Alpha One: The Kronan (22 page)

The Malchian’s, were the Kryl’s elite invasion force. They were utterly ruthless and a caste in their own right, within the divisions of the hierarchal Kryl. They were relatively few in number, but made up for this, with their devastating and ruthless fighting capability. The Malchian’s sole domicile was the Queen’s ship and there they stayed until called upon to do battle.

Seren was the Malchian leader and Queen had just summoned her.

“It is time for you to enter the fray Seren.”

“We were waiting for your command, my Queen.”

“It is a pity we have waited so long before we released you from the depths of this ship. Many lives could have been saved if we could have called on you when we first encountered the humans.”

“We will make up for that now, my Queen.”

Take a thousand strong unit and destroy the heart of the human fleet. Take out the vessels known as the Viceroy and the Illustrious.”

“And the Halo, my Queen?”

“No! Leave that to me. Your people must not touch the Halo 7, it has a different destiny.”

“Very well My Queen. We will depart immediately.”

True to her word, Seren launched a thousand Malchian Arrows from the depths of the Queen’s ship within minutes of leaving the Queen’s sanctuary. Thirty seconds later, they began their assault on the Viceroy.

* * * *

Morvalt returned to his own sanctuary. The Queen gave him full autonomy to rage war on the Alpha fleet. She trusted him again and it was time for him to put that trust to the test. First, he had to continue his game with Jake Carter.

He waited until the sanctuary held complete silence and he opened his mind, seeking out the human. He was further away now, still within the theatre but more distant. He found him and entered his mind but this time to probe him.
So, the Halo 7 was the lead ship in the sub-space attack. That changed the complexion of things. The Halo 7 was a risk, which needed to be neutralized, but he could not do that, while Carter was on board. Perhaps now is the time to bring Carter to me.

He entered his mind again but this time he suggested, rather than probed. The seed had been planted—now Jake Carter would come to him.

These new Kryl vessels were different. They were bigger, faster, and more mobile than the standard Kryl fighters and far more deadly. Shenke saw that the Viceroy was their key target. They surrounded the flagship and were strangling every section. Shields took a pounding and if he left things as they were, they would fail and the Viceroy would be finished.

“Launch all reserve Jump Ships and target the new fighters. Get some cruiser coverage around us. We need to remove these new ships before they cause us serious problems.”

“Sir, the Illustrious reports a similar attack. They have launched Jump Ships but are losing shield capability.”

“Port shields down to thirty-five percent.”

“Compensate. Where are those Jump Ships?”

“They are in the fray, Sir, but they seem to be no match for these new ships.”

“And the cruisers?”

“Coming in now.”

“We will pack them in tight and squeeze the Kryl out. Get Me Admiral Rodriguez on the ship to ship!”

Rodriguez responded immediately.

“Admiral, these new ships are devastating. They are targeting the flagships.”

“Yes and we can’t afford to lose either of them, not if we are to keep this fleet together. I suggest you bring in a thousand Jump Ships and flood this area. If we cannot destroy these new ships, we can make it impossible for them to get at us.”

* * * *

Elsewhere, Jonathan Hoskins was continuing the clear up exercise, by targeting the remaining hundred Kryl cruisers that were sent in response to the initial sub space charges.

“Commander Jacques. Do we have the coordinates for the next SS deployment?”

“Yes, I have relayed them to the CAG already. Eight ships launching now.”

“Mister Carter. Make sure, all Alpha vessels are clear, before confirming, good to go.

“Mister Carter, did you hear me?”

Hoskins saw that Jake Carter was pre-occupied. Mister Carter, can you hear me?”

He stood right next to the Comms Officer now and Jake just stared vacantly.

“Number One, get me Lieutenant Pascoe up here and Carter to the medical center. Helm, assume Comms traffic.”

* * * *

Jake was in a trance. He was looking at Morvalt who was beckoning him to leave the ship.
I have to get to the launch bay.
He stood up and left his station, heading towards the bridge exit.

He heard Commander Hoskins call after him, but he ignored him.
I have to get to the launch bay.

The Security Chief arrived at the bridge corridor as Jake was just leaving it. The chief’s instructions were simple: sedate Lieutenant Carter and take him to the medical center. He set his blaster to stun and fired, hitting Jake in the middle of his back. A perfect stun shot but he kept on walking.

