Real time starcommander.., p.1
Real-Time Starcommander: A Strategy Gamelit Novel, page 1
Real-Time Star Commander
A Strategy Gamelit Novel
Tracy Gregory
P.W Hillard Fiction
Copyright © 2021 P.W Hillard Fiction
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
A message from the Author
Aether Knight Sample - Chapter One
Chapter One
Beams of deadly energy crashed against the hulls of the forward line, the explosions forming a wall of nuclear fire. They had done their jobs, missiles launched towards the enemy fleet moments before the destructive fusillade had landed. It was a pyrrhic victory, but the fleet would take whatever small wins it could. The entire right flank was being pushed back, losing against a squadron half their number. It wasn’t looking good.
“Order the second wave to move into firing range.” Esselax, like all Kirrans, stuck to the plan. The enemy was erratic, unpredictable, undisciplined. Esselax was sure, as all the commanders before him had been, that following the order of battle would win the day. Kirran tactics had thousands of years behind them, they could not fail. “They are to begin firing as soon as able.”
“Yes, Commander,” Augrax said, her hands plunging into the holotank. The silvery liquid was malleable, tiny depictions of starships rising from its surface. The substance responded to her thoughts, transmitting the orders to the second wave. On the surface of the tank, the ships began to slide forward like they were toys. “Ships are moving into position now.”
“Good. Good.” Esselax turned in his chair to face his other adjunct. The command chamber was small, but in Esselax’s opinion perfectly formed. A commander and two adjuncts were all that was needed to control the fleet. There had been a push several centuries ago to cut the crew down to just the commander themselves, but the uproar at changing tradition had put a stop to that nonsense. “What are the results of the missile barrage?”
Irrinix turned in his chair, tugging nervously at his collar, sweat pouring down his teal skin. “Well, Commander, the enemy formation shifted. The smaller ships behind the front line have moved ahead and are engaging the missiles at range. Current predictions are for…no missiles, to get through.”
“No missiles?”
“None, Commander.”
Esselax gritted his teeth. It was another example of the enemy’s disregard for the proper way of engaging in combat. Traditionally each fleet would send waves at one another, each subsequent group a larger class of ship. This lasted until one side was destroyed or chose to withdraw. Mixing ship classes in this way was infuriating.
“The second wave is within firing range now, Commander,” Augrax said. “They are opening fire.”
“Good. Perhaps this will teach these barbarians a lesson on proper battle etiquette.”
***
The second wave blasted through space, their engines propelling them directly towards the enemy line. The opposing force had shifted again, the smaller ships that had shot down the missile swarm retreating behind their larger brethren. The ships of the second wave didn't care, their AI following the orders given to them from the command ship exactly as they had been inputted. As they reached the edge of their effective weapons range, the second wave opened fire.
Lances of energy blasted from their prows; each ship armed with a powerful spinally mounted particle cannon. Space ahead of them became a storm of destructive power, the beams crashing down on the enemy ships at the front of the formation like rain. The enemy kept coming. Blasts sheared off vast chunks of armour, and massive gashes were cut into hulls, but they didn’t stop.
The second wave continued their barrage, firing as fast as their cannons would cycle. Each ship targeted the nearest enemy, their firepower divided nearly evenly across the enemy's front. Yet still the line kept coming, shrugging off their wounds like they were mere scratches.
The formation behind the advancing front shifted again. Hundreds of new stars appeared as ships opened fire, launching bolts of searing plasma through the gaps in the line. The shots struck the second wave, blasting ships to scrap and atoms as they continued to doggedly fire on the front of the enemy fleet.
Moments later it was over, the second wave obliterated in their entirety. They had claimed only four enemy vessels in exchange, a negligible amount when the enemy fleet currently numbered thousands. The fleet continued its advance, pushing deep into the centre of the lines.
***
Esselax was furious. The enemy wasn’t playing by the rules. He knew the battle was lost now. The right flank was almost completely destroyed, whilst his remaining forces weren’t enough to defeat the fleet bearing down on him without the first two waves softening them up.
“What’s the status on the constructors?” Esselax knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it anyway.
“The enemy fleet has cut us off from our resource routes. We don’t have the minerals to restart the constructors. There will be no reinforcements, Commander,” Augrax said. Her hands were still deep in the holotank, the psychically active substance ready to receive more commands. “Should I send in the third wave?”
Esselax considered it for a moment. He only had two more waves remaining, and whilst they were his largest and most powerful ships, the enemy fleet now outnumbered him. Esselax already knew that they would simply shift their tactics again, bringing forward the counter to his assault. It was obvious in hindsight that the second wave had come up against vessels designed to take a beating whilst the rest of the fleet attacked from relative safety. It both impressed and sickened him in equal measure. For the first time in his life, Esselax considered the possibility that his peoples' millennia-old tactics were no longer good enough.
