Emerging out of the planet dense cloud cover, the star continued on its rapid descent. Descending through an atmosphere torn with lightening
"Deploy electro magnet shield", ordered the captain in response to the chaotic outside the ship. "At least lightening storms are one threat we can easily deal with", remarked captain Maguire trying to lighten the mood. He was concerned by the apprehension which he could see clearly painted on the faces of the bridge crew".
Try as he might he simply could not succeed in freeing them even temporarilly from being anxiety.
It was a concern that worried him that was beginning to worry him.
As much as their captain might try to, there was no getting away from the terrifying reality. Which was brought home by the computer generated voice countdowning to impact.
Every eye on the bridge was fixed on the figures trickling down on the giant computer monitor. It was a deeply disturbing and at the same most sobering concern. The prospect of imminent tragedy was quiet alarming.
How bad the impact might turn out, no one could tell. It was a reality which not a single soul looked forward. They could only hope that the captain in whom they trusted with their very lives, knew what he was doing.
The need to trust him was no greater than at that moment the huge starship falling uncontrollably out of an alien sky. They wanted to know that he was in control, that the gamble had taken would not end in tragedy for them all. That at the last just before disaster could strike, he would pull out some something and save them.
If at that moment he had revealed that he was a god with the power of life and death they could not felt more relieved. Their joy would not have been more pronounced. If only but the hard reality of the matter was that captain Maguire was just an ordinary mortal.
A mere man with all the attributes of one.
As such he was not infallible to instances of bad judgement. Though this was not one of the times when he was expected to exhibit weakness. He was expected to be strong.
He expected that of himself and he knew it was what the crew expected him. Whether they were flying into danger or falling out of the sky on an alien world, they could count on his leadership.
Each crew member while watching the giant monitor was wrapped in their thoughts. Captain Maguire was no exception and could not help thinking back on his childhood, growing up, his first kiss. His life was flashing in front him at an accelerated. The pace was even faster than the speed at which the starship was dropping out of the sky.
The computer generated voice continued the count down to impact, "60 000 feet, 50 000, 40 000. Then unexpectedly as everyone had resigned themselves to their fate, the starship suddenly stopped falling at an altitude of 20 000 feet. The crew erupted into wild celebration disrupting the deathly silence of a few moments earlier.
"Calm down everyone", ordered captain Maguire. "We are not ou the woods yet. We still need to rescue Earth from an alien attack, he reminded the crew.
"Pilot do we have propulsion?", he directed the. question at, lieutenant Tashinga.
"Yes sir", came the prompt reply.
"Captain there is a transmission coming through from Earth', reported lieutenant Tanaka.
"On screen', ordered captain Maguire. The image on the giant computer monitor changed from a view of the planet to an image of a man dressed in a Space command uniform. The picture was clear quality was clear, showing the man with the insignia of a full admiral. He was speaking urgently with dirt and debris falling in the background. He was ordering,"... all available starships back to Earth to defend the planet from an attack.
Even as he spoke the sound of fighting was audible in the background. Apparently the aliens ships emerged from an enormous anomaly that suddenly appeared in the sky. They were trying to redirect the weapons systems of the defence platforms orbiting the Earth, but they knew it was a futile attempt.
The network of orbiting defence platforms was designed to stop attackers before they could reach Earth, it was never designed to target objects on the planets.
The transmission ran for a ten minutes before ending.
"Captain the transmission was sent exactly one hour ago", lieutenant Tanaka reported.
That's exactly the time we received the first clip of the transmission", remarked captain Maguire.
"Captain', reported lieutenant Tanaka, ship's sensors are picking up a large number of vessels of unknown origin moving in the direction of Earth".
"We have them", triumphantly announced captain Maguire with a smile on his face. "Those must be the ship's attacking Earth".
"Open a channel to the Mwenezi and advising that we have confirmation of an alien attack. We have received a direct order from a Space command admiral directing all starships to defend Earth. Transmission out".
Lieutenant Tanaka's fingers flew deftly across the communications console sending the transmission as per the captain's orders.
"Captain, transmission is unable to go beyond the anomaly", reported lieutenant Tanaka.
"Noted, thank you lieutenant ", calmly replied captain Maguire.
"Pilot set pursuit course. We are going to attack those alien ships", confidently announced captain Maguire.
"Com",
"Sir, promptly responded, lieutenant Tanaka from his post at the communications console.
"Keep trying to send that transmission. Also update on our present course of action".
"Yes sir", reported lieutenant getting busy resending the transmission.
"All gun decks tand by for action", captain Maguire ordered directed the command at lieutenant Alex Bara, who was manning the weapons control console.
"Com, transmit to all decks to brace themselves for action", ordered captain Maguire as the starship raced through the alien atmosphere to intercept the alien ships.
"Captain alien ships straight ahead", announced the lieutenant Tanaka as he set studying the instruments on his console.
"Tell me once we are within firing range", requested captain Maguire.
"We shall be within range in approximately 30 seconds and counting down", reported lieutenant Tanaka.