Part 10
Elizabeth
Max departed immediately after we got back, and I went for a to a walk shortly after. I did not want any of Maria's cheerfulness, nor Kyle's witty remarks. I have too much to think about. Twelve hours ago I was happy, carefree and in love. Now, I'm sad, confused and the worst part, still in love. He nearly killed me, and then he saved me. What should I think? How should I feel? He's an alien, for god's sake! I'm in love with an alien. This sentence is worth five years in a nuthouse. I'm betraying my race for another one. This sentence is worth a shot in the head.
But, I have to do it, this is the opportunity I’ve waited for my entire life. I can shape our future; I can bring a halt to the war. It's a chance I can't turn down. I have to try. The little demon of paranoia is whispering in my head. What if I am betraying my humanity? What if this is just an elaborate lie? What if he's controlling my mind to obey him, to love him? No. I can't think about that. There is no way to answer these questions. I can only go with my heart. The other path leads to Ricker. Oh how do I hate that man!
I know I'm avoiding the question that concerns me the most. Humanity can wait. But what will happen to us? Can he love me despite the fact that I'm alien to him? Do they feel love at all? He never said he loved me, and I've never told him my feelings. It was happening too fast! I’ve only known him for two days! How could I've lost it so bad during such short time? It's just too damned fast. But, I can't help it. I can not not love him. Not even now, that I know we are different. Especially not now. He risked exposure when he saved me, when I could destroy his race. I can only find one plausible explanation to this: that he cares about me.
But, how can I know for sure? I can't risk scaring him away. I'm not afraid that he'll kill me, he could have a dozen times already. But, there is too much at stake. I'm not important. What matters, is that we pull this off. Ten races depend on it, mine among them. The goal is worth the price. I have to be a stonewall. I'm at the base of the pillar, if I crack, everything goes down with me. I'll hide my feelings, my happiness is unimportant compared to what's at stake. If I spend the rest of my life alone, then so be it. I won't want anyone else. I know it in my bones. He is the one for me.
But how will I be able to survive without him?
Max
I blew it. I knew I’d blow it. This was the first woman, human or antaran that I fell in love with. I had my share of adventures, when one is the crown prince of a whole race they are unavoidable. But I've never felt this... this pull. Why? It's not her beauty. She is quite pretty by human standards, but not by antaran. She is not particularly powerful. She is exceptionally bright, but I had met clever women before. I don't understand why I had been drawn to her from the beginning. Although my mind tells me otherwise, my heart says that she is the most beautiful thing I'll ever meet. Her kindness, her spirit, her lovely stubbornness... I'm mesmerized by every one of her gestures. I could watch her forever. But, I can't. She is human. I'm antaran. Our races are mortal enemies at the moment. No one on Antar would accept us. My blood is too valuable for that. The hypocrites! Why is it okay for the common folk to marry out of the race, while it is forbidden to the nobility?
It's like destiny led us together. What is the chance that one of a dozen antarans, operating in the Human Republic picks up the only Admiral who is ready, to betray her race in hope of peace in a bar by pure chance? I'll tell you. Zero. A big, round zero. There are wheels in motion that I don't see. Can it be that her prophetic abilities are guiding her to accomplish her goals unconsciously? We know next to nothing about prophecy. We have no idea of its true power. All texts about it were destroyed long ago. Plus, I've never heard of a female prophet. Maybe I'm in love with her because of what she is? Common sense says to stay away from her; she is a walking and breathing source of danger.
Unfortunately, that's not the greatest problem between us. I've got no chance with her. I tried to murder her in cold blood! How could I ever look her in the eye again? I'm a monster, unworthy of her. I hurt her so deeply, that she tried to kill herself. How could I atone for the wrongs I committed against her?
I can't imagine how she must feel about me. I cannot risk our relationship further by making any more mistakes. If we can't win her over, we are done for. I can't scare her away. Too much depends on it. My feelings are unimportant, what matters, is that we do what must be done. If I spend the rest of my life alone, then so be it. I won't want anyone else. I know it in my bones. She is the one for me.
But how will I be able to survive without her?
------
There is another talk scheduled for today. I have to fill in Rath. It won't be a pleasant chat, he is an excellent soldier, but he has a tendency to act first and think later. I put the speeder down before Michael Guerin's house. Guerin means "defiant" in antaran, it's one of the few words that could be pronounced with human organs. He lives in a flat on the third floor of a four hundred years old house. His door is open as usual. I knock on the doorframe to signal that I'm coming in. We are the cultural department of the expedition. His work concerns human arts, it's a surprising occupation for an Alliance general, but shapeshifters are rare, and he was the best suited for the work. I analyze human literature, culture, and some applied psychology. There is of course enough work in each of these fields for a research team of hundreds for decades, but there are only two dozen of us, and half of the shapeshifters are working on penetrating the government and the military.
Michael is in his study, surrounded by stacks upon stacks of optidiscs filled with the digital reproductions of human paintings, buildings, statues, millions of them. He seems rather frustrated that I disturbed him.
`What? ` He snaps when I enter.
`Rath, we need to talk. ` His expression darkens. He knows that I wouldn't use his real name, if it weren’t business.
`I've lots of news for you. Please let me finish, before you start to yell at me. ` My tone is not apologetic, more like commanding. I wonder how long he’ll last. He just nods at my words.
`Today I met Admiral Parker.` His eyes widen, but he waits for me to finish.
`I tried to assassinate her and I utterly failed.` He is still holding out, but he won't last long.
`Which was the best thing that could happen. When I revealed myself to her...` He jumps up and shouts.
`What the fucking hell? Are you out of your mind?!` He jumps to the window to look for the army. I raise my voice.
`Rath, shut up and sit down!` He stops and looks at me. He is positively boiling with anger. `Admiral Parker is ready to help us to prevent the war.
`Do you know what you are talking about? You saw her profile.` He looks at me as if I had gone mad.
`That profile is bullshit. I saw into her soul. Michael, it might be hard to believe, but Liz is pacifist.`
`Liz!? What are you talking about?`
`Liz is the Admiral.`
`You have gone mad. This is impossible.`
`It’s true. I found out only last night.` I don't mention the circumstances; he is wise enough not to ask. `Liz is the Admiral of the Fourth Human Fleet.` I didn't tell him, that she is a prophet, he is freaked out enough already.
`This is madness.`
`Listen to me, Rath. Elizabeth Parker works for the Alliance from this day forward. She is our only chance to prevent the war from breaking out. You'll have to contact the others and forward my message to them. She is a friend and a trusted ally. She is to be helped by all possible means. She is not to be harmed under any circumstances. These are my direct orders. Do you understand?` It comes out a little harsher than I intended to, but it was important to get these matters clear.
`I do.`
`Good. We'll talk later. Goodbye, Michael.` I say and I walk out of the door, closing it behind me. I don’t think it's the time to discuss my feelings towards Liz.
------
`Liz, what's wrong with you?`
`Nothing.`
`Come on. What happened? Is it Max?` I remain silent. I have the right to remain silent.
`Of course, it's Max. Tell me, what did that jerk do?` And anything I say will be used against me. But, my protective instincts flare up.
`He is not a jerk, and he did not do anything wrong. I just need some time alone. Maria, please.`
`I won’t let you waste yourself away locked up in your room.` Why not? I've retreated to my sanctuary when I got back and I haven't come out for hours.
`Maria, I need to think. Please leave me be.`
`So I guess, I'll tell Max that he should go away.` I lose control for the split of a second. I jump up and I ask.
`Max is here?` I think there is a little too much enthusiasm in my voice. She laughs haughtily, and closes the door back on me.
Was she just joking with me? Or, is Max really here? If she was just pulling my leg and I rush out of my self-imposed exile, I'd never live it down. But if he is really here...
I pull myself up. I'm not presentable at all, but it'll have to do. I quickly brush my hair, but I stop in mid air when I hear Maria's voice.
`I don't know what's between you, let me help you dude. You two belong together. Anyone can see that. She has it bad for you, so don't let me down. If you break her heart, I'll hunt you down myself and I'll use your head as door ornament with the inscription: "The stupidest human ever". Do we understand each other.`
Oh. No, no, NOOO! Maria is playing matchmaker! She is an elephant set loose in china-shop. She has no idea what are the circumstances or even who is she talking to. And, she has just laid my heart bare open at his feet. I rush out before she could cause any more harm. Maria and Max are standing in the middle of the upstairs corridor. My gaze homes onto him. He is as gorgeous as usual. No! Don't think about it! Bad girl, bad! His expression can only be described as "interesting." There is bafflement there, and amazement along with something else. I consciously don't think about what that something else could be. I don't need to get my hopes up, it will be living torture to be with him but not with him, without thinking stupid things like there is a chance that we can be together.
`Well, there is she, now shoo, go and make it up, whatever it is.` She playfully shoves him into my direction.
Max
Damn Maria! She made me hope again! I keep glancing at Liz, as we walk toward a more secluded spot. I catch her looking at me time to time. What does it mean? Is she afraid of me or is it like Maria said? No, that's impossible.
`Max, about Maria...` I imagine how awkward it must be for her.
`It's okay, I understand.` I say hastily. I feel that her already sullen mood has just dropped down a notch again.
`Liz. I'm sorry that I dumped this on you. This is a huge burden that you took up by agreeing to help us, but we need you. If the war broke out, it'd be an unprecedented bloodshed, no matter which side won in the end.` She stops and looks me in the eye. Empty holes are staring at me. Her eyes lost their life, that shimmering, laughing quality that made my heart soar. Forgive me love, that I did this to you!
`What are you trying to say?` She speaks like a robot, in a controlled, monotone manner while I stumble with my words.
`I don't claim to understand what you are going through right now. I can only beg your forgiveness for what I've done to you. I don't expect that you'll trust me ever again after this morning. But, there is just too much at stake. We are the only ones that stand in the way of utter destruction. If you want it, I'll find another contact for you instead of me, but it's too important to let my mistakes hinder us.` She just looks forward with an unreadable expression and whispers softly. Don't send me away, please, I silently beg. I can't live without you!
`I trust you.` It's a simple statement, but it's importance is indescribable to me. She places her life in my hand despite that I've wronged her in so many ways.
`And I'll love you forever for that.`, I whisper. We both freeze. Tell me, please somebody tell me that I did not just say that aloud! Please! How could I let something like this slip out? How? She just looks at me with her big, soulful eyes and asks softly.
`Did you really mean that?`
STAR Series (Very AU, sci-fi) {COMPLETE}
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silverofroswell
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Chapter 3 Part 10
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 12:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Chapter 4 Part 11
Chapter 4
New alliances
Part 11
Max
It's now or never.
`I did.`
She just stares at me numbly. I can't look into her eyes, I don't need to see the rejection in them. My head drops and I start to turn away.
`I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...`, but I'm interrupted. She takes my face between her delicate hands, and with one quick motion, she stands up on tiptoes and places a feather light kiss on my lips.
`Don't. It's all right. ` She says with a mysterious smile. I sheepishly raise my eyes from her lips to her eyes. The hollow, pained look that occupied them moments ago is gone. I feel myself falling into the deep, chocolate wells of her soul. Fire is burning in there, an unquenchable flame and I'm drawn to it like a moth to candlelight. Let it burn me, let it sear me, but I want to be immersed in it!
Now it's my turn to kiss her. I lean down and place my lips on hers. Passion engulfs us as our tongues battle. We pull apart a good minute later. Our foreheads are touching as we stare into each other's soul.
`I love you. `, We both whisper at the same time.
All the customs and laws can go to hell! I love this woman, and only her. Life is beautiful!
------
When they calmed down a bit, they sat down on a rock at the edge of the cliff, their legs dangling over the abyss. They were holding hands, and were generally as close to the other as possible, but their attention was fixed on the topic at hand.
`There are twenty-four of us here. A dozen or so are working in the government or the military. They only managed to achieve low ranks; the higher ones require medical tests that we could not possibly pass. The rest of us, me among them, are working on mapping the human culture, psyche, and society. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's a too big task for us. `
`Why only two dozens? Why not a hundred or a thousand? No one would know you from the rest of humanity.` Aliens hiding among humans was a bit of a disturbing thought for her, but she was thinking objectively, not letting her personal feelings and opinions influence her judgment, just like a good leader should.
`Shapeshifters are extremely rare, and assuming a human form is terribly difficult. And though all Antarans would gladly serve such an important cause, only a few of the best are able to operate in hostile environments for years without cracking.`
`So I guess you are some kind of elite soldier? `
`Not really. I have no special talents or training, and when my psychological analysis showed that I'd be able to cope with the stress, I was surprised the most.` He was treading on the edge of directly lying to her, but he can not tell her that shapeshifters equal the nobility according to antaran customs. If a child can change, he instantly receives rank and everything that went with it. It did not mean any special authority nowadays, more like a formal title and some smaller social benefits. Just like in England in the twentieth century. However, Max was the first-born of the King, and his successor to the throne. And being the King of Antar did carry a lot of power - especially in times of war. He had to keep this from her, it'd just scare her away. He'll tell her when the time will be appropriate, no sooner.
`Are there any of your kind in any special position that I should be aware of?` She did not ask their names or locations - what she did not know, she couldn't tell if they get caught.
`No. Rath, I mean Michael is the only one you ever met. We managed to get a man into the Fourth only now, as a low rank technician.`
`Michael is one of you?`
`He is a childhood friend, even though he is a bit impulsive sometimes, he is really reliable.
`You called him Rath. Do you have names? I'm sorry if I sound stupid, but I don't know anything about you and your people.`
`Antaran society is shockingly similar to terran. There are differences of course, but you are closer to us then anyone else we ever met. We communicate the same way you do, with words, maybe a little telepathical help. I think within a few hundred years human society will become indistinguishable from antaran for an outsider.`
`And what's your name?` The question seemed important for some reason.
`My name is long, and I can't pronounce most of it with human organs, but my friends call me Zander, and it's something that even you can pronounce.`
`Zander. Antar. Rath.` She tried the words.
`He is putting the word out that you agreed to help us. You were to be killed up to this time, providing someone could get close enough to you.` She shuddered at the thought.
`Why? I'm no one special.`
`We had a very misleading analysis of you. And you are the admiral of the offensive fleet and you are the most capable officer the human fleet has. We identified you as a primary threat to us. We had no idea who you truly were. And I'm still cold with sweat that I nearly hurt you.`
`You did what you thought was right. In the opposite case, I wouldn’t have behaved differently.` They sat in silence for a while, neither of them wanted to talk more about the topic, it was still a fresh wound. Not a full twelve hours passed since the morning, when she nearly died twice.
`We'll need to set up a meeting between the Fourth and your ships. You should bring enough firepower to make me able to retain your ships from attacking.’
`We'll have to act fast. I've no idea how close your scouts are to the Alliance planets, but they can't be far away.`
`I can access the routes of the Fifth. I'll bring the data with me, so we can choose a point for the "first encounter." It would be for the best if it weren’t in one of your star systems. I'd rather not give a target to my bomber commanders, if I can avoid it.`
`I can only agree with that.`, he nodded gravely.
`I think I'll take only a limited number of ships with me. I have complete control over Destiny, but if there are too many corvettes around, some hotheaded youngster might decide that he'll save the world alone, and then all hell will be set loose.`
`I like the way you think. And you say that you are no one special.`
`I'm just thinking logically.`
`How much do you trust your men?`
`Destiny and Fate will obey me, Jim will follow my orders, he has known me from the age of five. He is one of the reasons I'm where I am now. I'll have to make sure that Pierce stays away, though. I don't trust him at all, but I couldn't find a reason yet to get rid of him. I know a lot of my captains personally, and most of them are good men. Why?`
`Could you trust anyone with this?` Liz hesitated a moment before answering.
`Only one for sure. My adjutant, Alex. He knows how I feel and he agrees with me. I don't know about anyone else. It's not something that you boast about. Only my friends know my true opinion on Ricker. These thoughts mean treachery in the eyes of the Council. Only four people know about it. Alex. We can count on him. Maria. I'd trust her with my life, but not with yours. I've no idea how would she react. Kyle and his father, Jim.` It took a few seconds for him to associate Kyle's father with the Jim she previously mentioned.
`Kyle's father is James Valenti?`
`Yep.`
Wow. You sure have nice company in that villa. Is Maria a Council member in her free time? Or is the house just above the Central Command Center for the fleets? ` She smacked him in the arm.
`No, Kyle's just a friend. We've always hung out together, as long as I can remember.`
`So what about them? Vice-admiral Valenti would be an enormous help.`
`Honestly, I'd say he'd go along, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. He has strange ideas of honor and duty, and what I'm doing is treachery . But it's a betrayal I've been planning for a long. long time.`
`I can monitor emotions and read surface thought if I have to, but I need special equipment for it. It's not big in size, but you don't walk around carrying draconian mental-amplifiers in your pocket, if you can help it.`
`So if I'd introduce you to a few officers, and I mentioned the matter in some innocent way, could you check if they could be enlisted?`
`Not with a hundred percent certainty, but yes.`
`Then we will have to limit the number of candidates. We are dead if anyone babbles, and what's more frightening, the war would become unavoidable.`
`And Liz?`
`Yes?`
`How many know that you are a prophet?`
`Only Maria. She was there when it first happened. I was very cautious to conceal it since then. I think Alex suspects it. But it's hard to suspect something that you know is impossible.`
`Just like aliens disguised as humans.` He said, amused.
`Something like that.` She saw the irony of the situation too.
`We are impossible.`, he laughed at them. If someone looked at them, he would see a young couple taking a brake from their romantic stroll. And, there he was, an alien prince, disguised as a terran, conspiring about overthrowing the current system with one of the six Admirals of humanity, already a traitor, who just happens to be a prophet!
`You are. I'm completely ordinary.` She said feigning hurt.
`I'm just a simple antaran, Prophetess. Would you tell my fortune for a coin?`
`I could.` She suddenly became very self conscious.
`And what is in store for me, oh mighty visionary?` He whispered in a husky voice as he leaned closer.
`I see a beautiful, clever woman in your path.` She took his palm into her hand, and pretended to examine the lines of it.
`A blonde?` He asked in a fake hopeful voice. She gave him a light smack on the head then continued in a serious manner.
`No... not a blonde... Or maybe. It's clouded. She might be blond for the time being, but... Ah yes, I see dark hair. Long dark hair and brown eyes. She is very beautiful.`
`I bet she is. Tell me more about her. Will she love me?` The game suddenly became more serious and laden with heavy meaning.
`Forever, if only you'd love her back.`
`I already do, with all my heart.`
`So you think you have found this lady of yours?`
`I'm sure.`
`And who is she?`
`She was born far away from me, a noble spirit among lesser men. My humble words can't even begin to describe her eternal beauty. She is a powerful woman, a ruler of sorts, a warlord and a visionary just like yourself, oh my lady. I'm completely unworthy of her love and attention.`
'And what of the distance that sets you apart?`
`I think our love and trust can bridge any distance and overcome any obstacles separating us, if only she felt the same way.` Her heart was beating furiously and she felt in his hand that his did too.
'Then perhaps you should confess your feelings to this mysterious lady.`
He raised his hand to her face and looked her deep in the eye.
`I think I just did.`
Sorry guys, I'll cease posting for at least a week. I hurt my right wrist and for two weeks I have to go easy on it. (this happened last Friday, but I had a couple of parts ready)
New alliances
Part 11
Max
It's now or never.
`I did.`
She just stares at me numbly. I can't look into her eyes, I don't need to see the rejection in them. My head drops and I start to turn away.
`I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...`, but I'm interrupted. She takes my face between her delicate hands, and with one quick motion, she stands up on tiptoes and places a feather light kiss on my lips.
`Don't. It's all right. ` She says with a mysterious smile. I sheepishly raise my eyes from her lips to her eyes. The hollow, pained look that occupied them moments ago is gone. I feel myself falling into the deep, chocolate wells of her soul. Fire is burning in there, an unquenchable flame and I'm drawn to it like a moth to candlelight. Let it burn me, let it sear me, but I want to be immersed in it!
Now it's my turn to kiss her. I lean down and place my lips on hers. Passion engulfs us as our tongues battle. We pull apart a good minute later. Our foreheads are touching as we stare into each other's soul.
`I love you. `, We both whisper at the same time.
All the customs and laws can go to hell! I love this woman, and only her. Life is beautiful!
