ship. He was still in command by proxy, with Huber, once again fading into the background. Jean-Luc Jacques was conscious, but far from recovered and the Halo 7 itself was in a mess.

The ships structural integrity was the major concern. The main frontal bulkheads were hastily repaired following the battle at Cygnus and then damaged again in this latest exchange. However, it was the main pivot bulkheads which ran amidships from fore to aft and port to starboard; in places the whole bulkhead had been fractured, which created the biggest problem. The result was a ship which was being held together in part, by the minor bulkheads and skin, but fundamentally by the ships shields. If one of the main bulkheads snapped, the ship could collapse in on itself. Jake already decided a return to Earth was not practical; the bulkheads would not stand re-entry.

The most obvious port of call would be Alpha Two, on Earth’s lunar moon; but that remained some distance away; given the ships current condition. The remains of Alpha’s disheveled fleet now stood in front of the Queen’s ship; still surrounded by hundreds of silent Kryl vessels; the tomb’s for millions of dead Kryl. This for now was his best option, while his damage teams continued their repairs. At least they could give the structure some resilience to allow the trip to the moon to be undertaken, without the aid of salvage vessels. It was critical for the Halo 7’s future that she made it to the moon’s surface under her own steam. To fail would make her an instant salvage target and the Halo 7 was not ready for the scrap heap yet; at least not under his tenure. Jake gave the order for the Halo 7 to head out; a measured navigation between the silent Kryl cruisers and a birth alongside the Accura.

The journey was slow going. Every correctional course change, a cause for concern for Jake who took the pilot controls to manual. On two occasions, the fore deck plasma cannons were used to blast wreckage aside. A collision with even a small object could be catastrophic. But now the Accura was in sight. She lay one thousand meters short of the Queen’s ship, with no clear birth alongside her, Jake needed to take the Halo 7 past the flag ship and then bring her back along a tight corridor. There was no specific need to dock here, but it seemed somehow appropriate that the two main protagonists behind the success of the mission lay side-by-side, in front of their trophy, the Queen’s ship.

As Jake maneuvered past the Queen’s gargantuan vessel and began the turn to run back in, he felt a sudden pain in his head. It was a familiar pain…one that told him unequivocally that the time arrived when Jake Carter was to about join the Kryl Queen on her ship. Yet, the pain was weaker than he had experienced before. The arguments in his head were not persuasive, he had a choice as to respond or not. For now, Jake elected to ignore them, his priority was his ship. He continued the run towards the Accura.

“Hull integrity alert, deck thirteen thru sixteen port side.”

Jake checked the source code and confirmed his comms officer’s status alert. The main bulkhead was in imminent danger of snapping. The result would be a collapse of all deck areas within that quadrant of the ship. He lifted his hands off the thruster’s controls. He was still six thousand meters short of his target destination and even when he arrived, the bulkhead could still be lost. He looked around desperately for a solution. He saw the panic on the faces of his fellow bridge crew. Should he continue forward or concede defeat…and hand the Halo 7 over for salvage? She had done her job, perhaps now was the time to call it a day.

But no…Jake had found a way out of this. He pulled the joystick yaw control and the Halo 7 slowly turned in. She was heading for the Queen’s ship and towards the entrance to the huge hanger bay.

He would put her down on one of the launch pads. They were certainly big enough. He tried to clear his mind. Was he doing the right things for the ship and its crew or was this just purely selfish.

His actions had not gone unnoticed. Commander Huber was on his way back to the bridge, when he saw what Jake was doing. He burst on to the bridge and shouted.

“Mister Carter. What the hell are you doing?”

Jake ignored him as he lined the ship up for entry into the bay. The access door was huge, but the Halo 7 was a large ship. He had to be accurate here.

“I am saving the ship. The atmospheric pressure within the hanger bay is less than that out here. It is the only way I can guarantee her holding together long enough for us to complete our repairs.”

The Halo 7 now entered the hanger bay. Jake headed right for the back. He set the controls to minimum thrust and set a course.

