Insurrection: Book 3 of Warner's World

by Dave O'Connor

  “Welcome to the Resolute. What do you think of her so far?” asked Dave.

  “Top notch Sir” said the young trooper in front of him.

  “What’s your name lad?”

  “Trooper Gene Rezo Sir, 1st Platoon.”

  He might be young but he had that gnarled look you get when you’ve done a lot of hard outdoor yakka. He looked fit and there was a self confidence in his gaze that was encouraging. Dave nodded and asked them all to sit down if they could and lean against a wall if they couldn’t.

  “I look around here and I see a quite a few familiar faces. Faces of men and women I have shared the rigors of battle with. Marines like Chief Shavez” who acknowledged him with a nod “and Buster, Dai, Dakota and my other former Hermes colleagues.”

  “But there are many of you who I don’t know yet. Hopefully we can rectify that to a degree over the coming days. I fear though that there will be precious little time before I will be calling on you to put yourselves in harm’s way. I will endeavour to provide you with as much information about the situation as I can. But there will be times you will be committed with scant knowledge of what is going on around.”

  “I want you to know this. That I will not put your lives at risk on a whim. I have seen my fair share of combat. I have shared the hardships and spilt blood with my fellow grunts. I know what it’s like. So you can rely on this, if you get asked to do a task it’s important.”

  “In a week’s time we will be warping into Beta Phi with active cloak. Some of you will be inserted, hopefully undetected, with the task of finding out what’s going on down on the planet. Others will be held back and committed based on the intel we receive. I don’t know what to expect, or what tasks you will face. But I do know this. You need to steel your resolve. Tough times lie ahead.”

  “I understand from LCmd Bucknell that a good number of you have seen combat already. That’s good. It means we have a good cadre of veterans that can lead the way for those of you who have yet to see the elephant. If this is your first time into combat look to these seasoned troops. Lean on them for advice. Watch and do as they do. You get precious little opportunity to learn the things that training cannot teach you. Better to learn from these marines than end up in a body bag.”

  “The enemy, these rogan, they don’t want for courage. On Fulmar they put up a strong fight and had to be cleared from Soln one building at a time. We lost 85 marines - a good many of those taking the Drakush. Some of that resulted from poor decisions by the command staff. We won’t make those same mistakes. This is not going to be a push over. None of you can afford to be cocky. I want smart marines not dead ones. Smart marines will prevail and we, this ship, this flotilla, the Fleet, the whole god dammed human race needs to prevail here. Any questions?”

  There was a long silence. The air was serious. Most were trying to digest the significance of these words. Jim had not seen his troops lost for words like this. He had heard and read a lot about this commander in front of him. He knew there had to be some substance to him. You don’t survive and prevail as he had done over the number of engagements he had been in without having substance. Luck runs out eventually.

  Jim had heard all manner of commanders speak to the troops before. Some of these had the gift of the gab, others were eloquent and others were capable of geeing up the troops. But what struck Jim at this moment was how this one could be so brutally frank, so uncompromising and yet convey a sense that he valued their lives not just their effectiveness and he did all this while offering hope. ‘I like this guy’ he said to himself.

  “Lost for words Buster?” asked Dave.

  “I thought I’d keep a low profile Sir. Give these other fellows a chance to ask the tough questions” said Buster with a smile.

  “Sir, it’s 1st Lt Ginty Martell here. What do you think the rogan will have by way of armour. The reports from Soln said they didn’t have any?”

  “No they didn’t but they do have armour. Evie Plentun, the rogan resistance leader who fought with us on Soln said that normally a rogan fleet would have their own AFVs (armoured fighting vehicles). These are not like our battlewagons - more like an armoured personnel carrier with a beam weapon. From the specs we’ve been supplied you should be able to stop them with both Rizstorm and 80mm pulse cannon. But we won’t know for sure till we face them.”

  “What are we going to do to counter their jamming capability?” asked a tall one pipper.

