Stonerager Chronicles -

Stonerager Chronicles

By 2Charlie

This is a science fiction series that happens to include occasional erotic scenes. If you have not yet read previous chapters of this series, I highly recommend going back to do so before you read this chapter.

Fair warning: This chapter contains scenes of torture that some may find disturbing.

All characters in this story are of the age of majority.

Chapter 09

*****2245 Ship's time, Day 52*****

Dutch, D'narius, and Alisia entered the blue-lit bridge at the same time. All three had taken a quick run through a vibro-shower in the gym and had changed back into their uniforms. Jjan'tira stood from the command chair and made to step aside when Dutch held out his hand, indicating she should remain there.

"Status report," he demanded, taking quick note of the trainees at their watch stations. He was glad to see none of them were in a hurry to be relieved of their watch.

"Long-range sensors confirm the presence of four Noraxi scout ships, three Noraxi destroyers, and two Noraxi galleons on approach vector toward Rigellia, sir," Jjan'tira reported to him calmly. "At their present speed, the scouts arrive first in about 90 minutes, with the destroyers no more than three minutes behind them, but the galleons seem to be holding back a bit. They won't arrive for at least twenty minutes after the scout craft unless they increase their speed."

"Any word from Rigellia?" he asked her.

"Nothing so far, sir. It's possible they are not yet aware of the incursion," Jjan'tira speculated.

"If we close on them now, how far out could we intercept them?" Dutch asked, a plan beginning to take shape in his mind.

"Sir, at full sublight speed, we could be on them in less than a minute," she stated proudly, preparing to issue orders.

"Right," Dutch said with a slightly distracted look in his eyes.

"Shall I give the order, sir?" Jjan'tira asked him with a puzzled look.

"Negative. Keep us on our current heading," he said, looking at Lt. Fallon, the Crew Whiskey trainee who was standing the UI OOD watch. "Jjan'tira, D'narius, I'd like a word with you both in the briefing room, please." Turning, he headed off the bridge to the complete surprise of those present.

Exchanging a confused glance, D'narius and Jjan'tira followed him. Behind them, Alisia muttered, "I have the watch."

In the briefing room, Dutch had an excited look on his face and was pacing the floor when the other two joined him a moment later. As soon as the hatch closed, he stopped in his tracks and spun to face them.

"I have an idea," he said. Looking at D'narius, he posited, "You told me once that friction was increasing between the iShan'tal and the Noraxi Syndicate, did you not?"

Nodding at the apparent non-sequitur, she replied, "Yes, I believe I mentioned that they might be the next logical challenger to the iShan'tal Hegemony."

"Just so," he agreed. "And we're trying to convince everyone that we represent an Alliance between Terrans and the iShan'tal, correct?"

"That seems to be what you're striving to achieve," she admitted hesitantly, not seeing the immediate connection.

"So, put yourselves in the Noraxi's shoes," he proposed. "You're in the middle of a slave raid, when suddenly you're confronted by never before seen starship crewed by humans demanding you fuck off. How do you respond?"

Jjan'tira looked confused. "The Noraxi do not wear shoes..."

Dutch silenced her with a wave, waiting for D'narius to respond.

"I would attack the human ship, no question," she eventually replied.

"Now, if you were instead confronted by a ship crewed by Humans and iShan'tal..." he suggested.

She scowled at him for a moment. "Dutch," she said in a slow, warning tone, "the Noraxi do not know what iShan'tal look like."

"They've never seen you in your encounter armor?" he asked her.

"They've ONLY seen us in our encounter armor," she corrected.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands.

They both stared hard at him for several moments, waiting for him to make sense, before Jjan'tira finally connected the dots.

"You kept our armor," she said flatly.

"I kept your armor," he admitted.

Sighing, D'narius shook her head. "You want us to put on our armor and pretend we're still in the service of the iShan'tal."

"Well, consider the options," he quipped, holding up three fingers. "One, we confront them - as humans - and blow them to hell, we win the fight, but there's gonna be more to come."

Putting down a finger, he continued, "Two, we confront them as a joint human - iShan'tal vessel, and they go for it, and we still blow them to hell."

"What's the third option?" Jjan'tira asked impatiently.

"Three," he put down his third finger, "we confront them as a joint human - iShan'tal vessel, they buy the treaty story, and they go away and plan a war against the iShan'tal."

"And the humans," D'narius pressed.

"Yes, but then we just get to blow more of them to hell," Dutch countered confidently.

