Beyond the Shroud of the Universe (27 page)

“
Shuttle 01
is launching, sir,” Lieutenant Rafaeli, the squadron duty officer, said.

“Understood,” Captain Sheppard replied.

“They took the entire platoon?” Steropes asked. “Couldn’t they have accomplished the mission with just a few of the soldiers and maybe a cyborg or two to do the heavy lifting?”

“They could have,” Captain Sheppard replied, “but both Lieutenant Commander Hobbs and I thought it prudent to take all of their combat power, just in case. It’s better to have too many guns than not enough.”

North Quadrant Control, Aesir Battle Station
Heimdall
,
HD 69830 System, November 9, 2021

“That’s the third battlecruiser so far,” the ‘North’ quadrant’s sensor technician said. As the North side of the station was facing the stargate, they were taking the brunt of the initial fighting.

“The first battlecruiser is finished,” the laser officer said.

“Minefield integrity is at 57%,” the mine warfare officer said. “The mines are doing their jobs, but the shields on the Jotunn ships seem to be stronger than normal. It is taking several hits to knock them down.”

“If they would just come a little more slowly,” the missile officer added, hand tapping nervously on his console, “I would like it a lot more.”

“Just keep shooting,” the Tyr replied. “As they start to spread out, the other quadrants will take some of the load from you.”

“Gods!” the sensor technician exclaimed. “Look at that monster! It’s the biggest ship I have ever seen! It’s got to be at least five miles long.”

“Don’t spare the mines,” the Tyr ordered. “That will be their command ship…and it’s going to take a lot to kill it.”

“Sir!” the sensor technician called. “One of the ally ships just gated in and disappeared. There goes a second! Both were destroyer-sized, I think. There is a third; this one is cruiser-sized. A fourth one now, also cruiser-sized!”

“Stay on the Jotunn vessels you can see,” the Tyr said. “Let’s concentrate on killing them first. We’ll kill their ally’s ships when they start popping back up.”

“How much longer until
Shuttle 01
reaches the target?” Captain Sheppard asked.

“If they are on schedule they should be arriving at the enemy ship right now,” Lieutenant Rafaeli said. “The challenging part is going to be for the pilot to match vectors with the ship. Once that happens, they can begin mining the ship. That part should go relatively quickly.”

“Contact!” the DSO exclaimed. “I’ve got ship emanations; they are definitely
not
from the ship we are following.”

“I’ve got them too,” Steropes added. “Signal strength and engine harmonics appear to be from one of the destroyers we saw before.”

“Where are they coming from?” Captain Sheppard asked.

“They are coming from the same location as the Jotunn stargate in our universe,” Steropes replied. “The ship is accelerating and appears to be turning away from us. A second ship just jumped in. It is another of their destroyers.”

“So, the battle must have started in our universe,” the CO stated. “What is the ship that we’re tracking doing?”

“Its course hasn’t deviated,” the OSO said, who was tracking it closely.

“Do you want me to call back the shuttle?” Lieutenant Rafaeli asked.

“Not yet,” the CO said. “We may need them back quickly, but as of right now, let them continue their mission. I suspect we’re going to have to kill the enemy ship eventually, and their mission represents our best chance to kill it without taking any fire in return. Any day I don’t have to dodge torpedoes is a good day.”

“Amen to that,” the DSO muttered.

“Captain Sheppard, I am reasonably confident one of the new ships just transmitted something to the ship we are following,” Steropes said; “however, I can’t break it.”

“Solomon, what about you?” the CO asked. “Can you translate it?”

“No sir,” the ship’s AI replied. “I am unable to translate it, but I can tell you it is definitely not the same as the Efreeti communications we saw before.”

“I’ve got a third enemy ship,” the DSO said. “This one appears to be a cruiser.”

“So there are a total of four enemy ships in this system?” the CO asked.

“Yes sir,” Steropes replied. “No, five of them now. Another cruiser just jumped in.”

“I hope Lieutenant Commander Hobbs destroys the first one quickly then,” the CO said. “This universe is getting awfully damn crowded.”

“
One minute to deployment,
” Lieutenant Neil ‘Trouble’ Watson commed. “
We’ve matched velocities with the enemy vessel and are making our final approach.
”

“
Ramp coming down in 30 seconds,
” added the pilot, Lieutenant Jeff ‘Canuck’ Canada.

“
Copy that,
” Calvin replied. He switched to the platoon’s network. “
One minute out. Ramp coming down in 30 seconds. Everyone check your suit seals. Mining crew, standby by to deploy.
”

Lieutenant O’Leary, Gunnery Sergeant Dantone and Sergeant Braig stood up and shuffled their way to the end of the cargo compartment where they picked up their improvised limpet mines. “Let’s get this done quickly,” O’Leary said. “We don’t know if they have any sensors on the outside of the hull. I’d like to be gone before anybody comes out to see what we’re doing.”

The ramp lowered, and the soldiers saw the ship for the first time. Unlike the smooth surface of the ships that came from the Terran replicators, the surface of the alien spacecraft was littered with what looked like nuts and bolts.

“What a piece of shit,” Sergeant Braig said as he got a look. “That looks like something my kid built.”

“Focus, you morons,” Lieutenant O’Leary said. “If I have to—”

Everything flashed, and Calvin could feel himself falling up.

“
Sir!
” the OSO called. “The ship we were following just jumped!”

“What?”