------
When they calmed down a bit, they sat down on a rock at the edge of the cliff, their legs dangling over the abyss. They were holding hands, and were generally as close to the other as possible, but their attention was fixed on the topic at hand.
`There are twenty-four of us here. A dozen or so are working in the government or the military. They only managed to achieve low ranks; the higher ones require medical tests that we could not possibly pass. The rest of us, me among them, are working on mapping the human culture, psyche, and society. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it's a too big task for us. `
`Why only two dozens? Why not a hundred or a thousand? No one would know you from the rest of humanity.` Aliens hiding among humans was a bit of a disturbing thought for her, but she was thinking objectively, not letting her personal feelings and opinions influence her judgment, just like a good leader should.
`Shapeshifters are extremely rare, and assuming a human form is terribly difficult. And though all Antarans would gladly serve such an important cause, only a few of the best are able to operate in hostile environments for years without cracking.`
`So I guess you are some kind of elite soldier? `
`Not really. I have no special talents or training, and when my psychological analysis showed that I'd be able to cope with the stress, I was surprised the most.` He was treading on the edge of directly lying to her, but he can not tell her that shapeshifters equal the nobility according to antaran customs. If a child can change, he instantly receives rank and everything that went with it. It did not mean any special authority nowadays, more like a formal title and some smaller social benefits. Just like in England in the twentieth century. However, Max was the first-born of the King, and his successor to the throne. And being the King of Antar did carry a lot of power - especially in times of war. He had to keep this from her, it'd just scare her away. He'll tell her when the time will be appropriate, no sooner.
`Are there any of your kind in any special position that I should be aware of?` She did not ask their names or locations - what she did not know, she couldn't tell if they get caught.
`No. Rath, I mean Michael is the only one you ever met. We managed to get a man into the Fourth only now, as a low rank technician.`
`Michael is one of you?`
`He is a childhood friend, even though he is a bit impulsive sometimes, he is really reliable.
`You called him Rath. Do you have names? I'm sorry if I sound stupid, but I don't know anything about you and your people.`
`Antaran society is shockingly similar to terran. There are differences of course, but you are closer to us then anyone else we ever met. We communicate the same way you do, with words, maybe a little telepathical help. I think within a few hundred years human society will become indistinguishable from antaran for an outsider.`
`And what's your name?` The question seemed important for some reason.
`My name is long, and I can't pronounce most of it with human organs, but my friends call me Zander, and it's something that even you can pronounce.`
`Zander. Antar. Rath.` She tried the words.
`He is putting the word out that you agreed to help us. You were to be killed up to this time, providing someone could get close enough to you.` She shuddered at the thought.
`Why? I'm no one special.`
`We had a very misleading analysis of you. And you are the admiral of the offensive fleet and you are the most capable officer the human fleet has. We identified you as a primary threat to us. We had no idea who you truly were. And I'm still cold with sweat that I nearly hurt you.`
`You did what you thought was right. In the opposite case, I wouldn’t have behaved differently.` They sat in silence for a while, neither of them wanted to talk more about the topic, it was still a fresh wound. Not a full twelve hours passed since the morning, when she nearly died twice.
`We'll need to set up a meeting between the Fourth and your ships. You should bring enough firepower to make me able to retain your ships from attacking.’
`We'll have to act fast. I've no idea how close your scouts are to the Alliance planets, but they can't be far away.`
`I can access the routes of the Fifth. I'll bring the data with me, so we can choose a point for the "first encounter." It would be for the best if it weren’t in one of your star systems. I'd rather not give a target to my bomber commanders, if I can avoid it.`
`I can only agree with that.`, he nodded gravely.
`I think I'll take only a limited number of ships with me. I have complete control over Destiny, but if there are too many corvettes around, some hotheaded youngster might decide that he'll save the world alone, and then all hell will be set loose.`
`I like the way you think. And you say that you are no one special.`
`I'm just thinking logically.`
`How much do you trust your men?`
`Destiny and Fate will obey me, Jim will follow my orders, he has known me from the age of five. He is one of the reasons I'm where I am now. I'll have to make sure that Pierce stays away, though. I don't trust him at all, but I couldn't find a reason yet to get rid of him. I know a lot of my captains personally, and most of them are good men. Why?`
`Could you trust anyone with this?` Liz hesitated a moment before answering.
`Only one for sure. My adjutant, Alex. He knows how I feel and he agrees with me. I don't know about anyone else. It's not something that you boast about. Only my friends know my true opinion on Ricker. These thoughts mean treachery in the eyes of the Council. Only four people know about it. Alex. We can count on him. Maria. I'd trust her with my life, but not with yours. I've no idea how would she react. Kyle and his father, Jim.` It took a few seconds for him to associate Kyle's father with the Jim she previously mentioned.
`Kyle's father is James Valenti?`
`Yep.`
Wow. You sure have nice company in that villa. Is Maria a Council member in her free time? Or is the house just above the Central Command Center for the fleets? ` She smacked him in the arm.
`No, Kyle's just a friend. We've always hung out together, as long as I can remember.`
`So what about them? Vice-admiral Valenti would be an enormous help.`
`Honestly, I'd say he'd go along, but I'm not one hundred percent sure. He has strange ideas of honor and duty, and what I'm doing is treachery . But it's a betrayal I've been planning for a long. long time.`
`I can monitor emotions and read surface thought if I have to, but I need special equipment for it. It's not big in size, but you don't walk around carrying draconian mental-amplifiers in your pocket, if you can help it.`
`So if I'd introduce you to a few officers, and I mentioned the matter in some innocent way, could you check if they could be enlisted?`
`Not with a hundred percent certainty, but yes.`
`Then we will have to limit the number of candidates. We are dead if anyone babbles, and what's more frightening, the war would become unavoidable.`
`And Liz?`
`Yes?`
`How many know that you are a prophet?`
`Only Maria. She was there when it first happened. I was very cautious to conceal it since then. I think Alex suspects it. But it's hard to suspect something that you know is impossible.`
`Just like aliens disguised as humans.` He said, amused.
`Something like that.` She saw the irony of the situation too.
`We are impossible.`, he laughed at them. If someone looked at them, he would see a young couple taking a brake from their romantic stroll. And, there he was, an alien prince, disguised as a terran, conspiring about overthrowing the current system with one of the six Admirals of humanity, already a traitor, who just happens to be a prophet!
`You are. I'm completely ordinary.` She said feigning hurt.
`I'm just a simple antaran, Prophetess. Would you tell my fortune for a coin?`
`I could.` She suddenly became very self conscious.
`And what is in store for me, oh mighty visionary?` He whispered in a husky voice as he leaned closer.
`I see a beautiful, clever woman in your path.` She took his palm into her hand, and pretended to examine the lines of it.
`A blonde?` He asked in a fake hopeful voice. She gave him a light smack on the head then continued in a serious manner.
`No... not a blonde... Or maybe. It's clouded. She might be blond for the time being, but... Ah yes, I see dark hair. Long dark hair and brown eyes. She is very beautiful.`
`I bet she is. Tell me more about her. Will she love me?` The game suddenly became more serious and laden with heavy meaning.
`Forever, if only you'd love her back.`
`I already do, with all my heart.`
`So you think you have found this lady of yours?`
`I'm sure.`
`And who is she?`
`She was born far away from me, a noble spirit among lesser men. My humble words can't even begin to describe her eternal beauty. She is a powerful woman, a ruler of sorts, a warlord and a visionary just like yourself, oh my lady. I'm completely unworthy of her love and attention.`
'And what of the distance that sets you apart?`
`I think our love and trust can bridge any distance and overcome any obstacles separating us, if only she felt the same way.` Her heart was beating furiously and she felt in his hand that his did too.
'Then perhaps you should confess your feelings to this mysterious lady.`
He raised his hand to her face and looked her deep in the eye.
`I think I just did.`
Sorry guys, I'll cease posting for at least a week. I hurt my right wrist and for two weeks I have to go easy on it. (this happened last Friday, but I had a couple of parts ready)
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 12:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Chapter 4 Part 12
Part 12
`Chica, I can't figure you out.`
`Hmmm?`
`You are riding an emotional roller coaster. One second you are higher than high, next you are moody as hell, and when I look back again, you are singing happily to yourself. Liz, I've known you nearly for twenty years and I've never ever heard you sing.`
`Well I'm just happy, I guess.`
`So things worked out with Max all right?`
`They did. It is complicated, but you know what Grandma said.`
`If it's not complicated then probably it's not true love.` They said in unison, laughing.
`So I guess we are going to the city again with Max and Michael.`
`Oh, no, not really. He has some things to do, and I think Michael will be out of town for a few days. Max mentioned something about it to me.`
`Oh.` Maria sounded a tad bit disappointed.
`Don't worry. They'll come back. Anyways, I've a few things to take care of. Even though I've found the love of my life, that doesn't change that I'm the Admiral of the Fourth.` She jumped up from the hammock they were sitting on, and bounced off like a schoolgirl to call Alex.
Maria looked after her with a bemused expression on her face. "Love of my life,” honestly, when did Liz start to talk like this?
------
`Alex, I need you to come down to see us. It's important.`
`You left a terrible amount of work for me. Can't it wait?`
`Trust me, it's more important than anything else. Close the office for one day and fly here. I can't go to you.`
`What's it about? Why can't you come here?`
`You'll understand. I can't talk about it on vid.`
`Liz, this line is totally secure.`
`I still don't trust it. Alex, please, pretty, pretty please.`
`Okay. But it should better be worth it.`
`It is, oh it is.`
They talked about more trivial matters for a few minutes and immediately after he hung up, she called Fleet Command and requested a complete route plan for all the ships of the Fifth for six months ahead. They promised her that she’d get it in the morning. After that she logged in onto Destiny and downloaded the list of the officers that served under her. She printed the list, sat down on the balcony with the sheet in her lap, and started to cross out the names one by one.
------
When next morning Alex's shuttle landed in Athens Central, Liz and a car were already waiting for him. She ushered him inside and ignored his questions until they were under way.
`So what was that cryptic conversation you had with me last night all about?`
`Alex, I don't know how to start this... What do you think of the Ricker doctrine?` She formed her words carefully, while she kept one eye on the road.
`You know what I think. It's stupid and dangerous as hell.`
`And what if there was another solution?`
`What solution? What do you mean?`
`I mean living in peace.`
`It's a nice idea, but it's impossible to accomplish.`
`What if someone, somewhere already accomplished it?`
`What are you talking about? What is the point of this conversation?` They were getting out of Athens.
`A few nights ago I met a rather special man.`
`And?`
`And he agreed to meet us today. We are nearly there. Just a sec.` She pulled over to a side road and after a kilometer or so, she completely left the road. They soon reached an abandoned stone quarry. They got out.
`So where is he and what is this about?`
`Anytime now. Yes there he is.` She pointed at a dot rapidly approaching.
A speeder descended from the skies, carrying Max. He got off his bike and started towards them.
`Alex, I'd like to meet you Ambassador Zander of the Draconian Alliance. Ambassador, this is Colonel Whitman, my adjutant.`
`This is some kind of joke, isn't it?`
`I'm afraid not, Colonel,` Max said. Alex extended his hands to meet Max's and he shook them instinctively, and only when he felt them strange did Alex look down, only to find long, silvery fingers in his hand.
He jerked away and jumped a step back.
`What is this? Liz, get away from him!`
`Alex, calm down. The ambassador has a little strange sense of humor,` she said, giving a pointed look to Max.
`I apologize, Colonel, I didn't mean to startle you.`
`Liz what's going on?`
`Alex sit down and listen to us. The Republic and the Alliance are at the brink of war, a war that must be avoided at all costs. That's why we need your help...`
------
`Well, that went rather well.` He said, looking after the departing shuttle.
`I told you that we can depend on him.` They were sitting in their usual place, the great cliff overlooking the sea.
`I guess I should make a FAQ. The top ten facts that you'd want to know about an alien, and hand them out. It'd spare time.`
`You are being cynical, you know?` She asked.
`I hoped you wouldn't notice.` He said with mock seriousness.
`So you enlisted the Admiral of the Fourth and her adjutant. Whom next?`
`It depends on what Alex brings back.` They let him on their plan, and now he was making silent, probing inquiries at the trustworthy captains of the fleet.
`Chica, I can't figure you out.`
`Hmmm?`
`You are riding an emotional roller coaster. One second you are higher than high, next you are moody as hell, and when I look back again, you are singing happily to yourself. Liz, I've known you nearly for twenty years and I've never ever heard you sing.`
`Well I'm just happy, I guess.`
`So things worked out with Max all right?`
`They did. It is complicated, but you know what Grandma said.`
`If it's not complicated then probably it's not true love.` They said in unison, laughing.
`So I guess we are going to the city again with Max and Michael.`
`Oh, no, not really. He has some things to do, and I think Michael will be out of town for a few days. Max mentioned something about it to me.`
`Oh.` Maria sounded a tad bit disappointed.
`Don't worry. They'll come back. Anyways, I've a few things to take care of. Even though I've found the love of my life, that doesn't change that I'm the Admiral of the Fourth.` She jumped up from the hammock they were sitting on, and bounced off like a schoolgirl to call Alex.
Maria looked after her with a bemused expression on her face. "Love of my life,” honestly, when did Liz start to talk like this?
------
`Alex, I need you to come down to see us. It's important.`
`You left a terrible amount of work for me. Can't it wait?`
`Trust me, it's more important than anything else. Close the office for one day and fly here. I can't go to you.`
`What's it about? Why can't you come here?`
`You'll understand. I can't talk about it on vid.`
`Liz, this line is totally secure.`
`I still don't trust it. Alex, please, pretty, pretty please.`
`Okay. But it should better be worth it.`
`It is, oh it is.`
They talked about more trivial matters for a few minutes and immediately after he hung up, she called Fleet Command and requested a complete route plan for all the ships of the Fifth for six months ahead. They promised her that she’d get it in the morning. After that she logged in onto Destiny and downloaded the list of the officers that served under her. She printed the list, sat down on the balcony with the sheet in her lap, and started to cross out the names one by one.
------
When next morning Alex's shuttle landed in Athens Central, Liz and a car were already waiting for him. She ushered him inside and ignored his questions until they were under way.
`So what was that cryptic conversation you had with me last night all about?`
`Alex, I don't know how to start this... What do you think of the Ricker doctrine?` She formed her words carefully, while she kept one eye on the road.
`You know what I think. It's stupid and dangerous as hell.`
`And what if there was another solution?`
`What solution? What do you mean?`
`I mean living in peace.`
`It's a nice idea, but it's impossible to accomplish.`
`What if someone, somewhere already accomplished it?`
`What are you talking about? What is the point of this conversation?` They were getting out of Athens.
`A few nights ago I met a rather special man.`
`And?`
`And he agreed to meet us today. We are nearly there. Just a sec.` She pulled over to a side road and after a kilometer or so, she completely left the road. They soon reached an abandoned stone quarry. They got out.
`So where is he and what is this about?`
`Anytime now. Yes there he is.` She pointed at a dot rapidly approaching.
A speeder descended from the skies, carrying Max. He got off his bike and started towards them.
`Alex, I'd like to meet you Ambassador Zander of the Draconian Alliance. Ambassador, this is Colonel Whitman, my adjutant.`
`This is some kind of joke, isn't it?`
`I'm afraid not, Colonel,` Max said. Alex extended his hands to meet Max's and he shook them instinctively, and only when he felt them strange did Alex look down, only to find long, silvery fingers in his hand.
He jerked away and jumped a step back.
`What is this? Liz, get away from him!`
`Alex, calm down. The ambassador has a little strange sense of humor,` she said, giving a pointed look to Max.
`I apologize, Colonel, I didn't mean to startle you.`
`Liz what's going on?`
`Alex sit down and listen to us. The Republic and the Alliance are at the brink of war, a war that must be avoided at all costs. That's why we need your help...`
------
`Well, that went rather well.` He said, looking after the departing shuttle.
`I told you that we can depend on him.` They were sitting in their usual place, the great cliff overlooking the sea.
`I guess I should make a FAQ. The top ten facts that you'd want to know about an alien, and hand them out. It'd spare time.`
`You are being cynical, you know?` She asked.
`I hoped you wouldn't notice.` He said with mock seriousness.
`So you enlisted the Admiral of the Fourth and her adjutant. Whom next?`
`It depends on what Alex brings back.` They let him on their plan, and now he was making silent, probing inquiries at the trustworthy captains of the fleet.
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 12:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Chapter 4 Part 13
Part 13
A week later
The Ballhaus of Genf
The three story high structure hosted balls for nearly every evening in the last six hundred years and tonight wasn't an exception either. The most luxurious cars that money could buy pulled up before the marble stairs and the elite of the Republic started to fill the halls that have seen Napoleon. The invitations were printed with gold letters on real paper, but the doormen rarely requested them. They've seen the faces of the guests on vid everyday. Council members, major politicians with their spouses, entertainment stars with their girl or boyfriends (not necessarily from the opposite sex), high ranking officers of the Military, the First and the Fourth milled between the carved pillars. Everyone was trying to look their best, the men in tuxes or uniforms, the women in evening dresses. This year's fashion was particularly modest compared to the last decade, when you could tell the color of your dance partner's pubic hair. Now everyone wore sparkling bright colored long dresses. The jewelry was restricted to the head and the legs, ankle and toe rings, tiaras and crowns. Earpieces were frowned upon nowadays, just like piercings. If anything, the craziness of fashion with its ever changing trends easily survived the last five hundred years, and it showed no sign that it will ease its grip on the wallets of husbands in the near future.
A nondescript Mercedes stopped before the stairs and four people got out of it. The driver was a colonel of the Navy, and a tall, northern beauty emerged from his right. One of the back doors opened and a handsome black haired man wearing a tux, hurried to the other side to open the door for his partner, while the man in the uniform instructed the autopilot to park the car nearby. The four of them walked up on the steps. The colonel flashed his invitation letter, stepped inside undisturbed, but when the next couple tried to enter one of the doormen stepped in front of them, and addressed the woman.
`Sorry, Madame, but formal wear is required.` She slowly looked up and down at herself. She was wearing jeans with a turquoise blouse and her only jewelry was a crudely formed medallion from some black stone with a silver whirlwind on it. She turned back to the doorman.
`Seems formal enough for me. Now step out of my way.`
`May I see your invitation, Madame?`
`I don't think I need one.` Her tone was icy and threatening. The line was slowly growing behind them, everyone watched the exchange curiously.
`Then, I'm sorry Madame, I can't let...` Recognition dawned on the other doorman's face. He quickly pulled his mate out of her way.
`Please, forgive us Admiral. We didn't recognize you.` Liz nodded shortly and with Max on her arm, she entered the ball.
As they passed the Gate, a low murmur ran through the crowd gathered outside, spiced occasionally with laughter. The reporters waiting outside grabbed their cameras and tried to shoot a few pictures quickly, cursing themselves that they hadn't recognized her. That damned blonde hair! They were trying very hard to get a clear shot of her partner - whoever he was, he was worth the second page - if not the first. Admiral Parker was only seen with her adjutant and the son of Vice Admiral Valenti in public so far. They had no idea that the love story of the millenium was walking away in front of their eyes.
Max
I'm a little anxious about this night. We are going to approach various officers and probe their mind, seeking possible allies. Alex and Lonnie will be doing the same. If we get caught, the Antaran Royal Line will be beheaded. Lonnie, oh excuse me, Isabel Müller, is my sister, the princess of Antar. I wouldn't risk her if there were another choice, but there is not. There are only five women among us and Lonnie is the only one with mental powers.
My amplifier is sewed to the inside of my tux. It's a plain metal disc, seven centimeters in diameter. There is only one button on it - power on. All the other functions are controlled through the mental interface. I've no idea how it works, but it does, it's the most recent product of the draconian technology. I just have to think in a certain way to bring up the interface. It's like moving muscles. You don't tell your legs: move, you just will them to do it. It's the same with the mental amplifier. I have my own abilities but it enhances them hundredfold. I can read their thoughts and feelings, I can implant faint suggestions. I can't delete memories, but I can block them temporarily. And of course, I can kill with a single thought. That's the easiest, destruction was always simple, but going in and out unnoticed is an intricate and dangerous art. Emphasis is on unnoticed.
My Liz is leading me through the crowd, occasionally nodding to the greetings, stopping once or twice when it is unavoidable, introducing me. I go as Max Evans, the journalist, there was no point in constructing a fake background when I already had one. We get some drinks from a waiter, and I try to remember whether I've taken my enzymes this morning or not. Most of the human foods, including all kinds of alcohol, are poisonous to us, so we have to take special enzymes to be able to digest them.
