The silence on the bridge of the Conqueror's Star was thick, broken only by the hum of systems and the beeping of consoles. The xeno fleet, resembling a swarm of metallic sea creatures, had completed its turn. Their hulls, biomorphic in shape and chitinous in color, shimmered under the binary star's light.
"They are locking on, Commander," Nova announced, her fingers flying over her control panel. "Weapon signatures charging."
"Damn it, battle formation!" ordered Julius, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. "All vessels, forward shields! Ready the missile launchers!"
Data turned to him, his golden eyes impassive. "Commander, I recommend caution. Our first contact protocols advise assessment before any hostile action. We possess no data on their intentions or level of communication."
"Data," growled Julius, his eyes riveted on the enemy formation beginning to advance. "In this universe, almost everyone, really almost everyone, wants to kill you or turn you into a slave. Trust is a luxury we cannot afford."
He had barely finished his sentence when a viscous green flash erupted from the largest xeno ship, a true Leviathan of shell-like appearance. The beam struck the shield of the nearest Battlecruiser with a deafening crack of energy. The Terran ship lurched violently, alarms screaming on the bridge.
BOOM 💥
"Shields at 78%!" cried a control officer.
Then came the deluge. A volley of luminous biological projectiles and acidic energy beams rained down on Julius's fleet.
BOOM 💥 BOOM 💥
The Valkyries' shields shimmered under the impact. A Wraith, too slow to maneuver, was vaporized by a concentrated beam.
"WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!" roared Julius, rising from his throne, his blue helmet radiating contained fury. "RETURN FIRE! IMMEDIATE RETURN FIRE!"
The Conqueror's Star roared in response. Its heavy laser batteries spat lances of blue energy, tearing through the chitinous hull of a xeno cruiser. The Valkyries, like angry hornets, launched their swarms of micro-missiles that saturated the enemy ships' defenses, causing them to explode in showers of organic fragments and molten metal.
"Raynor, flank them on the left! Tosh, I want you to saturate their sensors with psionic interference! Data, coordinate concentrated fire on their mothership!"
The bridge became organized chaos. Julius's orders flew, relayed instantly by Data. The Battlecruisers thundered with their Yamato Cannons, each shot carving gaping craters into the xeno Leviathan. Raynor, from the bridge of a Battlecruiser, led a charge of Valkyries that shredded the enemy's flanks.
Suddenly, a strident alarm blared. A swarm of xeno fighters, fast and agile, had broken through the barrage and was heading straight for the Conqueror's Star's bridge.
"They're targeting the bridge!" Nova announced.
Without hesitation, Julius closed his eyes, his helmet amplifying his concentration. The Gamma power within him unleashed. He extended his hands, and a shield of pure psychic energy, visible as a wave of violet heat, formed in front of the large viewport. The xeno fighters, unable to brake, crashed against this invisible barrier, exploding in a series of muffled BOOM 💥 that shook the ship.
"Main cannon! Fire!" he screamed, sweat beading on his forehead.
The "Braveheart's Fury" of the flagship charged, draining monstrous energy. A beam of particles of blinding purity, wider than an avenue, crossed space and struck the xeno mothership head-on. There was no explosion, but a dissolution. The Leviathan disintegrated silently, atomized by the power of the shot.
The fighting stopped abruptly. The remaining xeno ships, disoriented, began to retreat in chaotic disorder.
The bridge of the Conqueror's Star was filled with smoke and the crackle of damaged consoles. Julius slumped back into his throne, panting.
"Target neutralized, Commander," reported Data, as calm as if commenting on the weather. "The enemy fleet is in rout."
"You were right, Data," he finally admitted, his voice low. "We might have been able to establish contact. But in this universe, a misjudgment is paid for in blood. Today, it was theirs that flowed. Next time, it could be ours. Now, secure the system. And everyone, stand ready. This was only the beginning