Lens of Time (34 page)

RV received the data and sent it straight to Boden’s Panel. He and Cyanna waited and after six hours went to get some sleep. Two hours into their naps the communicator on the wall buzzed. RV pressed the button and heard, “We have a priority communication from the Leader of the Harmony Federation. He says it’s important. I’m sorry for disturbing you, Sir.”

Cyanna beat RV to the bridge, but only barely. RV punched his panel and started to say something but stopped himself. He took a breath and said, ‘Good afternoon.”

Boden smiled and said, “You are a fast learner. We can do it.”

RV picked up Cyanna and laughed out loud as he swung her around in circles. The bridge crew wondered what was going on.

• • •

George and Dolly had RV on their display, “The enemy formation has been completed and is moving closer to us. We expect them to stop outside the range of the space cannon but that formation is something to see.”

“How is the force field holding up?”

“We brought the other reactors on line just to keep it at the level it had fallen. I suspect they would breech it in less than thirty days at the current rate they’re firing.”

Dolly shook her head, “Is there anything you can do?”

“We are going to make an effort to stop them shortly. Hang in there and hope this works.”

George looked at Dolly and she came over and hugged his neck. “He’s the best. If it can be done, he’ll do it.” She looked back up at the wall display and felt her fear.

Chapter Twenty-Six

B
eth and Riebbe waited as the shock ships downloaded the new program into their computers. The remainder of the attack force was rearming at their main ships and reading the orders that had been issued thirty minutes earlier. This was something they had never trained on and all of them were nervous.

“Do you think this is going to function as they say?”

“I asked them the same question, Riebbe, and the answer they gave me was we’ll soon know.”

“Why aren’t the main battleships taking part in this?”

“You have the same information as I do. I wish I knew the answer to that question.” Beth paused and said, “I’ve just received word from one of our mechanics on the Rome that all of the mini-penetrators have had new software downloaded into their guidance boards. What’s going on?”

“I’m not going in blind.” Riebbe hit his communication switch and Cyanna appeared on his display, “May I help you, Admiral?”

“We’re getting new software to control our ships and I understand the weapons are also being changed. We’ve had no training on any of this. We’re concerned about the safety of our pilots.”

“Do you have any trouble understanding your orders?”

“No Sir.”

“Then follow them.”

Riebbe watched his display go dark. “It looks like we’ll find out how this works as it happens; not before.”

“It’s not like Cyanna to just shut you off like that.”

Riebbe looked at his display that had started receiving a feed from the Sensor Buoys at Sierra-Garcia and he said, “Oh my God. They have other worries to handle.”

Beth’s display had also picked up the feed and she knew they were all going to die.

• • •

Captain Amie Jabaran formed up her wing with the thousands of others and yelled, “No, I don’t know what’s going on. Now shut up and follow the mission plan. Be the professionals I know you are.”

Her second in command said, “But Sir, we don’t know what these changes do. We’re flying in blind.”

Amie took a deep breath and said, “Has the Old Man ever asked us to do anything he wouldn’t do himself? Hasn’t he always planned everything so that our chances of survival are in his plan? Now is when you are going to have to trust our leaders are competent. You see Sierra-Garcia is under attack; there’s not enough time to walk us through everything. You have your targets and you have your orders; follow them!”

Amie decided at that moment that if she lived through this mission she was going directly to Asia and visit Mark in the hospital before she reported back to the Mecca. She didn’t tell him how much she loved him before he was injured and she was not going to live another day without him knowing her feelings. It didn’t matter if he felt the same. She had to tell him. She looked at her target and felt her fear. She knew all of the million shock ships felt the same.

• • •

Two hours later the massive fleet of attack craft jumped into Sierra-Garcia’s system.

• • •

The Red Fleet Sub-Admiral’s ship was in the space between the four walls of the pyramid. He was receiving a feed from the ships in the outer walls on what was happening around the giant formation. The last ships had arrived and he ordered, “Move forward to sixty miles from the planet and commence bombardment.”

“Sire, we have massive numbers of small ships emerging into normal space.”

