Firesong: The Adventure Begins!

By Timothy V. Lewis

Firesong: The Adventure Begins! A Christian Science Fiction Adventure:
Before there was a Force...
Before there was a Prime Directive...
There came a Great Commission...
Ships all along the outer rim systems are disappearing without a trace. Some fall victim to sabotage. Others encounter a mysterious Black Fleet of unmarked vessels. Those never get to tell their tale...
Commander John Patrick O'Shea is at a crossroads in life. Having faithfully served in the Organization of Allied Defense (O.A.D.) Star Force of the 25th century all of his adult life, he has chosen to leave his active military career to assume his first real command, the Firesong. In an effort to extend an olive branch to the outer rim worlds, O.A.D.'s executive governing body, the Directorate has commissioned a supply ship filled with doctors, engineers and other relief workers to aid struggling under developed worlds. For now the Directorate is content to allow these positions to be filled by Christian believers who already have made inroads to these rim worlds.
Joined by his wife Laura (Firesong's assistant chief medical officer) his three children (Shaun, Margret and infant son Collen) as well as his orphaned nephew Peter, John takes control of a forgotten near new starship (handpicked by his former C.O. Captain Ian Dawson) that had been previously mothballed. Once on their mission, they discover that there are others in the outer rim worlds who desire the ship.
Also accompanying the O”Shea’s on their mission are Directorate Marine Commander Adrian M. Jano, Firesong’s no nonsense Executive 1st Officer, the ego ridden artificial intelligence designer Dr. Stephan Faulkner, the somewhat mousy Dr. Emma Grey and her paraplegic son Colton. The darkly brooding Josiah, a product of the reclusive and highly combative religious sect the Nazor, O’Shea’s unwilling ward on this maiden voyage.
Rounding out the primary crew are the inquisitive if not rash Starman 1st Class Jeremy McBride (who dreams of one day becoming a fighter pilot), Lieutenant David West, a man who as a teenager born in the late twenty-first century was on his way with his family to colonize Mars then following a great tragedy struck and was not awoken from a cryogenically frozen sleep until hundreds of years later. West hopes that somehow the rest of his family still survived and is waiting to be found in the outer rim.
Mystery and intrigue seem to shadow them wherever they go as numerous attempts to commandeer the Firesong along her maiden voyage leads to worlds filled with exotic wonders, mighty dinosaurs, and beings who thirst for something much, much more...

A way to fill that God-sized void that only He can fill!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Timothy V. Lewis
• Release date: Sep 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9780996286503

Timothy V. Lewis

Tim LewisMr. Lewis was born in 1964 in Cedar Rapid, Iowa where he still lives today. He is married and has three children.Working as a Dental Laboratory Technician (crown & bridge metal finisher) by day and a writer/cartoonist by night.Art classes became a passion for him in elementary school. He taught himself cartooning and early on he developed an affection for Science Fiction stories. He has hopes to someday combine these two in future works.He has a strong Christian faith and has lead small group studies and has taught children’s Sunday school classes. In 2006 he went on his first mission abroad to the country of Honduras with his eldest son. Here he witnessed the need to carry the call of Mathew 28:19-20 to all of mankind.He hopes to meld these two interests into a book series that can capture the imagination of all ages and share the good news of the Gospel in doing it.

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Firesong The Adventure Begins

Timothy V. Lewis

Copyright 2013 Timothy V Lewis

Registration Number TXu 1-852-052

All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people without permission from the author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To my wife Maurine, and to my children Trey, Courtney and Caleb with all of my love

Dad.

A special word of thanks toTriomarketers Book Formatting for their help in ePub formatting!

Also to you my reader, may you enjoy this first written work.

Table of Contents

Preface: Apologetics for a Creationist Science Fiction

Chapter 1: The Black Fleet- 2425 AD

Chapter 2: The Mission

Chapter 3: Final Preparations

Chapter 4: The Arrival

Chapter5: Formalities

Chapter 6: The Maiden Voyage of Firesong

Chapter7: The Gharmaldi Encounter

Chapter 8 Denarius Station

Chapter 9: Shark Infested Waters

Chapter 10: An Uninvited Guest

Chapter 11: Show and Tell

Chapter 12: BaAreia

Chapter 13: Late Night Encounters

Chapter 14: New Life Day

Chapter 15: Sneaking Thieves

Chapter 16: The Discovery

Chapter 17 Edenous- Our own dinoworld

Chapter 18: Firesong fights back!