“How in the hell?” The Chief fired again. Another perfect shot but still Jake continued. Backup was just round the corner and with two further blasts, Jake fell to the floor.

* * * *

“Sir, only fifteen of the target ships remain. They are pulling out.”

“Excellent. Number One. Let’s pick out the next target.”

“Nothing at present. It looks like there is something going on with the Illustrious...and the Viceroy.”

“Specifically?”

“A large number of Kryl fighters are surrounding them. It looks like they are trying to take out the flag ships!”

Hoskins was not surprised. If Alpha wanted the Kryl mother ship destroyed, more than anything else, it was safe to assume that the Kryl wanted to take out Alpha’s flagships too.

“Get me Shenke on ship to ship!”

“No response, Sir.”

“Keep trying.”

* * * *

Jake was now awake but restrained. The Chief Medical Officer smiled at him.

“I am sorry about the restraints . You were not yourself. How do you feel now?”

“Much better thanks,” he lied.

“Good. We will keep you here under observation for the next hour and then I think you can return to light duties.”

“Can you release these?”

The medic shrugged his shoulders and released the restraint bar. Jake thanked him and waited for the medic to move on. Thirty seconds later, he was out of bed and on route to the Jump Ship deck. He had to get to the launch bay.

He reached the hangar bay and entered. From here, he knew he could access the Rapier’s at the rear of the deck without passing the CAG desk. He continued around the back wall of the hanger to the first of three Rapier 6’s. They were unattended, but carried green wheel chocks, indicating that they were good to go.

The next stage was the difficult one. He had to access the launch codes to release the shoot exit door which defaulted to the closed position unless the launch bay had full open status. Right now, the bay had only partial launch clearance. Jake accessed the launch computer and entered his security id.
Accepted. So far so good
.

* * * *

Lieutenant Obeya Temsouri was monitoring Jake’s unauthorized Jump Ship launch in the knowledge that it would certainly fail. She had contacted the bridge when Jake first accessed the launch bay as Jonathan had warned her it was likely Jake would be heading her way. Hoskins told her, Jake should not be allowed to launch under any circumstances and she had immediately placed a security bar against Jake’s id. He would be able to access the launch computer, but that is as far as he would get.

* * * *

When the security team arrived, Jake was still sat in the Jump Ship with his head in his hands. He looked up, realized that his attempt had been in vain, and stepped down from the ship into the clutches of the security guards who restrained him. He was taken directly to a containment cell.
It would be very difficult to get off the ship now.

* * * *

The Viceroy and the Illustrious were adjacent and protected by thirty ships of the line, as the battle between the Malchian Arrows and Alpha’s Jump Ships continued unabated. This skirmish was the cornerstone of the entire battle, with several thousand Kryl fighters having joined the horde.

Shenke and Rodriguez were in conference once again.

“This is ridiculous. We have all this fire power and we cannot use it!”

“If you are referring to the sub-space charges, Admiral Rodriguez, then I am sure you know why.

“Yes ,of course I do but we can defeat them if we could use the high powered SS charges. Maybe soon we will have no choice but to use them.”

“That is not our brief. We don’t know what impact a huge SS explosion would have in this system and the galaxy as a whole.”

“Nothing catastrophic! The environmentalists would have us believe the whole galaxy would fold in on itself, whereas scientists feel the worst result would cut off large parts of this system. It is hardly a critical system, is it?”

“No it’s not critical, but we still cannot be sure, how bad it would be. Anyway, things have not come to that. Hoskins is doing a good job, as are the Sentinels. I accept that these new ships and their new weapons are doing us harm, but we are here to stay.”

“To what end? Are you prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice?”

Shenke was getting agitated now.

“I am not scared to die, if that is what you mean!”

“Fighting to the last man. Is there a point, when the use of a large SS charge becomes attractive? I agree we are not there now, but we could be soon. I would not waste the remaining lives in this fleet, when the result would be the same. To defend the Earth, I would be prepared to use the maximum yield weapons.”

Shenke smiled. “I knew you were getting at something. Let’s just wait and see what happens. This battle is not yet over and let’s not forget, every Kryl we take now, will be one less for the SED to have to deal with.”

Hoskins entered the cell, three hours after Jake was first confined. He was sitting up on the bed, staring at the ceiling, but looked directly at Hoskins when he entered.