“Did you say small ships?”

“Yes, there aren’t any of their large battleships present.”

“Those ships can’t hurt us. Keep me informed if the battleships appear.”

• • •

Riebbe slowly shook his head and then said over the main frequency. “On my command, all shock ships will engage the new software; engage.”

Amie pressed her computer key and the force field formed around her attack craft. “What is this?” She saw the sharp point appear to the front of her ship but there was a single white beam extending from that sharp point more than ten miles in front of her. She looked around and saw all of the million shock ships had the same beam. “I wonder what this does.” Multiple voices came on her channel and she said, “I don’t know.” The channel grew quiet.

Riebbe watched as the force fields formed and was just as surprised as the shock ships. He muttered, “I’m getting too old for this.” He said, “I am going to activate the new software in a moment and your ships will be controlled by your computers until you reach your targets. Buckle in tight, hang on, and good luck.” Riebbe took a deep breath and pushed the activation frequency on his panel.

• • •

Amie watched as her ship suddenly accelerated at an unbelievable velocity at the base of the giant formation. There was no way they could hit that formation at this speed and survive. She tried to take manual control but nothing worked. She leaned as far back into her seat as possible as her ship rushed into the wall of flame being fired by the Red Ships.

• • •

Beth watched the million attack craft roar down on the huge base of the formation and watched the panel as the countdown continued. Just as it reached ten, she saw the base of the formation look like a giant circle of explosions was expanding out from the center of it into the surrounding Red Ships. The countdown hit zero and she pressed the activation code for the second wave. Fifty million attack craft shot forward and moved into the center of the explosions happening in the Red Ship formation. Just before the second wave, arrived the shock ships flew out of the base and moved away from the giant formation.

• • •

Riebbe watched Beth’s second wave accelerate away and watched his count down. Beth’s wave hit the base and Riebbe pushed the activation button. The remaining three hundred million attack craft jumped to the rear of the Red Ships in a giant dish formation and waited. They didn’t have to wait long.

• • •

Amie squinted as her ship hit the flames and suddenly she was through the beams and inside the force field of a Red Battleship. She hit the ultra-beam, which hit the Red Ship in the reactor room directly in front of the engines. She turned and flew out of the force field of the exploding Red Ship through the force field of another ship. Whaaaa-hoooo. Now she was on familiar ground and she moved up into the ranks of the massed Red Ships above her. Suddenly she heard a computer voice say, “Twenty seconds to escape…fifteen seconds to escape… She continued to kill ships until the countdown reached one and she flew her ship out of the explosions behind her into open space above the rear of the giant formation. She watched as the second wave roared into the hole that had been blasted in the base. She heard, “Your coordinates are as follows.” She jumped her ship to the coordinates and saw the other shock ships appear around her. They were eighty miles to the right of the giant formation. She looked at her board and saw that twenty ships in her wing were not on the channel. Her second was one of them. Then she heard, “Weapons are active.” She read her orders again and waited for what was expected to happen. She fought the depression at the loss of her pilots and forced herself to focus on the mission.

• • •

The Sub-Admiral saw the destruction of the ships in the rear of his formation and then millions of enemy ships flew into the space inside the four walls of the giant pyramid. Millions of ships began exploding in the surrounding wall and he knew they had no defense against the attacking ships. If they fired at them they would hit their own ships across the space from their location. He slammed an appendage on the panel and yelled, “Break away and kill the ships inside the structure…” He never had the opportunity to order them to reform afterwards. One of the ten ultra-beams that hit his ship burned through the chair he was occupying and went out the ceiling.

• • •

Beth and the other ships in the second wave saw the giant pyramid break apart and she pressed the escape frequency on her console. Every ship in the second wave jumped out of the center of the Red Ships and emerged just above the force field protecting the planet. She ordered, “Launch first salve.”

• • •

Riebbe watched as millions of Red Ships in the walls of the pyramid exploded. Giant holes appeared in the formation’s walls and he wondered how long they could sustain those losses. Suddenly, the entire formation fragmented and broke apart. Millions of Red Ships scattered in all directions. “Fire first salvo.”