Chapter 19: An ill Turn of Events

Chapter 20: Negotiations in Space

Chapter 21: The Rescue

Chapter 22 When Gravity Fails

Chapter 23: What I Was Trained For

Chapter 24: Mysteries Uncovered

Epilogue

Appendix

How Firesong Came to Be

About the Author

Preface: Apologetics for Firesong a Creationist Science Fiction

One may ask why write a Creationist Science Fiction? (I hesitate to call it a work of Christian Science Fiction so as not to confuse it with anything related to the Church of Scientology). Science Fiction stories when they are well written have always captivated me. Usually they combine action, drama and heroism thrown in to reach a climatic conclusion.

As I start this apologetic let me this clearly and precisely that I am a Christian. I whole heartedly state here for now and all time I am a follower of Jesus Christ. I clearly want to make this point at the very start of this first novel. Too many times over the years I’ve seen Christian authors called into question about their faith (sometimes even from those who are well meaning and others that are not so much).

Why are there Extraterrestrial Space Aliens?

Next subject for me to address is my use of extraterrestrial space aliens. Does this mean that I think that there really are space aliens out there? – In a word- no.

Hopefully that was clear enough. As a self-proclaiming Christian I can’t see any biblical or theological proof that there are any. To clarify this point let me be a little more specific about this point. I’m not saying that there isn’t anything at the microbe level. I’d even believe that there could be forms of animal life, even to the point of highly perceptive creatures such as canines and primates. As to being fully cognitive, I’d have to disagree. First of all, any creature would automatically be under the fall of Adam and Eve, condemned under the same curse. Hardly fair at all is it?

If there are no aliens why have there been so many people (including one former United States President) who claim to have seen an Unidentified Flying Object. Countless more have claimed to have seen an extraterrestrial life form. What about these claims? A lot of these claims came at the advent of the Cold War, when world tensions were at all-time high. Such anxiety can breed fear based emotions that can lead to deluded experiences. Not to be cruel or heartless, but the age old question still begs definite proof of said life forms.

I’m not at all a theologian Not at all an intellectual either to know that I could be wrong about any of the above statements concerning extraterrestrials. If proof positive evidence were provided tomorrow I might have to admit I was wrong.

I do know that there are many believers who feel that these sighting could be demonic in nature. Possibly true, but I prefer not to go there myself with my stories. I’ll leave that kind of story to someone else to write into that genre.

So why have aliens at all in my story if I doubt that their existence is real. Often times in sci-fi stories, television and movies encounters with aliens are actually a way of presenting different cultures, philosophies and mind set. Imagine The Lord of The Rings without Orcs, Goblins, Hobbits Dwarfs, Elves or even Wizards. Pretty boring stuff! Plus I like variety. Look at the diverse nature God has created. I think that’s a pretty good indication that He likes variety too.

Not having to check your faith at the door.

There have been several movies I’ve seen that in my lifetime that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed except for one thing. Some parts were unbelievable and improbable enough to the point that it felt like the movie patrons would have to check their brain at the door to really enjoy it.

I want to create a science fiction story where a Christian wouldn’t need to check their faith at the door to enjoy it. Hopefully I’ve told the science fiction part well enough that readers won’t have to check their brains at the door either

As I’ve stated, I’m not a theologian, but I’m not exactly a novice Christian either. Hopefully I’ve managed to intertwine faith and good fiction story telling together to create a captivating tale.

Timothy V. Lewis

Chapter 1: The Black Fleet- 2425 AD

The Jyathan bulk freight vessel Sutton’s Glory dropped out of stardrive assuming a hurried orbit around the planet Ojii III.

"Communications, please inform the Ojiian stargate command that Sutton’s Glory is ready to enter the stargate." Captain Alistair Sutton ordered lighting a cigar.

After serving for twenty years in the space navy (better known as Star Force) of the Organization of Allied Defense (O.A.D.), Sutton an earth human, along with the help of the Jyathian planetary government had been able to purchase the Glory. The old but reliable heavy star freighter had been a stretch four years ago.

