Chapter 31: The Battle near the Asteroids

"Show me this ship," snarled Captain Tal.

The screen changed and a ship that was five times larger than their own appeared on the screen. Her white hull was gleaming and her navigational lights were lit up. She was less then five miles away from his command.

Tal stood there, and looked at the huge ship; he then turned to his weapons officer, and said, "Fire on that ship! Turn us hard starboard, full speed ahead. Launch countermeasures."

The Dancer opened fire with her pitiful weapons and the energy was dissipated or was reflected off of the shields of the huge ship. Then the missiles leaped from their bays and shot across the five miles. The first was targeted and destroyed. The four other missiles slam into the shields like one hundred kiloton hammers and the shields went down on the massive ship.

The navigation officer looked up at Captain Tal's orders and responded, "But Sir that will..."

Tal glared at his navigation officer, and snarled at him, "I know damn well where it takes us! You have your orders so carry them out."

As the ship turned, she fired her bow weapons and they smashed into the side of the foreign ship carving a trench along her flank, smashing deep into the ship and causing her vital air to leak into space.

Karina Williams sat in her gun chair down on deck twenty. Her six type-fifty pulse laser cannons were building up again after the first barrage. Usually only one pair of cannons was commanded by a single gunner but due to the shortage of crew, the nearby turrets had been slaved to hers, giving her a headache from trying to keep all of them online. Looking at the scanners, she saw the destroyer fire her missiles, they bobbed and weaved, trying to close with the ship and she quickly got a target lock on one of them and fires all six lasers without orders. The lasers rip the missile into four pieces. As she tried to target the next one, the remaining four missiles hit the shield and exploded. The blinding light from the explosions polarized her weapons dome, but even so, the light blinded her. Screaming, she clutched her eyes as her vision faded and she slipped out of her chair to the deck, where she passed out from the burning pain.

Down in missile storage ten, Mathew O'Neil checked the missile feeds and noticed that the wrong missiles were being sent to the bays.

"What the hell? Why aren't the Galahads going out?"

Mathew quickly changed the feed on the console, and sent the Galahad class laser missiles to the launch bays. Then the ship lurched and one of the missiles moved off its track. Grabbing his antigravity wrench, he walked over and started manhandling the missile back on the feed track. Hearing a ripping sound from behind him, he looked over his shoulder and saw the outer bulkhead rip open. Before he could scream or even move, he felt the air explode out of the shattered compartment. Hanging onto the wrench, he felt himself blacking out from lack of oxygen. His strength wavered, his hands slipped on the wrench, and he was sucked towards the opening before the back-up internal force fields could come on.

On the bridge of the Washington, Ken sat in his chair waiting for a response when the ship shudders from the destroyer's lasers, then the missiles hit and the ship heeled over to starboard. Ken flew out of his chair. He shook his head as he slowly got back to his feet. Looking around the room, he checked for any injuries and saw everyone getting back into their seats.

"Amy, damage report?"

"Portside shields are down, damage to decks nine and ten, damage to environmental two, emergency power room three, and missile storage ten is open to space. Casualty count ... I am unsure. Sensors are down in that area. We are leaking air to space."

As Amy was giving her report, Ken watched the destroyer turn towards his ship and pick up speed.

"Son of a bitch! He's going kamikaze! All weapons open fire, I repeat open..."

The ship opened fire with every weapon she had. Some of her portside weapons had been damaged and only two hundred and thirty eight laser and seventy-nine railguns fired.

However, it was over-kill, and the destroyer didn't just explode, she blew up with the fury of an exploding star as the railguns' antimatter warheads hit and caused the chain reaction of the two elements of matter and non-matter as they hit the ship. The explosion literately threw the Washington nineteen hundred miles from the engagement area, and ripped her portside to shreds.

Ken picked himself up for the second time, and gazed at the flickering screen. Looking around, he noticed several people not moving. Standing at his command chair, he slapped the intercom, "All hands this is the Captain speaking, report all casualties to medical, I need a med tech on the bridge, we have wounded. The enemy destroyer has been destroyed, well done everyone. We just learned an important item. Do not fire railguns at pointblank range without shields. That is all."

Ted got shakily to his feet and looked around the deck. Blood was running down his temple and along his right cheek. Grabbing the med kit, he went over to Kathy who was lying on the floor shaking her head. Helping her back in to her chair, he noticed the blood running down her face from a large gash above her forehead, and from her nose. Opening the med kit, he pulled out some bandages and pressed them to the cut on her head.

Taking her hand, he held it to the bandages, and said, "Kathy, hold this here, I need to check the others."

She mumbled something to him, but did not lower her hand. Moving to the next person, he looked over at Ken, seeing him talking to Amy. He continued helping the wounded as medics rushed onto the bridge.

Ken looked around the bridge and saw control stations sending sparks up from the damage, and said, "Amy, status report."

"Captain, all portside weapons are offline, and we have dozens of holes in the hull. There is damage to most compartments on the portside of the ship. We have a fire in fighter bay one, and the portside shield generators are off line. Casualty reports are coming in, we have twelve dead, forty-three wounded and sixteen missing, but they could be trapped in damaged compartments. Spiders are moving in to reseal the hull. Portside weapons and shields are offline. The freighter has turned and is heading towards the asteroid belt. What do you want me to do about them?"

Ken thought for a second and then said, "Order the fighters to intercept. If it refuses to stop, blow it away."