“We are inside the goddamn flagship of the Kryl armada, for Chris’s sake. This is not right. I am retaking command.”

Jake ignored him. He set up a comm.link with Admiral Hoskins.

“Sir, I am taking the Halo 7 inside the hanger bay of the Queen’s ship to set her down. Her structural integrity is compromised.”

“Are you sure you are doing the right thing Jake?”

“Yes, sir…also—if it is okay with you—I am presuming no one has yet taken the Kryl’s official surrender. I believe I am familiar with the protocols and that as a ranking commander of a class A ship of the line, I can assume this responsibility?”

Hoskins was quick to respond.”Yes, you may proceed with caution. You do what you have to do but keep your ship and your crew safe.”

The comm.link went dead. Jake turned to Commander Huber.” I am setting the Halo down on that platform at the end of the hanger bay; it should easily accommodate us. I will then leave the ship, together with a platoon of marines. I will head for the Queen’s sanctuary to seek audience and the Kryl’s official surrender. I will then hand command of the ship back to you. Do you concur?”

Huber looked stunned, but had long realized that Jake Carter did not always do things by the book. He was also beginning to recognize that something had compelled Jake to take the Halo inside the Queen ship. Call it fate or otherwise, this was meant to happen. “I concur Jake. Just get us down safely.”

Jake turned his attention back to the joystick controls. They were just one hundred meters from the landing deck. He moved forward slowly, meter by meter. They were above the bay. Jake brought the downward thrusters on-line and the ships huge support legs. Then he began to bring her down. The shock absorbers within the supporting struts would take the strain of the ships enormous weight until the correct weight distribution had been achieved. The Halo 7 put down and twenty seconds later, Jake removed his hands from the controls. The Halo had landed and she and her crew were safe.

“Major De Vere. Please assemble a platoon of troopers and join me at the main exit slip. We are going to take the ship.”

Chapter Seventy-Two

Surrender

Inside the Queen’s Sanctuary, Trieste lay resting. Carla had returned to her guest chambers and Safrec had stayed away. Only Sorgan remained with her. His body lay on a bed next to her own, covered in a ceremonial shroud. She would be with him soon.

Finally Safrec entered the sanctuary. He had brought his mistress with her. Trieste was not jealous of Safrec’s mistress. Her own relationship with Safrec was briefly physical, but to sustain her; but now any sustenance provided by lying with him again would be too little too late. The disease had won, fuelled by Alpha’s appetite for their own survival.

Safrec and his mistress reached the throne area. Safrec bowed his head.

“My Queen. I have done as you asked. This is Malore…she is my chosen one. I am compelled too offer her as the new Queen.”

“When I am dead,” she shouted, the sudden burst of energy sending shocks of pain, through her weakening body. “Safrec, you have failed me as a Kronan. In your tenure, our people have been devastated and you have taken the life of my chosen one and my own, Now you will listen to me as I instruct Malore in the ways of our order. You will be subservient to her.”

Safrec wanted to reply, but he acknowledged the part he had played in his people’s demise. It was better if he said nothing.

Trieste pulled herself up so that she could speak properly. “Bring me Carla Stevenson and my chancellor. Malore, please step forward.”

Malore came closer. She is attractive and young, so young; but a good choice, both as a mistress and as the new Queen. Trieste had much to say to her.

“My Kronan has chosen well…I know you will be a good Queen to my people.”

The Queen’s Chancellor entered through a door to the Sanctuary behind the Queen’s throne. He would never enter through the main entrance as she could never receive him. He must always stand behind her. He approached the Queen’s throne.”My Queen.”

“Stay with me until I die, Raslor. Malore is my chosen replacement. You will bow to our new Queen and take her oath, when the time comes.

“I will, my Queen.”

Carla now entered the sanctuary from the front. She stood beside the Chancellor and looked very uncertain.

“Good. We are all here…apart from one. Jake Carter will be with us soon. He is already aboard this ship.” She looked at Malore, Carla, her Chancellor and then the dead body of Sorgan. She did not allow her face to look at Safrec. It was important he understood her depth of feeling. She turned to Malore again.

