{"id":186,"date":"2015-07-03T12:33:59","date_gmt":"2015-07-03T12:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=186"},"modified":"2015-07-03T12:35:48","modified_gmt":"2015-07-03T12:35:48","slug":"the-cimalian-princess-invasion-ch-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ajscifistories.com\/?p=186","title":{"rendered":"The Cimalian Princess: Invasion – Ch 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

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

Chapter 4<\/p>\n

John walked down to his fighter. Pam, his longtime wingmate, walked beside him.
\n\u201cSo, combat patrol, right?\u201d she half-asked, half-said.
\n\u201cYeah, I\u2019m not exactly sure what\u2019s going on but there\u2019s definitely something happening,\u201d John replied.
\n\u201cWell,\u201d she said giving him a bump with her hip. \u201cWatch yourself otherwise I\u2019ll be mad at you.\u201d
\n\u201cI will,\u201d John answered.
\n\u201cI know how you fly,\u201d Pam replied.
\nHe glanced down into brown eyes looking back up at him.\u201cWhen we get back how about a nice dinner for two,\u201d he asked.
\n\u201cA romantic, gee, didn\u2019t think you had it in you,\u201d Pam replied.
\n\u201cWhat, no romantic streak. I\u2019ll show you,\u201d he said. He quickly picked her up.
\n\u201cWell flyboy, you\u2019ll have to catch me first,\u201d Pam said wiggling out of the embrace easily. \u201cHowever, business first, then we can have dessert.\u201d
\n\u201cYou drive a hard bargain girl,\u201d John said. \u201cBut Randy wouldn\u2019t enjoy us ignoring out jobs. So let\u2019s get this over with.\u201d
\nThey split up each going to their fighter. John quickly climbed into his fighter as Ben handed him his interface. Heading though the checklist he waited for clearance to launch. Seconds later his fighter had been released as he flew through space. Pam formed up on his wing.
\n\u201cReady,\u201d he asked her.
\n\u201cReady and willing,\u201d she replied.
\n\u201cAlways were,\u201d John said. He turned his fighter towards his patrol zone.<\/p>\n

Kim watched from the bridge as the crew went about the duties. The Akagi had gone to yellow alert causing everyone to scramble. Hans had notified the civilian stations about the possibility of strange activities. She\u2019d heard some grumbling by the stations captain but relented to the request. Now the patrol had launched sending John and Pam out looking as well.
\n\u201cCommander, incoming message from Captain White,\u201d Hans said.
\n\u201cI\u2019ll take it here,\u201d Kim said. It seemed too early for a progress report so she wondered what Randy would be wanting now.
\n\u201cCommander, we\u2019ve been ordered to stand down for now,\u201d Randy said. \u201cHigh Command wants time to investigate everything.\u201d
\n\u201cWhy am I not surprised,\u201d Kim said. \u201cWhat\u2019re your orders?\u201d
\n\u201cAt the moment, stand down,\u201d Randy replied. \u201cBut be ready for anything as well.\u201d
\n\u201cYes sir,\u201d Kim said. The conversation ended leaving her looking at the rest of the crew. The captain hadn\u2019t said anything about recalling the patrol, just to back off from the alert. \u201cAll right you heard the captain, stand down from yellow alert.\u201d
\n\u201cAnd the patrol,\u201d Yvette asked.
\n\u201cLeave them out there for now,\u201d Kim replied looking out the window. \u201cRelay the message that they\u2019re on training.\u201d
\n\u201cYes commander,\u201d Yvette said. She relayed the message to John.<\/p>\n

\n

John switched over his communicator listening to what Yvette told him. Their mission had changed to a training exercise. He really hadn\u2019t been that surprised after hearing that High Command had told them to stand down. He hoped nothing else would happen.
\n\u201cPam, change of plans,\u201d he said gaining her attention.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m now training you on patrolling,\u201d John said to her.
\n\u201cTraining, but you know that I know how to do that,\u201d she stated.
\n\u201cI know, but they don\u2019t,\u201d John said.
\n\u201cOh boy, all right, but you\u2019re going to owe me when this is over,\u201d she said to him. \u201d
\n\u201cWhen don\u2019t I owe you,\u201d John asked.
\n\u201cAnd you\u2019re so good at repaying debts,\u201d Pam said. \u201cI can\u2019t wait.\u201d
\n\u201cWell, let\u2019s work our way though this training then go from there,\u201d John said turning his fighter slightly to head closer to the Akagi.<\/p>\n

