The Catherine Kimbridge Chronicles #1, Inception (27 page)

"Ben, you'll forgive me if I change up the rules a little... Helm plot a jump for the D'lralu system... Jump when ready." Somewhere in the back of her mind Cat could already hear Admiral McMullen calling for her head... On a platter, preferably.

***

The Second of the First reviewed the images of the first talon's attack. He was impressed. The humans were essentially unscathed after the first run, but their rather impressive shields were beginning to fray. He had never seen a world fend off the D'lralu as effectively as these humans had, but in the end it would not matter. He had lost none of his ships, and so could keep up the attack as long as was necessary.

"Deploy the second talon." he commanded.

Immediately he knew something was wrong. The real-time video feeds from the second talon began as expected, but then went dead almost as soon as each ship finished its jump. Somehow these humans were destroying his ships and because none were surviving he couldn't tell what they were doing... He attempted to halt the jump, but the last of the second talon was already gone by the time the order was issued. The last several of these ships survived almost a full minute after the jump but what their sensors reported made no sense. His ships had jumped into some type of metallic dust cloud. The most distressing part was when, shortly after sending this information, these ships also went silent.

***

"I have the D'lralu system on forward scanners" Ken reported.

"Give me a breakdown" Cat ordered.

Ken consulted his science console before answering. "Their sun is about five percent older than Sol. Other than that it's almost a perfect match. There are six planets and two asteroid belts. Two of the planets are fast orbiting hot rocky worlds not terribly dissimilar to Mercury. The third planet is also too hot for life. Planets four and five are gas giants within the Goldilocks zone. Each as multiple Earth size moons. Two on the inner and one on the outer have liquid water and dense nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres. Planet six is a marginally habitable world along the lines of a heavy Mars... Maybe three fourths of a gravity with a very thin carbon dioxide atmosphere."

Ben stepped forward. "You'll note the innermost asteroid belt is located between planet five and six. It used to be a world called Nede, which means garden... It was our home before the Hoppers came and destroyed it at the behest of the Masters." His voice shuddered as he spoke.

The timbre of his voice reminded Cat, in a way that mere words could not that, this was a personal memory for this man and not some historical oddity. Cat was racing a clock if she wanted to prevent the same fate for her own people.

"I need targeting teams looking over all possibilities... I need a high visibility but low casualty target and I need it now!"

"There is a deep space defense platform about ten light minutes out" Chief Wroblewski offered.

"Too far out... I need something closer... By the time their population centers saw the platform attacked, Earth would have already been destroyed." Suddenly Cat had an idea. "Cal... The Nede asteroid belt... How tightly clustered are those asteroids?"

"
Very tightly captain... They will likely reform a planetary mass over the next several millennia.
"

"Question, could a series of SJ rounds properly placed force them to group up and fuse?"

"
Affirmative... Are you thinking of offering the D'lralu a gift?
"

"You catch more flies with honey."

"Or chocolate..." Ben offered with a grin.

"Cal run the calculations. Be ready to launch the SJs on my command. Ziggy... Broadcast on all channels... All D'lralu craft are to steer clear of the Nede asteroid belt."

"Captain, we are being hailed by the D'lralu High Command." Lieutenant Zimmerman said.

"Put them on."

"Attention alien vessel... This is the D'lralu Defense Force. We do not tolerate visitors to our space. You will leave this solar system or we will launch attack fighters to remove you. Acknowledge."

"Ziggy, send a response... Same channel. This is Catherine Kimbridge, Captain of the Earth ship Yorktown. As we speak a D'lralu invasion fleet is attempting to destroy my civilization.  That fleet would better serve the interests of the D'lralu people, by returning to defend their own worlds. Please consider what we are about to do as a demonstration. The next time we fire our weapons they will be against D'lralu population targets." She signaled her communication officer to cut the connection.

"Cal, are those targeting solutions ready?"

"
Affirmative Captain
" the Heshe AI responded.

"Ken any civilian targets in danger?"

"We appear to have a clean field of fire." he responded.

"Ziggy... System-wide again please.  D'lralu people... What your overlords took away, we humans now return to you. Power can be used to both create and destroy. Consider well which course you choose to take with us.  Cal, launch the missiles."

The missile ports on the USC Yorktown opened just long enough to emit three sleek 'SJ' missiles. Set on predesignated courses, they micro-jumped to precise locations. The first two suicide jumped to a position just outside the galactic core, which resulted in a directional backwash through the very temporary hyper field tunnel that existed between the two points in space. The closely clumped Nede asteroid belt was bathed in an incredibly intense beam of raw broad spectrum radiation, that was the equivalent of nearly 10% percent the D'lralu's sun's solar output. The rubble that had been the D'lralu home world was superheated and quickly reached a molten state.