Business, though slow at times, had been good overall. OAD (pronounced ooh-add) was now at relative peace and had begun to expand toward the outer galactic rim and with that expansion, Sutton had made a very modest profit. Alistair hoped that with in another three to five years he could afford to purchase a second freighter. He dreamed of maybe giving the famed intergalactic merchant Macrebe Zed or even the cat like race known as the Gharmaldi, (both of whom dominated most of the shipping trade within OAD), a run for their money.

Captain, the Stargate Commander wishes to speak with you first sir. The comm. Officer timidly responded. Sutton looked at the young Jyathan female serving as his communications officer. Sumi’s slender form stood at her position, her long black hair went well with the light blue skin that was trademark of those of the race from Jyath’s Eastern hemisphere. Sutton told his wife that she did not need to be so formal with him on the Glory’s bridge, after all this wasn’t a military vessel. True, she told him, but she knew how Alistair liked to run a tight ship. She wanted the crew to respect formal bridge procedure despite their relationship.

He’s probably looking for a bribe to let us use his Stargate. Put the man through. Sutton said with cynical mirth through gritted teeth, knowing that was unlikely. He leaned his girth forward in his captain’s chair muttering. "The Glory has a schedule to keep and we don’t have time for this."

The planet Ojii III is roughly Earth sized; however having less land mass and is covered with more water. Because of this fact, it could have been why the Creator of all things saw fit to form life below the ocean’s surface. A deep sea relay station floating above the ocean surface picked up Sumi’s response and transmitted it downward through the stormy indigo surface into the deeper darkness via a massive underwater cable. As it descended, the surrounding darkness gradually began to get lighter as light poured forth from Ojii III’s largest underwater city. From deep within city’s main building complex, the stargate commander swam forward instead of walking up to the communications uplink and instead of sitting in a chair; he wrapped his tail around a toggle grip, activating the uplink. Sutton, your request to utilize our stargate hasn’t been approved yet.

The commander’s image came over the main holoviewer aboard Sutton’s Glory a second after the audio concluded. The Ojiian resembled a man-sized sea-dragon with a long curling tail and two thin whip like tentacles ending in three divisions that served him as fingers would a human. The lighting of his command center gave the being a luminescent ethereal appearance.

It hasn’t been approved yet? We sent you our request over two weeks ago! Sutton fought to remain calm. Although the Ojiian weren’t known for exacting bribes, maybe this was a first. Most of all, Sutton hoped the Stargate Commander wasn’t going to request an on board inspection of the Glory’s cargo contents. The shipment in cargo bay 17 would defiantly not pass for legal goods. Not even Sumi knew their contents. If they were found, his vessel would be impounded and his crew arrested. In the end, his wife would never forgive him.

"We need you to resubmit your request and state your complete voyage schedule, stating when exactly you expect to return from the outer rim worlds by way of our stargate. There have been numerous ships that have come up missing in the outer rim recently and we deem it necessary to have this information as a safeguard. "

Sutton groaned. That was the true Ojiian nature, overreacting to everything that seemed suspicious or shady. Now he wished that they had wanted a bribe. It would have taken less time and would have been easier to avoid the subject of cargo bay 17.

"Precaution? Sutton sputtered. Precaution is what all of those other pilots needed. They must have been inexperienced or met with a natural catastrophe. I’m a well-seasoned spacer with over twenty years’ experience."

Be that as it may, either resubmit your request along with the data we require and then be allowed to have use of our stargate, or proceed along the distance at a snail’s pace using your stardrive. You chose. The Stargate commander reasoned, knowing that he had Sutton over a barrel.

Very well, Sutton conceded sourly, biting each word. "We’ll put together our exact route that we’ll be taking through the outer rim worlds and transmit it to you. Sutton out!"

Alistair? Sumi inquired as she passed by the environmental controls station making the Captain‘s heart sink, knowing what her question would be before she asked, Why is there an oxygen reading on hold number 17? I thought that just held mostly construction equipment, but this shows a low level atmospheric display

What? her husband feigned ignorance his pulse still high with anger at the Ojiian Stargate commander. He decided to use this frustration to his advantage and hide his guilt as he made his way to the display. He rapped it with a knuckle. "What? Oh that. It’s just a faulty sensor. Rojan was supposed to assign a work crew to fix that!"

