Star People

Chapter 4

More Encounters

July 5^th, 11 AE…

During the time in which the Missouri was at Grevel, the Council of Prime Directors had decided to send two ambassadors to Atlans, in order to establish diplomatic relations with the mechanized country. According to their surveillance drones and satellite imagery, the country’s highest level of technology seemed to be late 1920s to early 1930s. Just past the level of Earth’s First World War.

To their surprise, the ambassadors had been expected and were given a very warm welcome when their transport entered Atlans’ airspace. It was soon escorted by two fighter planes. It was a strange sight for two biplanes to be flying side-by-side with a ship that was capable of flying into deep space and even hyperspace. The pilot had to slow down the transport’s speed to almost hovering in order for the Atlans craft to keep up with it.

At the Dramil Airport, Lieutenant Lenns Hodder stood with several other officers and diplomats as they waited for the arrival of the emissaries of Free Land. All stared in amazement as the transport came into view. It was about the size of a small cargo plane and looked sleek and powerful. Its body was wide and was tapered up front. There were several large windows on the sides and front. On two, short, winglike structures were the engine nacelles, which glowed with a blue-white light. The entire ship moved smoothly through the air and made a vibrant but low-sounding hum.

Instead of coming in on a shallow angle in order to land like the biplanes did, the transport simply continued on its horizontal flight toward the area near the control tower. After sighting the group that was waiting to receive it, the ship gradually decreased its speed, and then came to a complete stop in midair, some 150 feet above the tarmac. It hovered for a few seconds, before slowly descending like an elevator. As it came close to the ground, panels in the underbelly opened up to deploy the landing gear. The transport made a perfect landing in front of the welcoming group.

“Amazing!” Lenns exclaimed. “That craft is capable of vertical take-off and landings, and can hover too!” Lenns was actually the chief engineering officer of the New Technology Development Corps. His mind boggled at the engineering skills needed to build such a craft that could fly in any direction that it wanted. And it didn’t seem to depend on the principle of lift to stay in the air. So how was it flying?

However, he was also under the misconception that the transport couldn’t fly very fast. After all, the fighters had no problems keeping up with it and they weren’t flying at their top speed of 250 km/hr. What he didn’t know what that the transport’s pilot had purposely slowed down so that the biplanes could keep up. The Cosmo-Type Shuttle Transport was capable of cruising in atmosphere at Mach 1.5, and could fly in deep space and hyperspace if need be.

As the side hatch of the transport opened up, the Atlans’ officers and diplomats saw several armed soldiers emerge, followed by two individuals. One was a middle-aged human while the other looked like a giant, walking iguana, with light green scales, wearing a kind of bodysuit and had a long tail. And was that lizardman wearing spectacles?

Motioning for the men to stay calm and not stare, Lenns walked up to the newcomers and gave them a sharp salute.

“Greetings to the ambassadors of Free Land! Welcome to Atlans! I am Lieutenant Lenns Hodder of the New Technology Development Corps!” He then extended his hand out.

The Terran ambassador smiled as he took the offered hand and shook it. “Hello there! I am Diplomat Charles Duset.” He nodded to his companion. “And this is my associate and good friend, Chellar. You may consider him also as a diplomat of Free Land.”

“Greetings.” Chellar nodded as he shook hands with Lenns, who couldn’t stop staring at him. “Is something the matter?”

“Oh! Forgive me! This is my first time meeting with a dragon-kin!”

“Oh I am not what you would refer to as a dragon-kin.”

 “You’re not?” The major asked in surprise.

“My friend is a member of a race called the Velor, one of the five members of the Star Alliance.” Diplomat Duset explained.

‘Star Alliance?”

“It seems we have much to discuss this day.” Chellar remarked.

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A little later at a conference building outside of the airport…

“You are from the stars?!” Lenns exclaimed after the Free Land diplomats had explained their origins. Then he and the other officers and diplomats got a further shock. Chellar produced a small device, placed it on the table and activated it. It began displaying holographic, 3D images that made Atlan black-and-white televisions look like cave paintings.

“Yes.” Charles affirmed. “All five member races of the Star Alliance had lost their homeworlds to the vicious Cryterians and united to destroy their menace before they could destroy other worlds. However, after their defeat, we found ourselves without a place to call home.”

