Mutineer (Empire Rising Book 7)

by D. J. Holmes

  Ya’sia smiled. “Perceptive as always Vice Admiral. Yes, we are approaching what we call a Way Gate. They are installations that can tear open holes into shift space and impart great velocities to ships that pass through them. The Way Gate will allow us to travel to the borders of Crian territory much quicker than if we just used our normal shift drives. The Varanni’s analysis of your shift drives indicates that your ships will be able to travel through the Way Gate without any difficulties.”

  “I’m not surprised,” James responded. “We have the same technology within our own territory, though we call them Jump Gates. As you can imagine, we don’t have one so large as the one we are approaching now. I presume our entire fleet can pass through the gate in just a couple of divisions?”

  “You have your own Way Gates?” Ya’sia asked. “Another surprising thing about your species. And yes you’re right, the Way Gates are large enough for a Varanni strike fleet to pass through in one go. We’ll have to split our fleet in two to pass through, but it won’t cause any significant delay.”

  “How many Way Gates are there between here and the end of the next shift passage?” James asked.

  Ya’sia looked confused for a moment. “How many? I’m not sure what you mean. There’s only one Way Gate of course.”

  “Only one?” James asked as a similar look of confusion passed over his face. “How is that possible?”

  Ya’sia looked at him strangely for a moment, then her face changed. “Oh, I see. You have built your Jump Gates along natural shift passages. Well, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Before they built the Way Gates, the Varanni cleared the dark matter along the route the gates catapult ships along. There is no twisting and turning shift passage that we have to go through. It is a straight line from this system to the Hal’lom system in Crian space. If you have Jump Gates built in your natural shift passages, they must only allow for small jumps.”

  “They do, but they have reduced the travel times between worlds,” James answered with a nod. “Are you saying the Varanni have the technology to access and harness dark matter?”

  “No,” Ya’sia explained. “But they have some way of repelling it to create artificial shift passages.”

  “Now that is useful,” James said as he realized what Ya’sia was describing. “Without having to account for dark matter, you can make single, straight shift passages between systems. How long is this shift passage and how long will it take us to traverse it using the Way Gate?”

  “It’s just over a hundred light years from here to Hal’lom,” Ya’sia answered. “It will take fifteen of your hours.” When she finished speaking, she smiled at James’ reaction. “I thought you would be impressed. I need to talk to Dural and make arrangements for our fleet to jump through the gate, but I wanted to tell you in person what you’re about to experience so that you weren’t concerned. It turns out I needn’t have bothered. Though I have enjoyed seeing your shock.”

  “You do seem to take pleasure in shocking us with your technologies. I imagine you’re going to get plenty of opportunities to continue to enjoy enlightening me over the next few weeks. I’ll let you go; it’s going to take me some time to get my head around these Way Gates.”

  “One hundred light years!” Scott said as soon as the COM channel ended. “That’s basically the same distance from the Sol system to the Britannia system. It takes ten days to cover that distance. No wonder it only took Quest three weeks to get from Varanni Prime to X-32. We could almost make the journey in the same time with these Way Gates.”

  “You may add this dark matter repelling technology to the list of things we don’t understand but would very much like to,” James commented. “When we get a chance, we’ll have to ask someone about it. For now, let’s just enjoy being the first Humans to cover such vast distances in so short a time.”

  “And don’t forget to scan every inch of this Way Gate,” Becket reminded the bridge officers on duty.

  “Yes,” James agreed. “Scan every inch.”

  *

  UNS Golden Hind, Crian Home System, 11th November 2478 AD.

  “This is the stuff of science fiction,” Scott said as awe filled her voice. It had taken them just five days to reach the Crian homeworld and what they found there did not disappoint.

  “What is the system’s population?” Ivanov asked.

  “Eighty-six billion,” Emilie answered. “What?” She followed up when everyone looked at her. “Ya’sia hasn’t sent us a full cultural database, but she did send over some pertinent information. That was several days ago. Didn’t anyone else look at it?”

  “I guess we just read other parts of it,” Scott responded. “Eighty-six billion. That is mind boggling.”

  “It’s almost as many Humans as there are in all of our territory. Imagine everyone from every one of our colonies crammed into one system,” Becket added. “Though I dare say the Crians in this system do not feel crammed. Not with the amount of real estate we are detecting.”

  James didn’t join the conversation, he was thinking the same thing though. The Crians had completely developed their homeworld. It was one giant city. He too had read the file. Nearly sixty billion Crians lived on the small planet that was at the other edge of the system from Golden Hind. The other twenty billion were spread out on several other worlds, orbital stations and asteroid facilities within the system. On more than one occasion after returning to the Sol system after a long mission, James had been impressed by the amount of activity. Nothing he had seen before, not in Human space, nor Vestarian, or even Kulrean space had prepared him for what he was looking at. Golden Hind’s sensors were tracking fourteen thousand contacts moving around the system and the number was steadily rising as the computer identified more and more unique sources of gravimetric waves.

