Bred for war - 3. Runaways

Athruvian Battlecruiser Ian E lahn on Disputed Space on the outter rim of the Cho’PAk II System

Captain Mar Tak Nehn stood from his chair on the Command Deck of the Ian E lahn, looking at all the on-duty officers running between stations. The holographic display on his desk was showing both the empty space where the enemy patrol had been seconds ago, and the green dot which marked the position of the Ian E lahn in reference to the surroundings.

“Report!” he called from where he stood.

His Executive Officer, the rather handsome looking Athruvian Colonel Le N Mak, moved away from tactical and turned to look at his commanding officer.

“We have hull breaches on decks ten, eleven and twelve, Captain. Emergency force fields have been put in place and containment teams are already on their way to begin repairs immediately. ”

“Good.” the Captain said nodding to his Executive Officer, and inquired, “Shield status?”

“Shields are at thirty five percent, but holding, sir,” he replied.

"We need shields up and about as of yesterday, Colonel," the Captain said.

"Aye, sir!"

A young Sergeant, at the Engineering station, turned back from his console to face the Captain of the Ian E lahn.

“Captain, sir? If I may?” the Sergeant asked, asking for permission to speak, as Athruvian protocol dictated.

“Go ahead, Sergeant.” Captain Mar Tak Nehn answered from his position.

“The Main Navigational Array was compromised in the last torpedo sequence detonations from the Khår H’∂∂ari.”

“How extensive is the damage, Sergeant?"

The Sergeant looked back at his console to double-check on his stats and then responded, “The main low power emitter is fried, Captain.”

“I hardly think fried would be a technical term, Sergeant. But it does get your point across. “Le N Mak,” Mar Tak addressed his Executive Officer this time, “Contact Main Engineering and see to the repairs on the Navigational Array as of yesterday.”

“Yes, sir.” Le N Mak answered from his position, now at the Ops console of the Ian E lahn’s Command Deck.

There was smoke and sparks everywhere, and a containment team had already come into the Deck to assess the damage. For the time being, they could only sit there waiting for reparations to be completed.

Captain Mar Tak Nehn sat down again in his command chair. He was more than pleased, for the Navigational Array was the least of the problems he could’ve had a result of their fire exchange with the Ç’HkïJaråan. He was more than happy they had come out of battle in just one piece.

‘God Damned Ç’HkïJaråan filth!’ he cursed towards his insides, ‘I wished they were all vaporized from existance and make my life, my crew’s lives, easier.’

Mar Tak Nehn was about to be forty standard years and had a wife and two sons back in Athraa. This past year, however, he had seen his family very little, what with the war and all.

What he missed the most, for sure, was being in his wife’s arms. An Xi Nehn was her name. He had met An Xi twelve years back, when he ‘d been posted as one of the ten security detail members of the Athruvian Emperess’ son, and they had married two years after that. An Xi was a young aristocrat back then, daughter to an Athruvian Senator counted among those favored by the Emperess.

On the second year of their marriage they had had their first baby, Mar Da. Mar Tak had felt the proudest of parents for it was a blessing for an Athruvian to have a male son for a first born; females as first borns were an omen of bad luck. After Mar Da’s birth, everything had been blessings for Mar Tak Nehn and his family. Hub Tal, his second son, had been born two years after Mar Da. And two years after his second son had been born, he achieved his first command.

He’d been Captain of the Ian E lahn for almost four standards now, when the ship had been first commissioned. The ship –his ship- was the first of the new generation of Athruvian Battle Cruisers. Unlike its predecessors, the Ian E lahn had been armed with enhanced shockwave disruptors, three times more powerful than antimatter torpedoes, the former favorite of Athruvian weapons. Shockwave disruptors had been the technological breakthrough in the past decade, and what had started turning the balance in their favor in the war against the Ç’HkïJaråan.

“Sir?” his Executive Officer asked, interrupting his thoughts and memories.

“Yes, Colonel?”

