Aboard The Hms Phoenix, In The Captain's Conference Room
"You want to say that again?" the captain of the Phoenix asked, his voice full of incredulity.
"Certainly, Sir. We came out WHERE we were supposed to come out. We just didn't come out WHEN we were supposed to come out," answered the Navigation Officer.
"What do you mean, when?" Captain Manson asked.
"I mean, Sir, that we came out precisely where we expected to. We just came out about 700 years in our past, Sir," reported the Navigation Officer.
"Do you realize what you're saying?" Captain Carl Manson said, with his voice rising with each word.
"That will be enough," Emperor Richard Newcastle said. "I am sure that his findings have been confirmed, already?"
The emperor finished the query by directing a glance at the remaining astrogation personnel. They nodded their affirmation.
"Yes, Your Majesty. With fixed known points to shoot at, and with the ability to tap into one of the old Terran Federation signal satellites, as well as known star density and... Well, let's just say we know that we are at least 700 years in the past. We can refine it and give you a more exact time, in a few more days," replied the Navigation Officer.
"How, by all that's holy, did we get into the past?" the captain asked.
"If I may?" asked a civilian scientist who was part of the crew that installed and was onboard to monitor the wormhole generators. The captain nodded.
"Just before the generators reached the critical levels needed to open the wormhole, something changed in the internal settings on all the generators, and brought a third fusion plant on line.
"This changed the dynamics of the wormhole, and added to the gravity displacement that is generated with each wormhole. So in effect, we traveled to where we were supposed to, but we also... fell through time. We had no idea this was possible, Sir," finished the scientist.
"Unbelievable. Don't you people do any research into what you're doing? If it were up to me..." he was interrupted by Richard.
"That will do, Captain!" Richard said sharply. "Recriminations are useless at this point. We need to formulate a plan of action. We do not need to place blame on who did what. I already know what happened," Richard said with finality.
Everyone stared at the Emperor. Richard looked back with feigned unconcern.
"You know what happened?" Captain Manson asked.
"Yes. You people are about to be privy to something only a very few people in the Empire know. Only 6 other people know this. You will listen, then you will keep this to yourselves. Is that understood?"
Richard paused, looking around. Everyone nodded or Yes Sir'd him.
"When I was a captain for the Terran Federation, I was given a ship. It was a battleship. I was sent with a task force, out to where the Empire's 'core worlds' are now. I was a young man then, and was very idealistic.
"The Federation was falling apart. It was rotten and corrupt. Yet it was my duty to preserve it as best I could. I fought for that. For over a year, I fought battle after battle. My own superiors were in on the corruption. The battles I fought in were not for the preservation of the federation, but for a new private kingdom.
"I found out that fact, accidentally. When I returned to my command base, I confronted Admiral Taffleman. He ordered me to surrender my command, but I refused. I had confided what I had found out with my officers. Every single one of those men were with me.
"I mutinied. There was a fierce battle, and we destroyed the backbone of Taffleman's forces, but my ship was shot to hell. Just before it was destroyed, I was wounded, and became unconscious.
"An Ensign got me to a lifeboat, and away from the ship, just before it blew up. The lifeboat took damage, and we crashed hard, onto a world. Everyone was either dead, or dieing. The lifeboat was cracked open like an egg.
"That's when it happened. I felt something crawl onto me, and then into me. It sealed my wounded leg, and started to... Ahh, meld with me, I guess you would say. It is a symbiot. It is partly organic, and partly a machine. It kept me alive. It is as much a part of me, as your arm or leg or eyes, are a part of you," Richard paused.
"This is all fascinating, Your Majesty, but what does it have to do with our current situation," a civilian scientist asked.
"I'm getting there. You needed the background to understand. The symbiot was placed very carefully on that planet for me to find. Or perhaps it was placed there, for It to find me. In any case, it has carefully guided me towards this very situation.
"A lot of the technological breakthroughs came via the symbiot. The symbiot is the one who tampered with the settings, and brought the extra fusion plant on line. That enabled the time shift.
