"True enough. What do we do with the squadrons? I hear we're losing a Squadron Leader?"
"I'm not worried. For now, I'll tack the remainders on other squadrons. When we get some new pilots, I'll reorganize to spread the rookies around. And there are a couple of lads ready for promotion."
"Speaking of rookies, I told Jane they could do boot camp with the marine recruits. We won't separate them until they're ready for pilot stuff. Better think about what you need for training purposes, and have Jane provide it in a separate area of the boot camp. When the marines start in on purely marine stuff, the pilots can begin pre-flight instruction. But they bunk together until they finish what BA considers a full camp. I don’t want any marines verses pilot shit going on. They're all Hunter recruits, until they earn rank, and formally join a unit."
"Wouldn’t have it any other way sir."
"I told Annabelle to have BA look out for potential officers. But the pilots will be officers, so there'll need to be an officer training component to this boot camp anyway. Talk to Annabelle and BA about it, and have Jane supply whatever you need."
"Will do."
"While you’re here, I'd like you to think about something over the next week or so."
"Anything."
"I told you you'd end up flying a Carrier." He cringed. "What we have isn’t adequate. BigMother makes a good Command Carrier for the role we've had to date, but if we have to fight a protracted war, she doesn’t carry enough fighters." He nodded. "Hell, I don’t think the American Carriers are big enough either."
The Yorktown and Lexington were the biggest ships I'd seen to date, bigger even than the British Battleships, excluding the three original Explorer ships.
"I agree sir. In a war, we need to get a lot more fighters into a combat zone than we can now. But is it possible to build a bigger carrier than Yorktown?"
"Anything is possible. I have some ideas of my own for custom designed Dreadnaughts. The ones being assembled now are just reconstituted Battleships. We need to think outside the box, and really come up with completely new designs. There is only so far we can adapt the current designs, and most of them predate leaving Earth. The few really innovative designs come from Science Fiction, and none of them are big enough or have the firepower to be much use to us. We could upscale some of them, but only to a point. They make good Cruisers, but making them bigger won't make them more effective."
"Agreed."
"Go back to the drawing board Group Captain. Hallington is the Carrier driver. Pick his brains. If you can't design something between you, at least come up with a solid specification for it."
"Guidelines?"
"Consider everything from a Frigate size down to be a fighter. We want a launch platform to put as many ships into a combat zone as fast as possible, while also allowing them to land or dock rapidly, with all the necessary support functions, including making missiles and replacing damage. Start by assuming you put two Yorktown's together, and then keep adding to allow for Privateers, Corvettes, and a few Frigates."
"So if I understand you right, we'd want to dock Commander Young's Excalibur wing, and Commander Greer's Gunbus squadron, while at the same time launching and landing twenty squadrons of heavy fighters, and a number of squadrons of bombers."
"That’s your starting point, yes."
"Hooley dooley."
"Exactly. Get something back to me in a week. By the time Bob has the upgrading of the existing ships complete, I want designs for the new one's done."
"Aye sir."
He rose, saluted, and left with the same bounce he had coming in.
"You know Jon," said Jane. "We could really use a few Borg Cubes."
I laughed. Which I think was her intention. But all the same, she wasn’t wrong.
I went back to work on my tablet.
Half an hour later, on the stroke of eight, my Dad walked in. He took the chair without a second's thought.
"Galactica is ready to depart Admiral."
"Good. We aren't yet. We had a complication this morning. Leaving some people behind, and picking some more up. I'm waiting to hear when loading is complete."
"I'll be ready when you are. Unless you want me to leave immediately, given our slower speed."
I pondered for a moment, but another question beckoned.
"How many stowaways do you reckon you have?"
"Officially, none. Unofficially, who knows? Given how much of the ship is empty now, could be hundreds and we'd never know."
We both smiled.
"I'm letting anyone who wants to come, come. We're getting some recruits, and giving a lift to some tourists. No biggie."
I looked him in the eye. This wasn’t something we did very often. We'd always been a bit aloof from one another. Him being captain of Galactica, had always imposed some distance between us. And I'd not always appreciated the discipline he'd imposed on me. In hindsight though, he'd done all right by me.
"What do you want to do when we reach the shipyard Dad?"
"What would you prefer?"
"I'm not taking Galactica away from you, if that’s been bothering you."
"No, I never considered that possibility. A few of your four stars might have though."
"Possibly. For top Brass, they seem to be quite open minded."
"Tell me what you want son."
I hesitated.
"First, let me ask you a question. Do you want to join Hunter Security, or remain Gaia Militia?"
"Is there much point in remaining with Gaia forces, once the Door closes again?"
"Probably not. But if we do have to fight the Darkness, any fleet is most likely going to be multi-sector. So one Gaia ship in the middle isn’t going to be particularly noticeable. It'll be a combined chain of command anyway. At least at this end of the spine."
"All the same, I better join the unit which bares my own name."
"Fine, I'll organize it. Once we put Galactica to bed at the shipyard, you can spend some time with my officers until you feel integrated, and then I'll get you to spend some time with Fleet Admiral O'Neil."
"Fleet Admiral?"
