Realm I Page 2

  With a heavy heart, Jacob said, “Lieutenant Weeds, we’re ready. Open the gates.”

  “Yes, sir,” Evan replied.

  The bright light in front of them disappeared, and a huge spiral opening appeared. Jacob turned to Eugene Walker, Freedom’s pilot. “Eugene, take us out.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Freedom, along with other Earth ships, passed through the gateway. When they cleared the gates, it closed behind them.

  Never had Jacob felt so vulnerable and alone, not even when he had taken Freedom through uncharted space. He stared at the ten alien ships approaching the perimeter. The Orias ships were long and cylindrical. They reminded the admiral of missiles his ancestors had built in the twentieth century, though these were longer, heavier, and had a slightly different design. The cylinders were curved into spikes at the ends.

  “Open a channel,” Jacob told the communications officer.

  “Channel open, sir.”

  “This is Admiral Jacob Donavan of Freedom. We represent the Imperial Command, which governs this section of space. We are a peaceful race eager to open communications.”

  A minute passed in silence.

  “Perhaps you can start by identifying yourself,” Jacob added.

  The alien ships kept moving forward.

  “Alien vessel, I advise do not enter this region of space without authorization.”

  The outsiders remained silent.

  Jacob glanced at his tactical officer. Taking a long breath he said, “If you do not respond, and attempt to cross our boarders we will retaliate.”

  The bridge was silent again.

  He repeated the message once more and waited. He glanced at his communications officer, who shook his head. “Convert the message in all languages and dialects in the digital library and broadcast it on all channels,” Jacob instructed.

  The officer nodded.

  The bridge was so quiet that for the first time, Jacob could hear the beeping of the communications console.

  “Sir, I’ve scanned the ships. I can detect no power signatures or weapons. As far as I can tell, there’s no one on those ships,” said the tactical officer, Lieutenant Tessa Clark.

  “Oh, they’re there . . .” Jacob stopped mid-sentence. The Orias ships glowed red, and their spikes burned like fire. “What the . . .?”

  A bright flash emitted from the lead Orias ship and hit one of Earth’s ships, blowing it to pieces. Jacob grabbed his seat as the bridge shook. A couple of gasps echoed on the bridge, and the alarm blared.

  “Fire!”

  Freedom steered toward two Orias ships and launched torpedoes. A huge ball of fire filled the viewscreen.

  “Yes! We got them!” said Eugene.

  From within the fireball, two alien ships reappeared and flew directly toward them.

  “Fire at will!” Jacob shouted.

  Freedom glided through the debris and fired. The Orias ships’ tails began glowing.

  “Change course. Move us away!” yelled Jacob.

  A blaze was emitted from the alien ship.

  The next moment, an explosion on the bridge threw the admiral to the floor. Darkness engulfed him, and the air filled with smoke. He sat up and looked at his wrist. It was bleeding. He got to his feet and froze. The two Orias ships had returned their attention to the perimeter. “I thought they’d destroy us,” he muttered. “Report,” he ordered Tessa.

  “Sir, we were hit by an electromagnetic charge as powerful as five of our torpedoes. If we hadn’t steered away . . .”

  “What about the Orias?” Jacob asked, taking a seat and spinning toward the viewscreen.

  “My scans show that there was minimal damage to the Orias ships. But the second torpedo did more damage than the first.”

  The admiral eyed her. “Any theories?”

  “I suppose proximity to the alien ships might have more effect. But I suggest . . .”

  Jacob turned to Eugene. “What was our distance from that ship when the second torpedo hit it?”

  “Sir, our second torpedo hit it at forty thousand kilometers.”

  “And damaged it?”

  “It appears so, but that Orias ship is still functioning. We need more da—”

  The admiral cut him off. “Open a channel,” he told the communications officer.

  “Channel open, sir.”

  “Freedom to the Imperial Fleet, do not engage the Orias upfront. Attempt to get less than thirty thousand kilometers from them, then fire.”

  A blast blinded everyone. Turbulence hit Freedom.

  “What happened?” demanded Jacob.

