Dust Bunny (Rust Bucket Universe)

by Atk. Butterfly

  "Well, I see you can't help yourself sometimes when it comes to getting into trouble. I already picked up the information about what you pulled and how you stand now," said George.

  Dave said, "I know, George, but I couldn't let the Navy divide itself into two camps and slug it out."

  George replied, "I know you couldn't. At least it's being handled by someone with your principles and ideals and not someone who might see the opportunity to become a galactic dictator. I don't see what else you could have done considering what I know about the situation. Anyway, let's forget that for now and begin using Val's knowledge to defeat the Malakins."

  Val realized that both men's attention was on him now and that he was expected to speak. "Well, you already know I couldn't find out anything positive about the military since I was only on the one planet. However, I learned something about their culture. For instance, two of every three Malakins that you might see going about their daily business are slaves of the third Malakin."

  "Slaves? In a modern society?" exclaimed Dave.

  "Very much so," said Val. "They're quite brutal at times concerning their slaves. They use slavery to bestow status since they don't need them in place of machines. However, they do make their slaves operate their machinery to produce goods. I also learned that they have seven inhabited worlds, not three. Some of them are in another solar system where most of their military was being built up after we discovered their home world. I overheard numerous discussions about gaining our two closest planets to their home world. It fits in with their way of thinking. Almost everything is in threes. Every structure has three doors, three windows, three steps leading up to the doors, and so forth. They want those two nearer planets to complete a set of three."

  "Seven, huh? That helps explain why we've seen and engaged so many more Malakin warships than we earlier expected. Any ideas about why they don't just explore in some other direction and peacefully colonize an uninhabited world?" asked Dave.

  "Yes," replied Val. "First off, they're terrible explorers. I think that's due mostly to their political organization though it could also be related to the huge size of their ships when it comes to navigating safely through space. Secondly, they'd have to terraform the nearest planets since those are without atmospheres, vegetation, and wildlife. However, the Malakins simply aren't capable of terraforming worlds yet on their own. They just don't know how. On top of that, one of those other two dead planets Malak already knows of isn't low gravity. It appears to me that they were extremely fortunate to have habitable planets close by for the expansion they've already made. That's why they want Edun and Gabrielle to complete a set of three since those worlds are already suitable for habitation and low gravity."

  "Then why did they want Beulah or Leuion?" asked Dave.

  "Leuion is considered a potential marketplace for new slaves and it isn't part of the Union. Leuion is also considered a threat since it would likely consider Malak a threat. Beulah is considered our strong outpost and an even greater threat. They don't really want the planet, but they don't want us to have it, either," said Val.

  Dave asked, "So how long do you estimate it would be before Malak demanded another three planets or nine for that matter?"

  Val answered, "Try eighteen. They think exponentially. They'll want those as soon as they can build up a fleet large enough to conquer the Union."

  George said, "I don't think that we'd willingly give them eighteen more planets and withdraw to a few ourselves, either. Our people put too much hard work into terraforming and homesteading most of them."

  Dave said, "You're right about that. We wouldn't be willing to withdraw back to Earth, Mars, and Venus."

  Val shook his head. "They would want those and to send us out farther to Glint and its neighbors on the other edge."

  Dave said, "George, see to it that Val is taken before the Congress and given a chance to speak with them in individual one-on-one meetings beforehand."

  "Even Lordsman?" asked George.

  "Yes, but not until last. I don't want him to have a chance to cry propaganda," said Dave. "Make sure that Val has security around him at all times, but keep it discreet. I don't want anyone to know that he's the only spy we sent out and our only witness."

  "You think they'll try to kill him?" asked George.

  Dave replied, "Didn't you hear that Lordsman wants to hang me? I think he'd arrange for Val to be killed without giving it a second thought. Lordsman won't want people realizing that they truly need each other despite their differences."

  ***

  Two days later, the Seraphan fleet left Serapha and headed toward Beulah. The secessionist planets knew, as did Admiral Oden, thanks to Representative Lordsman who couldn't resist a sending off ceremony that was widely reported over the news nets. It was greatly appreciated intelligence that Lordsman thus provided.

  Chapter 5

  The new officer training course went into operation. Admiral Oden was happy that three of the four new camps for training were at stations with sympathetic leaders who would be sure to see to it that the new officer candidates weren't poisoned against the rest of the Navy. Dave could only hope that wouldn't happen at the fourth installation. He still didn't want to go up against the Union in a civil war. After all, the warships being built on the secessionist planets weren't the only new warships being built. New warships were also under construction at seven other planets. The new officers, if tainted by hate, would certainly have enough warships capable of causing much in the way of death and destruction.

  Admiral Oden knew that there would be more officer training camps established fairly soon within the Union. Some of those wouldn't be likely at all to produce officers without hatred for the seceding planets. Dave felt sorry for those men and women since they would be going up against the best, even if the best didn't have as many of the new warships. With the abilities of his own officers and enlisted personnel calculated in, Dave knew that they would most likely win even if they had to rely solely on the warships they had now. Even worse, Serapha was stepping up its own production of officers and would control the new fleet. Though they weren't as good, they did possess some combat experience among the survivors of their task force that Leuion rescued.