“Malore. As I die and you become Queen, you first acts will be tarnished by the human’s victory.”

Safrec moved forward. “They have not defeated us…we still outnumber them. We have not surrendered…”

“Silence…I will allow you to have your say soon, Safrec. This is not your time.” Trieste turned back towards Malore.

“We have been defeated. Vast numbers of Kryl lay entombed within our ships and on the planet surface. We must pay homage to them and we must remember them, but they are gone and only a few hierarchal Kryl remain. You will inherit a smaller domain, composed mostly of Malchians, who will protect you from those who wish to dissuade you. Do you agree to swear an oath to comply with my final wishes?”

“I do my Queen.” Malore sounded confident and assured. Safrec had done his job well.

“We will shortly surrender to Alpha…and I will die very soon. You will broker a lasting and enduring peace with Alpha. Carla Stevenson is their negotiator and my friend. Treat her with respect; she has earned it by standing by my side as we slaughtered her people.”

Carla shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another. This was a momentous occasion for the Kryl and she was playing an active part.

Trieste continued.”You must take our people to find a new home. A long way from here. The humans will help us, they have promised. A permanent residence where you can rebuild our civilization; free from the encumbrances of our forbearers. Once I and those others who suffer die, the disease will be gone. It will have killed all those who would be killed. You must establish a new and growing hierarchy, with Safrec, your Kronan and your chosen one by your side. Do not allow him to step out of line.”

Trieste turned to Safrec. She appeared visibly weaker. The words of her dying moments were so important…She had to complete her task…

“Safrec, you must rebuild our armies and work closely with the Malchians. They will not trust you, because you have murdered their leader. You must regain their trust. Do you swear an oath to uphold my final wishes?”

Safrec sighed deeply. “I do, my Queen…but I cannot accept that we have been defeated. Our armada is still a force to be reckoned with. The humans have nothing left.”

“If you push them too far, they will crush you. We are now a small race, with no planet to call our home. You must accept our loss Safrec. The humans had every right to defend themselves against us and we underestimated them. They have defeated us.”

The dying Queen now turned to her Chancellor.”Malore is my chosen successor and, in keeping with our traditions, she must be crowned at the moment of my death. Do you agree to crown her and stand by her side until you die?”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“Jake Carter is here now. He will shortly receive my surrender and then I will die.”

* * * *

Jake took the platoon of marines directly through the main corridors of the Queen ship. All fifty marines walked behind him, with Major De Vere behind and slightly to his left. No one felt threatened, the ship was silent. Two Kryl drones joined them at the exit gates of the hanger bay and had turned a foot and were leading Jake to the Queen’s sanctuary. She knew he was here and he was being lead to his destiny.

Finally, they reached the main entrance to the Sanctuary, which was guarded as always by two Kryl drones; who immediately stepped inside and were replaced at their station by the two accompanying drones. Jake turned to the platoon commander.

“Major, leave forty-five of your men outside. The other five and yourself should accompany me inside, but you should all wait by the entrance. Only I must approach the Queen’s throne. I will call for you, if I need you.”

The Major acknowledged Jake’s command and selected five troopers to join them. They stepped inside the Sanctuary. Jake looked back to confirm his instructions and then began the long walk towards the center of the vaulted Sanctuary. He was here just as she had predicted. But what would happen? Only she knew the answer to that.

As he drew closer, he realized there were others in attendance. Closer still and he saw that one of them was Carla. His heart skipped a beat. It had been so long and finally he was with her again

“Jake Carter. Come closer.”

Jake was in the half-light that surrounded the throne in the center of the sanctuary. He saw the Kryl Queen was lying down. She was obviously dying. Carla stood to one side of her. His sweetheart looked radiant and confident. She obviously did not feel threatened by her surroundings. As he drew into the brightly lit semi-circle that surrounded the throne, he saw Safrec, The Kronan. What would happen now was anyone’s guess.

“As I predicted we meet again. It has been a long journey for both of us and for me as you can see it is my last one.”

