3 days later
"Target will reach optimum range in 12 microts", reported Crichton to Aeryn
from the Defiance's weapons console. She was intensely focused on the Peace
Keeper battle cruiser ahead of the cloaked ship. The massive black vessel
was escorted by 2 frigates. Crichton looked down at his console. The
crosshairs locked onto the glowing red marker that showed the core. He
punched an orb shaped icon and the words ion torpedoes appeared underneath
it. A small green touch button was under it. Crichton pushed the jade eagle
and the Defiance began to decloak. When it finished, the touch button
turned pink. Crichton pushed it twice.
Two purple ion torpedoes hit the rear of the battle cruiser. They were both
on the right frequency and penetrated the DS. The second torpedo detonated
the core. Explosions quickly overran the cruiser and it disintegrated. The
Defiance then opened fire with its twin wing tip disrupters. 3 blasts for
each cannon blasted a frigate in to fifths. A particle cannon shot
destroyed the core of another frigate. Even though the Coalition had the DS
frequencies of the Peace Keepers, they were still loosing the war.
"Sir, we've got 3 battle cruisers and 5 frigates closing", reported Tak at
the scanner station. The Defiance retreated and cloaked.
Crichton, D'argo, Aeryn, and Tralk sat around the conference table in the
mayor's old building on Servec. Zhaan, Tanga, and Anjon were all on video
monitors. "Zhaan, what's the status of the Peace Keeper fleet?" asked
Crichton. "Most of the task force has taken orbit around Vertick, but the
command carrier, a battle fighter, 5 battle cruisers, and 15 frigates are
on a direct course for Sykar" She reported from the Golden Eagle. "Also
several cruisers and frigates have been raiding Urvidian space", she added.
"Yes, a majority of our fleet is on border patrol", said Tralk. "My vessel
and 4 others will be at Sykar along with those modified defense platforms",
he added. "Defense platforms?" asked Tanga. "Yes, I am sending the
information now", said Tralk. In the meeting room a 4 bladed gray station
appeared on a screen. "3 stations armed with 3 type 4 compressor beams and
2 ion torpedo launchers, with 20 round each, which were provided by Captain
Crichton" he said. "But like anything Urvidian, their shields are
incredibly weak", said Aeryn. Tralk gave her an annoyed look.
"Tanga, 15 Skara raiders should arrive in a few arns, and a Urvidian group
will come place the heavy compression cannon in Sykar city", said Crichton.
"I will await them, I have already received the anti-fighter guns from
Skara," she said.
"Anjon, how is Talyn?" asked Aeryn. "He's doing better and says that he
likes the torpedo launchers" he replied. "Is he ready for combat?" asked
D'argo. "No, I don't believe so, he is still in great pain". Anjon replied.
"Then the Defiance, Golden Eagle, the 2 frigates we captured, and D'argo's
cruiser will arrive in 10 arns", said Crichton. "In the mean time, I have
sent Moya and the other Leviathan to evacuate civilians", said Crichton.
"We will prepare for evacuation", said Tanga cutting off.
"What the hell is a battle fighter?" asked Crichton. "A larger, more
heavily armed battle cruiser" said Aeryn. "Its firepower is between a
Cruiser and Carrier", she added. "Well, I got Rygel heading up the
Evacuation", said Crichton. The others looked at him funny. "What?" he
asked.
Ryken and Sun sat with 20 other Peace Keeper officers around a table in
Ryken's command carrier. A four-sided glass panel displayed a map of Sykar.
An Urvidian symbol and a square symbol represented the Coalition. They were
in between the planet and the Peace Keeper symbol. "Gentlemen, we will
reach the farming planet of Sykar, the planet that gave rise to the
insurrection, in 42 arns", said Ryken. "I expect light resistance in this
battle", he added. "6 ships maximum". he said. "With all do respect,
Commodore, The Urvidians alone will field 6 ships, not to mention 2 Birds
of Prey and other random ships", said Sun. "If Crichton is still alive,
this could be a most difficult battle", said Sun. "He is a skilled leader
and tactician, and a capable soldier", said Sun. "I thought he was dead",
said a young frigate Lieutenant. "His ship was destroyed in the final
battle with task force E and no pods escaped", he added. "If he is dead,
then my daughter is almost certainly the leader", he said with shame. "If
you remember, their weapons can penetrate our shields with impunity", said
Sun. "Yes, but we will strike with Prowlers first against the Urvidians to
cripple their weapons", said Ryken. "Captain Sun, you will take command of
the battle fighter and the shock troops sent to capture Sykar", said Ryken.
"Good, I want to see if that shock troop armor is as good as the techs
claim", said Sun. "I want everyone on that planet killed, including
children, I just want Crichton's top officers alive", said Ryken.
Aeryn and Renaise sat together in the small restaurant on Servec. They had
only a few hours before they left for Sykar. Renaise was going to transfer
from D'argo's ship to the Golden Eagle at Servec. Aeryn was going to have
lunch with Crichton, but he was doing something in the weapons storage
bunker. She was eating alone when Renaise arrived. She wished to discuss
the space around Sykar. Aeryn was surprised that she talked to her after
she claimed Retar. "How does the Captain know my sister?" she asked. Aeryn
sighed and began. "John is going to kill me", she thought.
She told the story about the Zalbenian. "John was upset about having to
leave her, but he got over quickly, partly due to our growing
relationship", said Aeryn. "But Gileena never got over it". She told the
story about the Gammick base until they got to where Aeryn met them. "When
Crichton was away, she asked me if I wanted to be with him and said she
asked him the same thing", "Then, I said yes and she left us". She then
told about Scorpious killing Gileena.
Renaise looked in disbelief and anger. "So, indirectly, The Captain is
responsible for my sister's death?" asked Renaise. "So am I, I suppose",
said Aeryn. Renaise got up without saying a word and left.
