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  Bradley paused and looked around the bridge once more then said, “Start the launch timer!” A timer in the lower right corner of each bridge’s primary monitor began to countdown from 5 minutes. “Began final pre-launch checks.”

  The executive officer aboard each ship began the routine check of each department for a Go/No Go status. With a minute remaining, all posts were crewed and ready for launch. Bradley sat down in his command seat, his eyes locked on the countdown timer. At ten seconds, he broadcast to all personnel, “Standby for launch and good hunting to us all!”

  At zero, the FTL drives of 36 star vessels engaged and the Terran/Z’Laan fleet leaped into FTL flight. As minutes ticked by, reports came in from each vessel and were correlated by the flagship’s command, control, and communications center. All vessels were operating at peak efficiency and maintaining their positions within the fleet. The journey to Camadin was underway!

  **********

  The fleet flew on towards the Camadin System, the only communication between the vessles were random data bursts to the flagship with rare responses for course corrections or updated battle plans. The crew of each vessel ran a series of battle stations drills to hone their combat edge. After 20 hours in flight, the commanders gave their human crew members a 10 hour stand down order to allow them to rest, recreate, and otherwise unwind.

  Captain Mac Bradley, a fleet admiral now in all but name, spent little of his down time resting. His mind was constantly reviewing the battle plan, looking for weaknesses and improvements. Aboard their vessel, Jared and Ellie Caulder retired to their private quarters to spend some time with each other. Ian Huntington-Smythe walked the Engineering Section of his vessel and tried to relax. Maria Yolanda Esteban-Smith spent part of her break in her vessel’s mess hall trying to program the food replication devices to create the perfect banana split. Sadly, they lacked the genetic codes of the fruits and nuts involved and what they produced tasted like cardboard paste to the young Terran officer.

  At the end of the stand down, Bradley broadcast a slightly modified battle plan to each vessel. The commanders reviewed the plan then drilled their crews repeatedly for the next few hours. Satisfied that everyone knew their jobs, each ship was put on a minimum crew status for four hours. Rest was highly encouraged for those lucky enough to be off-duty during that time.

  One hour out from the Camadin System, Bradley used his ship’s Z’Laan communications system to broadcast a message to Commodore Rivers aboard Camadin Station. The crew of the Phoenix had taken a Z’Laan communications unit with them to be set up on the station. Bradley hoped that the Z’Laan communications technology was still more advanced and better encrypted than the Azairi’s comms. He fervently hoped that his fleet was arriving in time to help his old friends James and Charlotte Rivers and the people of the Camadin colony.

  “Mac! It’s great to hear from you,” Commodore Rivers said. He was visible in one of the secondary monitors near Bradley’s console. Rivers looked tired and worn down. “And you’re arrival couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment!”

  “What’s your status, James?” Bradley asked, leaning forward in his seat.

  “The Azairi are just outside the system. They’ve sent in small squadrons of ships to probe our defenses, but have been holding back the main part of their fleet for a concerted attack,” Rivers reported. “It could come at any moment. We’ve armed every ship we could with what armament we’ve been able to come up with. That includes a couple of the old colony ships, as well. We’ve sent out the remaining colony ships with any civilians we could convince to evacuate. They’re on their way to Z’La, taking a circuitous route that should hide the location of that planet from the Azairi. Alison and Jamie are aboard one of the vessels.”

  “Harlu Az will be on hand to meet them when they reach Z’La,” said Bradley. “He’s getting more ships prepped and setting up the training programs they’ll need to prepare new crews for the battles ahead.”

  Commodore Rivers took a deep breath then sighed. “It’s gonna be close, Mac. What’s left of the Fleet, two carriers, a handful of destroyers, a few frigates, and the two converted colony vessels are being prepped for battle. We’re low on crews for all vessels. Hopefully, you’ve got better news.”

  Bradley smiled at the image of his friend then reported his fleet’s location and strength. A smile began to spread across Commodore Rivers’ face then he responded, “You’ve done well, Mac! Let’s pray it’s enough. We’ll be standing by for your arrival. Rivers out!”

  With that, the communication cut out. Bradley smiled again. Hey, Azairi! Have we got a helluva surprise in store for you! Bradley thought.

