Astro Battle

SLEEP DISTURBANCE

One hour after the annihilation of the Zell, the Red Destiny drifted peacefully. Its main power source was literally fused into a molten mess, it could no longer defend or attack; It could barely move. Auxiliary power supplied life support and minimal communication.

In the darkened bridge Alexander napped with his captain's seat fully reclined (another specialty of the Red Destiny -- no other captain's seat in the fleet could recline.) Fae interacted with her capsule in silence.

Their recent handiwork on the Zell fleet filled the entire vid screen. The plasma field had cooled to a mass of super hot gas forming an opaque barrier between The Red Destiny and the Flotilla and Alliance Fleet.

Suddenly squawk on the comm channels signaled a much anticipated message for Alexander, “Slyther! Have you found him!?”

“Admiral Mudd cannot be found… most likely blown into space. We continue to search but there is a lot of debris after the battle.”

“And Pete”

“Yes! Pete is alive and recovering. He was found unconscious but will be made completely well our medics predict”

Alexander reclined back in his chair, “What a relief.” He terminated the comm with Slyther.

A small detachment of the Ronin fleet had advanced beyond the Red Destiny pursuing the remnants of the Zell fleet. Even though the principal elements of the Zell fleet been annihilated their rear guard, several reserve formations and support ships that lurked behind the flagship were unharmed by the Red Destiny's blast. Victory for the Human fleet was assured, however, the Zell did not stop fighting and the Ronin fleet adopted cautious tactics in order to minimize casualties. The Ronin Fleet faced another couple of hours of tedious slaughtering before the battle could end.

A communication came over the vid screen. "Commander, we anticipate the mop up to last about two more hours. Shall I have your ship towed back to the front line?"

"Negative. Commit all resources to the mop up we don’t want to endanger the men. Retrieve us upon your victorious return.", Alexander didn't even open his eyes."

"Aye Aye sir! And Great work!"

Alexander's only response was a smile.

“Why for you won’t take a tow? Men not in danger!", Fae asked. Lies completely confused her. Lies from Alexander fascinated her and Alexander was accustomed to being questioned by Fae after he emitted the smallest of white lies. He always took the time to explain to Fae in as much detail as she wanted.

"No. I just want to sleep. They can handle the rest."

Just then an unsettling thing happened. A “red light” – or at least that is how best it could be described– passed through The Red Destiny and every other ship in the fleet. Alexander and Fae could “Feel” the light cross them like some type of energy phasing by. The light wasn’t really red or a light but sort of a subtraction of light and yet also not a shadow. It was quite simply impossible to explain and all who felt it shuttered. But it seemed to have no effect so life quickly went on.

Alexander had followed up his victory with the usual transmission of a prepared message and a speech to the entire human race. Just as his fleet would not relent against a broken enemy, Alexander sought to crush every last remnant of his political opposition.

"I apologize for being so insistent. I will never desire to oppose the will of the people. But the polling my rivals conducted was a fraud and we still do not know the true wants of the people."

"You have witnessed the greatest military victory since humans first engaged in astro battle. This victory was brought because of you, the people, the ones who have endured thirty years of Zell torment, the only ones left."

"What if I told you our nightmare could be over tomorrow? That is right. We can defeat the Zell. For just as humans regard the three remaining habitat spheres as the future of the human race; The Zell have only three planetary hatcheries that is their only future. Years of scouting and analysis have revealed this to us."

"Presently we sit at a point equidistant from all three hatcheries. We know the rivalries between Zell hatcheries run deep; deeper than their rivalry with humans. The Zell, as predictable as ever, have abandoned their protective posts and rushed to destroy the humans, to claim the glory of victory for their hatchery."

"In another twenty hours the Zell fleets will reach a point of no return where they will not be able to turn back and defend their hatcheries if they are attacked. Their precious hatcheries will be virtually undefended."

"For the rest of the plan, I ask you to have faith in me. Trust in me as human-kind's humble protector for the moment. I pledge to deliver victory. I pledge to free you from the Zell Nightmare we have experienced for the last eight years. I pledge to bring a new age where human kind will once again flourish."

He paused for a while.

"My opponents, the Representatives I speak of, put a question to you earlier today. They asked in effect 'Do you believe humanity would be better served under our stewardship?' They claim you have said yes. But they are deceivers and the polling results are merely their latest concoction, the last lie they will ever tell. Whatever the results they have asked the wrong question. I put the question to you: 'Do you choose Eternal Retreat or Eternal Victory?' I put this question to you this once, and will abide forever by your decision, as we will never have an opportunity again. We will have a vote in one hour. Choose the fate of humanity wisely."

After he ended the transmission Fae asked, "Why polls so false?"

"I don't know. It's how politics are done, I guess.", Alexander answered. "Slyther will falsify the results of this vote if the legitimate results do not fall in my favor.", He then leaned back and started his nap.

The poll results started to flow in an hour into his nap.

"95% approval," Fae commented.

Alexander opened one eye to look at the polling results on his vid screen, "Savor the adoration of the people today. Tomorrow we will start in our new roles of being the greatest mass murders in human history." He went back to sleep.

