Chapter 3

"We are 30 seconds from the hyperspace drop-out point, sir."

"Great, now we'll see if the Kadesh have forgiven us for what we did on our return to Hiigara. But if they haven't, we'd better be able to get out of there pretty damn fast. Set a rendezvous point about 30 light-years outside the nebula, and then transmit those coordinates to our escort, in case of an emergency, understood?" the captain replied, with a deep, strong voice that suggested his many years of service in the Hiigarain Navy.

"Yes sir."

Captain Kiji joined the Hiigarain Navy about 20 years ago and graduated along side General Kiirt in the academy. Though Kiji is only a year younger than the general and has as much, if not more, battle experience. The only reason the captain hasn't made general by now is because he took about a year of leave when his wife died in a tragic accident. A Sensor Array was struck by a micrometeorite and crashed into the newly built city of Tiir, hundreds died in that accident. He is still very cautious when he is in command of any vessels that pass anywhere near an asteroid region.

"3…2…1…" As the Contact Fleet, as the crewmen have come to call this flight, reverted back to real-space, sensors immediately detected 2 Needle Motherships, which were common among the nebula, as they belonged to the Kadeshi.

"Attention Kadeshi Motherships, this is the carrier, the Blue Nebula, and we are in need of some assistance. We were wondering if you could spare us a few squadrons of Swarmers and maybe a small fleet of Multi-Beam Frigates."

After a minute there was the heavly-accented voice that filled the bridge of the mighty carrier.

"Why do you require the assistance of the Protectors of the Garden?"

"Our mission is to seek out and destroy a hidden shipyard. After we finally found it we did a sensors scan, and found the station is too heavily defended for our fleet to successfully engage."

"What would we gain out of this situation?"

"Um, if you do not help us the Tiiadani forces are in a direct alignment to stage a major assault on your nebula. If you do not give us your assistance now, none of us will stand a chance in later battles."

"… We need some time to consider your request. We will return, and give you an answer in 24 standard hours," and with that, the 2 massive ships were engulfed in the swirling blues of hyperspace.

Two hours later Captain Kiji contacted General Sjet to update him on the Kadesh situation. Also, the captain wanted to ask his commanding officer a question that has been bugging him ever since he was assigned to command the Contact Fleet.

"So that's what will happen, sir," Soban explained.

"Huh… okay, you will stay there until the Kadeshi return. At which time you will accept whatever they give us. If they do not offer anything then you will bargain with them to get whatever you can. Understood?"

"Yes sir. But I had a thought, when the Mothership was in the supernova, wasn't there too much radiation for strike craft to fly in combat?"

"Yes there was. But rumors are going around parts of the galaxy saying that, though the Kadeshi Swarmers are fairly fragile, they have developed an effective radiation shield and have incorporated it into their capital ships, as well as their strike craft. But those rumors are unconfirmed. Either way Swarmers are very resistant to the radiation doses we would be getting," answered General Kiirt.

The next day, exactly 24 hours after the initial contact, the 2 Kadeshi Needle Motherships returned, but with 5 Multi-Beam Frigates, and 6 Fuel Pods. Four of which were carrying a full load of 6 Swarmers. And the other two carried a load of Advanced Swarmers. They were granted to us just long enough to complete the mission, and for all of the Swarmers to dock with the Fuel Pods. After that, all Kadeshi ships would hyperspace back to the safety of their nebula. That was exactly what the general told Kiji to do.

As the Kadeshi ships formed up on the Blue Nebula all 17 vessels were swallowed by the blue, quantum wave fronts of hyperspace. It took them actually 27 hours, instead of 24 hours, to reach the rest of our fleet due to the slightly slower Kadeshi version of the Hyperspace Induction Module. But in any case we made it back to the Khar-Toba II, and to our powerful, yet relatively small fleet.