"Hunter rank. It’s the same as a Rear Admiral, Lower Half. I redesigned the rank structure a bit. Fleet Admiral is a mobile fleet commander rank, currently a Pocket Battleship billet. O'Neil commands the Cobol jump point in Midnight. He also has command of the armed station I have there. He can bring you up to speed with what my ships can do, and how Galactica will perform once Bob is through with her. After that, you can spend some time with General Harriman. Walter lives on my station now as well, and runs the Australian Militia from there. He can bring you up to speed on the sector, and anything else you want to know about."
"Fine with me. I'll need quarters on your station then, at least until the upgrade is complete."
"Quarters, hell. You get a suite in my tower. Jane will assign you a Butler droid. You just need to ask it for what you need. It or Jane will provide. David has a suite in the administration tower. He pretty well administers the Duchy for me."
"I gathered that."
He grinned at me. Of course he knew that. He'd been there last night.
"Your crew will be assigned quarters in the Hunter Security tower, according to rank. Your XO will get a suite much the same as my Alpha team get. Talk to Jane about it, once you come aboard from Galactica at the Shipyard. It may take a few hours after we arrive for fitting out to complete, but Jane can get it going as soon as she knows who needs what."
"Good enough. None of them are looking forward to being beached though."
"Don’t let them worry. There are going to be a lot of ships coming out of the shipyard soon. Your XO might end up skippering a Destroyer for a while. I think we can assure them all of something to keep them occupied, especially since they'll all need to update themselves with the level of tech we have now. Send Jane the records for your crew, so she can assess how to utilize them best while they're waiting for Galactica. In fact, make any recommendations you wan
t. If some of the command officers would make good Destroyer drivers, say so, and we'll give them the chance to find out. I'm short on good captains. I've moved two of mine up to Cruisers. One from a Frigate, and one from a Corvette. Both were fighter pilots to start with. George is getting a new design of Marine Cruiser. Annette is getting a super-Cruiser. But I have updated Destroyers, Frigates, and Corvettes I need captains for. Jane can run them as drone ships, but in combat, nothing replaces a good captain."
He was grinning at me. I had to chuckle.
"You learnt well son, I'm proud of you. I'll send Jane what you want once we're underway. You want us to leave now?"
"You may as well. We won't be too far behind you. Jane?"
"Yes oh magnificent leader?"
Dad cracked up. It was good to see him laughing for a change. The years as Galactica Captain hadn't allowed him a lot of laugh time.
"Whisper in Lacey's ear, and can 266 escort Galactica to the jump point please."
"Confirmed."
"Is she always like that?" my Dad asked.
"More often than not, yes."
I chuckled along with him, and he rose.
"See you at the Shipyard son."
He departed, and I went back to work.
Twenty Nine
A half hour later, Galactica undocked, 266 squadron formed up around her, and she departed for the jump point. I watched them go on a wall screen.
It took another half an hour before we were ready to leave. It seems those coming with us had brought a lot of stuff with them, and some of it had still been on shuttles coming up from the various planets when I’d said yes to them coming with us.
Everyone was there when I strode onto the Bridge, after Jane let me know we were finally ready to depart. Angel was on her pad on the console. Grace was in the helm chair, the twins on either side. I looked around to everyone as I sat, every seat occupied, and idly thought I needed a bigger Bridge. Still, a lot of them would be heading home shortly, so maybe this was the last time the Bridge would be full like this.
"Get us moving Jane."
"Waiting for one more on the Bridge. Sorry two more."
"Huh?"
Footsteps came from behind me and I swiveled my chair around to see who it was.
The Keeper. But my eyes were drawn down by another movement. A cat was walking beside him.
"What brings you to the Bridge, Keeper?" I asked him.
"Once we're underway, I'd like to talk to you in your Ready Room, if I may."
"Sure. Who's your friend?"
As we spoke, I’d been watching the cat. He was pure Siamese Seal Point, light and dark brown colouring, and obviously had the Siamese superiority attitude. And definitely a male cat.
Angel was now stretched out flat, head to the console, and glaring at the interloper daring to come onto her Bridge without her permission. I glanced back and forth between the two of them. And then cast a quick glance around the Bridge. Everyone was looking at the two of them.
The Keeper didn’t answer me, as even he was watching the cats.
As casual as you like, the male cat jumped up onto the console close to Angel, but just out of whopping range. He stood there for a moment, and sat. Angel assumed the same position and the two of them glared at each other.
Angel cautiously sniffed him. He cautiously sniffed her. Then as we watched, they moved closer together, kissed gently, and started licking each other. Max slowly moved as if to join Angel on her pad, and suddenly Angel bonked him one with her left front paw, and he fell over backwards, with paws raised and ready to fight. She sat there and cat laughed at him.
Jeeves rushed in, and placed a second cat mat on the console, and Angel patted it once. He stood, sniffed it, stepped onto it, circled around three times one way, circled back the other way once, and plonked down. They resumed licking each other.
All eyes went to the Keeper.
"This is Max," he said.
"They look like they know each other," said Amanda.
"How can that be?" asked Aleesha.
"Good question," I said, "but it can wait. Jane, get us moving please."
