Chapter 23: Shift in Balance II

It wasn't long and the Gray's Mother ship also exited hyperspace, just outside the orbit of Pluto. It turned as it launched four spy craft toward Pluto, then its powerful x-ray sensor system was turned on.

Jim spoke, "Fleet to Red Alert." After the alert sounded for a few moments, he said, "Sound off."

The tech on the bridge silenced the audio portion of the alarm.

The four spy craft had spread out and were racing to maximum observation positions. None of the ships noted the three Federation vessels.

Leah said, "They're dispersing onto an observation pattern."

Jason added, "Probably a pre-lookout for their next raiding party."

"Do you think Earth will be the next target?" Annette said.

"That would follow along the pattern we have seen so far," Jim said.

"The Carrier Constitution reports they are launching their fighters to attack," Annette said from her Com console.

"Tell them to complete the launch, but to wait for my orders before attacking."

"Jim, he wants to know who you are."

"Tell him, then."

"I was afraid of that," Annette said, as she received the Constitution's reply.

"What's that?"

"Oh, every time I mention your name they become all apologetic, and it takes five times longer than it should to relay a message."

"You're kidding me."

"Dad, Jason and I have seen the same thing, when we were commanding ships."

"Love? Have you considered that it might not be a good idea to let them see this ship, yet?" Jennifer said.

Jim sighed, saying, "Order the fleet to engage the enemy craft at will. Terminate them."

The Alpha Squadron of fighters approached the first spy ship. It didn't even see them coming, until the lead fighter's disrupter punched a hole though the ship the size of a golf ball. By then it was to late. The three being crew was sucked, one at a time, out the opening, and into the cold of space. Not that any of them lived though the process of being withdrawn from their ship. They would have been torn to pieces, normally, but sometimes things happen in funny ways. Today, they floated out looking like sausages. Their ship still had power, but scanners showed no life signs on board. The fighters moved on.

The mother ship's AI unit noted the loss of cabin pressure in one of the scout ships, and then found the reason. The humans would not get a free shot like that again. It ordered the rest of its spy craft to war status, and powered up its new shielding system.

'There!' thought the commander. 'Let them try to get though that!'

Beta Squadron closed on the second spy craft just as it fired its x-ray cannon. The shields around the canopies of the fighters flared into life. It would have been blinding if the auto darkening of the canopy had not kicked in before the light show could have a bad effect.

Beta Leader fired his disrupter beams at the spy craft. Then stared in shock as a similar show of lights appeared around the spy ship.

"Beta Leader to all ships... Looks like they have shielding, now."

"Order the battleship Justice into the action."

"The captain acknowledges."

The family watched as the battle ship approached the mother ship. Once again it was the Grays that fired first. To everyone's shock, a heavy barrage of particle beams struck the battleship. The light show was intense.

"Battleship reports sustaining heavy fire. Shields down to sixty percent."

The battleship fired all six of its phaser banks at the mother ship. The hits had an affect, but didn't kill the mother ship.

The Gray mother ship rocked under the assault. One of the bridge crew was even thrown to the ceiling when artificial gravity failed for a moment. He splattered there like a fly swatted onto a wall. His thick metallic looking blood dripped from the ceiling, some of which landed on the mother ship commander's head, much to his annoyance.

The Gray ship scored the first break though in the shields as volleys of phaser and particle beams traded turns firing.

The strike was mid ship. It punched though the shields. It then went through the armor as though it was so much butter. The heavy particle blast hit an ensign manning the engineering post in that section of the ship. The force of the blast smashed his body into the wall and flatted it out. It was a mercifully quick death for him. The wall was rendered into twisted metal before the beam lost its energy. The damage was minor other than the hull breach. The internal safety fields established a force field around the opening before more than a few liters of air could escape.

Alpha Squadron was engaged in a death dance with the second spy craft. Even with the new shielding the small spy ship was no match for the fighters. Its armament totally lacked the firepower that would be affective against the humans. It headed towards the safety of the mother ship. Seeing what it was doing the other two spy craft followed suit.

The first spy ship did not get very far. The disrupter fire from seven of the fighters collided with the rear shield at the same point and time. The energy release was huge, but the beams penetrated the engines of the spy ship, turning it into a tangled mess of metal. None of the crew died, but their ship did. Dead, it would have to sit there until later. It was out of the action, for now.