Chronicles of Athena Lee 6 Imperial Subversion by T S Paul Page A

before they had a chance to hit. “Communications notify the tug fleet, tell them…”
     
    He didn’t get a chance to finish before the navigation officer interrupted him. “Sir, sensors report a small fleet of ships just jumped into the system, it’s the Victorious.”
     
    “Sir, we are being hailed, it’s Admiral Kane for you, Sir.”
     
    “Communications, follow my damn orders! Broadcast to the tug fleet: tell them to send the big rock, let’s end this now!” Once again the officer did not move. “Send it damn you!” Faced with what he believed to be his certain death, the young lieutenant obeyed the order. The tug fleet was ordered to launch the big rock.
     
    “Sir, orders have been sent. Sir, you have a message from Admiral Emily Kane, you are to stop all attacks against the planet Hong Kong and place yourself under arrest for crimes against humanity!”
     
    The XO approached the Commodore. “Sir, I need you to place yourself under guard as ordered. Sergeant please place the Commodore under arrest.”
     
    Commodore Vakulinchuk began to laugh. He was still laughing when the sergeant and his men shot the XO with stunners and knocked him to the floor. A sharp kick to his head silenced the now bleeding officer. “You actually think you can give MY Marines orders to arrest me? I think not.”
     
    He motioned to the Marines, they followed him to the lift and the group left the bridge.
     
    The antimatter missiles continued their course and began impacting on the sides of the Battlecruiser Ajax. Without a someone to give orders the bridge had been thrown into chaos. The antimatter blasts tore huge chunks of armor plating from the sides of the ship. Evacuation alarms began to sound across the ship but for some, it was too late. The old ship lacked the newer more effective emergency systems. The ships fusion engines, already heavily damaged, began to burn. When the fires reached the reactor fuel the ship exploded in a violent flash of light.
     
    The few remaining ships surrendered to the ‘rebel’ forces. Admiral Kane, too far from the remaining ships watched in horror as her Navy surrendered.
     
     
    ___
     
     
     
     
     
    Meanwhile back on the Station, the two sisters were staring in shock as the massive asteroid was literally thrown at the planet. Already the planet’s gravity was beginning to pull the enormous rock down toward it.
     
    “Min activate the evacuation alarms, anyone who can launch needs to go! Everyone else to the shelters! Go, get out of here!”
     
    “Ma’am we have a jump detection in the system. Sensors say it is an Imperial cruiser, the Victorious, with escort ships.”
     
    “Nothing we can do about that right now. Athena are you sure you can stop that rock using the station?”
     
    “I’m not sure about stopping it, but we can change its orbit and prevent it from hitting the planet.”
     
    “OK sis, go for it, do what you can. George, lock down the station, full blast shields. Hit the sirens, everyone needs to be in a blast shelter or away from the outer walls.” Alarms began sounding throughout the station.
     
    “Ma’am we have a communication from an Admiral Emily Kane.”
     
    At the name Kane, I looked up from the engineering panel. “Min, Admiral Kane can mostly be trusted. She would never be a part of something like this.”
     
    “Athena you have my permission to talk to her, I have to get my people organized. Try and stay safe sis, be excellent.”
     
    “Party on, sis. Now get moving, the rock will impact in less than two minutes.”
     
    I was now alone on the bridge except for the XO, Commander George, who refused to leave. At my signal he connected me to the Admiral. I planned to talk to her while steering the station toward the rock. Grabbing the engine controls with both hands I activated the medium power units. The console whined in response but the station did not move. I switched to full power, the vibration had returned. Holding the controls