Counterstrike

by D. J. Holmes

  “Certainly,” James said as he nodded.

  Ya’sia raised her voice, “Dismissed,” she said as she turned and gestured to her officers. For several seconds she and James watched them leave the shuttle bay and then Ya’sia gestured again, this time for James to accompany her.

  “They look pretty imposing up close,” James said as he eyed the Pulsar fighters. “You’ve heard about our Corsair interceptors I’m sure. It will be interesting to see a squadron of each face off against one another.”

  “Indeed,” Ya’sia agreed. “I’m sure we can arrange that for tomorrow. My pilots will be eager to put themselves to the test. All but one are rookies. Keeping pilots alive long enough to return to our training schools is proving difficult.”

  “I know what you mean,” James replied. “They are extremely efficient elements of our fleet, but they do suffer high attrition rates. I imagine that is only going to increase now that the Karacknids have their own fighters.”

  “I am sure you are correct. Sadly, our ship losses may also go up,” Ya’sia responded. “At least Unity’s design should help us in that regard. You saw all the point defenses on your flight over?”

  James chuckled. “I certainly did. She has more point defenses than Drake.”

  “Given how deadly the Karacknid antimatter missiles are, Unity’s designers focused on the dreadnought’s defenses. Though that doesn’t mean we don’t have a heavy throw weight of missiles, and our fighters as well. She should pack quite a punch when we get her alongside a Karacknid fleet.”

  “A Dreadnought,” James said as he nodded in approval. “She did look bigger than I was expecting. How does she compare to a Karacknid dreadnought in your simulations?”

  “Very well,” Ya’sia answered. “We out mass a standard Karacknid dreadnought by ten percent. Almost all of that extra mass has gone into point defenses and the reactors needed to power them. In a straight up duel we can match their missile numbers. One on one, our point defenses give us a huge advantage. And if you throw in our fighters, we would win such a fight with ease. But I don’t expect us to be finding ourselves in any one-on-one duels. Sadly for every dreadnought I have with me, we’re likely to encounter six or seven Karacknid ones.”

  “A reoccurring problem,” James echoed. “Something we’re not likely to be able to overcome any time soon either… Tell me, how was the journey here?” Dwelling on the Karacknids’ numerical advantage would only spoil his happiness at seeing Ya’sia again.

  “Very smooth,” Ya’sia answered. “With the artificial shift passage complete and the jump gate finished on our end, it took just a month to get here.”

  James shook his head. “It’s still hard to believe. It would have taken four months just a year ago. And now your dark matter repellers are working on artificial shift passages to the Gift and the Alpha and Beta systems. Your people will have completely redrawn our star maps within a couple of years.”

  Ya’sia gave James a tap on his shoulders. “You’re not one of these old fogeys who doesn’t like change are you Admiral? I wouldn’t have put you down as one.”

  James looked up at her and shook his head. “Of course not. I’m just amazed, that’s all.”

  “And just imagine what will happen if the Varanni scientists studying the Gift find more wormholes,” Ya’sia said with a smile. “Things could change all over again.”

  “Yeah,” James said, not nearly as enthusiastic as Ya’sia sounded. “We could discover another race like the Karacknids.”

  “Or you could find more friends like us and the Conclave species,” Ya’sia countered. “that wouldn’t be so bad would it?”

  “No, I suppose not, James said as he allowed a small smile to cross his lips. “But who knows what, if anything they will find.”

  “Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll find something to grumble about… least if you are in this kind of mood. Fatherhood seems to have turned you into a… a, what does your species call it? A grumpy old man?”

  James opened his mouth to complain, but Ya’sia beat him to it. “Here we are,” she said as she gestured for a hatch to open and nodded for James to go through. “Take a seat Admiral.”

  Letting her remark go, James made himself as comfortable as he could in one of the seats, Ya’sia brought over some kind of beverage. She then held up her glass. “Let us drink to your son,” she said with a smile. “I’ve been wanting to congratulate you in person since I heard the news. To Jonathan.”