  “Sir. Jupiter. Jupiter. I-It’s gone. They have . . .” cried out Eugene.

  “Engage thrusters. Follow those ships! Do not let them reach the perimeter,” Jacob ordered. He stood up from his chair and approached Eugene. “Continue to maneuver, but don’t fire. Don’t draw any attention to us. Tell me when we’re about twenty-five thousand kilometers away from the Orias ships.”

  Eugene nodded. Freedom glided forward.

  Jacob returned to his chair. “Chart the locations of all the alien ships and put them on one side of the viewscreen.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The view in front of him changed. Jacob watched the Orias ships heading toward the perimeter. They moved in a circular fashion as if connected by invisible spokes. It looked like a giant wheel moving through space.

  “Their pattern is interesting. Four ships appear to be keeping us busy while these six head toward the perimeter,” said Tessa.

  “Yes,” replied Jacob.

  “Sir, the fleet is taking heavy damage,” reported Eugene.

  “Patience.”

  “They’re ignoring the fleet,” said Tessa. “As if we were . . .”

  “Mosquitoes,” finished Eugene.

  “Mosquitoes are extinct,” said Tessa.

  Jacob jumped to his feet and opened a channel. “Attention, everyone! Six Orias ships are heading toward the perimeter. Focus on one ship. Just one. Destroy their pattern. Fire now! Now!”

  “What are you suspecting?” asked Tessa.

  “I think the six ships will combine their energy and create a very powerful blast.”

  “Sir! We’re twenty-five thousand kilometers from the Orias wheel,” reported Eugene.

  “Increase speed. Pick one ship and fire. Give it everything we’ve got!”

  Freedom’s weapons blasted through the hull of one of the alien ships, pushing it off course. Freedom fired again, and the Orias ship blew into pieces.

  “Yes!” cheered Eugene.

  Suddenly, another horrific explosion filled the viewscreen. Jacob’s shoulders slumped and holding his head he waited for the bad news.

  “Sir, it’s Marion,” said Tessa. “It took out one of the Orias ships.”

  The admiral smiled.

  Suddenly, the alien ships broke their pattern and turned toward the Earth ships. Two of them flew in the direction of Freedom. Torpedoes blasted through Freedom’s tubes, disabling one of them, but the second spacecraft dodged the torpedoes.

  “Evade! Evade!” shouted the admiral.

  “Sir. I’m . . .”

  A bright light blinded everyone. Freedom shook, throwing everyone off their seats. Multiple blasts occurred simultaneously. Alarms blared. Smoke filled the bridge.

  When Jacob opened his eyes, he saw a huge crack in the roof. He turned. The viewscreen was fractured, and the Orias ship was powering up again. He scrambled to his feet and rushed towards navigation. He entered the coordinates and engaged the thrusters. “Come on! Come on!” he said, pressing the keys several times. But Freedom moved slowly. “Tactical, tell me we have weapons!” he yelled over the top of the screaming alarms.

  The alien ship’s tail turned red.

  “Tactical?” Jacob asked.

  A blaze hit the alien ship, and it turned to dust. Another tremor hit Freedom. Jacob grabbed the console and saw Marion fly past them. “Whew, that was close,” he muttered, making way for
Eugene, who took control of the helm. “Report.”

  “Decks 5 and 6 have been heavily damaged. Six crew members have been injured. No fatalities so far. We still have power, engines, and life support.”

  “What about the fleet?”

  “They have destroyed three Earth ships; two ships have taken heavy damage but the rest of the fleet is engaging the enemy. The Orias ships have turned their attention back to the perimeter. Three ships are engaging us, and the other four have formed the same wheel-like pattern. They’re heading for the perimeter.”

  “Damn.”

  “I think it’s time to change strategies.” Tessa breathed heavily.

  The admiral eyed her. “Do we have orders from Earth?”

  “No.”

  He looked at the screen. “Those four ships might be our last hope.”

  Saturn

  Argon gritted his teeth. He didn’t like their odds. There was still no word from Imperial Command, and Titan was silent as well. People were dying. People he knew. He returned to his chair and opened a channel to Freedom. “Admiral Donavan, this is Argon Keston. Permission to join the battle.”

