"And our resident spooks?" Luke asked.
"Pavlis is sucking up everything he can about Conglomerate vessels and methods of war while Morals is spending too much time in the CIC testing the limits of the sensors. Halsey has Morals locked down though after he tried to scan that Conglomerate patrol ship yesterday."
Luke nodded.
"Overall, we are on schedule to do our trial runs," Brita said. "No word from the Bronkaw though."
"Are they ignoring us then?" Leonessa asked.
"I don't know," Luke said. "I guess we will find out."
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Trial Run
The Tigress slid backwards on reverse thrusters. It was smooth and Luke didn't bother hiding his smile.
Everyone was armored and ready, this deep in the ship Luke was twoconfident that decompression was the least of their worries, but he didn't want to take chances on a panel exploding or something else unlikely occurring. Duncan, his new assistant sat in a station to the right of Luke, to Duncan's right sat Leonessa and her droid Lagertha. Brita and Amanda were manning the auxiliary bridge about a kilometer away, farther back near the engines. Jeremy, Falla Shum, Pavlis and Morals all had positions on the CIC which was also manned by two blue skinned droids. Just in front of, and between Luke and Leonessa, Halsy sat in the command chair, his eyes on the main screen. To the left of the main screen was a holographic field of near space and to the right was a holographic field of more distant space. The walls made the ship look transparent and showed the immediate space around the Tigress. If felt like he was sitting in a glass bowl in the middle of space.
Luke couldn't keep the grin off his face as he watched Halsey give the commands to ease the ship out of dock. Flawless and beautiful.
"We are away," Halsey said when the Tigress was free of the dock.
Luke pumped his fist.
"Frigate Escort moving into formation," the Tigress AI announced. Luke saw the four frigates moving into X formation, with the Tigress in the center. They looked so small in comparison, he should probably get more.
"Acknowledged NAS Tigress is away," Nalee dock control said. "Travel in peace."
Luke missed the Tigress's response as she began to slide away from the massive space dock and toward deep space.
"Bronkaw cruisers on intercept," Tigress reported and two ships flashed yellow on the far holo field display.
"Incoming transmission," the Tigress said.
"To me," Luke said and glanced at Halsey.
"Attention Conglomerate vessel," the Bronkaw said in their guttural vicious language. "This is Bronkaw strike cruisers Red Claw twenty-seven and Red Claw fifty-nine. We will provide escort for you in system. You are in sovereign territory. Shake down cruise is allowed. Firing of weapons is not authorized within the heliopause. You may proceed."
"Thank you," Luke said and glanced at Duncan. "Proceeding with shake down cruise, estimated maneuvers and courses are being transmitted. This may be changed based on performance characteristics but you will be notified. We will proceed toward deep space for three days before engaging in maneuvers.
A message appeared in Luke's link queue, from Bronkaw Prime. It granted Shoka Luke Kishi an audience with Grand Marshal Vokasa in two weeks time at Bronkaw Prime.
Luke sent a thank you and an acknowledgment. Two weeks was good. He could use the time. The purple nebula around them beckoned.
"NAS Crusader is joining formation on the starboard side," the Tigress reported for Luke's benefit and Luke nodded.
"Take us to our test area," Luke told Halsey.
"Aye aye Commander," Halsey said.
Luke glanced at Leonessa who shared his grin. Luke wanted to jump up and down and run around like a kid. Two days until we could let her rip and see what she could do. It was exhilarating. Luke wondered how Bruce felt at the helm of his ship. The specs of the Crusader were impressive and it would have run circles around the Proud Infidel. It was even more powerful than the Ultio had been. These ships would be serious game changers against the Caliphate when they returned to New Alamo.
"Commander Kishi?" Duncan sent as Luke stood up to return to his working center. Luke looked at his new droid. Duncan's skin had taken on a dark crimson color, setting him apart from the Marines, Musashi and the crew.
Luke raised an eyebrow.
"May I have your permission to send an FTL message to Prime Minister Harrison?" Duncan transmitted.