We don't want to raise suspicion, so it takes fifteen minutes and two laps to reach our first target - Vice Admiral Valenti. We decided to start with a friendly, if anything goes wrong, it is more likely that we can fast-talk our way out of trouble.
James Valenti is a middle aged man, slightly going bald (I will never understand the evolutionary necessity behind balding). He has an honest face and a penetrating, ice blue gaze. Like all commanding officers', his uniform is pure white instead of the black and blue combination of his underlings. He has three silver stripes across his chest - he belongs to the third battleship of the Fourth Fleet. He is decorated like a Christmas tree. My beloved shows her opinion on her decorations by keeping her collection on Destiny, in a dusty box just behind her old school stuff.
I steal a peek into his thoughts. He is glad to see Liz and he recognizes me as her boyfriend. He is scrutinizing me to see if I'm good enough for her. I quit his mind and return his gaze. He seems to find me to his liking. In the meantime, we reach him. They hug, and when they pull apart, she says,
`Jim, I'd like to introduce you to Max.`
We shake hands.
`Max Evans.`
`Jim Valenti. I've already heard of you from my son.`
`I hope only good things, Vice Admiral.`
`Please, call me Jim. I guess you don't "Admiral" Liz either.`
`Not really.` I smile. Not at all.
After the introduction is over Liz takes over the conversation. She tells him about Athens while we are slowly maneuvering him towards one of the balconies. I can't read his mind, it takes a lot of concentration and I have to chime in a few times to keep up the appearance of an innocent conversation. We finally reach our destination.
`Why don't we take a bit of fresh air, Jim?` asks Liz as she leads him out.
`I'll get us some drinks, darling.` I've got to give them some privacy. I quickly grab to glasses from the nearest waiter and with the drinks in my hand, I lean against the wall and start to concentrate.
On the balcony
Liz leaned on the railing and looked up on the sky.
`Have you ever wondered that is there anyone like us out there?` He stepped up beside her and followed her gaze.
`There must be.`
`We are waging war against sure losers. What if we meet someone who has the same weapons as we do?`
`Knowing ourselves, there will be war.`
`It just seems so unnecessary, all this bloodshed.`
`It might be, but there is no way to avoid it.`
`You are right.`
I choose this moment to return with the drinks.
`Hey, what kept you?` She asks me with fake cheeriness.
`Well, I was flirting with that blonde...` I tease back. She acknowledges the message - blond: yes, brown: no.
`Jim, why don't you visit us on the next week?`
`I don't know; there is so much to do.`
`Come on, I'll make it worth your while.`
`Liz, I...`
`Just take a one day leave and spend some time with your son and your friends.` He still looks unconvinced. `Please, pretty please,` she whines.
`Okay. But just one day.`
`Thank you, Jim!` She jumps to hug him and gives him a kiss. `How about next Wednesday?`
`I can free it up, I guess.`
`Okay, we'll pick you up at the spaceport.` It takes another five minutes to close the encounter and leave. Thirty minutes for one man! It's gonna be a busy night.
Alex
`Goodbye, Geoff, see you on Wednesday!`
`'Bye, Whitman!` He says as he turns away. The captain of the Blue Unicorn thinks he is being invited to a staff meeting held in a five star hotel. Where he is looking forward to a nasty surprise. Isabel is standing a little farther away. When he leaves the scene, Isabel comes back to me. She looks like a fantasy come true, long legs, perfect figure, sensuous, lusty lips, but she's a real bitch. And she is a shape-changing, mind reading alien.
How did I get caught up in this? I hate the idea of war. I don't have the Liz’s idealism, but I've studied history. The more equal strength two sides have, the greater number of people die. And if it is possible to live in peace, then why battle? But dragging my friends into a conspiracy where we'll be shot if we fail... But Liz is right. We need help. And no price is too great when total destruction is the other option. I'm snapped out of my thought by the cold voice of Isabel.
`Who is next?` I try to remember the list.
`Let's see, if we can find Colonel Wronsky.`
`Who is he?`, she asks without any interest in her voice.
`He is a she. The captain of the Loki, an other seventh class battle cruiser.`
The first class consists of unmanned probes. The fighters and bombers belong to the second class. The third is any ship with a crew between five and twenty five, usually called gunboats. Fourth class ships are corvettes, up to a crew of fifty. (Ship class is defined by destructive power, not by crew number, but in most cases it fits.) Cruisers are the first ships considered as individuals in high-level strategy, with a good hundred people on board. Above them are frigates and finally battle cruisers. Erika commands four hundred-something men, and an impressive arsenal. There are no eighth class ships currently in the Navy. The ninth class is the battleships, the twelve enormous weapons that give the backbone to the human fleets. In theory, there is a tenth class, something like the Death Star in the old Star Wars films, but now it exists only on the drawing table. Once built, it will be the entire Seventh Fleet in itself.
I spot her, she is talking to a handsome young man, next to the punch bowl. I signal Isabel to follow me from a distance as I go over to them. I try to look casual as I greet her.
`Good evening, Erika!` She eyed me for a time, she knew I was coming.
`Hello, Alex. Alex, this is Tom, my husband. Tom, this is Alexander Whitman, the adjutant of our Admiral.` He has a firm, strong handshake. I had no idea that she had a husband. I shrug it off, it is of no importance.
`Tom, can I rob your wife for a few minutes? You'll have her back intact, I promise.` He understands that he is not cleared for some things, and he tries to grin and bear it.
`Sure, go ahead.`
`Thanks.` I start to steer Erika towards the nearest moderately quiet place.
This is going to be a long night...
A week later
The Ballhaus of Genf
The three story high structure hosted balls for nearly every evening in the last six hundred years and tonight wasn't an exception either. The most luxurious cars that money could buy pulled up before the marble stairs and the elite of the Republic started to fill the halls that have seen Napoleon. The invitations were printed with gold letters on real paper, but the doormen rarely requested them. They've seen the faces of the guests on vid everyday. Council members, major politicians with their spouses, entertainment stars with their girl or boyfriends (not necessarily from the opposite sex), high ranking officers of the Military, the First and the Fourth milled between the carved pillars. Everyone was trying to look their best, the men in tuxes or uniforms, the women in evening dresses. This year's fashion was particularly modest compared to the last decade, when you could tell the color of your dance partner's pubic hair. Now everyone wore sparkling bright colored long dresses. The jewelry was restricted to the head and the legs, ankle and toe rings, tiaras and crowns. Earpieces were frowned upon nowadays, just like piercings. If anything, the craziness of fashion with its ever changing trends easily survived the last five hundred years, and it showed no sign that it will ease its grip on the wallets of husbands in the near future.
A nondescript Mercedes stopped before the stairs and four people got out of it. The driver was a colonel of the Navy, and a tall, northern beauty emerged from his right. One of the back doors opened and a handsome black haired man wearing a tux, hurried to the other side to open the door for his partner, while the man in the uniform instructed the autopilot to park the car nearby. The four of them walked up on the steps. The colonel flashed his invitation letter, stepped inside undisturbed, but when the next couple tried to enter one of the doormen stepped in front of them, and addressed the woman.
`Sorry, Madame, but formal wear is required.` She slowly looked up and down at herself. She was wearing jeans with a turquoise blouse and her only jewelry was a crudely formed medallion from some black stone with a silver whirlwind on it. She turned back to the doorman.
`Seems formal enough for me. Now step out of my way.`
`May I see your invitation, Madame?`
`I don't think I need one.` Her tone was icy and threatening. The line was slowly growing behind them, everyone watched the exchange curiously.
`Then, I'm sorry Madame, I can't let...` Recognition dawned on the other doorman's face. He quickly pulled his mate out of her way.
`Please, forgive us Admiral. We didn't recognize you.` Liz nodded shortly and with Max on her arm, she entered the ball.
As they passed the Gate, a low murmur ran through the crowd gathered outside, spiced occasionally with laughter. The reporters waiting outside grabbed their cameras and tried to shoot a few pictures quickly, cursing themselves that they hadn't recognized her. That damned blonde hair! They were trying very hard to get a clear shot of her partner - whoever he was, he was worth the second page - if not the first. Admiral Parker was only seen with her adjutant and the son of Vice Admiral Valenti in public so far. They had no idea that the love story of the millenium was walking away in front of their eyes.
Max
I'm a little anxious about this night. We are going to approach various officers and probe their mind, seeking possible allies. Alex and Lonnie will be doing the same. If we get caught, the Antaran Royal Line will be beheaded. Lonnie, oh excuse me, Isabel Müller, is my sister, the princess of Antar. I wouldn't risk her if there were another choice, but there is not. There are only five women among us and Lonnie is the only one with mental powers.
My amplifier is sewed to the inside of my tux. It's a plain metal disc, seven centimeters in diameter. There is only one button on it - power on. All the other functions are controlled through the mental interface. I've no idea how it works, but it does, it's the most recent product of the draconian technology. I just have to think in a certain way to bring up the interface. It's like moving muscles. You don't tell your legs: move, you just will them to do it. It's the same with the mental amplifier. I have my own abilities but it enhances them hundredfold. I can read their thoughts and feelings, I can implant faint suggestions. I can't delete memories, but I can block them temporarily. And of course, I can kill with a single thought. That's the easiest, destruction was always simple, but going in and out unnoticed is an intricate and dangerous art. Emphasis is on unnoticed.
My Liz is leading me through the crowd, occasionally nodding to the greetings, stopping once or twice when it is unavoidable, introducing me. I go as Max Evans, the journalist, there was no point in constructing a fake background when I already had one. We get some drinks from a waiter, and I try to remember whether I've taken my enzymes this morning or not. Most of the human foods, including all kinds of alcohol, are poisonous to us, so we have to take special enzymes to be able to digest them.
We don't want to raise suspicion, so it takes fifteen minutes and two laps to reach our first target - Vice Admiral Valenti. We decided to start with a friendly, if anything goes wrong, it is more likely that we can fast-talk our way out of trouble.
James Valenti is a middle aged man, slightly going bald (I will never understand the evolutionary necessity behind balding). He has an honest face and a penetrating, ice blue gaze. Like all commanding officers', his uniform is pure white instead of the black and blue combination of his underlings. He has three silver stripes across his chest - he belongs to the third battleship of the Fourth Fleet. He is decorated like a Christmas tree. My beloved shows her opinion on her decorations by keeping her collection on Destiny, in a dusty box just behind her old school stuff.
I steal a peek into his thoughts. He is glad to see Liz and he recognizes me as her boyfriend. He is scrutinizing me to see if I'm good enough for her. I quit his mind and return his gaze. He seems to find me to his liking. In the meantime, we reach him. They hug, and when they pull apart, she says,
`Jim, I'd like to introduce you to Max.`
We shake hands.
`Max Evans.`
`Jim Valenti. I've already heard of you from my son.`
`I hope only good things, Vice Admiral.`
`Please, call me Jim. I guess you don't "Admiral" Liz either.`
`Not really.` I smile. Not at all.
After the introduction is over Liz takes over the conversation. She tells him about Athens while we are slowly maneuvering him towards one of the balconies. I can't read his mind, it takes a lot of concentration and I have to chime in a few times to keep up the appearance of an innocent conversation. We finally reach our destination.
`Why don't we take a bit of fresh air, Jim?` asks Liz as she leads him out.
`I'll get us some drinks, darling.` I've got to give them some privacy. I quickly grab to glasses from the nearest waiter and with the drinks in my hand, I lean against the wall and start to concentrate.
On the balcony
Liz leaned on the railing and looked up on the sky.
`Have you ever wondered that is there anyone like us out there?` He stepped up beside her and followed her gaze.
`There must be.`
`We are waging war against sure losers. What if we meet someone who has the same weapons as we do?`
`Knowing ourselves, there will be war.`
`It just seems so unnecessary, all this bloodshed.`
`It might be, but there is no way to avoid it.`
`You are right.`
I choose this moment to return with the drinks.
`Hey, what kept you?` She asks me with fake cheeriness.
`Well, I was flirting with that blonde...` I tease back. She acknowledges the message - blond: yes, brown: no.
`Jim, why don't you visit us on the next week?`
`I don't know; there is so much to do.`
`Come on, I'll make it worth your while.`
`Liz, I...`
`Just take a one day leave and spend some time with your son and your friends.` He still looks unconvinced. `Please, pretty please,` she whines.
`Okay. But just one day.`
`Thank you, Jim!` She jumps to hug him and gives him a kiss. `How about next Wednesday?`
`I can free it up, I guess.`
`Okay, we'll pick you up at the spaceport.` It takes another five minutes to close the encounter and leave. Thirty minutes for one man! It's gonna be a busy night.
Alex
`Goodbye, Geoff, see you on Wednesday!`
`'Bye, Whitman!` He says as he turns away. The captain of the Blue Unicorn thinks he is being invited to a staff meeting held in a five star hotel. Where he is looking forward to a nasty surprise. Isabel is standing a little farther away. When he leaves the scene, Isabel comes back to me. She looks like a fantasy come true, long legs, perfect figure, sensuous, lusty lips, but she's a real bitch. And she is a shape-changing, mind reading alien.
How did I get caught up in this? I hate the idea of war. I don't have the Liz’s idealism, but I've studied history. The more equal strength two sides have, the greater number of people die. And if it is possible to live in peace, then why battle? But dragging my friends into a conspiracy where we'll be shot if we fail... But Liz is right. We need help. And no price is too great when total destruction is the other option. I'm snapped out of my thought by the cold voice of Isabel.
`Who is next?` I try to remember the list.
`Let's see, if we can find Colonel Wronsky.`
`Who is he?`, she asks without any interest in her voice.
`He is a she. The captain of the Loki, an other seventh class battle cruiser.`
The first class consists of unmanned probes. The fighters and bombers belong to the second class. The third is any ship with a crew between five and twenty five, usually called gunboats. Fourth class ships are corvettes, up to a crew of fifty. (Ship class is defined by destructive power, not by crew number, but in most cases it fits.) Cruisers are the first ships considered as individuals in high-level strategy, with a good hundred people on board. Above them are frigates and finally battle cruisers. Erika commands four hundred-something men, and an impressive arsenal. There are no eighth class ships currently in the Navy. The ninth class is the battleships, the twelve enormous weapons that give the backbone to the human fleets. In theory, there is a tenth class, something like the Death Star in the old Star Wars films, but now it exists only on the drawing table. Once built, it will be the entire Seventh Fleet in itself.
I spot her, she is talking to a handsome young man, next to the punch bowl. I signal Isabel to follow me from a distance as I go over to them. I try to look casual as I greet her.
`Good evening, Erika!` She eyed me for a time, she knew I was coming.
`Hello, Alex. Alex, this is Tom, my husband. Tom, this is Alexander Whitman, the adjutant of our Admiral.` He has a firm, strong handshake. I had no idea that she had a husband. I shrug it off, it is of no importance.
`Tom, can I rob your wife for a few minutes? You'll have her back intact, I promise.` He understands that he is not cleared for some things, and he tries to grin and bear it.
`Sure, go ahead.`
`Thanks.` I start to steer Erika towards the nearest moderately quiet place.
This is going to be a long night...
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 12:59 am, edited 1 time in total.
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silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
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- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Chapter 4 Part 14
Part 14
Elizabeth
It's been a fruitful night. We approached eleven officers, seven of them will be there next Wednesday. The plan is that in the first circle we enlist them and in the second, their second in commands and anyone whom they find trustworthy. However, we will limit the second circle's number to 25, any more would be risky. We are sitting silently in the car, heading back to our accommodations, Alex's driving. We are staying at the Ritz, in a two-bedroom suite. It's a kind of awkward. We haven't had sex since... Well, since found out what he is.
The more time I spend with him, the more I love him, but the fact that he is alien... I'm not afraid of him, and I do want to be with him, but it's still difficult. We are too different, I sometimes wonder if we can even make it work. I wish I could see into his head! It'd make things so much easier!
Hey! Wait a sec. Did he turn off that thing? I don't remember it. He jerks in the seat next to me. I look at him. He looks rather guilty. I'm infuriated. This asshole was going over my thoughts! He knows what I am thinking and starts to apologize silently.
<Liz, please, I'm sorry! >
<Get out of my head, you jackass!>
Max
`Liz, please.` God, I screwed up big time. How could I be that stupid? We are in our suit. We got out of the car before the Ritz. She said goodbye to Alex, and the moment they turned the corner, she stormed up on the stairs. She hasn’t said a word ever since. She closed the door of her bedroom, and I've been pleading before it ever since.
`Please. I did not mean to do it. You were just sitting beside me, and I couldn't help but slip into you. I shouldn't have and it was wrong, but I couldn't resist.`
No answer. It might be that I made a fatal mistake here. I withdrew from her thoughts in the moment I got busted, but I felt how angry she became. That damned machine is on my bed in the other bedroom. But, I should be damned, not the tool. It was an unforgivable invasion of privacy, but I couldn't help it.
`Liz, I was just as frightened as you were. I was just as afraid that I might loose you, that this is just a dream. I had to know, that you really could love me.` Still no answer. I can hear quiet sobbing from the inside. I unlock the heavy door with my powers and open it. Once the obstacle is out of my way, her feelings flood me. She already got over her anger, she feels sadness, heart-wrenching sorrow and most of all, she feels betrayed. I betrayed her again! Just like that morning.
She is sitting on her bed, staring into nothingness, tears streaming down on her face; she isn't even bothering to wipe them off. She looks to my way, tears glistening in her eyes then turns back again, not saying a word.
I just look at her helplessly. What can I say? I keep hurting her again and again, and she did nothing to deserve any of it. I repay her trust and faith in me with betrayal and pain. I can't see a way to convince her, that... Of what? I could tell her nothing that would make a difference. We are past anything that words could mend.
I walk up to the bed and crouch in front of her. She turns away, she doesn't want to look at me. I don't dare to touch her, I don't have a right to.
`I love you more than my life. I don't want to loose you. What I've done is unforgivable, but you've got to believe at least that I love you,` I whisper to her softly, hoping that my words can reach her. Scream at me, shout at me, but please don't just ignore me.
She looks at me.
`How can I believe you?` Her voice is dull and devoid of emotion, like she gave up. I'm getting desperate.
`Look into me.`
`I can't. I guess only you have that advantage.` Her words sting like acid, but I deserve it.
`Yes, you can.` She is showing some emotion for the first time during the exchange, a questioning look.
`Just reach out towards me. You can do it, I'll help you in. I guess we'll be even then, OK?` I try a lighter voice. She looks doubtful.
`Just give it a try, please. You know how to do it. It might help if you touched me.`
She tentatively reaches out. I let her in, or, more like it, I suck her in. All of my walls are down, I'm completely defenseless against her, but I think that's the only way I can convince her to trust me. It takes a lot of concentration to keep my barriers down. She is like a child, drifting from thought to thought, she hasn't got any training or experience. I feel extremely exposed. My inner self, all my thoughts, feelings, hopes lay naked at her feet. But I don't think anything less would make a difference. She must know that my feelings for her are real, not part of some elaborate conspiracy. I can just hope that she'll like what she'll find.
------
Elizabeth
`You really love me.` It's not a question. It's an amazing feeling, to be loved. It's one thing to hear "I love you", but to feel it... It's indescribable. The absolute knowledge that you are the center of someone's universe. There is no doubt in me anymore. He loves me, truly, fiercely, from his heart. The way you love only once in your life. For him, I'm the One, just as he is for me.
But I'm afraid, it's only going to make things harder.
I know Max Evans. He is not thinking of himself as Zander, prince of Antar anymore, but as Max Evans, the journalist. Oh, yeah, now I see through all the little lies and half-truths that he fed me with. I should be angry, but the amazing thing is, I'm not. I know why he said them. Because he wanted me to love him, he was afraid that I'd break up with him if I knew his rank. And I will.
He fears the same things I do. It’s no wonder that he couldn't resist probing my mind. In a reversed situation, I would have done the same thing. The hurt, the sorrow is gone, my wounds are healed. His love, like a balm soothed my pain, made me whole again.