I’ll get a crew right on in Captain. Rogan said quickly to cover up for his employer who had told the pilot that he had done that job himself.

See to it! Sutton said, taking his helmsman’s lead, and then placing a gentle hand to the back of his wife’s waist. Sumi help me put this route mapping together for this Stargate Commander so we can be on our way.

* * *

Two hours later the Glory had her clearance and broke orbit of Ojii III. Her crew was almost as glad to be rid of Ojii, as her captain. Their ears still rang with Sutton’s blustering storm of foul language aimed at the stargate’s commander. Even Sumi, who know how to ease her husband’s temper, knew better than to approach him during moods like this.

Slowly the star freighter came upon the stargate’s massive gateposts. The ‘gateposts’ were actually space station sized power plants that opened a stargate at a fixed point in space and were able to send starcraft many light years in a matter of seconds, much faster than current stardrives could hope to achieve. For this trip to the outer rim worlds, the Ojiian stargate would have to link up with six other such stargates. They would be traveling through seven stargates in all. The whole trip would take less than seven minutes to complete. Because of such stargates, OAD gained a distinction within the galaxy.

The stargate’s beginning to open sir. The helmsman noted. The very fabric of space seemed to ripple before them. Through its threshold the Glory’s crew could see the other six stargates linking up by the differing star patterns. Sutton motioned Sumi to stand beside him. He fought the urge to send a delayed transmission back to Ojii III letting the Stargate Commander know exactly what he thought the Ojiian planet, but thought better of it.

Proceed to stargate at normal approach speed. Sutton ordered as he observed Glory’s position in relation to the stargates on a holographic monitor. Beside him Sumi watched out the main viewport, wanting to see the traversing of the gates as they happened. As the blip on the monitor representing the star freighter passed through the first gate’s threshold, a thin blue line going from gate one connected with gate two. Outside the view was much more spectacular. To Sumi, the gate appeared to frame the space surrounding Glory. She could see the starscape as one would see it surrounding the second stargate. Then with a bright flash of blue light, they had traveled through to the second gate, proceeding on to the third.

* * *

Admiral Krieger, long range scans show that the freighter has begun its way through the succession of stargates. An ensign reported from his station. "It should be into position in two minutes.

Krieger leaned forward into the light resting his thin frame on the railing that ringed his observation dais. So our fish has begun its way downstream. Order the interceptors to wait for my signal and tell our support ships to stand ready with their tractor beams. Nobody lets this ship get away or it’ll be their heads!

Officers scurried to carry out his orders. The Intimidator buzzed as systems were brought to life on the Super Starcraft Carrier. Throughout the Black Fleet electricity flowed as a though a sleeping giant had come to life.

* * *

By now the Glory had passed through the third stargate and was on its way to the fourth. Still watching the holographic display, Sutton sat intently smoking his cigar watching as the line flowed connecting the stargates as they passed through.

Four. Rogan called out as this connection was completed.

Sumi stood mesmerized taking in the whole process. Still watching out of the main forward view port, Sutton’s young wife saw each stargate pass by. She had traveled through stargates before, but those had only been one link at a time. Jyath, though considered out of the way of much of OAD, still was only one star gate away from the central Directorate systems. This trip filled her with adrenalin which was increased with the flash of blue light that marked each star gates passage.

Then it happened, Sumi realized it a moment before Sutton did. Instead of the brilliant blue flashing outside their vessel, there was a bright red one, then another and another. The Glory started to shake violently as though it had hit some kind of spacial turbulence. On Sutton’s display the blue line linking Glory through the star gates, suddenly turned as bright red as the spectral light display outside. Instead of a straight line, there appeared a series of red hops. The navigational computer raced to identify exactly where the freighter was in the vastness of the galaxy known as the Milky Way. For the first time since entering the stargates, Alistair Sutton looked away from his monitor and joined his wife in watching out the forward view port. Before the Glory another stargate’s threshold opened. The bridge crew had to shield their eyes as a brilliant star filled the stargate threshold.

Sutton knew that there was little time to act. He leapt to his feet shouting out the orders, Helm, hard to starboard!

