Chapter 3: The Raid

Sitting one hundred and thirty million kilometers from Alderia, the defense station H.M.S. King Harold sat and waited for the enemy to suddenly appear, ever vigilant in her duty. Her five-hundred and fifty million ton bulk bristled with missile and laser batteries, while her sensors searched through hyperspace for the slightest sound to alert her of danger. Suddenly the station sensor dishes stopped and locked onto a small signal. The computer went through its memory banks and came up with a match. Sending a signal deep into the belly of station where a series of lights brighten onto a screen.

"Sir, sensors are detecting a large hyper wake coming in on a heading of 433 Mark 36. I estimate they are thirty light minutes out and closing fast, they will drop out of hyper in less then ten minutes."

"Sound 'Red Alert', notify all commands that an enemy fleet is approaching the system, as soon as they drop out start engaging them with long range missile fire."

"Right away, Sir." The young Midshipmen said and turned to his computer and started following the orders given to him. 'Red Alert' sirens started blaring through the giant station. Soon the alert fighters were rolling, as the crew personal rushed to man weapon turrets, and bring them online.

"This is the King Harold to all commands, enemy ships approaching. 'Red Alert', all hands man your battle stations, this is not a drill. I repeat, all hands man your battle stations, this is not a drill."

On the bridge of the H.M.S. Swiftshire, Lieutenant Barlow was going through his last hour of his duty watch. He sat back in the command chair, and sipped his coffee. His eyes wandered over the command panels, looking for anything wrong. All was calm tonight. On the main screen the space station, Queen Ann slowly rotated around the planet Alderia, while a tug towed a damaged freighter to the repair yards. He was thinking of his future bride, her long blond hair and bright green eyes kept coming to his attention. The way her dimples showed when she smiled at him and the love that flashed through her eyes when they were together was all he would ever need in this life. Suddenly the sensors started flashing for attention. They have detected the launch of strike fighters from the H.M.S. King Harold. Before he could ask what was going on, Midshipman Chandlers called for his attention.

"Sir, you better come over here, and see this! The King Harold has just launched all of her alert fighters."

Setting his coffee cup on the stand, he turned and activated his sensor panels, and got the same read out. "What the hell is... " before he could finish his sentence the communication board lit up as well.

"Sir, fleet control has issued a ''Red Alert'' to all ships, to go to battle stations. Enemy fleet units are approaching the system, on a heading of 433 Mark 36. At the time this message was sent out, they were thirty light minutes away. It took a little over seven minutes for this message to reach us, Sir."

At first, his mind could not comprehend the information that was given to him, but Lieutenant Barlow quickly recovered, as his military training took over. Very quickly, he started issuing orders to the ship. Pressing the 'Red Alert' siren, he activated the intercom. The alarms blared throughout the ship, as he started speaking, "All hands, 'Red Alert', man your battle stations, this is not a drill, I repeat all hands, man your battle stations. This is not a drill. Captain, report to the bridge."

Throughout the great ship men and women dropped what they are doing, rolling out of their bunks, or leaving their poker games. They rushed to their quarters to don their battle armor. While medics reported to strategic locations throughout the ship. In the Captain's Cabin Steven was sound asleep when the alarm sounded.

Steven was jerked awake as the sirens and his intercom blared to life. Lunging for his communications panel, he said, "Bridge what's the trouble?"

"Sir, fleet control has detected a large hyper signal. All ships have been put on 'Red Alert' for possible engagement."

While Lieutenant Barlow was making his report, the enemy fleet started dropping out of hyperspace. Soon as they were in battle formation, they started to engage the Alderian defenses from long range. Their primary target was the space station H.M.S. King Harold.

"Sir, Gormarian battle units have dropped out of hyper, and they are less the five hundred thousand kilometers from the King Harold."

Steven rubbed the sleep from his eyes, while his mind was starting to issue new orders.

"Understood, set course towards the King Harold, and contact all ships of the squadron, arm all fighters with type six nuclear weapons. Notify them to be ready for orders as soon as I get to the bridge, I will be right up, as soon as I finish putting on my armor." As he is finishing issuing his orders, he dragged his armor out and started strapping it on. Soon as his last leg piece was strapped on, he rushed out the door and down the hall to the elevator, adjusting the chest piece in his hand. He rushed into the elevator, where he finished adjusting the chest plate as he shouted, "Bridge."

