“We are preparing for the possibility that the Order of Eden will discover our position sometime before Freeground Alpha is ready to make the next wormhole transit,” Admiral Urin replied. “We’re doing our best to coordinate a defence, but any major attack could mean the end of the station.”
“I don’t believe that we’ll be facing a large attacking force before the station can leave. So far, we haven’t discovered a single large fleet of Order ships, but smaller groups and individual vessels. If that trend holds, and their ships are spread out so they have a better chance at finding us, then we should be able to hold against whatever small force they bring to bear,” Admiral Rice said. “What we need to dedicate some resources to is discovering their true purpose here. I’m sure Freeground Alpha is a minor footnote in a greater campaign. We’ve already found evidence of three advance outposts, including the one Triton Fleet ran into.”
“Regardless of their intentions here, we need to get ships out there, scouting ahead and gathering information. It’s the only way we’ll be able to provide good jump coordinates and have a chance at finding supplies and equipment for the station,” Ayan said.
“That’s if we take it with us for the long term,” said one of the Captains on the table. She was a tall, blonde woman with pointed features. “Excuse my interruption and appearance, I’m undergoing an aggressive rollback procedure so I can keep up with all these younger officers. I am Captain Eres of the Georgia.”
“Stop apologizing, Gwen,” Admiral Urin said. “My beard isn’t black because it’s dyed that way, most of us are rolling back thirty or forty years. Maybe it’s time you share your thoughts with everyone.”
More captains were appearing along the edge of the table, Ayan counted thirty-four at a glance. That was almost the entire Freeground Fleet.
“As I’ve already shared with the Admiral,” Captain Eres said, “We need to follow Captain Valent’s well known example and capture several enemy ships. The cost in terms of fleet casualties may be significant, but it may be the only way we can leave Freeground Alpha behind. The new ships would be more mobile, and we may be able to evade much more effectively. I know this seems like a sacrilege, but it may be our only hope of saving our people.”
“Your chance of success depends on,” Jake seemed to catch himself before offering something too useful, and he finished his statement early. “Well, it depends on numbers.”
Ayan caught his meaning and explained. “He’s right. If we can vastly outnumber the enemy in small engagements, say, taking a battlecruiser with five Freeground ships and the Triton, then we may be able to force the enemy to evacuate.”
“No offense,” Admiral Urin said. “But we’d prefer to make capture attempts without the assistance of the Triton or Revenge. We don’t want to muddy the waters in terms of ownership once the deed is done. What we need is all the information you have from your successful captures so we can formulate a solid plan.”
“We can send that to you,” Oz said. “Just be careful, the Order will scuttle a ship unless you disable the self-destruct devices in time. Their computer systems may also be unreliable, so replacing the main terminals using our specifications could be essential.”
“I think we understand,” Admiral Rice said. “Let’s put the idea of evacuating Freeground Alpha aside for now. We don’t have the ships. Regardless of our intentions with new ships, we need them. We have crews who can reprogram them, man them, even take them, we just need the intelligence necessary to create the right opportunity. Do you think Triton Fleet can try and provide that while you scout ahead?”
“Yes,” Oz said. “We have the resources to scout far and wide, more so than you expect, I’m sure.”
“When can you get started?” Admiral Urin asked.
“I believe we can start sending scouts out in six hours,” Oz hesitated for a moment, as though listening to someone outside of his transmission. “A portion of our scouts will be looking for targets of opportunity for the Triton. My ship is powerful enough to perform several strike and fade attacks that could lead the Order away from Freeground Alpha. We can match the signature of some of our weapon emplacements so it looks like ships from Freeground Fleet were a part of our strike group.”
“We could send a pair of ships with you instead, so they are seen and recorded during the encounters,” Admiral Urin said.
“They can’t make the jumps we can, it will have to be the Triton on its own,” Oz said. “As a secondary objective, I could lead any Order forces away from Freeground Alpha if they are getting too close.”
“I was just about to make that recommendation, Admiral,” Admiral Rice said with a thin lipped smile. “Just don’t allow yourself to be forced into an engagement you can’t win or run from.”
“Don’t worry about us, Admiral,” Oz replied. “You’ll find we’re extremely capable.”
“Captain Valent, when do you think the Revenge will be ready to begin scouting missions?”
“Three to four hours. We will scout ahead and avoid any engagements until repairs are complete. Hopefully our main guns will be fully automated by then as well, and we can start hunting.”
“One thing at a time, Captain,” Oz replied. “Your priority will be to scout ahead, find safe harbours and chart good jump routes.”
“Yes, Admiral,” Jake replied.
“Thank you, Triton Fleet,” Admiral Rice said. “You’ve given us all new hope. We’ll do our best to hold out here.”
Chapter 3
The Beast In Repose
The Overlord could sense Fleet Admiral Dron the instant the door slipped open. Clark Patterson rested in a pool set in the middle of his ready quarters. The warm, viscous high nutrient solution relaxed him. Clear thought was easy to accomplish in the thick bath.
