TEMPUS TWO CHAPTER FOURTEEN
In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.
Ulysses S. Grant
There was still no sign of the vicious enemy the Gray described. Six more worlds were liberated just by destroying the technology that surrounded the planets.
Cristian gathered his fleet and they made the push further into the center of Galaxy, to the very edges of the star charts. Now in uncharted space, he sent the ships out in different directions to do a sweep. Many debris fields were found.
“Tuseer what is your analysis of the debris fields we keep finding?”
“Cristian they were planets that have been destroyed. They were found stripped of minerals after they were destroyed. There is more, there is some evidence that they were inhabited planets” Tuseer said with some disgust.
“In your opinion, Tuseer is this the work of the Nukpana?” Cristian asked.
“I see no other conclusion that could be drawn given the information the fleet has assembled so far.”
“How many debris fields have been found Tuseer?”
“The fleet has reported over one hundred, not all of those planets were previously inhabited.”
“Do we have a number of how many planets had occupants?’
“That number has not been compiled Cristian,” Tuseer said over the interface.
“The unjust destruction of one inhabited world, of one country, of one city, of one individual will not be tolerated while I draw breath. Send a drone back to the Federation with the information you have gathered.”
“Right away Cristian.”
“Tuseer make sure that your evidence is correct, no mistakes.”
“Understood.”
Lorelei and her ship were sent out to help with the search. Comm drones were sent back on a schedule.
They searched for weeks with no sign of the Nukpana anywhere except more destroyed planets. To help in the search Cristian had The Gray on board to convert comm drones into search Drones.
The new Drones were sent closer to the center of the galaxy. They found a rotating Black Hole there and reported back to the Prodigious.
The bastards are hiding in time. Cristian knew how to find them.
“Watcher get the Gray to let me know how long that satellite we brought back has been in service.”
“Tuseer recall all the ships and the search Drones.”
“Sending out Drones now sir.”
“Watcher, do you remember SOSUS at the bottom of the oceans of Earth?”
“I shut them down often enough,” said Watcher.
“Get the Gray to build us a detection grid around the Kerr hole.”
“Smart if they come through we will have them. I would suggest keeping comm Drones out a little further so they will not have time to take them all out before they are sent here.”
“Watcher have the Drones sent back to Thu-ban. Inform the fleet to all come through if they get one.”
“I am sending the info to the Gray scientists right now.”
“Cristian the drone has been in place 11.7 years local time.”
“117 years our time which makes it”
“1897 the same time as Aurora Texas,” said Watcher.
“They must have made a push through their universe and then entered into ours .”
“They have retreated into another time. Watcher, we are going through the Kerr Hole.”
“This ship was not made for that Cristian.”
“Nope but the Ascalon was. It is time worthy.”
“Raguel, Uriel report to the ready room.”
“On our way.”
“So you want us to travel back, wait on the planet, for the bad guys to show up and take control of everyone’s mind. Then you want us to follow them back through the Kerr hole, find where they are hiding and then piss them off and fly back through the Kerr hole to this timeline so you can blast the shit out of whoever follows us through. Then you want to go through and mop up their hidey-hole and end them. How do we protect ourselves from mind control? Did you want us to wear a tinfoil hat? This sounds like a suicide mission Cristian.”
“If you would rather I could go?” said Cristian.
“And leave us here to explain that to Lorelei. I would rather face the bad guys. We will get ready.”
“Get the Gray to make you a time travel capable drone to take along. Raguel be careful.”
“Cristian the net is up around the Kerr hole.”
“Good, gather the entire fleet move us within 50 light-years.”
“Raguel when will you be ready?”
“We are leaving now.”
“Be safe.”
“Are you kidding, I would be happy to return at all.”
Raguel and Uriel travelled through the Kerr hole back in time. They travelled to the planet Gatera. They found a cave to hide the Ascalon in and waited.
“Uriel got your tinfoil hat they are here. The countermeasure has fired.”
“Can they detect us?”
“I hope not. These are low-power devices. The Gray built them into our armour. A passive scan has detected the satellites are in place. We need to get out of here before they leave.”
As the two left the planet they cloaked the ship and followed a small ship that had been deploying satellites around the planet. When the ship had completed its task, it headed towards the Center of the Galaxy. It was followed by two Scandinavians who used to think they were Aliens.
“We are going through Uriel. We can’t sleep through this we need to keep him insight. Cristian did it once we can do it.”
The reason you need to be unconscious to go through the Kerr hole is you don’t have to watch your body and the ship go through minor Spaghettification. The ship compensates for the process as much as possible but some stretching happens. It is painful to experience and a little mind-numbing to watch. No real physical damage happens, but watching it may cause some psychological damage.
