Free Chroniech! by Doug Farren Page A

Chroniech
     
    The probe proved to be exceptionally difficult to catch. It was fast, highly maneuverable, and easily avoided the gravity mines that had been deployed to force the probe into normal space.
    Ships under faster than light drive were technically not in normal space but existed within a miniature universe of their own. In order to engage in combat or, such as in the case of the probe, to be attacked, the ship had to drop out of stardrive. The best way to force a ship back into normal space was through the use of a gravity mine. This was usually a high-speed FTL-capable drone that carried a short-lived but extremely powerful gravity field generator.
    The idea was to activate the generator close enough to the target so that the disruption of space caused an instability in the drive fields of the target thus forcing it out of stardrive and back into normal space. Even though the drones were technically not a mine, the technology to force a starship back into normal space was originally incorporated in an actual mine and so the name stuck.
    The alien probe made it to within two million kilometers of the Dragon before a gravity mine finally got close enough and forced the probe out of stardrive. Before the probe could move away from the area of warped space, a Tholtaran destroyer had locked on and obliterated it. The probe, however, had sent back enough data for its makers to act upon.
     
    Eight light years away, a group of warships had been leisurely making their way back home when the first report from the probe had arrived. The fleet had stopped as more information was obtained. Following the probe's destruction a communications link was established with their central base.
    "You are certain of the identity of the ship?" the base command asked.
    "Yes," replied the ship's captain. "The description has been faithfully preserved. The enemy are in possession of a ship of the ancients. The design matches within tolerance. We must act."
    The base commander considered the information then asked, "What information do you have on the strength of their fleet."
    The captain consulted a nearby screen and replied, "One large dreadnought of considerable size accompanied by nine ships of a class inferior to ours."
    The base commander considered this for a moment. The captain's fleet consisted of five heavy warships; no match for the superior firepower available to the enemy. Reluctantly he came to a decision. "We had not planned to engage their military yet and I am certain that we should not do so unless we have a decided advantage. I will inform Prime of the situation. Additional ships will be dispatched to your location to reclaim what is ours. Until then, deploy probes to monitor the activities of the enemy and move the fleet closer. Keep me informed of any changes."
    The communications link closed. Within minutes several warships that had been heading toward another Alliance outpost altered course. The captain's fleet began to move and additional probes were launched.
     
    * * * * *
     
    "Here comes another one!" exclaimed Scarboro. He was on the bridge to observe the extraction of the stasis chamber from the alien ship which was about to begin. During the last three hours the Alliance fleet had intercepted and destroyed four of the annoying probes. This would be the fifth one.
    Stricklen was worried. He had discussed their situation with Trisk at length and found the Tholtaran to be an arrogant fool. Ken pointed out that the probes had to be coming from an alien fleet which was very close, probably just beyond their detector range. He also believed that they were of the same race that had attacked Mintaka.
    Stricklen wanted to send out several probes of their own in an attempt to locate the enemy ships. Trisk had disagreed, stating he needed his probes to maintain the defense perimeter. He felt his ship was powerful enough to ward off any attack and he refused to ask sector command for additional ships despite Stricklen's