He examined the scent of the Fleet Admiral, clean, purely human. He always found the lack of fear in the man remarkable, most humans carried at least a hint of it with them whenever they were in his presence. Instead there was confidence, and his curiosity was so intense, it should have been the first thing he noticed. Interpreting the nuances in the scents of humans was easy if you had enough time around them. It was a talent he’d always be grateful to the Issyrian race for. The man had also recently been through a vibro shower.
“Sir, I have a significant report from Haven Shore,” Dron said into the perfect darkness.
The lights turned up just enough for Clark to see him with his normal eyes, and he stood.
“I’m sorry to disturb your rest, Sir,” the Fleet Admiral said, “but this is important enough for me to report personally and immediately.”
“I understand,” Clark replied. Still, no fear from the man, but his apology was sincere enough. He could sense his sympathy. “Please, render your report, Fleet Admiral.” He gestured to a half circle of wood framed seats facing the pool.
Dron moved to the seating but stood in front of it instead of sitting. “I’m afraid we’ve had forty-nine spies on Haven Shore go dark. Citadel reports that they’re missing someone too. They were all attempting to gain entry to a fast track officer training program for Triton Fleet. We have copies of three of their qualification tests, as well as the location of two testing facilities, but that’s the last of our intelligence. I don’t expect we’ll be hearing from any of those assets again.”
“They couldn’t remain hidden forever. Did any of our people get in?”
“It’s unlikely,” Dron said. “Our intelligence suggests that those were all of the assets who could make an early attempt at entering the academy. The rest are in minor positions, most not even in Haven Shore proper. I’m certain a memory scan was used to reveal the applicants true purpose and experiences. The remainder of our operatives will be discovered if Haven Shore begins making surface memory scans standard across the populace.”
“How many assets do we have left on Tamber, exactly?”
“Thirteen. All of them are low-level. The two we had in the Rangers were also discovered because
they applied for the Officer Program.”
“Tell General Ohnen to send the soft elimination signal, I don’t want any more assets captured with their memories of the Order or our fleet intact,” Clark ordered.
“Yes, sir. I’ll send the message using a secure, high speed drone immediately.”
“Has there been any word on Shozo?”
“I’m afraid that we’ve verified that she was killed aboard the Fallen Star during Citadel’s attack on Kambis. There is a report of one survivor, a low ranking member of the pod named Yiriu. We’ve determined that she has built a home on one of the unsettled coasts near Haven Shore, and is attracting other issyrians.”
“At least one of them found a home,” Clark said, sitting on the edge of his pool, a very human posture. There it was again from the Fleet Admiral, that whiff of sympathy. Did the man think he look tired? Sad? Vulnerable? “Are you still confident in the strategy we will be using in our search for the Primary Freeground Station segment?”
“Yes, this will work if we keep with it,” Dron said. “I must say your recent orders surprise me.”
“The order to destroy Freeground,” Clark confirmed.
“Yes. If you don’t mind me prying, Overlord, I was under the impression that you once wanted Freeground and especially the original crew of the First Light left alone. It was a point of study before I met you, and the reason why I expected to be executed the first time you met me.”
“I considered it,” Clark said. “I had a lot of time to think it through as I travelled to your shipyards. The assault you arranged on Freeground forced me to face something about my old home. The people I loved there are gone. The government, and the individuals that are responsible for the murder of my sister and my exile are still there.
There is a piece of instinctive knowledge amongst the Issyrians that relates to this. Once one of their number grows to a certain age in isolation the impurities that they took on over the years begin to infect the surrounding flesh. Their ability to expel toxins and rotting tissue is the first to go when they are away for too long, and they begin to rot from the inside. It’s a miserable existence, and it can take decades for the solitary Issyrian to die. Many of them leave the water behind so they may dehydrate in the sun instead of suffering through the slow death of gradual necrosis.
Freeground should have left the water and dried out a century ago, or found its way back to human civilization to revitalize. Backward ideas and xenophobia ruined a strong culture, and I’d rather force it into extinction than watch it ail on for decades longer. My revenge on them for costing me everyone I loved as a human is a fitting end.”
“What about the predictions made by the Oracle Base’s Prescient Analysis Software? Didn’t it predict instability in several sectors if Freeground fell? I know that’s what I was working against while our allies began their assault.”
“You were successful. The limited stability your efforts provided in that region using the Vindyne assets you were able to take control of were enough. Even if they weren’t, I’m not as obsessed with prescient technology as my predecessor was. He let whispers from the future guide him to madness and ruin. He forgot that a few tips from a machine cannot take the place of good strategy and being prepared for the worst outcomes.”
“I couldn’t agree more, Overlord,” Dron said. “Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Do you think the First Light crew are no longer significant in matters here? They’re still famous, beacons for resistances wherever we go.”
“Those people, the people who once crewed the First Light no longer exist. Jacob is gone, Ayan’s body rests with Wheeler, why he wanted it is a mystery to me, but she is dead nevertheless. Jason and Laura have been gone for some time now, and the rest have joined Jacob in his delusion that they can defeat us. All the while Carl Anderson plots, and builds, and insinuates himself into a new position of power. No one injured Clark Patterson more deeply. The First Light crew are nothing but shadows. They were a dream, and like all dreams we lose our grip on them once we wake, the details slip from our minds like water through our fingers. I’ll stand on Haven Shore, and I’ll chain Carl Anderson to a post and leave him for the first Edxi young to consume. Tamber will be devoured as penance for the defiance of their people.”