The Keeper took up a standing position, behind and to the right of my chair. Jane flashed a very rapid grin at him, and then went still as she maneuvered the ship. The CAP formed up around us, and we were soon on our way to the jump point. I glanced back at him, but he was engrossed in the view and the HUD.
I immediately felt quite annoyed. It was almost like I was being supervised.
"That’s it for this morning's entertainment," I said generally. "I'll see the Keeper now, and if anyone wants to talk to me this morning, just come on in as it suits you."
Meaning sort out who wants me among yourselves, and do it in descending rank order.
I took a last look at the HUD, saw nothing unexpected, and jumped up. The Keeper followed me into the Ready Room, and we sat in lounge chairs.
"What made you think you had the right to come onto my Bridge, and stand behind my chair?"
It blurted out. I suddenly realized I was angry, but didn’t understand why. He laughed.
"Sorry. I should have asked. But I've stood there so often, it never occurred to me to ask."
"What do you mean? You've never been on my ship before today."
"Sorry Jon," said Jane, through coms. "But he has."
"Are you mad Jane?"
"Alas no. I can confirm he has been on the ship before, and he has stood behind your chair exactly as he did this morning."
"That's not possible."
"A lot of things are possible, young Jon," said the Keeper. "Take yonder cats for example. They are brother and sister, they are the same age, and yet, while they left home within minutes of each other, they have been galaxies apart. How is this so?"
"Exactly. Are you going to tell me?"
"Kali."
I guess that made sense. Angel had been forward in time, with the rest of us. To make them the same age, Max had to have been taken through time as well. And only a being with the power of Kali could have taken a live cat across the universe safely.
"When did she bring you Max?"
"About eight months ago."
"Why?"
"Because I was lonely? I've no idea, but presumably it was necessary."
"I thought we were going to have fur flying there for a moment," I said, thinking about the meeting of the two sibling cats.
"I didn’t think so. He's a pretty steady cat, and Angel isn't noted for being a hothead. But I can see Angel is going to be a challenge for him."
"How so?"
"He's used to being top cat on the station, but here, Angel is top cat."
"How do you know her name?"
"As Jane said, I've stood your Bridge many times. Also Prophesy of course. I know everything."
"Except what we most want to know."
"It's one of the immutable laws of time. No-one can see their own future from within linear time."
"Huh? What's that got to do with Prophesy? You told me it was a set of novels channeling my life."
"Yes. Which is why you were never allowed to come across them. They travelled into the future, but not all of it made it, and where both of our futures are concerned, that which could have told us what we want to know, was lost."
"You're sure of that?"
"It's pretty obvious. But this is why we have guides."
"Guides?"
"Yes. You talk to Kali. You've met her and Ganesha. You talked to Jesus this morning."
"How did you know that?"
"I talk to them as well. I, like you, are their instrument."
"Who are you?"
"Close, but not quite the right question."
He grinned at me.
And suddenly, we were somewhere else. I recognized this place. It was the Pure Land. The triangular shaped table was there. We stood at the point, the Keeper and I, Amanda and Aleesha, and Jane.
Amanda turned her head and said, "Jon's off the ship at th
e moment. Don’t disturb us until we come back."
"You got it," said BA, seemingly from nowhere.
On the left side, appeared twelve people. On the right side appeared Kali, Ganesha, Jesus, and Buddha Amitabha. In front of us, appeared Sariel, Michael, Gabriel, and Uriel. All were seated. We remained standing.
The young woman on our left stood. For an instant, she was a very old woman, and I recognized her from the previous time I’d been here, and then she was young again.
"Greetings young Hunter," she said. All the others nodded their greetings. "We welcome also the dreamer twins, and the AI Jane."
I nodded in respect, and the twins and Jane did also.
"I am One. We are the twelve."
"Really?" said Jane with awe in her voice.
"Twelve what?" asked Amanda.
"These are avatars," explained Jane. "Like myself. And if I understand the significance of where we are, then these are beings of great power."
"Who are you?" I asked.
The Keeper laughed.
"I told you that was the wrong question," he said.
"What are you?" asked Aleesha.
"Smart girl," said the Keeper.
For a few seconds, above each appeared some sort of colourful lightshow. There was one above the Keeper as well, but his was very dark.
"You're all nebulae?" asked Jane, with even more awe in her voice.
I shot her a sharp glance.
"What do you mean all?" I demanded.
"Jon," she said, pausing as if to figure out how to say something. "The Keeper isn’t human. He's an avatar as well."
"What of?"
"A dark matter nebulae."
"How the hell do you know that?"
"He's been standing behind your chair for the last year."
"Bullshit."
"It's true," said One. "Meet Thirteen."
The Keeper bowed to me. And rose from it grinning madly. I had to fight the urge to smack him one.
"Not very spiritual of you young Jon," said Kali, grinning as well.
She could read my thoughts.
"Well what do you expect? If you lot would only be honest and up front, I’d never get these shocks, and thus never have invalid thoughts."
Ganesha thumped the table in front of him. Unlike my conference table, this one remained undamaged. I turned back to Jane.
Hunter Legacy 11: Home Is Where the Hero Is Page 12