“We had spent more than a decade in the vastness of space, fighting the Cryterians, and searching for a place where we could settle.” The Velor ambassador continued. “Around half a year ago, we came across your world, which you refer to as Istaria.”

“Seeing that your world is actually similar in gravity and atmosphere as our original world, the Earth, we found it to be quite suitable in supporting not only the Terrans, (what you refer to as humans), but also the Velor, the Catians, the Kyteeri and the Nemonians.”

The display showed examples of each race of the Star Alliance, as well as visuals of the Earth. The audience was dumbfounded at the spectacle and none dared to speak.

“We decided to settle on the one continent that was uninhabited by intelligent life, what you refer to as the Alder continent.” Velor continued.

“But what about the gigantic magical beasts? Did they not attack you?” Sergeant Ackar Jan asked. He was a friend of Lenns and his subordinate.

“We were able to clear out the giant beasts with our advanced technology, so we really didn’t have to worry about them much.” Duset explained. “Every now and then they do appear to cause trouble, but they are quickly dealt with. It’s basically pest control at this point.”

Everyone except for the Free Land people was in a state of shock. The legendary and dangerous beasts of Alder were no more than minor pests to these people?

After the brief overview of the Star Alliance’s history was done, Lieutenant Lenns took the diplomats and their entourage to a nearby hotel. The next day, he would be their tour guide through their capital city, Vandil.

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July 6^th, 11 AE…

“Did you hear the news?!” Lieutenant Lenns exclaimed as he and his subordinate Ackar Jan drove to pick up the Free Land diplomats.

“You mean that report of the Free Land battleship shooting down 40 wyvern knights and defeating a fleet of Sath ships all by itself? Yes, I heard and I could scarcely believe it myself. The Empire of Sath tried to force the Free Land delegates to sign something, didn’t they?”

“Yes. Our spies indicated that the document would have made Free Land a vassal state of the Sath and completely subservient to them. Fortunately, the captain of that battleship refused and the whole envoy fled Grevel.”

“I wouldn’t describe it as fleeing, sir.” Ackar pointed out. “I don’t think the Empire had the power to stop them from leaving.”

“Good point. Our technology is much greater than the Empire’s but even one of our battleships would have trouble against thirty-one of theirs. Plus they had the advantage of air support with that wyvern carrier. The Free Land battleship was reported to have incredible range and accuracy with their guns. They shot down 40 wyverns and destroyed 15 ships! And the report says they fired only fifteen shots to sink or destroy those ships! From over twenty kilometers! That accuracy, range and firepower is simply unbelievable! Our best naval guns can’t even compare!”

“Is it all true?”

“Seeing is believing and our observers caught it all on reel! They used the new motion picture capture device to record the battle from a coastline cliff. I saw it this morning! The Free Land ship was incredible! It was huge, but it moved with amazing speed! The captain didn’t even bother to make evasive maneuvers and sliced through the enemy ships like a scythe cutting down wheat. Oh I’d LOVE to incorporate that ship’s technology into ours!”

As they arrived at the hotel where the Free Land diplomats were staying, they took on more serious expressions as they greeted the diplomats who were waiting in the lobby. After exchanging pleasantries, they all boarded a large, open-topped car, which accommodated Diplomat Chellar’s larger size.

“So Ambassador Duset, Ambassador Chellar… how was your first night in Atlans?”

“I must admit, it’s was… quaint, at the very least.” Chellar admitted. The bed in his room had been intended for human-sized guests and was too small for his frame, so he ended up sleeping on the floor.

“It was all right.” Duset affirmed. “So what is on today’s agenda?”

“We would like you to meet with some of the heads of our government and we’ve obtained permission to show you around one of our military bases. In fact, they will be putting on an air and ground show for the public.”

“Fascinating.” Chellar remarked as he watched the streets and people walking about as they drove by.

“Oh, there is one thing I must inform you of.” Lenns pointed out. “It has to do with an incident that occurred yesterday…”

“If you are speaking of the battle between the Missouri and the fleet from the Empire of Sath, we have already been informed by our government.” Charles said.

