Star Man 2: Star Rise

by I. G. Roberts

  After they had taken their seats, she asked, “So, Commander, what are your plans after you leave Cambridge?”

  Colin replied, “Well ma’am, both Anne and I will be going to the Academy, to complete the training we’ll need for command track. I think the Admiralty decided I’ll be most useful as a Pirate killer, or at least as someone who’ll draw the Pirates out of the woodwork so others can make the killing. After we’re finished at the Academy, I expect we’ll be assigned to ships and begin our new Navy careers.”

  She said, “While we’re in here at this lunch, or even somewhere else, on a social occasion, how about we dispense with the formalities, they tend to get in the way. Please, call me Sonya.”

  Then, with a slight pause followed by a mischievous, perhaps even a flirtatious wink, she asked, “May I call you John?”

  Colin laughed and replied, “Informal it is then Sonya. Yes, you may call me John if you wish. Quite honestly, you may call me anything you like.”

  She smiled in return, Colin decided Sonya had a beautiful smile, it lit up her face, he was most definitely warming to her. For her part, Sonya concluded there was something she liked about this man. Sonya could already feel his strong command presence. Like so many before her, she realized he was a strong natural leader, someone people would gladly follow to the gates of hell itself if need be.

  She asked, “So what do you think of these Pirates and Slavers? What do you believe we should be doing about them?”

  He replied, “Well, the Pirates I met when we were on FNS Destiny were mostly slaves themselves. There was a relatively small contingent of hardcore Pirates who directed their operations, those people were nasty pieces of work, not nice at all. They need to be hunted down and dealt with in whatever way the law will allow. These people are apparently becoming more organized, I suspect someone is financing them, perhaps even training them. The group we tangled with when I was on Destiny, had at least four ships. From what I’ve been told, for the Pirates to have four ships working together is unheard of. On top of that, the last of them pursued us all the way to Cotoni System. The Federation …, we, need to take the fight to them. We need to destroy their ships and destroy or take over their bases. I have concerns, based on what I’ve experienced, and been told so far, that they won’t restrict themselves to small colonies like Zafar, or raiding our shipping for much longer. We need to be ruthless with them, we need to make it uneconomical for them to continue.”

  As he said this, he noticed Sonya nodding, then she said, “I agree with you. Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do from here, not now, I just don’t have the resources, not yet. Our resourcing shortfall is slowly changing, though, the changes began accelerating after you bought FNS Destiny back to Cotoni Station. Our new Taipan class System Defence Boats will allow us to patrol more aggressively around this sector. We’re also building a slightly larger hull, designated Cobra class, that follows the same basic design philosophy as the Taipan class Boats, but with the addition of Jump Engines. They won’t be able to undertake cruises of more than about two months, not without support, but they will extend our reach somewhat. These new ships, both the Taipan class and the Jump-Capable Cobra class, are almost as heavily armed as a Cruiser. They’re more heavily armoured, more heavily shielded, and a lot faster than current Cruiser designs. The Reactors are an entirely new design, physically smaller but with the same or higher power output. The main engines use a wholly different principle of operation, they don’t require reaction mass to move the ship through space. Instead, they warp space itself. For someone on board the ship, there is no perceptible inertia.”

  “They sound pretty impressive, a lot of punch in a small package. There couldn’t be much space inside them, how big is the crew?”

  Sonya grinned as she replied, “Only about forty. Both Taipans and Cobras heavily automated with a powerful, Sixth-Generation Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help fight the ship. They only need a crew this big so they can keep up with repairs, and for damage control reasons.”

  After she had finished telling him this, the group descended into companionable silence for a few minutes, each mulling over what was said, before Sonya said to Anne, “So, you managed to escape the clutches of the Pirates, not many have ever achieved that. It’s a small club indeed you’re a member of.”

