Storm' Fury: The Shenkar War (51 page)

              “Do we still have any access to the launch bays?” Nynai asked of his security officer.

              “Yes, we still can access bay Alpha,” the security officer asked, a questioning look upon his face.

              “Are there any long range ships in that bay?”

              “Yes, there are four
Drelai
gunships, why do you ask? You are not thinking of abandoning the station to these humans?!? That would be most dishonorable!”

              Nynai’s anger flared at the security officer’s accusation. The mere thought of his honor being questioned was ludicrous but secondly the fact that this lowly subordinate was the one questioning him as if he was an equal would not be tolerated. Nynai quickly stepped forward and backhanded the security officer across the face so hard that the officer spun into a nearby console, only managing to catch himself at the last second to prevent from going fully to the deck.

              “How dare you question my honor! I would have you jettisoned out the nearest airlock if I did not need every warrior at the moment,” Nynai said aloud, his temper barely held in check.

              The security officer righted himself and came to attention, saluting the overlord as he did.

              “My apologies, my overlord, I spoke without thinking, I meant no disrespect.”

              Nynai calmed as he watched the security officer for several long moments before nodding slightly.

              “The reason I wish to know what ships we have available is with our long range communications down we need to get word to homeworld of the humans attack. We are in dire need of reinforcements, pick four of your best pilots. Send one to the planets surface to notify our forces of what transpires here. Send another shuttle to
Dantra Prime
, Overlord Kores is a close friend, he will send support. The last two shuttles I want dispatched to homeworld, send them on different routes in case the humans have anticipated this and stationed warships outside the system to intercept any of our forces.”

              The muffled sound of an explosion reverberated through the decking which made both Nynai and the security officer look towards where it had come from.

              “They are getting closer,” the security officer said quietly.

              “Too close and too quickly,” responded Nynai.

              The security officer was quiet for a moment before he turned to Nynai and spoke, his voice barely above a whisper.

              “Do you think we can defeat these humans without support?”

              Nynai continued to look towards where the explosion had come from for several long moments before he turned his attention to the security officer.

              “Before today I would have said just that but these humans fight like they are possessed by demons. I believe if we do not get help soon or at the very least adapt our fighting style we will fall soon.”

              “Adapt our fighting style?” asked the security officer, his face showing puzzlement.

              “These humans do not fight like us; in close quarters combat we typically switch to our plasma swords as it is more honorable way to die. Many of these humans will fight from a distance. Order all your men to set up barricades at every corridor that leads to this command center. Each barricade is to have two heavy cannons stationed there with orders to shoot anything that comes up the corridor. Also, I want the corridors mined with motion sensor explosives ahead of these barricades. None of your men are to engage in close combat with plasma swords unless it is absolutely necessary, they are to use their energy rifles and pistols as their primary weapons. Build two more fall back barricades for when the humans break through.”

              “Don’t you mean
if
the humans break through?”

              “After what you have heard and seen do you really think you will hold these humans at the first barricade?” Nynai asked

              The security officer did not answer but only nodded to himself.

              “It will be done, Overlord.”

              The security officer saluted, only hesitating long enough for Nynai’s return salute, then quickly walked from the command center. Nynai turned to a bank of security monitors and watched some of the fighting that was transpiring. He couldn’t help but wonder what the humans hoped to gain by taking the command center. It was useless if they powered down the reactors.

              As soon as the thought had entered his mind did he spin to the officer station at the operations console.

              “Get me a feed to the reactor stations immediately.”

              The officer’s hands quickly moved across the console for several seconds, longer than it should normally take.

              “Is there a problem?!” Nynai asked harshly.

              “Overlord, I have tried to establish a connection but it seems all feeds as well as communications have been disrupted to the reactor stations.”

              Nynai swore aloud at failing to think of this before. If the humans took the reactors they effectively could shut down the defense system and bring their warships in…they could also destroy any ships attempting to leave. Keying his comm unit he keyed in his security officers code and spoke quickly.

              “We have lost all communications and feeds to the reactors. You need to get those pilots to the gunships and get them off this station immediately!”

              “As you command, Overlord!” was the reply and then the connection went quiet.

              Several long moments passed as Nynai awaited confirmation that the gunships had successfully launched. His anxiety growing to a point he was about to demand what was taking so long when his operations officer spoke.

              “Overlord, I just received confirmation that all gunships have successfully launched and are clear of the station.”

              “Excellent, notify me when you have confirmation of fold sequences.”

              He sat back in silence as he awaited the notice of confirmation, the sounds of explosions in the distance growing. Nynai again could not believe this was happening and could only think of how could this situation get worse? This was perhaps the wrong time to think this as his operations officer spoke, his voice frantic.

              “Overlord, I am reading new warship signatures entering the system. While two are of unknown configuration the largest signature matches the configuration of the human’s massive warship that destroyed the two command bases that attacked the human’s homeworld.”

