Chapter 18

“Alta, situation report. Can you get any readings on what is coming, other than just an echo?” I asked while Ev and Vish worked to get everyone to their posts.

She shook her head. “Our sensor systems are not advanced enough to be able to scan into hyperspace, so there is no way to tell what will emerge. From what little information I can gather, I can tell that the ship will be smaller than the Claw, but other than that I cannot say.”

The designated skeleton crew of the White Claw headed to the docking port while the civilian families went to their assigned safe zones and the rest of the station’s complement reported to battle stations. Alta’s holographic form kept stride with us as we moved closer to the docking port of the ship.

“Alta, please coordinate the defense of the station with the fighters and gunner crews,” I replied as we entered the White Claw. “ For now, have the fighters on standby and ready to deal with anything heading for the station. Ensure the gunner crews are in position, with all weapons on the station ready. Have Tali pilot the Obsidian into the ship’s docking port on the rear of the Claw. We will need her to help with the ship once we reactivate the ship’s AI and the extra boosts from her engines, core and Luminal Drive will be an asset.”

“I didn’t realize that you had implemented that function into the ship’s design,” Alta said with a tone of surprise. “I knew that it had been an idea that you had come up with, but you didn’t expect it to be implemented until our next gathering of materials.”

I smirked at her, “Since the Obsidian was making transit of our large equipment much faster, despite the drain on fuel reserves, it gave me some ideas. Since we put off making the docking bay for the ship, I asked if there was a means to have the scout attach itself to the ship. Ev didn’t think there would be an issue but wondered why I would want to do that. I explained that we could connect the Obsidian to our power systems, giving us access to more power. It was Ev that suggested that we allow power to remain to the engines, along with any systems vital to maintaining the integrity of the ship. If this works out, we will get rid of the closed docking bay and instead just design a way to ensure that she is protected. Perhaps allow her to access some of the Claw’s energy to reinforce her own shield, should the enemy target her.”

Alta’s eyes flashed, “The increased output from the Luminal Drive energy and the power core would allow more versatility in your power distribution during battle. The engine output of the Obsidian when activated would allow for either more propelling speed unless you siphon energy from the engines to power or enhance other systems.”

“I plan to have the mass fabricator core, which I have designated core Alpha, running the shields, weapons and engines. The higher output would ensure our offensive, defensive and maneuverability are maintained. The original core, which I have designated Beta, will manage the secondary systems, and serve as the emergency power source if Alpha goes offline. We will feed some power from the Obsidian into the new maneuvering thrusters and move the rest of the power as we need it between shields and weapons. I do want the Obsidian’s engines on standby as a surprise edge.

“Send out a general alert to both ships and the station when the intruder is ready to emerge from Hyperspace.”

She nodded and disappeared in a flash of light. Evie bade us good luck as she headed to the engine core, while Vish’ala and I moved to the bridge. One of the things I made sure of, during the redesign, was that the bridge was in the heart of the ship, to ensure the survivability of the command staff. When I had watched science fiction shows growing up, I always thought it odd that the bridge of the ship was always clearly defined as a part of the exterior of the hull. All an enemy ever had to do was blast away the bridge and then the command staff would be gone. Usually the most experienced officers would be there, which would cripple the ship’s tactics and response time. It was like the whole exposed engine thing to me. Why expose your engines in a way that could easily have them blown off your ship? It just allows you to be crippled more easily.

Star Trek was a perfect example of that. Ninety percent of the ships in the shows had clearly defined bridges, necks that could be destroyed easily and their ‘warp’ engines would easily be separated if the pylons were severed. Too many weaknesses in the various ships, and, even when they got rid of the necks, they still had pylons and easily destroyed bridges. Ours was in the center of the ship, with the engine room near the stern but still not close to the actual engines.

