Weightless Nientriar waited floating with the rest of the crew watching Aluminar orbit around them. Aluminar was halfway in a port that opened from the deck of the bridge. Within the port was a large blue crystal humming softly and Aluminar was reaching for it.
"Are you sure this will work?" Asked Nientriar nervously, not liking the way the elf kept spinning around him and the rest of his crew.
"It won't be enough for full capability, but it should be enough to stabilize the ship."
Master Aluminar freed the crystal and levitated himself out of the port it into the stablest part of the bridge. "This should give us the focus and Aethyr flow necessary to stabilize the ship and possibly a little forward thrust. However, we have to be very careful. If we overload the crystal, we'll have a recurrence of what happened in the crystal chamber."
Nientriar nodded. "So what do we have to do?"
"Form a ring around the crystal. We should have enough elves on the bridge to provide the necessary draw of Aethyr." The elves circled the crystal and clasped each others hand.
Aluminar continued with more instructions. "What I need you all to do is draw Aethyr through the crystal and direct it into the surrounding ship. The ship will absorb all the Aethyr you pour into it. As the flow of Aethyr increases, the ship's demand will as well. Eventually the ship will do all of the drawing itself. At that point break your link. The ship will continue to draw the Aethyr on its own. Are there any questions?"
No one asked any questions so Master Aluminar continued, "Let's begin."
Nientriar focused on the crystal and began grasping the threads of power from the surrounding Aethyr and channeled them through the crystal. As they passed through the crystal, the threads grew a thousandfold. The enlarged threads were then directed into the bulkhead and the Aethyr starved decking absorbed the energy hungrily.
The wooden decks, bulkheads, and overheads of the Glory began to vibrate under the load of Aethyr being poured into them. Nientriar soon found himself drawing more Aethyr through the crystal to keep up with the Glory's hunger.
(Okay break on three.) Ordered Aluminar. (One, two, three!) Nientriar released his hold with the rest of the elves at the same time and the ship continued to draw the Aethyr unto itself.
Nientriar looked to Master Aluminar for further instructions.
"Wing Master Nientriar could you notify the surviving crew to brace themselves. The Glory is drawing power on its own now and she has enough to stabilized her."
Nientriar nodded and opened his mind to the remaining crew members. (All hands, all hands, brace for shock.)
"Is all ready Thorak?" Asked Solinar.
(Everyone has been notified and they have taken their positions. We're ready to begin.)
"Tell Talikar and his elves to drop their shells."
(Will do.) Thorak opened his mind to Talikar and where empty Aethyr once existed forty elves and dragons popped into existence.
"What the hell. . ." Exclaimed Samuel. Adrius heard the exclamation and turned a curious eye in his direction. Too busy staring into his scope Samuel failed to notice Adrius' stare. "There it goes ag. . . Where did it go?"
"What is it Ensign Samuel?" Asked Adrius
Samuel pointed to an area on the edge of a green screen before him. "There was a strange blip here sir and then it disappeared." Samuel then pointed to a spot closer to the center of the screen. "The same blip then reappeared here, and disappeared again."
"Damn those elves!" Exclaimed Adrius. "They've been hiding on us! It's a trap! The enemy is behind us! Rerout the fighters! Bring us about!" Adrius then grabbed a microphone attached to his headset and spoke into it. "General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations!"
The bridge filled with activity. Humans on several consoles were rapidly flipping switches and pressing buttons. Commander Zachariah was spewing a rapid string of orders into the mouthpiece of his headset. The destroyer shuddered as it was forced into a hard turn.
(They're doing just as you expected Solinar.) Growled Thorak. (What is the next step?)
Solinar grinned as he watched the battle ships brought themselves about. An evil glint sparkled in his eyes. "Wait a little longer Thorak. Tell the others to prepare for battle."
(What about the starfighters we let go?)
"Can the dragons and elves back there handle them?"
(Let me check.) Replied Thorak then he went silent. A minute passed and his voice returned. (They said they could handle them.)
"Excellent tell them to destroy anything flying."
(WIll do.) Another moment of silence passed and Thorak's voice returned. (What about us?)
"Brace yourselves! I'm engaging stabilizers!"
