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“Stand by, all,” Jeck said.
The Dawnstrider was on the edge of the area set aside for weapons testing, having completed the full upgrades of their guns and shields.
Ashira kept her eyes on the specifications of the new systems, as well as their integration with existing systems. They had previously tested the shields and the new Multi-Phasic Universal Source Shield Generator. But the guns were getting their first test.
The old guns had been sufficient to drive off marauders, raiders, and any attackers in another freighter. They had been more than enough to swat starfighters like insects. But against something bigger – like most military starships - they could only defend themselves and not have much hope of anything else.
The new guns designed by the Xorcerizts could take out Ditufgne starships. Which meant they could handle more conventional military capital ships, too. The new power supply for them was far greater than anything else Ashira had ever worked with before.
The crew were at their stations, save Alvon and Tara, who were attending to other duties. Even though he could have occupied one of their stations, Lii was in the jump seat with his new data pad, monitoring the same systems Ashira was.
“Power is at full,” she confirmed.
“Firing in three...two...one...”
The Dawnstrider seemed to shiver at the new beam weapon fired.
The target had been a heavy asteroid. It was one of several dozen stabilized specifically for target practice.
The beam engulfed the rock for a few seconds before it ceased. The stone appeared to be disintegrating, even after the beam ceased to hit it.
The Xorcerizts had explained that the beam weapons worked on a molecular level, tearing things apart via their component elements. While the Ditufgne weapons used their energy to evaporate a target, the Xorcerizt beams eviscerated it.
It was somewhat disturbing. The amount of power of this weapon was exponentially higher than those Ashira had known in the military.
She observed the stats on the guns. “Systems nominal, everything is behaving as expected. Time to reset and fire at full power is...twenty-seconds.”
Even with the power supply purposed solely for the weapons, they were so powerful that they needed time to reset.
Ashira kept her eyes on the screen. At eleven seconds, she reported, “Half-power shot available now.”
They had been told a half-power shot would do a lot of damage to a conventional starship but likely little to no damage to a Ditufgne ship.
At six seconds, Ashira called out, “Three-quarter power shot now.”
When the timer hit zero, she said, “Full power restored.”
“Firing,” Jeck called.
A second rock, relatively near to the first, was engulfed in the beam from the Dawnstrider’s powerful Xorcerizt weapon. When it disengaged, the asteroid was breaking apart into fragments.
“Freaky,” said Ervik.
“The amount of power this weapon can output is incredible,” stated Lu. “Given that I can’t fully calculate the amount of energy in the power supply, it’s all stunning.”
“I agree,” stated Ashira. “As expected, we have full-power shots available every twenty-eight seconds. Each shot lasts exactly four-point-six seconds. Output is one-hundred percent as expected.”
“When firing, it has very little effect on flight,” stated Jeck. “But I want to take one shot with the gun swiveled ninety-degrees. Ervik?”
“On it,” stated Ervik, moving over to the station nearer Lu than his own.
“This is cool but also kind of scary,” remarked Lii.
Ashira glanced towards her son. “It is. The Dawnstrider is not a warship.”
“Ready,” said Ervik.
“Charge is full,” stated Ashira.
“Stand by,” said Jeck, altering the Dawnstrider’s flight. “Target will be visible to port in about ten seconds, Ervik.”
Ashira noted that the Xorcerizt guns held at full power - once reached - and did not fluctuate.
“Target marked,” called Ervik. Then, “Locked.”
“Fire,” ordered Jeck.
As Ervik fired, a slight shiver was the only thing noticeable, no different from firing head-on.
Ashira observed, for the third time, an asteroid being disintegrated.
“That made no difference, did it?” asked Ervik.
“No,” replied Jeck.
The military starships receiving the Xorcerizt weapons had them mounted forward-facing alongside existing guns. Because the Dawnstrider had no such weapons, the new gun was mounted on their belly and could be rotated, which would allow them to shoot at pursuing ships or fire from oblique angles.
The downside was that they needed almost double the time for the weapon to recharge compared to the military starships.
But the crew were okay with that. If everything went according to plan, the guns would not need to be fired at all.
“I think we can call this a successful test,” stated Lu.
