Ambassador Gottlieb sighed. "The Grunta and Talisan ground troops have the inhibitor devices. The Moddle do not. I cannot separate them now without moving the Moddle out from under those protective fields. I'm sorry, Miss Salton, but that is not an option."
Joni looked down. "I was unaware of the sharing of the inhibitors. I suppose that is too much to ask. I'm going to my cabin to think on this for a bit."
The ambassador returned a polite smile. "I will entertain a valid request if you return with a viable solution. I am not heartless."
Joni nodded in thanks as she turned away. A sly grin could be seen on her face as she walked past the tag, exiting the bridge.
The ambassador turned toward the captain. "Mr. Rogers, have you ever made decisions you later regretted, all because you were compelled to follow orders?"
The captain replied, "Comes with the position, I'm afraid. It can be disturbing, given the obvious closeness of a confined crew on a ship. I sometimes wish I was home digging Alpha potatoes or slopping galligs."
The ambassador reached up to slowly stroke his goatee. "Indeed. In my line of work, the call of the simple life often has its appeal."
Garrett commented: "If you noticed that grin, she is definitely up to something."
Jack replied, "My guess... she's getting ready to jack a shuttle to take down to the surface. If she can make it out of the docking bay, they won't stop her."
Several minutes of discussion passed before a commotion broke out on the bridge. "Who authorized that shuttle?"
The ambassador walked over to the captain. "Shuttle?"
The officer of the deck in the docking bay said over the comm, "It's the Salton girl, sir. She's locked in there tight. I have the gravity wall set on full, so she's not going anywhere. Ho! What the... she just rammed the forward bulkhead, sir!"
The captain scowled. "Drop that wall, Mr. Horvath. We can't let her destroy this ship. She's just stubborn enough to do it."
The gravity wall dropped to its minimum level. The shuttle moved quickly out into free space.
I looked over at a smiling Jack Carson.
Jack shrugged. "Hey, if you've got the brains, use 'em."
I frowned. "We can only hope she returns before the Kergans arrive. If she's down there when they begin their attack, she won't have a safe way out."
The captain said, "Mr. Horvath. Who authorized that shuttle? How did she get in there to lock it down?"
The deck officer replied, "The nav computer shows authorization came from the bridge, sir. It came from your console."
The ambassador looked at the captain with a suspicious eye.
The captain shook his head as he glanced back at the ambassador. "It wasn't me."
"Mr. Conner, scan the system and tell me where that order originated from," the captain said.
The captain turned to face the ambassador. "I'll have an answer for you in a minute, Mr. Gottlieb. That order is traceable."
The lieutenant replied, "Sir, it came through the comm interface on your arm pad. The sensors pinpoint the broadcast as coming from this room."
The captain took a deep breath. "Mr. Conner, order a scan team up here. I want this bridge swept clean."
The captain again turned toward the ambassador. "Mr. Gottlieb, this spy stuff is right up your alley. Is this something from your people? Or did that girl manage to slip past your screening teams with a bug?"
The ambassador stood in thought for several seconds before gesturing with his finger for the captain to remain silent. The sweep team scoured the bridge, slowing circling in on the stealth tag. Our view of the bridge went black.
Garrett said, "Sorry, had to shut it down before they found it. I'll bring it back online in about an hour. If they are still searching for it, I'll have to shut it down permanently."
I crossed my arms. "Who sent the comm authorization, Mr. Rourke?"
Garrett half smiled. "Hey, what else could we do? That message needed to get down to the surface. With a little luck, she'll be back up here safely before the Kergans arrive."
Go said, "Routing it through the captain's arm pad was a stroke of genius. The ship's sensors would have nailed its exact location. That arm pad is in constant motion. The signal location sensor in it isn't very accurate—doesn't have to be."
