The Darkness: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 2)

by William S Frisbee Jr

  He turned back to Luke as the next member of the life pad stood and prepared to debark. It wasn't a large, roomy space and had been cramped, designed for six people to survive for a few weeks in unpleasant conditions.

  "Things are going well," Bruce said glancing at Luke. "New Alamo has landed a couple regiments of warbots and expects to have eradicated the psycho goat humpers by the end of the day. No word on casualties though but I've heard there are amazingly few because of your bots. Maybe ten, fifteen thousand civilians."

  "That's not 'amazingly few'," Luke said, his scowl deepening.

  "Yea," Bruce said, putting steel into his voice. Luke had to see the bigger picture. "It is. Especially when the Caliphate troopers are in full blood bath mode, killing everything they can. The population of Athena is nearly a million. That is less than one percent casualties. Your battalion kicked some serious ass, took heavy casualties, but still they held the goat humpers at bay. Athena is about thirty kilometers long and fifteen clicks wide, a shit lot of territory for a battalion to defend, with seven major cylinders. I heard the goat humpers breached in about four places, still a lot of space to defend but your droids did it."

  "If you are one of the fifteen thousand, it is still too many," Luke said.

  "Deal with it Commander," Bruce said, disappointed with Luke's behavior. "Shit happens. Look at the bigger picture."

  Bruce looked up at the next person coming out of the life pod. He wasn't sure if he should smile or frown when he saw that face. Short hair, large entrancing eyes and a pleasing figure, she saluted the New Alamo emblem and then turned to him to salute. There was a sparkle in her eyes that Bruce didn't miss. He decided to smile.

  "Welcome aboard Major Summers," Bruce said after she requested permission to come aboard. She looked tired but there was a bounce in her step, something he hadn't seen when she was a member of his crew. It made sense Bruce realized, considering where she had been. He had left her as an NADF Lieutenant Commander expecting her to have her own ship. Her rank of Major in the New Alamo Special Operations Command was her official rank as a mercenary.

  "Thank you, sir," Brita said with a smile. Bruce knew he would enjoy getting details of working with Luke out of her. She was an excellent officer, perceptive, but just a little too aggressive in his opinion. Her uniform matched Luke's, and he saw "Leonis Ultio" as her ship patch. When had she been assigned to his crew? How had he missed that? Made sense though when he thought about it, how Prime Minister Harrison had made that happen? She would have been a perfect fit, and he wondered if she was in Luke's bed yet. Maybe that is what had changed about Luke? He seemed more 'complete' when Bruce thought about it.

  The last person out was a pretty young officer in a Jupiter Alliance uniform. The most junior of the group. She followed the example of her seniors as she exited and her salutes were no less crisp but she didn't move with the tired confidence of Leonessa, Luke or Brita. Bruce could see there were things she wanted to forget still haunting her eyes, she was a combat veteran now.

  "Welcome aboard Ensign Carmichael," Bruce said after Luke introduced her.

  The black droid coming out last was unmistakable to Bruce. He had met Musashi many years ago. The black, heavily armed droid had impressed him with how human like he was in attitude. He didn't appear to have changed. The humorless droid had a rifle and a short sword on his back, ready for use, his eyes scanned the area as he exited. Even though he was a droid, he also saluted the New Alamo emblem and then saluted Bruce.

  Bruce hesitated, not used to salutes from droids but he returned it, wondering if Luke would laugh at him. He was sure Brita would, but he couldn't ignore Musashi either.

  "How are you Musashi?" Bruce asked, shaking the droids hand as if he were a real person.

  "Fine thank you," Musashi said. "You look good. Thank you for your intervention."

  Bruce blinked.

  "I have accessed your public network and I see you kept a Caliphate frigate from wiping us out," Musashi said. "Thank you. We appreciate it."

  Bruce nodded.

  "It was actually Lieutenant Desmond," Bruce said. "She saw the frigate and coordinated its doom."

  Musashi looked at Erica.

  "Thank you, lady," Musashi said and Erica nodded somewhat embarrassed by the droid's attention and attitude.

