Reconnaissance in Force (Book 6 of The Empire of Bones Saga)

by Terry Mixon

  “That’ll take a long while, unless we find some handy weak flip points that get us closer. Tell my father I’m sorry to do this to him, but it was important.”

  “He’ll know,” Jared said. “One positive, you don’t have to worry about your mother ruining your second wedding ceremony on Avalon for a while.”

  She laughed. “True. Or that just might give her more time to take it over. I’ll deal with that crisis when I get home.”

  He allowed his expression to grow serious. “Be careful, Kelsey. There’s no one to help you out of a bind. Keep the risky moves to a minimum.”

  “Sure. You know me. Timid as a mouse.”

  “Don’t torture me like that.”

  She laughed. “I’ll be careful. Look, we have to get going. I love you. You be careful, too. Until we meet again.”

  “Zia, make sure and append the current scanner readings you have. Kelsey, I love you, too. Until we meet again.”

  The transmission ended.

  According to their plan, they’d be flipping now. He’d have to wait for them to sneak through the Rebel Empire before he knew she was safe. It was going to be nerve wracking.

  One thing he could do to make it less so was to make sure the enemy didn’t go chasing after Kelsey at all. It would make his retreat to Erorsi a lot more dangerous than he preferred, but that was a price he was willing to pay.

  The data and equipment his sister had captured was quite possibly key to the Empire’s survival. Anything he could do to improve her odds of getting home with it was worth the risk.

  He opened a channel to his fleet. “All vessels execute Operation Shiva in thirty seconds.”

  As a unit, they all flipped into Dresden space and flushed their missiles at the battle station. They fired three salvoes before the first arrived on target.

  The enemy returned fire late. The crew probably couldn’t believe their eyes. They certainly had time to scream for help, though, which was fine by him. He wanted the other ships in the Dresden system to know he was here.

  The battle station was powerful, but no match for his sustained firepower. The second wave of missiles degraded its battle screens to the point of failure, and the final wave savaged it to the point it blew up.

  Its return fire was manageable. He had plenty of anti-missile platforms. The Rebel Empire had obviously never entertained the idea of a concerted attack at this strength.

  The mobile forces in the system were strong enough to engage him. They might not win, but in this kind of situation, both sides would be badly mauled.

  So, he had no intention of waiting around for them to catch him. He just wasn’t going to tell them that.

  Once he was sure they were forming up to come his way, he ordered his fleet to launch decoys at the remaining flip point that had a battle station. Only the heavy cruisers and larger vessels had decoys, but they would convince the enemy he was making a move on the other station.

  They wouldn’t see any destroyers, so they could either assume those were staying at this flip point or heading in at a slower pace to engage them. It didn’t matter. Any of the possibilities worked for Jared.

  Then he quietly had his fleet flip back to the mining system and head back for Erorsi at flank speed. By the time his decoys self-destructed, they’d be committed to chasing them.

  Once the enemy started examining the situation, have no choice but to assume he’d somehow destroyed the orbital. It would probably drive them crazy, but his arrival wouldn’t be seen as coincidental.

  Of course, they’d wonder how he’d eliminated the forces at the flip point Kelsey had used to flee. Then they’d discover the station hadn’t really blown up. Maybe.

  They might put something like the real story together at that point, but it would take days or weeks. He’d seen the scanner readings of the explosion of the freighter and the ore. It would hold for a while.

  In any case, it would give Kelsey and Zia time to escape. Surely, one of the systems along their path would have a weak flip point they could use to slip out of sight. The Rebel Empire forces would lose them if they had any luck at all.

  “Do you think it will be enough, Admiral?” Marcus asked.

  “It has to be,” he replied. “It’s all we can do.”

  * * * * *

  Zia stayed at her console long after her normal shift would have normally ended. Princess Kelsey had returned to the captured orbital to help sort out the thousands of prisoners and Brandon Levy was back on board the carrier. She was desperately tired, but she wanted to watch the scanners until they flipped again.

  The enemy hadn’t come after them and they were almost to the next flip point. If they made it through, any pursuers would wonder if they’d really come this way at all.

  She’d left a probe in the Dresden system to muddy the waters. It was far outside the system and racing for deep space. About now, it was going to begin transmitting an intermittent signal just strong enough for the enemy to detect. One designed to make the Rebel Empire commander wonder if someone was creeping along in the outer darkness.

  They couldn’t prove a negative. The probe would self-destruct after a few hours, so they’d never find proof one way or the other. It would probably drive them bonkers.

  “We’re ready to flip,” Brandon said over the com.

  “Take us across, Captain.”

  “Aye, ma’am.”

  She watched them flip and counted her ships on the other side as they arrived. That was a huge relief. It bought them the most precious of commodities: time.

  “We’re across,” Brandon said. “Initial passive scans are clean. I estimate we’re nine hours to the next flip point. I’ll send out probes to look for weak flip points and potentially hostile vessels. Then I’ll launch the combat space patrol.”

  Their fighters would escort them in relative safety. She didn’t expect to find anyone in these unoccupied systems, but one never knew.

  “Hang on a second, ma’am. We might have a situation.”