"The machinery is fine. It will work as designed. Captain, if you and your officers will remain, the civilian department heads will now return to their work, and get this ship ready for departure," Richard said with a tone of dismissal.
There was a moment of shocked silence, then the civilians stood and left, leaving only Richard, the captain, and his senior officers.
"Ok. This is what we are going to do. There is no point in going to Terra, or any of the other political entities of this era. There is no trace of us in any of the history books, nor any hints from the various intelligence agencies. A ship of our size was never seen in this Era. I think it's safe to assume we don't go anywhere that is currently populated.
"I have a course and heading for us. Captain, we will need to use the wormhole generators to get to where I want to go. I will give you the coordinates. We have two stops. The first will bring us out close to a very large, but very damaged Terran 'Sleeper' colonization ship.
"When we get there, you will find that it's nuclear power generators have failed. Of the 250,000 men, woman, and children on that ship; at this point (or at the point we find them), a little over 22,000 people have died from equipment failure. We really need to go rescue them.
"I can see that you're finding it hard to believe what I am telling you. That's fine. Tell you what. You go ahead and get us to this point in space. If the colony ship is not there, you can build a rubber room for me," Richard said.
There was a restrained chuckle. Richard gave the spacial coordinates to the captain, and left the briefing room.
"All right. You heard the Emperor. Let's get this ship moving," Captain Manson snapped out.
Imperial Palace, Current Time
Empress Vonda Newcastle sat despondently. Her husband Emperor Richard Newcastle, had been declared missing, along with the crew of the Phoenix. Actually, officially, they were listed as 'over due'.
However, two other ships had made the same trip, and arrived at the point where the Phoenix was supposed to have arrived. Although listed as 'over due', the unofficial word was they thought that the ship had suffered some sort of failure in, or going into, or because of, the wormhole.
Vonda was holding the baby and rocking him, when she heard it.
<Vonda. Don't grieve. I will return... soon, >
The baby in Vonda's arms gurgled happily.
She looked around, trying to pinpoint the source. She was sure it was Richard's 'voice', yet he was not here.
Current Time Lantree
Admiral Sethton was once again standing before a full room of commanders of the Imperial Navy and Terran Federation's Navy. The outlook was not good. Intelligence had spotted a massive build up of enemy ships.
"So, as it stands, there will be a nearly 4 to 1 advantage for the enemy. Unless the Terran Federation or the Caliphate come through with reinforcements soon, I don't see how we can stand against this new force. Yet that is what we HAVE to do. It is going to be the biggest, bloodiest, battle in our history. It will be the greatest battle of any era, ever."
Admiral Sethton went on for sometime on that, then went into the briefing. Every ship that could possibly fight was already on station. Ships that were still being repaired, were being repaired in orbit. All docks were empty of ships that could possibly fight. Rear areas had been stripped almost bare of people and ships.
And so it was that the Allied fleet, some 280 ships strong, was about to face over 800 ships of the enemy. It was in fact, the beginning of the greatest space battle in known history. Admiral Sethton deployed his ships and waited.
It was a strange place for such a battle to take place. Lantree's fame was that this was where the Shas'vsaz first came into contact with the Empire. Lantree, in the larger scheme of things, was not important as a location in space. It was simply where the Shas'vsaz always came back, attacking. This time it would be bad, very bad.
Admiral Sethton had placed his ships and battle forts on a front almost a thousand kilometers wide and 500 kilometers from top to bottom. It was the smallest, most concentrated configuration he could create, while still having room to fight. The Battlesphere had launched every RDP (Remote Defense Platform) including all it's spares. Every fighter was launched, and was on station. There was nothing more to do, except wait.
700 YEARS IN THE PAST
The ship that Richard said would be there; was, in fact, there. The planet that he had said they could settle, was also there. So it was, that they started to build a new home. The planet was inhabited with symbionts. A symbiont was different from a symbiot. But they did basically the same jobs that Richard's symbiote did.
600 YEARS IN THE PAST
The first of the new weapons were installed on the Phoenix. There were also two Battlespheres of previously undreamed of power being built. It would take another 30 years before they were finished.