Rojan, the helmsman fought at his controls as the heavy freighter exited the stargate hurtling toward the star at breakneck speed. The star before them emitted radiation that threw systems off line. Scanners failed, leaving the navicomputer unable to locate Glory’s current position. The shields were hard pressed to protect the floundering ship. For moments that seemed like an eternity he fought the gravity well. Rojan wasn’t sure if they would die from plummeting into the star or from intense heat and radiation should the shielding fail. Transferring all remaining power to these two systems, the young Jyathan was able to break away from the star’s gravity.

As the crew’s eyesight began to recover from the star’s brightness, Sutton was the first to notice the fleet of black vessels that surrounded them. Like suddenly realizing that you’ve swam into shark-infested waters, Alistair Sutton’s heart sank. Taking a quick visual count he guessed that there were at least three battle cruisers closing in on the Glory. He didn’t recognize the make of the ships or what world they might have come from. Their insignia markings were all darkened. Whoever they were, they didn’t want their identity made known. Rojan get us out of here!

Sutton remembered the Ojiian Stargate Commanders warning of the recent star freighters disappearing, and how he had thought that they were probably the result of inexperienced space farers or some natural calamity. He never thought the disappearances were the result of some unknown aggressor. He hated to run from a fight, but he knew when he was outmatched and outgunned here. Glory carried weapons, but they were only for fighting off space pirates and other marauders. These ships were obviously from some sort of organized starforce. Rojan grimaced as he tried to pilot the Glory.

It was then Sutton also noticed a huge object fixed in space not too far from where he guessed his freighter had exited out of the stargate. The object looked like a glowing red sphere that’s surface seemed to swim around with some areas that were bright and others gray and cloudy. A cubed skeletal frame of metal just barely boxed in this sphere. Inide the cube’s corners were glowing yellow triangles that were now being drawn into the main structure. This had to have been one of the devices that had intercepted and redirected the Glory from her planned destination.

* * *

Admiral Krieger, the freighter is trying to evade us. Captain Mears reported from the bridge of the Intimidator.

Open a channel, audio only. Krieger loved this part. Not only did this prevent any ship that got away from being able to identify the fleet, but also it worked to further intimidate their prey. "Attention, Sutton’s Glory, you are to lower your shields, power down your engines, and prepare to be boarded."

No response sir.

Repeat the message and prepare the proton charges. Krieger thinly grinned. He loved it when prey had a little fight in them. He had only to make sure most of the cargo survived.

* * *

Captain, I’m not able to shake their lead vessel! Rojan exclaimed rolling the Glory in an attempt to evade the battleship Devastator. Sutton knew that their chances were slim. The Glory was a bulk heavy freighter with very little maneuverability at sublight speeds. The navicomputer still wasn’t cooperating, and plotting an escape route into light speed without it would be suicide.

Captain, they’re repeating their audio message from before! Sumi’s composure was falling apart.

Alistair figured correctly, their attacker held off sending a visual with their message as an act of terrorization. It was working on his crew, who had little to no military training.

Suddenly the space before them erupted in fireballs as their attackers launched their proton charges. Rojan did his best, but he knew that they weren’t going to get out of this one unscathed. Ahead they saw a large vessel, flat with two long fins coming out of its ventral side. Aboard were several hanger bays; obviously this was some sort of starcraft carrier. He tried to swing the Glory away hard to port, but the freighter still hurtled toward the carrier.

Rojan, swing to port! Sutton yelled.

"I’m throwing us all the Glory’s got. Rojan explained fighting the controls. We’re caught in a tractor beam!!!" The forward viewer image filled with the nearing carrier.

* * *

Krieger had enough of his fun playing with this fish on the hook. Now it was time to reel it in. Captain Mears, prepare your boarding party of shock assault troopers and remind them if any of the cargo gets damaged, it’ll be their heads!

Mears shouted orders over the main videocom. From launch tubes along the Intimidator’s portside opposite the side the tractor beam that held the freighter, a score of boarding spheres hurtled at breakneck speed toward the trapped Glory. Inside one of the spheres Lieutenant Aleph, though strapped in, fought to hang on. Across from him three other troopers, dressed in their heavy cyborg battle gear, did their best to hold on as well. Each sphere held casings for four solders to sit in without much room for extras. The men hated these boarding drops, but none would ever think to voice a grievance.