“It’s gone sir! I think there’s a problem, too. It looks like only part of the shuttle jumped with it. There are pieces of refined metal in the vicinity of where the ship was.”

“I’ve got a distress beacon from the pilot,” Steropes added; “however, there aren’t any life signs. It looks like the shuttle’s cockpit was cut in half.”

Calvin had never felt this disoriented before, including the times he had done Navy training that was
intended
to disorient him. Along with the flash, he got the familiar nauseated feeling that occurred when… “
We just jumped back to our universe,
” he commed. He looked at the cargo ramp and watched helplessly as O’Leary and the two cyborgs went spiraling off into space as the shuttle’s gravity failed. Before he could say anything else, a chorus of voices started babbling on the net.

“
Holy fuck! The roof of the shuttle’s missing!
”

“
The cockpit got cut in half!
”

“
Hey, where’d the gravity go?
”

“
We’re drifting away from the ship!
”

“
We’re all going to die!
”

Realizing he was losing control, Calvin flipped his transmitter to OVERRIDE and yelled, “
Shut the hell up and listen! We just jumped into our own universe. The shuttle is fucked. Abandon ship and fly down to the alien ship before it jumps again. Let’s go! Follow me!
”

He pushed up from his seat and through where the roof used to be. Clear of the shuttle, he used his maneuvering jets to fly toward the enemy ship. Calvin came in for a landing next to Lieutenant O’Leary, who pointed behind him.

Calvin turned to see a string of soldiers following him down…and the out-of-control shuttle. Something must have broken, as it motors were on full thrust. The shuttle spun and dove into the alien vessel, slamming into it near the bow. Even from the other end of the ship, Calvin could see a huge dent and feel the contact through his feet. It probably made a huge ringing noise inside the ship, too.

“
Well, they know we’re here,
” Calvin said as he watched the shuttle rebound from the enemy destroyer and dash off into space. “
Everybody come to the back of the ship, and we’ll enter together.
”

Fornjot Deathbringer, who ruled the Jotunn society as ‘Odin,’ surveyed the bridge of his command ship
Naglfar.
There was no fear or tension, only the joy of battle with an enemy. He would have had it no other way; in fact, he would personally have killed anyone who showed fear. His gaze met the head of his military forces, or ‘Freyr.’

“Status?” the Odin asked.

“The Aesir command ship
Surt
has been destroyed,” the Freyr noted. “Now there is nothing between us and the battle station controlling their minefield. We have already lost the battlecruiser
Jormungand
to their mines.”

“Good,” the Odin replied. “The battle station is the priority. Once the mines are gone, they will only have their fleet…and it is hardly a match for ours.” There was a difference between the ‘joy of battle’ with an enemy and having his forces destroyed by robot mines; the minefield was a cowardly way to conduct battle. It was far better for combat to be battle axe to battle axe, or at least ship to ship.

“My Odin, there is an incoming transmission for you from…an Aesir?” the communicator asked. “Someone calling himself ‘Nightsong?’”

“Put it on screen.”

The front screen lit up with the image of an Aesir, and the Odin stifled a growl. After over 200 years of inbred hatred for the elven race, it was hard to stand the sight of
any
of them, even if the Aesir in question was currently helping him.

“Were you successful?” the Odin asked.

“I was,” the Aesir, who appeared to be piloting a small vessel, confirmed. “The Terrans should be here soon, perhaps as early as today.”

“Will they have a big force?”

“No, they only sent a cruiser.”

“Bah. That is barely worth my effort. Are you sure they will engage us in combat? It is important we begin killing Terrans as soon as possible.”

“I believe it to be a certainty.”

“Good. You have done well, Aesir. Where will I find your Thor?”

“He is on the battle station, as you requested. Once you capture the battle station, you will be able to take him prisoner.”

“Excellent,” the Odin said. “You will be well rewarded.” He terminated the connection so he no longer had to look at one of the hated race.

“Your orders, Odin?” the Freyr asked.

“Destroy the battle station,” the Odin replied. “Take no prisoners.”

“But you gave the Aesir your word you wouldn’t kill the Thor.”

“No,” the Odin said, a grin spreading across his face. “I said that I would not kill him on Golirion for all of his people to see. But the Thor isn’t on Golirion now, is he?”

The smile spread to the Freyr’s face. “No, my Odin, he is not on Golirion.” He turned to his chief of staff, who was supervising the
Naglfar’s
offensive operations. “Retarget all batteries,” he ordered. “Destroy the battle station. Take no prisoners.”

“I
will
kill the Thor,” the Odin gloated, “if it is the last thing I do.”

“Odin, we have stargate activations!”

North Quadrant Control, Aesir Battle Station
Heimdall
,
HD 69830 System, November 9, 2021

“Thor!” the communications officer called. “We just intercepted a transmission from Captain Nightsong to the Jotunn command ship. He told them you were here on the battle station!”

“That bastard!” the Tyr said. “What was he thinking?”

“I do not know,” the Thor replied. “I am not aware of any complaint he might have against me.” He turned to the communications officer. “Who did he give this information to?”

“Captain Nightsong was speaking to the Odin, who is aboard the command ship
Naglfar.
”

“I suspected the Odin would be close by,” the Thor said. “I knew he wouldn’t pass up a chance to gloat about his victory.” He paused and then said, “Well, let him gag on his victory. Retarget all weapons on the
Naglfar.
I
will
kill the Odin, if it is the last thing I do.”

“Sir! More stargate activations!”