Jack pointed at the small yellow circle on the display wall as it moved away from us. "She'll be back in a couple hours. There's no sign of the... crap! Unidentified ships just came up on the sensor display. They are coming from the direction of Bolitha. Everybody back here will know in about three minutes. The forward ships have to already see them."
I turned to Garrett. "Take the Jess and bring the other ships here. If things go south, we might have to go in to try to save our people."
Garrett jumped from his chair and hurried from the bridge. The Jess was quickly out of the docking bay and on its way. It would take the better part of an hour to bring our small fleet forward.
Jack said, "Things are gonna get real busy around here."
I replied, "Access that stealth tag and turn it back on. I want to know what their plans are now that this is starting to heat up."
Jack nodded. "Just a sec. OK, we are back on."
Dale Rogers was in his command chair. "I want that display updated continuously, Mr. Conners. And take us in to the point I'm about to designate."
The ambassador raised his hand. "Belay that order, Mr. Conners. We will be remaining where we are."
The captain complained, "Those are our people out there and we need to have that front-line info as soon as it comes in. We can always pull back."
The ambassador shook his head. "I'm sorry, Captain. We have orders. The Kergans are expecting ships to be in pre-defined positions. That was part of our agreement. If we begin moving around it could break what little trust we have with them. If this fight goes as planned, they will win, but their fleet will be significantly weakened."
The captain replied, "Weakened? And then what? All of our ships are involved in this fight too. Who cares if they are weak if we have nothing left to fight with?"
The ambassador sighed. "You must have patience, Mr. Rogers. Things are not always as they seem."
The captain stared at the diplomat. "You saying we have more ships?"
The ambassador titled his head slightly. "I'm saying that perhaps you should be patient, Mr. Rogers. Your ship is in no immediate danger. Sit back, enjoy the spectacle of galactic war. Our generation has never been witness to such a grandiose battle. I would believe there will be more in the future, but this is our first major undertaking in this galaxy. Doomlight was nothing more than a learning experience."
The captain looked at the display wall. "How big is that fleet? They are still coming in."
The ambassador nodded. "The number agreed upon was nineteen thousand two hundred. Any moment now we should see the first engagements. The Moddle will charge straight in and the Grotus and Grumar will attempt an attack from the left side. The New Alliance ships will feign an attack from the right and then turn on the Moddle."
Jack said, "If Harden has more ships out here, I wonder how long he'll wait before he brings them in. And I also have to wonder what direction they will come from."
I pointed to a lone ship on the edge of our sensor range. "I would guess they would be coming from there. That is likely a relay ship with another one at maximum distance, creating a comm chain much like we have done with the probes. They will wait until some milestone of destruction has been met before making their move."
As the waves of warships closed on each others’ locations, a new event began to take shape. The Kergan ships all came to a stop, followed by the Grumar and Grotus.
The ambassador stood. "What are they doing?"
The forward momentum of the Moddle ships came to a stop, followed by a slow retrenchment.
The ambassador yelled as he pounded his fist on a nearby chair arm. "Traitors!"
The captain said, "What's happening?"
The ambassador turned. "The Kergans are negotiating a new agreement. Captain, send word to all of our ships to prepare to retreat on my order!"
The captain turned toward a waiting Lieutenant Conners with a nod.
The ambassador, in deep thought, sat back in his chair.
Dale Rogers shook his head. "You didn't plan out a contingency for this move, did you?"
The ambassador replied, "I should have begun that process as soon as they missed the originally scheduled arrival time."
The captain gestured toward the screen. "So what do we do? I would think taking no action isn't the best move."
The ambassador held up his hand. "Please let me think for a moment, Captain. The situation is complex."
Garrett came over the comm. "We'll be there in fifteen minutes. What's happening? Scans show everyone has stopped."
I replied, "The Kergans changed plans. I believe they are now attempting to negotiate with the Moddle, Grumar and Grotus. If they manage to turn the tables, it'll be nothing but bad for our side."
Garrett asked, "What do we do now?"