  “Negative. Stay there.”

  “Sir, if my readings are correct, the fleet has taken heavy damage. We can help.”

  “The fleet was ordered to engage the enemy; the squadron ships are to remain as backup. Those were our orders. We stick to them until the Imperial Command says otherwise. Is that clear?”

  “Sir, with all due respect . . .”

  “Argon. Stay there. That’s an order!”

  Argon banged the console. He sat back and listened to the communications between the ships. He almost jumped when he heard another blast. He got up and stood in the middle of the cockpit. If he defied orders, he’d be thrown out of the fleet, and his career would end before it had even started. But if he didn’t act, he risked the lives of everyone he loved. What mattered most to him? He returned to his chair and reached out to his squadron. “This is Argon. I’m going to defy orders and join the fight. If you choose to stay back, I’ll understand.”

  “Argon,” said Micah in his husky, heavy voice. “How long have you known us?”

  Byron said, “If we don’t join the fight, everyone could die.”

  “Oh, that’s comforting,” Argon muttered. He pushed the buttons, and the engine roared to life. The tail of the small fighter glowed in the yellow mist. Atlas slowly glided through the rings of the planet, leaving a long trail of dust behind it. Another three ships followed.

  “Commander Waters to Cadet Argon,” Anastasia’s voice crackled on the commlink.

  “Yes, Commander?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Commander, I can’t just sit here,” Argon said. “They need our help!”

  “I understand, but we have our orders. Turn back.”

  Argon huffed. “With all due respect, I can’t sit here and watch people die!”

  “Cadet, you’re out of line!”

  There was no point in arguing. Argon ignored her messages and charged ahead. He felt as if a sword loomed over him; he was damned if he did, he was damned if he didn’t. He was a man of action, and every fiber in his body told him it was time to act.

  * * *

  As they neared the battlefield, the size and shape of the Orias ships mesmerized him. “Let’s begin with omega sequence,” he suggested. Pairing with Byron, Argon flew closer to one of the alien ships.

  “Break the wheel?” asked Byron.

  “I agree.”

  They got nearer to the four ships.

  “Distance twenty thousand kilometers,” said Byron.

  “Close enough,” Argon replied and fired.

  Two torpedoes hit the alien ship, blasting through its hull. Atlas bounced and dipped, but Argon quickly regained control and reduced speed.

  “Did you see that?” Byron shouted.

  “Yeah! Too easy. I thought we would need more torpedoes.”

  The Orias ships broke their pattern and turned their attention to the smaller ships.

  “Here they come!” yelled Byron.

  Argon swayed Atlas away and pushed the engines. The Orias ships followed him. Byron came from behind and fired. Atlas jolted moving away from the blast. Argon turned around, and pursued the two alien ships following Byron. Aiming for the tail of the Orias ships, Argon called, “One, two, three, fire!”

  The blast from the two Orias ships was enormous. Hundreds of pieces of metal spread through space. Atlas dipped and shuddered. A huge section of debris headed straight for it.

  “Whoa!” Argon cried out, whirling the ship out of harm’s way. A piece of debris hit the wing of Atlas. The spacecraft jolted. Alarms blared. Argon punched a few buttons and brought the ship under control.

  “Wow. How did you do that?” Byron asked.

  “I aimed for the tails,” Argon replied and opened a channel to the fleet. “Attention, everyone. This is Argon. We’ve discovered a flaw in the enemy ships’ design. To disable them, target the tails at close range. Just be careful not to get too close.”

  Argon was about to contact Freedom when he noticed two of his squadron members were on a collision course. “Clio and Micah, what are you doing?”

  “You know what we’re doing,” Micah replied.

  Argon saw two Orias ships pursuing them.

  “They’re going for the death maneuver,” said Byron with a hint of distaste in his voice.

  “It won’t work. Abort. Now. Abort!” Argon yelled.

  “How would you know? We’ve never tried it before,” protested Micah.

