“General command to all ships. Prepare to go to supra-light in ten seconds. Exit Supra-light as planned in eighteen days, half a light year from target. Four, three, two, one…”
The planet Dramul and its two moons were gone, but the stars in the Chamdar system appeared little different. Zed opened his mouth, but Lola beat him to the punch.
“Except for our own ships, everything is clear, Captain. Message relayed through the lead scout from Katherine. “What kept you?” Zed chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief. “Target in sight. Three cruisers, four frigates two corvettes and several smaller craft. Message pod arrived a week ago, and they have been taking on stores ever since, preparing to go into battle.”
Zed rubbed his head. “We have a choice. We can go in and destroy the entire Chamdar fleet, or we can destroy both fleet and planetary defenses before we ask for their surrender.”
“You could also go in and destroy both the fleet and the planet.” Lola’s voice was flat.
“We can do that?”
“This vessel was originally designed as a Planet Destroyer, Captain, and I think the designers had Chamdar in mind when they built it.”
“So, we go in and disable their fleet and ask for their surrender, right?”
“Yes Captain.” There was an odd note to Lola’s voice, as if she were suddenly very proud to be part of the crew.
“Please relay our plans to Kat, and ask her to remain on station observing. Bring the other scouts back, they’re too lightly armored, and launch fresh fighters. When they are ready let me know.”
“Fighters ready, Captain. Katherine reports that the Chamdar fleet is beginning to maneuver into position for jump.”
“That’s it then. Pass the word. Raise defensive shields, charge all weapons and prepare to jump right into the Chamdar fleet.”
“Affirmative, Captain. Jump in four, three, two, one…”
The forward screen was full of Chamdar ships. “Fire everything, Lola. Tell all ships, cleared to fire. Fighters, protect the Rose and the Chesapeake.”
The sky exploded in an eye-searing cloud of blinding light. The Rose of the Dawn shuddered gently. “Lola, are we hit?”
“No Captain. That was the shock wave from a Chamdar frigate exploding.”
Zed and every member of the bridge stared at the screen. Pieces of the Chamdar fleet were leaving fiery trails as they burned in the planetary atmosphere. Not one operational Chamdar ship remained on the display.
“Fleet status?”
“No casualties, Fleet Captain. One of our fighters was destroyed when it ran into a piece of debris. The pilot ejected and Search and Rescue have been dispatched. Another fighter was damaged by enemy fire, but the pilot is recovering the damaged craft himself. It appears that the frigate the Chesapeake engaged is out of control and falling into the planet’s gravity well.”
“Can the Chesapeake pull her out?”
“No captain, but we can. We can delve deeper into the planetary gravitational well than the frigate.”
“Postpone the recall, Lola, and go catch that Chamdar frigate before she burns up. The main hanger is empty, now. Put her in there.”
Zed felt a vibration in his feet as the huge ship began to move. “As you wish, sir.”
“Would you please have doctor Culchett and her staff go to the hangar and prepare to receive wounded?” He frowned for a second. “And have a security detail accompany them also. I don’t want our people getting hurt.”
“As you wish, Captain.” The forward screen was beginning to show a red tinge, when the Chamdar ship came into view. Battered and out of control, the ship of was tumbling, shedding occasional parts as she fell. The Rose of the Dawn, for all her great size, staggered as her tractors caught the falling ship, damping its tumble and reeling it in slowly, like an exhausted trout. The red glow faded as the Rose nosed back up to the cool of space.
“Resume the recall Lola, and then patch me into the Chamdar tactical frequency.” Zed listened to the screaming and the finger-pointing for several minutes before he spoke. “This is Fleet Captain Fernandez Edwardo Raphael Daniel Yates, and the warship that is threatening to destroy your planet is the Terran Heavy Destroyer 7651 Rose of the Dawn. Surrender, totally and unequivocally, or you will be obliterated. You have thirty minutes to decide your fate. I’ll be in touch in twenty eight.” Zed rubbed his forehead. “Let me see the main hangar, Lola.”
