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.”