“You know about it already? And what’s the Missouri?” Ackar asked. They had only learned about it a couple of hours ago.

“Our government sent us a communication transmission late last night. The Missouri is the name of the battleship we had sent to open up relations with the Kingdom of Vereles. In any case, due to that incident, we will not going to be opening up any relations with the Empire any time soon.”

“I don’t blame you.” Lenns said while also sighing inwardly in relief. Then he took on a look of concern. “Although I think this incident may have put a large blot on the Empire’s pride and they might retaliate. And it’s no secret that the Empire greatly desires the vast magical resources. Your nation may be in danger of attack from the Empire.”

“Yes, considering their rude behavior last night, we think that retaliation from the Empire to be very likely.”

“And this does not concern you?” The Atlans’ sergeant asked.

“Should it?” Chellar shrugged his shoulders. “We fought against the Cryterians for over 5 years. I’m pretty certain that we can handle the Empire of Sath.”

“Aren’t you overestimating your capabilities?” Lenns inquired. “I mean, yes the Empire’s overall technology is behind even ours, but their main advantage is sheer force of numbers! They have five large fleets. The one that the Missouri faced was just a mere reconnaissance and light duty fleet, the Green Dragon Fleet. And they weren’t at full strength. I’ll admit that the Missouri was impressive for defeating 31 Green Dragon warships, but even it can’t stand against their strongest armadas, the Black Dragon and Red Dragon Fleets. Each one has over 600 warships and wyvern carriers!  And their army stands at more than 1 million strong!”

“I see.” Charles Duset said nonchalantly.

That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say? Lenns blinked then composed himself again.

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That afternoon…

“Aaaaahhh, how very nice!” Duset remarked as he and Chellar watched the stunt pilots perform for the audience at the military base.  They were in a private observation booth, high above the bleachers where the public sat.

The biplanes made a few high speed passes in front, and then went into a series of simple acrobatics, which included turns, dives, rolls and loops. The crowds cheered as the pilots showed off their skill. In the booth, Lenns beamed with pride as he explained the aircraft to the diplomats.

“What you are seeing is our latest fighter craft, the Wind Master Mark IV! It has a powerful engine that is rated at 870 horsepower and is able to fly at speeds greater than 430 km/hr! There’s no wyvern alive that could match it! Is armed with two machine guns and can also carry small bombs! It is the pinnacle of aviation technology! Impressive, isn’t it?”

The diplomats nodded nonchalantly as they made their own comments between themselves.

“Those double-wings may generate more lift but also a lot more drag.”

“I doubt those wings will hold up against high g-force turns.”

“Too much target space and that cockpit exposes the pilot to the elements. A simple canopy would rectify that issue.”

“The reciprocating engine is practical, but that plane can only fly so high and so fast before thinning air and drag slow it down.”

“That’s probably the reasons why that biplane design was ultimately dropped in favor of the monoplanes of World War II.”

“Excuse me.” Lieutenant Hoddar interrupted. “Are you saying that our latest fighter plane is considered an ‘old design’ by your standards?”

“Well, I don’t mean to be rude, but yes that is the case.” Diplomat Duset said. “On Earth, we developed powered flight, much like you are now. However, we have long since gone past our biplane days.”

“How long?”

“Let me see… the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903. By our time, I’d say about over 270 years, give or take.”

“Two hundred and seventy years?! Hodder exclaimed.

His friend Sargeant Jans was equally stunned. “So if you’re not flying biplanes, what are you flying? How fast can they go?”

“The main frontline fightercraft of the Star Alliance is the Terran Star Hawk Mark III. We call it a starfighter.” Chellar responded. “It has both atmospheric and space capability. In atmosphere, it is capable of hypersonic speeds but the pilots are instructed to restrict their speed to around Mach 3 or three times the speed of sound.”

Both Atlans officers were flabbergasted at that point. Three times the speed of sound? Was that even possible?

“We also possess a wide array of both military and civilian air and space craft with extremely long ranges and average speeds of around 900 km/hr. “ Charles continued. “Again, no offense intended, but our shuttle pilot had to slow down considerably, just so your escort planes could keep up.”

At this point, both Lenns and Akar could only respond with silence. Were the people of Free Land this far ahead of them in terms of technology?

