Defending Earth-Discovery Means Death (32 page)

“That’s how I see it.”

“What’s bothering you, Chase?”

“We’ve been ordered to determine if our technology can withstand their beams. Tell me how I can do that without initiating an attack on one of their ships?”

“I suspect the only other way is to allow them to fire on us.”

“That would reveal us to them. I honestly don’t think they know about our former presence in their domain.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted to bounce this off you to see if I’m off base in my thinking.”

“I see no flaw in your logic. Give me a moment.” Chase waited and ten seconds later, Speedy said, “We really don’t want to tick off this species.”

“Why do you say that?”

“How do we target our missiles and disruptor attacks?”

“We collect light signatures from the ships we’ve designated and skip in close to fire on them.”

“I don’t know why I didn’t look at this before but I’ve just determined that their ships do not give off light signatures.”

“What?”

“I just tried to get a light signature on the closest purple ship and I came up empty. Our targeting systems do not recognize any light reflection off the field that surrounds their ships.” Chase’s mouth fell open. “I see you’ve worked out what that means.”

“We’d have to fire our missiles from point blank range to hit them. We would also have to skip in with our standard drives instead of the light drive.”

“We would be at a huge disadvantage against them and firing on a warship traveling at full speed without using a targeting computer is difficult at best and impossible at war speeds.”

“They couldn’t see us.”

“Do you think that would matter if it came down to it?”

“What do you mean?”

“They won’t be able to see our ships, but our planets aren’t invisible.” Chase suddenly felt a brief feeling of nausea. Speedy was right. “Something’s happening!”

Derek jerked up in his chair and started looking around. Chase lowered his visor, “What’s going on!”

“Communications to and from those ships have gone off the scale.”

“Do you think they’ve detected us?”

“No I don’t. Every ship above the planet is going to full power and the crews on board are all communicating with each other. If they detected us, I believe only one ship would be powering up to attack us.”

Derek shook his head and said, “Can you turn down the volume!?”

The loud wave of thoughts immediately diminished and Speedy said, “I’ve attenuated the receiver. It appears to me that the ships at the planet are powering up to attack something.”

Chase blew out a hard breath, “It has to be the Feeders coming to the site of their destroyed fleet.”

Derek nodded, “You have to be right! We need to see this!”

“Speedy, send me the coordinates of a location far enough out to avoid being in the middle of a space battle.”

“Chase, if the Feeders bring more than one fleet, it will have to be a long way out.”

“So be it. We’ll move in if needed but I’m not going to risk my ship if this battle is what I think it will be.” Chase saw the coordinates appear on his light drive and he pushed the white button.

Derek stared at the display and squinted, “I can’t see the remains of the destroyed Feeder Fleet.”

“We are too far away for me to see it visually and I will not use our scanner to get a view.”

Derek shook his head, “Speedy, surely you don’t have to be this far away!?”

Chase continued to stare at the display and absently said, “You’ve never seen a major Feeder Fleet in real life. I’m worried we might be too close.”

“You’re kidding me?”

“I really wish I were.”

Derek shook his head and fell back into his chair and scowled at the display. This was ludicrous to be this far out from where the battle might take place. An hour later, his eyes went wide and his mouth fell open as Chase said, “I’m backing out.” Derek could only shake his head at what he was seeing. The display showed huge red colored warships appearing in normal space that filled the viewport as far as he could see. They arrived in tight formations and they still continued to appear as the light ship moved away from the unimaginable numbers that seemed to go on forever. “Chase, it looks like this is the Feeder Fleets they’ve designated as number one and two.”

Derek shook his head, “This is only two fleets?”

“It is.”

“And they have ten in the four clusters?”

“They do.”

Derek fell back in his chair, “You’re right. Seeing them on video recordings doesn’t really reveal the magnitude of, of, that!” Derek pointed at the view port.

Chase nodded. “This is why we’ve never tried to take them on. This would wilt the spirit of any warrior.”

“Why did they only send two fleets?”

