ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---PELLIAS

Being the fifth part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz

ACT TWO: KELZART

I. ELIASITE LAID LOW

The Beta Valentis System

Gamilon Spacecraft Carrier Eliasite

Thursday, January 14, 2202

0722 Hours, space-time.

Gamilon General Hairm Kelzart stood smiling on the bridge of his carrier Eliasite as the planes that Desslok had transported instantly to the Rikashan Fleet began to land on the lower two decks of his tri-deck carrier.

"General," said a staff officer. "Thirteen of their ships are now finished off."

"At the rate that Virben Squadron was going, they may not leave much for the flagship to finish off," said Kelzart.

"You sound confident, sir," said Colonel Vieder, Kelzart's aide-de-camp.

"I am confident," smiled Kelzart. "This is going to be a glorious victory for Gamilon. I could care less about what the Terrans think. If only we would have had some time a few months ago, we could have finished the Argo off. "

"Sir, those comments wouldn't sit well with Leader Desslok."

Kelzart laughed and began to pace the bridge of his carrier. Her Captain, Captain Hanjen, sat in his command seat, watching readouts coming across his screen, which was attached to an arm of his command chair on a suspensor arm, which was adjustable. "Sir, Virben Squadron reports 78% success with their dive-bombing runs. Verbena Squadron, escorting them, reports a 56% kill rate. They say the enemy fighters are tough to shoot down. Last of all, Yamarch Squadron reports a 39% success rate with their torpedo runs, and Terven Squadron reports a 52% kill rate with their fighters. Squadron loss rate: 7% average. Three pilots came back injured. One has gone mad, they say. Some sort of bizarre mental attack."

"We could be doing better by a great deal, Hanjen," said Kelzart. "Is our fighter screen still up?"

"Negative," reported the ship's captain. "They're in, too. Leader Desslok gave us a standby order for a warp."

Kelzart watched as a dive-bomber landed. "They're all in, now," said Vieder.

"Excellent. Prepare to warp in twenty!"

"Warp in twenty!" barked Hanjen into a mike on top of his screen. "Course, behind the flagship. Retract unnecessaries!" he snapped as he flicked a switch and the arm which held his screen pulled it into an arm of his chair while it folded. "Warp in ten!" he snapped.

Kelzart and Vieder strapped themselves to two vacant control stations while most of the bridge crew, standing up at their posts in their standard brown battle armor, did likewise. "Five!" barked Hanjen.

"WARP the squadron!" said Kelzart.

"Warping squadron," said the helmsman in a rough voice that would have sounded quite nasal and harsh to a Terran.

The ship began to fade as the Gamilon vessels' engines howled in a crescendo.

At that moment, three beams of green fire roared in from the enemy fleet. They hit as the Eliasite and her companion carrier, the battle carrier Farushar, were beginning to fade from the area.

Both ships emerged smoking from warp a moment later, right next to the Rikashan flagship B'eoneraze.

"What has happened?" said Hanjen as he got up from the deck. He soon fell down again as the Rikashan battleship fired its short range guns maniacally into the starboard side of the Eliasite. On the carrier, men and planes both perished as beams roared through the carrier's light armor into the hangar bays.

"Engine room hit! Hangar bays 2 and 3 hit!" said a young officer, who then died screaming as fire poured out of his bridge station.

"We're evacuating, Vieder," said Kelzart.

"What?" demanded the older, bearded Colonel. "Sir, that is…"

"Hanjen, you command the ship. Get her to safety," said Kelzart. "I'm transferring my flag to the Farushar. When I board, we will open all guns and tear that flagship apart! In the meantime, Hanjen, have Leader Desslok hold off on firing. We need time to hit that ship and then clear the area prior to his attack."

"Sir…I…"

"Obey my order!" he yelled as he grabbed the green command blouse of the younger, blond-haired Captain, who was the only other man on the bridge wearing a green-and-black officers' uniform and cape save for Kelzart himself.

"Yessir," said Hanjen, nauseated at the mustachioed general's rage. Kelzart had a reputation for efficiency, but he also had a reputation for unnecessary cruelty. Hanjen still remembered stories about how Kelzart had helped Lysis and Talan win a major battle against a Great Magellenic-Cloud based enemy of the Gamilons at Geda Prime, and how he had then enjoyed overseeing the rapid execution of 745 prisoners afterwards. They were prisoners that Lysis had said should be interrogated before their memories were stripped and they were put to work as Gamilon drones. Talan had seen to it, through Krypt and Desslok, that Kelzart had been reduced in rank from Field Marshal to General afterwards for a waste in resources. Keeping this in mind, Hanjen saluted and said, "Lieutenant, ready for these men a shuttle. They will be leaving us momentarily."

"Yessir," said an officer with a salute.

"Leader Desslok, a message from the Eliasite," said Talan. "It's from our friend, the former Field Marshal. He has made another small mistake. He hasn't warped out yet!" said Talan sarcastically.

