those cannons firing. For atmospherics, they have an air defense that will make putting boots on the ground difficult. However, I believe that all of those defenses would only delay a Durian victory without the support of the Colonel and his men."
I raised Frig on the comm. "If we retreat the full five weeks, will the Orienta still be able to reach us with the full portals? Will we be able to send the Colonel and his men through if needed?"
Frig entered the necessary data into his console and replied, "It would appear that we will be on the edge of our capabilities; however, the Gonta have more power coming from the Orienta, so it should not be an issue, Sir. The numbers say that they should remain available to us. I will recheck to see if that is the case."
Over the next five weeks, the alien fleet that pursued us continued to come. Repeated attempts to hail them met with no response. The first of the Colonel’s men were emerging from their initial training, and all signs pointed towards a highly successful program. Our Wren scout ship had been sitting in the vicinity of the mystery signal. No new information had been gained from its passive scans.
As we worked our way around the system where the Wren had been deployed, the pursuing alien fleet began to slow and eventually came to a stop. We slowed and stopped. Both fleets now faced the two-planet star system with the sub-light mystery signal.
I was on the bridge as the Colonel entered the room. "Colonel, what do you think? Why did they stop?"
The Colonel replied, "They stopped because there is something there on that planet that warrants investigation. It is the same reason we are stopped as well."
The comm officer spoke. "Message remains the same. It just keeps repeating the question, ‘Are you out there?'"
Several minutes passed before the Wren detected a signal coming from the alien fleet.
"We are here."
The signal coming from the planet again went silent.
I stood and pressed my comm button. "Frig, I think you should back the Wren out of there. Send it towards the other fleet, and let’s see how they react."
Frig replied, "Sir, they may take that as a hostile gesture."
I looked down at my arm pad. "I’m not saying to send it all the way there. Just move it in their direction. If they react badly, we can always turn and leave."
The Wren stopped at a distance that was three-quarters of the way out to the alien fleet from the star system we surrounded. It sat for several minutes without reaction from the horde of alien ships just beyond.
An alarm sounded as our weapons officer spoke. "We have ships dropping from light speed behind us! It looks like a dozen large cruisers, no, scratch that... Sir! There are hundreds of ships coming to a stop just beyond us, Sir! Scans showed no signs of any other vessels in the area prior to our arrival!"
The captain stood. "What are our options, Lieutenant? Do we have an out?"
The lieutenant replied, "Sir, their numbers just topped two thousand ships, Sir. And they are still coming. They have us boxed in, Sir. We are receiving a hail!"
The captain spoke. "Put it on speaker, Lieutenant."
"This is the Bulgar Consortium ship Almalgar. You are trespassing on Bulgar space. Stand down and prepare to be boarded!"
I turned to the captain. "Move us in closer to that planet, Captain. They seem to be keeping their distance from it."
The captain replied, "Mr. Grange, the last time we had a Wren in there, it was vaporized."
I nodded. "I realize that, Captain. And I am counting on that. If we stay here, we fight, which is something we are not prepared for. Colonel, how many of your enhanced fighters are ready for duty?"
The Colonel replied, "We have fifteen hundred now with the York upgrade. I believe 70 percent of those to be ready today. We have another sixty thousand Marines to go with them. What do you have in mind?"
I stood to address all of those who were on the bridge. "I think we should begin the transfer of your men
I raised Frig on the comm. "If we retreat the full five weeks, will the Orienta still be able to reach us with the full portals? Will we be able to send the Colonel and his men through if needed?"
Frig entered the necessary data into his console and replied, "It would appear that we will be on the edge of our capabilities; however, the Gonta have more power coming from the Orienta, so it should not be an issue, Sir. The numbers say that they should remain available to us. I will recheck to see if that is the case."
Over the next five weeks, the alien fleet that pursued us continued to come. Repeated attempts to hail them met with no response. The first of the Colonel’s men were emerging from their initial training, and all signs pointed towards a highly successful program. Our Wren scout ship had been sitting in the vicinity of the mystery signal. No new information had been gained from its passive scans.
As we worked our way around the system where the Wren had been deployed, the pursuing alien fleet began to slow and eventually came to a stop. We slowed and stopped. Both fleets now faced the two-planet star system with the sub-light mystery signal.
I was on the bridge as the Colonel entered the room. "Colonel, what do you think? Why did they stop?"
The Colonel replied, "They stopped because there is something there on that planet that warrants investigation. It is the same reason we are stopped as well."
The comm officer spoke. "Message remains the same. It just keeps repeating the question, ‘Are you out there?'"
Several minutes passed before the Wren detected a signal coming from the alien fleet.
"We are here."
The signal coming from the planet again went silent.
I stood and pressed my comm button. "Frig, I think you should back the Wren out of there. Send it towards the other fleet, and let’s see how they react."
Frig replied, "Sir, they may take that as a hostile gesture."
I looked down at my arm pad. "I’m not saying to send it all the way there. Just move it in their direction. If they react badly, we can always turn and leave."
The Wren stopped at a distance that was three-quarters of the way out to the alien fleet from the star system we surrounded. It sat for several minutes without reaction from the horde of alien ships just beyond.
An alarm sounded as our weapons officer spoke. "We have ships dropping from light speed behind us! It looks like a dozen large cruisers, no, scratch that... Sir! There are hundreds of ships coming to a stop just beyond us, Sir! Scans showed no signs of any other vessels in the area prior to our arrival!"
The captain stood. "What are our options, Lieutenant? Do we have an out?"
The lieutenant replied, "Sir, their numbers just topped two thousand ships, Sir. And they are still coming. They have us boxed in, Sir. We are receiving a hail!"
The captain spoke. "Put it on speaker, Lieutenant."
"This is the Bulgar Consortium ship Almalgar. You are trespassing on Bulgar space. Stand down and prepare to be boarded!"
I turned to the captain. "Move us in closer to that planet, Captain. They seem to be keeping their distance from it."
The captain replied, "Mr. Grange, the last time we had a Wren in there, it was vaporized."
I nodded. "I realize that, Captain. And I am counting on that. If we stay here, we fight, which is something we are not prepared for. Colonel, how many of your enhanced fighters are ready for duty?"
The Colonel replied, "We have fifteen hundred now with the York upgrade. I believe 70 percent of those to be ready today. We have another sixty thousand Marines to go with them. What do you have in mind?"
I stood to address all of those who were on the bridge. "I think we should begin the transfer of your men
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