Alpha Security Chapter 17

[Ed Man]

Xenon Wipeout
Chapter 17

Josh docked with the TL and headed for the lounge to meet Ban Danna. Sherry was right behind Josh as he entered the lounge. [Josh] “Good to see you Sir. What can I do for you?”
[Ban Danna] “Glade to see you made it so quickly Josh. Hello Miss Rogers I’m sorry but I need to speak to Josh in privet. Josh do you have somewhere we can go?”
[Sherry] “I’ll talk to you later Josh good to see you Ban Danna.” Sherry turned around and went to her room as Josh and Ban Danna went to Josh’s office.

[Ban Danna] “Josh we need you and as many of your heavy fighters you can spare for a final assault on the Xenon Sector. Your drone took out the shipyard and a destroyer it was building and damaged a carrier that was caught up in the shockwave. We need two your fighter wings on our side off the gate to destroy any fighters trying to escape. One of our new M6 Centaurs will be there to coordinate the defense of the sector. Any other fighters you have can join in on the attack. A Centaur will enter the sector to draw the capital away from the gate.
Our shipyards have been working double shifts to get two new Titan’s with the new PPC weapons ready for this assault. They will be following a older Titan and four more Centaurs going through the gate. Followed by heavy fighters and a Carrier. I’ll be jumping into the sector in Argon One last.
The two new Destroyers can pound the Xenon capital ships from a distance with the new PPC weapons giving us a much needed advantage over there GHPT.
I want to take our time and let the new Destroyers do there work on the Xenon Capital Ships first.

There are four Xenon Destroyers and three Carriers left in the sector. They are two destroyers and a Carrier defending a Xenon Station. The other two Destroyers are guarding the gate area. The other Carrier flies a regular patrol through the sector. We have timed the attack hopping the Carrier will be to far out to be a threat. We don’t want to turn this battle into hit and run fight. The Destroyers will take care of the Capital ships. You and your men will be keeping the fighters off the new Titans. The two Destroyers at the gate are our first targets. By the time they are gone the other Destroyer will be entering the fight the Centaurs and older Titan will join in the attack as the Destroyers come into firing range. Giving us a three on two advantage. The two Carriers and there fighters hopefully will be last.
And then the station and looking for stragglers. What do you say?”

A large smile was on Josh’s face as he said. “Let’s do it! When do we need to be ready?”
[Ban Danna] “We are going to invade in the next ten to twelve hours. You and your ships need to be in the sector and ready in nine hours. I know its not much time but I wanted to offer you this job to give us a little extra firepower I think we need. The Director and President approved the request for you and the additional ships, but have given the order to proceed with or without your help. We owe you for the fine new toys you have given us and I know you been wanting to help so here I am. We need two wings guarding the gate and up to forty heavy fighters have been approved for the mission.”

[Josh] “I know I can get two wings and at least fifteen heavy fighters maybe a few more. I’ll do my best Sir.”
[Ban Danna] “Your best is good enough for me Josh see you there.”
As soon as Ban Danna left the office Josh called the Alpha Security Director for the two wings and as many fighters as he could get. All the Stations, the TL, Rious shipping, HQ and Alpha Security were ably to come up with 32 of the best heavy fighters and pilots they had. Two freighters with energy cells and missiles were loaded and ready to support the fighters when they arrived in the sector from a long jump.
After six hours they were ready and in two hours they would all be in the sector and at a staging point for there group. The Two wing had already jumped in and were in a holding position with the Centaur.

Sherry had came to the office to see Josh before she left. “You’re going to fight the Xenon aren’t you?”
[Josh] “Yes.” [Sherry] “Josh please be careful and don’t be a hero. Josh I need you to come back to me.”
Sherry hugged Josh tightly as tears ran down her cheek. [Josh] “Calm down Sherry I’ll be coming back I’m not heading up the mission. I’m just going as a support fighter.”
[Sherry] “You say that like it’s nothing. You’ll be fighting just like the rest.”

Josh kissed Sherry as he held her in his arms saying. “Sherry I’ll be back I promise. If the battle starts going bad they’ll jump out. The Xenon Shipyard has been destroyed and this is the last battle and we’re just the clean up crew.”
Josh had the Exaireo loaded and ready to go with a full bay of missiles. And a special drone like the first for the Station and Capital Ships defending it with three heavy fighter drones loaded in the Excel. Josh had a plan of his own and it was to blow up the station. The three heavy drones would attack the station and defending capital ships drawing them within range then blowing the station taking them all out.

Josh jumped into the sector with the Excel and hailed Ban Danna asking did he want to use the drone on the station. The strategy was to go ahead as planed and engage the two Xenon Destroyers. Then send the drones after the Destroyer defending Station luring it to stay within the blast radius of the Station. Ban Danna transported the drones onto Argon One and started the next phase.