"Why?" Luke sent back. "And why not speak publicly about this? Why transmit?"
"My loyalty is to you," Duncan sent. "As your assistant and adviser, it is my job to handle problems and assist you, in this matter-"
Musashi transmitted, interrupting Duncan, "I know why meat sack, if you don't trust him, then trust me and trust you don't want to know right now, and you might not want to. Trust ME!"
Luke paused and looked at Duncan, trying to figure out what this was about. Musashi standing back against the wall stepped forward and nodded, glaring at Luke.
With the additional clearances granted Luke or his crew, they could send an FTL message without having to visit the center.
"Very well," Luke said, his excitement now dampened by the cloak and dagger games of his droids. "Send your secret message. I will authorize the costs. You have my trust Duncan, but I better not regret this. I like to think I can trust you more than Musashi."
"You won't regret it," Duncan sent. "Unless it goes very, very wrong, which I consider unlikely."
"Commander departing the CIC," the Tigress announced as Luke left, followed by Leonessa and Falla Shum.
* * * * *
Luke had a spacious office aboard the Tigress, with several comfortable chairs, displays and other amenities.
"Tea?" Duncan asked Leonessa as she sank into a chair.
"No thank you," she said.
Shum shook his head.
The door announced a presence and Luke saw it was Morals and Pavlis. He didn't miss Leonessa's scowl.
"Enter," Luke said and both of the spooks entered his office.
"Congratulations Commander on a successful launch," Morals said. "The Tigress is a magnificent ship."
"Thank you," Luke said. "How can I help you?"
"Actually," Morals said. "I think we can help you."
Pavlis stepped forward.
"As you know I have taken quite an interest in the vessels throughout the system and Commodore Morals has been spending a lot of time collecting information about this system," Pavlis said.
Luke nodded for them to continue.
"We've compared our data and discovered some interesting things about the Bronkaw," Pavlis said. "From what we know, this is the seat of the Bronkaw Empire. Within the Conglomerate they have sovereign state authority and rights. One thing we've noticed is numerous battle tugs throughout the system, mostly in orbit around Bronkaw Prime and a few in orbit around the Nalee shipyards."
Luke was familiar with the numbers but it seemed something normal for the Bronkaw.
Pavlis nodded and continued. "There are twenty different stations in orbit around Bronkaw Prime. Of those, four are military, with another six having a moderate to heavy military presence."
Luke nodded, wishing they would get to the point.
"We counted empty births and warships," Pavlis said and glanced toward Morals. "What we found out is a mystery you may or may not be aware of."
"Go on," Luke said.
"Well," Pavlis said. "Based on the number of empty berths and the number of patrol ships we have detected, a large portion of the Bronkaw fleet appears to be missing."
"Missing?" Luke asked.
"Yes," Pavlis said. "According to public records the Bronkaw have several warships, including battleships. We have observed none of them in system. The same with destroyers, cruisers and battle cruisers. Nothing bigger than a heavy cruiser appears to be in system. We have also seen several battleships under construction in the Nalee ship yards. The designs appear to resemble the Bronkaw battleships in t
he ship index."
That sounded odd to Luke.
"Nothing?"
"Unless they are hiding," Morals said. "Nothing."
Luke looked at Shum.
"This is unusual," Shum said. "The Bronkaw have several large and powerful battle fleets. Conglomerate military source estimate the Bronkaw have around twenty battleships, around seventy-five destroyers and a larger number of battle cruisers, heavy cruisers and light cruisers. Their sovereign territory is four solar systems within the Conglomerate, although there is a belief they maintain several colonies in the dark."
"And the Conglomerate does not care if the Bronkaw have colonies outside its control?" Morals asked.
Shum shook his head.
"It is unusual to be sure, but not unheard of. The rules of the Conglomerate state that only declared systems will be protected and Conglomerate law enforced. As long as license violations are not observed by a colony outside Conglomerate borders it is of no concern."
"So, why be a part of the Conglomerate at all?" Morals asked.