  “And you are?”

  “Lt Ken Shinto Sir.”

  “OK jamming. The techs still have not worked out a counter to the jamming we faced on Fulmar. You need to be prepared to operate without the comms you normally expect. Hand signals and agreed RVs. Generally it means you can’t operate dispersed except on agreed plans. It’s tough. They have these mobile units they can deploy wherever. But they have very limited range. On Soln this was about 50m. So they are great in buildings but not so good out in the open. They are very effective on a ship.”

  “Thank you Sir.”

  There were three hands up in the air now wanting to ask questions. “Sir” said Jim “We need to wrap this up.”

  “Keep those questions. I’ll be back down here tomorrow and each day while we are in warp” said Dave.

  As Jim escorted Dave back to the elevator he said “Nice touch Sir.”

  “Thanks Jim. What time are you running the close quarters training?”

  “All day Sir. I’ll be rotating each of the platoons through there virtually non-stop. Your comments on the jamming has me thinking. I may change the program I worked up this morning to make sure we practice counter measures like you suggested. It’s going to make storming a ship bloody hard work, isn’t it.”

  Dave nodded “Yeah we had our job cut out for us Jim. Drive these troops hard over the next few days. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow to talk about assignment for the first insertion.”

  “Of course Sir. Here’s your lift.”

  Chapter 17. Resolute in warp to Klaster 1700, 13 May

  It was a weary Dave that poked his head into Rihan’s office back on A deck. She was in there with Aubrey going over the command staff training schedule. Rihan gave him a smile. She could see he looked tired.

  “How about we finish this after dinner Aubrey” said Rihan.

  Aubrey glanced at Dave. “Sure.” She left the office. Rihan stood up and went over to Dave and put her arms around his waist. She brushed his hair back with her left hand. “There that looks better” she said. “Come on I’ll buy you a drink, partner!”

  “You’re getting free and easy with your money.”

  “It’s a worthy cause.”

  “I think your right.”

  “How did it all go?”

  “Good I think. I was a bit worried when I finished addressing the marines and no one asked a question.”

  “Dumb struck, hey?”

  “Nah, just not sure of me I think. To be expected.”

  “Come on” she said and took his arm in hers.

  He recalled his early experience with Mary. “You know you’re the second lady to do this to me today.”

  “Oh you poor boy. You really are tired.”

  “No really” and he told her about Mary.

  “I think she fancies you Dave” Rihan said.

  “Nah she knows she’s safe with me. I’m spoken for.”

  “Too right” and she gave him a peck on the cheek as the elevator door opened.

  Chapter 18. Resolute in warp to Klaster 1800, 13 May

  “Dinner’s on ladies and gentlemen” announced Cranky.

  Dave made a point of sitting at a table other than the one at the centre of attention during lunch time. He deliberately invited two of the pilots who had vacated that table earlier on to join him.

  He never mentioned he was going to do this to Rihan but she couldn’t help notice how seamlessly he did it. There was no overt drawing attention to it. The point was being made in a subtle way. ‘That’s the way to do it’ she said to
herself and she pecked him on the cheek.

  “What’s that for?” he asked.

  “Nothing in particular” she responded.

  “All’s good then?”

  “All’s good” and she smiled warmly. He smiled back.

  Chapter 19. Resolute in warp to Klaster 2200, 13 May

  Dave came into the Command Centre where Ivan was handing over the watch to Jasmin Marales.

  “Oh Sir do you need anything” asked Ivan.

  “No Ivan I’m fine. Don’t mind me I’m just going to get the feel of my chair” said Dave with a smile. He plonked down into the captain’s chair, reclined it and closed his eyes.

  In a whisper to Ivan, Jasmine asked “Is he all right?”

  Ivan glanced across to Dave and then whispered “I think so.”

  Dave could hear it all but remained motionless. In fact he did start to drift off to sleep for a second but remembered why he had come here. He wanted to make sure this new subaltern felt supported on her first watch on this ship. He knew in fact that it was her first watch on any ship.