I sighed, "We wait for signs of action that tell us which way this is going."
Chapter 12
* * *
The standoff lasted for half an hour before the ambassador made his move. "Captain, I have a change of orders. We attack the Kergans on the right flank, just as the original plan called for. I am forwarding the order to you. See that it is delivered to our fleet only. We move forward in... four minutes."
The captain passed the orders to his lieutenant for dispersal. "Ambassador, what do we do here on this ship?"
The ambassador paused for a moment. "Take us into the fray, Mr. Rogers. We have a complement of sixteen fission missiles aboard. Get us close enough to release those, then pull back to this position, if it remains clear."
The captain scowled. "Diplomatic vessels are supposed to be unarmed."
The ambassador returned a sour look. "Please, Captain, start living in the real world. Just take us in so we can get this over with."
As the Sutherlin moved toward the mass of Kergan ships, the order to attack went out. Several minutes later, eight thousand additional New Alliance ships showed on the sensor display as they hurtled toward the coming battle.
Once within range, the ambassador opened a comm channel to his counterparts. "Emperor Kullas, I believe we had an agreement."
The Moddle Emperor replied, "We had an agreement that you would advance and attack with us. It's obvious that you had no intention of doing so."
The ambassador nodded. "I must ask that you overlook that transgression. I was caught waiting on our extended force's arrival. They should be showing on your sensor displays at any moment."
An aide to the Emperor whispered into his ear. "Give me a moment, Ambassador."
A separate channel was opened to the Grumar and Grotus. "Commander, I hope that you see we are moving forward. I would urge you to do the same. This Kergan fleet will not sit idle for long. And if you choose to break our alliance at this moment, the consequences of said action will be long-term. I can't stress the importance to us all of stopping this Kergan fleet. This is an us or them moment, Commander. You must choose a side."
The Grotus commander replied, "And just when were you planning on telling us about your additional ships?"
The ambassador bowed. "I must apologize, Commander. The new ships were a surprise to me as well. I am sure you understand the dynamics of a leadership weeks or months away making decisions. We don't hear or see what those decisions are until they arrive. Now, I urge—no, I implore you to begin your assault. Together we can crush this Kergan threat."
The commander gestured to his right. "And what of the Moddle fleet when this is done?"
The ambassador returned a sly smile. "The Moddle Empire is already in the hands of the New Alliance, Commander. That news came with our new ships. The Moddle will be sacrificing themselves for our cause. I will gladly turn any remaining Moddle ships over to you when the fighting is done. And please, Commander, time is of the essence. Commit your forces and the Moddle will commit as well. I guarantee it."
The commander offered a half laugh in return. "Yes, I'm certain your guarantee is authentic. Just as the guarantee the Kergans are now offering. You will have my decision shortly, Mr. Gottlieb. There will be no need to ask what that decision is, it will be wholly evident by our actions."
The comm closed.
The Moddle Emperor came up on the ambassador's comm. "I have a decision, Ambassador. If the Grumar and Grotus commit, we will do the same. But in return, you will supply us with the whereabouts of your home worlds so that a proper trade alliance can be put in place."
The ambassador took a deep breath. "You have forced my hand, Emperor. Trade beginning between our peoples will be a welcome event."
The comm closed, the ambassador paced the deck of the bridge. "This is maddening!"
A comm came in from the Kergan Ambassador Quarek. "Mr. Gottlieb. As I am sure you can see, the events surrounding our prior discussions have become a bit muddled."
The ambassador replied, "Yes. Your delay has caused uncertainty in the plan. For what reason were you not here at the scheduled time?"
The Kergan bowed. "I must apologize, Mr. Gottlieb. Our fleet was attacked just before our arrival. It was a small force, nothing more than a nuisance, but it delayed our arrival. You must understand that we had to fully investigate any threat to the mission."
The ambassador returned a skeptical expression. "If I accept that explanation for the delay, why do I now see you stopped and attempting to negotiate with the others?"