  Her heart lurched in her chest. “What kind of situation?”

  Had Rebel Empire ships come into scanner range at the last moment before they flipped? Were there ships in this system? A quick check showed that neither of those situations was the case.

  Brandon listened to someone beside his console and shook his head. “Unbelievable. How the hell could this happen?”

  “If you don’t tell me what’s happening, I’m going to scream,” she assured her flag captain.

  He looked back at the pickup. “It seems we have a stowaway, Commodore. I have no idea how, but the proof is irrefutable.”

  A moment later, the view swiveled toward the lift on the bridge. Two marines stood on either side of Justine Bandar. The diminutive woman looked triumphant.

  “Oh, hell,” Zia muttered.

  Want Terry to email you when he publishes a new book or when one goes on sale? Go to TerryMixon.com and sign up for his new releases notification list. Those are the only times he’ll contact you. No spam.

  Turn the page to read the first chapter of Behind Enemy Lines, Book Seven in The Empire of Bones Saga.

  Did you enjoy the book? If so, do a guy a solid and leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It only takes a minute to leave a few sentences saying you liked it, and that kind of thing helps your favorite authors so much. Thanks for giving me a try and I hope to see you again.

  Titles by Terry Mixon

  You can always find the most up to date listing of Terry’s titles on his Amazon Author Page.

  The Empire of Bones Saga

  Empire of Bones

  Veil of Shadows

  Command Decisions

  Ghosts of Empire

  Paying the Price

  Reconnaissance in Force

  Behind Enemy Lines (February 2017)

  The Humanity Unlimited Saga

  Liberty Station

  Freedom Express

  The Fractured Republic Saga

  Storm Divers

  T
he adventure continues in Book Seven of The Empire of Bones Saga, coming in February 2017.

  Behind Enemy Lines

  “What the hell were you thinking sneaking aboard one of our ships?” Kelsey Bandar almost screamed once she had her mother in her office on Persephone. “We’re at war!”

  Justine Bandar sat smirking as she lounged in a chair in front of her daughter’s desk. “I’m making sure that we have the opportunity to repair our differences without you using your supposed duty as an excuse to fob me off.”

  Kelsey rubbed her for face tiredly. “Have you have lost your mind? Do you have any idea what you’ve done or the situation you’ve inserted yourself into?”

  “I’m certain it’s not nearly as dire as you’d have me believe. Kelsey, we’re going to fix this rift between us. Whether that’s today, tomorrow, or next week doesn’t matter to me, but I’m not going to let you deny me.”

  She leaned forward a little. “I’ve known you all your life, baby girl. You can’t fool me. You’re hurting inside, and you need your mother.” Her expression allowed a little distaste to show through. “That has to be what’s behind your questionable taste since you got back.”

  Kelsey counted slowly to ten in her mind before she spoke. “As hard as this may be to believe, Mother, you are not my biggest problem right now. Let me lay it out for you. While you’ve been hiding in whatever hole someone stashed you aboard Audacious, we’ve traveled deep inside the Rebel Empire.

  “At this very moment, there’s probably an enemy fleet trying to find and kill us. Let me emphasize that a little bit, just in case it’s too subtle. They’re going to try to kill us.”

  Her mother huffed. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m sure the situation isn’t nearly as bad as you’d like me to believe. You’re just trying to distract me from this unhealthy mindset of yours.”

  Kelsey slapped her hand on the desk and stood. As short as she was, that wasn’t nearly as impressive as she’d prefer. Still, it would have to do.

  “It’s exactly that dire. Mother, forget Jared Mertz. He’s the least of your worries right now. We’re behind enemy lines, and I just stole an entire Rebel Empire research station. One I’m sure they’re desperate to keep out of our hands.

  “When they figure out how I did it, they’re going to come after us. If they catch us, they’re not going to ask me to give it back politely. They’re going to start shooting.”

  For the first time since she’d been caught, Justine Bandar looked a bit less certain. She squirmed in her seat a little. “What exactly is a research station? Why are you taking it?”

  “That’s the kind of thing I don’t have the time or patience to explain right now, Mother. The only purpose of this meeting is to tell you exactly how badly you’ve screwed up. Whatever your problems were in the Empire, you’ve put yourself into a life-and-death situation now. One that I can’t get you out of.

  “You want to have a long, drawn out discussion about what’s wrong between us? Fine. It’s just not going to be right now. Once we get somewhere safe, where we have just a little breathing room, we’ll have that fight.

  “Until then, I’m going to see that you get housing that’s more suitable to your current circumstances.”

  Her mother smiled a little. “It was on the small side, and I can think of a few furnishings that would make life a little easier. These ships of yours are so…functional. Fleet should hire a few interior decorators. Add some soothing colors and make things a little more comfortable.”

  This time, Kelsey did scream in frustration. “I don’t have time for this.” She signaled for marines through her implants. The door to her office slid open and two hulking men stepped inside. She pointed at her mother. “Justine Bandar is under arrest. Take her to the brig.”

  Obviously shocked, her mother shot to her feet. “You can’t arrest me! I’m your mother!”

