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So, once again: enjoy it.
Chapter 1:
2 years after the reunion with Earth, the Khaak threat seemed to lighten up. Only a few scouts and some fighters were left in the sectors. It’s quiet. To quiet.
Argon Prime
…It was beautifull: the lights, the movements, the scenery. It was simply incredible. Like a giant balett of ships. As if an invisible director told every ship where to go, when to do something. Ships moving in every direction. But this wasn’t the main part of the „show”: they where only small „actors” preparing the stage for the real star. An there it was: the Argon One. Gigantic! It was truely worthy of its name and class: Argon One, Colossus. And it was a colossus in every aspect: others might have built bigger ships than this, but none of them are as majestic as this one. Powerfull, fast and enormous. The pride of the fleet. Especialy this one. The Argon One has survived more battles than any other ship, and she was never defeated. It smoothly flew trough the sector, and turned to do the same route again, protecting the homeplanet. Only few where brave and foolish enough to try to face up with this man made wonder. That was the worst decision in their life. In this ship were the greatest soldiers who ever served the Federation. Int he front side, at the 45th windiw was one of the best. Ban Danna.
Argon One
- Danna out-said Ban, while walking to his desk and chair. He set down and put his hands on his head. His handstold a lot about Ban: they where the hand of a man who’s been trough almost everything. He fought with the Xenon, with the Khaak. Those hands wrote down peace treaties, or ultimatums that probably no one knewn about. Those where the hand of a tallened young boy, who became one of the youngest members of A.I.S., and the hands of a man, who had a great carrer behind him and in front of him. But he never did one thing with them: he never held the hand of a truely loved one: he never had time. Defending Argon was hes meaning of life, his faith. He sometimes did get lonely though. He looked at the monitor, but he saw someone else: an old man starig back. The reflection was lieing! Ban wasn’t old, just because he had grey hair! He was only 48. Old? No. Inside, he was still a young boy. And a true friend.
- I thought he’d never stop - said to himself – ahh, this headache.
He stood up, and decided to go to the medical room. Before he cold open the door, the computer stoped him. „Incoming message”. Ban was thinking that he will listen to the message later, but then came another. „Incoming message”. He quickly turned back and hit the „open” button. It was a live message.
- Ban Danna, I believe?
- Yes, but who’s asking? You could be a bit politer – said Ban, while resting his head oh his hands.
- Sorry, Mr. Danna. I’m Rea Khorolov, from Argon Military Forces. I’ll have to be quick: inform all military and police ships in Argon Prime.to jump to Black Hole Sun immediately! Other ships should come. Argon One has to…
- Wait a moment. I don’t even know whats happening there. You could at least inform me.
- Mr. Danna! We have to…
- I’m not leaving a whole sector defencles, unless you tell me whats happening! NOW! – shouted Ban, and menacingly reaching for the close button.
- Wait! Mr. Danna, Xenon ships are comming trough the gates in Getsu Fune, Menelaus Paradise and Zrt’s Domain. It’s possible they will come trough Black Hole Sun.
- Than why don’t you recruit some pilots?
- I’m afraid that were going to need more pilots.The Xenon are probably planning an invasion.
The blood in Bans veins suddenly froze. He could still remember the last Xenon war.
- Were on our way. Danna out!
„An invasion?”- he thought - „Why? They know they can’t win.” He tried to answer that question to himself while rushing to the bridge, but instead of answers, he got more questions.
- Captain! – he said when he reached the bridge.
- Yes, Mr. Danna?
- Please transmit the following message to all millitary and police ships in this sector: „Immediately jump to sector Black Hole Sun. Possible Xenon Invasion.
- What? – asked the captain, raising his head to Ban. Suddenly, there became silence in the big room, and everyone was looking at Ban, hoping that this might have been somekind of a sick joke.
- You heard me! – he raised his voice – After that, we’ll jump to the sector too.
- Sir! Is this…
- NOW!
- You heard the man! Communication: transmit the message. Start the jumping sequence in twenty seconds.
Ban slowly went out of the bridge, into the hallway. He stoped at a window, and looked at Argon. His thoughts were are arround it. „Defend it”
„70, 80, 90..Jumping”
Old memories came back when he saw the fleet in the sector. M5, M4 and M3 in the front, with a couple of Centaurs and two M2’s. Then came the most of the Centaurs, Titans and Colossus. Argon One maneuverd into the middle of the line of the M2’s and M1’s. They stared at the gate for minutes.
- Well? – asked the captain – where are they?
But Ban didn’t answer. He just looked at the gate, as it was hipnotizeing him. The last evacuaiter ship has left the sector.
„Incoming message.” Ban was suprised. He didn’t know what would be better: if it said „false allarm”, or „incoming xenon ships”.
He oppened the message. It was a video recording of the xenon fleet, with a text message.
„We don’t know what they are doing. Every ship from the surrounding xenon sectors are here, but they aren’t fireing. The Boron and Split forces are still trieing to shoot down as many as possible, but most of them have survived, and are now in Xenon Sector 472. Get ready.”
No one dared to say a word. They didn’t understand anything. A young cadet broke the silence:
- Why are thed doing this.
Ban looked up, but said nothing for a few seconds. Then, he took a depp breath and said:
- I will tell you if I’ll know.
They waited for a minute. Suddenly, the navigational beacons of the gate turned on. Something was coming true it! Everyone held their breth. Ban gave the order:
- Ban Danna to all ships: get ready to fyre.
Then the ship came trough: a small N. A Centaur blew it up wih its BHEPT. But then, as if they were waiting for this, the Xenon fleet started to come trough the gate: N-s, M-s, L-s, P-s,destroyers and carriers.
- Don’t fire untill I say so! – said Ban
The Xenon fleet was enormous. But there was a problem: the xenon ships didn’t even watch where they are going. A lot of them went straight to a station, or another Xenon ship. They didn’t even try to turn or something.
- What the hell? – aked the communications officer.
The fleet came closer and closer, but they stoped 1 km before the fireing range.
- Sir? – asked the captain.
- Hold you positions, but be ready!
It took one minute for all the ships to come trough the gate. The sight was terrifieing but beautiful: the carriers and destroyers, stood in one place like big monolith, and the small ships, like a dark dustcloud. Amazing.
- Come on… What are you waiting for? – whisperd Ban.
„Incoming message”
Everyone was suprised. The captain opened the file, and was just about to say something, when his tounge suddenly got bigger in his mouth. He couldn’t move it, just gawping. Finaly, he said:
- Ahh, arhhh..Mr…..Mr. Danna, come here….you got to see this.
But Ban was already there. The what the captain thought was 5 seconds, was really a half minute. He looked at Ban, and saw fear in his eyes. The message was simple, only three words, in an old type of Argon, wich no one uses anymore:
„Let…us…go”