“We can,” said Jeck, adding, “but I want to fly a bit longer with everything charged.”
“Checking for energy bleed?” questioned Lii.
“Exactly,” said Jeck.
Ashira saw Lii grin at the compliment.
“I can’t believe we’re armed like this,” said Ervik.
“Given what we’ve agreed to do, it was the right call,” said Ashira.
“I know,” said Ervik. “It just feels weird. Like, Lu, with the ship armed like this, can you still fly her without risking shut-down?”
“Yes,” Lu said. “So long as I do not pull the trigger, so to speak, I am fine.”
“It shouldn’t matter after this is over,” started Jeck. Ashira felt the ship shift as Jeck adjusted their course, then said, “Presuming we come out the other side and the Ditufgne threat is ended, I plan to have these weapons removed.”
“But you were a starfighter pilot,” said Lii. “Aren’t you used to being armed? Don’t you prefer it?”
“Flying a starfighter is a very different animal,” remarked Jeck. “The Dawnstrider has seriously impressive flight capabilities for what she is. But she is a transport, not a warship. These kinds of arms invite situations that, as a civilian transport, we want no part of. So, I plan to have them removed.”
“I approve of that,” stated Lu.
“Sure,” agreed Ervik. “Though I would kind of like to keep the Multi-Phasic Universal Source Shield Generator.”
“Oh, that we keep,” stated Jeck. “The near-invulnerability that gives us to traditional lasers is not of the same ilk.”
“I am all for that,” stated Ashira. “I have not even begun to try to understand the power supply the new guns use. The Multi-Phasic Universal Source Shield Generator is a mystery I find utterly fascinating.”
Ashira checked the status of the new guns.
“No change,” she reported. “Power remains stable, at one-hundred percent.”
“Impressive power source,” commented Lu.
“Powering down the guns,” said Jeck.
Ashira watched the power drop away. Within less than ten seconds, she reported, “Zero power, guns at standby.”
“That is super freaky,” remarked Ervik.
“The Xorcerizt weapons are impressive in many different ways,” said Lu.
“They are,” agreed Jeck. “The Dawnstrider is as ready as she can be for this.”
Ashira was going over multiple screens, checking to make sure the guns, having been on and off, had no impact on any of the other ship systems. But she needn’t have worried. The Xorcerizt guns were a closed loop in and of themselves.
A stray thought wandered through Ashira’s mind. A few nights ago, after Lii had gone to bed, she and the rest of the crew – along with Alvon and Tara Kreth – had talked about how things might be if they succeeded in ending the Ditufgne incursion and associated threat.
Alvon wanted to know her intent toward her duties as the heir to the Kingdom of Shardaelia. He reported that the CSA agents left behind after the conspirators were taken down were being relieved of duty, a new force under the control of the Council in their place.
Despite still feeling a sense of duty to the Kingdom, Ashira felt that having the Council in charge and moving toward a full democracy would serve them best. She knew that it might be a disservice to the Aeshar family, who had ruled the Shardaelia system for centuries. But she had no interest in leading the nation without Petra and felt that, in many ways, the continuance of the monarchy might stagnate organic growth.
She did intend to give Lii a choice once he was a little older. But after all he was being exposed to – both as a part of the Dawnstrider crew and facing the Ditufgne – she suspected he’d lose any desire he might have had before.
Ashira and Petra had been careful when raising Lii to make his childhood as normal as they could. He attended school with other children his age to be properly socialized and was still expected to do chores and keep up with studies even as the heir to the throne. The humility inherent in that had prevented full comprehension that he would ever be expected to rule the star systems of the Kingdom.
Though it pained her to think about, Ashira was gratified that Lii’s guardian, Erit Palto, had continued that, albeit with a very different motive. So, during her absence, Lii’s attitude toward and understanding of his path to the throne had gone unchanged.
But there was one thing Ashira still wanted, associated with her being the surviving crown. Justice.
While most of the conspirators were paying the price for her wife’s murder, Raja Lkahn Am still ruled Protelna. The one thing she wanted to do – if they survived what was coming – was to see him pay.
But that would have to wait. There were other, bigger matters to be dealt with.