After the air show, the Atlans ground forces displayed their military might with a parade of tanks, towed artillery and men marching in ranks. Again, the diplomats made a few comments, trying not to insult their hosts, but it was apparent that such military technology and tactics were too outdated by their standards. Taking them to a nearby naval base also didn’t impress them much. After all, they had an enormous space fleet orbiting the planet.

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July 8^th, 11 AE…

Lenns and Akar watched as the Free Land diplomats departed in their shuttle transport. Unlike their arrival, their departure was far faster. As soon as it cleared the area, it suddenly accelerated to an ungodly speed and disappeared almost instantaneously over the horizon.

 It had been a very informative visit as far as the Atlans officers were concerned. After showing them more images of their country, examples of their advanced technology, and even giving them a ride in their transport to Excra, both officers and their government were absolutely convinced that diplomatic relations with Free Land was imperative. And Lenns and his friend immediately volunteered to be part of the envoy to the Alder continent.

At the same time, many other nations began sending their own envoys to Free Land.

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July 12^th, 11 AE…

“What is this? What manner of device is it?” The dwarven ambassador asked as he looked over a device that was about the size of a stylus pen. The ambassador, who went by the name of Grogan, had been sent by the Dwarf Kingdom of Merin, after hearing rumors of the fine craftsmanship and mechanical wonders of the nation in the Alder continent. The moment he came to New Pearl Harbor, he insisted on visiting the engineering sectors.

“That’s a micro-plasma cutter.” The engineering officer replied.

“A cutter? This tiny thing is a cutter? I see no blade.”

“Here, watch this.”

The officer took the device from the ambassador and adjusted the setting controls. He then pressed the tip of the cutter to a thick bar of steel and activated it. It began emitting a bright spark of light and in seconds, cut through the bar like a hot knife through butter. The dwarf’s eyes widened in amazement at how easily the thick bar was sliced through. His mind started to race with the possibilities such a device would have in the forge.

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July 15^th, 11 AE…

“So this is the rumored flying, horseless carriage.” The ambassador from the Verdolin Kingdom commented as he and the Free Land diplomat rode through the streets of Polaris. “It’s so smooth and there’s no shaking at all! What kind of magic is holding it up? And there are no wheels!”

“Well, actually it’s not magic.” The diplomat answered. “It’s actually being supported by a g-force nullifier field and…” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Well, I guess in your case, it would be like magic. This vehicle can deploy wheels if the need arises though.”

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July 16^th, 11 AE…

“What did you call this again?” The Vastonian ambassador asked.

“It’s called beef ravioli.” The quartermaster replied.

“Delicious! Absolutely exquisite! This Instant Ration Packet is a miracle!”

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July 17^th, 11 AE…

Lieutenant Hodder and Sergeant Jans boarded the long-distance aircraft Valliant, as the envoy to the Alder continent was about to get underway. Despite its top cruising speed of 354 km/hr and a maximum range of 4,800 km, it was still going to take 3 days to reach the Alder continent. And that included 3 fuel stops along the way at several Atlans bases in the Merdov continent.

As the four engines began starting up, both officers stowed away their luggage and took their seats. Along with them were the head foreign minister Vesra Cordill and his assistant, Tagor Vermil. The plane lumbered down the runway, picking up speed until it lifted off the ground and began its long journey to Free Land.

Normally Lenns would be thrilled to fly in the Valliant, Atlans’ most advanced transport plane. However, after taking a ride in the Free Land shuttle transport, the Valliant was slow and crude in comparison. How he would have loved to journey to Free Land in that advanced craft. However, he would just have to endure the next three days.

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July 20^th, 11 AE…

It was late afternoon when the pilot announced that they were entering Free Land airspace. They had also received a communication from the Free Land air controllers that two starfighters were being sent out to escort them to the nearby base, New Pearl Harbor.

Starfighters! Lenns thought. At last, I’ll get to see planes that can break the sound barrier!

 He and the other envoys eagerly looked out the windows and waited. Almost on cue, two sleek objects shot past their line of sight at mind-boggling speed, made sharp u-turns then came up to fly alongside the Atlans transport. The diplomats could stare in awe at the incredible machines that were escorting them.