A drone was deployed into the Xenon Sector on a offbeat but regular basis to drop a satellite to gather intelligence giving the Argon a live feed till it was shot down. After the drone drops the next satellite the invasion will start as planed. The whole invasion fleet is lined up at the Gate and ready to go as the drone enters the event horizon and disappears. Several minutes later the whole fleet gets a live feed for a few minutes till a fighter closes on the satellite then nothing.

Josh looks over the sector data as the ships start pouring through the gate and into Xenon Sector.
The order comes for Josh to enter the Gate and climb to high port of the new Argon Destroyer and engage any enemy targets. The new Destroyers were blazing away at the two Xenon Destroyers. As the Xenon Destroyers raced into the oncoming line of fire coming from the new Argon Destroyers trying to reach their firing range.

Some of the light fighters were coming into range now as the heavy fighters were making a quick waste of the small fighters as they exploded into balls of light and scrap metal. Josh had refocused his firepower on the oncoming Destroyers turrets as the Xenon Destroyers shields dropped ever closer to there demise. The two big beast reached their firing range as lines on plasma started hitting the Argon Destroyers. The M class and some of the L class fighters along with another wave of N’s had came into play now as the Destroyers were slugging it out.

All of Josh’s fighting skills were focused the incoming fighters which looked like a wave of bees coming at them. The first Xenon Destroyer stopped firing as it exploded sending a shockwave out across the sector.
Both Argon Destroyers were bounding the other Xenon Destroyer as it exploded. The Argon Destroyers were switching to close range weapons to help with the fighters.
The drones had been deployed and had drawn the last Xenon Destroyer into the blast radius. The bomb went off in a bright flash as the Xenon Destroyer buckled from the blast into a lifeless but not destroyed beast.
The battle raged on as the number of enemy fighters started dropping. Josh had already transported two of his pilots onboard and rescued one as he ejected. The battle was easing as the enemy fighters numbers dropped below 100 then 80 then 60 as the number went below 50 one of the Carriers came into range as the Argon Destroyers came about and rained a hail of fire from there long range weapons into the Carrier.
The fight had raged for over two hours now as the Carrier exploded into a flash of light as its last weapons fire flew into empty space missing its target.
Eight of Josh’s fighters had been destroyed but all of his pilots had transported to safety. The Argon Navy had not been so lucky losing so many ships and lives the numbers were undecided as the rescued plots were transported onto Argon One they headed out for the next target.

Josh flew with the newer Destroyer he was ordered to defend as they closed on the last Carrier now entering range. All of Josh’s remaining fighters were with the two new Destroyers as the defense fighters from the Xenon Carrier raced to meet the oncoming ships. The Xenon fighters were out numbered 2to1 and were quickly destroyed by the battle weary fighters.
Argon One had finished off the damaged Destroyer by the blow apart Station and was heading to join up with the main assault group.
The older Argon Destroyer was holding near the gate as defense for the recovery crews that were working the main battle site.
The last Xenon Destroyer was in deep space guarding what looks to be a damaged Gate from long range scans and visuals.

[Ban Danna] “Josh do you see the Gate and Destroyer?” [Josh] “Yes Sir. The Xenon only guard enemy gates what ever is on the other side of that Gate is enemy’s with the Xenon. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
[Ban Danna] “My thoughts exactly. The Xenon would never destroy a Gate whoever’s on the other side must have did it to protect themselves from attack. Can you get the Gate address codes to its counter part?”
[Josh] “I’ll try but without the link I don’t think I can. When the link broke it’s counter part would also shut down. I’ll tell you a theory I have about our Gate system. I believe the Gates are linked to give us real time jump capability between sectors keeping the jump in the same moment in time. That gives us a real atvantage with space and time.”

[Ban Danna] “Yes that is a theory I’ve heard about but how does it apply here?”
[Josh] “Ounce the link is broke you may make the Jump but I can’t guarantee what point in time you’ll be in when you get there.”
[Ban Danna] “Yes that would be a problem. We’ll descuss it some more after the Destroyer is defeated.”

The Argon Navy had started deploying satellites making the long trip seem to go a little faster as the data from each satellite came in. The Argon Navy would do the same kind of sector exploration as Josh had done except the satellite deployment would be further than that of a non-hostile sector.
Special Mercury’s with observation teams would be placed on the realms of the sector to map the solar system and look for any enemies or signs of life. But first the Destroyer had to be taken out.

The Xenon Destroyer had spoted the oncoming Argon ships and had started on an entercept course. The Xenon defense fighters around the Destroyer had left the slower capital ship behind racing at full speed to the Argon ships and there quick demise as the big PPC weapons opened up blowing the oncoming fighters into peaces. Only the Destroyer and two L class ships flowing the big ship remained.

