Clatra hero of the several inter-planetary and inter-dimensional battles. First high lord of the admiralty, strode gracefully into the hall of the Congress. He came to stand in the middle of the gathering in the spacious chamber. He studied the huddled figure in a Space command uniform complete with insignia of office, laying trussed up on the floor.
The prisoner's hands and feet were bound together. His mouth gagged with the same purple material the beings standing around him seemed to be made off. Silence fell over the gathering as the purple beings waited for the one called Clatra to address them.
It was the first such meeting of the council of war after the recent incursion on out world Earth. It was meant to review, understand and make further plans with regard to the operation.
After studying the figure on the floor intensely for a while Clatra delved straight into the matter at hand. He growled at the gathered delegates, before beginning with, "You are all wondering why you have been summoned here. I 'm also wondering why I bother!!?"
An easy silence fell on the gathering.
"You dimwitted slow to think, children of mud slugs!!!",
He looked around at the silent agonised beings around standing around in the spacious chamber.
"You have brought death to our doorstep. Even as I stand before you. The creatures are here, a starship from out world has just entered our dimension.
Murmurs of shock and disbelief went up from the delegates.
"You say how is that possible, yet you captured the wrong creature? Yes you brought the wrong one. Look at it!!!", Clatra shouted at the top of his voice.
A anxious silence over the delegates.
"It is not the one that entered our dimension ?!!, growled angrlly has. The one who violated our free fall zone is back?. That one has grown bold and is not afraid coming here at will. It will teach others also not to fear, do you understand!!!?, Clatra screamed angrily at the top of his voice".
"What if we give the creature back", asked one of the other beings standing on two of its four lambs, known as captain Hegenut.
"Did you take a good look at the creature?",askec, high lord Clatra. ",It is wearing the insignia of office on it's uniform!!! It is an important creature!!! "The others have come only for that creature!!!
"We can't just give it back, captain. These are creatures from the out world, they are not like us. They are dangerous monsters!!!
There more murmurs of concern from the delegates.
"The starship that is here, is commanded by the one who first entered our dimension. He is back because he is angry. That is why he entered a closing portal, to get to us?"
The most important question that begs to be answered is how important is the creature In our custody? Whom did you bring back with you through the portal !!?, High lord admiral Clatra angrily screamed angrilly.
"Beyond that it means he must have discovered a way back to his out world!!"
A collective "haaa!", went up from the gathered delegates.
"Captain, ship's sensors, picking up ships of unknown origin approaching. At our present speed and course they will have soon be converging on our position", reported lieutenant Tanaka at communications.
This was all happening too fast and captain Lucinda was undecided on the course of action to take. She hoped that captain Maguire would come to take command of his starship.Asking lieutenant Tanaka to perch her through to sick bay asked, how captain Maguire was doing.
The medic who escorted him off the bridge cheerful replied, 'You have nothing to worry about he is fine. I gave him a sedative to help him sleep. The statement hit her like a blast of hot air in her face. But she could not let her nervousness show, she had to hold it together.
She calmly asked the medic, "how long will he be out for?"
"An hour", the medic replied.
"That would an hour too long for her to be in command", she thought unhappily to herself, regretting having come in the first place. She was wishing she had remained behind at Space command, when lieutenant Tanaka voice broke into her thoughts.
"Captain, alien ships will shortly be within firing range", he reported.
The giant computer monitor came alive showing several aliens vessels closing in fast from directions.
What to do she thought to herself, they were surrounded. The alien ships had cut them off from escape, "no running was out of the question", captain Lucinda thought to herself.
"Captain, deploying electro magnet pulse shield ", lieutenant Alex Bara reported from his post at weapons control .
"Please do", said captain Lucinda, glad to have someone take up the responsibility.
The Sandawana shuddered as it took a hit from one of the alien ships.
"Demage report!?, screamed at captain Lucinda.
"Structural intergrity is holding at one hundred percent", lieutenant Tanaka at communications reported.
The alien ships scored more direct hits on the Sandawana.
"Return fire!?, captain Lucinda ordered lieutenant Alex Bara.
"Captain, the Sandawana can not fire while the shield is deployed", advised lieutenant Anesu at navigation.
The alien ships were firing none stop. The Sandawa was taking more direct hits, causing the Sandawana to buck and shudder wth the impact of the alien ships lasers slamming against the electro pulse shield.
"Shield holding", reported lieutenant Alex Bara.
Captain Alex Bara was trying to think on the best course of action. The situation seemed hopeless, if they lowered the shield to fire back. Chances were they would be hit before they could fire the Sandawana's lasers.
Staying where they were was not a viable option either. There was no telling how much more of the aliens firing the shield could take. She could almost feel be the tension on the bridge.The so used to their captain's resourcefulness were looking to her expectantly.
They were waiting for orders that would take the starship out of harm's way.