Through the speakers Zed could hear the creak and pop of heated metal cooling. The Chamdar ship was so battered that he could hardly tell its general shape. Emitting a tortured groan, a door in the side of the frigate slowly swung open, vomiting a small metal ramp that creaked alarmingly until it touched the deck. Four figures in EVA suits only slightly more modern than Zed’s original, exited the cooling ship, rifles of some sort clutched in their shaking hands. They all drew a bead on the approaching medical team. Blue dressed security personnel raised their own weapons, sighting on the frigate crew. It was an ugly situation. Zed sighed, making a sign to have Lola patch him through to the hangar.
“Listen, you idiots.” He could hear his voice echo in the huge space. “The people you are threatening are unarmed doctors and nurses that we sent to help care for your injured. I swear that if you hurt one hair on any of their heads I will pack you all aboard your piece of shit ship, and drop you back into the planetary gravity well. I’m sure the people on Chamdar will receive you quite warmly. Have I made myself clear?” There was a hurried conference at the foot of the ramp, and the four figures slowly set their weapons down on the deck and slowly backed away. “Very good.” Zed commented dryly. “Now, go back inside and tell your folks to come out, and bring their wounded with them. You won’t need EVA suits. The air is quite breathable.” One of the four unsealed and removed her helmet, letting a cascade of long blond hair fall down over the shoulders of the green EVA suit. She sniffed the air cautiously, and then turned a relieved face to her companions, who then unbuckled their own headgear, before they clanked back up the ramp.
“Your First Officer is back on board, Zed, and she asked me to tell you that she will be there just as soon as she showers and changes.”
“Thank you, Lola.” A smiling Zed replied. “Kat just told me herself. Is there any response from Chamdar yet?”
“Yes Zed, I believe that the head of the planetary government is on the line for you.”
He took a deep breath. “This is Fleet Captain Yates. To whom am I speaking?”
“Ahhh.” The man hesitated, obviously unused to being treated as one of the conquered. “This is Dixili Xisit. I am the world president.”
“Have you come to surrender?”
“Well… perhaps…”
“Lola…” Zed began loudly, knowing Dixili could hear every word he spoke. “Pick a city at random, and destroy it. Then pick another, then another and so on until they surrender. I will be in my stateroom having tea, should they come to their senses.”
“No! No!” Dixili was almost crying. “Don’t destroy our cities. We surrender, totally and without exception.” He sniffed and blew his nose loudly. “What choice do we have?”
“None.” Zed said coldly. “My central computer will be sending a query to your central computer. You WILL let it in. When we know all your dirty little secrets we will let you know what we plan to do. Yates out.” He drew a finger across his throat, signaling Lola to terminate the connection.
“What will you do, Zed?” Lola’s voice was quiet, but curious.
“Nothing. I’ll cancel their military budget and dig most of those funds back into space exploration and social programs. Ten percent of their military budget, however, belongs to us as victors.”
“Ten percent of world military budget is a stupendous amount of money, Zed.”
He sat there in the Captain’s chair, grinning. “Yeah, ain’t it? How does it feel to be a successful pirate, Lola?”
“Can I paint a skull and crossbones on the hull?”
“People might ge
t the wrong idea, Lola.” Zed grinned.
“Oh…” The computer was silent for several long moments. “I assume you plan to do the same thing with Dramul, and their military budget?”
“You suppose correctly, Lola.”
“Then, on behalf of the worlds of Dramul and Chamdar, thank you for stopping the senseless war. The Rose of the Dawn has achieved the purpose for which she was built, although not quite in the manner her designers intended.”
CHAPTER 10
The Final Objective:
“You had better watch out, Lola. Keep saying things like that and his head will swell.” Captain Katherine Johansen was standing in the door to the bridge, a wide smile on her face. Hanging straight to her waist, her red hair was still damp from the shower, however Zed wasn’t looking.
“Does that mean we’re cleared for independent action?” He was sitting on the edge of the seat.
“I’m sorry, Captain, it does not. We still have not found QX’an tril Station. That was the prime requisite for the clearance to independent action.”