  “The firepower of those orbital battlestations must be immense,” Miyamoto commented. “Look at the energy readings we’re getting off them from so far away. I wouldn’t want to tangle with one of those. And we are detecting forty-four of them.”

  “Ya’sia is requesting a COM channel Admiral,” Emilie reported.

  James simply nodded to his niece. Everyone on the bridge had come to expect Ya’sia’s regular calls. In almost every Crian system they had visited she had called to talk to James and update him. She wasn’t quite boasting, but she was coming very close to it. James put it down to her pride in her own species. And, of course, her delight in introducing James to things he had not thought possible. When her face appeared in front of him he made an effort to smooth his features. Though he knew he would never be as good as Suzanna was, he put everything she had taught him into practice.

  Ya’sia stared at him for a moment before speaking. “Is something the matter Vice Admiral?”

  “It’s nothing,” James said with a wave of his hand. “It’s just, given everything we’ve seen so far, I was expecting something more. An entire world turned into one city; I have seen that before.”

  “You have?” Ya’sia asked as her face moved closer to whatever device was recording her. “Where? Surely not in Human space. Your species hasn’t developed that far, have you?”

  James couldn’t do it any longer. He broke into a smile. “I’m teasing you Ya’sia. Your home system is spectacular. I’m not sure my ship’s computer can handle the number of contacts we are detecting. I’d love to be able to go closer and even visit the surface. I’m sure there are many wonders to see.”

  Ya’sia made a threatening gesture towards James. “I am supposed to be the one who is teasing you with all our technologies. You’re not supposed to take the fun out of it for me.”

  “Am I not allowed a little revenge?” James asked.

  “Perhaps,” Ya’sia replied with a slight bow, “I have been pointing out your species’ inferiority a little more often than necessary.”

  “Our inferiority? James scoffed. “I thought you were enjoying showing me the many advances your civilization has made.”

  Ya’sia smiled as
she spoke. “Who’s to say they are not one and the same?”

  “Vice Admiral, our sensors have just detected more contacts,” Scott informed him.

  If it was anyone else, James would have scolded them. Golden Hind’s sensors were detecting new contacts every minute. That wasn’t a report to disturb his conversation with Ya’sia for. Scott would know that though. “What’s the significance?” he asked after gesturing to Ya’sia to tell her he had to look away for a moment.

  “They have appeared right at the point Quest is leading us too. There is a whole fleet of them. Given their acceleration signatures, I think they are Varanni. Some of the contacts have to be dreadnoughts. They are heading right towards us.”

  “Have you seen what my subordinates are pointing out to me?” James asked Ya’sia as he turned back to her.

  “I do. There’s nothing to be alarmed about Vice Admiral. It will take five minutes for any messages sent by those ships to reach us. I’m sure there will be an explanation.”

  “Is it customary for their Varanni to send a battle fleet to meet a new alien species?” James queried.

  “Not quite…” Ya’sia replied slowly. “But I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation. Given the circumstances, they may just want to provide you with a larger escort. You are an unknown quantity to them after all.”

  Though his concerns weren’t entirely put at ease, James didn’t know what else he could do. If the Varanni had decided to turn his fleet away, or even to engage his fleet, there was nothing he could do about it. Given their speed advantage, there was no way he could run away. For the next five minutes he engaged Ya’sia in idle conversation about her home system, though he kept his eye on the Varanni fleet.

  A few moments after any COM message should have reached Quest and Handmaiden, Ya’sia gestured that she had to look away. When she looked back the surprise on her face was evident. “You need not worry James; they are not here for you. The Varanni strike fleet is heading to Flex-aor. The Varanni Senate and High Command have read my report and have decided a show of strength is necessary. They’re launching another attack on the Flex-aor. The fleet being sent isn’t powerful enough to defeat the Flex-aor entirely. But given their speed and technological advantage, they will be able to crush isolated Flex-aor fleets and raid their planets. If the Flex-aor High Queen is planning to launch a counterattack, the Varanni will soon dispel any such notions.”

  “That’s good news, is it not?” James responded. “You sound surprised.”

  “I guess I am,” she responded after a moment. “I didn’t expect them to react so quickly. The strike fleet can get to Flex-aor space and back to Varanni Prime in just a couple of months. The High Command must want them back as soon as possible to have dispatched them so soon. Their haste is troubling. The High Command must be taking these Invaders very seriously for them to want to quickly take the Flex-aor out of the picture.

  “That is worrying,” James said as he nodded. “But it’s good news. We can worry about these Invaders when we know more about them. Now, let’s come back to your home system. I would love to hear more.”

  As he continued to speak to Ya’sia, James spared a glance towards Scott. She nodded to show she knew what his look meant. The ships in James’ fleet were to get as much data on the Varanni strike fleet as possible as it cruised past them towards the Way Gate that would take them towards Flex-aor space.

