“I don’t think there’s going to be enough time,” answered Ryan, shaking his head gloomily. “We’ve been told they’re going to take us to their home world for additional study and interrogation. It will be several weeks yet before a rescue mission could get here.”
“Lieutenant Nelson’s right,” Colonel Stratford said in agreement. “Major Stevens and I have discussed the possibility of rescue, and we just don’t believe there’ll be time for the Alliance to reach us before the Kleese take us deeper into their space.”
“Then what are we going to do?” asked Lieutenant Felton with deep concern in his voice.
“We need to decide what our people can tell the Kleese,” answered Stratford. “We have to give them some information or we risk more reprisals. I don’t want to see any more heads blown off. We need to buy as much time as possible to figure out what we can do to change our situation.”
“What about finding our battlesuits?” Ryan asked, his eyes narrowing sharply. “With the command suits there’s a possibility we could find a solution to removing these collars.”
“Yes,” responded Major Stevens, focusing his attention back on Ryan. “But it would have to be one of the Type Four command suits with the neural feed.” He hadn’t discussed this possibility with Stratford, as he didn’t know if the command suits could find a viable solution to the collars.
“Do you think your Type Four suits could actually get the collars off?” asked Colonel Stratford with surprise in his voice. His right hand went up and touched the deadly silver collar around his neck. The collars made doing anything against their captors nearly impossible.
“Marken helped program the suits,” Ryan answered. “I’m sure he would have set up an internal program in case some of us were captured by the Kleese. We just need to find it.”
Stratford was silent for a long moment and then spoke. “That makes our first priority finding out where they have our equipment stored. It may be a serious risk getting to it, but if we can get these damn collars off and recover our equipment at least that would give us a fighting chance. With two hundred Marines in battlesuits, we just might be able to take the exploration ship that’s transporting us to their home world.”
“We need to stay alive until we can locate the suits,” added Stevens, knowing it was probably their only viable option to escape their captors. “In that regard, let’s go over what information we can reveal to the Kleese during these interrogations. There’s a lot of general information the Kleese already know which we can talk about and some other information, which wouldn’t be detrimental to the solar system or the Alliance.”
-
The small group spent nearly an hour going over what they could risk telling the Kleese. Once they were all satisfied with what they’d decided, they went their separate ways to inform their platoons. They were also going to move some of the Marines around to get the platoons back to normal.
Major Stevens watched them go. The last two weeks had been difficult for him and Colonel Stratford. The Nabians had kept the two command officers away from their Marines, only informing them when an execution had been performed. The two officers questioned their Nabian captors extensively but had gleaned very little useful information.
“You didn’t mention before that you might be able to use your Type Four command suits to remove these collars,” said Colonel Stratford, pointing to the one around Steven’s neck.
“It’s a maybe,” Mark replied. “We don’t even know where the Nabians put our equipment. It could still be on the exploration cruiser or here somewhere on the trading station. There’s a good chance we’ll never see it again.”
“Let’s set up a meeting for later this evening with the platoon leaders,” Stratford suggested. “We have slightly over two hundred Marines and there are eight lieutenants we can count on to keep them in line. It’s essential we maintain our discipline and cohesion as a military unit. I don’t want to count on a rescue being our only means of getting back home. If we can find a way to do it ourselves then I won’t hesitate to take that route, no matter what the costs.”
“I agree,” replied Mark, nodding his head. “We need to escape before we reach the Kleese home world. I fear that once that happens all hope will be lost.”
Mark let out a deep sigh. He wished Lieutenant Griffith were here. His fellow officer and best friend was always full of helpful advice. They had served together at Tent City and survived some harrowing times after the destruction of Earth. He greatly missed his best friend.
-
Back in the solar system, Wade had returned to Vesta to meet with General Bailey and President Steward. The president had requested the meeting and they were currently inside the massive spacedock within Vesta.
“They’re big ships,” commented President Steward, gazing at the four large heavy battlecruisers under construction. They were covered with a spider work of gantries, and hundreds of workers were swarming over the ships intent on getting them finished. A number of hatches were open and the large particle beam turrets were plainly visible. Over to one side of the ships, the multiple warhead sublight antimatter missiles were being unloaded and then taken on board to be stored in their bunkers.
“We’re running a three shift operation,” stated Sean Miller, who was responsible for the spacedock and normal flight operations. “As you can see we’re already loading munitions. Work is on schedule and the ships should be finished in three more weeks.”
There had been many changes in the spacedock since its inception when it merely served as a port and construction facility for the Smithfield Mining Corporation. Now it had been greatly expanded and was the primary shipyard for construction of the larger fleet warships. Thousands of people worked in the spacedock and its support facilities.
“We’ve already ordered the material for the next four,” added Ethan Hall, who was responsive for ship construction as well as being a brilliant engineer. “Some of the internal systems have already been completed and are just waiting for the keels of the new ships to be built.”
