{"id":184,"date":"2015-07-03T12:32:07","date_gmt":"2015-07-03T12:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=184"},"modified":"2015-07-03T12:34:34","modified_gmt":"2015-07-03T12:34:34","slug":"the-cimalian-princess-invasion-ch-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=184","title":{"rendered":"The Cimalian Princess: Invasion – Ch 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Invasion<\/span><\/h2>\n

by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 3<\/p>\n

Randy felt the shuttle land on the platform of the base headquarters. Quickly exiting the shuttle he looked around noticing a young lieutenant nearby. Walking over to the man Randy waited to see what would happen next.
\n\u201cCaptain White, I\u2019m Lieutenant Chad Opal. I\u2019m sorry to say that the admiral is currently busy,\u201d Chad told Randy.
\n\u201cLieutenant, not to be rude but do you know where the admiral is? I\u2019ve got some very important news for him,\u201d Randy told him. He had no idea what would\u2019ve taken his father away from his unexpected visit.
\n\u201cWith all due respect captain, the admiral is with several people of the government,\u201d Chad told him. \u201cThe last time they were here they cut wages and several bases. I just hope the same thing doesn\u2019t happen this time.\u201d
\nRandy stopped at what he had heard. The government had decided it was time again to cut spending. \u201cThen they\u2019ve got the worst timing ever.\u201d\u201cWhat do you mean,\u201d Chad asked.
\nRandy glanced at Chad who had stopped with him. \u201cWe lost the Griffen.\u201d Randy noticed the look of disbelief in the young man\u2019s eyes that almost mirrored his own.
\n\u201cThe Griffen is gone?\u201d
\n\u201cYes, Captain Val was able to barely communicate with us before we lost contact. He sent all the information he could. If this is a group of pirates then we\u2019re in trouble,\u201d Randy said. \u201cTheir weapons are more powerful and stronger shields than we have.\u201d
\nChad let out a low whistle at that. \u201cI think I know where the admiral might be then.\u201d
\nRandy followed Chad inside the building. He felt a nervousness throughout the building. It seemed that people were afraid for their jobs. Everyone appeared to be busy even if they had nothing to do. He could see a bit of relief when people noticed that he wasn\u2019t one of the senators. Randy could only hope that his father would listen, especially if he was with the senators.
\nThey turned the corner spotting his father and the senators. Randy saw Greg Pappas and knew that he might have at least one supporter in the group. The other two he recognized as Senators Agnes and Barnes. Agnes had the reputation of sticking with his decision no matter what happened. He had a feeling that it didn\u2019t matter what his father did the senator had already made up his mind.
\n\u201cAdmiral White,\u201d Chad said walking up to the Jack.
\n\u201cCan\u2019t you tell we\u2019re busy,\u201d Senator Agnes said berating the lieutenant. \u201cAdmiral this interruption is outrageous!\u201d
\n\u201cHold on a second, let the young man speak,\u201d Greg said defending the young man.
\n\u201cYou would say that warmonger,\u201d Agnes said. \u201cWe waste all these resources and for what, nothing. We could put the money to better use somewhere else.\u201d
\nRandy clenched his fists in anger but remained silent. He needed to see how his father would handle this situation.
\n\u201cChad, Randy, I\u2019ll deal with the situation after I\u2019ve finished with the senators,\u201d the admiral told them.
\n\u201cAdmiral, I think you should listen to this,\u201d Randy said holding a data pad up.
\n\u201cRandy, will you please excuse me for a second,\u201d Jack said to the senators then walked over to where Randy stood waiting.
\n\u201cSure, it\u2019s probably about Corrius. They might need something. The quicker it\u2019s fixed the better for the government,\u201d Greg said.
\n\u201cProblems because of a solar flare, I doubt it,\u201d Agnes snorted.
\nRandy focused on his father who stood in front of him.
\n\u201cRandy, we\u2019ll have to discuss your report later. Now no buts, this is an order,\u201d he said to him leaning closer adding the next part in a whisper. \u201cI\u2019m trying not to get us shut down for good.\u201d
\n\u201cDad\u2026\u201d
\n\u201cNo, this is final. I\u2019ll see the report when I\u2019m done,\u201d Jack said.
\nRandy watched with disappointment as his father walked back over to the senators. Greg met his eyes in silent understanding then left the room.
\n\u201cWell, that could\u2019ve gone better,\u201d Randy said. He took a breath thinking about what he could do next. \u201cWhere is Admiral Dredge?\u201d
\n\u201cShe\u2019s on board the Hood at Corestar,\u201d Chad replied.
\n\u201cThen I\u2019ll tell her,\u201d Randy said. Admiral Dredge happened to be the second in command of the fleet. She would at least have some input of what to do next.<\/p>\n