Per a tightly controlled orchestration of events, the third SJ round delayed it's deployment for exactly 3.4 seconds. The backwash it generated, blasted the molten asteroid belt from a carefully selected direction, that served to slow the orbital velocity of the lead material, just enough to cause the superheated planetary debris to clump-up. The result of this incredible pyrotechnic display, was a single planet-sized mass, that would eventually cool enough to allow terraforming.

Cat signaled Ziggy to open the system-wide channel again. "This is Captain Kimbridge. What we just showed you could easily have been done anywhere in your solar system. We abhor the taking of life, but make no mistake... If pushed we will do whatever is necessary. 

I hope you understand the significance of what was just demonstrated. Not only do we have access to tremendously powerful weapons... But our jump computers can calculate coordinates in a minute fraction of a second. We can jump faster and closer than any of your ships. You should also know we have an entire fleet looking for partners to form a new coalition, to face threats like those represented by you and your overlords. 

The D'lralu people need to make a choice. You can continue on the course set by the Masters, until you are eventually beaten by a stronger race... at which point you will most certainly face the fate of your predecessors...the race you call the Hoppers... Or you can join us, and together we can set a new course for both our peoples. The choice is yours but the decision must be made immediately. Recall your fleet... Recall it NOW!"

"Here they come again," the young ensign yelled from one of the many sensor consoles that graced Orbital One's CIC. Admiral Faragon stood on the command deck, facing the Combat Information Center's massive primary holographic display. Three of his fellow admirals stood with him. Admirals Pike, Chu and McMullen faced each other from opposite sides of the fast moving display.

"Redeploy our remaining fleet to block as much of that fire as they can... How many ships do we have left?" Admiral Faragon asked.

"Our fleet is down to thirty-six effectives. Fifty-four battle damaged ships are regenerating and will be available within the hour. Our shielding is down to 53%...there are going to be gaps they can fire through" McMullen said through gritted teeth. "We really could have used another ship like the Yorktown right about now. Too bad their captain has no stomach for combat."

"Stow it Barney... Her little trick with the Dusties wiped out an entire wave." Admiral Chu said, while manipulating some of the controls in front of him.

"Fine lot of good it did us... They just started jumping in from different locations." McMullen grumbled.

"True," Admiral Pike added. "But it took them nearly thirty more minutes to recalculate their jumps... That's thirty minutes that was far more valuable to us than to them."

Admiral Faragon was looking at the deployment patterns of the incoming D'lralu attackers. "Ray, tell the defense grid to micro jump to selectively defend grids 216 through 222, as well as 104 through 112. That should put our defensive screens between their weapons and Earth."

"That's great for now but there will be nothing left for the next attack."

Faragon looked at Admiral McMullen for a full two seconds before speaking. "Barney, what would you suggest? Do I let this attack decimate our planet, or decimate our defenses?"

The cantankerous Admiral waved his hand in defeat. "You're doing the only thing we can do... I just wish we had more options other than simply running like your beloved Captain Kimbridge."

"You know full well she did not run. In all likelihood she and her brave crew are already dead... Trying to give you that other option." It was Admiral Chu who spoke.

"She acted because we did not... Don't forget that." Faragon added.

"She usurped our authority!" McMullen grumbled.

"And I for one would be delighted to debate the merits of a Court Marshal, or a commendation... If and when we survive this" Admiral Pike added... "For the moment gentleman... Can we focus on Earth's survival?"

***

The Second of the First was making his run. His was the last talon to attack before his armada cycled back to the first wing. The Earth defenses were faltering. Already two of his talons had raked across the largest of the land masses on the third planet with their beam weapons.

The shields being deployed by the humans were technically superior, and more efficient per unit of power to his own, but they were orders of magnitude lower in power.  The only reason they worked as well as they did, was because there were so many of them. Additionally, if they waited long enough, the shields seemed to actually repair themselves! That said, the shield array that the humans were using, while it had been initially effective, was now in taters and virtually eliminated. His run could finally spell the end of humanity.

"My brothers..." the Second said into his inter ship comm system, "humanity ends today, and with their death the D'lralu prove their worthiness to survive. Many of our comrades have died in our campaign against this foe. Our worth is doubly proven when we defeat such a hearty opponent. Remember our children. It is for them you fight. Bring Glory... Second out."

Turning to his weapons officer, the Second of the First issued the targeting orders for his ship. "There is a large artificial satellite... It seems to be their command and control center... It is well protected. I want every beam weapon and kinetic missile we have concentrated on that one target. Once it is gone, the defenses at Earth's disposal will be as effective as a Shaggy Leaf is at swaddling a Gomere pup."

***

The Third of the Seventh watched from the bridge of his ship in Mars orbit. The dead world below him stood as a silent testimony to the sins of his race. His brothers were even now attacking the home world of these humans. So far the humans’ defenses had held, but, as his sensor officer confirmed, this would soon change. It was time to take action. He signaled his communications officer to connect the other three ships...