"Even as overpowered as this vessel is," she cautioned him, "you

can

be defeated by overwhelming numbers."

"True, but we won't be alone for much longer, and I'm betting that the thought of a Terran - iShan'tal alliance will scare the shit out of the Noraxi," he pressed, "giving us more time to arm and prepare."

Sighing, D'narius agreed. "Fine," she snarled, "where's our armor?"

"I cleaned it up and stowed it away after you last wore it. In the storage locker back by the hangar bay," Dutch said, giving her a quick hug. Turning to hug Jjan'tira, he said, "Okay, you two - hurry up and get changed. As soon as you're ready, we will close on the Noraxi and kick over their ant hill."

Shaking her head, D'narius muttered under her breath as the two women headed aft, "I think we hit him harder than we thought."

Rushing back to the bridge, Dutch took a look around as soon as he entered the space, considering his options as his gaze passed over the trainees. Turning to Alisia, he barked, "Status update."

Regarding him calmly, she replied in an even tone, "The Noraxi have not altered their approach. Their scout ships are just passing inside the orbit of Rinor, Rigel's outermost planet, and are headed for Minta, the gas giant. They should pass by Minta in about twenty minutes. Still no response from Rigellia."

The UI Crew was looking at him anxiously, until finally Lt. Fallon asked him, "Sir, shouldn't we warn Rigellia? At least let them scramble the RDF Interceptors..."

"Negative, Lieutenant," he said in a clipped tone. "If your fleet was ready, I'd happily have them join us, but last time I saw your RDF Interceptors go up against just a pair of Noraxi scouts, with the odds at two-to-one in your favor, two Interceptors were lost, and the other two were not doing very well. I'd prefer to save lives, even at the cost of a little pride."

"But sir," Fallon pressed, "What if the Noraxi manage to get past us?"

"A reasonable question, Lieutenant," Dutch conceded. "In that event, then your Science and Engineering directorate gets a proper test of their new defense satellites."

Turning to look at the rest of the watch standers, he finally tapped his comm badge, saying, "Prime, put me on ship-wide so I can address the crew."

A digital boatswain's whistle issued from the overhead speakers, and Prime called out, "Now hear this, now hear this."

"This is your Captain speaking," Dutch chimed in. "We are en route to intercept a Noraxi incursion, comprised of four scout ships, three destroyers, and two galleons. We will intercept them in the proximity of the gas giant, Minta. I intend to approach in Stealth Mode until we're in weapons range, then drop my Stealth Screens to announce my presence to them, and tell them that their raid is in violation of the Treaty of Ganymede, and that they must withdraw or face the wrath of the Alliance. Crew Yankee, report to the bridge to augment the current watch team. All others, stand by in the briefing room."

Tapping his comm badge again, he muttered, "Cut the 1MC, Prime." The all-stations channel went quiet.

Turning to Alisia, with a glance toward Fallon, Dutch announced, "I have the conn."

"You have the conn," Alisia responded, surrendering the center seat. "What's the plan, Captain?" she asked in a low voice as he passed near her.

"You'll see in just a moment," he told her quietly.

Just then, the bridge door opened, and two figures entered wearing their iShan'tal battle armor. Lt. Tomson Earhart, sitting at the Helm, turned and gasped in surprise, drawing the attention of the rest of the UI watch team.

"At ease," Dutch ordered. "I will explain as soon as Crew Yankee arrives."

He'd no more said this than members of Crew Yankee began to stream onto the bridge, a general look of confusion on all their faces as they eyed the figures in armor standing before them.

Closing his eyes for a moment, Dutch thought back to a conversation he'd had with his wives at the outset of the training mission. D'narius had asked him what they should say when they were asked how iShan'tal came to be a part of his crew. He'd responded cavalierly, '

For Alisia, we tell the truth. She was found in a sleep tube on Ganymede, where she'd been negotiating the treaty. As for you and Jjan'tira, perhaps we keep things... vague. We could simply say I picked you off of your ship after a navigational mishap you'd suffered resulting in a collision with an uncharted, rogue moon.

' He chuckled ironically at the memory.

"At ease, everyone," Dutch commanded in a voice loud enough for all to hear. "Here's the plan. We are going to confront those Noraxi bastards and inform them that they are in direct violation of the Treaty of Ganymede and that they must leave this system immediately and cease all raids upon it or be destroyed by the Alliance. I plan to make this statement to them via video call, with a pair of iShan'tal warriors standing at my side, in the hopes that this lends credibility to our claim. Any questions?"

