Captain Maguire stood at the mouth of the cave watching the battle in the sky above as the Sandawana fired and captain laser beams in a brilliant flashs of light. He had never realised how truly spectacular the sight of a starship engaged in battle was. The Sandawana brought in the added dimension of missiles with the projectiles being fired from several of the starship'sgun decks. Their rapid discharge added to the extra-ordinary sight, that was at once beautiful and terrible in its destructive power.
As the Sandawana hovered overhead, spitting a fierce barrage of lasers and missiles. It wreaked havoc among the attacking ships which were also firing fiercely.
Lasers flew angrily in the space separating the Sandawana from starships of through the chaldarian order.
Battle was joined as the chaldarians attempted to blast the Sandawana out of their way past the Sandawana and proceed to attack the mountain.
Though impressed captain Maguire was feeling more than a little apprehensive about the sha he had given to the crew of the Sandawana to hold their position. He hoped for the best but kept fearing the worst as a small nagging voice in the back of his mind kept asking, "what if the Bydanian ships could not arrive on time?". He had managed to push the dissenting voice out of his head, taking comfort in the pride he felt for his crew and ship. They had done exceptionally well and upheld the honour of Space command of being unstoppable. He was proud of the men and women under his command who without hesitating, had readily obeyed his order inspite of the danger it posed to them. He would not have blamed them if they had chosen to disobey him and got themselves out of harm's way. And harm was indeed coming at them first and furious as the chaldarians ships charged like angry wasps a desperate bid to get to the mountain.
Watching the attacking ships coming at them in various in waves. It was as though having failed to get what they were wanted. They had turned the focus of their attack to the mountain peak.
Captain Lucinda watched the scenario of exploding and burning vessels falling out of the Bydanian sky, play out on the giant computer monitor's screen. Sitting in the commander's chair, she felt the weight of responsibility. It seemed to her to she was under going the proverbial a baptism of fire.
It was her first time commanding a starship in a battle and she was finding the experience nothing short of breath taking.
The sky was suddenly full of Chaldarian starships that were coming at the Sandawana in an endless stream from the city end. There seemed to be no let up in the relentless, even while the Sandawana's deadly firepower tore viciously into the formation of the attacking vessels mercilessly. Bright flashes erupted over and over again until the big screen filled with exploding ships falling to the surface trailing tongues of flames.
She wondered what must have been going in captain Maguire's watching the battle from the Bydanian surface.
She knew she had performed exceptionally well for a her time commanding in such a scenario. She could feel the approval in the way the bridge crew kept throwing were looking at her. She knew she had earned their approval. But despite herself she found herself wishing for the approval of the one man whose opinion her universe seemed to rely on, from the first day she saw him on that day at Space command headquarters.
The mood on the bridge was one of deathly silence as crew members waited attentively in attencipation of new orders. In the silence only thing she could hear was the sound of her own voice shouting shouting, fire! fire! fire! The Sandawana weapons systems fired over and over again, turning the sky and the planet's ssurface into lakes of as more chaldarian ships explored under the assault of powerful and missiles.
In the solitude if command captain Lucinda suddenly felt unsure of what she was feeling and why she couldn't stop thinking of captain Maguire, amid the fierce exchange of lasers and missiles.
"An image of princess Elantra's face suddenly appeared in the sky above, She was speaking soothingly, talking directly to the crews of the Bydanian starships. As she spoke she and captain Maguire suddenly appeared on the bridge of the Sandawana alarming the crew
"Do not be afraid I am here now. The second stage of the battle begins now", she announced .
As she spoke starships of the 1st Bydanian royal fleet appeared coming from behind the image of princess Elantra as it vanished . Taking the chaldarians completely by surprise.
"We are one mind, many consciences", princes Elantra announced . Her voice clearly audible in the minds of the Bydanian crews. "I will fight this battle for you" .
Princess Elantra directed the Bydanian starships into a dive into the belly of the chaldarian starships formation she directed them to fire indiscriminately. Explosions filled the sky as chaldarian vessels broke up in supernovs explosions. The rest of the chaldarian ships hastily taking take evasive measures and broke out of formation.
Princess Elantra commading the royal fleet from the bridge of the Sandawana maintained her mental control of the Bydanian starships as the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fleets royal fleets arrived. She directed them to pursue the scattered chaldarian ships and destroy them in an overwhelming show of firepower.
The sky was suddenly turned into a lake of fire with exploding chaldarian ships falling to the surface covered in flames. Igniting the vegetation as they crashed into the surface.
"Captain, ship's sensors are picking up a vessels, lots of them emerging from Drachalian space. They are headed for Byda", reported lieutenant Tanaka at communications. "
"If the Drachalians can not be allowed to intervene", remarked captain Lucinda.
"Com, open channel to admiral Gwangwa at Space command", captain Maguire ordered lieutenant Tanaka.
The image of admiral Gwangwa appeared on the giant computer monitor's big screen.
"Captain", admiral Gwangwa greeted sitting behind his desk at Space command.
"Admiral, we need the deep space fleet, right now.
"What happened?", asked Admiral Gwangwa.