Wolves at the Gate (Star Wolf Squadron Book 3)

by Shane VanAulen

  “There is another issue?” Mike inquired.

  “Yes, dealing with failure to obey an order or regulation,” he said and looked to Lt. Friar and continued, “Lieutenant, please present the evidence you found in the defendant’s quarters.”

  The dog robber produced a box from under the table and moved around front to the middle of the table. She then opened the box and pulled something out but Mike couldn’t see it as her body was blocking his view.

  “These were found in Ensign Collins’ quarter after a search for evidence related to the earlier charges was conducted,” she informed turning around and facing him with a smile. She then winked and stepped away allowing Mike to see what she had laid out before the Captain’s Mast.

  He didn’t have to be told what was laying on the table as he knew what they were. Spread out in front of Captain LaFevers was a pistol belt with two pistols, a combat knife along with several magazine holders and an auto-digital med kit. It was his backup pistols including an 8mm Starburst automatic, a Smith and Wesson model 2100 Auto needlier also known as a gauss pistol and his Randel poly-carbon fighting knife. All of these were last seen in his space duffel.

  “Ensign, are these your weapons?” Captain LaFevers asked sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms.

  He could have lied but that was not his way.

  “Yes sir, they are my issued arms as assigned to me as an officer of the ISS Star Wolf,” he admitted.

  “Well, now we have it! You disobeyed my direct order to turn over your arms and are in violation of ship regulations,” Commodores Essex declared glaring at him with a weird pride at having finally caught the young officer in his trap.

  “Sir, I did turn over the arms I was wearing while under arms as a dispatch courier, that was my personally owned extension sword and Krager Gauss pistol. These other arms were in my space duffel and are assigned to me. Besides that, at our last meeting, I was told that arms were not to be worn unless authorized by Captain LaFevers or by the Commodore. Nothing was said about possession of assigned or personal arms. I’m sure that if we ask the ship’s A.I. it could play back the entire conversation.”

  “You are splitting hairs, Ensign. These sidearms should have been turned in to the armorer as your other ones were,” Granny Essex pressed.

  “Sir, I checked with all ten armories on board and none of them have my extension sword or my Krager pistol that I turned over to you,” Collins countered not having had time to track down his missing property prior to this.

  “What are you saying? That I stole your toys!” the Commodore blared putting both of his hands on the table as if he was going to spring to his feet.

  Admiral Yancy put her hand on her brother’s arm.

  “I think we need to stay on topic that ship regulations have been violated,” the Starbase Commander said.

  “Ensign Collins did take the ship orientation class which educates new crew members to ship regulations including storage of personally own weapons,” Lt. Friar pointed out from the side of the table.

  “Then that should be it,” Granny Essex said and continued, “he knew the ship regulations, and he admitted to violating them.”

  “Mister Collins, why do you have multiple weapons?” Commander Hemmings inquired from the end of the table.

  Everyone in the room looked at the carrier’s XO but Hemmings kept his brown eyes locked on the young officer.

  “Well sir, over the last year I’ve been involved in a lot of combat operations. Right from the time we stole the Star Wolf right out from under the Karduans’ blue noses and fought the First Battle of Austro Prime until my arrival here I’ve been behind enemy lines,” Mike replied.

  “That still doesn’t explain your need to have arms handy,” Commander Hemmings prompted trying to lead the ensign to a better defense.

  Mike nodded knowing what the executive officer was trying to get him to say.

  “In the last year, I’ve fought in numerous battles and have helped defeat at least four full squadrons of enemy ships and a few pirates along the way. I’ve led or been involved in fighter attacks, ships to ship combat and commando operations. At the Battle of Delta Sector 476 by 17 we bent in and attacked the rear of an enemy squadron. During that battle, I assisted with setting a nuclear mine onto a damaged battle destroyer that later destroyed a star destroyer. At the same battle, I led a fighter attack and then boarded an enemy-held freighter subsequently freeing its human crew.”