“I am not ever going to do that again.”
“I didn’t really enjoy it either Raguel. We will probably have to do it on the way out.”
They were through and following the small ship. They followed it to an Earth size planet with an atmosphere. There were no cities no people. Just jungles and primitive life. “The ship tells me we are over a hundred thousand years in their time back Raguel.”
“Look there it is. A shielded base with fifty very large ships. Those ships gotta be half the size of the Prodigious. One of the ships is outside the shield.”
“There are over a million beings down there. Looks like all military.”
“We need to get back to the Kerr hole and dispatch the drone. Upload all the data and let’s get it out of here.”
“The drone is away now we need to piss them off and get them to chase us.”
“That shouldn’t be hard, they will be a little unhappy that we found them, Uriel.”
“Maybe we should try a little diplomacy first Raguel?”
“I just sent them a diplomatic pouch on the end of those missiles.”
“You fired everything we have.”
“I got one of their ships. It’s exploding only 49 to go”
“They have launched all their ships.”
“We should leave. Now Raguel.”
“Just taking some home movies. The guys at home will love them.”
“Move the ship. Shit, they are tracking us cloaked.”
“Get to Kerr Hole.”
“They flanked us there is a ship waiting for us.”
“I am going to slow down a little.”
“Why you are heading right at the ship in front of us.”
“Wait for it.”
“It was fun while it lasted.” Said Uriel.
“Now.”
The ships behind the Ascalon fired as they got closer to the ship in front of them. Raguel veered off sharply as the beam cut through the ship guarding the Hole.
Then they entered the hole and the ship calculated the vector to get them back to the waiting fleet.
“Cristian we just received The Ascalon’s Drone.”
“Send me the images.”
“Move the entire fleet around the Kerr hole we are about to have company.”
“As soon as the Ascalon comes through get ready to fire.”
“Fire at will launch all fighters.”
“Lorelei get your ship out, follow the Magellan.”
“Magellan go back through the rift.”
“Cristian we have friends we brought all of them. They might be a little pissed off. I blew up one ship and damaged another” said Raguel.
“Copy that Nordic boys, well done, get to safety. We will do the rest” Said Cristian.
‘The battle went on for four or five hours. In the end, the element of surprise helped them. The Alliance fleet was victorious. The toll was heavy.
“Tuseer Damage report.”
“Cristian.”
“Tuseer what is it?”
“The Séadhna took a direct hit to the bridge”
“What the hell? They were not supposed to be in the fight.”
“Lorelei has been hurt.”
“Shit, I am on my way Tuseer you have command.”
“Cristian I am coming along.”
“Tiffany fine, just stay out of my way.”
“Doc meet me at the Retribution medical emergency.”
“I heard Cristian.”
“Fly us over Tiffany.”
As they approached Lorelei’s ship he could see a gash cut right through the side of the ship and up to where the bridge was. It was a wonder that the ship wasn’t cut in two.
“Tuseer dispatch rescue out to the damaged ships.”
“Cristian the Landing bay is badly damaged and blocked I am not sure we can get in there.”
“Taking control Tiffany.”
Cristian managed to get the Retribution inside the landing bay, there were inches to spare getting through the wreckage. They were met by a squad of soldiers.
“She is in the med bay, sir.”
“Go help with the rescue. I know the way.”
“Lorelei, what have you done?”
She was in bad shape and bloody.
“I got two of them Cristian,” she said coughing up blood as she spoke.
Lorelei had charged directly at one of the big Nukpana ships with all of her ship armament depleted or damaged while being chased by another. She fired land-based Nukes that she was carrying from an open landing bay at one of the ships destroying it. Then spun her ship around and fired more destroying the other ship. She didn’t have anything left to fire at the third ship that almost cut her ship in half. She was spared total destruction by the Roddenberry which destroyed the third ship.
“Doc?” Cristian said with a very worried look on his face.
“Cristian” the Doc nodded her head.”The nano’s can’t repair all the damage. I can save the baby if we move her into a host body. We need someone with the same blood type the rest we can compensate for.”
“Doc she is B+,” said Cristian.
“Cristian I am the right blood type,” said Tiffany.
“Lorelei, what have you done?”
“I know Cristian” she coughed ” I am leaving without you” more blood came out of her mouth.
“Lorelei we can save the baby if we move her. Tiffany can carry her to term.”
“Her, a girl Cristian?”
“Prep Tiffany now” Yelled the doc.
“Wait I need to talk to her” Tiffany leaned in close.
“Will you take care of Cristian for me Tiff?” She coughed up more blood as she spoke “Don’t let him go back to try to save me. It may change the outcome.”
“I promise.”
“I love you Cristian.” Those were the last words she spoke. Cristian kissed his wife and he closed her eyelids. A single tear rolled out of his eye.”