\n

Three workers quickly ran the small operating relay station on the planet of Dredius. The planet had mostly mining towns as the planet had been found rich in metals easy to mine. Most mines were located right on the surface of the planet.
\n\u201cHey, Rich, you see that latest movie vid by Heather Moarris,\u201d one of the guys said.
\n\u201cAre you kidding, man she could come over to my place any day,\u201d Rich replied.
\n\u201cTypical guys, only thinking about her tits,\u201d the woman said to them.
\n\u201cBeats watching channel one,\u201d Rich said. He reached over switching one of the monitors to the channel in question. A clear picture of the largest moon appeared on the screen.
\n\u201cI can\u2019t believe that people pay money to keep that channel on the air,\u201d the woman said.
\n\u201cHey, put a little T and A on it and viewership would increase,\u201d Rich said.
\n\u201cOne viewer would double the people watching,\u201d the other man said with a laugh.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s the truth,\u201d Rich said. \u201cHold on a second, what\u2019s that?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s what?\u201d
\n\u201cThat,\u201d Rich said. He pointed to a spot on the screen where it appears several ships were heading in from behind the moon. \u201cLooks military?\u201d
\n\u201cMilitary, here, you\u2019re imagining things. I told you that your stint in the military warped your brain\u201d the other man said.
\n\u201cNo,\u201d Rich said noticing something very strange. \u201cThose smaller vessels, they\u2019re fighters. Do we still have communications with other worlds?\u201d
\n\u201cHuh,\u201d the woman said confused.
\nRich turned quickly punching several commands into the console in front of him. \u201cDamn, jammed, but, hold on, yeah, we can do that, just boost the power, yeah,\u201d he said quickly working.
\nThe other two watched not sure what he was thinking. They turned back to the monitor. One of the smaller ships headed straight towards the satellite that housed the camera for channel one. A flash of light then a screen filled with static.
\n\u201cWhat the Hades was that?\u201d the woman asked.
\n\u201cProbably weapon\u2019s fire,\u201d Rich said not looking up. \u201cThere, I think we can send this to Corestar, at least I hope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Meia looked over her fighter on the hanger deck. She could be on patrol within a few minutes. Normally the leader didn\u2019t take turns in the patrol but she had felt restless. Hecus had done a great job maintaining her fighter. Everything seemed to be working in top order.
\n\u201cAh, Meia, does everything look good,\u201d Hecus asked walking up behind her.
\n\u201cIt does, thank you Hecus,\u201d Meia replied.
\n\u201cYou\u2019re the only pilot I know who comes down here and spends time with us low lives,\u201d Hecus said.
\n\u201cMaybe I\u2019m not that far removed from you as you think,\u201d Meia said to him. She ran her hand over the cool metal of the fighter.
\n\u201cI doubt that. You\u2019re an elite pilot, we\u2019re just Gamma class citizens down here, along with a few Epsilon citizens,\u201d Hecus said.
\nMeia didn\u2019t reply. She wondered if he knew what her class really was. She was one of those low lives Epsilon class citizens. If it hadn\u2019t been for her piloting skills she\u2019d have been in the same place Hecus was.
\n\u201cRumor is we\u2019re going to be here for a few more hours,\u201d Hecus said. \u201cThen another planet to \u2018liberate\u2019. I wonder who the real tyrant is. There are stories, old stories that tell another story about the Alliance.\u201d
\n\u201cHecus, they\u2019ve killed how many people,\u201d Meia said. \u201cIncluding my mother.\u201d
\n\u201cI know, but I guess it doesn\u2019t matter in the long run,\u201d he said to her. \u201cWell, here you go.\u201d
\nMeia grabbed the fighter interface and adjusted the fit. Then she climbed aboard her fighter waiting for the permission to launch.
\nSeconds later she felt the clamps swing her fighter into position then release. The fighter engines came to life as she moved away from the Kitakim.
\nHecus\u2019 words seemed to echo in her mind though. She\u2019d heard the stories as well, from others of her class. The stories said that the Alliance had no classes and in fact it had been the Cimalian Empire who had started the war so long ago.
\nTurning her fighter she began her patrol.<\/p>\n

