plasma factor you want to travel at.”
“So we are jumping to plasma factor 5?”
“Yes.”
A single bright beam of incandescent blue energy shot forth from underneath the captured Krenaran stealth ship and formed the swirling multi hewed plasma wake; it blotted out some of the stars directly ahead. The Liberty leapt into plasma drive and was gone, the wake dissipating behind it.
“Can you believe this?” Michael said in amazement, “our ships are only capable of Plasma factor 3 tops. It’s no wonder the Krenarans are running rings round us!”
“Those Krenaran ships are still following us,” Vargev pointed out.
Kerulithar switched the viewer to the rear view, the Krenaran ships were indeed visible, and had joined the same plasma drive tunnel as theirs.
“Well they are definitely following us now,” Vargev pointed out.
“They must have matched our course; probably wondering why we are headed towards Solarian space,” Kerulithar said. “If they get close enough they’ll open fire, try to knock us out of plasma drive, where they can re- capture us. Increase speed to plasma factor 6.”
Michael quickly jabbed the purple button again, “what is this ships maximum speed anyway?” He asked, turning to Kerulithar.
The low pitched thrum grew louder; and the deck plates began to vibrate.
“We are at it,” Kerulithar replied. “They can still overcharge their engines to close with us but it’s risky. They could end up damaging their own plasma drive systems, and then be hurled out of plasma drive altogether.”
The Liberty raced through the plasma drive tunnel like a lightning bolt; stars were merely long streaks of light flashing past the ship; in front of which the colours of the plasma tunnel were transposed, swirling, and melding, before separating and clashing once again. The two other identical Krenaran ships shot through the tunnel in hot pursuit; not far behind their quarry.
“Wait a minute, look!” Vargev pointed to one of the chasing Krenaran ships.
There was a surge of energy building up from underneath the vessel; the surge continued its uncontrolled increase in size. The energy had nowhere else to go, and instead burst out of the ships exterior causing a small ripple of explosions which smashed through its plasma drive, lighting up the underside of the ship in a series of bright flashes.
The entire ship was flung almost ninety degrees; before being hurled out of plasma drive altogether in a blinding flash of light. The stricken vessel disappeared from view; the second ship maintained its dogged pursuit however.
“I think the other ship is beginning to close with us,” Vargev pointed out.
Kerulithar tiptoed past the dead Krenarans that were laid all around the floor to see for himself, “it is,” the alien agreed. “At a rate of four thousand meters per second; it will be in weapons range in thirty seconds.
On the holoviewer, the Krenaran ship could be seen slowly but steadily closing on them. Bit by bit that ship was approaching weapons range.
Michael began to sweat as he looked at the viewer; his heart rate began to increase, and his lips pursed. He had seen in the news reports what these ships were capable of, but never had to face one of them, until now. There were trained Krenaran warriors over on that ship; who knew about the technology they were dealing with and knew how to use it. He had a rag tag crew; from god knows how many different planets and most of them didn’t have a clue about Krenaran technology. “It looks like we are going to have to fight our way out of this one,” he said with a hint of dread in his voice.
“We’ll need to drop out of plasma drive; press the black button right next to the purple one,” Kerulithar said.
“It’s like a goddamn kaleidoscope on this console; I don’t know what the hell I’m pressing.”
A plasma gateway opened up into normal space and the Liberty shot through it at full speed. Almost immediately after the ship re-entered normal space a second gateway opened up with a bright flash; heralding the arrival of their pursuers.
Kerulithar quickly rushed over, and punched in several buttons on Vargevs console.
“What did you just do comrade?”
“I’ve charged your torpedo launcher; this ship fires torpedoes based on particle concussion instead of your conventional explosive warheads. It is also armed with a front mounted particle cannon, I’ve diverted emergency power to the reactive hull armour also.” Kerulithar turned towards Michael again. “The Particle cannon is fired by the top button on your right grip; and the torpedo launcher from the top button on your left grip.”
“He’s coming in from behind; Jesus Christ he’s coming in for a pass!” Vargev shouted.
Suddenly an angry voice came over the speakers, “Galasht Vakra solarii gulesht can cadrat.”
“He wants to know why we are heading for Solarian space,” Kerulithar translated.
“Cordrun nu almasht gadrin ca,” the angry voice said. “He wants us to power down our weapons.”
“Hey, do you think he’s pissed comrade,” Vargev said to Michael with a slight chuckle.
“No shit Sherlock; we just stole his best friend’s wheels,” Michael replied laughing. “Tell him we are on an urgent mission from the Krenaran government, or something; just to throw him off our tail.”
“Sofrak Aluminish allvash congosht Krenarii gavrant,” Kerulithar spoke aloud into a nearby communications console.
A few tense seconds passed as the Krenaran crew mulled this over before giving a response, which finally came, “Falosht na gru.”
“He says you’re lying.”
“Korgasht av ku Krenarii sanas a Solaria belasht ku!” the increasingly irate voice said.
“He says there hasn’t been a Krenaran mission to Solarian territory for a hundred years.”
“I don’t know what he’s doing, but he’s doing something. He’s definitely doing something; I’ve got symbols flashing all over my screen,” Vargev said with a definite hint of urgency.
A massive beam of bright green energy shot past the Liberty bathing the ship in a bright emerald light, and carried on through space ahead of the captured ship.
“We’ve got incoming!” Vargev shouted as the shot rifled past the ship.
“ Jesus Christ!” Michael gasped aloud throwing his left arm down; the ship lurched to starboard, nearly throwing Kerulithar off his feet.
The enemy Krenaran ship was fast on their tail. A second beam of bright green light shot past the Liberty barely missing the underside of the vessel.
Michael weaved the ship from port to starboard and back again in a zigzag pattern, desperately attempting to throw off their pursuers.
Twice more the deadly green energy beam flashed out from the enemy vessel; Michael barely managed to dodge the first blast, throwing the ship into a fast barrel roll. The second just clipped the top of the Liberty. The entire ship shuddered violently under the force of the impact.
Vargev was almost thrown clean off his seat; muttering a Russian curse under his breath as he steadied himself.
Kerulithar raced over to the engineering systems console and performed a full diagnostic of the ship, “I’m not detecting any serious damage; but the hull plating has been weakened in that area.”
Michael desperately flung his arms up and down in the pilots’ chair. Giving everything to try and evade the enemy ship; and for a few minutes at least the two ships dodged and weaved each other, both flying at incredible speeds; and looking for all the world like angry wasps trying to sting one another.
He was sweating profusely as he strained at the controls, “come on you bucket of scrap!” He shouted as he sent the ship into an incredibly steep dive; the Liberty shuddered and threatened to break apart, conduits exploded as inertia began to take its effect.
Michael prayed for the ship to hold together, for now the Liberty complied. Then he followed up the dive by sending the ship into an equally steep climb; the scream of tortured, twisting metal rang out, as the hull of the ship was tested beyond breaking point.
The pursuing Krenaran ship was puzzled by this new maneuver and was slow to react; the Liberty quickly disappeared from view. The enemy stealth ship banked from port to starboard, pitching up and down, in a desperate bid to relocate its lost prey.