The two Argon Destroyers turned into a flanking plath so that more of its weapons could blast the oncoming Xenon Destroyer. Josh had been ordered to fly high and wide to obtain a clear shot on the two L fighters behind the Xenon Destroyer.
Josh scaned the two ships to descover they had a bay full of hornets. The two were on a kamikaze mission. Josh blasted the closest L as he informed the fleet. The L stayed in a close formation with the other L behind the Destroyer. Other fighters had been deployed high and wide to help with the L’s. The L Josh was fireing on lost its shields as it exploded causing a chain reaction with the other L then the Destroyer its self in the wake of the explosion. All the com channels were over ran with chears of joy as the last Xenon Destroyer exploded. A large smile was on Josh’s face as the chears rang out over the com.

[Ban Danna] “Well done Mr. Galen! I guess that one bit them in the rear!” As Ban Danna laughed at the Xenon blunder. “Your men can jump out now there job is done. But I want you to stay and scan the gate then dock with Argon One where we can talk and enjoy a meal together before you jump out. What do you want to eat you earned it!”
[Josh] “A medium well steak and baked potato.”
All of Josh’s fighters and pilots had left the sector as he headed to the Gate and started the scan.
[Josh] “Sarah can you download the data files from the gate?”
[Sarah] “Yes but it is so massive it will have to be stored on hard copys.”
[Josh] “Good at least it still has data stored. Make a extra copy for Ban Danna.”

After the data had been downloaded Josh docked on Argon One and was meet by an group of pilots applauding Josh as he exited his ship. A crewman then escorted Josh into Ban Danna’s office where a table full of food and his steak was waiting on him.
[Ban Danna] “Oome on and eat before your steak gets cold. Did you get anything from the Gate?”
[Josh] “Yes here’s the data files. I don’t know how to trainslate them but there was a lot of data there and a lot more has been lost so good luck.”
[Ban Danna] “Josh tell me your theory on the Gates jump codes if we can decode them from the files.”
[Josh] “My theory on the broken link is when a gate is severed from its corresponding link if it has other gates leading to other sectors the time frame stays in line with the reast of the universe. Each gate is constantly tied to another self aligning every time it’s linked. If a gate is in a deadend sector and is cut of from the link it has no way to check its alinement in space or time and becomes a dumping ground.
Lets say a fighter is trying to jump to escape being destroyed and the jump drive is somehow damaged and the wrong data is being used. The jump drive will conect to a gate somewhere that’s how they work point A to point B. If a gate is severed from the link and is searching for a connection in space and time the poor soul in that ship could link up to the gate. The only problem is the gate has no way to tell if its present, past or future when it receves the signal it just locks on and there you are in it’s time and space in a deadend sector with no means of escape. I also beleave that’s why some Gates have relocated to other sectors before. Something had disrupted there link and they lock on to the first gate they can.
The Ancients open sectors up to us sometimes like this last expand. I’m not talking about when that happens. I meen when a Gate switches to a unknown sector then back to its original sector I believe a active disconnected Gate is the problem. And once the link is sivered from the disconnected Gate it starts the search all over again looking for its counterpart.”

[Ban Danna] “All these things have happened before and that would explain the problem but its just a theory and I do beleave it’s the best one I have ever heard. I’ll run it by the egg heads and let them cook on it for a while or till there heads start to pop trying to chart your theory. Aw well it makes my head spin just trying to understand lets eat up before the food gets cold.”

After eating a meal fit for a king Josh noticed his PDA was filling up with messages.
[Josh] “I would like to sit and injoy this cup of coffee and relax a little but I have to get back thank you for the meal Sir.”
[Ban Danna] “You’re quite welcome. Let me sign of on your payment before you leave.”
Josh handed Ban Danna his PDA as he transferred the payment data and signed it finishing the transaction.
Josh noticed a large bonus for the drone and every fighter and capital ship he and his men had destroyed.

Josh had exited Argon One and engaged the jump drive to return to the new sector. For a brief second Josh felt a little worried after the talk he had with Ban Danna about bad jumps till he seen the TL off in the distance. As Josh read the messages the ones from the stations were woundering when they could expect a replacement ship for there loss.
One was from the Alpha Security Director congratulating Josh on a job well done. As well as one from the Security Director and the President. Sherry was glad it was over and Josh was alright and wanted him to call when he could. And one was from Mimi wanting to talk.

[Josh] “Sarah send Sherry some flowers and a message telling her I’m going to be busy for a few days replacing the fighters lost in the battle.”
[Sarah] “Two ships were captured trying to invade the sector a M3 and M4 both are onboard the TL being repaired. The new ship will need to be deployed in eight more hours the TL cargo hole is about full.”
[Josh] “Good that’s how we plained it. I’m going to dock and clean up and rest wake me before you start to deploy the ship.” [Sarah] “Understood Comander.”