Chapter 66

Destiny

"Target the mothership Eli" ordered Young.

"Target is locked. The mothership has much stronger shields than the other vessels. This might take more shots than I though" answered Eli.

"Eli, I'm sure it will work like you predicted. Fire" responded Young.

Triggering the main weapon Eli loosed an immeasurable amount of raw power from Destiny's power reserves. While the math for this was impressive in Eli's mind it did nothing to prepare him for the sight of the weapon in action. Thick orange red bolts of energy shot out from the main weapon. Heat seared space around the beams path until it almost appeared to roil. Radiation and magnetic fluctuations were also detected along the beams path. On impact the bolts flattened into the mammoth ship's shields. As the bolts flattened out over the curved surface of the shields massive fluctuations in the shields structural rigidity could be seen with the n.a.k.e.d eye.

"Shield strength is falling" called out Rush.

"Eli, keep hitting them" ordered Young.

Again Eli triggered of a volley. The impact was even greater than before. The energy instead of dissipating seemed to be pooling on the mothership's shields. This pool began to emit intense amounts of heat and hard radiation in addition to exotic particles. Weapons barrels and small antennae on the mothership began to sag from the intense forces bombarding them.

Following Young's orders Eli released this focused hell upon the mothership again and again. Soon over sixty percent of the shields surface area was covered with the shimmering orange red energy. Within the shield radiation had risen to lethal levels and was beginning to penetrate the hull.

Mothership

Aboard the mothership warning alarms sounded on all decks for many systems. The constant strain of the strange weapons fire from the ancient vessel on the shield emitters was not just degrading shield strength but also burning out the emitters. Exotic particles and hard radiation rushed into the void between ship and shield. This in turn quickly began penetrating into the hull. Systems shorted out due to exposure to elements that failed to behave by understood scientific constants.

Crew members in the outer arms of the mothership were flash fried by the intense hard radiation. Those that were lucky died within seconds while those not as lucky writhed in agony for minutes with the knowledge that they were already dead. In the core of the ship lay the bridge, making it the single most protected area from the toxic death currently enveloping the mammoth spacecraft. Despite the additional protection toxic levels of radiation had already been reached on the bridge

Hermes

"Some of their gliders are going to leak through our fighter screen" advised the sensor operator.

"The gliders are the least of our worries. The rail guns will handle them" replied Mitchell.

On the screen before the bridge crew the position of all friendly and enemy units was shown. The Tauri and Asgard vessels had dispersed somewhat during the battle. Six blinking icons representing hostile craft rapidly closed on the Le'Triumphant. A quick check revealed these craft were only gliders so Le'Triumphant's diminished shields should not be a problem.

Watching the display screen Mitchell found himself drawn to the sight of the gliders approaching the French 304 for some unknown reason. Without warning the six gliders detonated in succession the massive naquadah bombs they were built around. The already taxed shields of Le'Triumphant buckled after the forth multi megaton explosion directly on them. The fifth and sixth detonations lit the craft ablaze and then disintegrated it altogether. The only grave marker for one hundred and fifty human lives was the residual radiation left behind. Like her sister the Koralev the Le'Triumphant met her end at the super gate.

Athena

"The Le'Triumphant is gone sir" yelled Captain Franklin.

"Give me a spread of forty drones on the mothership" said Eckhart in an icy voice.

"I'm showing almost no life signs onboard sir" cautioned Franklin.

"Captain, launch now" replied Eckhart with a steely resolve.

In twenty seconds the battle was over. The drones shattered the once mighty mothership into fragments no larger than a star gate. Hull fragments, equipment, and lifeless corpses floated in a cloud of death and destruction. It has been said that the only ones that know the end of war are the dead and this site was clear evidence of that fact.

"Communications officer, signal Destiny that they are being taken under tow to Arkos station. Also please inform Thor Destiny is ready for tow" ordered Eckhart.

With the battle at an end efforts were dedicated towards recovering the 302's and jumpers that had been deployed. All involved in the battle were proud that they saved Destiny and her crew and done their duty. They were also sickened by the carnage and destruction they had witnessed and visited on those who had brought about this fight. Despite the horror of it all the servicemen and women focused on the fact that the attack on Icarus base was finally avenged.