  For the moment, Dave had only time on his side to prevent a civil war. That was slipping away with each quartz crystal vibration that powered modern clocks. He couldn't ask the shipyards to speed up the production and cheat the men and women of the Navy out of the quality in their ships. He could only hope that enough of those ships would be available when the Union sent a second force up against the secessionists. They would, he knew, if Val failed to convince Congress that the Malakins were truly the greater menace. They would also be inclined to launch a second attack if the Grim Reapers slaughtered the Seraphan fleet, regardless of what Val might convince them of, if only to avenge the loss.

  ***

  Commodore Bland studied carefully the hologram image of the Seraphan fleet and its marked course. He knew his orders and how hard it would be to stick to them. He had already travelled from ship to ship of his squadron, personally instructing the men and women on each warship about what they had to do and why. Many understood and agreed. Some were worried that they might forget themselves in the heat of battle and kill without regard for the political stakes. Only a few were worried for their own lives. Most of them resented having to worry about it being at the hands of fellow humans. Nonetheless, they all agreed to do their best and not become consumed with hatred if some of their friends were killed in the upcoming battle.

  Now the Seraphan fleet approached his squadron. As expected, it was quite inept in its formation. Bland's own ships held their positions while fighters stood by to sweep in behind the Seraphan ships and disable them quickly. Left adrift, they wouldn't be as nearly defenseless as Malakin ships might be. The Seraphan ships used similar weapons to the Union's that possessed their own energy sources. The Seraphans would still be able to fight back against anyone attacking
them, but they wouldn't be able to pursue the squadron or attack any of the seceding planets until they were picked up, towed back, and repaired.

  The Grim Reapers were outnumbered, unless the fighters were counted. Then it could be said that the Grim Reapers had more ships, but still not more total tonnage.

  "This is Fleet Admiral Cain of the Union of Planets to the squadron in our path. You are ordered to move out of the way and return to your proper duties by falling into formation with my fleet for the attack on Beulah."

  "This is Commodore Bland. The Grim Reapers Squadron will not let you pass. Please turn about and leave this sector of space so there will be no bloodshed."

  "Commodore Bland, you and your squadron have one minute to decide. If you do not do as I order, the Union fleet will attack you as traitors and secessionists."

  "Again, Admiral Cain, the Grim Reapers Squadron will not let you pass. You already have my decision."

  The Seraphan fleet closed to effective weapons range before they fired the first shot. The fighting lasted almost twenty minutes as the Grim Reapers fell back in an orderly retreat, letting the fighters sweep in from behind to attack the engines of the Seraphan fleet masquerading itself as the Union Navy.

  When it was over, there had been two hits on the Grim Reapers despite their evasive maneuvers while falling back. The Grim Reapers suffered eight dead. The Seraphan fleet was left drifting without engine power over a large amount of space in small clusters of ships, each cluster disabled at much the same time. The casualties on board the Seraphan fleet totaled thirty dead. It could have been far worse.

  "Admiral Cain, I will not molest any Navy salvage ships sent out to recover your force. I am sorry for any deaths and injuries suffered by your personnel, but I cannot allow you to attack civilians, either. Commodore Bland signing off."

  Then to be sure that the warships were recovered, Commodore Bland sent his own message notifying Navy salvage teams where to find the Seraphan fleet. Afterwards he sent another message to Admiral Oden notifying him that the Seraphans had been neutralized, hopefully without too many casualties among them, a number he didn't have access to.

  Afterwards, the Grim Reapers continued to patrol their assigned area to be sure there weren't any other forces attempting to attack the seceding planets. Meanwhile, they were also making sure that no Malakin forces made their way past them into deep Union territory to threaten either the Union or the disabled fleet of warships.

  Just in case, some of his ships also kept a close watch on the Seraphans to prevent them from any duplicitous and deceitful acts. Commodore Bland had been forewarned that some Seraphans might be so fanatical that they would attempt to change the actual outcome to something that might incense the Congress and citizens of the Union. If so, Bland's forces were to avoid interfering with them and merely collect evidence of the resulting carnage to show the truth with later. If the Seraphan fleet wanted to battle itself, there was little that the squadron could do about that. Of course, Bland's forces would disable any warships able to get back under their own power again. Not one warship was to be permitted to attack Beulah or any of the other secessionist worlds.

  ***

  Admiral Oden heard the report and could hardly wait for the combat videos to be transmitted. Those would be shared with the Congress so that they would realize that the Seraphans hadn't been destroyed outright, just disabled. It would be a stinging defeat for them, especially Serapha, to swallow. Dave hoped that it wouldn't cause as much resentment as a full-scale bloodbath might have created.

  ***

  Within a few hours, the combat videos from the Grim Reapers were on their way to Earth for the Congress to see. A simple message was attached stating that the squadron tried only to disable the warships and not to kill anyone. It further stated that the squadron sustained eight deaths while trying to avoid bloodshed. It was hoped that the Congress would see the videos for what they were intended and not as an insult, taunt, or further provocation.