  Collins paused for a moment scanning the faces of the board and seeing if he wasn’t making the impression that Cmdr. Hemmings wanted him to.

  “At Jericho Six, we found the damaged remains of part of the 12th Defense Fleet. During a salvage operation, we discovered that there were trapped survivors on the frigate, ISS Alamo. At that time, a Karduan force of seven ships bent into the system and the Star Wolf was forced to escape and leave us behind. The Alamo was later brought on board the captured ISS Mammoth.

  “What does this have to do with this hearing?” Commodore Essex demanded with an angry looking expression.

  “Sir, I’m getting to that. While we were hiding in the Alamo, we freed her trapped crew and found that most of them were unarmed. So, there we were stuck in the belly of an enemy ship with twenty unarmed personnel. I had my boarding party give up their sidearms to the Alamo’s crew. I was armed with a gauss rifle and two pistols. I gave one to an unarmed doctor and the other to the ranking surviving officer of the Alamo. My men and I then took the Mammoth back, freed her crew while capturing or killing the Karduans onboard. Without those additional arms, we would have been in a bad way. Since then I’ve always carried or had more than one pistol.”

  “That is all very interesting Ensign but you are not on the Star Wolf operating like a pirate or even behind enemy lines. You are here on the Pallas and have violated this ship’s regulations,” the Commodore once more stated.

  “Commodore, respectfully there is a Karduan Squadron one bend from here serving as a blocking force. When Grand Fleet Mistress Pir-Ly and her reinforced squadron get tired of chasing the Star Wolf there is good chance that she will come right to your doorstep. Then you’ll have two full squadrons to deal with. When that happens, everyone will be glad they have a weapon nearby and handy.”

  “I think we have heard enough,” Admiral Yancy submitted, again placing her hand on her half-brother’s arm and restraining him.

  Captain LaFevers looked down the table to his XO.

  “What can you tell us of the Ensign’s duty performance?”

  “Lieutenant Commander Huber reports that he is hard working and an efficient officer with a bright future. Both project completion and team performance have improved under his leadership,” Commander Hemmings announced.

  The battle carrier captain nodded at this with a slight frown, he then turned his gaze back to the young ensign.

  “Is there anything else you would like to offer?” Captain LaFevers inquired following the protocol of the mast.

  Mike thought of the treatment he had received and of the passive harassment he had experienced by the Commodore’s office but to bring that up now would sound like bellyaching.

  “No sir,” he said waiting for the axe to fall.

  “I then impose the following punishment: Ensign Michael Collins, you are hereby ordered to thirty days confinement and thirty days loss of pay,” the Captain stated.

  “Per pistol,” Commodore Essex quickly added.

  Captain LaFevers glanced at him and then continued, “Per pistol, for a total of sixty days confinement and sixty days forfeiture of pay. My decision to impose this punishment was based on my determination that you have committed a serious violation of this ship’s regulations concerning the storage of arms. You are advised that you have five days to submit an appeal or request a court-martial to a superior governing authority. Following this hearing Commander Hemmings will advise you further on your right to appeal. Do you understand?”

  “Yes sir,” Mike replied.
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  “Confinement will take place in this ship’s brig until which time a transport can be arranged to take you to Hanson’s World and to the prison ship Captivity. There you will complete your remaining sixty days of confinement,” Captain LaFevers informed looking up from his palm pad.

  “You are dismissed,” Commodore Essex said before the captain could.

  Collins once more saluted looking not at the Commodore or the Admiral but to Captain LaFevers who snapped off a crisp salute of his own. Mike didn’t know if he was Granny Essex’s willing dupe or just like everyone else on this ship - trapped in a bad situation. Tyrannical commanding officers were nothing new to the navy. It was said that a ship’s captain was the world’s last true and absolute monarch. Such a person can abuse his authority to get ahead but a ship especially a ship of war is more than just a mass of metal.