The two new Battlespheres were 100 kilometers in diameter, and incorporated newly discovered principals in drives and weapons technology. Richard was working on a deadline, and everyone who was on New Haven was working just as hard. They would all catch up to their loved ones in only 600 more years, and they had to be ready.
The symbionts would make sure everyone lived long enough. In fact, it was as if no one aged at all, with these symbionts. Just as was true with the Emperor, himself.
400 YEARS IN THE PAST
The 100 kilometer diameter ZEUS and THOR, were finishing their final rounds of testing. The weapons upgrades were working smoothly, and although they were still a little on the sluggish side, they were faster than anything that their 'future peers' had had.
It was a hard thing, 'doing time'. But Richard was making the best of it. The colony of New Haven was flourishing. Weapons research showed promise of the newly discovered principal of screens, or force fields. If they could just get this right, they would have an unbeatable force.
200 YEARS IN THE PAST
A new variable focus beam weapon had been made. The maximum effective range was almost 2 million kilometers. This was the deadliest beam weapon invented, to date.
Everyone, while calm, was still getting anxious. They had done 500 years of waiting and working, and were getting ready to return home.
Of the original 267,354 people who had been to, or had dwelled in the past; over 15,976,000 were now alive. All had symbionts, were learning to use psychic abilities. Richard was learning the most, regarding 'psychic abilities'. His symbiot was still unique.
<Look, I told you. I understood why you didn't tell me all this before, but you're still holding something back.> Richard 'said' angrily.
[Yes, but it would do you no good to know what it is, so there is no point in revealing this item to you, ] his symbiote said, for what had to be the millionth time.
<Wait a minute! Something just occurred to me. You knew about the wormhole generators, and how to affect them. You knew about the colony ship. You knew of this world. You have done this before! You have gone through what we are about to go through. You have to tell me what happens!> Richard said desperately.
[I wondered when you were going to pick up on that. The answer is still: 'no', ] and with that, his symbiote was silent for a long, long, time.
LANTREE THE PRESENT
"Signal all ships. The enemy has entered the system. Operation Smash is a go. I say again, Operation Smash, is a GO!" Admiral Sethton said as calmly as he could.
His ships moved out on an intercept course. He knew if by some chance they won, it might be by a ship or two, which was left space worthy. If they did not stop the enemy here, the rest of the Empire and all other Nations were open to invasion.
For three hours, the two fleets of ships rushed at each other. Sethton was still smarting that the admiralty had not come through with more ships. He understood their reasoning, though it angered him that the reason existed.
Several of the smaller star kingdoms and space going nations were choosing now to flex their muscles, and it could not be at a worse time. Already, the Empire had had to divert ships to the border with a particularly belligerent confederation that had only come into existence within the past 20 years.
PRESENT TIME ENEMY COMMAND
Lord Rashva'ss was exuberant. His forces out-numbered the Hoomans (as they called themselves), and this would be a decisive blow to them. The slaves and technology they won from this engagement would make him the most powerful lord with the exception of the Great Lord Sassvor himself
"How long until missile range." He asked.
"15 units, Lord (15 units is about 20% longer than 15 minutes).
"Good. I wish this were over, already. As much as I crave this battle, I want the bounty of victory," Lord Rashva'ss said contentedly.
"Lord. There is a disturbance in local space to our west and east. Also one is above by 90 degrees," stated a sensor operator.
"What type of disturbance? Be specific," Lord Rashva'ss said in a chastising tone.
"It appears to be some sort of vortex. Lord! The three vortexes have spit out three of those sphere ships. One is the same size as the one that was already in the system. The other two are 4 times as large!" gasped the sensor tech.
PRESENT TIME ABOARD RISING DRAGON
"Sir! I am receiving a reading of a wormhole opening. Make that two... no, three wormholes are definitely opening," Lt. Commander Ravens said excitedly.
"I want to know who that is, as soon as they get here." The admiral said calmly.
"I have an IFF response on the first ship. It's the PHOENIX, Sir!" Ravens shouted.
"Two more ships coming in. Holy Shit!" Ravens gasped.
"What is it, Man?" snapped the Admiral. "Also, get a signal to the Phoenix."