The brawny elf lowered his hands over two crystals on his panel. He poured Aethyr into them and they began to glow red. The blue crystal filled the bridge with an azure light and a soft high pitched keen. A massive shift in the Aethyr blew across the bridge. The ship groaned, creaked and shuddered as she stabilized.
The Glory shuddered from prow to fantail as she was wrenched from the spin. The ship stabilized and gravity returned to the Glory. Master Aluminar fell back into his seat exhausted but happy.
Cheers from ragged voices made hoarse through tension burst from the crew. Nientriar got up from his seat and patted Master Aluminar on the back. "By the Aethyr you did it!"
Master Aluminar opened his mouth to thank Nientriar when a glint of silver caught his eye. His grin was replaced by a look of horror. "Wing Master the window!"
Nientriar snapped around and found star fighters charging the ship with lasers blasting. "Master Aluminar can we put up-" The deck heaved underneath Nientriar just as deep thunderous bursts shook the ship.
Master Aluminar understood Solinar's question, "Only if minimize the power to the stabilizers. Too much demand on the crystal will cause to grow unstable."
Nientriar dropped to a crouch as the ship continued to shudder under the lasers' impact. "Will it be enough to keep us stable?"
"It should, they won't keep us from drifting though."
Another shuddering blast struck the ship then all went silent. Nientriar ignored the pause, "How far are we from Dead Space?"
Master Tharier placed her hands on a violet crystal and drew Aethyr from it. "We are thirty Aethyr Leagues to the nearest junction of Aethyr and Dead Space."
Nientriar nodded. "We'll have to chance it. Do what you must Master Aluminar."
"This may take awhile Wing Master." Replied the elf as he turned to his panel.
"Get it together as fast as you can Aluminar. Without that globe we're target practice."
"I'll do my best Wing Master."
"That's all I can ask Dragon Master Aluminar." Nientriar then turned to a female elf with long white hair and pale blue eyes. "Doriana locate those cursed star fighters." Ordered Nientriar.
"I already have." Replied the elf. "They're retreating back to the destroyers." Cheers and hoots of joy filled the bridge.
"By the Aethyr!" Exclaimed Nientriar. "What could they be up to. Are there any more?"
Doriana looked into the violet crystal and replied. "None that I can locate."
Nientriar cursed and turned to Tsartharus. "Maybe it's time to call in the reinforcements."
Tsartharus shook his head. "Do you think that would be wise? We still haven't defeated that disrupter yet. What good could the reinforcements do us if they get zapped by that thing."
"Ensign Samuel can you locate the elves?" Asked Adrius.
"No sir. The only thing out there is the Dragon Carrier and the group that the star fighters are currently engaging."
"Have the other two destroyers found them? "
"No sir." Replied an ensign sitting by the window.
"They're hiding behind their black sorcery." Commented Adrius. "Well they won't be hiding for long. Engage the disrupter! Tell the other destroyers to do the same!"
"Aye, aye sir!" A dull hum ran through the ship and a wave of white light poured from the ship.
(Solinar I'm cutting off your Aethyr supply.)
"What! Thorak what . . . Oooooo." A sudden wave of nausea and weakness washed over Solinar just as he felt the only line to connecting him to the Aethyr being severed. "Thorak why are you doing this?"
(Sorry Solinar, I have to. The destroyers just fired the disrupters again. With your link to the Aethyr you would have been effected by the blast. In your weakened condition it may have even kiled you.)
"What about the others?"
(We all saw it coming and aside from being sick and weak all elves are fine.)
"What about the elves Talikar was leading?"
(They were warned but I haven't heard anything from them.)
"Will the shell work?"
(Do you feel anything?)
"Aside from suffocating, no."
(Sorry Solinar I had to do it. Just relax and don't exert yourself. The disrupter wave is passing over as we speak. It'll soon be over and I'll be able open up a connection to the Aethyr for you.)
With his head still reeling Solinar lowered himself onto Thorak's back. "The Aethyr doesn't remain disrupted does it."
(You noted that too?)
Drowsiness weighed down on Solinar like a heavy hand dragging him into slumber. "Yes I did. Do you have more of an explanation?"
(The disrupter works by firiing a wave of energy that disrupts the Aethyr. As the wave passes all the Aethyr it passes through as well as the Aethyr surrounding it gets disrupted. Once the wave passes the Aethyr begins to right itself. )
Unable to control his eyes Solinar let them close. "How much longer do I have . . . " FInally Solinar succombed to sleep.