  “To Jonathan,” James repeated. “And thank you.” Tentatively he tried a small sip and was surprised to find how enjoyable it was.

  “Rear Admiral Becket particularly enjoyed this brew,” Ya’sia said. “She took a considerable consignment of bottles back with her when she left us. What do you think?”

  “I think a certain Rear Admiral is going to need a talking to,” James said as he took another sip. “She has been holding out on the rest of us.”

  Ya’sia smiled. “I brought a few extra bottles with me to send on to her. Maybe she won’t mind if you borrow a couple.”

  “If she does, I’ll just have to order her to get over it,” James said. “I’m sure Christine would enjoy sampling this as well.”

  “I look forward to meeting her,” Ya’sia responded as she set her drink down. “I’m glad you came over to Unity before we headed to the surface though. I wanted to share my condolences with you about Suzanna’s passing in person. A number of times over the last few years my mind has gone back to when we last parted. We both talked about being able to introduce each other to our spouses. I’m sorry I will never get to meet Suzanna now.”

  “Thank you,” James said, keeping his face impassive. It still hurt to think about Suzanna’s loss. “I am sorry too. I must confess, I didn’t expect to ever remarry, and certainly not so quickly. But events seem to have overtaken me. I do still intend to hold you to your promise. Someday I look forward to meeting your husband.”

  “And he you,” Ya’sia replied. “As I’m looking forward to meeting Christine. She must be quite the woman to have won your heart and the heart of your people. I have to admit, knowing your species’ history, I was very surprised when I heard that all your colonies agreed to join your Empire. Hopefully, your newfound unity will be a boon to us all in this war.”

  “She is quite the woman,” James agreed. “If anyone can bring my species together to defeat the Karacknids, it is her.”

  “No doubt, but I imagine you’ve been some help as well Admiral. My sources tell me you are even more famous now than when we first met.” James waved Ya’sia’s compliments away. “Tell me,” she continued. “Is there any news from back home?”

  James lowered his hands as he thought. It was strange that she was asking him. She had just come from Varanni Prime. Yet with the tachyon pulse generator the Kulreans had built for him, he was more up to date with events in Alliance space than Ya’sia was. “There’s nothing much to report. A couple of minor skirmishes. No serious engagements. More intelligence reports of Karacknid ships filtering back along your border. It seems that most of the ships that were deployed to strike into our space have been dispatched back to your border to counter your fleets’ incursions.”

  Ya’sia brought her hands together. “That is good news. The Karacknids have wasted months redeploying their ships to your border and back again. The timing of your fleets’ seizure of their forward depots was very fortunate. Hopefully we can capitalize on that. How soon can we proceed with Operation Counterstrike?”

  “Tomorrow if need be,” James replied. “Everything is ready to go on our end. I do have a slight alteration to our line of attack I’d like to suggest. I have arranged for a new fuel source we can make use of. It’s one that the Karacknids shouldn’t know about. Using it should mean we don’t have to dally in the Alpha-three system to refuel. It should decrease the chances a Karacknid scout will detect us.”

  “That sounds promising,” Ya’sia responded. “My ships will need several days to refuel and
prepare for the next leg but we should be ready to depart in four days.”

  “We can get our staff to confirm the specifics,” James said. “But leaving as soon as possible is our priority. Now, we don’t have long before we have to head to the surface. Tell me, how are things really going in the Alliance? I know the war has been taking a heavy toll.”

  As Ya’sia told James how things had developed in the years since he had last visited Varanni Prime, James lost track of time. Both of them were surprised when their subordinates contacted them to let them know Unity had slotted into Earth orbit and their shuttles were waiting to depart. “We’ll have to finish this later,” James said as they stood. “I doubt we’ll get much time to ourselves at the reception, but afterwards.”

  “Afterwards,” Ya’sia agreed.

  Chapter 3

  Many things have changed on Earth since the formation of the Empire. The Imperial Palace was one of the first. Since then, it’s outer structure has remained unchanged over the centuries. Whilst everything else comes and goes, the Palace reminds us of the history and strength of the Empire.