“How long on the next four?” asked General Bailey. “I assume the second group can be constructed a little faster than the first ones.”
“Four months,” Ethan replied. “That allows us to do all the quality checks and includes a three shift around the clock construction operation.”
“Should we build another spacedock?” Steward asked. They were already putting a considerable amount of the system’s budget into defense. At the last report, it was slightly over sixty percent of the available funds.
“We may be able to help with that,” spoke up Marken, who had been standing quietly next to Wade. “With the combined technology of the Deltons, the Talts, and ourselves we may be able to build a second construction spacedock at a fraction of the cost it would normally take.”
“How?” asked Steward, cocking his eyebrow. Anything that would save money he was interested in. There was always grumbling from some of the habitats that felt they were being shorted in receiving needed assistance.
“We’ve designed a work robot that can easily do most of the construction work required in building a new spacedock,” Marken explained. “The Deltons used a type of work robot in much of their construction activities. We’ve modified it to the point that it can now serve multiple purposes.”
“How long would it take to build a spacedock, which could build six or eight of these new battlecruisers at a time?” asked General Bailey. He knew if they wanted to continue to protect the solar system from the Kleese they needed as many of the new battlecruisers as possible. The Kleese had a massive fleet and someday the solar system might have to face it.
“How about a spacedock that could build ten of the new ships in four months or less?” proposed Marken with a smile. “With the work robots and using Delton, Talt, and Kivean technicians, we could have it fully operational in six months.” His people, along with the Deltons and Talts, had already been working on a design.
“Si
x months!” exclaimed Ethan, his eyes grown wide. “Where would we build it?”
“Here at Vesta,” President Steward said, as he thought over the staffing requirements a new spacedock would require. “We have the necessary infrastructure here for everything as well as the people. We just need to decide where to build it and when to start construction.”
He was excited at the prospect of creating potentially tens of thousands of new jobs for the people inside of Vesta. It would be a boon to morale and greatly increase the money the civilians had to spend.
“We’ll need to run this through the council for approval,” spoke up General Bailey as he thought the suggestion over.
He liked the idea of building the new spacedock inside Vesta. The asteroid was the most heavily defended population center in the entire solar system. Much of what would be needed was already here and would only need to be expanded. Nearly five and a half million humans called Vesta home.
“I’ll do so immediately,” replied Steward, nodding his head in agreement. “Sean, talk to Keith Davis and determine the best location for the new spacedock. I want to get started on this immediately.” Then the president turned his attention back to Wade. “The attack and rescue operation we’re going to launch in a few months…I hope we get your brother and the others back, but I fear we’ll greatly infuriate the Kleese if we are successful in taking two more of their trading stations. What do you think they’ll do?” This had been a major sticking point that greatly concerned him. By taking the stations, they might be stirring up a hornets’ nest.
“Attack,” responded Wade animatedly. “They’ll want the stations back and will hit us with everything they have. We’d better be prepared for a major fleet action.”
“If we succeed in keeping the stations and beating back their attempts to retake them, how will that affect the Kleese and their war strategy?” This was the key question for Steward.
“It will definitely hamper it,” answered Wade. He’d thought long and hard about what General Mitchell and Fleet Admiral Kelly wanted to do.
“In what ways?” asked General Bailey, wanting Wade to expound on his answer.
“They won’t have any easy way to resupply their fleet or repair major damage suffered in battle. It could buy us a few years’ time until they make the necessary adjustments.”
“What type of adjustment do you think they’ll make?” asked Bailey.
“If I was them I’d take another trading station out of a different sector, then heavily arm it and move it as close to Alliance space as possible to use as an advanced base. I would keep a powerful fleet of Zaltule battlecruisers close by to protect it.”
“Makes sense,” Steward said, drawing in a deep breath. “We shall continue to increase our defenses in the solar system. After what happened at Mars Central, we’ve ensured we can safely evacuate our entire population to deep bunkers, which are impervious to antimatter attacks. We’ve added more ion and pulse fusion beam cannons where feasible.”
General Bailey turned toward Wade. “Colonel Nelson, both the Argyle and the Defender will be putting into spacedock here at Vesta to be reprovisioned and prepared for your attack on the trading station in Sector Twelve. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. If it’s possible, I’ll see that you get it. I know what it’s like to be a Kleese captive.”
“The Defender will be my command ship for the invasion of the trading station,” Wade replied. “We’ll need a number of assault ships loaded with troops as well. Taking a station that’s prepared to defend against us isn’t going to be easy.”
“I’ll speak to a few of my people as well,” added Marken. “Their familiarity with the stations and their systems might be of some use.”
“Thanks, Marken,” Wade replied. He knew he could always count on the Kivean for needed support and aid.
“If there’s nothing else then I better get home and see my wife,” Wade said, his face looking very somber at the news he was returning with.
“I know it’s going to be hard telling Beth and your parents about Ryan,” General Bailey said. “I don’t envy you that task.”