I'm still dizzy with happiness that he truly loves me, but the feeling is bittersweet. I've seen more than I should have. I know that he is the crown prince of a whole race. I know that the Antaran elders would never let him marry an alien. And I know that he already has a betrothed. He is not cheating on her or playing with me, he chooses to ignore the fact. In his mind, the situation is clear. He loves me, and he doesn't love her. He doesn't think that anything could be clearer than this. He isn't thinking of her at all. He believes that we will find a way. But I know better. If he starts a campaign to marry me, I'll be accused that I enchanted him somehow and if he insist, they'll "cure" his insanity.
His eyes are filled with hope. He doesn't know that I know. Yet.
`Did it work?`
`Max.I... I don't know what to say.` He just looks at me with his puppy eyes. I can still feel his emotions. He’s still worried whether I can trust him or not. That was his greatest fear, that he hurt me too much, that I will stop loving him. Like I could, even if I wanted to! That's why this is going to be so hard.
`I understand that you love me, and I love you. But it's not that simple.`
He still does not understand.
`Max, if there was only you and me, I'd marry you here and now, and we would live happily ever after.` I sense his growing dread that I found out.
`You have your duties and so do I. And you have your bride.` He remains silent, emotions are raging inside him. I continue in a quiet, soothing tone.
`I'm not mad that you kept it from me, I'm disappointed and a little hurt, but I understand why you did it. But denial won't change the facts. We can't be together.`
`Liz, please don't say this. We'll find a way.` He is pleading me.
`What would be the reaction if you came home hand-in-hand with the greatest enemy of your people, who murdered dozens of races?`
`They would assume that somehow you gained control of my mind. You'd be killed and I would be brainwashed,` he admits finally, the truth sinking in.
`That's why we can't be together.`
`Do you wish to leave me?` He asks me. He knows my answer, and I know where his train of thoughts is leading.
`Don't you understand? This is bigger than you or me. It does not matter what I wish.`
`Liz, we can hide. No one will suspect anything, We can pretend to be just friends, we can even pretend that we hate each other. And the day I'm crowned, it won't matter anymore what the elders think.` He is fleeing into another delusion.
`No, I am not. Who will belie me if I say that I was just doing everything I could to ensure the cooperation of a human? They will pity me that I had to prostitute myself.` I have a nagging feeling that I missed something, something important, but I can't let my mind wander from the conversation.
`And what about your bride?` He feels hopeful again, ready with an answer to anything. He believes that he can make this work, even against the whole world.
`Well, I can postpone the marriage until the coronation, it's only twenty months away, and after that... Well, she is in for a nasty surprise,` he shrugs it off.
`It can't be that simple.` I have a suspicion that he keeps "forgetting" some minor details that could doom his plan to failure.
`It won't be. We'll have to lie to everyone we know, especially me. We'll have to wait years after the coronation until my word carries enough power to be able to marry you.` I'm a bit shocked.
`Where did you get the idea that I'll wait years just to be able to marry an alien?` I'm purposefully sounding indignant, and he flinches.
`I'm so-so-sorry,` he sputters. I let him off the hook.
`I didn't say that I don't want to, I was just merely implying that I should be included in these decisions.` He seems relieved.
`You-you are right. I'm sorry,` his voice is turning serious,` I can't ask your hand properly, you deserve a lot more than a dimly lit room on the tenth floor. I can only ask you, to wait for a time when I can make a proper proposal? Elizabeth Parker, will you wait for me?`
Tears sting my eyes. The time has come to say goodbye. I have to say no. I have to push him away. I can't let us endanger the relations of our races. And I definitely can't allow myself to endanger him. I have to end this hopeless madness here and now. Yep, that's what I will do. So I take a deep breath and I say it.
`Yes, with all my heart, yes.`
Elizabeth
It's been a fruitful night. We approached eleven officers, seven of them will be there next Wednesday. The plan is that in the first circle we enlist them and in the second, their second in commands and anyone whom they find trustworthy. However, we will limit the second circle's number to 25, any more would be risky. We are sitting silently in the car, heading back to our accommodations, Alex's driving. We are staying at the Ritz, in a two-bedroom suite. It's a kind of awkward. We haven't had sex since... Well, since found out what he is.
The more time I spend with him, the more I love him, but the fact that he is alien... I'm not afraid of him, and I do want to be with him, but it's still difficult. We are too different, I sometimes wonder if we can even make it work. I wish I could see into his head! It'd make things so much easier!
Hey! Wait a sec. Did he turn off that thing? I don't remember it. He jerks in the seat next to me. I look at him. He looks rather guilty. I'm infuriated. This asshole was going over my thoughts! He knows what I am thinking and starts to apologize silently.
<Liz, please, I'm sorry! >
<Get out of my head, you jackass!>
Max
`Liz, please.` God, I screwed up big time. How could I be that stupid? We are in our suit. We got out of the car before the Ritz. She said goodbye to Alex, and the moment they turned the corner, she stormed up on the stairs. She hasn’t said a word ever since. She closed the door of her bedroom, and I've been pleading before it ever since.
`Please. I did not mean to do it. You were just sitting beside me, and I couldn't help but slip into you. I shouldn't have and it was wrong, but I couldn't resist.`
No answer. It might be that I made a fatal mistake here. I withdrew from her thoughts in the moment I got busted, but I felt how angry she became. That damned machine is on my bed in the other bedroom. But, I should be damned, not the tool. It was an unforgivable invasion of privacy, but I couldn't help it.
`Liz, I was just as frightened as you were. I was just as afraid that I might loose you, that this is just a dream. I had to know, that you really could love me.` Still no answer. I can hear quiet sobbing from the inside. I unlock the heavy door with my powers and open it. Once the obstacle is out of my way, her feelings flood me. She already got over her anger, she feels sadness, heart-wrenching sorrow and most of all, she feels betrayed. I betrayed her again! Just like that morning.
She is sitting on her bed, staring into nothingness, tears streaming down on her face; she isn't even bothering to wipe them off. She looks to my way, tears glistening in her eyes then turns back again, not saying a word.
I just look at her helplessly. What can I say? I keep hurting her again and again, and she did nothing to deserve any of it. I repay her trust and faith in me with betrayal and pain. I can't see a way to convince her, that... Of what? I could tell her nothing that would make a difference. We are past anything that words could mend.
I walk up to the bed and crouch in front of her. She turns away, she doesn't want to look at me. I don't dare to touch her, I don't have a right to.
`I love you more than my life. I don't want to loose you. What I've done is unforgivable, but you've got to believe at least that I love you,` I whisper to her softly, hoping that my words can reach her. Scream at me, shout at me, but please don't just ignore me.
She looks at me.
`How can I believe you?` Her voice is dull and devoid of emotion, like she gave up. I'm getting desperate.
`Look into me.`
`I can't. I guess only you have that advantage.` Her words sting like acid, but I deserve it.
`Yes, you can.` She is showing some emotion for the first time during the exchange, a questioning look.
`Just reach out towards me. You can do it, I'll help you in. I guess we'll be even then, OK?` I try a lighter voice. She looks doubtful.
`Just give it a try, please. You know how to do it. It might help if you touched me.`
She tentatively reaches out. I let her in, or, more like it, I suck her in. All of my walls are down, I'm completely defenseless against her, but I think that's the only way I can convince her to trust me. It takes a lot of concentration to keep my barriers down. She is like a child, drifting from thought to thought, she hasn't got any training or experience. I feel extremely exposed. My inner self, all my thoughts, feelings, hopes lay naked at her feet. But I don't think anything less would make a difference. She must know that my feelings for her are real, not part of some elaborate conspiracy. I can just hope that she'll like what she'll find.
------
Elizabeth
`You really love me.` It's not a question. It's an amazing feeling, to be loved. It's one thing to hear "I love you", but to feel it... It's indescribable. The absolute knowledge that you are the center of someone's universe. There is no doubt in me anymore. He loves me, truly, fiercely, from his heart. The way you love only once in your life. For him, I'm the One, just as he is for me.
But I'm afraid, it's only going to make things harder.
I know Max Evans. He is not thinking of himself as Zander, prince of Antar anymore, but as Max Evans, the journalist. Oh, yeah, now I see through all the little lies and half-truths that he fed me with. I should be angry, but the amazing thing is, I'm not. I know why he said them. Because he wanted me to love him, he was afraid that I'd break up with him if I knew his rank. And I will.
He fears the same things I do. It’s no wonder that he couldn't resist probing my mind. In a reversed situation, I would have done the same thing. The hurt, the sorrow is gone, my wounds are healed. His love, like a balm soothed my pain, made me whole again.
I'm still dizzy with happiness that he truly loves me, but the feeling is bittersweet. I've seen more than I should have. I know that he is the crown prince of a whole race. I know that the Antaran elders would never let him marry an alien. And I know that he already has a betrothed. He is not cheating on her or playing with me, he chooses to ignore the fact. In his mind, the situation is clear. He loves me, and he doesn't love her. He doesn't think that anything could be clearer than this. He isn't thinking of her at all. He believes that we will find a way. But I know better. If he starts a campaign to marry me, I'll be accused that I enchanted him somehow and if he insist, they'll "cure" his insanity.
His eyes are filled with hope. He doesn't know that I know. Yet.
`Did it work?`
`Max.I... I don't know what to say.` He just looks at me with his puppy eyes. I can still feel his emotions. He’s still worried whether I can trust him or not. That was his greatest fear, that he hurt me too much, that I will stop loving him. Like I could, even if I wanted to! That's why this is going to be so hard.
`I understand that you love me, and I love you. But it's not that simple.`
He still does not understand.
`Max, if there was only you and me, I'd marry you here and now, and we would live happily ever after.` I sense his growing dread that I found out.
`You have your duties and so do I. And you have your bride.` He remains silent, emotions are raging inside him. I continue in a quiet, soothing tone.
`I'm not mad that you kept it from me, I'm disappointed and a little hurt, but I understand why you did it. But denial won't change the facts. We can't be together.`
`Liz, please don't say this. We'll find a way.` He is pleading me.
`What would be the reaction if you came home hand-in-hand with the greatest enemy of your people, who murdered dozens of races?`
`They would assume that somehow you gained control of my mind. You'd be killed and I would be brainwashed,` he admits finally, the truth sinking in.
`That's why we can't be together.`
`Do you wish to leave me?` He asks me. He knows my answer, and I know where his train of thoughts is leading.
`Don't you understand? This is bigger than you or me. It does not matter what I wish.`
`Liz, we can hide. No one will suspect anything, We can pretend to be just friends, we can even pretend that we hate each other. And the day I'm crowned, it won't matter anymore what the elders think.` He is fleeing into another delusion.
`No, I am not. Who will belie me if I say that I was just doing everything I could to ensure the cooperation of a human? They will pity me that I had to prostitute myself.` I have a nagging feeling that I missed something, something important, but I can't let my mind wander from the conversation.
`And what about your bride?` He feels hopeful again, ready with an answer to anything. He believes that he can make this work, even against the whole world.
`Well, I can postpone the marriage until the coronation, it's only twenty months away, and after that... Well, she is in for a nasty surprise,` he shrugs it off.
`It can't be that simple.` I have a suspicion that he keeps "forgetting" some minor details that could doom his plan to failure.
`It won't be. We'll have to lie to everyone we know, especially me. We'll have to wait years after the coronation until my word carries enough power to be able to marry you.` I'm a bit shocked.
`Where did you get the idea that I'll wait years just to be able to marry an alien?` I'm purposefully sounding indignant, and he flinches.
`I'm so-so-sorry,` he sputters. I let him off the hook.
`I didn't say that I don't want to, I was just merely implying that I should be included in these decisions.` He seems relieved.
`You-you are right. I'm sorry,` his voice is turning serious,` I can't ask your hand properly, you deserve a lot more than a dimly lit room on the tenth floor. I can only ask you, to wait for a time when I can make a proper proposal? Elizabeth Parker, will you wait for me?`
Tears sting my eyes. The time has come to say goodbye. I have to say no. I have to push him away. I can't let us endanger the relations of our races. And I definitely can't allow myself to endanger him. I have to end this hopeless madness here and now. Yep, that's what I will do. So I take a deep breath and I say it.
`Yes, with all my heart, yes.`
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Chapter 5 Part 15
To Eccentric One:
There are simple mind-shields against mental amplifiers, humanity has invented them too, most of the senior officers and politicians wear one, with active telepaths on the loose it would be just a too big risk to walk around with a naked mind in a Council session for example. But they are quite uncomfortable to wear constantly (they dull a lot of senses we are not even aware of), and they trust the securities at a social event, that's why they didn't wear one at the ball.
Basicly passive tele- and empathy is the ability to read the E-M field of the targets brain. Even real world humans have this abitlity (if not exactly on reading peoples mind, but the Ganzfeld-experiments have interesting results), just weaker than a lot of animals (goose navigating by the E-M field). Active telepathy is exactly the opposite. (While in theory passive telepathy is possible if you have good enough sensors, with the current state of physics it's completely impossible to alter a persons thought's from a distance.)
Before Part 18 I'll post a smaller essay on the physics of Between the Stars, what is possible in my world and what is not. (I'm learning to be an engineer and I spend as much time on thinking up the technology of the world as on actual writing.
So after this crap, here is the first part of chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Inner Circle
Part 15
Serena
`Major Del'Mar?` I turn toward the speaker. He is a bit over six feet, a lean, muscular guy with a killer smile. He is coming to me. He is wearing shorts and a multicolored short sleeved shirt.
`I'm Kyle Valenti. Liz sent me to get you.` He extends his hand and I shake it.`
`Uhm, Mr. Valenti, it's nice to meet you, but I don't really know who are you talking about.` He looks perplexed.
`Liz asked you to come here, didn't she?` It suddenly snaps into place.
`Oh, yes, Admiral Parker told me that there will be a staff meeting today.` Goddamnit, he must be Vice-Admiral Valenti's son, I've heard rumors that he is pretty close to the Admiral, and it seems they were true.
`Well, I was sent to take you, Dad, and Colonel Yian to the "meeting".` He manages to loan the word some sinister meaning. `Oh, here they are!` Vice Admiral Valenti and my commander, both in uniform, are approaching us. After the introductions, he shepherds us out of the spaceport. It's a bit awkward for me. Both men are my superior officers, the Colonel is the captain of the Red Phoenix, the head cruiser of the Phoenix group, while I command the Firebird. Our ships are identical, but he is a few steps ahead of me on the ladder, and the six Phoenix cruisers are in Fate's tactical group.
My superiors get the back seats, I sit in the front with Kyle. After the Vice Admiral warns him to be careful, he just sticks his tongue out at him and turns on the autopilot. I have to fight hard to suppress a giggle. I can't laugh at my Vice Admiral!
The men in the back are immersed in conversation shortly after we take off. I stare out of the window, trying to appear interested in the view.
`Major?`
`Serena, please.` He pushes a few buttons on the controller. The sounds coming from the back seats are cut off instantly.
`Why don't we turn off the old dogs for a while? Have you ever been to Athens?`
`No, never, but I've learned about it in high school.` God, how geeky can I be?`
`Well, I'm sure they've never mentioned the beach parties we have here?` He asks with a mischievous grin. Is he saying, what I think he is saying?
`It somehow slipped the mind of the textbook writers, I think.` I try sound flirtatious, but frankly, I don't have that much practice. Learning and practicing in the simulator pretty much consumes all my free time. If I want to relax, I read a good book. Pathetic, isn't it? I usually don't get attention from hotties like Kyle.
`How about getting some first hand experience? Maybe tonight?` The boy is direct. It's like, his fourth sentence to me? Well, Cam's always teasing me that I'm too shy, maybe it's time to take some risks. I mean he seems like a nice guy and everything, and he is definitely hot. But I don't want to sound too eager...
`I don't know, I have to get back to the fleet.` I hope I didn't sound totally rejecting.
`Come on, I'm sure the Firebird can manage without you for a day.` I raise my eyebrow. He just shrugs. `I did my homework.`
`And what else was in that "homework"?`
`Well, according to your physician, you definitely need to blow off some steam. Maybe go out a little, have a little fun.`
`It sounds just like an army physician. So it seems, that you have some plan for blowing off steam?`
`Definitely. I just hope that you have a swimsuit with you, because if you don't than I have to take you to shopping this afternoon.`
`I'm sorry, Mr. Valenti, but I don't regularly attend staff meetings in bikinis.`
`Then you should partake in Admiral Parker's infamous crash course "Non-conventional Military Uniforms". If I remember correctly she managed to show up once in shorts and a bikini top to a strategy planning session.`
`No way!` I love my Admiral, she is my example, but this is a bit too blasphemous even for her.
`Well, the overseeing Council members were a bit shocked as I recall,` he says, grinning from ear to ear.
`No way in hell!`
Kyle
Well, Max was right when he said that Serena was the younger version of Liz. She is just twenty two and already a major, while I'm twenty se... Well, let's say I'm not twenty two anymore, and I don't think I'll ever get promoted from my current rank. Not that I want to. I'm a squad commander, and this means that I'm called lieutenant, though I prefer Angel One. There are eleven people under me, and even that's more responsibility than I've bargained for. I'd hate to tell their wives that their husband is missing in action. But if we don't act quickly, there will be war, and we will fight in the front line.
It's still hard to believe. Max Evans is an alien. And not only this, but a friendly alien. I guess a war between us and them wouldn't be of any use to either side. And he convinced Liz, and I learned early to follow Liz's decisions. They told me after the party in Genf. As far as I know, I'm the third member of the "I know an alien" club, as I christened our merry little band of conspirators. So it seems that Max and his sister checked out a few officers in Genf and they found seven OK, my dad among them. It'll be interesting to watch his reactions. I've heard the speech Liz prepared and it's pretty scary. I guess I’ll need to console Serena later tonight.
I glance at her. She has gone back to looking out the window, but now she truly looks interested in the view. I've read her profile and she is just like our beloved Admiral. I mean except for the alien lover part. She is hot, she is smart, and kind too, which is definitely a nice addition to the package. And the best thing is, she is completely unaware of her looks. Long, killer legs, nice curves, and those auburn curls! I'm itching to play with them, just to see if her hair is just as silky as it looks like.
Well, I'm not sure that I'll get her tonight, I guess she'll be pretty upset by the whole aliens thing, but I'm not sure that I want her in the sack that fast. I had enough one night adventures, maybe it's time to settle down for a bit with one girlfriend and Serena looks like the perfect candidate...
------
There were already three cars parked in front of the Whitman villa, and Kyle put his smoothly beside them. He led the guests inside, to the living room, which was converted into their headquarters. There was a 3-D projector placed on the dining table. Four other guests were already seated at one side of the table. Alex brought them here. The three newcomers were quickly introduced, and after five minutes of chatter, they all settled down. Alex and Kyle took the opposite ends of the long table, Liz and Max were still nowhere to be seen.
Only when they were starting to get uncomfortable did Liz enter.
`Ladies and gentlemen, good morning to everyone.` After a general murmur of greetings, she continued.
`This is not an official meeting. The fact that you are here would deem you worthy of a shot in the head from the Council.` She raised her hand to silence the questions. `You must understand that our situation is grave. I need your help. We need your help. Humanity needs your help,` after this opening, she let their mind catch up with her words.
`What is this about, Liz?`, Jim asked.
`Please wait a few minute with your questions. First I will show you, what happens if we don't act. Alex, the projector please.` The room was suddenly covered in darkness. Shining points appeared above the table, millions of them. Some of them flared up in green.
`These are the stars controlled by the Republic. The scout ship Eagle-22 is on her way to the star system "Kruzz'a hid". A white line appeared, showing the path of the ship.
`53 days from now, she will enter the system. She will discover life on the third planet. Intelligent life. She will approach no doubt, and will likely be destroyed by the defending battle stations. But not before they manage to get a distress signal back to Earth. The council will react in the only way they know - by sending us there.`
`But the Alliance,` a larger number of stars flared up, now in blue, `is no fool. The Seventh Alliance fleet and probably the Fourth Draconian fleet too, will be sent there to greet us, and the war will break out. The Alliance and the Republic are nearly on the same technical level, so the war will be long and bloody. There will be a lot of casualties.` Green and blue stars flashed and then disappeared completely. `In the meanwhile, the Alliance will be forced to reallocate some of its ships currently engaged in battle with the talronids.` Red stars appeared on the far end of the blue space, in disturbingly great number. `While we continue to destroy each other's planets and resources, `More green and blue dots disappeared, ` the talronid swarm only gets stronger. Once the Alliance is weakened enough, they will break through, and after they finished of the Alliance races, they will turn on the already weakened Human Republic.` The red spot started to expand, like ink spilled on paper and swallowed all the remaining green and blue dots.' The optimistic estimate is that Earth will be conquered in fifteen years, the pessimistic gives us only five years.`
The light came back on the room as the projector was turned off.