  The MPs fell in beside him as he did an about-face and marched from the conference room. Once out of the room and part way down the hallway one of them whispered, “Sorry sir.”

  Mike nodded and didn’t say a word in reply. This was his own fault he should have turned the weapons into the armorer. He gave them the opportunity to entrap him and they found it. Returning to the brig he sat down on his bunk wondering where his friends on the Star Wolf were right now.

  Chapter Six

  Over the next few days in the Pallas’ brig, Mike received several visitors. Petty Officer Schmidt was the first to visit and suggested getting a lawyer from New World’s sole city of Novenna. He had the name of a lawyer that several enlisted personnel had used in the past for minor offenses. Mike thanked him and asked him to try to set up a meeting for him.

  Specialists Pilgrim and Rivera dropped by from his maintenance team to visit. They said they missed him and the team wasn’t the same without him. He appreciated the visit and told them to just keep doing the job and give their next officer the same effort they gave him.

  On day three, he was finally visited by a JAG officer. The JAG was a lieutenant junior grade, who was fresh out of law school and the Judge Advocate General’s officer’s course. He reviewed his case with him and pretty much said he should just take the sixty days and be glad that he didn’t get a court-martial.

  By day four, he was still waiting to see his godfather, Commander Hemmings. Instead of a visit from the ship’s XO he was informed by the brig’s guards that he was scheduled to leave in two days for Hanson’s World and go to the prison ship Captivity.

  That night he was awakened by a visit from Cmdr. Hemmings.

  “Sorry, but they have been keeping me busy with a flood of menial time-consuming tasks,” he explained looking annoyed.

  “Probably to keep you from advising me,” Collins commented expecting no less from this command staff.

  “I don’t know how much time I have before they call me away. We need to get right to it and even though we shouldn’t be recorded we probably are,” the XO revealed his face now looking very serious.

  “Understood,” Mike said with a short quick nod.

  “You defiantly should submit an appeal today, before I leave this cell,” Hemmings stated.

  “Should I demand a court-martial?” Mike asked having considered it as one of his options.

  “No, not now,” he replied and explained. “The next superior authority would be the Commodore or Admiral Yancy. The Commodore shouldn’t be able to run a court-martial as he was involved in your case. It would then fall to Admiral Yancy but you could argue that she is related to one of the officers involved in the case which she should then recuse herself but I wouldn’t count on it.”

  “So, no court-martial,” Collins said almost relieved as the thought of such a trial was unnerving.

  “Not here maybe when they take you to Hanson’s World and you are safely away from here,” the Commander said.

  “What or how do I appeal?” Mike inquired.

  “In your appeal simply state that the punishment is disproportionate to the offense committed,” the Executive Officer advised passing him a palm pad.

  Mike took the pad and saw that the appeal was mostly written out for him and all he had to do was fill in a few places.

  “I guess I really screwed up,” he said as he filled in his appeal.

  “Yes and no,” Rick Hemmings said letting a sigh slip out as he sat down on the bunk next to his best friend’s son. “You should have turned those pistols in but you were coming straight out of a combat zone and they were registered to you via your permanent command. This shouldn’t have been a Captain’s Mast as the circumstances do not warrant it. You should have been given a warning and maybe a temporary letter of reprimand. Two months confinement and loss of pay is overkill.”

  “They wanted to get me on something, I think the Commodore didn’t like the orders I brought him or me.”

  “I think your service record also probably made him a bit jealous,” Hemmings said in low voice. “He has publically said more than once that he doesn’t like upstarts.”

  Collins nodded as he handed him the palm pad with the filled-out appeal.

  “I’ll get this notarized today and send it out on the next ship. I’ll also have Pallas register it as part of your proceedings and in the ship’s log,” the Commander said standing up and moving to the door.

  “Thank you, sir,” Mike said looking to him.

  “I’d do this for any officer treated in this manner,” he said with a nod as he left.