  Anne replied, “Yes ma’am, I owe my escape to Commander Gordon. If he hadn’t ordered Destiny to stop and look, to see if anyone was still alive on the ship I was on, I’d still be there, probably dead, as would the rest of us. Things were deteriorating quickly when the Troopers freed us. We were almost out of food, had no water, and the ventilation had stopped.”

  Sonya replied, “I’m really glad ‘John’ decided to rescue you. The universe would be a much sadder place without you in it.”

  Anne thanked her, blushing at the compliment. An aide entered the room to tell Sonya the transport was ready for Colin and Anne. Sonya asked Anne to wait outside while she had a private word with Colin. Anne immediately acknowledged the request and complied.

  As she rose to leave, Colin remarked, “I have to agree with you there Sonya. Anne’s done a lot to keep me on the straight and narrow since I met her. She may have even saved my life on Sankarah.”

  After Anne left and the door was closed, Sonya turned to Colin and quietly asked, “Please, truthfully, how did Lieutenant Fraser actually perform while the two of you were in command on FNS Destiny? I need to know, her family and I are friends. When she disappeared, they were very upset, Lord knows, so was I.”

  From his perspective, at least he now understood how Sonya and Anne already knew each other.

  Colin answered, “Sonya, I have to tell you, Lieutenant Fraser is a seriously good Officer, she’s a hard worker, intelligent, honest, brave and an excellent leader. I honestly couldn’t fault her performance, either during our time on Destiny or since. As my executive Officer, she seemed to always know what I needed and had it ready for me when I needed it. Hell, when I look back on it, I’m not completely sure I could’ve successfully bought Destiny all the way home without her help. The workload was far too heavy for me on my own. There’s no exaggeration or hyperbole in the reports about her performance. She earned her Lieutenants pins, and then some.”

  Sonya smiled, then said, “This confirms some suspicions I’ve had. I think someone may have been interfering with things to cause her problems at the Academy. Please, be careful while you’re there, watch each other's backs. I’ve sent reports detailing my concerns to Headquarters on Sankarah, but haven’t had any replies yet. Please, while she’s with you, take care of her. Anne is a precious young woman, somebody with a lot of potential if given a chance to realize it.”

  Colin nodded, then very carefully said with the slightest twitch of his eye, “I’m sure Headquarters has read your reports and is investigating. You know what bureaucracies are like, things move at their own pace.”

  She nodded her understanding, smiled, then escorted him out of the room. They picked Anne up and walked to the transport. When they climbed into the vehicle, Colin saw a woman, looking remarkably like an older version of Anne, already sitting there, waiting.

  As soon as Anne saw her, she exclaimed, “Mama,” then fell into a hug with the woman.

  Colin looked on bemused, till Anne recovered herself enough to look at him, a little red-faced and started to introduce them. Anne’s mother put a finger to Anne’s lips to shush her as the transport started moving towards their destination on the outskirts of the city. The trip passed in silence till eventually, they reached a property with a large, low set home on it. This home didn’t look so different to many family homes Colin was familiar with from Earth. It had large glazed windows and a pitched roof with wide verandas around it. The walls seemed to be clad in stone, and the gardens were well kept. The ground car turned into the drive and stopped in front of the house while a man with salt and pepper hair, about the same age as Anne’s mother, came out to greet them. Again, beyond the expect
ed perfunctory greetings, no names were used till after they’d all gone inside.

  Once comfortably inside and seated, the woman who’d accompanied them in the car said, “Well, now we’re in a secure location, I believe introductions are in order. Anne, would you be so kind please?”

  Anne responded, “Yes mom. I’d like to introduce you to Commander Colin Gordon. Commander, this is my mother, Commander Siobhan Fraser, and my father, Commander Carl Fraser.”