“Look! They have no propellers!” Akar exclaimed.

“Those wings are swept back! Is that how they’re able to break the sound barrier?” Lenns wondered.

The Star Hawk Mark III resembled the Me262 from the Second World War, but had twin plasma engines mounted on the rear underside of the fuselage, rather than the wings. The wings themselves held two, slender pods, each housing twin particle beam cannons, internal missile launches, and extra boosters. Near each wing root, was a pair of kinetic-accelerator guns, loaded with 800 rounds of ammunition per gun for a total of 3,200. Each fighter was equipped with a Class 2 deflector shield and a Class A hyperspace drive for faster-than-light travel in space.

As the other envoys excitedly spoke with one another, Lenns could only gaze upon the fighters with deep longing and burning desire to know how they functioned. He wanted to take one apart and examine every component. He imagined himself in the cockpit and pushing that craft to its absolute limit.

Flying on the right side of the Altans transport plane, Lieutenant Steve Ridker looked upon the Atlans transport plane with some curiosity. He thought the craft to be rather primitive and slow. In order to maintain the relatively slow airspeed, he had to engage the anti-gravity compensators of his fighter. Steve and his wingman, Lieutenant Kojiro Tanakato, were veterans of the Star Alliance/Cryterian War and were ace pilots. Steve had shot down 22 enemy fighters while Kojiro had downed 19. The two had been close friends for a long time and both had married Kyteeri women during the war. In fact, their spouses were members of the 251^st heavy fighter wing and were due to be stationed at New Pearl Harbor.

As they neared the coastline to the Alder continent, he signaled to his wingman, and then sent a message to the pilot of the envoy’s plane to follow them to the base landing and takeoff strip. When they flew over New Pearl Harbor, they began to see towering buildings and very advanced port facilities. Lieutenant Hoddar excitedly pointed at a certain vessel that was docked in its usual space.

“There it is! It’s the Missouri!”

All the passengers aboard the Valliant were again in a state of awe as they gazed upon the space battleship. Lenns was completely awestruck at the ship’s size and presence. The biggest and most powerful warships in the Atlans navies couldn’t compare! Even though he was keenly interested in the technology of the fighters, he was even more intrigued by the ship that defeated a Sath fleet on its own. He estimated the main guns to be at least 15-inch or even 16-inch. The Missouri had nine guns, housed in three, triple-mount turrets. According to the report, it had not fired them during its confrontation with the Green Dragon Fleet. Judging by their size and probable firepower, the Atlans officer guessed that using those guns would have been massive overkill against the wooden ships-of-the-line of the Empire. The ship’s captain had showed great restraint and used the secondary guns and anti-aircraft weapons to deal with the enemy. And those by themselves already proved to have incredible accuracy, range and power. Lenns would have loved to be on board that ship and watch those main guns go off.

As they passed by New Pearl Harbor, everyone saw a massive, flat expanse that served as a runway for all types of air and spacecraft. Technically, the Star Hawk fighters didn’t need runways as they were capable of vertical takeoff and landings. However, for their guests, the pilots demonstrated the benefit of the gravitational, vector-assisted landing system. Lieutenant Ridker went first, followed by Lieutenant Tanakato. As they approached the runway, beams of light shot out from projectors on the sides and took control of the two fighters. They automatically corrected the starfighters’ approach angle and speed, allowing for both craft to perfectly land with no issues. Although they were required to keep their hands on their controls, technically speaking, the pilots could have just relaxed in their seats and let the system land their fighters for them.

Then it was the envoy plane’s turn as the vector-beams focused on it as it came in for a landing. To the pilot and co-pilot’s surprise, some unseen force began to guide the plane on its final approach. It did not take complete control, (though it actually could do that in emergencies), but rather gave each control a bit of a nudge in the right direction for the pilot to mimic. Normally the Atlans’ pilot focused all of this concentration during landing, but the vector-assist took much of that strain away. As a result, the Valliant made the most perfect landing of its career.

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July 21^st, 11 AE…

Capital City Polaris, Council of Prime Directors Conference Chamber…

“I must admit, the Empire of Sath doesn’t waste much time, does it?” Nerto commented as he and his fellow Prime Directors watched a satellite’s footage of two large fleets making their way across the ocean. He judged by their current speed that they would reach the Alder Continent in about eight days.