Terry tried to focus on her board and she saw another ship come hurling out of the asteroid field. "Sir, another ship just came out of the field, they are charging towards us."

"What? On screen now!" Ken sat and watched the screen as they focus on the ship as it closed. "Turn us around and bring all starboard weapons to bear. As soon as they have her in sight, they are to open fire. Amy, what type of ship is she?"

Amy checked her scanners and replied, "It's a Torris class light cruiser, 1.2 million tons, armed with ninety lasers and thirty-six missile tubes, crew 1200."

The Washington turned her wounded flank away from the new threat, bringing her undamaged starboard weapons to bear. With half her bow and stern weapons out of action, she was down to one hundred and ninety lasers, and seventy-nine railguns. Around the ship, three thousand spider bots went to work, repairing the shield generators first, and then hull integrity. The enemy ship closed with the Washington and then hailed her.

Captain Kran sat in his chair and wondered why the Tralcan's were in the system. Were they going to stop them from enslaving the humans, or was it just an exploration ship looking for a new home for them to hide from the T'Lari. Looking at the main screen, he winced as the bright light of an explosion lights up the asteroid field.

"What the hell was that?"

Captain Staillerman of the freighter Bounty Harvest watched the destruction of the destroyer Dancer in one barrage of fire from the huge ship that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Turn us around and head us back into the belt. They have to recover and it may give us time to get away."

Looking once more at the screen, he continued, "Contact the Starburst and tell her what has happened."

The communication specialist turned back to his console and started sending his report. "Harvest to Starburst the Dancer has been attacked and destroyed by an alien ship." Taking a breath, he continued, "This is Harvest calling Starburst come in please."

Captain Staillerman watched as the Starburst came barreling out of the asteroid field. The Starburst turned and closed with the strange ship and opened fire on them.

Just as the sensor officer was about to reply to the Captains question, the communications officer said, "Sir, Message from the freighter Harvest. The Dancer has been attacked by an alien ship and destroyed with all hands. The enemy ship is heavily damaged and the Harvest is trying to get into the asteroid belt."

"Go to full power, all hands to battle-stations, let's find out who these creatures are, and teach them not to attack one of our ships." The Starburst went to full power, letting her more powerful shields shove the asteroids out of the way. Coming out, they saw the wreckage of the Dancer drifting in space and a larger ship in the distance started turning toward the freighter. "Hail them; I want to know who they are! Tell them they have five minutes to surrender and allow us to board or we will open fire. Get me a hull scan. I want to know the extent of their damage."

The communications officer started trying to raise the strange ship. "Alien ship, who are you? We order you to lower your shields and prepare to be boarded, you have five minutes to surrender or we will open fire." As they waited for a response the communications officer started trying to scan the ship. "Sir, I am getting a response. Scans are being reflected away from the ship."

Kran leaned forward and stared at the screen, "Keep trying and put it on the screen."

Ken sat in his chair. "Put it on speakers." Ken sat back, his cigar clenched in his mouth, as he heard the ultimatum. Shaking his head, he stood up. Ken paced the deck for a second as he thought, and coming to a stop in front of his chair, he turned and faced the viewer.

"Put me on, tight visual of me."

Ken watched as the screen comes up and he was facing what he assumes to be the Crytherian Captain.

"This is Captain Kenneth Thompson of the Terran Federation Battleship Washington. You have two minutes to surrender or we open fire and destroy your ship. Your moon base is in our control, your slavers on Terra have been captured, and your destroyer has been destroyed. Washington, out!"

Grinning he looked around the damaged bridge, "Now, if they would just be nice to us and surrender, I really don't want to kill anymore of them then I have too, but I will."

Turning to Ted, he started to say something when the ship lurched from several laser hits, "Engage the cruiser and take down the shields, order the fighters to attack the cruiser and take out her engines."

Kran looked at the image of the human in shock, "How? It is not possible. Open fire, they must not be allowed out of the system."

Kran watched as his lasers hit the enemy shields and bounce off, "Fire everything we've got, we must get through their shields."

More lasers and missiles were launched against the ship. Suddenly his sensor officer distracts him from watching his attack on the huge ship. Even from this distance, he could see the damage the ship had taken.

Lieutenant Smilel looked at his sensor reading and saw some small craft burst from the belt and start closing on them, firing as they come. Four of them turned and headed for the freighter.

"Sir, some type of small craft approaching from behind, they are firing lasers. Four others are heading for the freighter Harvest."

"Put them on main screen." The screen changed and he saw some type of small craft bearing down on his ship, "Ignore them, they cannot harm us, continue weapons fire on the larger ship. All assault warriors to their shuttles for deployment. All stern weapons destroy those nits if they close on us, but otherwise concentrate on the larger ship."

Michael sat in his fighter; his squadron was spread out around him on the slowly tumbling asteroid. They watched the Washington move out to engage the enemy ship. They listened over the com unit as the destroyer opened fire, and suddenly space lit up all around them. Across the com units, everyone started talking. Mike grabbed his com and shouted.

"All Tigers shut the hell up! I cannot hear flag."

Michael listened as the voice gave him their orders.

"Attention Tiger flight. Attack enemy Torris class light cruiser coming out of the belt, target her engines. You also need to stop the freighter from getting away. Washington has suffered heavy damage to her portside, we are engaging with our starboard weapons."