“Main Engineering estimates six hours for the Main Navigational Array to be up and running. Containment teams have assessed the hull breaches and are already working on them as we speak.”

“Very well, Colonel.”

Mar Tak Nehn stood from his command chair and looked at his officers coming and going about their business on the Command Deck. He was happy to have Le N Mak as an Executive Officer; he was an excellent officer and an outstanding Executive Officer so far. And even when he’d just come on board one year ago, he had earned his respect; not to mention the respect and obedience of the whole crew.

He stretched his purple overalls and cleared his throat, hoping that would attract his people’s attention. His Executive Officer turned and looked at the Captain.

“Sir?”

Mar Tak Nehn walked a couple of steps toward his second in command and placed his hands on the man’s shoulders.

“Good job, Le N Mak.”

“Thank you, sir.” Le N Mak said nodding.

“I’ll be in my office, Colonel,” the Captain said looking around the consoles, as the people worked on repairs “make sure you extend my congratulations to all the crew for today’s victory.”

“Will do, sir.”

“And keep me appraised of repairs.”

“Yes, sir.”

Then, Captain Mar Tak Nehn gave his back to the Executive Officer and started walking towards the stern of the rectangular Command Deck of his ship, where the door to his office was located. He tapped a couple of commands in the entrance pad beside the door frame and the door to his office hissed opened. He turned and looked at his crew to and fro on the Command Deck once more before going into his office. The doors hiss closed and the crew of the Ian E lahn carried on with their jobs.

***************

Ç’HkïJaråan Scoutcraft M’h’Låahr on Disputed Space on the outter rim of the Cho’PAk II System

The small Ç’HkïJaråan type-å scout craft M’h’Låahr came from behind the Ç’HkïJaråan patrol Khår H’∂∂ari clearing the shuttle-bay door right before the patrol exploded, and turned into nothing but a bunch of floating debris. Fortunately for the scout craft’s three-Ç’HkïJaråan crew, the resonance of the Ian E lanh shockwave disruptors would mask them from Athruvian radars giving them a six-minute invisibility window, a flaw the Ç’HkïJaråan had used for their advantage on more than one ocassion. It was also an advantage that, like every scout craft in the Ç’HkïJaråan fleet, the snail-shaped small vessel had a set of standard engines which left no navigational signature. As if that wasn't enough, the little ship was equipped with a cloaking matrix.

Crammed inside the scout craft’s reduced space along with his two partners, R’haymHar Noh -the male Ensign piloting the M’hLåahr- kept on keying commands into the scout craft’s black moon-shaped console, trying to locate the planet closest to their position –at his ranking officer’s command- while piloting.

It was hard though, for the console in this ship was nothing like his station on board the Khår H’∂∂ari. Truth be told before today Noh had never even piloted a real craft. Being only 18 years of age, most of his pilot training had taken place in Ç’HkïJaråan flying simulators, both in boot camp and on board the Khår H’∂∂ari. There had been no time to fly on his own, anyway, for he had been ordered to report to Lieutenant Gha’NHo Kghia minutes before the whole ship exploded … An event that would be marked on his psyche forever. If they made it alive that was.

He couldn’t believe the ship in which he had served for over three years was gone forever. The ship, his partners, his superiors … everything was gone and he was finding it difficult to cope with it. He was also finding it difficult to focus on the task at hand.

Gha’NHo Kghia, the ranking officer on board the scout craft, was a slender and good looking female carrying the rank of Lieutenant, as indicated by the fist crowned by three Ç’HkïJaråan moons sewn to the right shoulder of her uniform. Gha’NHo Kghia kept trying to engage the craft’s cloaking matrix before their shockwave-generated mask window closed-in on them. And they had only three minutes left.

On the back of the scout craft, Ensign KwAb'haYa DhiM'kha -the youngest of all three barely counting 17 years- was attempting to encrypt a message to be delivered to Ç’HakJar’s department of Intelligence so as to appraise them of the situation with the Khår H’∂∂ari, by instruction of Lieutenant Gha’NHo Kghia. From her console, the ranking officer could hear the bleeps of the Ensign’s console as he worked.

