by D. J. Holmes
“Well,” Suzanna said to the silence that had descended around her, “I guess that means Clare’s information was legitimate. I can’t see Maximillian getting so worked up about anything else.” Then a thought hit her, “what are Admiral Harris’ warships doing?”
“There are a number of warships patrolling the approaches to Haven, wait, one of them has been on a heading for the last hour that will bring it very close to our station,” the technician said.
“What freighter is the closest to being able to depart?” Suzanna asked.
“The Warthog,” another technician answered.
“Order her to depart immediately and to head for the shift passage to the Gift. Tell them I will be coming on board,” Suzanna said.
“You don’t mean to leave us?” her station manager asked.
“I don’t have any other choice,” Suzanna said. “That warship is coming to arrest me. I am no longer any use to our people here. I need to get a warning out.”
“Then I will help you pack,” her station manager said.
“Thank you,” Suzanna said as she touched his arm.
*
Twenty minutes later, Suzanna was standing on the bridge of the freighter Warthog. “How long until we reach the edge of the system’s mass shadow?” she asked the Captain.
“Another twenty minutes,” he answered.
“Will that warship get into weapons range before then?”
“No, we should be able to jump out before it can fire on us,” the Captain answered.
“Good,” Suzanna said with a smile. Warthog was a freighter she had purchased from one of her competitors. One that had aided Maximillian in his piracy against the Earth nations. It therefore had much more powerful engines than the rest of her freighters. Your sins are beginning to catch up with you First Councilor, Suzanna said to herself.
“Can you pick up Admiral Harris’ flagship?” she asked the Captain.
“Yes,” he answered. “Solitude is close to Haven, however, it looks like she is boosting towards the shift passage. There are two other ships keeping station with her.
He’s still going to do it, Suzanna thought, I have to get to James.
Chapter 1 – Happenstance
Every war has a beginning, and the British-Indian War was no different. To understand it you must begin with the aspirations of both interstellar nations, and the actions of Haven’s First Councilor. It was he who put the gears of war into motion.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
24th February, 2467 AD, HMS Endeavour, Chester System
Exactly one month after Endeavour entered the repair yard in orbit around Chester, James signed off on the readiness report for his ship. She is whole again, James thought with more than a hint of pride. With a large yawn, he raised his hands into the air and stretched them out wide as he felt his muscles unwind. The last month had been one of the busiest in his life.
The Chester repair yard had only been recently constructed and everything was new and untested. When things had worked, Endeavour’s repairs had jumped forward in leaps and bounds. Yet, there were still many aspects to the new yard that were being worked out, more than one computer or human error had put a halt to the repair work during the last month.
Nevertheless, the work was now finished. Endeavour was ready to detach from the repair yard and head back into space. With a grin James activated his COM unit, “Lieutenant Mallory, set us a course for Earth. Inform Rear Admiral Penn that we will be leaving Chester to return to Earth within the hour.”
“Aye sir,” Mallory replied over the COM channel, “it will be my pleasure.”
Since his uncle had sent him to Chester to carry out repairs, James had been afraid that he would miss Pemel and the Kulrean envoy ship when it came to visit Earth. They had received word a week ago via a messenger ship from Earth that the Kulreans planned to arrive in orbit around Earth in thirty days. James had wanted to meet Pemel in the Alpha system and escort his ship into the Sol system but the timing just wasn’t going to work out. If they left within the hour and made full speed back to Earth they would get to the Alpha system two days behind Pemel. Still, James was excited to see the new leader of the Kulreans again, and if he was a couple of days late, all it really meant was that he would miss the pomp and ceremony that would no doubt take up the first few days of the alien’s visit. That was not such a bad thing.
James’ COM beeped to inform him Lieutenant Mallory was trying to contact him. “Captain, the Rear Admiral has acknowledged our message and sent you a reply, I’ve transferred it to your personal datapad.”
“Thank you Lieutenant,” James replied and opened the message from the Rear Admiral.
Try not to get yourself into any more trouble Captain, its time you let someone else have some fun for a change. Godspeed. R.Adm. Penn.
James smiled to himself. Rear Admiral Penn wasn’t the only one hoping the next few months would prove to be a lot quieter that the last few years had been.
*
James was on the bridge of Endeavour with Mallory watching as they approached the mass shadow of the system. “We will be able to jump into shift space in ten minutes,” Sub Lieutenant Jennings said from the navigation station.
“Jump us down the shift passage as soon as you are able,” James replied.
An alarm sounded at the sensor officer’s station. With a couple of taps on his control terminal Sub Lieutenant Malik shut it off. “A ship has just jumped out of shift space thirty light minutes from us,” he informed James. “I can’t identify it from its jump signature.”
