"It's a lie," Literamus said. "She couldn't have done what she claims."
"Do you not believe your own eyes and ears? You saw the surrender message from Kalisnacos."
"A clever contrivance. Let's send a copy to the Tsgardi. I bet they'll get a huge laugh out of it."
"Very well, lets do that," Emmeticus said. "Will the senate clerk please see that the message purported to be from the Tsgardi is verified immediately." Returning his attention to Literamus, he said, "It will take about fourteen days for a reply. I just hope Admiral Carver will wait that long. If it does prove to be correct, what then my learned friend?"
"I'm content to wait until we know for sure."
"You won't be satisfied until death is raining down on us from above."
"Our planetary guard will protect us from bombardment from outer space."
"And who's going to protect the planetary guard? Don't you realize what you've gotten us into? If we surrender now, we'll only lose the territory we finally got back after Space Command destroyed the Milori. If we delay, we'll lose everything, including our lives."
"Trust me. It's all a ruse. The Tsgardi haven't surrendered. Carver is famous for her chicanery."
* * *
"My King," Minister of Intelligence Vertap Aloyandro said quietly to King Jamolendre, the monarch of Hudeera, as he sat reading at his desk.
"What is it, Vertap?"
"I've received a message from Admiral Carver. I assume she sent it through me because I was her contact during their war with the Milori, but it's intended for you and the noblemen."
"What does she have to say? Is she at all aware of the invasion yet?"
"Most definitely, my King. I think you should view it immediately," he said, holding out a data ring with shaking hands."
The king took the ring and dropped it onto the data spindle in his media tray. His console automatically adjusted for the proper translation of Amer to Lacinyc and he sat back to view the message.
By the time the two messages had completed, all color had drained from the king's face. "What have we done?"
"We invaded the space of a friendly neighbor with whom we had developed a good relationship, with plans to deprive them of their territory."
"Send for Lord Melendret and the other noblemen immediately. They must see this without delay."
"Yes, my King. I'll summon them at once, but it may take some time for them to gather. Most are off-world surveying the worlds we recovered after the Milori were defeated."
* * *
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have some good news for a change," the image of Admiral Carver said from the full-wall monitor in the Admiralty Board hall. "Following the complete destruction of the Tsgardi invasion fleet in Region Two, the Tsgardi have surrendered unconditionally. I have established a number of requirements and they seem to be complying. One of the requirements was that they immediately free all Flordaryn slaves and provide them with transport to their home world. I'm going to be a bit too busy to ensure their compliance for a while, but I made them understand that failure to comply will carry grave consequences. Oh, and I annexed all the territory of the former Tsgardi Empire to the Galactic Alliance. I realize we have more than we can handle right now but, knowing the violent nature of the Tsgardi, I felt it was the only way to control their warlike ways in the future. Their military is now restricted to their home solar system as a home guard.
"I've sent messages to the Gondusan and Hudeera governments in an attempt to frighten them into surrendering as well. I felt that with the surrender of the Tsgardi, their resolve might be considerably weakened. We know that the strongest partner by far in this pact is the Uthlaro and we shall see how much the Gondusan and Hudeera are willing to rely on them for protection.
"My task force of thirteen ships is currently underway for a sector where we expect to find Gondusan ships. If they're traveling back to their home world we'll leave them alone, but if they're still proceeding into Region Two we'll engage them. I told the Gondusans and Hudeera that once we confront any of their forces the offer for a peaceful surrender is withdrawn.
"Thank you for the extra five scout-destroyers. Their added strength was welcome in our final engagement with the Tsgardi force and I know they will be invaluable as we battle the Uthlaro.
"Wish us luck."
"Jenetta Carver, Admiral, Commander of the Second Fleet and Military Governor of Region Two, aboard the Colorado. Message complete."
"She seemed almost cheerful," Admiral Burke said.
"She was able to deliver good news for a change," Admiral Woo said, "The Tsgardi represented almost one third of the ships in the invasion armada. Even though their ships were far inferior to our own, they still represented a large threat."
