It’s Never One Thing at a Time
Bregend grunted as he lifted enough weight to make the bar bend. Kurft, Bregend’s commander of the contingent of Commandos across his ship, was one of the few people who could spot the mass of a man.
Bregend stood slowly before dropping just as slowly down to the floor again, exhaling and then pushing up again, all in one fluid movement. Bregend racked it as Kurft got out of his way.
“Don’t want to squat a shuttle today?”
“That’s Marleen’s gig,” Bregend said. She was one of the few other people who could spot him.
Kurft grinned as he got into the squat rack.
A siren went off as Kurft was about to lift the bar. He got out from the rack as Bregend turned to leave.
“Seems we’re needed,” Bregend said.
Kurft grunted, running off toward Commando territory.
Wish it was after we got our structure seen to, Bregend thought. The Rebirth’s main structural supports had been realigned and strengthened, but with Nancy now online, the Rebirth had been on the fast track to getting new supports. It was a big job but otherwise the Rebirth was the only BC at a hundred percent in everything but structure. She even had some upgrades that Bregend was going to owe Min Hae and Felix a few beers for.
“Move,” Bregend said, his deep voice unforgettable as crew moved to either side and the ship commander barreled through before they continued to their positions.
Should have gone for an Ashenti class battle cruiser—thing has transports on it. He’d memorized ships, their abilities and names while training. He thought it was one of the only reasons he stayed sane, unlike many of his generation of recruits. It had become somewhat of a hobby, and an exercise he continued onboard the Rebirth.
Bregend had downloaded some interviews from the information broadcast from Earth where Salchar was asked about strategy. Don’t just know your opponent: know their gear, the battlefield, and their lives. To properly gauge an opponent, you need to know them better than they know themselves. You need to be able to read them. Do it often enough and you know your enemy as soon as you see them.
Bregend entered the bridge as his thoughts turned toward the present and he took his command chair.
“We have a pre-one flash from Parnmal. They have a Syndicate fleet moving in on them and are requesting aid from Free Fleet forces,” Comms Commander Kyle Tonfen said.
Mills, Bregend’s second, as if reading his mind, had a plot of Parnmal and its surrounding system projected into the bridge and transferred to Bregend, who quickly looked it over.
Too many. Plus with the relay only going to Salchar, Cheerleader won’t get this for another four days. Bregend checked when the switching ships would get to Parnmal; it wouldn’t be for another three days.
“Nav, I need a possible plot around Parnmal to meet up with Cheerleader’s forces,” Bregend said, his tone solemn. That many jumps, if done roughly, could rip apart the repairs they’d carried out on the Rebirth.
Just until we get to Cheerleader. Bregend rubbed the armrest of his chair.
Mills looked to him. She already knew what he was thinking. He nodded to her as she turned to her terminal and began checking whether the Rebirth could make the journey as best as possible.
“We will take the Rebirth and go around Parnmal in an effort to catch up with Psycho Cheerleader’s fleet. While the message will get to Salchar in two days, Cheerleader will not get a message. We know where she and her fleet will be. We have to be the messenger. We have the fastest ship, other than the corvette, and the fuel reserves to make it that far.” He looked around the bridge. When he’d come into command, they’d been strangers. Now they were his alter egos.
“Kyle, I want the patrol forces here to go silent. I want AIH to do the same,” Bregend said. AIH went undetected for twelve years; they could do it again. “Nav, do you have a plot?”
“I have one out of system. Working off planetary maps for possible jump locations as well as gravitational anomalies.”
“Good.” Gravitational anomalies could mean a friggin’ black hole, Wilma. Bregend’s mind automatically went to the worst possible outcome as he refrained from asking Wilma to find something better. He knew she would not enjoy him using her name instead of her occupation, and she was damned good at what she did. Salchar had recommended her and he’d seen her scores himself.
“Continue on. Mills?”
“Sir, Engineer Rous says that as long as we make smooth transitions, we’ll be good.” Or we won’t be and it won’t matter anymore, Mills’s eyes said.
Bregend nodded once. “Very well. I want to be underway in ten minutes.”
Rapid orders were yelled across the ship. Bregend hadn’t been just sitting on his hands. He’d made sure that his people were ready for such an emergency when time mattered. And right now, every second did.
Unexpected Guests
“We have jump point emergence!” the sensor commander squealed in excitement.
Monk knew that it would wear off soon enough.
“Getting bounce back from IFF. They’re Syndicate.” The sensor commander’s previous excitement was now replaced with businesslike tones.
“Prepare Commando teams and inform ship captains I want them ready to move. Tactical, get those gun platforms ready. Tell Min Hae and Felix that I want to see them in the conference room as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Commander,” Hulio said from his position as communications commander. His voice pitched higher over the movement and noises of people preparing their stations and systems for battle.
Monk remained where he was, holding his reinforced staff as he sat on one leg. His face was calm, like untouched water, as around him Parnmal prepared for battle. Min Hae and Felix came from their departments as Monk accepted a message from Karl that the Commandos had segregated and isolated the old inhabitants of Parnmal into their cells.