(Just a few- Solinar. Solinar wake up!) Thorak snapped his body and jarred Solinar back into the waking world.
"Wha. . . what happened. . ."
(You fell asleep. Hang on a little longer Solinar. I'll reconnect you in a minute.)
"I feel so sleepy Thorak. I need the Aethyr."
(Hold on just a little longer Solinar.)
Adrius looked out the front window and found nothing. "Ensign Samuel have you found anything?"
"Nothing sir. It looks like the star fighters will have the one group we did find dispatched shortly. No new sightings to report sir."
"They must be gone." Commented Adrius. "Turn the ship about and once again focus on the dragon carrier. Tell the other two ships to do so as well. Send four squadrons against the dragon carrier."
"Aye,aye sir replied Larrington."
(Okay Solinar the wave has passed. I'm opening a conduit now.)
Barely on the edge of consciousness and ready to succomb to sleep Solinar suddendly felt a rage of energy flow into his body. Like a rising sun Solinar shook off the cobwebs of drowsiness and seethed with energy. "Oh, thank the Aethyr" Exclaimed Solinar as he sat up and stretched.
(How are you feeling Solinar?)
"Much better Thorak. How are the rest faring?"
(Everybody has recovered. But I fear the destroyers are turning around again.)
"By the Aethyr!" Cursed Solinar. We have to stop them and stop them now before they come to bear on the Glory."
(What do you propose?)
"Tell Somtaris to gather a make shift pack and take them to the ship on the left flank. Designate another elf pack leader and tell him to gather a pack. Tell him to take his pack to the ship on the right flank. Gather for me another pack and tell them to follow me to the destroyer in the center."
(What about the elves on the other side of the destroyers?)
"Designate enough leaders and tell them to form as many packs as they can. Tell them to attack the destroyers from the rear on my order."
(Will do.) Replied Throak.
Nientriar looked out the window nervously not far off he could see the three detroyers glinting in the distant starlight. "Report!"
The elf Nientriar assigned to maintain an ongoing damage report replied. "It's not good sir. The hull has breaches on both port and starboard sides. There is a massive hole where the crystal room once was, It looks like the entire room was Aethyrized."
"That was done during the initial blast right?"
"Yes."
"What new damage is there."
"There were additional breaches blasted into both port and starbord sides. Repair crews are doing all they can to keep us together, but I'm afriad it won't take much more and we'll fall apart."
"By the Aethyr!" Cursed Nientriar. "Dragon Master Aluminar, how is the work on the globe coming?"
"I think its ready. However this is rather a slap together job. The crystal could crack."
"Well we'll be dead if we don't get the globe anyway. Engage it now!"
"Aye, aye Wing Master." Thalisar ran hands over various crystals. "Here she goes!" Announced Aluminar.
A high pitched keen filled the bridge as the blue crystal was forced to channel more Aethyr. The crystal began to vibrate erratically and it started turning a shade of red.
"Wing Master, she's straining. I think the globe may be too much for it."
Nientriar looked at the destroyers nervously. "Can we help it?"
"Focus a ring around it!"
"You heard him!" Shouted Nientriar to the crew on the bridge. "Circle the crystal and give it a hand!"
Elves gathered around the crystal and joined hands. Once the ring was complete they added their own extensions of the Aethyr to the crystal. The crystal's color changed back to blue.
"That's it!" Cried Thalisar who stayed out of the ring to man the controls. "The Globe is engaged!"
The elves in the ring swayed on their feet under the strain of the crystal's demand. A cool breeze rustled though the bridge and a glittering globe of Aethyr encased the Glory.
(Everybody is in position Solinar.)
"Then attack!"
Thorak belllowed out an earth shaking roar and seventy-one dragons appeared out of nowhere and exhaled a deadly black cloud that turned everything it touched to Aethyr.
"There they are Captain!" Exclaimed Samuel as the dragons appeared.
"Damn those elves! Attack!" Ordered Adrius.
Starfighters screamed into action and the first rank fell straight into the black fog. None came out. The cloud faded and the star fighters bore down on the dragons.