DhiM’kha’s fingers flew over the buttons on the screen of his console tapping here and there, encryption codes a matter of kids for him. His ability for encryption algorithms had become evident since he was much younger and his superiors –starting with his father- had seen fit to encourage it. It had proven the wise thing to do, for DhiM’kha’s ability had been put to use in more than one occasion since he'd been stationed on board the Khår H’∂∂ari.

As the M’h’Låahr moved away from the implosion site, DhiM'kha couldn’t help but think about the Khår H’∂∂ari’s crew. He felt sorry for their families, who would more likely mourn their early deaths, but he felt glad they had all gone to Bhar'javr defending their Homeworld. After all, it was the greatest of honors for a Ç’HkïJaråan to die in battle … defending their kind. The promise of eternal life along the ancient warriors of his people was one of the most cherished ideals anyone could aspire to. He also hoped with all his hatred all Athruvians burned in Ah’Jkmåani for the rest of eternity.

This was it. This was the moment he had been preparing for since he'd been taken away from home into the Qaudrat. How he'd cried when he'd been taken; and how he'd changed, because the young, delicate and fearful boy who had left home four years ago bathed in tears had been left behind to make way for the tough, athletic and strong willed soldier he was now. If he'd been told as a kid he would become the person he was now, he wouldn't have believed it. He had come a long way from the kid who had left home in tears because his father had slapped a construction beetle out of his back then tiny hand. Now he had the opportunity of being of service to his people. If he was going to die, it would be fighting for the freedom of his Homeworld.

“Ensign R’haymHar Noh” Lieutenant Gha’NHo Kghia shouted from her console, “I need those planet’s stats and I need them now!”

“I have them, Lieutenant,” said R’haymHar Noh to his superior officer, “Transferring data to your console.”

R’haymHar Noh’s console chirped and the data was transferred to Gha’NHo Kghia’s, who keyed the “accept” command. Her computer display showed in the Ç’hkïJaråan tongue:

Tem’hari

The young Lieutenant keyed a new set of commands and the GENDERLESS voice of the craft’s AI started:

“Tem’Hari, one of the eight planets of the Cho’Pak II System. Tem’Hari is one of the two planets in the Cho’pak II system capable of sustaining C’HkïJaråan life, given the components of its atmosphere, being Ha'Aron'Ei the other one. Them’Hari, unlike Ha’Aron’Ei, is unpopulated. Weather: Humid. Vegetation: Rainforest like. Constant Precipitation and heavy electric storms. Fauna: information not available. Exploration data: Tem’Hari was first discovered …”

Gha’NHo Kghia keyed a new command by tapping different buttons and the genderless voice of the craft’s AI stopped its recitation.

“Ensign KwAb'haYa DhiM'kha,” the woman said, fingers still flying over her own console, “how’s that encrypted message coming about?”

“Almost there, ma’am!”

“Lieutenant,” said Ensign R’haymHar Noh to his superior officer, “We’re coming out of the shockwave-generated mask window, we’ll be visible to enemy radars in point five minutes!”

“I am well aware of that, Ensign. Find a suitable spot for landing."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

"Fifteen seconds before visibility," R’haymHar Noh reported.

"Cloaking matrix is now online, Ensign,” Gha’NHo Kghia said for an answer.

"Twelve seconds."

"Engaging cloaking protocols."

"Nine seconds."

“Cloaking matrix engaged."

"Five seconds."

"Cloaking … now.”

There was a sudden and almost imperceptible sound on the bridge as the cloaking matrix engaged and the M’h’Låahr became invisible to enemy radars. All three sighed in relief.

“We’re off the enemy radars now,” the ranking officer said, “Have you located the spot, Ensign?"

"Yes, Lieutenant, I'm transferring coordinates to your console now."

"Got it!" the Lieutenant replied, "Lay in a course to the chosen location, Ensign, and do make sure it’s the shortest route.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Ensign KwAb'haYa DhiM’kha turned from his console at the back of the oval deck and faced the woman.