  -Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

  As his shuttle flew over Geneva, James peered at the large construction sites. The Imperial Senate was almost finished. An expansive hexagonal building covered in a large bulbous dome, it was the first of three identical ones that would hold the Imperial government. Beside it, the foundations of the House of Commons and the House of Servants were laid and much of the machinery that had been used to build the Senate was being moved over to begin the House of Commons. They’ll be moving in soon, James thought as he pictured many of the Senators he had come to know over the last several months. As his shuttle continued, the urban scenery of Geneva gave way to one of the valleys that led deeper into the Alps. Within less than a minute, the Imperial Palace came into view. The shuttle banked tightly and descended onto one of the landing pads.

  As he often did when he arrived at the Palace, James stepped off the shuttle’s access ramp and paused to take in the view. He was filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, the Palace was spectacular. Out of the edge of one of the largest mountains that lined the Valley, a ten-story semi-circular building emerged. Right at its furthest point from the mountain, a spire more than four hundred meters high rose towards the clouds. Anywhere else and the spire would have dwarfed its surroundings. Yet set amidst the Swiss Alps, the peaks surrounding the valley towered over it. James couldn’t help but shake his head. The Palace was massive. Officially it was his and Christine’s residence. If that was all it was, he would have complained about the building being a colossal waste of money. More than a thousand civil servants and naval personnel were based within the Palace as they served on his and Christine’s staff or in various other capacities. James knew there were plans to expand the Palace into the mountainside with a number of other underground buildings. When fully functioning, it was estimated that over ten thousand people would be based within the Imperial Palace. The plan was that it would serve as a secondary headquarters for the Imperial Fleet as well as for the growing Imperial bureaucracy associated with the Empress and Emperor of mankind.

  Though James was impressed, he couldn’t help but look at the Palace and think of the expense. Though he didn’t complain out loud, he still felt like someone’s resources had been wasted. He and Christine could have lived anywhere, even in Badminton House! Money, resources, and time that could have been spent on ships had instead been spent on building the impressive sight before him. He knew what Christine would say if he did complain. More than once she had insisted that mankind needed a focal point, a source of pride. The Palace was meant to be a picture of what Humanity was building as they came together. Out of the ashes of the Karacknid attack on Earth they were not just building a war machine bent on vengeance, but a better future. Perhaps we are, James thought as he took in the palace, but those days are a long way off yet.

  Looking away from the top of the palace’s spire, James’ eyes settled on the large welcoming party Christine had gathered. More than fifty politicians, naval officers and government officials were gathered in front of the Palace. James didn’t need to look for Christine to guess that she would be gesturing for him to join them. For a few fleeting seconds he allowed his gaze to move away from the Palace and onto the surrounding countryside. The Swiss Alps were spectacular. Not for the first time he was filled with an urge to head down the valley and explore the many quaint farms that dotted the landscape below the palace. Or if not down, then to head up into the forests that hugged the lower elevations of the mountains, or even higher up into the snow-covered peaks. It was the one drawback of the Imperial Palace compared to Badminton House; he did not have the privacy to simply enjoy a short walk. Though the countryside looked pristine, if he headed in any direction he would quickly come across Imperial Marines or security guards. When I get back, James promised himself, Jonathan and I are going to take a few walks together.

  The sound of shuttles shedding their momentum as they approached the Palace drew James’ attention back to what was going on around him. Giving himself a shake, he quickly moved away from the shuttle and towards Christine. As he moved he heard more than one shuttle touch down on the landing pad. Along with Ya’sia, a Vice Admiral and several Rear Admirals and Commodores had come with the Alliance fleet. Christine had invited them all to the reception.

  As he walked up to his wife, James greeted her with a smile. On such a formal occasion he knew she wouldn’t appreciate anything more intimate. He nodded to Fairfax, who was standing on his Empress’ left, and slotted himself in on Christine’s right. “Did you enjoy seeing your old friend?” Christine asked quietly.

  “Of course,” James replied. “Though we only got to scratch the surface of the things we wanted to talk about. There’s been an entire war going on in Alliance space I’ve only been able to read reports about.”

