Star Strike: Book 3 of the Star Man Series

by I. G. Roberts

  Dave nodded his understanding.

  Colin continued, “Dave, something is going on within Cambridge’s system of government. I suspect corruption, but it might be something else. The opposition has become aggressive in their attacks over the last few days. It looks like they may have bought the Chairman of the house. I’d like to see if we can find out what they’re doing. Are you willing to help me? Can you help me?”

  Dave Bach mulled over Colin’s request for a few minutes before answering. He considered this might become a risky job, but it should prove exciting and even entertaining. Besides, Dave believed he owed the Commodore a considerable debt, so he didn’t see many choices.

  “Perhaps I can help Commodore. Do you have anything to get me started, names, addresses, even suspicions?”

  Colin handed him a data chip he’d brought along hoping Dave would accept the challenge. Dave looked at it then said, “If I find anything interesting, I’ll contact you to explain I have a problem with the Sensor design. Come to discuss the problem, I’ll clarify our findings.”

  Thank you, Dave. This is all unofficial, but I’ll try to protect you if the shit hits the fan. Dave grinned as Colin shut down the scrambler.

  Colin said, “Now Dave, I need to go visit the President and his wife the day after tomorrow. I need to discuss the progress on the Destroyers with them. They both want to and thank you for the way you rescued them. Would you come with me? I know they will appreciate it if you do.”

  “Yes, Sir. Commodore, Keg was there too, he did as much as me to rescue the President and Ms. Constantin, the only difference was that the assailant wounded me. Can Keg come as well?”

  “I see no reason why he can’t.”

  “Thank you, Sir.”

  Government House

  Colin arrived at Government House as promised, two days after his clandestine meeting with Teri Constantin. This time he took Dave Bach and Jonathon Gibson (Keg) along, ostensibly for the President to thank them. Dave had a small bag containing ‘gifts’ for the President and his wife.

  As usual, Edward was still working when Colin arrived, so it was Teri who greeted them. So far, Colin had little to help his friends. Nevertheless, Edward had taken Colin’s advice and fed information to selected media. Everything they received was verifiable as true so they could publish it without legal risk, and they did. While Cambridge had robust defamation laws, those laws didn’t apply if the media verified the information. The proceedings from many earlier parliamentary sittings showed the truth. The press only needed to report information already in the public record.

  This reduced pressure on the Government, but several independents still sat on the fence, unsure of which way to jump. The opposition tactics hamstrung the Government who couldn’t push through any spending measures needed to rebuild after the Pirate attacks. The consolation was the Parliament had already approved the budget for the Destroyers, the opposition couldn’t do anything to undermine that project without making themselves look incompetent.

  Teri said, “It’s so good to see you again Commodore, you must visit more often. Edward always seems happier after you’ve been, less stressed. You remind him of what’s important.”

  “It’s always a pleasure to spend time with you and Edward. It is unfortunate we’re all so busy just now. When my house in St. Clair is habitable again, you should come and stay for a weekend. It’s relaxing, you can unwind, do nothing for a while.”

  “We may take you up on your kind offer Colin.”

  While Teri spoke to Colin, Dave placed several devices around the room. Keg seemed to always be in a position to shield Dave from specific directions. Teri noticed it but said nothing.

  Colin said, “Teri, I’d like to introduce you to Dave Bach and Jon Gibson. Jon’s friends call him Keg, I’m sure he would appreciate it if you did too.”

  Teri beamed as she said, “Welcome gentlemen. Both Edward and I have been looking forward to meeting you. We owed you our lives and wanted to thank you for your actions that day. Believe me, we will never forget a debt like that. When Edward arrives, we shall all go in for dinner, I hope you’re hungry. Ah, here’s Edward.”

  Edward Constantin entered the room looking tired and stressed. When he saw Colin and the others, Edward’s face split into a huge grin. He wasn’t sure what Colin had told his companions so elected for a more general conversation. Edward thought it better to let Colin take the lead.

  Colin said, “Allow me to introduce you to Dave Bach and Jon Gibson Mr. President. These are the two who rescued you and Teri during the invasion.”

  Again, Edward’s face split into a wide grin as he replied, “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to meet you, gentlemen. I’ve wanted to thank you but, well, Dave you have been in the hospital, and I’ve been busy with the Government.”

  Dave looked uncomfortable with meeting somebody so senior in Cambridge’s Government. There wasn’t much to say except murmur a thank you and tell the President that he was only doing his duty. Meanwhile, Keg wore a stunned look on his face. Keg came from a simple working-class background. For Keg, having dinner with the head of the entire planet was overwhelming. Keg considered making an excuse and running for the door. He couldn’t justify the rude behavior, not in front of Commodore Gordon, and not to these people. They were trying to show appreciation for his actions. Keg had a talent for smelling deception, and he wasn’t getting the slightest whiff of it there.

  Edward continued, “Well, you’re all here now. I’m not sure about you, but I’m starving. Let’s go to the dining room. The food is ready.”

  Teri walked over and took Dave’s and Jon’s arms to lead them into the dining room. The meal was an enjoyable one. Edward and Teri chatted with their guests and treated them as longtime friends. Colin watched as Dave and Jon relaxed while the dinner progressed. Colin told Keg that he should be proud of his sister, explaining the way she held the line during the attack on his home.