* * *

Weapons, punch through their shielding! Hit only their power junction, not their main reactor. I want all of that cargo without so much as a blast mark near it! Krieger hissed.

Blast cannons lit up the distance between carrier and freighter, narrowly missing their own boarding spheres. Once their shielding collapsed, the Glory’s hull plating was left open to the approaching spheres, which attached themselves magnetically and set about to ripping through the hull. Soon nearly eighty shock cyborgnaugtic troopers were aboard. Lt Aleph barked out the order to activate holograms. To top off their appearance, hologram imaging hid their true helmets, replacing them with ghastly skulls floating in a cold blue flame. These combined with their lightning fast attack style, were designed to breed even more terror.

Sergeant Hess, keep your eyes open. Aleph advised, as they entered a large cargo bay that seemed to be filled with mostly bulk refuse. This is going too easy.

No sooner than the lieutenant voiced this warning when suddenly duel airlocks exploded open, emptying the cargo compartment of its atmosphere along with much of the debris surrounding them. Up ahead and behind them emergency blast doors slammed shut. The assault troopers’ armor sensed the loss of cabin pressure around them and activated their magnetic boots to compensate. Some of the men had started to lift off the deck until they activated their jetpacks to get back down to the metal plating. One trooper had even nearly flown out of the open airlock before firing his grappling hook and then drawing himself back in. Grumbling they made their way, but much slower now, hindered by the clumsiness of the boots and the need to duck out of the way of flying debris. Once they reached the blast door’s control panel, two troopers set about to override its lock. Once through they entered a larger section and then closed the door once again behind them.

Just then Glory’s robot crew broke into view. Heavy robots used for lifting weighty cargo lumbered forward to block the troopers’ way. Smaller units kept to the back. Those that could hold weapons fired wildly sometimes striking their fellow machines. However, the robo crew was no match for the hardened troopers’ battle skills. Soon they were either disabled or utterly blown apart. Again Aleph’s men advanced, breaking themselves into three columns. They had just made their way past another mass of stacked shipping containers when suddenly a huge armored robot broke through the containers. Once free, it lifted itself to its full height. At once Aleph recognized the robot, which had two thick arms and four large tentacles.

Great! Somehow they’ve managed to find an old Jarvan Battle droid. Hess said, identifying the droid as well. With two of its tentacles the drone knocked aside five of the shock troopers like they were feathers. It picked up a sixth soldier with a massive limb and held him tight. Aleph divided his men to surround the machine. Its heavy armor took longer to cut through with blasters. With Aleph’s permission, Hess made his way behind the mechanism and climbed up avoiding its tree thick arms to lodge a shock grenade in the robots neck. The trapped trooper would be safe from the blast in the tentacles deep insulation. However the droid, seeing this new threat dropped its captive to try to dislodge the explosive. The sergeant and freed trooper dropped down and barely were able to dive for cover before the grenade exploded. Other than a few bruises and battle shock, the rescued soldier was unharmed.

This guy is starting to chafe my afterburners! Sergeant Hess roared as he threw part of the now ruined droid out of his way. Aleph mulled this over then thumped the noncom’s chest to silently get his attention. Aleph then pointed up at the ceiling.

Boys, we’re about to turn the tables on this guy! Hess informed, powering up his jetpack.

* * *

Rojan headed up the organic humanoid crew’s armed resistance. They had raised a barricade of heavy equipment to block the invaders. He looked over the barrier not knowing why they hadn’t encountered the assault troopers yet. Then he heard the hallow ring of metal on metal from up above. Looking up he saw them. Using magnetic boots the troopers were making their way along the compartments ceiling.

Blast! Rojan spat out. They’re walking on the ceiling! We’re exposed here! Everyone find what cover you can and shoot to kill!

The troopers had used the element of surprise to strike first, their weapons set for heavy stun. The Glory’s crew quickly fell before the onslaught of their attackers.

After this, Aleph’s men didn’t encounter any other tangible opposition. The Glory’s remaining humanoid crew, being severely outnumbered, offered little resistance. One small android, barely three and a half feet tall hid itself in the shadows and escaped capture for now.