"I have two unknown ships, AT LEAST FOUR TIMES BIGGER THAN PHOENIX, Sir!" Ravens said, almost beside himself with excitement.
"Calm yourself, Man!" snapped Sethton.
"Sir, I have communications with the Phoenix," Commander Williams at the com station said.
"Very well, put it on the big screen. We might as well all see this," Sethton said.
When the pictured formed, Sethton jumped to his feet. There, before him was his missing Emperor.
"Your Majesty! Where have you been? Whose ships are those? Are you out of your mind? Get out of here! We are about to engage the enemy!" Sethton babbled.
With grim determination, he got himself under control. Did he just call the emperor mad?
"Easy, Elias. You see; it's all a matter of timing. Watch," the image of the emperor disappeared from the screen.
What followed was a truly magnificent, but very one-sided fight. Sethton watched and gasped with the rest of his Flag Bridge crew as the three ships rushed faster than anyone could believe a ship could go.
Missiles flew at these ships, which were engulfed in titanic nuclear explosions. People groaned, only to cheer, as the ships emerged unscathed from the nuclear fires. Strange looking beams were fired rapidly from the three Battlespheres.
Wherever they touched, ships turned into brief stars, and then were no more. The enemy died by the tens, the hundreds of ships. The three Battlesphere's spun and danced a dance of death. They entered and wove among the enemy. Time after time, missiles seemed to connect with one of the Battlespheres, yet they remained untouched.
The Battlespheres fired their own missiles. These each found a ship, and when the area cleared enough for the sensors to see, there was no ship. In a ridiculously short time, the enemy had been destroyed.
Just twenty minutes was all it took, to destroy 800 enemy ships. Those who saw it, were disbelieving. Yet there it was, a fact.
"Signal from Phoenix, Sir," Communications Commander Williams said in a slightly strangled voice.
"Put it through." Sethton said heavily.
"I am going back to the palace, Elias. I am leaving the two heavies with you. They are the Zeus and the Thor. I want you to follow up on this. The enemy had to have stripped everything that they could for this invasion force. It's gone.
"Your job, is now that of an invasion force. I want these aliens smashed, and I want them smashed hard!" Richard told his old friend.
"Yes, Your Majesty. But, I have a lot of questions! Where did you get those huge Battlespheres? And where have you been? And..." thats as far as he got.
"That's enough, Elias. You have your orders. I expect you to carry them out. I will inform the admiralty, when I get back there. Phoenix out," Richard disappeared off the screen.
"My God. The man goes missing for several weeks, and comes back with the impossible!" Admiral Elias exulted.
"Williams. I want you to signal all ships. Stand by for new orders. All commanders will meet here at 08:00 tomorrow morning. In the meantime, I have got to watch the battle log. That was one miracle that I must see, all over again," Sethton said with passion.
Rumors flew and some were even true. The Phoenix was in fact in orbit around the home world. The emperor was not with the admiralty. He was not with the House or the Lords. He was with his wife Vonda, whom he had missed for 703 years, give or take a few hours... days... whatever.
Richard had been talking to Vonda, first telepathically, then in person for several hours now. The baby was being held by his father, who was making up for lost time. Vonda was amazed at his story. She read the truthfulness of everything he said. She laughed and cried. It was good to have him home.
"Does your symbiot say anything, now that you have returned and won the battle?" Vonda asked curiously.
"Well, he thinks that with this victory, and with the fact that he was not able to find his counterpart back on his home world, that he has been thrown into an alternate reality. He says several things have turned out differently than from what he remembers, before.
"However, this victory, and the 703 years I spent developing our tech base, will make us safe for a long time to come. God, I missed you!" Richard said for perhaps the hundredth time.
He settled the baby gently into his bed and swept his wife into a bone-crushing hug.
"It's ok, Honey," Vonda said lovingly. "We have all the time in the world."
So ends this chapter in the history of the Newcastle Empire, and what happened to it at a particular time in it's history.
If there is enough interest/feedback, perhaps there might be more to the story of "Battlesphere".
Volentrin
Edited by TeNderLoin