"Protection, access to advanced technologies, support and trade," Shum said. "When a system joins the Conglomerate, they receive patrol protection and the Tal will come to their aid in the event of unwarranted aggression or disaster. The Pral banking system strives to be fair and versatile. The technology licensing system may seem harsh at first but it protects individuals, cultures and companies from exploitation. Pral banking and FTL communications are only allowed in Conglomerate systems."
"In exchange for what?" Morals asked, his eyes narrowing. Luke had heard this all before but wondered what Morals was getting at.
"Accepting Conglomerate law," Falla Shum said. "It isn't difficult or oppressive."
"Then why would the Conglomerate allow a member empire to build warships and defenses," Morals asked.
"Because there is still warfare and violence within the Conglomerate," Shum said looking down at Morals. "We cannot eliminate it, however, we can prevent genocide or the deployment of certain weapons like star bursters or planet crushers. Violence can be a social outlet. If a culture or people is prevented from defending themselves, then they become dependent slaves of those that protect them. As slaves, they stagnate."
"But you allow people, companies and nations to go to war against each other," Morals said.
Shum nodded, "this is how evolution works on hundreds of thousands of planets. It is a law of the universe it seems. A species that does not grow, evolve or fight for survival, does not evolve beyond a narrow level. It will be consumed by another species that grows and exploit others."
"So, why prevent people from fighting at all?" Morals asked as Luke leaned back, enjoying the conversation. "Why not let evolution take its course?"
"That is debated among the Pral," Shum said. "However, it is also acknowledged that life is precious. Sentient individuals that can care for, and help others, are even more precious. As a species, we believe war is a mistake, but sometimes to learn and develop, mistakes must be made. We cannot dictate our beliefs to others, we can only insure they learn on their own. We also seek to learn from the mistakes of others."
"So, where are all the Bronkaw warships?" Morals asked.
"I do not know," Shum said. "Have you tried asking them?"
Luke chuckled and Morals glared. Obviously not.
"What if they are engaged in violence against the Tal or another government within the Conglomerate?" Morals asked.
"I am not aware of anything like that," Shum said. "It is not my concern. If they are not adhering to Conglomerate law, then they will be dealt with."
"You don't care?" Morals asked and glanced at Luke.
"No," Shum said. "I am no longer Tal, but it is not a Conglomerate concern unless a complaint is filed or unaccepted aggression is displayed in the presence of a patrol ship."
They were still close enough to the Nalee shipyard to tap into the Conglomerate military data net and Luke sent a query. When the query returned, he forwarded it to everyone.
"Interesting," Luke said. "I sent you a Conglomerate military report."
"The Bronkaw have sent every available warship to Bronkaw Secund?" Pavlis said. Luke brought up the star routes on a holographic map above his desk.
"Bronkaw Secund has three other wormholes, all listed as dark systems, although there appears to be a note mentioning some Bronkaw dark colonies," Luke said reading the map.
"A civil war then?" Brita asked.
"Or that empire we tangled with in Nani and Stattdennen," Luke said.
"If it is that Tonkan empire, why wouldn't they ask for Conglomerate support then?" Pavlis asked.
"The dark colonies would have to join the Conglomerate before they received any help, this is not a quick process and could take many years," Shum said.
"Do you think Topa Suresh knows?" Leonessa asked. "It would explain your upgraded ship and his insistence on keeping Captain Simmons on your wing. He will expect you to help the Bronkaw deal with their problem."
Luke nodded. "That makes the most sense, but the Bronkaw have a lot of firepower. How much difference will one more battleship make?"
"If they fight using standard Conglomerate battle tactics, they might not have much of that firepower left," Pavlis said.
Everyone turned to Pavlis.
"I have been reviewing Conglomerate ships and battle tactics," Pavlis said. "And evaluating the way the Tonkan behaved in the dark systems. Conglomerate firepower is all about brute force and using superior technology and weapons against a foe with little finesse or tactics."