Thorak dove to the left and a laser bolt meant for Solinar's head seared past barely a hair's breadth above him. Thorak twisted to the right and dropped below a starfighter. Once he was beneath the fighter Thorak exhaled. From Thorak's throat rolled a vaporous black fog. The ship, unable to stop flew straight into the fog and never came out. It was Aethyrized.
Before Thorak could pull out of his dive another craft was racing towards him with lasers blasting. He twisted but not fast enough. A bolt grazed him and he bellowed in rage. Directly below a second craft had blasted another dragon away.
Solinar swore bitterly. "Damn! There goes another elf. We can't be losing elf-power like this. There'll nobody left to destroy the disrupter's. The reinforcements will arrive and be blasted away like us!"
(Solinar look what's mounted on the bow of the ship!) Bellowed Thorak.
Solinar looked in the direction Thorak suggested. Before them loomed the central destroyer with its three giant prongs pointing directly at them. Mounted underneath the central prong was a massive satellite dish.
As they drew closer to the destroyer Solinar heard a high pitched hum. "That's it Thorak! That's same sound I heard just before I got zapped in the briefing room. That big dish is our target! Relay the message to the other dragons."
Another starfighter rushed up from below. Thorak dove to the right just as a second starfighter filled the space they vacated with laser bolts. (Getting close enough to destroy it will be a challenge. Those fighters are guarding that thing like their mother!) He exhaled and engulfed an onrushing fighter with his breath. The fighter faded away from existence.
Thorak dove once again as two more fighters came at him from above. Laser blots flew and he twisted to the left then right allowing bolts to sear by. (Solinar I've notified the dragons. They are converging on the dishes.)
Solinar ducked low as a laser bolt seared above his head. "Thanks Thor-" A second laser bolt seared right below his nose forcing him to fall onto his back in surprise.
Thorak swung his tail in a devastating arch smashing the star fighter to bits. (How do we get close enough to destroy it?") In the return arch he clipped the wing of a second fighter sending it spinning off into open Aethyr.
"Can you generate a shield to defelct the laser fire?" Solinar ducked again as another bolt seared past his right ear.
(It can withstand some fire but at this intensity it would only last for five minutes.) Thorak exhaled releasing another devastating cloud that aethyrized two fighters at once.
Solinar leaned far to the right aiding Thorak in another dodging maneuver. "What would happen after the five minutes?" Solinar buried his face into Thorak's mane just as two more bolts seared by above him.
Thorak dropped from his point in Aethyr just as two star fighters released simultaneous blasts at him. They destroyed each other. (The shield would collapse and we'd both receive the brunt of the laser fire.)
Thorak plowed head first into another starfighter and tore a dragon sized hole into the left wing. The craft exploded behind him.
Solinar watched the black cloud fade away and nothing but empty Aethyr remained of the fighters. "Contact the rest of the dragons and have them line up on either side of us." Three fighters from below and two from above closed in on Solinar and Thorak.
Thorak relayed the message then charged for the two fighters from above. Before he could reach them they became encased in a black cloud and disappeared. The three craft met the same fate as Solinar's pack closed in around him.
Thirteen of the original nineteen dragons dodged laser fire and lined up on either side of Solinar. Once the pack was in formation Solinar relayed the rest of his plans to Thorak. "Tell the other dragons to invoke their globes of protection." Thorak relayed the message and globes of multicolored light encased each of the thirteen dragons.
Lasers continued to rain down on Solinar but now the shield absorbed the impact. "Thorak now I want you and the other dragons to make a wall of breath. Rotate from seven dragons to six dragons. At the same time, in formation charge the destroyer." More laser rained down as Thorak relayed then the dragons began to breath.
In the first onslaught of dragon breath seven fighters were taken out. The dragons charged the destroyer alternately breathing and resting in formation while their shields absorbed the laser fire.
Captain Adrius leaped from his chair. "What the hell are they doing!"
Outside a line of dragons slowly approached the destroyer in spite of the mass laser fire pounding down on them. Anything that got in their way was instantly aethyrized.
"Commander Larrington! Order the fighters to break this phalanx! Raise the sheilds!"
The anxious sound of erratic breathing filled the bridge of the Glory. A scintillating grey globe enclosed the ship and laser bolts could be seen bouncing off it into the Aethyr.
