I’ve sent you the coordinates. I’ll meet you there.”
The Blue Giant Battleship’s Commander wanted to scream. A Scout was being attacked but had only been able to get out half of its coordinates. There was no way to find it. He waited and nothing else was received. He seethed with anger and waited. If the enemy followed their usual pattern another ship would be attacked shortly. He called the entire crew to Action Stations and waited.
* * *
Arvolo looked at the destroyed Scout and watched his scanner. He had given the Scout twenty seconds before he destroyed it five seconds later. He waited for the other two ships and he saw a disruption indicating a ship emerging into normal space. The disruption was huge and he looked at the energy readings and said, “Holy Mother of Jesus!!!”
He hit the override on his panel, fired his main beam powered by both reactors at the disruption, launched a fusion missile and prayed that it was enough. The Giant Blue Ship appeared and the beam struck its force field and caused a huge display of sparks. After a second it opened a small hole and the fusion missile flew through just as the force field closed and a huge white beam erupted from the Giant barely missing the Havana as Arvolo darted away.
The Jukebox and Tampa appeared and the Giant Ship fired a beam that barely missed the two ships. Jillian screamed, “Get us out of here; that ship is at full power, Chris!”
Another beam flashed by as the two ships dodged in different directions and then the Giant exploded in a blast that ripped out and hit the force fields around the two Earth Ships. They were pushed more than a thousand miles away by the shock wave. The Havana was the closest ship to the blast and was shoved at tremendous force. Arvolo was stunned and shook his head to gather his senses. He heard Admiral Connor on his speaker, “What just happened?”
“I’m sorry, Sir. I overrode my system and fired on the ship.”
Arvolo waited and thought, “I’ve done it again. I didn’t wait on the others.”
Then he heard, “Admiral Anders, you will jump with us to Fleet Headquarters in New York and hold Captain Arvolo to await our decision on his actions.”
“Sir, he only….”
“Admiral, you will follow you orders. Is that clear!?!”
“Yes Sir.”
Arvolo moved the Havana into Sierra Space and followed Kenny to the Space Port in New York and surrendered to him. Kenny took out his handcuffs and said, “I’m so sorry.”
Arvolo put his hands behind his back and shook his head, “It’s not your fault, my friend. It’s not your fault.”
Kenny took Arvolo to a cell and removed the handcuffs. “Tell me why you fired before we arrived?”
Arvolo shook his head, “It was almost instinctive; I did it without thinking. The energy readings on that monster were more than twenty times higher than the ship that Admiral Connor destroyed. I knew it was only going to get stronger and I reacted. I’m sorry I didn’t follow orders.”
Kenny shook his head and said, “I’ll do what I can.”
Arvolo lowered his head and said, “I appreciate it.”
* * *
The two Alpha Agents standing guard outside the conference room saw an Alpha Colonel approaching. He was if full dress blues and his medals were on his chest. They moved forward to bar his entry and saw his expression. Then they recognized who he was. They looked at each other, saluted, and stepped aside. Kenny opened the door and entered the room. The people gathered around the table stopped what they were doing and watched him come forward. Jeff stood and said, “Is something wrong, Admiral?”
“Yes Sir, there is. I insist that you immediately release Captain Arvolo from confinement.”
Jeff looked at Dolly and turned back, “And if we don’t?”
Kenny stepped forward and put his stars on the table, “Then I hereby resign from the Navy.”
Dolly said, “Why are you doing this?”
“He saved our lives and I think all of you should know it by now.