A short time passed and Fae became interested in some new instrument readings… She summoned multiple screens and started reviewing sensor logs. The ambient sound in the bridge changed to the beeps and audio interactions of Faes computer interface.

The change in ambient sound alerted Alexander. He opened the same one eye... as if that eye was less asleep than the other and he observed Fae for a moment. He closed his eye and hoped Fae would sort out the matter without needing his involvement.

But Fae kept summoning screens and scrubbing through log data and it began to bother Alexander.

"What is it, Fae?", his eyes were still closed.

"Anomolous phenomenon."

"Good", Alexander thought. Unexplained phenomenon was not his bag. He allowed himself to start a descent into a deeper sleep.

Five minutes passed and Fae's confusion grew.

"Alexander?"

"Yes, Fae?" Alexander responded grogily.

"There is something in the cloud."

"Debris?"

"No. ship. A Zell one."

Alexander sprung to a sitting position.

"Did it enter after the blast?", he asked.

"No contrail."

"Is it derelict?", Alexander hoped

"No. Energy signature, accelerating and intentional maneuvering."

“Maneuvering where?”

“To Us.”

"What kind of ship is it?"

Fae ran some analysis for a few seconds and had an answer, "Dreadnought."

"The Dreadnaught? The same flagship?"

"No.", Fae Reported, "It will get closer we can scan it…."

A couple of uncomfortable minutes passed. Alexander abandoned any hope of returning to his nap and inclined his captain's seat. They waited in silence, there was no point in taking action until they understood what they were dealing with.

Five kilometers from the Red Destiny the gas cloud seemed to cough up the mystery object. A large Zell ship emerged trailing swirls of gas that seemed reluctant to release its guest.

"It's the flagship.", Fae updated

"How? How could it have survived!? It doesn't have a scratch!"

"Negative. Not the flagship we blasted. It is THE Zell Flagship. The Eight Ball."

Zell battleships were not named by the Zell, but particularly scary or important Zell ships would earn a title among the humans. "The Eight Ball" was the super flagship of the entire Zell race. It superseded control of all three hatcheries and allowed the entire Zell race to act as one species. No fleet had ever seen The Eight Ball in person and survived.

"Are there any more?" Alexander Asked

“No”

"Where is its fleet?", He asked to himself.

"Summon the Ronin fleet. Abandon the mop up. We have to destroy this ship."

The Eight Ball drifted forward and was heading directly for The Red Destiny.

"We are completely defenceless?"Alexander asked.

"Besides small arms, we have no defence"

"Can we escape?"

"We have enough power for maneuvering thrusters. We can produce enough velocity to get out of the path of the Flagship, but if it steers towards us, we cannot escape it.",

"Contact my cavalry. Command them to leave the Ronin fleet and come to our position at maximum speed... And Remember this Fae, always consent to a tow when it is offered. Always."

"I will remember not to lie."

Alexander nervously observed his tactical display watching The Eight Ball and his cavalry approach The Red Destiny. There was no way the Calvary could arrive in time.

At one-kilometer The Eight Ball came to a complete stop and did nothing.

"No Fleet, No Shields, No attack... what's their game?", Alexander pondered aloud. "I sense a trap. The Eight Ball would be a prize of a victory for our side without question. It's being dangled in front of me just as I dangled the Red Destiny in front of the Zell. And If I was Zell, surely I would abandon my ship and attack. But a trap is not needed. We are the defenceless ones. We are completely outmatched at the moment and our rescue cannot arrive in time to spare us if they attack now. So what is their game?"

"Alexander!", Fae said excitedly. Her excitement was the clearest indication that she had discovered something very bad she summoned a large situational map of the entire theatre.

And then Reason and Reksep broke in on the comms: “We are surrounded.”

“The Red Destiny?”

“No, The entire Human Fleet is surrounded”

There were few times in his life that Alexander was stunned into complete inaction. This was a moment. Absolute horror swept through his body.

His inaction began to thaw and he started the process of discovery that would bring about victory, a process he had gone through many times but never inside what seemed such an impossible situation.

Alexander: "Estimated size of the Fleet?"

Reksep: "Uncountable. “They surround us from every angle in a spheroidal formation.”

Alexander experienced a second bout of petrification after Fae brought up a tactical view of the Zell fleets closing envelopment of the only remaining humans in the universe.

Again he struggled to find the right questions to get the victory discovery process started. He decided to start with 'How.'

Alexander: "How could they have flanked us like this? Do you think they can now cloak?"

Reason: "The vessels appear to be the same that were closing in on us before, the ones that had an arrival estimate of twenty to fourty-eight hours. In an instant they have advanced to within one-half hour before they close."

Alexander: "Some kind of light distortion, they tricked our sensors to think they were far away?"

"Impossible." Fae said confidently.

Alexander thought for a moment. "No! Fold technology!?"

Alexander: “Fold Tech?”

Reksep: "I do not detect evidence of a fold, but it cannot rule it out."