The last strap was buckled down, and a sealant was then released into the joint sections forming a self-contained space suit. If the ship suffered a hull breach, a crewperson could survive in vacuum for up to twenty hours. The elevator soon came to a stop, and the doors opened onto the main hallway. He ran down the hallway, passing crewmembers running to man their stations, as he rushed towards the main bridge. Soon he was nearing the bridge and he passed by the Marine Guards stationed outside of the doors. He stepped onto the bridge and the first person he saw was Lieutenant Commander Verik leaning over the sensor panels.

"Give me a status report, Commander Verik."

"Sir, enemy battlecruisers and supporting units have drooped out of hyper. They are engaging the King Harold at long-range, the Harold has taken moderate damage so far, but has taken out three cruisers and half a dozen destroyers already. All hands are at battle stations, and Commander Nirisha, is now in command two waiting further orders. Also the Ark Royal has ordered all ships to form on her."

With a quick glance at the tactical board, Steven answered, "Thank you, Commander. Bring main weapons on line, engines to full power, bring us to a heading of 433 Mark 36. Contact all ships of the squadron to form a wall of battle, and get me a disposition of the enemy fleet."

"Sir, remaining orbital defense have come on line and are engaging the enemy at extreme range, also the fleet is moving out to engage them as well. Coming in now, Sir. Two Valkyrie class battleships, sixteen battlecruisers, fifty heavy cruisers, sixty light cruisers, and three hundred destroyers, and what looked like four Zeppelin class carriers. The escort destroyer Flower wishes to join with us as well," reported Lieutenant Barlow.

"Lieutenant Barlow, tell the Flower, to join us and to take station one hundred kilometers ahead of us, they are the lead."

"Aye, aye, Sir, sending now."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Barlow. Commander Verik would you please bring up the sector maps, and get me battle two on my side panel, something does not smell right about their deployment."

"Right away, Sir."

"Captain, Commander Nirisha on side panel two."

"Thank you, Commander Verik," Steven said. As the image of Commander Lisa Nirisha came up on the side-screen of his station and he added, "Commander Nirisha what do you think of their deployment."

"Sir, they came out of hyper way to soon. They are to far from the repair facilities to be a raid against them. Their target must be the space stations," Commander Nirisha stated.

"That's what I thought too, but I don't think their after the stations either."

"What do you think it is Captain?"

"I don't know Commander. Let me think for a second," he said as he studied the sector maps. His eyes kept wandering back to the three repair stations. Suddenly it hit him like a ton of bricks, and he snapped out, "Commander I think I know what it is, look at the deployment of all our fighting units."

"What do you think it is captain?" Lisa asked and on the screen, she turned away to study the CIC map board. Suddenly with a look of horror on her face she turned back to the screen, "Captain..."

"Just a second Commander. Computer!"

"Operating," came the clear metallic voice of the computer.

"Theories if an enemy commander wanted to destroy all three ship yards. Where would he deploy his ships, after hypering into the system, for an attack on them?"

"Exact location improbable to establish at one hundred percent probability."

"Then hypothesize were it would likely appear."

"Sector twelve is the best location for an attack on all three repair facilities. Any ship hypering in at that location can only be fired upon from two stations."

"That is what they are up to!"

"Captain what is it?"

"They are trying to draw us away from the repair facilities Commander Verik. I will bet you there is another group of ships coming in to attack the repair bases, while their friends keep us busy. Helmsmen bring us around to a heading of 123 Mark 6 full military power to sector twelve. Communications notify the rest of the fleet of the new heading, and notify high command. Also I want continuous scans of the system for any incoming hyper wakes."

"Aye, aye, Sir," replied the two Midshipmen. They turned back to their control panels and started doing their new assignments. The sensors reached out looking for a new target, and soon it was detected.

"Sir, I am detecting a small hyper wake coming in at 125 Mark 21. What ever it is, Sir, she is less than four light minutes out. If it keeps its course, it will pass right through sector twelve in three minutes fourteen seconds. Sir, it looks like one ship."

"Yes, but the question is, what type of ship is it?"

"Captain," interrupted Lisa.