  "I'm sure you are all tired," Bruce said. "I have cabins for you, if you would like to rest. There is still clean up to be done in the system. A few shuttles that need to be hunted down, maybe a frigate or two. Everything is under control and we are heading back to New Alamo. Other units are finishing the cleanup."

  "Thank you," Luke said glancing around.

  "You're welcome," Bruce said looking them over. "Admiral Harrison asked that we proceed immediately back to New Alamo. However, the Proud Infidel has sustained damage and that might delay our return. Would ten hours be sufficient?"

  Luke looked at Bruce, his exhaustion slowing down his thought process.

  "How far away is New Alamo?"

  "At max speed, we could be there within the hour," Bruce said. "Are you in a hurry to get back?"

  A wry smile came to Luke's face understanding what Bruce was doing for him. He could use the rest.

  "Everything is under control?" Luke asked Bruce.

  "It is," Musashi said with an apologetic nod to Bruce for answering for him.

  "I don't know of any requirement to be at New Alamo so quickly." Musashi said, answering for Luke and catching his commander with his gaze. "Some rest would be useful. Colonel Gray's forces have been withdrawn from the battle. There is nothing you can do there anyways."

  "Take the break meat sack," Musashi transmitted to Luke on a private channel. "You need the rest."

  Bruce looked at Luke for confirmation.

  "Thank you," Luke said to Bruce.

  "Thank you," Luke transmitted to Musashi.

  "When you get up, I want to hear all about it," Bruce said. "Not in some dry boring report. I have some fantastic cognac I will break out."

  Luke nodded, looking forward to laying down.

  "I'm not a drinker, but I am in your debt," Luke said.

  "Well," Bruce said. "Actually, Erica got the fighters re-routed when she realized we wouldn't make it."

  Luke looked at Erica Desmond. "Thank you, Lieutenant."

  "My pleasure sir," she said.

  Bruce smiled and led them to some cabins. Luke grimaced. He would have to send out preliminary reports first though.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  New Alamo

  Luke resisted the urge to shiver as he boarded the Proud Infidel's shuttle, a standard model that would be a luxurious troop transport or a low end executive transport. He was unprepared, and it was a bitter realization that he was currently wearing all the personal effects he had. There had never been a reason to keep quarters aboard New Alamo, his ship had been his home, but now it was gone. It had never occurred to him the Leonis Ultio might be destroyed without him being on it. Nelson, Jeeves and Scotty were also gone, along with two of his frigates. He hadn't yet received a casualty list from Gray but that would be more friends gone. He wasn't supposed to be the one to outlive everyone. His luck was supposed to run out sooner rather than later.

  The two frigates Kukri and Gladius were a far cry from his glorious Leonis Ultio. The submarines of the twentieth century had more space and comforts than the AI controlled frigates. There was also no way he could fit the remains of his battalion aboard them either. Maybe he could create cargo bays and attach them behind the hammerheads of the wormhole drive extensions, but that would reduce their ability to fight. Losing the Ultio was bad, but it was his friends that hurt the most, even if they were droids. The ship had been his pride and joy and it had been his home and sanctuary for decades, and that went for his droids.

  "I'm sorry about your ship," Bruce said, perhaps picking up on Luke's mood.

  Luke nodded, trying to mask his feelings. Was he that transparent?

  "I have sent a recall
order for my two frigates," Luke said. "They are on the way back but it will take a few days."

  "I would offer to let you stay on the Infidel," Bruce said, "But I got the impression that Admiral Day and the Prime Minister want you back on New Alamo. They probably want to suck your brain dry and kiss your heroic ass."

  Luke nodded and glanced at Leonessa.

  "I'm not the only one without a ship," Luke said. Leonessa was staring at her hands in her lap and didn't respond to Luke's comment.

  "I hear the Caliphate soldiers only managed a foot hold in the Neritum habitat," Bruce said. "For a droid, Gray did an excellent job of keeping them contained. I hear he stayed armored the whole time, and the Athenians didn't know he, and most of his command staff were droids so they let him do most of the fighting and commanding."

  "Do you think they would have taken his orders if they knew he wasn't human?" Luke asked.

  "Of course not," Bruce said as he looked at Musashi. "He fooled them well. You have some of the best droids. You will have to tell me how you do it. Some upgrade or module?"