(Aluminar is it safe to release the ring? We can't take much more of this strain.)
(I'm afraid not, if a single elf falls it. . .)
A young Elven woman freshly recruited to fill a post collapsed under the strain of power being drawn through her. Her loss increased the load on the remaining elves and one by one like dominoes they began to fall. To overloaded to do anything but concentrate Nientriar focused all his will into supporting the ring but as the elves fell away even he couldn't stand up to the load and with a splitting headache he fell from the circle.
Left to it's own power the blue crystal once again began to turn red under the strain. The scintillating globe that encased the ship in it's protection began to fade.
As he fell to the deck Nientriar looked up toward the window and what he saw turned his face white.
Just as the destroyer came within breath range another elf fell to laser fire. Solinar swore again as their number fell to eleven.
Captain Adrius sat in his chair and watched eleven dragons come racing towards him in spite of the relentless laser power raining down on them. Fearing the worst he screamed. "Get us the hell-"
With a horrible shreik the deck below the captain ripped open. Massive jaws came up through the breach and closed around the captain ripping his body to shreds. Dragon fear took hold and people froze in their seats under sheer terror. Thorak spit out Captain Adrian's remains and breathed on the ceiling above. Steel squealed in protest onced again then turned to Aethyr. Thorak flew into the open Aethyr beyond. From the hole Thorak first entered a cloud of black fog rolled into the bridge and filled it. In its wake nothing remained but empty Aethyr.
Boom! Crack! Another laser bolt struck the Glory shaking her to the keel. The red crystal which had returned to it's natural blue state after the load of the globe was removed fell from the bottom of the ship as another hole was ripped into the hull.
Groan . . . creak . . . snap. The entire ship lurched to the right throwing Captain Nientriar into free float. Crack! . . . Crash! The forward window shattered as a laser bolt seared straight through it and struck the far wall.
The Glory lurched backwards slamming Nientriar onto its hard splintered deck. Boom! another bolt struck the rear of the Glory causing her to lurch forward with enough force to launch Tsartharus out the broken window. As he tumbled from the ship another laser streaked by and severed him in half.
Nientriar began to float toward the gaping hole. He scrabbled desperately with bloodied hands for anything that would stop his drift. His hands grasped something soft and warm and his drifting ceased. He looked down to stare straight into the vacant gaze of Timior. Through the elf's chest protruded a jagged shard of glass imbedded into the wooden floor of the ship. Nientriar stared at the pale face with benumbing horror. The ship ceased its movement and Nientriar grasped a haginging timber to bring himself up right.
Nientriar turned to look out the gaping remains of the widow and he saw the Aethyr ripple. A faint spark of hope sprung to life.
Blood trickled into Nientriar's eyes as he guided his drifting body toward the open window. He reached the forward most console and wiped away the blood. His vision cleared allowing him to see another dragon carrier appear in front of the Glory. "Thank the Aethyr we're saved!"
Unfortunately no one else on the bridge was able to share his relief.
Solinar and the three remaining elves of his pack flew above the battle to get a larger perspective of it. One of the remaining elves pointed off in the distance and Solinar followed the direction with his eyes.
The Aethyr around the Glory had begun to ripple and fill with a blinding white light. When the light faded two Dragon Carriers flanked the Glory. From them burst a new host of dragons fully rested and ready for battle. Too tired to cheer Solinar let the other elves do it for him. He just smiled weakly and surveyed the rest of the carnage.
The three destroyers were smoking ruins and the number of starfiighters had dropped drastically. The enemy was forming up its ragged squadrons and preparing for a final offensive. The remainder of the Glory's forces regained hope with the arrival of the reinforcements and forrmed up into packs. They turned their fury on the destroyers and remaining fighters. Soon they had the fighters under control and the destroyers Aethyrized. Once the last star fighter was dipatched and the destroyers Aethyrized Solinar ordered the elves of the Glory to follow him back to the smoking ruin that was formerly the Glory. Of the three hundred and eighty dragons serving the Glory only fifty remained.
The Aethyr was cleared and the Glory was towed back to Oriana. Repairs were undertaken immediately and the Glory was Aethyr ready in three years.
Solinar and Nientriar were promoted. Nientriar was reassigned to defense in Oriana and retired shortly after. Solinar took command of the Glory and served for many years after.