\n

Meia banked her fighter in a hard turn. She felt the g-forces pushing her back into her seat. Sure she didn\u2019t have to make the turn but she wanted the practice. She could still the rush of the first time she had ever flown for real.
\nShe had been in a training fighter with the instructor behind her, a red-haired man who watched everything she did. The instructor hadn\u2019t said much only pointing small mistakes that she had made resulting in punishments depending on the severity of the mistake. The instructor had rarely said if she\u2019d done anything right. That fueled her desire to be the best. She had to work twice as hard because of her class. If she\u2019d been a delta or beta her grades would have been even better, more praise, and she\u2019d probably be the leader of the First CF fleet.
\nThere had been one other blue in her class, and he now headed up the Second CF. She\u2019d been able to defeat the man in single combat on many occasions. Each time it seemed she\u2019d done something wrong, some part of her technique missing while he barely got scolded. Of course he\u2019d been an Alpha which she was sure had a large part of their assignments.
\nShe remembered upon graduation, there was one man standing in the back who seemed to stare at her. He\u2019d made her uncomfortable for some reason. She hadn\u2019t been able to see the man clearly but his outline seemed familiar as well.
\n\u201cMeia,\u201d the intercom said interrupting her thoughts. \u201cHead back to the Kitakim at once.\u201d
\n\u201cBy your will,\u201d she replied turning her fighter. She saw a couple of ships come out of hyperspace. The Fourth CF had arrived. Now they would be leaving for the next Alliance target.<\/p>\n

\n

The bridge crew of the Akagi had gone back to normal operations. Kim could still feel the tense atmosphere from of the last couple of orders. She knew that it\u2019d be her responsibility to make sure things ran smoothly. That thought terrified her.
\n\u201cCommander,\u201d Hans said. She looked over seeing his tense face. She gave a nod of her head waiting for him. \u201cThe civilian station is on the line saying they\u2019ve just picked up something strange on their scanners.\u201d
\nKim quickly switched over to the Akagi\u2019s scanners. The scanners confirmed something strange in sector K.
\n\u201cJohn, new mission,\u201d Kim said to John. \u201cWe have a faint contact in sector K. Head over and see what\u2019s going on.\u201d
\n\u201cSector K, on it,\u201d John replied.
\n\u201cMaintain scanner contact, I don\u2019t want any surprises,\u201d Kim told them.
\nThe crew waited to for what would happen next.<\/p>\n

\n

John turned his fighter knowing that Pam would be right behind him. Sector K didn\u2019t seem to show anything but that might clear up as he got closer. A faint contact appeared on his scanner that shouldn\u2019t have been there.
\n\u201cHeads up Pam, we have a visitor in the asteroid field,\u201d John said to her.
\n\u201cRight behind you,\u201d Pam replied.
\nJohn kept a close eye on his scanner as they closed the distance. The two fighters continued to close on a small ship that seemed to be about the size of a patrol ship. The scanners still couldn\u2019t identify it though which made John nervous.
\n\u201cPower spike,\u201d Pam\u2019s voice said interrupting his thinking. Glancing down confirmed the power spike.
\n\u201cPatrol one to Akagi,\u201d John said waiting for Hans\u2019 voice.
\n\u201cAkagi, what\u2019s the problem,\u201d Hans asked.
\n\u201cWe have a confirmed contact in Sector K along with a power spike,\u201d John said. \u201cPam, I think we should back off a bit.\u201d
\n\u201cRight behind you,\u201d Pam said.
\nJohn began his turn thinking about what the next option would be. The unknown ship made his decision for him. Laser fire shot past him startling him for a second before he began evasive maneuvering. Yelling Pam a warning he maneuvered barely avoiding the enemy fire. A flash of light from Pam\u2019s position and John knew. He didn\u2019t need to look at the scanner. Pam didn\u2019t\u2019 make it.
\n\u201cAkagi, this is patrol one. We\u2019ve come under attack, Pam is gone,\u201d he said. A burning anger boiled in him concentrating on the unknown ship. Revenge the only thought now in his mind. Activating his weapons he turned into an attack vector. A few seconds later he pressed the trigger opening fire on the enemy ship.<\/p>\n