"Conglomerate battle tactics have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years," Falla Shum said glaring at Pavlis. "They are efficient, tried, tested and true. Why do you think Conglomerate battle tactics may be inferior?"
"Evolution," Pavlis said to Shum. "I have not seen Conglomerate battle tactics evolve or change. There has been no need with the Tal. They are spoiled and are used to crush any professional fighting force that might vary from the Conglomerate rules of battle. When you have the firepower, technology and tonnage you don't need great battle tactics. In fact, many times your battle tactics dictate the technology deployed. The Conglomerate has not fought a dynamic and nasty war in a long time. The Conglomerate has become mired in tradition and history."
Shum nodded, unwilling to argue further, but he still seemed unhappy.
"That makes sense," Shum said. "The Bronkaw is a younger empire, however. They have been a member of the Conglomerate for less than a thousand years."
"How technologically advanced were they when the Conglomerate made contact?" Morals asked.
"Almost at the stage the human race is now," Shum said.
"They adopted Conglomerate military technology and thus, Conglomerate battle tactics," Pavlis said. "They would seek to emulate the most effective fighters they know, which are the Tal."
Shum nodded.
"What are we getting ourselves involved in?" Luke asked nobody in particular as he stared at the holographic map floating above his desk.
"I suspect we will definitely see action then," Brita said with a predatory smile.
"Rebels or someone else," Luke said. "Leave it to Topa Suresh to keep us guessing."
"Topa Suresh does not have all the answers," Falla Shum said.
Luke nodded.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
Invasion
"We can tag a target out to almost twenty light seconds," Brita said. "That is a heck of a lot better than the Ultio could ever manage, by a factor of over three, and the turrets have a maximum effective range of six light seconds. Missiles aren't anything new but we can see a lot further. The point defense turrets also have more overlap. I can't wait to get into a fight with this thing."
Luke smiled. The Tigress could outpace the two Bronkaw cruisers sent to shadow it.
"Set course for the Nalee ship yards," Luke said. "Well done. We will pick up the rest of our fighters and then will have time to relax before our meeting with the Gran
d Marshal."
"This vessel would be dangerous to the Tal," Falla Shum said. "There is technology here that is only allowed on Tal vessels. The sensors, the shields and the plasma lance calibers are all restricted to Tal."
"I'm not complaining," Luke said.
"Topa Suresh must trust you a great deal," Falla Shum said.
"Or we will get into some nasty fights," Luke said.
"Commander," Halsey said looking over at Luke. "I'm getting a system-wide transmission for all Conglomerate military forces from a patrol cruiser that just transitioned from the Krisali system. It appears the Krisali system is under attack by a large force from Yankte."
"Yankte is in dark space," Brita said. Krisali was Conglomerate space and any attack there would generate a Conglomerate military response. Luke's dream about a dangerous force on the edge of space came back to him.
"All Conglomerate military vessels are being called to defend Krisali," Halsey said. "Shall I respond?"
"We aren't Conglomerate military," Luke said staring at the screen and bringing up a map of jump gates and systems. Topa Suresh had told him his priority was helping the Bronkaw, and Krisali was not a Bronkaw colony.
"More data," Halsey said. "Visual data, heavily encrypted for Conglomerate military eyes only. The planet Pririe was attacked. Video attached."
"On screen," Luke said somewhat surprised the Tigress had access to it.
The screen was a distant view of a planet, even from this distance Luke could see fires sweeping across the sphere that looked like an even mix of bright blue oceans and lush green land masses. Cracks appeared on the planetary crust. The polar ice caps looked small and even from orbit and Luke could pick out large cities, glowing on the dark side of the planet.
"Oh my god!" Pavlis said in awe. "The planet is breaking apart!"
It looked like an inner force was pushing out from the center as the entire planet fragmented and fell apart. Luke tried to imagine the scale and the devastation. Entire cities could have fallen into those cracks but now the planet was falling apart, like gravity had been reversed and there was nothing to hold it together again.
The Darkness: The Conglomerate Trilogy (Volume 2) Page 33