“Yes, I can imagine their emperor and their government to be quite upset after our response to their ultimatum for us to become their vassal state.” Anida mused.

“I suppose there’s no doubt about our refusal, by saying ‘up yours’ to their supreme ruler.” Ben stated. “So the big question is, what do we do about this? They’re clearly coming with the intent on invading and annexing our nation by force. Any suggestions?”

“Is orbital bombardment out of the question?” Nasaak asked. “I could easily order one or two of our cruisers up in orbit to send down a barrage of pulsar blasts and ion torpedoes.”

“Definitely out of the question.” Viska shook her head.

“Why not? It wouldn’t take much to swat those bothersome fleas.”

“There are a couple of reasons why we can’t do that.” Benjamin pointed out. “First of all, orbital bombardments tend to cause a lot of collateral damage to a planet’s surface. This is our home now. I would prefer that we don’t go wrecking it on that scale of destruction.”

“Point taken.” Nasaak admitted.

“Second, it wouldn’t be good for us to reveal to this world, that we are capable of that kind of mass destruction. We’ve just started making some diplomatic relations with other nations. It would make our neighbors extremely nervous toward us if they were to find out. I don’t want us to tip our hand.”

“So we’re going to have to deal with the Sath down here?” Anida inquired.

“Not entirely.” The Terran Prime Director said. “As I recall, the space carrier Yorktown is in geosynchronous orbit above the sector where the so-called Red Dragon Fleet will be, correct?”

“Indeed.” Nasaak confirmed. “So are we planning an airstrike on that fleet?”

“The Yorktown and its defense group have already finished with the modifications and upgrades. They’re fully trans-atmospheric and capable of operating on or off the planet. We estimate that the Red Dragon Fleet will be right about here by noon tomorrow.” Ben indicated with a pointer on a map of the ocean between the Alder and Merdov continents.

“So if we order the Yorktown and its defense group to make planet-fall and set up their position here…” The Catian Prime Director said, as he indicated with his own pointer, on an area some 300 miles west of the Red Dragon’s future position.

“We be able to do what you Earthlings terms as… bushwhack the enemy?” Nerto asked.

“Sounds like a solid strategy.” Anida nodded in agreement. “I imagine that the 251^st heavy fighter wing will be assigned this mission.”

“That’s an all-Kyteeri wing, isn’t it?” Viska asked.

“That’s right. They know how to take down capital ships. They played a pivotal role during our war with the Cryterians. This armada of antiquated warships will be no challenge to them.”

“The Yorktown also has several Star Hawk squadrons as escorts for the 251^st. Although I imagine they won’t have much trouble against wyverns and can easily destroy whatever ships the heavy fighters don’t sink.”Nerto stated. “So that takes care of the Red Dragon Fleet. What about the other one?”

“The two fleets have split off and intend to attack Free Land in a two-prong assault.” Ben stated as the holographic map showed more detail. “The Red Dragon Fleet is coming in from the East while the Black Dragon Fleet will attack from the West.”

“I have no doubt that the Yorktown and its defense group can handle the Red Dragon Fleet.” Nasaak stated with confidence. “So who are we sending to destroy the Black Dragon Fleet?”

“We’ll send in a small flotilla of 10 destroyers, with the Missouri leading the way.” The Terran Prime Director said.

“A flotilla? Isn’t that a bit much? The Missouri by itself would be more than a match for that fleet. Captain Delan defeated 31 ships all on his own.”

“This time he’ll be facing over 600 ships. I’d rather not have a single one of them slip by and be given the chance to attack Free Land.”

“Again, point taken.”

Benjamin nodded as he turned on the communicator on his control panel.

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Andromeda City, near New Pearl Harbor…

At his home, Mark Delan was playing catch in the backyard with his five-year-old daughter Rachel. In the kitchen, Reelan was busy preparing dinner. It had been over two weeks since the disastrous diplomatic mission to the Kingdom of Vereles. Since then, both the Captain and First Officer of the Missouri have put that incident behind them. Unfortunately for them, they would again find themselves at odds with the Empire of Sath.