  “This is not the time nor place,” Argon said.

  “He will not listen to you,” Byron said calmly.

  Atlas steered past two Earth ships, chasing an Orias ship. It maneuvered under Freedom and headed for Micah’s location. Clio and Micah were heading straight for each other. The end of the Orias ship following them began to glow.

  “They’re going to fire. Change course now!” Argon shouted.

  “Wait for it,” Micah said.

  “I’m coming in.”

  “Argon, don’t. I can do this without firing a single shot.”

  “You’re going to get killed.”

  “Argon, trust me.”

  Argon shook his head and reluctantly decreased speed.

  Clio and Micah were getting close. Too close. The Orias ship was right on their tails. If they miscalculated, it might cost them their lives.

  “Micah, they’re charging their weapons,” Byron said. “You should act now.”

  “One, two,” Micah counted. “Now!”

  Both squadron ships turned away. The Orias ships fired. The massive beams missed the small ships and hit each other. The blast was gigantic. It created a turbulence wave so strong that every ship in the battlefield shook.

  “Woo-hoo!” shouted Micah.

  “Yippee!” yelled Clio.

  Argon shook his head in dismay.

  “That was uncalled for!” Admiral Donavan yelled over the communication system. Argon ignored him. Then Anastasia’s voice echoed in the cockpit. “Commander Waters to Cadet Argon. Commander Waters to Cadet Argon.”

  “Yes, Commander. We have them. Just three more to go.”

  “Argon, Emmeline detected another ship,” said Anastasia. “It masked its signature. It’s heading for the perimeter. I’m sending you the coordinates.”

  This was unbelievable. “Affirmative,” Argon said, feeling his heart rate rise. The console beeped. He entered the coordinates. Atlas swayed along the perimeter and headed away from the battlefield. Byron’s ship wasn’t far behind it.

  In a few minutes, they saw a new Orias ship. Argon felt uncertain, and his heart leaped to his throat. Why had this ship come in later? Why not join the battle? Did it have a different purpose? Could he stop it?

  “There it is,” said Byron.

  They fired phasers to sway the alien ship away from the perimeter, but it kept moving. They targeted the tail, but it was
resilient.

  “We need to get closer,” said Argon. He pushed the small ship. When he thought he was close enough, he pushed the button to fire the torpedoes. Nothing happened. “Oh no! No!” he cried out and pushed the button again.

  “Weapon’s system malfunction,” announced the computer.

  “Byron, my ship is damaged. Tell me you have torpedoes.”

  “I’m out!”

  Byron fired phasers. They did little damage, and the alien craft kept moving toward the perimeter. “It’s not working!” he shouted. Byron ship’s gained speed, moving closer to the Orias ship. Argon pushed Atlas and caught up with him. At least he could fire phasers. They had to stop them; at any cost. They fired again. The Orias ship jolted a bit but kept moving.

  “This one is different!” Byron called.

  Argon banged his console. “Tell me someone has torpedoes!” he shouted. “Hello! Anyone? We need help!”

  The ship’s tail turned red.

  Atlas’s proximity alert went off. Argon turned to his scanner. There was a reading he couldn’t understand. “What the hell?” he muttered. His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. “Byron, move away. Move. Move now!” he shouted, hurriedly changing course.

  Just behind Atlas, Prometheus appeared. The hefty scorpion-shaped spacecraft flew past the small ships. Two torpedoes blasted through its tubes. The Orias ship turned to dust.

  “Yes!” cheered Argon.

  Distant cousins

  Perimeter

  Prometheus destroyed the last two Orias ships, winning the battle. Cheers echoed over the communications system. Argon jumped with joy. He ran his hands through his hair, and his eyes filled with tears. He sat down, placing a hand on his chest. It had been a close call. He then realized his situation. He had disobeyed direct orders, a sense of dread filled him. But then he thought what would happen to him was not important. He had done what was needed. His home and citizens of Titan were safe.

  Freedom and Prometheus used tractor beams to gather the pieces of wreckage. Once the debris was secure, the next step would be to study it and learn more about these aliens.