The others quickly removed their environment suits as well; flinging them into a corner. Once his breathing returned to normal Michael, Televis and Vargev all raced for the command centre. Katherine and the remaining three survivors simply followed them, bewildered at their strange new environment.
The Liberty gradually lifted up from the fighter bay floor as its gravitic engines took over, it’s landing legs retracted and disappeared inside the hull as hatches covered them.
It slowly began to reverse its way out of the fighter bay. A green particle cannon shot, fired close to the hull of the station missed the rear of the Liberties main engines by just metres.
“We’re clear,” a Solarian said just as Michael and the six others rushed onto the command centre.
“Bring us about, ninety degrees; full thrusters,” Michael said as he re-took his place back in the centre chair.
The electric blue Ionic thrusters of the Liberty glowed as it spun around in its impossibly small arc, painting the hull of the station a bright blue light as the light reflected from the thrusters. At exactly the same time, a Krenaran stealth ship hurtled straight for them.
“Fire!” Michael shouted urgently.
The Fusion cannon of the Liberty roared its anger, slamming into the Krenaran ship and hitting it just above centre. The massive impact of the shot forced the enemy vessel down towards the hull of the station, where it hurtled straight past the Liberty and collided with the installation in a massive impact, the speed of the Krenaran ship tore a great fiery gouge along the hull of Delta base.
“Tell me that was a fluke,” Michael said.
The Solarian pilot simply smiled.
“How many enemy ships are out there?”
“I’ve got three remaining on sensors, they are retreating,” Vargev replied.
“Let them go. What are our losses?”
“Two ships destroyed, and one heavily damaged,” Televis replied.
“What’s the status of the damaged ship?” Michael asked wiping the sweat and grime from his brow.
The Solarians blue tinged brow furrowed as he performed a full scan of the damaged vessel with his typical practiced ease.
After a brief pause studying the data he responded, “main power is failing, engines have been destroyed, plasma drive systems are not responding. There is fire on multiple decks.”
Michael rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a second, damn it, if they can’t get into plasma drive, they are as good as dead. And we can’t wait for them to make repairs, those Krenaran ships will be back; with friends. And we can’t tractor it all the way to Alpha base above Mars either.
“What is the name of that ship?”
“The Loriath,” Televis replied.
Michael drummed his fingers on the arms of his chair for a moment, “contact the fleet; tell them to evacuate the Loriath and to distribute survivors accordingly.”
Michael didn’t like doing this, but he had no choice. Just losing one Solarian ship was a significant blow. And in just one battle his fleet was now four ships down. Yes they had rescued some of the survivors aboard that devastated station, and yes they had found out that fleet command had been transferred to Alpha base, but they had paid a high enough price for the information.
“The fleet confirms sir,” Televis replied
Michael nodded and watched the display. Gradually the other Solarian ships closed on the stricken Loriath like giant metallic bees tending to a wounded drone. There was a quiet silence as the fleet did its work with the crew of the disabled ship.
“All remaining crew have been distributed amongst the fleet,” Vargev said.
Michael hated what he was going to have to do next, but with a grim finality he said. “Bring us about, and ready the torpedoes, target the Loriath.”
There was a slight almost painful look on the Solarian crew members faces as they realised what Michael was about to do, but just as much as he did, they knew it had to be done they could not risk the Krenarans capturing her hull.
The shattered; ruined shape of the once proud Loriath could be seen listing slightly in the viewer. Televis also looked over at the image of the Solarian ship. “I once served aboard her, she was a fine ship.”
“I am really sorry,” Michael said with genuine heart ache; “fire.”
Two high energy torpedoes shot forth from the Liberties twin launchers and raced towards the stricken Loriath, detonating on impact. Its broken crescent shaped hull slowly burst apart in a bright fireball, the shockwave from which expanded outwards for several seconds before it; and the fires dissipated forever, leaving just shattered debris.
Televis bowed his head, saddened as though he had just lost an old friend.
Michael looked over towards him, “I’m sorry.” He said again, “But it was all that could be done.”
“I know.”
After a long pause, Michael said at last with renewed vigour. “Re-form the fleet, and plot a new course, bearing 196 elevation 4.”
The fleet slowly reformed again and together leapt into plasma drive in a bright mass of swirling plasma wakes. After a short period the wakes closed in on themselves with a blinding flash, leaving the ruined remains of Delta base in the distance, and the hull fragments of the Loriath slowly floating in space behind them.
Chapter 12
Katherine Jacobs was stood silently watching at the rear of the command centre all this time, hardly believing what she had just witnessed.
Michael silently walked into his quarters; Televis took his place in the centre chair.
He walked over to the small beverage synthesiser located on the wall of his quarters and keyed in a command for a cup of English tea; slumping into a small chair next to a shiny silver desk he took a sip. He needed some time to himself, to sit and to think; to mourn.
The news of Jana and Theo’s death had hit him hard; he held his head in his hands and sighed heavily as he thought about them and all the times they had spent together. He berated himself for not being there at the end, and for his failure in not keeping the nightmares at bay. If only he was there; he could have done something, if only the damned E.D. F hadn’t cancelled his shore leave and forced him back into service. If only.
Tears of anger and pain began to form in his eyes, and gently rolled down his cheeks. With a scream of anger he flung the cup; it smashed on the side of the wall, splashing the tea across it.
After a few seconds the doors slowly opened, and in stepped Katherine. The smashed cup caught her eye, as did the tearful form of Michael sat in the chair.
“Is this a bad time?”
Michael blinked back his tears and rubbed at his red, tear swollen eyes; “not at all,” he lied.
“I was wondering, just what kind of a ship is this, and just who are those guys on the bridge?”
He laughed a slightly hoarse throaty laugh. In his haste on-board Delta base he had forgotten to explain about the Solarians, and the story of the Liberty; the question helped turn his mind away from the emotions roiling within him.
“Those tall blue-ish skinned aliens all over the ship are known as the Solarians. They have promised us aid in our war with the Krenarans, and are here to help us; they are actually quite a peaceful people and don’t normally like fighting. But this situation has forced their hand, kind of like us,” he explained. “And as for the Liberty, you probably won’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
“Well, the Liberty is actually a captured Krenaran stealth ship, which Major Vargev and I, erm… liberated.”
“The Russian guy?”
“The Russian guy,” Michael repeated. “Anyway, we rescued a Solarian ambassador who was being imprisoned onboard at the time; he took us into their space.”
He rubbed a tear stained eye.
“Where they upgraded the Liberty with Solarian technology and re-crewed her, however it still remains owned and commanded by us.”