As we entered the bridge I gave it a quick glance, taking in the room for the first time. I hadn’t been part of the crews that had worked here, trying to help with vital systems and allowing the work crews to complete the bridge as designed. The room wasn’t large by any means, since a vast room like that was not necessary. Still, I took a cue from some of my science fiction shows of the past. The Command chair was near the back of the room, centered from the left and right walls. In the center of the room, a few feet away from the command chair, was a combat display screen. From what I was told, the purpose of this was to create a three-dimensional holo display of the area of combat. This would show everything in real time, allowing me to know where the enemy and ally ships were, relative to the White Claw. It was one of the new features that I implemented in the redesign of the ship and hoped it would give us a little bit of an edge.

This would allow me to formulate strategies based on the information that Alta, Tali, the fighters defending the station and our own ship’s systems were able to collect. I could modify the strategies on the fly, which would allow me versatility to react based on the various events unfolding. I had produced the idea, from a movie called Ender’s Game I had seen once and felt that it would be something to try. In front of the display screen was Vish’ala’s navigational system interface and the view screen. We had talked initially about the display being in front of her, but she felt it was better for me to see the whole picture, while she could focus on what was in front of her. To the left of the display screen were the sensor and engineering consoles, but neither were functioning at the moment. Ev would be running all engineering controls from the core, to ensure that any issues were dealt with immediately, while Tali would be managing the sensors and turret systems. The weapon control consoles were to the right, with two crew members manning them. One was responsible for the forward batteries and missiles while the other did the same for the after weapons. It would allow them to work and target independently in the case of attacks from multiple enemies. I took my seat and tapped the controls to give a ship-wide announcement, knowing that it would be transmitted to the station.

“Good evening, all,” I said, trying to hide my uncertainty. “While we knew that circumstances like this were coming one day, we had hoped that it wouldn’t be this soon. I am proud of the work we have done so far and the bonds we have forged here in the last year. We have no idea who is coming or what their goals are, but we are ready. I have done my best to prepare us for this, but we are about to see if it was enough. Know that I have enjoyed working and living with you all. It has been a privilege and an honor that has touched my life more than you can ever know. I will fight to protect this home we have built together with every fiber of my being. So, with that said, let’s prepare ourselves for battle and to show this unknown foe no mercy. Alta will coordinate with the fire crews for the base defences, so do not fire until you are ordered to from me. The goal we have is to forge peace, but to be ready for war. Remember any non-essential personnel must remain in the designated safety zones until the crisis is averted. Good luck and may the gods bring fortune to our hunt.”

Vish’ala gave me a nod and smile, which meant I must have done well with my speech. I turned to the two crew members who were manning their posts. I could see that they were nervous, muttering softly to one another but I noticed a resolve that made me smile.

I cleared my throat, pulling their attention to me. “Remember, our goal is to protect that station. Despite the shields and weapons we have given it, if it is lost, so are we. If it comes to killing our foe, or making sure the station survives, we pick the station every time.”

They both nodded with a ‘yes, sir’ and started to go through their pre-check routine. A moment later, there was a resounding echo that permeated the ship and Tali appeared on the bridge next to me.

“The Obsidian is now docked to the White Claw, sir,” Tali said with a slight bow. “All unnecessary systems are offline, and the power core is now feeding into the Claw’s power grid.” Her eyes flashed for a moment or two, “I am now connected to the Claw and am beginning the activation of the ship’s AI unit.”

A few seconds later there was a flash of crimson light and in front of me stood a tall male Mac’skarian. He was garbed in their traditional military uniform, though he seemed surprised to see me seated on the bridge. He noticed me and I saw shock, fear and anger appear on his features.

“Emergency Alert!” His deep voice called out. “There is an unauthorized alien creature on the ship. Security squadrons to the bridge! We must subdue this unknown enemy!”

I sighed, “Disregard alert. Omega Protocol is in effect. Command Authorization - Alpha-Bravo-One-One-Zulu-Seven. Tali, please transfer necessary confirmations to the ship’s AI to ensure that he can confirm authenticity.”

Tali nodded and I saw her eyes begin to glow and a few seconds later the new AI’s eyes began to glow as well.

“Command code has been recognized,” the AI uttered in surprise. “Emergency alert has been canceled. My apologies, Captain, but you must understand that it is very odd for an AI to awaken to find an unknown alien on their bridge.”