“Launch the third wave,” he said finally, an agonising moment passing as he considered his options. Esselax had cast all doubt from his mind, mentally chastising himself for thinking that the plan was fallible. It would work, it always had.
***
The building exploded, metal flying outwards in a shower of shrapnel. Evan allowed himself a small fist pump as the victory screen appeared. It had been a new tactic, the build order not as practised as he would have liked, but it had gotten him the win anyway. It helped that the enemies scouting was weak, and he had identified their second base long before they spotted his. Hit and run attacks had let him get ahead on resources, his new build order designed to rush towards the fast-moving buggies specifically for that purpose.
The swing in resource generation had let Evan build a third base first, further compounding the difference in incomes. He clicked through the various endgame charts, the swing in resources evident from the disparity in the graphs. That was the secret to doing well in Evan’s mind, mastering the economy of the game.
A message flashed up in the corner of his screen. “GG,” it said.
Evan tapped at his keyboard, returning the sentiment. It was the polite thing to do. It hadn’t really been a good game, it was over the moment Evan had the third base built, but his opponent didn’t need to know that. They probably didn’t think it was either, at Evans level he had no doubts his opponent was already watching the reply to see what they had done wrong. It’s what Evan would have done.
He exited the match and opened the ranking window. The win had bumped him up a few places, but not quite enough to push him into the next league. Evan sighed. He was in platinum league but was always just off making it into diamond. That was where all the pro teams recruited from. The line denoting the different leagues taunted him. It felt like a literal barrier to success, always just out of reach.
“Close, but not close enough,” Evan said to himself. He reached across his desk and picked up his can, only to sigh loudly when he realised it was empty. “Of course.”
Evan stood up and made the short walk across his small flat to the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge, the seal slurping as the door swung wide. The inside was bare, Evan's day-long attempt at pushing up the league eradicating his supply of cans. There was a worrying lack of anything else, the shelves empty, dull yellow light cascading off them from the fridge's solitary bulb.
“Shops it is then.” Evan shut the fridge door and walked back into the living room. He slipped his feet into his shoes, threw his jacket on and scooped up his keys from his desk. Moments later he was out the door of his flat and walking down the staircase to the bottom of the building.
***
The doors to the shop slid open, the electronic bell announcing Evan’s presence. He had spent more time in the tiny corner shop than he would have liked to
“Good evening, Evan,” said the man behind the counter. He hadn’t looked up from the newspaper he was reading.
“Evening, Mr Patel.” Evan grabbed a basket from by the door and headed straight towards the drinks aisle. He dropped several cans of cola into the bright yellow plastic container and began to walk towards the till. Evan stopped at the chiller and took a prepacked sandwich, cheese and pickle, adding it to the basket.
“How did you know it was me?” He said as he placed the basket on the checkout.
“Oh, cameras,” Mr Patel said, folding his newspaper and putting it down beside him. To his right, beneath the desk, was a bank of black and white monitors older than Evan. “Though I could have guessed. It’s usually you at this hour. Hah! I am like you and my son, watching little people move on the computer in your space controller or whatever it’s called.”
“Star Commander,” Evan said. He knew the shopkeeper was teasing him. Star Commander was a smash hit, generating a considerable e-sports scene in record time. Evan tried to avoid coming into the shop when Mr Patel’s son, Sandeep, was working. He was only bronze league, and whilst Evan and Sandeep were the same age, the shopkeeper’s son would constantly badger Evan for advice like a child.
“They should make a shop commander, maybe then Sandeep would take working here more seriously.” Mr Patel laughed to himself. “That's six-pound forty-five, please.”
“Six forty-five? Tell me why I keep coming here again?”
“Because we're the only ones around here who stock the cola you like. I have to import this from Pakistan, you know? It's not cheap.”
“Fair enough,” Evan said, tapping his phone to the card reader. There was the familiar bing that told him the payment had gone through. Mr Patel wasn't wrong. The first case of cola had come in with a palette of foods Mr Patel had bought to remind himself of his youth and had kept ordering it just for Evan. It had an aftertaste that was hard to pin down, but Evan liked it better than any other brand.
“Off to command more stars now?” Mr Patel handed Evan a plastic bag, the cans and sandwich tucked neatly inside
“Something like that.”
“You know my Sandeep keeps badgering me to ask you to play with him. Hang on…” The shopkeeper dug about beneath the desk. “Ah, here it is. Says to give you this?”
Evan took the slip of paper being offered. A username had been scrawled across it. The Deepster.