“The message has been encrypted, ma’am,” he said calmly in his sweet yet masculine voice.

"Good. Thank you, Ensign."

“Should I start transmitting to Ç’HkïJaråan Headquarters, ma'am?”

“No, Ensign,” Gha’NHo Kghia replied looking at the young man, as she realized both her crew members were nothing but kids, “We’ve been instructed to deliver it to the council from a safe location. Program it to be issued to Ç’HkïJaråan headquarters as soon as we make a landing in Tem’Hari.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Lieutenant,” R’haymHar Noh interrupted, “Course to our chosen location on the surface of Tem’Hari has been laid in.”

“ETA?” asked Gha’NHo Kghia.

“Two cycles, ma’am.”

Gha’NHo Kghia acknowledged the Ensign’s report and turned back to her console. Then, she gave herself the luxury of thinking about the Khår H’∂∂ari. She was tough, there was no denying that, but she would’ve rather stayed and fight along her partners. She thought of all the people she’d had under her command, her younger brother Gha’NHo K’eN∂å among them. She wasn’t sad, it wasn’t that. It was just that she felt like a coward for having left.

But then again, she’d been given specific orders from Captain G’Halo Rhag himself; and those were to alert the Ç’HkïJaråan Ruling Council of the proximity of the Athruvian fleet. She was only hoping they’d make it safe to Tem’Hari, so she would be able to relay the intelligence.

“Lieutenant?” Ensign KwAb'haYa DhiM’kha interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, Ensign?"

“I’m picking up a distress call on a secured channel. It seems to come from an Athruvian vessel orbiting Ha’Aron’Ei. It is encrypted.”

“Can you pinpoint its exact location?”

“On it, ma’am.”

The few seconds DhiM’Kha took at tapping at his console seemed an eternity for Gha’NHo Kghia; it was too much of an oddity for an encrypted Athruvian message to be transmitted within the Cho’PAk system, because, even when the system was on Disputed space between Ç’HakJar and Athraa, it was much closer to the Ç’HkïJaråan limits of that region of space. The Athruvian sending the distress call, however, did not seem to care about their promixity to enemy space. That, or he was a total idiot.

“Got it, ma’am,” KwAb'haYa DhiM’kha reported, “The message is coming from a vessel orbiting in the vicinity of Ha’Aron’Ei.”

“Can you decrypt the distress call?”

“I’m on it as we speak, ma’am.”

And saying so, the young Ensign turned to face his console again. It was remarkable, the woman thought, how fast the young man was able to encrypt and decrypt all sort of messages; she was sure that his father must be very proud of him. His father Admiral Kwab'haYa Mar’gHtïo, that was.

Kwab'haYa Mar’gHtïo was one of the most respected –and feared, let’s add- Admirals in the Ç’HkïJaråan Fleet, and head of the Ruling Council in Ç’HakJar for at least the past three political terms. Needless to say, that hadn’t made it easier for Ensign KwAb'haYa DhiM’kha, his father’s shadow always hovering over his every action.

“Got it, ma’am.” DhiM’kha looked up from his console, “It’s a small Athruvian vessel in orbit around Ha’Aron’Ei. Matching its registration number with database intel.”

Bleep, bleep, chirp the computer went. A chime then indicated the AI had produced a result.

“Its registration number indicates that it is a science vessel called Da Malh N ahe. Their trans-warp core seems to have died on them. They’re adrift, but unharmed in any way.”

Lieutenant Gha’NHo Kghia sighed with relief. It was most fortunate that the ship was not a battle cruiser or a battle drone, which would have immediately put them in harm’s way. She acknowledged the young man's report and kind-of smiled; an odd gesture in a Ç’HkïJaråan.

“Let’s stay out of its path, anyway.”

“Yes, ma’am,” replied R’haymHar Noh from the conn.

“God’s will,” she added “we’ll have an uneventful arrival at Tem’Hari within two cycles.”