Storm' Fury: The Shenkar War (10 page)

              “Fifteen battlecruisers, thirty
Shirec
cruisers and twenty
Kelgen
light destroyers. Sir, they are launching fighters and forming up to attack.”

              Saunders was troubled by such a small fleet. True enough there were still sixty five warships. What troubled him was the last time the Shenkar had attacked Earth they had had many more ships in their fleet and they had been defeated. True, it had been more luck than tactical brilliance for Earth but he still didn’t believe would take any chances if they returned. With current numbers he was only outnumbered roughly two to one if you counted the significant amount of Shenkar fighters present.  A thought occurred to him.

              “Have you located a command base?”

              “No sir, the only Shenkar presence is those sixty five warships.”

              “How long before the Shenkar are within firing range?”

              “Estimated targeting solution in fifteen minutes thirty four seconds.”

              “What is the status of the defense platforms?”

              “Of the platforms stationed on this side of Earth, only one is operational.”

              “Damn it, things just can’t be easy,” Saunders muttered to himself.

December 26
th
, 2013 2:35am

Olympus

Earth Defense Force training facility, Texas

              Liam quickly dropped down into the cockpit of his fighter, his hands immediately going to his flight board and began to cycle up the fighters systems. Within seconds the thrum of his fighter’s engine came to life. Fighters immediately to his left and right also came to life as the rest of Necro squadrons pilots powered up their fighters. The squadrons pilots that had been lost almost a year ago had not been replaced as of yet, as per request of Liam. He intended to replace those spots with specific pilots he had in mind. Pilots that first needed to complete their training.

              Liam took a moment to check the status of the rest of the squadron. Of the original squadron, only Steve and Tim joined him for the coming battle, leaving Evan and Crystal to a much needed and long put off honeymoon. Dimitri was the only other pilot who had failed to stay with Necro squadron, instead choosing to serve as bodyguard to the Russsian president.  He thought of all the friends he had lost during the first encounters with the Shenkar and wondered how many more friends he would lose today. Trying to put the thoughts out of his mind he keyed his communications network and contacted flight control.

              “Flight control, this is Necro squadron, requesting clearance for liftoff.”

              He received a response almost immediately, almost as if the flight controller had been awaiting his contact.

              “Necro squadron you have clearance for liftoff, good luck and give them hell!” said a male voice.

              Liam ignited is thrusters and his fighter immediately began to lift off. Once maneuvered into the correct trajectory he held it for a moment before he engaged his afterburners and his fighter rocketed up and away from Olympus base. He quickly noted that both Steve and Tim had followed almost immediately. His radar screen lit up with over a hundred other fighters that also lifted off and began to move towards space and the awaiting fleet.

              He was pressed hard against his seat as he experienced the gravity forces of Earth working against him but soon he broke free into space and it lessened severely. He always wondered why the inertia dampers which worked perfectly in space always seemed to less effective when in the atmosphere of a planet.

              All thoughts of this were put out of his mind when his radar lit up with enemy contacts, quickly closing the distance to Earth. Something about the fleet disturbed Liam but he could not put his finger on it. Before he could think on this more his commset beeped and he heard Tim’s voice.

              “Something isn’t right, they only have a fleet half the size of the fleet that last attacked Earth. Surely they are not that arrogant that they think they can accomplish our defeat with less forces?”

              Liam now saw what had been bothering him, the fleet size was much too small and there were no command bases….what were the Shenkar up to?

              “I don’t know what they are up too but keep your eyes open for anything unusual, I am sure they will show their hand soon enough.”

              Quickly his fighter closed the distance and joined the rest of the fleet. As he moved his fighter into a stationary position his radar board indicated new contacts. Four new Shenkar ships that Liam did not recognize were moving away from the Shenkar fleet, quickly closing the distance to the defense platforms.

              “What are you up too?” Liam said to himself, knowing he would have his answer soon enough.

December 26
th
, 2013 2:25am

                                              EDF
Ronald Reagan,
Terran system

              The minutes ticked by as the Shenkar fleet closed the space to the Earth fleet. The fleet was only minutes away when his operations officer spoke up.

              “Admiral, I have four new Shenkar ships on radar. They appear to have been hiding in the shadow of the battlecruisers. Primary scan shows no weapon systems onboard. Ship is of unknown configuration.”

              “What are they doing?”

              “They seem to be moving up and away from the Shenkar fleet. Their trajectory takes them closer to our defense platforms but they are still out of weapons range,” the officer zoomed in on the four ships on the overhead display. As the ships neared closer to the defense platforms, and them, they spread out.

              “Are you sure they have no weapons onboard? No explosives?”

              “No sir, scans show them to be completely defenseless.”

              “I don’t like it! Send four squadrons to destroy them.”

              Four squadrons peeled away from the battle formation and sped off towards the mysterious Shenkar ships.