"Yes, Commander."

"Sir, it could only be a super dreadnought, dreadnought or a battleship. It's the only type of ship that would have the fire-power to destroy all thee repair facilities, and to escape."

"I agree commander. Start energizing all weapons, arm all missiles and bring the shields on line. Launch all strike fighters."

On board the super dreadnought H.M.S. Ark Royal. Crew personal were still rushing to battle stations as missiles streaked out from the manned missile launchers. Admiral Jennison was studying the deployment of the enemy fleet. They had quickly formed a battle wall and the King Harold was in desperate need of help. Every squadron but one followed their orders.

"Admiral one of the cruiser fleets is disobeying orders, and turning away from the enemy," reported the sensor officer of the H.M.S. Ark Royal.

"What! Who is commanding that cruiser fleet?"

"Just a second, Sir," the midshipmen said as he started typing commands into his computer, he soon has his answer, "Sir, it is Captain Tallfeather, his command is the H.M.S. Swiftshire."

"Contact the Swiftshire, and tell this Tallfeather. I want to know what the hell they are doing? Tell them to get their butts turned around and to rejoin the fleet, or I will see him court marshaled."

"Right away, Sir."

"Sir, flag wants to know what the hell you are doing? Their words, Sir, and we have been ordered to rejoin the fleet."

"Tell the flag we have detected a hyper wake heading towards the repair facilities we are moving to engage it, if it drops out."

"Helmsmen bring us around to 321 Mark 12. I want to bring all batteries on line when she drops out of hyper," Steven said.

"Right away, Sir."

"Sir, Captain Tallfeather reported they have detected a single hyper wake coming in on a heading of 125 Mark 21."

"It's probably a merchant ship, tell them to ignore it, and get back here."

"Aye, aye, Sir," the Midshipmen turned back to his communications board, and started to contact the third cruiser division. The H.M.S. Ark Royal took several minor hits, but continued to close with the Gormarian fleet, picking off the lighter ships as she forced her way through to the Gormarian battleships and carriers.

On board the Gormarian Battle cruiser Venger, Captain first class Egor Petri was commanding the order of battle. Everything was going to plan. Already the Alderian battle station has taken heavy damage. They were now engaging the Alderian battlecruisers, and supporting units. It seems intelligence was right for once. All the heavy hitters were in space docks being repaired, and the Intolerable should be dropping out in less then seven minutes.

"Sir, one squadron of heavy cruisers is not falling for our ruse. Their heading will take them towards the dropout point of the Intolerable, Sir."

"Well Lieutenant Gerhardt. What shall we do about it?"

"Sir, I do not know, we cannot communicate with her until she drops out of hyper, and when she does she will be over eighteen light minutes away from us. It will take just under five minutes for a communication to reach her once she has dropped out. I would recommend that we send a communication no later then one minute twenty seconds from now. The warning should reach her just as she drops out of hyper."

"Very good Lieutenant Gerhardt, log this for transmission to the Intolerable. 'To Captain First Rank Ibelis, from Captain First Rank Egor Petri, of the battle-cruiser Venger. Sir, one squadron of heavy cruiser closing with your location, take evasive action and good luck on destroying the enemy repair facilities.' Send it, and continue to send it every fifteen seconds."

"Sending it now Sir," while Lieutenant Gerhardt is sending the transmission his sensors identify the Ark Royal closing with them. "Sir, super dreadnought approaching on a heading of 433 Mark 36, she's the H.M.S. Ark Royal."

"Oh my god! To all ships concentrate on the Alderian super dreadnought, we need to destroy her, or we will all be doomed."

Very quickly, missiles were retargeted on to the Alderian super dreadnought, but it is far to late. Missiles started shooting out at her, and she responded in kind and soon ships start dying on the Gormarian side. Within seconds the battle-cruiser Lutzow has been destroyed and the Seydlitz has taken heavy damage, a few seconds later she followed her sister in a fiery explosion that damaged two destroyers that were covering her flanks.

The two fleets closed, missile flight time dropped, and ships started to take heavy damage. One Alderian heavy cruiser disappeared in a flash, and fifteen hundred lives were snuffed out. Very quickly, ship's shields started to flare and wink out under the constant bombardment of laser and nuclear warheads.