Alpha One - Chris Burton [112]
“Commander of AUSWAS research vessel. I am the lead Rapier pilot and have just fired two warning shots at your vessel. Your ship and its crew are in danger and need to leave this area immediately. Alpha has designated this area as a military zone. We will target your drive systems unless you leave the restricted zone immediately.”
Winterburn’s response to the Rapier pilot’s broadcast message was instant. The AUSWAS vessel fired two single laser cannon bursts at the lead Rapier’s communication port. This was an act of aggression and left Hoskins with little option, but to respond in kind.
Winterburn, though, had other ideas. “Commander Hoskins. You will have to destroy this ship to move us. I am prepared to use all of the weapons at our disposal to defend our position. Please recall your jump ships or we will destroy them.”
Hoskins knew he was beaten. He would not engage in a full scale battle with Winterburn, even though he knew that the Halo 7 would be victorious. With the comm link left open, he responded.
“Very well, Professor Winterburn. The experiment will commence with your ship inside the danger zone. We cannot guarantee your protection. It is highly likely your ship will be destroyed. We will seek to remove the other vessels in the area.”
Hoskins closed the link, and moved to concentrate his efforts on the smaller vessels which had joined the AUSWAS ship in the danger zone. Once again, his efforts proved futile. There were too many of them and it was far too dangerous to engage in a one-to-one with each of the smaller vessels, even if he engaged all of his jump ship capability.
Hoskins must admit defeat. He opened a comm link to the Botanic and urged Cameron to delay the experiment while he consulted with Admiral Shenke as to how best deal with the problem. Cameron didn’t agree. He would proceed with or without the removal of the Winterburn and his Collective. His ships were ready, and they were about to engage the sonic pulse equipment once again. Hoskins gave the order for the Halo 7 to move to safe distance and he recalled the Rapiers.
Winterburn is a fool, he thought. He was about to die for a cause which would was futile. The second wormhole was about to be opened.
* * * *
Cameron was having other problems. The Betanica Sect vessels engaged, and moved to surround the Nexus vessels to prevent the experiment from taking place. Admiral Shenke dispatched a squadron of Rapiers, who engaged with the Sects’ black interceptors. A fierce battle took place, with the Sect pilots holding their own.
Shenke ordered the despatch of a further squadron of Rapiers and a half-squadron of Sabres. This gave Alpha a numerical advantage, and they engaged in a dogfight with the Sect interceptors over a small area between Shenke’s fleet and the wormholes. The sheer number of jump ships in such a confined area was beginning to tell, and eventually the Sect vessels were forced to disengage. Shenke ordered two of his cruisers to plug the gap to protect the Nexus vessels on their vulnerable side. There was no room for the Sect to engage the Nexus ships. The experiment could continue.
Cameron ordered the experiment to commence within a few minutes of the Shenke’s latest intervention. Once again the sonic pulse equipment engaged and within a few moments the huge second wormhole opened.
* * * *
Winterburn smiled again. The sequence of events was inevitable. The second wormhole would soon be fully open and the blue wormhole would start to materialize. Everything he had done over the last fifty years led to this moment. The huge deception he orchestrated was about to be revealed.
Chapter Forty-Eight