`This is some theoretical exercise isn't it?.` came the tentative question.
`No this is the reality. Two weeks ago, I was contacted by the Alliance, and we began peace talks, even before the war.
`But I've not heard anything about this. I mean surely, the Council wouldn't keep...` The captain of Blue Unicorn was interrupted harshly by Alex.
`The Council knows nothing of the peace talks and we intend to keep it that way.`
`This must be some kind of joke,` he said, still not understanding anything.
`I'm sorry Colonel, but it is not.` Liz took over the conversation again.
`It seems that some of us are having trouble accepting what I've said. I don't blame you, it must sound strange.`
`Well, it is.`
`That's why I decided to invite a special guest to our meeting here.` She waited for a few seconds, just to be sure that she had everyone's attention. The door was starting to open behind her, but she was blocking the view.
`Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Prince Zander of the royal house of Antar, the Ambassador of the Alliance.` She stepped aside and there were loud gasps all around the table as the creature stepped out into the light.
There are simple mind-shields against mental amplifiers, humanity has invented them too, most of the senior officers and politicians wear one, with active telepaths on the loose it would be just a too big risk to walk around with a naked mind in a Council session for example. But they are quite uncomfortable to wear constantly (they dull a lot of senses we are not even aware of), and they trust the securities at a social event, that's why they didn't wear one at the ball.
Basicly passive tele- and empathy is the ability to read the E-M field of the targets brain. Even real world humans have this abitlity (if not exactly on reading peoples mind, but the Ganzfeld-experiments have interesting results), just weaker than a lot of animals (goose navigating by the E-M field). Active telepathy is exactly the opposite. (While in theory passive telepathy is possible if you have good enough sensors, with the current state of physics it's completely impossible to alter a persons thought's from a distance.)
Before Part 18 I'll post a smaller essay on the physics of Between the Stars, what is possible in my world and what is not. (I'm learning to be an engineer and I spend as much time on thinking up the technology of the world as on actual writing.
So after this crap, here is the first part of chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Inner Circle
Part 15
Serena
`Major Del'Mar?` I turn toward the speaker. He is a bit over six feet, a lean, muscular guy with a killer smile. He is coming to me. He is wearing shorts and a multicolored short sleeved shirt.
`I'm Kyle Valenti. Liz sent me to get you.` He extends his hand and I shake it.`
`Uhm, Mr. Valenti, it's nice to meet you, but I don't really know who are you talking about.` He looks perplexed.
`Liz asked you to come here, didn't she?` It suddenly snaps into place.
`Oh, yes, Admiral Parker told me that there will be a staff meeting today.` Goddamnit, he must be Vice-Admiral Valenti's son, I've heard rumors that he is pretty close to the Admiral, and it seems they were true.
`Well, I was sent to take you, Dad, and Colonel Yian to the "meeting".` He manages to loan the word some sinister meaning. `Oh, here they are!` Vice Admiral Valenti and my commander, both in uniform, are approaching us. After the introductions, he shepherds us out of the spaceport. It's a bit awkward for me. Both men are my superior officers, the Colonel is the captain of the Red Phoenix, the head cruiser of the Phoenix group, while I command the Firebird. Our ships are identical, but he is a few steps ahead of me on the ladder, and the six Phoenix cruisers are in Fate's tactical group.
My superiors get the back seats, I sit in the front with Kyle. After the Vice Admiral warns him to be careful, he just sticks his tongue out at him and turns on the autopilot. I have to fight hard to suppress a giggle. I can't laugh at my Vice Admiral!
The men in the back are immersed in conversation shortly after we take off. I stare out of the window, trying to appear interested in the view.
`Major?`
`Serena, please.` He pushes a few buttons on the controller. The sounds coming from the back seats are cut off instantly.
`Why don't we turn off the old dogs for a while? Have you ever been to Athens?`
`No, never, but I've learned about it in high school.` God, how geeky can I be?`
`Well, I'm sure they've never mentioned the beach parties we have here?` He asks with a mischievous grin. Is he saying, what I think he is saying?
`It somehow slipped the mind of the textbook writers, I think.` I try sound flirtatious, but frankly, I don't have that much practice. Learning and practicing in the simulator pretty much consumes all my free time. If I want to relax, I read a good book. Pathetic, isn't it? I usually don't get attention from hotties like Kyle.
`How about getting some first hand experience? Maybe tonight?` The boy is direct. It's like, his fourth sentence to me? Well, Cam's always teasing me that I'm too shy, maybe it's time to take some risks. I mean he seems like a nice guy and everything, and he is definitely hot. But I don't want to sound too eager...
`I don't know, I have to get back to the fleet.` I hope I didn't sound totally rejecting.
`Come on, I'm sure the Firebird can manage without you for a day.` I raise my eyebrow. He just shrugs. `I did my homework.`
`And what else was in that "homework"?`
`Well, according to your physician, you definitely need to blow off some steam. Maybe go out a little, have a little fun.`
`It sounds just like an army physician. So it seems, that you have some plan for blowing off steam?`
`Definitely. I just hope that you have a swimsuit with you, because if you don't than I have to take you to shopping this afternoon.`
`I'm sorry, Mr. Valenti, but I don't regularly attend staff meetings in bikinis.`
`Then you should partake in Admiral Parker's infamous crash course "Non-conventional Military Uniforms". If I remember correctly she managed to show up once in shorts and a bikini top to a strategy planning session.`
`No way!` I love my Admiral, she is my example, but this is a bit too blasphemous even for her.
`Well, the overseeing Council members were a bit shocked as I recall,` he says, grinning from ear to ear.
`No way in hell!`
Kyle
Well, Max was right when he said that Serena was the younger version of Liz. She is just twenty two and already a major, while I'm twenty se... Well, let's say I'm not twenty two anymore, and I don't think I'll ever get promoted from my current rank. Not that I want to. I'm a squad commander, and this means that I'm called lieutenant, though I prefer Angel One. There are eleven people under me, and even that's more responsibility than I've bargained for. I'd hate to tell their wives that their husband is missing in action. But if we don't act quickly, there will be war, and we will fight in the front line.
It's still hard to believe. Max Evans is an alien. And not only this, but a friendly alien. I guess a war between us and them wouldn't be of any use to either side. And he convinced Liz, and I learned early to follow Liz's decisions. They told me after the party in Genf. As far as I know, I'm the third member of the "I know an alien" club, as I christened our merry little band of conspirators. So it seems that Max and his sister checked out a few officers in Genf and they found seven OK, my dad among them. It'll be interesting to watch his reactions. I've heard the speech Liz prepared and it's pretty scary. I guess I’ll need to console Serena later tonight.
I glance at her. She has gone back to looking out the window, but now she truly looks interested in the view. I've read her profile and she is just like our beloved Admiral. I mean except for the alien lover part. She is hot, she is smart, and kind too, which is definitely a nice addition to the package. And the best thing is, she is completely unaware of her looks. Long, killer legs, nice curves, and those auburn curls! I'm itching to play with them, just to see if her hair is just as silky as it looks like.
Well, I'm not sure that I'll get her tonight, I guess she'll be pretty upset by the whole aliens thing, but I'm not sure that I want her in the sack that fast. I had enough one night adventures, maybe it's time to settle down for a bit with one girlfriend and Serena looks like the perfect candidate...
------
There were already three cars parked in front of the Whitman villa, and Kyle put his smoothly beside them. He led the guests inside, to the living room, which was converted into their headquarters. There was a 3-D projector placed on the dining table. Four other guests were already seated at one side of the table. Alex brought them here. The three newcomers were quickly introduced, and after five minutes of chatter, they all settled down. Alex and Kyle took the opposite ends of the long table, Liz and Max were still nowhere to be seen.
Only when they were starting to get uncomfortable did Liz enter.
`Ladies and gentlemen, good morning to everyone.` After a general murmur of greetings, she continued.
`This is not an official meeting. The fact that you are here would deem you worthy of a shot in the head from the Council.` She raised her hand to silence the questions. `You must understand that our situation is grave. I need your help. We need your help. Humanity needs your help,` after this opening, she let their mind catch up with her words.
`What is this about, Liz?`, Jim asked.
`Please wait a few minute with your questions. First I will show you, what happens if we don't act. Alex, the projector please.` The room was suddenly covered in darkness. Shining points appeared above the table, millions of them. Some of them flared up in green.
`These are the stars controlled by the Republic. The scout ship Eagle-22 is on her way to the star system "Kruzz'a hid". A white line appeared, showing the path of the ship.
`53 days from now, she will enter the system. She will discover life on the third planet. Intelligent life. She will approach no doubt, and will likely be destroyed by the defending battle stations. But not before they manage to get a distress signal back to Earth. The council will react in the only way they know - by sending us there.`
`But the Alliance,` a larger number of stars flared up, now in blue, `is no fool. The Seventh Alliance fleet and probably the Fourth Draconian fleet too, will be sent there to greet us, and the war will break out. The Alliance and the Republic are nearly on the same technical level, so the war will be long and bloody. There will be a lot of casualties.` Green and blue stars flashed and then disappeared completely. `In the meanwhile, the Alliance will be forced to reallocate some of its ships currently engaged in battle with the talronids.` Red stars appeared on the far end of the blue space, in disturbingly great number. `While we continue to destroy each other's planets and resources, `More green and blue dots disappeared, ` the talronid swarm only gets stronger. Once the Alliance is weakened enough, they will break through, and after they finished of the Alliance races, they will turn on the already weakened Human Republic.` The red spot started to expand, like ink spilled on paper and swallowed all the remaining green and blue dots.' The optimistic estimate is that Earth will be conquered in fifteen years, the pessimistic gives us only five years.`
The light came back on the room as the projector was turned off.
`This is some theoretical exercise isn't it?.` came the tentative question.
`No this is the reality. Two weeks ago, I was contacted by the Alliance, and we began peace talks, even before the war.
`But I've not heard anything about this. I mean surely, the Council wouldn't keep...` The captain of Blue Unicorn was interrupted harshly by Alex.
`The Council knows nothing of the peace talks and we intend to keep it that way.`
`This must be some kind of joke,` he said, still not understanding anything.
`I'm sorry Colonel, but it is not.` Liz took over the conversation again.
`It seems that some of us are having trouble accepting what I've said. I don't blame you, it must sound strange.`
`Well, it is.`
`That's why I decided to invite a special guest to our meeting here.` She waited for a few seconds, just to be sure that she had everyone's attention. The door was starting to open behind her, but she was blocking the view.
`Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Prince Zander of the royal house of Antar, the Ambassador of the Alliance.` She stepped aside and there were loud gasps all around the table as the creature stepped out into the light.
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 1:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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silverofroswell
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Chapter 5 Part 16
Part 16
A seven foot tall figure came out of the back room. His skin was pale and silvery, he had huge black eyes with no apparent iris. He had no ears or nostrils, but he had a small, definite, round mouth, without lips. He was completely bald and complex symbols were tattooed on his high forehead with a myriad of colors. He wore a sleeveless white tunic and loose white pants fastened with a metal band. Intricate patterns covered his tunic. He had human-like hands with slightly too many fingers, but he had no toes. He wore a sandal made of some kind of leather.
The air was frozen. No one dared to move. They were all staring at the alien standing in the doorway. Liz broke the silence.
`Ambassador, please have a seat, ` she said in a cold, emotionless voice, only with a trace of politeness, indicating that she meant business. Max walked forward and took one of the chairs opposite the officers. He rested his forearms on the table, with the inner side down, but his palms pointed upward indicating that his wrists were far more flexible than the humans'. Liz took the seat next to him.
`I'd like to greet you all in the name of the Alliance. I have the right to negotiate and sign any reasonable treaties. My first priority as a diplomat is to preserve peace. However, we are aware of humanity's record and philosophy and we are willing to defend ourselves by all means necessary if it comes to that. Our races are peaceful ones, and we know how to fight, but we'd rather avoid it. ` He spoke without moving his mouth and his voice sounded rather strange. ` Liz took over the speech.
`I've showed you the options. Both our and their analysis shows that neither side can win without losing seventy percent of it's armed force and thirty percent of it's inhabitants. What we suggest here is a long-term truce that could be developed into peaceful coexistence, ` she turned to Max, `Ambassador, would you be so kind to leave us alone so we might discuss your offer? `
`As you wish, Admiral, ` he answered. He got up and after bowing slightly, he left the room.
------
`Let me answer a few questions that you might have. First, he is not lying. I've evidence that their fleet is as strong as they tell us. Secondly, I am not under any mental influence. I check myself regularly, I’m willing to perform the check here and now, to dispel any suspicions you might have. A war between them and us would only lead to total destruction. The questions is: are you willing to prevent this? `
`Admiral, I can't decide without seeing the data for myself.` It was Colonel Wronsky.
`That's understandable. You'll all get all data and our strategic assessment of the situation when you leave. What I'm asking is that are you willing to go against the laws and the orders of the Council to protect your race? Jim?` She asked him first, because she knew him the best and was quite sure in his answer.
`I need to see that data for myself, but if the situation is as grave as you describe it, then definitely, yes.` She let out a small sigh of relief.
`Colonel Wronsky?`
`I can only repeat what the Vice Admiral said. If your assessment is sound, then of course I will.`
`Geoff?`
`Yes.`
`Colonel Yian?`
`I have to think on it. If only there is no other way.`
`You know how the Council will react. You know the consequences of war. What is there to decide?`
`As you put it, nothing, but it doesn't feel right.`
`It doesn't have to. But it has to work.` She turned to the next officer.
`Major Del'Mar?`
`I think yes.`
In the end, everyone agreed. They were warned not to mention anything to anyone and they had been asked to choose two or three candidates for the next round. The next meeting was scheduled for three weeks later, in the same place.
Serena
We are leaving the house, and it takes all the control I have to keep my legs from shaking. An actual alien! There are aliens on Earth! An alien was talking to me!
I can't get over the fact. How did he get here? Where is he hiding? How did they contact the Admiral? And the most important question: what the hell is Admiral Parker doing?
I'll have to go over the analysis she distributed very carefully. All my life, I believed that she was all for exterminating any aliens. Yet, she didn't seem to be disturbed by his closeness, when it took all my willpower not to run away from the table. She seemed to be... relaxed by his presence. I don't understand anything anymore.
Everyone is getting back into the cars, Colonel Whitman and the Admiral's boyfriend are driving us back to the spaceport. What was his name? Some Max. Yes, Max Evans. It seems that he is in on this thing too. I'm getting ready to get into a car when Kyle comes out of the villa.
`Major Del'Mar, why so hasty?` He is expecting me to remain here?
`Well... I...` I'm unable to form a coherent sentence.
`Why don't you have a drink with me? It seems that you could do with one.`
------
`Kyle, how long have you known?`
`Only a week,` he shrugs.
`And you are okay with... this whole thing?`
He leans forward a bit, our faces are separated only by inches. We are sitting in the plush fauteuils of the living room, with our whiskeys. Under other circumstances, I would be able only to think about kissing him, but now it’s the last thing on my mind.
`At first I was surprised, but I've learned early to trust Liz. And Max seems like a pretty cool guy.`
`What does Max have to do with this?` I ask, surprised. He flinches and begins to talk rather fast.
`Nothing. Nothing at all. He was just the original contact with the ambassador. ` I have a feeling that I'm being lied to, but I can't do anything about it.
`So Admiral Parker and Max? Huh.`
`I don't know. It's complicated. I don't think that even they know. But what I do know, is that it's none of my damn business.`
`Sorry, didn't mean to pry...` I apologize quickly, but I can't help wondering what is it between Max Evans and my Admiral. He quickly changes the topic.
`Enough of intergalactic politics. Why don't we go for a little sightseeing instead? It's a crime to miss Athens.`
------
Colonel Yian locked the door of his office behind him. The Red Phoenix rested in the twentieth Phobos dry dock; repairmen and engineers swarming her.
This was insane! The Admiral has gone mad! This is treachery. She is offering humanity to alien monsters on a plate, and he'll be damned if he let her. He was trying to compose his thoughts about what to tell to the Council. They needed evidence to convict an Admiral, and they'll have to capture the alien ambassador too. He decided to go with the others when it was clear that they follow that madwoman. He'll be promoted for this. Preventing the greatest treachery of history. He'll be a hero!
He started to look for the number of a certain councilor in the memory of his com when he heard the door open. He turned to the door surprised, because he thought that he had locked it. A forty-something, slightly balding man, in overalls of a repairman stood in the doorway.
`What do you want?` He barked irritably.
`I bring a message,` said the man coldly as he was advancing on the Colonel.
`From whom?`, he asked, still unaware of the sly grin of the man.
`Prince Zander sends his best regards to those who are ready to betray their comrades.` A strange green fire lit up in his eyes.
Yian's eyes grew large with fear. He was about to shout for help when the man threw up his hand and he felt himself picked up and hurled across the room.
The last thing that crossed his mind was his nose when his face hit the corner of his table.
`Office accident. Must've slipped on something,` said the balding man with grim satisfaction before he left the room.
A seven foot tall figure came out of the back room. His skin was pale and silvery, he had huge black eyes with no apparent iris. He had no ears or nostrils, but he had a small, definite, round mouth, without lips. He was completely bald and complex symbols were tattooed on his high forehead with a myriad of colors. He wore a sleeveless white tunic and loose white pants fastened with a metal band. Intricate patterns covered his tunic. He had human-like hands with slightly too many fingers, but he had no toes. He wore a sandal made of some kind of leather.
The air was frozen. No one dared to move. They were all staring at the alien standing in the doorway. Liz broke the silence.
`Ambassador, please have a seat, ` she said in a cold, emotionless voice, only with a trace of politeness, indicating that she meant business. Max walked forward and took one of the chairs opposite the officers. He rested his forearms on the table, with the inner side down, but his palms pointed upward indicating that his wrists were far more flexible than the humans'. Liz took the seat next to him.
`I'd like to greet you all in the name of the Alliance. I have the right to negotiate and sign any reasonable treaties. My first priority as a diplomat is to preserve peace. However, we are aware of humanity's record and philosophy and we are willing to defend ourselves by all means necessary if it comes to that. Our races are peaceful ones, and we know how to fight, but we'd rather avoid it. ` He spoke without moving his mouth and his voice sounded rather strange. ` Liz took over the speech.
`I've showed you the options. Both our and their analysis shows that neither side can win without losing seventy percent of it's armed force and thirty percent of it's inhabitants. What we suggest here is a long-term truce that could be developed into peaceful coexistence, ` she turned to Max, `Ambassador, would you be so kind to leave us alone so we might discuss your offer? `
`As you wish, Admiral, ` he answered. He got up and after bowing slightly, he left the room.
------
`Let me answer a few questions that you might have. First, he is not lying. I've evidence that their fleet is as strong as they tell us. Secondly, I am not under any mental influence. I check myself regularly, I’m willing to perform the check here and now, to dispel any suspicions you might have. A war between them and us would only lead to total destruction. The questions is: are you willing to prevent this? `
`Admiral, I can't decide without seeing the data for myself.` It was Colonel Wronsky.
`That's understandable. You'll all get all data and our strategic assessment of the situation when you leave. What I'm asking is that are you willing to go against the laws and the orders of the Council to protect your race? Jim?` She asked him first, because she knew him the best and was quite sure in his answer.
`I need to see that data for myself, but if the situation is as grave as you describe it, then definitely, yes.` She let out a small sigh of relief.
`Colonel Wronsky?`
`I can only repeat what the Vice Admiral said. If your assessment is sound, then of course I will.`
`Geoff?`
`Yes.`
`Colonel Yian?`
`I have to think on it. If only there is no other way.`
`You know how the Council will react. You know the consequences of war. What is there to decide?`
`As you put it, nothing, but it doesn't feel right.`
`It doesn't have to. But it has to work.` She turned to the next officer.
`Major Del'Mar?`
`I think yes.`
In the end, everyone agreed. They were warned not to mention anything to anyone and they had been asked to choose two or three candidates for the next round. The next meeting was scheduled for three weeks later, in the same place.
Serena
We are leaving the house, and it takes all the control I have to keep my legs from shaking. An actual alien! There are aliens on Earth! An alien was talking to me!
I can't get over the fact. How did he get here? Where is he hiding? How did they contact the Admiral? And the most important question: what the hell is Admiral Parker doing?