"What if they refuse to back down, sir?" Lt. Rama Chandrani asked from her post at NAV.

"Why, then, you all get a lesson in advanced combat patrol, as I will make it a point to remove them sum'bitches from my fucking sky!" he roared, pumping his fist in the air in front of him.

"Hoo Rah!" all three clones shouted simultaneously, eager for what was coming.

Dutch made a mental note to check on what his women were watching for entertainment in their private time.

Turning to look at the eight members of Crew Yankee, Dutch ordered, "Yankee, augment each of the existing UI Watches. Each of you, stand by. If there's no seat at the station, take a seat in the rear of the bridge and set the control panel there to monitor the watch you're augmenting. Lieutenants Fallon and Ironheart, swap out to stand watch at WEPS. Consider this on-the-job training. You've had time on the simulator, so the console should be pretty familiar to you. Be ready when I give the word, as this very well may turn into a shooting match. You get me?"

"We got you, sir!" they barked in unison as they headed aft to the Weapons station.

Turning to D'narius and Jjan'tira, he motioned them over. Once they were close enough, he whispered to them, "You two stand beside me, but be ready to jump in at HELM or NAV if need be."

They both nodded silently and took their positions on either side of him.

Turning to face forward, he called out, "NAV, set a course to intercept those scout ships as they approach Mintor. HELM, take us there at maximum sublight. OPS, raise shields and be prepared to drop our Stealth Screens. WEPS, get a lock on those scout ships the moment they come into range, but hold your fire until I give the order."

"Shield up, sir," Lt. Bruen called from OPS. "Standing by to lower Stealth Screens."

"Course laid in, Captain," Chandrani reported.

"Accelerating to maximum sublight," Earhart reported from HELM. "Time to target: fifty-five seconds."

The stars stretched out into oblong streaks on the main viewscreen as the ship leaped forward. Shortly, as a gas giant began to grow on the screen, the ambient lighting on the bridge shifted from blue to red.

"Stealth screens lowered, Captain," Bruen reported.

"Scout ships targeted, Captain," Fallon called out from WEPS. "In missile range now, coming up on energy and kinetic weapons range... now."

Watching as the HUD painted the positions of the Noraxi ships on the main screen, Dutch called out, "Prime, open a channel to those ships - all frequencies." A digital tone informed him the channel was open.

"This is Captain Stonerager of the Alliance Starship Odyssey. Noraxi vessels, you appear to be engaged in activities that are in direct violation of the Treaty of Ganymede, section 4.3, which states that no entities shall be permitted to engage in acts of violence or open hostility against any signatory members without reprisal from ALL signatory members of said same treaty. I order you to withdraw from this system at once... or face immediate and catastrophic consequences."

A moment passed before a Noraxian appeared on the screen, it's anvil-shaped head cocked to one side as it responded to Dutch's hail. There was only a slight delay before the lingua-code began to quickly translate the words being spoken, although the tone of the dialog was clear enough.

"You have clearly mistaken me for someone you could impress with your puffery and bold lies... Stonerager, is it? Not that it matters - even your atoms won't exist for much longer!"

The ship shuddered, but only slightly, as the four scout ships unleashed an impressive volley of plasma beams against the heavily shielded Odyssey.

"Shields holding at full strength," Lt. McIntyre called out from his station at Engineering.

As a wave of missiles swarmed in, Dutch quickly called out, "WEPS, intercept those missiles with the CIWS!"

At almost the same moment, Ironheart at WEPS called out, "Going hot with CIWS!" Lines of kinetic rounds crisscrossed the image, and one by one, the missiles were quickly replaced with fiery blossoms of light all over the viewscreen.

"WEPS," Dutch called out, "Remove those scouts from my sky. Go straight to the ion emitters."

Deadly pulses of energy spat from either side of the Odyssey's bow, from just beneath the bridge's viewing angle, and quickly hammered the nearest pair of scout craft. Each ship appeared to shunt aside the first and second hits, but the third and fourth sent them to the Syndicate afterlife.

"Noraxi destroyers coming into range, Captain," Lt. Diamonte called out from her post at SCI. "They're targeting us, sir. Looks like they're preparing to... "

The Odyssey rocked under a volley of impacts as the three destroyers unleashed an impressive barrage of firepower upon her - compact bolts of writhing energy splashing across her shields as she weathered a hellstorm of destruction.