"That idiot," said Desslok as he released the safety lock on his cannon control. The whine of the surge cannon's energy buildup was resounding across the bridge of the Gamilstadt. "Can't he perform a simple warp, Talan? What does he want?"

"He said they miswarped because they were hit by enemy fire while warping out. They're next to the enemy flagship. He says his carrier is damaged, and that he's transferring his flag to the battle carrier Farushar. There, he hopes to hit the enemy ship with the battle carrier's main guns."

"The enemy flagship is about to be obliterated, along with the fleet," said Desslok. "Talan, he has five minutes to get out of there. You tell him that. That fleet is in position, and I'm not about to have my grand strategy ruined by the likes of a fool like him. If he's not out of there, he dies with the enemy fleet."

"Sir, that'll cost us two carriers," said Talan as his eyebrows went up.

"No. that'll cost Gamilon one idiot," smiled Desslok. "Talan, please transmit my orders. Kelzart has four and a half minutes left."

"Yessir" said Talan.

"Sir, there's a signal coming in; it's from the flagship," said Vieder as he and Kelzart flew over to the Farushar in a shuttle, evading a burst of Rikashan fire as they flew to the carrier.

Kelzart sighed and picked up a small handset that came out of a socket. "Who is this?"

Talan's image appeared on a small screen. "This is General Talan! General Kelzart, it is Leader Desslok's order that you abandon your offensive and warp back behind the fleet as you were originally ordered to do."

"I'm heading to a battle carrier to complete our victory," said Kelzart.

"I don't care. You have no good explanation for your negligence, General. Leader Desslok is most unhappy!"

"Sir, our miswarp was an accident," said Kelzart as sweat ran down his face. "I intend to exploit that accident to our advantage. Besides, didn't you plead against me at my Court of Inquiry? Are you not prejudiced, Talan? Are you not jealous of my past victories?"

"Such concerns are irrelevant to Leader Desslok," snapped Talan. "Do you wish for him to repeat the order to you personally? Is your skull that thick?"

"Let him repeat the order," sneered Kelzart as they landed.

"He will, but he will not be pleased," snapped Talan.

"Neither will I, at having my offensive interrupted, Talan," said Kelzart. Kelzart snapped off the transmission.

"Sir…you have just virtually turned off Leader Desslok…he will not be pleased!" cried Vieder.

"When he sees the net result, he will be pleased… you fool," said Kelzart. "Inform the crew of this ship that Kelzart has arrived!"

"Leader Desslok…he ignored your order! I request that the man be court-martialed as soon as this is over with," said Talan.

"He will be…if he lives," said Desslok over the whine of his Desslok cannon. "I doubt he will live. Stubborn fool."

"Energy level is at eighty percent!" said Talan.

"Good. We shall continue the offensive," said Desslok with a smile. He looked out at the fleet and up at a readout on his screen. "We have the fleet right on target. I shall fire in two regardless of whether Kelzart has left the area or not. Surely he must know enough of tactics to guess at what I am doing?"

Kelzart ran onto the bridge of the Farushar, grinning as he watched the burning Eliasite pull away. "Sir, I welcome you to the Farushar," said a thin officer, the Captain of the ship. "I am Captain Mehrvan. The woman is Lieutenant Commander Inge Gernan, my second," said Mehrvan, pointing at a long-haired woman in a standard Gamilon officers' uniform who wore no headdress; she wore only the symbol of the Royal House as a pin in her hair.

"What is it that you want?" snapped Gernan, who was the ship's gunnery officer.

"I command you to turn your guns upon that Rikashan battleship and earn us glory; then I want you to turn about and attack the Rikashan troopers on the planet with a bombardment from orbit. Then they will learn to fear us!"

"Just like you had us do at Geda Prime with those prisoners?" snapped Gernan.

"Silence! Carry out my orders!" roared Kelzart.

"Gernan, do as he says," said Mehrvan.

"Orders of an idiot…we were supposed to be out of here long ago," hissed Gernan. "Open all guns! Change deck configuration!" snapped Gernan.

A moment later, the carrier deck of the Farushar closed, revealing the gun deck. At the same time, the ship's guns locked on the B'eoneraze.

The Gamilon vessel fired first. Some of its energy bolts hit the B'eoneraze, some missed and hit another ship.

The B'eoneraze fired its guns once, hitting the Farushar with two of the six bolts she fired.

Then, the B'eoneraze began to glow green.

"Ha! She's running!" said Kelzart. "I told you this would work. Leader Desslok will be forced to see my genius!"

However, two tendrils of green light hit the Farushar a moment later. A field rolled over the battle carrier, and it was pulled away into warp along with the B'eoneraze, two Rikashan battleships, and two cruisers. The crew screamed as the distortion of being dragged into hyperspace rolled over them unprepared.

"Leader Desslok, the Eliasite has left the area…and seven ships have warped away!" cried Talan. "The energy level is 100%! Do you wish to fire at what's left of the fleet?"

Desslok smiled as some missiles roared past. "They're still shooting at us, Talan. I think we should return the compliment. Desslok cannon, FIRE!" At that, Desslok pulled back the trigger on his firing control.

