Alpha One - Chris Burton [0]
The Jump Pilot
By
Chris Burton
Eternal Press
A division of Damnation Books, LLC.
P.O. Box 3931
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-9998
www.eternalpress.biz
Alpha One: The Jump Pilot
by Chris Burton
Digital ISBN: 978-1-61572-242-6
Print ISBN: 978-1-61572-243-3
Cover art by: Dawné Dominique
Edited by: Kim Richards
Copyedited by: Gerald L. “Moss” Bliss, D.D.
Copyright 2010 Chris Burton
Printed in the United States of America
Worldwide Electronic & Digital Rights
1st North American and UK Print Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any form, including digital and electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
To Ness, Lewis and Harry, whose patience was paramount. To Jack and Tam, who spurred me on to write.
Part One
Prologue
Salas shook his head in disbelief. The Sentinel ship was abandoned and left to defend itself in the vastness of open space, against the might of Alpha.
They came from nowhere and his ship had no answer. His shields were depleted, the weaponry hold empty. He had nothing left to offer.
He found himself dreaming of another place, his planet, so far away and his family, his children and his home. All were just a distant dream.
The missile hit the ship broadside, towards the stern and ploughed straight through the main hull before exiting amidships. In a fraction of a second, nine Sentinels vaporized and the ship split almost perfectly into two, as if a chef’s knife sliced straight though an apple. The bow disintegrated as it fell away from the main body of the vessel and a massive explosion engulfed the remaining hulk in flames.
The Sentinel Commander looked puzzled briefly, before realization struck. With his ship destroyed, he was about to breathe his last breath.
Minutes passed and Salas awaited his fate with his crew lying dead around him and his own demise inevitable. He sat in his chair, raised his hands to his head and sobbed.
Then the bridge exploded and it was all over.
Chapter One
The Battle Cruiser
Commander Jonathan Hoskins sat at his station, observing his morning’s work. The Sentinel ship, with its crew of three hundred perished under the might of his Battle Cruisers superior weaponry. Weakened by his blaster cannons, the final blow, delivered with pin-point accuracy, destroyed the enemy ship just like the last five.
Hoskins commanded the Alpha Battle Cruiser Aurora 5. He was thirty-five years old and in his second tour in command of the Aurora. He had clear views on the Sentinels and the strategy to defeat them once and for all. simply the Sentinels were outnumbered and outgunned. This war would shortly be over. He would soon enjoy the spoils of victory. A third star beckoned and surely a fourth would not be far away. How many more Sentinel ships would they destroy this week?
Now was not the time to contemplate future glory.
“Helm, set a course for Beta Five, cruising velocity. Mister Ohama, scan the area for Sentinel activity. Stand down alert status.”
The Aurora 5 turned slowly and purposefully towards her new heading and accelerated briskly.
“Sentinel vessels within range, straight ahead Commander.”
Jonathan Hoskins smiled. This is too easy.
* * * *
The Human ship pursues its prey like a Vantac bird, he thought. Their persistence was a valuable weapon and their vessel was able if not exactly agile, but they could be defeated.
The Sentinel Mother ship remained in stealth mode and witnessed the destruction of yet another of their dwindling Northern fleet. The General decided enough was enough; the Alpha Battleship had destroyed its last Sentinel ship. He ordered