  Luke shrugged as he stared at his rifle, sitting between his legs. He would not give that up, one of his few remaining possessions.

  "You know you will probably be locked in a room with New Alamo intelligence specialists for a few months, right?" Bruce asked.

  A wry smile came to Luke's face.

  "I bet they will be less thrilled about it than me," Luke said. Luke had been dealing with intelligence debrief officers since before many of them had been born.

  "That is what I've heard," Bruce said with a laugh and glanced at Leonessa.

  "You might be stuck with the brain suckers for years," he said to her. "Has Jupiter Intelligence gotten any better?"

  Leonessa shook her head, and her scowl deepened.

  "Not really, but most of them have left Athena," she said. "We wear Jupiter Alliance Uniforms but Athena isn't on good terms with the Jupiter Alliance."

  "Really?" Bruce asked and Leonessa nodded as Luke looked up. The politics of the Jupiter Alliance had never concerned Luke before, not like the politics of Earth at any rate.

  "It has been getting worse," Leonessa said. "The JA is keeping more and more ships in the Jupiter subsystem, closer to home. They seem to be withdrawing support from many of the more distant colonies and stations that aren't doing their best to kowtow to the Jupiter Socialist Party, which is in power. A lot is going on back in Jupiter's orbit. The Jupiter colonies are uniting and building, merging their industries and digital networks. The Jupiter Socialist Party keeps gaining ground, reigning in colonies and they are trying to subjugate Athena with their digital networks, their promises of benefits and protections but they are demanding we change our ways, submit to their interpretation of morality and equality.

  "They are also using the main military forces as a bargaining chip, doing their best to strip us of defenses. 'Obey us and we give you money and protection, disobey and you are on your own'. These days it is just us, Vesta and Ceres in the asteroid belt."

  "That is it?" Luke asked.

  "There used to be others," Leonessa said. "But in the last twenty years they have been destroyed by the fighting. Ceres and Vesta are both fortresses worlds."

  "That is why Athena was so intent on escaping?" Bruce asked.

  "It was that or bow down to the Jupe's," Leonessa said. "We don't have the industry to maintain a solid fleet and I know we couldn't have opposed that Caliphate fleet."

  Bruce nodded.

  "Sounds like why New Alamo left," Bruce said. "Except we were a lot closer to Earth than Athena, much closer to the forward edge of the battle area."

  "Why did you leave Captain?" Leonessa asked Bruce. "If you don't mind me asking. You were one of the Jupiter Alliance leading officers if I remember. A legend and destined for admiralty."

  "Let's just say I didn't get along with Jupiter Alliance Intelligence," Bruce said. "And Joel Carlson, the Prime Minister of New Alamo, asked me to stay."

  Luke looked at Bruce with interest. Until now he hadn't cared about why others had come with New Alamo through a one-way wormhole.

  "Looks like none of us have escaped the bullshit of the Sol system," Bruce said. "I look forward to introducing the Caliphate to my plasma lances."

  Bruce paused and scrutinized Leonessa.

  "You seem well informed about New Alamo," Bruce said. "That was over forty some years ago."

  Leonessa nodded and Luke thought he might have seen a blush.

  "It was one of my hobbies in the academy," Leonessa said with a quick glance toward Luke.

  "If we can get Conglomerate help," Brita said. "We can stomp the Caliphate flat and end that threat forever."

  Bruce nodded with a half-smile.

  "I saw the preliminary report," Bruce said to Luke. "I'm impressed. That Caliphate ship rammed you as you were entering the wormhole and then tried to board you?"

  Luke nodded and considered how he could change the conversation.

  "I think it is a first," Luke said.

  "It was awesome," Brita said joining the conversation. "Talk about an adrenaline rush! They didn't stand a chance though."

  Bruce raised an eyebrow at Brita, encouraging her to continue.

  "Sure, they had a crew of several hundred but we wiped out a good portion of them as they tried to board, and their crewmen were near worthless against the warbots. After a couple hours, they were almost delirious with exhaustion and fear. I think they took more casualties from friendly fire than from us," Brita said, her smile lighting up the cabin. "It warmed my heart!"