  He smiled to himself as he recalled his first watch all those years ago. He too was a one pipper and there had been a function in the mess and he had been given only a cursory handover and left to it. He had felt abandoned and he did not want this subaltern to feel the same.

  “So are there any questions” asked Ivan.

  “No I think I’ll be right” said Jasmin.

  “If you need anything just give me a call or knock on my door. I’ll drop by before I go to sleep just to see how you are doing” said Ivan.

  ‘Nice touch Ivan’ said Dave to himself. ‘You’re going to make a fine commander one of these days if you can just mend your heart.’ Dave recalled that scene back in the Pulton 1 mine tunnel on Klaster when he looked across to see Emilio holding Ivan against the wall preventing him from running to his beloved Sherri. Her body riddled with pulse fire. ‘What a waste.’

  Dave jerked up with that thought.

  “Are you all right Sir” asked Jasmin.

  “Yes Jasmin I’m fine. Just drifted off there for a minute” and he gave her a smile.

  “Do you do this often Sir?”

  “What?”

  “Fall asleep in the command centre.”

  “Huh, no not often. But it’s a new ship and a captain needs to get a feel for his ship.”

  She wasn’t too sure. “Right.”

  “This your first time in space?”

  “No Sir I went on a cruise with my family when I was young.”

  “Good for you. Did you like it?”

  “Yes very much. It stayed with me. I have longed to get back here.”

  “That reminds me of someone I know.”

  “Who?”

  “Me.”

  She smiled.

  “Want to see the stars? Come on, down here.” They went down to the cockpit. It wasn’t manned. Dave leant forward. “I think this is it” and he hit a control. “Yes” he said with satisfaction as the shields retracted from the cockpit windows. The light was bent almost like lines. “It has its own magic, don’t you think?”

  She nodded her endorsement. “Is this why you have stayed on ships?”

  “In part” he replied. “But there has to be more than a pretty view to keep you in space.”

  “And what’s that for you Sir?”

  “Good question. In part its duty but the opportunity to make a contribution is up there too.”

  She stared at the light as it played on the inside wall of the cockpit, bending in a flexible snake like way. “Do you believe in destiny Sir. In a god?”

  “Now that’s a very deep question for what is only our second conversation.”

  “I’m sorry Sir I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Don’t worry I was only kidding. Yes I believe in a divine presence, not some old guy with a beard sitting up in the clouds. If he were there I would have flown over him by now I think.”

  She laughed a bit at that. Then she added. “He could be a she.”

  “True but I like to think that divinity had no gender or all genders.”

  “I can accept that.”

  “So what about destiny?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”

  “When it comes to destiny I think you can. I reckon that destiny is part divine will and the other part is our own choices and effort. The two both contribute. If you change your choices and/or your effort then this will affect the outcome. So it’s not set in stone but there are these, oh how should I put it, dispositions to certain outcomes.”

  “Now that’s deep” she said and smiled at him. “I better go check up there.”

  Dave nodded. “I better go to bed. It’s been a big day. Just remember that if you need any help here just call. The other officers are here to support you. I am here to support you.”

  “Thank you Sir” she said with a smile.

  Chapter 20. Resolute in warp to Klaster 0210, 14 May

  “Captain, Captain please respond” hailed Jasmin.

  “What the fuck” said Dave. He was floating. He tried to reach out with his hand. He bumped into Rihan pushing her body further away. He was trying to get focus with his eyes in the dark.

  “Oh” said Rihan as she hit the wall. She too was trying to come to grips with the weightlessness. “What’s happened?”

  “Something’s gone wrong with the gravity” mumbled Dave. “Push me will you?”

  Rihan gave him a shove.

  “Not that hard” said Dave as he reached the side table quicker than he anticipated. He grabbed the communicator with its flashing indicator.

  “My pleasure” said Rihan and she struggled to orient herself.