  Mike’s one constant visitor was Pallas or more precisely its A.I. computer. Pal would contact him every night at 2100 hours. The A.I. would wait until he was in bed and his cell’s lights were off. It would then mute the cell’s recording device and talk directly with him. It could have used his subdermal comm. unit but Collins’ replies still would have been recorded.

  His cyber friend updated him on any news of the day as well as speaking to him about his appeal. It was strange but it seemed to him that the A.I. was trying to cheer him up and give him some hope.

  On the sixth morning, they came to get him for transport to Hanson’s World. He had very little belongings when he came to the battle carrier but now he was reduced to a travel kit and a few uniforms which he was sure he would be exchanging for prison overhauls.

  The MPs led him out into the ship’s corridor and to the closest lift. The lift opened revealing several crewmen and crewwomen inside. The MPs had them clear the lift and then they entered.

  “Deck 1A,” One of the MPs said to the lift controls.

  “Aren't we going to a shuttle bay?” Collins asked.

  “Our orders are to bring you to the Captain’s day room,” an MP answered.

  “He probably just wants to wish me a happy Bon Voyage!” he said with a smile.

  One of the MPs shook his head as he tried to suppress a laugh.

  “Lift, emergency halt,” he said and looked to the other officer.

  “Ensign Collins, my partner and I both think you got a raw deal. I mean, I’d bet that half of the officers on this ship have a personally owned weapon in their quarters let alone yours being assigned weapons.”

  Mike nodded and smiled, “Thanks but I don’t think this was really about my pistols.”

  They both made strained faces at that remark as if this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

  “Lift, resume,” one of them finally said.

  Exiting the lift, they moved down the corridor. Mike knew they were near the ship’s bridge and CIC. Passing a small side room, he could see that it was the Captain’s private mess. The door slid open as they passed and a quick glance let him see that the mess had been prepared for an elegant breakfast for four. Continuing down the hall they quickly reached the Captain’s day room.

  The guard activated the door’s monitor and a moment later the door slid open. Inside was a moderate sized office with a portion of it to the right side set up with a leather couch and armchair. To the left side were a small planning table and holo-projector. The office also had num
erous occupants. Behind the desk sat Captain LaFevers while in a semi-circle in front of it sat Commander Hemmings, Commodore Essex, and Admiral Yancy. There were two other officers in attendance one being Lt. Friar who stood nearby.

  The sight of the last officer standing to the right of the desk made Collins smile. Commander Edmund Hunter turned and also smile as he entered the room. His grin didn’t last long as he saw the armed guards. Mike noticed something new as the Attack Cruiser commander turned. He saw that Commander Hunter was now Captain Hunter having been promoted after his trip to the Admiralty.

  “Good to see you, Captain,” Mike said with an honest smile as he emphasis his new rank.

  Before Hunter could reply, Commodore Essex quickly spoke up.

  “Now that the prisoner is here let’s get on with this,” he said.

  “I agree, what do you have for us that is so important to have us meet like this before breakfast and why does this ensign need to be present?” the Admiral demanded.

  Captain Hunter reached into his pocket and passed data crystals to all of the officers except Lt. Friar.

  “I’ve been instructed to deliver these orders to all of you,” he said and then looked up to the ceiling. “Ship’s A.I. I’m sending you a copy of these orders to be placed in your official permanent records and ship’s log.”

  “Yes Captain, I have received your data and have logged it into my permanent records file,” Pallas replied.

  Hunter nodded and turned his attention back to the seated flag officers.

  “Commodore Essex, you have fourteen days to prepare to take the 34th Attack Fleet and link up with the Wolf Squadron at Austro Prime. From there you will be placed under the direct command of Rear Admiral Sir Randolph Hope to engage in combat operations. Admiral Hope has been given overall command of this entire sector including this starbase, the 34th Attack Fleet, the 12th Defense Fleet as well as the Wolf Squadron and the Templar Squadron.”

  The room temporarily became a madhouse as both Essex and Yancy protested at these orders. Mike noticed that Commander Hemmings was smiling almost as much as he was.