As Wade left, the others stood silently. There was much that needed to be done, and they couldn’t allow their thoughts to dwell too long on what had happened to the Marines on Diadem. They had a war to fight and, hopefully, some day win. The taking of the two trading stations would just be one small battle in the overall scheme of things.
Marken watched Wade leave the spacedock feeling deep sadness for his friend. Harnett had been highly upset when he’d told her what happened to Ryan, and he could only imagine how Wade’s parents would feel. The thought of losing a child was unimaginable to Marken. It made him even angrier with the Kleese and more determined than ever to end their reign of terror over this part of the galaxy.
-
Wade had to go to the cloning facility to see Beth. He hadn’t told her he was home as she might have asked too many questions; some would have been about Ryan. This was something he needed to tell her and then his parents face-to-face. It was going to be difficult and he was still having trouble accepting what had happened to his brother. He’d always been worried about Ryan being hurt or even killed in combat, but being captured by the Kleese hadn’t been one of his fears. In many ways, it might have been more merciful if Ryan had been killed in combat.
Entering the massive facility buried deep beneath the surface of Vesta, it still amazed him how spotless and clean everything was. Not a speck of dust was visible anywhere and the floors looked as if they had just been polished.
“Colonel Nelson,” greeted Mason Randle with a big smile. “The guards called and told me you’d come through the front entrance. Mason had taken over as administrator of the cloning facility after stepping down as president. It was a task he found both exhilarating and extremely satisfying. “Beth is in her office, I didn’t say anything about your arrival as I suspect you want to surprise her.”
“Yes,” replied Wade, guessing Mason hadn’t been informed about what had happened to the Marines. “How’s the facility doing?”
“Great,” Mason answered as they began walking down the corridor to the elevator that would take them to the level with Beth’s office. “We’re going to create two hundred and twenty thousand clones this year.”
“That many?” Wade said, surprised, arching his eyebrow. That was nearly double what he’d been expecting.
“Yes,” Mason answered somberly. “After the debacle at Mars Central there’s a huge demand by the civilians to beef up our defenses. Enlistment of normal humans has increased by twenty-two percent, but that’s still not enough to staff our planned ships or fill the ranks of our Marine divisions.”
“How’s Adrienne doing?”
“She loves being a mother,” Mason answered with a smile. Since Lara had been born, Adrienne spent much of her time at home. She seemed to love being a stay at home mom. Things were so much different now that he was no longer president.
Wade nodded. He and Beth had talked about kids and knew his wife was leaning more in that direction every day. Being deep inside Vesta, they were pretty secure from attack. The large habitats within the asteroid would all be good places to raise a child.
Entering the elevator, they were soon at the level where the main security offices were located. Mason informed Wade he needed to check on some new equipment being installed by Kivean technicians. “Come see me when you get the chance,” Mason said as he began walking down the corridor. “In my new job I don’t hear too much about what’s happening on the front lines or with the Alliance.”
Mason actually preferred it that way, as it allowed him to focus on his job at the cloning facility. He still had monthly briefings with both President Steward and General Bailey to determine how many clones would be needed to fill positions in the military and fleet construction jobs. In those meetings, he was normally apprised of current battle plans and the status of the Alliance. However, the daily and weekly briefi
ngs had long since stopped, partly at Adrienne’s insistence. She continually reminded him he was no longer responsible for the safety of the humans in the solar system. He had a family now as well as an important job he needed to focus on.
Reaching Beth’s office, Wade hesitated and then took a deep fortifying breath. He needed to tell Beth about Ryan and then later, the two of them would go to see his parents. This was a day he wished he could skip, but the conversations had to occur. They had a right to know what happened. Wade wasn’t sure how Beth would take the fact that they had left Ryan and the others behind.
-
Beth was busy studying some reports when she heard the door to her office open. Glancing up, her breath caught in her throat when she saw who was standing there. “Wade!” she screamed excitedly, standing up and going quickly around her desk to give him a huge welcoming hug and kiss. “When did you get in?”
“Yesterday,” he replied. “I’ve been at Centerpoint debriefing.”
Beth studied Wade’s face, sensing something was wrong. “What is it, Wade?” she asked, her face taking on a concerned look. “What’s happened?”
Wade took Beth’s hands, gripping them tightly. “It’s Ryan,” he said in a strained voice. “The Zaltule have captured him and his platoon.”
“Captured him?” Beth said, her face turning pale. “Is he still alive? What happened?”
“We think so,” Wade replied, looking into Beth’s compassionate eyes.
He then began explaining what had transpired. He would need her strength when they went to see his parents. Wade had always feared something might happen to Ryan once his younger brother decided to join the Marines and then later try out for the special project, which involved the Type Four battlesuits. Now that fear had become a reality and it was a nightmare he was going to have to learn to face. It was one that might last for a very long time.
Galactic Empire Wars: The Alliance (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 4) Page 8