“Damn. Lola, I’m beginning to suspect that you have an agenda you’re not telling me about.” When there was no answer, he turned and gave Kat a weak smile. “I missed you.” He murmured simply.
Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. "I am ready to relieve you, sir."
Zed blinked in surprise, and then returned her smile as he remembered the simple ceremony pounded into his mind by hours of induced learning. If she wanted formal… "I am ready to be relieved. The battle has been successfully resolved, and negotiations for the planetary surrender are under way."
She was trying very hard to be serious. "Then… I relieve you, sir."
"I stand relieved. Attention on the bridge. Captain Katherine Johansen now has the conn." He stood slowly and gave her a crisp salute, which she promptly returned.
"This is Captain Johansen, I have the conn."
He bent closer and kissed her cheek. “That was very very good, but don’t do it again soon. People will begin to think that we are a real military vessel, and expect it all the time.” Across the wide bridge he could see Thomas Covati and Amelia Davies, the new Weapons Operators, grinning widely at them. “You can have your chair back; I think I’ve done enough damage already. I believe I’ll take a stroll down to the main hangar and see our new guests. Call me if something serious comes up Lola, otherwise, Captain Katherine Johansen, you have the conn.” Zed glanced up at the ceiling. “Katherine is quite capable, don’t you think so Lola?”
“I firmly agree, Fleet Captain Yates.” Lola answered primly. “And pretty too.”
He chuckled. “You know, my dear, I believe that our computer actually enjoys laughing at us.”
Kat stopped in the process of sitting, a look of ingenious surprise on her face. “I believe you’re right!” Her voice was light, and slightly breathless.
“Would I do something like that?” There was a little catch of sorrow at the end of Lola’s question.
“That’s very good, Lola.” Zed chuckled. “You overdid the catch at the end, though.”
“I’ll work on it.” The tired Fleet Captain quietly left the bridge and walked down the corridor, still laughing quietly.
Somewhere on the short walk to the hangar, Larisa Borisyuk joined him. “Did you two have a good flight?” Zed grinned at the dark haired Russian woman.
“It was damned boring. We slipped in, calculated the position of every single ship the Chamdar own, and then played cards the rest of the time. I figure that I owe your light fingered First Officer, one million seven hundred and eighty three thousand rubles. We both decided that you would attack the Chamdar the way you did. It’s too bad Alina DeThomaso isn’t here with her combat support ship. She would hate to see all this salvage go to waste.”
“Trust me, Larisa, it won’t go to waste.” Lola’s voice sounded quite definite. “The cruisers, although open to space in a large number of compartments, still have functioning drives, and can be programmed to fly to Alina for recycling. Like the Rose, they have large hangars for support craft. We will simply stuff the wrecks in the hangars, and when they can hold no more, send them off as a present.”
Larisa shook her head. “She’ll build another Thal’ark Station.”
Zed did laugh this time. “She won’t have quite that much salvage.”
The door slid open and they entered the hangar.
Larisa started coughing almost immediately, and the smell of scorched metal and melted plastic made Zed’s eyes water and throat burn. It reminded him a little of his early days as a Flight Engineer.
Doctor Culchett had set up a temporary triage on the side of the hangar, and with her half dozen or so assistants were busy tending several dozen wounded. She looked up and smiled.
“So, if it isn’t the boss himself.” She looked at her soiled hands, and decided not to offer one to Zed.
“How are our guests, Sienna?” He noticed that the doctor’s graying hair had returned to a more youthful auburn, and the wrinkles on her face had all but disappeared. She had to be in her mid-fifties, but she looked thirty five. Imperial physiological conditioning certainly had its benefits.
“Of the crew of one hundred and eighty, forty three were killed, and another sixty injured. I’ve heard that it was you that ordered the rescue of their ship. Is it true?”
Zed blinked, taken aback by the doctor’s bluntness. “You could say that.”
She stood there, giving him a hard look while he squirmed. “Not many Fleet Commanders would have risked their flagship to save a damaged enemy frigate.”
“It wasn’t much of a risk, and anyway, Lola did the rescuing, not me.”