  ***

  Admiral Cain could only look about at the ships within the same cluster as his own and marvel at how the Grim Reapers surgically disabled them all. It was evident to him that his force was clearly over-matched even though he had numerical superiority. As far as he knew, the Union ships his force opposed weren't any better than his. That left only the training and dedication of the personnel in the two forces as to what decided the outcome. He was certain that his personnel were dedicated, but evidently they weren't as well-trained as the other force's personnel. He even knew how many dead the Grim Reapers suffered as well as his own losses. His gunners only killed eight and he lost thirty personnel. Those dead were on the only two ships that scored hits on the Grim Reapers. It was clearly obvious to Cain that the Grim Reapers had surgically retaliated for their own dead, hitting again only the ships that were clearly the most dangerous to their own safety.

  Admiral Cain could already see that the civil war would be long and bloody. Most likely, the Union would suffer the most casualties. He could see that the Union would prevail only by overwhelming the secessionists with more personnel and warships than the rebels could muster together and by accepting huge losses in the endeavor. Cain wondered if he was even capable of defeating Oden using tactics alone. If nothing else, Oden had earned his reputation as a fighter, tactician, and strategist. Nor did Oden show any signs of forgetting how to do those things well. As long as the rebels had Oden, the outcome would be in doubt. And . . . Cain had just failed in his mission to capture and take Admiral Oden back for trial.

  ***

  The next day Representative Lordsman was untypically subdued as he watched some of the combat videos with the rest of Congress. It was clearly visible that the Seraphan force was sorely mis-matched, if not out of their league entirely. It didn't matter what the attached message stated, Lordsman took it as an insult and further provocation. He would use it out of context soon enough to incite more hatred against the rebels and Oden.

  Ethel watched the selected combat videos, chosen at random, with the rest of Congress. She knew something more that only two other members knew of so far. She was the first approached by Val and told of Malak's true goals. Because of that, she was viewing the videos in almost exactly the frame of mind that Admiral Oden intended for them to be seen in. She could tell that, though damaged, the Seraphan fleet could soon be made space worthy and resume defending the Union against the greater threat that Malak posed. Not only the fleet, but most of the personnel would be available to help defend the Union, she knew.

  She also knew now that it was a mistake granting waivers to Serapha. Representative Lordsman was supplying them with bill after bill for consideration. Each bill he introduced was almost as bad as the initial application for membership in its size. Most of them required intensive searching until their true meanings were discovered. Then it could clearly be seen that a pattern existed that would eventually give Serapha total control of the Union. Now she wished she'd voted against them. Her vote would have been enough to stop them from being admitted. Instead, she had allowed herself to be scared of the Malakins and into thinking that the Seraphan fleet represented enough force to make a difference in the war. Now she knew that it could have been defeated by even fewer warships than the squadron had. It might have been an even battle if the Seraphans went up against only four or five warships from the Grim Reapers. She wondered if even that was still too many opponents for the Seraphans to handle. The Seraphan fleet simply wasn't able to handle the Malakin border patrols nor a single squadron of Union warships.

  Ethel wanted to know how she managed to let herself become so frightened before. She was very ashamed of her actions now and realized that she was helping to condemn a great man to ruin because he hadn't given in to Serapha's demand for a civil war. Admiral Oden was definitely trying to prevent a civil war, she felt. Somehow he found out the facts ahead of time and tried to warn them all. He even took action before it was too late, though at his own risk. Now she knew enough f
acts. She just wished she knew a way to stop Lordsman and Serapha before they completely destroyed the Union or forced her to destroy Admiral Oden.

  ***

  Captain George Clark detailed another officer to escort Val around. For himself, he had other work to do. It was something once suggested by Dave Oden, himself. Perhaps now was the time to try that particular tactic. There was certainly nothing more to lose by trying and everything to gain. He walked into another government building and went to a terminal. A few minutes later, he had finished entering information in. He validated it and then left, satisfied that he had done something that might help later.

  Chapter 6

  Another wave of small Malakin warships came at the outer planets two days later. This time, the Space Marines were dispersed on the planet surfaces, ready to seek out and destroy the enemy.

  In space, the Union warships concentrated on the larger Malakin warships, leaving their fighters to deal with the robot-laden craft. Even so, there were so many at each location that a few managed to reach the surface and disgorge their cargoes.

  Because of the recent changes in official policies for visitors from the other member worlds of the Federated Planets, the Space Marines had to approach anyone wearing clothes in the remote areas with caution since they might not be robots or be aware of the need for going nude to assist the marines in making possible easier identification of the enemy.

  ***

  Lieutenant jg Emily Tall watched as some of the outriggers approached one of the few Malakin ships successful in landing. The pilot was preparing to leave the planet's surface. The outrigger blew him apart along with the cockpit of the spacecraft. That was one more Malakin ship the enemy would be deprived of. The materials used in making it would be melted down and used to make Federated vessels instead, she figured. Then her hover artytank sent outriggers in different directions to locate and destroy all the Malakin robots that were brought to the surface by that ship.