Chapter 13

"We've received approval from both the Liodammians and the U.N.," Auctorita reported, "and the Liodammians have confirmed that they are going to bring all of their ships."

Preliator nodded. "Very good. Coordinate with their fleet; the second we are ready, I want to initiate the fold drive. I don't want them to have time to prepare for us. If we hit them hard enough, maybe we can get them to sign a treaty that will end this damned war."

Auctorita looked up from her console. "Sir, the Liodammians report that they are ready for fold operations. Shall I signal them to engage?"

"Affirmative. Helm, begin our own fold operations, if you will."

The automatic shutters slammed shut across the viewports on the bridge. The lights dimmed for a moment, then returned to full power. A few seconds later, the shutters opened, a greenish planet visible.

"Ghalera?" Preliator asked.

The girl at the sensor station nodded. "Sir, there is something weird though... I am not detecting a single Ghaleran ship within the solar system. I've got the sixty Liodammian vessels on my scopes, sir, so it can't be that the sensors are offline... how could they not have a single defensive ship in their home system?"

A chill ran down Preliator's spine. "This doesn't sound good... they wouldn't leave their planet open to attack. Increase power to sensors, and ask the Liodammians to do the same. I want high powered scans of any area in this system where a ship could possibly hide."

"Sir," the girl said in a confused voice, "I have the sensors up at 110% of normal power, and I'm not detecting any ships, but I am detecting a massive electromagnetic signature. It could be interfering with our computers sir; electromagnetism is known to do that. That's the reason why you don't have ships fly too close together; the EM radiation could reach a level that would burn out some of the ship systems."

"Yes, ensign, I am well aware of the effects of..." Comprehension struck him like a thunderbolt. He reached out with his telepathic abilities and confirmed his fear.

"Full power to the defensive fields!" he bellowed, "emergency evasive maneuvers! Now damnit! Brace for impact!"

Eighty Ghaleran cruisers appeared from nowhere with a massive ripple effect, as if space itself was being pushed aside to make room for them. Some of the ships were less than fifteen kilometers away from the Acer One.

When the first torpedo struck the ship, it was pitched forward by the force of explosion. The second and third torpedoes impacted the underbelly of the vessel.

Preliator quickly removed his hand from the small console attached to his chair, right before it was vaporized by a power overload. The lights on the bridge winked out of existence, and half the crew was on the floor, having been thrown down by the first torpedo.

"Report!" he shouted over the cacophonous noise of various klaxons, alarms, and explosions.

Someone managed to claw their way over to the only partially functioning engineering console, and to call out a damage report. Preliator squinted through the smoke that was rapidly filling the bridge to see that it was Auctorita.

"Shields are completely offline!" she called out. "We've lost main power, and auxiliaries are barely functional. Engines are offline, weapons offline... hell, it would be quicker to name what's functional, Preliator!"

He let out a stream of curses a mile long before calming down enough to think. "Casualty report?"

Auctorita checked quickly on the environmental console. "No clue as of yet. Inter-ship sensors and comm. lines are down."

Preliator began to hear a loud whistling noise above the alarms. He looked all around the bridge, trying to locate the source of the sound. When he found it, he wished he hadn't. There was a rupture in the bridge hull about two centimeters long, growing rapidly. The whistling was the sound of the bridge being depressurized. He quickly grabbed a metal plate that had broken away from the floor, chucking it at the breach. It was sucked into place and held there, temporarily sealing the hull. He ordered a nearby crewman to use one of the plasma rifles located on the bridge to weld the plate and hull together. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he sat down in his command chair.

"Is the self destruct system online?" he asked Auctorita.

"Yeah," she answered, "but only about half of the escape pods are operational. We can't get the entire crew off the ship."

"Sir!" an officer standing by the tactical console hollered, "a Ghaleran cruiser is latching onto us! We're being boarded!"

Preliator forced down a lump that had risen in his throat. When he was finally able to speak, it was with a hoarse voice. "Computer, confirm audio input system integrity."

The computer responded with a single beep; the audio inputs were functioning.

"Computer, re-route power to the plasma intermix chamber. Destruct sequence zero. Command authorization: Acer, Preliator. Match voiceprint and confirm."

The computer answered verbally this time. "Voiceprint is matched and confirmed. Setting reactor for five minute destruction sequence. Awaiting final command code authorization."

Auctorita took a deep breath. "Computer... I confirm destruct sequence zero. Command authorization: Fervens, Auctorita. Match voiceprint and confirm."

"Final command authorization confirmed." The computer stopped for a few seconds, processing diagnostic data. "Critical mass will be reached by the reactor in exactly four minutes and forty-two seconds."

Just as the computer finished its statement, six Ghalerans in what looked like heavy battle armor poured onto the bridge, plasma rifles raised to their shoulders. The young ensign that had been manning the sensor board pulled her pistol from her belt.