  Although he wasn’t sure, Colin suspected the President’s Residence may have scattered surveillance devices. He based the suspicion on the quality of the information the opposition used to destabilize the Government. Because of this, Colin elected to keep his cover; Dave and Keg were there to meet President Constantin because they rescued him.

  Colin said, “I came to give you an update on the Destroyer progress Mr. President, and have a little social time with you and Teri.”

  Ed Constantin replied, “I’ve wondered how the Destroyers are progressing, and I told you long ago I wanted to thank these two.”

  This conversation continued with Dave turning different Jammers on and off throughout the meal. Any listeners would receive just enough to think they heard the conversation and blame equipment failure for the problems.

  After dinner finished, Colin shot a quick look in Dave’s direction. A few moments later, Dave nodded back and said, “The apartment is secure Commodore. Any surveillance will seem like static to eavesdroppers. I’ve been turning it on and off on a random schedule since we arrived.”

  “Thank you, Dave. Now, down to business. Mr. President, we’ve found little, but we are looking. We must be careful. If they learn of our activities, these people will become desperate and dangerous. I expect, when trials are over, several from the Democratic Party may enjoy a stripy view of the world. There may be a few Liberals too.”

  Edward nodded before asking, “Stripy, what does that mean?”

  “They’ll be looking at the outside world from behind prison bars Sir.”

  Edward chuckled before replying, “Commodore, you have such an interesting, not to mention a refreshing view of the world. It will be unfortunate if a few Liberals are doing anything wrong, but we need to clear the air. Let the cards fall wherever they will Colin. We must resolve this as fast as possible.”

  “Okay, Sir. Now, that part of the conversation is over, and I should report on Destroyer progress. We have commenced construction of the first prototype. There are several minor glitches in the desi
gn, but we expect these glitches in a prototype. We’ll build the second ship after we’ve identified and fixed those design issues.”

  After Colin was well into the report, Dave disconnected the surveillance scramblers, so any listeners would pick up more of the conversation. Colin finished his report and he, along with Dave Bach and Keg took their leave. After they departed, Teri noticed how once again, a visit from Colin Gordon seemed to calm her husband.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ISSUES

  Cotoni

  Admiral Hanadon brooded in his office, thinking about Colin Gordon. Dalkasan had stopped by when he passed through Cotoni on his way home to Sankarah. Dalkasan heaped praise upon the people of Cambridge for the way they stood against the Pirate attack. To him, these humans were dangerous enemies. He had no wish to fight them.

  Hanadon had mentioned Earth then, explaining how the humans there weren’t far into their journey to become a starfaring people. They discussed the promises made to Commodore Gordon when he first came to the Federation. Hanadon suggested they might consider bringing the people of Earth into the fold as friends. That kept a promise they made to Colin and stopped them from joining a hostile polity.

  Dalkasan’s face grew thoughtful, and he said, “Charkon, your idea has merit. Can we trust Commodore Gordon to use diplomacy when he goes there? Do we send a political agent or diplomat to watch him?”

  “If Colin makes a promise, he’ll keep it to the best of his ability. We should send an ambassador with him, someone he trusts. The representative can use the Commodore as an advisor during negotiations.”

  “You’re right. I’ll consider it. Gordon has done more to protect the Federation than anyone. The time is nearer to honor our promises.”

  After their conversation finished, Dalkasan departed for Sankarah. He had plenty to consider.

  Since Dalkasan’s visit, Charkon Hanadon had thought of little else. Everything that happened reminded him of one enigmatic human. Hanadon never understood the man’s motivations. This one man was so useful defending the Federation. It was almost a year since they fought the Battle of Cambridge. The Pirates still made attacks, but they dropped off after the Battle for Cambridge. The humans had decimated the Pirate ranks.

  Hanadon went back to his work. He found a report detailing values paid by the insurance companies for the Pirate ships Colin and his comrades captured. The Commodore had an astronomical figure coming his way. Colin and his people had recovered many yachts and Freighters from the Pirates. The insurance companies paid an enormous sum for those ship’s recovery. Hanadon called Captain Sydnasi and Captain Cadapon to his office. They arrived soon after the summons.

  Hanadon said, “Thank you for coming. I have three jobs for you. First, I want you to go on a patrol together. I’ll ping the places I want you to visit, but your route is your decision. Your primary mission is to hunt and destroy Pirates. The second reason for this mission, I want you to visit Cambridge, see how they’re faring. Check their progress with the new ship designs. Report back with your opinions. Because you are going there, I have a data packet for you to deliver to Cambridge. That is your third job. Do you have questions?”

  The Captains looked at each other. Sydnasi asked, “How long is our cruise, Admiral?”

  “I expect this cruise will last for around six to eight months. How long will you need to prepare?”

  Again, the Captains exchanged a glance. This time, Cadapon answered, “We’ll need five days to recall our crews and load supplies and munitions. We will leave then Sir.”

  “Okay, you shall leave in five days. Go, prepare.”

