The Guardians
Escape across Tirgonia
by
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THE GUARDIANS - ESCAPE ACROSS TIRGONIA
The three primary Guardian outposts along the Agreed Zone, which separated the Guardian Democratic Republic from the Tirgonia Independent Empire, are suddenly and savagely attacked. The years of peace enjoyed by the Guardians ends with what the Tirgonians believe to be the complete annihilation of the foremost nemesis of the Empire.
Initially the only Guardians known to have survived the devastation are on long range patrol duty, known as a Probe, from the Capricorn Seven outpost. As the five ships of Probe Red return, the pilots find little that can be used. Shortly after their return the leader of the Probe, Lieutenant Commander Gandle Hoppinzorinski, received a distress call from survivors. Probe Orange, led by Major Orin Williams from Status Duo and Probe Gold under the command of Major Samatha Quince from Alpha Cherish arrive on the remnants of Capricorn Seven. A total of twenty-three pilots and thirty-one Guardian Defense Fleet Mark Two Space Fighter, code named Dragon, the latest and most technically advanced space fighter, are all that remains on this once proud and peaceful civilization.
Their survival now lies directly upon the shoulders of Hops, as Lt. Cdr. Hoppinzorinski prefers to be called. However he has a more immediate problem. Probe Gold is comprised completely of women. Even though women have been considered and treated as complete equals for the past several centuries, Hops still believes in an old male earth adage of that women should be barefoot and pregnant.
The day after the devastating Tirg attack begins with the sudden, and initially unexplained, appearance of nearly five hundred and fifty additional Guardian survivors. The Research and Development Section have recently developed a new generation of concealment device technology. The system had not been fully tested nor certified for use by now non-existent Guardian Defense Fleet Headquarters. The untested system had been activated on the orders given by the Commanding Officer of Capricorn Seven when he realized the outpost could no longer stand the vicious onslaught. Commander Reiger Lamminta ordered the unit activated just prior to the arrival of a Tirg boarding party. A slight malfunction in the devices control data caused the delayed appearance of these additional survivors.
After an encounter with a reinforced Tirg patrol these surviving Guardians board a newly designed ship named The Hope. Their departure from the remains of Capricorn Seven is only moments before Telebisque Mular, commanding the Fifth Tirgonian Fighting Group consisting of the Fighting Stars Landex and Napla. He is directly responsible for the destruction of the outpost and has returned, in accordance with Tirgonian doctrine, to conduct a second attack against the Guardian sentry. Just as Mular is about to give the order to begin the attack, Capricorn Seven mysteriously explodes, leaving nothing but debris and space dust in its former location.
The once peaceful Guardians now return to the ways of the warrior. During the next encounter between these two adversaries Commander Lamminta uses creative ingenuity and uses the Fighting Star Landex to hide and escape initial detection. The fourth encounter between Lamminta and Mular again finds Lamminta, with help from Major, now Lieutenant Commander Quince, using logic and resourcefulness to Outwit Mular and evade a Tirgonian minefield. The Guardians are now using deceit and deception in their fight for survival against an enemy who also uses unorthodox tactics.
After these initial encounters another Fighting Group under the command of Telecoup Teka and the Fighting Stars Palup and Junnack joins Telebisque Mular. But before Teka is able to overtake his enemy a second unidentified ship is discovered. The Tirgs, as well as the Guardians, suddenly discover that they are no longer able to effectively control the movement of their respective ships. Both forces, almost within effective combat engagement range, are essentially dead in space, all navigational control being disrupted.
The Guardians are able to discover that this unknown ship is causing their navigational malfunction. Eventually they are able to overcome the signal interference and soon learn the identity of the strange craft. This unique vessel accompanied is by an additional seventeen concealed Guardian ships, crewed by additional, and previously unknown Guardian survivors of the Tirgonian travesty.
As the now stronger Guardian force continues to evade the pursuit of Telecoup Teka, an unconventional is received aboard the Hope, now the Guardian Flagship. It appears that Teka has become tired of the constant wars fought by the Tirgonian Empire. Now, he only wishes to end the present conflict. He wants to defect, which leads to a meeting between Hops and Teka. Before the meeting can be completed it is interrupted by the appearance of yet another Tirgonian Fighting Group. Hops takes command of the small shuttle where the meeting is taking place and heads directly towards the Palup. Sub-Telecoup Veskin, commanding Hidlok and Quiger, discovers the motive behind the unusual departure of Telecoup Teka from the Palup and orders an immediate attack in an attempt to destroy the renegade Fighting Star.
Everyone aboard the ships of the Guardian fleet, as well as the Sub-Telecoups’ Fighting Group, are taken by surprise at the sudden disappearance of the Palup. Teka fully understanding the severity of his actions, and the consequences for his crew, ask for political asylum, not only for himself, but for those members of the crew who wish to follow him. The Guardians are shocked when they learn that not only Telecoup Teka, but the entire crew of the Palup desires to join their commander in his defection and quest for peace.
As yet another Tirgonian trap is set, Hops, with help from his former enemy, discovers the one weakness of a Fighting Star. The Hidlok is attacked and destroyed before Mular, who has been informed of the one weakness in his adversary’s armor, can arrive with reinforcements. The Guardians, now with the aid of the Tirgonians, have once again use trickery to avoid detection and extermination.
The Guardians, now accompanied by the Palup, continue their journey towards a distant planet called Paporia Two, located on the far side of the Tirgonian Empire. This remote planet is believed to be attempting a rebellion against the Empire. Teka is unsure of this information due to his almost previous involvement with the Guardians and is only able to provide scant information to the Guardians.
The Guardians main concern now is whether or not they will be able to survive their dangerous escape across the Tirgonian Empire.
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About the Book
The Tirgonian Empire, always on the hunt for conquest and expansion, does not consider the efforts of the rebel Guardians a serious threat to their imperial plans. After a series of devastating conflicts, the Guardians have suffered massive losses to their forces but not their resolve. They continue to fight their way into Tirgonian territory, undaunted by defeat.
Even though the Guardians are focused on escaping the Tirgonian forces, commanded by Telecoup
Mular, tension mounts between several of the Guardian survivors. The few remaining Guardians are bolstered by the arrival of additional survivors, but the initial contact does not go smoothly. The survivors arrive on a new sort of spaceship, one that the Guardians have never seen. Once the Guardians realize their mistakes, it is revealed that there are more concealed ships, hopefully increasing their chances of survival.
The Guardians must now invent unique solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. The unexpected defection of a senior Tirgonian officer named Telebisque Serligh Teka, his entire crew, and their Fighting Star Palup is a welcome boost to the weary rebel effort. Renewed, the Guardians continue fighting their way across enemy territory.
Against seemingly insurmountable odds, can the Guardians prevail? And if so, at what cost?
About the Author
For twenty years, decorated veteran F. Thomas Jones served in the United States Army. After leaving the service, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to serve as a Junior Reserve Training Corps (JRTC) instructor. Now fully retired, he last worked at a world-renowned saddlebred barn. He and his wife live in southern Indiana.