The main holo-phone began to ring, indicating an important call was coming in. Not wanting to bother his wife, who was busy at the moment, Mark stopped playing with his daughter and went inside to answer it. As soon as he saw his superior, Admiral Wendal Margoline, he stood up straight and saluted him.

“Admiral Margoline! Captain Mark Delan of the space battleship Missouri, reporting for duty!”

As soon as she heard the name of the admiral, Mark’s spouse stopped what she was doing and joined his side, saluting the image as well.

“Commander Reelan of the space battleship Missouri, reporting for duty!”

“At ease. “ The admiral said, allowing the two to relax. “It’s good to see you two again. Unfortunately, this is not a social call. We have just received word that two large fleets are heading toward Free Land. Their combined number is a total of 1,250 ships. They are from the Empire of Sath. It is very likely their intentions will be hostile. You are hereby ordered to make preparations to get the Missouri underway at 0630 hours tomorrow.”

“Yes sir!” Mark and Reelan said simultaneously.

“Once you have left port, you are to lead a small flotilla of destroyers and intercept the fleet that is heading toward our southwestern coastline. Your mission is to intercept that fleet. You have full permission to engage and destroy them. Is that understood?”

“Yes sir!”

“The carrier Yorktown and its defense group will deal with the fleet that’s heading towards our southeastern coastline.”

“The Yorktown?” Mark inquired. “Does this mean that the modifications and upgrades have been completed?”

“You are correct. Once the operation is over, the Yorktown will be joining the Missouri at New Pearl Harbor, along with the 251^st heavy fighter wing.”

Reelan nodded silently. She had quite a few friends in the 251^st.

“Report to the Missouri at 0500 hours. That is all.”

After the holo-phone turned off, both captain and first officer went outside to bring their daughter into the house and have dinner. In the morning, they would leave their offspring in the care of their live-in maid, who happened to be an elderly, female Velor named Kisar. She was a good friend of Rachel’s parents.

In the morning, the two officers quickly woke up, changed into their uniforms and headed off to New Pearl Harbor.

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July 22^nd, 11 AE…

New Pearl Harbor

“Captain and First Officer on the bridge.” Lieutenant Commander Harken announced, as Mark and Reelan entered and saluted the crew. However, before they could take their seats, the third-in-command addressed them. “Captain… Commander… there are two important guests who are waiting for you in the Strategic Conference Chamber.”

“Guests?” Captain Delan asked.

“A diplomatic envoy from Atlans had arrived yesterday and they had requested to observe the upcoming operation. The Council decided to grant that request.”

“Atlans?”

“Yes. During our mission to Grevel, the Council had also sent diplomatic envoys to other countries, including one to the Nation of Atlans. The diplomats had a much better experience than we did and were able to establish initial relations with that country. They in turn sent an envoy to Free Land. They arrived yesterday and had requested to see the Missouri in action.”

“I see. All right, I will go meet with them. Commander, you have the bridge.”

“Aye sir.” Reelan nodded as she sat down in her chair.

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The Missouri Strategic Conference Room…

“I can’t believe we are aboard the Missouri!” Lieutenant Lenns Hodder exclaimed excitedly as he and Akar sat at the table. Ever since the envoy group had arrived, he had been awestruck by the sheer amount of technological marvels Free Land had in its possession. Everything from simple home conveniences to military might! Truly this nation was a scientist’s and engineer’s paradise! And now he was aboard Free Land’s battleship and was about to see it in action!

At that moment, the door to the conference room opened up and Captain Delan walked in. Both Hodder and Jans stood up and saluted him, in which Mark returned the salute before shaking hands with them.

“Greetings! I’m Captain Mark Delan of the space battleship Missouri. I am pleased to meet with the ambassadors of Atlans.”

“I am Lieutnant Lenns Hodder and this is my subordinate, Sergeant Akar Jans.  I must tell you, that I am very excited to see the Missouri in action! To think that this ship defeated 31 Empire vessels all by itself, is amazing! What is the range of those main guns? What kind of ammunition do you use? How can you hit targets at such far distances and with such accuracy? What kind of engine drives this ship? What…”

Jans held up a hand to cut Hodder off and gave the captain an apologetic expression. “Please forgive my superior’s behavior. He’s just becomes very… enthusiastic whenever he encounters new technology. Though I can’t really blame him since what we seen so far of Free Land have been incredible to say the least.”