Jake’s throat tightened. He was not sure what to say and then he realized his mind was being entered by more than one Kryl.

“You are here to take our surrender. That was always your destiny; but it did not become clear to me until very recently. As you can see others are here; my Kronan, your chosen partner Carla Stevenson, my Chancellor and Malore. Malore will become the new Queen on my death. What do you have to say in response Lieutenant Commander?”

“I am saddened by your loss. You say you have asked me here to accept your terms for surrender. What are they?”

The Queen laughed weakly.”That we have been defeated and should leave Earth to seek out a new home a long way from here.”

“You will not be allowed to take all of your ships.” Jake grew more confident, but suddenly felt a stabbing pain as he recognized the deeper penetration into his mind came from Safrec.

Safrec stepped forward.”Who are you to dictate to my Queen what we should take with us? I accept we must leave your insignificant planet. It is time to move on; but you are in no position to impose terms of that type. My armada still outnumbers yours and I could still crush you in a moment. You can no longer threaten us with radiation.”

“You don’t have the need for all yours ships Safrec. Leave them here and we will dismantle them for you. It serves no purpose you taking vessels which you cannot man.”

“I thought so. You have no real conviction. You are not in a position to insist upon anything; because you know that you have not really won. We are just moving on. You are weak, Jake Carter. You have destroyed the lives of two of our former Kronan’s, but you will not take any more.”

Jake looked at Carla in the hope she would offer support, but she remained silent.

“Your woman is silent, because I have just opened her mind to yours. She just found out that you have lain with another…Maria…in your time apart. She is angry, but feels guilty as she has done the same to you. I believe his name was Harrington.”

“Enough of this!” The Queen was too weak now to comment further. It was Malore who had intervened.”We are here to surrender and broker a peace. Safrec you will stand down and we will take only those of our vessels which we can populate with crew. Do you accept our surrender?”

Jake was still angry about Safrec’s revelations about Carla…but he was no better. Has our relationship come to an end? He tried to push the thoughts from his mind. He needed to concentrate on matters at hand.

“Is it unconditional?”

“Yes, based on the terms we have already relayed.”

“Then on behalf of Alpha I accept your surrender. You will stand down your arms and we will start to broker a lasting peace between us. Carla, are you ready to take on that responsibility?”

He could not believe he was talking to his sweetheart in such a cold-hearted fashion. There must have been a good reason…was there?

“Yes, Lieutenant Commander Carter.” Her response was short and without expression. She was either being officious or she was angry with him too…she had every right to be.

“Good…then the process will start.” It was Trieste. “Before then, Carla, Jake, please step forward.”

Jake shrugged his shoulders uncertain how to respond but as Carla drew close to the Queen he moved closer too. He was standing next to his beloved and suddenly he felt an over arching urge to draw her close.

“Jake. Carla was forced to lie with Major Harrington against her will. Carla, Jake was coerced into lying with another. War and distance can do dreadful things to us all. I sense your love for each other remains deep and confident. Do not allow these minor distractions to ruin what you have. Jake, you should know that Carla has become my friend and it is because of her that today has happened. Carla. Jake is human and very much like a Kryl, he has moments of weakness, which could have destroyed your relationship. But he forced himself back from that when he knew he had done wrong. There is conviction in his mind which says it will never happen again.”

The Kryl Queen turned again to Jake. She was weakening by the moment. The efforts of these last words taking every ounce of her energy. “Jake…I forgive you for the death of Navalion and for Morvalt. Take Carla and be with her again and forever and ever.”

The last words lingered as her shallow breathe gave way to nothingness. The Kryl Queen was dead.

Epilogue

On Earth, things slowly returned to normal. President Roslyn assumed full control of his government and received confirmation of an extension to his period of office to allow all issues to be, addressed, including the funding of and rebuilding of Alpha’s beleaguered fleet. After a short battle of wills, Admiral Koenig had received the required majority on the Admiralty Bench and was confirmed once again as CIC.