  “Oh, I assuredly can. Let’s start off with your unauthorized presence on a Fleet carrier. A crime, by the way, you’ve already admitted to. I’m sure there are plenty of other laws and regulations you’ve violated, but that will do for now.

  “Once I’m sure that we’re in a relatively safe place, we’ll have that little chat you so desperately wanted. Until then, you can contemplate your sins in a cell. If I have to, I’ll send someone down to explain precisely how badly that is.

  “In fact, that’s a great idea. You should speak to someone in the Fleet Advocate General’s office. They can explain the severity of your crimes to you exquisite detail. I’m sure the legal officer on Audacious can help you out. Marines, take her away.”

  The two men firmly grasped the ex-Empress by her arms and dragged her gently from Kelsey’s office. Her mother struggled and ordered them to cease until the hatch slid closed behind them. Kelsey was certain the woman would scream, demand, and promise retribution all the way to the brig.

  She slowly sat behind her desk and rubbed the bridge of her nose. How in the hell had her mother even gotten onto the carrier? Obviously, someone had helped smuggle her aboard, but that didn’t explain how she’d managed to stay hidden for two weeks. No, someone had been providing ongoing support.

  It really didn’t surprise Kelsey that some people in Fleet still saw her mother as an authority figure. After all, the woman had ruled the Empire at her father’s side for decades. For many people, she probably still had that aura of command. Or they thought she could give them something in return for their support.

  They needed to learn the error of their ways in the strongest of terms.

  “Persephone, signal Audacious for me. I want to speak to Commodore Anderson.”

  “Signaling now, Colonel.”

  Her father, Emperor Karl Bandar, had decided that if she was going to command marines, she needed to be one. So, he’d worked together with Admiral Yeats to make that happen.

  Her ship, Persephone, was a Marine Raider vessel from the Old Empire. Its computer would only allow command from someone with the appropriate codes and Marine Raider implants. At this time, Kelsey was the only person in the New Terran Empire that met those criteria.

  That wouldn’t be true for very much longer, though. Her executive officer, Major Angela Ellis, was almost halfway through the implant procedures required to become a Marine Raider. She had the requisite cranial implants already, and last week she gotten the pharmacology unit, ocular, auditory, and olfactory enhancements.

  Over the next three weeks, she’d go through additional procedures to coat her bones with layers of graphene and weave artificial muscles through her natural ones. They’d start with her legs, and then move to her arms and upper body over two additional sessions. That would give the woman time to adjust to and master her upgraded body.

  Learning to use the new muscles was going to be challenging, but Kelsey had no doubt the tough marine would master them quickly. If a pampered little princess could do it, Angela Ellis could.

  “This unit has Commodore Anderson on the line for you, Colonel,” Persephone said.

  “On my screen.”

  An image of Zia Anderson appeared on Kelsey’s screen. The young woman smiled wryly. “Have you gotten your unexpected guest comfortably situated?”

  “You could say that. I just had the marines take her down to the brig.”

  Zia’s eyes widened. “Seriously? You locked your own mother in the brig?”

  “Damned right I did. She’s got to learn that she can’t just throw her weight around like that anymore.”

  “You mean she’s got to learn she can’t mess with you like that, don’t you?”

  “That, too,” Kelsey said with a grimace. “I’m going to put the fear of God into her. It’ll do her good to sweat for a while.

  “But that’s not why I called. Someone on Audacious aided and abetted her. If they’re willing to stash an ex-Empress on your ship for two weeks, what else might they do?”

  Zia nodded. “That’s a good question. I’ve already told Brandon find them. I have no doubt he’ll ge
t to the bottom of this, when he has time.”

  Brandon Levy was a by the book kind of guy. Kelsey expected he’d find the people that had hid Justine Bandar. He’d probably make them suffer for it, too.

  “We’ll let him take care that, then. I’d prefer administrative punishment that does not involve incarceration.”

  “That pretty much sums up the orders I’ve already given him,” Zia said.

  Well, technically, she was the senior Imperial officer in their task force, so that was really her call to make. Kelsey could make big picture decisions, but if she meddled, Zia was would have every right to smack Kelsey’s hand.

  “Right. Sorry. They’re your people to discipline. I do, however, insist you leave my mother to me.”

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” Zia said solemnly. “I’d prefer not to tangle with her.”

  Kelsey nodded. “We have a deal, then. I do want you to send your legal officer over, though. He needs to explain the laws my mother violated, and tell her the penalties she earned for breaking them. I think she needs a wakeup call.”

  “I’ll talk to him as soon as we’re done.”

  “Excellent. Don’t let my mother distract you from finding us a hidey-hole. That has to be the priority.”

  She rose from behind her desk. “I’m certainly not going to let her allow me to lose focus. I need to get over to the orbital to start dealing with the prisoners.”

  * * * * *

  Major Russ Talbot tried not to stare over Carl Owlet’s shoulder as the man worked at the main computer in the captured research center. “What’s taking so long? I thought you were the master of breaking into computers.”

  The young scientist glanced back peevishly. “I’d be done a lot faster if you’d stop ask me that every five minutes. This kind of work takes time under the best of circumstances. Which, I’ll point out, this isn’t.”