“Hi Jake. I take it you know exactly where Morvalt is?”

“What makes you say that?

“This is off the record. You were detained in these secure conditions because I do not want you to leave this ship. But I do want to know which ship Morvalt is on. Are you going to tell me?”

“He is on the Queen’s ship. Where else would you think he was?”

Hoskins ignored Jake’s blunt response. Clearly, he was heavily under Morvalt’s influence.

“Thanks Jake. I presume the mother ship is known as the Queen’s ship. I am afraid you will remain in this cell for the time being and only my authority will grant you release. I apologize for this rather draconian treatment, but I feel it is better for you and us that you remain here. I will come back and see you when I can.”

* * * *

The main battle continued relentlessly, but Alpha was losing Jump Ships fast. The new bigger more powerful Kryl ships were everywhere and their pilots utterly ruthless. Once targeted, a Jump Ship pilot stood little chance. The front line of cruisers continued to pummel the Kryl’s core but the firepower returning took its toll on every Alpha ship of the line. The Queen’s ship continued her unremitting attack with her Cathode Barium Laser Cannons, for which the weakened shield capacity of Alpha’s vessels cruisers showed little resistance. Losses were building up.

The only shining light was the joint sub-space and nuclear deployment by the Halo 7, her mini fleet, and the Sentinels. They destroyed over five hundred Kryl cruisers with relatively few losses. Their success was largely due to their location and the Kryl had reduced the size of the flanks to bolster the main section of the fleet. It was unlikely that Hoskins would have much more success in this area.

Shenke saw an end to this now. Virtually all the fleets available Jump Ships were involved in the main battle and it would surely only be hours before their fight was over. Was defeat inevitable? He found himself thinking back to his earlier conversation with Rodriguez. Could he actually contemplate a mass sub space attack in the Alpha Centauri corridor? It was beginning to look a more likely proposition.

The chamber was dark, with a solitary light shining over the bed, where the dying Kryl lay. He had been ill for a long time but only now did the real symptoms show themselves. There was no cure, only relief and relief was short lived and limited in supply.

Every accommodation block, in every Kryl ship had a dying chamber. This was part of everyday life for the Kryl. They were dying and today it was the turn of Morvalt’s nephew.

Morvalt had visited several times today already. He was close to his family and deeply saddened by his brother’s son’s imminent loss.

“He has deteriorated further Morvalt. I don’t think it will be long.”

“I know my brother. You know I would help if I could. The relief which will come soon, I regret will be too late for him.”

“I know you are doing everything you can. I need to know, do you think we should freeze him?”

“What does the healer say?”

“That it must be done now if my son is to stand a chance. However, there are no guarantees—even with an abundant food source. He will still die eventually unless we can find a cure.”

“So will we all.”

Morvalt had witnessed the deaths of many of his friends and family over the years. There was acceptance within the community that the disease would get them in the end. However, the end was coming sooner for many now that there was no more relief.

Freezing a body before it died was commonplace but the decision to freeze came with the caveat that while the body slept, the sole was still awake. No living Kryl knew how great the torment of perpetual sleep might be for those who were frozen.

“It is a grave decision to have to make. What did your son say?”

“He wanted to be given every chance and he accepted that he may exist in torment forever.”

“Then the decision is made. You should freeze him now.”

“And he will join my wife, her sister and their father.”

Morvalt said nothing as his brother approached the healer. Within moments it was done, the chemical agent spreading across the body instantly.

Morvalt allowed his brother to attend to his now cryogenically frozen son. The bed having become a sealed chamber, in which their son’s body would stay, until the day that the cryogenic technicians awoke him. He paid his own respects, thanked his brother for allowing him to witness their sons passing, and then left quietly.

He returned to his Sanctuary and wept.

* * * *

Much later, he awoke having slept for a long time. It was not long, before the events of last night came back to him and he wept again.

For his brother the wait was all over now, but for thousands of others throughout the fleet, the nightmare was just beginning. How many of his people had to die before they had a cure? But it did not have to be that way, not if there was a bountiful supply of food to provide relief to his people, to stem the onset of the final stage of the disease. This is why they had come to this galaxy and this is why Alpha had to be defeated.

Now his resolve was strong again and he was ready to resume command.