Aaron sat on the edge of the command chair, these weren’t USSF ships—they were local Border Worlds Navy. The transponder used by Phoenix and supplied by Fleet Intel should have signaled to anyone curious, the ship was a Border Worlds civilian liner. The only way to confirm a ship’s identity was within intra-system distances, and the two destroyers now closed at a fraction of such a distance. Fifty million kilometers ahead.
“Receiving a hail, Commander,” Vee said.
“Unknown ship, you have violated United Star System space, specifically that of the Border Worlds Alliance. Your transponder was found to be fraudulent. You will power down and stand by for boarding procedures. Any resistance will be met with deadly force. Acknowledge immediately.”
Lee craned his neck over. “What do we do, Commander?”
“Aaron, we can’t fire on a USS member world’s ships,” Vee said.
“We can’t let them destroy us either,” Flaps added.
“They’re firing!” Lee said.
A volley from the forward railguns on the lead ship cruised harmlessly by millions of kilometers away. A warning shot. The lead destroyer was signaling its intent.
“Commander?” Vee asked.
“Gravity wave dispersion,” Aaron said. “The system you unlocked, Vee. I have to access it and grant command authorization. Stall them. Take over and open a channel to the lead ship. I need a minute here.”
“Aye, Commander.”
“Destroyer Captain,” Vee began, “this vessel possesses advanced weaponry. If you attempt to board her, you will be destroyed. If you impede our progress you will be destroyed.”
The blood drained from Aaron’s face, when he said stall them, he hadn’t considered Vee would threaten them! He moved over to Flaps and Lee whose stations were side by side. “Ensign, pre-programmed course, right underneath them, flank speed. Lee, those matter-antimatter torpedoes, input an updating firing solution for them to detonate one million kilometers in front those ships after we’ve passed.”
In the background, he overheard Vee, “We intend no harm to the Border Worlds or USSF, but if attacked we will defend—”
The destroyer captain cut in. “You have thirty seconds to comply.” The destroyer would be in firing range then.
“Vee, command authority is entered in the system, stand by to activate the gravity wave dispersion and engage full stealth protocols once we’re clear,” Aaron said.
“Lee, target the interdiction drone. Vee, polarize the armor. Ensign, on my order execute planned maneuvers. Stand by, Lee.”
He watched on the tactical display as the destroyers closed to their optimal weapons range. One would cut them off from making the jump to light speed—the other would pound them from the flanks. The holographic representation of what the ship’s sensors detected also displayed on a screen nearby. His focus alternated between the two.
The first destroyer blew past Phoenix along her starboard beam blasting a salvo from its railguns. The new armor would likely withstand the impacts, or this would be a short escape. In order to make the jump to light speed, they had to build forward speed on a direct vector up to .4 c. If they took evasive maneuvers, they would be forever attempting to avoid incoming fire and never escape the pincer movement. Sometimes you had to take a bloody nose, to win the fight.
The ship heaved under the impact of the destroyer’s passing volley.
“The armor is intact,” Vee reported. “Reflective polarization definitely keeping it together, minor stress along starboard armor plates, no internal damage.”
Aaron knew Flaps and Lee were both ready. He wanted a specific sequence executed. They knew him wee and they would wait for his precise orders during these time sensitive tactical maneuvers. “Stand by, gentlemen . . . Miroslav, punch it . . . Lee, weapons free.”
Similar to a swift kick to the rear of a horse, Phoenix surged forward faster than any ship of such mass should have been capable. She fired a burst from her dorsal railgun, obliterating the interdiction drone. Phoenix shuddered from more impacts. The armor plating seemed to groan, but she cruised ahead straight and true. She accelerated beyond combat speeds, and surged ahead at full power nearing the threshold required for the jump to light speed.
As Phoenix blew past and underneath the looming destroyer, the rear torpedo tube blasted a volley of matter-antimatter warheads. The torpedoes detonated one million kilometers before impact and unleashed a wash of radiation over several light-minutes of space, blinding the destroyers.
Aaron shouted above some lingering railgun impacts. “Now, Ensign! Vee, activate the gravity wave dispersion.”
“Done. Computer informs its functioning within normal parameters,” Vee said.
“.4 c, approaching threshold to light speed . . . Phoenix jumping . . . now!” the Ensign said.
Before accelerating to multiples of c, the ship would still be within range of the sensor suite of the destroyers. The massive amount of radiation released in the same vicinity blinded the sensors of the interlopers and they would be unaware of Phoenix’s escape vector.
The gravity wave dispersion system should prevent planetary defenses from tracking Phoenix and relaying its movements to the destroyers or any other vessels nearby.
“1000 c, Flaps, that’s your max speed for now,” Aaron said.
If the order puzzled the young Ensign, he didn’t show it.
“Aye, sir, 1000 c,” he said.
“Commander,” Vee said from his station. “That speed will delay our arrival at Atlas Prime by another four days.”
“It’s just until we get closer,” Aaron said. “Disable the transponder, it’s useless. We’ll have to find clever ways to stay hidden from here on out.”
“Commander,” Lee said. “I’ve made myself familiar with local phenomena to this region. Emission nebula X-1501-D will provide a safe haven for us. We can dump our heat within it. We won’t have to worry about any ships being redirected to investigate the unusual blip on Atlas Prime’s thermal sensor grid.”
“What’s our ETA to the nebula?” Aaron asked.
“Six hours at present speed,” Lee replied.
“Do it. But don’t take the ship inside, hold station within one light-hour of the nebula. The interference should still be able to mask us from that distance. We’ll use one of the auxiliary combat craft to take us the rest of the way to Atlas.”
A prototype starship must have prototype support craft. He knew Flaps had been spending unhealthy hours in the hangar.
“Flaps, you’ve been familiarizing yourself with the Arrows. Prep one for departure. Make sure it’s fully armed and stocked. You never know how long we’ll be in it.”
“Aye, I’m on it, Commander,” Flaps said. He rose and left the bridge.
Max burst onto the bridge. “What was all the excitement about?”
“Two Border Worlds destroyers engaged us,” Aaron said. “We’re clear for now, headed for a nebula. Our transponder is useless, we’re sneaking in from here on out.”
“Right, good job. If everyone’s okay, I’ll get back to my important business. The detective is about to find out who did it. I’d hate to have my atoms scattered across this sector before I find out who done it.”
Was he really referring to his paper novel at a time like this? Max was a man clearly unmoved by the events of the universe.