"Shields still holding at... ninety-seven percent and rising, Captain," McIntyre called out in stunned disbelief from ENG. "Fuck, this ship is amazing!" he muttered, loud enough for Dutch to hear.

"WEPS, remove those other scouts ASAP, then target the lead destroyer and send the High Energy Missiles," Dutch snapped quickly, stepping forward to lean over Chandrani at NAV. "NAV, did your training include our basic combat maneuvers?"

Chandrani turned to look at him, nodded, and replied with a terse, "Aye, sir!"

Standing back, he watched as the remaining scout craft were blown to sparkling little clouds of dust and vapor, while a pair of HE missiles tracked quickly toward the lead destroyer. The Noraxi warship lashed out with quick traces of energy - must have been their own version of close-in weapons, detonating one of the missiles just before impact, their shields absorbing the brunt of the massive kinetic damage from the warhead, just as the second missile impacted against the stern of the vessel, effectively pulverizing their propulsion block and a large section of the rear half of the vessel.

Turning to his OPS watch standers, he barked, "Grab the rest of that destroyer with our tractor beam - stand by to release it when I give the order."

Not waiting for his OPS to confirm, he spun forward and continued his orders with, "NAV, plot an intercept for the lead galleon."

"Tractor engaged, sir," OPS confirmed.

"Course laid in, Captain," NAV stated immediately thereafter.

"HELM, execute attack pattern Alpha Three. Target the lead galleon." Turning to look aft, he called out, "WEPS, execute defensive pattern Omega Three... now!"

"Wild Weasels away, sir!" Fallon called out.

"Jamming targeting sensors on the other two destroyers, sir," Ironheart confirmed.

"Closing to point-blank range on the lead galleon in three.... two...," Earhart called out from HELM.

"OPS, release the tractor!" Dutch snapped, just as the galleon appeared to swing up and slip to port as Odyssey dipped below her target, allowing the destroyer she'd been towing behind her to slam into the galleon at just under two hundred and ten thousand kilometers per second. The impact was devastating, reducing the destroyer to ribbons and pulverizing the galleon, its shields giving only the slightest of protection before they were completely overwhelmed.

"WEPS, send two more HE missiles at each of the remaining destroyers," Dutch ordered, just as the Odyssey shuddered under more weapons impacts. "No sense letting them continue to take shots at us," he grumbled, then turned to face forward again.

"HELM, put me back on the nose of that remaining Galleon. WEPS, Stand by on Quantum Cannon, but hold your fire. OPS, tractor that galleon!" Dutch issued rapid fire, leaning into the adrenaline rush.

As soon as all three stations acknowledged and carried out his orders, Dutch turned to look back at D'narius and Jjan'tira and whispered, "Step closer - I want you both prominently in view."

Diamonte called out from her station at SCI, "Remaining Noraxi destroyers are dead in space, Captain."

Tapping his comm badge, Dutch requested Prime once again hail the Noraxi.

"I am addressing the commander of what remains of the Noraxi raiding group," Dutch spoke in a clear, commanding tone. "You are ordered to stand down and cease hostilities, or you will be destroyed!"

After the briefest of pauses, the view screen changed from an exterior view of the galleon to one of its bridge. Dutch grunted - this was the first time he'd seen the bridge of one of their galleons while it was still intact.

The Noraxi began speaking immediately, its tone loud and aggressive, before the lingua-code kicked in, translating the speaker's tirade. "This is an outrage! I don't know who you think you are, human, but I am Fleet Captain Z'aarinth, Head Whip of the Fifth Lash, and you have made the wrong enemy today!"

"I am Captain Stonerager, of the Alliance Starship Odyssey. You are in violation of the terms of the Treaty of Ganymede..."

Z'aarinth cut him off with a screeching hiss, his eyes inflamed with hatred, as he shouted, "Stop that nonsense about a Treaty! We are the Noraxi Syndicate! We do not sign treaties! We go where we wish, and we do as we please! You may have caught us by surprise, Stonerager, but we shall be vigilant from this day forward, and you are a marked man!"

"Fleet Captain Z'aarinth, your raiding group is in shambles. Your ships tried, but could not match the ferocity of my one ship. We are but one small part of the vast Alliance, and together, Terrans and the iShan'tal are more than a match for the entirety of the Noraxi Syndicate!" Dutch practically shouted at the Head Whip, before lowering his voice, slightly, "I offer you a chance to withdraw and spare the lives of your remaining crew. Stand down and withdraw. NOW. Or face complete elimination."