Mark nodded. “I can understand. Now then, if you would please follow me, I will lead you to the main observation deck where you can watch the engagement in comfort.” He walked out of the room, followed by the two Atlans officers.

“I would prefer if we could observe the battle from the bridge, if it were allowed.” Lenns commented.

“I’m afraid that is not possible, since only authorized crew members are allowed onto the bridge. There’s a lot of sensitive data and technology that we need to keep confidential. However, I’ll have one of my officers join you on the main observation deck and he’ll be able to answer your questions, within reason of course.”

He pointed to a nearby hyper-lift station and led them into the futuristic elevator. The doors closed behind them as Mark announced their destination to the computer.

“Main observation deck.”

With a slight hum the hyper-lift began moving. Both Lenns and Akar were surprised at how smoothly it ran. And it didn’t have that sudden lurch that the elevators in Atlans had, whenever they started or stopped. In less than 5 seconds, the hyper-lift stopped and opened its doors, allowing them to disembark. The observation deck had a huge viewscreen as well as several large windows for actual viewing outside the ship.

“Don’t these large windows present a weak point?” Lenns asked. “I shudder to think what would happen if an enemy shell were to crash through that glass, regardless of how thick it is.”

“That’s not glass. You’re looking at transparent, crystallized quintanium alloy.”

“What?” Both visitors exclaimed.

“In the simplest of terms, it’s a metal alloy that you can see through, like glass, but has the same tensile strength as the armored hull of this ship. Even without the deflector barrier, that window can easily withstand 155mm shells crashing into it without a scratch.”

“Amazing.” Lenns remarked as he walked up toward the window and put his hand on it. He tapped it, and could hear a very faint, metallic sound. It wasn’t glass and yet he could clearly see the outside.

“Well, I have to get back to the bridge, so if you two will please wait here, I’ll have Ensign Nehat join you in a few minutes. We’ll be taking off soon.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Both men said as he left the observation deck. They decided to sit down and discuss matters.

A few minutes later, the hyper-lift doors opened up to reveal a Velor officer with light-blue scales. He gave the two a sharp salute, which they stood up and returned. Since they had already met with a member of the lizard race before, they weren’t surprised by the ensign’s appearance.

“Ensign Nehat at your service. The Captain assigned me to explain any questions you may have of the coming engagement. At this point, we are about to lift-off.”

“Don’t you mean get underway?” Sergeant Jans asked.

“We’ve already cleared New Pearl Harbor.” Nehat stated simply.

 Both officers immediately rushed back to one of the observation windows and gasped. The ship had already left port and was now in open waters. When did that happen? They hadn’t felt any vibrations or any kind of movement from the ship. What kind of technology was capable of this?

Lenns turned back to the ensign, who was taking a seat. “When you said lift-off, does that mean this ship…?”

“Is about to take to the air? Yes. I meant that.” Nehat replied simply. “Even at top speed across the water, it would take too long for us to reach the interception point. The destroyer flotilla that will be joining the attack will be waiting for us at the designated coordinates.”

“This ship… can fly?!” Hodder exclaimed in disbelief.

As if in answer to his question, the PA system made the following announcement.

“Attention all hands! Attention all hands! We will now be entering flight mode! Repeat, we will now be entering flight mode!”

Both Lenns and Akar were glued to the observation window as the ship began to rise out of the water. Its g-force nullifier system engaged, freeing it from the planet’s hold over it. The Missouri began to gain altitude and speed at a rapid pace as the jaws of the officers from Atlans dropped even lower. Finally, at an astounding altitude of over 10 km above the ocean’s surface, the ship engaged the massive ion thrusters in the rear and started cruising at an astounding speed of 350 knots. Though it was capable of far greater speeds, its current velocity would ensure that it would reach the rendezvous point with the destroyer flotilla with plenty of time to spare.

“Impossible…!” Akar gasped.

“Unbelievable…!” Lenns stated.

To be continued…