“Put us into stealth mode then change our course towards this newcomer,” James ordered.
Endeavour had been traveling under full power towards the shift passage that would eventually lead back to Earth and so she would be clearly visible to the newcomer. However, their sensor data would be thirty minutes old and thus by the time they realized that Endeavour had disappeared off their sensors James would be able to close the range to them.
On the other hand, the distance also meant that it would take thirty minutes for Endeavour’s sensors to pick up any electromagnetic waves from the new ship as well. If the ships stayed in stealth mode it would take thirty minutes to detect it. In space warfare a lot could happen before then.
“We’re in stealth mode,” Mallory informed James.
“Sir,” Malik called before James could issue any more orders. “The ship has lit up its main engine. It’s setting a direct course for Chester.”
“I guess they don’t want to play hide and seek,” James said.
Any ship that exerted a significant acceleration rate in space gave off gravitational waves. These waves could be tracked in real time and so it allowed ships to track each other without waiting to get a lock on their electromagnetic signals. Of course, if a ship cut its acceleration or was crusing at a steady speed like Endeavour had been, then the gravitational sensors wouldn’t pick them up.
“What kind of reading are the gravitational sensors getting on this newcomer’s acceleration profile? Does it match anything in our databanks?” James asked Malik.
“The computer is still comparing the data now,” Malik answered, “wait, there is a ninety percent match. During the battle over Haven we got some readings on a number of the Haven freighters. The computer believes the newcomer is utilizing an engine with a similar acceleration profile.“
Haven? James said to himself. How on Earth did they get here?
Knowing he wouldn’t get an answer without asking the Captain of the new ship, he ordered Endeavour out of stealth mode and asked Sub Lieutenant King to record a COM message to be transmitted to the ship.
“Haven vessel,” James began when King told him she was ready to record, “My name is Captain Somerville of His Majesty’s Ship Endeavour. You have entered British space, please identify yourself and prepare to be boarded for inspection.”
“Message sent,” King said after James stopped speaking.
“
Now comes the fun part,” Third Lieutenant Becket said from her position at the tactical station.
“Yes,” James agreed. It would take his message just under thirty minutes to reach the Haven vessel and depending on how much of the distance Endeavour closed between the two ships, at least another twenty for the reply to come back. There was nothing to do but wait and watch.
Twenty-nine minutes after the message was sent, everyone on the bridge watched as the freighter rapidly decelerated and swung around towards Endeavour.
“I guess the Havenites are willing to play ball for once,” Mallory said.
“Indeed,” James said.
Just under twenty-four minutes after the freighter’s rapid course change a message arrived from it.
“It’s an audio and visual message,” King informed James.
“Put it on the holo display,” James said.
“Hello Captain,” Suzanna Rodriguez said, smiling. “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon. I am very glad I found you here. I have some grave news that you need to hear. My freighter will dock with Endeavour and I will tell you in person. I’m afraid I need you to be my knight in shining armor again.”
As all the Lieutenants on the bridge looked at him James couldn’t help turning a little red at Suzanna’s last words. “Set an intercept course and prepare to dock with the freighter,” he ordered to cover his embarrassment.
“I thought we all saved Haven in the battle with the Vestarians. Why are you her only knight in shining armor Captain?” Mallory asked a little too innocently.
“Shut up,” James said, trying to sound angry.
It didn’t work for both Mallory and Becket let out small chuckles and the Sub Lieutenants looked like they wanted to join them.
“I’m going to my private office,” James said as he stood. “I’ll meet the Councilwoman at the docking hatch once the freighter comes alongside.”
“Aye sir,” Mallory said somewhat more professionally.
*
James waited nervously at the docking hatch for Suzanna to appear. He had spent the majority of the time in his office wondering just how he should greet the Councilwoman. He still wanted to know how she had come to Chester and what she was doing, but he would get those answers soon enough. How to greet Suzanna had therefore seemed like the most pressing question.
As she stepped out of the docking hatch James’ mind went blank and he forgot what he had decided. Instinctively, he held out his hand to her. She brushed it aside and pulled him into a hug. “I think we are a little past handshakes,” she whispered into his ear.
“I guess we are,” James whispered back. He pulled back from the hug and smiled at her. “Welcome aboard Endeavour,” he said more formally for everyone else who was present.
“It is a pleasure to visit the ship that saved my world,” Suzanna said in an equally formal tone as she turned and nodded to Lieutenant Mallory and the two Sub Lieutenants who were there to greet her. “This ship and crew has endeared itself to the heart of my people.”