\n

Kim listened to quietly to the report from the patrol. Whatever the contact was it had now cost the patrol a live. Glancing at Yvette the older woman confirmed that a fighter had been lost.
\n\u201cNo escape pod,\u201d Yvette\u2019s voice said. Kim absorbed the report before returning to her senses.
\n\u201cRed alert, all fighters scramble,\u201d Kim ordered making up her mind. She no longer cared who this new enemy was or even if they were the same one who attacked Dredius and Corrius. All she knew and understood occurred when then Pam died, they had come under attack.
\nThe klaxons sounded as crew members raced towards their battlestations. Kim wished that Randy had returned but it appeared she would be the one to take command.
\n\u201cHelm, take us to sector K. Yvette weapon status?\u201d Kim asked looking at Yvette.
\n\u201cComing on-line now,\u201d she replied.
\nKim nodded her head. \u201cPrepare plasma beams and hard lasers for action,\u201d Kim said. So far there had been no sign of enemy fighters. She couldn\u2019t take that chance, not now.
\n\u201cCommander, the 116 is away, preparing to launch the 201 now,\u201d Yvette reported.
\nKim glanced down at the scanner watching as it indicated the Akagi moving away from Pacifica and towards Sector K. The weapon systems active as the second fighter squadron prepared for launch. The 116 already headed towards sector K where John fought the unknown enemy by himself.
\n\u201cCommander, incoming communications from High command,\u201d Hans said.
\nKim blew out a breath of both relief and dread. She didn\u2019t know what to expect or who. Activating her screen she was relieved when Randy\u2019s face appeared.
\n\u201cKim, what\u2019s going on,\u201d Randy asked.
\n\u201cWhat isn\u2019t,\u201d Kim replied. \u201cThe civilian station reported an unusual contact in sector K. Patrol one went to investigate then came under attack. We lost a fighter. FG-116 and 201 have been launched.\u201d
\n\u201cCommander, this is Admiral White, I\u2019m ordering you to retreat and back down,\u201d Jack said interrupting the conversation.
\n\u201cAdmiral, with all due respect we\u2019ve been fired upon by an unknown force. My duty is to protect those under my command. I\u2019ve got a pilot under fire by some hostile ship. I\u2019m doing everything in my power to make sure no one else is killed,\u201d Kim said.
\n\u201cAnd I fully support her,\u201d Randy said. Jack appeared to be angry over what had just happened.
\nKim turned to Hans making a slashing motion with her hand. The communication was cut. \u201cAll hands, prepare for battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhat the Hades is going on around here,\u201d Jack asked turning to his son. \u201cAre you trying to get the military dissolved for good?\u201d
\n\u201cIf my pilots are under attack then something\u2019s going on,\u201d Randy replied in the same tone as his dad. \u201cWhat\u2019s it going to take dad, a full scale attack on Corestar before you realize that something is going on?\u201d
\nJack watched as his son turned and walked out. He wanted to say something but couldn\u2019t find the words. He looked around noticing several people all watching him.
\n\u201cJack, perhaps you should stop trying to play in politics. Something\u2019s going on and it looks like we\u2019re going to need the military,\u201d Greg said. \u201cCorrius, Dredius and now here, if that doesn\u2019t mean something isn\u2019t going on I don\u2019t know what.\u201d
\n\u201cAnything I do will be taken by the Constricts and turned into some sort of conspiracy by the military to keep their budget,\u201d Jack said. \u201cI\u2019m stuck between a rock and a hard place here.\u201d
\n\u201cNo, you\u2019re not. Your duty is to protect the Alliance,\u201d Greg said. \u201cNow is the time to play commander. Let me play the political game.\u201d
\nJack thought about that for several seconds. Greg did make a point, Dredius, Corrius, the Griffen destroyed, and now some sort of attack here. He didn\u2019t think this could be a pirate operation. The forces seemed too large, too organized and no profit could be gained by attacking Corrius or Dredius. That left him with little else to go on. The only other logical conclusion he could come up with was an alien invasion. That meant only one question, why? Then really he had only one option, find out who or what was being it.
\n\u201cChad, get me the Akagi, force the communications though if you have to,\u201d Jack said. He turned to his scanner with purpose that hadn\u2019t been there seconds ago. Commander Kim\u2019s face appeared. He could tell from her expression what she thought. \u201cCommander, what\u2019s the situation?\u201d
\n\u201cI have a pilot under unknown attack. One pilot dead and one squad about to engage. The Akagi weapons will be in firing range in a few minutes,\u201d Kim said. \u201cI\u2019m not backing down on this admiral, you may court martial me when this is over.\u201d
\n\u201cNo need commander,\u201d Jack said. \u201cHowever relay your info down here as well.\u201d
\nHe had to wait a few seconds but once he had the scans he could see exactly what was going on. Greg glanced over his shoulder looking as well as fighters converged on the lone ship.<\/p>\n