* * *

Captain Mears, get me Praefect Vohl on the deep space transmitter. We need to report that we were successful and not one allotment of cargo was lost. And it appears that we gained something a little extra. Our Captain Sutton was a slave runner. He had two hundred Zotari captives hidden in his cargo bay 17. Krieger gloated. Then have Lt Aleph begin to process any of the organic crew that remains.

Chapter 2: The Mission

To be totally honest, I don’t think that any of us were aware of what we were getting ourselves into. That each one of us knew our specific jobs, that much was never in any doubt. (Dr Zyrum had himself handpicked almost every one of us.)

Up until this point I had been a career service man to the Directorate Star Force. Now I was to command a ship full of doctors, teachers’ agriculturalists, and system engineers. Along with a spattering of college interns working to complete their galactic services requirements

Then there were all of the children that were going to be onboard (three of which were my own plus an orphaned nephew). I wasn’t used to having so many civilian lives depending on me that were so continually underfoot. We always knew that would be constant dangers no matter where we found ourselves. We felt that we had thought through every conceivable threat that could arise and had made contingency plans accordingly. In the end we saw that we truly knew nothing.

John Patrick O’Shea Commanding Officer of the OAD Starship Firesong

***

High above the homeworld planet of Earth, the OAD Starcraft Carrier Challenger lay in high orbit. The carrier, still in observance of night-mode, had only a skeletal crew that wasn’t slumbering.

It was here in the relative safety of his cabin that Commander John Patrick O’Shea dreamed. He had had this same dream many times before, but he’d thought he was finally past it now…

At the beginning of this dream he was still sleeping in his former and much smaller cabin aboard the Directorate battle destroyer Independence.

In this dream, the Earth date was a little over four years prior to the current date. Within this dream he felt a slight shudder pass through the destroyer, waking him seconds before alarms droned their call to battle stations. His monitor suddenly bleeped and automatically activated its holoprojector. The 2D image of his commanding officer appeared before him, Captain Rachael Mulligan. Her usual jovial looks were replaced by a dire seriousness that could only spell trouble.

"I’m sorry to have to waken you so rudely commander, but I wanted to hear about this first hand from me. Rachael informed him. We just received a distress call along the Gargon border and we’ve been ordered by command to investigate. That and hopefully rescue any survivors."

"You sound doubtful captain." John observing that there was more to this. Could the ship possibly be–

"I haven’t told you which ship issued the distress call yet. Mulligan continued. It’s the Hood."

"The Hood??? John pulse rate jumped. The Hood was a smaller patrol ship. It was also the ship that his older brother James was serving aboard as their second officer. What happened? Where are they?"

"John, the distress call says that they were attacked by some new dreadnaught class constructed by the Gargon Empire." Rachael explained. The Gargons were a species that were a full head taller than most humans. Some of the first humans who had encountered this race thought they resembled Minotaur’s of ancient Earth mythology, however the Gargons walked more erect and their horns were not at all similar to bovine, but were longer and more flat.

Their home worlds located, closer to the center of the galaxy, were ruled by family clans spread throughout their vast domain coming together for a generation or two under a common Emperor only to have it all fall apart again a generation later. After centuries of in fighting amongst themselves, they had finally united to go to war with the Jarvan, another race lying along the outer rim. The worlds caught in the middle organized into OAD to keep the peace. Both the Gargons and Jarvans had finally settled into a reluctant truce, but in recent years their old animosity had resurfaced calling for tighter border patrols by OAD.

"They were on a patrol detail along the Gargon borderline. To be more specific the disputed section of the boundary. It was there that they were attacked. We’re in route to them now at maximum stardrive and should reach them in two hours."

"Another ship has been dispatched, but they are farther out. Get this; it’s a Starcraft Carrier class; the Challenger."

* * *

Now in present day aboard this very same carrier; the Challenger, John rolled over in his bed, mumbling in his sleep as this dream shifted as it always did at this point. Now it was two hours later just as the damaged Hood came into view. He was standing on Independence’s bridge nervously waiting until they reached communication distance…

* * *

Any word yet? John paced rubbing his smooth face.

"Not yet Commander." Tori, the ensign manning the com station reported.