I'll have to go over the analysis she distributed very carefully. All my life, I believed that she was all for exterminating any aliens. Yet, she didn't seem to be disturbed by his closeness, when it took all my willpower not to run away from the table. She seemed to be... relaxed by his presence. I don't understand anything anymore.
Everyone is getting back into the cars, Colonel Whitman and the Admiral's boyfriend are driving us back to the spaceport. What was his name? Some Max. Yes, Max Evans. It seems that he is in on this thing too. I'm getting ready to get into a car when Kyle comes out of the villa.
`Major Del'Mar, why so hasty?` He is expecting me to remain here?
`Well... I...` I'm unable to form a coherent sentence.
`Why don't you have a drink with me? It seems that you could do with one.`
------
`Kyle, how long have you known?`
`Only a week,` he shrugs.
`And you are okay with... this whole thing?`
He leans forward a bit, our faces are separated only by inches. We are sitting in the plush fauteuils of the living room, with our whiskeys. Under other circumstances, I would be able only to think about kissing him, but now it’s the last thing on my mind.
`At first I was surprised, but I've learned early to trust Liz. And Max seems like a pretty cool guy.`
`What does Max have to do with this?` I ask, surprised. He flinches and begins to talk rather fast.
`Nothing. Nothing at all. He was just the original contact with the ambassador. ` I have a feeling that I'm being lied to, but I can't do anything about it.
`So Admiral Parker and Max? Huh.`
`I don't know. It's complicated. I don't think that even they know. But what I do know, is that it's none of my damn business.`
`Sorry, didn't mean to pry...` I apologize quickly, but I can't help wondering what is it between Max Evans and my Admiral. He quickly changes the topic.
`Enough of intergalactic politics. Why don't we go for a little sightseeing instead? It's a crime to miss Athens.`
------
Colonel Yian locked the door of his office behind him. The Red Phoenix rested in the twentieth Phobos dry dock; repairmen and engineers swarming her.
This was insane! The Admiral has gone mad! This is treachery. She is offering humanity to alien monsters on a plate, and he'll be damned if he let her. He was trying to compose his thoughts about what to tell to the Council. They needed evidence to convict an Admiral, and they'll have to capture the alien ambassador too. He decided to go with the others when it was clear that they follow that madwoman. He'll be promoted for this. Preventing the greatest treachery of history. He'll be a hero!
He started to look for the number of a certain councilor in the memory of his com when he heard the door open. He turned to the door surprised, because he thought that he had locked it. A forty-something, slightly balding man, in overalls of a repairman stood in the doorway.
`What do you want?` He barked irritably.
`I bring a message,` said the man coldly as he was advancing on the Colonel.
`From whom?`, he asked, still unaware of the sly grin of the man.
`Prince Zander sends his best regards to those who are ready to betray their comrades.` A strange green fire lit up in his eyes.
Yian's eyes grew large with fear. He was about to shout for help when the man threw up his hand and he felt himself picked up and hurled across the room.
The last thing that crossed his mind was his nose when his face hit the corner of his table.
`Office accident. Must've slipped on something,` said the balding man with grim satisfaction before he left the room.
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 1:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Chapter 6 Part 17
Chapter 6
The Battle! To Earth!
Part 17
Two weeks later
Somewhere in deep space
The Fourth Fleet looked like a buzzing beehive, tugs walked back and forth between the huge transports carrying provisions and the ships of the Fourth. The bright red Observer ships were everywhere; they were judges of the simulated battle. All the weapons of the fleets were reconfigured for non-lethal mode, the true judges of the hits and kills will be the impartial supercomputers of the six battleships participating in the battle. Fighter squadrons streaked through nothingness, practicing maneuvers and testing their weapons and engines.
Ten days ago, the Fourth had left the Sol System. When they were out of the reach of the sensors, they dropped a buoy, turned ninety degrees, and went for another two light years to make sure that Admiral Houston would have no idea where they will be coming from. The only communication between the Fleet and Earth was through that buoy. Even the transport ships flew to the buoy, only to receive the coordinates of the Fleet there. While quite a few ships of the Fourth were refitted with special equipment for the coming siege, Admiral Houston and the First sat on full alert back home. They did not know when Liz would attack, and in theory, the provisions requested by her were unknown to him. In theory.
------
`Why on earth does she need more than fifty Omega drives? Ten of them can propel a ninth-class!` Admiral Houston was getting frustrated. The waiting was grinding his nerves. His plans were honed to perfection and he was confident that she had no chance this time, but this disturbed him. He couldn't imagine a reason why she needed sixty-two Omega drives. And there were a few other strange requests too. Ten tons of custard cream, filed as munitions, for example. He knew that she was up to something, but he couldn't figure it out. She had to know that she stood no chance. He outgunned her two to one. But that was the situation last time too, wasn't it? No. Back then, she cheated. Now he made sure that she wouldn’t be able to get men on his ships again. Of course, she could request modifications to the simulation software behind his back; it was in the rules of the game.
Little did he know that this time he was not just up against the most brilliant Admiral of the Republic, but a seasoned veteran of the Talronid Wars, a General of the Alliance...
------
`Let's make it clear once more Admiral. You want us to include high-speed collisions between large objects in the program? ` The Chief Observer, delegated by the Council was sounding incredulous.
`That's correct. It's likely that some of my ships will crash into other ships or objects with the ten percent of c. I don't actually want to loose those ships. I suggest a modification, that when they power up a special breaking system, the program would calculate their trajectories for a few milliseconds, and if they meet an object it would consider both the ship and the object dead.`
`This is extremely dangerous. I'm not sure if we can allow that..`, the man begin, but he was interrupted by the Admiral.
`We want this simulation as real as it gets. In a real siege against an enemy stronghold, I would be willing to sacrifice a few ships to achieve victory. If you cannot provide the modifications, then I'm afraid I won't be able to fight the battle, and I'll make you personally responsible for it. Do you understand?` The man paled a little.
`I understand, Admiral. We will include collisions in the program.`
`Good. Colonel Whitman will provide you with the details. Now excuse me, I have better things to do,` she said and with that, she walked out of the room. The Observer stared at the door for a while before he turned to Alex, who was watching the exchange with a smug smile playing on his face.
------
`This is fucking weird.`
`Angel Three, please refrain from making unnecessary comments.`
The Doombringers tactical group was practicing together. Three squadrons of modified fighters and the refitted Phoenix group was flying together, getting to know each other. The Angels, the Demons, and the Mortals were equipped with Omega drives. The problem was that Omega drives were engineered to propel cruisers, not fighters. All weaponry was stripped from their crafts and one great drive and a lot of smaller ones were placed upon them. Their shields were strengthened hundredfold. Now it was like driving a Porsche after fifty years in a Mini Morris. They knew the reason for the modifications - they were going to be the spearhead, or more like it, the sheath of the spearhead.
The Phoenices were equipped with new drives and stronger shields too. This time, they will be protecting the fighters and their precious cargo, not the other way round.
Kyle took a turn with thirty thousand kilometers per second, dodging the simulated fire of one of the other cruisers.
`Angel Three, you might be right. This is weird.`
------
`We are going to do what? ` Vice Admiral Pierce was outraged.
`We will be playing sitting duck, while Earth gets blown up,` said Liz calmly.
`This is insane.`
`Vice Admiral, we are outnumbered two to one. We know it and Houston knows it. He will throw everything at us at once. He doesn't need strategy. We have no chance against his firepower.`
`My men are good, they can deal with heavy odds.`
`Pierce, my people are excellent too, but two to one is not considered "heavy odds.” It's suicide, and the Admiral's plan is the only way to achieve victory,` intervened Enteroff, the captain of Destiny. He despised Pierce, there was something about the olive-skinned man that made him want to punch something, preferably his face.
`I still refuse to go down without a fight.`
`Oh, we will be fighting with everything we have, don't let that trouble you. We will provide Houston the target he needs, while the Doombringers deliver their cargo.`
`You are placing the success of the entire battle upon a few hotheaded fighter jocks and a rookie, who was only a major a week ago, ` he accused.
`I have full confidence in Colonel Del'Mar and the rest of the Doombringers. If you don't want to participate in the battle, then turn over your command to your second. I don't want officers who question my decisions.`
`I'm sorry, Admiral. I was just expressing concern about the plan.` There was no heart behind his apology.
`Your concern was noted. Now let's move on to more important matters....`
------
`Are you sure this is going to work? ` Max and Liz were lying on her bed, in her room, physically exhausted from their intense lovemaking. She leaned against him as he was idly stroking her hair.
`Houston's fighters are not prepared for Draconian maneuvers. Our jocks will easily clear the skies of them. Michael is a blessing to have around. I still don't know why we've never thought of the Huorn Bag, ` she said, referring to age-old tactic of Draconian squadrons.
`The human and antaran mind work in a completely different way. We've been working with the draconians for centuries, but they are still an enigma to us. They are excellent engineers and strategists, as long as it is theoretical, but they are hopeless at actual fighting.`
`In the end it all turns on Kyle and his friends.` She had maintained a cool exterior all week, showing strength and confidence to her men, but she was all knots inside. They'll face overwhelming odds, and only tricks can save them.
`Don't worry, love, they won't fail you,` he whispered, sensing her distress. They'd grown closer during the last two weeks, if possible. He was on Destiny as a member of the media, but it was a secret everyone knew that he moved in with the Admiral the moment they left Earth. Now they occupied one bedroom while Maria slept in the other, sometimes with Michael. His experience and knowledge was invaluable, and Liz kept him close whenever it was possible.
`I trust them, but still...`
`Shhh. Relax,` he whispered and started to massage her neck. She purred like a kitten when he helped out his hands with a bit of his power.
`You are sure handy to have around. ` She said as she turned around and directed his hands to more intimate areas.
`I couldn't have said it better myself. ` He was smiling down at her, still amazed by the beauty of his love.
------
Her voice echoed from all the speakers of the fleet. Everyone listened intently as their Admiral spoke to them one last time before the battle.
`We all know what's at stake here. We face overwhelming odds, but we are the better. The hour of our victory has come. We'll crush the enemy. We'll show them humiliation again. Fight like this is the last day of our lives. Make me proud today. They say that Fate favors the brave. So let's show them how true humans fight! Destiny is with us today. We'll be swift and deadly, like a tiger. They'll stand no chance against us. We'll be their Doom. Let's destroy the nest of the enemy for once and for all! Let's wipe it off the maps! To Earth! To battle! ` She cried out, and tens of thousands took up the battle cry and shouted with her.
`To battle!`
`To Earth!`
The mighty fleet moved into position as the SI drives came to life, hurling the Fourth Human Fleet forward with two thousand times the speed of light.
------
But a few ships remained on the muster ground. Transports and crude jump-ships that consisted only of one, big drive. They were getting ready to return to Earth when they got a signal that the battle was over. But there was one jump-ship that wasn't accompanied by transporters.
Five silvery cigars formed up behind the jump-ship Tolbuhin. Twenty-four Angels and Devils in a tube formation were inside their circle. And the twelve Mortals, the best pilots of the Fourth, rested inside their tube. And there was a sinister-looking, twenty meters long rocket under each Mortal. They were filled with custard cream, but in theory, they carried multiple thermo-nuclear warheads. According to the calculations of the Observers, if three of them reached the atmosphere of Earth, the battle would be over with the victory of Admiral Parker. The whole battle depended on the cruisers’ ability to protect the fighters and on the pilots’ prescience to dodge the defensive fire.
To say that they were nervous is an understatement.
`Starting the countdown,` the voice of the captain of the Tolbuhin was almost bored. The fleet left fifteen minutes ago, to prepare the way for the Doombringers.
`Ten.`
`Angel One?`
`Nine.`
`Yes, Firebird?
`Eight.`
`Take care.`
`Seven`
`You too.`
`Six.`
`Kyle, when...`
`Five`
`This is over...`
`Four`
`I know Serena.`
`Three.`
`Know what?`
`Two.`
`I love`
`One`
`you back.`
The stars became lines and all radio transmissions were cut. On the bridge of the head cruiser of the Phoenix group a certain brunette was smiling to herself, ready to face hell with the man she has fallen in love with.
The Battle! To Earth!
Part 17
Two weeks later
Somewhere in deep space
The Fourth Fleet looked like a buzzing beehive, tugs walked back and forth between the huge transports carrying provisions and the ships of the Fourth. The bright red Observer ships were everywhere; they were judges of the simulated battle. All the weapons of the fleets were reconfigured for non-lethal mode, the true judges of the hits and kills will be the impartial supercomputers of the six battleships participating in the battle. Fighter squadrons streaked through nothingness, practicing maneuvers and testing their weapons and engines.
Ten days ago, the Fourth had left the Sol System. When they were out of the reach of the sensors, they dropped a buoy, turned ninety degrees, and went for another two light years to make sure that Admiral Houston would have no idea where they will be coming from. The only communication between the Fleet and Earth was through that buoy. Even the transport ships flew to the buoy, only to receive the coordinates of the Fleet there. While quite a few ships of the Fourth were refitted with special equipment for the coming siege, Admiral Houston and the First sat on full alert back home. They did not know when Liz would attack, and in theory, the provisions requested by her were unknown to him. In theory.
------
`Why on earth does she need more than fifty Omega drives? Ten of them can propel a ninth-class!` Admiral Houston was getting frustrated. The waiting was grinding his nerves. His plans were honed to perfection and he was confident that she had no chance this time, but this disturbed him. He couldn't imagine a reason why she needed sixty-two Omega drives. And there were a few other strange requests too. Ten tons of custard cream, filed as munitions, for example. He knew that she was up to something, but he couldn't figure it out. She had to know that she stood no chance. He outgunned her two to one. But that was the situation last time too, wasn't it? No. Back then, she cheated. Now he made sure that she wouldn’t be able to get men on his ships again. Of course, she could request modifications to the simulation software behind his back; it was in the rules of the game.
Little did he know that this time he was not just up against the most brilliant Admiral of the Republic, but a seasoned veteran of the Talronid Wars, a General of the Alliance...
------
`Let's make it clear once more Admiral. You want us to include high-speed collisions between large objects in the program? ` The Chief Observer, delegated by the Council was sounding incredulous.
`That's correct. It's likely that some of my ships will crash into other ships or objects with the ten percent of c. I don't actually want to loose those ships. I suggest a modification, that when they power up a special breaking system, the program would calculate their trajectories for a few milliseconds, and if they meet an object it would consider both the ship and the object dead.`
`This is extremely dangerous. I'm not sure if we can allow that..`, the man begin, but he was interrupted by the Admiral.
`We want this simulation as real as it gets. In a real siege against an enemy stronghold, I would be willing to sacrifice a few ships to achieve victory. If you cannot provide the modifications, then I'm afraid I won't be able to fight the battle, and I'll make you personally responsible for it. Do you understand?` The man paled a little.
`I understand, Admiral. We will include collisions in the program.`
`Good. Colonel Whitman will provide you with the details. Now excuse me, I have better things to do,` she said and with that, she walked out of the room. The Observer stared at the door for a while before he turned to Alex, who was watching the exchange with a smug smile playing on his face.
------
`This is fucking weird.`
`Angel Three, please refrain from making unnecessary comments.`
The Doombringers tactical group was practicing together. Three squadrons of modified fighters and the refitted Phoenix group was flying together, getting to know each other. The Angels, the Demons, and the Mortals were equipped with Omega drives. The problem was that Omega drives were engineered to propel cruisers, not fighters. All weaponry was stripped from their crafts and one great drive and a lot of smaller ones were placed upon them. Their shields were strengthened hundredfold. Now it was like driving a Porsche after fifty years in a Mini Morris. They knew the reason for the modifications - they were going to be the spearhead, or more like it, the sheath of the spearhead.
The Phoenices were equipped with new drives and stronger shields too. This time, they will be protecting the fighters and their precious cargo, not the other way round.
Kyle took a turn with thirty thousand kilometers per second, dodging the simulated fire of one of the other cruisers.
`Angel Three, you might be right. This is weird.`
------
`We are going to do what? ` Vice Admiral Pierce was outraged.
`We will be playing sitting duck, while Earth gets blown up,` said Liz calmly.
`This is insane.`
`Vice Admiral, we are outnumbered two to one. We know it and Houston knows it. He will throw everything at us at once. He doesn't need strategy. We have no chance against his firepower.`
`My men are good, they can deal with heavy odds.`
`Pierce, my people are excellent too, but two to one is not considered "heavy odds.” It's suicide, and the Admiral's plan is the only way to achieve victory,` intervened Enteroff, the captain of Destiny. He despised Pierce, there was something about the olive-skinned man that made him want to punch something, preferably his face.
`I still refuse to go down without a fight.`
`Oh, we will be fighting with everything we have, don't let that trouble you. We will provide Houston the target he needs, while the Doombringers deliver their cargo.`
`You are placing the success of the entire battle upon a few hotheaded fighter jocks and a rookie, who was only a major a week ago, ` he accused.
`I have full confidence in Colonel Del'Mar and the rest of the Doombringers. If you don't want to participate in the battle, then turn over your command to your second. I don't want officers who question my decisions.`
`I'm sorry, Admiral. I was just expressing concern about the plan.` There was no heart behind his apology.
`Your concern was noted. Now let's move on to more important matters....`
------
`Are you sure this is going to work? ` Max and Liz were lying on her bed, in her room, physically exhausted from their intense lovemaking. She leaned against him as he was idly stroking her hair.
`Houston's fighters are not prepared for Draconian maneuvers. Our jocks will easily clear the skies of them. Michael is a blessing to have around. I still don't know why we've never thought of the Huorn Bag, ` she said, referring to age-old tactic of Draconian squadrons.
`The human and antaran mind work in a completely different way. We've been working with the draconians for centuries, but they are still an enigma to us. They are excellent engineers and strategists, as long as it is theoretical, but they are hopeless at actual fighting.`
`In the end it all turns on Kyle and his friends.` She had maintained a cool exterior all week, showing strength and confidence to her men, but she was all knots inside. They'll face overwhelming odds, and only tricks can save them.
`Don't worry, love, they won't fail you,` he whispered, sensing her distress. They'd grown closer during the last two weeks, if possible. He was on Destiny as a member of the media, but it was a secret everyone knew that he moved in with the Admiral the moment they left Earth. Now they occupied one bedroom while Maria slept in the other, sometimes with Michael. His experience and knowledge was invaluable, and Liz kept him close whenever it was possible.
`I trust them, but still...`
`Shhh. Relax,` he whispered and started to massage her neck. She purred like a kitten when he helped out his hands with a bit of his power.
`You are sure handy to have around. ` She said as she turned around and directed his hands to more intimate areas.
`I couldn't have said it better myself. ` He was smiling down at her, still amazed by the beauty of his love.
------
Her voice echoed from all the speakers of the fleet. Everyone listened intently as their Admiral spoke to them one last time before the battle.
`We all know what's at stake here. We face overwhelming odds, but we are the better. The hour of our victory has come. We'll crush the enemy. We'll show them humiliation again. Fight like this is the last day of our lives. Make me proud today. They say that Fate favors the brave. So let's show them how true humans fight! Destiny is with us today. We'll be swift and deadly, like a tiger. They'll stand no chance against us. We'll be their Doom. Let's destroy the nest of the enemy for once and for all! Let's wipe it off the maps! To Earth! To battle! ` She cried out, and tens of thousands took up the battle cry and shouted with her.
`To battle!`
`To Earth!`
The mighty fleet moved into position as the SI drives came to life, hurling the Fourth Human Fleet forward with two thousand times the speed of light.
------
But a few ships remained on the muster ground. Transports and crude jump-ships that consisted only of one, big drive. They were getting ready to return to Earth when they got a signal that the battle was over. But there was one jump-ship that wasn't accompanied by transporters.
Five silvery cigars formed up behind the jump-ship Tolbuhin. Twenty-four Angels and Devils in a tube formation were inside their circle. And the twelve Mortals, the best pilots of the Fourth, rested inside their tube. And there was a sinister-looking, twenty meters long rocket under each Mortal. They were filled with custard cream, but in theory, they carried multiple thermo-nuclear warheads. According to the calculations of the Observers, if three of them reached the atmosphere of Earth, the battle would be over with the victory of Admiral Parker. The whole battle depended on the cruisers’ ability to protect the fighters and on the pilots’ prescience to dodge the defensive fire.
To say that they were nervous is an understatement.