“I'll see if I can add him,” Evan said. It was a lie. He didn't have time to teach someone else and try to break into diamond. “Have a good night, Mr Patel.”
The chill of the night hit Evan as he stepped out of the shop. He could see his breath, thin wispy clouds trailing from his lips and out into the November air. The shop was technically right next to Evan’s block of flats, located on the street directly behind it. Getting to it meant either walking the long way around or cutting through the dark alley that ran alongside the block.
Normally Evan would have followed the pavements, sticking to the safety of the streetlights. Tonight though, the cold was getting to him, his thin jacket providing little protection. Eager to get back into the warm, he stepped into the darkness of the alley, the shadows within making it look like an all-consuming black hole.
Cans rattled within the bag as Evan made his way down the alley. There wasn’t anyone there, at least not anyone he could see. He thought there was movement deeper within but was relieved to see a cat run past his legs.
“Jumpy today, Evan,” he said. “Maybe you should lay off all the caffeine.”
“Hey,” said a voice behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder.
Evan spun around, swinging the carrier bag like a flail. It crashed into the person behind them, knocking them to the ground with a thud.
“Ow, what the hell, Evan! What was that for?”
The voice was familiar now. It was Sandeep. He groaned and held the side of his head, his form barely visible in the darkness.
“Jesus, don’t sneak up on someone like that.” Evan extended a hand and helped Sandeep to his feet.
“I wasn't sneaking! I heard your voice in the shop from the flat upstairs and I wanted to make sure my dad gave you my Star Commander username,” Sandeep said. He was clutching the side of his face; it was still throbbing from the impact.
“He did. The Deepster? Really?”
“Yeah? I’ve had that online handle since I was fourteen.”
“That explains it then,” Evan said. He squinted. There was a tiny blue light, no bigger than a pinprick, on Sandeep's shoulder. Another appeared, then another, appearing faster and faster until there were hundreds of them. “What are these lights?”
“The blue ones? You're covered in them.” There were thousands of lights now, covering both men. In unison they looked upwards, trying to track the source.
Something was moving above them. A faint outline barely visible in the night sky. It looked like a massive object made of glass, light shimmering around its edges. In the centre, there was a blue glow, the source of the lights illuminating Evan and Sandeep.
“What the hell is-”
Evan didn’t get to finish his sentence. There was a brilliant flash of light, a beam pulsing out from the bottom of the object, following the blue motes like they were guiding it. When the light cleared both men had vanished, only a plastic carrier bag filled with cans spilling out onto the floor evidence they had once been present.
***
It took a moment for Evan’s vision to return. The light had been blinding as it had washed over him. There had been a strange sensation, a twisting in his stomach almost like being in an elevator moving too quickly. He had felt hands upon him, cold metal clicking into place around his wrists.
He wasn’t in the alleyway anymore. He was inside a hexagonal room, the walls a pristine white. Above was a massive light with multiple bulbs, though they were switched off currently. Several machines beeped loudly in tones unfamiliar to Evan's ears. Along one wall was a row of hovering images, like holograms from a movie.
The most startling feature of the room was its occupants. There were two of them, each vastly different from the other. They were both humanoid, two arms and two legs. One had sky blue skin, their head dominated by a pair of enormous oval eyes, each pitch black in colour. The other could have passed for a human woman, were it not for the collection of bright orange tentacles where her hair should be. They said something to each other in a language that Evan didn't understand.
“What the hell is this?” Evan said, trying to stand. He realised that he had been restrained to the chair. The strange creatures released more gibberish as they approached him. “Stay away from me!”
In the hands of the blue one was an odd bulbous device, forged of black metal and covered in spine-like ridges. It wasn't that which was worrying Evan, it was the long pointed needle protruding from one end.
The creature approached, raising one hand as if to calm Evan. It pressed the needle to his arm, the point sliding into his flesh easily. It stung as something slithered from inside the twitching organic-looking half through the tip of the needle.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” The creature said. It tossed the device onto a nearby tray, the sack attached to the needle now deflated. “You can understand me now, yes?”
“Where…where am I?” Evan didn’t understand. The creature was opening its lips and odd noises were coming out, but he knew what they meant, every word crystal clear.
“You are aboard the Yuushan, a Kirran Hegemony starship. I am Tolax, this is Nira.”
The woman with the headful of tentacles waved, one of her extra appendages doing the same.
“What did you do to me?”
“We gave you a shot of adaptive nanomachines. They're fusing to your brain and nervous system as we speak. Language translation is one of the first things they switch on, but in a few days, you'll be able to interface with our systems and technology.” Tolax smiled, revealing a row of human-looking teeth. They looked wrong when paired with his massive eyes. “You should consider yourself lucky, you're one of the first humans ever to receive this treatment.”