  Chapter 29

  Some of the most enlightening experiences can be had in visiting the home planets of other species, especially those not a part of the Empire. With Humanity dominating our sector of the galaxy, it can be easy for us to become trapped in our own bubble. Seeing what other species have made of themselves and their homeworlds, opens one’s eyes to the possibilities that are out there.

  -Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.

  UNS Golden Hind, Monulan system, 20th November 2478 AD.

  As James descended his shuttle’s rear access ramp and stepped foot on Varanni Prime, the scene that greeted him wasn’t at all what he expected. In orbit the Varanni homeworld had not disappointed. His and Ya’sia’s fleets were the last to arrive in the system. As a result, there were already nearly two thousand warships arrayed around the planet. Beyond that, there were even more civilian ships moving around the system than there had been in the Crian home system.

  Yet, Varanni Prime itself appeared woefully underdeveloped. His shuttle had landed at one of the outer landing pads arrayed around the Varanni Senate Building. The building itself was impressive, it appeared to be at least fifty stories high and was clearly designed by an alien architect. There were so many spires and spikes that James thought it would be impossible to count them all. Besides the spires, there were also no sharp edges. Every wall and roof was made up of arches and spherical wall joints. The building was a dazzling white and with the Varanni system’s twin suns both high overhead, it sparkled in a way James knew no Human building did.

  Beyond the Senate building, there was no other Varanni construction that was more than two stories high. James could make out several distant villages but the vast majority of the landscape was purple, yellow and red. Those were the predominant colors of the vegetation on Varanni prime. Ya’sia had told him that for the Varanni, their homeworld was sacred. Clearly it was very sacred. It appeared that almost none of their people actually lived on their homeworld. Varanni Prime was nothing at all like Cria Prime.

  “It’s beautiful is it not?” Ya’sia asked as she approached. She had been standing with the welcoming committee. “Every time I come here I regret that we have built over our homeworld. Yes, we have recreated the natural habitats from our own world on other systems, but it’s not the same.”

  “It is very beautiful,” James agreed. “Are there no cities on the surface?”

  “There are some Human,” a Varanni answered as she stepped forward. “But they are all historical cities that have not been redeveloped or extended for more than a millennia. Some Varanni still live there, many visit on pilgrimages.”

  “This is Carma Mashar,” Ya’sia said as she made introductions. “Carma is an elected member of the Varanni Senate. Before that she was the Varanni envoy to Cria, we know each other well. Carma, Vice Admiral James Somerville.”

  “I am glad to meet you,” Carma said as she bowed deeply.

  “And I you,” James replied as he returned the gesture. “It is a great privilege to be allowed to visit your homeworld. You have greatly honored my people.”

  “You honor me with your presence as well Vice Admiral,” Carma said. “Ya’sia has told me much about you. Reading between the lines, I think I have you to thank for the safe return of her fleet. If she had faced the Flex-aor by herself, she may not be with us now.”

  “I wouldn’t put it like that,” James said. “Our two fleets fought well together.”

  “Either way, I’m happy you are here, even if it is purely as a military expedition. I know you did not have time to form a diplomatic team to bring with you on this mission so we cannot open formal diplomatic relations with your species. But your ships and your experience will be extremely valuable nonetheless.”

  “I’m here to serve,” James responded as he shared a glance with Ya’sia. They had worked out the story of being a military mission between them. He hadn’t wanted the added pressure of being encouraged to make political deals he knew no one on Earth would honor. “It is my hope that my people’s presence at this High Council meeting will be the beginning of positive and friendly diplomatic relations between my species and those of the Varanni Alliance.”

  “That is my desire as well,” Carma said with a slight bow. “And I know it is Ya’sia’s. I must confess though, you may have a difficult time convincing some of the other senators and, indeed, some of the other species in our Trading Alliance. I have read some of your history files. Your species is very militaristic. That will not sit well with everyone.”

  “It doesn’t sit well with me at times,” James replied.
“So I understand.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Carma responded. “Now, that is enough political talk. Let me give you a tour of the Senate buildings. We’ll get our fill of politics once the High Council meeting begins. Before then, I’m sure you have plenty of questions you’d like to ask. Let me try and satisfy your curiosity as we go.”

  “That would be a pleasure,” James said. “Let me introduce my other officers, I’m sure they will have questions of their own.” James had brought Gupta, Becket and Scott with him. After introducing them he asked his first question. He wanted to know how old the Senate buildings were. Next he asked about the pilgrimages Carma had mentioned. Then many more questions came to mind. Within minutes, he forgot all about the fact that he was walking side-by-side with what some might describe as a large slug like creature with a slimy tail that swished back-and-forth, propelling it forward. He was lost in the wonder of the Varanni civilization.

  Carma showed them around the Senate buildings answering every question they had. After about ten minutes James pulled Ya’sia to one side and asked her if all the questions were okay. “Oh yes, Carma is very proud of her people, she loves to talk about their accomplishments. She is rather like me in that way.”