Monk stood and waved to the conference room located to the rear of the command center. They moved there, the door shutting behind them.
“Felix, how are we looking for those planetary rail cannons?”
“We’ve got a hundred and twenty PRCs ready to be deployed,” Felix said into his data pad.
“You’ve been quite busy,” Monk surmised, bestowing Felix with a pleased smile.
Felix looked up. “Just a lil.” He grinned and held his fingers just a few centimeters apart.
“I will leave it to you to deploy them.”
Felix nodded as he left the command center. Probably to harass someone to get his cannons deployed. He undoubtedly wanted to test out his new toys.
It was still a few hours until the Syndicate ship’s message reached Parnmal.
“Incoming transmission. Putting onscreen,” Hulio said over the conference rooms speakers. Monk and Min Hae looked at each other, their eyes cold in understanding before they moved out of the conference room. The message started as soon as Hulio saw they were back in the command center.
“To the band of idiots in Parnmal, as you have missed your shipment, Lady Fairgate has deigned it that Jorsht and his command staff will die. The first one to bring me their heads will get a portion of the new controller’s trades.” The transmission stopped as the ships continued to advance into the system, directly toward Parnmal.
What would Salchar do? Distract and deter, but back it up with some facts. A small grin spread over Monk’s face as he sat up.
It would still be some time until his sensor buoys reported back what the ships were, though there was a rough count of over a hundred and fifty ships from wormhole emergence sensors that worked FTL.
“Hulio, I need to have the hologram ready to go. Min Hae, I want to know who that was,” Monk said as they both worked.
“Hologram is ready, Commander,” Hulio said.
“Thank you. Now, shall we begin?”
“Ready when you are.”
“I see that the Lady Fairgate has sent her lapdog to once again bite at my heels. Now l
isten here, Parnmal is no longer under her command. Try to take Parnmal and I will use your hulls for my own. Tell the Lady Fairgate that I will soon be thanking her for the additional use of her shipyard. It will come in use to build my fleet. Now, go home and tell the Lady Fairgate of Jorsht’s control of this sector.” Monk looked to Hulio, who cut the recording, checked it and sent it to the oncoming fleet.
“His name is Admiral Kelu. He is completely loyal to Lady Fairgate and one of her eight admirals.”
Monk rubbed his head. “Thank you, Min Hae.” Min Hae nodded as he turned to other work.
Monk had people at twenty-five percent readiness. There was no use in having them tired out before a battle. He also approved all of Felix’s extra needs. The planetary cannons were twice as powerful as the Resilient’s and could take out a destroyer’s shield in two or three hits.
Monk didn’t move from his position as the sensor reports finally came in.
“Seven dreadnoughts, fifteen BCs, thirty destroyers, forty cruisers, and a hundred and thirty-five corvettes.”
Noise went through the command center, but Mad Monk cut it in the bud.
“As of now, we are all on level two readiness. Machine shops are to concentrate on getting craft combat ready and creating weapon platforms as well as power sources. Training Commando units should be used to bolster the guard for the Syndicate prisoners. Block them before they find out and to stop their meddling.
“Looks like the vacation’s over and we’re back in the fight.” Monk wished he had a couple of corvettes to send to Psycho Cheerleader but with the Syndicate fleet, there was no way the corvettes would get to the wormhole line before getting cut down.
“Is the fleet moving?” he asked shortly.
Sensor Commander Wast answered, “Once entering the system, they grouped together and shot at the sensor buoys in range.”
Monk and Min Hae shared a look. Min Hae’s face turned dark. “It seems that they are waiting for reinforcements.”
As Monk had learned from Syndicate logs, it was very rare that the first group at an objective would strike; they would build their numbers until victory was assured, and such was the way of pirates.
“Prepare a message for Salchar,” Monk said. Hulio declared his readiness after a few minutes. Now I just have to hope we have the time for it to get to you and for you to get here.
I Hate Surprises
The first thing I saw as I walked into the conference room was two Kuruvians yelping in joy, with the other commanders in the room looking rather pleased.
“Well, I guess something good has happened?” I asked the room.
“You bet, Commander!” Rick said, a glint in his eye as he smiled, bringing both his thumbs up in a corny posture.
“I did not know that your people were so learned, that some actually want to gain more knowledge. Let alone that your people build and create such fine machinery,” Silly said.
“Thaaanks.” I quirked an eyebrow at Rick to explain just what the hell Shrift’s brother meant.
“I have never seen so many people so interested to learn more. They’re excited to move on to the stars. Your race is certainly an interesting one,” Shrift admonished, clearing up his brother’s first statement, somewhat.
“How many? Trainees?” I asked as the people who had applied to the Free Fleet had finally calmed down.
“Three-point-two billion for civilian jobs,” a third Kuruvian said without looking up from his data pad. His coveralls and insignia put him as a trained engineer, communications tech, and quartermaster.
“Wow.” I was going to need to find someone to manage all of this and I thought I might have the man for the job. It would bear looking at later.