“I don’t know.”

Derek stared at the display and said, “You’ve mentioned that you believe this new Black Civilization hasn’t seen any of our ships. How could they not? We’ve been attacking the Feeders for more than six months.”

Chase looked at Derek and smiled, “Look at all those Feeder Warships and realize that there are five times that number scattered throughout four galactic star clusters. There are one billion times the number of stars in those clusters than all of the Feeder Warships combined. The possibility of running into one of the Purple ships during our attacks is too small to calculate.”

“The number is one in ten million that it could happen and our ships were ordered to avoid any intelligent planets, if possible when they attacked the transports. Even if a Purple Ship was scouting the Feeders, they wouldn’t have stayed with the transports but would have followed the warships. That reduces the odds even more since the transports were our primary targets.”

• • •

The First Fleet Leader looked at Fleet Leader of the First Fleet, “I want a continuous feed of everything that happens.”

“Are you expecting something, First Leader?”

“My fleet didn’t kill itself. I want everything recorded and sent to me in real time.”

“It will be done.”

The Fleet Leader disappeared from the monitor and the Second looked at the First, “The other eight fleets are formed up and ready to skip.”

“Have them remain at their positions until I order them to attack.” The second bowed and walked back to his chair. The First stared at the huge wall display and waited. Was he being overly cautious? He moved back and settled into his chair. He finished consuming the mind of a captured being lying on the floor next to him and waved at the two warriors that had carried it in to him. That was a good meal. This one was highly intelligent and tasted marvelous. The warriors dragged the dead body away.

• • •

Chase pulled up the secondary light signature and skipped out. Derek looked at him, “What are you doing!?”

“Speedy, download everything we’ve collected from observing the planet along with images of the Feeder Fleets.” Chase felt the slight vibration and immediately skipped the ship back to its former location. He moved the ship into the barrier and Derek looked at him. “We won’t be hit by ships, beams or missiles in the barrier.”

“The purple ship’s beams can hit us.”

Chase shook his head, “You’re right. Speedy, if a Purple ship comes anywhere close to our location, skip us out.”

“We’re two thousand miles from the outer edge of the Feeder Fleets. If the anticipated battle spills out of that area, I will move us to maintain the two thousand mile gap.”

“That would be good, Speedy.” Chase looked at the tactical display on his visor and said, “No new Feeder arrivals have come in for ten minutes. It shouldn’t be long now.” Chase and Derek stared at the wall monitor and suddenly it looked like a distant bolt of purple lightning lit up space in the distance. It looked like an electrical storm in a distant thunderhead on Earth. The Feeder Warships on the edge of the giant gathering turned and moved toward the distant purple bolts lighting up space.

Derek shook his head, “Are you ever wrong?”

“I was wrong about their being able to see us in the barrier.” In the distance, space was illuminated in a brilliant flash of purple. “I was also wrong about not wanting to come on this mission.” Chase hesitated, “I was also wrong about…”

“ALL RIGHT, I GET THE POINT!”

“There’s no need to get feisty. I’m just saying.” Derek turned back to the monitor as they stared at the brilliant purple flashes in the distance. They were bright enough to be seen through the viewport and Chase shook his head, “The energy to cause that much illumination must be off the scale.” Derek nodded.

“I’m moving in and maintaining three thousand miles separation.” Chase looked up, nodded, and continued to stare at the monitor.

• • •

Twelve Purple Warships materialized in the center of the vast Feeder formations and opened fire. Thousands of Feeder Warships exploded and the twelve ships expanded out in a globe formation as the huge beam portals fired continuously. The Feeder ships fell on their attackers and fell prey to the giant beams being fired at them. But the Purple Ships were not immune to the Feeder’s beams. There were too many rushing in to the attack to avoid being hit. Twenty thousand large red warships opened fire together at one of the twelve ships and its force field flashed brighter into a deep ultraviolet and then the ship exploded in a blinding, brilliant purple flash. The explosion released all the particles stored on the giant purple ship and every Feeder Warship within fifty miles was exploded and vaporized. Twelve more Purple Warships materialized in the Feeder Formations and the battle took on a frenzy that was impossible to follow.