`Starting the countdown,` the voice of the captain of the Tolbuhin was almost bored. The fleet left fifteen minutes ago, to prepare the way for the Doombringers.
`Ten.`
`Angel One?`
`Nine.`
`Yes, Firebird?
`Eight.`
`Take care.`
`Seven`
`You too.`
`Six.`
`Kyle, when...`
`Five`
`This is over...`
`Four`
`I know Serena.`
`Three.`
`Know what?`
`Two.`
`I love`
`One`
`you back.`
The stars became lines and all radio transmissions were cut. On the bridge of the head cruiser of the Phoenix group a certain brunette was smiling to herself, ready to face hell with the man she has fallen in love with.
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 1:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
silverofroswell
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sun Mar 30, 2003 3:29 pm
- Location: Hungary
Physics of Between the Stars
The physics of Between the Stars
This is a short explanation of how weapons, shields, technology and space travel works. It is not necessary to the understanding of the story, so if you are not particularly interested in these kind of things, you can skip it. I only add it for my own delight in these kinds of things, this is an attempt to take "sci" in sci-fi more seriously.
There are two kinds of space travel in BtW. The good 'ole wormhole theory was explained many other places, basically it's a 3-D shortcut in the four dimensional flesh of the universe. For example you are an ant, that wants to get something from inside a glass. So you walk up on the side of glass and down on the other side. The equivalent of opening a wormhole is to teach the ant to drill a hole into the side of the glass. Wormhole travel takes time, but it can't be predetermined how much-you start to drill and you'll break through when you break through. This is the technology used by the Alliance and the Talronids. (The triton's didn't actually had superluminal travel, this was one of the reasons they had only a few systems despite the age of their civilization.)
Human superluminal flight is based on the conversion of space to matter. That vacuum contains energy is high school physics, so is the fact that energy equals matter. So vacuum equals matter (of course this is a lie, the two energies have nothing to do with each other, the first is a potential energy that can be used to suck objects in, the second is related to the relativity theory, and it is a side-product of the Lorenz transformations.) So the space-ingurgitators convert vacuum to matter, cubic miles to a few atoms. And the human ships are not actually moving with twenty thousand c, they are standing still, but when even the emptiness before them is destroyed, they are sucked in. (the vacuum of the vacuum sucks them in, figuratively speaking. There will be some distortions in the space time continuum, but who cares. The density of space isn't a linear function. Think about the time and length contractions. In a universe where the speed of light is constant regardless the inertial frame....)
Space eating would mess up with the solar systems, so ships have to use sub-light drives when travelling in-system. This theory is not mine, a soviet sci-fi writer, Szergej Sznyegov has the credit. (I don't know what his name looks like in English), his books, the "Ljugyi kak bogi I-II" (Godhumans) are excellent sci-fis, with well founded physical background.
Of course space ingurgitation could be used in combat, the process itself as a defensive and offensive weapon (if anything would hit you, you just destroy the space-quadrant that includes the projectile or energy-wave), and the reverse (matter ->space) as a defensive, for keeping away enemies. Combat ingurgitators have not yet appeared in BtS, but in a few decades, they will.
About space combat: unlike George Lucas, I don't think that space is something where is either speed or friction, the only thing that matters is acceleration. So most fighter crafts have one big engine and a lot of thrusters to be able to rotate around its axis. It's like ice-skating in 3-D. You can't stop because there is no friction. If you turn off your drive, you'll fly until the end of the world with the same speed. I've allowed the invention of AG fields. My AG is a counter force, something like gravity, just with the opposite sign. This approach is anti-scientific, true antigravity would mean cutting the gravitons, but physics knows next to nothing about gravity, so even if gravitons exists, we have no idea how could they be cut. But I like my AG field better, so I used it. (And as far as I know, I might be even right). And unlike Star Wars, space combat doesn't equal beating the other guys ship with a stones on sticks. ("I don't know what weapons will WW III fought with, but I know that Wold War Four will be fought with bows and stones on sticks" - Albert Einstein {Not necessarily correct quote}) I mean in modern air combat, you launch a missile from eighty kilometers and you forget your opponent. So in space combat a few thousand miles will be good distance to start with. The first volley of torpedoes can be fired from there, and it's only a few percent of the effective range of the battleships. But if the battle is between two drones (computer controlled combat spacecraft), the other ship's random elusive maneuvers in the milliseconds that are necessary to bridge the distance for the beam of the energy weapons make it likely that all shots will miss, so the closer the drones are, the higher is the chance to hit. In a pilot-drone fight, the pilot simply turns on his targeting computer and leaves aiming to his ship while he easily evades the drone's shots. (in theory. In practice, fighter pilots sometimes make mistakes, and they end up dead).
Between two fighters, really close range (few hundred meters) is necessary. The pilot must aim instead of the computer, because only he can see where the enemy will be. Battleships fire from tens of thousands of kilometers at other battleships, because maneuverability is not really an issue. The cannons of the battleships (now I mean every class over the third, not just the ninth) have both targeting computers and human gunners, because if there are fighters near, the TC is not much help, humans are more effective.
About weaponry: smaller weapons are high energy lasers. The problem with lasers is, that if you generate an EM field around yourself, it can trap the laser shots. (I'll go over the topic of shields later). Another weapon could be a plasma gun. Heat up metal to a few million Kelvins and hurl it with great speed. Again, the problem is that, plasma can be easily trapped in EM fields (as it is done in real world!). Plasma is excellent however against shieldless objects. A one-kilogram piece of iron on a million Kelvins travelling even at slow speed (few kilometers per second) can have surprisingly devastating effect. However, because it's a projectile it's extremely slow, and it can't propel itself like a torpedo can, it is nearly impossible not to be avoided (I mean you have to make an effort to be hit), so unless the combatants are close range it's useless. This makes it an excellent anti-fighter weapon for big ships. A few kilometers per second is enough when you fire at a target at hundred meters, and a big enough plasma cannon can easily overload the shields of an enemy fighter. Plasma cannons take time to power up, and they are a danger to the attacker too, so they are used with care. Good old homing, self-propelling torpedoes are stilled used, but their drawback is that point defense systems can take them out, so it's no use to fire a hundred 'pedoes one at a time, fire them all at once! The king of the hill is the nuclear missile. You can detonate it a hundred kilometers afar and it still destroys the target. There is no life around, so you don't have to worry about remnant radiation. But you can destroy your own ships if you are not careful, an H-bomb can't distinguish between friend and foe. So in a real battle (humanity didn't have any yet! {except for the Tritons, but they don't count}) the nukes would open the day, both fleets releasing their load at one another, and fighters and counter-rockets would swarm out to intercept them.
About shielding: I imagine two kinds of shields surrounding a ship at the same time, an incredibly strong magnetic field to trap any E-M wave and moving charged particles, and an AG field to keep projectiles away. This requires fields with magnitudes over today's, and control above them that we don't have yet.
[ Communications. The main communication device is something like a radio, but instead of manipulating EM waves, it emits space-density ripples, like sound waves but the carrying medium is not the atoms but the space between them. The speed limits only exist for things with a rest mass (it's not true again), so there is no limit for the speed of the "space-waves". It's a different application of the space ingurgitators. Because SI drives are big, only ninth-class ships are equipped with them. Superluminal travel usually disables SI communications, so standard radio is used when the engines are on. (It's ironic, how super-advanced technology forces us back to primitive methods (I mean radio here).
Feel free to comment or debate anything about this short essay. All of my points can be easily attacked and refuted, because in a real world, these technologies simply don't work! (most of them. Some do.) I tried to stay as close to modern physics as I could, but because modern physics denies the possibility of superluminal travel, I simply had to break the rules. So that's it for today, I think I'll continue this essay sometimes later.
BTW: thanx to everyone for leaving me so many and wonderful feedbacks. I love you all!
(This was my first smiley ever! : - )
This is a short explanation of how weapons, shields, technology and space travel works. It is not necessary to the understanding of the story, so if you are not particularly interested in these kind of things, you can skip it. I only add it for my own delight in these kinds of things, this is an attempt to take "sci" in sci-fi more seriously.
There are two kinds of space travel in BtW. The good 'ole wormhole theory was explained many other places, basically it's a 3-D shortcut in the four dimensional flesh of the universe. For example you are an ant, that wants to get something from inside a glass. So you walk up on the side of glass and down on the other side. The equivalent of opening a wormhole is to teach the ant to drill a hole into the side of the glass. Wormhole travel takes time, but it can't be predetermined how much-you start to drill and you'll break through when you break through. This is the technology used by the Alliance and the Talronids. (The triton's didn't actually had superluminal travel, this was one of the reasons they had only a few systems despite the age of their civilization.)
Human superluminal flight is based on the conversion of space to matter. That vacuum contains energy is high school physics, so is the fact that energy equals matter. So vacuum equals matter (of course this is a lie, the two energies have nothing to do with each other, the first is a potential energy that can be used to suck objects in, the second is related to the relativity theory, and it is a side-product of the Lorenz transformations.) So the space-ingurgitators convert vacuum to matter, cubic miles to a few atoms. And the human ships are not actually moving with twenty thousand c, they are standing still, but when even the emptiness before them is destroyed, they are sucked in. (the vacuum of the vacuum sucks them in, figuratively speaking. There will be some distortions in the space time continuum, but who cares. The density of space isn't a linear function. Think about the time and length contractions. In a universe where the speed of light is constant regardless the inertial frame....)
Space eating would mess up with the solar systems, so ships have to use sub-light drives when travelling in-system. This theory is not mine, a soviet sci-fi writer, Szergej Sznyegov has the credit. (I don't know what his name looks like in English), his books, the "Ljugyi kak bogi I-II" (Godhumans) are excellent sci-fis, with well founded physical background.
Of course space ingurgitation could be used in combat, the process itself as a defensive and offensive weapon (if anything would hit you, you just destroy the space-quadrant that includes the projectile or energy-wave), and the reverse (matter ->space) as a defensive, for keeping away enemies. Combat ingurgitators have not yet appeared in BtS, but in a few decades, they will.
About space combat: unlike George Lucas, I don't think that space is something where is either speed or friction, the only thing that matters is acceleration. So most fighter crafts have one big engine and a lot of thrusters to be able to rotate around its axis. It's like ice-skating in 3-D. You can't stop because there is no friction. If you turn off your drive, you'll fly until the end of the world with the same speed. I've allowed the invention of AG fields. My AG is a counter force, something like gravity, just with the opposite sign. This approach is anti-scientific, true antigravity would mean cutting the gravitons, but physics knows next to nothing about gravity, so even if gravitons exists, we have no idea how could they be cut. But I like my AG field better, so I used it. (And as far as I know, I might be even right). And unlike Star Wars, space combat doesn't equal beating the other guys ship with a stones on sticks. ("I don't know what weapons will WW III fought with, but I know that Wold War Four will be fought with bows and stones on sticks" - Albert Einstein {Not necessarily correct quote}) I mean in modern air combat, you launch a missile from eighty kilometers and you forget your opponent. So in space combat a few thousand miles will be good distance to start with. The first volley of torpedoes can be fired from there, and it's only a few percent of the effective range of the battleships. But if the battle is between two drones (computer controlled combat spacecraft), the other ship's random elusive maneuvers in the milliseconds that are necessary to bridge the distance for the beam of the energy weapons make it likely that all shots will miss, so the closer the drones are, the higher is the chance to hit. In a pilot-drone fight, the pilot simply turns on his targeting computer and leaves aiming to his ship while he easily evades the drone's shots. (in theory. In practice, fighter pilots sometimes make mistakes, and they end up dead).
Between two fighters, really close range (few hundred meters) is necessary. The pilot must aim instead of the computer, because only he can see where the enemy will be. Battleships fire from tens of thousands of kilometers at other battleships, because maneuverability is not really an issue. The cannons of the battleships (now I mean every class over the third, not just the ninth) have both targeting computers and human gunners, because if there are fighters near, the TC is not much help, humans are more effective.
About weaponry: smaller weapons are high energy lasers. The problem with lasers is, that if you generate an EM field around yourself, it can trap the laser shots. (I'll go over the topic of shields later). Another weapon could be a plasma gun. Heat up metal to a few million Kelvins and hurl it with great speed. Again, the problem is that, plasma can be easily trapped in EM fields (as it is done in real world!). Plasma is excellent however against shieldless objects. A one-kilogram piece of iron on a million Kelvins travelling even at slow speed (few kilometers per second) can have surprisingly devastating effect. However, because it's a projectile it's extremely slow, and it can't propel itself like a torpedo can, it is nearly impossible not to be avoided (I mean you have to make an effort to be hit), so unless the combatants are close range it's useless. This makes it an excellent anti-fighter weapon for big ships. A few kilometers per second is enough when you fire at a target at hundred meters, and a big enough plasma cannon can easily overload the shields of an enemy fighter. Plasma cannons take time to power up, and they are a danger to the attacker too, so they are used with care. Good old homing, self-propelling torpedoes are stilled used, but their drawback is that point defense systems can take them out, so it's no use to fire a hundred 'pedoes one at a time, fire them all at once! The king of the hill is the nuclear missile. You can detonate it a hundred kilometers afar and it still destroys the target. There is no life around, so you don't have to worry about remnant radiation. But you can destroy your own ships if you are not careful, an H-bomb can't distinguish between friend and foe. So in a real battle (humanity didn't have any yet! {except for the Tritons, but they don't count}) the nukes would open the day, both fleets releasing their load at one another, and fighters and counter-rockets would swarm out to intercept them.
About shielding: I imagine two kinds of shields surrounding a ship at the same time, an incredibly strong magnetic field to trap any E-M wave and moving charged particles, and an AG field to keep projectiles away. This requires fields with magnitudes over today's, and control above them that we don't have yet.
[ Communications. The main communication device is something like a radio, but instead of manipulating EM waves, it emits space-density ripples, like sound waves but the carrying medium is not the atoms but the space between them. The speed limits only exist for things with a rest mass (it's not true again), so there is no limit for the speed of the "space-waves". It's a different application of the space ingurgitators. Because SI drives are big, only ninth-class ships are equipped with them. Superluminal travel usually disables SI communications, so standard radio is used when the engines are on. (It's ironic, how super-advanced technology forces us back to primitive methods (I mean radio here).
Feel free to comment or debate anything about this short essay. All of my points can be easily attacked and refuted, because in a real world, these technologies simply don't work! (most of them. Some do.) I tried to stay as close to modern physics as I could, but because modern physics denies the possibility of superluminal travel, I simply had to break the rules. So that's it for today, I think I'll continue this essay sometimes later.
BTW: thanx to everyone for leaving me so many and wonderful feedbacks. I love you all!
(This was my first smiley ever! : - )-
silverofroswell
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Chapter 6 Part 18
Part 18
The plan was simple: the Fourth must lure away the ships of the First and engage them, providing a chance for the Doombringers to slip through the stationary defenses at extremely high speed. Rockets weren't used anymore; it was common knowledge that a computerized defense turret could shoot down any number of incoming warheads. Admiral Parker's innovation was that she gave human mind to the rockets - the pilots of the Mortals would guide them to the atmosphere! It was a lot harder to hit a top ace human pilot maneuvering with the ten-percent of the speed of light than a stupid drone controlling a single warhead.
Unfortunately, the First Fleet was resting peacefully near Mars's trajectory, surrounded by spaceforts, with no real intentions to come out and engage the Moiras in a one-on-one. The battleships of the First - Glory, Victory and Triumph were slightly older and smaller than their twins from the Moira-class, but the greater number of supporting ships and especially the stations balanced this slight disadvantage.
------
`Admiral, we’ve got the first reading. Ten minutes until they re-enter normal space. They are coming in the rotational plane and on the vector of Neptune.` The captain was excited and nervous as he reported to Houston. He knew that their fleet had the greater firepower, but Admiral Parker must have known it too, and she must have come up with a way to counter it. He couldn't imagine how they could be beaten today, but he was afraid that he’d find out the hard way.
`Thank you, Captain. Deploy the first quarter of the fighters and the drones.` It was an unnecessary order, fighters were sortieing since the first signal came, according to the plan, but Houston liked to hear his voice and he simply loved giving orders.
`Yes, Sir!`
GMT 1305
Ten minutes later Moiras and their escort appeared out of nowhere inside the solar system. The whole fleet stood still for a few seconds, then the hangar doors opened on the side of the great ships and fighters and drones swarmed out in uncounted masses. In two minutes, all the two thousand manned fighters and the ten thousand drones of the Fourth left their motherships and formed up ahead of the fleet. The twelve thousand crafts were streaking through miles upon miles of emptiness. The first defensive stations were protecting the moons of Jupiter, and it was clear that they were heading there.
`Send out the first group of fighters to help the bases and deploy the second,` came Houston’s order. About four hundred fighters with their escorting drones turned towards the gas giant to provide fire support for the stations. But when they were at half way, the swarm of the fighters turned slightly and accelerated. The computers on Glory's bridge showed that they’d meet in the center of nothing.
Houston faced two choices - either he calls back his fighters and leave Jupiter to the attacker's mercy or he pours in more crafts and hopes that his own will survive until the reinforcements get there. And the took the one that Admiral Parker and General Rath predicted a week beforehand.
GMT 1306
`To all squad leaders! Don't kill them all at once. Take it easy. At least half of them must survive the next four minutes until their reinforcements arrive. Destiny out.`
`Do you think he'll take the bait?`
`He won't be able to resist it. My whole fighter force without protection.. He won't be able to say no. He'll pour in small crafts, and when it will be clear that they are losing, some larger and then, even larger. He knows that he must keep his positions, but he doesn't know what "cutting losses" means. He won't retreat, and with a little luck, we can escalate the battle there.`
`And when he sends the first fifth-class into the grinder, we'll send one too,` Alex repeated the rehearsed and practiced plan.
`So he'll send in another to counter ours. And so on. And when there is a large enough force in there, we'll rush in too, and he won't be able to see all his precious ships die in the crossfire of Fate and Destiny, so he'll come personally.` Liz let out a little laugh. `It's just so easy to play with him. If he would be thinking instead of reacting, we wouldn't be able to defeat him.
GMT 1310
`...okay Daggers, you heard the Admiral. Let's leave a few alive!` The twelve sleek fighters were flying in a tight V formation.
Blue Dagger One looked at the readings of his targeting computer, then continued to speak on the squad's private channel.
`This is lead'. Seventy seconds 'till range. All wings report in.`
`Three online and ready for battle.`
`Five online and ready for battle.`
`Six online and ready for battle.` The status reports were completely unnecessary, but it was a sacred ritual for all fighter pilots since the invention of the radio. There were only thirty seconds left when his last wingman checked in.
`Daggers, this is lead'. Spare the 'pedoes for the bigger ones. Use the standard tactics, we don't want to scare them away. Take it easy on them.` He paused for a second. `From now on no radio chatter. Break up into combat pairs on my mark. Regrouping into triads in two-oh-oh seconds. Change formation three-two-one now!`
The twelve crafts broke up into six pairs and they started to drift apart from each other as the pilots disengaged the autopilot. Dagger One and Dagger Two took turns thirty degrees to the left and selected a drone group of six as their first target.
`Good hunting!`, he muttered to himself when his fingers tightened on the trigger for the first time.
The battle has begun.
GMT 1311
`Send out the second group with ten divisions of gunboats and deploy the third. And tell the first group to be careful.`
`Sir, they are getting slaughtered.`
`Nonsense. They can cope with minor difficulties.` The adjutant didn't dare to voice his opinion that fighting against five-to-one odds is more than a minor difficulty.
GMT 1312
`Oh, there goes another group. How many ships did he send in so far?`, she asked one of the operators.
`Seven hundred-something fighters, four thousand drones, and two hundred gunboats left his fleet. And he’s lost more then two hundred fighters and half of the drones. The gunboats are just entering the battle.
GMT 1315
Lieutenant Vasquez was leading the gunboat marked as Neon-DS-13 towards the dogfight. The expression was a bit misleading - it took place in a globe five thousand miles in diameter, but it was still a dogfight. He spotted their first enemy - a lone fighter. `Maybe he lost his wingmen?`, he mused then shrugged it off as unimportant. He marked it on his screen as target and his two gunners turned their weapons towards it. The fighter was coming straight towards them, without firing a single shot. It did not bother the crew of the Neon - DS -13. Their target was an elusive one, he easily dodged their lasers and pulled up. Vasquez turned his ship after him in hot pursuit, glad that his first prey was offering himself on a plate. He realized his error ten seconds later, when two search radars lit up behind him, but it was late then, too late. His computer informed him that he was destroyed with the first shot of the wingmen of his target.
