Unholy Star, Beyond Faith

The Mists of Geolan - Part 4

[on the command deck of the Geolan Spaceforce corvette battleship, Grande]

The battleship, Grande dropped out of jump. Sam was with Honi, Lucas and Captain Pat as the carrier came into view through the bow viewing port. Rather than the vast wall views found on top-of-the-line vessels, the old Grande relied on a direct clear-compound shielded view. The sense of awe Sam felt approaching the Skyean Carrier was like when she had been on pilgramige to Olympus Mons on Mars as she did with her father when she was a child; then, long ago, they were small, insignificant people against a grand stage. But that was a long, long time ago, how many years exactly Sam wasn't sure as after the first hundred it had been difficult to keep count of time. Today, she was still small and insignificant ant the mountain they confronted now was more insurmountable than anything before. As they sped closer the mountain threatened to engulf everything. Suddenly, there was nothing else, only mountain. "Deploy defensive arrays!" She ordered.

"Aye. Deploy arrays" Captain Pat echoed the order to his crew, "and full speed to the target."

Sam opened a thread request to request Harris who had returned to the Ascent. "Harris, I need you to be ready to transmit the key."

Harris accepted the request, "The key is ready, just give the signal. Blackwing and the Dominator are on their way and should be in range to provide support within five minutes. Also, be aware the marines have just left the planet in their attack transport, and I estimate they'll be at your location in around fifteen minutes. The space wings have also moved to support the carrier also but don't have jump capability so will be longer."

"The other destroyers?"

"They've decided to keep us company here. I've deployed arrays and can confirm planetary support. The Golan's have kept to their word."

"Good. Stand-by for the key request." Sam terminated the thread.

"All good?" asked Honi with conern. Just as the sound of the first attacks being met by their defensive ordinance hit their ears, the vibration of hundreds of explosions hummed up their legs.

"Yes, all good--or at least, as good as we can get. Let's get to the hatch."

Sam turned to the Captain, "Our cruisers will be here to provide support shortly."

The Captain Pat's return scowl wasn't an acceptance of Sam's gratitude. He yelled behind Sam as she ran for the docking hatch. "Don't worry, I'll send us up its jaxie; I just hope your God is on our side, Churchman."

Honi and Lucas followed close behind. The three had discarded their robes and were checking their weapons for boarding. They had to brace themselves against something solid in case of another missile broke through their defensive array's cover fire and shook the ship. 

Lucas had on a space suit and light armour from Grande's armoury, and her new guns were holstered under her arms in the fashion that Eiko had preferred. The straps pushed her breasts together to form a noticeable cleavage, a sight that impressed Honi, but he was smart enough not to say anything, getting away with a just a wink and thumbs up to the beamer who scowled back unimpressed.

"We'll go over this again one last time: the Duilleag sent all of her marines down to the planet so she'll be protected on board by her security division; we've met worse and the universal key will clear our path through any structural obstacle." 

A clunking from the hull indicated that they had met the dock port of the carrier. Sam picked up the thread to the Ascent that she had opend earlier, "Harris, let's go; activate the key."

The reply was instant, "Key activated."

To carry out their duties in maintaining the terminatio die, the Death Squad relied on the certainty that they could access all areas--no locked doors--no hidden hatches--and while Death Squad 8 was going to get into a lot of trouble as a result of the events at New Freedom they had not yet been excommunicated by the Church. Their Cardinal, Axel presided from the cathedral at Earth Platform and his involvement would require weeks of travel and bureaucratic proceedings; only excommunication would revoke the Squads universal key. Universal Access ensured that, if they could be found, an individual from any background, occupation or rank could be punished if they choose to undertake an illegal twelfth gefresh, an act policed by the Church in accordance Galactic treaties activated after the first one hundred year war. The smallest outer colony platform was not exempt, just as no Royal Sykean Spaceforce Carrier was exempt either.

Harris provided Sam with confirmation,"Key accepted... You may board when ready."

* * *

[On the Duilleag, Akira class Star wing carrier, Skyean Kingdom]

"Where did they come from!?" Vulpini screamed frantically from her virtual command platform that she shared with her command officers; she watched the virtual model of the industrially reshaped corvette battleship speed towards her carrier. The foreign vessel was ugly  with evidence of years of repair, refurbishment and reinforcement on a hull that looked more like a mining vessel than a warship and very much out of place among her elegant, pride ships.

Her first officer, Tarax, a handsome and highly capable spaceforce type, replied, "It's registered as Grande, it's part of the planetary space force--" He paused, "Ah, correction, it is the planetary space force."

"Never mind, that junk won't last five minutes." But then the cunning strategist realised what was happening, that she had been outplayed, bigtime. "They are headed for our primary dock. It's the death dealers, they don't need to dock with their ship to engage the authority of universal access." How could I overlook that! Vilpini shrieked internally and continued to Tarax,  "Those bastards are going to walk right on in here, and there's not a thing we can do about it. The raiders are  jump for another fifteen minutes and by then it would all be over."

Blackwing and the Dominator dropped out of jump behind the three destroyers ship that had engaged the Geolan ship. The two black crystal cruisers and immediately deployed their arrays and launched an attack on the destroyers. Now thousands of energy and ballistic missiles were flying between ships meeting defensive ordinance. Space flashed like fireworks as the old ship flew up to the Kingdom's invincible flagship and docked. Vulpini looked on from her silver disc in space over the combat, and the sight repulsed her. The feeling of violation swept over the admiral and, for the first time in a command that spanned over fifty years, she had been caught off guard--completely and utterly caught off guard and entirely compromised.

* * *

Honi was the first to enter the Duilleag after the hatch irised open. He had dual-energy blades extended and crossed before him ready to repel any armed assault, but to his surprise, he met no resistance. The dock chamber was empty and only dimly lit, as was the corridor leading to the main deck. It was as if the ship were asleep. "All clear Sam. Nothing but an open corridor. You could hear a pin drop."

Sam, also armed with an energy blade moved forward cautiously followed by Lucas bearing her new revolvers. "Those cocky bastards, I don't believe it."

Honi relaxed his stance and dropped his arms to his side, "Undefended? Really?"

"Yes, think about it" answered Sam, "they've sent all of their marines to the planet. Nobody was expecting that'd we'd be bringing the fight to their normally inpregnatable carrier and yet, here we are. Quick! let's run to the reservoirs we can finish this now!" Sam sped off down the corridor into the bowels of the mountain. Honi and Lucas followed close behind.