“Indeed! We will have Nancy, Defender Moon Base, and Hachiro’s progress slowed down at first to train these people, but once they are fully competent, they will change the system,” Silly said, excitement bubbling over as Shrift and the commanders grinned.
“May I ask how many applied to be in the Free Fleet?” I looked to Rick.
“Two hundred and forty-three thousand extra. Though I believe many will change later as their contracts expire.”
I nodded.
“In other news, what is the status of the ships?” I took my seat at Hachiro’s conference table; the commanders took theirs as well.
“The Resilient has been put in Nancy for some fixes. With the work Eddie’s done, it will take four months to have it ready. Dreadnought Bastille is also nearly complete; it seems the engineering race has done them both a world of good. BCs Veritable and Ilentr are now at sixty percent. They’re working on them when they can, including the Rebirth. Twelve corvettes, four destroyers, and five cruisers are nearly done. Their engineering crews are doing the final internal work. The remaining repairs and rebuilds, we can expect slowed rates as workers are taking up classes to teach the new workforce,” Silly said.
I made a note on my data pad before I continued talking. “When I pass through Chaleel, I’ll let them know of the job opportunities and tell the recruiting center there to contact you, via the FTL relay, for you to transport the ones who have undergone space testing.”
“Understood. Now—”
“Point emergence reported from Nancy,” came through my comms implant as well as the conference room table. Everyone stood as we rushed out of the doors—commanders to their stations while I traveled to Hachiro’s command center. Commander Whorst was there. I’d had Kawaga transferred to Parnmal to pass on his marksman skills to the advanced Commandos that the previous Sarenmenti Special Operations Mechas were teaching.
I came in as Sensors were confirming the wormhole emergence data.
“It’s the messenger corvette,” they said.
I looked to Rick and our eyes met. The next messenger ship wasn’t due for another day.
“I’ll get the fleet ready.” Rick’s tone was brisk as he stood and left the room.
The corvette’s transmission came in five hours later.
“It’s a single corvette flashing Free Fleet IFF. Carrying a message for Commander Salchar,” my communications commander Vort said. I had moved to the Resilient in case we were needed to move immediately.
My caller piped in and Monk’s voice asked, “What is life?”
“Mecha Assault,” I answered without thought
“Family?” he asked, his voice calm.
“Mecha Tail.”
The message loaded onto the main screen.
“Salchar, I am sending this message while Parnmal is under attack, and I am not sure if I will be able to hold off the attackers. I have attached below their disposition at the time I sent this message and in a secured file our own force. Please, make your best speed. Monk out.”
I was moving out of the command center as the transmission ended, my face a mask as I connected with the Resilient’s comms, mentally making a battle list from the reports the ship commanders had given me.
“This is the Resilient,” Walf, my communications officer, said through my implant and I accepted it. After the Second Battle for Earth, I had memorized the name of every person on my bridge.
“Connect me to Combined Arms.”
“Sir?” In Sook asked.
“I want these ships ready for combat.” I sent a file from my data pad.
“Understood.”
I got on a transport rail, which sped off toward the shuttle bay. I changed to Rick’s channel as I watched sections of the Hachiro speed past me. “I’m having the ships loaded with ammunition and having the ships that are going with us made priority at Nancy; get any repairs we really need done. Engines and hauling gear are priority.”
“Uh, sure.”
“Also, I want you to sort out who will replace Boot.”
“Consider it done, amigo.”
“Good. Salchar out.” I jumped off the transport rail and marched toward my shuttle as everyone got out of my way. Krom and Dave marched behind me.
Walf buzzed my implants and I acce
pted it.
“Sir, it looks like some representatives from Earth wish to talk with you.”
“Their timing is impeccable,” I muttered.
“Commander?” he asked, his voice relaxed. He had clearly heard me but was overlooking it.
“Connect them to me.”
“Commander Salchar, we would like to talk to you about the...recruiting you’ve been doing,” someone said.
“Cut the shit. Yes, I took your people and gave them jobs in space, so what?”
“It could destabilize the economy!” the first one said.
“It very well might, which is one of the major reasons why none of you really wanted to go into space, and that now it’s on your doorstep, you’re trying to stop it. Well, let me tell you something. These people can choose to do as they wish. I’m offering them employment and adventure if they want it, and they’re going to have to work their asses off to get it.”
“But you’ve hired most of our ship builders and maintainers, people who keep the world’s resources moving,” someone else complained.
I was getting bored of politicians. I was also beginning to think that they all had slightly whiny, annoying voices.
“Then use something else. Mag trains, shuttles—all will move materials a hell of a lot faster and, once built, a hell of a lot cheaper. Now, I don’t have time to talk. I have work to do.”
“Ah, yes, that brings up another point.”
My eyes flashed with anger as I fought to keep my composure. I brought my harness down with more force than was needed as the shuttle buttoned up and the air lock depressurized. “Yes?” I asked, keeping my annoyance out of my tone.
“We would like to put an observer on your ship to see if you act in accordance with the way your people say you do.”
Since Evelyn had taken up the position of independent reporter for the Free Fleet, there had been an outpour of news people trying to get a gig with the fleet.
Free Fleet Box Set 1 Page 75