"She's also where she wants most to be— on the bridge of a ship," Admiral Platt said.
"What are we going to do about Admiral Carver's annexation of territory without prior approval from the Galactic Alliance Council," Admiral Bradlee asked.
"I'll bring the matter to the Council immediately," Admiral Moore said. "I doubt they'll be any repercussions once I explain the situation. Admiral Carver is correct that annexation is the only way we'll be able to control the Tsgardi in the future."
"What if she somehow finds a way to defeat the Uthlaro and then annexes their territory?" Admiral Hubera asked. "Their space is as large as Region One."
"That would be a problem," Admiral Moore said. "We're stretched too thin as it is. Thank heavens the new ships can travel as fast as they can. We'd never have a hope of controlling a territory as large as Region Two is becoming without Light-9375."
"Donald has raised a valid point," Admiral Hillaire said. "If Admiral Carver does manage to defeat the Uthlaro, can we just send them back to their own space? Won't they attack us again when they feel strong enough, as the Milori did?"
"The annexation of Uthlaro space is for the Galactic Alliance Council to decide," Admiral Moore said.
"Yes, but they're going to look to us for a recommendation," Admiral Platt said.
"For that matter, what if the Uthlaro defeat Carver?" Admiral Hubera asked. "Will we simply walk away from Region Two, or will we mass all our forces and go at them again?"
"A good question, Donald," Admiral Moore said. "But we won't know the answer to that until after Admiral Carver first engages the Uthlaro and has an opportunity to assess their ships and fighting ability."
* * *
"Admiral, our search has turned up two separate groups of ships," Commander Cleviss of the Mississippi said. "The first is composed of about five ships and the second group has about ten ships. Both are following the same course."
"What's the distance between them?"
"About four point five billion kilometers. Both are moving at the same speed of Light-337, so the second group isn't trying to close the gap."
"So anyone encountering the first group wouldn't even see the second group with their DeTect sensors," Jenetta said aloud.
"Yes, ma'am. What do you think it means?"
"I think it means we've found the Gondusans and the Uthlaro. The second group might be hanging back, waiting until someone attacks the first group so they can rush in and surprise the attackers. Good work, Captain. Stay back out of sight for now."
"Aye, Admiral."
Jenetta established a vid-link conference with her captains and explained the situation. "What I'd like to do is employ a modification of what we did with the latter Tsgardi battle groups. We'll set up the electronic debris equipment, but we'll let the Gondusans through. As soon as the Uthlaro ships come into range, we jam the IDS, trigger the electronic debris field, and fire our WOLaR torpedoes. Then we race in and see if the Uthlaro are as tough as the rumors say they are."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Captain Sandor Erikson said. "We know it worked well against the Tsgardi."
"Anyone got any suggestions for how it might be improved?" Jenetta asked. When no one offered anything, she said, "Okay, then it's ti
me for the block party. Let's go greet the neighbors."
An hour later, the trap was laid and the Space Command tactical officers watched their sensor displays showing data transmitted from a sensor buoy left near the ambush point. The Gondusan ships were allowed to pass, but when the second group of ships appeared on the sensors, IDS communications were jammed, the electronic debris field was triggered, and the WOLaR torpedoes seeded in the area were activated.
The Uthlaro ships continued on through the debris field as if it wasn't there, but then dropped their temporal envelopes and accelerated at Sub-Light-5. Their failure to cancel FTL where expected had put them well beyond the range of the torpedoes.
"Tactical," Jenetta said, "Disable all seeded WOLaR torpedoes. All ships move in."
The command to engage the enemy was transmitted on the UHF frequency selected for the operation and all ships began to move as one.
As the two forces closed to effective firing range, space was illuminated with pulses of coherent light. The Space Command ships tried to implement an Echo-One attack pattern where they would encircle the enemy ships, but the Uthlaro refused to be contained and kept moving out of the circle of the Space Command vessels attacking them. They never provided a stationary target as the Tsgardi had done.
