Alpha One - Chris Burton [15]
“Bridge: Status?”
“We have located the Sentinel vessel and have taken the stellar drive off line. We are at standard pursuit velocity.”
“Excellent. Let’s hold off the fireworks until I get to the bridge.”
Hoskins left his quarters and headed down the corridor to the main bridge access lift.
He was ready for the next battle, and the ease in which his ship was eliminating his enemy meant he did feel calm considering that his ship was about to go in to combat. As he neared the lift, he did feel a sudden sense of urgency. Something didn’t feel right. He considered this for a moment…
“Bridge. Run a full diagnostic and scan to check if there is anything else out there.”
Lieutenant Commander Jacques, the Aurora’s First Officer came back almost immediately and confirmed that all diagnostic checks came back clear. The ship ran at ninety-two percent, and short range scanners revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
His instincts still told him something was wrong. He entered the express elevator which whisked him quickly upwards three decks before coming to a rest on the top deck, the command bridge.
* * * *
The Sentinel ship was in silent mode. This was a more practical mode for pursuing the enemy than the safer—and more secure—stealth mode. The vessel was a Sentinel dark ship. It was constructed of dark metal composite alloy which made it barely visible in the twilight of space. Add to that the silent mode, which in the context of the Sentinel flagship really was silent.
The dark ship pursued the Alpha vessel for several days, and when the Aurora 5 dropped out of light speed, the Sentinel vessel parked on top of the smaller Alpha ship. General Yoshi was pleased. He had the Alpha vessel exactly where he wanted it. The Alpha ship’s weapons would be useless at such a short range, and from here he could suck the life out of the enemy vessel’s stellar drive. He waited patiently as they plowed through the dust cloud. It was here that they would be noticed, and they needed to clear the phenomenon before they could commence an attack. His weapons were poised for an instant response, should the Alpha vessel fire first. They would see their own demise, he was certain of that, but at the right time.
* * * *
Hoskins was anxious. He sat at his bridge chair and monitored the ship’s immediate surroundings on his head up display. There was something there, he was certain.
The ship’s status was ‘Conditional alert’, a hybrid state where the ship was neither at battle stations nor ‘stand down’. Hoskins requested further checks when he arrived at the bridge but still they detected nothing material. His crew was used to Hoskins’s gut feelings and went about their duties without reference or question.
‘There.” Hoskins pointed out a definite shadow to his first officer.
Lieutenant Commander Jacques leaned forward.
“Can I suggest a sensor sweep?”
“Yes, promptly and discretely Number One.”
Hoskins knew that, whatever it was, it was likely to be Sentinel. It was big and too damn close. He needed to get some distance between them.
“Aurora 5. Prepare for emergency jump on my command, charge up the plasma converters and raise defense shields to maximum.”
Fuck, it was on top of them. How long it was there? He asked himself. This was not a side of the Sentinels he had seen before. They didn’t sneak around, the Northern fleet didn’t. This tactic and this ship suggested something different. What were they planning and when?
He didn’t have to wait long for the answer. The Sentinel vessel launched a low yield atomic charge directly into the Aurora’s drive section amidships. The missile exploded and the auxiliary drive immediately