\n

Randy didn\u2019t have to wait long until Admiral Dredge answered. Her short gray hair seemed to be the only indication of her age. Her blue eyes didn\u2019t miss a thing that went on. Even now Randy could see her mind working to figure out why he\u2019d called.
\n\u201cCaptain White, what\u2019s the problem,\u201d she asked.
\n\u201cMa\u2019am, I think there\u2019s a larger problem at Corrius than wee first though,\u201d Randy replied. \u201cI don\u2019t know if you were aware that we were sent on a possible solar flare?\u201d
\n\u201cYes, I read that,\u201d she said. \u201cSomething happened?\u201d
\n\u201cYes ma\u2019am. When we approached the planet I noticed a large number of unknown ships. Then we were attacked,\u201d Randy told her. He watched for any reaction from her. \u201cI retreated to Hesslius for a moment. Contacting Fleet Command I told them what had happened. The Griffen then was sent out to investigate further. It too was attacked but I fear that we\u2019ve lost them.\u201d
\n\u201cWhat does Admiral White say about this,\u201d she asked him.
\n\u201cRight now we\u2019ve got three senators from the council here talking about shutting some things down,\u201d Randy told her. He stopped from saying anything else when a nearby monitor turned on. \u201cInteresting,\u201d he mumbled watching the screen. He then noticed the type of ships on the screen. The ships were identical to the ones that had attacked the Akagi at Corrius.
\n\u201cThis is Rich Nelson from vid station SBV on Dredius, we\u2019re under attack from an unknown group. The image is from a camera that had been sending video of the largest moon,\u201d the image blurred a bit. \u201cI\u2019m now hearing explosions nearby. It sounds\u2026\u201d
\nThe transmission ended abruptly leaving Randy a bit stunned. He turned to Chad.
\n\u201cWe got that taped right,\u201d he asked. \u201cOf course, but there was one thing strange about it, it came in on a military channel.\u201d
\nRandy paused upon hearing that. He then realized that Admiral Dredge was still patiently waiting to see what had happened.
\n\u201cIs everything all right,\u201d she asked.
\n\u201cWe just received a strange message from Dredius. I have the feeling that they have now been attacked as well,\u201d Randy told her. \u201cThe video is being sent now.\u201d
\nHe waited a few moments while the file was sent then as she watched the video. After everything finished she looked up at him.
\n\u201cI remember Rich, bright communications kid,\u201d she said. \u201cHe left the military four years ago for a job with Telegalax. See if you can get in contact with Dredius.\u201d
\nRandy turned to Chad who quickly walked over to the communications area. Randy waited watching as the officers quickly worked to carry out the admiral\u2019s orders. A few moments later Chad shook his head no.
\n\u201cNo response admiral,\u201d Randy told her.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll inform the President of the situation. We might have a rogue group of pirates out there. It\u2019s been almost 150 years since the last war,\u201d she said to him. \u201cStay alert we don\u2019t know where they might strike next.\u201d
\n\u201cUnderstood admiral,\u201d Randy replied turning off the communicator. He then activated it again waiting until Kim answered.
\n\u201cCommander Basil, of captain, what\u2019s wrong,\u201d Kim said in a rush.
\n\u201cI need you to place the Akagi on yellow alert,\u201d he said to her.
\n\u201cAll right,\u201d she said slowly waiting for him to continue.
\n\u201cWe received another message this time from Dredius,\u201d he said not having to say anything else.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll do that, anything else,\u201d she asked.
\n\u201cHave John begin patrols at once. Also alert the nearby civilian stations in case they\u2019ve seen anything unusual. Also if attacked you may return fire if necessary,\u201d Randy told her.
\n\u201cUnderstood captain,\u201d Kim said as she signed off.
\n\u201cReturn fire, on what an asteroid with a bad attitude,\u201d the voice of Agnes said. \u201cI see I know what needs to be done now. Admiral any hope to save the military has ended.\u201d
\nRandy turned to see the three senators, one with a red face, and his father standing there. He decided to try explaining what had happened.
\n\u201cYes senator, we\u2019ve already lost one ship, the Griffen, and now the Dredius has been attacked as well,\u201d Randy said to him.
\n\u201cThe Griffen,\u201d his father said with a bit of shock in his voice.
\n\u201cYes, then we received this a few minutes ago,\u201d Randy said activating the screen.
\nRandy wondered if showing then this would even make a difference.<\/p>\n