“You have to leave now,” said the doctor.
He was escorted out by a med tech, that ran back into the room and closed the door. Cristian sat on the floor just outside the door.
“Watcher have Tuseer take command of the fleet until further notice.”
Watcher didn’t answer back. He contacted Tuseer with the news.
“Watcher is there anything we can do for Cristian?” asked Tuseer.
“Get his fleet battle-ready as soon as possible.”
“Working on it.”
A couple of hours later The doc walked out of the Med Bay. Cristian stood up. “We saved the baby Cristian. Tiffany is doing okay.”
“Good help the others, I have work to do” with that he walked off and surveyed the damage to the ship.
“Can she fly Captain?”
“You mean. Yes sir we can her flying in an hour.” said the XO now Captain.
“Good take as many wounded as you can and take her through the rift.”
“Yes First Leader.”
“Tuseer status report.”
“We lost five Galaxy-class ships all hands on board lost. We have retrieved their cores. We have lost over five hundred fighters. Just the ships most of the pilots ejected safely and have been rescued. The Prodigious has minor damage. All the remaining ships can fly.”
“As soon as we are ready take the fleet through the rift back to the shipyards for repair. Scan for tech we could use. If you can, find me a Nukpana survivor. Destroy everything else. I want nothing from here to be used against us.”
“I understand sir. Cristian your wife, she died a warrior.”
“Yes, she did Tuseer.”
“Doc I want My wife’s body to be taken to the cave. My mother will know what to do. As soon as she is able to move safely send Tiffany there as well.”
“Tiffany is awake did you want to talk to her.”
“I have something I need to do,” said Cristian.
Cristian flew the Retribution out through the wreckage and back to the Prodigious.
“Raguel Uriel meet me in the flight deck.”
“Gracie what are you doing here. You have a habit of showing when I least expect it.”
“Boss, are you going to their base?”
“Yup.”
“You will need this.”
“Gracie, Alfred and Callahan were standing beside a trolley with a scorcher Missile on it.”
“Get it strapped on, I plan on barbecuing some Nukpana Ass.”
“What about getting them to surrender?”
“How hard did you want me to try, they killed my wife.”
“Boys let’s get it bolted on.”
“Raguel what can you tell me about their base?”
“That won’t do anything except exterminate the wildlife. Their city is shielded.”
“Any ideas I could sure use one.”
“Yea I got one,” Raguel said as Uriel Flanked Cristian and stuck a hypo in his arm.”
“He is out?” said Uriel.
“Put him in the Retribution and let him sleep it off,” said Raguel.
“What’s the plan? Nordic boys.”
“Gracie we need to get inside their shields and disable them.”
“How are we going to do that?”
“Our First Leader is going to walk up to the front gate.”
“First Leader Callahan,” said Callahan.
“First Leader with a masked EMP as part of his body,” said Raguel.
“It will destroy you, Callahan,” Gracie said.
“It will take out their ability to do anything. Like Cristian would say needs doing” Answered Callahan.
“Then Cristian can do his thing be ready to wake him in time.”
“Let’s rock,” said Gracie. “What, it’s what Cristian would have said,” Gracie said to Watcher.
The Retribution made the trip through the Kerr hole. Still cloaked Gracie dropped off the First Leader Replica who walked up to the front gate.
Callahan was preaching from Revelations in the Nukpana home Language as he walked up to the front gate.
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
and every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him,
and all peoples will mourn because of him
So shall it be! Amen.
“It is the Human. The one they call First Leader. The one who butchered our Fleet.”
“Scan him scan the area.”
“He is alone. His mind is gone. His people must have sent him to repent for what they have done.”
“Get him inside quickly.”
“What is the madmen saying?”
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him”
Callahan detonated the EMP. The shields and Callahan were destroyed.
Gracie injected a stim into Cristian.“Cristian wake up I have a call for you.”
“Gracie, what is going on?”
You are above their city their shields are down.”
“How?”
“Callahan gave up his life.”
“The rest is up to you.”
In their language, “This The first Leader of the Alliance of Planets. You have two choices complete surrender or die.”
“Cristian they have fired at us.”
“Thank you Mother Fuckers this is for Lorelei. Scorcher away.”
“Get us out of here.”
“The Nukpana no longer exist.”
“If you don’t lose that missile we won’t either.”
“Folding space.”
“The missile was left behind,” said Watcher.
“Get us home Gracie.”
They exited the Kerr hole to find the fleet gone.
“I gave them the order to return to the shipyards before you put me to sleep.”
“Great we didn’t bring a TDD or a drone Cristian.”
“Watcher?”
“I am on it Drone is dispatched.”
