Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 3 - Fleet Action (13 page)

‘The star cluster will be firmly in the control of ourselves and the Traders, as the planets in the cluster represent an excellent opportunity for the Traders to resettle well away from the vassal races in the centre of the galaxy. We crafted the planets in the star cluster over many thousands of years with the Traders in mind. The humans will support and trade with us and the Traders, and we in turn will ensure only the Traders trade with the Dradfer. The humans will not be permitted to enter the Crux sector under any circumstances.’

Eliarhee felt the first signs of real anger as she took in the Maveen’s direct statements, and her skin flashed shades of red and blue for several moments to show her emotions. She fought to control her skin as her fellow researchers kept silent by protocol, and she eventually responded with two terse comments.

‘Well at least we agree that the humans do not enter the Crux sector, but we disagree on everything else.’

The two Altoran scout pilots nervously glanced at each other and Grant had no doubt they would later report the meeting to their lead counsel and his advisors.

Grant stepped into the uncomfortable silence between the two senior galactic races by making a few telling observations.

‘Researcher Eliarhee, we back and trust the judgement of the Traders and the Maveen and have done so ever since our colonies were founded. The Traders need to settle their own worlds as they seek to remove themselves from day to day dealings with us much shorter lived humans. Our cultures are intrinsically different even if we remain on very good terms. Also we can indirectly trade goods with your sector via the Traders even if our physical presence is not allowed.’

Gayle had come slowly forward and stood by Grant, as Eliarhee listened to his comments, and the Dradfer gave a start of real surprise as she realised that Gayle was expecting offspring. Eliarhee had the presence of mind to hand signal absolute silence and stillness from her fellow researchers, and she took a few short breaths to steady her own nerves as she replied in a more pleasant manner.

‘Grant, please be reassured we will not just stick to our views and hurry away to summon fighting ships. We are prepared to discuss this situation further and we await the input of the Traders when they do turn up here.’

Grant was relieved at Eliarhee’s reply for he was concerned that the Maveen probe, now silent again with his blue vision strip closed, was blowing up the negotiations. He spoke again with evident relief at her reassurances.

‘We are keen to provide information and seek information on a wide variety of matters. Note that after the Traders arrive we will leave within several days as Gayle needs to return to our colony world.’

Eliarhee glanced at Gayle and smiled as she replied.

‘The offer of indirect trade is most appreciated, and I realise your mate is carrying young. While we are waiting we would like to learn all we can of your race, and I understand your colonies were only founded recently with the assistance of the Traders and the Maveen. Also I am a senior medical researcher and we wish to learn as much as possible about the biology of your race, painlessly of course, while we await the Traders.’

Grant readily agreed after good naturedly ensuring the Dradfer would not clone the provided genetic material. The three of them were soon providing hair, blood and skin samples to the grateful senior researcher. The other Dradfer researchers graciously accepted the remaining holographic projectors that Grant had packed earlier. The image of Earth and her moon had them silent for extended period before the Dradfer conversed briefly amongst themselves in their own language.

‘The human home world is as our ancestors remembered it many thousands of years ago. We are justified for not allowing the humans into our sector for the three fold reasons. Hopefully the Sspol and the Kariqua, the ancients, are still safely hidden in the human home system. Now we are forced to agree to the Maveen’s terms as the secrets of this world must remain hidden. Also the tissue samples from the humans could prove to be very valuable to our ongoing research efforts.’

Eliarhee gave a start as she realised that the Maveen probe, the so called Dradfer probe, had opened his vision strip and was observing the four Dradfer researchers, but the Maveen said nothing. The senior Dradfer was at the point of kicking herself as she realized that the experienced probe would have recorded their private little conversation for later analysis.

Grant noted the furtive glances the Dradfer were giving the now active Maveen probe and resolved to have a discrete conversation with his ally later on. He noted that the Dradfer seemed very fond of him and his fellow crew members and acting on a hunch he asked Eliarhee brief question.

‘So Eliarhee you have a family of your own in the Crux sector? Your race seems to value the creation and existence of life, so please pardon my direct question.’

Eliarhee could take no offence at Grant’s question, as he was a member of a young and vital race much like her own race many tens of thousands of years ago. The three humans reminded her both of younger Dradfer and of the Denvian of course. Her skin flashed the colours of green and yellow that represented warmth and forbearance by the Dradfer as she sadly replied.

‘I am a grand parent a dozen times over though most of my male children have been killed fighting the Kulvar in the centre of the galaxy. We value the rights of all other races and we always seek to improve their futures by our actions. So you now know that about the Dradfer, then you can understand our presence near your home world so long ago, when we were a younger and impulsive race.’

Grant felt relieved about Eliarhee’s reply for the Dradfer seemed a decent race despite the reserve of the Maveen towards them. He also was determined to talk at length with Captain Narindestat when the Trader captain eventually arrived. The three humans continued to speak with the Dradfer, and they all now ignored the silent Maveen probe, and Gayle’s pregnancy was eventually discussed with the fascinated aliens.

Eliarhee kept any of her existing knowledge to herself as she listened avidly to the humans and took in what she could of their holographic encyclopaedias. A small light appeared on her arm bracelet and she new that their covert research of the humans was operational. She also now knew that the original request of the Maveen to keep the humans and the Denvian apart was justified, as the first real details of the familiar biology of the humans appeared on her data tablet.

The Maveen probe kept silent and evaluated that the presence of the humans had once again saved the mission. He understood that the theory of the humans as a catalyst for change was now well proven, and he was looking forward to presenting the theory and all he had recently learned to the sector delegate. He had hoped that the humans would also act as a levelling influence in negotiations when the Traders finally arrived, though of course the recent inadvertent disclosure of the Dradfer hinted at much but actually promised nothing. After several seconds, the probe decided to change his plans and not have the humans present when the Dradfer finally met with the Traders. The Maveen probe settled back to watch and patiently record the interaction between the Dradfer and the humans.