I smiled reassuringly. “It is perfectly fine, Hobbs. I fully understand the situation you were in, so there are no hard feelings. I do hope to get to know you, soon, but we are in a predicament at the moment, so you will forgive me for putting it off for now. We have an unknown vessel approaching the system via hyperspace and we need to make sure to keep the people here safe. Tali, please apprise him of everything that has happened since you have awakened so that he is on the same page as you and Alta.”

Hobbs cocked his head in confusion and asked, “Who is this ‘Hobbs’ that you speak of sir?”

“You are,” I replied. “While the Mac’skarians were impersonal with the AIs, I prefer to acknowledge your individuality and importance, given that we will be working together for the near future. The AI of the scout ship was the first I met, and I named her Tali. When I met Alta, I just shortened the name of the outpost and yours is from something I enjoyed as a kid.”

He processed what I said, and I saw his stance change, along with his expression. Talis eyes flashed again, signaling the transfer of information.

“For now, Hobbs, I want you to handle the ship herself,” I stated once his focus returned to me. “Allow Tali to handle the sensors and turrets during this fight. I want you to familiarize yourself with the changes we have made as far as well as the plans we have in place once we get the necessary materials.”

Hobbs nodded, giving me a traditional Mac’skarian salute before disappearing in a flash of red light. Tali moved away from the inactive stations to stand beside me on my left.

Her eyes flashed, “I have taken control of the sensors and point defense turret controls. Hobbs will monitor the situation and make any necessary power adjustments you order. I have given him access to the Obsidian’s power systems and engines.”

The two crew members turned back in surprise, not realizing that they wouldn’t be responsible for those as well. They politely asked why they wouldn’t be handling those defense systems.

I glanced at them and said, “The turrets are still untested systems, so we are uncertain how they will perform. With Tali tapped into the sensors, her reaction time will be far quicker than anyone else’s, allowing her to target multiple enemies at once. I will still rely on your instincts with our main batteries, as nothing beats a person’s intuitive reasoning.”

My answer appeased them, and they simply nodded at me before turning back to do their final systems checks.

“Alta,” I called out, causing her to appear on the bridge. “Please have all station drones dock to areas of the power grid where they can tap into it. Have them feed their power into the grid and act as a power syphon in the event of an overload. I would rather lose a drone than have a power relay or conduit get damaged risk the station. Also, take all mass fabricators offline and tap into their power cores. I want them used for reinforcing the shields, weapons and structural integrity field should you come under weapons fire. Shield and structural integrity are the priority, with any leftover power going to the weapons.”

Alta smiled, obviously happy with the energy stores I added and gave a bow before disappearing again in a flash of light.

“I will do the same with the drones on the Obsidian,” Tali stated as her eyes flashed. “They will perform the same function, though I think I will keep a portion on standby outside of the ship.”

She noticed the confused look on my face and continued, “If I send the remainder out to attach to the outer hull, they could act as moveable thruster groups that can add to our maneuverability.”

“Great thinking, Tali,” I replied, causing her to smile. “Monitor things and adjust their positions accordingly. If we don’t use them for that, they can always re-enter the ship and replace any units damaged during the battle.”

With all our system checks ready, I was given all clear from Ev and Tali to launch. A tingle run across my skin as I ordered Vish’ala to take us out of the space dock and set a course for the region where we expected the ship to emerge from hyperspace. I nodded at Tali and the display burst to life with a holo representation of the space dock, as well as the ship. A few quick taps onto her command interface and I watched as we started moving forwards. I rose from my chair and approached the display, marveling at the detail as the ship exited the dock. I tapped the indicator for the White Claw causing its current status to be displayed below. Happy with that function of the display I spread my hands apart, tapping the open area around the ship, before pulling my hands back together and causing the display to zoom inward. I then extended a finger to tap the Claw and used my other hand using a predetermined gesture to turn the display, so the perspective of the ship was facing towards the area the echo was supposed to be coming from. Once we were clear of the dock, Vish’ala turned us towards the echo, and we began our approach. We stopped far enough away to allow us to take evasive maneuvers if we needed to as we waited for the emergence of our target.