Alexander: “Well, thanks… no way not knowing that isn’t going to lead to a strategic blunder…”

Reksep: "Fold systems consume massive amounts of energy. Typically a fleet is bunched together and transferred in one giant fold bubble. To surround us in an instant at trillions of positions far apart from each other would require a trillion fold systems and untold amounts of energy. Am I right?"

Reason: "You are correct."

Alexander: "Are the Zell known to possess that much power?"

Reksep: "From our Analysis the Zell do not have enough energy to make a single fold."

Alexander: "Is there any evidence of the Eight Ball folding into the gas cloud?"

Reason: "Impossible. We would know if it was a fold. We registered energy from an unclassified phenomenon which was probably responsible for the appearance of The Eight Ball, but we have no better explanation of its sudden appearance other than 'it just appeared'."

Alexander: “Well that’s one thing. At least we know they can’t fold.”

Reason: “Uhm, commander…. Its much worse… the Zell have a technology that we don’t understand that is far more dangerous than the fold system… they or some ally.”

Alexander thought to himself for a moment. The 'how's' were getting him nowhere. He changed his discovery tactics.

Alexander: "The Eight Ball. If we decapitate the flagship it will throw the enemy into disarray. Surely everything is being orchestrated from the Eight Ball... And the conditions to fight our final attack are met, the entire Zell fleet is here and the hatcheries are left unprotected. How long will it take to jump the fold system?"

"One Half Hour," Fae Replied.

"Of course... initiate the fold systems, Fae. Order the fleet to surround the habitat spheres in their assigned positions in preparation for all three folds. Command our best attack forces, including the Calvary, to meet our position for a blitzreege attack on the Eight Ball. As soon as our attack commences reserve one cavalry ship to tow us to the Habitat-Sphere.", His confidence was only half restored, many unknowns confronted his plan.

"The Eight Ball is creating a spheroidal shield. Two kilometers in diameter. We are surrounded in it."

"More surprises from the Zell," He meditated for a moment. "Cancel the attack on the Eight Ball. Summon a squadron of stealth ships to linger near our position and wait to tow us--maximum cloak. Prepare timed and event driven messages to send to all the players involved in the attack on the hatcheries. Do not avail them to the entire plan at once, they won't have the stomach for it.", He paused, "I will board the Eight Ball and disable her shields."

Fae's Androsynth face showed a rarely seen surprise. She stood and faced Alexander.

He began prepping his armor for battle. "I don't really need the cape, but it makes me feel more powerful", he said to himself.

"We are equipped with twelve warbots. Prep all for battle, Six will accompany me and Six will stay to protect you and the Red Destiny. Have my sword, shields and spear readied. Also prep a stealthy escape pod. We will launch in a single line behind the escape pod, pointing towards The Eight Ball. Hopefully the stealthy pod will make our arrival a surprise.", He continued to speak with half confidence.

Fae initiated all of Alexander's order with her mental connection to the Red Destiny. Service bots began to scurry about the ship grabbing supplies, swords and taking warbots out of tight storage areas. Fae looked on at Alexander, her eyebrows showed the slightest tension.

Alexander donned his helmet and began to descend a starboard side ladder that led to the forward escape hatch.

He stopped right where his chest eclipsed the floor and looked at Fae.

"Have a stealth pod ready for yourself as well. At the first sign of trouble, eject in the pod and use the warbots as a distraction. Wait for the all clear sign and then use your blades to requisition a tow.",

He looked at her face. Fae's eyes were swollen. The number of tears shed by Androsynth throughout history could not fill a thimble. Alexander recognized it for the important moment that it was. He hustled back up the latter, removed his helmet and approached Fae. She looked down. She was very slightly trembling.

"I go with you. I am stronger.", Fae said.

His gentle tone contrasted the many powerful heart stopping speeches he had given that day. "Fae, My best friend, as comrades we have accomplished much together and I do not believe our collaboration is meant to end today. Still I admit--this fight has me worried. But in every impossible situation an opportunity waits to be discovered. Just as our defeat to Mudd seemed imminent, we discovered our salvation waiting to be plucked and turn our despair to victory -- That situation seems like child's play right now, like it was a lesson we learned in another age, an obstacle we could counter without effort now."

"The Eight Ball has issued a challenge. It's me they want. If I don't go they will attack The Red Destiny and both of us will be lost for sure. I have to go and go alone--it's our best chance to bring about a victory."

"I ask you to stay with the Red Destiny and preserve your life no matter what happens. I ask you to abstain from observing this fight save for monitoring my vital signs as anything more will tempt you into rash action. I ask you to complete our fight for the human race till the very end -- it will not be much longer now. I ask you to wait for the opportunity to present itself-- I cannot tell you what it will be as I don't know myself-- but you will know it when you encounter it. If you do those things for me I am sure to return to your side.", he gently cupped her cheek with his hand.

A moment passed. Alexander disengaged Fae, donned his helmet again and ambled down the latter in silence.

He opened the hatch and immediately was tractored out of the ship falling down, down, down to the evil Zell ship below.