  **********

  The Terran/Z’Laan fleet drew up short in the debris cloud on the outer edge of the Camadin System. The superior Z’Laan scanners could just make out a small group of the enemy vessels cruising the opposite edge of the system. The larger part of the Azairi fleet could not be far away.

  There was no evidence that the Azairi had intercepted the limited transmissions between Bradley’s flagship and Camadin Station. Bradley decided to risk a visit to the station to meet with Rivers and the commanders of the remaining Terran vessels. After briefing Commander Jarrod Caulder, his second-in-command, Bradley and a Terran/Z’Laan avatar pilot left the Rivers in a two-person fighter. Small, armed, and armored, the little ship was also fast and nimble.

  The fighter flew at just below light speed to Camadin Station. Commodore James B. Rivers and his wife, Dr. Charlotte Rivers, were waiting for Bradley as he stepped through the airlock from the hangar bay. Rivers shook his old friend’s hand then stepped aside to allow Charlotte to give Bradley a hug.

  “Good to see you, Mac!” Commodore Rivers said. “You sure have a way of showing up at just the right moment.”

  Bradley grinned and replied, “Well, I do try! It’s good to see you both. Charlotte, I’m not surprised to see you here, but I do wish you’d gone to Z’La with Allison. Folks, I won’t lie to you…we’ve only got 36 ships, partial crews, and most of those crew members are Z’Laan nanite avatars with copies of human engrams. They’re as trained as we can get them in such a short time but they’re untested in battle.”

  The commodore guided Bradley and Charlotte to a nearby elevator which carried them to the Command Level. Soon they were in the commodore’s briefing room. Once they were seated, Commodore Rivers spoke first. “Mac, we’re on the ropes. All the other Terran colonies have been defeated and are occupied by the Azairi. Many of the people we sent to Z’La were the last escapees from those colonies. The stories they told were horrifying. First, the Azairi took out each systems outer defenses. Then they attacked the cities from orbit, taking out planetary defenses as well as killing millions of innocent civilians. After that, they landed with ground attack vehicles and troops to wipe out any resistance and capture survivors. Those captured were forced into labor camps to strip the colony worlds of their resources for the Azairi.”

  “There are even stories of the injured being taken to other camps…” Dr. Rivers began, “camps that no human has ever returned from.” Commodore Rivers reached over to take his wife’s hand in his. Bradley understood that implication…those humans became food for the invaders!

  “Mac, we have no idea the exact size of the fleet the Azairi are going to throw at us, but based on their past actions…we can expect to be heavily outnumbered,” the commodore said solemnly. “And then there’s the rest of their armada spread out amongst dozens of worlds along the Orion-Cygnus Arm.”

  “We’ll give ‘em hell, James!” said Bradley. “Based on the tests we ran in the Z’Laan system, the vessels we brought pack a real powerful wallop! We’ll give a good account of ourselves.”

  Commode Rivers looked at his wife and smiled then looked at Bradley. “I know we will, Mac! Let’s get our other ship commanders in here and see what kind of battle plan we can come up with.”

  It was Bradley’s turn to smile at his friend. “James, I’ve cooked
up a doozy! And I think you’re gonna love it!”

  The first officer to enter the room was another of Bradley’s old friends, Captain Meaghan O'Reilly. She had been Rivers’ First Officer aboard the Colony Ship Conestoga many years before. Now she commanded the Connie, as the old vessel was affectionately called by her crew. The two old friends approached one another and started to salute, then laughing, gave each other a bear hug instead!

  “Meaghan, it’s great to see you!” said Bradley, honestly pleased to see her. “How’s our old ship?”

  “Great to see you too, Mac!” responded O’Reilly. “The Connie’s not old, she’s a classic! Of course, we’ve installed so many of the Z’Laan modifications in the last couple of weeks, she’s a whole new lady. Armored like an armadillo and sprouting more barbs than a cactus!”

  “Anything to help an old friend, Meaghan!” Bradley bounced back.

  “Who you calling ‘old’, mister?” Meaghan said poking Bradley in the ribs. “You’re getting a might gray at the temples yourself, you know?”