The Gamilstadt's surge cannon went off a moment later, sending a pink beam of energy right into the heart of the remaining Rikashan warships. Twelve assorted battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and a small carrier went up in a vast explosion, abandoned by their commanding officer to their fate.

Desslok smiled at the expanding ball of energy. "We'll take care of the stragglers later, Talan."

"What do you think happened to Kelzart, sir?" asked Talan.

"I think perhaps the enemy captured him. If so, no great loss, save for the loss of his carrier. I hope that Mehrvan has enough sense to scuttle it before they capture him. I do see the Eliasite returning. I can ask her commander what is going on after the fires aboard her are extinguished," said Desslok. "In the meantime, I would love to know where that arrogant enemy commander went. He can't be as great as he bragged if he ran from me. Talan, we will assume low orbit around Pellias. Begin the landing operation."

"Yessir!" snapped Talan as the Gamilon fleet cruised down towards the rocky, dying planet.

II. FULFILL MY VENDETTA!

The Great Magellenic Cloud

The Sanzar System

Gamilon Battle Carrier Farushar

Thursday, January 14, 2202

0738 Hours, space-time.

The swirling, nightmarish experience of a long, long warp never seemed to end for Kelzart. Finally, normality began to return as his carrier began to warp back into existence somewhere in another planetary system, surrounded by the surviving remnants of Baron Cha'rif's task force.

"By the gods, where are we?" muttered Kelzart.

"Look!" cried Gernan. "Does that answer your question?"

Kelzart looked up, and saw two planets looming in the distance; one was green, and mottled with golden-orange spots, and the other was cool, blue and inviting, and largely covered in clouds.

"We may be about to die, gentlemen, in the very shadow of Gamilon itself," laughed Kelzart. "I think we just set a new warp record, too. And our enemies look confused. Do you see them reacting?"

"No, I do not," said Mehrvan. "Do you think?"

"Yes, we could," said Kelzart. "We could eliminate them, and then we could land on either Gamilon or Iscandar."

"For what purpose?" asked Gernan.

"To get whatever supplies we could, maybe survey Gamilon for Leader Desslok…see if anything could be rebuilt."

"What about the enemy fleet?" demanded Gernan.

"We could easily vanquish them," snorted Kelzart. "We have our planes…our guns."

"No, we don't," said Mehrvan. "The deck mechanism is frozen; we can't reopen the deck to launch planes. The guns were damaged in warp. We're helpless. I recommend scuttling the ship and taking our enemies with us."

"No."

"It's the only alternative, sir," said Mehrvan.

"Very well," hissed Kelzart. "We shall do that! Tell your engineer to begin the sequence!"

"Two worlds," said Baron Cha'rif as he stood up. "I have no idea where we are, Ter'garv."

"Why did we go so far?"

"Ter'garv…I probed the computers. That damned wild talent on Pellias did an atrocity to our computer system," said Cha'rif as he looked over a screen. "She took an intended 147,000 gerad warp that would have placed us near the location of Ka'mok's fleet within the system near Pellias and turned it into a 147,000 light-year warp, if these calculations are right. The intent, it appears, was to take me out of the battle area. That Aliscea must think she can vanquish Ka'mok all by herself. All of my plans have gone amiss! The woman will not be taken for Ekogaru, and the Star Force will have her…them, or the Gamilons, or Ka'mok. Not me. Not us…not even we can get back there that fast. But, we can still find out what makes the Gamilons tick. Ter'garv…ready a party of fifty men. We are boarding that accursed Gamilon ship…and we shall force the Gamilons to begin to reveal their secrets to us and then tell us where in Creation we are."

"Sir…shouldn't we just destroy it?"

"No. I want…knowledge, Ter'garv. I want to do something for our people!"

"As you wish, sir. I will have a party of fifty and boarding pods prepared shortly. As you command," said Ter'garv sarcastically with a salute.

"My command is my command," snapped Cha'rif. "Never forget that, my old friend!"

A few minutes later, just as had happened with the Westhampton Beach, three black boarding pods rocketed from the B'eoneraze into the side of the Farushar.

In the engine room, Enzel, the ship's engineer, was frantically trying to overload the carrier's main reactor. However, even though this procedure would blow the ship apart, it was hard to do so with Rikashan troopers shooting at them. Finally, with a scream, Enzel died at his controls.

"You killed them all?" asked Cha'rif. A trooper nodded and saluted.

"Good. We will look at this and learn how to get to the bridge. I want the command crew alive. Kill as many of the ordinary crewmen as you can manage, Sergeant Inkel"

"Yessir. What is the purpose?"

"I want this ship," laughed Cha'rif as he looked at the wrist communicator contained in his battle armor. "We need some compensation for losing Pellias to those blue scum."

Inkel nodded.

TO BE CONTINUED WITH Act Three: "Wildstar against Ka'mok."

To return to the Introduction to the Rikasha Incident Please click here

To return to the Introduction to the Rikasha Incident Please click here