              “Sir, something is happening….I am getting some strange readings. Whatever those ships are they are somehow nullifying the nearby gravity wells.”

              Fleet Admiral Saunders couldn’t help but wonder why they would need to nullify the gravity wells. The fleet was already close by so there was no need to shift their fleet as they wouldn’t gain anything. Could the Shenkar have discovered how to fold into an area they haven’t been before? If so they could fold more forces into the battle…namely a command base.

              “TELL THOSE SQUADRONS TO DESTROY THOSE SHIPS, NOW!” yelled the Fleet Admiral.

              The blaring of alarms flooded the command bridge indicating a new threat.

              “Admiral, a command base…..no make that two command bases have just folded one thousand kilometers off our starboard bow. We have torpedo launches!”

              “Activate
Foxfire
missile defense system, prepare for evasive maneuvers.”

              The battle group was thrown into pandemonium as the Earth warships began evasive maneuvers. Consecutive thumps of missiles launching sounded throughout the hull, speeding off to intercept incoming torpedoes. There wasn’t any time to think before explosions registered throughout the fleet. A titanic explosion shook the
Reagan
.

              “Sir, the Foxfire system has succeeded in destroying ninety percent of the incoming torpedoes but we were lucky. The
Yamamoto
,
Chimera
and
Zeus
were heavily damaged.”

              Saunders scrambled to think, if they remained where they were they would get slaughtered. Coming to a decision he turned to his communications officer.

              “Put me on with the fleet.”

              After a short pause his communications officer indicated to go ahead.

              “This is Fleet Admiral Saunders, if we stay here the fleet will get pounded. I am ordering all ships forward, flank speed. Move in close to the Shenkar fleet.”

              With the order given the fleet surged forward.

              “Sir, the command bases are launching another volley.”

              “Launch countermeasures and take evasive maneuvers.”

              Once again the massive battlecruiser shifted as she began evasive maneuvers. Admiral Saunders shifted his weight as the ship rolled; explosions began to register across the threat board from the intercepted torpedoes. Just as the
Reagan
finished her roll the operations officer shouted.

              “BRACE FOR IMPACTS!”

              Massive explosions violently shook the
Reagan
, causing everyone to grab onto whatever was close by to prevent from falling. Even so, several people who had been standing were sent crashing to the floors or into nearby consoles. Sparks sprayed from an instrument panel, burning Ensign Dows face. Clutching at his face, he screamed in pain as he fell to the floor. Admiral Saunders had taken three steps towards the fallen ensign when three more massive explosions shook the
Reagan
. Caught off guard Admiral Saunders lost his footing and crashed headlong into a nearby console. Excruciating pain seared across his head as he slipped to the floor. The last thing he remembered before the darkness took him was chaos throughout the command bridge as fires erupted throughout the bridge.

December 26
th
, 2013 2:36am

                                                    EDF
Okinawa,
Terran system

              “Captain, the
Reagan
has been severely damaged, she is dead in space.”  

              Captain Dvares studied the overhead tactical display. The flagship of the fleet, the
Ronald Reagan
was floating dead in space, her engines severely damaged. Several sections of the ship showed large hull breaches, venting atmosphere and crew members into open space. A Shenkar battlecruiser and
Shirec
light cruiser continued to fire salvos of energy into her side. Under the current punishment she was sustaining she would be finished soon. The symbol the
Reagan
provided was enormous; it would be demoralizing if she were lost. Not to mention his friend, Fleet Admiral Saunders, was aboard. They could not afford to lose the fleet admiral as he was a brilliant tactician and a veteran of the first Shenkar assault.  If they didn’t act now then the flagship of the fleet would be destroyed.

              “Helmsmen, set course two three six, all ahead full. Fire control, load all forward torpedo tubes and get me a targeting solution on that cruiser that is targeting the
Reagan
.”

              Within seconds the
Okinawa
had changed direction and was speeding towards the two warships targeting the
Reagan
. Seconds ticked by as they closed the distance.

              “We have weapons lock upon the Shenkar cruiser,” announced fire control.

              “FIRE!” commanded Captain Dvares, not wasting any of the precious time they had.

              Four torpedoes surged forward, quickly closing the distance. The Shenkar cruiser had no time to act as all four torpedoes slammed into her side. The Shenkar cruiser cracked in half and exploded in a brilliant flash.

              Captain Dvares gave a silent cheer to himself but he knew the
Reagan
wasn’t safe yet. The Shenkar battlecruiser was continuing her assault upon the damaged flagship. There was also another problem; they wouldn’t be able launch two salvos in the time it would take to destroy the Shenkar battlecruiser before the
Reagan
was destroyed. Captain Dvares made his decision, he knew it was a risk but he couldn’t let the
Reagan
be lost.