  Luke relaxed, glad Brita was taking over the conversation and he could return to his thoughts.

  "The Leonis Ultio was designed for repelling boarders," she said and glanced at Luke who remained silent, letting her speak. "First, they had a hard time cutting through any doors and a harder time cutting through the bulkheads. Each of the hatches had its own power supply, authorization database and cameras so we could move about the ship with no problems, even though there wasn't power and the ship was crippled. It would be difficult, but you should implement that here on the Infidel."

  Bruce nodded. "I prefer not to get boarded."

  Luke scowled. "I never planned on getting boarded."

  "You are just a paranoid son of a bitch," Bruce said with a smile.

  Luke nodded sagely. "You aren't paranoid if they are really out to get you."

  Bruce and Brita laughed and even Leonessa managed a weak grin. Carmichael remained impassive, not even listening to the conversation but her eyes flickered up as everyone laughed.

  "What will you do now?" Bruce asked Luke.

  Luke shrugged. "I have two frigates and a score to settle with the Caliphate."

  A cold, unpleasant grin appeared on Bruce's face.

  "Now we can take the battle to those goat humpers," Bruce said. "I have so wanted to take the Proud Infidel to Earth for a long time, try out some of this new tech. Looks like the Leonis Ultio tore them apart."

  "I bet you will get the chance," Luke said. "We can't give them a chance to attack the Conglomerate, unless we want to see the humanity rendered extinct by the Topa."

  "I'm looking forward to kicking the Caliphate in the teeth," Bruce said. "I have a score to settle, and I would like to drop a nuke on Mecca."

  "The Russians beat you to it," Leonessa said. "Wasn't a big nuke but their holy sites are all glass parking lots. The Russians launched the revenge attack thirty years ago as they were getting overrun."

  "Hmmm," Bruce said sounding disappointed. "If I get a chance, I will nuke it again."

  The hatch closed and Luke felt the shuttle lift off.

  "So, you fought an infantry battle in the corridors of your own ship," Bruce said, turning the conversation back to the Leonis Ultio.

  Luke nodded. "It had to be done."

  "You personally picked up a rifle and went after them?" Bruce pressed.

  "I couldn't stop him," Musashi said. "He almost matched me
in accuracy and efficiency. When I reviewed his footage afterward it appears he managed to kill sixty-four enemy soldiers. Twenty-three of them were armored Janissaries. Major Summers managed a hundred and five while Lieutenant Ferrero scored forty-eight, Ensign Carmichael managed ten."

  "Wow, Captain Summers that is impressive," Bruce said and Brita smiled. Leonessa looked surprised. That many? Luke knew the rifles had penetration, and it had been close quarters. Any suit breach would be fatal. That was a high number though.

  "Commander Kishi was injured when we lost the landing bay," Musashi said, "but Major Summers and Lieutenant Ferraro continued to ambush Caliphate forces. I estimate there were over six hundred Caliphate troops that boarded our vessel."

  "How many did you get?" Bruce asked.

  "Two hundred and eleven," Musashi said. "Most Caliphate invaders died when they were cut loose from the ships in wormhole space, and the few warbots we had took a massive toll on them."

  Bruce raised an eyebrow. More than ten was just a number to most people.

  "Is that the truth?" Bruce asked the droid.

  Musashi nodded. "I am meticulous about such things. I review all battle logs so I can improve the performance of my students. It gave me something to do on the life pod while Commander Kishi and the others were stressing like typical meat sacks after a battle. The Caliphate troops were not drugged like normal, and their reactions were slower. They had come from a crippled ship and were already stressed and tired from battling to survive on that ship. Their reaction times were horrible, and after the first hour it began to show. The crew of the Leonis Ultio are physically upgraded with reinforced bones, accelerated and improved muscles, and they can go for longer periods without rest. Our weapons integrate better with our InnerBuddy and suits. Everyone used plenty of stims but the enemy ran out first. Not to denigrate the crew of the Leonis Ultio, but the Caliphate troops were about as bad as you could get after an hour, and they didn't get any better."

  Luke watched Bruce trying to imagine shooting that many Caliphate soldiers. To Luke it wasn't something he wanted to think about. It had all been a blur.