  Colin opened his mouth to speak, but Carl beat him to it as he came over to shake his hand and thank him for rescuing their daughter. When Carl released his hand, Siobhan hugged him, kissing him on the cheek as she did so as she thanked him as well. Colin could only graciously accept their thanks. He had to admit, even if only to himself, the physical human contact, especially contact so genuinely meant, was something he’d missed since leaving Earth. After releasing Colin from the hug, Siobhan told him this was his home for now, while he was in Cambridge. At least that would be the case when he wasn’t needed at the medical clinic for his treatments, or off doing whatever the Navy required of him while he was here. When he tried to protest their generosity, she told him not to fuss before suggesting they all sit and talk, to get to know each other. Colin could see Siobhan was a very determined woman who was apparently used to getting her own way. An iron fist wrapped in a velvet glove he thought. Arguing would only cause unnecessary trouble, so he gave in graciously.

  As it turned out, both Carl and Siobhan were experienced Warship Captains, each a veteran of more than one engagement with hostile forces and still active. They were currently learning all they could find out about the new classes of ships before they were completed by Cambridge’s orbital shipyards. They were spending a significant amount of their time in classrooms and simulators, training and getting ready to take the first two Taipans on shakedown trials within the next few weeks. Their primary job was to write the book on how to fly, and how to fight these new ships. The four of them discussed tactics for space battles, with Colin surprising both Carl and Siobhan with his grasp of the difficulties. His suggestions for using the ship’s strengths to counter their weaknesses showed a lot of insight into the idiosyncrasies of fighting in space. They asked him if he’d be willing to help them when he had time, between his treatments, ongoing briefings, and his other activities. They said they’d be working on this project for several more months and needed to work out the best way to use the new Jump-Capable Cobras as well, helping to make them all operational as quickly as they could safely manage it. He told them he’d be delighted. The conversation continued for several more hours, well into the evening, touching on many subjects including FNS Destiny’s cruise from Zafar onwards. It was evident to Colin, these were decent people, who loved their daughter and were proud of her for the way she’d overcome adversity. Colin was proud of her as well, he’d come to care about Anne a great deal, something about the young woman reminded him of his own daughter.

  Over the next few days, various members of the Fraser extended family came to visit, and Colin found himself discussing tactical ideas on more than one occasion. Each of these discussions taught him a little more and helped develop some of the ideas Colin was working on in the background to fight more efficiently in space. Many of these theories weren’t strictly following current military Doctrine, but Colin felt Doctrine needed to be constantly evolving so they could stay ahead of potential opponents. If nothing else, Doctrine had to take the strengths and weaknesses of the equipment into account so it could be used most effectively. These visitors also helped him slowly assemble the assumed knowledge he’d need when he went to the Academy. He found he enjoyed his time on Cambridge, the people he met were caring and made him feel welcome.

  A few days after arriving in Cambridge, Colin was taken to the clinic for two weeks of rejuvenation treatments. Anne said she’d visit him whenever she could, he thought she probably felt a little responsible for him. Part way through this first visit to the clinic, an operative from the DNI came to visit and begin a further series of briefings he would need before going to the Academy. The Academy worked in an odd sort of way insofar as the Officer training course was split into modules. The first module was by far the biggest one Officers had to attend, it lasted for two years. The trainees learned a lot about leadership, administrative practices, and touched on most of the jobs an Officer would be expected to perform, including navigation, tactical, engineering, and others. After completing this first module, the Officer is posted to gain experience in the real world for a few years. When they’d gained this general experience, they would return to the Academy from time to time to complete additional modules, each one usually about six months long. After completing a module, they’d work in the area covered by that module for a period before progressing to the next. Because the returning Officers didn’t all complete the modules in the same order, the fact nobody knew them from a previous module, wouldn’t necessarily be noted. The Federation Navy was a large organization, with nearly eight million personnel belonging to several different species. This alone worked in Colin’s favour, the mission he was assigned to, required his covert insertion into the Academy. DNI had been inserting operatives into the Academy for quite a while by then, some of them among the Trooper contingent, others in a support role and a few as instructors and he was to be given contact details before departing for the Academy.

