A display shimmered just behind her with reports detailing the bombardment’s progress and the advance of their ground forces. Yet Speaker Drin didn’t stir from the thick pillow she knelt on, eyes closed as she meditated in her quarters in front of her Temporal shrine.
So much death and destruction; so much violence. She almost couldn’t block out thoughts of it all.
Yet the Seers had seen no other way. Either they went back in time to when the enemy was vulnerable and destroy them then. Or they would face the Aggregate’s complete and utter destruction at the enemy’s hands. It had been a terrible decision, but one that had to be made.
It was as Drin finished her most recent series of contemplative mantras that she felt it: a subtle shifting in the bio-energies representing the crew aboard the Hammer. It was an ability only Speakers possessed. She often sensed the crew as they moved about the ship.
Yet this shifting didn’t feel right. Frowning, she extended her senses, trying to determine what was wrong with the energy that she was feeling. And almost immediately her eyes flew open in alarm and shock.
“Blessed Seers!” She hoarsely whispered, her voice tinged with fear.
“They’re aboard the ship!”
Then all else was swept aside as an invisible hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from crying out, before burning white heat was cutting deep into her throat to spray her shrine with her dark purple life’s blood.
Barkada frowned as she watched the primary display, scrolling data running down its right side as it showed the next quantum cannon over, which had taken some damage from ordnance launched by the surviving orbital platforms.
“Can they maintain fire, Tactical?” She rasped without taking her eyes off the screen.
“The Dawn's Arrival will have power restored in ten minutes, the Faith's Lasting Fire in half that, admiral.” The officer at Tactical reported.
“The other cannons have stepped up firing rates to compensate, with full coverage in less than 30 minutes, even without cannon two.”
“The shield squadrons are down to 50% strength.” The captain added from where she stood close to Communications.
“But in compensation the rate of fire from the lunar emplacements has been steadily dropping.” A quick scan of the displays in front of her then:
“But we might have a new problem, sir. New signals mark the defense fleet's arrival: two, perhaps three squadrons of sub-light destroyers.” She looked back up at the admiral.
“They're formation to attack the vanguard and the shield squadrons simultaneously.”
Barkada’s frown deepened as she digested this new information.
“Keep them off us, captain.” She curtly instructed, taking her eyes from the main display to direct her gaze to her subordinate.
“We need full coverage before the cannons can be disassembled and the fleet returned to mobility.”
“Yes sir.” The captain replied before turning to Tactical. “Reroute secondary power to close defense batteries and shield reinforcement and prepare to repel incursion.”
Barkada nodded in satisfaction as the secondary displays lit up with weapon fire from batteries running along the Hammer’s spine, targeting the approaching destroyers. A heart beat later the other cruisers joined them, filling space above, below and in front of the formation with purple slashes of killing energy. It didn’t take long before several of the wedge-shaped destroyers were disabled, or obliterated entirely.
YOU ARE READING
Tempus Fugit
Science Fiction'If What Was can be undone, then What Will Be will Never Be.' So speak the Temporal Seers, after witnessing the destruction of their world in a vision of the future. Using this as their guide, the Aggregate's Silver Council sends Admiral Vit Barka...