Turning back to James, Suzanna reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “Can we go somewhere to speak privately? The matter I need to talk to you about is urgent.”
“Certainly,” James said as he turned and placed Suzanna’s hand through his elbow. “Come with me.”
They walked in silence through the ship as James led the way to his office. Suzanna’s mind was busy taking in the sights and smells of a state of the art warship, James was contemplating just what was going on.
When they sat down, James’ steward Fox was at hand to place two cups of coffee before them. As soon as Fox left, Suzanna broke the silence. “I’ll come straight to the point.”
“I thought you might,” James chuckled.
Suzanna smiled but when James saw that her smile didn’t reach her eyes he knew something serious was going on. “Tell me, I’m listening,” he said.
“I fled Haven to bring you some vital information. I had a spy within the Council Chambers, she managed to plant a bug in Maximillian’s office and eavesdrop on a conversation he was having with Admiral Harris. They are planning to send three warships to the Alpha system to ambush the Kulrean envoy. They want to scare them off so that relations between Earth and the Kulreans are damaged.”
“What!” James almost shouted as he struggled to take in Maximillian’s foolishness.
“He is afraid that the Earth powers will try and take control of Haven for its strategic location,” Suzanna tried to explain.
“I understand that,” James replied. “But his actions could have serious implications for all of humanity. If the Kulreans think that humans are prepared to attack them, even if it is only a sub section of the human race, they could break off all ties with Earth. All the technological wonders the Kulreans possess would be lost to us.”
“That’s why I am here,” Suzanna said. “I want to stop them if we can.”
“When were Admiral Harris’ ships to leave?” James asked with concern.
“They left the same day I did, I had to flee before they captured me. Maximillian found out I have been listening in to his plans,” Suzanna answered.
“Who else have you told about this?” James asked desperately.
“No one,” Suzanna said, “You are the first Earth vessel I have encountered.”
“Then it is already too late,” James said. “The Kulreans will be entering the Alpha system in thirty days. We can’t get a warning to them in time.”
“Wait,” James continued as it dawned on him. “How did you get here? You must have passed through a number of Indian, French and British systems to get here. Why didn’t you warn someone else?”
“This is the first Earth system I have entered since I left Haven,” Suzanna said. “Maximillian blocked off the shift passage that led into the Indian colonial systems and sent a frigate ahead of my freighter to block off access to the Gift. We discovered a shift passage to Chester about eight years ago, so I came here as it was my only option.”
“More discoveries we don’t know about,” James said shaking his head. “You Havenites have been busy out in this part of space. But that doesn’t change anything. We can’t get to the Alpha system in time.”
“We can,” Suzanna said coyly. “It’s actually rather simple.”
“How?” James demanded and Suzanna couldn’t help but smile as she teased him.
“How do you think Captain?” she asked.
It only took a couple of seconds for it to hit him, “The Gift,” James said. “You said there was a frigate defending it. That would stop your freighter, but not Endeavour. Can it get us to the Alpha system in time?
Suzanna’s smile grew wider, “It certainly can. It looks like you are going to get your wish after all Captain. I’m going to have to tell you all my secrets.”
*
Twenty minutes later James and Suzanna strode onto Endeavour’s bridge.
“Signal the freighter’s Captain and tell him we’re going to detach from his ship,” James ordered. “He is to take his freighter to Chester and report to Rear Admiral Penn. I have already sent the Admiral a COM message informing him of what we are up to but I think he is going to want to talk to the freighter Captain himself.”
“Councilwoman Rodriguez isn’t returning to the freighter then?” Mallory asked a little too innocently.
“No,” James said, “she is staying on board for the present.”
He didn’t have time to satisfy Mallory’s curiosity so he ignored the look of intrigue that had come over the First Lieutenant’s face. Instead he turned to the navigation officer, “I have sent a new course to your navigation console Sub Lieutenant Jennings. Upload it to the navigation computer and take us to the first shift jump point immediately.”
“Yes sir,” Jennings said as she opened the datafile. “Sir,” she said a few moments later, looking up from reviewing the new course. “Are these coordinates accurate?”
“Indeed they are Sub Lieutenant,” James answered
.
Third Lieutenant Becket let out a whistle when the new course appeared on the main holo display, showing a series of shift drive jumps that headed off into unexplored space. “It looks like we are about to go down the rabbit hole again,” she said.
“I’m afraid so,” James responded.
As he looked around at Mallory he couldn’t help but smile at the look of confusion on the First Lieutenant’s face. “Don’t worry Lieutenant,” he said. “All will become clear in time. Once we are in shift space I want a meeting with all our senior officers in the briefing room. Until then, you will have to live in suspense.”