\n

Jack watched the video in disbelief at what he saw. He still seemed to be trying to wrap his mind around the fact that they had lost the Griffen.
\n\u201cTrying to come up an excuse like this is quite pathetic,\u201d Agnes\u2019 voice said breaking Jack\u2019s concentration. He looked again at what had happened.
\n\u201cIs that what you think senator,\u201d Randy\u2019s voice said. Jack could see his son\u2019s face and the anger there.
\n\u201cYes, I know you military types. Willing to do anything to keep your precious money. Ha, just an elaborate hoax that is easily seen though,\u201d Agnes said.
\n\u201cSeventy-eight good men and women lost their lives senator. Does that sound like a joke to you,\u201d Randy said.
\n\u201cI highly doubt that captain. Admiral I\u2019ve seen enough. I know what I\u2019ll be recommending,\u201d Agnes said turning to leave the room.
\nJack watched the senator leave wonder just what had gone on.
\n\u201cGreat, what timing,\u201d Jack said out loud. \u201cRandy tell your crew to stand down. We don\u2019t need a panic going on.\u201d
\n\u201cAdmiral, this threat is real. What if we\u2019re attacked then what. We wait for them to destroy us before someone will understand what\u2019s going on,\u201d Randy replied.
\n\u201cJack, Randy\u2019s right on this one,\u201d Greg said. Jack glanced at Greg wondering what his friend was up to.
\n\u201cGreg, we\u2019re going to be shutdown if this continues. If my orders are constantly disobeyed then I\u2019ll be viewed as someone who can\u2019t be relied upon,\u201d Jack said.
\n\u201cAnd if this is another pirate attack then corporations will lose money and want us to defend them,\u201d Randy said. \u201cThose same corporations have deep pockets.\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019d like to know the truth,\u201d Barnes said speaking up for the first time. \u201cIf this is pirates, or worse, then we\u2019ll need the military and you\u2019ll have my support. If it isn\u2019t and I\u2019ve been lied to then I\u2019ll join Senator Agnes.\u201d
\nThey watched as Barnes left the room as well.
\n\u201cJack, something\u2019s going on, at least find out what,\u201d Greg said.
\n\u201cVery well, have the Dragon sent to Dradius to see what\u2019s going on,\u201d Jack said turning to look at Chad. The young man again left the room to carry out another order. \u201cAt this rate I might need another aid.\u201d
\nJack looked at Randy for a few seconds before making another decision.
\n\u201cRandy, I do want the Akagi to stand down until we hear from the Dragon,\u201d he told his son.
\n\u201cAll right,\u201d Randy said turning to leave.
\nJack didn\u2019t know what to believe. If this was another pirate war it would be the fifth such war. The pirate certainly had enough time to recover their forces from the last war. However pirates didn\u2019t make any sense to him. He could only hope that the Dragon could bring more information.
\nEnd Chapter 3
\nContinued in Chapter 4<\/a>
\nComment below or send to AJMarks01@aol.com<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Invasion by AJ Marks Chapter 3 Randy felt the shuttle land on the platform of the base headquarters. Quickly exiting the shuttle he looked around noticing a young lieutenant nearby. Walking over to the man Randy waited to see what would happen next. \u201cCaptain White, I\u2019m Lieutenant Chad Opal. I\u2019m sorry to […]
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