Chapter 28

“Kiria!” a voice called me as I was leaving the medical centre we’d set up on the station that we manned to aid and assist any locals or visitors that needed medical help.

I turned and saw a Monitor waving to me, though until the AI identified him, I’d never have guessed that it was Grandad Tivey.

“Gramps! Oh my gods, you look so young!” I exclaimed as he really did look about 8 years old and in the prime of his life.

“Feels good too,” he chuckled, looking very pleased with himself.

“So where are you based?”

“Assault Carrier Novis,” he replied. “Though we’ll be heading down to Tafta planet soon to acclimatise and complete our training.”

“First day free?” I asked

“Yes, just got woken up and learned my assignment duties, then I looked you up.”

“It’s so good to see you. Are you off duty?”

“Yes, why?”

“Come and meet my friends.”

“Er ... Officer friends?”

“Yes, don’t worry, they don’t bite. Plus, you’re a relative, so aren’t covered by the Fraternisation Regulations.”

“OK, if you say so.”

Both Flinn and Torun were delighted to meet Gramps and soon had him at ease as he, like many other enlisted rankers, had this thing about being wary of Officers, even if, as a Monitor he had dealt with them far more than a Trooper.

“So, you took the Empress’ Credit and said the Oath of Service again?” Torun asked.

“Yes, though it was a bit redundant as the Oath is for life,” he nodded. “Besides the opportunity for a rejuve shot was just too good to miss.”

“Yep, I think I’d have done the same,” Flinn nodded.

“Lot of us did. The Empress called and we answered.”

“Fleet has beam weapons that are supposed to work, but I think we’ll still be doing a lot of boarding and perhaps planetary landings,” I added.

“Yes. We need answers and destroying their ships doesn’t give us any,” Torun agreed.

“We’re ready,” Gramps replied. “We’ll make them pay for our lost people.”

“Amen to that,” Flinn replied solemnly.

“So your advice is not to attempt any hostilities with this Empire?” King Rentap enquired of Kubbe in a (hopefully) secure communication from the Envoy’s ship.

“Indeed so, Sire. They are a most capable Realm and would make a very dangerous foe.”

“So they intend to remain allies of the Technocracy?”

“For the foreseeable future at least.”

“What of this parole?”

“It is all arranged. Their ship will drop off our men at our fleet base orbiting Remaglen. All have sworn an oath not to take up arms against the Empire and we have transferred the release fee to the Imperials in the form of Florveni Sheckels, a token amount really.”

“And a promise of no interference if we move to take worlds that are not promised to the Florveni?” Rentap asked pointedly.

“Yes, from both the Empire and the Florveni.”

“The Florveni as well?” Rentap asked, somewhat surprised.

“The Technocracy is busy moving into fifteen of the Trenocian worlds. They will move into Tafta planet when the current issue with these aliens is over. Tafta base will remain the point of contact with the Empire,” Kubbe explained.

“So, they will be too busy to interfere?”

“I believe so, Sire.”

“Hmmm. Very well, you may return to the Kingdom. Your work is done.”

“Thank you, Sire.”

Rentap grimaced slightly as he went over the agreements made. Still, the promise of no interference in taking over the worlds the aliens had depopulated was somewhat to the good. All he had to do was take them and hope no one else interfered ... plus, in the case of a Florveni occupied colony, well, incidents did sometimes occur with planetary raiders and so long as it couldn’t be traced back to him, he would have his revenge, somehow.

“Alien incursion detected!” the AIs informed us. “Report to your duty station!”

“Here we go,” I muttered as my armour folded itself around me.

I was first to the landing craft and began checking and stowing the few pieces of equipment we occasionally used when treating casualties, mostly antigrav lifting frames for the more critical injuries. I was soon joined by Flinn and Torun and several Meditechs who assisted as we waited for word on where we were going.

“We’re with the 4^th and going to the Balsam system,” Flinn was finally able to tell us. “Other fleets are heading out to other incursions. Good news is, there’s only nine alien fleets which means the one we took out hasn’t been rebuilt.”

“Not so great news for the planets we can’t cover,” Torun sighed.

“True, but if we can take out another fleet at least...” I added.

“Also true,” Flinn agreed. “All checks complete. Medical Team Flinn ready,” to the AI.

“Acknowledged,” came the harsh tones of the AI.

The transit time to the Balsam system, a part of what we were informed was the Tranos Binding which was a conglomerate of corporate worlds, did not take long. They were close neighbours of the Florven Technocracy, though were noted as unscrupulous expansionists. Their recent efforts, however, had come to a crashing halt as the aliens had cleansed nine of their worlds and now looked to start on the remaining twenty.