After ten minutes of heavy fighting while jockeying for position, severe damage to eight of the ten Uthlaro ships barely permitted them to carry on the fight, but their gunners continued firing until they breathed their last. With the SC ships concentrating on the two remaining Uthlaro ships, one tried to make a break for it. It began building its temporal envelope as it rocketed away at Sub-Light-100. The Danube, Nile, and Thames took out after it, trying to destroy its temporal generator, but failed. The Uthlaro ship could only attain Light-375, while the three scout-destroyers could attain Light-450 with a single envelope and stay close enough so the enemy ship never escaped their IDS jamming shroud.
Several times the Danube passed in front of the enemy ship, hoping to halt it by having the collision avoidance system shut down the Light Speed engines, but it appeared the Uthlaro ACS system had been taken off-line. Finally, the Nile attempted the envelope-merge maneuver where a pursuing ship moves close enough to merge temporal envelopes with the quarry, allowing laser fire to strike the temporal envelope generator of the pursued ship.
As the laser gunner watched the helmsman nervously, his finger poised above the fire button, the helmsman nodded. That signal meant the envelopes would merge in exactly five seconds. In six seconds the Light-Speed engine would be disengaged, so the gunner had just one chance. With older ships there had always been the chance the quarry would fire its laser cannons at just the right instant and the pulse would hit the pursuer, but that wasn't a problem on the DS ships.
At exactly five seconds, the gunner fired his laser weapons and the Nile dropped its temporal envelope, then accelerated away with its Sub-Light engines to put a little distance between it and the Uthlaro vessel if it was successful. The hit was perfect and the temporal envelope of the fleeing Uthlaro ship dissipated as the temporal generator disintegrated. The Nile suddenly found itself alone with the enemy ship as the Danube and Thames continued on at the original FTL speed of the Uthlaro ship.
As the Uthlaro vessel came to a sudden halt, the gunners still alive aboard the heavily battered ship once again opened fire. The gunners aboard the Nile reciprocated and the space between the two ships was filled with light pulses and torpedoes for several minutes. However, the crippled Uthlaro vessel was no longer a match for an undamaged scout-destroyer and its weapons were silenced one by one. The Uthlaro ship ceased firing torpedoes after the first two minutes of fighting and it appeared to the bridge crew of the Nile that they had destroyed all of the enemy's tubes with their fire. As they circled the now silent ship, the Danube and the Thames reappeared. It had taken several minutes to turn around and return to the place where the Uthlaro vessel had dropped from FTL.
Still using the UHF frequency, Commander Diana Durland, the senior officer among the three said, "Well done, Nile. My complements to your helmsman and gunner on an excellent maneuver."
"Thank you, Captain Durland," Commander Stephan Cross said. "Shall we search for survivors in airtight compartments?"
"Negative. We don't have any Marines aboard."
"My people can handle it," Cross said.
"Negative, Captain. The Admiral has ordered that search and rescue operations only be conducted by Marines. Since we must continue to jam IDS communications until we're sure no one aboard can send a message, we'll have to return to the original site of the battle before we can arrange to take a couple of Marine platoons aboard. You wait here with your prize to ensure it doesn't suddenly come to life. Someone will be here as soon as possible."
"Aye, Captain Durland. We'll remain here."
The Danube and the Thames built their envelopes and departed so suddenly they appeared to simply disappear. Cross sat in his bridge chair fuming that he had to babysit a wreck and yet couldn't even search his prize and perhaps claim a small souvenir. Space Command looked the other way when officers took souvenirs such as a plastic nameplate or uniform patch. As long as they were not taken from prisoners, the item presented no hazard, and the value was inconsequential. This battle group consisted of the first Uthlaro warships ever encountered by Space Command and Cross was anxious to see what their military ships looked like inside.
* * *
The Space Command ships at the site of the original fight were standing well off from the Uthlaro vessels as the latter were searched for survivors by Marines from the three battleships.