\n

John fired a few times in between dodging enemy fire. The enemy weapons seemed inaccurate. Perhaps the crew members training didn\u2019t cover battle, only spying. What ever the reason John felt himself lucky as another fighter joined up with him on the next attack run.
\n\u201cAim for the weapon systems,\u201d John said to the reinforcements. He noticed the 116 insignia on the wings of the joining fighters. He fired again watching the impact on the enemy ship\u2019s shield. Then he could tell when the Akagi\u2019s weapon fire started. The larger weapons punched right though the shields of the enemy ship.
\nSeconds later the hull gave out as the ship shuddered once then exploded. He watched in satisfaction at the end of the enemy ship. He knew that nothing could bring Pam back but he\u2019d had his revenge.
\n\u201c116, return to base, 201 begin a sweep of the area,\u201d Yvette\u2019s voice said.
\n\u201cUnderstood,\u201d John said leading his squadron back to the Akagi.
\nAdmiral Jezic reviewed the latest report for the next target. The last report said that it had a larger military presence than any other planet. The report also stated that taking out the target would confuse the Alliance military decreasing any cohesive defense the Alliance might put up. He had the feeling that loses would be higher this time for his forces. There had been at least one Alliance battle-cruiser of the Ticonderoga class. That class was the closest to the Yuliv class that the Cimalians operated.
\nGlancing down he ran though the specs of the Alliance ship. Eight hard lasers, two heavy plasma beams along with about a hundred and twenty smaller anti-fighter rail-guns. Each battle-cruiser also held a compliment of thirty-two fighters in two squadrons. The Yuliv actually seemed better armed, especially with the four Xeno missile launchers. Ten Plasma lasers as an additional anti-ship support and about a hundred and sixty anti-fighter lasers and rail-guns completed the rest of the ship\u2019s weapons.
\n\u201cHave all fighters landed,\u201d Jezic asked.
\n\u201cYes admiral, the last one just landed,\u201d Captain Diern said.
\n\u201cHave the fleet move out. Also send Meia to my office at once,\u201d Jezic said. He acknowledged the captain\u2019s reply then headed off the bridge towards his office.
\nSo far things had gone quite well with her. There had been some concern over her abilities seeing how she was an Epsilon class citizen. Her reflexes and abilities as a fighter pilot so far were without equal. He\u2019d toyed with the idea of making Olin the flight leader but High Command wanted to see how Meia did. Jezic personally thought that the only reason for this had been if he\u2019d failed High Command would have something to blame failure on.
\nThe review of Meia told him that her father died before she had been born. Her mother had died as part of a terrorist attack by the Alliance. Something mysterious about her death haunted him for a few seconds. The door chimed tearing his thinking away from the past.
\n\u201cEnter,\u201d he said expecting to see Meia. He wasn\u2019t disappointed. He noticed nothing really out of the ordinary about her as she waited for her orders. \u201cWe\u2019re headed to the next target. So far things have gone smoothly our next target though has at least one large warship. It\u2019s a Ticonderoga class, I want it destroyed with minimal loss in return.\u201d
\n\u201cFighters shouldn\u2019t be a problem admiral, do you wish primary targets to be weapons or engines?\u201d she asked him.
\n\u201cWeapons, that\u2019ll allow the Kitakim and Oi to fire at will,\u201d Jezic said.
\n\u201cThe pilots will understand,\u201d Meia said.
\n\u201cGood! We have the best fighting record so far, I expect to keep that intact. If it slips you will feel the sting as well,\u201d Jezic told her.
\n\u201cIs that all admiral,\u201d Meia finally asked.
\n\u201cFor now,\u201d Jezic said. He thought he had seen something but didn\u2019t say anything.
\n\u201cThen by your will admiral,\u201d she said.
\nHe waited until she left the office before glancing back down at her file. He wondered if High Command made a mistake putting a low class citizen in charge of the pilots. Meia\u2019s talent as a pilot seemed unmatched, but something in her eyes had caused him to pause. Perhaps her class orientation came though. Either way he would keep an eye on her.
\nOlin however he noted had another problem. The hot-shot young pilot quickly angered impairing his judgment. He seemed to demand a level of respect beyond his abilities. Jezic also noted that Olin wanted Meia\u2019s job. That didn\u2019t bother him as long as it benefits the Cimalian Empire.
\nFinishing up his report he noted everything that had happened. It didn\u2019t matter if High Command knew or not he put it in. Sending the file off he began planning for the next target.<\/p>\n