“Gracie we left drones here around the Kerr hole. An early warning system.”
“I told them we would be on or near Gatera.” Said, Watcher.
“Gracie don’t make the watch a liar.”
“On it Boss.”
“Now who put me to sleep?”
“The Nordics.”
“Remind me to thank them.”
“We are in orbit around Gatera.”
“Give them a call.”
“This is First Leader Wolf.”
“How is everything down there?”
“We are managing First Leader Wolf can we be of assistance.”
“Yes actually I have just returned from the Nukpana base, I have been separated from my fleet. We were looking for a safe haven until my fleet returns. Can you accommodate us?”
“We can and you are welcome to come down First Leader we are sending the coordinates.”
“Everybody full armour we do not know what we are heading into. Watcher send the ship into orbit as soon as we have departed.”
“Welcome to Gatera First Leader.”
“Cristian they seem to be human. If I am not mistaken these people may be the Anasazi people that disappeared from Earth”
“I see that Watcher. The buildings seem to match the Pueblos of Earth. Check out the pictographs on the rock wall.”
“Cristian they will not know the name Anasazi. That was applied to them long after they disappeared. It was a Navajo name meaning Ancient Enemy. It was probably meant for the Nukpana.”
“Understood Watcher thanks.”
“I am the Chieftain of the Gaterans First Leader.”
“Chieftain.”
“What of the Nukpana?”
“We have won a battle against them. We lost many people.”
“I went to their homeworld and asked for surrender and they fired on us.”
“They would not surrender, did you destroy them?”
“I am afraid I was given no choice.”
“Good today we celebrate.”
“Chieftain we noticed that you are the same as we are. We believe you are a people we now call the Anasazi who disappeared from our planet.”
“Our scrolls say we were brought here from the stars to be slaves for the Nukpana.”
“What did they use your people for Chieftain?”
“We grow food for them.”
“Watcher this is an old story Watcher straight from many other Sci-fi stories written. Maybe we should start looking for Daniel Jackson.” Cristian said a little sarcastic.
“Maybe that isn’t a coincidence Cristian.”
“Let me add that to my conspiracy theories Sci-fi writers are writing the truth.”
“Come with us First Leader we have food and drink and maybe you could honour us with a story of your people.”
“Watcher I lost Lorelei.”
“I know Cristian now is not the time to mourn. You avenged her death.”
“I gave them the choice” said Cristian.
“What difference does it make you wanted to destroy them. We all wanted you to destroy them” said Watcher.
“The difference is I gave them the choice.”
Cristian was introduced to the people. Cristian introduced the team that destroyed the Nukpana. Gracie with the Blue Hair. Alfred and a pocket watch that talked. They had a meal and shared drinks. As always, Cristian didn’t have any alcohol that night.
He gave them a story about a poor man who had lost his family and was digging in the sand. He told them about the travels and about the many people he met on along the way. He told them about the Lizard people and the Gray Aliens with skinny arms and legs who built him a Starship as big as a city.
He told him about a beautiful Redhead that carried two of his children and how she loved to cook and how much she loved him. They asked where she was and he told them she was on her way to the place she was born to see her father and his daughter. Another tear rolled out as he said that and he wiped it away. Inside he told her how much he loved her. He was sure he heard her say ” I will be here waiting for you Cristian. ” He was so sure that he thought for a moment he could see her standing at the back of the room. He wiped his eye and she was gone. He smiled for a moment and carried on with his story while everyone listened.
Soon it was time to rest and he was shown to a room.
Cristian slept and dreamed about Lorelei. He woke up, years of tears flowed from both of his eyes until they were dry. After that night Cristian never shed a tear again. “I got them Lorelei, I killed the bastards, all of them” Then he fell asleep again.
“Cristian our ride is here”
“Thanks Gracie I will be right out”
“Chieftain, We can take your people back to Earth if you would like.”
“Cristian this is our home. We will stay here. You are welcome here when ever you need to rest.”
“I will pray for your wife. Gracie told us she was killed fighting for our people. She will be remembered here as the Hero with bright red hair who saved our people.”
“Thank you Chieftain.”
“Gracie where did you park the car?”
“The watch parked it, did you remember the keys.”
“Why does everyone blame the pocket watch?” said Watcher.
Cristian left the planet and left part of his grief there. Now he needed to attend to his wife’s funeral. He needed to stay focused on that task.
“Good to see you Tuseer.”
“I understand that you scorched another planet sir.”
“Had no choice I asked them to surrender they fired a missile as answer.”
“That is what I saw on the drone recording.”
“The communication has been sent to Earth.”
“Gracie has more footage, including footage from Callahan who gave up his life to destroy the enemy.”
“Take us to Earth I have a funeral to attend to.”