“No sign of any human fleets,” I commented.

“The aliens destroyed them during the last incursion,” Flinn replied. “I suspect what few they have left are elsewhere.”

“Oh, right.”

Admiral Tret observed the alien formation advancing on the outer of the two habitable worlds in this system and frowned.

“Their formation seems odd, more spread out,” he commented to Dalloch his newly promoted Flag Captain.

“Yes, sir. I wonder if it’s some sort of trap to snare us and prevent an escape?”

“Possible, though the alien’s jumpdrive won’t permit a closer approach.”

“They must know of other drive types though, sir.”

“Yes. I suspect caution is called for, but that’s no reason not to engage them. Order the advance, but ensure we have a Missile Carrier in the rear-guard.”

“Yes, sir.”

4^th Fleet moved rapidly to engage the aliens, only to have the aliens in the centre move away from the advance, though the wings remained in position.

“They do not have enough ships to envelop us. What are they playing at?” Dalloch observed.

“I do not know, but open fire as soon as we are within optimal beam range.”

“Yes, sir.”

“They continue to move away from us, sir,” the Detection Officer reported.

“Their wings?” Tret asked.

“Continue to hold in place.”

“Bring us to a halt. I don’t like this.”

“All ships to hold position!” Dalloch sent out the order.

“Send in the converted Heavy Fighters to see if we can jog them into something,” Tret ordered.

“Yes, sir.”

The squadrons of Heavy Fighters raced away from the fleet and rapidly caught up to the aliens, strafing their smaller craft and causing several to drop out of their formation. Though other than defensive fire, the aliens ignored this, only moving if the bulk of the 4^th Fleet did.

“We could catch them if we went to full speed,” Dalloch commented.

“It would be like pouring ourselves into a jar only for the possibility of someone putting a lid on it,” Tret replied as he watched the situation of the Heavy Fighter attacks play out.

“Yes, sir. Definitely feels a bit off.”

“Alien wings are beginning forward movement, sir,” the Detection Officer announced.

“Trap,” Tret nodded.

“Pull the fleet back, full speed. Let’s not oblige them.”

“Orders sent,” Dalloch reported back after a few rotations.

“Let’s see if we can swing around the edges of their fleet and attack a side, rather than the centre,” Tret ordered.

“Alien core vessels are moving up to fill the gap we created,” the Detection Officer reported.

“Let them. We’ll carry on with trying to flank them.”

“Yes, sir.”

An elaborate dance ensued with the alien fleet constantly trying to encircle the 4^th Fleet, though owing to their lack of speed, struggling to do so. Still the alien numbers were making Tret cautious and so rather than spring the trap, he kept the 4^th manoeuvring to keep a line of retreat open whilst using the Heavy Fighters to concentrate on isolated alien vessels.

“Detecting vessels approaching in XD space,” the Detection Officer reported. “Unknown type, running at level three.”

“Interesting. Call in a scout and we’ll see if they can track them if we force a retreat,” Tret ordered Dalloch.

“Yes, sir.”

“Looks like they’ve lost patience with trying to encircle us. Let’s see just what they have to offer now,” Tret nodded sagely.

‘This prey are over cautious,’ the controlling intelligence of the harvesting fleet stated to the other intelligences.

‘It might have been better to engage them fully before trying to encircle them,’ a minor intelligence posited.

‘This was the plan of the masters! Terminate yourself immediately for your temerity in questioning their judgement.’

The minor intelligence vanished from the consensus, yet many others concealed their impression that the creature had been right.

‘What are your intentions?’ asked a secondary intelligence.

‘We shall fully engage,’ the controlling intelligence replied with breath-taking hypocrisy.

‘So shall it be,’ the group consensus came back.

“Alien fleet has increased speed and look to close!” the Detection Officer warned.

“They’re too spread,” Tret noted. “Punch a hole through their thinnest point,” he indicated on the cube.

“Orders sent, sir,” Dalloch replied.

“Move our Missile Carriers to the rear. Let them know to expect an ambush.”

“Yes, sir.”

The 4^th surged forward, the Dreadnoughts and Superdreadnoughts with retro-fitted dispersion beams forming the core of the advance. This appeared to catch out the aliens, who had based their own manoeuvre on the 4^th maintaining speed and direction. So, rather than hit them as one, they found a section of their own fleet facing a torrent of effective beam fire.