                                                                     ***

Admiral Baunrus was keenly watching the protracted battle with the human fleet and he was not allowing himself to be distracted by other events nearby. He snarled out another series of orders and further encouragement as the allies of the humans renewed their attempts to dislodge his armada.

‘Keep up your covering fire of the lead ships in the formation! Remember that you are all each responsible for eventual victory here! The foolish allies of the humans will withdraw if we destroy the human fleet, as there is nothing further for them to do to help Earth. All ships are to launch another missile strike in five minutes on my order. We will target the central ships of the human fleet.’

Baunrus watched in satisfaction as the human fleet was forced slowly back into lower orbits around their oversized moon. He was confident that the armada would soon break the cohesion of the formation of destroyers and then the humans would be defeated. One of the lead destroyers was not quick enough to retreat and he felt elation as the armada picked up on this fact and quickly destroyed the ship.

A cheer sounded on the bridge of his ship and Baunrus had the sense to not chastise his crew over their partial victory. He expanded the view of the battle and suppressed any feelings of concern as he took in the size and savergy of the space battle. The four large cruisers of the Sspol took turns to strafe the rear of his armada and every time they attacked he lost a frigate.

Off to one side, the Jerecab admiral could see the onrushing forces of the Barus cruiser squadron still some distance from the battle. A missile report chimed on his screen and he noted that the humans had launched sixteen large missiles from the moon’s surface some distance from his armada, but he was relieved that they would not arrive for several minutes. He could also see a swarm of nearby smaller civilian ships that were staying away from the battle. A lieutenant stood by his chair with a report and the Admiral grinned wickedly at the younger Jerecab as he spoke.

‘The humans state that war is hell, so we are giving the humans hell today.’

The lieutenant merely grinned nervously back, and he remained still and silent as Baunrus looked over the latest reports on the officer’s data tablet. He could now see that Captain Neanres was being badly pressed by both the Barus research squadron and an assorted collection of smaller human ships. He then noted two things that caused him to scream in fury, for a small fleet of mining ships were confirmed as now heading for Neanres and those valuable pair of lifters, and the Cephrit cruiser squadrons had finally just arrived.

Baunrus looked critically at the time and distance calculations for the two new pieces of information, and made an urgent but brief order to Captain Neanres.

‘Neanres, you will lose your head if those humans smash my two lifters. Defend them at all costs and engage the human mining ships at an intercept distance from the two lifters. Disregard the Cephrit cruisers as they are still several hours away from being a factor.’

                                                                     ***

Captain Neanres only sent a audio reply to the Admiral’s signal as he was fully engaged in keeping his own fleet of ships alive for as long as possible. The Barus research fleet had repeatedly attacked his formation and already the two lifters were moderately damaged despite using much heavier shields than usual. His ships had in turn destroyed four of the smaller destroyers in the research fleet, and the Barus larger cruisers were also showing signs of heavy damage.

Neanres had earlier fired swarms of missiles from both lifters at the Earth. But a motley collection of smaller ships, led by a sole Maveen probe travelling at an incredible speed, would perform a staggered intercept on the missiles well before they reached the atmosphere of the planet.

Neanres quickly keyed an order for eight of his frigates with the least battle damage and they quickly moved further out to protect the rest of his fleet from the oncoming human mining ships. The captain looked balefully at the display showing the location of the Maveen probe and he sent three other frigates forward to engage it and then attack the Earth directly. He was then advised that his third flight of launched missiles had gone the way of the first two flights and been destroyed, and he now turned his attention to the nearby moon.

                                                                     ***

Admiral Baunrus noted that the Sspol had come forward again and destroyed another of his rear guard frigates, and looking at the current numbers of his forces he knew that he had lost nearly half of his two hundred and forty ship strong armada. He paused for several long moments as he spotted that only two Sspol cruisers continued to attack and he now knew that the outer two Sspol ships must be badly damaged.

The tempo of the conflict had increased that of a pitched battle across thousands of kilometres of space, and the admiral shook his head in confusion for several moments at the complexity and ferocity of it all. Baunrus then kicked himself mentally as he noted that ten minutes had actually elapsed and he hurriedly gave the fateful order.

‘The humans are finally falling back. All ships are to launch all missiles at the centre of the human fleet.’

Across the now smaller number of frigates, a torrent of missiles launched and headed for the ragged human fleet of destroyers being forced back against their moon. Baunrus watched the missiles turn towards the now distant human ships, he looked coolly at his mounting losses in ships and men, and he realised that a hard fought but decisive victory was still the likely outcome.

                                                                     ***

Admiral Mary Neilson was beside herself with worry for several moments as the Jerecab fleet continued to press her fleet. Her own calculations had shown that the Jerecab were losing ships at a prodigious rate, yet they still came onwards even as the Sspol savaged the rear formations of the Jerecab armada. She watched with no real surprise as the Nagasaki, one of the lead ships, was finally destroyed after losing both reactor power and over half her crew to repeated attacks. The destroyer spun wildly through space for several seconds before a massive nuclear explosion fragmented the ship.

Rick Gordon flagged two urgent reports for her, and she glanced critically through them for several seconds, before giving the lieutenant a brief reply.

‘The Cephrit will take too long to arrive and the Vesta mining craft will likely be destroyed by the defending Jerecab.’

Rick grimaced but made no reply as Mary watched the Sspol attack and destroy another enemy frigate. They both then watched as one of their orbiting forts came over the horizon and quickly destroyed yet another Jerecab frigate. A flurry of laser fire brought their attention back to the destroyers and the diminishing shields of her ships had the admiral very worried. Mary decided that enough was enough and gave the fateful order.