  Bradley laughed and replied, “True, so true. And you haven’t changed at all. Hey, how’s Chris?”

  Meaghan O’Reilly’s smile faded quickly. “Chris…didn’t make it.”

  Bradley stepped closer to his friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Meaghan, I’m so sorry to hear that. Really, I am.”

  Meaghan looked into Bradley eyes and read the sincerity in them. “I know, Mac…and thank you!”

  Before they could say anything else, more officers began to drift into the room. Bradley greeted the ones he knew and was introduced to those he didn’t by Rivers or O’Reilly. Once everyone was seated, Rivers brought the meeting to order.

  “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for coming here,” Commodore Rivers began. “Fleet Captain Bradley and I didn’t want to risk sending out a battle plan via our normal communications channels. While the Azairi don’t seem to have broken the Z’Laan comm systems and codes, we felt it wasn’t worth the risk.” Bradley blinked in surprise upon hearing his new rank.

  Meaghan, who was seated to Bradley’s right, leaned over and asked softly, “Surprised?” Bradley simply nodded in reply.

  “James told me yesterday that he was going to bump you up to Fleet Captain,” whispered Meaghan.

  Rivers pointed to McLelland Bradley at the opposite end of the briefing table. “Mac has developed a rather…audacious…battle plan. One that, while risky, may give us the element of surprise and enable us to win this battle. Mac, the floor is yours!” Bradley rose and began to outline his battle plan.

  Chapter 13

  Ship's Log

  TFDFCV Rivers

  Earthdate: 25 January 2231

  Fleet Captain McLelland Bradley, Commanding

  We arrived at the Camadin System before the main Azairi attack. It was good to see the commodore and his wife, Captain O’Reilly, and my other friends aboard Camadin Station. But we didn’t have time for a lot of pleasantries. The war is coming to Camadin! Thankfully, Allison is on her way to Z’La with the evacuation fleet.

  The first order of business is the defense of the Camadin System. If we can stop this Azairi fleet here maybe we can buy some time for Harlu Az and our people on Z’La to ready another fleet of Z’Laan war vessels. Meanwhile, we’re ready for the battle to come.

  The lead elements of the Azairi fleet entered the Camadin System less than 23 hours after the Terran/Z’Laan fleet’s arrival. Two mile-long space carriers, six battleships, and two dozen smaller yet very powerful vessels passed through the system’s Oort cloud in a diamond formation on a course for the planet Camadin.

  The three Terran Federation Defense Force frigates, two battle cruisers, and two modified colony vessels were badly outnumbered and outgunned. Each fired a couple of volleys then began to fall back towards Camadin. Meeting such limited resistance, the Azairi signaled their main fleet. Soon, more Azairi vessels entered the system and advanced on Camadin and its few defenders.

  The Terrans were forced to retreat to preserve their remaining ships and personnel. Thus far, damage to the Terran vessels had been light and injuries few. All was going according to plan!

  Within an hour, Fleet Captain Bradley had his answer regarding the full size and disposition of the enemy fleet. The Azairi fleet sent to conquer Camadin consisted of four carriers and roughly 300 fighters, seven battle cruisers, ten destroyers, and a handful of frigates. Reading the report, Bradley let out a low whistle.

  Bradley watched the incipient moments of the battle from the C3 war room of his flagship. As the defenders of Camadin fell back they also moved laterally from the direction of the invaders penetration, beginning smaller strikes against the flanks of the Azairi fleet. The Azairi vessels were soon concentrated in a wedge formation, a spearhead driving mercilessly toward the planet Camadin.

  Bradley leaned forward in his seat and keyed his microphone. “Bradley to Task Force Alpha and Task Force Bravo, time to box ‘em in! Execute, execute, execute!” He watched the tactical monitors arranged around him and saw the blue colored lights of Terran vessels begin to converge upon the red lights that represented the vessels of the Azairi fleet. There were far too few blue lights but they were indeed creating a kill box in space.

  He keyed his microphone again and said, “Surprise Packages, up and at ‘em!” His screens lit up with more than 100 green lights around and, in some cases, amongst the Azairi fleet. Each of the green lights represented a small asteroid that had been converted into a weapons platform armed with a small power reactor, plasma cannon, and a targeting system each controlled by a computer. These weapons platforms had been a secret project Commodore Rivers had started months before. Now, the untested system was to play a critical role in the Battle of Camadin.

