SCYTHIA
Earth Alliance Colony
Colonel Jenner: Copeland, Fahrion, I’m tracking a superdreadnought pulling off the cluster in the southwest corner of Quadrant Two, probably going for the approaching array node. We need to protect it.
Lt. Colonel Duan (EAS Copeland): We’ll distract it for you while the Orion gets in position.
“Helmsman Paena, as soon as the Copeland and Fahrion initiate firing on target designated X17, slip us beneath and into a synchronous orbit with array node B8. Comms, request targeting lock by node B8 on X17. Firing to commence on my order.”
The strategy worked well when it was able to be executed, which was rarely. Too many ships, too many active engagements. But he’d caught this one and did not intend on letting it go.
Malcolm worked diligently to keep a realistic outlook in all matters—one always on the watch for prospects for hopefulness but informed by logic and the facts available to him at any given time.
As he examined the situation out the viewport and considered the state of affairs…he thought they were winning.
The Alliance had seen some victories to the south, particularly at Sagan and Xanadu. But despite being widely considered the strongest regional command, the NE forces had yet to beat the aliens into submission. They needed a victory here today—and perhaps they would have one.
The superdreadnought trained its weapons on the frigates as they began peppering its stern, and the Orion accelerated toward Scythia’s upper atmosphere. In a move worthy of a far smaller, lighter craft, it reversed thrusters and pivoted to adopt a counter-orbital trajectory in sync with the array node just below and to their starboard. He waited as their bearing to the superdreadnought shifted degree by degree.
“On my mark…fire.” The Orion’s lasers shot forth from beneath the viewport in a parallel trajectory to the node’s weaponry to slam into the hull of the alien vessel. The shield strength had been concentrated on the opposite side in response to the frigates’ assault. Now it flipped to this side—specifically, to the location of the node weapon’s impact as it delivered far more power than the Orion’s. This left weakened shielding to protect against the Orion’s fire as well as less to ward against the frigates’ barrage.
Evidence of the shield’s fluctuations as it tried to fend off four separate assaults could be seen in the relative splashing of the lasers and shimmers across the hull. The Orion cracked the hull first, the array last.
“Paena, get us clear. Comms, notify Scythia Terrestrial Defense to be on alert for debris making it through the atmosphere intact.”
Colonel Jenner: Copeland, Fahrion, excellent work.
It wasn’t only excellent work—it also felt damn good. Yes, Malcolm decided, they were definitely winning.
Even amidst the continuing chaos in every direction, it was impossible to miss the arrival of the EAS Churchill as it dropped out of superluminal above the arc of Scythia’s profile.
Admiral Rychen: It looks as though we’ve almost missed all the fun. Thank you for leaving a few enemy ships for us to play with.
Laughter rippled across the channel at Rychen’s jest. It was a good morale booster—and it was good Rychen had arrived on the scene. The aliens had destroyed sixty percent of the array nodes by this point, so they could sorely use the firepower of a dreadnought in order to maintain the precarious advantage they currently held in the conflict. In fact, the Churchill may permanently tip the balance in their favor.
Rychen wasted no time in entering the fray, diving 40° and joining one of the cruisers and two frigates in engaging a superdreadnought in the upper left corner of Quadrant One, opposite the field from the Orion. A multitude of lasers lit the sky to transform the backdrop of space to a vibrant platinum.
If Rychen had wanted to make a dramatic entrance, he succeeded in doing so. The force of weaponry directed at the superdreadnought instantly quadrupled, and in less than ten seconds it ripped apart from bow to stern. Though the encounter was relatively distant, Malcolm still instinctively readied himself for the secondary explosion to wash out the field of battle.
As expected, the explosion surged outward to overtake the entire scene. The thousands of swarmers littering the field vanished in the blinding glare.
As the ubiquitous light faded he blinked away the halos and peered out the viewport to consider his next target—
All the alien vessels were gone.
Shouts and exclamations erupted on the bridge and across the comms, but Malcolm merely stared out at the suddenly vacant space and the planet below, a view now marred only by floating debris and a host of very confused Alliance vessels. A large swath of clouds shifted to reveal the pale teal waters of Scythia’s oceans glittering in the sunlight, peaceful and idyllic.
He knew he should feel relief and arguably pride at having played a part in saving the people who lived on the planet below. And he was beyond glad they lived. But why had the Metigens departed, and so abruptly? Had they run when they realized they were going to lose, making the decision to save their remaining ships much as he and Rychen had done at Messium? Were they moving on to a more important battle? Would they return in a few minutes, taking the Alliance contingent by surprise?
Admiral Rychen: Well isn’t that interesting.
Malcolm didn’t have to strain to detect the frustration in Rychen’s voice on the command channel.
Colonel Jenner: This is new behavior, correct?
Admiral Rychen: It is. Even at our most decisive victories—Xanadu, Henan—they fought to nearly the last ship.
Commodore Escarra: Maybe your presence frightened them away, Admiral.
Rychen indulged the brief levity. If only I were so lucky. I could leap around the galaxy, striking a mighty terror into the enemy and sending them scurrying in waves back through their portal.
Colonel Jenner: I would certainly pay to see that—but I doubt I’ll get the opportunity. Assuming they don’t materialize in the next several minutes to take us by surprise, the question becomes: did they flee to save their remaining ships or because they have someplace better to be?
Admiral Rychen: I’m not so sure it’s an either-or proposition, Colonel. My gut tells me they fled to save their remaining ships because they have someplace better to be.
Rychen switched to the fleet-wide channel. All vessels continue in orbit on full alert for the next hour. If the Metigens do not reappear by that time, 10th Regiment stay here to guard Scythia. All other vessels rendezvous at the provided coordinates in the Aquila stellar system and await further orders.
A low-grade but weighty dread settled over Malcolm. He sensed the end was coming, whether they were ready for it or not.