\n

Randy walked onto the floor of the hangar. The usual banter gone, replaced by tenseness hanging in the air so thick he almost could see it. He quickly spotted John sitting near his fighter, head hung low.
\nKim had told Randy that Pam had been killed in the battle. Pam had been John\u2019s on-again off-again girlfriend for three years now. Randy knew he also bared some responsibility in her death. Shortages in manpower meant he didn\u2019t separate the two of them upon learning of their relationship. Now responsibility weighed on his shoulders to build his friend back up. He had a feeling pilots and leaders he would need.
\n\u201cJohn,\u201d Randy said. He sat down next to John waiting to see what would happen next.
\n\u201cShe\u2019s gone,\u201d John said. Randy noticed his friend didn\u2019t even look up from the hangar deck. \u201cIt\u2019s my fault.\u201d
\nRandy heard the sorrow in John\u2019s voice, but also defeat. He couldn\u2019t allow his friend to believe that. \u201cNot true John,\u201d Randy said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what we\u2019re fighting against. There was no reason to believe that contact would have been hostile.\u201d
\n\u201cBut I should\u2019ve,\u201d John replied. Randy finally saw his friend\u2019s eyes. Red with sorrow, fresh tears ready to fall.
\n\u201cAnd how would you\u2019ve know the difference between a hostile and strange contact?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019ve been trained for this,\u201d John said. Randy could see the beginnings of anger there in his friend\u2019s eyes.
\n\u201cThat\u2019s right, you\u2019ve been trained, so had Pam,\u201d Randy said.
\n\u201cNo, you\u2019re wrong,\u201d John said surprising Randy by the speed at which he got up. Randy felt John\u2019s hands grab his color dragging him up to his feet. \u201cShe didn\u2019t know, don\u2019t you get it, I failed, I failed her!\u201d
\nRandy quickly had to signal for everyone to back down. He saw Ben quickly make his way over to interfere but Randy wasn\u2019t ready for that.
\n\u201cShe was a trained pilot, like you and every other pilot here,\u201d he told John. \u201cShe had the same training, the same skill, the same intelligence.\u201d
\n\u201cI let her down,\u201d John said in more of a whisper. Randy felt the grasp on his shirt lessen a bit.
\n\u201cPam wouldn\u2019t want you to wallow in self-pity. We need you, I need your John,\u201d Randy said. John seemed to have to worked a bit of the anger and self-pity out.
\n\u201cLevel with me Randy, what\u2019s going on,\u201d John finally asked.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t\u2019 know John. I\u2019m beginning to think this isn\u2019t some random pirate attack. At least my father is now taking this seriously. With appearance of the patrol size ship here at Pacifica has my dad convinced Pacifica is next,\u201d Randy said.
\n\u201cThen this isn\u2019t over,\u201d John said. The tone in his voice left no question that he was talking about revenge.
\n\u201cNo, I think things will only get worse. The Hood and Bismarck have been ordered here. We\u2019re to take our orders from Admiral Dredge,\u201d Randy said. He glanced around at the rest of the group. Many had the same expression. A look of excitement, revenge, yet a tinge of fear he noticed. The key for the fighter squadrons would be John. He needed his friend focused on the task at hand.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be ready then,\u201d John replied. Randy watched as his friend got up and walked to the edge of the hangar looking out at space. \u201cWe won\u2019t let you down.\u201d
\nRandy nodded his head. He had his answer. John was focused. He almost felt bad for the enemy now. The pilots would not be a problem. Now he had to work on the rest of the crew.
\nEnd Chapter 4
\nContinued in Chapter 5<\/a>
\nComment below or send to AJMarks01@aol.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Cimalian Princess: Invasion by AJ Marks Chapter 4 John walked down to his fighter. Pam, his longtime wingmate, walked beside him. \u201cSo, combat patrol, right?\u201d she half-asked, half-said. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m not exactly sure what\u2019s going on but there\u2019s definitely something happening,\u201d John replied. \u201cWell,\u201d she said giving him a bump with her hip. \u201cWatch […]
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