The Kergan returned an equally skeptical gaze. "Well, Ambassador, I'm afraid I must ask why you have an additional fleet of significant size joining this battle? That was not to our agreement. Care to explain?"
The ambassador stood tall and straight. "Those ships were sent as a precaution, Mr. Quarek. If the original battle had taken place as scheduled, they would not have arrived until after its conclusion."
The two ambassadors exchanged suspicious gazes.
The captain pointed toward the display. "The Grumar and Grotus are moving forward! Looks like you have your commitment, Mr. Gottlieb!"
The ambassador looked back at his comm, then to the Kergan, and smiled. "It seems your attempts failed, Mr. Quarek. It's a shame this battle couldn't have taken place as previously scheduled. We would both have been in a better position. Now, we must each fight for our survival."
The Kergan scowled. "So be it, Ambassador. The decision has been made. The treachery of the New Alliance is now fully known. I look forward to the day of your execution."
The comm closed.
Jack said, "Wow, can't believe this is really going to happen. Forty thousand ships. That's almost unfathomable."
I gestured toward Jorus. "Take us in, Captain. We have to extract our people. Put us down on that surface!"
Jack nodded as he gave the command to move forward. "We'll be there soon enough."
Garrett came on the comm. "The Grumar and Grotus transports are turning away."
I nodded. "At least we won't have to fight that battle today."
Garrett continued, "I'll be sticking by your side until we hit the surface. After that, my priority will be to find Joni and to get her out of there."
I replied, "If you can locate Captain Rogers, do so. He's a good man and a capable pilot. After this, I'm certain he could be convinced to join our team."
Garrett concurred. "Will do. What about the ambassador? He might be a useful bargaining chip at some future point."
I thought for a moment. "Only if there is time. Don't put yourself or anyone else at risk for him."
The heavens around Jorus were soon filled with green laser pulses, blue ion bolts, and orange particle beams. Tiny flashes of bright light told of the explosive destruction of their impacts. The comm channels were soon full of captains, commanders, and admirals screaming orders to counter moves of counter- mov
es. From the outside looking in, it was complete chaos.
As we approached high orbit, several hundred Kergan ships broke away from the fleet and headed for the surface. Our sensor displays of the surface went blank as the ion field inhibitors came online. If we were going to the surface, we would have to set down outside of the protective fields.
Garrett said, "Those fields are full online now. Looks like Joni made it to the surface just before they came up."
I replied, "We're heading toward the Kergans. I want those ships out of commission before they fire on my people. Those inhibitors may not even work against their weapons."
Jack responded. "Particle beams use standard physics, the inhibitors should still function. The question is: are they powerful enough to stop them?"
The Garmon and the other Odenta ships fired as soon as they were within range. Of the two hundred fifty-six Kergan ships that entered the atmosphere, seventy-six of them took damage to their forward shields. With their extreme velocity on entering the atmosphere, forty-two of the seventy-six became fireballs that fell all the way to the surface. Twenty-six survived with damage, while the remainder turned back to high orbit.
Orange beams could soon be seen penetrating the ion inhibitor fields. If they were doing damage, it was unknown. After a second round of gravity beams struck their targets, the Kergan ships headed for orbit.
I turned to Jack. "Send out orders to have everyone set down just outside the perimeters of those fields. Keep your beams pointed up and push back on any ships that come this way. I'll be going in on foot."
Go stood. "That's a bad idea, Mr. Beutcher. I can blink out and go in there under power. Will only take me seconds to reach their transports."
"And what if they don't listen to you?" I said.
Go pursed his lips. "Then I take out their inhibitor generator and you come in. One way or the other, we have to get them to leave."
Jack said, "We have another problem. The Grumar and Grotus transports are heading this way. Looks like the Kergans had a second fleet that circled around. I'm seeing almost six thousand ships. This battle is already epic and yet it keeps getting bigger."
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