  The Azairi commanders were surprised to come under attack from all quarters. Historically, they preferred a headlong assault and direct combat, a strategy that relied on their powerful weapons and well-shielded ships. The combined Terran counter-attack was beginning to take its toll upon the Azairi ships. One by one, they received mounting damage from plasma beams, nuclear-tipped missiles, and kinetic kill weapons.

  But the Azairi’s weapons were also taking a toll upon the Terran vessels. Here and there on his monitors, Bradley would see a blue light fall back or disappear altogether, indicating a Terran vessel that had retreated from the battle badly damaged or had been destroyed. Even with the asteroid weapons platforms, the Terrans were taking a beating from the Azairi. Only two Azairi vessels were so badly damaged that they were out of the fight.

  Once again, Bradley keyed his microphone. “Task Force Charlie, now, now, now!” At the far edge of the Camadin System, the vessels of the Terran/Z’Laan fleet seemingly vanished en masse. In truth, they had leaped into FTL drive and drove deep into the star system. Microseconds later, the vessels of Task Force Charlie reappeared…in the midst of the Azairi fleet. “All vessels…keep your shields at maximum and target your assigned enemy vessels. Carriers…launch all fighters! Hit ‘em hard!” Bradley growled.

  Fighters streaked from the carriers. Like the larger Z’Laan vessels, their silvery hulls reflected the colors of space around them. All of the manta-like vessels would be hard to discern with the naked eye but thankfully the monitors around Bradley’s bridge surrounded each friendly vessel with a light green glow.

  The Azairi were caught by surprise. Never had the Terrans tried such a bold plan! The Azairi tried to turn some of their fire inward amongst their fleet but were unable to lock onto the faster moving Terran/Z’Laan vessels, particularly the fighters which were small, fast, and incredibly deadly for their size. The older, Terran-made vessels attacking the Azairi flanks were still taking a terrible beating. More than half of those vessels were damaged or had already been destroyed. One by one, the weapons platforms on the asteroids were pummeled into dust.

  The force field protecting the bridge of Bradley’s flagship suddenly flared as multiple energy beams and missiles struck it simultaneo
usly. Without taking his eyes from his monitors, Bradley asked, “Shield status?”

  The Terran/Z’Laan avatar crewing the defense console reported back, “Shields intact…holding at 74%, Fleet Captain!”

  Bradley rose from his seat and began to pace the deck, his eyes never leaving the tactical monitors. On the screens, the Azairi fleet was still converging on Camadin. Bradley checked the chronometer on his primary monitor then signaled his comm officer. “Camadin Station, this is Flagship. James, are you about ready to join the party?”

  “Flagship, this is Camadin Station Actual,” came the voice of Commodore James B. Rivers through the bridge’s speakers. “We’re rounding the corner as we speak.” Bradley tapped a monitor and pulled up a visual of the planet Camadin. A white dot appeared along the rim of the planet. The dot grew larger and larger…until Camadin Station came out from behind the planet. As the station came into full view, brilliant beams of energy shot from it, followed closely by hundreds of tungsten steel columns shot from the station’s rail guns. Finally, dozens of missiles, each armed with multiple nuclear warheads flew towards the vessels that composed the Azairi fleet.

  “Give ‘em hell, James!” Bradley said softly, then turned his attention back to the vessels under his command. On one monitor, he saw more than a dozen Azairi fighters returning to their carrier to be rearmed. Just as those small vessels reached the carrier, a Terran/Z’Laan frigate opened fire directly into the Azairi carriers open recovery bays. With the shields protecting those bays down and massive doors open to recover their fighters, the kinetic kill rods and missiles of the frigate flew unhindered into the bowels of the enemy ship. As high-velocity tungsten columns struck the interior of the carrier, enormous amounts of energy were released explosively. The detonation of ten nuclear warheads within the carrier added to the horrific damage to the giant vessel. Seconds later, the carrier’s remaining reactors went critical and the Azairi carrier vanished in a ball of light!