The training facility only had minimal defences, since it was not an E.D. F Naval station. Its small point defence lasers were repeatedly firing at the Krenaran fighters, who were now performing strafing runs across the bases hull as the alien craft came in fast and low their energy weapons constantly firing causing huge explosions to blossom across the hull of the station. Shaking the terrified cameraman; two of the alien fighters were clipped by the fusillade of bright blue laser fire coming from the station. And span out of control before exploding in small bright fireballs that lit up part of the stations’ now fractured hull.
The transports were faring much worse, so tightly packed it was near impossible to maneuver. Several rammed into one another in their desperation to escape the slaughter, causing massive damage.
The scream of rending metal sounding eerily like the death screams of mighty beasts; two transports exploded, lighting up part of the convoy and the space around them as they smashed into one another.
Another transport was caught by the green energy beams from the alien vessels; the beams slammed home with a huge explosion which tore the transport clean in half. The two ruined halves slowly floated away from each other trailing fire and torn metal debris. The ruined forward half collided into the frontal section of another transport, the force of the impact sending it smashing through the other transports hull, completely destroying its frontal section, and killing its crew instantly.
Inertia still carried it forward; however its frontal section looked like a massive ragged wound, bleeding fire, and flaming gases into space before it too succumbed in another massive explosion that lit up the convoy once again.
The small base had taken horrific damage; huge gaping holes could be seen through its blasted hull. Fire had spread through several decks.
Only one laser was firing now; but still it continued to blaze away at its attackers. All the other lasers simply reduced to charred smoking craters in the bases hull. The last remaining laser was quickly silenced by a flurry of white energy bolts from one of the ‘stealth’ ships.
Two rectangular pods began to slowly and ominously rise from the huge flat-topped alien carrier, which had maintained its distance from the main battle. The pods stopped rising and with the sound of a muted metallic ‘thud’, locked into place.
Then it ferociously launched a salvo of half a dozen torpedoes from these pods. The torpedoes hurtled their way into the packed transports, each one smashed home with deadly accuracy. Detonating upon impact and with each impact a transport was utterly decimated, leaving but a wide field of debris and flame.
The base itself finally succumbed to the catastrophic damage it had taken and tore itself apart in an almighty explosion. A huge shockwave swept through the flaming smashed convoy; and at that moment the recording ceased.
The Krenarans had culled thousands of lives in the space of a few minutes. Michael turned away from the viewer, sick to his stomach.
“Murdering bastards,” he whispered vehemently under gritted teeth.
The entire Eagle bar sat stunned, not a word was whispered. Everyone just stared blankly at the viewer, displaying the E.O.C. A crest. Both men and women sat pale faced; shocked at the brutality of what they had just witnessed. There was a long silence before the news channel came back on the air again.
In a hushed voiced Annika Raumov spoke again. “The sheer scale of this atrocity almost defies belief. There can be no words to describe the level of slaughter we have just witnessed. All our thoughts go out to those and their families who have perished in this senseless act on this tragic day.”
Dylan leaned over to Michael and whispered with a hint of anger, “I wonder if the E.D. F will do something now.”
Next morning there was another briefing, a tired looking Captain Wainwright was presiding. “The E.O.C. A council has unanimously voted to give the E.D. F full emergency powers. E.D. F command has therefore immediately sanctioned alert level one; and has begun mobilizing the entire E.D. F troop division as well as the Navy. As at 23.40 hours last night, we are officially at war with the Krenaran race.”
The Captain proceeded to play a video from the president of E.O.C. A, James Rushfeldt.
“My fellow citizens of Earth and the outer colonies; we have entered a dangerous new phase in the future of humanity; we have encountered our first alien civilization. However they are committed to the destruction and extermination of the human way of life. In response to this, the E.O.C. A council has passed full emergency power to the commander of E.D. F forces, Star Marshall Dornat,” the president gave a short pause.
“We have no choice but to declare war on these Krenarans, as we cannot stand by while they attack our military; our people; our homes, and our very way of life. They seek to eradicate us, until the last vestige of humanity is wiped from the stars,” pausing to take a breath, he continued.
“To this we say that the human race will not lie down and be destroyed, we will not go quietly into extinction! We will win this war, and we will win it for peace; for liberty; and for the human way of life!”
As one the cargo hold of the Ulysses erupted into cheers of, “for the human way of life!”
The Captain allowed the crew this minor infraction before quieting them down again with a wave of the hand.
“However our orders have not changed, we are still to go to the Agemman colony and find out what has happened there. As we speak the E.D. F Navy is being formed into battle groups to take the fight to the enemy, dismissed.”
And with that the officers left the briefing.
“About goddamn time,” Michael and Dylan both said to one another.
A day later the fleet arrived in the Agemman system. With multiple blinding flashes of light the vessels dropped out of plasma drive, and quickly fired up their inter-system boosters.
Michaels’ wrist-comm. chirped, and he pressed it.
“Lieutenant, anything on the targeting arrays,” the voice of Commander Angel cut in.
“Nothing yet, sir,” Michael replied.
“Okay; stay sharp, we don’t know where or when they are going to show up.”
“Yes sir,” Michael replied into his wrist-comm.
Outside; fighter patrols from the Furious were constantly sweeping the area. The sensor suites located within the main command super structure of the Ulysses were constantly scanning the surrounding area, trying to pick up any hint of the Krenarans’ presence, they still could find nothing.
Several hours later, when Captain Wainwright was happy that it was safe a landing team was organized.
To his surprise Michael was selected to be on the team. I must have really impressed Rennick, he thought.
He was due to form up on the shuttle deck in thirty minutes, however before then he had to go to the ships armoury and sign himself out an Armschlager MK35 pulse rifle.
The pulse rifle was a fairly recent addition to the E.D. F arsenal, only released five years ago. It fired bolts of highly charged laser energy at a target. Similar in function to the ubiquitous point defence lasers used aboard the larger ships and stations, however the pulse rifle was a lot less powerful. It still used a small laser pod which clipped into a receiver where the magazine would be on a standard rifle.
He also signed himself out a type 3 combat armour vest, and headed to his quarters where he quickly changed into his ‘landfall’ uniform; comprising of standard combat fatigues, boots, and a royal blue belt which signified that he was Naval personnel and not part of the E.D. F troop division.
When he had done this, he headed to an elevator and rushed to meet the other members of the landing team. It was made up of Commander Angel with his Mexican countenance, who was considerably younger than Wainwright headed up the team. Lieutenant Commander Janos, the ships medical officer. Rennick, Hudson, and Michael, as well as four members of the E.D. F troop division led by Sergeant Clayton.