The millions of attack craft at the rear of the Red Fleet fired a mini-penetrator at the wave of Red Ships. They left the giant fleet and accelerated into the ranks of the enemy fleet. Thousands of Red Ships collided attempting to escape the small, fast, missiles closing in on their thrusters. The explosions started and space looked like a sun had come into existence.

Riebbe watched his sensors and saw that many of the penetrators had been destroyed in the blasts. He pressed the frequency and said, “Fire second salvo.”

Another huge wave of penetrators accelerated into the fleeing Red Ships and easily overtook them. One moment there were millions of Red Ships exploding and the next they were all gone. They had jumped away.

• • •

Dolly and George watched the destruction of the Red Formation and Dolly looked at George and said, “I told you he was the best.”

George smiled, “I never doubted you, sis.”

• • •

Riebbe sat back and Cyanna appeared on his console, “Are you trained on your new weapons or do you need more time?”

Riebbe started laughing and said, “No, I think we can take it from here.”

Cyanna smiled, “Good job, Admiral.”

• • •

Earth’s fleets had returned to their home galaxy for a deserved shore leave. The Hive, Horde, White Civilization, Nexu, and Ramst took over the effort to keep the Red Sector on its heels as the Union’s fleets took time to reunite with their families and grieve the loss of their friends.

• • •

Amie entered Mark’s hospital room and she saw him try to sit up and greet her, “Lie back down; don’t hurt yourself.”

Mark smiled and said, “It’s really good to see you. How’s the squadron?”

Amie said, “Most of the ones that were there when we were privates are gone. We’ve lost a lot of good pilots.”

Mark’s smile faded and he said, “At least you’ve made it back.” Mark stared at her uniform and said, “Hey, hey, hey; you’ve been promoted.”

Amie smiled, “That happens fast in this navy. How much longer are you going to be here?”

“I have four more sessions in the tank and the doctors believe I’ll have the use of my legs again. I’m looking forward to getting out of here.”

Amie said, “Mark…”

Mark put his hand over her mouth and silenced her. “There’s something I’ve wanted to discuss with you.”

“What is that?”

“I’ve fallen in love and I’m buying a house near the ocean where she and I can live. I’m having it repainted and I just can’t decide on whether to paint the walls light blue or white.”

Amie’s heart fell into her shoes. “Congratulations, I’m happy for you.”

“What color do you think I should use?”

Amie tried her best not to cry and managed to say, “You should ask her.”

Mark said, “I did.”

“And what did she say.”

“I’m waiting for you to answer.”

Amie stared into his eyes and he smiled, “So what color is it going to be?”

Amie fell on the bed into his arms and said, “Color it home,” just before she kissed him.

• • •

RV and Cyanna were playing with Leigh Ann when Phil and Ann arrived at their home. The door alarm sounded and RV went and invited them in. Leigh Ann saw the two strangers and stopped laughing as she intently stared at them. Phil made a funny face at her and she laughed out loud. Anne said, “I didn’t know you like children.”

“It’s the little boy in me; I can’t help it.”

Cyanna said, “Hello, did you have trouble finding us?”

Phil shook his head, “No; everyone knows where you live.”

“Really?”

“Really, why have you asked us to come here?”

Phil sat down on the floor with them and Anne joined them. Leigh Ann crawled out of Cyanna’s lap and rushed across the floor to Anne. Anne picked her up and blew on her tummy. Leigh Ann laughed and looked at her with wide eyes and a big smile.

RV said, “I want you to take the Ninja and try to do something for me.”

“What is it?”

RV spent the next hour telling him.

That’s when Chris and Jillian came in followed by Mikal and Loree. The party started and soon Kenny and Jessica arrived with Kate Diamond. An hour later, Dolly, Jeff, George, and Meisa arrived. Leigh Ann watched the adults and wondered why they made the crazy movements around the room. She stared at her mother and Cyanna said, “It’s called dancing.” Leigh Ann looked back at Dolly gyrating in a circle in the middle of the room and laughed.