  Cambridge Naval Headquarters

  The Comms unit in Commodore Gordon’s office chimed with an incoming call. Colin accepted the signal to find Commander Doug Corbett on the line.

  “Hello, Doug. I assume we have a problem.”

  “Yes, Sir, we do. I need to see you, Commodore.”

  “Okay, Commander. Will you come to my office, or is there another preferred location?”

  “I’ll come there, Sir, we must discuss sensitive matters.”

  “Yes, Commander, I’ll wait for you.”

  While Colin waited, he deployed scramblers. Dave Bach built several for him since the problems in Cambridge’s Government surfaced. Five minutes later, Doug Corbett arrived with a small projector. He set the device up, but before activating it, asked if the office was secure. Colin smiled before assuring Doug that it was. Corbett enabled the projector to show a three-dimensional model of the new Destroyer.

  Corbett began, “We’ve identified several problems with the design Commodore. I expect a few are easy to fix, others, much more challenging.”

  “Okay, let’s start with the easy ones, we can put those to bed fast then focus on the difficult problems.”

  “Yes, Sir. The easiest is a shortfall in the Point-Defense. When we changed things to add the launch and recovery facilities for the fighters, we had to cut several, Point-Defense turrets. Given the Point-Defense density on this ship, we consider the compromise acceptable. Your team at the training-base pointed the weaknesses out to us. We have to fit extra Point-Defense to cover the launch tubes and recovery bays.”

  “Where will you place these extra turrets?”

  “Your people made good recommendations there. They’ve solved that problem.”

  Doug pointed out the changes and the new locations for Point-Defense batteries. Several turrets were well inside the recovery bays. The designers placed those to protect against hostiles who made it into a recovery bay. They squeezed extra batteries in around the openings. These changes safeguarded both the launch and recovery systems well. Colin told Corbett to make the changes, and they moved on to the next item.

  The next item was with the ship’s manoeuverability. As it stood, the design made these Destroyers fast in a straight line. Simulations showed the Destroyers taking too long to turn. Doug concluded, a few minor changes to the manoeuvering systems would fix this issue. Colin approved these changes also.

  With those two issues resolved, they looked at the more intractable problems. Chief among these was a problem where various pieces of equipment would not work together. Colin realized, if they’d specified the interfaces well, these issues shouldn’t have surfaced. He checked the specifications, but they provided enough information. These interfaces should not present a problem, but they didn’t work. Each manufacturer had its own interpretation of the specifications. Couple their varying interpretations with a level of intransigence and the Navy had a problem.

  Colin said, “We have contracts here, don’t we? Those contracts protect us.”

  He looked at Doug’s face and realized the contracts did not. “Tell me what happened Doug.”

  “Politicians imposed the contracts on us, they protect the manufacturer. The Government agreed to pay that price to secure the money for the Project.”

  “Hmmm, old-fashioned corruption then. Okay, Doug, send me copies of the contracts, I’ll look into the problem. We should be able to resolve this. Oh, send me anything else you consider relevant to this issue. The contracts are with the Navy, not the Cambridge Government. We are not a Cambridge Government entity. Last I heard, the Federation frowns upon corruption.”

  “Be careful Commodore, you may make powerful enemies if you become involved.”

  Colin grinned before chuckling.

  He replied, “Perhaps, Doug. To be honest, I’ve made powerful enemies ever since I first set foot in the Federation. I have a price on my head. That’s why I can’t go anywhere without minders. Doug, making enemies here bothers me, but I hold a firm belief I should always do right. Sometimes, that causes me trouble. At least my conscience remains clear.”

  “All I’m saying, Sir, is take care, sometimes it’s easier to let these things slide.”

  Colin chuckled as he said, “I must uphold my reputation, Doug.”

  After a moment of silence, he continued, “Thank you for your advice, I hear you.”

&n
bsp; Colin looked focused on his desk. Doug Corbett saw the dismissal and left to fix the problems. The possibility of corruption concerned Colin. He surmised it might explain a few issues that surfaced in the Cobras and Taipans. Colin found himself amazed at the stupidity. Cambridge still hadn’t recovered from an invasion. He couldn’t understand how people were stupid enough to cheat their protection.

  Colin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes while he brooded over the problems. These issues weren’t unusual in a Project this significant, but Colin still found them frustrating. He continued planning until Lieutenant Anne Fraser entered the room.

  To her, Commodore Gordon’s face looked worn. He’d worked for four years, with little time to relax. She perceived the man was reaching a breaking point and didn’t understand he should rest. Anne discussed the matter with her family, at least the family she trusted.

  Shipyard

  As Colin considered the problems he had on the Destroyer project, he became convinced he needed help from experienced people. Although he wasn’t involved with managing the company that owned the shipyard, he still held two percent of the stock. At least that was the situation when Colin last checked. He intended using his sizeable stock holding, and position in the Navy to gain the required access.

  Colin called Anne in to his Office.

  When she entered, he said, “Anne, book us a trip to the shipyard, please. We have a few problems with our Destroyer design. I need to investigate them.”

  “Yes, Commodore. I’ll book an entire Shuttle. We’ll need that for security.”

  “I understand Lieutenant.”

  “When do you want to go Sir?”