  When Colin eventually went home from the clinic two weeks later, he considered the Fraser residence as home now, he was greeted by an older man, someone even older than him. The man was introduced to him as Commodore Henry Fraser (Retired), Anne’s grandfather. When they were introduced, Colin saluted him out of respect, Henry returned the salute then shook his hand and told him to drop the formality before asking him to sit and talk. Colin had heard a lot about this man and took the opportunity to learn what he could. After they had talked for a while, Colin realized he believed all he’d been told about the man. Under the gruff exterior beat a heart of gold. Colin found this was a man he both liked and respected.

  For his part, Henry concluded he had an affinity with Colin. The man made him feel the fire in his belly again, he made Henry want to come out of retirement and take command again. Perhaps he should think about that. Henry had retired after he became disenchanted with the Navy, and the petty bullshit coming down from Headquarters. Already, Colin seemed like a fresh breeze blowing through the entire organization, clearing out the stale smell, at least, so Sonya told him. Through his contacts, Henry had heard some of the detail about Colin, detail that was withheld from the public for security reasons. Henry knew the sacrifices this man had already made for the Federation, even before he became a citizen. Henry realized he’d have to think very carefully about what he’d learned recently. Sonya wanted to take the fight to the Pirates, to attack them in their lairs, and Henry understood why. Perhaps Colin could help make it happen. Sonya told him Colin thought much the same way she did about the Pirates. Henry’s contacts said the Naval hierarchy regarded Colin and his granddaughter as a hunting pair, perhaps they were right. If that was the case, Henry wanted someone near them who would, and could, watch their backs. Henry decided to talk to his sons, and Sonya about all this soon when he had a chance. He knew Colin and Anne would be in Cambridge for at least another four months, then they’d be at the Academy for six. He had till they finished at the Academy to prepare.

  This pattern continued for almost two months, with Henry and other members of the Fraser clan, including Sonya, who is an honorary member, visiting quite often, whenever Colin was home from the clinic. During this period, Colin also spent most of his spare time learning more practical skills, like flying. One day, Colin came home from the clinic to find Carl waiting there alone. Carl had been elected to ask if he’d be willing to help them with some war games. They now had four ships, three Taipans, and one Cobra, all temporarily configured as simulators. Colin would be putting the Cobra against the other three. If Colin agreed, they’d simulate
Jumping into the system, attempt to attack the shipyards, and then escape. Of course, he quickly agreed but asked to spend a couple of days familiarizing himself with the crew, and the ship's capabilities before the five-day Exercise series began. Carl told him they’d planned to give him three days for familiarization anyway, followed by the five-day training Exercise. By the time it was over, Colin would be due back in the clinic.

  The ship Colin was to command hadn’t been named yet, so he asked permission to call her Theseus, at least for the duration of the Exercise. The people running the simulation agreed, and Colin boarded to meet the crew and find out all he could about the ship and her capabilities. He very carefully set out to build a relationship with the men and women under his command during the Exercise. Colin asked them many questions, encouraging them to think outside the box, carefully building a sense of belonging to a team. He discussed various tactics with them as they all began planning how they might achieve their objective, which was to ‘destroy’ the shipyard. One thing Colin asked them to consider, was how hard they could push the Jump Engines. He asked, how soon after completing a Jump could they initiate the next one. If it was at all possible, he had every intention of cheating during these Exercises. Colin wanted to make the people here, at least the ones responsible for System Defense, start thinking outside the box themselves. He knew Sonya was observing the Exercise, her input would be crucial to developing the best way to use the new Cobras, and Taipans and besides, she needed to know what these new designs were capable of. During these war games, none of the ships would leave their docks. Although the crews were all on board, the ships themselves were configured as simulators with all the controls locked out, so nobody could accidently engage the drive systems, or fire a weapon by accident. The entire Exercise was to be a virtual one, it was about developing tactics.