The three fighters made a loop around him, then two turned off their targeting computers again and the third pulled ahead of them, to provide an excellent target for another gunboat.
GMT 1317
`Admiral, a third of our fighter force is down! Maybe we should pull back the rest?` While we can, thought the adjutant, but didn't add.
`Never. Send in the fourth group and the Euclyds. They'll take care of the fighters.`
`With due respect, Sir, the plan was that we sit tight and let her come to us.`
`We are not going anywhere captain. This is just a minor skirmish before the real battle,` he said with way too much self-confidence to his adjutant's liking.
`Yes, Sir!`
GMT 1320
`What? The Moiras are moving? Then we are going there too.`
`Sir, we are throwing away all of our advantages one by one. We barely have fighters anymore and they are making short work of our cruisers.`
`Captain, if you criticize my decisions one more time, I'll have you relieved of your post. Understood?`
`Yes, Sir!`
The man at the long-range scanner came running towards them on the bridge.
`Admiral, we are picking up about sixty incoming objects at high speed. Five cruiser class and fifty fighters. They came with a jump-ship.`
`They are of no importance. Probably some malfunction earlier.`
`Sir.. They are very fast..` He raised up his hand to silence him.
`Who cares about five cruisers when I have a hundred? I have more important things to do here.`
GMT 1321
`Pegasi: Concentrate fire on that battle cruiser. Thor: Disengage the Abe Lincoln and assist the Loki! To all fighters: try to steer the fight away from the path of the strike force!` Liz was standing in the middle of the three dimensional map of the Sol System. She was pointing on various dots and her com opened a channel to those crafts immediately. All her composure was gone, she was barking orders loudly, and sweat glistened on her forehead. She was immersed in her visions, but she had to concentrate on giving orders at the same time. The three Moiras were heading in-system at top speed, to beat the battleships of the First to the battle. What was a planned and precalculated clash at the beginning quickly deteriorated into a bitter and chaotic struggle. She was trying to put some order into that chaos.
Meanwhile, the Doombringers were already catching up with the rest of the fleet. Within two minutes, they'll overtake them, and within fifteen, they'll reach the first layer of stationary defenses. She couldn't help them from then on, but from the state of the battle, maybe they weren't even necessary in the first place. The way Houston was sending his ships into certain death... She knew that he was ill suited for leadership, but the sheer stupidity of the man was still impressive. Now he was abandoning his well-prepared positions, leaving the defense stations behind. He still outgunned the Fourth, but barely, and his advantage was melting quickly. In the meat grinder Liz created, her troops had constant numerical advantage over his. He was pouring ships and men in, but it was no use. He had sent ten sixth-class ships in so far, but one by one. If all ten went in at the same time, they would have had the upper hand, but each one was dead before the next could reach the battle.
So now, the full firepower of the two fleets was rushing towards the battle, and Liz knew, whatever the actual outcome will be, she already won in the eyes of the Council by making Houston abandon his post.
GMT 1324
The Phoenices were flying through the solar system with incredible speed. They already left the bulk of the Fourth behind and they kept a good distance from the area of the fight. So far, so good. But the system patrol crafts already detected them and a few mobile battle stations were starting to edge towards their trajectory.
GMT 1325
The battle raged. The bloody struggle of the fighters was just children's squabbling compared to what started when the battleships entered the zone. All of the remaining small craft retreated to the vicinity of their motherships, and started out from there again on raids, while the battleships were edging towards each other cautiously. The fighters of the Fourth completely eradicated the first and second class ships of the enemy fleet and were providing escort to their own cruisers and frigates as they engaged the enemy ships. Invisible rays of death streamed back and forth between the participants without any apparent effect. In a real battle, there would explosions everywhere, but now if a ship was killed, it just shut down her engines and weapon systems automatically.
`Call back two divisions of fighters, ten divisions of drones, and start to deploy our bombers!`
`We are going to attack the battleships?`
`No. We are going to divide their attention.`
GMT 1327
Admiral Houston was starting to panic. His precious ships were disappearing from the screen one by one. He knew that he shouldn't have come out here, but he didn't know where he made the wrong decision. It seemed logical at the time. But if he ordered retreat now, his losses would double. What should he do? Retreat or hold his ground and fight? Despite his numerous bad traits, Admiral Houston wasn't a coward, and he didn't like the idea of running away at all.
He fumbled with the map, ordered a few ships back with a few thousand kilometers to maintain a tighter formation. He watched with a sour expression as Destiny and Doom began to deploy bombers. He had all his bombers in the hangar bays intact - but no fighters or drones to escort them and to draw the defensive fire away. So she is sending her minions directly against him now. Oh No! They are taking a great roundabout around the battle. They are heading for Mars! This decided the question.
He began drawing back his craft one by one, ordering them to the defense of Mars.
GMT 1331
`Turrets ahead! Concentrate! You can do this!` This was all that Angel One could manage before the barrage was on them. He glided effortlessly in the crossfire of the battle stations. Within ten seconds, he left their range. He checked his radar, they lost another two cruisers, and only the Firebird and the Blue Phoenix remained. Angel squad was down to nine, and the Devils lost five men. The Mortals were still unscratched.
`Angels, from now concentrate on blocking the shots aimed at the Mortals. This means that if a beam would hit them, jump in before it. They have to reach the atmosphere! ` The time for talking was up, another line of stations was approaching rapidly. He braced himself and tried to feel forward into the future.
GMT 1334
`Admiral, two minutes until the Doombringers reach Earth.` She didn't seem to acknowledge what the messenger said, but he didn't repeat it, he was sure that his Admiral heard him and was already using the information to change her plans.
As far as he could tell, she was pursuing the retreating First with the whole Fourth, trying to bite the greatest possible chunk out of their asses before they reached the stations near Phobos.
GMT 1335
`What? More than twenty fighters are approaching the Moon? How did they get there? And what the Hell are they doing there?`
`I do...don't know, Sir,` stuttered the long-range scanner operator. `But they are ten times faster than any fighter we ever met. They avoided five defensive layers so far.`
`And you are informing me just now?`
`We... we thought that there was no way that they could get through between the stations. There were only five cruisers and forty fighters. The last cruiser was destroyed in the third layer, but the fighters are somehow evading the fire.` Houston was listening half-heartedly to his report, he was moving ships across space, in the meanwhile, the battle couldn't stop because a few fighter jocks got lucky! He was sure that they meant no threat, and he continued to exist in blissful ignorance for the next two minutes.
GMT 1337
There were only seven Mortals left and eight other fighters when they broke through the geostac batteries. Earth was only ten seconds away from Moon, but it was the hardest ten seconds of Kyle's life. The seven Mortals pressed the "Arm warhead" button at once. In real life they would have about four milliseconds to get away, but it wouldn't be a problem, because with their current speed, they would leave Earth far behind in those four milliseconds.
But now the rockets were filled with cream instead of plutonium, so they were as safe as they get. The moment the warheads were "armed", the battle was over. The Observer ships started to broadcast "cease hostilities at once,” and the dead ship came to life. Everyone started towards their docks, where the data from the flight computers would be downloaded and sent to Earth for analysis. There were debriefings scheduled for this evening, but for the Fourth Fleet, the expression "victory celebrations" would be more accurate.
The plan was simple: the Fourth must lure away the ships of the First and engage them, providing a chance for the Doombringers to slip through the stationary defenses at extremely high speed. Rockets weren't used anymore; it was common knowledge that a computerized defense turret could shoot down any number of incoming warheads. Admiral Parker's innovation was that she gave human mind to the rockets - the pilots of the Mortals would guide them to the atmosphere! It was a lot harder to hit a top ace human pilot maneuvering with the ten-percent of the speed of light than a stupid drone controlling a single warhead.
Unfortunately, the First Fleet was resting peacefully near Mars's trajectory, surrounded by spaceforts, with no real intentions to come out and engage the Moiras in a one-on-one. The battleships of the First - Glory, Victory and Triumph were slightly older and smaller than their twins from the Moira-class, but the greater number of supporting ships and especially the stations balanced this slight disadvantage.
------
`Admiral, we’ve got the first reading. Ten minutes until they re-enter normal space. They are coming in the rotational plane and on the vector of Neptune.` The captain was excited and nervous as he reported to Houston. He knew that their fleet had the greater firepower, but Admiral Parker must have known it too, and she must have come up with a way to counter it. He couldn't imagine how they could be beaten today, but he was afraid that he’d find out the hard way.
`Thank you, Captain. Deploy the first quarter of the fighters and the drones.` It was an unnecessary order, fighters were sortieing since the first signal came, according to the plan, but Houston liked to hear his voice and he simply loved giving orders.
`Yes, Sir!`
GMT 1305
Ten minutes later Moiras and their escort appeared out of nowhere inside the solar system. The whole fleet stood still for a few seconds, then the hangar doors opened on the side of the great ships and fighters and drones swarmed out in uncounted masses. In two minutes, all the two thousand manned fighters and the ten thousand drones of the Fourth left their motherships and formed up ahead of the fleet. The twelve thousand crafts were streaking through miles upon miles of emptiness. The first defensive stations were protecting the moons of Jupiter, and it was clear that they were heading there.
`Send out the first group of fighters to help the bases and deploy the second,` came Houston’s order. About four hundred fighters with their escorting drones turned towards the gas giant to provide fire support for the stations. But when they were at half way, the swarm of the fighters turned slightly and accelerated. The computers on Glory's bridge showed that they’d meet in the center of nothing.
Houston faced two choices - either he calls back his fighters and leave Jupiter to the attacker's mercy or he pours in more crafts and hopes that his own will survive until the reinforcements get there. And the took the one that Admiral Parker and General Rath predicted a week beforehand.
GMT 1306
`To all squad leaders! Don't kill them all at once. Take it easy. At least half of them must survive the next four minutes until their reinforcements arrive. Destiny out.`
`Do you think he'll take the bait?`
`He won't be able to resist it. My whole fighter force without protection.. He won't be able to say no. He'll pour in small crafts, and when it will be clear that they are losing, some larger and then, even larger. He knows that he must keep his positions, but he doesn't know what "cutting losses" means. He won't retreat, and with a little luck, we can escalate the battle there.`
`And when he sends the first fifth-class into the grinder, we'll send one too,` Alex repeated the rehearsed and practiced plan.
`So he'll send in another to counter ours. And so on. And when there is a large enough force in there, we'll rush in too, and he won't be able to see all his precious ships die in the crossfire of Fate and Destiny, so he'll come personally.` Liz let out a little laugh. `It's just so easy to play with him. If he would be thinking instead of reacting, we wouldn't be able to defeat him.
GMT 1310
`...okay Daggers, you heard the Admiral. Let's leave a few alive!` The twelve sleek fighters were flying in a tight V formation.
Blue Dagger One looked at the readings of his targeting computer, then continued to speak on the squad's private channel.
`This is lead'. Seventy seconds 'till range. All wings report in.`
`Three online and ready for battle.`
`Five online and ready for battle.`
`Six online and ready for battle.` The status reports were completely unnecessary, but it was a sacred ritual for all fighter pilots since the invention of the radio. There were only thirty seconds left when his last wingman checked in.
`Daggers, this is lead'. Spare the 'pedoes for the bigger ones. Use the standard tactics, we don't want to scare them away. Take it easy on them.` He paused for a second. `From now on no radio chatter. Break up into combat pairs on my mark. Regrouping into triads in two-oh-oh seconds. Change formation three-two-one now!`
The twelve crafts broke up into six pairs and they started to drift apart from each other as the pilots disengaged the autopilot. Dagger One and Dagger Two took turns thirty degrees to the left and selected a drone group of six as their first target.
`Good hunting!`, he muttered to himself when his fingers tightened on the trigger for the first time.
The battle has begun.
GMT 1311
`Send out the second group with ten divisions of gunboats and deploy the third. And tell the first group to be careful.`
`Sir, they are getting slaughtered.`
`Nonsense. They can cope with minor difficulties.` The adjutant didn't dare to voice his opinion that fighting against five-to-one odds is more than a minor difficulty.
GMT 1312
`Oh, there goes another group. How many ships did he send in so far?`, she asked one of the operators.
`Seven hundred-something fighters, four thousand drones, and two hundred gunboats left his fleet. And he’s lost more then two hundred fighters and half of the drones. The gunboats are just entering the battle.
GMT 1315
Lieutenant Vasquez was leading the gunboat marked as Neon-DS-13 towards the dogfight. The expression was a bit misleading - it took place in a globe five thousand miles in diameter, but it was still a dogfight. He spotted their first enemy - a lone fighter. `Maybe he lost his wingmen?`, he mused then shrugged it off as unimportant. He marked it on his screen as target and his two gunners turned their weapons towards it. The fighter was coming straight towards them, without firing a single shot. It did not bother the crew of the Neon - DS -13. Their target was an elusive one, he easily dodged their lasers and pulled up. Vasquez turned his ship after him in hot pursuit, glad that his first prey was offering himself on a plate. He realized his error ten seconds later, when two search radars lit up behind him, but it was late then, too late. His computer informed him that he was destroyed with the first shot of the wingmen of his target.
The three fighters made a loop around him, then two turned off their targeting computers again and the third pulled ahead of them, to provide an excellent target for another gunboat.
GMT 1317
`Admiral, a third of our fighter force is down! Maybe we should pull back the rest?` While we can, thought the adjutant, but didn't add.
`Never. Send in the fourth group and the Euclyds. They'll take care of the fighters.`
`With due respect, Sir, the plan was that we sit tight and let her come to us.`
`We are not going anywhere captain. This is just a minor skirmish before the real battle,` he said with way too much self-confidence to his adjutant's liking.
`Yes, Sir!`
GMT 1320
`What? The Moiras are moving? Then we are going there too.`
`Sir, we are throwing away all of our advantages one by one. We barely have fighters anymore and they are making short work of our cruisers.`
`Captain, if you criticize my decisions one more time, I'll have you relieved of your post. Understood?`
`Yes, Sir!`
The man at the long-range scanner came running towards them on the bridge.
`Admiral, we are picking up about sixty incoming objects at high speed. Five cruiser class and fifty fighters. They came with a jump-ship.`
`They are of no importance. Probably some malfunction earlier.`
`Sir.. They are very fast..` He raised up his hand to silence him.
`Who cares about five cruisers when I have a hundred? I have more important things to do here.`
GMT 1321
`Pegasi: Concentrate fire on that battle cruiser. Thor: Disengage the Abe Lincoln and assist the Loki! To all fighters: try to steer the fight away from the path of the strike force!` Liz was standing in the middle of the three dimensional map of the Sol System. She was pointing on various dots and her com opened a channel to those crafts immediately. All her composure was gone, she was barking orders loudly, and sweat glistened on her forehead. She was immersed in her visions, but she had to concentrate on giving orders at the same time. The three Moiras were heading in-system at top speed, to beat the battleships of the First to the battle. What was a planned and precalculated clash at the beginning quickly deteriorated into a bitter and chaotic struggle. She was trying to put some order into that chaos.
Meanwhile, the Doombringers were already catching up with the rest of the fleet. Within two minutes, they'll overtake them, and within fifteen, they'll reach the first layer of stationary defenses. She couldn't help them from then on, but from the state of the battle, maybe they weren't even necessary in the first place. The way Houston was sending his ships into certain death... She knew that he was ill suited for leadership, but the sheer stupidity of the man was still impressive. Now he was abandoning his well-prepared positions, leaving the defense stations behind. He still outgunned the Fourth, but barely, and his advantage was melting quickly. In the meat grinder Liz created, her troops had constant numerical advantage over his. He was pouring ships and men in, but it was no use. He had sent ten sixth-class ships in so far, but one by one. If all ten went in at the same time, they would have had the upper hand, but each one was dead before the next could reach the battle.
So now, the full firepower of the two fleets was rushing towards the battle, and Liz knew, whatever the actual outcome will be, she already won in the eyes of the Council by making Houston abandon his post.
GMT 1324
The Phoenices were flying through the solar system with incredible speed. They already left the bulk of the Fourth behind and they kept a good distance from the area of the fight. So far, so good. But the system patrol crafts already detected them and a few mobile battle stations were starting to edge towards their trajectory.
GMT 1325
The battle raged. The bloody struggle of the fighters was just children's squabbling compared to what started when the battleships entered the zone. All of the remaining small craft retreated to the vicinity of their motherships, and started out from there again on raids, while the battleships were edging towards each other cautiously. The fighters of the Fourth completely eradicated the first and second class ships of the enemy fleet and were providing escort to their own cruisers and frigates as they engaged the enemy ships. Invisible rays of death streamed back and forth between the participants without any apparent effect. In a real battle, there would explosions everywhere, but now if a ship was killed, it just shut down her engines and weapon systems automatically.
`Call back two divisions of fighters, ten divisions of drones, and start to deploy our bombers!`
`We are going to attack the battleships?`
`No. We are going to divide their attention.`
GMT 1327
Admiral Houston was starting to panic. His precious ships were disappearing from the screen one by one. He knew that he shouldn't have come out here, but he didn't know where he made the wrong decision. It seemed logical at the time. But if he ordered retreat now, his losses would double. What should he do? Retreat or hold his ground and fight? Despite his numerous bad traits, Admiral Houston wasn't a coward, and he didn't like the idea of running away at all.
He fumbled with the map, ordered a few ships back with a few thousand kilometers to maintain a tighter formation. He watched with a sour expression as Destiny and Doom began to deploy bombers. He had all his bombers in the hangar bays intact - but no fighters or drones to escort them and to draw the defensive fire away. So she is sending her minions directly against him now. Oh No! They are taking a great roundabout around the battle. They are heading for Mars! This decided the question.
He began drawing back his craft one by one, ordering them to the defense of Mars.
GMT 1331
`Turrets ahead! Concentrate! You can do this!` This was all that Angel One could manage before the barrage was on them. He glided effortlessly in the crossfire of the battle stations. Within ten seconds, he left their range. He checked his radar, they lost another two cruisers, and only the Firebird and the Blue Phoenix remained. Angel squad was down to nine, and the Devils lost five men. The Mortals were still unscratched.
`Angels, from now concentrate on blocking the shots aimed at the Mortals. This means that if a beam would hit them, jump in before it. They have to reach the atmosphere! ` The time for talking was up, another line of stations was approaching rapidly. He braced himself and tried to feel forward into the future.
GMT 1334
`Admiral, two minutes until the Doombringers reach Earth.` She didn't seem to acknowledge what the messenger said, but he didn't repeat it, he was sure that his Admiral heard him and was already using the information to change her plans.
As far as he could tell, she was pursuing the retreating First with the whole Fourth, trying to bite the greatest possible chunk out of their asses before they reached the stations near Phobos.
GMT 1335
`What? More than twenty fighters are approaching the Moon? How did they get there? And what the Hell are they doing there?`
`I do...don't know, Sir,` stuttered the long-range scanner operator. `But they are ten times faster than any fighter we ever met. They avoided five defensive layers so far.`
`And you are informing me just now?`
`We... we thought that there was no way that they could get through between the stations. There were only five cruisers and forty fighters. The last cruiser was destroyed in the third layer, but the fighters are somehow evading the fire.` Houston was listening half-heartedly to his report, he was moving ships across space, in the meanwhile, the battle couldn't stop because a few fighter jocks got lucky! He was sure that they meant no threat, and he continued to exist in blissful ignorance for the next two minutes.
GMT 1337
There were only seven Mortals left and eight other fighters when they broke through the geostac batteries. Earth was only ten seconds away from Moon, but it was the hardest ten seconds of Kyle's life. The seven Mortals pressed the "Arm warhead" button at once. In real life they would have about four milliseconds to get away, but it wouldn't be a problem, because with their current speed, they would leave Earth far behind in those four milliseconds.
But now the rockets were filled with cream instead of plutonium, so they were as safe as they get. The moment the warheads were "armed", the battle was over. The Observer ships started to broadcast "cease hostilities at once,” and the dead ship came to life. Everyone started towards their docks, where the data from the flight computers would be downloaded and sent to Earth for analysis. There were debriefings scheduled for this evening, but for the Fourth Fleet, the expression "victory celebrations" would be more accurate.
Last edited by silverofroswell on Tue Aug 19, 2003 1:21 am, edited 1 time in total.