Sienna laughed, showing straight white teeth. “That’s pure sophistry and you know it. You can’t get out of it that easily, Fleet Captain Yates, but your secret is safe with me. I won’t tell anyone that there is a caring human being hidden beneath that midnight uniform.”
“Sure.” Zed replied sourly. “Tell that to the Princess.”
Doctor Culchett’s face hardened, and Zed saw the experience of half a century reflected in her eyes. “If you get gangrene in a limb, you have no recourse but to cut it off before it poison’s the whole body. What you did with the Princess was right. It wasn’t easy and it will probably haunt you for the rest of your life, but you did the right thing. Her influence would have poisoned the whole ship. I deprogrammed her attendants. I know.” The doctor shuddered. “I have to get back to work.” She gave him a wink. “Duty and all that.”
Larisa watched the woman walk away. “You made a good choice there, Zed.”
“I think so too.” His smile was crooked. “Wait until she finds out that she is on the Command Staff.”
Larisa barked a hard laugh. “Wait until Jer Bentax finds out. Wait until he sees her!”
“He’s a big boy. He’ll have to deal with it, after all, as he will be on the Command Staff himself.” He looked up in time to see a pleasant looking young woman with long blond hair visibly steel herself and turn toward the two. It was the same Chamdar woman who had removed her helmet first, and Zed raised an appreciative eyebrow at her form-fitting purple uniform. It was noticeably chilly in the huge hangar. The young woman, Zed guessed that she must have been in her early twenties, came to rigid attention in front of them. Her eyes, he noted with interest, were an astounding celadon blue, and they looked scared.
“The doctor said that one of you was the Captain of this ship.” Her soft mezzo-soprano voice was vibrant and passionate.
He gave the girl a short nod and a smile. “I am Fleet Captain Zed Yates.”
“My name is Lieutenant Sindiix Tran. I am…” She paused as she glanced at the ruined frigate. “I was the commander of the Chamdar Frigate Arm of Justice. We are your prisoners. I would like to know how you plan to dispose of us.”
A wicked light glinted in Zed’s eyes. “I suppose that we could always have you for dinner.” The look he gave the blond girl was flat, and Zed heard the
frigate commander gasp in horror. “Ohhh.” The barest hint of a smile touched his lips. “Perhaps I should have said invite you to dinner. Poor choice of words.”
A flush washed across the girl’s cheeks. “You not going to …” She swallowed, and began to laugh.
“No, we’re not going to.” Zed finished for her. “Welcome aboard the Terran Heavy Destroyer 7651 Rose of the Dawn.”
Surprise washed across the girls pale face. “Only a destroyer? I thought that…”
“The name was shortened from Planet Destroyer, Lieutenant.”
The explanation didn’t seem to help the Frigate Commander, and she began to shake. “You could have…”
“Yes we could have, but we didn’t, and we won’t.”
Zed gave the young woman a flat look. “I saved you and your crew, but not your ship.” He gave Larisa a covert wink. “We will do with you the same as we did with the crews of the Dramul fleet we defeated.”
“You defeated the Dramul fleet?” He had thought her blue eyes couldn’t get any wider.
“Yup. The war that you have been fighting for millennia is finally over. You both lost, or you both won, depending on how you look at it.”
“But our fleet…”
“Will be broken up for salvage, as is the Dramul fleet at this moment.” He put a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder, and felt her flinch. “You and your crew will be offered positions aboard the Terran fleet. We still have a lot to do, and we need good people. Or you can go home.”
“But, what will you do about Chamdar?”
“Basically, nothing. Install a more-or-less honest Governor, if I can find one. Dismantle your military budget and then let you run your lives. Your crew will be given positions in the fleet based on their skills. They will swear an oath to be loyal to the Terran Space Fleet. You will be given new uniforms, quarters and meals aboard the Rose, and you will be paid according to your rank and position.”
A glimmer of hope came into the blue eyes. “I don’t suppose you have a ship that I…”
Zed frowned. “As far as I remember, there aren’t any…”
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