Junach had been expecting the picket to try a suprise attack, so he was ready when they did.
The only problem was that there were more than Perith had noticed.
Preet had been at general quarters for a good two hours before the enemy had shown, but even that readyness had not been enough for the first volley. At least one missile got through on every Ardenian ship, some weren't so lucky. Four of Junach's light cruisers simply vanished from his tank. He was happy he was not watching his screen, for their flash had blurred his vision just the same.
A usually blank window on his screen came to life. His panel beeped, then beeped twice more; a priority message from a ship commander's private frequency.
Junach keyed it up. The text read "Emergency priority. Transmission from enemy flag. Lt. Commander Kier, authorization Phi Kappa Iota."
"Com, trace this message." Junach keyed the message over to Ensign Tiol. "Send source to tactical as priority alpha target."
***Kier had heard the general quarters klaxon. Noone in the ship could have missed it. Kier immediatly activated his suit's emergency transmitter, the only peice of electronics that was EMP safe.
History shook, Kier grinned fiercly at the door. Soon they would all be dead. Or so he hoped.
***Kaff cursed as the missiles started to pour in. Her Wall had not been ready for concentrated fire. History leapt wlidly as a missile ripped through her stomac. Damage reports filed across her screen, and Kaff laughed. The missile had shredded the brig.
***An officer whooped on the flag bridge. The ship that held Lt. Commander Kier had recieved a direct hit, only a few meters short of Kier's signal. And that signal had maintained itself, the transmission now carrying Kier's life-signs. Hopefully this luck would hold out.
***Kier was thrown across the cell and smashed against the far wall.
"That was too damned close!" Kier yelled at noone. He looked around.
The door was gone, the marine who was gaurding it flew through the cell as Kier watched, horrified.
It HAD been close. That had been an intentional shot, meant to blow his prison.The air had now fully rushed from the brig, a few of his crew floated, unconsious or dead. Kier did not have time to find out. He ran into the main hall, reaching for the gaurds' weapons locker.
He found a number of weapons, but chose his sidearm carefully. Plasma Rifle. Then he headed for the the brig'smain blast door. It was tightly shut.
Blast doors were meant to hold against emergency decompression or small arms fire. They were not made to with stand the star-like fury that plasma weapons threw. The door gave way in an explosion of atmosphere and molten metal.
When the air was finished expiring, he rushed off down the hall in search of some way to tell where he was.
PresentKier was not happy with this exchange. He was entirlywilling to accept the part about it not being Kaff's idea. He could actually forgive her for what had happened. But it had not been what he had come here for. He was supposed to be getting the enemy to stand down.
Kaff, on the other hand, had fully intended on losing this battle if it had been possible. Arden had yet to put forth the defence the Caithan intelligence said they had the capabilities to. Which meant either they were good at bluffing, or spread thin.
"Fine, if you are so determined to take this system I can't stop you. Besides, it's not like you can command your force from this wreck anyway." Kier gestured around at the wreckage. He wished he had not lost the rifle. "You're chair is not damaged, let's see the battle."
Kaff smiled, then brought her screen around so that Kier could look on. She nearly fainted when she noticed... "More ships!"