  “Warner” said Dave.

  “Thank god Sir” said Jasmin. “The gravity well has failed. What do I do?”

  “Have you contacted engineering?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Do it now and issue a ship wide alert. Ask all non-essential crew to stay in their quarters.”

  “Will do Sir.” Jasmin did as he instructed making contact with Gunter. That took some doing as he was sound asleep under his covers which included a blanket that, tucked in, held him to his bed.

  “I’m on my way” said Gunter.

  Dave had turned the light on, pulled on some track pants and was trying to remember how you pull on a T-shirt in zero gravity. He eventually succeeded. Rihan was hanging onto the side table when it too started to rise. “Oh blast” she muttered. “Help me Dave.” He was holding onto the side of the bed. He spun and reached over, grabbing her heel.

  “Let it go honey” he said. She did so and he reeled her in. Her naked body was now pressing up against him. “Possibilities?” he said.

  “Very funny.” She grabbed the bed too. “Pass me my top will you.”

  “I’m not sure that’s in my interest.”

  She thought about giving him a clip but knew it wouldn’t work without dire consequences. So she settled for an expression which said ‘don’t be an ass’. That got the desired result.

  Dave let her go and hailed Gunter.

  “Sir.”

  “Where’s the gravity well access?”

  “D deck in the centre just opposite the ORs gym.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “Stuck in the bloody elevator with my arse on the ceiling. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

  “OK I’ll meet you there.”

  It took Dave in fact ten minutes to get there. He too ended up with his arse on the elevator ceiling, a most disconcerting sensation he thought. When he got there he found Gunter with Cpl Adrian Turner and Sgt Loraine Tumoresq.

  Dave managed to propel himself forward from the elevator to the central column around which the three of them were huddled. Dave wondered how they were able to stay together like that. He soon found out when he ploughed into Gunter and saw that he had secured a strap between two loops affixed to the
column. Gunter had secured another such strap around his waist and the two were affixed together by a third strap. Alas Dave didn’t have such a handy restraint but Gunter grabbed him.

  “Thanks Chief I mean Lt” said Dave while he reached out and accepted the strap that Adrian passed to him. Soon he too was affixed. “So what’s the problem?”

  “Overheated and the automatic shutdown was invoked” said Gunter.

  “Why?”

  “Don’t know but I have to reset the system. It will take a minute to reboot. That will restore the gravity well but I suspect it will shut down again. We need to find the cause.”

  Sure enough the gravity well activated again. “OK” said Gunter “Let’s take this opportunity to get back down to engineering and look at those heat exchangers. Adrian, you stay here and reset again on my command.”

  “Roger Chief... I mean Sir.”

  “Sir” hailed Jasmin “we’ve got the gravity back.”

  “Yeah I know” said Dave as he rushed along behind his engineers as they raced for the lift. “It will probably fail any minute again. Warn everyone of this and tell them to stay put.”

  “Will do Sir.”

  “Oh and Jasmin.”

  “Yes Sir.”

  “Stay strapped in.”

  “I am Sir.”

  “Good.”

  “Come on” said Gunter as he now raced along the H Deck past the droid pods to engineering. The gravity failed again as they opened the hatch to engineering.

  Dave was a few metres behind and had the unnerving experience of seeing his legs running while floating up. “Oh shit” he exclaimed and grabbed at anything he could get a grip on along the wall. He failed.

  “Adrian reset the bloody thing” ordered Gunter.

  “Wilco boss.”

  Dave struggled while Loraine held the hatch open for him. It took ages to manoeuvre through the hatch. By the time they lunged their way down the engineering main corridor to where Gunter was waiting for them the gravity came back on. Fortunately Dave landed on all fours. Loraine let out an expletive as her elbow connected with the wall as she hit the floor.

  “Come on” demanded Gunter. He led them through to the warp drive compartment. “Suit up” he ordered. Gunter put up his hand to Dave. “Not you Sir. Stay here.”