Using the UHF frequency, Commander Durland contacted Jenetta as soon as they dropped out of Light-9375.
"We were able to prevent the escape of the Uthlaro ship, Admiral. The Nile is standing by in case anyone is left alive, to make sure they don't manage to get any IDS messages off. Once it's been searched, it can be towed back here and secured with the others. It's got a lot of holes in it, but it's largely in one piece."
"Excellent work, Captain."
"It was the Nile that actually stopped her, Admiral, with an envelope-merge-and-fire. She didn't respond to our crossing her bow. She either had her collision avoidance system turned off or the sensors had been damaged in the fight."
"I suspect the former," Jenetta said. "The main group never even slowed when they encountered the electronic debris field. Perhaps their sensors are able to identify the electronic nature of the debris field and thus allow their ACS to ignore the signal. They probably deactivate the ACS after that so an enemy can't do what you attempted."
"Aye, ma'am. That's the way it seemed to us."
"Link up with the Boreas and take on a company of Marines, then return to where you left the Nile. Once the Marines search her for survivors, have your tug or the Nile's tug drag her back here."
"Aye Admiral. We'll link up immediately."
"Good. Colorado out."
"Danube out."
* * *
An hour later the Danube returned to where the Nile had been left, but the two ships were no longer there. Durland immediately ordered the com operator to hail the Nile on the UHF band. She knew the Light Speed generator of the Uthlaro ship had been utterly destroyed so it had either been towed away or was using the Sub-Light engines.
"We have a response from the Nile, ma'am," the chief at the com said.
"Put it on the front monitor."
An image of the Nile's bridge appeared a second later. The quality wasn't as good as an IDS band communication, but Durland immediately recognized that the officer in the command chair wasn't Commander Cross.
"Who's the senior line officer aboard the Nile?" she asked.
"I am, ma'am. I'm Lt. Commander Sammuthy."
"Where's the captain?"
"Uh, he's aboard the enemy ship, Captain."
"What's he doing— never mind. Where is the Uthlaro ship?"
"Just ahead of us, ma'am. We're maintaining close su
rveillance so they can't emerge from our jamming shroud."
"Send your coordinates and speed."
"Yes ma'am."
A second later the com operator said, "I have them, Captain, Routing them to helm."
"Helm, get us there, now."
"Yes, ma'am. ETA, five seconds."
Seconds later the Nile and the crippled Uthlaro ship appeared on the view screen.
"Nile, what your situation?"
"Uh, the Captain went aboard the enemy ship with a small rescue party of six and was apparently taken prisoner. The Uthlaro sent us a message on normal RF saying that if we tried to stop them they'd kill the captain and the rescue party."
"Send me the com frequency they used."
"Yes ma'am," the officer said, nodding to the com operator on his bridge. "Sending".
"I have it, Captain," the com chief on the Danube said.
"Hail the Uthlaro ship," Durland said to the com chief.
A second later the bloody image of an Uthlaro appeared. At least Durland assumed it was blood. It was blue and was dripping from several gashes on the Uthlaro's face.
"I've told you to leave us alone or we'll kill your people."
"This is Captain Durland of the GSC scout-destroyer Danube. Heave to immediately or we will open fire."
"What's 'heave to' mean?"
"It means stop where you are and prepare to accept boarders."
"If you attempt to stop us, we'll kill your people."
"If you kill even one of our people, we'll kill all of yours aboard your ship and all the prisoners we've rescued from the rest of your battle group."
"I don't believe you. Space Command doesn't kill prisoners."
"You don't know my Admiral. Admiral Carver isn't like other Space Command officers and neither am I. If you wish to test me, go ahead and kill the rescue party that boarded your ship. I'll immediately give orders to my Marines that anyone found alive is to be killed in the slowest and most painful manner possible."
"You've already killed most of my crew."
"That was in battle. Once the battle is over, we try to rescue any survivors. That was the reason for the party that boarded your ship. They were there to search for survivors and help them if possible."
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