  “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to catch up on your trip to the Alpha-three Fort. Did Admiral Ya’sia say when she thinks her ships can depart?” Christine asked.

  “Three, perhaps four days,” James replied. “I’ve already sent word to our ships to make final preparations.”

  “Four days,” Christine repeated. “You better make sure you spend some of them with Jonathan and I.”

  “I will, I will,” James promised. It was a constant struggle to get time alone with his wife and son, but it was one battle he never intended to give up.

  “Here are our guests,” Christine said loud enough for all of those gathered around her to hear. She walked forward to greet Admiral Ya’sia and the Alliance officers as they descended from their shuttles.

  As the groups approached one another, Fairfax cleared his throat loudly. Only then did James realize that as he knew Ya’sia, he was expected to do the introductions. Stepping forward quicker than Christine, he racked his mind to remember the names of all the Alliance officers. “Admiral Ya’sia,” he said as he gave his friend a deep bow. “Let me officially welcome you to Earth and introduce to you our Empress, Christine Somerville.” Stepping partly to the side, James gestured to Christine. “Empress, may I introduce Admiral Ya’sia of the Alliance Fleet.” Stepping further back, James allowed Christine and Ya’sia to close to within arm’s reach of one another.

  “Let me add my own welcome to my husband’s,” Christine said as she shook Ya’sia’s hand and then bowed. “It is always an encouragement to host Alliance ships in our home system. Especially one led by such a capable commander. And someone I know my husband counts among his close friends. You have served your Alliance well and I hope my species can continue to benefit from that service now.”

  “Thank you for your welcome Empress, and may I congratulate you on ascending to your position and on your marriage,” Ya’sia replied. Her eyes flicked to James momentarily, “I’m sure both are challenging, even for a woman such as yourself.”

  Christine grinned at Ya’sia and then at James. “I can see we are goin
g to get on well Admiral.”

  “Allow me to introduce my officers,” Ya’sia said as she gestured for the collection of aliens behind her to come forward. James breathed a sigh of relief, his part in the introductions was done. Though he had read the files on each of the senior commanders in Ya’sia’s fleet, he watched each one of them eagerly as Ya’sia brought them forward and introduced them. Vice Admiral Klack was the first person she introduced. Slithering forward not unlike a snail, the Varanni’s face showed none of the strain he was probably feeling from trying to move on the less than smooth surface. James made a mental note to suggest some alterations to the shuttle landing area. Unless Humanity lost the war with the Karacknids, Varanni diplomats would be visiting the Palace regularly for decades to come. After bowing deeply to Klack, James repeated the gesture to the Rear Admiral and the three Commodores that were also with Ya’sia. Then he stepped back and allowed Christine to walk Ya’sia down the line of attendants she had brought.

  Fairfax, Christine’s Chief of Staff, shared a brief word with Ya’sia before Christine moved on to introduce Deborah Nicholls, the former senator from the United Colonial States who was now the leader of the House of Commons. Beside Nicholls was Senator Rodriguez, the leader of the Imperial Senate. Each of them had already formed their own political parties. Nicholls and her allies had formed the Loyalist Party. The name was a statement that they intended to give James and Christine their full support. Given that the House of Commons was meant to most accurately reflect the will of the Empire’s citizens, it was a smart move. At least at the minute James knew his and Christine’s popularity was riding high. Senator Rodriguez had named her party the Constitutionalists. Fairfax had explained the nuance to him. Rodriguez wasn’t saying she didn’t support James and Christine, just that from her perspective and from those who followed her in the Senate and House of Commons, the constitution was the highest authority in the Empire, not the Empress or Emperor. Though Fairfax had been hurt by the formation of such a party so quickly, James wasn’t bothered in the slightest. As far as he was concerned, supporting the constitution and supporting Christine and him were the same thing. He and Christine had written the constitution after all. James was far more concerned about when other parties not so friendly to the constitution or the Empress would form. When that happened he wouldn’t be so pleased.