Chase shook his head, “Speedy, did the Feeders arrive in a globe formation?”

“No, they were all on the same plane.”

“Move us above the center of the battle and maintain separation.” Derek looked at him and his eyes were wide but he remained silent. The view on the wall monitor changed and they looked down into what had to be described as a vision from hell. Now they could see what was causing the brilliant purple flashes. The Feeders were killing purple ships and the resulting explosions would temporarily black out the monitor. “The Black Civilization is only sending enough warships to keep them fighting. If they sent in their entire fleet…”

“The Feeders would run.” Chase nodded.

• • •

The First Fleet Leader watched the battle and the Second screamed, “WE HAVE TO SEND ANOTHER FLEET!”

The First looked at him and sneered, “And what do you think would happen if we did?” The Second stared at him and the First waved a claw at him, “Do you think those few ships are all they have to use against us. When we destroy one, it’s immediately replaced. Are you that blind?”

The Second looked at the huge display and began shaking. “They’re baiting us.”

The First leaned forward in agreement, “Now you’re seeing it.”

“You need to recall them!”

“And if I do, what do you think the Unity would do to us?” The Second began shaking harder. “This battle will be fought to the finish. Those two fleets will pay the price to convince the Unity of the futility of continuing this travesty.”

• • •

The Leader of the Second Feeder Fleet appeared on the First Fleet Leader’s display, “We must flee!”

“We were ordered here to attack. What do you think will happen if we do?”

“But we’re being massacred.”

“The First is receiving images of our battle and he has not intervened to recall us. I believe we are being sacrificed to protect his worthless skin.”

“But…”

“Would you prefer to be ripped apart by his claws or die an instant death in this battle. Either way, we are as good as dead.”

“One of our scouts has found the location of one of their planets about three light years away. If I’m going to die, I want to take as many of these beings as possible.”

The Fleet Leader thought about it and smiled, “Send the coordinates to all surviving ships and order them to go to that planet in two minutes.” The Second Fleet Leader nodded and the First looked at his Communication Leader, nodded, and sat back in his chair. This should determine what his species was up against.

• • •

“Chase, I’ve intercepted a Feeder Communication ordering all their ships to the planet of the Purple Ships. They’re jumping out in ninety four seconds.”

“Take us back to that system and take a position four thousand miles above the planet.” The view on the monitor changed an instant later and they saw the planet hanging in space far below them. “Now this might prove to be interesting.”

“Do you think they’ll reveal how many purple warships they have?”

“Would we use all we had to defend Earth?” Derek tilted his head and nodded. Chase turned back to the monitor, “So will they. Speedy, make sure you record everything.”

“Got it going.”

• • •

The battle continued to rage at an incredible pace when suddenly, every Feeder Warship disappeared. The thirty Purple Ships were left hanging in space for a moment and then they disappeared.

• • •

The millions of Feeder Warships appeared in the planetary system and went to full speed toward the planet. A moment later, Purple Ships began materializing at an incredible rate. They formed up around the planet and moved out into the incoming ranks of Feeder Warships and opened fire with an incredible barrage that filled the void in front of the advancing Feeders. Chase shook his head, “How many, Speedy?”

“Ten million and continuing to grow. Now there’s fifty million. A hundred million. Two hundred million.” There was a moment of silence and Speedy said, “Another hundred million have skipped in behind the Feeders and have blocked the void to prevent their escaping.”

The Purple Ships fell on the Feeders like a pride of lions on a fresh kill. There were no more purple explosions and the debris from the Feeder Warships flew out of the void and filled normal space with wreckage that was scattered in a belt ten thousand miles wide that completely circled the planet.

• • •

The First Fleet Leader watched the destruction of his fleets in silence. He looked at his Second and said, “Send the recording of this to the Unity.” The Second took a breath and pressed a button on his panel.