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"Tau Eridani," D'Aquilla
said, gesturing at the pinprick of red orange light on the mainscreen.
"The armpit of the galaxy. Where men are men, women are women, rocks
are…"
"Enough,"
Vega said sharply. He looked back at Mendez. "Perhaps the intelligence
reports were wrong about the Mephistan concentration."
"Sure
they were. And I'm a Caucasian in disguise," Mendez retorted.
"Well
now that you mention it, skipper," D'Aquilla began before the alert klaxon
sounded.
"Combat
stations. Vega what's coming in?"
"Two
warships. Delta class cruiser—Mephistan design. Probably on patrol."
"Null
screens to full power," Mendez ordered. "Main di-atomic cannon
battery on standby."
"Vessels
have spotted us. They are closing in," Vega reported.
"Major
D'Aquilla, ready Avenger Squadron. Stand by to launch."
"Aye
sir," the large man said, shouting orders into his intercom. He then took
off at a run for the hanger pod.
"Hold
your fire Vega. Let them make the first move," Mendez said calmly.
Seconds
later the null screen repulsed a multi-megawatt laser salvo.
"Fire
di-atomic. Destroy them."
Vega's
hands flew over his console like object's possessed. The forward cannon battery
glowed briefly before it discharged its energy into space.
The
white beams washed over the hive-like Mephistan ships, destroying the forces
holding the warship's atoms together.
"Scratch
two ruddy warships Commander," Vega said.
"Remain
on alert. First Lieutenant, take us in, full space normal speed.
While
Christine complied with the order, the portside access doors to the bridge
opened, admitting a dinosaur.
Well
not really a dinosaur. Me was reptilian, had a mouth full of carnivorous teeth,
and enough scales on his greenish yellow body to render him invulnerable to
anything short of laser fire.
Yet
despite the monstrous appearance, there was an intelligence about him. A
calmness of a seeker of knowledge who knew more than most people about the
physical Universe, yet considered even his vast store of information a mere
scratching of the billion light years of deep surface.
"Good
afternoon Commander," T-Narn said through the artificial voice
box/translator located just above his collar bone. The voice was inhuman in its
soft tenor, yet distinctly neutral perfection.
"Same
to you priest T-Narn. I am glad you have decided to come out of
isolation."
"We
are at our destination. The sooner we attend to this rescue, the sooner I shall
be able to continue to Antares."
Mendez
face grimaced into a frown which quickly vanished as the Eden refinery expanded on the mainscreen.
A
metal nightmare, constructed before the fall of the First Alliance as a source
of tri-plurainium fuel, and as a bastion against Mephistan encroachment into
Or'Dellen space.
It
was still a source of tri-plurainium; the fuel that allowed faster than light
velocity. However it was now used by the enemy.
"Wrruan,
thrree Mephistan drreadnoughts coming in."
"Engineering,
give me battle speed. Avenger Squadron, prepare to launch. Distance?"
"Two
million kilometers," Vega reported.
"Open
fire when ready Vega. First Lieutenant, stand ready for evasive action.
Avengers launch. Do not engage the enemy. I say again. Do not engage the enemy.
Head for deep space and come back around using the pincer play. Good luck."
Aft
in the raised triangular appendage known as the Hanger pod, D'Aquilla completed
his hurried but comprehensive checkout of his vessel's systems. Next to him one
of the new people to the 214th, Ensign Loni McCoy. She was large
boned, very athletic, and obviously nervous.
"Say,
after the mission, what say we get together in my cabin for some fun and
games?"
"I
would rather visit the sex surrogate first," she snapped, adding
respectfully: "Sir."
"Its
your loss."
"Avengers
launch. Do not engage the enemy. I say again. Do not engage the enemy. Head for
deep space and come back around using the pincer play. Good luck."
"It
will be twelve hours before we are in position. Is that guy nuts?"
D'Aquilla grumbled while massive cranes moved the gunships into the launch
tubes. Condensation formed briefly on the outside windows of the Avengers as
air was hurriedly evacuated from the tube.
"Sir,"
it was McCoy. There was a peculiar expression on her face.
"The
bag is in the compartment on your right, second rack downnnn!"
The
Avenger was shot into space by mass drivers of the launching tubes.
As
soon as he peeled the back of his face off the chair, he thumbed the
intersquadron communicator. "Squadron, this is Flight Leader. Line up on
my arse and don't take your eyes off it until we reach our destination. Do not
engage the enemy. Out. You all right now Loni?"
She
nodded once, taking the controls with one hand while wiping the bile from her
lips with the other.
"I'm
sorry for snapping at you sir."
"Forget
it kid. You'll like my aquabed."
Loni
could not resist a smile as the fifty gunships curved off into the distance.
Back
on Arcturia, Mendez heard the figures of the distance between the enemy
and his ship shrink continually.
"Fire
forward battery," Mendez ordered to Vega.
Once
again, energy leapt across the void, washing over the lead dreadnought. Part of
its engineering section vanished followed by the rest of the ship in an
explosion that damaged the ship flying next to it.
"Arm
anti-matter missiles."
"Anti-matter
missiles armed Commander."
"Fire."
A
spread of missiles containing twelve kilograms of anti-matter shot into space.
"Now
Vega, hit them at the same time with our cannon."
The
fury released burned out the mainscreen for several seconds.
When
the electronic device cleared, only hot plasma floated in space.
"Addams,
raise Eden. Inform them that they
have one hour to surrender their prisoners, or well will destroy that
installation."
"Rather
violent," T-Narn said aloofly.
Mendez
turned sharply. "They started this. We're going to finish it."
...to be continued.
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