Crichton squinted in the florescent light of the weapons storage bunker.
Rifles lined the walls of the room about the size of a stop and go store.
He walked up to a security door and inserted an ID card. The door slid open
and we walked in. The room was about the size of a hotel home. He was
working on an electric pad. He and D'argo decided that it might be wise to
distribute the advanced weapons to other planets incase of Servec being
invaded. Most of the weapons had been taken from the Leviathan. He went to
a locker in the corner and opened it. He saw 2 brief cases and 3 automatic
grenade launchers. He scanned over the contents visually. Suddenly he
stopped.
He looked at on of the brief cases. It read. "Ingram MAC- 11s". "Ingram
MAC-11s!" said Crichton. "A human gun". A gun nut friend of his had sold
him one when he was on Earth. It was one of the best machine pistols ever
made. He tore an electric pad off the brief case. He turned it on. It was a
memo.
Experimental Weapons
To: Itsak Sharran, Tactical expert, Command Carrier War Dragon
Hello old friend, I hope you are doing well after your Aurora chair
"reeducation" by Scorpious after the incident with the gunship. I know that
you can solve this invisible raider puzzle; you were after all, the
smartest one in our class. I have sent you 4 new weapons:
1. P-60 pulse rifle
2. New Grenades
3. Xeno-fiber shock trooper armor
4. Ingram MAC-11s
-Commander Jaran Snark, Gedi Prime Orbital weapons facility
Crichton tried to open the case, but it was locked. He thought about
shooting it, but we didn't want to detonate the clips. He touched his comm.
"D'argo, could you send down Sharran's Ident Chip?"
Crichton sat in his quarters on the Defiance with the brief case and a
small chip. He licked his lips with anticipation. He inserted the chip and
the locks popped. He slowly opened the case. Inside were 2 exact replicas
of MAC-11. 10 clips surrounded them. It was similar in design to an Uzi,
only smaller, without a butt. It was a little bigger than a PK pistol.
"Hello ladies!" said Crichton inserting a clip. He smiled at the click. He
pulled out his knife and carved "J.C." into the guns. He replaced his side
pistol with a MAC-11, and then put the other in the back holster. He wanted
2 because the gun could run out of ammo in a flash, and we didn't want to
be reloading half the battle.
Renaise looked at the cylinder beside her. "Down load complete", said a
female computer voice. She turned to Sun on a small screen. "It's ready",
said Renaise. "The data crystal contains tactics, ship numbers, patrol
routes, defense plans, and ship equipment," she said. "Also I know all the
weaknesses of the small Bird of Prey", she said. "What will this cost me?"
he asked. "I want revenge on Crichton and Sun for the death of my sister,
let me kill them after you're through with them", she said. "You can have
Crichton, but I will deal with my daughter", said Sun. "I will meet you on
Sykar" he said cutting off.
Renaise pushed a button, and a purple crystal with metal on each side spun
out of the cylinder. "This is for you Gileena".
Sun looked at the memo his friend had sent him. He was an aide to Everek
Tain, head of the Serpent Order, the secret police and internal
investigation wing of the Peace Keepers. He found it in a sick archive that
Tain kept beneath his office; it was of all death warrants. He read the
memo.
To: Everek Tain
It has come to my attention that Lt. Xhalax Sun has been speaking ideals
countering Peace Keeper ideology. Most notably preaching about "love"
between partners. She used this word when asked how she felt about her
partner Commander Talyn Sun of Special Ops. They produced a daughter named
Aeryn, 5 cycles ago, but they still see each other and fraternization is
almost certainly going on. I am even more upset that her daughter told her
instructor that she was created in "love". Though the girl can be easily
reeducated, her mother is a concern. She supposedly is also speaking out
against irreversible contamination. It is rumored that 2 of her men have
Delvian women on the side. Her recreation partner is a strong conservative,
and one of the best Shock Troopers in history. He was just recently
promoted from Shock Trooper to commando. I don't believe he believes in her
ideals, so I don't want him involved, and I want this to look like an
accident. She's a Prowler pilot, so that should be an easy task.
-Commodore Jhelom Ryken, 3rd fleet.
Sun sat back in his chair and stared out the window in anger. He clinched
his fist so hard that his nails dug in and his palm bled. "All in good
time, Commodore", he said.
Insurrection Part 15: Betrayals
Crichton skipped over this.
I have sent you one of each of our new grenades. One contains a short-lived
gas capable of a 5 metra killing radius. It remains fatal for 2 microts.
This is marked with a green band. The second is a flame round which spreads
burning liquid oxygen fuel in a 4-metra radius. Marked with a red band. The
third is an acid round that spreads hydrotrilithic acid in a range of 2
metras, capable of burning flesh and armor. Marked with a blue band.
This armor is made from a xeno-fiber that absorbs most energy types below
100 drats. This includes all uncharted territory species weapons. Fire and
electricity still work against the armor and it does little to protect
against physical attacks or projectiles. The only shock troop unit fully
equipped with them is Commodore Ryken's. I was only able to produce and
send you 1.
The strangest of our new weapons. Its design and name are from a human
weapon that Scorpious' Aurora Chair pulled from Crichton's brain. Though
the human weapon used projectiles, this version uses chackan oil blasts.
It's an assault pistol/sub-machine gun, capable of 30 rounds per microt
fire, but the clip holds 40 shots. It can be set to semi-auto mode or 3
shots per squeeze mode along with full auto fire. It's light and accurate.
I have sent two working models with 5 clips each. These weapons have the
potential to become the chief gun for the new Special ops. unit being
trained in double guns. Remember when our instructors told us double
gunning was impossible?
Regarding: Xhalax Sun