There on the main viewer, the Hood literally hung in space. From here it didn’t look like there were any signs of life. Lights flickered on and off as seen through its portholes. Emergency battery power only added to the horrific scene. Its hull showed some minor damage, but as they drew closer to the patrol ship, the derelict rotated exposing the real damage. It defied explanation.

There, right where the ship’s reactor should have been located, a funnel shaped hole was punched inward through engineering.

"Rotate us around to the other side." Captain Mulligan directed.

Here the damage was just as peculiar. The hole went fully through the entire ship, only here the hull plating extruded outward into the same narrow funnel shape.

"What kind of weapon could have caused that kind of damage?" Rachael Mulligan asked with a low tone.

"It looks like it may have some sort of spacial distortion that’s been used as a weapon. John posed a venturing a guess, as his heart pounded harder Communications, anything from the Hood yet? Remember they’re on emergency power, they may not be able to…"

"I have them. Jumping up the communications officer announced. Their signal is very weak. I’m amplifying it and putting them on the main viewscreen now."

"Independence! James O’Shea’s face was the first image on the viewer. His hair was disheveled and his face was frost covered. It was then John noticed that his brother was wrapped in a thermal blanket. Static buzzed heavily and behind his brother thick smoke billowed. Several people could be heard chocking on the fumes. John is that you?"

"I’m here James!" His younger brother answered.

"Lieutenant Commander O’Shea, I’m Independence’s Captain Rachael Mulligan. John’s commanding officer interrupted. How many causalities have you suffered? How many injured are there? Where’s your captain?"

"Both Captain Levinson and Commander Argyle are dead, James stated. That’s left me in command. We have a total thirty-three dead and twenty-seven injured. They’ve somehow obliterated our engines. Our emergency life support has almost run out. These localized heaters are barely functioning.’

James head bobbed forward as though he were about to pass out. Catching himself he suddenly grew more animated saying "Captain you have to get your ship out of here! That ship- the Dragonos is still somewhere out there hiding in this system!"

"I appreciate your concern Commander, but we have no intention of leaving any of you here! Rachael countered. We’ll keep an eye out for that ship. Weapons stations keep at the ready!"

"Begin rescue operations at once. Mulligan told John. Then turning around she continued. Telemetry, do you see anything out there at all?"

"Captain! the tactical officer cried out. There’s a vessel approaching from around from the other side of the planet at high velocity!"

"Where? Show me! the captain asked incredulously. How did long range scanners fail to pick it up?"

"It’s possible that the radiation from the gas giant hid it from us, John hazarded a guess. The rapidly approaching vessel was like nothing anyone had ever seen. Its primary thrust system was at the front of the ship. A bright blue sphere hung twenty meters from the vessel’s ventral side. Look at the size of that thing!"

"Helm get us out of here! Rachael ordered turning to her first officer. I sorry John, we’ll have to attempt a rescue later. You were right on the money about one thing though. It looks like the ship is being propelled by some sort of spacial vortex drive. If so our shields may be useless to us. Begin firing all weapons! We need to put some distance between us and that behemoth!"

The space between both ships flashed with weapons fire as Independence fought to pull away. It was then that the approaching vessel fired at them using its spatial weapon emanating from the vortex sphere.

And that was when the all of the lights went out.

Literally.

Tremors shook through the ship’s superstructure.

The sound of metal rending echoed and rang through the encasement of air that comprised life support for the whole ship.

"What was that?" Ensign Mitchell fearfully asked coughing amongst the rest of the cries that filled the bridge. An acrid stench of burning electrical wiring choked off what air there was to breathe.

"Come on people! O’Shea shouted to the crew We’ve all been trained for this sort of thing!"

"We’ve got to get to the life-pods!" a panicked crewmember cried out. In situations like this they all were reminded how precarious space travel really was. A ship that previously seemed airy and spacious, now felt claustrophobic like being inside one really, really big tin can.

"Belay that! Rachael Mulligan barked trying to navigate herself in the dark to the main engineering display. Where’s our emergency power?"

As if to answer her, dim red lighting slowly flickered to life illuminating the disarray that was now the bridge. A fog filled the air as smoke billowed from several stations. Manually blowers were activated,