              Nynai’s chest filled with dread at seeing the massive warship present in Federation space. Preliminary scans of the ship revealed a staggering amount of firepower that this ship could bring to bear upon this orbital station. This massive monstrocity would make short work of this station if it decided to fire upon the station.

              “Bring the defensive grid online, target every weapon upon that ship,” Nynai commanded, knowing it was pointless.

              “Overlord, the ship is not advancing upon the station. It has positioned itself on the fringe of the system. The two smaller warships have broken formation and are in pursuit of our gunships.”

              “Which gunships?”

              “One is moving to intercept the gunship that was dispatched to
Dantra Prime
, the other is after one of the two headed for homeworld.”

              Nynai watched as the ships closed the distance quickly on the fleeing gunships. He already knew the ship headed for homeworld would not reach the required distance to engage her fold engines but the one for
Dantra Prime
would be close. Except for the sounds of fighting off in the distance the command center was silent as they watched the race. Several moments later and the first of the warships had closed the distance and opened fire. The gunships shields were quickly overwhelmed by the onslaught. With the shields down the energy burned through the rear armor and the gunship subsequently exploded.

              Nynai had expected to see the warship returned to formation with the larger human warship but instead it maneuvered in an attempt to intercept the other gunship that was headed to homeworld. Bile rose in his throat as he watched the warship closing quickly with the second homeworld gunship noting a real possibility that this gunship also could be overtaken as well. Turning his attention back to the gunship that was making a run to
Dantra Prime
he was shocked to see that the human’s warship had dramatically closed the distance. Just when the gunship had reached the required distance to activate the fold engines did the human’s warship unleashed its deadly rain. Any help he had hoped to receive from
Dantra Prime
was dashed as the gunship’s engines exploded sending the gunship into a dead spin. Without their engines they would be going nowhere unless rescued, destined to die once their life support failed in a most agonizing death. Lucky for them the humans were not that cruel as the warship opened fire again, destroying the spinning gunship.

              Nynai switched his attention to the final gunship that was attempting to exit the system and knew that it was hopeless. The gunship was very close to the safety point but by the calculations he made he knew the human warship would overtake them before that.

              “Overlord, I am detecting fold engine activity. It seems the pilot of the gunship has disengaged the safety protocols and is going to attempt to make the jump inside the gravitational pull of Lykaa.”

              Nynai studied the display as he watched the gunship. The safety protocols were in place to prevent a ship from materializing inside of another ship or any celestial body you might find floating through space. Before a fold sequence fully engaged the safety protocols would send a narrow beam transmission to the destination to ensure the area was clear of anything. However when a ship is stuck within the gravitational pull of a planet the gravity would interfere with the beam transmission which would prevent the completion of the fold sequence. To override this, the pilot would need to disengage the protocols, as the gunship had done, but to do so was close to suicide. With all the debris that is typically found in space, one could materialize with some of this debris protruding through the side of your ship, the end result would be explosive decompression.

Nynai understood why the pilot was doing it though, he was dead either way, and he was choosing to die on his own terms. 

              Just as the human warship opened fire, the gunships fold engines activated. The fold sequence pulled the gunship away with the energy of the human warship passing through the area it had just occupied. Nynai did not put much hope in the chances of the gunship as he turned his attention to the final gunship. He watched it as it descended into the atmosphere of Lykaa, an orange glow forming around the hull. At least the Shenkar forces upon the planet would be notified of the humans attack; maybe they would be able to get a communication out to call for reinforcements.

              The sounds of fighting drew him from his thoughts, from the sound of it the humans were getting much closer.

January 31
st
, 2014 2:31pm EST

Lykaa

              Liam motioned for the rest of the group to remain behind before he silently approached Callen who was stationed near the entrance to the cavern. Liam immediately noticed the light coming from the cavern as he approached the opening. He couldn’t help but wonder where the light came from. It did not flicker as firelight would, but there was definitely something generating light throughout the cavern.

              Upon reaching the opening, Liam was met with a site he would not have expected, of an underground cavern as he looked at what seemed to be a lush forest. Trees of various types were spread throughout the cavern as well as several fruit bearing bushes. A small stream came through an opening close to the cavern entrance where Liam and Callen hid and traversed through the center of the cavern to exit out another small opening on the far end. The most amazing thing was where the light was originating from. A type of bioluminescent lichen covered the roof of the cavern, glowing brightly, giving off the equivalent amount of light that you would find on a cloudy day.

Callen acknowledged Liam’s approach with a silent nod then pointed off in a direction deep within the cavern. Following where Callen indicated he spotted the subjects of his earlier conversation. Surprise filled Liam at what he saw and he now understood why Callen had mentioned that perhaps the Meshtrell had been meddling with other races. What he saw before him was also found in mythical lore upon Earth.