Acting CO, Commander Huber and his first officer Jake Carter lead the battle ravaged Halo 7 to Alpha Two under her own head of steam, and extensive repairs began. Carla Stevenson assumed the permanent role of CO of the Diplomatic division of the Galactic Senate and had brokered an enduring deal with the Kryl who were in deep space in search for a new home.

On the Queen’s ship, Queen Malore and her Kronan reignited their relationship. Safrec was the Queen’s chosen one.

He finally had what he wanted. He and Malore would lead the Kryl to their new planet; where they would rebuild their society and start to rekindle their numbers. Then, he would return to Earth and finish the job he should have done so long ago. He would kill Jake Carter.

About the Author:

Chris Burton is a financial business to business advisor and part time writer, who lives on the edge of the South Downs National Park in rural Hampshire, England, with his wife, three young children, two dogs and a cat.

Alpha One—The Kryl Queen  is the third novel in the Alpha One series and the final book in the first trilogy. Alpha One—The Jump Pilot was published by Eternal Press in Dec 2010, and Alpha One —The Kronan in May 2012. Both are available in print and e-format. The series will eventually contain seven books, two trilogies, and a one off final book. The fourth book in the series is well underway.

Chris says, “I have been inspired to write Science Fiction from childhood. It was always simply a case of starting and now that I have started, there is a lot more to come. I hope you enjoy the Alpha One Series of books!”

More information is available on www.chrisburton2212.weebly.com and on twitter @chrisburton99.

More information is available on

http://www.chrisburton2212.weebly.com

http://alphaonethejumppilot.blogspot.com

and on

twitter @chrisburton99

Also from Eternal Press:

Alpha One: The Kronan

by Chris Burton

eBook ISBN: 9781615726745

Print ISBN: 9781615726752

Science Fiction Adventure

Plus-Novel of 99,547 words

The Kryl are back... but this time they intend to feed!

Jake Carter and Jonathan Hoskins return in the sequel to Alpha One--The Jump Pilot.

The wormhole has reopened and the Kryl have returned bringing with them a vast armada under the command of the new Kronan-–Morvalt. The Kryl Queen and Morvalt’s sole intent is to defeat Alpha and take Planet Earth and its people as their new food source.

Jake graduates and assumes his first post aboard an Alpha Battle Cruiser; whilst his girlfriend Carla Stevenson joins the Senate in a diplomatic post and his friend Steve Costello scrapes through gradation and assumes a Jump Ship post on the front line. Morvalt takes control of Jakes mind and forces him to join the Queen aboard the Queens ship, whilst his fleet continue their relentless advance to Earth.

Alpha’s defenses are stretched to the full as the battle rages and Jake Carter, Jonathan Hoskins Carla Stevenson and Steve Costello become embroiled in a battle to save the Earth.

Also from Eternal Press:

Europa:

Rise of the Carnelians

Second Edition

by Jason Gehlert

eBook ISBN: 9781629290096

Print ISBN: 9781629290102

Science Fiction Adventure

Novel of 71,657 words

Europa Series: Book 1

Some things are left better frozen.

On the heels of Doctor Nolan Drake’s warning that a long active super volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park is on the verge of eruption, the President of the United States orchestrates a mission to Europa, where colonization is already underway. As Earth’s inevitable demise draws near, Adrian Blakely, a shady and mysterious billionaire offers his services and his fleet of ships to lead a top-notch team to Europa where they will encounter a long dormant alien species buried underneath the moon’s icy surface. Mankind will have to make one final stand against a new enemy in order to not only save each other, but the entire galaxy.

Eternal Press

Official Website:
http://www.eternalpress.biz

Blog:
http://www.eternalpress.biz/blog/

Reader Chat Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EternalPressReaders

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/EternalPress

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1364272754

Google +:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/115524941844122973800

Good Reads:
http://www.goodreads.com/profile/EternalPress

Shelfari:
http://www.shelfari.com/eternalpress

Library Thing:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/EternalPress

We invite you to drop in, visit with our authors, and stay in touch for the latest news, releases, and more!