“Sir,” Dron said, sympathy and awe oozing into the air around him. “I’m grateful to you for sharing your thoughts. These insights are helpful, now I have a better idea of what level of restraint I should take while developing our plans going forward.”
“You don’t have to grovel, Dron. I enjoy speaking to you. Your mind is always open, and you’ve never failed to understand me. That is why it pains me a little to send you to the Glorious. It’s time you took command of your own battle group. The plan remains the same while we search for Freeground. We scout the nebula for sites where we can leave bases behind so our enemies cannot hide here. Is the main fleet still set to arrive on time to develop sections of the nebula?”
“They will be able to send resources and manpower to sites we’ve marked for development next week. We should have complete control of the Iron Head Nebula in five months.”
“Three. We need to make this space ours in three so we can continue moving into the sector beyond. Former Vindyne space must be connected to Regent Galactic’s seat of power before the British Alliance can drive a wedge between them and extend the war by decades.”
“Yes Sir, I agree, Sir. I thank you for your trust in this, Overlord. When would you like me to take command of the Glorious?”
“I’ve spoken to the Admiral of the Glorious Battle Group. He would like two days to prepare a proper welcome, and the journey will take one.”
“I’ll leave tomorrow morning then,” Dron said. “Thank you again, Overlord. I will make the Glorious Battle Group the greatest in the fleet. Except for yours, that is.”
“No, do your best to surpass me and my success,” Clark said. “I could use a challenge.”
Chapter 4
The Pursuer III
“Did you finish briefing your people?” Jake asked Minh-Chu as they stood beside the ramp leading into the Pursuer III. It looked like Jake was rushed, as though he was struggling to keep up with everything going on aboard his ship.
“They’ve been briefed, reassured, and all tucked in to their assignments. The Samurai Wing is staying with the ship unless you need a few of them to do short range scouting. I hand-picked a few members for my crew, so the Revenge and my mission are covered,” Minh-Chu replied.
“Good, we’re getting a few extra pilots from the Triton,” Jake said. “So we can fly a good defence screen if we spend a length of time in any one area. I don’t like sending you out there, but we have to find jump arrival points where Freeground Alpha can hide while they wait to recharge.”
“No worries, I’m your man, I’ll find a few good spots. With the cloaking package aboard this ship the Order won’t catch us either,” Minh-Chu replied.
“Good, I look forward to seeing what you find out there, good hunting.”
“Hey, before I go, I wanted to talk to you about this thug act you played with the Freegrounders. I think it’s a bad play.”
“Why’s that?” Jake asked.
“No one has to do much research to find out that you make good military decisions. Your tactics are pretty head-on, you take risks, but they demonstrate forethought, three dimensional thinking and an understanding of what your ship can handle. I mean, dig a little deeper and anyone can see that you helped design the refit of this ship, you met with people from Lorander – and they don’t have a reputation for suffering fools gladly – and you’ve been a captain for over seven years. Thugs don’t come with that kind of history.”
“A look at what happened to the Warlord is enough to put off anyone who suspects I’m capable of any tactical genius. I was looking to cut through some red tape and make a point,” Jake replied. “You’re right though, it muddied the waters, and I didn’t buy much time with that act.”
“Nothing specific, I just wanted them to look in another direction so the Revenge could work on contingencies in case things go sideways. If they don’t expect much from me, then they’ll think I’m always steps behind them, and that might give me the time I need to look at things a little more carefully. I’m not convinced that Admiral Rice is really on our side yet. They also won’t expect to see tools like the dimension drive aboard,” Jake said. “I think it’s worth it.”
“Okay, Freeground is your problem, you know I’m glad it’s not mine, but I still think there’s more value in letting them know that you’re a bigger thinker than you led them to believe. A smart person with military might on his side is a lot more formidable to me than a thug. Besides, I’m sure they’re underestimating the Revenge right now. It is just a rebuilt Regent Galactic ship, after all. Between you and I, I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes it back to Tamber then gets assigned to patrol. The Solar Forge will probably spit something better out in a couple months, something we can expect more from.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Jake chuckled. “I’m glad it doesn’t have an artificial intelligence, or there would be some hurt feelings.”
“An AI on this ship? I hope it never gets one. It might be the first ship to feel self-loathing, considering how many problems keep coming up.”
The nearest personnel elevator in the hangar, only ten metres away, opened to reveal Ashley carrying Minh-Chu’s duffel bag. She was in her bridge uniform, which was all black except for a thick gold stripe down the sides. True to her own style, she made her suit a little more form fitting than standard with a moderate reflective sheen. Her straight raven black hair stirred as a mild gust of air from a slight difference in air pressure between the elevator and the hangar caught it. Her glossy lipped smile brought one to his own lips. He loved how her whole face seemed to smile, her eyelids half closing, her cheeks bunching. At least, that’s how she smiled at him.
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